Turnabout

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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

Gay Pride Celebrations

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Tucson is lucky enough to have two Gay Pride celebrations annually visit our fabulous community. The first Gay Pride occurs in June, which coincides with the Stonewall Rebellion and subsequent public demonstrations. The second Pride comes a bit later in the year. That time is finally upon us! Join us as we celebrate with two iconic events: Tucson Pride Parade and Pride in the Desert.

Pride Parade 2019

Gay Pride Celebrations
Tucson Pride Parade 2019

The Tucson Pride Parade has a long, rich history in our community. This year will watch the procession proceed from Broadway / Craycroft and head towards Reid Park, where we will meet up with the festival.

I am so happy Tucson Pride decided to hold the Pride Parade immediately before the festival. The parade used to be organized on the night before, while allowed for some fantastic after-parties, it meant the two events were disunited from each other with little overlap. By having one naturally lead into the other, the Pride Parade and the festival will have increased synergy and provide an even better representation of our amazing community!

For even more information about our gay pride celebrations; Tucson Pride Parade 2019, check out the GayTucson Calendar!

Gay Pride celebrations: Pride in the Desert 2019

Gay Pride Celebrations
Tucson Pride in the Desert 2019

Pride in the Desert (or Park) has always been the flagship event of Tucson Pride weekend. Featuring hilarious hosts, marvelous musical performances and fantastic shows, Pride in the Desert truly has something for everyone. There are adorable shops with Pride souvenirs and phenomenal fashion vendors to get you looking your best. It is a wonderfully welcoming, safe space for everyone to be themselves and have a blast!

Find out everything else you could ever need to know about Tucson Pride in the Desert 2019 at the GayTucson Calendar!

SAAF Jello Wrestling

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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 🙂