ju st out ▼ m a rch 2 1 , 1097 ▼ 33
VENTURING OUT
Proud all over
W edding R ings
,
’Tis the season when communities worldwide hold parades
parties dances sporting events—all in fabulous queer style
,
,
▼
by Sasha Alyson
Express your love through your choke
of unique wedding bands. Enjoy the
creative interplay of mixed metals
and gems in this new collection
^
of men's and women's rings.
San Francisco Pride will expand to two days this year
ave you ever watched a group of
drag queens in full regalia play base
ball against a lesbian softball team?
You’ 11 have that chance if you attend
the annual Lesbian and Gay Pride
celebration in Lexington, Ky., in June. This hi
larious sports competition is called (what else?)—
“Bat ’n’ Rouge.”
If you’re in Houston, you can watch or partici
pate in the United States’ first nighttime pride
parade, complete with lighted floats and more
than 125 groups marching.
Since the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Vil
lage in 1969, gay pride events have grown from
protest marches and demonstrations to huge pa
rades, festivals and parties celebrating the lesbian
and gay experience. Once primarily political ral
lies, they’ve become the major social event of the
year in many cities—attended by thousands of
residents and out-of-town visitors.
Tom Ervin, of the International Association of
Lesbian/Gay Pride Coordinators Inc., says that
while many cities once held pride activities on the
anniversary of Stonewall, this is no longer true.
Los Angeles and San Francisco hold their
pride events on different weekends to allow Cali
fornians the chance to attend both celebrations.
San Diego wisely has its pride celebration in late
July, giving attendees a full month to recover
from the double whammy of the L.A. and San
Francisco events.
The IAL/GPC, a nonprofit organization
founded 15 years ago to assist in the planning and
production of pride events, now consists of repre
sentatives from dozens of cities producing gay/
lesbian/bisexual/transgendered pride events all
over the world. Among other responsibilities, the
organization chooses the international gay pride
theme each year. “Equality Through Visibility” is
the theme for 1997.
The IAL/GPC estimates that pride events in
1996 publicly mobilized 6 million to 8 million
people in North America and 2 million in Europe,
and the numbers are growing exponentially.
Pride activities are as different as the cities
hosting them. In England, London Pride attracts
tens of thousands of attendees and usually fea
tures world-famous entertainers. Toronto boasts
the largest pride event in the world. San Francisco
Pride has become so popular that it’s expanding to
two full days this year.
Santa Barbara holds its festival right on the
beach, with swimming, sea kayaking and wave
riders enjoying the water. This year a “duathalon”
(biking and swimming) is also scheduled. Al
though it has enormous success with its circuit
H
parties, Miami hasn’t had much luck with pride
events, but Ft. Lauderdale usually compensates
by doing a wonderful job with theirs.
Along with funding and securing city permits,
one of the biggest problems faced by many pride
committees is getting news coverage for their
events that is fair and balanced, but according to
Tania Jo Ingrahm of Hawaii’s Island Lifestyles
Magazine, this is slowly changing in her state.
“Overall, the coverage we get is more bal
anced and more positive,” explains Ingrahm. “The
TV stations have always covered the parade, but
they used to just focus on the queens and the more
outrageous contingents, or on the right-wing pro
test groups. This year the protesters were absent,
so the stations couldn’t put them on the air like
they have in the past, and we ended up with better
coverage.”
Boston’s 1996 Pride was one of the most
controversial in recent memory, due to a man on
stilts in a kilt who exposed the Scottish “crown
jewels” frequently along the parade route, and
some topless Lesbian Avengers who frolicked
rather passionately in a wheeled bed. The result
ing uproar was the subject of heated debate
throughout the city for several weeks afterwards,
in both the mainstream and queer media.
The IAL/GPC has provided the following
dates for some of the pride events scheduled for
this year.
Northwest pride events: Eugene, June 29;
Olympia, June 21; Portland, June 20-22; Salem,
June 7; Seattle, June 29.
U.S. pride events: Atlanta, June 27-29; Boise,
June 14; Boston, June 1-8; Chicago, June 29;
Denver, June 29; Fort Lauderdale, June 15; Ho
nolulu, June 28; Las Vegas, May 10; Los Ange
les, June 21-22; New York City, June 22 and 28-
29; San Diego, July 25-27; San Francisco, June
28-29; Santa Barbara, June 7; St. Louis, June 28-
29; Vancouver, B.C., July 26-Aug. 3; Washing
ton, D.C., June 8.
World pride dates: Amsterdam, Aug. 1-10;
Buenos Aires, Nov. 1; London, July 5; Mexico
City, June 28; Paris, June 19-29; Europride 1997,
June 19-29 (in Paris).
Those looking for more information about
Pride 1997 can visit IAL/GPC’s Web site at http:
//www.interpride.org, where you can also find its
electronic magazine, “Anomaly.” Contact IAL/
GPC by e-mail at info@interpride.org.
Send questions or comments about gay travel to
Sasha Alyson, Alyson Adventures, PO Box
180179, Boston, MA 02118, or via e-mail at
AlyVenture@aol.com.
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