Tucson Gay Pride 2007

Tony Ray Baker
-
0
Tucson Gay Pride 2007

Bisbee Gay Pride

Tony Ray Baker
-
0
Bisbee Gay Pride
Bisbee gay pride
Be Sure to Celebrate Bisbee Gay Pride Later This Month, June

Every year on Father’s Day weekend, the Arizona LGBT community and Straight Allies gather in the adorable little town of Bisbee to celebrate their pride. Come along with me on one such adventure, and be sure to catch the next incarnation of Bisbee Gay Pride!

When and Where is Bisbee Gay Pride?

Get to Bisbee by driving South on I-10 and taking a right on Highway 80 in Benson. From Tucson, it’s a little over 1.5 hours, 47 if you’re coming from Benson. Gay Pride Weekend corresponds with Father’s Day Weekend, occurring on the third weekend in June. It may seem like a long way to go, but a bunch of your friends from Tucson will be there and it really is one of the better parties of the year!

What Can I Expect at Bisbee Gay Pride?

There are so many things to do and ways to celebrate in Bisbee and the surrounding area, but what follows is my tried-and-true method for having a great time at Bisbee Gay Pride.  We call this The Move.

The Move starts at a quaint little bed and breakfast on Friday night. Try the Copper Queen Hotel or the Bisbee Grand, you’ll love either place.  I highly recommend locating yourself around the Main St. part of town. That is where all the action is and you don’t want to have to drive back to your hotel room after a full night of partying.  The drunken stumble back to your bed is a quintessential part of The Move.

What’s Next For The Move?

The Move is to then walk the crowded, action-packed streets, observing the myriad booths and vendors set up for the weekend.  The streets fill up on both Friday and Saturday with live music, so be sure to get your groove on!  The town blocks off the roads from car access around the Copper Queen, so begin there and meet up with all of your friends.

The next Move is to head across the street to the Underground Dance Party.  I would tell you where to go, but it’s better for you to just head down and discover for yourself.  Dance to some high-energy dance music and have a few cocktails, powering you up for what’s next!

The Move then takes you on a club crawl, guided by a drag queen carrying a high heel on a stick.  You’ll be heading from bar to bar, effectively getting a crash course in Downtown Bisbee.  As you reach the end of the pubs, the MC will organize the flock into a Drag Race.

No, not the type you’re thinking of, this race consists of your drunken friends, wearing dresses and high heels, and running up a small hill.  Cue the ankle tape and the ice packs!  It’s a hilarious time for all involved and will truly punctuate your time at Bisbee Gay Pride.

See You Next Year!

Still not convinced? Bisbee Gay Pride is an awesome time with your best friends in a wonderful little town. There are some fun activities that I have never seen anywhere else, making Bisbee Gay Pride a one-of-a-kind event.  It’s just a short drive South to have an amazing weekend and you’ll even see Darren and I on the club crawl.  See you next year!

Have a great day,
TonyRay 🙂

Johnathan Celestin Performs Live at Tucson Pride 2018

Tony Ray Baker
-
0
Johnathan Celestin Performs Live at Tucson Pride 2018
Tucson Pride is no stranger to incredible performances.  Who can forget about last year’s amazing concert from Velo, or the time we brought in Margaret Cho?  I almost died laughing!  Pride Weekend is always full of fantastic performers, but this year is on a different level.  Our friends at Tucson Pride have scheduled a full slate of incredible singers, dancers, DJ’s, and other entertainers.  But the headline of the show has to be when Johnathan Celestin Performs Live at Tucson Pride 2018!
It's Hard Not to Fall in Love with Johnathan Celestin
It’s Hard Not to Fall in Love with Johnathan Celestin

Meet Johnathan Celestin

I had the fortune of speaking with Johnathan Celestin last week and we got to speaking about his upcoming performance at Tucson Pride 2018.  Beyond being an engaging person, Johnathan is an incredible singer with a host of self-written singles and EPs. What I found most enthralling about Johnathan is his warmth and kindness.  He regularly participates in community involvement and his music is an inspiring call-to-action to treat each other better.  In one of his singles, Be-You-tiful, he sings about peer violence and bullying.  In fact, this popular song became the theme for a major anti-bullying campaign!
Check out the rest of Johnathan’s fantastic videos on the Johnathan Celestin YouTube Channel.  That’s just the tip of the iceberg.  Johnathan’s message of self-reflection and loving each other definitely resonates with me, and I’m sure it will touch everyone when Johnathan Celestin Performs Live at Tucson Pride 2018!

The Most Exciting Tucson Pride in Years!

I can’t describe how excited I am for Tucson Pride 2018!  The Georges DeMeester Performance Center is the perfect venue for one out-of-this-world party!  The entire event will be emceed by inimitable local Tucsonans.  They have a full slate of wonderful talent, headlined by the coolest guy you haven’t yet met, Johnathan Celestin.  The only thing missing is you, so be sure to grab your tickets today and be ready for what promises to be the best event of the year! Have a great day! Tony Ray 🙂

SAAF Jello Wrestling

Tony Ray Baker
-
0
SAAF Jello Wrestling
SAAF Jello Wrestling has grown to become one of Tucson’s most anticipated yearly events!  From the glamorous costumes to the hilarious personas, you’re going to love the pageantry and air of theatre that pervades the entire event. However, once the competitors are in the green ooze, then you truly see the captivating spectacle for what it is.  It’s friends and lovers, in the spirit of teamwork and competition, locked in intense combat.  It’s that raw, animalistic spirit that animates the entire event and makes SAAF’s Jello Wrestling such a wonderful thing to do in Tucson!

How Jello Wrestling Came to Tucson

This is the tale of Reno Gannon. In 1987, while tending bar at a local watering hole entitled “Rumor Hazzitt”, he went on vacation to Mexico and came back with a fantastic fundraising event. Wrestling in vats of Jell-O! Together with the owner of Rumor Hazzitt, they pulled together the first such event!  It was a fundraiser for Shanti, an early AIDS Service Organization that merged with other local agencies to form Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation. The tale of Reno has a tragic end, however, as this wonderful, loving man was cut down at the precocious age of 23 by the scourge of AIDS.  To this day, the Jello Wrestling event remains a memorial to his legacy.

What Happens at SAAF Jello Wrestling?

SAAF Jello Wrestling is a team sport.  Each team of wrestlers raises funds to wrestle during a pit of Jell-O, typically with extraordinary costumes and characters. Between wrestling matches, the Drag Diva Hostesses will run a live auction that includes a wide range of fantastic items to titillate the crowd. Funds raised through Jell-O Wrestling assist SAAF with their awesome mission of cultivating a healthy & stigma-free society through transformative action.

How Can I Help?

Wrestling in the SAAF Jello Wrestling event is an awesome way to support the programs and services of the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF). All wrestlers should raise a minimum of $500 in sponsorships. With the addition of online giving through the SAAF website, raising sponsorships can be done with an email!  Find Out More Here:
Wrestle/Sponsor a Wrestler
Not the wrestling type?  Don’t worry, there are tons of volunteer opportunities at SAAF Jello Wrestling! Visit this page to choose what you’d like to do and when!
Volunteer
Have a great day, Tony Ray 🙂

Tucson Gay Pride 2014

Tony Ray Baker
-
0
Tucson Gay Pride 2014
What: Pride On Parade When: Saturday, October 11 2014 6:00 PM. Where: Starts at Catalina Park on 2nd St. and Goes Down 4th Ave. to 8th St. Admission: All we ask is that you participate! Official Website: Tucson Pride Parade Over the past 14 years the Tucson Pride Parade has grown to become a central part of the Tucson Gay Pride celebration.  2014 promises to take the event to the next level!  Pride on Parade will begin at Catalina Park on 2nd St. at 6:00 PM on Saturday, October 11th.  We will proceed to 4th ave. and take a right, leading to our destination on 4th and 8th St. The most important thing is to get involved.  The focus of Pride on Parade is to allow everyone to be themselves, some come have a blast with us at the block party at the end of the parade! Thats right, this year the Tucson Pride Parade has joined with Sky Bar to provide a Block Party from 7pm to 9pm.  It’ll be the best place to grab a drink after the long parade march ; )
What: Tucson Pride In The Desert When: Saturday, October 18th 2014 Where: Kino Sports Complex. Admission: $10.00 at the door. VIP Tickets available online at http://tucsonpride.org/. Tucson Pride presents it’s 37th Annual LGBTQ Pride Festival . $50. VIP. Advance tickets can be bought on-line at http://tucsonpride.org/ Advance purchase tickets can be picked up at the will-call table at the entrance on the day of the event. Details to come shortly, book the date and plan on a great time!

Turnabout

Tony Ray Baker
-
0
Turnabout

Turnabout!

Turnabout for TIHAN is always a blast! Tucson’s LGBTQ, gay-friendly businesses, and non-profits all come together and put on a show for the community to help those in need living with HIV and Aids. Tempest Dujour and Janee Starr usually host the event and will have you laughing til your socks come off.

If you would like to contribute, you can be a sponsor for the Turnabout event. We try and sponsor a table ever year!

Remember, even if you miss this event, TIHAN always accepts donations throughout the year. These donations help to continue providing services in support of those living with HIV and AIDS. Also, not all donations to TIHAN need to be in the form of money. Donations of time, expertise, or materials will work just as fine.

Have a great day!
Tony Ray

1234...6Page 3 of 6