Parades, and Galas, and Banquets...Oh My!!!

San Francisco Pride (the people who put on the parade/party for Pride) recently announced the community vote getters. Robert Benardo was selected by the community as the parade's individual grand marshal. I was really hoping that Cecilia Chung would have made it, but she still has the opportunity to be a marshal when either the membership of Pride, the electoral college of former grand marshals, or the Pride board selects more marshals.

I met Robert earlier this year during my CUAV training. He was a pretty nice guy and gave us some tips when talking to the community about our stories and CUAV. Interestingly enough, he tried out for Star Trek Voyager...the role that eventually went to Garrent Wang.

Sticking with sci-fi and Pride, the community selected Governor Girlieman himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, for the "Pink Brick" award, mainly in part for his veto of the Gay Marriage bill he vetoed last year. OK, he's getting a bit of a bad rap for the veto...saying he would rather the public or the courts overturn the amendment allowing only a man and a woman to be married, but he didn't have to be the terminator...that role has since passed him by.

SF Pride also announced that the Billy DeFrank center was selected the organization grand marshal. I worked with their panel discussion last week, and plan on attending their 25th Anniversary gala later this month. It's a little pricey for dinner, but it's a fund raiser for a good cause.

Speaking of fund raisers, I'm also looking to attend the San Francisco GLAAD media awards in June. If I thought the DeFrank center meal was pricey, the GLAAD one is insane. Still, it's for a good cause. It's also good to represent the usually under-represented T that falls with the L, G, and B. This year may be different though. I already noted at least two table hosts that fall under the transgender umbrella, and Calpernia Addams will be presenting an award as well. After sending an email to her good friend, it appears there will be two of them making their way up from SoCal. Hopefully we'll have some good numbers there.

While looking thru the BAR site at the SF Pride article, I finally found this old article from January. In the piece, you'll find a drag queen's worst nightmare. I'm gonna spoil it for you...ready???? It's me!!! :) Donna Sachet and I are gonna have to make sure we're not wearing the same dress this time. I already emailed her asking if she wants to go shopping sometime, because, knowing our luck, we'd both show up at the GLAAD Media Awards in the same outfit.