Quad Citians Affirming Diversity
06.January, 2010
Join QCAD for a Murder Mystery
August 25, 2006 - Quad Citians Affirming Diversity announced today its plans for its 2006 fall fundraiser, a Quad Cities premiere screening of the newly released “Shock to the System: A Donald Strachey Mystery.” The film stars Chad Allen as cinema’s first gay detective and is based on the Donald Stracheymystery series created by author Richard Stevenson. The event will held on Saturday,
October 21 at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the direct support services QCAD provides to gay and questioning
youth as well as the education outreach services to the community. “QCAD receives no taxpayer
support and depends entirely on the success of our fund raising events, membership drives and grant
applications,” said Joyce Wiley, QCAD founder. “In short, we depend entirely on the support of those who share our belief that the worth of a person and his or her value to society is unrelated to sexual
orientation.”
Founded in 1990, QCAD operates a “drop-in” resource center in Rock Island and organizes social
activities for gay and questioning teens in order to respond to the sense of alienation felt by many of
these young people. QCAD is the only Quad Cities-based organization providing such support services to gay teenagers, who suffer from alarmingly higher rates of isolation and even suicide than other teenagers. “There is no doubt that QCAD is literally saving lives,” said Mike Hetrick, chairman of the QCAD Board of Directors. “And, we need community support to continue this important work,” Hetrick added.
The benefit on October 21 will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Figge Art Museum in downtown
Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hearty appetizers prepared by Restaurant 225 will be served and an “open bar” service will be available until 8 p.m. when the film will be shown in the museum theater.
Reservations can be made by contacting QCAD at 309/786-2580. The cost of tickets is $60.
The event is made possible by the generous support of local sponsors: Alcoa, the Riverboat
Development Authority and Well Fargo Bank. Also, QCAD acknowledged the invaluable support of media sponsors: here!tv, Mediacom and the River Cities Reader. “Our QCAD benefit events are impossible without the support of corporations and agencies that share our commitment to a community that embraces and celebrates diversity,” Hetrick said. “On behalf of everyone associated with QCAD – especially the young people we serve – I thank our sponsors for their support.”
QCAD aims to bring gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight people together to learn from each other and to create an affirming community.
GAY PRIDE PARADE 2009
04.January, 2010
BALCONYTV DUBLIN 27/06/2009
The city centre of Dublin was filled with colour, noise, music whistles and chants this afternoon as thousands marched in this year’s gay pride march.
The parade was led by UCD academic Ailbhe Smyth and filled the whole length of O’Connell Street before ending at Dublin council city offices for music and speeches.
“Pride and Prejudice” was the main theme with many dressed in wedding gowns and tuxes. Crowds chanted: “What do we want? Marriage. When do we want it? Now.” Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan marched in the dresses they wore for their Canadian wedding in 2003.
Organisers of the march estimate that 12,000 took part in the event, although other estimates put the figure lower than that.
The parade follows the publication of the Civil Partnership Bill by the Government yesterday that will give statutory partnership rights to gay and lesbian couples.
Some 60 people dressed in a half tux or wedding dress. Organised by Marriage Equality and Noise the move was to symbolise the “half measures” offered in the Bill.
Groups came from all over Ireland to take part including LGBT organisations from Kerry and Galway. Members of gay rugby and football teams marched alongside the gay and lesbian choir, and gay sections of Siptu, Into and Labour.
The Civil Partnership Bill giving statutory rights to gay and lesbian couples will be enacted and operational by the end of the year, the Government said yesterday.
It will allow same-sex couples to register their civil partnership and allow them to enjoy the same statutory protection as married couples across a wide range of areas. However, it stops short of allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.
The rights and obligations include the protection of a shared home, pension rights, the right to succession and equality with married couples of treatment under the tax and social welfare codes.
- THE IRISH TIMES
http://www.dublinpride.org/
Tune in again tomorrow!!!
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