Q-Living Cars
Hot cars for cool queers
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Q-Living Interview
SafHre’s Gaye Ade^alola
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Queers on TV
GLAAD bemoans the lack of [
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Noted . Notable . Noteworthy . LGBT News & Views
Vol. 21 . Number 09 www.q-notes.com September 9.2006
PRIDE Charlotte a huge success
Organizers say 6,000 attended
Gateway Village Festival
CHARLOTTE — This year’s LGBT Pride
celebration, PRIDE Charlotte, produced by vol
unteers working with The Lesbian & Gay
Community Center, was nothing short of a
huge success.
Held Aug. 26 at Gateway Village in
Charlotte’s uptown business and residential
district, an estimated 6,000 people came out
to enjoy the festivities, which included a jam-
packed entertainment lineup, a dance tent,
vendors and a kid’s area.
“I am so pleased with how this all turned
out,” says PRIDE Charlotte Co-chair Laura
Witkowski. “All the work was completely worth
it. The enormous turn out, the positive affir
mations for Charlotte’s LGBT community — it
all goes to show how important an event like
this is for our city.”
The Lesbian & Gay Community Center took
on the event after Witkowski, executive director
of The Center, had a meeting with Jim
Yarbrough and David Moore, Publisher and
Editor of Q-Notes respectively, to discuss the
rumored demise of a Pride festival in Charlotte.
“When it became apparent that the previ
ous organizers had dropped the ball — we
knew it was time to step up to the plate,” says
Moore. “We sent out a mass email to the com
munity letting them know how important it
was that we have a festival. We ended up with
overwhelmingly positive response.”
Witkowski, Yarbrough and Moore then
assembled a task force of volunteers to work
on the event.
“One thing I can say for sure is that we
absolutely had amazing people working on
this event,” Witkowski beamed. “Our task
force members put their hearts and souls into
this effort and we could not have done it
without them.”
This is the first time that Charlotte’s Pride
festival has fallen under the umbrella of The
Lesbian & Gay Community Center.
Previously, the event was organized by inde
pendent producers.
With the overwhelming success of the
event it’s clear The Center and PRIDE
Charlotte are a good match.
“Absolutel)^’ said Witkowski,“PRIDE
Charlotte is a perfect fit with our mission and
vision — it brings people from our diverse
community together and empowers attendees
to find the strength to be themselves. That’s
such a crucial element in making strides toward
equality, and that’s what The Center is all about.”
' Witkowski also points out that The Center
depends on community support to fund its
daily operations and existence.
“Without The Center, there would have been
no Pride festival this year. I think that speaks
volumes about the importance of supporting
this organization — I urge people to remember
how important grassroots giving is to the suc
cess of Charlotte’s LGBT community. I am so
proud to be at the helm of this organization
and I’m continually excited not only by what we
do, but by the enormous potential The Center
has. It’s a great time to be a part of this place.”
Although only a small handful of protes
tors showed up for Pride, their impact was
minimized by pre-planning as well as the
dedication of Rev. Robert Arrington’s
“Enforcers of the Peace” — volunteers identi
fied by their teal shirts with a heart-shaped
peace sign.
The “Enforcers”
handed out “Bags of
Truth,” which included
“Know Your Rights”
cards to inform festi
val-goers of how to
deal with protestors, as
well as LGBT affirming
religious information.
They also collected any
unwanted literature and handouts given out
by protesters and plan to recycle the mate
rial into art.
Many people at the event were unaware
that there were any anti-gay protestors on
hand at all.
“We drove here from Columbia,” says Allen
Reynolds, who attended Pride along with his
Festival-goers packed Gateway Village for
the PRIDE Charlotte Festival.
partner and a few friends. “We had a fantastic
time. “A great venue, lots of good food and
entertainment. I didn’t see any protestors at
all. This was a lot of fun and I can guarantee
you we’ll be back next year.” I
info: www.pridecharlotte.com
New entertainment for N.C. Pride
Line-up promises to entertain
and irifomi
by Mark Smith
DURHAM, N.C. — At the top of the web
page for N.C. Pride is the following line: “Pride
isn’t Just in One’s Sexuality, but in your Whole
Well Being.”
In keeping with that theme, organizers have
put together a well-rounded slate of events that
kick off Sept. 29 with a party at Fowlers in
downtown Durham
produced by Magnus
Events with special
guest DJ Rob Harris.
In addition to
many other exciting
entertainment oppor
tunities, the 2006
North Carolina Pride
Parade and Festival
have teamed up with
307 Knox Records to
create “Pridefull
Noise,” a complete
musical mainstage
event during the festi
val. Headlined with
acts such as the EX-
Members with musi
Messes,Anaturale and Midtown Dickens, the
festival will have a new energy. “Pridefull
Noise” takes place on the main stage between
3-5 p.m.. Sept. 30, following the parade at the
Duke East campus lawn.
“Gay Pride takes all forms. This communi
ty really values local music and artists,” said
307 Knox founder, Melissa Thomas. “The festi
val coordinators have dedicated themselves to
make‘Pridefull Noise’ another great reason to
attend NC Pride Fest.”
NC Pride includes a parade, floats and
festival activities. The festival itself will
take place on Sept. 30 at Duke University
East Campus.
Pride schedule of events:
Friday, September 29
The Big Top Kick-Off Party
Magnus Events and Centaur present DJ Rob
Harris in an event of gigantic proportions.
An official release part for DJ Rob Harris’s new
CD “Soakin Wet.” Three additional DJs spin in
the three-ring Big Top, 10 p.m.-3 a.m.
see nc on 5
Bruce Wyatt, a for
mer sergeant with
the U.S. Air Force
for 20 years speaks
at N.C. Pride on
his discharge from
the service under
the ‘Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell’ policy.
cal icon Melissa York
formerly of The Butchies,The
Dirty Little Heaters, Girls Make
Wal-Mart joins NGLCC
page 16
MeckPAC announces endorsements
by Bert Woodard
CHARLOTTE — The Mecklenburg Gay
& Lesbian Political Action Committee
(MeckPAC) announced its endorsements for
this fall’s local elections at the organization’s
annual summer fund drive event held
August 31 at the Morehead Inn.
The following candidates have been
strongly endorsed for the Nov. 7 elextionbased
on the results of written surveys sent by
MeckPAC to all candidates for local office:
Parks Helms (current Mecklenburg Board of
County Commissioners chairman seeking
see meckpac on 19
MeckPAC announces the organization’s
endorsements for this fall’s local elec
tions the organization’s annual fund
drive at the Morehead Inn.
Pictures from PRIDE Charlotte
page 23