Yes, the date and venue have changed again for the Atlanta Pride Festival; however, I assure you there is more than enough reason. Every year I hear so many gay peeps complain about different aspects of Pride, whenever I hear it directly, I challenge those people to become part of the organize. Being part of something is the best way to start change. However, the complainers never seem to volunteer-- at the least ones I encounter.
Hopefully, I'll have an Atlanta Pride interview in the blog within the near future.
Below is the press release addressing the date/venue change:
Homecoming:
Reinvigorated Atlanta Pride ’09 in Piedmont Park for Halloween Weekend
City officials help Pride Committee embrace change as part of new attitude
ATLANTA, JAN. 27, 2009 — 2008 brought many challenges to finding a suitable venue for the Atlanta Pride 2009. There has been uncooperative weather, unforeseen hurdles and unprecedented community feedback. But finally, in cooperation with the Atlanta City Council, the Atlanta Pride Committee is thrilled to announce that the Annual Pride Atlanta Pride festival will return Piedmont Park for 2009 — with a an exciting twist: the event kicks off on October31, alongside Halloween’s spirit of revelry and celebration that gay Atlanta already embraces as its own.
Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders and Parks Commissioner Diane Harnell-Cohen understood that moving Atlanta Pride back to Piedmont Park was important to pleasing the festival’s patrons and crucial to keeping the organization solvent. Both worked hard with Atlanta Pride to find a solution to permit the festival back into Piedmont while also respecting the City’s parameters of limiting Class-A events in the park to one per Festival Season (April-October). By starting Pride on October 31, the City of Atlanta will be able to again grant the festival access to its traditional home – Piedmont Park.
“The number one thing we heard from the community in 2008 was a desire to move back to Piedmont Park.” Heffernan says.
Harnell-Cohen says she understands that drought-induced limitations on park usage put an unfortunate burden on festivals, but also acknowledges the importance of festivals to the City. “We value the festivals as a rich part of Atlanta’s culture and are pleased to work with Pride to get them back in a venue that will allow them to produce a sustainable event,” she says.
Borders agrees that supporting Atlanta Pride was a duty the City could not ignore. “When I was approached by the Pride committee, it was clear there was more we could do to help,” Borders says. “It was with great pleasure that we found a creative solution to support this festival for the LGBT members of the Atlanta community.”
Heffernan is happy with the city’s response, and she acknowledges the rough road that led to a renewed vigor among committee members. “At first, the date-change felt controversial. We have always held Pride during the summer months. But we quickly realized that an October Pride will dovetail with other community milestones.”
The Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 2009 Atlanta Pride festival leads directly into Atlanta City elections and wraps up National LGBT History Month. Holding Pride in October, which also includes National Coming Out Day, the anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death, as well as the Atlanta AIDS Walk, allows the committee to realize another of its rediscovered goals: to energize its relationships with even more individuals and organizations in the community. “We hope that everyone will be able to claim a part of Pride 2009 and our theme reflects this goal: PRIDE BEGINS WITH YOU”
“Pride belongs to everyone, and the Pride Committee can’t possibly produce an event of this magnitude by ourselves. So as the country talks about inclusion, we ask each and every lesbian, gay man, bisexual and transgendered person to claim a piece of your festival.”
Heffernan assures all that June will still be a time to celebrate. “We will be acknowledging the 40th anniversary of Stonewall in June,” Heffernan says. “We have several surprises in June that will provide exciting opportunities to come together and celebrate while also including more partners than ever to build up the excitement and momentum to October event.”
10 comments:
Well, break out the mittens...it's sure to be chilly. I don't have a problem with the date...I prefer the cooler weather. Could be interesting timing for that other thing we're working on.
How many straight children have been molested and murdered by homosexuals like you? A lot. How many Christians have been assaulted by homosexuals like you because you didn't like the way they voted? A lot. How many Christian churches have been burned down by homosexuals like you because you disagree with the Holy Bible? A lot. Matthew Shepard is in eternal hell fire now and will never get out.
Whatever you think, you will not be able to change God's Word and will one day have to pay the price for not believing what God has written.
Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Romans 1:22-27
V22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, V23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
V24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
V25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever. Amen.
V26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
V27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
SAY THIS PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I am a sinner and am headed to eternal hell because of my sins. I believe you died on the cross to take away my sins and to take me to heaven. Jesus, I ask you now to come into my heart and take away my sins and give me eternal life. http://www.armyofgod.com
Dustin, you have no obligation to leave shit like the above comment up if you don't want to.
Thank God Jesus wasn't the dick this guy makes him out to be.
(Feel free to delete my comment, too. I am a little whipped up. Clearly.)
Dana, You're a sweetie. I'm going to leave his comment up because I think we need a reminder at times at far we still have to go, and Donald Spitz is one heck of a reminder.
You know? ... the funniest thing about those scriptures --- is the punctuation leaves the concept somewhat ambiguous. All it says is you shouldn't lie with mankind as you do with womankind --- but doesnt exactly say which one it is that is wrong / an abomination.
Interesting thought. Just thought I'd point that out as one English major to another. :-)
~Jew on Fire
Dana-- WELL, you could always use Spitz's prayer............. I hear Spitz is hoping the Pope will start using it on his Youtube Channel.
Here's what the Southern Poverty Law Center has to say about Spitz:
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=72
Well, here's a prime example of why you should "spitz" instead of swallow.
Christian right wing crazies like this are usually the ones patrolling the men's room at the airport.
Geez, Mr. Spitz, don't you have better things to do? And just so you & your crazy friends know, plenty of LGBT folks are people who pray and love life, and God.The God I believe in is all-inclusive, and loving.
"Blessed are the Peacemakers.."
Dustin,hang in there!
Well, the Rev. Spitz is just the vocal part of a very intolerant religion. He cannot be blamed, really, for just repeating the intolerant ravings of a sick god. The christian god is not the only monotheist god. I have seen wonders when gay people realize that the personal, agnostic god they believe in is NOT the god of the christian bible. It is time the gay community realizes that this god, and his followers, are not for us...never have been...never will be. We need to stop begging at their feet, like little lap dogs waiting to be thrown a few scraps. We need to go on with our lives, spiritually and materially, and merely leave them behind. For those gays that believe in god...cheer up...our is not theirs.
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