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The Navigator

Pride event aims for many identities, capacity turnout

By Rick Gershman
Published June 8, 2007

Local group Giddy-up, Helicopter! is one of the acts that will play the Pride & Passion event at the Tampa Museum of Art.
	[Photo by Amber Tincher]

You can be proud to be an American. Proud to be a Muslim. Proud of the bookshelf you built. Proud of your honor student at Mitchell Elementary.

There's no monopoly on "pride, " but it has become an interesting word.

In the particular dictionary I glanced at - published in 1986, mind you - the entry for "pride" had no specific political or social implications.

And in the 21st century, "pride" still can mean a thousand things to a thousand people.

It can also mean a thousand things to gays and lesbians, one of which is being proud of their sexual orientation year-round. But they also can commemorate it every June with Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.

So it's no surprise that the second annual Pride & Passion event will include such themes. The fundraiser, subtitled A Celebration of Identity, occurs tonight at the Tampa Museum of Art.

According to the organizers, last year's debut P&P event was a smash hit.

It was the largest single membership event ever held at the museum which, you might have heard, sure could use some fundraising these days.

According to the organizers, more than 400 people attended the 2006 event, which generated 250 new memberships for the museum. (If you're not already a member and you buy the nonmember ticket, boom, you have a one-year membership.)

Organizer Scott Taylor said he was impressed by the broad cross-section of the community that was represented.

"We're always saying that the best parties are always the ones with the great mix, " Taylor said.

"Last year, we had lots of straight people and gay people of all ages. We had families there, businesspeople and elected officials."

Of course, as Taylor said, "last year had a definite hook."

It was a gay-themed event timed close to the first anniversary of when the Hillsborough County Commission adopted a new policy.

The policy mandated that county government "abstain from acknowledging, promoting or participating in gay pride recognition and events."

One might assume some of the high attendance at the '06 P&P event was spurred by people wanting to show their opposition to the policy and support for gay rights.

Still, Taylor expects an even larger turnout tonight. He said the number of RSVPs organizers had received a week ago doubled those received by the very evening of the '06 event.

"We're hoping for at least 600, " he said. "I think the reason we've got that in our head is that's the museum's capacity. We feel optimistic."

Appropriately enough, the museum's current exhibit relates to the theme of "identity, " said museum spokeswoman Meredith Elorfi.

The musical acts are the renowned local group Giddy-up, Helicopter! and Venus in Furs, which plays Velvet Underground covers.

"We kind of want something that has a lot of broad interest; we don't want to be tied to one particular kind of theme, " Taylor said. "I think it's going to be great."

Rick Gershman can be reached at rgershman@sptimes.com or 226-3431. His Ill Literate posts appear online at blogs.tampabay.com/juice/.

Fast Facts:

If you go

What: Pride & Passion 2007: A Celebration of Identity

When: Tonight, 8 to midnight

Where: Tampa Museum of Art, 600 N Ashley Drive.

Cost: Tickets are $45 individually, $65 for couples/households, and $20 for current museum members.

Information: Go to www.tampamuseum. tix.com or call 274-8716.

[Last modified June 7, 2007, 07:47:06]