Press Release - Tseng Kwong Chi Retrospective

For Further Event Information:
215-732-FEST or
www.pridefestamerica.com

For Further Press Information:
Deborah Fleischman
215-735-7356

PRIDEFEST AMERICA 2002 CELEBRATES TENTH ANNIVERSARY AS
PREEMINENT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
GAY & LESBIAN SYMPOSIUM AND FESTIVAL
APRIL 29-MAY 5

First In The Nation, Second To None

Celebrating its 10th Anniversary season, PrideFest America 2002 presents the nation's most comprehensive programs about the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community at its annual symposium and festival on April 29-May 5 in Philadelphia. PrideFest America 2002 features nearly 60 programs and social events by over 50 regional, national and international GLBT organizations.

"PrideFest America is the pre-eminent annual international forum for the GLBT international civil rights movement," said Malcolm Lazin, founder and executive director of PrideFest America. "For our 10th Anniversary year our international focus will be on South Africa, including a delegation of South African leaders discussing issues from apartheid and AIDS in South Africa to contemporary life for black and white South Africans."

"PrideFest America offers not only substantive but also celebratory events, including eight parties with DJs Susan Morabito and Billy Carroll, cabaret by Marga Gomez, the National Bodybuilding Championship, BBQ and SundayOUT," continued Autumn Bayles, Chair of PrideFest America's Board of Directors.

PrideFest America 2002 features over 50 seminars covering GLBT issues as broad-based as family issues, military discrimination, civil rights and health. A special highlight of PrideFest America 2002 is Tseng Kwong Chi: A Retrospective at the Philadelphia Art Alliance running March 19 through May 5. This exhibition of approximately 85 works is the first-ever retrospective of this important postmodern photographer.

Other 10th Anniversary highlights include:

  • Tom Stoddard National Role Model Award to MTV at the Kimmel Center in recognition of their distinguished contributions to social change in the GLBT community. Joining Brian Graden, President of Entertainment and Stephen Friedman, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships in accepting this award will be John Murray, Executive Producer of Real World, with on-air personality John Norris and Real World stars Chris and Aneesa, as well as GLSEN executive director Kevin Jennings and three performing arts tributes.
     
  • National Healthcare Panel in collaboration with PCHA and University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work. Moderated by Paul Scoles, PCHA's Board President, the panelists include Scott Evertz, National AIDS Czar; Dr. Suzanne Haynes, head of the Office of Women's Health/U.S. DHHS; and Cornelius Baker, Executive Director of The Whitman-Walker Clinic.
     
  • National Religious Colloquy, the preeminent discussion of religion and the GLBT community in collaboration with the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence. Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson to and founder of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence moderates with panelists Reverend Jimmy Creech; Faisal Alam, Founder and Director of Al-Fatiha, an international Islamic group; author and the first openly gay Orthodox Rabbi Steven Greenberg; and Mary Louise Cervone, National President of Dignity.
     
  • National Media Panel, looking at the way the media perceives, covers and shapes attitudes about the GLBT community. Nationally syndicated host NPR's Todd Mundt of Minneapolis will moderate this discussion with panelists Judy Wieder, Editor-in-Chief of The Advocate; Rose Arce, CNN national correspondent; Gene Falk, Senior Vice President of Showtime, and Brian Graden, President of Entertainment at MTV.
     
  • Living in a Rainbow Nation: Gay & Lesbian Dynamics in South Africa focusing on contemporary issues for gay black and white South Africans such as apartheid, constitutional protection, and AIDS in South Africa. This all-South African panel is moderated by Donna Smith, Co-Chair of South Africa's Lesbian and Gay Pride with activists Shuaib Rahim, from Amnesty International South Africa; Evert Knoesen, Coordinator of Lesbian and Gay Equality Project; and Glenn de Swardt, Manager of the Triangle Project (the oldest gay and lesbian organization in Africa).
     
  • National Gay and Lesbian Leaders Symposium, aired live on NPR. Marty Moss-Coane, host of NPR's Radio Times, leads a spirited discussion with Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director of Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund; Michael Duffy, Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign; Ingrid Duran, President & CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and Lorri Jean, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
     
  • Gay Life During War Times: The Impact of the Afghan Conflict on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' examining the impact of the war in Afghanistan on LGBT service members and the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy. Moderated by Sharra E. Greer, Esq. of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, panelists will include SLDN's Paula M. Neira, who is also a Gulf War Veteran, and an Afghan Conflict veteran.
     
  • National Family Values Panel, in collaboration with the national Family Pride Coalition, exploring the different ways gay couples have become parents. Family Pride Coalition Executive Director, Aimee Gelnaw moderates this panel with Pam Derderian & Nancy Becker, parents of an adopted Chinese daughter; Jon & Michael Galluccio, foster parents; and Laura Fox & Diane Diffenderfer, parents through artificial insemination.
     
  • National Legal Symposium: LGBT Issues In the Courtroom: From the Supreme Court to the Local Court. Focusing on issues from both the Supreme Court's, jurist's and the attorney's perspectives, this symposium features Joyce Murdoch and Deb Price, authors of Courting Justice: Gay Men and Lesbians v. the Supreme Court and attorneys Jean E. Dubofsky, Esq., Chris Wolf, Esq. and Evan Wolfson, Director of the Freedom to Marry Project.
     
  • James Wheeler National Youth Panel, created to remember the homophobic-induced suicide of a gifted gay teen, addresses issues affecting gay youth. This all-youth panel is moderated by youth activist and college freshman Jascie Williams, with panelists Elizabeth Wheeler, Jim Wheeler's surviving 16- year old sister and Canadians Benjie Nycum & Mike Glatze, founders of www.younggayamerica.com.
     
  • Race Relations in the GLBT Community, exploring the way we play out our stereotypes in every aspect of our interrelationships as a diverse, but not always tolerant society. The panel is moderated by Michael Williams, Deputy Director of Community Legal Services with Sandra Thompson, Executive Director of St. Mary's Family Respite Center; Stacey Sobel, Executive Director of Center for Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights, Ron Sy, Executive Director of ASIAC, and Tony Rodriguez, former national vice president of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.
     
  • Marketing to the GLBT Consumer, looking at how companies target the GLBT community, including a discussion of the Showtime/MTV proposed gay cable channel. Wes Combs, of Witeck Combs, moderates with panelists Gene Falk of Showtime, Joseph Bertolotti of IBM, Keith Ferrazzi of YaYa Communications and Stephanie Blackwood of Double Platinum.

Since its founding in 1993, PrideFest America has become the nation's largest annual gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) symposium and festival. It has expanded from a three-day conference of regional organizations to a full week of events featuring national and regional leaders on a broad range of compelling issues. With more than 60 programs and social events presented by over 50 regional, national and international organizations, PrideFest America 2002 is the nation's most in-depth program of the emergence of a vibrant GLBT community and its civil rights aspirations.

For further information, call 215-732-FEST or visit the website at www.pridefestamerica.com.

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PRIDEFEST AMERICA 2002
APRIL 29-MAY 5
DAILY FACT SHEET

March 19-May 5

Tseng Kwong Chi: A Retrospective
over 85 works of this preeminent post-modern photographer in this first-ever retrospective

Monday, April 29

Gay Life During War Times: The Impact of the Afghan Conflict on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' - 8:15 to 9:30 p.m.
in collaboration with Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and including an Afghan conflict veteran

Tuesday, April 30

National Family Values Panel - 7:30 to 8:45 p.m.
in collaboration with the national Family Pride Coalition

Race Relations in the GLBT Community - 9:00 to 10:15 p.m.
with representatives of the African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American and Caucasian communities

Wednesday, May 1

National Healthcare Panel - 7:30 to 8:45 p.m.
with Scott Evertz, national AIDS czar

National Religious Colloquy - 9:00 to 10:15 p.m.
in collaboration with the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence and representatives of Islam, Catholicism, Judaism, and Protestantism

Thursday, May 2

National Media Panel - 7:30 to 8:45 p.m.
in collaboration with NPR, GLAAD and National Lesbian & Bay Journalists Association

Living in a Rainbow Nation: Gay & Lesbian Dynamics in South Africa - 9:00 to 10:15 p.m.
with four major South African gay and lesbian leaders


Friday, May 3

National Legal Symposium: LGBT Issues In the Courtroom: From the Supreme Court to the Local Court - 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Bar Institute

National Gay and Lesbian Leaders Symposium - 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
aired live on NPR

National Role Model Award - 8:00-9:00 pm at the Kimmel Centerawarded to MTV with guest appearances by MTV on-air personalities and executives, and tributes by three performing arts groups

Saturday, May 4

Jim Wheeler National Youth Panel - 1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
in collaboration with GLSEN featuring an all-youth panel

Marketing to the GLBT Consumer - 2:30 to 3:45 p.m
with Showtime's Senior Vice President Gene Falk

National Bodybuilding Championship - 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 5

SundayOUT - 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

PARTIES AND SPECIAL EVENTS AT PRIDEFEST AMERICA

  • Women in Music Party with Three Stories High - May 1 at 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. (Sisters)
  • Cabaret featuring Marga Gomez - May 3 at 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. (Prince Music Theater)
  • MTV Dance Party - May 3 at 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.(Shampoo)
  • BBQ - May 4 at 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. (Kahn Park)
  • Atticfest 2002 - May 4 at 5:00 - 10:30 p.m. (The Attic Youth Center)
  • Girl Fever with DJ Lyla Love - May 4 at 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. (Sisters)
  • Liberation with DJ Billy Carroll - May 4 at 11:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. (Transit)
  • SundayOUT Men's Party DJ Blaine Soileau- May 5 at Noon to 6 p.m., (2-4 Club)
  • SundayOUT Women's Party with DJ George Donahue - May 5 at Noon to 6:00 p.m. (Globar)
  • SundayOUT Closing Party with DJ Blake - May 5 at 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Circa)