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OKC Pride Parade organizers announce schedulexxxxx

(Posted 6-4-01)

The 14th Annual Oklahoma City Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Persons Pride Parade and Human Rights March will take place on Sunday, June 24, 2001. The Parade takes place on the last Sunday of June every year to correspond with the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots which marked the birth of the modern GLBT Rights movement. OKC's Pride Parade is organized by Pride Network, Incorporated.

According to Pride Network, Incorporated co-chair Paul Thompson, the following information was correct at the time of posting. Additional details, updates and corrections will be posted as they become available.

This year's Grand Marshall: 19-year old Kevin Barker, from Jenks, Oklahoma, is the founder of the Jenks High School Gay-Straight Alliance, and an activist in the Oklahoma chapter of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network. His courage and perserverance in doing so makes him a role model, not only for GLBT youth, but for all of us - as GLBT persons and as Human Beings.

Bus and parking: Free parking will be available in the empty lot on the corner of NW 39th & May (former site of the Bunkhouse). A double decker bus will run continuously from Noon through 8PM from 39th & May to Memorial Park making stops along the way. There will be no charge to ride the bus.

Festival: Memorial Park, NW 35th and Classen. This year's festival will begin at Noon, not 1PM as previously announced. The park will be packed with booths from a multitude of GLBT and GLBT-supportive organizations and vendors selling food and merchandise (and giving away information!) all afternoon! Strolling through the park will be a clown making balloon animals and perhaps even eating fire!

Festival program: Noon to 4:45PM. This year Memorial Park fun begins at Noon with one huge stage of continuous entertainment all afternoon!

Parade line-up: 4PM.

Judging: This year, awards will be given to Parade entries in several categories. Banners will be presented to award winners to carry in the Parade. Only entrants lined up by 4PM will be considered for an award.

Parade step-off: 5PM

Parade route: Step off at Memorial Park North on Classen to 41st Street, South on Classen to NW 39th Street, West on 39th to Youngs.

Parade traffic rules: OKC Police have requested that we not allow motorcycles to run up and down the Parade route while the Parade is in progress. They feel that it is unsafe to allow motorcycles to be going back and forth during the Parade. Motorcycles will be allowed in the Parade but they must stay with a specific contingent.

NW 39th Street will be closed off at 2:30PM: from Pennsylvania to Youngs. There will be no access to any traffic from any side street that feeds into 39th between Penn & Youngs. Only pedestrians and the Parade itself will be allowed access during this time.

39th Street Grandstand: Bleachers will be set up on NW 39th Street between Pennsylvania and Barnes on the day of the Parade. A dj will start playing music at 3PM. At 4:45 there will be a pre-parade show featuring Janell Jace. When the Parade arrives, Janell will announce each entry as it passes. A portion of the bleachers will be set aside for VIP seating. VIP passes are being sent to various officials and dignitaries.

Closing ceremony: At the end of the Parade there will be a closing ceremony at the 39th Street Grandstand featuring the OKC Metro Men's and Metro Women's Choruses.

Receptions for Kevin Barker: Two receptions are being planned to honor Kevin Barker. On Saturday evening, the Gayly Oklahoman is sponsoring an invitation-only reception for Kevin at the home of Gayly publisher Don Hawkins. On Sunday, after the Parade, a no-alcohol reception hosted by the Young Gay/Lesbian Alliance will be held at the Center, 2135 NW 39th Street. This event will be open to the public.

What to do if Fred Phelps shows up: Ignore him.

This year's sponsors:

The members of Pride Network, Incorporated would like to extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation to all of you - members of our community as well as supporters of our community - who pitched in to support this year's Parade. Your sponsorships will help our efforts to be a resounding success! Thank you!

Gold Level

Bud Light
Cimarron Alliance Group
The Gayly Oklahoman
The Habanna Inn Complex: The Copa, Finishline, Gushers, The Ledo
Wilson Hill Investments/Entertainment Services Inc.: Angles, The Wreckroom, The Park

Silver Level

ID Lube    
Jungle Reds
Out Word Connections.com
Dub Richardson Auto Collection

Bronze Level

Steve Callahan Designs
Cathedral of Hope: Oklahoma City
Craig's Emporium
Equal at Lucent Technologies
Face Beautiful
Flanigan's Costumes
Ken Hutmacher: Prudential Alliance Real Estate Group
New Leaf Floral   
Windy City 

Corporate Level

21 Records 
23rd Street Body Piercing
Kevin and Paula Brown 
Dis Guys Costumes 
double think magazine 
Gina's Antiquities 
Gypsie's Inc. 
James Prock and John Eggleston
Jean's Plumbing
K.A.'s 
Mistletoe Wholesale Florists 
The Red Cup
Tramps 

Non-Profit or Individual Level

ASP/Friends of the Winds
Kevin Barker, Parade Grand Marshall
Amy Corley for House Rep 
Heather Deshazo
Central OK Human Rights Alliance
Cimarron Alliance Foundation
Epworth Methodist Church
GLSEN Oklahoma
Mark Henricksen
Herland Sister Resources
Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC
Northern Lights Alternatives, OKC
National Leather Associtation, OKC Chapter 
OFF AIDS
OK Classic Gay & Lesbian Community 
OKC Metro Men's and Women's Chorus
OK Democratic Party                        
Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus
Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association
Peace House
Planned Parenthood
Red Earth Bears
Red Rock Behavioral Health Services 
Richard's Roadside Services
Keith Smith
St. Andrews Presbyterian Church
Stonewall Democrats
Stop The Hate
TJ's Royalty - Tammy, Craig, & Raz

Additional Light Pole Banner Sponsors

Kevin and Paula Brown
Karen Parsons and Jean Pennycuff

Why straight people should attend:

Pride Parade organizers say that they welcome the support and participation of the straight community, and encourage that community's involvement in this year's event. Local GLBT leaders say that they recognize that progress on GLBT Rights cannot happen without support from the straight community. Gay-friendly organizations such as the Central Oklahoma Human Rights Alliance, ACLU, NAACP, Progressive Alliance, the Democratic Party, Green Party, Libertarian Party, St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Epworth United Methodist Church and many others, including legislators and officials such as Oklahoma state Senators Bernest Cain and Angela Monson, and Oklahoma City city councilperson Ann Simank, have participated in the Parade in some form or another in the past and are expected to do so again this year. For the past several years, Oklahoma's state Senate has issued a proclamation in support of the Parade through the office of Senators Cain and Monson, and it is hoped that Oklahoma City will follow suit this year. The Parade is also becoming an increasingly important venue for political candidates seeking GLBT votes.

"As a defender of both freedom of expression and equal rights for G/L/B/T people, the ACLU of Oklahoma has supported the Pride Parade since its inception.  I'm proud to say that I marched in the first parade in 1988! This event is important to our civic life because it demonstrates that the First Amendment applies to all citizens without regard to their sexual orientation," said ACLU of Oklahoma Development Director Michael Camfield.

For more information: the general public is encouraged to visit the PNI website at www.okcpride.com. Registration forms for both Parade entries and Festival booth rentals are available on the website and at The Center, 2135 NW 39th Street, OKC.

 

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