O N
lancial concerns while gearing up for upcoming Pride season
At a glance: Carolinas Prides
Triad Pride (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point) — May 27-31 — Featuring several
kick-off parties, Guilford Green Foundation’s “Green Queen Bingo,” comedy show, day festival,
family picnic and Mr. and Miss Pride pageants, www.triadpride.org.
Wilmington Pride (Wilmington) — June 10-14 — Featuring a movie night, street festival
and headlining evening performance by RuPaul. www.outwilmington.com.
Boone Pride (Boone) — June 12-14 — Featuring a festival and other events, more informa
tion to be announced.www.boonepride.org.
SC Black Pride (Columbia) — June 18-21 — Featuring Mr. and Miss Pride pageants, wel
come reception. Black LGBT film fest and town hall, HIV/AIDS awareness events and commu
nity expo, www.southcarolinablackpride.com.
Upstate Pride (Spartanburg) — June 20 — Featuring a parade and community festival.
upstatepride.homestead.com.
Charlotte Black Gay Pride (Charlotte) — July 16-19 — Featuring a town hall meeting in
conjunction with Time Out Youth, diva party. Pride parties and community expo.
www.charlotteblackgaypride.com.
Pride Charlotte (Charlotte) — July 25 — Featuring a day-long festival with local and
regional entertainment, several pre-Pride events including Miss Pride Charlotte pageants,
mass choral concert and more, www.pridecharlotte.com.
SC Pride (Columbia) — Sept. 12 — Featuring a parade, day-long festival with local, regional
and national entertainment. South Carolina Business Guild expo and more, www.scpride.org.
NC Pride Fest & Parade (Raleigh-Durham) — Sept. 26 — Featuring annual Pride festival
grounds and parade in Durham with nightly events in Raleigh and surrounding areas.
www.ncpride.org.
Blue Ridge Pride (Asheville) — Oct. 10 — Featuring a festival and other events, more
information to be announced.www.blueridgepride.com.
Learn more and keep up-to-date throughout the 2009 Pride season at Q-Notes Online’s special
Pride section, www.q-notes.com/pride.
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Pride organizers say the economy has
prompted them to come up with creative ways
to fundraise.
South Carolina Black Pride chair Todd
Shaw says his group will be hosting several
small fundraising events before their main
week of activities. He says that sponsors have
contributed about the same amount of funds
as last year.
OutWilmingtons Frank Efird says his
group will focus on their main event — a
RuPaul performance — and keep costs down
on other, smaller events during their Pride
week. He also thinks that focusing on the
community-involvement component of Pride
will help to draw in more participation and
financial support.
Likewise, Alternative Resources of the
Triad President Richard Gray says Triad Pride
organizers have partnered with local commu
nity organizations and businesses to ensure
successful and fun events. He says they’ll cre
ate ways for people to get involved through
their own organizations, such as volunteer
opportunities.
Whatever comes the way of Pride organiz
ers, Pride Charlotte’s Palm-Beck says keeping
the emphasis on community is important, if
only to give people a chance to escape from
the push and pi^ stresses of everyday life.
“The economy puts such a damper on
people’s spirits,” she says. “People need some
thing like this.” I
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APRIL l8.2009*ftNotes 13