“We are very excited about working with Pride South Florida,” said Greg Hardy, Board member of Stonewall Summer Pride and the Rainbow Business Coalition of Greater Fort Lauderdale, which co-produces Stonewall Summer Pride in Wilton Manors. “Working together on projects and events, we can bring a unified voice that has been long absent in Pride organizations in Broward County.”
The first joint event was a booth at Oktoberfest in Oakland Park, during the weekend of October 5, with representatives of both organizations attending.X
“South Florida’s LGBT community has yet to realize the full power of our influence,” said Marc Hansen, President of Pride South Florida. “We tend to be our own speed bump in the road to our true equality instead of coming together and putting aside our own self-induced labels, prejudices and ill will, and truly work together as a community.”
Officials say they have plans for additional joint events. For more information, visit pridesouthflorida. org, stonewallsummerpride.com, and rainbowbusinesscoalition.com.
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Key West has a lot to be proud of:
the southernmost U.S. city recently
tied with San Francisco for the title of
Best City for Unity Between Gays and
Lesbians, and they won hands down in
Best City for Unity Between Gays and
Straights. Both their city and county
official mottos are “One Human Family.
Their LGBT leaders serve openly, and
visitors are welcomed throughout the
island.
Key West shows their pride every
day, and this is your chance to be a
part of the celebration. Come out
for Key West Pride, June 6 to 10, and
enjoy dance parties, drag shows, bike
tours, water excursions, a street fair,
and even a parade through town.
Their Miss Pride, Mr. Pride and Ms.
Pride competitions are infamous for
their fun and their skin.
Make your plans now to attend
Key West Pride. Most events are All
Welcome. All events are uniquely
Key West. For more information:
WOMENFEST
The 20th Annual Womenfest will
be held in Key West from September
4 through 9. Parties, dancing, film
festival and outings for women. For
more information: womenfest.com.
]]>
Key West has a lot to be proud
of: the southernmost U.S. city
recently tied with San Francisco
for the title of Best City for Unity
Between Gays and Lesbians, and
they won hands down in Best
City for Unity Between Gays and
Straights. Both their city and
county official mottos are “One
Human Family. Their LGBT leaders
serve openly, and visitors are
welcomed throughout the island.
Key West shows their pride
every day, and this is your chance
to be a part of the celebration.
Come out for Key West Pride,
June 6 to 10, and enjoy dance
parties, drag shows, bike tours,
water excursions, a street fair,
and even a parade through town.
Their Miss Pride, Mr. Pride and Ms.
Pride competitions are infamous
for their fun and their skin.
Make your plans now to attend
Key West Pride. Most events are All
Welcome. All events are uniquely
Key West. For more information:
WOMENFEST
The 20th Annual Womenfest
will be held in Key West from
September 4 through 9. Parties,
dancing, film festival and outings
for women. For more information:
]]>
Key West has a lot to be proud of:
the southernmost U.S. city recently
tied with San Francisco for the title
of Best City for Unity Between
Gays and Lesbians, and they won
hands down in Best City for Unity
Between Gays and Straights. Both
their city and county official mottos
are “One Human Family. Their
LGBT leaders serve openly, and
visitors are welcomed throughout
the island.
Key West shows their pride every
day, and this is your chance to be
a part of the celebration. Come
out for Key West Pride, June 6
to 10, and enjoy dance parties,
drag shows, bike tours, water
excursions, a street fair, and even
a parade through town. Their
Miss Pride, Mr. Pride and Ms. Pride
competitions are infamous for their
fun and their skin.
Make your plans now to attend
Key West Pride. Most events are All
Welcome. All events are uniquely
Key West. For more information:
WOMENFEST
The 20th Annual Womenfest
will be held in Key West from
September 4 through 9. Parties,
dancing, film festival and outings
for women. For more information:
]]>
Key West has a lot to be proud of:
the southernmost U.S. city recently
tied with San Francisco for the title
of Best City for Unity Between
Gays and Lesbians, and they won
hands down in Best City for Unity
Between Gays and Straights. Both
their city and county official mottos
are “One Human Family. Their
LGBT leaders serve openly, and
visitors are welcomed throughout
the island.
Key West shows their pride every
day, and this is your chance to be
a part of the celebration. Come
out for Key West Pride, June 6
to 10, and enjoy dance parties,
drag shows, bike tours, water
excursions, a street fair, and even
a parade through town. Their
Miss Pride, Mr. Pride and Ms. Pride
competitions are infamous for their
fun and their skin.
Make your plans now to attend
Key West Pride. Most events are All
Welcome. All events are uniquely
Key West. For more information:
WOMENFEST
The 20th Annual Womenfest
will be held in Key West from
September 4 through 9. Parties,
dancing, film festival and outings
for women. For more information:
]]>
Key West has a lot to be proud
of: the southernmost U.S. city
recently tied with San Francisco
for the title of Best City for Unity
Between Gays and Lesbians, and
they won hands down in Best
City for Unity Between Gays and
Straights. Both their city and
county official mottos are “One
Human Family. Their LGBT leaders
serve openly, and visitors are
welcomed throughout the island.
Key West shows their pride
every day, and this is your chance
to be a part of the celebration.
Come out for Key West Pride,
June 6 to 10, and enjoy dance
parties, drag shows, bike tours,
water excursions, a street fair,
and even a parade through town.
Their Miss Pride, Mr. Pride and Ms.
Pride competitions are infamous
for their fun and their skin.
Make your plans now to attend
Key West Pride. Most events are All
Welcome. All events are uniquely
Key West. For more information:
keywestpride.org.
The 20th Annual Womenfest
will be held in Key West from
September 4 through 9. Parties,
dancing, film festival and outings
for women. For more information:
womenfest.com.
WOMENFEST
The 20th Annual Womenfest
will be held in Key West from
September 4 through 9. Parties,
dancing, film festival and outings
for women. For more information:
womenfest.com.
Presented by the non-profit arts group,
ArtsUnited, Art Explosion 2012 is one of
the largest arts festivals of its kind in the
country, with many different events happening
throughout South Florida over a
festival period. The Festival starts with
one of the largest professional juried
LGBT art shows in the country. In 2011 we
had over 50 artists featuring more than
100 pieces of art. 2012 Dates: March 5
through 24. Opening Fine Art Show and
Sale: Sat., March 10, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Features live music, entertainment and a
great fine art show. Closing Show: BANG
at the Green Room, from 7 to 9 p.m., featuring
an eclectic mix of music and
performers with an edgy art show. ????
PRIDEFEST 2012
The largest LGBT Pride Festival in
Florida returns March 10 and 11, with
non-stop entertainment all weekend long.
Pride One of Broward County, a/k/a
Pride South Florida, producer of the
Annual LGBT Celebration Pridefest, is
proud to announce, “Returning to the
Scene of Pride” at Fort Lauderdale’s War
Memorial at Holiday Park. The return of
the event to Fort Lauderdale marks the
beginning of a new chapter for the event’s
35th Anniversary, appropriately entitled
“Beyond the Rainbow” Concert, Parade
and Festival.
Pridefest will be welcoming back the
Pridefest Parade on Sunday March 11, at
10:30 am on the main thoroughfare inside
the War Memorial at Holiday Park. The
organizers are extremely proud to
announce some of the entertainers who
are scheduled to perform, including headliner
Taylor Dayne, as well as Logo TV’s
Jonathan D. Lovitz, Michelle Balan, Tony
Cruz, Ray Guell, and many others.
For more information, pridesouthflorida.
org.
BEACHBEAR WEEKEND
The annual BeachBear celebration in Fort
Lauderdale will be held May 10 through 16.
The host hotel is the Courtyard by Marriott
Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel, 440 Seabreeze
Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.
Thursday, May 10
- Afterburn: Windamar Resort from 1 p.m. to
5 p.m. Tea-dance, drink specials.
- BearBust: Scandals from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.,
happy hour prices.
Friday, May 11
- Rehydrate: The Windamar Resort from 1
p.m. to 5 p.m. Tea dance, drink specials.
- Growl: Bill’s Filling Station, 8 p.m. $5 donation
at the door includes one free drink.
Saturday, May 12
Fort Lauderdale
- BeachBearFest: Granada Street, noon – 5
p.m., marketplace, food and drinks.
- Where the Bears Are: Coconut Cove Guest
House, private party, visit www.bosfl.org/
- UnderBear: Boom, retro-disco, $10 beer
bust, 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.
- The Meat Ball: Ramrod, starts at 10 p.m.
Sunday, May 13
- BearBQ: Richardson Park, barbeque,
beer, drinks from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Fuzz at Depot: Dance or play BINGO, 4
p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Bearlicious: Tea dance, The Manor, doors
open at 8 p.m.
Monday, May 14
- Bear Eats and Beats, Recovery brunch:
Wilton Bier.
- Big Bear Beer Bust: Ramrod, $10 all you
can drink draft beer and $3 Absolute
drinks.
For more information and tickets, www.beachbearweekend.com.
]]>By Rory Barbarossa
This Saturday and Sunday, March 10 and 11, Pride South Florida rolls out the 35th annual “Pridefest: Beyond the Rainbow” at Fort Lauderdale’s Holiday Park and War Memorial Auditorium, with events taking place all week at local venues throughout Greater Fort Lauderdale, including Wilton Manors, Oakland Park, and elsewhere, embracing an off-site Official After Party.
Pride South Florida, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, is composed entirely of volunteers with a mission to promote positive images of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals. The group also actively furthers the progress of educational, civic and cultural activities in order to enrich the lives of LGBT persons and the larger South Florida community as a whole, working together to achieve common goals. Pridefest is the organization’s signature annual event, with all proceeds generated being donated to other local charities and LGBT community organizations.
Organizers are faced with the typical challenges of throwing a large outdoor event, as well as the peculiarities of a recovering economy, and the realities of demographics: in a world where gays are actively courted to destination places across the globe, and where gay couples bedecked in red can hold hands walking down Main Street, USA, during Orlando’s “Gay Days,” can they keep this heritage festival relevant?
“Very much so,” emphasizes co-chair Marc Hansen, who—in one capacity or other—has served on Pride South Florida’s board for years. “The very existence of ‘Gay Days’ and other great organized events can trace their roots to—and thank their lucky stars for— the sort of outdoor festival we are bringing to life. This is especially true at the time in which we are living,” he adds.
“Think about it: DADT [the Pentagon’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy], done. Gay marriage: on the books. Marriage equality is on the lips of every Republican candidate. Sadly, most oppose it. But these are the sorts of issues we come together and celebrate at Pridefest,” says Hansen. “I love the very idea of ‘Orlando Gay Days,’ and the fact that kids are taking their same-sex boyfriends and girlfriends to prom in places that wouldn’t have dreamed of it when I was that age,” the Pridefest co-chair and former U.S. service member insists.
“But that sort of gets lost during some other events that celebrate being LGBT. At Pridefest, we open the doors to everyone celebrating the very things that give us ‘Pride,’ and to acknowledge the struggles that lie ahead ahead.” He laughs. “Pluto and Donald won’t help you do that.”
Hansen also notes the abundance of space and entertainment they have on the menu. For its 35th anniversary year, Pridefest 2012 will have outdoor and indoor stages, to take advantage of the air-conditioned War Memorial Auditorium, which will likewise host vendors and a display of Florida’s largest HIV/AIDS Memorial Quilt. In addition, the event will feature worldclass entertainers, including Logo TV’s Jonathan D. Lovitz, comedian Michelle Balan of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and Logo’s “Out Laugh Festival,” NBC’s “The Voice” finalist Beverly McClellan, Billboard Dance/Club Play recording artist and songwriter Julissa Veloz (“Tiara Girl” in season eight of “American Idol”), South Florida performer Tony Cruz, comedy-hypnotist Jon Simon (“Simon Sez”), legendary Freestyle artist Ray Guell, and the Pridefest headliner, 18-time Billboard Top Ten recording artist Taylor Dayne, among others.
The event will also include a dance tent equipped with an enormous dance floor area, as well as more than 250 vendors, music, food, and activities all day, and lots of opportunity to socialize and connect with friends old and new.
Pridefest 2012: Beyond the Rainbow, takes place both days from noon until 7 p.m. Holiday Park and the War Memorial Auditorium are located at 800 NE 8th Street in Fort Lauderdale, directly south of Sunrise Blvd. and directly east of Federal Highway/US 1.
More information on PrideFest can be found online at pridesouthflorida.org
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