Welcome to the eNews.
Time to load up on your rainbow gear! This weekend officially kicks off our pride festivities! We hope to see you at the bevy of events going on over the next several weeks.
eNews Staff
Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. |
Advocacy Alert
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Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq) applauds the visionary proposal made by two City Council members late last week. This proposal aligns with 87% of the Fortune 500 Companies who include Sexual Orientation in their Non-Discrimination policies. If put in place, Tulsa will also follow other cities who have recently made these changes, such as Nashville, Tallahassee, Salt Lake City and Kalamazoo.
Not only will this protect City Employees from discrimination, it will help employers around Tulsa recruit top talent and market the area as a place that all are welcome. "Both City Councilor G.T. Bynum and Maria Barnes are city visionaries in my mind" says Kris Wilmes, Director of Advocacy and Education at OkEq, "They get what it takes to be an employer of choice and that having policies in place which encourage an open and inclusive work environment is crucial." OkEq urges you to get involved and make sure Mayor Bartlett and the entire City Council understand your support of these changes."
See related article in the Tulsa World.
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Tulsa Pride 2010 Interfaith Service
Sunday, May 23rd: 3pm
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The 2010 Interfaith Service will be hosted by Diversity Christian Fellowship on Sunday May 23rd at 3:00 pm. The congregation is located at 637 South 131st East Avenue.
Clergy and Spiritual leaders from Tulsa's affirming and inclusive Faith communities and several choirs and ensembles participate in this annual event. Oklahomans for Equality Organizer Randy Lewis has added a memorial video tribute this year to honor those who have died since June 2009. If you have lost a loved one and would like them included in this presentation, please email Debby@okeq.org a digital picture of your loved one with their name. The highlight of the Interfaith Service is the blessing of Pride Flag. Please join the LGBT community as we celebrate the spiritual diversity of Tulsa.
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Eating Out for Equality
Monday May 24th: 5pm
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 Dilly Deli
5pm to 10pm
402 East 2nd Street
Tulsa Oklahoma 74120
Join family and friends at the Dilly Deli for a great meal while supporting OkEq.
Oklahomans for Equality will recieve 25% of the proceeds!
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| Tulsa Pride 2010 Leather & Fetish Fashion Show Tuesday May 25th :7:30pm
|  Tulsa uniform and leather seekers association will host the Tulsa Pride 2010 leather and fetish fashion show at the Dennis R. Neil Equality Center featuring announcer Eagle's DJ Mike Castle. Admission is Free, 18 and over only please.
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| Tulsa Pride 2010 VIP Bags
| | Vouchers can be purchased for $125 at the Pride events leading up to Pride or at the Dennis R. Neil Equality Center. Present your VIP Voucher on Pride Day and get your VIP Bag. Includes an OkEq year membership,Tulsa Pride Tshirt, VIP parking pass on Pride Day, Reserved VIP seating, free bottles of water, Air travel personal toiletries kit, lip balm, hand towel, 2 drink tickets, Free Admission to Club Sponsors, Tanning discounts, Spa discounts, Restaurant Coupons, pens, key chains, and tons of other gay trinkets. |
Grand Opening Of the Newly Refreshed
David Bohnett Cyber Center
Thursday May 27th: 6:30pm
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 Paul Moore, program manager for the foundation will be joining us for the grand opening ceremony. In 2010, the David Bohnett Foundation selected Tulsa as one of the 24 locations throughout the United States for a "refresh" grant. The Equality Center IT Team, Eric Vogelpohl and Don Satterthwaite have installed the Lenovo all-in-one A70z PC customized bundle with Microsoft Office software, Windows Pro 7 - 19" Widescreen Monitors and the Documate 510 Flatbed Scanners and IBM Infoprint color laser printers. Dennis R. Neill with Sampson donated 10 new chairs for our computer lab
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More Color 2010
Thursday May 27th - June 5th
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| Equality Day at the Zoo Saturday May 29th: 10am to 2pm
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Join us at the Tulsa Zoo for special priced OkEq group tickets will be sold at the Tulsa Pride 2010 table located at the front gate.
Children 3-11 $3.00
Seniors $5.00
12 & over $6.00
Wear your pride colors.
Please remember that there is a $2 parking fee per vehicle. |
| PFLAG Night at Circle Cinema Tuesday June 1st: 7pm
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PFLAG Tulsa will host a free movie night during Pride Week . This year's feature Holding Families Together is a documentary showing the vital need for parents to support and accept their adolescents when they come out as transgender, gay, lesbian, or bisexual. For more details and to watch a clip visit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ7Ai4c0fJY 
There will be a panel discussion following the movie discussing coming out issues surrounding families and the LGBT children with a Reception to follow.
 Viewers will also be treated to the OYP video produced by University of Texas film student Nick Rojas who was inspired by the New York Times article on OYP.
Circle Cinema
10 South Lewis Avenue
Tulsa, OK 74104-1615
(918) 585-3456
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| Pride Night at Central Library Thursday June 3rd : 7pm
| | Council Oak Mens Chorale and the Tulsa Central City County Library (400 Civic Center Tulsa, OK 74103-3857 918-596-7977) will host a free concert at Aaronson Auditorium in honor of Pride Week featuring the Council Oak Mens Chorale under the direction of their new director Dr Kim Childs. For more information visit http://www.counciloak.org/ |
Tulsa Pride 2010 Youth Night
presented by Openarms Youth ProjectFriday June 4th : 5pm to 10pm | 
Openarms presents a night of entertainment on youth night at Tulsa Pride 2010. The Festival opens at 5 pm at Centennial Park at 6th and Peoria. Starting at 7:30 pm live entertainment featuring youth from our community will take the main stage. Performers will present "Dear Diary" a play written, produced and directed by OYP youth. Following the play Openarms will hold the final night of their OYP's got talent contest with the winner being selected. In addition Miss Openarms Youth Project 2010 will perform with her cast. Openarms Youth Project brings lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth and their straight friends together to build a peer based community that empowers them to end isolation, create a progressive youth voice, increase well being and self esteem and change the community they live in. For more information visit http://www.openarmsproject.org/ |
| PFLAG Spaghetti Dinner Friday, June 4th: 6 to 7:30 pm
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PFLAG Pride Spaghetti Dinner will be at Centennial Park in the Central Community Center at 6th and Peoria on Friday, June 4th at 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Cost of the Spaghetti Dinner is $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for children under twelve.
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| Eric Himan and the Adams Saturday June 5th: 9pm
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 Eric Himan and the Adams are the featured headline performer for Tulsa Pride 2010. The concert is Saturday June 5th at 9:00 pm after the Pride
Parade on the main Festival Stage at Centennial Park. The Pride Fire Works Show follow the performance. Eric was named 2009's Urban Tulsa Weekly's
ABot Music Awards for Best Male Vocalist and Best New Artist. Eric teamed up with brother and sister duo Jimmy and Angel Adams in 2007.
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| Tulsa Pride 2010 Founders Brunch Saturday June 5th Pride Morning :10am to Noon
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 Tulsa Pride 2010 presents Founders Brunch at the Centennial Park Central Community Center at 6th and Peoria. Sponsored by Brighton Gardens Assisted Living located at 5211 S. Lewis Avenue in Tulsa where they "Champion quality of life for all seniors". Tulsa Pride 2010 wants to honor our OkEq founders and our gay elders who blazed the trail in Oklahoma. There will be no cost but donations will be collected for Tulsa CARES one of our premiere organizations that has served those living with HIV/AIDS for over 19 years. Doug Hartson will display 3 decades of party pics and Joshua Oaks video presentation of Our 30 Years will be presented along with special musical tributes.
To make reservations contact debby@okeq.org |
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Pride Planning meeting
Every Thursday
6:30 pm
OkEq Board of Directors and Advisors meeting
May 20th
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| Grieving Well |
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Bereavement Support Program for LGBT individuals who have lost a partner or loved one to death
2nd and 4th Mondays
6pm to 7:30 pm by
Denise Hunter
with Sojourn Care Hospice |
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Health Clinic for the uninsured
will be closed for the next 3 weeks.
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Live Free!
Coming Out
Workshop
Tuesdays, 7 pm.
ComingOut@OKEq.org
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| SAGE
(Service & Advocacy
For Gay Elders)
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Every Tuesday
10am to 2pm
"drop in throughout
the day"
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MISSION:
Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq)
seeks equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT)
individuals and families through advocacy, education, programs,
alliances and the operation of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center.
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