OUTIS THE NEWIN Memphis Pride fest Powered by A 3-DAY GRAND CELEBRATION! FRIDAY, SEPT 23 Saturday, SEPT 24 Sunday, SEPT 25 The Pride Concert Pride Festival Pride Brunch crawl 7p q Handy Park 10a - 5p q Robert Church Park Starts at 1 - 4p in Cooper Young Page 6 Page 12 Page 3 Pride Parade 1 - 2p q Beale Street Page 13 PROUD SPONSOR OF THE LGBT PRIDE PARADE MGM Resorts named one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality” #GoldStrikeMGM © 2016 MGM Resorts International®. Gambling Problem? Call 1.888.777.9696 Table of contents 4 ........................Welcome to the 13th Annual 15 ..................Performing Artists Memphis Pride Fest The Zoo Girls Midtown Queers 6 ........................Pride Concert Lisa Michaels 7 ........................2016 Grand Marshals 16 ..................Festival Vendors 8 ........................Meet the Board 17 ..................Drum Circle Project 10 ..................2016 Mister & Miss Mid-South Pride OUTMacc Onner IS THE18 ..................Q&A Aubrey Ombre NEW Queer Youth from Playhouse ..................Performing Artists 12 ..................Festival Layout 18 Melanie P. & Mixx Talent ..................Parade Route 13 Mike Hewlett & the Racket 14 ..................Meet Your 2016 Event Hosts ..................After Parties Jaiden Diore Fierce 19 Fannie Mae 20 .................2016IN Sponsors Welcome to the 13th Annual Memphis Pride Fest From your President, Sept 23rd at 7:00pm, followed by the Festival and Parade on I want to welcome you to your 13th Annual Memphis Pride Fest Saturday Sept 24th from 10:00am to 5:00pm with the parade at and Parade with this year’s theme as “OUT is the New IN.” This 1:00pm going down the historic Beale Street, finally we end the year has been an amazing year of growth and expansion for fun-filled weekend with a brunch crawl through Cooper Young The Mid-South Pride Organization. I am proud to have such a on Sunday Sept 25th, 2016. We are thrilled to bring back the strong and confident board of 8 members working hard alongside “Kid’s Zone”, The Second Stage, and the Gold Strike Casino’s 50 myself to make this year’s festival and parade better than any ft. Cooling station. The last year has been an eye-opener and we year before. Each year is filled with fundraising and community at Pride want our community to know that we unify when others outreach events, our year kicked off in February with our Mister try to divide. We stand behind our community and those whom Mid-South Pride’s Annual Heartbreak Hotel event, followed by our have been attacked in the name of being themselves. We want 1st annual GAYla event, and will end in October with your Mister to provide a safe and loving environment for everyone to be who and Miss Mid-South Pride competition. That’s 8 months of active they want to be. We are always interested in your opinions and fundraising with at least 3-5 events occurring every month, and suggestions therefore we will have a suggestion box located at the that is just the social calendar. Along with all the events scheduled; info booth, so while the thoughts are fresh in your mind, please we still hold multiple monthly open and closed board meetings and stop by and drop them in the box. You can make suggestions for team meetings. So with this hard-working and amazing team of 8 the 2017 theme as well. We want you all to have a great time this strong, we are proud to present to you this year’s Annual Memphis pride season and remember to be PROUD of who you are and that Pride Fest. we at pride do this all for you, our community. We are very excited about the growth and expansion of the Mid- Your President, South Pride Organization over the last year. We have extended the pride festivities to a weekend long celebration starting with s the Memphis Pride Fest Concert at Handy Park on Friday night VanessaVane Rodleysa Rodley Love is love is love. Since the Beginning. Join us on your journey. shadygrovepres.org Our community ministries include: 5530 Shady Grove Rd. PRIZM (prizmensemble.com), Memphis, TN 38120 Race for Grace (raceforgrace.racesonline.com), Contact: 901-683-7329 and the Saturday Supper Program at St. Luke’s Office hours: Monday–Friday 9-2:30 p.m. United Methodist Church Worship: 10:30 a.m. on Sundays Proud of Our Diverse LGBTQ Community n Empowerment for all Men of Color in the Mid-South n Dedicated space and resources for social activities n Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) education and access n Free HIV and STI testing n Free condoms and safer sex supplies Call for Your Next Test – and Ask Us About PrEP! Learn About How One Pill... Once A Day... Can Help You Stay HIV Negative. 901.417.8754 | thehavenmemphis.org SEPTEMBER 23 q 7:00 PM Pride Concert HANDY PARK ON BEALE Hosted by Phillis Lewis Phillis Lewis was born in Chicago but now resides in Memphis, TN with her daughter. She works as a Victim Witness Coordinator for the Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit at the District Attorney’s Office and has done so for over 6 years. If you ever check out the night life or drag show here or there you have probably seen her drag persona Freak Nasty who has been performing for over 5 years a former Miss Femme American National Star 2015, Mr. Misster 2012, Mister Mid-South Pride 2012, and Mr. Dru’s Place 2011. Phillis works with many non profit organizations such as Mid-South Pride, Friends For Life, Memphis Pegasus Krewe, Planned Parenthood, Men of Hoist, MGLCC, and donates her time as well to many others. Seeing Red SEEING RED is a fan favorite from Memphis, TN. With energy and variety in every show, they are fun to watch! Seeing Red plays originals plus a wide variety of cover songs from Pink to Johnny Cash, Paramore to Janis Joplin, Sam Smith to Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars to Journey, Kings of Leon to Brandi Carlile and so much more! SEEING RED’s EP titled “Stereotype” is available at www.seeingredband.com and all other digital outlets. You can also check them out at: @seeingredband and Seeing Red Band Tori WhoDat with DJ Spaceage Tori WhoDat comes to us from the heart of New Orleans and streets of Memphis to help enlighten the youth while offering a sanctuary from social stigmas through her infectious beats and unique sound. Today, her passion and her purpose is defined by her dedication to sincerity in her lyrics with a raw message that can be felt by anyone who has seen struggle and risen above with fists swinging. 6 Mid-South Pride 13th Annual Festival and Parade 2016 Grand Marshals This year at the Memphis Pride Fest, powered by Mid-South Pride, we recognize our Grand Marshal’s as outstanding members/allies of the LGBTQ community. The honorary title of Grand Marshal is granted to those whom possess a strong role in advocacy or make a significant stand for those in our community. They have helped to build and work to sustain a strong sense of pride throughout the years and want to make Memphis and the Mid-South a better place for members of the LGBTQ population to live. Grand Marshal #1 Grand Marshal #2 Grand Marshals #3 Mike Morgan Cristin Smith Ginger and Diane Mike Morgan has been a long-time supporter of Cristin Smith has been an integral part of the Standing on the shoulders of giants, Ginger and the LGBTQ community. He started out in the early LGBTQIA community for the past six years. She is Diane have been fortunate to live their lives openly 90’s working the “Gay Switchboard” with his the heart and soul in the operation of Spectrum and without fear. In 1990 at Texas Woman’s then partner John Sparks who passed away of night club; a safe haven for all ages of our University, they were the first persons to have a a heart attack in April ’93 at the age of 36. The community to enjoy comradery and encouragement same-sex marriage ceremony at Little Chapel in switchboard was a part of crisis counseling and to be themselves. Cristin’s devotion to her the Woods. In 1992, they were the first openly was partly responsible for giving out information community goes far beyond her role at Spectrum. lesbian parents with a known gay sperm donor in about “Gay Friendly” establishments and bars to She is an active participant of Mid South Pride. Memphis. They have raised two amazing young those in the Memphis community and to guests Cristin seldom appears in the limelight, but she men, Maxwell and William Thornton-Leonard, visiting from out of town. changes lives everyday where it counts. She is a who hold the same values of equality and justice strong leader, giving people a platform to voice as their parents. Diane, Ginger and their children their opinions while knowing she supports and have marched for equality in DC more than once, cares for them unconditionally. She is a dreamer and have been the focus of numerous newspaper and a visionary, but much more than that. articles, newscasts and radio interviews about gay rights, women’s rights, and the challenges of raising two children as gay parents, all because of the very brave souls who cleared a path for them. When a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s derailed her professional career, Diane began to “pay it forward” in earnest, volunteering and serving on several nonprofit boards including CHOICES (MCRH), MGLCC, Pink Palace, and Friends of George’s.