Catholic LGBT-BBQ @ Newman in Berkeley, Thurs, Sept 3

Thursday, September 3 marks the kick-off of the season for the LGBT Catholics meetings at Newman/Holy Spirit Catholic Parish in Berkeley. The year always starts off with a big gay bbq (LGBTBBQ?) slash potluck slash get-to-gether, and this year is no exception:

Please join the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) Catholics for our annual Fall BBQ-Potluck Get-Together this Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7:00 PM in lounge and patio. Prepare a dish. Bring a friend. Meet new folks. Catch up with old friends. We'll provide the hot grill, burgers, hot-dogs, buns, condiments and beverages. All are welcome. Thursday, Sept. 3, 7 PM to 9 PM, Newman Hall, 2700 Dwight Way at College Avenue, Berkeley

additional upcoming events include:

LGBT Catholics: Praying the Rosary in solidarity with LGBT Catholics
Thursday, Sept. 17, 7:30 PM to 9 PM, Newman Hall, 2700 Dwight Way at College Avenue, Berkeley

Join us in the lounge as we explore the Relational Mysteries: Fidelity--Ruth's pledge to Naomi (Ruth 1:16-18); Grief--The parting of David and Jonathan (I Sam 20:35-42); Intercession--Esther intercedes for her people (Est 4:9-5:2); Restoration--the raising of Lazarus (John 11:38-44); and Discipleship--the two encounter Christ on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). The group will be co-facilitated by Mike Campos and Eugene McMullan, Ph.D. students at the Graduate Theological Union. All are welcome.

To join the group's announcement list contact Antonio Salas at LGBT_Newman@yahoo.com or (510) 663-6302. Visit www.CalNewman.org.

Fortunate Families, Casey Lopata in Berkeley tonight: LGBT Catholics special meeting, Mon, June 29

When I was first coming out to myself and then to close friends and family four years ago, I devoured books and information to help me start learning new ways to be true to my whole self. One of those books that was really important to me--and to me being able to come out to my mom/family--was called Fortunate Famlies, by Mary Ellen and Casey Lopata. Both devout Catholics when the oldest of their six sons came out to them, they wrote the book as a response of how to be true to being Catholic and true to their love for their gay son, and they share the experience of hundreds of Catholic families in similar situations:

Fortunate Families addresses the experience of Catholic parents who love their gay sons and lesbian daughters. The book had its genesis in a descriptive survey of over 200 such parents. It integrates results from the survey, church documents and stories so readers can access what they need most. Some readers will search for accurate information about Catholic teaching; others may connect with the lived experience of other Catholic parents. Still others will find examples of ministerial advocacy and support within the Catholic Church...Grounded in Catholic tradition, Fortunate Families welcomes families of all faiths.

Tonight the two parents who wrote the book will be in Berkeley to present at a special meeting of LGBT Catholics at Newman Hall/Holy Spirit Parish. I'll be going.

LGBT Catholics: A Special Evening of Reflection for LGBT Catholics, their Families and Friends
Monday, Jun 29, 7pm to 9pm
Newman Hall, 2700 Dwight Way & College Avenue, Berkeley

Please join us for an evening of reflection for LGBT Catholics, their families and friends on Monday night June 29th, 7-9 p.m., in the lounge . The evening will be presented by Mary Ellen and Casey Lopata, who are the founders of Fortunate Families (www.fortunatefamilies.com).

Also, to note:

LGBT Catholics: Summer Break.
We will be on summer break and will resume in the Fall.

For more information on the group or to subscribe to the group's announcement list, contact Antonio Salas at LGBT_Newman @yahoo.com or (510) 663-6302. All are welcome.

Napa's Rick & Paul in Zoot Suit Cabaret, Oakland, June 20 & 21

This is one of the official photos for the event, but it isn't Rick or Paul, sorry.

Got this in The Fruit's inbox recently, and wanted to make sure y'all knew in case you wanted to support some Napa gays (Rick and Paul!) doing their thing in the Oakland/East Bay Gay Men's Chorus. The bummer is that their performance is on the same weekend as Napa Valley Pride 2009:

Cabaret-Zoot Suit!

June 20 and 21. Put on your Zoot Suit and feathered hat and join Michael Robert Patch and OEBGMC for our 3rd annual Cabaret! Fine food, fine wine, silent auction, and of course, the swing'n-est bunch of gay singers in town.

I hope you will be able to make it. Tickets are available through me or through www.brownpapertickets.com at $20-50 for individual seats, $200-250 for tables of 4, or $250-350 for tables of 8.

Locations, dates and times are:

1st Christian Church of Oakland
111 Fairmount Ave., Oakland

Saturday, June 20, 2009 at 7:30 PM OR Sunday, June 21, 2009 at 5:00 PM

Activist Cleve Jones in Berkeley--or, what I'd be attending if I didn't have a work event Thurs night

Thursday night in Berkeley, Cleve Jones will be appearing for a talk, "After MILK: Activism Today".

If only I didn't have a big work even tonight! I was inspired by the movie (which he advised and also was in, vicariously by Emile Hirsch).

Here's more from the event bio:

Jones was born in West Lafayette, Indiana. His career as an activist began in San Francisco during the turbulent 1970s when he was befriended by pioneer gay rights leader Harvey Milk. He worked as a student intern in Milk’s office while studying political science at San Francisco State University. In 1978, Milk was assassinated along with San Francisco’s Mayor George Moscone. Jones went to work in the district office of State Assemblyman Art Agnos.

In 1983, when AIDS was still a new and poorly understood threat, Jones co-founded the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Jones conceived the idea of the AIDS Memorial Quilt at a candlelight memorial for Harvey Milk in 1985 and in 1987 created the first quilt panel in honor of his friend Marvin Feldman. The AIDS Memorial Quilt has grown to become the world’s largest community arts project, memorializing the lives of over 85,000 Americans killed by AIDS.

The event will be held at the Multicultural Center at Heller Lounge, from 4:30p - 6:30p (on Thursday, January 29, 2009) and is sponsored by the Gender Equity Resource Center, the Pacific Center for Human Growth and the GSA Network.

Props to Larimie Garcia for the event flier.

Coming up for the LGBTQ and queer friendly

• Thursday night, September 18 is the next meeting for the LGBT Catholics in Berkeley at Newman Hall/Holy Spirit Parish. They meet every other week.
  
• Saturday, September 20 is "Out in the Park", Discovery Kingdom's first ever gayday. The park will be open from 10:30a - 8p, the "official" after-party is at R Bar in Vallejo
• This weekend (Sep 20/21) and next (Sep 27/28) are Open Studios, with dozens of local artists opening their studios for free to showcase their work in many different mediums. Free.
• There are mumblings that Napa Billiards will have their first "LGBTQ night" (noche chueca) on Sunday, September 28. No exact time yet, but rumors say there will be a good mix of music and they'll clear away a couple pool tables to make room for a dance floor. If you have any other advice for the owner, Fernando, use the comments section (he's a reader of the blog). If I see a flyer, I'll post it here.

Hear something else? As always, let us know what's going on and we'll pass it on.

Gaybecue @ Berkeley Catholic Church this Thursday, May 15

At the Berkeley Catholic Church I mentioned before, Newman Hall/Holy Spirit Parish is having its annual Spring Barbecue (which I have affectionately referred to as the LGBTBBQ or the Gaybecue--trademarks pending) this Thursday. I promise, no "wieners on the grill" jokes (that would be immature). Here's the details:

LGBT Catholics: Annual Spring BBQ-Potluck Social
Thursday, May 15 ,6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Newman Hall.
Please join the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Catholics for our annual Spring BBQ-Potluck Social. The get-together is Thursday, May 15, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m in the lounge and patio. Bring a dish or dessert and we'll provide the hot grill, burgers, hot-dogs, buns, condiments and beverages. Bring a friend as well! All are welcome.

This is the same Church having the big gay (LGBT, actually) community Mass in June. How awesome to have another faith community embracing and welcoming the entire community.

As always, if you know of any local churches that are welcoming and inclusive to the queer community, let us know. We'll share the great news. Here are links to other Churches we've heard of.

Best wishes to LGBTQ dance & Attend the prom you never had

It's just an hour before the dance for LGBTQ youth and their allies at Concord's Olympic High starts. We wish the youth and their supporters a good and safe time.

Apparently they will be having fun: the dance is featuring Wild 94.9 DJs St. John (you're so fierce!) and Christie James.

For more info, check out the dance's myspace page.

If you're still bummed about not having a gay prom yourself, here are a couple north-bay oppportunities:

• A Night of Elegance: a benefit "prom" (for adults, 21+) and kick-off for Sonoma County Pride (Sat, May 31)
  
• Hella Gay Prom II: a north bay prom for middle school - college aged youth (Fri, May 23)

Gay Latin-club, Bench & Bar hosts multicultural "Playground"

By the way, this is what I was talking about when I said that Bench and Bar was expanding:Click image to enlarge

This Wednesday is the Grand opening of "The Playground": a multicultural night at the usually Latin-focused gay club, Bench and Bar, in Oakland. DowneFX, a queer Bay Area hip-hop dance company will be performing. (From DowneFX's myspace: "DowneFX is uniquely the only downe, gay, bisexual and lesbian dance company of color...")

It seems like, for this month anyway, this is done in partnership with La Clinica, AIDS Project of the East Bay, Asian Health Services, & Valentino Presents. The Playground is scheduled to happen monthly.

Bench and Bar is about 42 miles (and 55 minutes, without traffic) from Napa.