NKY Pride 2010

And so it's (a little more) official...

NKY Pride 2010 has announced their first fundraiser happening this Saturday, May 2 beginning at 8pm at Yadda Club. They even have a theme...

Unbridled
Anyone care to comment?

My one comment, at this point is this -- what's with all the animal references? :-) Oh, and we're hearing a lot out of Yadda Club, these days. I wonder how they're doing? Must be worth a good check out here soon, yea?

PrideLove Sexy Singles Auction Recap!

Word on the street was that the PrideLove sexy singles auction (click to see all the lovely young men that were auctioned off) was a success -- raising about $430 for stop) aids. Fabulously done folks! I'm dying for some pictures, if anyone has them!!!

(Oh, and congratulations to dear blogger friend at Cincinnati NAMjA for being auctioned off as a sexy single ... who went for a great $45!)

Did you miss it? So sad, but it's ok!

First of all, there's the stop) aids guest bartending at Below Zero this Sunday from 6p-10p, and PrideLove is back -- for the ladies this time -- at 3pm for Speeddating at Yadda Club! Make sure you check out their Facebook profile for more information. (Their website, at least, right now, seems to be blank?)

Massive Community Calendar Update

An update is way overdo, so I'll try to cover as much as possible -- sorry if I leave someone out, just shoot me an email: queercincinnati@gmail.com


Julia Serano Lecture
April 22nd, 7pm at the University of Cincinnati
Serano, an Oakland-based writer, spoken word performer, trans-activist, and biologist, will be giving a talk at UC in Swift 500 on entitled "Transsexual and Trans Feminine Perspectives on Sexism." Serano published Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity in 2007. (TransOhio post.)



cincYPac and the Cast of MTV's "Take the Stage"
April 23rd, 6pm-8pm, Cadillac Ranch
cincYPac -- Cincinnati's Young Professional Political Action Committee -- is hosting a night where you can meet the cast of MTV's hit reality show, "Take the Stage," that is hosted right here in Cincinnati. Check out their Facebook event for more information -- the event costs $15 (and $5 for students).



Pride Night with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
April 24th, 8pm+
The CSO will be welcoming the LGBT community for the 6th year in a row to a fabulous evening of music, followed by a cocktail party at Corbett Tower. Tickets are $40, includes both events. Check out the CSO website for information on the promo code and how to order your ticket.



PrideLove Sexy Singles Party
April 24th, 8pm-11pm, Below Zero Lounge
The wonderful ladies and gentlemen of PrideLove invite you to a hot little singles party at Below Zero lounge, hosted by darling Penny Tration, including a Sexy Singles Auction. (Formerly featured on QueerCincinnati.com.)



CAC's Contempory Fridays: SPIN
April 24th, 9pm-1am, Contemporary Arts Center
The CAC continues its highly successful parties with "The Price is Light," along with Northside Nick and Chris Collins. The one I went to -- months ago, now -- was actually a lot of fun. Check out their Facebook event.



First Friday with HRC
May 1st, 8pm, Golden Lion's Lounge
HRC's second First Friday cocktail hour will be held at the Golden Lion's Lounge in Clifton -- per the Facebook invite, you can be sure to check out their event (and you actually can, considering the times -- well done, HRC) before you head off to...



Cincinnati Guerilla Queer Bar -- Month 3
May 1st -- TBA
Even I don't know where it's going to be, guys, but I've been told to make sure that everyone saves the date!



Lucky Ladies Speeddate
May 3rd, 3pm-6pm, Yadda Club (Covington)
Check PrideLove's flyer for the upcoming event for all of our fabulous single ladies out there.



stop) aids Guest Bartending Night
May 3rd, 6pm-10pm, Below Zero Lounge
I will feature this more later because I think it's going to be an awesome night. But, the education team of STOP AIDS (all of them true hotties) will be behind the bar, and every dollar you give goes to stopping AIDS right here in Cincinnati. (Facebook event)



Judy Shepard Speaks
May 5, 7pm, Great Hall of the Tangeman Center on UC's Campus
After her last speech was cancelled due to illness, Judy Shepard comes to speak at the University of Cincinnati. She's worth watching, folks; I would go.



Ethan Philbrick's Cello Recital
May 9, 8pm, St. John's Unitarian Church
Check out his Facebook event. (Ethan is both a fellow blogger and the organizer of CGQB -- and then he got cutie-patootie Jeff of centsinnati to sweettalk me into posting it, so another fellow blogger -- so I'm posting this "personal event" based on their status as bloggers. But Ethan's an amazing cellist and worth checking out, I think.)



Making Beautiful MUSIC Together
May 9th, 7pm-10pm, the DOCK Complex
The ISQCCBE and the Cincinnati Men's Chorus will be hosting a special charity event at the DOCK to support local charities... and each other. Check out their Facebook event.



Queen City, Music City
May 30th at 8:07pm, May 31st at 3:07pm, National Underground Railroad Museum
The next Cicninnati Men's Chorus show will focus on music straight out Nashville -- including tunes with hints of country, gospel, jazz, and bluegrass. The 30th and 31st will be their Pride shows, with a special musical nod to the LGBT movers and shakers in music. Check out their website for more information.



Miami U. LGBT Alumni Reunion
June 18-21, Oxford, Ohio
As part of the bicentennial celebration, 1809 LGBT Alumni are calling all alums to come and support the association, as well as join them in special events like a reception with Pres. Hodge and a special viewing of Freeheld (2008 Academy Award short documentary winner, produced by MU alums).

Equinox Cincinnati
July 3-5
Hold on to your horses, girls, the next big event in the gay social calendar in Cincinnati may be upon us -- meet Equinox Cincinnati (and their Facebook event). I don't have much more information from the organizers yet, but I've been promised the exclusive ASAP. George (of Metronation and of the Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce) is hot on this one, guys, and says he already has busses filling up from people out of state to come party in the 'Nati. I have a feeling this will be huge. Save the date. (And you are reading that right -- this event is cosponsored by Fountain Square.)


Ohio Lesbian Festival
September 19th and 20th, Columbus-ish
Womyn-only event featuring music, art, and community. Check out their website for more information.



GAY PRIDE DATES FOR THE REGION!!!!!
I'm just going to do a list because there are so many to list off:

• June 6th-14th: Indianapolis, "Circle City, IN Pride"
• June 13th and 14th: Cincinnati, "Squealing with Pride"
• June 19th and 20th: Columbus, "Freedom 2009"
• June 19th and 20th: Louisville, "Kentuckiana Pride Festival"
• June 20th: Cleveland, "Equality through Unity"
• June 23rd-28th: Chicago
• Saturday, June 27th: Lexington, "Stonewall Lives"

You know, looking at Columbus's and Cleveland's themes... aren't you kinda glad we have something at least interesting? Seriously.

Seriously, what did I miss? I know I did. Again, email me if you have anything for the list.

CINCY GAY SCENE: Explicit Debuts!!!

Click above for the Flickr photoset
At Yadda Club (GayCities Review, Yadda Myspace Site) last night, Explict -- the drag troupe that arose out of the ashes of Vivid (can anyon keeep track anymore?) -- debuted. 

On the one hand, I'm hesitant because there are more drag troupes and more drag queens in this city than we can handle. On the other, friends of mine were in the show. Usually I wouldn't make a special trip out of it. But, to be fair, I used the opportunity to get drunk and make out with boys. :-) Some cute little white trash boy. Blah. He was balding. I hope he never calls. (Apparently, my nights out = how many guys I can make out with in a four hour span... I am such a tongue whore these days).

Back to Explicit and Yadda Club! 

Explicit has 9 (ish) performers -- one queen, two femmes, and six kings. For having only four experienced performers, and five newbies, they did a pretty good job. They lack the refinement of, say, the Black Mondays or the Lixxgood Family, but that will come with time. Rather than go into the in's and out's of the numbers... there's a video out there that I filmed :-)... somewhere... but it will be fun to watch the troupe grow. They have potential :-). And they seem to have a lot of fun, and that's what matters more than anything else.

As for Yadda. I had not been there in well over a year. But it's a nice club, and there's lots of space. They redid their back porch so there's actual room (though no one was out there), and the whole bar now has this whole tiki-bar thing going on. Weird. But the drinks are moderate to strong and the bartender is cute as a button, and the prices aren't bad. And there are enough gay boys to keep me interested... and more lesbians than I would ever know what to do with. In short, it's fabulous.

Go, drink, have fun. And try not to do what I did... stumble drunkenly around the bar and flirt with everything that has a penis. Or, do it, just tell me about it later.

And the best part of the whole night? Realizing you can smoke inside. You know you're from Ohio when... you instinctively walk onto the back porch to have cigarette even though you can smoke at the bar and then are shocked to find yourself alone. 

Cigarettes, booze, boys, alcohol. Life is good. Except in the morning. Then life is a hangover. 

Of course I filmed the Backstreet Boys number. "No one's gotten laid in cargo pants since Nam."

CINCY GAY SCENE: Bar Closings

It's sad to say...

The Ohio Smoking Ban may have claimed its first victim. My dear, dear, favorite lesbian bar in the world, Bullfishes, is, indeed, closed. Donna was a dear friend and used to be my landlord. It is sad to see it go. What makes it even worse was the suddenness of it. No one knew it was happening, she let it go peacefully without a goodbye party.

I spent many Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights there. Rarely there on Fridays or Saturdays, but I will give it up for that fabulous Pink Dress Show back in February that raised $750 for Breast Cancer charities.

*sigh* It's sad to see you go, Bullfishes.

Also, per the QCityNews blog (http://qcitynews.blogspot.com/2007/11/northside-gay-and-lesbian-bars-for-sale.html), it appears another one of my favorite hangouts is for sale, the Serpent. Listing price at a million dollars. Now, I've had an AWFULLY good time at the Serpent, and I really hope it will be around at LEAST for their fabulous New Year's Eve clothing optional party, but I don't think (nor does QCity) that it is work $1m, even with the rentable space upstairs. The $200,000 price sounds reasonable, but Anthony and Ford have put years and years and years of their life into that business, I'm sure there is a huge personal attachment to it. I'm almost afraid that, should the business change hands, the cops will raid the place like crazy and close down what every one goes on at Serpent for good... which, btw, would ultimately destroy the business and destroy the Northside gay scene.

Where does that leave BronZ? Or, Club BronZ (I really do need to clean up my "labels")? Well, reported to my ear from one of the best bartenders in town -- a slight uptick in business. Of course, I'm sure much of that is due to the fabulously sociable attitude Brad and John have put out there, along with the fantastic work of DJ Waves in the production of the multiple karaoke nights. It doesn't hurt, also, that it's one of the few bars in town where you can sit at a bar and have a cigarette, there on the back patio. (The owner of Little Bit Bar was scathing in her attack of their patio, as it is really kind of enclosed, but open still. Please, let us just have one place to smoke and drink. You non-smokers have enough places in town.)

See, everyone is driving across the river. I have been in Rosie's and Yadda a few times, but they have been jumping since the smoking ban occurred over here. It really annoys me that the rest of the state, and the locals, can be so callous towards local business. After all, what Cincinnati really needs, is another reason not to hang out in it.

Has anyone wondered how long this Dock/Adonis thing can go one? Rumors are flying as to which one will go first. My money, actually, is on Adonis. I think they would have been long gone had it not been for Penny Tration and her amazing abilities as the most fabulous queen in town. Of course, I would not have put money on Bella Dolce, but she seems to be holding her own. I always liked her personally, I would have never thought she could handle that big of a venue, but she's proven herself quite well on a microphone.

And finally, Below Zero? Seriously. I don't understand the crowd. Do we need two uppity gay bars in town? Universal Grille is bad enough; I've not even been to Below Zero and I already hate it. :-) But I'll go soon, Nigel, and give you a fairer review, I promise.