-SPECIAL EVENTS-
Take a break from the city on September 20 and drive up to the beautiful Hudson Valley for Fall Fest. This event offers you a chance to breathe fresh air while benefiting a very worthy cause, the Hetrick-Martin Institute, which provides vital, life-saving support year-round to hundreds of LGBTQ youth. Programs range from food banks to creative development and educational tutoring, as well as career-building skill programs that give these kids a chance to make changes in their lives and, eventually, ours. Expect an afternoon of cocktails and catering outdoors with beautiful scenery.
If your heart is in the right place, but you just don’t have the time to attend benefits, you should consider a donation to the Victory Fund, which provides financial and campaign support to gay and lesbian political candidates, and is dedicated to increasing the number of visible LGBT public officials (victoryfund.org). The site provides an easy to navigate way to understand and support “qualified, committed openly LGBT candidates who can win at the ballot box” as well as information for those thinking of running for office.
Need a little boost career-wise? Check out the 2nd Annual Fall Women’s Networking Event at Eden on September 17, which brings together many large organizations ranging from legal to financial. Participating this year are companies including Merrill Lynch, AXA Equitable, Lambda Legal Education and Defense Fund, co-sponsored by JP Morgan Chase PRIDE and FSIX NY. This event is brought to you by OP.Lynx, The Women’s Network of Out Professionals, which aims to bring lesbian professionals together to foster growth by “lynking” them together, and is growing quickly after last year’s near-capacity crowd reached close to 200 women. RSVP is recommended.
Grab your new (or old) networks and head over to Six Flags Great Adventure on the 19th for Heritage of Pride’s 5th Annual Out at Night celebration at Fairgrounds 2008, when the entire park will be closed to the public for some good old fashioned fun that benefits Heritage of Pride—which means it benefits you! Come out and ride the thrill rides, enjoy live music as performed by Colton Ford, boogie down to the tunes spun by DJ Seth Gold, and in between, gorge yourself on carnival treats. If that’s not enough motivation, just remember: Adrenaline rushes are a great way to bond with your special someone!
And speaking of special someones, join GO Magazine and GLAAD as they host the GLAAD and New York Liberty MVP Reception on September 14 at Madison Square Garden. Mix and mingle with players, win prizes, or just soak in the excitement of live sports as the Liberty take on the Detroit Shock. Special guests include Kym Hampton of the NY Liberty and Kate McKinnon of the Big Gay Sketch Show! Tickets include great seats in the reserved GLAAD section, a one-year GLAAD membership and a private VIP cocktail reception before the game.
-UPCOMING-
Be sure to save November 1 for the 11th Annual Women’s Event at The Center, which promises to be a grand gala saluting The L Word as it enters its last season—keep your eyes peeled for surprise guest cast members—and honors several important women in the media.
Now would be a great time to start gathering your team and your sponsors for the 1st ever Bowl-A-Thon Extravaganza, taking place on October 25 in support of FIERCE!, a group that provides political education and organizing training skills for LGBTQ youth of color, as well as many other important services. Check them out at fiercenyc.com for more information about the bowling event as well as all the other ways you can get involved with this grassroots organization.
In a radically different combination of edge, beauty and comedy is Margaret Cho’s “Beautiful” tour, playing for one night only at Radio City Music Hall on October 4. Cho explores the nature of aesthetics to try to get us to confront our society’s ideas and images of beauty, in a return-to-her-roots-style stand-up show that will have you running the gamut of emotions as you twist uncomfortably in your seat.
What Do You Think?