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Jonathan Plummer, the inspiration behind ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back,’ appears at Atlanta Black Gay Pride.
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HOME > NEWS > LOCAL
By: RYAN LEE
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With summertime ticking away, every day that passes from now until Labor Day means Atlanta gets closer to one of its biggest party weekends of the year. Club promoters, community organizers and everyday locals are scurrying to get ready for Atlanta’s annual Black Gay Pride festival, which takes place Aug. 29-Sept. 3.
In the Life Atlanta began sponsoring official Black Gay Pride activities in 1996, and organizers hope to take this year’s festival to new heights from the very beginning.
“What is going to be really great for people is this year’s opening reception has some stellar entertainment appearing,” said Anaré Holmes, an ITLA board member. “They will really be impressed with how the format has been changed to be more of an entertainment event.”
The Aug. 31 opening ceremony will feature the traditional welcome resolutions from ITLA organizers and Atlanta public officials, along with performances by singers like Levi and Niki Harris, a longtime backup singer for Madonna. The opening ceremony, along with most other ITLA-sponsored events, will take place at the downtown Sheraton Hotel — the new host venue after the longtime home of Black Gay Pride, the Sheraton at Colony Square, closed earlier this summer.
The transition from Midtown to downtown is fitting with the theme of this year’s Black Gay Pride: “Moving to the next level.”
“We wanted to exceed people’s expectations and kick up our programming a notch,” Holmes said.
As part of ITLA’s “See Us in the Life” film festival on Sept. 1, the organization brings to Atlanta Jonathan Plummer, the former husband of author Terry McMillan and the inspiration behind “How Stella Got Her Groove Back.” Plummer, who in December 2005 admitted he likes to get his groove on with other men, will be talking about settling into a gay identity while being a pseudo-celebrity going through a very messy divorce.
ITLA also took advantage of an invitation from the Atlanta Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs to offer VIP tickets to a Sept. 1 concert by Aretha Franklin to Black Gay Pride attendees.
“We knew that there was an event being held here that weekend and people would be looking for things to do, and so we extended an invite [to ITLA],” said Myra Reeves, a city parks spokesperson. “We market to any large groups that are in town during our concerts.”
This year’s Black Gay Pride will also include several somber moments, as ITLA reflects upon and honors the lives of two recently deceased volunteers — Lawrence “L” Warren and Tony Childs. ITLA organizers dedicated this year’s festival to the memory of Warren, who passed away in May, and will pay tribute to him during the opening ceremony.
Childs, who died in July, will be honored at the candlelight vigil he once helped or-ganize, which takes place Aug. 29 at the First Metropolitan Community Church.
Childs also played a integral role in incorporating health awareness into Black Gay Pride — a legacy that continues with the “Living In Our Pride” health expo, Narcotics Anonymous sessions throughout Pride weekend and a series of workshops that examine everything from prostate cancer to raw sex among black gay men. The workshops also cover topics such as gay adoption, transgender awareness, credit and debt education, how to form a domestic partnership and balancing spirituality and sexual orientation.
“We’ve tried to make sure everybody’s covered,” said Stephen Levy, co-chair of the ITLA workshops. “Not everybody in the gay community goes out and clubs, and so we’re offering some of the alternatives. It also offers that balance for those who do like the parties.”
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