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REG I O N A L
June 6'8' Bearfest/3rd Annual Mr. TimBEAR Contest
June 20'22' Trailer Trash/“Sordid Lives” Weekend
2nd Annual Rummage Sale in the RV Park on Saturday. Bring goods/table.
Wednesdays - Movie Night - S10 evening passes - 8:30 p.m.
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Reservations: 1'800'437-0118
2240 Van Hill Road
Greeneville, TN 37745
www.timberfell.com
le Meet,
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2131 Central.
Charlotte, NC
704-334-0102
Dally Drink Specials
Mon^^-Tuesday: $1.25 Bud and Bud Light
Wednesday: $2 Domestic Beers
''A, Thursday: $1.25 Budweiser
Friday: $2 Coors Light
^ ' Saturday: $2 Imports
Sunday: $2.25*’Domestic Beer & Housfe Drinks
Everyday: $2 Attitude Adjustments Shots
Pool Tournament Every Tuesday & Thursday - $50 Cash Prize
Visit us on the vyeb at;
www.woodshedlounge.cbm/oentraLstatidn.htm;^
18 MAY 31 .2008 • Q-NOTES
Carolina festivals expand
from page 16
different reasons.
“A regional festival is often capable of larg
er scale funding and events,” he says. “A local
Pride event is smaller and more intimate com
munity bonding. I’ve attended Prides for
many years, and I truly believe that both types
have great merit and serve an ongoing need to
unite on many levels.”
Hensley says there is something special
about having an event with local musicians,
community workshops and local sponsors.
“It’s our Pride, and well.. .we’re proud,” he
says. “It’s a 21st century community doing
some old-fashioned community building.”
Balancing act
Echoing Hensley, Sams says local Prides
are like “homecomings for our people,” even at
the statewide and regional levels. NC Pride
Fest, he says, gives communities that are
spread across a vast geographic area a chance
to come together as a strong, unified voice at
one time and in one place.
Where some see divisions between the
various Prides, Sams sees increased resources
for youth and those first coming out.
“No matter where in the state a Pride event
takes place, they give an opportunity for us to
share in each other, meet new people and have
a great time,” he says. “For some LGBTQ peo
ple, events like these are the first time they
have a chance put there foot into the water, so
to speak.”
For these reasons, Sams says local organiz
ing and statewide, regional organizing should
not come at “the cost of divisions that happen
within our own community.”
Hall, who is partly responsible for logistics
and fundraising for the Charlotte celebration,
acknowledges that conflicting Pride festivals
put a strain on sponsorships and attendance.
However, he feels there are opportunities for
these obstacles to be overcome.
“Invariably they will split some business
sponsorship and may have reduced atten
dance if the two festivals are close together,” he
says. “But if they pull a larger local audience
and more local support, they may be able to
overcome the conflicts.’’
Collaboration the key
Unlike the Tar Heel state with its variety of
local Prides, South Carolina only has one local
festival. On July 12, for the first time in 10
years the LGBT community in Myrtle Beach
will hold its own Pride celebration.
SC Pride attracts 6,000-7,000 revelers
annually according to organizers. In recent
years, SC Pride Movement has increased its
outreach to local areas to build support for the
statewide festival. Throughout the summer of
2008, the group is hosting a tour across the
state.
Starting in Columbia and then making its
way through Charleston, Myrtle Beach and
other areas, the tour is meant to not only raise
money for the statewide festivities, but also to
generate local support and meet the folks SC
Pride Movement seeks to serve year round.
“SC Pride seeks to include all the major
organizations, bars, clubs and community
centers in our events,” says Wilson. At the
same time, he adds, the group is supportive of
local communities who wish to start their
own Pride events.
Wilson says SC Pride is already a sponsor
of the third annual South Carolina Black
Pride, slated for June 25-29 in Columbia.
They're also looking for ways to be more sup
portive of the re-born Myrtle Beach event.
Wilson shrugs off any worries over waning
support for state-level events.
“We dont think it will hurt SC Pride to have
events at different times of the year around the
state,” he says. “The more chances for the GLBT
community to show their pride and stand up
for who we are, the better chances we have at
making a difference in our state.”
The beat goes on
No matter where they take place or who
sponsors them, one thing is for sure: Pride fes
tivals and the people who are united and
empowered by them are not going away any
time soon.
Whether it’s a local or statewide celebra
tion, Prides help us reach our common goal of
equality. As such, the responses of community
organizers must be supportive.
For community members, state and local
festivals serve varying purposes and meet dif
ferent tastes. Some Pride-goers are looking for
“down home,” relaxed and family-friendly
atmospheres. Others want colorful, out and
. loud affairs. With events dotted across the
region, there's clearly no lack of choice when it
comes to Pride season 2008.1