Throngs of partying folk from around the country gather every year in the port city of Savannah, Ga. for what many feel is one of the biggest St. Patty's day festivals in the U.S., and this year I was de-virginized, as the locals put it. Drinking, drinking and enjoying some Vinnie Van Go-Go's pizza (food well worth the drive) was only halted by the blackout on Saturday evening. No, I'm not referring to my own.
Soon after drag queens, including The Lady Chablis, exited the stage at Club One, the city went into utter darkness as a blackout struck four Georgia counties. Oddly enough, one of the performers had just performed the classic Julia Sugarbaker scene from "Designing Women" regarding the so-called "real" night the lights went out in Georgia. The rest of the night was spent huddled with throngs of party-goers as we waited for transportation out of downtown, only to return to darkened hotels and hyped-up revelers that continued partying for hours.
The weekend reminded me how a festival can bring people together. People of different ages, different belief systems and from places all over the world. A festival has this strange ability of uniting us. When things such as blackouts, hurricanes and tornadoes or, worse yet, terrorist attacks occur - we somehow pull together, forget our differences and help one another get through it.
You would think that the greatest specimen of America's diversity, New York City, would understand that sense of community. Yet the Big Apple's St. Patrick's Day celebration is still tarnished by a sense of homophobia. Members of an Irish gay organization were once again barred this year from taking part in the annual St. Patrick's Day parade which runs down Fifth Avenue. LGBT people, as in years past, gathered in a barricaded area along the parade route to protest the Ancient Order of Hibernians who organized the parade. The organization claims that the parade is a private, religious procession in order to justify keeping LGBT groups out. Back in 1990, NYC Human Rights Commission brought a discrimination claim against the group, but a federal judge ruled that the organization could bar gay groups on the grounds of religious freedom.
The main argument lies in the fact that uniformed police officers and firemen (city employees), are allowed to march in the parade, to which gay Irish groups have requested a halt to. "We're sick of hearing city officials say they can't intercede in the homophobia because it's a religious march," Tierney Gleason of Irish Queers told www.365gay.com. "If it's a religious anti-gay parade, then uniformed cops and firefighters have to be pulled out. It can't be both privately religious and publicly Irish," Gleason continued. NYC Speaker Christine Quinn, the highest ranking lesbian politician in the city missed the parade this year, but was actually invited to march in the official parade in Dublin, Ireland in 2007, which does allow gay members.
In the aforementioned scene from "Designing Women," Julia, played by Dixie Carter, stands up for her sister Suzanne, played by Delta Burke, against a bad-mouthing Miss Georgia World title holder. We sometimes forget how people's words and actions affect us. Festivals often help us forget most of our problems, in fact. They give us some freedom to just enjoy life for the moment. Unfortunately events such as the protests in NYC show us how our communities aren't yet a place where the bigotry of everyday life is forgotten for long. Let's take a cue from Julia and stand up for everyone that needs us, not only when the drinks are flowing or something bad occurs, but everyday.
Here's many thanks to the staff and management at Club One, The Lady Chablis and the people of Savannah for a weekend not soon forgotten. I'll be back next year. Just remember to keep the lights on.
TRUE COLORS
The Human Rights Campaign and Cyndi Lauper have announced that once again this summer the True Colors Tour will be hitting more than 24 cities around the country. In its second year, the tour will feature Lauper, The B-52s, Rosie O'Donnell, Carson Kressley, Tegan and Sara, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Joan Armatrading, Wanda Sykes, Regina Spektor, Indigo Girls, The Cliks, Deborah Cox and many others. The tour kicks off May 31 in Boston, Mass. and ends July 5 in Morrison, Colo., making a stop in the southeast on June 16 and 17 in Atlanta, Ga. In a recent statement Lauper says, "The True Colors Tour was inspired by my desire to raise awareness about the LGBT issues during this election year and bring gay and straight audiences together to vote for equality."
The True Colors Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation was created this year to generate financial support to directly benefit the tour's non-profit partners. Funds are raised via the sales of official t-shirts, an EBay auction of tour and music memorabilia, The True Colors Jewelry Collection, selected by Cyndi Lauper and designed by Udi Behr, as well as individual donations. In addition, throughout the True Colors Fund, one dollar from every ticket sold will, as last year, be donated to HRC.
Tickets for select cities are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com. For a full listing of tour dates and additional information, visit www.truecolorstour.com.
OUT & ABOUT
Tuesday, April 1 - Sunday, April 27 - Art in April at TCP. The Center Project will host its inaugural art show during the month of April featuring artists Anton Knoll, Michael Morrison, Robert Luke and Veronica Walters. There will be an artist reception at 7 p.m. on April 11. There will be refreshments and a meet-and-greet with these local LGBT artists. The artwork will be on display and for sale throughout the month at TCP, located at 307 Highway 15 in Myrtle Beach. For more information call 626-4953 or visit www.thecenterproject.com.
Until next week, have fun and be safe.
-Chris Rudisill, Weekly Surge