“Athens Shows Its PRIDE”
In it’s fourth year, Athens PRIDE is returning with a 7-day festival, running from September 8th-14th, celebrating the LGBTQ community in Athens and surrounding areas.
This year’s events begin Monday, September 8th with a screening of “Gen Silent” at Ciné (234 W. Hancock Ave.) as part of the Free Film Festival, with “Breaking Through” and “The New Black” being shown the following days at various locations. This year also includes a youth meet and greet scheduled for Saturday, September 13th at Mama’s Boy (197 Oak St.), and the PRIDE Festival concluding the week’s activities on Sunday, September 14th at College Square.
Originally launched in 1998, Athens PRIDE began as an annual picnic for the community’s LGBTQ community. In 2011, it branched out into a weekend-long event, and now in it’s fourth year it has expanded once again into a week-long festival including a variety of family-friendly activities and shows.
When asked about the significance of having PRIDE festivals in rural communities like Athens, a spokesperson from Athens PRIDE stated, “[It serves to] celebrate the diversity of life, promote unity, increase awareness, and to promote a positive image of LGBTQ individuals. Athens Pride exists to promote community, fellowship, and support around lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues.”
The community for support for PRIDE has grown incrementally over the years thanks in part to financial and personal support of the Mayor’s Office and Athens Downtown Development Authority for this year’s Festival and this year’s festival is expected to draw upwards of a thousand people.
For a complete list of events, times, and locations, please visit www.athenspride.com or call 706-540-6990.
Athens PRIDE is being presented by POWER 100.1 FM.
“PRIDE Returns To Savannah”
Celebrating its 15th anniversary, Savannah PRIDE is returning with a week of family-friendly events beginning September 7th with the First City Network Cookout in Daffin Park from 12-5 PM.
This year features a White Party with performances by local musicians Trae Gurley and Ethan Stewart at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum Garden on September 11th at 6PM. The main event, the Savannah PRIDE festival, is scheduled for September 13th with the opening ceremony beginning at 11 AM in historic Forsyth Park with over 60 vendors and scheduled performances by:
• Debby Holiday
• Jeremiah Clarke
• The Neal Brothers
• The Stepping Stones
Savannah PRIDE is also presenting the 2014 Spirit of Pride Award to Antonio Rodriques for his activism in Savannah’s LGBT community.
The first Savannah Pride Festival was held September 2000 as a part of Atlanta Pride’s First City Network and was co-chaired by Carol Riles and Robert Jeffery. The original expectation for its inauguration festival was approximately 500 participants. Surprisingly, there were more than 2,000 in attendance and that number has grown exponentially since it’s introduction with an expected 6,000-8,000 participants this year alone. The festival has since become a well-recognized and welcomed event in the city of Savannah, showing the city’s accepting and eclectic nature.
For a complete list of events, times, and locations, please visit www.savannahpride.com.