RENAISSANCE LSV NEWS – April 2005
Edited by Ellen Davidson
Ellen’s Corner
This Saturday begins daylight savings time and the weekend weather is supposed to be great. We have a meeting scheduled for Saturday, April 2, 2005 at the MCC church at 8:00 PM. Representatives from Forever Books, a GLBT bookstore in Steelton, will present the program at our meeting.
If you didn’t get to our annual Spring Party at Bubes Brewery in Mt Joy on March 19, you missed a great evening and a lot of fun. The food and fellowship was very good; about 25 attended the dinner. Our members, guests, and others were treated to a cabaret female illusion show that featured 5 area drag queens as headliners. Michelle Lyn Greyfeather and I served as producers and we both also enjoyed performing for the group. Bubes brewery wants to be recognized as an LGBT friendly place in Lancaster County. We are welcome there anytime, according to Sam Allen, the owner. Plans are underway to produce more shows at Bubes Brewery, possibly in the popular Bottling Works in the future. Since the party was successful and everyone seemed to have a good time, we have also tentatively reserved Saturday, March 18, 2006 at Bubes Brewery for our Spring Party next year.
The end of an Era:
A popular gay club in Reading has closed which was very friendly to the TG community. This past Saturday was the last night for the Scarab nightclub on Frederick St in Reading, PA. The event was celebrated with a last bash Drag Show which was attended by a huge crowd and involved many well known local entertainers. Amethyst Diamond, former Miss Gay Harrisburg said, “there were so many people you could hardly move and forget about getting drinks”. The Red Star on 10th St in Reading is now the last gay club in the area that is TG friendly. They plan to do shows at the club at least every month and welcome all t-girls.
Alexxus Kane, Miss American Illusion National, has invited us to host a pageant within the Illusion system for members of Renaissance. Alexxus and her group are willing to produce the pageant without any cost to us. We may even be able to make some money on the event. The winner of our pageant would be crowned Queen in the Illusion system and compete for the state pageant in 2006. Is anyone interested?
The United States Golf Association announced Monday, March 21; it has adopted a new policy that allows transsexual athletes to compete in USGA golf championships, including the upcoming U.S. Women's Open.
The USGA's policy change follows similar rulings made in recent years by the International Olympic Committee, Great Britain's Ladies Golf Union and Women's Golf Australia, all allowing transsexuals to compete.
The USGA's policy, which had stipulated that competitors must be "born female," now states that transsexual athletes are eligible to compete two years after they undergo documented sex reassignment surgery.
"The movement in recognizing the full human rights of individuals who undergo sex reassignment is inevitable," USGA director David Fay told the PlanetOut Network.
"That's not to say it won't be a subject that for some is charged with emotion. For personal or philosophical or religious reasons, some people are just going to slam the door on this. But we wanted to address this and we have," Fay said.
Though the policy is effective immediately, the USGA is forming a Blue Ribbon committee of medical experts to help the organization develop specific guidelines for including transgender athletes, he said.
"If the International Olympic Committee is in a position to say that it's OK for transsexual women Olympians to throw the javelin, or shot put or speed skate, then how can one really argue about golf?" said Fay.
The participation of transsexual athletes in professional sports has drawn worldwide attention recently, in large part because of Mianne Bagger, a 38-year old golfer who became the first transsexual woman to compete in a number of recent pro golf tournaments, including last month's Ladies European Tour. Under the USGA's new policy, Bagger is eligible to compete in the U.S. Women's Open this June in Colorado.
"As we see more transgender people in world-class sports, professional or not, people are going to start understanding that these are the kind of athletes people want in sports," said Mara Keisling, director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. "They're driven, and they tend to be hardworking and very focused. They're not afraid to be who they are supposed to be, and that makes them excellent competitors."
CALENDAR for April, 2005
Fri – Apr 1 – April Fool’s Day
Sat – Apr 2 – Renaissance LSV meeting – 8:00 PM - MCC Church – Harrisburg
Thurs – Apr 7 – Roxi’s Spring Show – 10:00 PM – Stallions
Fri – Apr 8 – DIVAS meeting – 8:00 PM – MCC Church – Mountville
Sat – Apr 9 – Grand Opening – Club Z – Williamsport
Sun – Apr 10 – Drag in Bloom – 10:00 PM – Tally Ho – Lancaster
Fri – Apr 15 – TAX Day
Country Night – Altlands Ranch – York
Sat – Apr 16 – Christopher Peterson in Eyecons Live – 9:30 PM – Velvet Rope – York
812-1474 for tickets
Fri – Apr 22 – DIVAS meeting – 8:00 PM – MCC Church – Mountville
Sat – Apr 23 – Drag Show – 10:00 PM - Frank Jeffreys – Phoenixville
Thurs – Apr 28 – Miss Gay Harrisburg 2005 Pageant – 8:00 PM – Stallions
Sat – Apr 30 – Diamonds are Forever – 10:00 PM – Red Star – Reading
- Beach Party - Stallions
