The crack of the bat, and the clop of the high heels

by Anthony Glassman

Columbus Charity, they say, begins at home. During the Pride Holiday weekend in Columbus, however, charity begins on the softball diamond.

"Past, Present and Future-15 Years of Bat 'n' Rouge," this year's installment of the annual benefit drag softball game,

Bat 'n' Rouge 2001

will return to the former Mohawk Middle School, now the Afrocentric School, at 300 Livingston Ave. at Grant. It will be on Sunday, June 30, the day after the Pride parade and festival.

Emceed by Sable Coat and lesbian comic Maggie Cassella, who will also be performing at Wall Street nightclub later that night, the event is a benefit for Stonewall Columbus, the Buckeye Region AntiViolence Organization, Kaleidoscope

Youth Coalition and the Columbus AIDS Task Force.

While the game starts at 3 pm, organizers warn that, to get good seats, patrons should arrive as early as noon, when the gates open, or 12:30 pm. Beer and food will be sold on site, and no outside alcohol will be allowed.

Tickets for the event are $5 in advance, or $7 at the gate.

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"We're taking a whole different approach," said Curtis Davis, the chair of Bat 'n' Rouge. "We're making it more upbeat."

An upbeat celebration is needed this year, especially after the tragic death of Gary McMurtry, who performed under the stage name Brazon. McMurtry was an integral part of Bat 'n' Rouge for

many years, and his absence will be felt. However, the event will go on and benefit a more representative group of organizations this year.

"Our beneficiaries are more diverse than in years past,” Davis noted, pointed to Kaleidoscope's representation of the needs of sexual minority youth and the Columbus AIDS Task Force's tireless work serving people affected by HIV and AIDS.

Pride Guide 2002

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