Pride Guide 1999

Party and brunch start off Pride weekend

by Laura Atkinson

Columbus-An anticipated crowd of 15,000 plus is expected to flock to the 1999 Pride Holiday featuring Taylor Dayne as this year's headline act. The theme for this year's Pride Holiday echoes the concerns of the gay community: "Equality, Fairness and Safety" in light of issues raised by the Matthew Shepard tragedy and the repeal of domestic partner benefits for Columbus city workers.

This year's celebration includes a community vigil to be held at area bars and restaurants on Friday, June 25 at 9:30 pm, followed by "Dancing in the Streets," a Saturday, June 26 fundraiser event that starts at 6:00 pm with headline act Ultra Naté, of Studio 54 fame, at Axis Dance Club, 744 N. High St.

Pride Holiday main events take place Sunday, June 27, beginning with a fundraiser brunch to be held at Lindey's, 169 East Beck. St. at 9:45 am with special guests Jeanette Bradley, Matt Habbash, mayoral candidate Michael Coleman and WCMH Channel 4's Colleen Marshall. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased at Stonewall, 614-299-7764.

Registration and line-up for the march and floats will begin at 11 am Sunday, at Goodale Park on Park Street between Russell and Buttles. The Columbus Gay Men's Chorus will perform at the gazebo stage followed by opening remarks from Colleen Marshall and Andrea Cambem. The march will step off noon and proceed through downtown to Bicentennial Park for the rally and festival.

The festival will have over 100 vendors including food, beverage and gay-owned businesses. This year, the festival will begin at Civic Center Drive and wind around to Main Street. The Cultural Arts Center on West Main St., across from Bicentennial Park, will display the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt from 1-5 pm.

This year's stellar entertainment is a brilliant mix of local talent and nationally-known acts sure to suit just about everyone's taste. Entertainment begins at 1 pm and will last till 5 pm, featuring the sweet-sounding voices of Throat Culture, an a cappella group that entertains widely in the gay community. The rally will also feature the soulful acoustic music of Anne E. DeChant, voted Cleveland's best acoustic act, who has opened for stars such as Sarah McLaughlin, Sheryl Crow, and Melissa Etheridge.

This entertainment list will be combined with the sultry rock of Cathy 13, a seasoned music veteran who has opened for Toad the Wet Sprocket and Scrawl, and has graced the Columbus music scene with other bands such as the Vents and Radioland.

The local line-up alone is enough to keep everyone entertained. But Stonewall Columbus is going all out this year to make this year's Pride Holiday bigger and better than before. This year's show starts softly and climbs to a crescendo finishing up with the high-energy popular dance music of Taylor Dayne. Anyone who has seen Dayne perform knows she puts on an exhilarating show.

Taylor Dayne has been a powerful presence in the pop and dance music scenes with such hits as "Tell It to My Heart," "Heart of

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Antioch College students march in the 1998 Columbus Pride Parade.

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Dayne kicked off her "Naked Without You" tour with a CD of the same name. The tour began on the West Coast, making many stops along the way, and is scheduled to stop in Columbus for Pride on Sunday, June 27.

Reserved tickets can be purchased in advance for $15 on-line at WWW. OutinColumbus.com or by calling Stonewall at 614-299-7764. Tickets are on sale now. Reserved tickets can also be purchased the day of the show for $20.

The rally will end with the tradition of a commitment ceremony in which couples can

formalize their commitment to one another in a supportive, confirming environment. To register for the commitment ceremony, contact the Rev. Rickie Marecek at 740345-4952, or register at her booth the day of the festival in Bicentennial Park.

After Pride, head over to Berliner Park at 6 pm for the annual Bat 'n' Rouge, a rousing game of softball where the men play in heels and the women play like men. Bring your friends and your cooler and have a gay old time celebrating the diversity of who we are.

Laura Atkinson is a member of the Stonewall Columbus Pride committee.

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