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community<br />
MID-SOUTH PRIDE<br />
FESTIVAL<br />
story by Phillis Lewis and Robin Beaudoin | photos courtesy of <strong>Mid</strong>-<strong>South</strong> Pride<br />
‘<strong>Mid</strong>-<strong>South</strong> Pride Presents:<br />
The 14th Annual Memphis<br />
Pride Festival’ for a weekend<br />
of fun, acceptance, and love<br />
<strong>Sep</strong>tember 28th through<br />
<strong>Oct</strong>ober 1st. On <strong>Sep</strong>tember<br />
29th, Friends For Life will be<br />
throwing the biggest dance<br />
party at the New Daisy Theater<br />
(tickets are only $25, and<br />
include admission and open<br />
bar), so dig out your dancing<br />
shoes. On Saturday, don the<br />
rainbow as the festival floods<br />
Robert Church Park and Beale<br />
Street with attendees from<br />
10am to 5pm. Parade lineup<br />
commences at noon for the<br />
1pm parade down Beale Street,<br />
and sign up is still open for<br />
anyone interested in helping<br />
to carry the famous pride flag,<br />
or enter a group to join in the<br />
parade. The <strong>Mid</strong>-<strong>South</strong> Pride<br />
Festival historically has about<br />
10,000 attendees and a myriad<br />
of booths and vendors. The<br />
weekend comes to a close in<br />
the Cooper Young District for<br />
a brunch at Celtic Crossing<br />
on <strong>Oct</strong>ober 1st. Save these<br />
dates on your calendar, and<br />
don’t be afraid to pitch in on<br />
the pre-party committees.<br />
With multiple teaser events<br />
leading up to the festival,<br />
volunteer opportunities<br />
abound! Interested volunteers<br />
may sign up on the <strong>Mid</strong>-<strong>South</strong><br />
Pride website (midsouthpride.<br />
org), and may opt to work<br />
on Logistics, Visual Media,<br />
Interfaith/Culture, Business<br />
Logistics, and more. Visitors are<br />
welcome to join the <strong>Mid</strong>-<strong>South</strong><br />
Pride team at a Monthly Open<br />
Board Meeting <strong>Sep</strong>tember<br />
5th at Out Memphis at 7:00pm.<br />
<strong>Sep</strong>tember 11th, the board<br />
will hold a Meet & Greet for a<br />
cocktail or two at the Zebra<br />
Lounge from 5:30 - 8:30<br />
p.m. The following weekend<br />
Spectrum will be hosting<br />
the Official Cooper Young<br />
Festival After Party with <strong>Mid</strong>-<br />
<strong>South</strong> Pride on <strong>Sep</strong>tember<br />
16th doors open at 9 p.m.<br />
For any additional details for<br />
volunteering opportunities<br />
contact Jennifer Murry-Rodley,<br />
jennifer.murry@midsouth.org.<br />
Phillis Lewis, board member<br />
for <strong>Mid</strong>-<strong>South</strong> Pride, wants<br />
everyone to come out and<br />
join the celebration for Pride<br />
weekend, noting that the <strong>Mid</strong>-<br />
<strong>South</strong> Pride festival is not only<br />
for the LGBTQ community, but<br />
to help educate others.<br />
“We have a festival to show<br />
unity. We have it to spread<br />
love. We have it to educate<br />
not only those outside of our<br />
community but also those<br />
within it. We are different but<br />
we are all human. The festival is<br />
an opportunity for everyone to<br />
come together in one place and<br />
celebrate being who they are<br />
without fear.<br />
We come together to<br />
remember those who came<br />
before us and fought for us<br />
for our rights to be able to<br />
walk down the street and<br />
hold our partner’s hand or<br />
say, ‘I do’ in front of our loved<br />
ones. We hope to see all your<br />
smiling faces: young, old, and<br />
in between because you are a<br />
part of what is to come so let’s<br />
all work together to build a<br />
better future.”<br />
Page 20 / focusmidsouth.com / SEP+OCT <strong>2017</strong> / Imagine
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