copright 2 0 0 8 coprightcopright 2 0 0 8 cop - QNotes

Not for Reproduction Copyright 2008 QNotes Not for ReproductionC O M M U N I T YPrideFest in crisisAsheville event loses home, battlescommunity scrutinyby Matt Comer . Q-Notes staffWNCCHS property on Oct. 11.c o“I knew itpwas in October,” Gomezrtoldi g h tOIA.“The issue is there was no communicationthroughout the year…there was anassumption…”ASHEVILLE — Asheville Pride is in crisis OIA also reported that they had yet to— that’s what monthly LGBT publication Out receive any press releases from Ashevillein Asheville reported on Sept. 11.Pride organizers. Q-Notes received a releaseThe annual festival’s 2008 event is scheduledfor Oct. 11 and was to take place on the event at Q-Notes Online. The story was lateron Sept. 10 and wrote a brief story on theproperty of Western North Carolinapulled when editorial staff heard the groupCommunity Health Services (WNCCHS), a had lost its location.non-profit community health service provider. Adding to the perception that festival plannershad failed at effectively communicatingHowever, Pride organizer and founder KaliBrewer announced Sept. 211 that the celebrationhad lost its home and was in desperate organization was also offered a vendor space0with the surrounding0community, several8leaders of Ashevillebasedorganizations toldAsheville Pride — all dressed up and no where to go.the publication they hadalso not heard of any festivalplans thus far.The lack of transgenderand gay male participationin the event hasalso raised concerns.Brewer said the festival’schoice of gay singer JoshZuckerman was anc o pattempt to reachrout toi g h tgay men. A transgendersupport and socialneed of a new location. As of Q-Notes’press at the event. ◗time, Asheville Pride had yet to find one.— Out in Asheville’s Lin OrndorfBrewer was notified of WNCCHS’ withdrawalof their sponsorship on Sept. 9. She alsocontributed to this report.said that the “entire festival is already planned.”All the group needs now is a location.WNCCHS Executive Director CarlosGomez told the monthly publication that alack of communication, publicity and diversityled to his group’s sponsorship cancellation. Healso bemoaned what hecinterpreted as festivalo p r i g h tvendors’ quest for money. After last year’s festival,he said he overheard vendors’ lamentingtheir lack of sales.“I thought it was a community event, not amoney-making event,” Gomez said.“I told Terithat if we did this event again, we need to havemore input and community involvement.”That input never came, Gomez charged.His group never heard from Asheville Prideorganizers concerning plans for the 2008event until August. By then, another eventfocusing on the gay Latino and transgendercommunity had already2been scheduled on0 0 8c o p r i g h tSEPTEMBER 20 . 2008 • QNotes 11Not for Reproduction Copyright 2008 QNotes Not for Reproduction