Well, we do have a Gay Street
Via the folks at KnoxBlab, comes this:
The Rainbow Community Awareness Project of Knoxville, a local group supporting the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community, announced plans Tuesday for its “Come Out Knoxville” celebration.
The celebration, which includes activities stretching over two weeks starting Oct. 6, coincides with a similar national event. Gary Elgin, director of Rainbow Community Awareness Project, said this year’s events mark the largest celebration ever in Knoxville.
“This is the very first time that we have taken this amount of days to celebrate,” he said. “It’s the first time we have taken it to this level, and we are extremely excited.
“This is also the first time that the mayor has recognized the gay community and one of its events,” he said. “Any time you can bring this information to the public, it will help people better understand who you are and relieve the anxieties and dissipate the fear that seems to guide people’s opinions.”
Among the scheduled events are several concerts and lectures, a cabaret show that highlights advances in the GLBT community and a coming-out workshop that educates and encourages homosexuals to live openly and honestly.
The keystone event, the Come Out Knoxville March and Rally Festival, will be Oct. 15 downtown.
The mayor probably recognized that gay people have money. I wonder a few things: If there will be a political fallout over this for the mayor? If there is a chance of violence at the event?
September 15th, 2005 at 11:46 am
The vast majority of pride and coming out events go off without any violence. The kinds of people who would start trouble are usually not willing to do so when badly outnumbered. At least, that’s the case in New York and SF. Dunno if Knoxville will be any different.
September 15th, 2005 at 12:41 pm
I remember back in the day scouting out bars in Knoxville with a few co-workers. We noticed one place that was playing really good music and decided to go in. Much to our surprise, it ended up being a gay bar. (It should be noted that by “co-workers” I mean other people who were from larger cities but down in Knoxville on assignment and the surprise was that their actually were out gay people in Knoxville and brave enough to have their own bar.)
September 15th, 2005 at 3:05 pm
Wonder if that was a lowered bar or a raised bar?
September 15th, 2005 at 5:37 pm
I once saw two Cherokees get their asses kicked by a drag queen at Vic and Bill’s. That is the extent of my experience with violence against GLBT folks and it was losing battle. Anyone pounding tallboy Buds at V&B’s at 2AM on a Friday deserves a clock cleaning for calling one of the perfomers a faggot. The police didn’t arrest anyone either. Justice in Fort Sanders comes in many ways….
September 16th, 2005 at 9:07 am
Maybe the mayor recognized that gay people are voters.
Maybe the gay voters have organized and warrant recognition as any legal organization does.
I would theorize that there is a chance for violence at any gathering.
Those are some pretty ugly wonderings there, BossMan.