PURCHASE TICKETS NOW by going to the Gay Bingo section of our website. Or click here.

Join us on Friday, May 18, 2012 for

COUNTRY QUEEN Gay Bingo!

Benton Convention Center
301 W. 5th Street
Winston-Salem, NC

Doors open at 6:30pm
Bingo begins at 7:30pm
Tickets: $20.00 Adults; $10.00 Students with ID

At 6pm, the Benton Convention Center will open a cocktail bar prior to Bingo. Come join in the fun.
AFTER APRIL 25, TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT CAMINO BAKERY, WHOLE FOODS MARKET, WASHINGTON PERK AND PROVISIONS, THE SCREAMING ROOSTER, AND PET SUPPLIES PLUS.

Group Sales: If you are a member of an organized group (church, sports league, etc.) You can get a $2.00 discount on each ticket and we will reserve special seating for your group. That means your ticket will cost $18.00 instead of $20.00.   You can prepay discounted tickets to Equality Winston-Salem, PO Box 20382, Winston-Salem, NC 27120-0382,  or you can pay at the door if you can guarantee attendance. If you have any questions about group sales, please email Steve McGinnis at sbmcginnis@yahoo.com.

ONLINE Group Sales of 10 people or more. If you want to get a large group of friends, “Girls Night Out,” birthday parties, etc. then buy your tickets online. When you order 9 tickets online, Equality Winston-Salem will have an additional ticket waiting for you at the front bingo desk. IF you order 18 tickets online, you’ll receive two free tickets, and so on. We will also have reserved seating for you. If you have any questions, please contact us at equalitywinstonsalem@gmail.com.

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Equality Winston-Salem welcomes the return of Gay Bingo on Friday, January 6, 2012.

PURCHASE TICKETS NOW by going to the Gay Bingo section of our website. Or click here.

TV LAND BINGO—the FIRST of three 2012 gay bingo events sponsored by Equality Winston-Salem—will be held on Friday, January 6, 2012 at the Benton Convention Center. Doors open at 6:30pm and bingo starts promptly at 7:30pm.

With great support from the community, previous Gay Bingo events have attracted impressive crowds and grossed over $20,000 in 2011 toward Fall Pride Parade efforts. More importantly, the events draw a diverse crowd of participants and sponsors—approximately half of those in attendance are straight allies. Equality Winston-Salem sponsored the first Pride Parade in Winston-Salem in fifteen years on Saturday, October 15 and brought over 5,000 people to downtown Winston-Salem.

The theme of January’s bingo event is TV Land Bingo—and will feature Bebe Tea and the BVDs as they celebrate TV Land icons including Mary Tyler Moore, Maude, the Gilligan’s Island castaways Lucy and Ethel and many more.  “We’re excited to begin our second year of Gay Bingo,” said Steve McGinnis, co-organizer of Gay Bingo and Equality Winston-Salem. “This year promises to be even more fun and entertaining than last year.”  The BVDs (Bingo Verifying Divas) will also perform several times throughout the evening.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 with a student ID. Tickets can be purchased locally at Whole Foods, Caffe Prada, The Screaming Rooster, Washington Perk and Pet Supplies Plus. Tickets are also available online at www.equalitywinstonsalem.org. There will be EIGHT regular games included with your $20.00 ticket, plus SIX “Bingo In Between Bingo” games ($2.00 per card; 50/50 winnings) and a FINAL $5.00 game with prize money up to $500.00 depending on attendance. Bingo organizers encourage attendees to get tickets early.

If you would like to volunteer to set up, tear down, sell raffles, bingo cards or concessions, please email Steve McGinnis at sbmcginnis@yahoo.com.

So proud of the over 200 members of our community who signed onto this full page ad in today’s Winston-Salem Journal (Living section). Thanks!

Route Changed Slightly to Accommodate Increased Number of Parade Participants

It’s a good problem to have! (Thanks to the WS Police Department for their commitment to ensuring a safe and successful PRIDE.)  OUR PARADE ROUTE HAS CHANGED SLIGHTLY TO ACCOMMODATE AN INCREASED NUMBER OF PARADE PARTICIPANTS!

The PRIDE festival begins at 11:00 a.m. on 4th Street between Spring Street and Spruce Street. The parade starts at approximately 4:00 pm.

All parade participants on floats and in organized groups will line up on Holly Avenue. The parade starts at corner of Holly and Spruce, turns left onto Spruce, right on 4th Street, going down 4th Street to Liberty, left on Liberty, left on 5th and then left on Spruce Street back to the festival area. The best location to watch the parade would be on 4th Street or 5th Street between Liberty and Spruce. If you’d like to walk in the parade with friends and family, you will be invited to join the parade after the last float or group leaves the staging area.

We encourage all members of our community to walk with PRIDE.

Equality Winston-Salem is honored to have Representative Marcus Brandon join us for PRIDE 2011.

From the Daily Kos / September 12, 2011

The North Carolina legislature is expected to debate the anti-gay marriage bill that would add a same-sex marriage ban to the state Constitution. From Q-Notes comes this profile of the openly gay legislator who has become he de facto face of fighting the amendment. Freshman Rep. Marcus Brandon (D-Guilford) was there. The state’s only openly gay legislator, Brandon had been present for Democrats’ press conference outlining their opposition to the amendment. Several anti-gay ministers had already gathered in the press room, awaiting their own press conference organized by House Majority Leader Rep. Paul Stam (R-Wake) and Speaker Pro Tem Rep. Dale Folwell (R-Forsyth). Heated, passionate words were exchanged, with Brandon stressing tolerance and equality and the pastors preaching division and exclusion.

“I take it very personally,” Brandon told qnotes via telephone. “I’m the only openly gay member of the legislature and there’s definitely a responsibility that comes with that when we’re talking about something so personal.”

Brandon said he found it moving that his Democratic colleagues stood up against the amendment.

“I think it’s very powerful for my colleagues to stand up and talk about democratic ideals and what they’ll defend, what we’ve always fought for,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s always about trying to move people from one place to the next.”

Though he didn’t ask for the privilege, Brandon has been the de facto face of the amendment debate for many at the legislature and across the state. Colleagues are looking to him for his guidance and LGBT citizens, both from within and outside his district, see him as “their” voice in Raleigh. He’s been sharing his personal story with his colleagues in attempts to move their frames of reference.

“I have tremendous respect for my Republican colleagues and I respect that this is a deeply-held belief for many of them,” Brandon said. “This conversation I’ve had with Republicans and even some Democrats is the same conversation that you have to have with family members when you come home trying to explain who you are, what you are and what that means. It’s a very similar conversation.”

Winston-Salem PRIDE 2011 Festival and Parade Map

Co-organizers of Equality Winston-Salem’s PRIDE 2011 met with the WS Police Department last week to finalize logistical plans for Winston-Salem PRIDE 2011. We’d like to thank Corporal Leone and his team for their assistance in recommending a festival location and parade route that are enjoyable, spacious and safe for our entire community.

Winston-Salem PRIDE 2011 is planned for 11am-5pm on Saturday, October 15. Headliner Jennifer Knapp is scheduled to perform at 3pm, and the Parade is scheduled to begin at 4pm.

The map above outlines the tentative location of the PRIDE festival—beginning at 4th and Spring Street in downtown Winston-Salem and extending to Poplar Street (the festival will extend to 4th and Spruce Street depending on the number of vendor applications received).

The Parade route is as follows: Parade begins at Poplar and 4th, Poplar to 5th Street, right on 5th Street to Liberty Street, right on Liberty to 4th Street, right on 4th Street. The parade will end at 4th and Spruce with large floats and parade participant groups turning left on Spruce Street to disassemble.

A list of festival vendors can be found in the vendor section of this website.

Winston-Salem PRIDE 2011 announces Jennifer Knapp as PRIDE headliner.

We first heard about Jennifer when she performed at FemmeFest in Charlotte earlier this year. Singer songwriter Jennifer Knapp’s latest album, Letting Go, debuted at #73 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. The Grammy nominated, Dove Award winning artist returned from a seven year hiatus last year. She will perform at Winston-Salem PRIDE 2011 on Saturday, October 15.

Knapp’s impressive history includes selling over one million albums with her previous releases Kansas (debut 1998), Lay It Down (2000), and The Way I Am (2001). The Kansas-born musician toured the globe with artists such as Jars of Clay and was featured on 1999’s Lilith Fair tour. She received critical acclaim with The Los Angeles Times calling her “a rising star” and People Magazine describing her as “an uncommonly literate songwriter.” Jennifer went on to win her first Dove Award in 1999 for Best New Artist, scored a Grammy nod in 2002 and another Dove nomination in 2003. With a considerable fan base, critical and commercial successes, Knapp walked away from it all at the height of her career. After seven years of soul searching and time spent in Australia, Knapp comes full circle with Letting Go.

Find out more about Jennifer at http://www.jenniferknapp.com. To read about her coming out, visit http://www.curvemag.com/Curve-Magazine/Web-Articles-2010/Jennifer-Knapp-Opens-Up/.

Visit this site for regular PRIDE updates as October 15 approaches.

A Letter to Equality Winston-Salem

(We received this letter from April on July 29,2011)

To Equality,

A little background on me! My name is April Lucas.Fifteen years ago I was sixteen and marched with Ron Baity’s sponsored protest with Calvary Baptist Church in King, NC against homosexuals! I was told it was my duty and that it was the right thing to do! Going to school at Calvary, my father in school there as well to become a minister, it was not only expected but required that we join the march!

I remember walking for what seemed like hours,yet in all actuality it was only a few blocks. I remember everyone singing and praying and chanting how sinful it was “love the sinner, hate the sin”! I felt sick to my stomach knowing that this was not right, yet not having come to understand why I felt this way, I did as was expected and finished the march! The images have stuck with me for  years and I waited every year for another pride or parade to be held! To make it up not only to myself but my community!

A year later at seventeen, I met and fell in love with my wonderful partner of thirteen years in August! I left the life I knew as an outcast and have never looked back! Even then when I decided to be true to myself and love who I loved regardless of the consequences, I knew that in spite of the family I had lost that I had another one with outstretched arms ready to take me in with love and support! I’m glad to see that after fifteen long years of waiting our community is standing strond and stating we will be seen! I have since moved and hope to make it back for the celebration with my partner in hand!

With Sincere Thanks,

April Lucas

North Topsail Island, NC

INTERFAITH VOICE TO HOLD CONVERSATION ON HEALTHCARE ISSUES

For Immediate Release

July 29, 2011

WINSTON-SALEM — The second in a series of community conversations on issues impacting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community – this one focused on healthcare issues – will be held at Temple Emanuel on Thursday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. under sponsorship of Interfaith Voice and PFLAG Winston-Salem.

Featured speakers include Kevin Mundy, vice president, marketing and community relations for AIDS Care Service; Andy Hagler, Executive Director of the Mental Health Association; Christopher A. Ohl, M.D., Associate Professor Internal Medicine-Infectious Diseases at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, and Dee Leahman, Director, Community Partnership for End of Life Care, Hospice & Palliative Care Center.

Mundy will report on the latest news on AIDS care and treatment and the recent increase in cases as some people ignore the safe sex message; Hagler will discuss mental health issues that especially affect LGBT people, such as depression; Ohl will present the latest on other sexually transmitted diseases, such as hepatitis C and B; and Leahman will talk about how to be a good patient advocate – for yourself AND your partner.”

There will be an extended opportunity for discussion and conversation on these topics. Refreshments will follow in the Temple lobby.

The conversations are being presented by PFLAG and Interfaith Voice, a coalition of 11 local congregations, supported by a grant from the Adam Foundation. The third in the series, on immigration equality, is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. at Green Street United Methodist Church, and the fourth, on the language of bullying, will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. in Wait Chapel at Wake Forest University.

Interfaith Voice seeks to be an affirming voice of the faithful, in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) persons in our community. Through education forums, the group will enlighten Winston-Salem about the civil discrimination faced by LGBTQ friends and neighbors.

Interfaith Voice also plans to be a resource to other congregations considering how they might become open and affirming.

Current members include Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship, Green Street United Methodist Church, Metropolitan Community Church of Winston-Salem, Parkway United Church of Christ, PFLAG Winston-Salem, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Temple Emanuel, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest Baptist Church, and Wentz Memorial United Church of Christ.

EQUALITY WINSTON-SALEM MONTHLY MEETINGS

Equality Winston-Salem holds organizing meetings bi-monthly on alternating Monday and Thursday evenings at 6pm. Please join us for lively discussions of upcoming events and broader concerns related to the LGBTQ community in Winston-Salem. Email Mary Jamis at mjamis@mcreative.net or equalitywinstonsalem@gmail.com for more information.