GLBT News

We welcome non-profit information tables and vendors selling items of interest to our community. Last year over 2000 people attended the event, and this year promises to draw an even larger crowd.

Exhibiting at Pride Day provides a great opportunity to celebrate GLBT Pride in the Central Valley and gain awareness for your business or organization.

The Exhibitor/Vendor Application packet, outlines the terms and guidelines for participation. Applications are due by Friday, August 15, 2008.

Download Exhibitor/Vendor Application packet (PDF)

Contact:

Alexander Brittain
Booth/Venue Planning Committee
exhibit@spcpride.org

The Stanislaus PRIDE Center invites you to an OPEN HOUSE at our new space, located in the lower level at 201 Needham Street in downtown Modesto, CA.

On Friday evening July 11, join us for a Wine and Cheese reception and/or Coffee and Pastries on Saturday morning.

This is an opportunity to meet our newest Board Members and Executive Director. We are looking forward to meeting you and hearing your ideas.

Friday July, 11 from 5-8
Wine, Cheese and tours of the new location

Saturday July, 12 from 11-2
Coffee, pastries and tours of the new location.

201 Needham St
Modesto CA 95354
(209) 338-0855

By Aurelio Rojas - arojas@sacbee.com
Monday, June 30, 2008

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who previously said the issue of gay marriage should be left up to each state, has announced his opposition to a California ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriages.

In a letter to Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club read Sunday at the group’s annual Pride Breakfast in San Francisco, the Illinois senator said he supports extending “fully equal rights and benefits to same-sex couples under both state and federal law.”

Read the Full Story

(Printed in the Modesto Bee, June 10, 2008, By LISA LEFF , Associated Press Writer)

The flowers have been selected, the Veterans’ Memorial Center has been booked, and the three-piece band has been chosen. The e-invitations have gone out and relatives are flying in. The brides - and there will be two of them - might not have time to buy something new to wear, but that’s OK.

Shelly Bailes and Ellen Pontac, who have been together for 34 years, do not want to wait a day longer than necessary to tie the knot now that California’s Supreme Court has legalized gay marriage. They had five weeks to plan a June 21 reception for 250 people.

“We should have been ready, but we weren’t,” Pontac said with a laugh. “We are taking care of all the details we can, and no matter what happens, we know we will have good company and good music and food and drink.”

The gay marriage ruling could give a big, sudden boost to California’s sputtering economy, with thousands of same-sex couples from across the nation expected to converge on the state when the decision takes effect June 16. Hotels, restaurants, florists and other wedding services are reporting a flurry of business.

Read the full article

(Printed in the Modesto Bee, June 6, 2008, by Lisa Millegan)

Among the famous gay figures like Robert Mapplethorpe and Ram Dass featured in the touring photography exhibit “Fellow Travelers: Liberation Portraits” is a native of Modesto.

James Broughton, who died in 1999 at age 85, was an avant-garde filmmaker and poet who was active in San Francisco’s art community. Among his many films was 1974’s “Testament,” which according to the Los Angeles Times featured the artist “prancing into a graveyard in Modesto dressed in a Renaissance cloak, accompanied by a parade of Felliniesque characters.”

The exhibit, by Los Angeles author and photographer Mark Thompson, has visited such cities as New York, Salt Lake City and Portland and is at Deva Cafe in Modesto through the end of the month. It is sponsored here by the Stanislaus PRIDE Center as part of the celebration of Gay Pride Month.

Thompson was a longtime writer, photographer and editor at The Advocate, a gay and lesbian news magazine, and has written six books, including the companion to the exhibit.

He got the idea for the photo display when he was in Big Sur about seven years ago. Thompson was getting tired of writing books and wasn’t sure what project he should do next. All of the sudden, the light bulb came on and he thought about the thousands of photographs he had taken of famous people over the years. The idea for the “Fellow Travelers” show was born.

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National photo exhibit honors Modesto native and gay culture

Fellow Travelers: Liberation Portaits by Mark Thompson, opens June 1st at Deva Café in downtown Modesto. The exhibit, on a national tour, includes 14 large-format black and white, historic portraits of gay liberation pioneers. The exhibit is sponsored by the Stanislaus PRIDE Center and is part of the local celebration of gay pride month. Modesto Art Museum is providing curatorial advice for the exhibit. The opening celebration is Friday, June 6th, 7:00 p.m.

Portraits in the exhibit include religious leaders Malcolm Boyd, Ram Dass, and Harry Hay; controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe; and influential sexologist Joseph Kramer. Men who have two things in common: their enormous contributions to civil rights for gay people, and the powerful effect their lives and friendships have had on photographer and author Mark Thompson. The former editor of The Advocate calls this exhibit Fellow Travelers, or a collection of images of “like-minded companions.”

“[These are] brave brothers who are building a community, moving forward together,” Thompson said in an interview with White Crane, the gay men’s cultural and historical organization sponsoring the exhibit’s tour. “It is also a sly reference to the use of the phrase during the early days of the Cold War when people who were accused of being communist sympathizers were dubbed “fellow travelers.” It was a coded word used pejoratively, so I wanted to redeem that and give it a more positive application for today.”

The exhibit includes Modesto native James Broughton. Broughton was born in Modesto in 1912 and developed an international reputation for his poetry and films. He is remembered for being the father of the West Coast avant-garde film movement and for being part of the literary movement of the Beat Generation. He made more than 20 films, winning an award at Cannes for The Pleasure Garden and in 1989 earned a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute.

Referring to the Broughton portrait, Thompson says. “I was this timid gay boy volunteering at a gay film festival,” recounting the day he first met the poet. “After his performance, there was a reception. He saw me and walked through the crowd towards me, and they parted like the Red Sea. He took my face, kissed me on the cheek and said, “Don’t worry, everything will be alright.’ It was a transferal of spirit from an older gay man to another.”

The exhibit’s national tour started in San Francisco last year. Before coming to Modesto, it made stops in Los Angeles, New York, Salt Lake City, Philadelphia, and Portland.

Fellow Travelers: Liberation Portraits by Mark Thompson
June 1st - 28th, 2008 at Deva Cafe, 1206 J Street, Modesto, CA
Monday - Sunday, 8:oo a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Opening reception: Friday, June 6, 2008, 7:00 p.m.

Media quotes about the exhibit:

“Fellow Travelers is the manifestation of a masterful collaboration between photographer Mark Thompson and writer Mark Thompson. With uncommon sensitivity, he manages to capture the heart and soul of 14 extraordinary men who redefine what it is to be beautiful. The pictures in tandem with the text achieve an intimacy and vibrancy that is electric–at once graceful, insightful, political and lyrical.” — Michael Kearns, actor-playwright-activist

“Even the briefest glimpse of these pictures is worth the bother. The show is dedicated to the exploration of gay male spiritual consciousness.” — David Lamble, Bay Area Reporter

“Author, journalist, therapist Mark Thompson has spent more than 30 years articulating the ineffable. As an artist, he waits for that one ‘perfect’ moment to capture the interior of the gay soul.” – Karen Ocamb, IN Los Angeles Magazine

As appeared in The Modesto Bee, April 26, 2008

Enochs and Oakdale teens join in national on-campus protests

By MERRILL BALASSONE
mbalassone@modbee.com

Sophomore Jacob Shackelford walked an Enochs High School hallway on Friday with his girlfriend on one arm and a black armband that said “Erase Hate” on the other.

The 16-year-old, who is straight, spent most of his day in silence to bring attention to the name-calling and bullying experienced by some of his gay and lesbian classmates. Jacob said he was the target of glares and some homosexual slurs in return.

“I just kept my head high and kept walking,” he said. “I support my friends the way they are. I wish more people saw that.”

Students at Enochs and Oakdale high schools, along with 6,000 middle and high schools around the country, took part in a silent protest against the harassment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and their supporters, called the National Day of Silence.

At Enochs, students made armbands that read “Promote Peace,” “Love is Love” and “God doesn’t hate.” Others wore tributes to Lawrence King, an openly gay Southern California eighth-grader who was shot and killed in his school’s computer lab in February. Lawrence allegedly was killed because of his sexual orientation.

At lunchtime, students gathered in a “Silent Space” in the school’s quad.

“The kids are really courageous to step forward and stand up for what they believe in,” said Debbie Adair, Enochs High’s Gay-Straight Alliance Club leader. “I think that’s just so admirable of people their age.”

Several parents called Enochs High about the day’s events, some threatening to pull their children out of school as a result of the silent protest, Adair said.

About 30 students at Oakdale High also spent the day, and their communal lunch period, in silence.

“We definitely made a very loud statement with our silence,” said Michael McKibban, an Oakdale GSA adviser. “There were some intolerant comments, but there was a fair amount of respect for what they were doing.”

Keith Highiet, board president of the Stanislaus PRIDE Center, said a shift in popular culture that includes gay icons such as Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell has made it easier for students to “come out” on campus in recent years.

But the boundaries broken by Hollywood don’t always translate into teenage social circles.

“I still think the same feelings of the unknown and the same fears persist,” Highiet said. “There are still going to be those kids, especially in school, (who are) just going to punish and harass people they see as weaker or see as people they can step on.”

In 1996, Modesto City Schools began crafting a comprehensive anti-discrimination policy to protect students from harassment on campus.

Then-Superintendent Jim Enochs said he was spurred to action after hearing the high school-age son of a former student describe being tormented at school for being gay.

The students broke their day of silence Friday night at a “Make Some Noise” rally at Modesto’s King-Kennedy Memorial Center.

Executive director Nic Freitas to start immediately, location move now fully completed
(Modesto, California) April 23, 2008

The board of directors of the Stanislaus PRIDE Center, Inc. (SPC) proudly announces the hiring of executive director, Nicholas “Nic” Freitas. Freitas begins his tenure immediately, and fills the newly created executive director position at an exciting time for the SPC - on the heels of a recent move.

A native of Gustine and a resident of Modesto, Freitas comes to SPC from the Youth Leadership Institute (YLI), where he worked as the well-respected nonprofit’s national alcohol education trainer. In his role at the YLI, he educated and assisted communities across the United States in planning and implementing strategies for reducing alcohol usage.

Previously, he worked as a prevention specialist for the Center for Human Services (CHS) of Modesto, where - through a partnership between the CHS and Stanislaus County - he conducted alcohol education training to more than 7,000 area youths and their parents, and assisted government leaders and community members in developing and passing social host ordinances throughout the county.

Mr. Freitas managed A Thousand Cranes Day Spa for a number of years in Modesto, and continues to work as an event planner for Simple Flowers, a local floral specialty firm.

Mr. Freitas brings to the SPC a vision for how to set up the organization for even greater and longer-term success through his proven management skills and a nonprofit-specific knowledge from his past employment positions.

The hiring of an executive director for the SPC comes on the heels of a recent move for the organization - to 201 Needham Street in downtown Modesto - in the lower level of the Great Valley Center. The SPC’s drop-in hours remain Wednesdays through Saturdays from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Clients are encouraged to use the door service on the Elmwood Avenue entrance to the building.

Come visit us in our new location in the lower level of the Great Valley Center at 201 Needham Street, located near five-points in downtown Modesto.

We recommend using the side entrance on Elmwood Avenue. We have a sign posted with our own doorbell. Please ring and a Volunteer will assist you. If you enter the building through main entrance on Needham Street, go down the stairs immediately to your left and follow the signs.

Our hours of operation are Wednesday through Saturday from 3-7pm. We offer a lending library of 1300+ books, dvds, videos, and magazines, two internet workstations, free counseling services, a community bulletin board, and meeting space for small groups.

If you have any questions please contact Desiree Holden, Center Coordinator, by phone at 209-221-5252 or by email coordinator@stanpride.org.

We are looking for a strong leader to fill a part-time Executive Director position with the Stanislaus PRIDE Center.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will serve as the chief executive officer of SPC, with responsibility for advancing its vision and strategic direction and helping us grow from a small organization to the next level of impact and organizational effectiveness.

The full job description is available online. Please forward the link to anyone you think would be a desirable candidate.