BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Several hundred demonstrators gathered in Hungary’s capital Wednesday urging the country’s president to nullify a newly adopted law that human rights groups say stigmatizes LGBT people and limits their rights.
The demonstration at the entrance of the Sandor Palace in Budapest — the residence and office of President Janos Ader, who is widely expected to sign the law into effect — came a day after the controversial legislation was passed by Hungary’s parliament. Sponsored by the ruling Fidesz party, it was ostensibly aimed at fighting pedophilia, but included amendments that prohibit the display or promotion of homosexuality or gender reassignment to minors.
Right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government says the law, which includes the introduction of a searchable registry of convicted pedophiles, is necessary to protect children.
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Demonstrators gathered handwritten and printed messages into a box addressed to Ader in an effort to dissuade him from ratifying the law. They contained personal stories of helpful education, support and acceptance received by their LGBT authors — validation organizers say will be illegal under the new legislation which prohibits the portrayal of homosexuality in school sex education programs, films, advertisements and other media materials aimed at anyone under 18.
Rights groups have blasted the new law, arguing it conflates homosexuality with pedophilia in an attempt to stigmatize sexual minorities. David Vig, director of rights group Amnesty International Hungary, which co-sponsored Wednesday’s demonstration, said the measures further marginalize Hungary’s LGBT community.
“What this law and discourse does is mixing up crimes against children with (the) consensual love of adults,” Vig told the Associated Press.
Lilla Ivanics, a member of Hungary’s LGBT community, attended Wednesday’s demonstration.
“No good can come from hiding something, from reinforcing the idea that our way of life is wrong. Nothing good comes from not being understood by ourselves or others,” Ivanics said.
On Monday, thousands of LGBT activists and others held another protest in Budapest in an unsuccessful effort to stop Fidesz’s strong parliamentary majority from passing the law. Members of the right-wing Jobbik party also supported the legislation, while all other opposition parties boycotted Tuesday’s vote.
Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs wrote on his blog Wednesday that educating children about sexual orientation should be the “sole right of parents.”
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“Yes, we think this is necessary to protect children in their sexual development. We also believe that certain content should only be introduced at a suitable age in the interest of children’s healthy psychological and mental development,” Kovacs wrote.
Yet Vig, of Amnesty International Hungary, said the law will deprive young people of important education on sexuality, which could lead to mental health problems and suggest to young LGBT people that their sexual orientation is a crime.
“We don’t want to live in a society where an entire community is silenced or eradicated from public discourse,” he said.
We’re now halfway through Pride Month, so keep the celebration going with a screening of some stellar LGBTQ+ films—and because not everything is sunshine and rainbows, make it a double-feature night with these dramas that explore the dark side of desire. In Cruising, Al Pacino stars as an undercover detective assigned to catch a serial killer targeting gay men in New York’s underground S&M scene. Directed by The Exorcist’s William Friedkin, this controversial 1980 crime thriller was criticized for its portrayal of gay culture upon release, but has since found a devoted cult following. Majorly influenced by Cruising and giallo cinema, Knife + Heart (2018), a surreal NC-17 horror film, centers on a gay porn producer (Vanessa Paradis) who embarks an ambitious new project after her girlfriend-editor leaves her. But when one of her actors winds up murdered, she’s thrust into a bloody, perverse mystery. Streams on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Criterion Channel, Google Play, Kanopy, Shudder, Vudu, YouTube.
STREAM: Don’t Quill the Messenger
Grants Pass-based podcast Don’t Quill the Messenger invites listeners down the rabbit hole of what host Steven Sabel politely calls “the Shakespeare authorship question,” which suggests William Shakespeare, the Bard of Stratford-upon-Avon, England, did not pen the Western world’s most famous plays. Sabel is a member of the Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship, an international organization that posits Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was the true writer of the Shakespeare canon and rightful source of the pen name “William Shakespeare.” While it’s a belief dismissed and deemed either far-fetched or beside the point in most academic circles, Don’t Quill the Messenger makes its case by interrogating what it views as an undocumented and invented history of Stratford’s Shakespeare and plumbing the life of de Vere for textual connections. Agree or disagree, it’s still a fascinating listen. Streams at dragonwagonradio.com/dontquillthemessenger.
WATCH: Church of Film presents The Devil Queen
After 15 long months, Church of Film is back at the Clinton Street Theater. Hosted by local film curator Muriel Lucas, the series is devoted to off-the-radar arthouse gems that have never been distributed in the U.S. Church of Film’s second screening since returning to the Clinton promises to be particularly worthwhile. The Devil Queen is a violent, brightly colored 1970s Brazilian flick that follows a power-obsessed femme queen crime boss and her plot to protect one of her crew members from the police. If you can’t make it in person, or if you’re not yet up for sitting indoors with strangers, The Devil Queen is already streaming for free on Church of Film’s Vimeo page. Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St., cstpdx.com. 8 pm Wednesday, June 18. $6.
Before the pandemic, Kelly’s Olympian established itself as one of the best places in town to catch sets by up-and-coming Portland hip-hop artists. So it only makes sense that the venue’s first in-person show in over a year would be packed with local emcees. Headlined by confessional rapper KayelaJ, the lineup showcases a diverse array of artists, from Jordan Fletcher’s hard-hitting social commentary to DJ Chuckk Pasta’s R&B and house-centric sets. Kelly’s Olympian, 426 SE Washington St., kellysolympian.com. 8 pm Friday, June 18. $8. 21+.
GO: Juneteenth Oregon Livestream from Jack London
Oregon lawmakers only recently voted to officially recognize Juneteenth—the day in 1865 when Texas finally heeded the Emancipation Proclamation and thus confirmed the end of slavery in the United States—as a state holiday, but commemorative events have been occurring in Portland for almost a half-century. This year, nonprofit Juneteenth Oregon partners with the Jack London Revue to mark the day with a jam-packed concert livestreamed from the downtown basement jazz club. Performers include veteran Portland rappers Cool Nutz, Libretto and Mic Crenshaw, sound artist Amenta Abioto, R&B singer Parisalexa, and Portland Trail Blazers DJ OG One, with appearances by Gov. Kate Brown, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley and jazz legend Mel Brown, among others. Streams at juneteenthor.com and pdxjazz.com, and on Facebook and Instagram. 1-6 pm Saturday, June 19.
DO: Pride Night Monster Ball
Drag queens and DJs pay tribute to Lady Gaga, serving the best of Mother Monster’s discography along with a group listening party for Chromatica, which dropped in the midst of the pandemic and has thus never been properly celebrated—you’ll finally hear “Chromatica ii” transition into “911” in a loud, sweaty room, just as God intended. Star Theater, 13 NW 6th Ave. 8 pm Saturday, June 19. $10. 21+.
STREAM: Second Annual Digital Pride Parade & Dykes on Bikes Rally
This year’s digital Pride Parade and Dykes on Bikes Rally are being recorded on June 4 at Portland International Raceway. Whether that’s because of downtown doom mongers or the ongoing pandemic is unknown, but it’s at least a fresher take on a pre-recorded parade than last year’s Zoom talent show and archival footage of the Gay Pride 1999 parade. See portlandpride.org for streaming information. 11 am Sunday, June 30. Free. All ages.
GO: A Celebration of Pride at the Lot
Most of this year’s high profile Pride events are still taking place online, so this gathering, held at Portland’s newly launched socially distanced outdoor entertainment venue, is effectively standing in for the big shebang that typically takes place up the river at Waterfront Park as 2021′s centerpiece celebration. Stones-y rockers Ashleigh Flynn and the Riveters “headline,” while local legend Poison Waters leads a midafternoon drag performance and Bollywood masters DJ Anjali and the Incredible Kid open with a set of worldly dance jams. Just remember: Keep the groove to your designated pods, please! The Lot at Zidell Yards, 3030 S Moody Ave., thelotatzidellyards.com. 6 pm Sunday, June 20. $35-$50 per person. All tickets sold as two-, four- and six-person seating pods. VIP seating pods available. All ages.
GO: It’s Brittany, Buddy Pedalpalooza Ride
Now that a decade-plus of fan protests to end Britney Spears’ conservatorship is about to culminate in a court hearing, it’s obviously a very stressful time to be a Britney stan. Thankfully, on the eve of the pop icon’s Zoom court testimony about her father’s legal control over her life and finances, you can commune with the very specific demographic of people who love Britney as much as they love biking. Part of Pedalpalooza, this leisurely 5-mile loop will, of course, be packed with timeless tunes by the Princess of Pop. But it’ll also include stops for snacks and discussion about the #FreeBritney movement and disability justice. Ladd’s Circle Park and Rose Garden, Southeast Harrison Street and Ladd Avenue, shift2bikes.org. 6 pm Tuesday, June 22.
My parents were quite easy to come out to – they just wanted me to be happy (Picture: Luisa Bradshaw-White)
Growing up, it never really crossed my mind that I was gay.
The realisation came when I was around 19 and talking with some new friends. They both said they liked women and without thinking I replied, ‘Ooh yes, me too!’.
I sort of gasped as it was the first time I had even considered that I might not be straight.
I’d never had a serious boyfriend before, but I’d kissed loads of frogs.
So it seemed like a good idea to go and try this ‘gay thing’ out and my friends took me to a lesbian night downstairs at The Box in Soho.
I remember being very nervous – not because of my newly out status – but because my friends told me that if the female bouncers didn’t believe you were gay they made you snog one of them!
I got through the door…
At that point, I was wondering whether I was bisexual and labelled myself as that for all of five minutes before fully embracing my gayness.
As a teenager, I felt like I needed an identity so badly, and up until that moment I always considered myself to be the ‘nuts, eating disorder, mad girl’. While I was strangely comforted by this tagline, it seemed like so much more fun to be gay.
It soon became a core part of who I was and I would go out to gay nights regularly. I would sing my heart out with all the gays at the Piano Bar and danced the night away every Friday at Popstarz Club.
I recall walking past a Wetherspoons one night and feeling so sorry for all the straight people because Candy Bar, the lesbian place I was on my way to, was so much cooler!
It’s crazy that a fleeting conversation with new friends could have had such an impact on my life and I got the best introduction to being a gay person you could ask for. I had huge amounts of fun.
While I was out to have a good time, I knew almost instantly after coming out that all I wanted was to find my true love, settle down and have a family.
That happened 21 years ago, when I was 25.
In true lesbian style, things moved quickly. I found her after going to the opening night of Mamma Mia in London. She was in the cast and I went to see the show. Our eyes met across the room at the after party and I knew, instantly, that she was my love.
Annette came back to mine that first night, never went home, and we got Daisy the dog a few weeks later.
She is my soulmate. With our kids, we all fit together so comfortably and there is such a huge amount of love in the family and respect for each other.
Our children are extremely proud to have two mums; they have always stood up for the gay kids at school and been at the front of the Pride parade.
My parents were quite easy to come out to – they just wanted me to be happy. It took a while for them to get used to the idea that I would never have a boyfriend or husband, but over the years my mum has realised that nothing is any different.
I still have a family, who she loves dearly. And her and my 98-year-old nan adore Nettie.
There is more and more diversity in my family as the younger generation grows up and I am so proud of them for living their truth at such a young age, but also so proud of the older generation in the family who are really learning and growing and allowing the younger ones to freely be themselves.
Family is really important to me, and I think it is important that I represent a family that is extremely loyal, loving, supportive and free.
I saw a slogan the other day that said, ‘if you won’t accept a queer child, don’t become a parent’. It’s spot on.
It is so important that any generation can live their truth and be free. Freedom is everything.
If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.
Paulina Porizkova is a natural beauty. On Monday, the 56-year-old modeling legend shared a black and white photo of herself from a recent issue of Unconditional magazine. In it, she’s wearing a cut-out crochet dress that showed a little skin. Her hair’s styled in messy waves and her face is beaming.
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More teens in the United States are reporting their sexual identity as gay, lesbian or bisexual, nationwide surveys show.
Between 2015 and 2019, the percentage of 15- to 17-year-olds who said they identified as “non-heterosexual” rose from 8.3% to 11.7%, according to nationwide surveys by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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“Although our analyses demonstrated that there has been a significant increase in the proportion of girls and boys that self-identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual, we cannot be certain if this represents a true increase of this magnitude, or if it reflects at least in part, greater comfort by teens with acknowledging a non-heterosexual identity on an anonymous questionnaire,” said Dr. Andrew Adesman, who led an analysis of the findings.
Adesman is chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York City.
Since 2015, the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey has included questions about respondents’ sexual identity and the sex of their intimate contacts.
Before 2015, those questions were included only on some regional versions of the survey. Analysis of regional survey data between 2005 and 2015 had shown a rise in non-heterosexual sexual identity for both boys and girls.
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The new, nationwide survey included 20,440 boys and 21,106 girls, with an average age of 16 years.
In addition to the overall increase, the percentage of boys who identified as non-heterosexual rose from 4.5% to 5.7%. For girls, the increase was greater — from 12.2% to 17.8%, the findings showed.
Dr. Amy Green is vice president of research for The Trevor Project, a nationwide group that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to non-heterosexual youth.
Green noted that young people today have greater access to information and language that can help them understand their identity.
“Gen Z youth also have the most positive attitudes towards the LGBTQ community, which can reduce the stigma associated with identifying in this way,” she said.
Green noted that The Trevor Project’s own surveys consistently find that young people understand and want to express the nuances of their sexual orientation.
“[This] is why we advocate for the collection of this information in both research and clinical settings, to better inform policies, programs and practices aimed at supporting the well-being of LGBTQ youth,” Green said.
Joseph Kosciw is research director of GLSEN in New York City, which has worked for 30 years to help schools become safer and more affirming for LGBTQ students.
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He hopes this study is reflective of that work and that schools are more welcoming places where students can be themselves.
“I think the climate [in schools] is better and youth are more comfortable,” he said. “And I also think that, in general, youth of the current generation are more open to just being who they are.”
When LGBTQ students are in supportive school environments, the teen years can be positive for them, he said. For others, school can feel unsafe and not affirming, Kosciw said. Even in such circumstances there can be spaces of hope and comfort, including Gender and Sexuality Alliance clubs, he added.
Supportive school environments include those where students see themselves reflected in protective policies, with the same access to the school and activities as everyone else.
That includes locker rooms and bathrooms that align with their gender identity or being allowed to bring a same-sex date to the prom, Kosciw said.
“To the extent students can be a part of school life, they do better in school and they thrive, and so I think it can be an exciting time for many LGBTQ students,” he said. “And it really is the responsibility as a school to ensure that, by having their schools be safe and affirming spaces for them.”
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The increase in teens who identified as non-heterosexual was not matched by a corresponding increase in same-sex intimate contact. Though the survey showed modest increases, they were not large enough to be statistically significant.
Adesman said the likely explanation for the higher proportion of girls who identified as gay or bisexual and corresponding increase in same-sex activity is because the stigma for boys remains far greater than that for girls.
“High school can be a very difficult time for teens in so many ways, and it is especially challenging for teens who identify as gay or bisexual,” Adesman noted.
“Knowing that gay and bisexual youth are at greater risk for social isolation and victimization, as well as emotional problems, school personnel and health care professionals need to be more vigilant regarding these concerns for what appears to be an increased proportion of high school students in the U.S.,” he added.
The findings were published online this week in JAMA Pediatrics.
June is LGBT Pride Month, a time when LGBTQI+ community members, family, friends and advocates acknowledge and celebrate the gift of diversity that is unique to each of us. Many municipalities host “Pride parades” where LGBTQI+ community members outwardly profess their ability to live freely and openly as their true authentic selves. This is a time to acknowledge the many accomplishments of LGBTQI+ members, both past and present, as well as the strides in our current social/political arenas.
June is time set aside to celebrate not only lesbian, gay, bi/pansexual, transgender, gender non-binary/non-conforming, intersex, two spirit and many other sexual and gender identities, but the diversity of life and living itself. LGBTQI+ Pride is not about waiving multi-colored flags or articles of clothing. It is a time to remember those brave individuals who often risked their lives, families, identities, reputations and their jobs just to be able to live as their true, authentic selves.
Participating in LGBTQI+ pride allows us to come together, to build community with others who share our common beliefs that human sexuality and gender identity exist on a fluid continuum of possibilities rather on only two fixed standard points of self-identification.
Pride celebrations are a way to honor those who came before us, who fought for the right to express their love toward another person on their own terms and not what society dictates as being acceptable or “proper.” It allows us to show our young people that they are perfect just as they are.
We often celebrate, correctly or not, what we believe the day means to us without fully knowing how the event started or by whom. During much the 1960s and early 1970s, being anything other than cis-gender and heterosexual was very problematic and certainly not safe. People considered gay, lesbian, transvestites or drag queens were often harassed and assaulted in their local communities, especially by law enforcement. Being in a same-sex relationship was considered immoral and engaging in “lewd” conduct. Transvestites and drag queens were required by law to wear at least three items of apparel pertaining to their sex assigned at birth or face further arrest.
On the evening of June 28, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn. Patrons in the bar fought back for the first time. The riots became so violent, after the police forced patrons out of the building, they had to shelter themselves inside the very establishment they just raided out of fear of their own safety concerns. The crowds outside the Stonewall Inn reportedly grew into the thousands of people, requiring back up from local police precincts for crowd control. After three days of violent protest, LGBTQ community emerged victorious to end the harassment wrought upon them by NYC police.
One year after the riots, residents and patrons of the Stonewall Inn once again took to the streets, this time to march down Christopher Street towards Central Park in solidarity and peace. Police officers who just a year earlier were involved in the riots were now under order to protect the marchers. While the original march began with only a few hundred people, by the time it ended, thousands of people joined the “parade.” Pride parades are now celebrated in cities not only throughout the U.S. but also internationally.
We look the leaders of that time, including Black queer drag queen Marsha P. Johnson, who was instrumental in leading the riots. Johnson was often outspoken as she railed against the injustices what were occurring in NYC queer community at that time. Silvia Rivera, a good friend of Johnson’s, co-founded the Street Transvestite Actions Revolutionaries (STAR), becoming prominent figures in the movement.
Now some 50-plus years later, the LGBTQI+ community is still fighting for our rights in this country and in our state of New York. While much has been done over the past several years, there is still much that needs to be accomplished going forward!
Prior to the previous government administration in Washington, the LGBTQI+ community made significant strides in demanding equal rights protections for our community members in terms of employment, housing, military service, access to health care and legal services. Gone was much of the stigma of coming out as homosexual, bi/pansexual, gender non-binary/non-conforming, transgender or any other letter of the vast LGBQTI+ alphabet soup. For the previous four years, the federal government actively worked to deny LGBTQI+ people access to the most basic human rights and protections. We constantly saw the federal government challenging long-established laws and precedents that directly affect our ability to live and exists in today’s society.
It is refreshing to have the current federal administration affirm, support and defend the LGBTQI+ community in ways not seen in many years. Rights and protections eliminated, not enforced or rolled back previously are now being full granted, and protections are being enforced.
Still pending in Congress is the Equality Act, a bill that would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, public education, federal funding, credit and the jury system. Today, 29 states have not passed anti-LGBT discrimination protections for their citizens. The Equality Act seeks to remedy this by applying existing state anti-LGBT discrimination laws nationwide.
These should not not progressive, liberal or conservative issues! This is a basic human rights issue! LGBTQI+ people are naturally created this way prior to birth. We have existed throughout time, history, cultures and civilizations. We exist in the past, the present and will continue well into the future. We only wish to live our truth! Live as our authentic selves!
As I’ve stated so many times in the past, the LGBTQI+ community is not looking for any “more” or “special” rights than anyone else in New York state. We are only DEMANDING the same “equal” rights and protections as currently enjoyed by every other person in this state!
With that in mind, let’s go forward and celebrate — happy LGBTQI+ Pride Month!
—
Kelly Metzgar lives in Saranac Lake and is head of the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance.
Before transgender people in public bathrooms, it was gay marriage. And before it was gay marriage, it was legalizing gay rights of any sort.
Today, the issues are letting young transgender women play in high school sports as women, critical race theory, sanctuary cities and “wokeness.”
As progressives continue to pioneer the new frontier of social acceptance, conservatives use these arguably socially taboo topics to rile up the morally rigid, those with little to no experience with different lifestyles.
Mostly white, mostly rural and typically lightly educated, these voters tend to close themselves off to those who may look or act contrary to their limited societal web.
It’s these voters Republicans have riled up with such things as the ban on affirmative action programs in 2006 and the one-man, one-woman constitutional marriage amendment of 2004.
Donald Trump’s dog whistle sang in these voters’ ears in 2016 and 2020, but he’s not on the ballot in 2022. Instead, the GOP is checking the boxes on a buckshot of debatably relevant social topics to keep this demographic politically engaged.
The Portland protesters long, long, long ago crossed the line of effectively conveying a police reform message into a distasteful image of vigilante mob rule. The once socially awake term “woke” has been nabbed by conservatives as a pejorative to describe out-of-touch snowflakes, who view laws on civil disobedience as annoying parental suggestions.
Defund the police? Republicans transformed that message into such a political loser that only those on the lefty left like U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib feel brave enough to use it.
The Michigan Republicans are beside themselves in glee that former Detroit Police Chief James Craig is on the verge of announcing his candidacy for governor.
His strengths are not about banging away on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s old executive orders and personal freedoms. Ult-right freedom lovers like Garrett Soldano and Tudor Dixon are replowing that old ground.
No, the pandemic will be practically a history book chapter by November 2022. People’s entrenched prejudices? They aren’t going anywhere.
Who better to appeal to voters’ indigestion over political correctness gone wild than Detroit’s former Black police chief? He’s the guy who went on FOX News to label Tlaib’s call to abolish police “disgusting.” He’s the guy who cracked the whip in Detroit and stopped chaos from running wild amidst the George Floyd reaction.
There’s no “woke” with him.
Meanwhile, the Michigan legislature is doing its part to check the boxes.
No. 1 on the agenda is transgender females playing high school sports as women. Of the 180,000 high schoolers who played in competitive sports in the last five years in Michigan, it’s been an issue 10 times. Each time, the Michigan High School Athletic Association has addressed the issue.
Young men are not claiming to be women in the hopes of bettering their chances to take home trophies or setting records.
Yet, Sen. Lana Theis has a bill to lay down a statewide mandate that high schoolers can only play with athletes who match their birth gender.
It hasn’t moved from Theis’ Senate Education Committee, but it’s ready and waiting. Moving it during Pride Month would have been bad form.But with even Progress Michigan finding such a bill having 50% support among the electorate, it’s only a matter of time.
Another bogeyman issue is something called “Critical Race Theory,” an academic framework examining how racism shaped the U.S. legal system. It’s an issue that exploded in the public arena recently, leading more than a dozen state legislatures, including Michigan, to introduce bills seeking to restrict or ban its use in the classroom.
Theis has a bill on this, too. Again, it hasn’t moved out of her committee. The polling isn’t as good (39% wouldn’t support her bill, 34% would). But again, this could be used more to whip up the base than influence swing voters.
In short, no Donald Trump to rally Trump-like voters? The GOP is doing its best to make sure that isn’t a problem.
The headline on the front of the Lansing State Journal on July 25, 1972, might be described as cheeky: “City’s Night Life Can Get Real ‘Gay.’” The accompanying tagline, “Perversion Downtown Varies,” carried a darker message, at once moralistic and salacious.
Beyond grouping gay life with sex work and adult entertainment, as if any of these would be worthy of contempt, the snide ogling suggests that as queer people increased their public presence after Stonewall, voyeurism, not journalism, provided the first draft of local LGBTQ history.
“Activity in Covello’s reached a social high point lately with the ‘Miss’ Capitol City beauty contest and the crowning of the ‘queen,’ Aretha, a 6-foot, 200-pound cook from a local restaurant,” the article stated.
The writer seemed bewildered that a spot welder from an area auto plant would be among the contestants. This might be interpreted as charming curiosity, except the quotes around “Miss” and “queen” carried an air of straight condescension.
If LGBTQ life in Greater Lansing remained largely hidden before Stonewall, in the 1970s it became considerably more visible. People we now understand as LGBTQ began to organize locally, to push back against prevailing attitudes that viewed queer folk as criminal, sinful and sick.
Greg Kamm pushed back.
Kamm, an officer in the Gay Liberation Movement at Michigan State University, submitted an op-ed to the LSJ in protest. The paper gave it the headline, “Gays Not Monsters.”
“Gay Liberation sponsored the drag pageant mentioned in the article,” Kamm wrote. “We did so because we recognize that different facets to homosexuality exist, running the range from the ‘drag’ queen to the football player, from the spot welder to the teacher, to the hairdresser.”
Perhaps as significant as Kamm’s critique, the Miss Capitol City contest was part of the first statewide celebration of Gay Pride Week. Aretha, with the runners-up serving as her court, road atop a Ford Galaxie to lead the first Pride parade in Detroit.
Gay activists at Michigan State were on the vanguard of taking to the streets. Formed in April 1970, the Gay Liberation Movement roused gays on campus to become politically involved.
The GLM played an instrumental role in the first ever gay march on the state Capitol,in December 1971.
GLM leader Elyse Eisenberg ran for East Lansing City Council. Don Gaudard, also a leader in GLM, ran for school board. Although both lost their races, they were among the first out candidates to run for elected office in the United States.
Gaudard was also a key instigator in pressuring the East Lansing Council to amend its policy in 1972 to prohibit bias against gay people in hiring city workers. A year later, East Lansing enacted a broader ordinance that prohibited discrimination based on sexual preference.
Meanwhile, a Gay Community Center opened in Lansing at 117 S. Pennsylvania Ave. in summer 1972, with many MSU GLM activists involved. Though it lasted barely half a year, it hosted dances and weekly spaghetti dinners, and served as home base for Lansing’s first gay newspaper, Sunflower.
The Radicalesbians registered as a student group in 1970, supposedly as an offshoot of the GLM. One historian credits its founding to a scheme to bolster gay influence on campus through multiple phantom groups that existed primarily on paper.
Besides favoring a male-centered lens for understanding the local queer past, this view seriously downplays the vibrant lesbian community being forged. By the mid-1970s, Greater Lansing was poised to become a lesbian center of gravity nationally and globally.
Trudi Sipolla, for one, became involved in a lesbian group called the Purple Perils as an undergrad and was exhilarated to discover so many women in their 20s like her. “I was in a pretty radical state of mind,” Sipolla said in a 2019 phone interview. She remembered thriving in the consciousness-raising sessions, putting feminist theories into action.
Barbara similarly embraced feminism as an entrée into the nascent lesbian movement. Soon after arriving at MSU to attend grad school in the early 1970s, Barbara began a 10-year relationship with Anne Tracy, who worked at the MSU Library.
To Barbara, Lansing area feminists were much more energized than in Ann Arbor. “The women’s movement is what pulled me in,” she said recently via Zoom. “I wanted to be part of that.”
In 1974, the Lesbian Connection began publishing, central to a coalescing of community that included the arrival of lesbian-feminist philosopher Marilyn Frye on the MSU faculty in 1974, the emergence of women’s music, and the opening of Motherwit bookstore in 1977.
Another turning point came when a homophobic landlady evicted the Lesbian Center from its original location at 547½ E. Grand River Ave. in East Lansing in early 1975. It soon moved to 427 Spring St. in Lansing, away from the university.
East Lansing was a college town. Lansing, besides being the state capital, was a factory town. Many queer residents found refuge in bars.
The Long Branch Bar, on Washington Avenue near the old Diamond Reo Truck plant, was reputed to attract lesbian clientele into the early 1970s.
The Rustic Village, which also hosted drag contests, adopted the name of its owner, Rudy Stober, in 1972. “Stober’s is such a Gay-straight Redneck mix,” Greg Kamm wrote in his diary after a visit that August. The bar was rechristened Stober’s RS Disco a few years later, but eventually it turned straight.
Covello’s began welcoming gay customers around 1972, when the Sir Club down the block kicked them out in favor of featuring topless dancers. Trammpp’s opened next door to Covello’s in the summer of 1976. Within months, the Toledo gay bar magazine Rapping Paper reported, weekend crowds at Trammpp’s could expect a 15-minute wait to get in.
As gay commercial spaces took root, so too did organizations. A 1976 issue of the Lansing Star, a local alternative newspaper, listed the MSU GLM and the Lesbian Center, along with an East Lansing support group called the Monday Night Group and Integrity, an organization for gay Episcopalians. A chapter of the Catholic gay group Dignity first met in 1978. The Lansing Association of Human Rights was established in 1979.
Particularly momentous was the formation of the Michigan Organization for Human Rights in response to the threat posed by Anita Bryant and her “Save Our Children” campaign. In June 1977, Bryant secured the repeal of a new gay rights ordinance in Dade County, Florida, and promised to take her antigay crusade to other cities.
Michiganders launched MOHR to brace for attack.
While much of the impetus came from Detroit, MOHR’s founders sought to be a truly statewide collective political force. It held its founding convention in Lansing in October 1977. At the weekend confab, Barbara found herself elected to the policy council.
“I was the sole woman in this male world,” Barbara recalled, adding that she felt “there’s got to be women willing to work with men.”
(Historian Tim Retzloff teaches LGBTQ Studies at Michigan State University.)
MADISON, Wis. — The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Assembly planned to vote Wednesday on bills banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports, measures that are being debated in the middle of gay pride month are all-but certain to be headed for a veto by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
Even though they are unlikely to become law, the Assembly has scheduled five hours of debate on the measures that opponents say are discriminatory and unnecessary. They must also pass the Senate before going to Evers, who has repeatedly said he stands with transgender students.
A broad array of more than 30 groups opposed the measures at public hearings last month. Supporters, including female athletes and representatives from national groups pushing similar laws in other states, argued that the sanctity of girls’ and women’s sports was at stake.
Opponents include the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, which regulates high school sports, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the statewide teachers union, the ACLU, the State Bar of Wisconsin’s civil rights and liberties section, the LGBTQ advocacy group Fair Wisconsin, Planned Parenthood and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
The proposals are part of a nationwide movement targeting transgender people, particularly athletes.
Lawmakers in more than 30 states, mostly Republican controlled, have considered sports participation bans, and they’ve become law in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, Montana and West Virginia after Idaho enacted one last year. Other states, including Kansas and North Dakota, passed bans only to have them vetoed by the governor.
The Wisconsin bills would allow students to join teams only that correspond to their biological sex as assigned by a doctor at birth, unless the sport is classified as “coed.” It would apply to public and private schools, as well as the University of Wisconsin and technical colleges.
Supporters argue that transgender girls have an unfair physical advantage, and that passing the bill would ensure that girls have a level playing field while preserving competitive achievements and scholarships.
A federal court blocked enforcement of the law in Idaho. In Connecticut, several girls are challenging a state law that allows transgender athletes to participate in female sports.
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Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sbauerAP
When now 39-year-old San Francisco resident Fay Zenoff thinks back on being a teenager and young adult, the memories are tough. Not only did she suffer a series of terrible blows — the death of her brother, her parents’ divorce, and her father’s move to Europe — but she also found herself unable to cope with her feelings of attraction to other women.
“Drinking was how I dealt with internalized homophobia, as well as the implosion of my family,” she recalls. “I had no idea where to look for help, or who to ask. It felt like something was the matter with me, that I had this soul-crushing problem, and the only relief was alcohol.”
Zenoff was far from alone in being uncertain about where to turn for help, and this can be particularly true for people with addiction and trauma, says Sarah Church, PhD, a clinical psychologist and the founder of Wholeview Wellness, a New York City–based outpatient addiction treatment center that serves many LGBTQ+ clients.
“For many people in the LGBTQ community, there can be emotional health issues that are more complicated than they might be for those outside the community,” Dr. Church says.
Church has counseled many people in the LGBTQ+ community who have faced hostility from family members when trying to come out, which may cause increased anxiety, shame, and depression, and in turn, lead to the use of alcohol and drugs to soothe that pain.
The pandemic, with its high level of isolation, may have deepened existing mental health challenges for those in the LGBTQ community, Church adds.
According to a Kaiser Family Foundation report published in March 11, 2021, 74 percent of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender said that worry and stress from the pandemic has had a negative impact on their mental health, compared with just 49 percent of people who were not lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. (The analysis is based on telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 3,239 adults, including 174 who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.)
Even when addiction is not part of the equation, emotions are multilayered and can be challenging to cope with, says Alex Greenwald, a mental health counselor at Empower Your Mind Therapy in New York City, who specializes in working with people from the LGBTQ+ community.
There’s still a stigma about coming out and feeling rejected, but there’s also bullying, homophobia, transphobia, BIPOC trauma, and discrimination, which can put LGBTQ people of any age at higher risk of self-harm and eating disorders, Greenwald says. That may be exacerbated by the fact that these people often aren’t treated as individuals, she adds.
“Sadly, some professionals may lump together anyone in the LGBTQ community, and not see the person for their unique story,” she says. “The community encompasses a wide range of individuals with separate challenges regarding their mental health.”
LGBTQ+-Friendly Emotional Health Resources to Turn To
Deciding to ask for support and knowing where to turn can be the hardest part of getting help when you’re struggling.
For Zenoff, exploring recovery options with the right therapist made an enormous difference. She has since become a recovery coach and advocate who now consults with companies about increasing the well-being of employees in the workplace. Before she launched her own consultancy business, Zenoff served as the executive director at Open Recovery, a San Francisco nonprofit focused on ending the stigma of addiction.
“There are so many paths to recovery, no matter what you’re facing,” she says. “For me, it was comforting to find out there were many people who were eager to help, and that asking for help wasn’t a weakness, it was a strength.”
Greenwald and Church recommend these organizations that provide support for members of the LGBTQ+ community who are struggling.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is a mental health organization for LGBTQ youth founded in 1998 to provide crisis intervention for those under age 25. Since then, it’s funded research, driven advocacy, and been a major force for suicide prevention.
If you need immediate support, call the TrevorLifeline at 866-488-7386. The organization also provides resources, events, and education on its website, and you can go online to sign up for email updates and find local volunteer groups.
The It Gets Better Project
For young people with challenges around coming out, the nonprofit It Gets Better Project provides education, stories, and referrals to mental health professionals.
The organization holds events and also has materials for educators available through its website.
National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN)
Working at the intersection of social justice and mental health, NQTTCN maintains a directory of therapy practitioners, as well as a number of community resources. Its Trans Lifeline is a hotline for trans people staffed by trans people: 877-565-8860.
True Colors United
LGBTQ youth have a 120 percent higher risk of homelessness, often as a result of family rejection or discrimination, according a 2018 University of Chicago report. Risk is particularly high among Black LGBTQ young adults.
True Colors United focuses specifically on this issue through advocacy and education, as well as assistance programs to help young people. You can donate to their program, and young people have the opportunity to apply for fellowships to gain professional development and advocacy skills.
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is an organization committed to ensuring every LGBTQ person can live openly, with equal rights and support. Turn to it to find resources specific to topics like elections, hate crimes, workplace issues, coming out, and legislation. Via the website, find ways to donate, attend events, and volunteer.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
NAMI has resources specific to the LGBTQ+ community, with information on coming out, trauma, substance use, suicide, and homelessness. The organization offers tips on how to find the right mental health professional, including what type of questions to ask providers.
With an optimistic attitude and a drive to achieve equality, David Croxford (left) has been able to thrive in the workplace through his participation in USF projects, such as the 2021 Summer Grant Writing Workshop, while simultaneously advocating for LGBTQ rights. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/DAVID CROXFORD
When David Croxford was residing at his home in Ohio in 1989, he decided to take control of his life and unapologetically claimed his identity so he could truly be himself.
“I came from a small place in Ohio where it was just not okay to be gay, but I made the decision that it was just going to be who I was,” said Croxford.
After openly accepting and expressing his sexuality, Croxford was subjected to bullying from his peers. He persevered through this harsh treatment and began focusing on his career, which has taken him from his small Ohio town to a bustling university in Sarasota.
As the office manager for Regional Chancellor Karen Holbrook’s office at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, he is responsible for taking care of and reporting to the chancellor about USF payrolls, accounting and purchasing.
A major aspect of his position as office manager is supporting his colleagues in all of their career endeavors. He is currently working with Sandra Justice, Sarasota-Manatee research administrator, on the Summer Writing Grant Workshops, which have been hosted by Justice and the Sarasota-Manatee office of research starting in 2018.
“The program walks participants through the grant writing process, features program presentations by federal sponsors, and introduces participants to a broader understanding of the research enterprise with 15 speakers over eight weeks,” said Justice.
In being Justice’s partner on this project, Croxford has taken on many roles. He is responsible for the Monday Messagethat provides faculty members with information regarding the week’s speakers. He also moderates each Wednesday’s workshops as well as Funding Friday, which is when the topic of finding and allocating funds is discussed, and also manages all the registration data, according to Justice.
Over the last year, Justice and Croxford have overcome unforeseen obstacles in their administration of the grant writing workshop. From the COVID-19 pandemic forcing all content to be strictly online to recent budget cuts from the state, they have still managed to organize what is gearing up to be a successful program, said Justice.
“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this program benefits greatly from David’s many contributions. The breadth and depth of the program continues to expand and improve, and with David’s help, we are providing a program of excellence that showcases the research enterprise at the University of South Florida,” said Justice. “David is even already thinking about how we can make improvements for the 2022 program.”
Prior to his success at USF, Croxford began his career working in various jobs across the country that centered around his interests in organization and management.
One of the first major jobs Croxford took was a position working in records management at the New York State Electric and Gas Corporation. Despite his initial reluctance to take the position, Croxford accepted the job with a hopeful and positive attitude.
“At the request of my then supervisor, I took the job and I thought, ‘I don’t want to work in records management, I’m going to be stuck filing all day long and it will be horrible,’ but it was nothing like that at all,” said Croxford. “It was probably one of the most interesting jobs I’ve ever worked.”
This job gave Croxford the opportunity to travel the country, sharing the records management program of his company with other companies in order to maintain compliance among them all, which was an aspect of his job he found captivating.
“While we began taking over other companies in different states, I was able to travel to those companies and take our records management program to them, so that we would all be in agreement under the same umbrella, and that was just fascinating to me,” said Croxford.
Croxford met his husband, Christopher Bolgiano, while Bolgiano was a graduate student. They got married on the anniversary of their first date and the couple will be celebrating 30 years of their relationship this November.
“We met when I was in grad school working on my Ph.D. at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. We met through mutual friends in Toledo,” said Bolgiano. “My first impression was that he was cute, bright and zazzy, and just a delightful person.”
The couple then pursued their career paths together when Bolgiano accepted his first postdoctoral position at Cornell University in July 1994.
Upon their arrival at Cornell, Croxford and Bolgiano found out they were the first gay couple to attend the benefits orientation for same-sex couples and to go through human resources training.
“It was a very awkward situation for the woman who was training us. We were fine with it, but she was clearly not,” said Croxford.
Regardless of the uncomfortable position Croxford and Bolgiano were in during their training, they remained positive and not only focused on learning as much as they could, but they also wanted to create a comfortable space for their trainer to learn and grow as well.
“The only thing that we wanted to do was do our part to learn what we could from the orientation and enable that individual to sort of get through it, knowing that with more time and experience, it would probably be a much more comfortable situation for them as well,” said Bolgiano.
After spending most of their lives in the north, Croxford and Bolgiano made the decision to leave Cornell and move to Florida where they planned to retire.
When the couple arrived in Sarasota, Croxford worked as a financial analyst in the private sector before he applied for and took his current job at the regional chancellor’s office, which he has held for the past five years.
Croxford’s job as a financial analyst had been paying him more than what USF was offering. However, this was not Croxford’s concern, as he was more interested in working at a more secure job with a vibrant and accepting community.
“He left a higher-paying position to come to USF because his other position was not as secure as a good position at USF would be, and didn’t have the benefits that the USF position offers,” said Bolgiano. “So David took a pay cut to work at USF.”
When reflecting on his abundant career, Croxford identifies the fact that he has never been unemployed to be his greatest accomplishment. Croxford believes that helping someone reach a major career success is a privilege within itself.
“I’ve never been unemployed. I’m employable. So that’s a huge accomplishment for me. I have not achieved any huge accolades and that’s just fine,” said Croxford. “What I like to do is the best job that I can and know that I have a part in whatever accolades someone does achieve because they needed some help and I was able to give that to them.”
Lisa Barker, the special assistant to the regional chancellor at the Sarasota-Manatee campus, has attested to Croxford’s valuable presence in the workplace as well as the beneficial assistance he consistently provides his colleagues. She said Croxford’s presence in the workplace is not only enjoyable but also essential to the completion of many USF operations.
“Dave flourishes in his role and is a pleasure to work with and he is an integral part of the [USF Sarasota-Manatee] campus administration,” said Barker. “His ‘behind the scenes’ work is vital to the operations for a number of the senior leaders and their offices. Without Dave’s expertise with the USF processes and systems, completion of tasks would be stalled or not happening.”
Croxford’s feats are not limited to his extensive career experience. Following his self-acceptance, Croxford became increasingly involved in supportive efforts and celebrations in the LGBTQ community. With every relocation for work, he committed himself to attending pride parades in each new city.
”We certainly marched in our fair number of pride parades. We’ve attended in Sarasota, we attended in New York City and we attended events in Ohio,” said Croxford.
After finally settling down in Florida, Croxford dedicated himself to supporting the community efforts of the LGBTQ members in the Sarasota area, as well as other social justice movements. In addition to attending local pride parades, he, along with Bolgiano, attend the Church of the Trinity MCC (Metropolitan Community Church), which was originally founded for queer individuals who didn’t have a place to worship.
They also volunteer with Booker High School and the local African Methodist Episcopal Churches, both of which were established for members of the Black community to attend school and worship, respectively, during the era of segregation.
In 2019, Croxford and Bolgiano participated in Asolo Repertory Theatre’s “Faces of Change,” their annual, community-based documentary theater project focused on non-traditional marriages within the Sarasota community.
“They did a short documentary a couple of years ago. Christopher and myself and several other [LGBTQ] couples that we knew were involved with that, interviewed and we talked a little bit about our history,” said Croxford. “It’s nice to know that we weren’t the only ones.”
While Croxford is proud of his own service and involvement, he still believes that there’s room for progress and need for support within the LGBTQ community as a whole, especially among the transgender community.
“The transgender community still continues to struggle, especially transgender people of color,” said Croxford. “I think that what they go through, in moving from one gender to another, it has to be incredibly heroic. It’s so far beyond my understanding. So, it’s probably even further beyond other people’s understanding. My function, then, is to support them in whatever way that I can.”
Croxford also expressed his concern for the AIDS crisis, which remains a serious epidemic among young LGBTQ men within the U.S.
“I came out near the middle of that period of time, and the number of men who died is still mind-boggling to me and incredibly sad,” said Croxford.
At some point, Croxford would like to speak to the importance of the AIDS crisis, if the opportunity presents itself, regarding the history of the epidemic and the impact it had on the movement for LGBTQ rights. He believes it’s important to maintain LGBTQ history and ensure that people are aware of where they came from.
In the meantime, Croxford is adamant about remaining active in his service for the local queer community. He emphasizes that the best way to provide support, other than volunteership and mutual aid, is by simply being true to himself.
“Oftentimes I remember early on, I felt alone, thinking no one else was like me, and that’s not true,” said Croxford. “That’s why it’s really important for me to be just who I am. That way, even if somebody sees, even if they never say anything, they’ll know who I am and that they are not the only one.”
Japan’s parliament ends its session without passing a promised law on LGBT understanding, failing to fulfill a ruling party pledge just as the country is set to host what is meant to be a “diversity” Olympics.
A bill under which discrimination against LGBT individuals would be deemed unacceptable was dropped by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s ruling party and will officially die Wednesday when the current parliament session ends. On top of this, members of his Liberal Democratic Party were reported as making discriminatory remarks against sexual minorities during the discussion process, sparking protests outside the party’s Tokyo headquarters.
The ruling party’s failure to act strikes a sour note five weeks ahead of the opening ceremony for an Olympics that organizers said would be based around the concept of “Unity in Diversity.” Missing this opportunity could see the issue kicked down the road, potentially making Japan less attractive to the skilled foreign workers the aging country needs.
“The Olympic Charter clearly bans discrimination,” said Gon Matsunaka, head of Pride House Tokyo, a group that promotes LGBTQ understanding. “This is a breach of the contract with the International Olympic Committee.”
Japan lags its peers in the Group of Seven countries in several areas of civil rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning and/or queer people. The LDP had pledged in the 2019 upper house election to swiftly pass a bill promoting “correct understanding” of LGBT issues but the Asahi newspaper and other media have said conservative elements in the party have blocked progress.
“Since Japan is such a significant participant in the international business world, it is likely to become increasingly awkward for Japanese companies as well as the country’s political leadership if the country remains an outlier when LGBTQ equality has become more and more quotidian in that world,” said Jennifer Pizer, the law and policy director at Lambda Legal, which says it is the oldest and largest U.S. civil rights group for LGBT people and those living with HIV.
LGBTQ issues caused controversy at the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia in 2014, which took place in the shadow of the country introducing anti-gay legislation. Former U.S. President Barack Obama and some other world leaders stayed away from the opening ceremony after the introduction of the law.
While Japan cannot be compared to Russia, where LGBTQ people are sometimes violently persecuted, “the Sochi example of public attention could serve as a helpful wake-up call for Japan’s leadership,” said Pizer. “The international spotlight will only grow brighter as the start of the games approaches.”
Diversity Olympics
Asked about the fate of bill on LGBT discrimination, Suga told parliament earlier this month he would work to fulfill promises to the public. He also agreed to a G-7 statement at the weekend pledging to tackle discrimination against LGBTQI+ populations.
The Tokyo 2020 website says diversity and inclusion are essential to a successful games, and inclusion will see people accepted and respected regardless of gender and sexual orientation, among other factors.
Nonetheless, the head of the organizing committee was forced to step down in February after making disparaging comments about women. Yoshiro Mori, a former prime minister, was replaced as Tokyo 2020 chief by Seiko Hashimoto, a female minister and former Olympic athlete.
Unease over the LGBT law may stem from concern it could lead to recognition of same-sex marriage, Matsunaka said. A survey published by the Asahi newspaper in March found that 65% of respondents said same-sex marriage should be recognized, compared with 41% in a similar survey in 2015. A majority of all age groups supported the change, apart from the over-70s, the paper said.
Japan moved a little closer to allowing such unions when a court on the northern island of Hokkaido in March ruled the lack of legal recognition for same-sex marriage violates the constitution. It was the first such judgment in favor of marriage equality but it fell short of making it legal.
Public Outrage Over Sexist Comments Forces Changes at Tokyo 2020
“Men in their 50s, 60s and 70s tend to be against same-sex marriage, and that is the gender and age of LDP lawmakers,” said Matsunaka. “Rather than reflecting the whole of Japanese society, the opinions of one group are preventing a change in the law. That shouldn’t be allowed.”
CLAYTON — Last year, when Emilie Cardinaux raised a rainbow flag in front of her store here, it was one of the first to fly in the village. This year, the spirit reflected by that flag is spreading across the community with a River Pride celebration.
Clayton River Pride, from June 25 to 27, is part of LGBT Pride Month, an annual celebration to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots.
“The uprising at the Stonewall Inn in June, 1969, sparked a liberation movement — a call to action that continues to inspire us to live up to our nation’s promise of equality, liberty, and justice for all,” President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said in a June 1 proclamation signifying June as Pride Month, which has a goal of achieving equal justice and equal opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning Americans.
“I think we can say in general, the mission of River Pride is to celebrate diversity and equality overall, and specifically during Pride Month, the LBGT members of our community,” said Ms. Cardinaux, a member of the River Pride committee and owner of The Golden Cleat, 534 Riverside Drive. “But it’s also a way for us to make a statement that our little, tiny village here in the north country is a welcoming place for all people and that we’re very proud to be celebrating this as a community.”
River Pride events range from a flag raising ceremony to a boat parade and guest speakers.
“We’ve just been overwhelmed by the positive response in our community,” Ms. Cardinaux said. “We welcome people from all over to participate in the ceremony.”
River Pride kicks off from 8 to 11 p.m. June 25 at The Hops Spot, 507 Riverside Drive.
“It’s going to be great visibility to start off the event,” said River Pride committee member Alex Hazard. “At that time of year, the last weekend of June, there’s going to be lots of tourists who are there, maybe for Pride, and also who might just happen to be there for a summer weekend in Clayton, so it’s important for us to be seen by those folks as well.”
The featured guest at the kickoff is pianist John Khoury from Sid’s Gold Request Room in New York City. He’s also the author of “Go Sit on Your Own Stoop!”, a self-published collection of stories about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1970s.
River Pride’s flag raising ceremony is at 11 a.m. on June 26 at Frink Park. Guest speaker is scheduled to be Maggie Rizer Mehran, a 1996 graduate of Watertown High School. In February, she was inducted into the Watertown City School District’s Distinguished Alumni Hall of Achievement.
Ms. Rizer Mehran has had an extensive and highly successful modeling career, having appeared on the covers of major fashion magazines, and walked runways at countless shows for internationally renowned companies. She has remained active in supporting and increasing awareness of various charitable causes.
In a 2014 Vogue magazine article, Ms. Rizer Mehran wrote, “My parents divorced when my older sister and I were young, and my dad came out as gay.” Her father died of AIDS in 1992 at the age of 38.
“She’s a Vogue model, but more important than that, she’s a huge activist in the LGBT community,” Mr. Hazard said. “To have her there speaking in our village at the flag raising speaks volumes on the importance of the work that she does.”
He added, “She’ll speak about what it was like growing up in the north country with a gay parent, and what it’s like to continue with activism throughout her life and what it’s like raising young children to not only be allies, but to raise them with an open mind and that they can belong to any community as well.”
The boat parade will follow the flag-raising ceremony.
“The boats will gather outside of Frink Park on the shoreline and at the conclusion of the flag-raising ceremony, we’ll have a slow boat parade all along the shoreline, making a turnaround somewhere out close to French Bay and coming along the shoreline again and once we reach Frink Park, sort of near the Harbor Hotel, the boats will disperse,” Ms. Cardinaux said. “Everyone is welcome, and we’re encouraging everyone to decorate their boats with rainbow flags.”
River Pride could become an annual event.
“I hope it evolves,” Ms. Cardinaux said. “The format we’ve evolved with this year is sort of like a test run. But I would hope to see a continuation of the celebration of pride in an official capacity in our community from now on.”
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In Watertown, 2021 Pride in Watertown kicks off at 5 p.m. Friday at the Paddock Club. The city will raise flags in front of City Hall at 9 a.m. Saturday to honor local Gay Pride and Juneteenth events.
After the flag raising, from noon to 3 p.m., Out in the Park events will take place at Thompson Park, ranging from a color-blast fun 5K run beginning at noon to food trucks and kids games. At 10 p.m., fireworks are scheduled at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds.
For further details on Pride in Watertown, go to its Facebook page titled Watertown NY Pride/Facebook.
The details
— WHAT: Clayton River Pride
— WHEN: June 25, 26 and 27
The schedule
— Friday, June 25: Live piano bar karaoke with John Khoury from Sid’s Gold Request Room in New York City, at The Hops Spot, 507 Riverside Drive, 8 to 11 p.m.
— Saturday, June 26: Flag raising ceremony with special guest speaker — Vogue model and activist Maggie Rizer Mehran followed by boat parade, Frink Park, 11 a.m. Family arts and crafts, face painting, story time at The Little Bookstore, 413 Riverside Drive, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
— Sunday, June 27: Brunch and pride show hosted by Amber Skyy, Di Prinzio’s Kitchen, 428 Riverside drive, 11 a.m. to noon and 1 to 2 p.m.
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Knoxville will play host to some of the nation’s best cyclists when the USA Cycling Professional Road National Championships gets underway Thursday.
This will be be the fourth year that USA Cycling holds an event in Knoxville
Here are five things to know about the championships:
There are three events in total
Over the four days there will be three competitions, the Individual Time Trial National Championships, the Criterium National Championships and the Pro Road National Championships.
Individual Time Trials will be held on Thursday and will consist of a 6.9-mile section of roadways that run along the banks of Melton Lake and the Oak Ridge rowing venue.
Women will complete two laps for a total distance of 22.8 kilometers while the men will complete three laps for a total distance of 34.2 kilometers. The women’s event will start at 10 a.m. and the men will start at 12:30 p.m.
The second event will be the Criterium set to be held on Friday. The 1.1-mile circuit, which starts and ends on Gay Street, is fast, short and will be set at night. Competitors will race for a set amount of time.
The women’s race will start at 6:15 and last for a maximum of 75 minutes; The men’s race will start at 7:45 and will go for 90 minutes.
Pro Road National Championships is the final and longest event of the weekend. Starting on Gay Street, the 7.9-mile route will cross the Tennessee River over the Gay Street Bridge and make its way through Old City.
As with the other events, there will be separate races for women and men. The women will start first at 9 a.m. and race nine laps for 71 miles, while the men will begin at 1:15 p.m. and complete 15 laps for 118.5 miles.
Olympians will be competing
A little more than a month before the Summer Games are set to begin in Tokyo, there will be several Olympic cyclists here.
Six members of the U.S. road cycling team are here: Amber Neben, Chloé Dygert, Lily Williams, Coryn Rivera, Megan Jastrab, Emma White and Lawson Craddock. The only member of the team who won’t be in Knoxville is Brandon McNulty.
Rivera and Neben have had the most success on the events being run in Knoxville.
Rivera, who has 72 U.S. championships, won the the Road Race in 2018.
While she hasn’t won the Road Race, Neben has been dominant in the Individual Time Trials, winning it the last three years and making the top three eight of the last 10.
While Rivera has dominated the road race for the women’s event, defending champion Alex Howes has been a favorite in the men’s event.
Before turning pro in 2012, Howes won and finished second, respectively, in the 2009 and 2010 U23 Road Race Championships.
Since then he’s finished top three in the pro event three times, winning the title in 2019.
Roads will be closed
Several main roads across the city will be closed to keep athletes and pedestrians safe.
For the Individual time trials, Melton Lake Drive will be closed from Amanda Drive to Emory Valley Road at 8 a.m.; the closures will stretch to Palisades Parkway, Rolling Links Boulevard and Union Valley Road starting at 9 a.m. All roads will be reopened by 5 p.m.
The Gay Street block from Church to Cumberland will be closed all day Friday and Saturday for Olympic Day, which will be full of activities for ages 10 and younger.
The Criterium and Road Race will see much of Downtown and South Knoxville’s streets shut down, with both races starting and ending on Gay Street. Streets will be closed from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday for the Criterium and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
How to watch
The event is open to anyone who wants to come out and watch in person, but social distancing is highly encouraged.
If you want to watch from home, you can live stream at FloBikes.
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