May 31 marks the kick-off to the 8th annual Orlando Black Pride, hosted at the Orlando Vista Hotel. Since 2003, Orlando Black Pride's mission has been to provide empowerment through the promotion of unity and pride while promoting community health and wellness, and social justice to the African- American LGBT community of Central Florida and beyond.
The official OBP opening party is at the Parliament House on Tuesday, May 31, and features R&B singer Khia live in concert. The week will offer nonstop partying in the name of Pride with entertainers such as BSlade, Jasmine Bonet and Stasha Sanchez.
The six-day event will combine revelry with education. Because of barriers that sometime prohibit faith communities from addressing HIV/AIDS, including issues related to stigma, sexuality and/ or condom use, OBP and the Church of Healing & Prosperity will host the forum, “Is It Time for All of Us to Come Out of the Closet?” on Friday, June 3, at 7 p.m. at the Sheraton Safari Hotel.
Orlando Black Pride and the Church of Healing and Prosperity will host a second forum to address the issue of gays and the black church.
“The African-American church plays a pivotal part, not only in the African- American LGBT community, but in the African-American community as a whole,” said Trish Duncan, Orlando Black Pride Coordinator. “The vast majority of us were brought up in the church and understand the impact that the church has on our families.”
Duncan said the African-American LGBT community has struggled with religion because the church has ostracized gay people for their sexuality.
“With all of the media attention on the African-American church and its leaders coming out of the closet, the call for the church to adjust their negative rhetoric towards the LGBT community is critical,” she said. “Doing so could ultimately reinforce our faith in the church and at minimum, would positively impact the African-American LGBT community.”
Special guest panelists will include two-time Grammy Award nominee and seven-time Stellar Award winner B. Slade, Rev. Horace Griffin and from Atlanta, Ga., and Dr. David Malebranche, Assistant Professor at Emory University's School of Medicine who has conducted research exploring the racial, gender, age and cultural factors that influence black men's health. The moderator for the forum will be Star 94 FM radio personality Monica May.
More than 4,200 were in attendance last year and more than 6,000 are expected this year, according to Duncan.
For a complete schedule and ticket information, visit OrlandoBlackPride.com.
