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LGBT Center: In It for the Money, Honey

This LGBT Community Center e-mail—written by Shannon Thomas—was forwarded to Stranger HQ:

Hi all,

I wanted to email you all as soon as possible regarding MAJOR changes that The Center is implementing this week. I’m sure you’ve all heard the new about Seattle Out and Proud and “pride”. They are unable to produce an event this year, and we are stepping up. I’m attaching a press release we’re about to send to the media. IT HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED, SO IT IS CONFIDENTIAL TO YOU ONLY AT THIS TIME.

I’m emailing because this is a huge opportunity for The Center and we will be tying all our programs and services and other events (Fruit Bowl) into this fundraising and marketing opportunity. This will allow us to fundraise in a greater capacity than ever before—to raise dollars immediately for staff and infrastructure.

Hence, I need all the volunteer time any of you have.

We will have a launch meeting for QueerFest: Seattle’s new 2007 Pride Festival tomorrow night at 6pm - if you’re interest in joining a committee, please join us. ALSO, Fruit Bowl will need MORE volunteers as the scope of what The Center does has just increased, and FBA will be HUGE this year.

I also need volunteers to just come in and help me out with projects that
have now become more critical.

We have a GREAT opportunity to finally showcase all the good community-building The Center does and I’d LOVE you to be a part of it.

First on my list is someone who can take the Helpline and Volunteer Coordination off my plate. I need one loyal and dedicated person to help me schedule and recruit more volunteers in this interim time. I also have numerous other projects - in addition to the TONS of volunteers we’ll need for Pride and Fruit Bowl.

Any takers?

MY HUGE THANKS! This is going to put us on the map!

Shannon

Well, well, well. SOaP hasn’t disbanded yet and so far as anyone knows, the permits for the Pride Parade are still in SOaP’s hands—and currently in the name of one of SOaP’s members. Nothing has been transferred to the LGBT Community Center. But, hey, there’s money to be made here, and Shannon is all over it.

It seems pretty clear what’s going on here, huh?

In the press release, Shannon quotes herself as saying…

We’re just ecstatic to be able to offer our communities the opportunity for a fantastic Pride Celebration.

Uh-huh. It looks like what Shannon is most ecstatic about is the opportunity to rake in the dough.

Full text of the LGBT Community Center’s press release after the jump.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Kill date: April 30, 2007
Contact: Shannon Thomas, Executive Director, 206.323.2227, info@seattlelgbt.org

Pride Celebration (and Parade) Comes Back to the Hill
Seattle LGBT Community Center Steps In And Re-Energizes Pride

Seattle – The Seattle LGBT Community Center (The Center) is pleased to announce they will increase the size and scope of QueerFest to become Seattle’s 2007 LGBT Community-Wide Pride Celebration.

The traditional “Pride Parade” will be open for both marchers and floats and will hopefully be held on Sunday morning, June 24, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. The parade will proceed from Broadway/Pike north to Volunteer Park.

Festivities in Volunteer Park will then begin at noon and will include music, spoken word, burlesque, LGBT artists and craftspeople, pride vendors, food vendors, local and national LGBT organizations, and much more. Entertainment so far includes Animal Prufrock, The Erika Wright Band, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Queen Bees, Holly O’Reilly, and much more.

“We’re just ecstatic to be able to offer our communities the opportunity for a fantastic Pride Celebration,” said Shannon Thomas, Executive Director for The Center. “Last year’s Queerfest was such a phenomenal success, we’re sure we’ll be able to make this year’s event even better. We’re working with The City to be able to move our permits from Saturday to Sunday on Pride weekend, keeping in line with our community’s tradition.”

QueerFest was created last year by The Center in a coordinated and non-competitive effort with other Pride organizers for-and-by those who wanted an alternative to the downtown celebrations organized by Seattle Out and Proud (SOAP). It was held on Capitol Hill.

“We’re really encouraging our communities to get re-energized this year,” said Thomas. “We have an opportunity to restructure our Pride Celebration so it is fabulous, fun, and financially responsible. We need everyone’s help.”

Pride month kicks-off at The Center on Friday, June 1st with its Portraits of Pride show showcasing self-portraits of LGTBQ community members. Saturday, June 2 is the Fourth Annual Fruit Bowl Awards at Fisher Pavilion, a fun event that honors and celebrates individuals and organizations in our LGBT community. This year the Fruit Bowl Awards will also celebrate The Center as the new home for Seattle’s community-wide pride event. Proceeds will benefit not only The Center’s programs and services, but also the new community Pride Celebration.

For information on sponsorship, donating, volunteering, artist or vendor applications please contact Shannon Thomas, Executive Director, at info@seattlelgbt.org.

-more-

About The Center

The Seattle LGBT Community Center, also known as Queen City Community Development, was founded in 1996 with two goals: housing for Seattle LGBT elders and a Community Center. The Center opened in 2002, and has been a catalyzing place of change ever since. This past year The Center has dramatically increased its community impact. Its LGBT Helpline receives thousands of calls a year from LGBT and allied community members in need. Ingersoll Gender Center has seen a dramatic increase in those coming to its transgender support groups since merging with The Center last year. QArts continues to be Seattle’s only art gallery committed to sharing artwork from all parts of our LGTBQ communities. The Incubation and Fiscal Sponsorship program is home to Camp Ten Trees, Trikone-NW, BiNet, and former home to Inlaws and Outlaws, Equal Rights Washington and Bent. Through this program these projects receive administrative support which increases their ability to focus on their work in the community.

The Center has the endorsement and support of several LGBT community-leading organizations including the Greater Seattle Business Association, The Pride Foundation, Gay City, Verbena, Trikone-NW, Bent, Seattle Men and Women’s Chorus, Equal Rights Washington, Lambert House, and Lifelong AIDS Alliance, as well as The Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce, the Broadway Business Improvement Association, City Council Members Tom Rasmussen and Sally Clark, and numerous other community businesses.

The QueerFest Event committee currently includes the leadership of Ray Carter, Ollie Santos, George Bakan, Mike Andrew, Michael Johnson, Carl Madeiros, Rachael Brister from Three Dollar Bill Cinema, Shannon Scott, Susan Benner, Maggie Bloodstone, and Patrick Soon. They will be looking forward to an influx of volunteers to work with them to make this pride the best it can be.


For information on sponsorship, donating, volunteering, artist or vendor applications please contact Shannon Thomas, Executive Director, at info@seattlelgbt.org.

The Center is located at 1115 E. Pike St. (206) 323-2227 www.seattlelgbt.org


Our Mission: To provide opportunities and tools for LGBT individuals, organizations and communities that ensure their voices can be heard, included and affirmed;
to be a place to engage, organize and effect change.


-end-

Comments (73)

1

i think everyone should just avoid all of the drama and try to make a kick ass parade in tacoma.

Posted by again | April 24, 2007 3:36 PM
2

Dan, this is your conscience speaking. Stop it. Now.

Posted by anoldfriend | April 24, 2007 3:36 PM
3

So, a nonprofit is exciting as hell about a fundraising opportunity? How exactly is this news or suspicious? And why are you such a dick, Dan?

Posted by kasa | April 24, 2007 3:40 PM
4

So, nonprofit A is castigated for not raising any money, and then nonprofit B is castigated for trying to raise money. What exactly do you want to happen here?

Posted by Fnarf | April 24, 2007 3:45 PM
5

Pretty shocking that the Seattle LGBT Center should want to raise money for STAFFING and INFRASTRUCTURE to do their dirty work like incubation of nonprofits, resource and referral, queer arts venue, Trans support and most nefarious and self-centered of all, dare to dream of LGBT-friendly senior housing. Pretty down and dirty of them isn't it?

Catch a clue, fundraising for legitimate nonprofits in Seattle is tough work but somebody has to do it.

I think the Stranger should go nonprofit and raise money to help queer streetkids.

Posted by moneygrubber | April 24, 2007 3:46 PM
6

As the volunteer chair for LGBT Community Center's "Fruit Bowl Awards" I'm saddend and enraged to see YOU, Dan Savage, (Who I was a huge fan of until this) ridicule and oppose fundraising events and organizations that have one purpose: To promote unity in a community that has yet to come together.

This year could be the year of change. Divided we fall, but united we stand. We could come together as a community for the purpose of change, social justice, and protection of our own basic safety.

I agreed with you on HRC, huge non-profits lack either the desire or the need to actually make the changes they promise to thier donators, but with grass roots organizations such as these money is always needed.

As someone who constantly pushes for social change and equality, this is just dumb.

Maybe it's time you start working for the community instead of against it.

Posted by Richard | April 24, 2007 3:48 PM
7

I have to agree with Kasa. Nonprofits need money. It's not like they can just just buy more cigarette ads if they want money. I don't know about the quality of this particular nonprofit, but the email itself does not shock me, and does not really incriminate them of anything but wanting to grow the organization... unless there is info I am not aware of.

Posted by Jude Fawley | April 24, 2007 3:48 PM
8

and we're suffocated with tack banner ads on slog because they're pretty to look at.

Posted by trolly mctrollerson | April 24, 2007 3:49 PM
9

Unnecessary clarification: As was probably clear, I meant they can't PRINT cigarette ads, i.e., like some for profit publications can, if you know what I mean. (I will post another comment if this was too subtle for everyone.)

Posted by Jude Fawley | April 24, 2007 3:51 PM
10

I have my cynical moments. I try to overcome them by volunteering, like I do right now at The Center, to support my friends/family members/strangers that are gay. It's hard going to these meetings with 8 or less people showing up a week and then seeing its rep slammed for wanting to increase its membership base/visibilty. I think it's a worthwhile cause. I'm also sure the stranger has never done anything similar to increase readership, ever.

Posted by Kate | April 24, 2007 3:51 PM
11

As a straight participant in Pride Week festivities, what the hell is wrong with making money? Perhaps if this event thought of itself as a for profit venture rather than a lose money venture, the event would find a way to be self-sustaining and would naturally grow with the desire to attend the event.

This is not an endorsement of any particular group; whomever can provide the best event should be allowed to do so, and the fantasy of being completely not for profit seems to have been laid bare in this most recent fiasco.

If an event can make money, it's a sign of a good event. It is not a sign of evil-doing.

Posted by Timothy | April 24, 2007 3:52 PM
12


Frankly, I'd be disappointed if Shannon DIDN'T want to take the lead here. As Executive Director, the buck stops with her re: the relevance of the LGBT Center and this is a natural fit.

I thought the Fruit Bowl Awards were fun and well-organized. Maybe they can put their volunteer efforts to work here and create something good.

Posted by please | April 24, 2007 3:52 PM
13

The LGBT Center declared war on SOaP, fought, sowed division at every turn, staged a competing event, encouraged people not to attend the march downtown last year, staged a lackluster march on the Hill the night before, and did it all it could to divide the community against itself.

And now it accuses Dan of sowing division for what? Making this damning email public? Shannon should be ashamed of herself. She could have worked to make the downtown event a success. But she did not. And now we all see why.

Posted by Quoting Oscar Wilde | April 24, 2007 3:53 PM
14

Come now. This is just classic dan savage, trying to say the most outrageous thing he can to get more attention. See I think his daddy didn't give him enough attention as a child and that's why he writes hit pieces like this, never mind the potential damage to those around him or to his reputation, tattered though it may be. After all, negative attention is better than no attention, is it not?

Posted by classic dan | April 24, 2007 3:54 PM
15

"Well, well, well. SOaP hasn’t disbanded yet"

According to the PI, they have.

Posted by Sean | April 24, 2007 3:55 PM
16

If the LGBT Center wanted to take over the pride parade and make it a fundraiser for itself, and if that's an honorable, understandable thing to do, why is that information not included in the press release? Why hide it if it wasn't a dirty secret? Why hide it unless it shows that the LGBT Center had an ulterior motive in doing all it could to destroy SOaP and drag the parade back up to the Hill?

Posted by EXTC | April 24, 2007 3:56 PM
17

nice to see how dan treats CONFIDENTIAL NOT TO BE RELEASED (at this time) email. Ever hear of netiquette?

Posted by confidential no more | April 24, 2007 3:57 PM
18

The PI says they are to disband. It didn't say it happened yet.

Posted by Disappointed | April 24, 2007 3:59 PM
19

Yeah, Dan took that damning, confidential email and released it -- just like a journalist should.

Posted by Bitch Fest | April 24, 2007 4:00 PM
20

It was the will of the community that there were pride events held on the hill last year. Far from being a divisive event, the center worked with SOAP so as not to compete with their event on Sunday.

So if you are going to blame someone for *GASP* having 2 (3 if you include the dyke march) parades, blame the entire community for THEY went to the center begging for something to be done since SOAP refused to listen to the will of the community.

Posted by will of the community | April 24, 2007 4:01 PM
21

Yes, we all know that non profits need to raise funds to exist. It's fine for the Center to want to figure out how to raise funds.

I'd think, though, that if they're really all that interested in community they'd have some input and discussion before unilaterally moving the parade back to the Hill - and that the might actually spend a sentence or two discussing their mission before discussing the great opportunity yielded by someone else's misfortune. I don't see their tone here as anything but smug - a gracious acknowledgement of the hard work done by SOAP instead of the enclosure of "pride" in quotes wouldn't have cost anything.

Posted by Karl | April 24, 2007 4:04 PM
22

I'm so sick of people throwing around the phrase 'Will of the Community'. I'm part of the community and it was NOT MY WILL. There are enough fags and dykes in this town to suuport many events, so everyone stop acting like one event was the fucking 'will of EVERYONE'.

Posted by Disappointed | April 24, 2007 4:06 PM
23

We obviously need a leader who can step up and bring the community back together.

Someone call Jamie Pederson.

Posted by Sean | April 24, 2007 4:08 PM
24

Somehow I don't think you're gonna be named Grand Marshall of the parade this year.

Posted by Boomer in NYC | April 24, 2007 4:08 PM
25

Re: 20: There were three thousand people tops at the march on Capitol Hill on the Saturday before pride last year. I was there. It was lame, and most of the people at that march were part of the traditional Saturday night dyke march. Two hundred thousand people went to the march downtown the next day. So it seems to me that the "will of the community" was to have a march downtown.

I also don't think the LGBT Center could have gotten a permit for a march at the same time as the one downtown. I don't think the city would grant two permits for the same time in two different parts of town. That would stretch the police services too thin.

This marchin' dyke thinks the LGBT Center, while it generally does good work, behaved like a brat over this issue. And it's sad to see a brat get its way.

Posted by WIll of the What? | April 24, 2007 4:09 PM
26

Dan just hates gay people.

Posted by elswinger | April 24, 2007 4:12 PM
27

then I suggest YOU go to the meetings for a change and let YOUR voice be heard. Stop leaving it to a handful of folks to do your dirty work. You folks seem to think that Pride just magically happens every year. And it was more like 30k that was on the parade route dearheart.

Posted by will of the community | April 24, 2007 4:13 PM
28

I'm with Dan here. Reading this press release is like watching a family play tug-of-war with grandpa's gold watch over his warm corpse. I mean, if the goal is to foster a stronger queer movement, I think involving SOaP's members and ideas and announcing plans for collaboration would be the way to go. Capitalizing on SOaP's demise with a one-organization focus -- without even waiting a day -- seems a little crass.

That said, I do love the LGBT Center and applaud Shannon's commitment to this work.

Posted by Dominic Holden | April 24, 2007 4:14 PM
29

For the love of God, is there some large amount of money I can donate on the condition that they not call it fucking "Queerfest"? This is not the LGBT awareness week at a New England liberal arts college, for Christ's sake.

Posted by Trey | April 24, 2007 4:18 PM
30

Don't call me "dearheart," Will of the Community. And what do you know of my activism, dearheart? And if that was 30K, dearheart, then I'm Ellen Degeneres.

Posted by WIll of the What? | April 24, 2007 4:18 PM
31

"... then I suggest YOU go to the meetings for a change and let YOUR voice be heard."

By writing for the Stranger or commenting on a blog, your voice is being heard by far more people than in some turf-war meeting.

Posted by Unintentionally Ironic | April 24, 2007 4:21 PM
32

The e-mail in question was forwarded to Dan... so it's actually whoever originally received it, rather than Dan himself, who defied the request for confidentiality. Dan's just relaying info.

Posted by Gomez | April 24, 2007 4:25 PM
33

@29 I agree... PLEASE DON"T CALL IT QUEERFEST

Posted by I'm WIth Trey | April 24, 2007 4:26 PM
34

@29 I agree... PLEASE DON"T CALL IT QUEERFEST

Posted by I'm With Trey | April 24, 2007 4:26 PM
35

Becuase of the emotional intensity and interest in this issue, and the extremely short time frame to go before the event, there is not a moment to be lost if we are to pull this off effectively and sustainably. I encourage all to put aside the rancor and work with the Center to create a framework where these events and the whole "Pride Season" can be coordinated in a way that reflects well on us all and where the proceeds benefit our hard working community organizations.

Note the time for the kickoff and come prepared to help and not bicker. Like many others, I have spent countless hours for many years planning and executing past Pride events and it can really take its toll though it is also incredibly rewarding. If you havent produced a Pride event yet, step up or donate or be patient and kind to those who have.

With that, a tip of the hat to our SOaP friends who have served in that long tradition.

Posted by old timer | April 24, 2007 4:29 PM
36

@14 Dan didn't say anything outrageous. Shannon did. Dan just copied and pasted.

Posted by Bitch Fest | April 24, 2007 4:29 PM
37

As of this moment, there is a Pride Parade scheduled on 4th Ave, downtown Seattle June 24th starting at 11am. From what I understand, and as Dan repeats, the permit process is underway. I doubt Shannon and George Bakan can stop that. They will not get a permit for yet another parade the same day so close.

My friends on the LGBT Center board were bragging to me about how they had submitted a plan to take over Pride at the Center - it never happened. Then Shannon leaked the news about SOaP pulling out of the Center on Friday, before SOaP announced it. Supposedly people on Shannon's board influenced Microsoft and Bud to pull out of last year's Pride at the Center.

Isn't the LGBT Center actually a front for a for profit retirement center?

SOaP may have messed it up financially, but their events were far better produced than Shannon's queer fest last year, and they were the only group this year who seemed to be working only for the good of the community with no other self-interest. Too bad they are gone. I hope someone else can step up that's not the lame coalition of SGN, Cap Hill Bars and a retirement home.

Dan - how are you going to save this?

Posted by Danlover | April 24, 2007 4:37 PM
38

Last year, I thought it strange that an ad-hoc group could just appoint itself to be in charge of Pride. I've always thought it should be under a more established and stable organization. Then when I heard that SOAP was disbanding, my thoughts immediately went to the LGBT Community Center. It just makes sense to have them do it.

Posted by Brad | April 24, 2007 4:42 PM
39

Frankly, the LGBT Center barely has the resources to scrap by with the projects they are currently involved with. Suddenly, they want to talk about the community coming together when last year, they did everything in their power to divide it?

Posted by La Strada | April 24, 2007 4:46 PM
40

Well that makes sense then for her giddiness, they lost the battle with their event last year but ultimately won the war due to SOAPS financial woes. To bad, it felt right downtown and I was encouraging friends from other cities to come (and they were) but not now, oh hell no.

Posted by que sera sera | April 24, 2007 4:49 PM
41

I thought *Seattle Pride* was a trademarked name SOaP owns. Seems SOaP gets to choose who that IP goes to. Will be interesting to see if they would will it to the people who tried to shoot them down last year.

Posted by traders | April 24, 2007 5:02 PM
42

Shannon is like the bully that punches you in the nose and then when you swing back screams "no violence!" She and her center were divisive and aggressive and divided the beloved "community." Now she's going to call for unity, "No violence!", and demand that SOaP hand over their IP and their URL and the "Seattle Pride" name. Here's hoping they don't hand those things over.

I went to Pride last year for the time in ages. It was a revelation, infused with a new spirit, and we all left that day talking about how great Pride would be in the next few years, as it grew and grew into Seattle Center and the new downtown route. That's not to be, sadly, and the Parade can head back to the hill but this homo isn't.

But I have an idea: If the LGBT Community Center really wants to inspire unity and bring the community together it should announce that it will oversee a downtown pride parade and run a festival on the hill on Saturday night. That would demonstrate a real willingness to bring the community together.

Posted by Not Coming This Year | April 24, 2007 5:11 PM
43

I've refrained from saying anything all day, and I know I'm certainly not going to have the final word, but...

SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!!

Here's what to do:

March Downtown - the pride parade representing Seattle should be in Seattle, not isolated to one neighborhood.

Rally in Seattle Center (hopefully official)- Don't forget that one of the reasons people needed to move from Volunteer park in the first place is because it couldn't handle the amount of people and was getting thrashed. The center can handle the traffic. Plus, I hear there's a fountain...

Block Party in Capitol Hill - invite people to celebrate tradition and support the gay-friendly businesses with a kick-ass weekend-long party there, don't demand that people must attend there or nowhere.

Pay For It- Donation buckets?!? Why not have hot girls and boys in underwear shaking it for dollars? Trust me, designated "donation gatherers" asking for cash from drunken homos throughout the parade and rally will help pay the bills. There's a ton of ways to make money BEFORE the parade too. You want buckets? How about one carried around by a hot fireman making the rounds at all the bars in the next few months? Include return donation envelopes in copies of the SGN and the Stranger. Encourage the groups that intend to be in the march to hold their own drives. Get creative enough and you might not even need the corporate bucks.

See, problem solved.

Posted by defman23 | April 24, 2007 5:11 PM
44

Are there gay business on the Hill anymore? A couple of bars on Pike/Pine and Bailey/Coy books is about it, right?

Posted by Not Coming This Year | April 24, 2007 5:15 PM
45

@2: "Dan, this is your conscience speaking. Stop it. Now."

At least Dan has a conscience that can speak to him. Too bad Shannon doesn't have one.

Posted by Bitch Fest | April 24, 2007 5:21 PM
46

how many people here would donate $$$ to have the parade downtown and some sort of event, though small, but maybe a fountain dance party and rally, at Seattle Center. It wouldn't cost much. I'd put in $100 to support. Anyone else?

Posted by Frank | April 24, 2007 5:21 PM
47

@46 - not me.

Posted by Will in Seattle | April 24, 2007 5:29 PM
48

Way to be supportive, Will in Seattle. I can't give $100, but I could donate.

All I want is a nice parade with some float and costume contests and lots of people. I'm not that picky.

Posted by geez | April 24, 2007 5:39 PM
49

Geez, is Dan on SOaP's payroll or what?

I don't care how big last year's downtown pride was, if it went that far into debt it was a FAILURE. Also, taking it off the Hill may have seemed like a good idea, but it just commercialized it further. Shannon and the Center do a load of good work for the community, and it makes a hell of a lot of sense to me to have them handle pride.

Gay non-profits struggle and work their asses off to get things done. I'm sick of them being portrayed as opportunistic by people who do more harm than good for this goddamn community.

Posted by S | April 24, 2007 5:46 PM
50

Maybe the want to make up for those tens of thousands of dollars of debt they have from last year. Or something sinister.

Posted by K | April 24, 2007 5:52 PM
51

If someone hosted a cocktail party or event somewhere nice, (say a gallery) and the proceeds went to bail out SOaP (and keep the parade down town and at the center) I would buy a ticket for allot more than $100.

Couple it with a silent auction and some entertainment and you could probably raise enough to pay the bills and set up next years event.

Good God, aren’t any of you fags involved with PONCHO? If this “Gay Community” can’t pull together a fund raiser that clears a couple hundred K, it should have no pride. Period.

What the hell!? (pussies)

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | April 24, 2007 5:55 PM
52

SOaP's payroll -- that's a laugh. Unlike the LGBT Community Center, SOaP never had a payroll.

Also: The LGBT Community Center ran a competing event, worked to divide the community, created a "controversy" to scare corporate and alcohol sponsors away from SOaP, which had financial management problems of its own, and all of this is Dan's fault how?

The LGBT Community Center did all it could to make SOaP's event a FAILURE. And it was -- financially, thanks in part to the LGBT Community Center. But the community the LGBT Center claims to work for preferred the downtown event to their lame event on Capitol Hill. The day was a SUCCESS.

If anyone is doing harm here it is LGBT Community Center. They struggled and worked their asses off to DESTROY another gay non-profit, one where no one draws a paycheck (UNLIKE SHANNON), and in the process they did a great deal of harm to this "goddamn community." It is going to take us a long time to recover just from the headlines in the daily papers that the LGBT Center helped make possible.

Posted by Not Coming This Year | April 24, 2007 5:56 PM
53

SOaP's $100,000 debt is peanuts in the grand scheme of things. Doesn't Seattle have any A-gays willing to pitch in a few thousand each to make it (and all this ugly, ugly infighting) go away?

If I were rich and gay, or even just rich, I'd step up. Especially if there were perks.

Posted by Sean | April 24, 2007 5:58 PM
54

Dan, why are you so quick to try to shoot down the LGBT Center's efforts to raise money for charity? Do you think they are lining their pockets with it? If that's the case then do a story about that rather than just hate on them. I don't know if they are legit or not. That's YOUR job. You run a newspaper, right? INFORM US. You sure didn't seem to have it in for SOAP, and under the leadership of Dale K. they were obviously corrupt. Isn't the LGBT Center's purpose to raise money for things other than just the Parade? Has SOAP ever done ANYTHING other than put on a parade and party in the park? Would it be a crime if another group could raise enough money for a parade AND other LGBT related causes? If the people at LGBT are up to something sinister then come up with some proof and publish it. Don't drop the ball like you did with SOAP, they got away with murder. The murder of the Pride Parade.
As for your remarks about the permits, the organizers from LGBT Center were finalizing their permits downtown last week when people from the Fire Dept, Homeland Security, City of Seattle, etc thought they were there to talk to them about the Parade downtown. They were confusing them with SOAP. LGBT Center was wrapping up the permit process and, according to the people from the city, SOAP didn't have ANY of their permits. The ship has been sinking since shortly after last years parade, the rats are just trying to make a graceful exit. Dale K. et al. were most certainly in it for the money. The difference is that Mr. K. was smart enough to make sure there were never any financial statements to incriminate him. Weston Sprigg and the rest are just trying to cover their asses as they make their exit.
Oh, and do you plan to offer those cash prizes you promised in last week's Stranger to floats in the parade, even if it's run by the LGBT Center?

Posted by TruthMonger | April 24, 2007 6:05 PM
55

Hey, what's up with the accounting from last year? I'd like to see how that all shook out.

I would str8 doughn8 to downtown pride.

Posted by Lloyd Clydesdale | April 24, 2007 6:09 PM
56

March Downtown - the pride parade representing Seattle should be in Seattle, not isolated to one neighborhood.

Yeah, like Downto- oh wait.

Posted by Gomez | April 24, 2007 6:09 PM
57

TruthMonger what a piece of work you are. Dale K. was a class A douchebag for sure - but he NEVER made a damn dime off of Seattle Pride. Yes, his business ethics may be questioned in relation to the GLBT Yellow Pages and his Presidency of Pride left much to be desired butu to start making slanderous accusations like that against the people of SOAP? Get real? Who are you? Actually, I am fairly certain I know who you are...

The only profit Dale K. ever saw off of SOAP was promotion and advertising for his GLBT Yellow Pages and correct me if I'm wrong, but George Bakan and his SGN Staff practically make up the entire QUEERFEST planning committee. Hmmmm, might they be profiting off the backs of a non-profit event? I am SURE that they will produce the 'OFFICIAL SEATTLE PRIDE GUIDE'. Weston Sprigg happens to be a very close friend of mine and you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

Posted by Large Marge | April 24, 2007 6:15 PM
58

@55 - It never 'shook out' it was just swept under the rug.

@Large Marge - I'll continue to talk about what the fuck I don't know until someone comes up with those financial statements and proves them to be the angels you say they are. "his business ethics may be questioned" um, yeah, that's the understatement of the year.

Posted by TruthMonger | April 24, 2007 6:32 PM
59

Murder? SOAP probably just had the typical "Seattle-style crisis in leadership" that was done in way before BLT decided to play dirty pool. I consider this to be a mini-monorail as far as issues go for the community (*and precisely why I stay out of volunteering for either organization)... And... As cynical as this sounds - I'm sure we'd applaud some kind of stealth Machivellian coup if whoever inherits the mess does it well (*after all, we were hopeful when Meinhart and crew were going to handle the books.) I'm playing consumer here - I not only want a parade that's worth attending, but I want it big, sexy and relevant. Too much to ask?

Posted by yerbamatty | April 24, 2007 6:36 PM
60

Yes.

Posted by Dan Savage | April 24, 2007 6:44 PM
61

i have to point out:

1)Nursing home?!?!? What the fuck!?!?! One of the missions of Queen City is to SOMEDAY provide senior housing for LGBT seniors...as far as I'm aware, it hasn't happened yet...but I hope it does....i'm probably going to be too poor to live anywhere else....

2)Payroll? Shannon is the ONLY paid person there, and i really doubt she's cleaning up on her salary...It's kind of sad that a city the size of Seattle has an LGBT Community Center with only one paid staff person when it should have at least 4 times that many...but then it doesn't get much support from the Community...since the last people to put on Pride ended up in the hole, I really doubt if the Center is going to end up rolling around in piles of money laughing maniacally....

Posted by michael strangeways | April 24, 2007 7:04 PM
62

What the fuck does the LGBT Community Center do anyhow? I mean, really. Looking at their calendar, it seems like they aren't really anything but a meeting hall for other organizations that were in existence long before they got a building. I suppose it's nice that there's a central location, but shit, why the hell should I donate money to something that serves all the functions of a fucking church hall?

Posted by Gitai | April 24, 2007 7:54 PM
63

Folks? @15's right. The PI says SOAP's disbanded, filed for bankruptcy and passed the flag to whoever will pick it up.


Unless someone can dispute the whole disbanding thing, the LGBT folks seem to have it. So, aside from general quibbling, it's all something of a moot point?

Posted by wench | April 24, 2007 8:57 PM
64

I guess there's a sucker born every second if these people can raise money to protect their phoney-baloney jobs. If you can give something, give to a useful and necessary organization like the ASPCA.

Posted by right turn ahead | April 24, 2007 9:26 PM
65

oops... a little premature wasn't it. Hasty... No?

Posted by you_gotta_be_kidding_me | April 24, 2007 11:55 PM
66

oh burn

Posted by sniggles | April 25, 2007 12:28 AM
67

Why is the LGBT Center trying to take this over? Shouldn't they have firm programs in place before they take on another? The e-mail reveals that she is already overloaded with work. Several people in the community have negative things to say about her and her job at the Cener. Shannon Thomas and her Board divided the community last year. I don't want to be affiliated with this type of behavior, no matter where Pride is this year. The ravenous nature of her e-mail and press release are appalling and embarrassing. Her behavior is in bad taste. The Center now has a blemish and I wish for the Board to step forward and make a comment. Shannon's position there should be reviewed.

Posted by the Insider | April 25, 2007 7:27 AM
68

The Insider: I'll second that!

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | April 25, 2007 8:42 AM
69

it's a farce...the whole thing...the haters are laughing at us...other communities are laughing at us....its sad...

Posted by smithers | April 25, 2007 9:16 AM
70

i completely agree with #'s 62 and 67...the LGBT Center doesn't DO anything....it has zero focus...but it's not all Shannon's fault....you have to lay most of the blame on their shitty, do-nothing board....AND lackluster community support...

Posted by smithers | April 25, 2007 9:19 AM
71

LGBT Board Members and Info
Board of Directors
Hellen Carreras, Co-President

Tom Mallet, Co-President, Vice-President for Finance

Open Position, Vice President of Fund Development
Margot Rosenberg, Secretary



Lacey All, Director
Linda Hill, Director
Breanna Anderson, Director
Herb Krohn, Director
Milton Artis, Director

Tom Smith, Director

Marsha Botzer, Director

Jerry Stewart, Director

Rebecca Dravich, Director
Ivan Wright, Director

LGBT Center Staff

Shannon Thomas, MNPL, Executive Director


Posted by Anonymito | April 25, 2007 10:56 AM
72

Well, I have only one other suggestion if it really appalls people that the community center wants to hook a fundraiser to Pride, should they take it over.

We can always ask Focus on the Family, the 700 Club, and Concerned Women of America for the money to have Pride with.

Think about it. Without us, how are they going to take the pictures and make the movies that keep the little old ladies and closeted married people digging deep in their pockets??

Problem solved...Dan, will you be the one to do the honor of asking?

Lincoln

Posted by Lincoln Rose | April 26, 2007 9:36 PM
73

Large Marge - to say Dale K. "NEVER made a damn dime off of Seattle Pride" is not true. Check your facts or better yet ask Dale himself (if you can find him) or have anyone at SOAP confirm (if you can get them to return your calls).
Dale K. (correct spelling) was a sales associate of Magazine 99 of which Marcus P. - another board member published.
Capitol Hill Times in March got the scoop on that with reporter Korte Brueckmann. (sorry Stranger).

Posted by Toto | May 2, 2007 12:33 AM

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