PADDLE-O-WEEN: There's No Place Like Homo!

Well, it turns out the LGBTQ crowd made up almost 10% of the participants at this year's Paddle-O-Ween on Waterbury Reservoir! Pretty much right in line with our representation in the general population. Apparently, you can't throw a Halloween party on the water without a few friends of Dorothy showing up! 

And what a fabulous time we had!

I decided to recycle our Wizard of Oz costumes from last year. I was Dorothy, Groot was the Wicked Witch, and Rocket was Toto's basket. Yes, the basket. Don't ask.

Naturally, no self-respecting Dorothy would show up without ruby slippers, so I spray-painted an old pair of Crocs glittery red. Andrae even braided hair extensions into my hair, giving me Dorothy's signature long braids without the indignity of wearing a wig. Who knew having a talented man willing to do your hair could be so useful?

And because subtlety has never been my strong suit, I found a whole collection of Wizard of Oz music and blasted it from the outdoor speakers on my paddleboard. We weren't just paddling down the reservoir, honey. We were following the Yellow Brick Road, aquatic edition!

Andrae joined us too, although he's not officially registered with the outdoor group. His costume? Dick in a Box, straight from the Saturday Night Live sketch. Because nothing says wholesome Halloween fun like Dorothy paddling around with a man offering his package to strangers

And then there was the wetsuit.

Andrae decided this would be the perfect opportunity to test his brand-new wetsuit, so he jumped into the chilly reservoir. The good news? It worked. The bad news? Getting into and out of that thing was apparently a whole different adventure.

Let's just say he's probably crossed off attending a fetish festival in a head-to-toe rubber suit. Apparently, being tightly encased in rubber isn't quite as much fun as the brochures suggest.

The folks at Umiak Outfitters were fantastic! The staff were friendly and helpful, even carrying our gear down to the water. There was a slide, a lovely fire pit to warm up around afterward, and plenty of creative costumes and decorated boats. A wonderful, welcoming event from start to finish.

Between the costumes, the music, the laughter, Andrae's aquatic rubber adventure, and all the fabulous company, it was a terrific day on the water.

Somewhere over the rainbow, there's a reservoir full of queers, a man with a box, and a Dorothy wearing spray-painted Crocs.

And really, what more could a gay boy ask for? 

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