PrideFest celebrates with style

From concerts to theater performances to an expo, arena football and a picnic at the beach, PrideFest 2000 has it all. Did we mention the parade?

By MAGGIE COUNCIL DI PIETR

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 30, 2000

In the mid-'80s, Don Bentz attended his first gay pride event in Tampa. He had just graduated from college and made the decision to be open about his sexual orientation.

"It was so empowering," he said.

"I came from a little town in Indiana, population 2,000, if you count the cows and pigs. You grow up feeling you're the only one, that there is something wrong with you, you're different."

But on that day in Tampa, he found out, "I'm not the only one, there's nothing wrong with me, this is just the way I am."

Today, Bentz, president of Pride Tampa Bay, which organizes PrideFest, the area's annual gay and bisexual celebration, helps others realize they, too, are not alone.

This weekend's PrideFest 2000 offers a full schedule, including parties, seminars, a rally, parade, expo, movies and a Family Values picnic -- named to stress the fact that gays and lesbians have and participate in families.

The events blend adult fun with a serious tone, attracting activists as well as those seeking a party. Here is the schedule. For more information and tickets, call Pride Tampa Bay at (813) 854-8160.

TODAY

Hotter Than July Party: the Factory, 802 E Whiting St., Tampa. 9:30 p.m.-3 a.m. Dance party featuring Chris Cox of ThunderPuss 2000 and John Carpenter spinning, and performances by LaRue, Chase, Hawke, Baliant, Dane, Branch and Harper

SATURDAY

PrideRally: Lykes Gaslight Park, downtown Tampa. 10 a.m. Speakers: PrideParade Grand Marshal and singer Debbie Jacobs Rock. Also honorary marshals DJs Carmen Conners and Chris White from Tampa's Star 95 (WSSR-FM 95.7) radio station, Orlando City Council member Patty Sheehan, activist Nadine Smith. Entertainment by No More Silence. Free.

PrideParade: Kicks off at 11 a.m. A colorful procession of floats, groups and -- of course -- beads. Starts at Lykes Gaslight Park. Heads north on Franklin Street. Turns left at Polk Street. Crosses Ashley Street and goes under the Gasparilla overhang at the Poe Parking Garage. The route then crosses Cass Street and ends in the traffic circle in front of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, the site of this year's PrideExpo.

One addition to this year's parade is the inclusion of whistles. In a symbolic display, participants are asked to bring a whistle to the event to "let their pride be heard."

PrideExpo: Noon-6 p.m. Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Vendors on the walkways, riverwalk and lobbies. Entertainment line-up in the Playhouse theater includes Bonnie Pointer, the KromOzone Project, Halcyon, Trust, the Tampa Bay Gay Men's Chorus, Crescendo and Jackie Beat, comedian and drag performer. Beat is known for her song parodies and onstage wit. She appeared in the recent Robert DeNiro film Flawless and in the off-Broadway hit Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls.

Also at the Expo, two back-to-back showings of the BBC series Queer As Folk will be shown in the Jaeb Theater. Non-stop seminars and workshops in the Off-Center Theater will feature Equality Florida, FREE and youth groups. Admission to the Playhouse is $5; the Jaeb, $3.

Pride Night with the Tampa Bay Storm: 7:30 p.m. start. The Ice Palace. Block seating for Tampa Bay's Arena Football League game against the Orlando Predators. Seats are in the Red Zone, and ticket includes a donation to Pride and a $5 food/merchandise voucher. Tickets must be purchased through Pride to qualify for the offer. Tickets are $20 if ordered through Pride Tampa Bay, (813) 854-8160.

The Wild Party: Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Jaeb Theater. 9 p.m.-3 a.m. A high-energy/retro dance and adult fun marketed toward women, featuring DJ Q and DJ Chris Rado spinning.

The Wet Party: The Florida Aquarium. 9:30 p.m.-3 a.m. Adult fun geared toward men featuring Falcon Studio stars, autograph sessions, Chi Chi LaRue and South Florida DJ Rick Mitchell and squirt guns. Swimwear welcome.

SUNDAY

Family Values Picnic: Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas County. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Bring a picnic basket. Volleyball, kayaking and games. Equality Florida will host barbecue for $5 donation. This is a family-oriented, free event.