OpMon: Lies, Damned Lies & Statistics, £12
March 14. 2003
Serving the Carolinas' Gay & Lesbian Communities Since 1979
Volume 24. Number 6
Charlotte Pride
Unveils 2003 Logo
Jami Buchannan Winner
of 2003 Logo Contest
Charlotte Pride has announced the
winner of its 2003 Logo Contest.
With over 30 submissions for this
year's theme "U b U", Charlotte Pride
has selected a logo designed by Jami
Buchannan, pictured at right.
"While we received several out
standing submissions this year, the
board of Charlotte Pride decided this
logo was the one that would sell the
most," explained Jeff Schmehl, Co
Director of Charlotte Pride. "The truth
is no matter if you are LGBT or straight,
the Charlotte skyline sells. The addition
of the rainbow signifies the diversity
withih the city".
The designer, Jami Buchannan, holds
a Visual Arts Degree from Winthrop
University and owns an internet design
firm in the Charlotte area. "I'm proud
to have my design selected for this
year's logo", stated Buchannan. "This
is my personal way of giving back to a
family and community which truly has
accepted me for who I am."
As winner of the ogo contest, Jami
receives 2 T-shirts containing the logo
and 2 tickets to the Charlotte Pride
comedy night on May 2nd featuring
Michele Balan and Eddie Sarfaty.
Charlotte Pride, Inc. is a 501c(3) not
for-profit organization established to
promote the visibility of the Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered com
munity. Its 3rd Annual Pride
Celebration will be held May 2-4, 2003
at various locations in Uptown
Charlotte.
In addition to the comedians, fea
tured entertainment for the event are
The Goddess Wanda Dee and several
musical acts including Sister Funk,
Wishing Chair, Eric Himan, Mark
Weigle, Veronika Jackson, Steff Mahan,
First Night on Earth, and Godot. Local
groups such as the Queen City Outlaws
country dance team, One Voice Chorus,
and the Chickspeare all-female
Shakespearean troupe will also per
form. ; >
For more information, visit the
Charlotte Pride webpage at www.char
lottepride.com or call die Pride Line at
(704) 236-1014.
Charlotte Pride 2003 is proudly spon
sored by the Hilton Garden Inn -
Uptown Charlotte, Coors,
OutinCharlotte.com, Instinct
Magazine, Wachovia, ID Lubricants,
The Owl's Nest Inn at Engadine,
Goddess Empire Inc., The Charlotte
Eagle, Velocity, Mecca, Jemsek Clinic,
Attorney Connie Vetter, Coldwell
Banker -United Realtors, Central
Records, WebsofPride.com, Carolina
Rainbow News (CRN) and Just for
Pleasure. ;
charlotte pride2003
Wilmington Hosts First
Community Spirit Awards
Over 200 men and women from all
over the Wilmington LGBT and allied
community came together for the first
ever Wilmington Community Spirit
Awards sponsored by Coastal North
Carolina Lesbians, PFLAG, UNCW
PRIDE, and Outwilmington.com.
Inspired by similar awards given by
OutCharlotte and the Independent in
Raleigh, these awards were created
present an opportunity for members of
a vast and diverse coastal community
to come together, to celebrate each
other, to identify and get to know those
who serves the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgendered and Allied community,
and to acknowledge with the honor of
an award those contributions.
"These awards are also a celebration
of Wilmington itself," opened Donn
Ansell, the evening's master of cere
monies and local talk radio personality.
"Wilmington is a town where we come
to the table, more and more, as equals
ut partnership to serve and to live and
to grow as people. We are not a separate
group, living our lives in tine dark. We
are a vibrant part of this community!"
Indicative of this community inclu
sion, both the Mayor of Wilmington,
Harper Peterson* and New Hanover
County Commissioner, Julia Boseman
were on hand to welcome the crowd on
behalf of city and county and to con
gratulate the winners.
Through the web, community mem
bers nominated the individuals, busi
nesses and/or organizations to be
voted on in 6 different categories. All
those who were nominated with the
exception of one nominee whom the
advisory board of Outwilmington.com
had special plans for, were then placed
on the web, and the community cast its
votes. A distribution of cards at local
venues for those without internet
access were also made available and
continued on page 4
Bo Dean, Donna Merritt; Michael Moore at the awards
The crowd'looKs on as the awards are announced.