Kevin Fenton, head of the CDC division that includes HIV, will participate in an ITLA workshop on how the disease impacts the black gay community. (Photo courtesy CDC)
Community, culture events pack Pride days In the Life Atlanta offers broad range of programming
In
the
Life
Atlanta,
the
non-profit
group
that
serves
as
official
organizer
of
Black
Gay
Pride,
offers
a
full
slate
of
cultural
and
community
events
throughout
Labor
Day
Weekend.
The
“See
Us
In
The
Life”
film
festival
is
one
of
the
most
popular
events
during
the
weekend
of
festivities,
said
Anare
Holmes,
ITLA
board
secretary
and
film
festival
organizer.
Labeled
as
“Atlanta’s
premier
festival
for
filmmakers,
animators
and
artists
whose
work
explores
topics
relevant
to
black
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual,
and
transgender
communities,”
the
festival
will
begin
on
Saturday
afternoon
at
4
p.m.
and
will
run
through
Sunday
afternoon.
The
films
will
be
shown
at
the
W
Hotel-Midtown,
which
is
ITLA’s
host
hotel
and
home
to
most
ITLA
events.
This
year’s
festival
has
some
exciting
additions
including
“How
We
Got
Over,”
an
animated
films
set
on
the
fictional
Wesley
Grove
Plantation.
“Think
‘South
Park’
meets
‘Roots,’”
said
Holmes.
“I
do
not
expect
them
to
receive
an
NAACP
Image
award,
but
it
is
a
hilarious
film.”
The
film
is
about
a
group
of
slaves
whose
owner
dies,
yet
they
choose
to
stay
and
pretend
as
though
nothing
has
changed.
In
addition
to
“How
We
Got
Over,”
Holmes
is
also
excited
to
have
Maurice
Jamal’s
“Friends
&
Lovers,”
a
sequel
to
“Ski
Trip.”
There
will
also
be
more
films
targeting
women
during
this
year’s
festival.
“In
the
past
the
films
were
extremely
male
heavy,”
said
Holmes.
“So
this
year,
we
wanted
to
be
more
inclusive.”
Holmes
also
reports
that
there
will
be
efforts
to
have
the
film
festival
reach
beyond
just
Labor
Day
weekend.
They
are
looking
at
doing
more
year
round
planning.
DIVERSE
WORKSHOPS
This
year’s
Black
Gay
Pride
attendees
can
choose
from
a
total
of
32
workshops
to
add
an
educational
and
empowering
component
to
a
weekend
that
also
includes
plenty
of
parties.
According
to
D’Lovely
Gibson,
ITLA
vice
president
and
workshop
organizer,
they
wanted
to
provide
attendees
with
a
broad
range
of
choices.
Workshops
are
chosen
from
a
list
of
proposals
submitted
by
individuals
within
the
community.
This
year’s
workshop
schedule
features
topics
including
family
planning,
sexuality,
politics,
spirituality
and
financial
empowerment.
“We
try
to
have
panels
that
are
relevant
to
the
times,”
she
said.
A
few
panel
highlights
include
a
discussion
with
Dr.
Kevin
Fenton,
director
of
the
CDC’s
National
Center
for
HIV/AIDS,
Viral
Hepatitis,
STD
&
TB
Prevention,
on
HIV/AIDS
and
its
affect
on
the
black
gay
community;
and
Warriorz
&
SuperSheros/
Heros/Teros,
a
discussion
on
the
importance
of
allies
in
the
LGBT
community.
“Our
workshops
are
a
little
less
panel
and
a
little
more
workshop,”
said
Gibson.
“It
is
one
of
the
things
we
tell
our
presenters,
that
they
allow
for
an
open
dialogue
and
make
the
discussions
more
intimate.”
The
full
workshop
schedule
is
available
on
ITLA’s
website.
TO
YOUR
HEALTH
More
than
$500
worth
of
health
screenings
and
other
healthcare
services
will
be
made
available
to
attendees
of
this
year’s
Black
Gay
Pride
celebration
thanks
to
the
ITLA
“Living
in
Our
Pride”
health
expo.
Held
annually,
the
expo
will
take
place
throughout
the
entire
weekend
and
will
be
housed
in
the
Black
Gay
Pride
marketplace.
“The
health
expo
has
become
a
signature
event,”
said
Raymond
Duke,
expo
organizer
and
an
ITLA
board
member.
“It
is
not
just
a
health
fair,
it
is
a
health
expo.”
Attendees
will
have
access
to
head-to-toe
services:
from
hair
care
to
vision
screenings
to
foot
and
body
massages;
as
well
as
cholesterol,
colon
and
prostate
screenings,
and
a
host
of
holistic
care
services.
According
to
Duke
there
will
be
representatives
from
Sevananda,
the
natural
foods
store
in
Little
Five
Points,
as
well
as
Crystal
Springs.
Duke
wants
to
encourage
attendees
to
not
just
attend
the
marketplace
to
shop,
but
to
also
take
advantage
of
these
services.
“Yes,
we
want
people
to
come
and
have
a
good
time.
But
at
the
same
time,
we
want
people
to
take
advantage
of
he
things
we
are
doing
aside
from
just
the
social
things,”
he
said.
“At
the
end
of
the
day,
you
still
have
to
be
healthy
to
enjoy
yourself.”
Other
ITLA
offerings
include
literary
readings,
plays
and
a
fashion
show.
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