news notes: carolinas
compiled by Lainey Millen & Matt Comer
Paddlers come into own
CHARLOTTE — One World Dragon
Boat has reached an important milestone
recently by purchasing their own boat
With the assistance of a $2,500 grant
from the Charlotte Lesbian & Gay Fund,
they were able to use it as a spring board to
obtain a one-time used boat
Over the last year. One World has net
ted Best Float in the 2014 Bank of America
Charlotte Pride Parade, held a raffle at the
celebration and enjoyed an after-party full
of energy. By collecting $8,500 through the
fundraisers and contributions from friends
and family, the dream of having their own
boat came to fruition.
Denise Baurer, founder of One World,
said that the boat “carried cancer survivors
in a world competition that was held in
Sarasota during October 2014." She shared
that they were proud to have such a legacy
as part of their team and named it Triumph.
In mid-February, the boat was paired
with a newly-built trailer. It was fabricated
by Central Piedmont Community College's
welding class in the James Turner Institute
of Welding Technology at the Charlotte campus. Jennifer Stockwell, a One World paddler, helped to make this possible by approaching the depart
ment head, Steve Gore, to secure the services, instructor Johnny Johnson supervised student Jonathan Skaggs who has served as project coordi
nator with assistance by Brian Durrette. The Huntersville campus will do the automotive work and painting.
We are thrilled and exhilarated by the entire process because it is words in action, it is 'building community through sport,' a win-win for the
community, for Jonathan, the wonderful and magnetic young student, our team and the college," Bauer concluded.
The boat will be ready to use when the season opens,
info: oneworlddragonboatorg.
— LM
: iSL-l
One World Dragon Boat recently picked up their trailer from Central
Piedmont Community College's welding class. Pictured are student
Brian Durrette, One World founder Denise Bauer, paddler Jennifer Stockwell and student Jonathan
Skaggs. Inset: Fabrication of the trailer required all hands on deck.
Charlotte
Parish to host conference
CHARLOTTE — The Parish Gay & Lesbian
Ministry of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church,
507 S. Tryon St., and PFLAG Charlotte will hold
a conference on May 16,8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The event, "Including LGBT People and
Their Families in Faith Communities," is open to
the community and is free of charge.
"Our hope is that the conference will help
parents see their LGBT children as loved by
God and created by God to be just as they are.
We expect the conferences give inspiration
and practical tools to help more congregations
to become LGBT welcoming," PFLAG Vice
President Jim Green said.
He added, "We at PFLAG frequently talk
to parents whose high school or college-aged
children come out as LGBT. The parents often
are upset and worried. The parents who are
most troubled about LGBT children are parents
who have received strong anti-LGBT messages
from their faith communities. Often they have
never heard spiritual perspectives that affirm
their LGBT children. So we work to help the
parents have more information. And, we want
to work toward more faith communities becom
ing LGBT affirming."
Keynote speaker will be Sister Jeannine
Gramick, Ph.D., a Roman Catholic nun. She
helped to co-found News Ways Ministry, an or
ganization advocating for justice and inclusion
for LGBT individuals and their families and has
been an activist in the movement for decades.
6 ■ qnotes Feb. 27-March 12.2015
info: Diane Troy, 704-578-5065. pfiagcharlotte®
yahoo.com. Jim Green, 704-375-2822. jimgreen
mdiv@gmail.com.
— LM
Group gets 'Kinky' for party
CHARLOTTE — The Out on the Town af
finity group from Blumenthal Performing Arts
Center will host a post-show party after seeing ■
the award-winning musical production of
"Kinky Boots" on March 19,9:45 p.m., at Blue
Restaurant and Bar, 206 N. College St.
"Kinky Boots" was scored by Cyndi Lauper.
It is based upon Tony Award winner Harvey
Fierstein's book.
An RSVP is required by email to bcarter®
ncbpac.org.
For those who are not members, simply
send an email to outonthetown®ncbpac.org
with name, email address and address.
Tickets are available for the performance
at 7:30 p.m. in the Belk Theatre, and are avail
able online.
And, due to the popularity of the produc
tion, it has been booked for a return perfor
mance from Dec. 29-Jan. 3.
info: blumenthalarts.org. 704-372-1000.
— LM.
Guild celebrates with gala, awards
CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Business
Guild will host its A Giving Gala & Award
Ceremony on March 21 at Label, 900 N.C.
Music Factory Blvd.
Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m., with dinner
following at 7:30 p.m. Attendees can enjoy hors
d'oeuvres, dinner and cash bar.
TV personality Jesicca Milicevic will serve
as emcee and The Tenya Colemon Quartet will
provide entertainment, along with a house DJ.
Sen. Jeff Jackson (0-37), Charlotte City
Councilwoman LaWana Mayfield and Rocio
Gonzales, executive director of the Latin-
American Chamber of Commerce are the
slated speakers for the evening.
Tickets for members, non-members, VIP,
couples, seniors, veterans, military and student
options are available online. Tables of eight can
be secured as well,
info: charlottebusinessguild.org.
— LM.
Gaston to hold LGBT conference
GASTONIA — Gaston Has Heart will host
a free, one-day LGBT awareness and educa
tion conference, "Sharing Our Stories: An
LGBTQ Awareness and Education Event," on
March 28,9 a.m.-4 p.m., at All Saints' Episcopal
church, 1201 S. New Hope Rd.
Gaston Has Heart is a new LGBT com
munity group, and the conference is a way
to introduce the new group and educate the
community, organizers say.
"A few months ago, a group gathered to
discuss ways for supporting our brothers and
sisters," the group says. "Out of that meeting,
came the idea for several opportunities -
including [the March 28] Ayvareness Event. We
also gather the first Wednesday of each month
for our Wednesday Walks for Awareness.
Each walk has a different theme related to the
LGBTQ Community."
Several community leaders will present
workshops, including on topics like LGBTQ youth.
LGBTQ faith work, LGBTQ history and more.
The event's morning keynote speaker is
University of North Carolina-Charlotte staffer
and Charlotte LGBTQ Community Archive
organizer Joshua Burford. The closing keynote
speaker is this publication's editor. Matt
Comer. Other speakers and workshop present
ers include Robert Kellogg, Jim Long, Diana
Fehr, Annie Earle, Dr. Amy Sifford and Ginger
Feimster, among others.
Learn more about the event and see a
schedule of workshops atgastonpride.com/
event/sharing-our-stories/. Registration for the
event is free and available at eventbrite.eom/e/
sharing-our-stories-an-lgbtq-awareness-and-
education-event-tickets-15855686786.
— M.C.
Survey ponders state of community
GASTONIA — A short survey is collecting
information in hopes of presenting results that
help to define the current state of the LGBT
community in Gaston County. The results, which
are being collected anonymously, will be pre
sented by community organizer Robert Kellogg
in a workshop at the Gaston Has Heart March
28 conference, "Sharing Our Stories: An LGBTQ
Awareness and Education Event." [Ed. Note —
This publication's editor is a keynote speaker at
the conference.]
Kellogg asks that only those people who
identify as LGBTQ and reside in Gaston County
complete the survey. The survey remains open
through March 9. Kellogg hopes to do a future
survey for straight allies.
The survey includes 16 questions, including
on topics like family support, bullying, politics
and other community concerns. The survey
is available online atsurveymonkey.eom/s/
C8MXP7P?fb_ref=Default
— M.C.
Triad
Foundation all set for fundraisers
GREENSBORO —The Guilford Green
Foundation is all set for fun during the Feb. 27th
weekend.
On Feb. 27,6:30 p.m., at The Elm Street
Center, 203 S. Elm St., join host Shirli Stevenz for
"Bingo's a Drag."
Tickets are $15/advance, $20/atthe door,
student and military/$15 at the door and are
available online.
The foundation has team up with The Poetry
Collective so that attendees can enjoy the
spoken word artist Buddy Wakefield. The "Riled
Up and Wasted on Light" tour will be held on
Feb. 28,6:30 p.m., at the Community Theatre
Greensboro Studio, 520 S. Elm St,
Guilford Green shared that Wakefield is a
three-time world champion spoken word artist
featured on the BBC, ABC Radio National,
HBO's "Def Poetry Jam," NPR and most
recently signed to Ani DiFranco's Righteous
Babe Records. In 2004 he won the Individual
World Poetry Slam Finals thanks to the support
of anthropologist and producer Norman Lear
then successfully defended that title at the
International Poetry Festival in Rotterdam,
Netherlands, against the national champions of
seven European countries with works trans
lated into Dutch.
Tickets are $13 and are available online.
Ticket holders can attend a poetry writing work
shop with Wakefield on March 1 free of charge.
Expeditious purchase of tickets is encouraged
due to limited seating.
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