Pride Comedy Show!

Yea! One of my dearest and favorite events of the entire Pride season has been announced -- the Court's Pride Comedy Show!!!

Thanks to Miss Chanak for the update...

Folks - Just chatted with Gene Sell of The Court (I.S.Q.C.C.B.E) - and the Court is doing a fundraising event - for the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Greater Cincinnati. Enjoy a night of comedy, live singing and drag...

Pride Alive Show
Location: The Syndicate
18 East 5th Street
Newport, KY

Date: Wed May 27th
Time: Door open 5:30 pm - show begins at 7 pm

Contribution:
Reserved Seating - Tables of 8 - $100
Open seating - in non-reserved section - $10 per person

Money raised at this event will be given to the Gay and Lesbian Community Center to support the Gay Pride Celebrations in June. Some of the money raised may be set aside by the Community Center for the building fund for future growth.

The restaurant at the Syndicate will be open if you wish to arrive a little early for dinner.

For tickets/information, contact Gene Sell at 859-781-3299. All Checks must be made out to the I.S.Q.C.C.B.E.

Now, I'll admit, the last two years I went were kind of so-so, but I don't think Gene was involved. In fact, last years' was so bad, I even performed and I'm hardly worth squat in a performance. But, it's moved locations and Gene seems to be back on board, so it should be an amazing event!

No LGBTQ Position @ UC

From Michael Chanak...

The University of Cincinnati is committed to diversity and continues to make it a more integral part of the university experience. Recent modifications to the university mission statement and the non-discrimination policy, in part, speak to this commitment.

I have consulted with the chair of the Diversity Council, Dean Louis D. Bilionis, on this matter. Current efforts to secure "permanent" space for LGBTQ students have been successful. Room 671 in the Steger Student Life Center has been designated for this purpose. However, the dire budget situation has resulted in plans to cut several employees. Thus, we are not in a position, at this time, to provide funds for a full-time LGBTQ staff person. In the interim, current funds that support the part-time LGBTQ coordinator position have been protected to ensure that current levels of service continue to be provided.

Mitchel D. Livingston
Vice President for Student Affairs & Chief Diversity Officer

This came through on February 27th.

A little good news, a little bad. There's been a big fight to get this at UC, so it's a bit of disappointment to hear that there won't be a position over there. I know the last grad assistant ran out the door... sort of ... in a semi-huff over possible homophobia by the administration.

Yea...

Community Events: IMPACTCincinnati

Via Miss Chanak, via Cameron Tolle @ IMPACTCincinnati...

When IMPACT Cincinnati was founded following the passage of Proposition 8 protest late last year, we were faced with the task of putting forth our mission and philosophy for change in the Greater Cincinnati area. With several LGBTQ rights groups already active in our community, we set out to start a network of activists that would be fundamentally new and different. While LGBTQ rights remain first and foremost the reason for our existence, we also acknowledge, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., that, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” To us, this means that success is not defined solely by the realization of our goals, but that true victory will only come when our society is equitable for everyone.

It is with this vision in mind that we extend an invitation to your group for our next event, which will take place on Tuesday, April 21st at Xavier University. This event is scheduled to coincide with a lavish banquet fundraiser for Citizens for Community Values, a Cincinnati-based group that is “officially associated with Focus on the Family and Family Research Council as a Family Policy Council in Ohio” (www.ccv.org). While they espouse “family values,” CCV chooses to ignore the needs of REAL families—those that are poor, single-parent, African-American, same-sex, foster and adoptive, to name a few. In light of their oversight, we will gather on Xavier’s greenspace to let CCV know that they do not “Focus on ALL Families.” We have no intention of retaliating against CCV with the same anger or hatred with which they address us. Rather, we anticipate an evening of real family fun that will help raise money for progressive student-run organizations at XU.

If you or someone else from your organization is available, we would love for you to attend our next event planning meeting on Saturday, March 21st at 1pm in the Gallagher Student Center on Xavier’s campus. We will be discussing the details of the Focus on ALL Families event, including how we can use this opportunity to promote all of the progressive organizations in Cincinnati. To RSVP and have your group be a part of the collaboration, please email us at impactcincinnati@gmail.com or call Cameron Tolle at XXX-XXX-XXXX (please just email him).

Both events have been added to the Community Events calendar on your right.

On a side note, it's really hard to find embed codes over at Flickr...

Worley Rodehaver

Word has reached me that Worley Rodehaver, publisher and editor of Cincinnati's last remaining LGBT paper, the Greater Cincinnati GLBT News, has been hospitalized (but may actually be out of the hospital by the time you read this).

Very few details, but QueerCincinnati.com wishes him the best and a speedy recovery.

I know Worley from god knows how many meetings and events where you always see him with his camera. He's been running that damn paper for years, and, though I rag on its journalism as often as I reference it, something is to be said for the fact that it's still around and it's still trying.

Besides, Miss Chanak and I can hardly serve as the only source of gay news in this city.

Get well soon, Worley.

Of all the idiocies...

...Bill Abney as the President of the Community Center?

Really? I have every respect for Michael Chanak, Rusty Lockett, and Adam Reilly. Don't get me wrong. (I don't know the two women.)

But the Board seems to be dwindling -- again. And they elect Bill freakin' Abney as the President.

That's lunacy.

That's like... well, it would be like electing me as the President of the Board. I'm flaky and strange; I have unusual, crazy nights out; I can be found on gay.com late at night; I have insulted and condescended to about every person in the community; I have an occasional problem with drinking; I have a background that can be described as "murky" at best; I can sometimes be described as incompetent and unintelligible; and I can be a downright bitch.

Apparently, I, too, am qualified to be the President.

What happened to Joe Penno? Did we jade someone that quickly? Did he, as he may have indicated, become too annoyed with the process and the processes that he was tired of the attempt? Did he move completely over to organize Pride -- see my previous post?

Of all the idiocies, of all the incompetencies...

...this one tops the list.

CINCY GAY SCENE: Pride Planning Committee Meeting

I attended the (X) meeting of the 2009 Cincinnati Pride Commitee Meeting last night at Little Bits Bar in Clifton Heights. This was the first time I had actually been to a meeting hosted by "his eminence," Joe Penno.

I was moderately impressed. Moderately.

Structurally, Pride itself is not changing, it seems this year, except for minor adjustments (the Saturday Festival, for example, changing times to start and end earlier, for example) and a few additions (including an attempt to get real entertainment and possible 'Party Bus' to appease the ever problem of the whining of downtown bars). However, things are far more organized this time around than they were at this point at any of the meetings I ever attended over the now deposed queen of the Center and all Pride -- wait, that was only her self-styled title. For that, I applaud the new (and large) organizing committee, though I wonder about how many of those people stick around for May -- myself included. I seem to remember that I bolted from Cincinnati the day of the Parade last year.

Joe also seems to be consolidating the organization and adding some well needed energy to the planning process -- thank the goddess.

Unfortunately, my own primary complaint seems to be so ingrained in the structure that I wonder if it will ever be possible to break: why the hell do we still have the Parade on Sunday? The Parade should be on Saturday and the Drag Races on Sunday. But that's neither here nor there and representative of a more systemic issue. (And one that's too late to change, at this point, but I do like to complain as much as possible.) There is an addition of a logo contest to go along with the, regrettable, theme this year of Squealin' with Pride 2009. It's like they went to the Serpent one evening and asked every coked out bottom what would be a good theme.

Regardless, I maintain two complaints: one, with a few exceptions, the organization is dominated by well-off early to middle-middle age white men with more money and connections than they know what to do with. And, the second complaint, they do a lot of sitting around wondering (and I quote) how to get the "younger folks" out. Geez.

Not saying I know how, but I can be sure that referring to them as "younger folks" over and over again is probably not the best set up for an impressive turnout :-).

My own bitchiness aside, I'll keep going and I'll keep reporting. But I leave you with three questions:

1) What would you like to see at Cincinnati Pride that you've never seen before?
2) Who would you like to see at Cincinnati Pride as a performer? (the dream list included people like Margaret Cho and Kristine W. . . I'll be interested to see what they can pull off)
3) Since most of my readers are "younger folks," what would bring you and everyone you know to Pride in Cincinnati this year?
4) Why is anyone still pretending like the Greater Cincinnati GLBT News is read by this target audience? I liked how their promotional ideas were keyed around two things: Michael X. Chanak's massive email list and the GLBT News. I'm sure there are no other ways that gay people in Cincinnati get their news or information... I'm sure I don't know of any. God I miss Sam and Q-City.

Oh, and a spoiler: Cheryl Eagleson and John Maddox have been tapped as the Grand Marshalls. I don't think that was confidential information, I'll see what kind of response I get.

Next Meeting: November 18th, 7pm @ The Metropolitan Community Church in Northside. Mistress Cody, my dear vlogger, I may ask that you attend with.

PS Also met a cute boy last night ... but there are some things to... consider first.

GAY STUFF: Thank you, Michael Chank

Also, another little tidbit.

Thank you, darling, for being so concise and so wonderful. I was sure I would bitch about this particular subject come June or so, but you beat me to the punch.

I'm tired of being scooped by QCityNews on topics. (I love you, Sam.)