It's
Never Too Early to Start Planning Next Year
(June 26, 2011)
Feeling great about this year's Baton Rouge Pride
Fest? Well, it's never too early to start making next
year even better.
Why not join us Monday, July 11, at 6:30 p.m. at
MCCBR (7747 Tom Drive, Baton Rouge) as we wrap up this
year and start looking forward to next year.
Anyone is welcome to join the planning team. Or if
you just want to offer suggestions or volunteer to help
with special events, you're still welcome to come to the
meeting.
P.S. Mark your calendars now. Next year's Baton Rouge
Pride Fest is scheduled for June 30 at the Belle of
Baton Rouge Atrium.
Record
Attendance Seen at 2011 Pride Fest
(June 26, 2011)
If you missed this year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest,
everyone who was there seems to say you missed a great
time.
The resource fair was bigger, the kids seemed to have
a great time, the entertainers provided a full day of
performances,... and there was just an awesome feeling
in the air.
Best yet, according to the fire marshal, we set a
record for attendance this year -- with more than 3,000
or possibly event 3,500 people coming through the doors.
That's certainly the most people to attend since we
started this event five years ago, and it's at least
1,000 people more than last year.
Way to go, Baton Rouge! Show your pride!
Thanks to
the Pride Fest Team
(June 25, 2011)
Be sure to say thanks to the Baton Rouge Pride Fest
planning team. They worked hard all year for you to make
the 2011 Baton Rouge Pride Fest a success.
This year's dedicated team members were: Ray Acardo;
Becky Cangelosi; John Deshotel Jr., Vice Chairman; Shad
Duplessis, Resource Fair Coordinator; Daryl W. Ingle (Chica
LaRouge); Presley Hutchinson; Bonnie J. Jones,
Entertainment Coordinator; Peter Lewis Sr., Volunteer
Coordinator; Tom Merrill, Chairman; Rev. Keith Mozingo,
Vice Chairman; Mike Smith; and Jake Stout.
Thanks also to Morris Welch, who serves as our
treasurer, and to the many volunteers who helped out
during the event and throughout the year. And, of
course, thanks to our partner organizations (MCCBR, the
Krewe of Apollo, the Krewe of Divas and others) and all
of our generous sponsors.
We couldn't have done it without all of you!
P.S. If you want to join next year's planning team,
be sure to join us for our meeting at 6:30 p.m.July 11
at MCCBR (7747 Tom Drive). Everyone is welcome!
You Won't
Get Wet; Pride Fest Goes On Rain or Shine; Be There!
(June 23, 2011)
It's just days away, and you don't want to miss this
year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest from noon to 6 p.m.
Saturday, June 25, at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium.
We've got great entertainers and more than 50
organizations, businesses and others signed up for our
resource fair. We'll mix all that with a little food, a
lot of fun, the blessing of relationships and even a
special area for the kids.
Best of all, we'll be inside the air-conditioned
Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium, so Pride Fest will go on
rain or shine. (And you never have to get wet, since
there are covered walkways leading into the building
from the Belle's two parking garages.)
See you there!
Mayor
Holden Declares LGBT Pride Day Again This Year
(June 15, 2011)
Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President
Kip Hoden recently signed a proclamation declaring June
25, 2011, as LGBT Pride Day in the city-parish.
The move came at the urging of members of the Baton
Rouge Pride Fest team.
Our thanks to the mayor for recognizing the
importance of our community to the area, and special
thanks to Tom Merrill of MCCBR/Pride Team for his work
in helping to make this happen.
The mayor’s proclamation, which can be seen at right,
reads, in part: “Whereas Baton Rouge is a city composed
of a great variety of diverse people, cultures,
religions, sexual orientations, languages and customs,
and whereas the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
communities have contributed to the City-Parish of
Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge through active involvement
in cultural and economic progress, now, therefore, I,
Melvin “Kip” Holden, Mayor-President of Baton Rouge and
the Parish of East Baton Rouge, hereby do proclaim June
25, 2011, as LGBT Pride Day.”
Don't
Forget Other Pride Events, Too
(June 15, 2011)
In addition to the Baton Rouge Pride Fest from noon
until 6 p.m. Saturday, June 25, at the Belle of Baton
Rouge Atrium downtown next to the river (and the Belle
of Baton Rouge Casino), other groups also have events
planned for the weekend before our event.
Don't forget about these events:
New Orleans Gay Men's
Chorus "Minding Our Manners." Saturday, June 18, 7:30 p.m.,
Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge (Goodwood
Boulevard).
www.nogmc.com
Krewe of Divas Pride
Bal Masque. Saturday, June 18, 8 p.m., The
Union Hall (Government Street), Baton Rouge.
www.kreweofdivas.com
Lamar
Donates Billboard Space for Pride Fest
(June 1, 2011)
Once again this year, Lamar has generously donated most of the costs of
billboard space advertising the Baton Rouge Pride Fest.
You should see our ads on four electronic billboards
around the city starting all during the month of June. Thanks to Lamar for their generous support.
The in-kind donations of advertising from Lamar
($7,500) and Cox Communications ($10,000) have doubled
the budget for this year's events.
If you want a sneek peek at the billboards, open this
file
or
this one.
Cox
Donates Advertising for Pride Fest
(June 1, 2011)
Cox Communications is donating advertising for the
Baton Rouge Pride Fest valued at approximately $10,000.
The company will run at least 200 30-second spots during the
next few weeks on its cable network in the area.
Our spot was produced and donated through Cox, as
well. If you
haven't seen it yet,
click
here to take a look at the spot on YouTube.
Trixxie
LaRue to be Honorary Grand Marshal for 2011 Pride Fest
(June 1, 2011)
Some of you
know him as
James Chinn, but
probably more of
you know her as
Trixxie LaRue.
Either way, the
Baton Rouge
Pride Fest is
pleased to
recognize one of
our community’s
heroes as this
year’s honorary
grand marshal.
“He’s
just the sort of
person who makes
you feel good
and feel good
about being
yourself.” That
quote from one
of our Pride
Fest team
members probably
best sums up why
Trixxie, aka
James, was the
unanimous choice
for this honor
in 2011.
As can be
seen by this
photo above,
Trixxie has been
a member of the
Krewe of Apollo
for more than 12
years and has
“costumed” for
its ball and
participated in
a variety of
other
fundraising
events. But the
public service
doesn’t stop
there. Trixxie
also is a NoH8
promoter, Cancer
Society promoter
and a NO AIDS
Task Force
supporter and
promoter and is
currently
promoting St.
Jude Children’s
Research
Hospital and its
battle with
cancer and other
childhood
diseases.
As a host at
Splash Nightclub
and its
predecessors for
more than 20
years, many
people have been
greeted there
and other places
in the community
by hearing, “Hi.
I’m Trixxie!” as
he goes out of
his way to make
people feel
comfortable and
welcome.
Voted the
2010 emcee of
the year in the
Pride One
Awards, Trixxie
was selected to
host the 2011
Krewe of Divas
Pride Ball.
She’s also a
former Miss New
Orleans (1988)
and Miss Apollo
Baton Rouge
(2001).
For those
reasons and many
more, it is our
pleasure to
honor Trixxie
LaRue / James
Chinn as the
2011 grand
marshal of the
Baton Rouge
Pride Fest.
Nominate
Someone to Be Honorary Grand Marshal for 2011
(April 3, 2011)
It's time to
nominate someone
to be the
honorary grand
marshal for this
year's Baton
Rouge Pride
Fest.
Any ideas? If
so, send an
e-mail to
BRPride@bellsouth.net
telling us about
the person and
why you think
she or he should
be this year's
honorary grand
marshal. Be sure
to include
contact
information for
you and the
person.
On top of the new addition of Josh Duffy to the 2011
Baton Rouge Pride Fest entertainment, favorites from
2010 and before also are joining us again for 2011.
Daphne MuShatt, the Krewe
of Divas and the New Orleans Gay Men's Chorus all will
perform again this year.
Josh
Duffy Booked for 2011 Baton Rouge Pride Fest
(February 2011)
Josh Duffy is joining
the entertainment for the 2011 Baton Rouge Pride Fest
June 25 at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium.
A New Orleans-based pop/rock artist, his debut CD
Artificial has received nationwide acclaim and put
him on the map as a leading GLBT singer-songwriter.
Voted as the No. 1 GLBT artist for three consecutive
months on OutVoice.net, Josh is one of the few indie
artists to have had multiple Top 20 hits on Sirius
OutQ's countdown. His appearances at several major
festivals across the United States have helped to
establish a devoted fan base limitless to age and
sexual orientation.
Currently, Josh has been working on several projects in
the film industry – most recently appearing opposite
John Goodman in HBO's latest post-Katrina series
Treme. He can also be seen in the upcoming movies
Dead Of Night and National Lampoons: Dirty Movie.
Our entertainment
coordinator, Bonnie Jones, has been hard at work, and
the entertainment lineup for the 2011 Baton Rouge Pride
Fest already is taking shape.
Watch for more details
coming soon, but you can count on a variety of talented
artists who are sure to please you.
We're
Going Back to the Belle on June 25, 2011
(October 2010)
Thanks to your responses
and to the success of the 2010 Baton Rouge Pride Fest,
we've signed a contract to return to the Belle of Baton
Rouge Atrium for the 2011 event on June 25.
We had tentatively
booked the date before Pride Fest in June, but the
contract negotiations have been completed, and
everything is signed.
We look forward to
seeing you and your friends again this year for the
Baton Rouge Pride Fest from noon until 6 p.m. June 25 at
the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium.
2010 NEWS
Survey
Shows You Were Pleased With 2010 Pride Fest and Had
Suggestions for Making It Better
(October 2010)
Those who responded to
our survey about the 2010 Baton Rouge Pride Fest seemed
to indicate they were pleased with the event overall but
weren't at a loss for suggesting ways to improve it.
The team analyzed the
results and found that an
overwhelming 98.3 percent of respondents appreciated the
event and 96.5 percent said they would attend next
year’s Pride Fest. In addition, 91.8% also said they
would be more likely to support sponsors of the event.
The
location at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium, the
entertainment, the children's area, the food and the
variety of resource fair participants also were rated
positively overall.
Networking, gaining resources, and unity were the most
common reasons to attend next year.
The team is looking closely at the survey results and
trying to incorporate as many of the ideas as possible
to make 2011 even better.
Here are more of the things survey respondents had to
say:
The entertainers – all
were great!!!!
You guys did an amazing
job. Please continue to stress the family friendly
part of the event.
My favorite part was
being able to see so many in a small community come
together for equality not just gay pride.
Seeing gay people from
all walks of life coming together to celebrate
themselves was an incredible experience.
The food and music,
actually everything, was so awesome.
When the minister
blessed the relationships, it was a beautiful,
touching moment that I watched in awe.
I felt welcome, and the
music and people were amazing.
There are resources
available that I was not even aware of.
Pride Fest is a
fabulously educational, resourceful, entertaining
and social rendezvous.
It was good
entertainment. It was also a good place to see
friends you have not seen in a while and also a good
place to get information. Overall, it was an
excellent event.
I would encourage
others to attend because it lets others (straight
and gay) see what we are about and that we are PROUD
of who we are.
Thanks to
Everyone Who Made the 2010 Pride Fest a Success
(June 26, 2010)
If you missed the 2010 Baton Rouge Pride Fest, you
missed a great event. What a wonderful day of fun, food
and fellowship it was.
Thanks to all the team members who helped to put it
together: Ray Acardo, Kim Clark, John Deshotel
Jr., Shad Duplessis, Bill Haywood, Daryl W. Ingle,
Presley Hutchinson, Bonnie J. Jones, Peter Lewis Sr.,
Tom Merrill, Bolton Morris, Rev. Keith Mozingo, Mike
Smith and Tim Young. Also, thanks to our partners in
this event: Metropolitan Community Church of Baton
Rouge, Krewe of Apollo Baton Rouge, Krewe of Divas,
HAART, Gamma Alpha Psi, Capital City Alliance and
others. Of course, there are too many volunteers who
pitched in to even begin to name, but thanks to all of
them, too.
Thanks also to our entertainers, and special thanks
to the sponsors who made it possible for 2,000 to 2,500
to attend this free-admission event.
We'll
have door prizes loads of door prizes
(June 25, 2010)
Need another reason to attend the Baton Rouge Pride
Fest Saturday, June 26, at the Belle of Baton Rouge
Atrium downtown. How about loads of door prizes -- all
for you?
We've got $50 gift certificates courtesy of Lowe's of
North Baton Rouge, $50 Target gift certificates donated
by Ray Acardo and Presley Hutchinson, $25 gift
certificates donated by Target, 8 passes to the Audubon
Zoo or Aquarium, an Embassy Suites gift certificate,
Campus Federal golf umbrellas, an LSU gift bag, a
Community Coffee gift box, Pride mugs and more.
You can't win if you don't come out and register. Be
sure to sign up at the welcome tables when you arrive at
Pride Fest tomorrow (Saturday, June 26) from noon until
6 p.m. at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium.
Mayor
Holden has Declared June 26, 2010, Pride Day
(June 24, 2010)
You'll see it in our Pride Fest program, but we just
had to share this news with everyone. Baton Rouge/East
Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Kip Hoden recently
signed a proclamation declaring June 26, 2010, as LGBT
Pride Day in the city-parish.
The move came at the urging of members of the Capital
City Alliance and the Baton Rouge Pride Fest team.
Our thanks to the mayor for recognizing the
importance of our community to the area, and special
thanks to Kevin Serrin of CCA, John Deshotel of the
Krewe of Apollo and the Pride Team and Bonnie Jones and
Tom Merrill of MCCBR/Pride Team for their work in
helping to make this happen.
The mayor’s proclamation, which will be on display at
the event, reads, in part: “Whereas Baton Rouge is a
city composed of a great variety of diverse people,
cultures, religions, sexual orientations, languages and
customs, and whereas the gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered communities have contributed to the
City-Parish of Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge through
active involvement in cultural and economic progress,
now, therefore, I, Melvin “Kip” Holden, Mayor-President
of Baton Rouge and the Parish of East Baton Rouge,
hereby do proclaim June 26, 2010, as LGBT Pride Day.”
Not Sure
of the Location? This Map Can Help
(June 16, 2010)
Need a little help figuring out where Pride Fest is
located this year?
The map and
directions to the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium that
you can find on our Resource Fair page probably can
help.
Here are some more tips for you:
The Belle of Baton Rouge
Atrium (formerly the Sheraton Atrium) is located in
downtown Baton Rouge adjacent to the Belle of Baton
Rouge Casino (and between the Baton Rouge River Center
and the I-10 approach to the Mississippi River bridge).
Although its address technically is 102 France Street,
much of the access to it is more convenient from St.
Philip, which runs down one side of the complex.
Plenty of free parking
is offered in the Belle's garages and surrounding public
parking lots (under the bridge). Paid parking also is
available in the area (beside George's). We recommend
using the free parking in the Belle garage located on
the south end of the hotel complex (between Europe and
South on River Road - behind the 13th Gate building).
Pride Fest will be
occupying most of the south end of the Belle of Baton
Rouge Atrium (the end closest to the I-10 bridge). You
won't be able to miss us no matter how you enter the
Atrium.
Pride
Fest Program On Its Way
(June 15, 2010)
The printed version of this year's Baton Rouge Pride
Fest program book is off at the printer and will be
ready for you at the Baton Rouge Pride Fest from noon
until 6 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at the Belle of Baton
Rouge Atrium downtown.
But you don't have to wait for the printed version to
see it. You can check out an online version and learn
more about our team, our events, our resource fair
participants and our sponsors and advertisers who helped
to make it all possible.
Just
click here to see
an online version of the program.
(You'll need Adobe Acrobat reader to view the pdf file.)
Don't
Forget Other Pride Events, Too
(June 15, 2010)
In addition to the Baton Rouge Pride Fest from noon
until 6 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at the Belle of Baton
Rouge Atrium downtown next to the river (and the Belle
of Baton Rouge Casino), other groups also have events
planned for the weekend and week before our event.
Don't forget about these events:
New Orleans Gay Men's
Chorus "Disco Daze." Saturday, June 19, 7:30 p.m.,
Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge (Goodwood
Boulevard).
www.nogmc.com
Krewe of Divas Pride
Bal Masque. Saturday, June 19, 8 p.m., The
Union Hall (Government Street), Baton Rouge.
www.kreweofdivas.com
Capital City Alliance
"Kings, Queens and Everything In Between." Tuesday,
June 22, 9 p.m., Splash (Highland Road), Baton
Rouge.
www.ccabatonrouge.org
40+
Organizations and Businesses Signed Up for Resource Fair
Already
(June 8, 2010)
We've still got a few more days left before the
deadline, but more than 40 organizations and businesses
have signed up to participate in this year's Community
Resource Fair at Pride Fest.
To see the complete list or to find out how your
group or business can get involved, visit our Resource
Fair page.
You're sure to discover lots of services and
organizations you didn't know about by taking part in
the Resource Fair at this year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest
from noon until 6 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at the Belle
of Baton Rouge Atrium downtown next to the river (and
the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino).
Response
from Sponsors Tremendous
(June 8, 2010)
The response from sponsors this year has been nothing
short of tremendous, even with the sluggish economy.
The event is still almost three weeks away, and we've
nearly met our budget for cash donations to support the
event (which is almost double the total budget with
which we operated last year).
Couple that with the donations of advertising from
Cox Communications and Lamar, and our Baton Rouge Pride
Fest 2010 accounts now show almost twice what we
budgeted for this year and nearly three times what we
had last year.
You'll can see the complete list of sponsors on our
Sponsors page. We certainly
hope you'll say thanks to all of them for supporting
this great event for our community.
More
Entertainers Added
(June 8, 2010)
The New Orleans Gay Men's Chorus is joining the great
lineup of entertainers slated for the Baton Rouge Pride
Fest.
In addition, we've got Toni O and Blue Haze, Daphne
Mushatt with Miss Jane, Laurence LeSage and Michael
Sandlin plus a step show by Gamma Alpha Psi and
performances by the incomparable Krewe of Divas.
You don't want to miss it. To see the full schedule
of events slated for noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 26,
at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium,
click here.
Lamar
Donates Billboard Space for Pride Fest
(June 8, 2010)
Lamar has generously donated most of the costs of
billboard space advertising the Baton Rouge Pride Fest.
You should see our ads on four electronic billboards
around the city starting June 13.
Thanks to Lamar for their generous support.
The in-kind donations of advertising from Lamar
($4,300) and Cox Communications ($10,000) have doubled
the budget for this year's events.
If you want a sneek peek at the billboards, open this
file.
Cox
Donates Advertising for Pride Fest
(June 1, 2010)
Cox Communications is donating advertising for the
Baton Rouge Pride Fest valued at approximately $10,000.
The company will run 200 30-second spots during the
next few weeks on its cable network in the area.
Our spot was produced and donated by Ted Baldwin of
3rd Coast Digital Films/Cinema Rektor Studios. If you
haven't seen it yet, click
here to take a look at the Web version.
Gerry
Lane Enterprises Sponsoring Kids' Area
(May 2010)
Gerry Lane Enterprises has graciously signed on as
the sponsor for the children's area for this year's
Baton Rouge Pride Fest.
We'll have a "fun jump" from Bounce n' Around
Inflatables, as well as other activities, such as face
painting, for the young and young at heart.
Thanks to Gerry Lane and to all our sponsors for their
support.
Krewes of
Apollo, Divas Join in FUNdraising Show for Pride Fest
(April 27, 2010)
The lovely "ladies" of the Krewe of Apollo Baton
Rouge will join those from the Krewe of Divas at 11 p.m.
this Friday (April 30, 2010) at George’s Place for a
special drag show benefiting the
Baton Rouge Pride Fest.
Please join us for this FUNdrasing event to support
Pride in our community! You don't want to miss
incomparable Effie Marie, Chica LaRouge, Jennifer
Marlow, Buffi Monet, Venus Envy and many more...
See you at George's (868 St. Louis Street, Baton Rouge)
this Friday night. Admission is free, and all your tips
benefit this year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest.
(Added May 1, 2010): We
certainly hope everyone had a great time. Thanks to all
who participated and helped raise funds for this year's
Baton Rouge Pride Fest!
Larry
Fremin Selected as Honorary Grand Marshal for 2010 (April 24, 2010)
Larry Fremin, one of the founding members of the
Krewe of Apollo Baton Rouge, has been selected to serve
as honorary grand marshal of this year's Baton Rouge
Pride Fest.
Fremin, who is serving as captain for Apollo's 30th
anniversary ball this year, has served that organization
continuously since its founding. He's also been an avid
supporter of a variety of community causes, including
Apollo's AIDS Crisis Fund, the Children's Miracle
Network Halloween Ball and many others, in addition to
being a long-time Baton Rouge businessman as the owner
of Four Seasons Flowers and Gifts.
Join us in congratulating Larry for this
much-deserved honor. The award will be officially
presented at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 26, during the Baton
Rouge Pride Fest at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium. For
more details on the full schedule of events, see our
schedule page.
Same
Place, Different Name
(April 15,
2010)
The location for this year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest
is still the same, but its name has changed since we
started promoting the events earlier this year.
The Sheraton brand has been dropped by the Belle of
Baton Rouge Convention Center and Hotel, so our location
now will be known as the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium.
It's still the same great place at 102 France Street
beside the river in downtown Baton Rouge. Only the name
has changed. But there's still plenty of free parking in
its garages and plenty of air-conditioned space for our
activities. For more details on the location, visit the
Belle of Baton Rouge website.(It
even has a
Directions
link that will let you generate your own
customized directions.)
Sponsors, Advertisers, Resource Fair Vendors Being
Sought for 2010
(March
15, 2010)
Moving inside to the comforts of the Sheraton Atrium
and offering a longer festival and more extensive lineup
of entertainment also mean higher costs for the 2010
Baton Rouge Pride Fest.
So we're seeking sponsors and advertisers to help
defray those costs and support this extremely worthwhile
community event. More details about advertising in this
year's program book or sponsoring Pride Fest can be
found on our sponsors page.
We're also seeking organizations and businesses
interested in participating in our resource fair. We
also want it to be the largest ever (which will be quite
a feat, considering we had more than 40 last year). If
you're interested or know of someone who may be, please
see our resource fair page.
Nominate Someone to be Grand Marshal
(March 1,
2010)
Last year we instituted a Baton Rouge Pride Fest
honor by naming someone as the Honorary Grand Marshal
for the events.
Richard Dykes, owner of George's Place, was the
honoree (along with recognition for his partner Guy
Schmeider and their dedicated team of employees).
The Pride Fest team is seeking your ideas about who
we should honor this year. Know someone in the community
who should be recognized as the Honorary Grand Marshal
of this year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest for their
long-term and dedicated service to the GLBT community?
Send an e-mail with your nominee's name, contact
information and a brief explanation of why you think
that person (or organization) should be honored to
BRPride@bellsouth.net.
Entertainment Lineup Already Taking Shape
(Feb. 15, 2010)
We've got a great slate of entertainers lined up for
the 2010 Baton Rouge Pride Fest from noon until 6 p.m.
at the Sheraton Atrium (102 France Street, Baton Rouge).
Baton Rouge's own legendary diva Daphne MuShatt is
returning to entertain us with her musical talents, and
she'll be accompanied this year by Miss Jane. We've also
recruited Toni O and Blue Haze from Baton Rouge, Baton
Rouge's Krewe of Divas, and many more.
We'll also offer our traditional blessing of
relationships conducted by MCC pastor, Rev. Keith
Mozingo, and much more.
You don't want to miss it!
Dates, Location Selected for 2010; Pride Fest Moving
to Indoor Location with 'Outdoor Feel'
(January 1,
2010)
Thee 2010 Baton Rouge Pride Fest is moving indoors to
the Sheraton Atrium in downtown Baton Rouge.
This year's date for the "picnic" and resource fair
will be June 26, 2010 from noon until 6 p.m. The indoor
venue has the benefits of air conditioning to help you
beat the summer heat, a better stage and sound system
for entertainment, and space for organizations and
vendors for the resource fair to be located in the same
area with the stage. (You told us you wanted all of that
in the survey after last year's events, and we're trying
to meet those requests!)
Mark your calendars. Save the date, and spread the
word to your friends. Join us for a fun-filled day of
entertainment, networking, food, fun and more.
2009 NEWS
2009
Pride Fest a Huge Success
The 2009 Baton Rouge Pride Fest weekend was a huge
success!
About 1,500 to 2,000 people participated in the
various activities of the weekend, which included Drag
Bingo on Friday evening, the Pride Fest picnic and
Resource Fair Saturday, a special Pride Worship Service
at MCCBR on Sunday, an afternoon of movies on Sunday and
much more.
A survey of participants after the event found that
EVERYONE said they would attend Pride Fest again and
bring their friends. Among the comments were:
It was a great Community event.
I think it is awesome opportunity to see friends,
vendors and be entertained at a nice scenario.
I think the BR gay community is being VERY
well-served by the Pride Fest and already look
forward to next year's event.
If people want to go to any event of their peers and
have a good time and fellowship...this was it!
Wonderful opportunity to meet and view other
alternative families, and show my child that we're
not alone in not "being the norm."
The Pride Fest was a terrific source for
information.
Thanks to everyone who made the events possible,
including our dedicated team of volunteers and our
generous sponsors.
George's
Owner Richard Dykes 'Honorary Grand Marshal'
Longtime Baton Rouge businessman and community
member/supporter Richard Dykes will be recognized as the
honorary grand marshal of the 2009 Baton Rouge Pride
Fest.
Dykes and partner Guy Schmeider are the owners and
operators of George’s Place, the city’s oldest GLBT-targeted
establishment.
The award will be officially presented shortly after
noon during the Pride Picnic and Community Resource Fair
Saturday, June 20, at BREC’s Magnolia Mound Park on
Nicholson Drive (between LSU and downtown) in Baton
Rouge.
“It’s our honor to recognize Richard Dykes for the
pivotal role he’s played in our community for so many
years,” said Tom Merrill, chair of the Baton Rouge Pride
Fest team. “He’s been much more than just a
long-standing member of the community. He’s supported so
many causes, helped to put on so many things, and, in
general, been a friend to everyone in our community.
Selecting him as the first recipient of this honor was
an easy decision for our planning team to make!”
Daphne
MuShatt, Others To Entertain Pride Fest Crowd
There's a full schedule of entertainment planned for
the Baton Rouge Pride Fest Picnic Saturday, June 20, at
Magnolia Mound.
Entertainment, like the picnic and resource fair,
stretches from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and includes
singers, comedians and a chance for the public to be a
star with Coco’s karaoke.
One of the highlights will be a return to the stage
of Daphne MuShatt, formerly of the Born Divas, SHE the
Band and N2N. She’s scheduled to perform along with
Ester Gorsha, Andrea Papa and Rae Morris. But they won’t
be alone on the stage – with other portions of the day
including singers/musicians Ray Acardo, Mister Wilson,
Michael Sandlin, Erika Schneider and Andi Johnson;
comedians Landon, Patricia Hamilton and Cami Miller; and
performances by the Krewe of Divas and Miss Capitol City
Pride Amanda Rose Andrew.
See more
about the entertainment.
MCC
Pastor To Conduct Blessing of Relationships
Building on a tradition started during last year's
Pride Fest, activities Saturday, June 20, at Magnolia
Mound will include a blessing of relationships that will
celebrate the victories made in marriage equality during
the past year, as well as ever-so-briefly bemoan the
setbacks.
“We feel strongly about honoring the commitments made
by people to one another, and we believe those
relationships are a gift from God to be celebrated,”
said Rev. Keith Mozingo, pastor of MCC of Baton Rouge,
who will conduct the relationship blessing. “Same-sex
marriage may not be legal here in Louisiana, but that
doesn’t have to stop people from celebrating their
relationships or us from honoring and blessing those
relationships. We’ve seen many states giving us cause
for a celebration over the past year, but we feel
there’s always a reason to celebrate the love members of
our community share.”
The blessing will occur between noon and 12:30 along
with other activities including entertainment and
special recognition of this year's Pride Fest Grand
Marshal.
'Drag
Bingo' Sure To Provide Laughs, Chances to Win Prizes
Thanks to some of our friends from the Krewe of
Apollo Baton Rouge, who will repeat their roles as
hostesses again this year, Pride Fest will feature
several rounds of “Drag Bingo” from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m.
Friday, June 19, at MCC of Baton Rouge (7747 Tom Drive).
Participants can compete for prizes while they enjoy
fun, fellowship and snacks, and admission is free. Among
the prizes are free hotel nights, LSU collectibles,
Audubon Zoo/Aquarium tickets and much more.
Visit MCCBR's Web site
for directions.
Don't Miss
Out On Great Door Prizes!
Door prizes will be awarded throughout the day at the
Pride Picnic and Resource Fair on Saturday, June 20, as
well as the Afternoon at the Movies on Sunday, June 21.
All those who register at the Pride Fest welcome
tables will be entered in the drawings for gift
certificates, T-shirts, Pride items and much more.
Be sure to look for the Pride welcome table and
complete your entry.
Afternoon Of
Movies Planned For Sunday, June 21
Movies offered Sunday afternoon, June 21, will
include several favorites and potential favorites --
including Academy Award-winning "Milk."
Other selections include "Noah's Arc: Jumping the
Broom," "Coffee Date" and "Rock Haven." Along with the
movies will be free snacks during breaks, as well as the
chance to visit with friends and neighbors.
With a week left to sign up (and two weeks until the
event), approximately 20 community organizations and
businesses also have signed up to “table” at the Pride
Fest Picnic and Resource Fair Saturday, June 20.
Those groups include organizations who will do
everything from signing up voters to HIV and STD
counseling and testing. And new applications are coming
in every day, which means the final count could approach
30 or more organizations participating.
Among those committed to participate as of June 5
were Avallon Salon and Day Spa; Avita Drugs; Big Easy
Metropolitan Community Church (New Orleans); Blanche's
Beads; Bonnie Jones, Realtor; Family Service of Greater
Baton Rouge; Forum for Equality; Freedom of Choice AA;
Gamma Alpha Psi; Greg Bell AIDS Foundation; HAART / The
Caring Clinic; Human Rights Campaign; Krewe of Apollo
Baton Rouge; Krewe of Divas; Mark Akchin, Realtor; the
Martens Law Firm; Metro Health; Metropolitan Community
Church of Baton Rouge; PFLAG Acadiana; Shear Illusions
Hair Salon; Starbucks; Stonewall Democrats; and Tiger
Truck Stop.
Does your group want to participate? Go to our
Resource Fair application
page for more details.
Major events coordinated by the Baton Rouge
Pride Fest Team, including representatives of Metropolitan
Community Church of Baton Rouge, the Krewe of Apollo Baton
Rouge, HAART, Krewe of Divas, Capital City Alliance, Gamma Alpha
Psi and other individuals and organizations. To volunteer,
find out how your group can be involved, or help to sponsor
these events,
check our Sponsor and Resource Fair pages or
“He’s
just the sort of
person who makes
you feel good
and feel good
about being
yourself.” That
quote from one
of our Pride
Fest team
members probably
best sums up why
Trixxie, aka
James, was the
unanimous choice
for this honor
in 2011.
Baton Rouge Pride Fest.
