UPCOMING: Statewide Fairness Summit this Saturday!

I haven’t been able to post in a while, but what a perfect way to kick of the new year with some big news!

The Statewide Fairness Coalition, a group of progressive organizations around the state (which includes Fairness Campaign, Kentucky Fairness and ACLU-KY) is hosting its second annual Statewide Fairness Summit this weekend, where activists, community organizers and friends of fairness and social justice come to together to make some change in the Bluegrass.

The goal? To create a legislative strategy which includes:

-fighting anti-gay legislation
-passing a statewide fairness law
-protecting GLBTQ Kentuckians from discrimination
-learning to lobby

This event is FREE and open to all who come. Registration is required, but breakfast and lunch are provided. So bring a friend and come!

And, if you’re a student, you get FREE hotel lodging and travel subsides if you RSVP by January 14, Thursday, 12 PM.

To RSVP, please email kyle@fairness.org.

WHEN:
Saturday, January 16
9 AM – 5 PM

WHERE:
Paul Sawyier Public Library
319 Wapping Street
Frankfort, KY

HOW MUCH:
Free; if student traveling out of town, subsides  and hotels are available (costs covered)

GOING OUT: Dining Out for Life, Wednesday, December 2nd

Happy December!

In light of World AIDS Day and HIV awareness, Dining Out for Life in Louisville gets set for another year. The premise of DOFL? You dine out, and the restaurant donates proceeds that day to HIV/AIDS organizations. For our city, that will be the House of Ruth.

To get in on this, find a participating restaurant and go chow down!

WHEN:
Tomorrow, December 2
All Day

WHERE:
Participating restaurants in Louisville (find a restaurant)

GOING OUT: 5th Annual Out and About Gala by Kentucky Fairness Alliance

Hi everyone!

I haven’t had a lot of time to blog recently, but I wanted to mention one big — MAJOR — event coming this weekend.

The Kentucky Fairness Alliance is holding its Fifth Annual About & About Gala this Saturday, to be held at the State Historic Theater in Elizabethtown, KY. And you can get in on the action!

KFA has set up a limo to leave from Louisville to Elizabethtown, but this isn’t just an ordinary limo. There’s an open bar, dinner and other great ammenities. And of course, fabulous company!

The tickets are only $75, benefitting the Kentucky Fairness Alliance. If you want to buy one, contact Chris Hartman at chris@fairness.org or call (502) 640-1095. It’s not too late to get seats!

WHEN:
Tomorrow, Saturday, November 14
7PM – Midnight

WHERE:
209 West Dixie Highway
Elizabethtown, KY
LIMO from Louisville-Elizabethtown: Contact Chris Hartman by email or call (502) 640-1095

HOW MUCH:
$75

FAIRNESS X: Celebrate 10 years of Fairness this weekend!

10 years of fairness calls for a blowout!

Come celebrate this weekend with the Fairness Campaign as they commemorate the anniversary of the “Fairness Ordinance” in Louisville, which bans discrimination against gays and lesbians in the public arena. Louisville is one of the first cities in the south to have such an ordinance, so why not give props to the people who helped make it happen (and those who are still pushing for equality in the state)?

Fairness X is actually in two parts:

1) Friends of Fairness will be throwing house parties all over the city. Be it a barbecue or a formal dinner, guests are welcome to come to these closed, but festive parties. Donations are expected and vary from party to party. For more info about attending a party and contact info, please email Chris Hartman.

2) The night rounds out with an “X-plosion” at the Monkey Wrench, with live music by DJ Ninja and Lady J and drinks provided by Brown-Forman. Fairness leaders from 1991-1999 will be recognized and all guests get a commemorative pin! It’s only $20 ($10 after midnight), but isn’t 10 years of fighting for fairness priceless?

WHEN:
Saturday, October 24th
All-day

WHERE:
House parties, contact Chris Hartman

Fairness X-plosion at Monkey Wrench
1025 Barret Avenue

HOW MUCH:
Varies; $20 suggestion donation for Fairness X-plosion  at Monkey Wrench ($10 after midnight)

TONIGHT: Reading of the “The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later,” at Actors Theatre

Actors Theatre of Louisville will be putting on a stage reading of “The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later” in memory of the tragic and violent death of Matthew Shepard. The reading is actually part of a country-wide event, as hundreds of theaters will also be putting on readings and performances at the same time. After the reading there will be a discussion to follow, which the audience can participate in.

This event is free to attend, but tickets are required. Visit the box office to pick them up or call (502) 584-1205 to make reservations.

WHEN:
Tonight, 8 PM

WHERE:
Actors Theatre of Louisville
316 W. Main Street

HOW MUCH:
Free

BREAKING: Fairness Campaign announces boycott of Woody’s Tavern

Fairness Campaign has released a statement announcing the boycott of Woody’s Tavern. The owner, David Norton, has once again been accused of making racist and volatile comments to customers in his bar. If you have been following this story, Norton drove a group of students and a professor out of his bar a year ago due to racist and sexist comments, which he publicly apologized for almost two month ago.

Unfortunately, it looks like Norton has not learned his lesson and that his apology was meant only for the cameras. Some of the remarks  Norton is accused of saying include “trashy faggots,” and “Look at their skin color. You know what’s on the tip of my tongue” in reference to African-American patrons.

It’s truly sad to witness this horribly blatant form of prejudice coming from our own community. Fairness Campaign will be announcing the boycott outside of Woody’s at 4 PM tomorrow, followed by a discussion during their monthly Dismantling Racism meetings on Wednesday (details below). The University of Louisville will also have a public forum about the events on October 28 (time and location to be determined).

All are encouraged to attend. Please spread the word to family, friends and those who you know within the community.

WHEN:
Tomorrow, October 6
4 PM

WHERE:
Woody’s Tavern
208 E. Burnett Street (corner of Brook and E. Burnett St)

—

Dismantling Racism Sessions

WHEN:
Wednesday, October 7
6 PM

WHERE:
Fairness Campaign Office
2263 Frankfort Avenue

TONIGHT: Black Women’s Anti-Homophobia Campaign Presents: Black Lesbian Life Stories

The University of Louisville’s Saturday Academy brings you Black Lesbian Life Stories. Join in as a panel discusses their own experiences on being both black and gay. The discussion will be moderated by University of Louisville professor Dr. Kaila Story, who is also the Audre Lorde Chair in Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. The first 25 to come will also receive a complementary beverage from Blue Mountain Coffeehouse. The event also includes a performance by Heaven and Earth 360.

WHEN:
Tonight, October 3
5-7 PM

WHERE:
Blue Mountain Coffeehouse and Tapas Bar (Corner of Preston and Main)
400 E Main St

HOW MUCH:
Free

GOING OUT: Hard Candy One-Year Anniversary and G3 Soiree

What happens when two big, fabulous events collide? KABAAM! More fabulousness!

Hotel Nightclub and G3 Illustrated are joining forces to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Hard Candy, Hotel’s gay entertainment night aimed at the GLBTQ community and G3’s monthly soiree, which has had a steady following.

This event is going to be BIG. Why? Well, for one Onch Movement is going to be there, along with Stephen Hampton from MTV’s Paris Hilton’s My New BFF. And then DJ Syimone and the Ladykillers are also going to be DJing, so the music will be off the chain. Oh, and did I mention that the event has NO cover?

Bring your friends and dress to impress, red carpet style! If you want to reserve a table, call Daniel Cole at (502) 548.4082 or send him an email. This will surely be a gay night!

WHEN:
Tomorrow, October 1
8 PM – 4 AM

WHERE:
Hotel Nightclub
410 S. Fourth Street

HOW MUCH:
Free

The University of Lousiville’s PRIDE Week and more!

I definitely take the blame for not blogging about this earlier, but the University of Louisville’s Pride Week is this week, with LOTS of great events.

It’s not too late to get involved. A complete schedule is listed, but the keynote event will be an address by transgenders activist Calpernia Adams and Andrea James on Thursday, 7-9 PM in the Humanities building, room 100, with an after party immediately following at Starbase Q.

Check out the Facebook events and the full schedule below!

Monday, September 21
11:30 AM-2 PM
Pride Kickoff Cookout with music, LGBT vendors, free Pride shirts, and more!
West Lawn, Red Barn

Tuesday, September 22
12 PM
Brown Bag Lunch: Why Gender Neutral Restrooms Matter
Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace and Justice
Ekstrom Library

7-9 PM
Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South Tell Their Tales
Starring E. Patrick Johnson
Strickler 101

Wednesday, September 23
11:30 AM
International Tea/Lunch
LGBT Issues Abroad
Cultural Center

3 PM
Women’s and Gender Studies Fall Lecture Series
Dr. Yaba A. Blay
“Rude gon Batty: The Paradox in Dancehall Masculinity”
Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library

7-9 PM
CommonGround Parents Night with PFLAG
Cultural Center, Multipurpose Room

Thursday, September 24
5-7 PM
LGBT Alumni Reception
University Club
Hosted by Kentucky Fairness Alliance and Mark England

7 -9 PM
Pride Keynote Address by Calpernia Addams and Andrea James
Humanities 100

9 PM
After Party for Calpernia and Andrea
Hosted by Sienna
Starbase Q (21 and over)

Friday, September 25
12-1 PM
Pride Interfaith Service
Interfaith Center

2 PM
Women’s and Gender Studies Maddox Prize Lecture
“Contemplatively (Re)Visioning the Transsexual Self: Gender as Transformative Exercise in Calpernia Addams”
Brice Nordquist
Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library

9-11:30 PM
Pride Wrap Up Dance Party
Red Barn

Sunday, September 27
11 PM
Pride Service
Community Empowerment Center
1036 Euclid Avenue

Tuesday, September 29
12 PM
Keys to the Door: ENDA, Transgender Identity, and Community
Room 275, Brandeis School of Law
Hosted by the Law School Diversity Committee and the Lambda Law Caucus

TONIGHT: Concert for Fairness at the Metropolitan Community Church

If you’ve got no plans tonight, the Metropolitan Community Church is throwing a concert. In celebration of the Fairness Ordinance’s 10th anniversary, MCC is hosting an awesome night of music for the Fairness Campaign.

Whether you’re into contemporary to smooth jazz, the concert will be a lot of fun and is open to all. The event is free, so come out for a night of celebration and show support for our faith-based allies!

WHEN:
Tonight, 8-11 PM

WHERE:
Metropolitan Community Church
1432 Highland Ave