Palm Beach Celebrates Pride
Besides just celebrating gay pride at this year's 15th annual Pride Festival of the Palm Beaches the festival took on an activist tone as organizers tried to inform and educate people about Amendment 2, the upcoming ballot initiative that would ban gay marriage in Florida.
"[Amendment 2] affects so many more people than the opposition makes you aware of," said special guest and emcee of the event, Ms. Cleo, who's best known for her late night infomercials for the Psychic Readers Network. Since coming out several years ago the Lake Worth resident has become a LBGT activist.
One group of people in the annual parade marched with signs that read "We are pro family, pro love and pro equality," "We are worthy" and "Vote no amendment 2."
Mike Zewe, capital campaign manager for Compass, the gay and lesbian center of the Palm Beaches, urged the audience to vote no on the amendment and asked them to tell their friends and family to do the same.
"If you don't tell [them] they don't know," he said. "It's a big issue and we're going to defeat it."
A more somber tone took place when a moment of silence was held in honor of Michael Brown, owner of H.G. Roosters in West Palm Beach. Brown was recently slain by an on-again-off-again lover. Besides owning a gay bar he was also an activist in the community. A memorial service for him was held after the event.
"This community isn't going to realize what they lost till after the fact because there's so many people that don't know what he did," said Lake Worth resident Jared McMullin, a long time friend and employee of Brown's. McMullin said he'll always remember Brown for his generosity, sense of humor, commitment to the gay community and just being there for people no matter what.
"I'm still kind of numb. It seems so different. He was like the constant that was always there," he said. "I could talk to him about anything. He always there to cheer you up. There's just a big void, a big emptiness."
McMullin said Brown did so much for the gay community that most people will never realize it, whether it's giving away a $25 bar tab for ten years to the weekly gay bowling league in Lake Worth to his commitment to the NAMES Project, which he was involved with since the 1980's.
The NAMES Project houses the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Brown was so involved with the project that at the memorial it was announced a panel would be inducted in to the quilt on Brown's behalf - the first person ever to be honored in the quilt that did not die from HIV/AIDS.
The festival was also celebrating Compass' 20th anniversary.
"This is a celebration of Compass' contribution [to the community]. I want them to continue forever." Cleo said. "It's so wonderful to see everyone come together under one big sky."
Later this year Compass will leave its current location in West Palm Beach and move to the former Mid-County Senior Center in downtown Lake Worth.
The Mayor of Lake Worth, Jeff Clemens, attended the festival and welcomed Compass in to his city. The Palm Beach County's Tax Collector, Anne Gannon, also attended to show her support and commitment to LGBT rights.
More than 150 local gay owned and friendly businesses, churches, non-profits groups, government agencies and entertainers were at the two-day festival.