Cheap Tawdry Sell for a Good Cause

Pride events serve almost as many purposes as they have attendees. There exist in a single event or set of events elements of "especially festive Mardi Gras", "angry protest", fund-raising, free speech, blatant show-offs, quiet declarations of presence in the world, and (near and dear to my heart) the opportunity for almost anyone coming hesitantly out of the closet to see SOMEONE out/proud/gay from a walk of life sufficiently similar to their own as to shatter the depressing illusion "I'm the only in the universe, doomed to loneliness and self-hatred all my days".

Up in Seattle, Pride is seriously screwed up with a community split down the middle and holding dueling Pride events (each with its' very own Parade & Festival) - one up at the traditional sites on Capitol Hill, the other downtown at the locations where that group held an event in '06 running up between 150k and 250k to the city and vendors.

Both groups are running seriously short of cash, though the one down town with its' debt is substantially worse off than the folks up on the hill wanting to revert to a fiscally sustainable and traditional model.

But enough context. Shameless plug here. I don't care if you're in Maine or Miami, Seattle or Austin, California or New Hampshire - June 8th at 10:30 there's a fund-raiser at Julia's in Seattle for the traditional event up on Capitol Hill. A great drag show and a good deal at $25.00/seat - but if you can't make it (distance, gas costs, prior commitments) feel free to send checks marked "Seattle Pride" to:

The Seattle LGBT Community Center
PMB 1010
1122 East Pike Street
Seattle, WA 98122

Tickets are available through Julia's, Panache on Broadway, and through the LGBT Center.

Things are just a bit screwed up in Seattle, and it seems worthwhile to help the more rational sorts pull it out of the fire.