Pride Calgary Raises Funds So Much More Than Parade and Park Festival for School

SPONSORED content 'Gay rager' pride calgary raises funds so much more than parade and park festival for school

Dave Beninger has three words to describe last year’s Gayger party: “It was amazing, amazing, amazing.” Amazing — quite the feat, considering it was the inaugural “gay rager” event to raise money for the new Pride Scholarship at Mount Royal University, which will award

September. $500“Last to two year students was our forbig the year,” first says time Benin this- We have over 40 events. - We have a brand new parade route, we have set-up,ger, who everything helped start was the a lotscholarship, of work. “figur a brand new venue — ing“I out couldn’t the scholarship, have asked getting for a better officially night everything’s changing — we raised over $2,000. It exceeded all expectations and everyone’s really excited – Jason Kingsley, president for the second one.” and executive producer of Calgary Grand Marshal for this year's parade, Lois Szabo (right), One of the dozens of events during Calgary Pride opened Alberta's first legal gay and lesbian club.Kelly HOFER Pride, Gayger lands on Sept. 8 at Twisted Element — doors open at 7:30 p.m., DJs start

6 Street SW to 3 Avenue SW. The parade starts parties — from patio to beach to club. The soothe those sore muscles later with a Growing annual celebration at noon, Sept. 3, and the outdoor cultural festi- last few events of Calgary Pride land in cold brew. val Pride in the Park immediately follows. late September. “This event is great in that it’s one of kicks off with many fun events Helming the parade as Grand Marshal this To help narrow it all down, Kingsley’s the few events that really gets you up and hosted throughout community year is Calgary’s own Lois Szabo, a trailblazer picked out a handful of his favourites — the moving, and it’s a great way to just have a highlights of the whole rainbow: fabulous time with some great people and Calgary is booming again. After unpreced- gay and lesbian club in Alberta, incorporated enjoy a fun game of softball,” Kingsley says. ented growth and support, Calgary Pride is inwho 1970 opened — just Club so membersCarousel — of the firstcommun legal- Gay History Walks (Thursday night and moving on up. ity could simply have a drink together. These Sept. 2) then still have your whole evening to enjoy “It’s the largest yet; we have 175 days, that party takes over the streets. "These history walks, led by the Calgary Gay all “Plus,the parties you can that spend night!" the day on the field, While Calgary Pride attributes its growth History Project’s leader Kevin Allen, are a 140 last year,” says Jason Kingsley, president to support from the LGBTQ2+ community, its huge hit, drawing bigger crowds each year,” The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Sept. 3) andconfirmed executive parade producer entries, of Calgarywhich is Pride. up from numerous partners and the City of Calgary, Kingsley says — walkers have even reached Yes, costumes are encouraged. Yes, audience “We have over 40 events. We have a brand it certainly knows how to return the favour: 150 people. participation will be wild. new parade route, we have a brand new venue Last year’s impact study revealed that the “Kevin has done a phenomenal job "What better way to wrap up your Pride — everything’s changing.” festival generated $5.5 million of economic curating stories and tidbits about our city’s The biggest upgrade is new digs at Prince’s activity in the province and brought 8,000 tumultuous LGBTQ2+ history, and takes you quips. Island Park — the organization points out it’s guests to the city. on a walk through a city that you only thought Week“Back than by a popular little Time demand, Warp?” the Kingsley cult classic Dozens of events contributed to that, of you knew, until he pulls the curtain back and Rocky Horror Picture Show can only truly years, as other major festivals are downsizing. course — Calgary Pride festivities are so shows the fascinating hidden stories behind be experienced in a room full of raucous the“And first ourevent parade to move route into is the moving park fromin recent 9th much more than the parade and park festival. everyday places." Avenue to 6th Avenue, so we can end right at - this there!" the park,” Kingsley says. ing weeks are packed with karaoke, pub Apollo Softball Slam (A.S.S.) Tournament participants, and you’ll find no shortage of The new parade route runs west from Officiallynights, family starting barbecues, this past AIDS Friday, walks, the hikes,com (Sept. 2) Visit calgarypride.ca/events/ for more 3 Street SE to 6 Street SW, then north along brunches, dinners, potlucks, and all kinds of details and full events listings.

Why not kick some A.S.S. on the field? And SPONSORED content pride calgary 'Gay rager' raises funds for school

Scholarship focuses on empowering LGBTQ2+ youth to meet goals of earning higher education

September. $500“Last to two year students was our forbig the year,” first says time Benin this- Last year’s Gayger party raised more than $2,000 for the Pride Scholarship at Mount Royal University. THIRD EYE ARTS - spinning at 8:30 p.m., and drag queen shows Beninger says, pointing out that scholarships “And it’s also about justice,” he adds, set-up,ger, who everything helped start was the a lotscholarship, of work. “figur hit the stage at 10 p.m. and midnight. - “because LGBTQ2+ people are more likely to ing“I out couldn’t the scholarship, have asked getting for a better officially night Cover is only $5 for the 18+ party, and all ties, religions or family backgrounds, among drop out of high school, more likely to have — we raised over $2,000. It exceeded all cover proceeds go toward the scholarship. others.were already available for specific ethnici higher absenteeism rates — a lot of that expectations and everyone’s really excited Even the six DJs, including Nic Nemesis and “Those are all noble causes, but there was stems from bullying. So this is about cor- for the second one.” Weed Queen, accepted lower fees to help the none there for LGBTQ2+ people who are prob- recting something.” One of the dozens of events during Calgary charitable event. ably more than 10 per cent of the population,” Visit facebook.com/PrideSAB/ for more Pride, Gayger lands on Sept. 8 at Twisted - he says. “It’s about empowering people and details about the Gayger event and for infor- Element — doors open at 7:30 p.m., DJs start helping them meet their goals. mation on how to donate. Focusing on LGBTQ2+ youths and help soothe those sore muscles later with a ing them pay for school was “filling a need,” cold brew. “This event is great in that it’s one of Sharing untold stories of Calgary's gay history in walking tour the few events that really gets you up and moving, and it’s a great way to just have a As little as 50 years ago, Kevin Allen might person, just a few decades ago. fabulous time with some great people and have been thrown in jail. “I think there’s little awareness, generally enjoy a fun game of softball,” Kingsley says. Today — walking through roughly a dozen speaking, amongst millennials around some stops in Calgary, sharing the city’s gay his- then still have your whole evening to enjoy tory with groups of strangers — the histor- says the researcher. “Although, that said, it all “Plus,the parties you can that spend night!" the day on the field, seemsof the difficulties like an eye-opener we’ve had for in everyone the past,” on “I don’t feel the past is painful; I think the the walks — when we say that we used to be The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Sept. 3) pastian doesn’t is complicated find it a bittersweetand there are experience. some tra- incarcerated right up until in the late-60s, Yes, costumes are encouraged. Yes, audience gedies in it, but I also think it’s an interesting people just don’t believe that ever happened participation will be wild. story that doesn’t get looked at too much in in Canada. Even people who are more than "What better way to wrap up your Pride Calgary,” he says. 50 years old.” “Calgary has a really dominant narra- And, tapping the namesake of this week’s quips. tive about the Stampede and about energy celebrations, he adds, “It gives me a great Week“Back than by a popular little Time demand, Warp?” the Kingsley cult classic exploration. But there are other stories in sense of pride to share those stories.” Rocky Horror Picture Show can only truly Calgary that have been basically unexplored The Downtown Gay History Walk will be be experienced in a room full of raucous and untold.” held Thursday night, 7 p.m., starting at Hyatt After quitting his day job to launch the Researchers Kevin Allen (left), Nevena Ivanović and Jonathan Brower at the gay history infor- Regency Calgary. The Beltline Gay History this there!" Calgary Gay History Project in 2012 — mation booth during Calgary Pride. Calgary Gay History Project Walk will be held on Sept. 2, 2 p.m., starting participants, and you’ll find no shortage of at the CommunityWise Resource Centre. Visit calgarypride.ca/events/ for more published this fall. people of all ages are genuinely surprised Visit calgarypride.ca/events/ for more details and full events listings. bookand hosting on the topichis first and walking is working tour to in get 2013 it Clearly such a tome is needed; he says to learn the realities of life as a LGBTQ2+ information. — Allen has just finished his “hyper-local”