Three separate events Aug. 28 — an AIDS walk, a rally and a carnival — will celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community in Toledo.

AIDS Resource Center Ohio (ARC) will sponsor the 2nd annual Northwest Ohio AIDS Walk, beginning at 8 a.m. Aug. 28 at International Park. The 5K walk is wheelchair accessible and leashed pets are welcome to attend.

“Many people are choosing between their families and their medication because they can’t afford it,” said Laurie Cohen, development officer for ARC Ohio. “Right now it’s really critical that we raise money, especially for people that are HIV positive,” Cohen said. “We have people that still need their medications and they’ve been taken off of the State of Ohio HIV Drug Assistance Program.”

Cohen said 300 people attended the first AIDS Walk in 2009, which raised $35,000 for the organization. Cohen said the organization is expecting 500 participants this year.

“We provide all services for people who are infected, affected and effected,” Cohen said of ARC Ohio. “Case management, financial assistance, core medical services, HIV counseling, testing and referral services and advocacy.”

Live entertainment will include female impersonator Hershae Chocolatae, DJ Tommy Moran, the Adrian, Mich. band Sound Advice, free massages, face painting and a mixer by Joe Veitch.

The Toledo LGBTQ Collective declared Aug. 28 “Toledo Gay Pride Day” and will host a March and Rally for Civil Rights at noon. The march begins at One Government Center on 604 Jackson St. and will journey over the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge to International Park.

Lair Scott, founder of the first Toledo Gay Pride Day and March on June 25,1995, said 75 people attended but it hasn’t occurred since. This year, Scott is expecting 500 to 700 people, many from out of town.

Scott said he was inspired to try again after 15 years because of the death of Joe Wicks, former owner of Caesar’s Show Bar and a paternal icon of gay rights in Toledo, in April. The march and rally are dedicated to Wicks.

“When we lost Joe Wicks, we lost that arm that reached out to the homeless gay and lesbian community,” Scott said.

“The whole idea behind the march is to gain some knowledge behind the community because it’s lacking,” Scott said. “A lot of the things in Toledo that matter to the gay and lesbian community are being neglected. LGBTQ Collective’s main focus is not just to be active, but to try to see what we can do for our community, like building a community center with health center attached.”

The final event occurring Aug. 28 is the inaugural Toledo Pride event sponsored by OutSKIRTS and Equality Toledo. The Pride will be held at the Civic Hall in the Erie Street Market.

Lexi Staples, owner of OutSKIRTS bar, said that Toledo City Council just passed a resolution acknowledging Toledo Pride as an official event.

“They realized something the LGBTQ community in Toledo was missing,” Staples said.

Beginning at 3 p.m. there will be a “Community Connection Carnival” featuring live entertainment, belly dancers, the Glass City Rollers, food and artists. Information booths from local LGBTQ resources will be available, including First Unitarian Universalist Church, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and Central United Methodist Church.

The carnival will end with dancing and a drag show lasting until 1 a.m. After 10 p.m., attendees under the age of 18 will be asked to leave the event.

“There are a lot of LGBT individuals and allies in Toledo, but never has it been assembled on this scale,” said Sherry Tripepi, executive director for Equality Toledo.

Admission is $5 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and $7 from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Those age 14 and younger get in free. Proceeds go toward event funding and aid Toledo Pride in becoming a nonprofit organization in 2011. For more information, visit the website http://blog.toledocollective.org/.

Tags: Toledo Gay Pride Day

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 10:52 am and is filed under Festivals, Gay pride, Star.
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