Gene Floyd. Photo by Ross Forman____________
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Gene Floyd was planning to march in the local gay pride parade this past June, just as she's done for each of this city's past 18. But organizers had a different plan.
They wanted her as the grand marshal.
'I was stunned. I couldn't believe it,' when asked, she said. 'It never occurred to me that I would be asked to be the Grand Marshall. And why they asked me, I really don't know.'
Well, it's mainly because Floyd is a staunch supporter of the local LGBT community, the former co-chair of PFLAG, a post she held for about 10 years, and now an ambassador to numerous local organizations, such as HRC, Dell, the Gordon Jewish Community Center and more.
Floyd is 75 … and straight.
'I still remember my first [ parade ] back in '86 or '87. I couldn't believe I was doing it because that's before I was really [ a vocal, strong supporter of the LGBT community ] . I remember thinking, 'What am I doing here?'' Floyd said. 'People now can be who they are, and that's important.'
The local PrideFest was themed, 'Free To Be Me.'
Floyd, now divorced, retired and living in Belleville, Tenn., is tied to the LGBT community through her son: Brad, 51, an architect living in New York City with his partner, Robert Iliev.
'I adore this group of people—the LGBT community,' Floyd said. 'These are my favorite people in the world. I always say, 'If someone is thoughtful, considerate and nice … they're probably gay,' because those are the types of people I know and most of those people are gay.'
Floyd started the local chapter of PFLAG in the late-1970s. At its first meeting, it was mostly Vanderbilt students looking for a place to get together.
Today, there are about 30 regulars at the local PFLAG meetings, including Floyd, though she is retired from running the group.
'I'm just at home in the gay community, as much as I am anywhere,' said Floyd, who is on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Equality Project. 'If there's something LGBT-related in Nashville, I'm involved.
'Nashville is a changing city. There was a time when you didn't even say the word gay. But not anymore. Now, I think it's very stable a very serious group.'
Brad went to school at Middle Tennessee State University years ago, but dropped out after his first semester. He told his mom he just didn't like it and was going to transfer—and that he had a 'roommate' he was going to be living with.
'I wasn't thinking anything [ about his sexuality at the time ] ,' she said.
Floyd also was moving at that time and didn't have space for a baby grand piano.
Brad said he had the space for it.
'I still remember thinking, 'You're a college student, but have space for a baby grand piano?''
When she first visited her son's new apartment, Floyd didn't question him, 'but I thought, 'This is no college apartment.''
'I still didn't ask questions because I didn't know what to say at that point,' she said, 'and it never really occurred to me that he was gay.'
In 1976, Brad moved to New York City, and has been there ever since.
About two years later, Gene finally confronted Brad about his sexuality.
'I just said to him, 'I know you're gay, and it's OK. But don't you think we need to talk about it?'' said Gene, who admits, when she first speculated that her son was gay, 'I was waiting for him to turn into an abomination, and he never did.'
Gene also told Brad that his two sisters knew he was gay, and that they too were OK with it.
When Brad returns to Nashville these days, like he did for the 19th annual PrideFest 2007, held May 30-June 3, he attends church with Gene and other functions and events.
Mom is straight, son is gay and both are happy as can be.
'A life-changing experience for me happened in Chicago in September, 1987, when I went to my first PFLAG Convention,' Gene said. 'While in Chicago, I went to an Episcopal church, though I normally go to a Baptist church. The female bishop said, and I will never forget this, 'And here we are Lord, standing before you: male and female, black and while, gay and straight.'
'I had never heard anything like that before, in any church, and I've been going to church my whole life.'
Floyd retired in March after 32 years working for a real estate attorney, closing real estate sales. But it's her work in the LGBT community that all here remember.
'Years ago, I had people tell me that they came to the [ PFLAG ] meetings, but were afraid to get out of their car. Now it's so open, just not a big thing [ to attend ] ,' she said. 'Being involved with the LGBT community is the best thing I've ever done; it really is, however you want to measure it.'