March 2013 MetroEast NEWS by Daniel McCree Foundation

MARCH 2013

This issue Presented by: The Daniel McCree Foundation COVER IMAGE COURTESY Two 13- Carbondale

VOLUME 6 ISSUE 5

ABOUT US MetroEast News is an outreach project of the Daniel McCree Foundation.

Our vision and mission is to provide timely information and events to the entire Southern Illinois Region. We seek to be a voice for those who are traditionally not heard. (READ MORE) Southern Illinois Pride History (READ MORE)

Editor: Colby Kluthe Graphic Design: Jason Brooks Director: Daniel McCree Foundation

Contributors: Mickey Johnson (Carbondale) History & Southern Illinois News Tess Farnham (Belleville) Liberal Arts & Education Susan Spit-Fire Lively (Belleville)

Performing Arts & Spoken Word Aaron Phillip Ruiz (Swansea) Autumn Pickard (St. Louis) Special Features from Daniel McCree (1979-2007)

Common Resources: PFLAG- Belleville IL Chapter St. Louis Gay History Project TransHaven & Belleville Transgender & Friends LGBT Center of St. Louis Metro East Pride of Soutwestern Illinois (MEPSI) L.A.G.O.S.I Equality Illinois & Carbonale Pride, MCC Paducah & Paducah Pride Jennifer Shaw P.C.

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INTRODUCTION March reminds each of us to “keep walking” our path despite the fact we often have no idea what the destination is. There are so many opportunities in the month ahead for us to take stock in all that has come before us, and to the challenges that lay ahead. The winter frost has begun to thaw and the community is gearing up for another pride season which will be upon us before we know it. If you are among those who have volunteered in years past to make the pride season a success, please accept our moment of thanks for all that you do in our community. You are among those who recognize that it takes much more than a few weeks to plan and execute a festival season that our entire region can enjoy. In 2013 the St. Louis and Southern Illinois regions will be making history in new locations and a continued tradition of pride for the seventh year in Belleville and third year in Carbondale. And naturally no community effort is complete without a few growing pains and controversy which reminds us once again the importance of equality work and just how far we as a collective community have come. The same is true in my own life as I recently began a new chapter in my life as a resident of Joplin, Missouri. It reminds me often that all too often those we claim as our own do not have the nearby support organizations that make it easier to live authentically into who we believe ourselves to have been created. This month I hope each of you will take a moment to remember those who remain in the shadows and darkened closets until the time comes they too have the courage to stand out and proud. Until all our brothers and sisters are comfortable doing so, our work shall continue. MetroEast NEWS, “We seek to be a voice for those who traditionally are not heard.” The Daniel McCree Foundation advocates for Suicide Prevention as well as outreach in the areas of HIV/AIDS awareness. We are seeking interested persons in serving the foundation, and work actively in the community of St. Louis, for the empowerment of all people. There were several causes, and organizations Daniel was active with, and the Daniel McCree Foundation, continues to work with these organizations in his honor. Sincerely,

Colby Kluthe

YOU MAY BE A LIFELINE OF HOPE You can help improve suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth in your state, city or town by joining the Trevor Ambassadors or Trevor NextGen near you.

Click here to get involved. Trevor Lifeline Counselors The Trevor Lifeline (1.866.488.7386) is the only 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention lifeline serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Trevor Lifeline counselors answer calls from young people in the U.S. who are struggling with a myriad of issues surrounding their sexual orientation, gender identity, coming out, family and relationship troubles, bullying, depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness and suicide. Trevor Lifeline Counselors are empathetic, non-judgmental, and care genuinely about the safety of our callers.

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METRO EAST CALL FOR HELP 6

618-397-0963

Big Muddy Film Festival Celebrates 35th Year 35 years ago, a little thing called the Big Muddy Film Festival was started by SIUC students, faculty, and community members, with the goal of bringing independent, grassroots film and video to the rural Carbondale community — films that would otherwise be impossible to see. Since then it has become one of the most widely recognized independent film festivals in the United States, boasting alumni like Jim Jarmusch, Robert Frank, James Benning, Trihn T. Min-Ha, Don Hertzfeldt, Leighton Pierce, Tony Buba, and Michelle Citron. This year’s festival continues the tradition of bringing critically-engaged independent cinema to the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale with competition films and videos from 58 filmmakers from around the world. As always, we have showcases in the four main categories: animation, documentary, experimental, and narrative. This year we’re proud to also include some fabulous non-competition screenings, including Future Weather, by Carbondale native Jenny Deller, Empire Builder, by SIUC alumnus Kris Swanberg, and Drop City, by Joan Grossman and Tom McCourt. We’re featuring a selection of short films by some extremely talented high school and middle school students, as well as our everpopular late night screenings, too. We’re also proud to announce that this year’s John Michaels Award-- given annually for the film that best displays an urgent message of social, political, or ecological significance— will be given to filmmaker Sarah Kanouse, for her documentary film, Around Crab Orchard. We’ll be showing a selection of films chosen by the John Michaels Committee as outstanding films considered for the award, as well. The Big Muddy Film Festival is ever grateful to the students, faculty, staff, community members, and small businesses who work hard to make this festival something we feel is a living, thriving asset to our city and neighboring towns. SCHEDULE, DETAILS, AND MORE AT: http://www.BIGMUDDYFILM.COM

St. Louis Black Pride Updates (314) 531-2284 or info@slbp.org Click the below link to DOWNLOAD VOLUNTEER, SPONSORSHIP PACKET AND STREET TEAM FORMS http://www.st-louisblackpride.org/Page_6.html School of Femmes is now ACCEPTING VIDEO SUBMISSIONS. This project is for Stl Black Pride 2013. This position is serious. 

STLBP Presents School of Femmes



Platform created to search for a reputable female for Femme of St. Louis Black Pride.

Fish Fry EVERY Friday during Lent at the Bad Dog Bar & Grill BadDog BarandGrill Fish Fry EVERY Friday during Lent

Looking to get involved in your LGBT community? MetroEast Pride is for volunteers! email metroeastpride@gmail.com

Keep Pride In Tower Grove

CLUB ESCAPADE presents ♦ A NIGHT OF DRAG ♦ Check out our website for the latest events and changes @ Club Escapade. We love everyone and hope to see you real soon. www.clubescapade.org Club Escapade Inc 133 W Main St, Belleville, Illinois 62220-1501

BellevillePride~ MetroEast News

International Leader of Metropolitan Community Churches visits St. Louis St. Louis, MO - Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson, moderator and international leader of the Metropolitan Community Chruches (MCC), will visit St. Louis February 23 and 24, 2013. Rev. Pressley Sutherland, Senior Pastor of MCC of Greater Saint Louis announces that Rev. Wilson will be featured and honored at a special "Evening of Inspiring Inclusion and Justice," Saturday evening, beginning at 6p. She is also scheduled to lead worship and preach on Sunday at MCC of Greater Saint Louis. Both events are at 1919 S. Broadway, near Soulard Market. ALL are invited and welcome! Dr. Wilson was installed as MCC's global Moderator in 2005. MCC has ministries in over 40 countries. Dr. Wilson was part of the first LGBT delegation to meet with a sitting president in 1979 and is currently a member of President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. On Tuesday, January 22, 2013, she read from the Bible in the Interfaith Prayer Service at the National Cathedral, as part of President Obama's inaugural observances. Dr. Wilson said, "It is profoundly meaningful to read the Bible during President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden's second inaugural interfaith service. You may recall this congregation of over 300 members from last year's news about their award winning choir. The MCCGSL Church Choir won the How Sweet the Sound regional choir competition in St. Louis, then participated in the Verizon Best National Choir Competition at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. When announcing the regional winner, competition judge, Pastor Marvin Sapp, said,"... This is what Heaven is supposed to look like! It's supposed to look like a multiplicity of cultures, colors, creeds, all coming together for the sole purpose of magnifying and glorifying the God of our father." He summed up the way many feel about this church that is open to everyone. That sentiment is reinforced each Sunday during service when the call to communion ends with "Come as you are, believing as you do. You don't have to belong to this church or any church, to be welcome at this table." MCC of Greater Saint Louis is relatively new in the Soulard neighborhood, purchasing and renovating a facility for worship and ministry at 1919 S. Broadway just four years ago. MCC was founded in 1973; just five years after the denomination began, as an outreach to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities in St. Louis. Today, it's more than 300 members represent a much larger community and the church is, as implied by Pastor Sapp's comment, diverse in many ways - race, gender, differently abled, different sexual orientations, and congregants from the whole range of religious backgrounds. All are welcome and affirmed! www.MCCGSL.org

Sponsor the 2013 Issues MetroEast NEWS www.DanielMcCree.Org Its that time of year again to renew your support for MetroEast NEWS 2013! We are excited to offer our community-wide collaboration that has made our past 20 issues a publication which highlights and chronicles the LGBT communities of Southern Illinois and St. Louis regions. It could not be completed without the support of our local business owners and civic leaders that sponsor and fund this outreach project. Individuals, Organizations and Small Business Owners have found that for only $30 they continue to sponsor and support our monthly publication which has been enjoyed by nearly 43,000 readers over the past year. 

If you need assistance or have any questions about sponsorship contact us at danielmccreeorg@gmail.com or by telephone at 636-544-8810 NOW IS THE TIME to renew your support for the year ahead and ensure that 2013 is also a year of growth and spotlight for LGBT friendly and equality supporting business and organizations. WHO CAN SPONSOR MetroEast NEWS? We invite any small business owners and non-profit organizations & Fan Pages to join us as a sponsor for our upcoming DIGITAL DIRECTORY and monthly news publication. Our publications have enjoyed more than 15,000 readers since our first edition came out in June. Thanks to our current sponsors who have already renewed. For the ad rate of $30.00 you can join us as a sponsor for each of the 2013 monthly issues. Sponsor Listings include company logo, and link to your contact information and website. NEW OR RETURNING SPONSORS~>  RENEW YOUR SPONSORSHIP HERE 

We gladly accept VISA/MC/AMEX or Paypal. Be sure to Renew today to ensure you are included in the FEBRUARY 2013 publication, scheduled for just two weeks from today. (FEB 15th). Thanks for each of our sponsors who continue to support our publication. If you have decided NOT to renew, feel free to take a moment to provide us feedback on how we can improve.  Read Our Monthly Digital Issue BROWSE THE 2012 ISSUES Last year's sponsors were highlighted in each issue and hopefully found this to be a great advertising and community-involvement opportunity. We are thankful for each of you! Sincerely, Colby Kluthe, Editor - MetroEast NEWS Emily Smith, St. Louis Regional Director danielmccreeorg@gmail.com MetroEast News is an outreach project of the Daniel McCree Foundation.

www.LGBTCounselingSTL.com MAP OUR LOCATION

About LGBT Counseling St. Louis LGBT Counseling St. Louis strictly adheres to the primary mision of the social work profession which is to "enhance human wellbeing and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty," LGBT Counseling St. Louis & Equality Illinois are proud sponsors of MetroEast NEWS

FREE INTRODUCTORY SESSION We are offering a FREE 30-minute initial session all year! If: 1) you've never been to counseling and want to see what it's all about 2) you've wanted to return to counseling but don't know where to begin looking for a therapist or 3) something is keeping you from moving forward with short or longterm goals

Authenticating your relationship. Protecting your family. Sivia Business & Legal Services gives you the personal attention that your relationship needs. We offer personalized service for you, your family, your relationship and your business. We assist you with the unique barriers that same-sex couples face in several areas. We assist our clients in estate planning and power of attorney matters to give each partner more rights in the even of tragedy. We also handle family law issues -- dissolution of relationship, adoption, custody actions, and name change petitions. We also assist clients with cohabitation agreements and contracts to outline the legal obligation of each partner in the relationship.

Committed to the Community Sivia Business & Legal Services, P.C. started in June 2006 when the founder, Todd Sivia, decided that his clients desired an attorney that is not only committed to the practice of law, but also committed to the community. Mr. Sivia created a firm to serve businesses and family in a variety of areas of law, focusing on asset protection. Since then, the firm has grown, not only in size, but as a member of the community. Our staff is active in the Ed/Glen Chamber of Commerce, SCORE (Counselors to America's Small Business), Rotary, and a variety of community projcts and organizations in and around Edwardsville, Glen Carbon and Alton, Illinois. Mr. Sivia is a member of the Metro East Landlord Association and Metro East Real Estate & Investors Association. The attorneys also stay up-to-date on the law through a variety of legal associations such as the Illinois, Missouri, and Madison County Bar Associations, and Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association. We'll listen for your needs and give you the best counsel to meet them. Todd Sivia, Attorney-At-Law Mr. Sivia maintains a significant asset protection practice. He assists his clients in their estate planning and general business needs, including drafting wills and trusts, representing clients in multiple matters. Read More

NIGHTLIFE IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS BUBBY & SISSY's (ALTON)

602 Belle St., Alton; Tel. 618.465.4775

Spirits Bar and Lounge

(Alton)

300 State Street, Alton 618-463-5555

Club Escapade

(BELLEVILLE)

133 W. Main 62220

METRO EAST PRIDE OF SOUTHWESTERN ILLINOIS

CARBONDALE two 13 213 East Main St., Carbondale, Illinois 62901 (Formerly known as Club TRAZ)

ALTON Bubby & Sissy’s (ALTON)

REGIONWIDE NIGHTCLUBS & VENUES

Atomic Cowboy - 4140 Manchester

Erney's 32 - 4200 Manchester Ave.,

Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110

St. Louis, MO 63110

Korners - 7109 S. Broadway, St. Attitudes - 4100 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110

Grey Fox - 3503 S. Spring, St. Louis,

Louis, MO 63111

MO 63116

Magnolia's Bar - 5 S. Vandeventer, Spirit’s Bar & Lounge – 300 State Street (Alton)

Hummel's on Broadway - 7101 S.

St. Louis, MO

Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63111

Martha’s Vineyard – 219 W. Olive, Bad Dog Bar & Grill - 3960

Hamburger Mary’s 3037 Olive St.

Springfield, MO 65802

Choteau Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110

Louis, Mo 63103

Bastille Soulard - 1027 Russell

Independence Place - 5 S.

Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110

Henderson St., Cape Girardeau, MO 63703

Missie B's - 805 W. 39th, Kansas City,

Meyer’s Grove – 4510 Manchester Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63104

Big Moe’s – 1042 Tower Grove , St. Louis, MO 63110

MO 64112

JJ's Clubhouse - 3858 Market St., St. Louis, MO 63110

Bubby & Sissy's - 602 Belle St., Alton, IL 62002

Manchester Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110

Just John's - 4112 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110

Boxers N Briefs - 55 Four Corners Lane, Centreville, IL 62206

Novak's Bar & Grill - 4121 Premium Lounge - 4199 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110

Club Escapade - 133 W. Main St., Belleville, IL 62220

Clementine's - 2001 Menard St., St. Louis, MO 63104

CHICAGO REGIONAL MAP

SEVEN RESTURANT AND LOUNGE 7 S. High Street, Belleville,IL 62220

Irenes Cabaret – 124 North 5th Street Quincy, IL 62301

Rehab Bar & Grill - 4054 Chouteau Ave.

SKYBAR (Carbondale) SIUC Campus Arena

UNSUNG HEROES St Louis LGBT Shelter & Housing Advocacy Project

St. Loui s Hom eles s Win ter Outr eac h As the homeless in our region often remain

the most vulnerable and anonymous, so too are the volunteers and outreach projects that strive to be a lifeline to those who lack a safe and warm environment to call home. If you were NOT AWARE, as the temperature drops below freezing, a group of LGBT volunteers take to the streets to attempt to place or at least offer blankets, gloves and hats to those who brave the elements during this cold season. There are also individuals who work behind the scenes to advocate for our transgender brothers and sisters who are too often without shelters willing to provide them temporary shelter. Without continued efforts AND FUNDING, shelters who do welcome all our LGBT in need may not be available at all. There are ways small and large that each of us can not only make a difference but also provide a lifeline to those in need. So rather than having â&#x20AC;&#x153;a heroâ&#x20AC;? this month, February is dedicated to ALL THOSE WHO SERVE to make safe space for those without the resources to provide it for themselves. I urge each of our readers to GET INVOLVED with groups and organizations that seek to fill this seemly insurmountable challenge.

St Louis LGBT Shelter & Housing Advocacy Project (An E-Just Project)

E-JUST Advocates The St Louis LGBT Shelter & Housing Advocacy Project was formed to address the lack of safe and suitable shelter and shelter wraparound services for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans individuals that are homeless. The Project's initial goal is for the advocacy and access to safe and affirming emergency and transitional shelters and long-term housing, accessing existing shelter resources in the region

The Projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long term goal is that of the establishment of semi-permanent to permanent supported housing with wraparound services, specifically for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender adult people that are homeless, in a shared facility developed by the City of St Louis. From the existing shelter environment, a model will be drafted in which the ideals of full wraparound services will be encouraged and where the institution of a 'resident advocacy' program be paramount, where a peer can monitor the resident's progress, answer questions and address issues coming from staff or other residents. The Project will also advise shelters in facility suitability for LGBT residents and offer training staff and non-LGBT residents in the awareness of LGBT individuals. From the demographics of such programs, reasonable metrics with regard to adult homeless individuals, can be made to assist in determining a future needs assessment. If you are or know of an adult LGBTQ individual in the Metro St Louis Region facing homelessness, contact us at 314-669-4770 or stlshelteradvocacy@ejustmo.org

METRO EAST CALL FOR HELP

618-397-0963

Join Gateway M.C. for the 30th anniversary of one of the longest running leather contests anywhere. It's an entire weekend of leather with out of town folks from all over converging on St. Louis for the festivities.

WWW.GATEWAYMC.ORG

WWW.JJCLUBHOUSE.COM

Talk by Dr. Rusty Barrett - "Sickening Queens: Class & Ethnic Differences in Drag Performance" (CARBONDALE) The Museum Auditorium, Faner Hall, SIUC Dr. Rusty Barrett (Univ. Kentucky) is coming to SIUC and will give a talk on Feb. 28th (Th), 3-4pm @ The Museum Auditorium on gender, ethnicity, performance, and language. (Some of you may recall his name from his other famous paper on racial talk in Mexican Restaurant in Texas.) This is a great opportunity for not only us, anthropology (graduate) students, but also for non-anthro major undergraduates to meet a well-known, interesting linguistic anthropologist discussing his work which is applicable to various fields of inquiry, not limited to linguistics and linguistic anthropology. So, please make a time, come to his talk, and encourage your students/friends to go too!

Fuller Future Festival April 4-6, 2013 (CARBONDALE) Fuller Future Festival www.fullerfuturefest.com April 4th, 5th & 6th - Carbondale, Illinois Check out www.FullerFutureFest.com

Fuller Future Festival taking place at SIUC and in Carbondale, IL from April 4-6, 2013. Through the website you can register (for free) for the festival, you can submit a proposal for the event, and you can sign up for the Buckminster Fuller Future RSO (the first Bucky-related Registered Student Organization in the history of Southern Illinois University Carbondale!).

Notable Passages: Erica Andrews Legendary female impersonator known throughout the Midwest for her many years of entertainment passed away unexpectedly in March 2013. A memorial has been planned for March 28th. A Candle Light Vigil and Remembrance Ceremony will be held at Crockett Park on March 28th from 7pm-9pm. There will be a Mariachi for her at 8pm. We want to invite everyone to attend especially her friends and fans from out of town/state!!! We will have a list of people who were close to her and want to speak. We want this night to be EPIC and give her the goodbye that the DIVA,QUEEN,LEGEND, AND BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEING DESERVES!!!! 22

We want to welcome our returning 2013 sponsors LAW OFFICE OF JENNIFER A. SHAW PC -EDWARDSVILLE, IL ... www.jashawlaw.com

We wish the very best to our returning sponsor PFLAG of Belleville in the year ahead. Your unwavering support has made our publication possible since we began! The PFLAG meetings are held at St. Paul United Church of Christ, a church with a progressive theology, the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. While the address of the church is 115 West B Street, the entry to the meeting area is from the C street side of the building; see the access instructions below. For those who are less familar will Belleville the following link will open a Google map locating St. Paul. You can click on get directions on the left side of the map to get driving directions to St. Paul. The PFLAG- BELLEVILLE Chapter is the only PFLAG organization in southern Illinois and serves the Metro East Region of St. Louis.

Upcoming EVENTS Featured Articles More about the Digital Directory We invite any small business owners and non-profit organizations & Fan Pages to join us as a sponsor for our upcoming DIGITAL DIRECTORY and monthly news publication. Our publications have enjoyed more than 43,000 readers since our first edition. For the ad rate of $30.00 you can join us as a sponsor. Sponsor Listings include company logo, and link to your contact information and website. AFTER DECEMBER 1st-- the Ad rate will be adjusted to $30 so dont delay and become a sponsor today. BECOME A SPONSOR TODAY AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE LGBTQI COMMUNITY OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

Get involved with Pride as a volunteer! We need your help to put on the year's biggest party and LGBT festival. Pride St. Louis, Inc. Âť Volunteer pridestl.org Pride St. Louis, Inc. is comprised completely of volunteers.

The TG Contra… What is Pride and Where should it be held By: Colby Kluthe, Editor- MetroEast NEWS Pride Celebrations in St. Louis is not only a longstanding tradition but also among the nations largest pride festivals boasting more than 100,000 visitors in recent years. As a community advocate and as someone who has served in leadership capacity with pride organizations (Metro East Pride of Southwestern Illinios) I have a unique understanding about decision-making and forces which will undoubtedly stir up controversy among community supporters, business owners, and government powers that be. I was in no way surprised at the recent announcement by Pride St. Louis Inc. plans to move the festival to Soldier’s Memorial in downtown, uprooting its decade long tradition of a festival in Tower Grove Park. I also remember as a youngster when the festival had a “long held tradtion” of being in the central west end neighborhood, which at the time was the epicenter of the LGBT community. In 2012 It is also very clear we are no longer a community which is centered in one neighborhood. The move to downtown was an option I heard was coming several years ago, and from my own perspective it was a move I actually expected to take place last year. Nonetheless we who call St. Louis home find ourselves in a struggle between what we find most comforting and familiar and the natural angst about the upcoming move to downtown. I know that regardless of the location of Pride in 2013, our community will once again come together to exemplify the very best of who we are and take the opportunity to share it with our traditions both respected and growing into the future. The community outrage and dialogue is very much a part of the vitality of Pride and citizen input and leadership will be needed regardless of whether the festival is held in Tower Grove or any other location. Pride was never about the location, but rather coming together as a family and celebrating all of who we are as a community. Tower Grove Park has served us well in years past and while I wholeheartedly support efforts to keep it there, I would be lacking my own convictions if I did not call it as I have always seen PridefestTower Grove. Ready—Here GOES! Pridefest Tower Grove has always been difficult to find parking or access using Metrolink service. But most obvious to anyone who hasn’t attended a streetscape festival (As downtown would be) Tower Grove Park creates an environment of social “clicks” that to an outsider would almost appear we have a segregated festival. This group over here, and that group over there, and festival goers who are generally bunched up with those they already know. It has been my observation that this tendency always follows the same path, despite concerted efforts in planning and redesigning the festival grounds in recent years. I have said for many years that St. Louis pride is perhaps the most segregated pride in the nation—an opportunity that a new venue offers our community to frankly get to know each other again for the first time.

The other and I think final point I want to make about this controversy is that as someone who helped establish a pride festival tradition in a more conservative community than the City of St. Louis, I cannot tell you how many times we heard from civic leaders “wouldn’t you be more comfortable in a park” was to me only a way of saying “we would be more comfortable if you ‘gays’ were isolated in a park rather than our streets where ‘non-gays’ have to see you. Now I am being a bit exaggerated in my words but the point remains, and the time has come for our festival to “Come Out” to our city.

Artwork by: Tim Gehner

We no longer need 120 acres of land in which to hide, and standing shoulder to shoulder on our city’s most prominent festival grounds is not only an opportunity but a responsibility we have to one another and to the next generation of allies and queers in the Gateway City. We must take our place and hold our heads high as we parade wherever the festival is held. Here is where I think I stand in this debacle… I support Pride St. Louis and the need to move downtown, However I also recognize that participation for todays small business has decreased in recent years due to the large amount of money it takes to become a vendor at Pride St. Louis. Too many business owners do not have hundreds or in many cases thousands of dollars it takes to simply put an advertisement in the Pride Pages and be a participant in the festival each year. Therefore I wholeheartedly support the grassroots movement underway to hopefully make pride more accessible to more than the major corporations that fund and support Pride St. Louis. I hope that Pride festivals of the future can find room for all players big and small, and an environment that fosters both unity and inclusion of all people. I acknowledge that Pride St. Louis has a long history of serving the needs and growth of the festival and maintained an event free of charge for all to enjoy. I hope the 2013 board of directors can lead our community forward into the future in a manner which all participants feel both valued and accomadated. Send Comments to: danielmccreeorg@gmail.com MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT: http://www.facebook.com/KeepPrideInTowerGrove

j.brooks Digital The official graphics of MetroEast NEWS

MetroEast NEWS is produced by the Daniel McCree Foundation, an Illinois Charitable Trust Managing Editor: Colby Kluthe Emily Smith, St. Louis Regional Director Daniel McCree Foundation Contributing Writers: Mickey Johnson (Carbondale) History & Southern Illinois News Tess Farnham (Belleville) Liberal Arts & Education Susan Spit-Fire Lively (East St. Louis/ Belleville) Aaron Phillip Ruiz (Swansea) Autumn Pickard (St. Louis) Graphics Editor: Jason Brooks

A sincere Thanks to Each and Everyone for your support!

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