What a Wonderful Place to be Gay

My gosh! It's hard to believe it's June, with all this cloud cover and rain! But behold! Ala, it is June, the gateway to Summertime fun, and what better way to decorate this gateway than with a giant Rainbow?

Sisters' 2011 Closet Ball

First on the "Pride Weekend" agenda is the 2011 Closet Ball, presented by the phantasmic Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. This colorful and wildly entertaining event will be held at the Rio Nido Roadhouse (located at 14540 Canyon Two Rd. in Rio Nido) from 8:00-10:00pm. This "Closet Ball" gives us closet "freaks" a chance to strut our stuff. Here's the run-down of the event, sited from the Sister's Facebook Event page:

"Our contestants will show up in their every day gender, attire, and attitude, and will be interviewed by our hostess with the mostess, Sister Saviour Applause! She will then send them, and their assistant backstage, and start a 1 hour timer. They have one hour to transform themselves into a drag queen or king! Clothes, Makeup, Wig, Shoes and most importantly, ATTITUDE!

During the hour that the contestants are transforming, members of the Russian River Sisters will be entertaining you with performance numbers, and our ever popular communion with some tasty adult punch (there will be a non-alcoholic version, too!)

The contestants will then return to the stage one by one and perform a lip-sync number in their drag persona, followed by an interview conducted by the fabulous SIster Saviour Applause!

The judges for the evening are well known and respected members of the community, drag queens and non-drag queens alike. The contestants scores will be added up and adjusted for audience cheer decibel (dB) level - yes there's an app for that!

If you would like to compete, please contact Sister Saviour Applause at sistersaviourapplause@rrsisters.org. The first three contestants to confirm will cut off the applications. Hurry and Sign UP!! spaces will fill up fast!!"

Admission to this fabulous event is $10 at the door. All funds are to be equally split between the charities, chosen by the event's contestants. And yes, it is agreed, that if you "haven't been to a Sisters Closet Ball, you are missing out!"

3rd Annual Gay Pride Parade & Celebration

This weekend marks the 3rd Anniversary of the Sonoma County Pride's presence in Guerneville. Originally held in Santa Rosa, this year, the celebration fell into the hands of local charity group the Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. A tradition that is now in it's 41st year of operation, since the first anniversary of the Riots at Stonewall, Pride Celebrations and the various parades that operate through the country carry the echos that started in the small Greenwhich Neighborhood of New York: a place where you are accepted and loved for who you are, and where you can build relationships of your choosing without repercussions by the hand of the law. We as a nation have come a long way from that fateful night on June 28th, 1969; however, there is still much more work to be done. Pride is more than an opportunity to flash your colors and strut your stuff. No. It's much, much more than that. Come to the celebrations and continue the echo of diversity and tolerance.

First is the Pride Parade!!! Yay!!!! Scheduled Rain or Shine this Sunday, June 5th at 11:00am. Donning the streets of Downtown Guerneville with every color imaginable, this parade is becoming a new favorite tradition.

After the parade, the Pride Celebration continues at the Guerneville Lodge (formerly known as the Inn @ the Willows, or The Willows). Please visit the Sonoma County Pride website for a complete schedule of events and a list of the performers.