June 16, 2006

Picnics celebrate Pride in Sandusky and Erie

by Anthony Glassman

Sandusky--The fourth annual Sandusky-Firelands Gay Pride Picnic saw solid attendance, bolstered by sunny afternoon skies and warm weather.

It was one of two Pride picnics that weekend, a day after the 14th annual Gay Pride Community Picnic in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The Sandusky event drew 75 people and three dogs to the back patio of Club X, where canopies and a cabana bar provided shade for those who wanted it, while others could loll about in the sun.

?Everyone had a great time, enjoyed the food, the people, the patio,? said organizer Ed Taylor.

He also noted that there were representatives of both Equality Ohio and the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats present to give out information and sign people up.

Equality Ohio?s Akron board member Nancy Reeves said that her organization, which connects a statewide network of LGBT advocates and similar organizations, was interested in adding a board member from the Sandusky area.

The next major queer event in Sandusky is Gay Day at Cedar Point, an unofficial gathering of LGBT people. It takes place on Father?s Day, usually a slower day at the amusement park which is this Sunday, June 18. Transgendered visitors have in the past occasionally had problems with park security, who took exception to them dressing in a way that did not match the gender on their identification.

The annual North Coast Cruise is also coming up shortly. The event, a benefit for Agape House and Pantry, an AIDS service organization, has been renamed the Paul Warner Memorial Cruise in honor of Agape?s late director. It will be held on Saturday, July 8, with a 6 pm party at Club X and the cruise at 8:30 pm. Tickets are $25, available at Club X.

A day earlier, the Erie Pride Picnic at Presque Isle State Park turned 14 with a bang, bringing in 270 people and 91 pounds of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Previous picnics have brought in elected officials. This year, however, Erie County Councilor Joy Greco was forced to stay at home due to back pain. Jason White, the Democratic candidate for the Fifth District of the Pennsylvania House, called to express his opposition to the proposed anti-same-sex marriage amendment now before the Pennsylvania legislature. He will face incumbent State Rep. John Evans, who supports the amendment.

Representatives of P-FLAG of Erie/Crawford County, Liberty Pennsylvania, the Green Party, the Erie County Department of Health and other organizations were present, along with other businesses and organizations. A camera crew from WICU Channel 12 in Erie came out to cover the event.

Erie Gay News contributed to this report.

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