MN GLBTA Campus Alliance makes new in Grand Forks Herald!

Grand Cities Pride celebrates its second year
Ryan Johnson – 05/30/2009

More than 150 people stopped by the town square in downtown Grand Forks on Saturday afternoon for the second annual Grand Cities Pride. The event was a celebration for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender, or GLBT, people from all around the region. Multiple vendors and display tables set up around the area to provide information and help get the message out to the public. MJ Kroll and Alicia Leafgreen, both from Minneapolis, were at the afternoon celebration and performed at a drag show at Sensations later in the night. Kim Jorgensen, co-chair of Grand Cities Pride, said things went pretty well Saturday. One nice thing was the sunny, warm day — she said it snowed in the morning May 10, 2008, when the first pride was held in the city. But besides enjoying the pleasant weather, Jorgensen said the event was for anyone in the region to have a good time and help spread awareness. “It’s really important to bring some visibility to Grand Forks,” she said. “There is a GLBT presence in Grand Forks. This is a celebration that we’re prideful.” Jorgensen said the event is fairly new and organizers are always looking to make the next one bigger and better. A meeting is scheduled at 2 p.m. today at Mamma Maria’s in East Grand Forks for anyone interested in helping plan next year’s event. For more information or to offer to help, e-mail grandcitiespride@hotmail.com or visit www.grandcitiespride.com. Presence everywhere Chris Stoner, the other co-chair of Grand Cities Pride, said this year’s pride featured more events but was pretty comparable to the celebration in 2008. He was hopeful that the event would let everybody relax and enjoy the day together. “I think we just wanted people to come and have a day to celebrate, to have a good time and not worry about all the ugly stuff that’s out there,” he said. Becky Saltzman, a native of Minneapolis and the diversity and inclusion coordinator of the Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance, was at the town square to provide more information on efforts her group is taking at universities across the region. It was her first time in Grand Forks, and said she really enjoyed the “community-based” pride here compared with the sometimes overtly corporate prides in larger cities. “People seem to want to come here… to be with the people,” she said. Saltzman said it’s important for people to know that the GLBT community does have a presence everywhere, even in smaller towns or rural areas. It’s also important for gays or lesbians in these communities to be proud, she said. “If you go into a community expecting not be supported, the only person laying down is yourself,” she said. “People who identify as GLBT are everywhere. We’re not just in Hollywood and not just in the arts.” Reach Johnson at (701) 780-1105; (800) 477-6572, ext. 105; or send e-mail to rjohnson@gfherald.com.

Pride Revue Coming June 27

The Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance is proud to present their first annual Pride Revue, held this year at the Minneapolis campus of Metropolitan State University.

MN Campus Alliance at Pride Events

Summer has arrived, and with it, area Pride celebrations and festivals are beginning! The MN Campus Alliance will be tabling at numerous events all over the state, so stop by, say hi, and pick up some information to share with your friends.

Pride Revue Planning Underway

Volunteers are needed to help plan the first-ever MN Campus Alliance Pride Revue, which is taking place on Friday, June 27 from 8:00–11:00pm at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

The Pride Revue will be an evening of entertainment for those 18+ and people looking for a sober alternative during the weekend of Twin Cities / GLBT Pride!

We need help finding entertainment acts such as bands, drag performers, and poetry slammers; we also need help with advertising, planning logistics, and finding businesses to help sponsor the event.

If you are interested, please email info@mncampusalliance.org.  Anyone and everyone is invited to help plan this new event!

MN Campus Alliance wins Twin Cities Community Pride Award

The Minnesota Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Ally Campus Alliance received the 2008 Community Pride Award from Twin Cities Pride, the nonprofit organizer of Minnesota’s annual Twin Cities Pride Celebration.

According to Twin Cities Pride, the Community Pride Award is meant for organizations or groups that have done great things in the GLBT community.  Previosuly, the Community Pride Award has been given to the Aliveness Project, Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, genderBLUR, the Queer Student Cultural Center at the U of M and the Church of St. Joan of Arc.The Community Pride Award is meant for organizations or groups that have done great things in the GLBT community.  Previosuly, the Community Pride Award has been given to the Aliveness Project, Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, genderBLUR, the Queer Student Cultural Center and the Church of St. Joan of Arc.  For more information about the 2008 award recipients and Twin Cities Pride, visit http://www.tcpride.org/news/2008awards_announcement.php.