D.C. Holds First Ever Black, Lesbian, Gay Pride Day

BLK, July 1991, p. 30

BLK

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Washington (D.C.)

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D.C. Holds First Ever Black Lesbian, Gay Pride Day
By Mark Hails
WASHINGTON—The weather came shining through and
the throngs came out for the first Black Lesbian and Gay
Pride Festival held May 25 in Washington. "Let Us All Be
Together" was the theme for the event, which organizers said
attracted hundreds of men and women.

Welmore Cook, event coordinator, said proceeds from the
festival will be directed toward agencies providing HTV-related services to the black lesbian and gay community, ideally those that receive little or no government assistance.
About $3,000 net profit will be distributed.

Although the focus was on raising money to support services
for people with AIDS, organizers said they hope a
byproduct was to encourage black gay people throughout the
area to "come out of the closet." "Two and three years ago, we were still denying we existed, or that AIDS was a problem in this community,'' Theodore Kirkland, one of the festival's organizers, told the Washington Post. "Any grassroots project
has to turn itself around. I think the time is right now."

Organizers chose Banneker Field near Howard University
in order to be as close as possible to the black community.
The festival came about because Cook, Ernest Hopkins
and Theodore Kirkland talked among themselves about raising money for AIDS service organizations," said Carlene
Cheatam, a member of the organizing committee who directed the lesbian outreach for the festival. "The need is
great, so they saw this as one way to make money. They took
that action with that belief."

"They went around and laid the groundwork, as far as
getting the permits, identifying the space, getting the petitions signed by the people in the neighborhood and following up on all the other requirements of putting on something like this. Then once the foundation was laid, they then extended an invitation to the community to help make it happen," she told BLK.

They incorporated Black Lesbian and Gay Pride, Inc. This is just a small corporation of people who said, 'let's do
this'," she added.

Cheatam was quick to say that the festival was not organized
as any kind of reaction to the annual Lesbian and
Gay Pride Day festival, held in Dupont Circle. She stressed
that while some black heterosexuals were expected to come
to support the Black Lesbian and Gay Pride Day, most folks
would probably opt to go to both, including the organizers of
the Black Lesbian and Gay Pride event. Admission to the festival was only $2.00. The reality is that there is no other entity in our community raising money for us for that need,"
she said.

Among the most visible organizations taking part in the
first ever event were the D.C. Coalition of Black Lesbians
and Gay Men, the Inner City AIDS Network, IMPACT-DC,
Best Friends of D.C, Black Women Together, the Black
Women's Support Group and the Nob Hill Bar.
The day long festival featured women's and men's sporting
events and booths from community organizations. Entertainment was provided by a number of groups, including the Paper Dolls. Cheatam didn't see the festival knocking down the walls of denial among the heterosexuals in the black community overnight, but remained optimistic.

"It's just one of the many steps that are necessary," she
told BLK. "I don't believe that as a community we've been
comfortable enough to dialogue with the straight black community, and we know they are not comfortable dialoguing with us...I wish that we were confident enough to organize ourselves to do that education. We're the only ones who can do that. But I don't believe that we are comfortable or organized or whatever to do that effectively. I hope that dialogue starts again and that some people would be willing to connect to make it happen." A number of local politicians made appearances, such as councilmembers Frank Smith and John Ray, and D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Organizers also took time out to honor artist Adrienne
Blackwell with a community service award for the female illusionist's efforts at raising money for AIDS organizations.
Also honored as "Man of the Year" was Phil Pannell and
"Woman of the Year* Charlene Cheatam. Best male entertainer was Melvin Parks, best female entertainer, Halima
Williams, and Sparkle McHarris as best drag performer.
The turnout was far greater than he expected, Kirkland
said. What members have to do now, he said, is ask themselves one question: "Are we fully at that crossroads, where we go from being underground and grassroots to being recognized?"