As noted, this announcement comes with mixed emotions. We would love to continue OUToberfest, but without financial support, a $10,000+ event is next-to-impossible, especially when the goal is to make it a free event for the community.

By becoming Mississippi Pride, we will be able to do the following: secure marching permits for a parade/march; increase sponsors from national and local businesses; fundraise more; and celebrate National Pride Month.

By making this bold change, we hope to re-energize the festival and the community, and our much relied on donors and volunteers.

Our vision for Mississippi Pride takes the best from OUToberfest and expands it’s potential and reach. The Pride Festival will occur in the first week of June 2012 and serve as a kick-off for Pride Month. We hope to partner with organizations, individuals and businesses throughout the state to ensure that Pride is a success. Throughout the rest of Pride Month, we envision smaller events – from movie screenings to picnics to workshops – happening in the Jackson metro area and statewide.

It’s time for us to unify and take our state’s movement to the next level. To do so, we need your commitment. Whether you are an individual, a non-profit, a GSA, a local business, or a national corporation, there are several ways you can pledge your support:

• Get involvedonline
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mailing List
• Sponsor Mississippi Pride, early. With early resources, the festival can become bigger and better! Sponsor levels and opportunities will be announced in September on the site, Facebook, Twitter, and through our email list.
• Participate – march, present, perform, vend, table, host, attend, market, etc. Look for ways to get involved very soon.
• Volunteer your services, time, venues, and other opportunities to fundraise and raise awareness. Email volunteer@mississippipride.com to get involved.

This is not the end… It is a new beginning.

Now is your opportunity to help our festival evolve and grow by getting involved. Together, we will take another step towards increased visibility, growth, acceptance, and equality in Mississippi.

With Pride,

Knol Aust
Chairman, Unity Mississippi

But the movement’s success here could prove difficult to replicate. Twenty-nine states have constitutional bans on same-sex marriage, while 12 others have laws against it. And many of those states where support for same-sex marriage is high have already acted on the issue.

Continue reading the article at NYTimes.com

OUTwordlyFabulous is a one-woman show that takes on bullying and homophobia through the power of spoken word. Pandora Scooter creates many characters to explore these issues fully with seriousness and humor. The show has been a success in the East Coast and through the Midwest on her tour.

The show is performed using spoken word, or performance poetry, and has a message of compassion and inclusivity. The show comes to Jackson from Memphis as part of Scooter’s Midwest and Southern State tour.

“I’ve been thinking about all the kids who dread going to school each day because of the culture of mean that’s pervasive in their schools because of bullying and homophobia. I’m passionate about making life a bit more tolerable for these kids and to make life a lot better for kids who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and who identify as queer. I’m compelled to do something about the tyranny of bullying and homophobia throughout our nation.”

When she returns to New York, the show is going into preproduction for an Off-Broadway Tour.

Food will be served from 6:00pm-7:00pm. Suggested donation $5.

Suggested admission of $5. Show starts at 7:00pm.

Time: Saturday, June 18 · 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Location:
Safe Harbor Family Church
1345 Flowood Drive
Flowood, MS 39232

More information at www.outwordlyfabulous.com.

Visit the Facebook Event page.

Take Exit 98B off Interstate 55 at Lakeland Drive.
For Mayes Lake Campground take second light at Shell/Sprint Mart, turn right. Enter park and then go to the day-use area (first right after entering the park).

The park offers a natural science museum, hiking, a lake, and much more.

Official time: 1-5pm, Saturday, June 4, 2011. Feel free to come early or stay late and enjoy the site!

We will have burger and hot dog plates for $5 which includes a burger or hot dog, chips, and a soda. Cash or credit accepted. The money raised will go toward OUToberfest. You may also bring food, drinks, picnic blankets and basket, frisbees, or your favorite outdoor fun! There are public grills available for use. The park is pet friendly (leashes required).

We also encourage you to take this chance to make a donation to Unity Mississippi or OUToberfest if you are able!

Take Exit 98B off Interstate 55 at Lakeland Drive. For Mayes Lake Campground and picnic area take second light at Shell/Sprint Mart, turn right.

More details on the park.

RSVP on Facebook.
Follow us on Facebook.
Follow us on Twitter: @UnityMS and @OUToberfest.

Attorney General Eric Holder said President Barack Obama has concluded that the administration cannot defend the federal law that defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. He noted that the congressional debate during passage of the Defense of Marriage Act “contains numerous expressions reflecting moral disapproval of gays and lesbians and their intimate and family relationships – precisely the kind of stereotype-based thinking and animus the (Constitution’s) Equal Protection Clause is designed to guard against.”

The Justice Department had defended the act in court until now.

“Much of the legal landscape has changed in the 15 years since Congress passed” the Defense of Marriage Act, Holder said in a statement. He noted that the Supreme Court has ruled that laws criminalizing homosexual conduct are unconstitutional and that Congress has repealed the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

At the White House, spokesman Jay Carney said Obama himself is still “grappling” with his personal view of gay marriage but has always personally opposed the Defense of Marriage Act as “unnecessary and unfair.”

Holder wrote to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, that Obama has concluded the Defense of Marriage Act fails to meet a rigorous standard under which courts view with suspicion any laws targeting minority groups who have suffered a history of discrimination.

The attorney general said the Justice Department had defended the law in court until now because the government was able to advance reasonable arguments for the law based on a less strict standard.

Read more at HuffingtonPost.com.

Participation is voluntary and minimal risk is involved. Your participation will consist of a 1 ½ to 2 hour interview with John F. Marszalek, Ph.D., LPC, NCC,  at your home, another private location of your selection, or his office in Columbus, MS.

For additional information, please contact John via email or phone at:

John F. Marszalek, Ph.D., LPC, NCC

Core Faculty and Program Coordinator
M.S. in Mental Health Counseling Program
School of Counseling and Social Service
Walden University
john.marszalek@waldenu.edu or john.marszalek@gmail.com
Direct line: 662-889-8850

The park was filled with hundreds of smiling faces from every walk of life. The crowd was, by far, the most diverse we’ve seen ranging from families, kids, teens, and tweens to seniors, young adults, and even a few Great Danes. Everyone had a great time with over 6 hours of live music, a space jump, art projects, vendors, organizations, and much more.

If you’d like to donate to help keep the fest free and cover the 2010 expenses, click here to make an online donation via PayPal. Every bit counts.

Thanks to the following artists for making OUToberfest possible. Take a moment to become a fan on Facebook and bookmark their official sites.

• Garrison Starr
  Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/garrisonstarrmusic
  Official Site: http://www.garrisonstarr.com/
• Baron
  Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Baron-Officially/135724289781193
  Official Site: http://artistbaron.com/
• Patrice Moncell
  MySpace Fan Page: http://www.myspace.com/patricemoncell
• Jazmen Flowers
  Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000597174435
• Natalie Brooke Long & Clinton Kirby
  Official Site: http://natalielongandclintonkirby.blogspot.com/

Also, a special thanks to the OUToberfest drag performers! Here are links to their Facebook profiles:

• Tori Mattison: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000744692582
• Syrn Mirage: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001573860142
• Josephina Gabanna: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001367573216
• Trinity Starr: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001138689098
• Madison Lashay and Madyson do not yet have Facebook Pages.

Thanks to the following OUToberfest sponsors:

• HRC: http://www.hrc.org/
• Jackson Free Press: http://jacksonfreepress.com/
• Moonlight Video: http://www.moonlightadultvideo.com/gay-lesbian-bisexual-trans-sexual (NSFW?)
• Planned Parenthood: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppse/index2.htm

Thanks to the following vendors and organizations:

• ACLU of Mississippi: http://www.aclu-ms.org/
• Brave New Day: http://unityms.org/directory/hiv-directory/abravenewday.html
• Broadmeadow United Methodist Church: http://www.broadmeadow.org/
• Girl on Girl Concepts: http://girlongirlconcepts.com/
• Grace House: http://www.gracehousems.org/
• Mississippi HeARTs Against AIDS: http://www.mississippihearts.org/
• Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition: http://www.mssafeschools.org/
• Planned Parenthood: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppse/index2.htm
• Rise Above for Youth: http://www.riseabove4youth.org/
• Safe Harbor Family Church: http://safeharborfamilychurch.org/
• Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson: http://www.uujackson.org/

Thanks to the following businesses for supporting the fest through in-kind donations:

• Broadstreet Cafe: http://www.broadstbakery.com/
• Pizza Shack:  http://www.thepizzashackjackson.com/
• Sal & Mookie’s: http://www.salandmookies.com/

If your business or organization would like to be involved in OUToberfest 2011, please email vendor@outoberfest.com… It’s never too early to get signed-up.

Additional events will occur on Friday, October 22 and Sunday, October 24.

We will begin releasing more details in the near future. To stay up-to-date, follow OUToberfest on Facebook and Twitter.

If you’re interested in sponsoring, becoming a vendor or tabling, or entertaining, visit OUToberfest.com for the appropriate forms.

The provision would allow military commanders to repeal the ban. The repeal would permit gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the military for the first time.

It was adopted as an amendment to the annual Pentagon policy bill, which the House is expected to vote on Friday. The repeal would be allowed 60 days after a Pentagon report is completed on the ramifications of allowing openly gay service members, and military leaders certify that it would not be disruptive. The report is due by Dec. 1.

The House vote was 234 to 194, with 229 Democrats and 5 Republicans in favor, after an emotionally charged debate. Opposed were 168 Republicans and 26 Democrats.

Read the full story at NYTimes.com.

• Saturday, May 22, 2010 9AM: Rally at Mississippi’s Capitol recognizing Harvey Milk Day  w/guest speakers. Topics will cover discrimination towards the LGBT community in schools, the workplace, military, and legislation.
• 10AM: Caravan to Fulton leaves Capitol
• 3-4PM: Rally in Fulton on Main Street in front of Itawamba Community College

Spread the word.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) organizations, in conjunction with numerous churches and organizations of faith, will meet on the Capitol steps this Saturday, May 22, 2010 at 9AM to respond to the discrimination and inequities facing the LGBT community in Mississippi and the United States. The groups will then caravan to Fulton, MS to join in a peaceful counter-protest of members of Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church on Saturday from 3-4 PM.

The rally on the Capitol will feature speakers covering topics including spirituality; discrimination in schools, workplaces, and the military; and discriminatory legislation. The caravan will then head north to counter-protest Phelps – most widely known for his widespread vicious messages including “God Hates Fags,” “God Hates Jews,” and “God Hates the USA” as well as his disgusting picketing of military funerals – who has recently announced his church’s intention to picket the city of Fulton. The people and organizations involved in the rally and caravan are determined that the hateful messages of Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church will be met with peaceful but clear opposition.

“The international headlines involving the deplorable treatment of several young people in Mississippi should be a wake-up call not just for the LGBT community, but for everyone in our state,” said Knol Aust, Chair of Unity Mississippi. “We can no longer remain silent. All people in Mississippi deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, equality, and fairness. The rally and caravan offer an opportunity for the caring, fair-minded, rational people of Mississippi to take a stand against hatred and discrimination.”

The organizations endorsing these peaceful efforts include Unity Mississippi, GetEQUAL, Parents Friends/Family of Lesbians And Gays (PFLAG) Jackson, PFLAG Laurel, PFLAG Tupelo, the University of Southern Mississippi Gay Straight Alliance, Northwest Community College Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), MS Rainbow Alliance, the Libertarian Party of Mississippi, A Brave New Day, Safe Harbor Family Church, Standing on the Side of Love, and First Christian Church of Jackson. These groups endorse the rallies as the most effective way to promote a message of tolerance and inclusion in Mississippi.

The caravan and rallies are being promoted and information will also be updated on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100377460007104) and on this website.