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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1989)
For Pride Week, gay means happy By Lisa Svanevik Emerald Contributor The Cay and lesbian Alli ance will kick off its annual Cay Pride Week on Monday with a banquet that will cele brate the week's theme — "Gay Still Means Happy." The banquet will be held from 6:30 p.m. to B p.m. at Seymour's Greenery Restau rant. 996 Willamette St. Tickets are $4 at the door and include admission and dinner. Other activities on the sched ule include several workshops and film presentations. "I really want to stress that these are available to everyone: we invito everyone to come," said GALA co-director Ryan Kennedy "The workshops are not debates ... they are for peo ple who are gay or lesbian, but everyone is welcome to come and learn." Kennedy said “the big thing this year” will be Jeans Day on Thursday. "Wearing jeans or denim on that day is an overt statement that one supports gay and lesbi an rights” in addition to ull civil rights. Kennedy said, add ing that he hopes people will "consciously wear jeans or not,” depending on their posi tion on the issue Kennedy and fellow co-direc tor Jennifer Hills both noted that the function of GALA and of Pride Week has shifted away from educating the heterosexu al community about gays and toward celebrating the gay life style and gay pride in recant years. The emphasis now, Kennedy said, is as much on education as on simply having a good time. I.ast year's co-director Tim Hughes said the event "creates a safe space for people to come out (of the closet)" and that the number of participants in creases every year. Pride Week daytime events begin Monday afternoon at 12:30 with "Kipe Fruits and budding Flowers." a perspec tive of older and younger lesbi ans and gay* in the communi ty. It wili In: held at the Koinonia Center, 1414 Kincaid St. The Willamette AIDS Coun cil will present a "Safe Sex Ex travaganza" at 10:30 a in. on Tuesday, also at the Koinonia Center. A workshop on building and maintaining healthy gay and lesbian relationships will fol low at 1 p.m. at the Center A look at diversity in the gay and lesbian community entitled "Through Another's Eyes" will take place at noon on Wednes day in the KMl) Forum Room. “Dispelling the Fear," a pan el discussion on sadomaso chism will begin at 10 a m Thursday in the Forum Room. Weekday events conclude Friday with a noon rally in the KMl! courtyard. Weeknighl entertainment in cludes a full slate of films with gay themes. Before Stonewall and Maurice pluy on Tuesday. The Life and Times of llarvey Milk and Parting Glances on Wednesday, and Hailing Tor the Moon on Thursday. All films begin at 7 p m. in the Forum Room, and a $2 do nation is appreciated. The week concludes with the lavender Rhythm Rituaf. GALA'S Pride Week dance, from 8 p m to midnight at the laurelwood Golf Course. 2700 Columbia St. Admission is $4 Saturday features are a gay and lesbian parenting work shop at ] 1 a m at the Koinonia Center, and the showing of Torch Song Trilogy at 7:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. in 150 Ge ology Tickets for the movie an* $2 for students and $2.50 for gen eral admission. Sunday is "Gay Day." which will fie celebrated with Pride Brunches at three local restau rants Participants are encour aged to wear black and white with lavender or purple accents while brunching at the Bagel Bakery (Eighth Avenue and Monroe Street), the Great Soci ety Cafe (11th Avenue and Pat terson Street) or Starlet O'Heifer's (13th and Ijiw rence). Partial proceeds from tire brunch will benefit the new Gay and Lesbian Helpline. The week's big event will be a "l-ate-Night Double Feature" concert of Romanovsky A Phil lips together with the Washing ton Sisters at 8 p.m. Sunday in the EMU Ballroom Tickets are $10 only in ad vance and may be purchased at the EMU Main Desk or Mother Kali's Bookstore. GAI*A will have an information table in the EMI! from 9:30 a m to 4 p.m. during Pride Week to an swer questions. Want to be cast as a P.A.? Need to know more? Come to a mandatory meeting in the Carson Gold Room on Tuesday, April 18 at 6:30 p.m. l>o whal? Dim-1 and produce educational and cultural programs in I' of O Residence llalls C'ompen\alion?^^| Kimiiii and Board and Irlrphonr kin a mulilplr Program Assistant in U of O Residence Halls \n f qujl Opportunity. Afftrmstor AHn»« ln\tituth*n Applications now available at Carson, Hamilton and University Inn Area Desks and University Housing. Walton Hall Application deadline: 5 p.m. Monday April 24, University Housing Office New GALA co-director promises inclusiveness By Sing Chan Emerald Contributor An agenda emphasizing cultural, educational and politi oil activities is the lop priority of the Gay and lesbian Alli ance's (GALA) new co-director. Ryan Kennedy. "My goal is to make the GALA office a safe place for peo ple who are having questions about their sexuality and for people who are looking for a safe place to stay and to meet other people," Kennedy said. "GALA is for people who want to become aware of the political and social issues that circle around the gay community and around minorities in gener al." GALA is a diverse organization that welcomes everyone. Kennedy said "We want to be inclusive to gays, lesbians. bisexuals and straight peo ple." Kennedy is a senior psy chology major originally from Maker. Ho spent a year in Belgium as an ex change student and was re cently in Pennsylvania on the National Exchange Pro gram. A transfer student from Eastern Oregon State College, Kennedy has been at the University for a year. Along with Jennifer Mills. GALA’S other co-di rector, Kennedy will plan cultural and political events for the gay and les bian community. He will also coordinate activities between GALA and other Ryan Kennedy student groups sucn as students Against Apartheid and Stu dents for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. C.AI,A's youth group provides a forum for young people (21 and under) to talk about various issues and problems that affect their lives. “There are a lot of questions about gay bashing and vio lence against women. We also discuss coming out to parents and coming out on the job.” Kennedy said, adding that de spite these serious topics, the youth group is also a way for people to get together and have fun. Although GALA is respected as a politically active organ ization. there are people who feel threatened and uncomfort able with the group. "There is a lot of hate and misunder standing towards our group because of what we represent - sexual diversity. A lot of people are afraid to come here (the GALA office)," Kennedy said. The office has received several harassing phone calls. One of the main reasons Kennedy wanted to become co director of GALA was to insure that Gay and Lesbian Pride Week (April 24-30) was a success. Workshops on gay and les bian relationships, gay and lesbian parenting and safe sex will be presented. A banquet, discussion panels, and a film festival are also planned. Anyone who wants additional information about GALA is encouraged to call the GALA Helpline at 686-3360 or to stop by the office in EMU Room 319. 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