by Kaizaad Kotwal
Columbus--A last-minute move to the Wall Street night club saved the Outie Awards after the original location cancelled.
The Vern Riffe Center withdrew for reasons not stated, leaving the annual awards ceremony homeless and on the verge of being cancelled.
The October 1 event was sponsored by Out in Columbus as a fundraiser for Stonewall Columbus, and had a Broadway theme.
Entertainers, including Nina West, Petunia Bloom, Showeena DuMore, the Royal Renegades, Capital Pride Band, Sunday Night Live, and Flaggots Ohio, based their performances on Broadway musicals.
The event was hosted by drag queen Mary Ann Brandt and WCMH Channel 4 weatherman and weekend anchor Marshall McPeek.
Twenty-three awards were presented:
Best Event: AIDS Walk
Best Community Organization: Kaleidoscope
Best Community Leader: Lynne Bowman of Equality Ohio
Best Male Bar: Havana
Best Female Bar: Wall Street
Best Male Bartender: Jimmy ?Taffy? Cooper of Havana
Best Female Bartender: Laurie Boldman of Wall Street
Best DJ: Michelle Cheney of Wall Street
Best Restaurant/Caf?: North Star Caf?
Best New Business: Columbus Leather
Best Retail Establishment: Market Blooms
Best Community Volunteer: Jack Miner of Kaleidoscope
Most Philanthropic: Rajesh Lahoti and Ray Brown
Most Philanthropic Corporation: Huntington Bank
Best Art Gallery: A Muse Gallery
Best Media Personality: Kate Burdett of WBNS 97.1 FM
Best Print Journalist: Melissa Starker of Alive
Best Performance Group: Flaggots Ohio
Best Drag Queen: Nina West
Best Drag King: Royal Renegades
Most Eligible Bachelor: Shane Carpenter
Most Eligible Bachelorette: Suzie Simpson
The Chairmen?s Award went to Rick Gallagher, a philanthropist and financial backer of Stonewall Columbus? activities.