There is a candlelight vigil to honor Phillip Parker and other victims of bullying on Thursday, Jan. 26th at 8 p.m. at the Cookeville Courthouse Square.

Schools in Tennessee and across the country should be safe places where students can learn and grow without persecution. We support the efforts of the many groups who are working toward making this goal and reality. Our thoughts are with the residents of Smith County at this time.

A recent internal audit performed at the beginning of our fiscal year — shortly after Jason resigned from his 15-day presidency in October 2011 — shows that our finances are in meticulous order.

We continue to be very thankful for our loyal sponsors and our Core 100 members as we build momentum through hard work, an open-door policy and an unyielding dedication to providing a celebration on June 16 worthy of Middle Tennessee’s diverse citizens.

Sincerely,
Your Nashville Pride Board

January 9, 2012 – NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville Pride has announced their third annual 2 Chefs/2 Visions dinner hosted at Cha Chah (2013 Belmont Blvd) on Thursday, February 9, 2012. For this year’s event, local celebrity chef Arnold Myint will be joined by local chef and Nashville favorite, Debra Paquette.

Get your tickets here or join Core 100 today!

Ticket proceeds benefit Nashville Pride. Each ticket includes a champagne cocktail, two appetizers, two main courses and two desserts. Seating begins at 6 p.m. You can purchase tickets, priced at $75, at www.ticketsnashville.com or at nashvillepride.org.

This event is included in CORE 100 membership which offers discounted tickets to supporters. All ticket buyers will be contacted prior to event to confirm seating time.

“We are so excited to have Arnold in the kitchen again this year supporting Nashville Pride,” says Jack Davis, Past President of Nashville Pride. “While the theme of the night is ‘a fork divided,’ a meal is a great place to start a conversation and our hope is this event will continue to create a sense of community and awareness for Middle Tennessee’s GLBT community. With two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts from two amazing celebrity chefs all for a great cause, it is a night too good to pass up!”

Nashville Pride’s mission is to educate and maintain a sense of pride, community, and awareness of, about, and for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people and culture in Middle Tennessee. This year’s Pride Festival is scheduled for June 15-17, 2012 in Nashville’s Riverfront Park.

For more information, visit www.nashvillepride.org.

# # #

About Arnold Myint:

Inspired by his mother who has run a successful restaurant for over 30 years, Arnold is the Executive Chef and owner of three popular restaurants in Nashville: Cha Chah, which was voted Best New Restaurant by Nashville Scene (2009), Suzy Wong’s House of Yum and PM. Once a competitive professional figure skater, Arnold is also an expert mixologist, savvy event planner, and has been known to appear as Suzy Wong herself to promote his latest concept. Arnold’s culinary approach is mirrored by his colorful life.

About Debra Paquette:

For more than a decade Debra took diners on a magical culinary journey around the Mediterranean with her nationally recognized restaurant Zola, which was once featured in Gourmet Magazine’s Annual Restaurant Issue as one of the top sixty restaurants in the United States. Since the closing of Zola’s, Debra has been busy. Last summer she served as operating chef for the new Local Taco in Brentwood.  She was challenged by a new venture and fell in love with latin food.  Soon after, her culinary ventures continued at Miel where she helped the french bistro kitchen while searching for their new chef.  During her 6 months there she was offered a spectacular opportunity to have her own kitchen again with Echo opening late Spring in Nashville’s up and coming SoBro neighborhood.

For more information contact:

Joey Leslie
Nashville Pride
joey@nashvillepride.org

He was a resident of Tennessee who lived in neighboring Cheatham County, our own backyard, bringing the reality of the situation very close to home and close to our hearts. We hate to see anyone take his own life for any reason, especially when and if  it stems from discrimination and bullying. We hope the school, the community and the county will continue to investigate this tragic incident and will take a stand against bullying, rejection, and discrimination in our schools.

The family has asked that donations be sent to
Sandman’s Ink Shop 1102 N Main St., Ashland City, TN 37015

 Services will be held at the Cheatham County Funeral Home
117 Elizabeth Street, Ashland City, TN 37015
Visitation is Friday, Dec. 9 from 2-8 p.m.
The funeral is on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m.

A vigil has been tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m.  at OutCentral in Nashville.

For resources and more information on preventing and dealing with suicide, visit tspn.org.

Cocktails & Cabaret will be held Friday, November 4 from 7 – 10 p.m. at the home of Jeff Rymer in the Exchange Lofts (309 Church Street, #602). Tickets here!

The event is $25 (or FREE for Core 100 Members) and will feature live music from Nashville singer/songwriter Sarah Brown , light hors d’oeuvres from Savor the Flavor Catering and signature cocktails.

This is the first of many social events and fundraisers we’ve got in store, so now is a perfect time to join our Core 100 which will get you discounted tickets and guaranteed admission to our most popular events! Click here more for info or to join now.

Preview the honey-soaked sounds of Sarah Brown here.

“This year, we’re focusing on our core strength with our Core 100 members – a loyal group of partners and donors who ensure our success long before the festival arrives,” said Jason Hunt, president of Nashville Pride. “Core 100 membership gives participants an all-access pass to Pride’s most popular parties and community events. Not only does it save our donors money but it helps increase Pride’s budget as we plan the best festival yet!”

Cocktails & Cabaret is the kickoff event for Pride’s 2012 fundraising year and joins a growing list of successful quarterly events including 2 Chefs/2 Visions held in February, Martinis & Jazz in May and the Nashville Pride Festival in June. Click here for a list of upcoming events.

“We view this new event, and the many others we produce throughout the year, as an opportunity for our GLBT friends and allies to cultivate a strong sense of pride as we raise funds to produce our annual Pride Festival, the most important celebration of tolerance and acceptance in our region,” said Hunt.

There are several donation levels for Core 100 membership ranging from $40.00 to $325.00. Highest-level donors receive CHERRY status ($325.00) followed by APPLE ($185.00), PEACH ($75.00) and PLUM ($40.00). Each contribution level receives varying benefits including event tickets and VIP access.

We hope to see you at all our fun, community-building events! Email us at info@nashvillepride.org with questions.

As I made my morning commute yesterday, I posted on both my Facebook and Twitter something about National Coming Out Day. It was met with five likes on Facebook, and an @response on twitter regarding my sexuality.

As someone whose sexuality is not often in question, I was delighted to clarify that YES — I identify myself as outside the heterosexual norm. My clarification was met with “Cool! Happy #nationalcomingoutday to you!”

This little sentence absolutely made my day.

That experience was much different from my past National Coming Out Days. When I posted a status on Facebook about this day last year, someone reacted in an extremely negative and hurtful way. I did not dignify this negativity with a response, and this individual unfriended me not long after.

This person’s small act did not bother me much since I think everyone is entitled to believe what they choose, and I would much rather have one less friend than compromise my PRIDE for who I am and what I stand for. It was then I resolved to never let anyone forget how proud and confident I am to be Out.

A wise man once said, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

This famous quote by Dr. Seuss always inspires me to not waste any of my precious life being anything but true to myself, and to surround myself with people who love the me that I love.

I encourage all members and supporters of the GLBT community to show their pride on National Coming Out Day, and remind the world what it looks like to be someone who is PROUD to be gay, PROUD to be lesbian, PROUD to be bisexual, PROUD to be transgender, and PROUD to support equality.

Inspire others to be true to themselves, and show everyone how great being Out can be.

Your current Pride board approved a slate of eight new board members at our September 8 board meeting.

The new board members are: Joey Brown, Co-Owner of Play Dance Bar; Aaron Campbell, Tennessee Government Affairs Specialist for Youth Villages; Joseph Conner, Director of Publicity for Lotos Nile; Allan Gonce, Senior Buyer for Metro Public Schools; Lisa Howe, Owner of Howe About Consulting; Brent Meredith, Marketing and Communications Director for Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College; Nora Spencer, Director of GLBT and Women’s Studies at Vanderbilt University; and Milton White, Director of The Fashion Office. Returning board members include: Teryl Brake, Christy Ikner, MAC and Joseph Woodson.

Interested in getting involved? Click here!

The Executive Board roster saw only two changes with Jack Davis rolling from president to past-president and Jason Hunt rolling from president-elect to president, as dictated in Pride’s by-laws. Returning to round out their two-year terms this year are Treasurer, Jenn Garrett, and Secretary, Joey Leslie. The position of president-elect remains vacant at this time. The board plans to vote someone into the position by the end of the year.

“We are thrilled to have such a talented and respected group joining our efforts this year,” Davis said. “We put feelers out across the entire community to bring in an eclectic roster of new board members with expertise and talents in varied fields and I’m confident that we’ve compiled a group that will help Nashville Pride exceed new, lofty goals.”

As required by Pride’s by-laws, the new slate was chosen by a nominating committee comprised of three Pride board members (Brown, Davis and Woodson) and two community activists not affiliated with Pride (Suzanne Bradford, The Brook’s Fund; and Michael Fierro, Smoky Mountain Rodeo Association).

by Anne Golightly, Volunteer

This Saturday Tennessee Equality Project will be hosting a walk with Mayor Karl Dean at Edwin Warner Park. I will be there at 8:50 am sharp to show my pride, get some fresh air, and represent thanks for our mayor who supports equality and non-discrimination. I am so happy to live in a city whose leader I can proudly stand behind. The walk is family friendly, kid friendly, and dog friendly — and I can’t wait to feel the sense of community that is sure to be tangible at this event. Not every city has a mayor who will walk with PRIDE, so I will not be taking this opportunity for granted.

Edwin Warner Park is a gorgeous place to stretch your legs out, show your pride, and be part of something awesome. Be there Saturday June 11th, 8:50 am!

Click here to read about the Bridgestone Main Stage line-up.

Graham, who is perhaps best known as Bonnie Bennett on the CW’s popular The Vampire Diaries, will surprise audiences with her musical talent. In 2008 she toured the world with the Black Eyed Peas and released her dance club hit “Sassy” last year. Her new song “I Want It All” is on its way to the charts.

DJ Kimberly S, spins all over the world to packed venues and some of the world’s biggest parties. She explains her meteoric rise to the top of the DJ pack with a simple, “I’m strong, I’m hot and I can spin my ass off.”

Musicians Kyle Miller, Leslie Dysinger, Heidi Burson Band, Helena Johansson, and Reserve Halo Effect will take the Hallmark Volkswagen Local Stage on 1st Ave. during the festival.

Click here to read about Hallmark Volkswagen Local Stage line-up.

Nashville Pride Fest will be held Saturday, June 18, at Riverfront Park from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. The event will also include a Local Artists Stage, DJ/Drag Stage, and over 100 vendors.

The purpose of the Nashville Pride is to maintain a sense of community and awareness of, about, and for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and culture throughout Middle Tennessee.

Admission to the annual festival is $5.00, VIP tickets are $50 and include food and drink at the festival. Keep an eye on our site and Facebook for up-to-date information.

by Anne Golightly, Volunteer

A dear friend of mine informed me last Wednesday of a very exciting student-produced documentary to be premiering this past Friday: “Transmen”, a film by Tiffany Gibson.

Instantly intrigued, I watched the trailer and was looking forward to attending the world premiere on Middle Tennessee State University’s campus. While excited about the film, I was horrified to learn that Tennessee is the only state with a law preventing changing gender on birth certificates. Tennessee does allow changes to gender on one’s driver’s license and University degrees, but the inconsistency of these facts and the discriminatory nature of this law is dumbfounding.

The documentary follows three transgender Tennesseans, enlightening the audience to the struggles of being a transman. I found the film fresh, personal, and charming– but not so much that the issues it addressed did not tug at one’s heartstrings. One of the most striking parts of “Transmen” was the mother of one of the stars lamenting about how she worries that her son may be harmed some day because of his being transgender.

This was such a sad thought to me as I imagined one day having a transgendered son or daughter of my own, and him or her being harmed just for trying to be true to themselves. No citizen of the United States should be hurt in any way because of their personal pursuit of happiness, and no person in this world should be forced to deny themselves the lives they dream of because of fear.

All in all, I’m very grateful this fabulous documentary shed light on my ignorance concerning the transgender community. The fact that I live in a state which denies its people the right to legally change his or her gender upsets me. This should upset anyone who believes all of us humans (crazy as we are) were created equal, because denying a person equal rights based on how they identify themselves sexually is WRONG. Plain and simple.

More information can be found on the documentary “Transmen” at http://transmen.tumblr.com.