Christopher Street West, the organizers of the 22nd Annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Celebration, announced that Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick Sargent will serve as Grand Marshals for the 1992 Pride Parade.
"My participation in the Pride Parade is a show of support for my dear friend Dick Sargent, who courageously came out last year, and for gay and lesbian civil rights." says Montgomery.'By coming out, Dick has showed extraordinary courage, and, through his actions, has become a role model to many young gays and lesbians." Montgomery has been a longtime supporter of local AIDS oganizations. Sargent cane out on the last National Coming Out Day. The two actors met while working on the classic television series,'Bewitched."
'I am touched and honored by Liz's friendship and her participation in this year's Festival." Sargent says of his former co-star. 'She was one of the first in Hollywood to publicly take a stand against AIDS and the HIV virus and she continues to support many local organizations."
More than 300.000 people are expected to crowd West Hollywood on Sunday, June 28 to view the Gay & Lesbian Pride Parade, with hundreds of thousands more able to watch the event on cable stations across the country. The parade, unlike previous ones, will begin an hour earlier this year, at 11 am. The parade route starts at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Crescent Heights in West Hollywood and continues west on Santa Monica to Robertson.
A new policy of this year's parade allows all PWAs and AIDS service groups to march at the beginning to avoid waiting in the hot sun.
The festival runs from noon to midnight on June 27 and 11 am-11 pm on
June 28 in West Hollywood Park. Admission is $10 general, $5 for seniors over 65, teens 12-18, and the physically challenged, and free for PWAs and children. This year's festival has expanded onto the surface parking lot of the Pacific Design Center, the location of the disco dance area.
EDGE's next issue, number 234, available June 18, will contain detailed schedules and information about the festival and parade.
Christopher Street West/Los Angeles was formed in 1970 for the purpose of promoting Gay and Lesbian pride and educating the general public on the existence of the lesbian and gay community. Most notable among its activities is the production of the annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade and Festival In Los Angeles, ongoing educational outreach to the lesbian and gay community, and its year-round commitment to providing grants to organizations which serve the community.
By Peter Larsen
Daily News Staff Writer
WEST HOLLYWOOD -- As she has for each of the past five years, Eileen Racklin marched Sunday with her son Richard in the annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade through West Hollywood.
"He's been out of the closet for five years and I've been here every year," said Racklin, who was prompted by the early morning earthquake to wear a sign that read, "Quake for love for my queer son."
The Racklics were among thousands who marched or watched the parade along Santa Monica Boulevard on Sunday.
Led by Grand Marshals Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick Sargent -- co-stars from the television series "Bewitched" -more than 260 groups marched in the parade.
"It's important for people to know that we're here," said Sherre Boothman, pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church in North Hollywood, as she led a group from the church in the parade.
"And it's important for gays and lesbians to have this weekend as a time when we can come and have fun and be in the majority."
Groups walking in the parade represented gays and lesbians and their supporters from a wide range of ethnic, religious and professional groups from a variety of AIDS-related organizations.
Representatives of the All Saints AIDS Service Center in South Pasadena marched wearing elaborate headdresses made to look like giant and colorful flowers.
"Beauty is universal," said Robert Coronado, a program manager at the All Saints center. "The flowers symbolize life and beauty and those like me, who came as gardeners, represent those who nurture the beauty.
At the corner of Santa Monica and La Cienega boulevards, a group of anti-gay demonstrators heckled passing marchers, but parade participants and spectators drowned out the demonstrators with jeers, cheers and whistles.
"We're doing a counter-demonstrating to them," said John.Frenzel of the Lesbian and Gay Public Awareness Project.
Frenzel and a dozen counter protesters stood across the street from the anti-gay contingent carrying signs with slogans including "Love Is Not Immoral" and "Homophobia Destroys Families."
"We're just saying it's all right to be who we are," Frenzel said. "We have nothing to hide."
Pat Califano said people have equal rights.
"We are who we are," said Califano. "If we're all part of the planet we all should be treated as equals."
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| Sargent speaks of coming out& his prostate cancer. | |
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If you would like a copy of this RARE Liz appearance. Please email me at VictorMas@aol.com for details.