SoFLa Local:2nd Annual Miami Beach Gay Pride is Today!

After a highly successful event in 2009 that attracted more than 20,000 people, the City of Miami Beach is gearing up for another historic Gay Pride Parade Festival and Expo set for today (Saturday, April 17, 2010) on Ocean Drive. The parade kicks off at 12:00 noon followed by the Expo and Concerts until 8:00 pm.

Immediately following the parade on Ocean Drive, the Expo in Lummus Park will feature booths, food kiosks and exhibits, creating a massive Gay Pride exhibition area for businesses, community organizations and entertainers to showcase their pride and support of LGBT equality.

Miami Beach Gay Pride Festival and Expo 2010 will culminate with entertainment by local, national and international recording artists including Robin S, Crystal Waters & Estelle and music sets by international DJs. This year's Grand Marshalls are Sharon Gless from "Queer as Folk" and "Cagney & Lacey", plus Lt. Dan Choi, the outed Army Officer who served in the Iraq war from 2006-2007.

The Miami Beach Gay Pride brings together members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, their friends, allies, and supporters in celebration of the unique spirit and culture of the LGBT community by producing free, safe, quality mass-appeal events that are open to all, such as the Parade, Festival and adjunct Miami Beach Pride sanctioned events.

For more information about today's parade and events, please visit their website at: www.miamibeachgaypride.com.

See you there!

Show Your Pride South Florida!

Today is the 1st ever

PRIDE PARADE & FESTIVAL

in Miami Beach.

Come out to Ocean Drive

and show the world

how proud you are of your Freedom!

Miami Beach's First PRIDE Festival...EVER!

Thanks to Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower, the most famous sandbar in the world will join the ranks of world class cities like Sao Paulo, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and Madrid that officially honor the gay & lesbian community by hosting its first city-supported pride event today, April 18th.

With the support of the City of Miami Beach’s newly developed Gay, Business Development Ad Hoc Committee, South Floridians will participate in the first annual Miami Beach Gay Pride to be held on Ocean Drive between 5 and 15 Street beginning at noon.

The Miami Beach Gay Pride Committee, a committee formed to spearhead all logistics for the parade and festival, has chosen “PROUD” as this year’s main theme for all festivities including the parade, and a festival/expo composed of businesses and community booths, kiosks, and exhibits. The Festival/Expo will be on the sand at Lummus Park, in the Art Deco District, located between 12 and 14 Street.

“PROUD” will also feature a Main Stage for special guests including internationally renowned DJs, shows by various local and national recording artists, and performances by a number of local and national popular entertainers and celebrities.

Support for Miami Beach Gay Pride comes from the Miami Beach Visitor & Convention Authority, The Knight Foundation, Macy’s and the Dade Community Foundation.

The mission of the Miami Beach Gay Pride 2009 is to raise awareness and inspire appreciation and acceptance of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender community in South Florida.

Below are some of the performers at this historic event:

For more details and complete schedule, visit their website at http://www.miamibeachgaypride.com/.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade Will Honor 20+ Year LBGT Couples

Message from Cindy Brown, Proud Operations Director

Thanks to Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower, the most famous sandbar in the world will join the ranks of world class cities like Sao Paulo, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and Madrid that officially honor the gay & lesbian community by hosting its first city-supported pride event April 18, 2009.

"It is hard to believe a city as diverse and as inclusive of the GLBT community as our city has not had an official Miami Beach Gay Pride in the past," says Bower. "I am very proud to be a part of such a historical event in our community and will make every effort to ensure that PROUD, the Miami Beach Gay Pride celebration, will be a success."

The historic inaugural event will take place on Saturday, April 18, 2009, from noon until 7pm and will include a Parade down Ocean Drive, a Business Expo/Festival in Lummus Park, live entertainment and seaside tea dance, food and drinks.

One of the most exciting floats at the event will be one that the Miami Beach Gay Pride (MBGP) will be sponsoring to honor South Florida's longstanding LBGT couples. As such, the MBGP planning commitee is looking for out couples comprised of individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender and who have been and can document their committed relationship of 20 years or more. Couples with children - even adult-age children-are included and welcomed. Please pass this information along to your friends, clients, families, colleagues and co-workers, so that this message will have the optimum reach. We are proud to honor these couples and are excited for the maximum turn-out of participants.

Interested participants should register with Cindy Brown, Operations Director by calling 786.210.0613 or via email at cindy@miamibeachgaypride.com.

Thanks very much for spreading the word, and joining us to make PROUD, the first Miami Beach Gay Pride celebration, a spectacular success.

Visit the website www.miamibeachgaypride.com for details and information on this premiere event.