Greetings!

Christopher Street West is in the third year of our three-year vision: PRIDE 365: Power. Passion. Purpose.  What is purpose? Purpose gives us the reason to get up in the morning, it is the reason you draw a breath and why you pick up a pen to draft a monthly newsletter. Purpose gives us direction and also provides hope.

CSW/LA PRIDE's purpose is to provide all LGBT people a means to be who they are. Regardless of the external constraints, concerns and the daily issues that we all face, we work to make sure that we celebrate ourselves, as individuals and as a community together and with diverse and unique facets.

Even after 40 years of purposeful progress on the LGBT agenda, there is still more to do. CSW's purpose is to provide a place to celebrate our success, share our Pride and remember all that we have accomplished, united.  We exist to provide a safe space that is even more necessary in light of the recent teen suicides, the heinous violence against public people and the continued bullying of people of all walks of life.

Our purpose as we enter a new decade, a new year and a new PRIDE season - ensuring that you will always have a place to be you.

We invite you to enjoy our new Web site.  We hope to provide you with a new and revealing online experience. There will be access to current and relevant news about PRIDE, as well as other community related events, our history and those that helped to make it happen, and the opportunity for you to join in our social media activities. Finally, there is more information about our community partners and benefiting organizations. 

Beginning this month is a new and exciting effort, a continuation of our partnership with ONE National Archives, the Pioneer Spotlight - a short biographical sketch of an early LGBT person who left their mark on our world. This is even more important today to ensure that our history is passed on to future generations, so they know what it was like, and understand all that has been done for us.

As we embark on this New Year - I ask what does purpose mean to you? Share that with a friend, a loved one, or the world, and please, share it with us on our facebook fan page or by email to pr@lapride.org.  As we move forward, we will share what you have shared with us through one of our outreach tools. 

We look forward to a purposeful year as we move forward towards an exciting PRIDE celebration in 2011.

In Pride,

Rodney Scott

ADVERTISE IN OUR PRIDE GUIDE

Reach thousands through the 2011 Official PRIDE Guide. Each year CSW produces an informative Guide to all things PRIDE. The PRIDE Guide includes entertainment and parade information, schedules, parking, dance venues, Honoree bios, sponsor information and more. The PRIDE Guide hits the street weeks prior to the event and is also showcased at all pre-PRIDE events and available during the weekend celebration. Don't miss this opportunity to place your ad in our popular PRIDE GUIDE.