Black Gay Pride may be the biggest LGBT event in town over Labor Day weekend, but several other huge events are set to draw queer crowds. From proud gay geeks at Dragon Con to gay authors at the Decatur Book Festival, and from gay tennis players at The Peach tournament to gay DJs at bars around town, the long holiday weekend is packed with a rainbow of options.
Dragon Con, the world’s largest science fiction and fantasy conference, hits Atlanta Aug. 30 through Sept. 2, bringing 50,000 fans to five downtown host hotels. One of the most popular events is the costumed Dragon Con parade; participation is limited to Dragon Con attendees, but many more will pack the streets to watch the show, which steps off at 10 a.m. Saturday morning.
Dragon Con attracts dozens of high-profile presenters, including several LGBT favorites. Among the best known is George Takei, who came out years after portraying Hikaru Sulu on the original “Star Trek.”
The internet was abuzz last night during the 70th annual Golden Globe awards after actress Jodie Foster accepted the Cecil B. Demille Award, a lifetime achievement for her nearly five decades in show business.
Foster acknowledged her sexuality and thanked her ex-partner and the couple's two children in her acceptance speech. While Foster had also thanked her then-partner, Cydney Bernard, at a Women in Entertainment event in 2007, last night’s more prominent event is being widely treated as her coming out speech.
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) President Herndon Graddick called Foster's Golden Globes speech “a significant moment for LGBT visibility” in a statement released today.
“I was a Boy Scout, and I have wonderful memories of my Boy Scout days and we had no issues like what has come up in recent times. I’m saddened and shocked by the policy the Boy Scouts have.”
— Gay Star Trek veteran GeorgeTakei in an interview June 18 with the New York Daily News on the ouster of Ohio mother Jennifer Tyrrell who was fired from her volunteer Cub Scout leader position in April because she is a lesbian. Takei will be joined in the official Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation car by Tyrrell at the 43rd Annual LGBT Pride March in New York City on June 24.
“Now you can be proud of serving your country, and be proud of who you are.”
— U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta thanking gay and lesbian military members for their service on June 15, as the Pentagon prepared to mark June as Gay Pride month with an official salute.