Pride Guide 2004 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

From Feagler to RuPaul, Cleveland Pride has it all

by Anthony Glassman

Cleveland-The Cleveland Pride parade celebrates its fifteenth anniversary on June 19, while the festival afterwards turns sweet 16. Both ask the question, "Are you proud?"

The parade begins lining up at 11:30 am at the corner of Euclid Ave. and East 18th Street by the Cleveland State University law school, with the step-off scheduled for 1 pm. It will wend its way to Voinovich Park, at the end of the East 9th Street Pier in Lake Erie, and disperse into a rally featuring speeches including the celebrity grand marshal, Dick Feagler, the presentation of "Parade Bragging Rights," trophies and other speakers.

For the first time, there will be marching bands in the Cleveland Pride Parade. The Cleveland LGBT and Allies Marching Band

and the Queen City Rainbow Marching Band Long banners were carried in the 2003 Cleveland Pride Parade will both participate in the parade, as will Flaggots OH!, the state's only stand-alone LGBT flag corps.

This year's parade has four grand marshals.

Dick Feagler was selected for his unflinching editorials in the Plain Dealer and on his

RuPaul

television show, Feagler a Friends, supporting equal rigl for LGBT people.

personal and social joys and sorrows of transgendered people. She is currently in her second term on the board of the Cleveland Lesbian-Gay Center and is on the LGBT Leadership Roundtable.

After the rally, the Cleveland Pride Festival begins in earnest, with booths from over 0 local organizations and retailers, a food urt, beer garden, volleyball and more. Pets encouraged to attend with their humans as

Kate Clinton

In February, Feagler a nounced his support of marria equality for LGBT people wh speaking out against the "defer of marriage" law that the state legislature eventually passed. Feagler, who has won 25 Emmy Awards and the Peabody Award for journalism, also includes LGBT people in the roundtable discussions on his show.

Phyllis Evans, the next grand marshal, is a heterosexual Cleveland Heights city council member who supported the domestic partner registry initiative last year at the risk of her own career. Faced with criticism and a campaign to defeat her, she was reelected with the highest vote of any councilperson up for reelection.

While campaigning during the election, Evans was asked why she supported the initiative. Her response was, "Because it's the right thing to do."

John Farina has been active in the Cleveland LGBT community for many years in numerous roles. During his term as president of the board of trustees of the Cleveland Lesbian-Gay Center, he led the initiative with executive director Linda Malicki to raise funds to move to the center to a new, much larger facility. He is also the public policy director of the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland and works with AIDS Action and the Human Rights Campaign.

He made national headlines earlier this year with his very public resignation from the Republican Party following President Bush's public support of the Federal Marriage Amend-

ment.

Kathy Harvey is an activist in the LGBT community who has worked on transgender and other queer issues. She is a founder of Trans Family and one of the creators of the Sissy Show, a musical revue that explores the

:11.

Continuing the success of previous events, ere will be special areas for specific demoaphics: Youth Zone for LGBTQ youth unr-18, a children's pavilion and Senior Space older members of the community. The dance stage will be active from 3:30 to om, featuring the turntable skills of DJs bbie Rob, Low Key and Jon Garrison.

The main stage, which will present continuous entertainment from 3 to 8 pm, will have performances by local ska band Rude Staff Checkers, who began playing Cleveland Pride as high school students. Just because they're now in college, that doesn't mean they won't return to play! Local singersongwriter

Anne

E.

DeChant, fresh from the success

of her new album Pop the Star, will play her first Cleveland Pride Festival this year.

Also on the main stage will be New York heartthrob Ari Gold, queer trio Girlyman, lesbian R&B artist Nedra Johnson and headliners Kate Clinton and RuPaul.

Kate Clinton, of course, is perhaps the most famous queer stand-up comedian of all time, having brought her political and social wit to a generation of audiences.

RuPaul, who describes her height as "with heels and hair, through the roof," emerged into stardom with the single "Supermodel," and parlayed that success into a talk show, spokesmodel for MAC Cosmetics and roles in movies from A Very Brady Sequel to But I'm a Cheerleader!

That septet is not, however, the only entertainment available. A second stage, running from 3 to 7 pm, will feature even more talent.

"

The North Coast Men's Chorus, arguably the most visible gay organization in northeast Ohio, will perform on the second stage, along with the Sissy Show, the revue of the highs and lows of transgendered life.

Sexy and talented singer-songwriter Ellis will also perform, bringing her hot music from the icy tundra of Minneapolis-St. Paul. She was twice voted Best Musician by Lavender Magazine, and here's the perfect opportunity to find out why!

Rounding out the second stage performers is Tempting Venus, who opened for Sophie B..Hawkins at the Beachland Ballroom on May 19.

Of course, the parade and festival aren't

the only Pride events happening in Cleveland in June.

There's the annual Pride Pool Tournament, which got under way May 16. The finals will happen on Thursday, June 10 at Muggs, 3194 West 25th Street.

The Laugh Out Proud comedy show returns to the Improv at the Powerhouse, 2000 Sycamore on the West Bank of the Flats, on Monday, June 7. Toronto comedian David McLean (www.funnygayguy.com) will headline, with local nationally-known comedians Dana Austin and Mike Dodge supplementing the laughs.

The weekend of Pride will also be one of dancing, as a kick-off and after-party will bookend the parade and festival.

On June 18, Twist Nightclub at 11633 Clifton Blvd hosts the kickoff, starting at 10 pm. The following night, also at 10 pm, Bounce Nightclub, 2814 Detroit Ave, hosts the after-party, with nationally known DJs to be announced.

&

On the political side, Evan Wolfson, the director of Freedom to Marry, will be in

Cleveland for three events.

A-19

ERIC RESNICK

On Thursday, June 10, he will be at Cleveland State University at 6 pm for a town hall meeting on same-sex marriage. The event is open to all, and the location will be announced

soon.

The following day, he will be the guest speaker at the City Club of Cleveland, 850 Euclid Ave, for their Friday Forum lunch presentation. Tickets are available through the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats at 216647-7437

or

president(@ clevelandstonewalldemocrats.org. Wolfson will wind up his visit with a “Get Out the Vote" training session sponsored by Cleveland Pride and HRC. The event will be at Bounce, 2814 Detroit Ave, from 5 to 8 pm. and will also discuss opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment. The session is open to everyone.

For more information on the various events and artists, log onto www.clevelandpride.org. There are also links to the brand-new Pride merchandise for 2004, so order quickly to ensure that it arrives in time for Cleveland Pride.✔

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