PRIDE GUIDE 1997 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

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Lisa Binkowski to be grand marshal of Toledo march

by Stuart Tart

Toledo-Lisa Binkowski, co-owner of Tallulah's gift shop and Lavender Triangle's "Woman of the Year," has agreed to serve as the grand marshal of Toledo's Pride March '97.

"It's quite a big honor to be asked to represent our community," Binkowski said.

Tallulah's, a feminist gift store located at 6725 W. Central Ave., opened on July 1, 1993. Called "a store with a conscience" by the Toledo Blade, it specializes in jewelry, books, and music. Binkowski's store also features the work of over 50 local women artists.

While Tallulah's is a gathering place for everybody in Toledo, Binkowski said the store has become "a home for the gay and lesbian community."

"Before we opened, there wasn't anything for the gay and lesbian community except a couple of bars in town," she said.

want to alienate anybody."

Binkowski said she has witnessed tremendous growth in the local gay and lesbian community in the last few years.

"I think we've established a

Now, Binkowski's store sponsors special good rapport with both the

events like women's dances-the last one attracted 275 women-provides meeting space for Gays and Lesbians United and other community groups, and conducts

educational seminars geared toward both men and women.

"I think we've established a good rapport with both the women's and the men's community," Binkowski said. "We don't

Getting to Toledo Pride march, festival, and cookout

The Toledo Gay Pride Day Rally and March will gather at the Lucas County Court House between 11:30 am and noon on Saturday, June 21. The march will step off at noon, and proceed to Promenade Park for the Pride festival.

It is recommended that marchers park cars near Promenade Park, and walk back to the march stepoff, avoiding a return to the stepoff site later. It is about a 10minute walk. Promenade Park is in downtown Toledo on the Maumee River, behind the Federal Building near Jefferson and Summit Sts. The court house is at Adams and Ontario Sts., about eight blocks away.

Good Samaritan Parish MCC is hosting a "Cooking Out" picnic immediately after the festival, at the church, 720 W. Delaware St.

To get to the cookout from the march rally: From Promenade Park, go north on Summit St. to Cherry St., at the foot of the Martin Luther King Bridge. Turn left onto Cherry, and follow it about 12 blocks to St. Vincent's Hospital on the left. Delaware Ave. is just after the hospital; turn left and go about eight blocks to the church, on the right just after Robinwood Ave.

To get to the march, festival and cookout from the freeways:

From the east via 1-80 and I-280

To the courthouse: Get off I-280 at Summit St. (Exit 10), and follow it about ten blocks south to Adams St. (This exit is also Huron St., which also goes to Adams St.) From Summit, turn right onto Adams; the courthouse is three blocks up at Ontario.

To Promenade Park: Follow the above directions, but continue on Summit St another block or two and turn left at Jefferson Ave. The park will be on the left.

To the cookout: Get off the I-80 Ohio Turnpike at I-75 north, and follow the directions in "From the south" below.

From the south via l-75

To the courthouse, Follow I-75 to Exit 201, Michigan St. or Anthony Wayne Trail. Get off, and go north on Michigan, Ontario, or Erie Sts. five blocks to Adams, where the courthouse is.

To Promenade Park: From the courthouse, go east on Adams St. five blocks to Summit St.; turn right and go three blocks to the park, on the right at Jefferson St.

To the cookout: Get off I-75 at the Detroit Ave. exit, Exit 203. Turn right and go one or two blocks to Delaware Ave., and turn right. The church is about three blocks up on the left.

From the west via l-475

To the courthouse: Get off I-75 at Indiana Ave. (Exit 202), go left on Indiana to Washington, go right on Washington about four blocks to Erie, turn left, and go another five blocks to the courthouse at Adams.

To Promenade Park: Continue east on Washington six blocks to Summit, turn left, and go two blocks to Jefferson. The park is on the right.

To the cookout: Follow I-475 to I-75 south, and get off at Detroit Ave., the first exit after they join (Exit 203). Turn left, go one or two blocks to Delaware Ave., and turn right. The church is about three blocks up on the left.

From the north via 1-75

To the courthouse: Exit I-75 onto I280 north of downtown, then follow the directions in "From the east" above.

To the cookout: Follow the directions in "From the west" above.

women's and the men's community. We don't want to alienate anybody.”

"Some times, people come into the store and complain that there's nothing to do in Toledo, that people are not out, things like that. And if you compare Toledo today to Columbus or other cities where there is a large lesbian and gay population, it's true, we haven't moved along quite that far. But since Tallulah's opened, we're still here, Gays and Lesbians United is a new and active organization, a group called Rainbow Network is new, People Called Women bookstore is new, the local PFLAG chapter has been re-activated and has grown significantly in the last year. I think there's a lot of things that have happened that are real positive."

Binkowski added that she's aware that there are some Toledoans who only see Tallulah's as "that lesbian store," but she doesn't let it get to her. "We're still here, she said, "still growing and making inroads into the larger community."

Step off at noon on June 21

Pride March '97, the third such event to be held in Toledo, is slated to begin at noon on Saturday, June 21. The committee organizing the event plans to highlight

the issue of same-sex unions and our community's opposition to Ohio House Bill 160, legislation which seeks to bar recognition of same-sex marriages within the state.

Participants are asked to gather on the lawn of the Lucas County Courthouse, Adams and Ontario Sts., at 11:30 a.m. with banners, rainbow flags and other symbols of our community's strength. Marchers will step off at noon on a course that will lead them to the festival staging area of Promenade Park.

There, Ken Phifer, minister of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Ann Arbor, Mich., is slated to be the event's keynote speaker.

Phifer, who will speak on the subject of same-sex marriage, said, "From my understanding, marriage is not something that is consecrated between a man and a woman, it is something that has been consecrated between people. The criteria should be that there has to be a commitment, that the people involved are serious about their relationship, but I don't think gender really has anything to do with it."

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"The world is a better place when there is love in it," Phifer added, “and when I see lesbian and gay couples who love each other, I say: Three cheers, and what can I do to help you?"

The Pride March committee is also in the process of inviting Toledo city commissioners, state representatives and state senators representing Northwest Ohio to join us at the rally.

Immediatly after the festival, there will be a "Cooking Out" cookout at Good Samaritan Metropolitan Community Church, at 720 West Delaware St.

Two hundred fifteen people participated in last year's march, according to organiz-

ers.

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