THEME AVE

Pride Guide 2002

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE B-17

A parade and two days of music leads Cincinnati Pride

by Anthony Glassman

Cincinnati-A parade, ten hours of music, special bar nights and more parties than one would think could fit into the Queen City will highlight

Pride week this year.

On Saturday, June 8, the Queen City Marching Band will make its debut at the music festival in Hoffner Park. The festival starts at 7 pm on Saturday and at 2 pm on Sunday, follow-

Michael Chanak ing the parade. Saturday's

other musical acts include Carol ShermanJones, mother of Carol's on Main, with Sherry

McCamley, Muse Women's Choir, the Cincinnati Men's Chorus and hip-hop trio Is What?! performing with special lighting by Big Bang Productions.

Sunday's festival will bring Belinda Scroggins, Annette Shepherd, Ryan Adcock, Chris Collier, Tonefarmer, Beatrice, Jake Speed and the Freddies and Vicki D'Salle to the stage.

In fact, the only thing stopping the music that weekend will be the Cincinnati Pride rally and parade on Sunday. The rally begins at noon at the Burnet Woods gazebo, and the parade steps off at 1 pm.

Pre-rally music will be provided by DJ Max of BPM Productions. The rally itself will feature a diverse collection of speakers from the Cincinnati LGBT community, including Erica Riddick, organizer of the Crazy Ladies fundraiser, "Lesbian Fashion Show," Michael Chanak, longtime activist and one of the prime forces behind the return of Cincinnati's Pride, and Peaches LaVerne, at

77 years the oldest female impersonator in Cincinnati.

Other speakers include Lois McGuinness and her partner Tess Imholt, Dr. John A. Maddux, Dr. John A. Kelly, Rev. Daniel Newman and Pride coordinator Ken Colegrove, with sign language interpretation by Chris Owens.

The morning of June 8, the Cincinnati Youth Group will

present a pancake breakfast at the Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church as part of Cincinnati Pride, while the River Bears Pride Cookout at noon in the McFarland Woods shelter will provide more substantial fare.

Also at noon will be the Proud Artists

Cincinnati Men's Chorus

Contest Showcase at the Cincinnati LGBT Center.

At 4 pm, New Thought Unity Center will host a Pride interfaith service; the center is located at 1401 E. McMillan in East Walnut Hills.

Center's goal is to empower each person who walks in

by Troy Henson

Cincinnati-At the GLBT Community Center of Cincinnati, we believe that to provide a safe and nurturing environment for individuals, groups and organizations is key to keeping your center alive and vibrant. With this foremost in mind, we can fulfill and assist your needs emotionally, culturally and educationally.

It is our goal to foster empowerment in each individual who walks through our doors and give everyone a better sense of the LGBT community spirit. We can do this and continue by providing essential human services, by organizing and sponsoring community activities and by increasing public awareness and understanding of the LGBT lives.

The center is located at 4119 Hamilton Ave. in the Northside neighborhood of Cincinnati. Hours are Monday-Friday 6 pm to 9 pm, Saturdays noon to 4 pm. Come by for a visit, drop us a line, or give a call. E-mail

mail@glbtcentercincinnati.com, or write P.O. Box 23159 Cincinnati, Ohio 45223. We can be also be reached by phone at 513-591-0200, or call the 24-hour Community Switchboard at 513-591-0222.

The center

sponsors

a

weekly sup-

port group for center

gay men. The

group offers

informal discussion and peer support in a safe and confidential atmosphere.

Meetings are every Monday at the center at 7 pm.

Every Friday evening from 8 pm to 11 pm, the center sponsors a lively alternative to “going out.” Make new friends and play your favorite games like Pictionairy, Uno, Parcheesi, and more. Recently, we have included watching diverse movies and popular broadcast shows, such as Queer As Folk, The Broken Hearts Club. A $2 donation is re-

quested and snacks and soft drinks are provided.

Cincinnati Youth Group provides an open and confidential forum where youth can share ideas, thoughts and issues affecting their lives. CYG is a non-profit organization committed to providing educational

gay & lesbian community center of cincinnati

and support services and social participator activities for youth 13 to 21 who are dealing with their diversity. The group strives to enhance the quality of life for the community at large by providing a positive outlet for youth, and by fostering their growth in becoming productive participants in a changing society.

All you need to know about Greater Cincinnati's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is just a phone call away. The Switchboard, a free and confidential service of the center, features automated listings of most of the area's organizations, bars, businesses and resources. It's available 24 hours a day at 513-591-0222.

We will be holding an Artist Contest during June Pride Week. We will have the community vote for the best artwork displayed, with great prizes awarded to the first and second place winners. There will be a raffle for participating voters too. Prizes are sponsored by the Community center, Paramount's Kings Island, and the Cincinnati Art Museum.

Troy Henson is vice president of the Cincinnati Gay and Lesbian Center.

hear them whisper...

bee-yatch!

Using the Net to stop HIV is theme of David's House forum

by Mary Jay

Toledo As more and more people have computers and access to the Internet, many HIV prevention programs are using it as an HIV prevention tool. Erotic stories fused

with risk reduction messages and safer sex chat rooms are being touted as a trendy and effective way to raise knowledge of HIV and promote safer sex.

Risk Reduction Specialist with Planned Parenthood of Northwest Ohio and Erin Herbert, a youth educator with David's House. The program will be facilitated by Elva Scribellito, with the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department.

DAVID'S HOUSE

The theme of the Fifth Annual Gay Pride Community Forum is "The Internet: The Future of HIV Prevention." Keynote speaker for the event is Tracey Dominiak. For the past eight years, Dominiak has worked for the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project. She will discuss the role of the internet as a tool to fight HIV.

Other speakers include Duane Herron,

An AIDS Services Organization

Although David's House is sponsoring the event, it will be held at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, which is located at 2272 Collingwood Boulevard. The program will be held on June 12 at 7 pm. For more information, please phone 419244-6682.

David's House serves an eight-county area in Northwest Ohio. Programming offered by David's House reaches over 12,000 people each year.

Mary Jay is the director of education services at David's House.

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