www.BellevillePride.Org
September 2011 Digest Volume 4 Issue 4
METRO EAST NEWS
WWW.BELLEVILLEPRIDE.ORG
Editor: Colby Kluthe Director: Daniel McCree Foundation Contributors: Mickey Johnson (Carbondale) History & Southern Illinois News Tess Farnham (Belleville) Liberal Arts & Education At Large: Terri Nuss (St. Louis) Scott Miller (St. Louis)
Common Resources: St. Louis Activist Hub St. Louis Gay History Project TransHaven Michael Paynic Todd Sivia P.C. Southern IL QueerNation Jennifer Shaw P.C.
VIEW THE 2011 DIGITAL DIRECTORY Graphics Editor: Jason Brooks
RECENT PUBLICATIONS JULY DIGEST 2011 DIGITAL DIRECTORY
First Edition June 2011
MetroEast NEWS Features
MCCGSL Choir wins regional How Sweet the Sound award for Best Overall Choir! - Tuesday, September 27, 2011 Robyn's Trans Advocacy Tour II - Friday, September 16, 2011 Internationally Acclaimed Tim Miller at SIU (CARBONDALE) - Friday, September 16, 2011 MetroEast NEWS: Illinois State Bar Assoc. to host Civil Union Semi... - Thursday, September 15, 2011
Artistically Speaking! debuts at Seven Restaurant... Mortgage Relief Project- SEPT 17th (EDWARDSVILLE) Illinois State Bar Assoc. to host Civil Union Seminar. Same Sex Legal Offers Advice on Illinois DUI Laws Add your Business To our Monthly Publication $20 (ORDER ONLINE)
MetroEast EVENTS
Metro East Pride Block Party October 22nd National Coming Out Day Candleight March (October 11th) (BELLEVILLE) Cee-Cee's USofA at Large Benefit- Sept 16th (CARBONDALE) Southern Illinois Pride Picnic - September 25th (Carbondale) Matt Alber Concert- SEPT 10th Christ Church Cathedral (VIDEO) Artistically Speaking! debuts at Seven Restaurant...
Trans Family Picnic- October 16th
Gateway Men's Chorus 25th Season Celebration & CD ...
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Well of Living Water Ministries 405 North Illinois Ave. Belleville, Illinois Phone: (618)277-7497 www.myspace.com/wlwm E-mail: thewell@wellingwaterministries.org
PFLAG- Belleville Chapter www.bellevilleilpflag.com
TransHaven www.TransHaven.org TransHaven serves the advocacy needs of the Trans Communities of Missouri and St. Louis Region.
Meets the first Thursday of the month 6:30PM FIND THEM ON FACEBOOK
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Gateway Men's Chorus 25th Season Celebration & CD Release! Meyer's Grove 4510 Manchester Ave Saint Louis, MO
OCTOBER 15TH 6pm South Hampton Healthcare presents The Gateway Men's Chorus 25th Season Celebration! Join us October 15th at Meyers Grove as we announce our up coming season. Dan Stoner, the owner of Meyer's Grove is honored to partner with us on this event by donating 50% of the bar ring during this event to the Gateway Men's Chorus. In addition, to great cocktails, Hartford Coffee Company will sponsor the food and coffee. We have a special live performance by members of the Gateway Men's Chorus that you will not want to miss. A special appearance by an ORIGINAL GMC singing member 25 years ago... Miss Dieta Pepsi! You also don't want to miss Ron Bryant tickling the ivories for this celebration. Come show your support for the love of music! Event kicks off at 6pm featuring: The announcement of the 25th Season of GMC An introduction of the new artistic director Al Fischer Special performance by members of GMC A special appearance by Dieta Pepsi who will MC our live auction! Presenting GMC's newest CD -"I Want To Fly"
Family Picnic Sunday, October 16 路 12:00pm - 6:00pm Trans Family Picnic and The Monarch Foundation will be sponsoring this years event. We invite all Gender Variant people, their families and friends to join us at Willmore Park on October 16th. The picnic will be held at the last pavilion on the right, next to the North pond. It will run from 12:00pm to 6:00pm. RSVP by calling Shane Fairchild 314 566-2996 or by E-Mailing at cdyfairchild@yahoo.com . Sincerely; Trisha Harringtan & Shane Fairchild
Artistically Speaking! Wednesday, October 5 at 9:00pm 7 Restaurant & Lounge 7 S. High St. Belleville, IL 62220
2nd Annual Halloween Block Party!!!
Pflag Belleville Il Chapter
Please join us at our next chapter meeting Thursday October 6th 6:30pm at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Belleville. Our speaker is Charles Koehler from Prime Timers of St. Louis MO. www.PrimeTimersSTL.org Prime Timers St. Louis Home
MCCGSL Choir wins regional How Sweet the Sound award for Best Overall Choir! by Mccgsl Church on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 12:50pm
Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Saint Louis is excited to announce the results of the How Sweet the Sound: A Verizon Experience regional choir competition held at the Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri, on Monday, September 26, 2011. The Best Large Choir prize was awarded to Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Saint Louis (MCCGSL) for their 53 member choir performance of “Psalm 68, Let Our God Arise” by Kurt Carr. Jerry Smith, MCCGSL Director of Music, accepted the $10,000 award from Host Donald Lawrence in front of a packed house at the Scottrade Center. Additionally, the MCCGSL choir was selected as Regional Competition, Best Overall Choir. As winners of this award, the MCCGSL choir received all expense paid travel to Los Angeles, California, to perform in the Verizon Best National Choir Competition on Friday, October 28, 2011, at the Staples Center. Each choir member received a medal with the inscription “Regional Competition, Best Overall Choir”; a Droid mobile phone, and a $50 gift certificate for activation. The Judges for the How Sweet The Sound Regional Competition in St. Louis were Marvin Sapp, Shirley Caesar, and Dorinda Clark-Cole. In commenting on the MCCGSL choir performance, Pastor Marvin Sapp said, “Let me start by saying 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 fathers.” Judge Shirley Caesar shared, “They did not miss a beat.” Dorinda Clark-Cole reported, “This is what heaven really does look like. You all did a wonderful performance."
Jerry Smith told the choir before the stage, “Sing to God and do not worry about anything else. We are here to worship and to give God our best.” Senior Pastor, Rev. Dr. Carol Trissell stated, “I
am so proud of our church choir! Their vocal performance was amazing – truly the best of their three years in Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound competition. Yet, I am even more proud of their genuine, praise-filled spirits which demonstrated without a doubt that God’s love is for ALL people.” MCC of Greater Saint Louis was founded in 1973 as an outreach to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities. Today, it has a membership of 413 and owns its own facility for worship and ministry at 1919 S. Broadway, in the Soulard neighborhood. Its mission is to accept, embody, and declare God’s love for all. MCCGSL lives out this mission by providing direct ministries of worship, education, pastoral care, and outreach to those seeking a progressive and inclusive faith community. MCCGSL also collaborates with other community nonprofits such as One St. Louis, Peter & Paul Community Services, Winter Outreach, St. Louis Pridefest, Black Pride, MetroEast Pride, St. Louis Effort for AIDS, Metropolitan Congregations United, Doorways, Food Outreach, Growing American Youth, and Show Me No Hate.
Same Sex Legal Offers Advice on Illinois DUI Laws By: Todd Sivia, SLBS (Edwardsville)
“Even in an age of anti-drunk-driving organizations and awareness commercials, people still violate laws against drunk driving.” If public service messages and ads reminding citizens to "drink responsibly" don't work, it may be helpful to realize the legal consequences of driving under the influence. Drivers who are suspended either for having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or above, or for refusing to submit to the breathalyzer test may not receive permission to drive to and from work or school. Instead, suspended drivers must get monitoring device driving permits (MDDP) for the duration of their
suspension, which requires a Blood Alcohol Interlock Ignition device (BAIID) in the car at all times. While the monitoring device driving permit is far more expensive to the driver, it is also less restrictive. Previously, suspended drivers, upon receiving a Judicial Driving Permit (JDP), were allowed only to drive to and from work, school, or for medical purposes only. As of 2009, with an MDDP, the driver may drive at any time, as long as the device is installed on his or her car. Summary suspension periods are doubled under the new Illinois law, which means that drivers who have 0.08 or over blood alcohol content (BAC) will automatically have their driving privileges suspended for six months instead of three months, regardless of the outcome of their DUI case. Drivers who refuse to submit to breathalyzer testing will have their driving privileges suspended for a full year These new penalties and procedures mean that anyone accused or convicted of an Illinois DUI will face even higher fees than before. The installation of the BAIID device is very expensive and it is the driver's responsibility to pay all costs associated with it. If you are facing the consequences of DUI laws and need to know what to do next, please call or email our office today.
Metro East Pride Block Party Saturday, October 22 · 6:00pm - 11:00pm Location "A" Street @ Club Escapade
133 West Main St. Belleville, IL 62220 Fundraiser Event for: MetroEast Pride This popular event and fundraiser always proves a community favorite. Metro East Pride of Southwestern Illinois is proud to bring you our annual block party. We kick things off at 6:00p.m. outside of Club Escapade where the fun lasts until 11:00pm. Entertainment by YOU'RE NOT KABLAMO. Bowl of Chili is $3.00 - Hot Dog/Chips is $2.00 $ Chili w/ Hot Dog and Chips is $5.00.
Metro East Pride of Southwestern Illinois is proud to announce it will be holding its second annual National Coming Out Day Candlelight March on Tuesday, October 11th, 2011. Join us as we LIGHT THE NIGHT to remember those in our community who we have lost to suicide and violence—and to express visibility for those in our community who are not yet able.
2nd Annual MEPSI National Coming Out Day Candlelight March Tuesday, October 11 · 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Step Off at Belleville Public Library 121 East Washington Belleville, IL 62220 MetroEast Pride More Info
We will be meeting at 7p.m. at the downtown Belleville Public Library (121 East Washington - Belleville, IL) and march up and over to historic East Main Street, and then west ending at Club Escapade (133 West Main St. Belleville, IL). Brief remarks from community leaders will follow the march.
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The Wizard of Oz
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Susan SpitFire Lively Come join us Wed., Oct. 5th at "Artistically Speaking!", a hot new show at a fresh new club called 7 Restaurant and Lounge in Belleville. There's no cover charge for this event!! The doors open at 8:00., and the show, which also features an Open Mic, will begin at 9:00 pm. Come and vibe with extraordinary Musicians, Poets, Comedians, and more in the gorgeous second floor Art Gallery, complete with incredible Creole Food, and appetizer and drink specials. Our Special Guests for our kick-off night will be Musician, Vocalist, and Songwriter Fior Baptiste, Poet, Author, and Educator Rennell “Random Thought” Parker, Musician, Vocalist, and Songwriter Kevin “Up in the Air” Renick, and Poet, Author, and Spoken Word Artist Dana “Kels” Kelly. So please support local art and join us for a great night out on the town. Looking forward to seeing you!
“All In The Family”: Thoughts from a Mouthy Saint By: Colby Kluthe, MetroEast NEWS This past summer I was unexpectedly called upon to return home to Joplin, Missouri where our family has lived since the 1940’s. Just a few weeks following the epic tornado that swept through, my granny of 88 years passed away, and I was to return for the memorial services. As one would expect, family members from far and wide converged upon the area for two days of gathering with loved ones. Now the story really begins with a controversy over my older brothers in-laws who wanted to attend the “family only” graveside service. My mother explained, she didn’t think it was appropriate, because “they aren’t family”. Thus began a conversation about what exactly we must do to qualify as family. In fact it has become a thought process which has continued for a few months now. Let me begin by establishing that I and another of my sisters are adopted, and furthermore our own family includes step-brothers, step-sisters, and even further extended, removed , divorced or simply distant relatives which clearly remain part of our family. So I began to consider several aspects of this idea of “family”.
“My first thoughts must recognize that if you throw some air quotes around the word it takes on an entirely new meaning. “ However when I upack the thought a little more, I find they really are not different ideas. The idea really becomes however we choose to define it.
My granny would likely have said family includes the “unexpected one” that invariably arrives at any party. I learned from her own practice to always prepare an extra gift for the holidays for whoever that person may be. My own spiritual experience reminds me it is those people we choose to share a meal with. And of course in this day of social change we still live with other’s definition of a legal family . For me, I rest upon a more inclusive idea of family, that can encompass the vast spirit that resides within a family. In the most simple of terms: If you consider yourself family, you are. We can work out the details later ! A vine has many branches~
Seven Restaurant and Lounge
1 618.277.6700 7 S. HIGH ST Belleville, IL 62220
In October, Seven will celebrate it’s 2nd Annual Halloween Block Party as well as new events such as Open-Mic Nights and Live Music in Downtown Belleville. Located in a downtown area populated by both lively party bars and laid-back corner taverns, Seven hopes to split the difference, attracting the Belleville civic class for lunch and dinner, while attracting a young audience from throughout southwestern Illinois during the evening hours. The four are also banking on the continued renaissance of downtown Belleville, an area that’s seen a rise in everything from street festivals to residential living to the stabilization of the many commercial businesses in the St. Clair county seat.
As Reynolds was recently quoted in the Belleville News-Democrat, “we’re going to focus on trying to do good nighttime bar and lounge business. We’re going to have a couple of dee-jays playing contemporary music, and we really think that we will be a good addition to the Belleville night-life scene, especially in downtown Belleville.” Opened to the public on April 11,2010, Seven unveils an expansive menu in a Creole-bistrostyle, alongside some tweaked American classics. The concept for the new menu comes from Blake Brokaw, who was one of the driving forces in Washington Avenue’s rise during the 1990s and early 2000s, founding such venues as Tangerine, Deep Cool, Lo and the Hungry Buddha.
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