6.8.13 Celebrating Pride Month -- around the world!!
Jun 8, 2013 2:08:58 GMT -5
Post by Q3 on Jun 8, 2013 2:08:58 GMT -5
Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh The gay rainbow has invaded downtown Pittsburgh!
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151427790947651&l=4ffb9e38be
Their pride is growing: From small beginning, LGBT festival now draws thousands
June 7, 2013 5:42 pm
Michael Henninger/The Pittsburgh Press
Christine Bryan, director of marketing and development for the Delta Foundation, and Gary Van Horn, its president, stand outside Cruze Bar in the Strip District. The Delta Foundation organizes Pittsburgh Pride.
Kaitlynn Riely / The Pittsburgh Press
It was 1996, and Gary A. Van Horn was a nervous teenager of about 17 years old when he attended his first gay pride event in Mellon Park in Shadyside.
It was a time when many people were still living in the closet, experiencing discrimination and afraid to be seen in public advocating for gay rights, he said, and the event was sparsely attended.
Fast-forward nearly 20 years, through the television show "Will & Grace," past the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, through to the legalization of same-sex marriage in 12 states plus Washington, D.C., after the endorsement of gay marriage by President Barack Obama to now, where the country awaits two imminent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court that could further alter the landscape for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans.
Here is where Mr. Van Horn, no longer that nervous teenager but now president of the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh and an entrepreneur who owns nightclubs and restaurants here, sits.
Specifically, he is sitting in Cruze Bar in the Strip District, which he owns, to talk about Pittsburgh Pride, a celebration of gay pride in Pittsburgh that will culminate with a pub crawl June 14, an Adam Lambert concert June 15 and a march through Downtown June 16.
In 2007, the year the Delta Foundation began organizing Pittsburgh Pride, about 3,000 people turned out, Mr. Van Horn said. Last year, turnout for the final two days of Pride events was about 86,000. This year, the Delta Foundation expects to break 100,000.
"It has grown very, very quickly," Mr. Van Horn said.
Pittsburgh Pride, and the gay rights movement in general, have reached a level that Mr. Van Horn and others who have said they could never have fathomed.
The first Pride event in Pittsburgh, according to a history written by Christine Bryan, the Delta Foundation's director of marketing and development, took place 40 years ago. On June 17, 1973, about 150 marchers walked from Market Square, Downtown, to Flagstaff Hill in Oakland.
The marches continued in various locations over the years, though not every year. Jeff Freedman of the South Side participated in his first Pride event in the late 1970s, recalling that "it consisted of me, another teenager and probably a dozen and a half lesbians."
For a few years in the 1990s, the events confined themselves to Mellon Park, where Mr. Freedman said people felt safe. Some people still felt uncomfortable being out on the streets, but in the early 2000s, the Pride event was moved to Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside for a parade and a street festival.
"It was a huge step," said Richard Parsakian of Shadyside. "You're in the middle of a business district as opposed to a garden, where you can almost hide."
By 2004, Pittsburgh Pride moved to the North Shore and eventually to Downtown, where it remains.
"Once we stepped out into the open, it became a whole different ballgame," said Mr. Freedman, who has been a volunteer with the Delta Foundation since 2005 and is the chairman of this year's parade committee.
The involvement of the Delta Foundation, which produces LGBT events throughout the year, has increased the visibility of Pittsburgh Pride, especially by attracting major entertainers, Mr. Parsakian said.
Patti LaBelle performed in 2011, Melissa Etheridge in 2012 and this year, Adam Lambert will perform. The musical acts draw people who are not gay or who think they do not know anyone who is gay, Mr. Van Horn said, and introduce them to people who have the same struggles and desire to be treated equally as everyone else.
"I think it begins that conversation of understanding who the LGBT community is," he said.
And it begins to change people's minds, Mr. Van Horn said.
Mr. Freedman, when asked if he foresaw a time in the early years when Pittsburgh Pride participation would approach 100,000 people, said "absolutely not."
"You would never ever think that would be possible, that we could have this event in Downtown Pittsburgh, have all the support that we have, the growth of it all in such a short amount of time," he said.
Along with a greater number of participants, Ms. Bryan, the marketing and development director, said she has seen in recent years a greater number of companies interested in sponsoring the event or advertising.
This year's theme -- "I wanna marry you" -- is a reminder that the Supreme Court is expected to make a decision on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8, both issues that could impact access to marriage and benefits for gay couples.
A gathering on Liberty Avenue, Downtown -- which Mr. Van Horn and Ms. Bryan have somewhat jokingly dubbed "Riot or Rejoice" -- is planned following whatever decision the Supreme Court announces.
Pittsburgh Pride events
LGBT-related events surrounding Pittsburgh Pride are already underway, with more than a dozen events planned over the next week. Interfaith and religious organizations have planned an event called Circle of Faith, a walk to show support for inclusion, which will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Highland Park Reservoir. It is free and open to the public.
Other events, which are detailed at www.pittsburghpride.org (go to PRIDEMAG for info on weekday events) include a seminar on legal and financial planning for LGBT couples Tuesday, a pool party on Mount Washington Thursday, a pub crawl next Friday, the Adam Lambert concert starting at 5:30 p.m. June 15 and a march Downtown starting at noon June 16. Tickets for the concert are $35 in advance at the Pittsburgh Pride website or $45 at the gate.
This story originally appeared in The Pittsburgh Press. To log in or subscribe, go to: press.post-gazette.com/
First Published June 7, 2013 5:41 pm
Read more: www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/their-pride-is-growing-from-small-beginning-lgbt-festival-now-draws-thousands-690776/#ixzz2VbBO4FN3
******
San Francisco Pride 2012
Celebrating Pride Month!
June is Pride Month all over the world and here are a few amazing pride sites from around the world.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. The Stonewall riots were a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. In the United States the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as “Gay Pride Day,” but the actual day was flexible. In major cities across the nation the “day” soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBT Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.
In 1994, a coalition of education-based organizations in the United States designated October as LGBT History Month. In 1995, a resolution passed by the General Assembly of the National Education Association included LGBT History Month within a list of commemorative months.
LGBT History Month is also celebrated with annual month-long observances of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, along with the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. National Coming Out Day (October 11), as well as the first “March on Washington” in 1979, are commemorated in the LGBT community during LGBT History Month.
Source: The US Library of Congress www.loc.gov/lgbt/about.html
The Eiffel Tower lit up in rainbow colors in 2009.
Israel, from the Jerusalem Post
People walking across a rainbow pedestrian crossing painted on Sydney's Oxford Street, the city's main gay district April 4, 2013. It has been removed. www.queerty.com/sydney-activists-lose-battle-to-keep-rainbow-crosswalk-on-oxford-street-20130405/
West Hollywood’s landmark Rainbow Crosswalks at the intersection of San Vicente and Santa Monica, the Boystown intersection. A new permanent rainbow landmark is in the works.
Flying the Pride flag at a military base in Edmonton, Canada!!!
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2013/06/07/edmonton-garrison-pride-flag.html
The Rainbow Flag in Flagstaff.
The Rainbow Flag
The gay pride flag was designed by Gilbert Baker who is said to have taken his inspiration from the black civil rights and hippie movements. It was debuted in 1978 at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade. Its colors, always shown in the following order, symbolize:
Pink (sexuality)
Red (life)
Orange (healing)
Yellow (sunlight)
Green (nature)
Turquoise (magic)
Indigo/blue (serenity)
Violet (spirit).
Within a year, the flag had shed two of its stripes—pink and violet. According to Gilbert, they “ran out of pink dye.” The violet stripe was later taken out to create an even number of stripes on the flag. Since, many variations of the flag have been created. For instance, a black stripe is added to some symbolizing those lost to AIDS. There are also variations to represent bisexual people, bears (the LGBT slang term not the animal) and others.
It has since been used around the world as a symbol of LGBT unity in many variations, including adaptations such as bumper stickers and decals. The Rainbow Flag is recognized by the International Congress of Flag Makers.
The International Bear Brotherhood Flag was designed to represent the Brotherhood of Bears, named for the LGBT slang term bear.
Google adds a rainbow to LBGT topic searches June 2012.
London Pride at Trafalgar Square.
Tokyo Pride 2010.
Just cause there needed to be one totally campy image. Toronto Canada.
Gay Pride Parade in Avenida Paulista in Sao Paulo, Brazil June 26, 2011. More
than 3 million LGBTs (lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders) took
part in the annual Sao Paulo Gay Pride Parade, making it the world's
largest gay pride march, according to Brazilian tourism authorities.
Mid-South Pride Festival and Parade - Memphis, TN, October 2012. The largest Pride event in Tennessee-Mississippi-Alabama and I believe the best BBQ and Blues at any Pride Event.
Seattle Space Needle flying a rainbow flag June 2010.
Taiwan Marriage Equality march
New York Pride 2011
Austin Pride, Austin, Texas
Rainbow Walk, New Delhi, India
Zagreb: Participants take part on June 16, 2012 in a Gay Pride parade. Some 2,000 people took part on June 16 in a gay-rights march on Croatia’s capital, calling on the government to boost the rights of same-sex couples in the largely conservative EU-bound country.
Amsterdam
Moscow, Russia - The pride movement is alive in Moscow even though the government is trying to stop any organizing efforts. On May 18, 2012 the Moscow city government declined to issue a permit for a “gay pride” parade for the seventh year in a row. In June 2012, Moscow courts enacted a hundred-year ban on gay pride parades.
June 3, 2013 For a second straight year, a large group of Mormons took part Sunday in the Utah Pride Parade in a show of support for the gay community. Some 400 people from the grassroots group Mormons Building Bridges marched under a banner reading “Family Reunion” in the annual parade in Salt Lake City.
Macy's Pride Month, June 2013
Oreo, June 2012.
Limited edition BERT Oreos!!
More Adam News and Info
Beautiful Pencil Drawing!!
By N Levaschuk Ukraine, posted by LadyOz
Link to her other artwork by M Levaschuk: nlevaschuk.deviantart.com/gallery/link
Upcoming Events
Check the Adamtopia calendar for more events and links to more info.
June 15, 2013 Pittsburgh Pride In The Street Festival, Pittsburgh, PA. Adam is the headliner. More info: www.pittsburghpride.org/tickets
On the outdoor stage at Liberty Ave between 9th
& 10th. Doors at 5:00pm ET. Events from 6:00pm. Adam’s set time 9:00PM.
There will be opening acts.
June 29, 2013 Adam in concert in Orlando, Florida at Universal Studios Florida.
More info: www.orlandoinformer.com/universal/summer-concert-series-2013/
July 2, 2012 Adam performs in San Diego, CA, San Diego County State Fair
More info: www.sdfair.com/index.php?fuseaction=info.calendar&op=detail&pkid=1379&month=7&year=2013&calCatID=
Radio Links
Every Saturday from New Zealand -- Adam Lambert Hour -- Live 5:00PM EDT US.
Check out the ALH page for podcast of previous shows.
This is the only weekly Adam Lambert show in the world.
Energy Radio (UK) www.energymusicradio.co.uk/
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The Adamtopia guidelines are quite simple. To be a member of Adamtopia...
1. You must be an Adam fan.
2. You must be respectful of other members. Feel free to express your opinion, but be glitterier and golden.
3. Strive to be funny, entertaining or informative when you post. Avoid posting something that has already been posted.
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Let the moderators do their job.
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Happy Birthday
bluenile, debbiety, nile, penelope and sunrisewalk!!
bluenile, debbiety, nile, penelope and sunrisewalk!!
That rainbow bridge in Austin is TOO DIE FOR!!!
