Are you ready for PrideFest 2004?
June is just around the corner, June is Pride Month in Pittsburgh! This year’s Pride theme is Stand Up, Stand Proud, Stand Together! and this year’s Pride Committee has worked hard to offer a wide range of activities throughout the entire month. Of course the focal point of Pride activities is PrideFest, which will be held on June 19 (see below), but there are many other opportunities for you Stand Up and show your pride this year:
On May 30, the Pittsburgh Hilton & Towers will be all decked out for the GLSEN Youth Prom. This year’s theme is “But I’m a Queerleader”, and the event is open to participants of all ages. Adult reception begins at 4 p.m., with the Prom starting at 6 p.m. Advance reservations are a must, so click to www.glsenpgh.org for ticket information.
Stand Up and Yell Bingo! Sat., June 5. Yes, a special bingo event to support Pride, held under cover in the parking lot off of Ellsworth Ave. Rain or shine, come out and enjoy this opportunity for one more Bingo before the summer break! Come early and enjoy some light refreshments from area food vendors, too! Tickets are available at the door, or in advance from the usual bingo ticket outlets. For more information, contact the GLCC at 412.422.0114.
June 8 brings the GLCC a special performance of Varla Jean Merman, Under a Big Top, at the City Theatre on the South Side. After a successful five-month Off-Broadway run and numerous appearances at Joe’s Pub, chanteuse Varla Jean Merman makes her Pittsburgh debut. The proceeds from this show will benefit the GLCC, and a special reception will be held for patrons. Tickets for this event are $25-$100, and may be purchased by contacting the GLCC at 412.422.0114. For more information on Varla Jean, you may click to www.varlaonline.com.
“Standing Together With Pride”, a pageant of diversity benefiting The Seven Project, will be held Sunday, June 13, 2004 at the Hill House’s Kaufmann Auditorium. This event will bring together Kings and Queens from the drag community to celebrate diversity. There will be a dance to follow and refreshments are included in the ticket price. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. For more information, contact Brotha Ash Productions at 412.377.3485 or the Youth Empowerment Project at 412.383.2940.
As in past years, the week of June 14 brings several educational seminars to the GLCC, at 5808 Forward Ave. in Squirrel Hill. On Monday, June 14, Kathleen Schneider will present a seminar on Tax and Financial Matters for the GLBT Community from 5:30 to 7 p.m. This will be followed by Homebuying Simplified with Maryanne Kirby from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Come for one or both seminars, as light refreshments will be served!
On Tuesday, June 15, Lambda Foundation will hold its annual meeting, which is open to the public. This is a great opportunity to meet the dedicated volunteers who provide financial support to many events and organizations in the local GLBT community! On Wednesday at 5 p.m. the City Theatre will host the Annual Meeting of Pittsburgh’s Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN), with Education Leader Jim Testerman speaking on Challenges Facing GLBT Teachers.
PrideFest 2004 is set for Saturday, June 19, on the North Shore. This new location will return the festival to a prominent visible location, in direct response to much of the feedback we received after last year’s event. The parade will wind through downtown, past Gateway Center and the crowds present for the Three Rivers Arts Festival. From the downtown endpoint, marchers will walk to the North Shore site, between the Fort Duquesne Bridge and Heinz Field, to enjoy the typical street fair activities, including a children’s area and food and vendor booths.
PrideFest will run from 12 noon until 6 p.m., but Pride Day will not end there. This great day of activities will be capped off by Pride Day at PNC Park! Come out to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates play the Seattle Mariners. Be sure to wear your Pride t-shirt or any red t-shirt to show your pride. A block of 500 tickets has been reserved, so bring your friends and family members out to wind up a great day of Pride festivities. To ensure recognition of this event, tickets must be purchased in advance, by contact the Pittsburgh Pirates using the flyer enclosed with this edition of GLCC News.
On Sunday, June 20 a special Friends and Family Pancake Brunch will be hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Church in Allegheny Center, on the North Side, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Donations will be accepted at the door, and Proceeds from this event benefit PrideFest. Indoor seating is available, and if the weather is nice (o course it will be!), bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy your brunch outdoors in the adjacent park! For more information, contact the GLCC at 412.422.0114, or [email protected].
To wrap up this full month of Pride festivities, the Rainbow Ride for Equal Marriage Rights will come to Pittsburgh. An event is planned for Thursday, July 1 to rally support around this great cause. For more information on the Rainbow Ride click to www.rainbowlaw.com. Further updates on the rally will be available via the GLCC email update list, which you may sign up for at www.glccpgh.org.
These are just the highlights of events that are on tap for Pride month. Be sure to look for the 2004 Pride Guide which will be available in late May, as well as the GLCC website for details on other events.
Vendor booths for PrideFest and spots in the parade are still available. For more information, write to [email protected], or call 412.422.0114. Get your reservations in soon!