John Hilgeman 0:01 Good morning. This is John Hilgeman for Lambda Reports, a program by and for the lesbian and gay community in the St. Louis area. Our guest this morning is Michael Curran from the Lesbian and Gay Celebration Committee, and Michael, I think John Napoli was here already, but since the Pride Fest is one of the big events of the year, maybe you can just kind of give us a little rundown on what's coming up. Michael Curran 0:30 As far as other events, we have a bunch of different stuff through the month of June. Almost every day, I think we have something. June 1 is a SLAVE volleyball tournament. The third which is a Sunday, we're having a tea dance at Angles, and also our Miss Gay and Lesbian Pride candidate that we go to the Miss Missouri Pageant. We have film festivals every Monday night at Magnolia's in the evening that show gay and lesbian films through the month of June. We have a bunch of benefits and dances, probably very many, too many demands and but our Road Rally is on Sunday, June 9. That's at the MUNI parking lot at a lower, lower level that starts at 1 pm and of course, the evening before Pride Fest is the Big DebuTramp Ball. We have Angles this year, that's usually a very fun party and a good fundraiser. And as far as the Pride event, we have a bunch of speakers lined up from the St. Louis area. We have Rob Schwitz, the ROTC candidate, who's coming in to speak on behalf of Growing American Youth. Debbie Law is going to speak on behalf of Privacy Rights Education Project. Carolyn Griffin from PFLAG. We have Mark Caulk from Challenge Metro. Paul Renard from ACT-UP St Louis. And Chris Kleindienst, a member of Team St Louis. John Hilgeman 1:56 Ok, just kind of so people don't get wondering. You mentioned SLAVE? What is SLAVE? Michael Curran 2:03 SLAVE is a St. Louis. I hope I can say all this association of volleyball enthusiasts. I hope that names right. It's there have been a volleyball tournament for us that we're, I guess, sponsoring with them. That's the Saturday. John Hilgeman 2:28 Okey doke. on When is Pride Fest itself? The big event. Michael Curran 2:34 The Big Event is on Sunday, June 30, and that will be in Forest Park. Booth set up will happen early in the morning. The parade starts at 12 noon, and it will start in the park actually, and travel through those Central West End, end up back at the park probably around 1:30 or so, and then the rally will begin right afterwards, with the speakers I just mentioned, and entertainment, Georgie Rock and her band will be there, as well as a couple other people. We also that's when the booths will open, and then the Knights of Pythias have their big tea dance in the afternoon, also. John Hilgeman 3:13 Now, are any booths open in the morning, like? Michael Curran 3:15 Probably, I think that'll be up to the different business question. When they set up and they'll be open, there'll be plenty of food, games and merchandise, because we hope, John Hilgeman 3:24 What about see, what do you call those big things along the side of the road? Billboards, billboards, Michael Curran 3:31 The billboards should be up. Our contract states will be up June 1, but that falls on a weekend, so probably by Monday, June 3, we'll see the billboards. They'll be at one at highway 40 at 21st Street, right by the new warehouse office buildings, by Union Station that you can see from that Highway 40 and other one will be at I 70 and 70 up near the airport. So there will be two billboards this year. John Hilgeman 3:54 Okay, so that's a major Michael Curran 3:56 Yeah, it's a big step for us. John Hilgeman 3:59 How did you get involved with the Pride Committee? Michael Curran 4:03 Actually, it started out part of my practical experience at Delta Mental Health. They wanted me to go as a representative for them, and was something I thought about doing, but this was a great avenue for that, and a great reason to go and start doing stuff. John Hilgeman 4:15 Is this your first year? Michael Curran 4:17 This is my second year. I've done merchandise. Both years on the person that sells the T shirts and the buttons at each event and brings them to all the retail outlets. And this year, we started a little more media outreach, and we did the media guidelines that we sent out to all the news and radio, TV and all the broadcast the print medias also, about how to report gay and lesbian and AIDS-related issues. And also expressly, I think, for the for the Pride event to get more coverage. And we also signed a press release of the Pride event with that. So, John Hilgeman 4:48 Like, you know, the media thing, this is something separate. Is that right? Michael Curran 4:52 Well, it was the Pride Committee paid for it. It was started out on another radio station. We know a DJ made some comment. And a coalition got together out of that to dispute that and set things straight. And from that, Charles Koehler and a couple of other people developed media guidelines out of GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbians Against Defamation, I think, out of New York, their publication, and developed something for St. Louis that was appropriate to help journalists and people that donew stories to get a better grasp on gay and lesbian issues and terminology, which I think they needed to know. But we sent that with our guide, with our press releases to all the stations and papers. John Hilgeman 5:36 What kind of response have you had from the guidelines so far? Michael Curran 5:41 Not a whole lot. The only response that we heard of was, again, another radio station mentioned us and didn't really make fun of us, but in a sense, joked about them. But we got on that station and went back to them. So it's, it's we haven't heard very much yet. John Hilgeman 6:01 How did you get involved with the whole area of gay activities? Or, you know, I don't know exactly how to describe it. Michael Curran 6:09 I've always worked at gay and lesbian friendly or owned businesses. I started out at Hefffalumps and Sensations and with Gary Diamond, and I just really felt a responsibility, I guess, to do gay and lesbian, not necessarily activism. But I thought the visibility, and I liked that about the Pride Committee, that it was visible and it wasn't too controversial, and it wasn't really direct action, like ACT UP or Queer Nation, but it put gay and lesbians in a visible place, and the Pride Fest, I think is a really great thing for St. Louis to have. But as far as work, I also I'd like to be a counselor, I'm in grad school to for the gay and lesbian community, I think that that's another real issue that mental health needs for gay and lesbians has been overlooked. And I think that needs to be addressed in some sort of way. John Hilgeman 7:11 Did you grow up in St Louis, then? Michael Curran 7:12 Yeah, I've been in St Louis all my life. John Hilgeman 7:15 Did you have any big hassles coming out as gay? Michael Curran 7:19 No, I really didn't. I was gay all through high school. My parents didn't know until after I moved out, but my my mother's very accepting of it, very accepting. My father accepts it, but doesn't talk about it. But I haven't had any big experiences or hassles or anything like that. It's been pretty easy. John Hilgeman 7:39 No big hassles in high school? Michael Curran 7:40 No, not at all. It was my boyfriend would come to my graduation, my school plays and stuff like that, and my close friends knew about it, but other people just didn't seem to notice or care, mostly respected enough not to say anything. John Hilgeman 7:57 So that was your, you're going to be graduating soon, or you just … Michael Curran 8:01 I just graduated from undergraduate school, my bachelor's degree, and I just started graduate school, my master's. John Hilgeman 8:10 What are some of the you know, and just kind of looking from the way you see it, what are some of the things that you see the gay and the lesbian community in The St. Louis area is in need of or what direction do you see the community moving? Michael Curran 8:25 Oh, and I think they're moving a very positive direction with the statewide political change meetings that that was really impressive, that that was happening in St Louis, that finally the whole state was starting to organize. But some of the issues that they talked about there, and that I hear from other groups are that there's still dissension in the gay and lesbian community. There's not, African Americans aren't represented. I don't think on a political level, in the gay and lesbian community, I think there's still sexism and racism prominent that we need to get over and and deal with, I don't think that's being addressed very much, the dissension among among our group, as far as us being a minority and trying to get accepted by the straight culture. I don't think that we're always accepting of our own brothers and sisters, if you will. So I think that's something we need to work on. John Hilgeman 9:19 Have you ever thought of moving to another city? Or have you traveled much? Michael Curran 9:22 I have thought of moving to another city, but I I see everybody else doing it, and I kind of think he's gonna stay in St Louis. And I think I like St Louis a lot, and I think there's a need for people to stay here and work some change in the Midwest and in St Louis, because I think it could happen, and I think it will happen. John Hilgeman 9:40 I've just been reading this book In Search of Gay America, and the author talks about some of the differences between people that he's seen in small towns and in large cities. In the for instance, he talks about Bunston, Missouri, which has a gay mayor who has been re-elected. A number of times, and also some other small towns where it's real people really in the closet, and then some of the larger cities where there's a lot more activism going on. It's kind of like the Midwest is, maybe, I don't know, at least this part of the Midwest, kind of somewhere in between, or, you know, between the real small town repressiveness and big cities such as Boston and New York and San Francisco and other cities like that Chicago. Michael Curran 10:30 I think the big cities are definitely role models for us, and we can also learn from their mishaps too, what they haven't done well or what they have done well. I think it's I think we're ripe for change. John Hilgeman 10:44 This is John Hilgeman, and we're talking with Michael Curran this morning about the Pride Fest and assorted issues. A Pride Fest is coming up on the 30th of June, and we're on KRJY. Mike, maybe. What are some of the groups that are going to be involved with the day itself, the day's events on Pride Fest. Michael Curran 11:10 A lot of the businesses can have a few just up the booths, Pages, Video and More. Our World Too. A lot of businesses, a lot of groups are going to have, like food booths or game booths. I think Wired Women, adults, mental health, the Sharing Center EFA is going to do like a last I heard, like a little retreat space to cool down or just refresh. Many I haven't seen all the booth applications, but usually there's the men's rap group. Will have like, a hamburger and hot dog booth, and there'll be a beer booth that I think will be staffed by bartenders that'll be doing the work for the proceeds go to the Gay and Lesbian Pride Committee. Basically, it seems like everybody in the Pride Guide shows up in some form or another, lends support in some way. We usually have a really good group. About how many people usually show up for the Pride Fest. For the event, last year, they estimated between five and 6000 and this year, we're hoping for a few more with increased visibility. And I think the Pride Guide looks a little better this year, and it's we're promoting stuff earlier and getting the word out, and the merchandise has been out for a month now. I think that we're hoping to get a few more people this year. John Hilgeman 12:27 And I'm sure those billboards help too. Michael Curran 12:29 Yeah, I hope they do. John Hilgeman 12:29 How do the member? How do people join the Pride Committee? Michael Curran 12:36 All they need to do is show up in a meeting, and the meetings are on Monday evenings, at 730 at MCC Church on Dolman in the basement there, membership requires all that you show up and that you want to do something. There's a little membership form that's for your name and a signature, but basically it's very easy to join, or people just want to volunteer, not actually be a member, but just help out at events. All the events are listed in the Pride Guide, and if you see something you like, or it's at a regular bar that you like to frequent, then just show up and help out. It's really appreciated, and it's really it's fun, it's time goes by quickly, and the Pride Committee is really friendly group of people, so everyone gets along, and it's the fundraisers turn more into a good time for us, usually the other people that are there, but we have a good time. John Hilgeman 13:29 And some, some of the organizations also have representatives who belong to the committee. Michael Curran 13:33 Yeah, Growing American Youth has a couple representatives. EFA has a few. Represent Woody Bebout and I think Tom Codd from EFA. I'm trying to think PAWS, has a representative. MCC has a representative. Dignity St. Louis. MCC, Living Faith. There are a few representatives, but you don't need to be a representative. Also some of the buyers, Magnolias and Angles, also have representatives that are active on the committee. That certainly helps out. If we can get a representative from every group, it would be great. John Hilgeman 14:12 Now, does the committee make money on the event? Michael Curran 14:17 We it seems like we make money, but the money goes right like to pay for the billboards, to pay for the Pride Guide, to pay for the tenting at the festival, to pay for permits, the liquor permit, the parade permit, the park permit, the insurance that we have to have for the day, for the parade and the festival. So all the money we make goes back into the Parade and back in so we can have the Festival in June. We make money for that purpose and then spend it for that purpose. So that's what we do with the money. And where in Forest Park is this going to be held? It'll be across from Steinberg Rink. It's the same place it was last year. I don't know how better to describe it. John Hilgeman 14:59 Big fountains. Michael Curran 15:00 Yeah, there's a big like, the lake. I'm not sure exactly what street that is. John Hilgeman 15:06 Okay, so it's kind of off, like Kingshighway West Pine, Michael Curran 15:11 Yeah, that section right across from the skating rink. John Hilgeman 15:16 And have people considered marching someplace else? I mean, like marching like, people have marched through the Central West End for a number of years, have people thought of marching like to city hall or down by the Arch or in out to Ladue or someplace like that. Michael Curran 15:31 I don't know. We haven't really talked about it a lot. It's I think, because the Festival's in the park, we want to keep the two events related, that that's an easy place. And the Central West End is also a lot of the businesses that support us Are there a lot of it's, they're fairly gay friendly. The people that you know aren't gay or lesbian, they're they're fairly supportive of us. And it's, it's a comfortable environment, I think for a lot of people, they're familiar with the West End. And it's, like I said, it's really close to the park, so it's not a big deal. We don't have to buzz people somewhere and then come back for the celebration. John Hilgeman 16:08 I think the first year the parade was from the Central West End to Washington University, really, and then there was a thing in the Quadrangle there. And then I think a couple years after that, it was from the Central West End to another section of the park right around the DeBaliviere, or someplace around there. And so it's, it's kind of switched to the last, as far back as I can remember. It's, I mean, for like, 10 years, I guess it's been, or eight years it's been right around Steinberg. Michael Curran 16:36 Yeah, I think I too, if we went towards city hall or somewhere, it'd be more political. And that's one comment we get from other cities, that our parade isn't as political as like Chicago or New York or San Francisco, that it's more of a social thing. Which not sure if that's good or bad, but that's just a comment we get once in a while. John Hilgeman 16:53 And there's really no place at City Hall, nobody at City Hall. You wouldn't say anything Michael Curran 17:04 that's true. John Hilgeman 17:07 What kind of support is there? Is there some kind of, there's going to be proclamation this year, isn't that right? Michael Curran 17:13 Yeah, there is a proclamation so far, Pollick Harder. He worked with Tim Cusick. We got the proclamation at the last meeting. It was just sort of computer printout, but I think a nicer one, I hope something nice so that we can have on display at the festival we'll have there at the Pride Booth. It was very nicely written, very well, very well done, and it touched a lot on the gay and lesbian movement in St. Louis and showing a little respect, as well as just giving us recognition for the things we've done. And if I'm not mistaken, it was approved through the House of Representatives. So I think it's a pretty big deal, pretty, pretty nice thing to happen this year. John Hilgeman 17:56 The House of Representatives of the State of Missouri actually approved. Michael Curran 18:00 I think so. I could be wrong. I have to check on that. But it seems that that was written in there. John Hilgeman 18:05 It amazes me. Michael Curran 18:06 The way we heard it was many of these are written each day, and they just go. They just want to go through them and sign them. The wording was very nice, and if they didn't notice that, they should have John Hilgeman 18:18 That's about time that there is some recognition, because the contributions that the lesbian and gay community have made in the City, in the State, in the Country, in the world, are enormous. So it's, it's not, I mean, it's like gay people are everywhere. And one of the interesting things about that book In Search of Gay America is that a number of the people, number the lesbian and gay men in small towns were real active in the community, like setting up parks, running, you know, as a public official on church boards, running businesses and doing things like that, so very active in many ways in the community, and very seemed like that's part of one of the ways that people came to respect lesbian and gay people, to see that they were very active in communities. Michael Curran 19:08 Yeah, or just even just an alligator lesbian person, I think, or to be in touch or in contact with someone is leads to acceptance. I think. John Hilgeman 19:20 How is Webster University? Michael Curran 19:23 Webster University was very accepting of gay and lesbian students. When I first started there as a freshman in 1987 there was a Gay and Lesbian Student Alliance, and I never felt a need to go to the meetings, because I felt that the whole university was incorporated for all students. I didn't think there needed to be a special focus on gay and lesbians. I thought it was very well integrated. To my knowledge, there weren't any big gay bashings on campus. The gay and lesbians were in all the other student organizations. In fact, a gay student. Brad Graham got a leader for Leadership Award for our graduating class, and I thought that was very impressive too. I just thought all the students were very well integrated, and there wasn't a big deal or promotion made about it. I thought that was very nice. So we didn't have to stand up and say, we're here and we need rights, because I think we already had most of them. John Hilgeman 20:17 That's really basically what the lesbian and gay community is working towards.. Michael Curran 20:21 Yeah and I think at least in my experience, Webster was a good example of that. John Hilgeman 20:26 It's not a question some, sometimes people think that the lesbian and gay communities are asking, you know, asking for some special rights or demanding some special rights, when really it's just the rights that supposedly are guaranteed under the Constitution. Yeah, and that's what lesbian and gay men want to be able to Michael Curran 20:44 just function and live, and I think that's what we were able to do John Hilgeman 20:48 . The committee lost an important person a few months ago, Bill Lyles, can you tell me a little bit about Bill? Michael Curran 21:01 Well, no one's been able to take his place. He was very energetic. Did a tremendous amount. I don't think we'd be where we are today without him. He made a lot of connections. He followed up on everyone that he ever talked to to do something. He was great person to ask people to do stuff and make sure they did it and bug them until they did. He kept, he kept the Committee going to, I think he, he knew how to talk to people. He knew how to lead the group, and he knew how to keep cohesiveness and set a little petty disputes and arguments. And I think he, I think he'd be proud of what's going on, or what, what, what's going on this year. And he's very missed. I'll say that. I think he inspired people though, too, and I think that's probably the best thing that comes out of him, that many people are remember him and know what he did, and maybe feel a little responsibility. Of all, I have to carry this on now, at least that's my hope. And I see that in Pride members, we've all taken on a little something extra this year that we didn't do because Bill did so much. And I think it really shows that he's passed on some tradition of pride, or to just to do something, get out there and be active. And I, I think he left us all with a sense of that, and I think that's really good. John Hilgeman 22:28 And one of his goals was to make contributions to Forest Park, to improve the area of the park where the Pride Fest is held every year. Or any, are there any things that are going to be done this year, and they Michael Curran 22:41 Well, we set up when at Bill's memorial service, we asked for contributions go to Memorial Fund, and it was voted on the committee that it would go to park improvement. But since then, we've been looking at park improvements, and they're like, $10,000 to fix drinking fountains, or, I don't remember the quote to fix the bridge that's near our site was something like $30,000 and if we come up with that money, it would be great, but we're looking for something, maybe smaller, trees or flowers being planted, manner landscaping being done. But we're still looking into that. We are going to do that. Yeah, we've also recently, we're thinking about doing more educational outreach in the community, and probably across the state, other Pride groups in other cities that we've talked to that have a 501, c3 status, which we applied for and didn't get, and then we found out why we didn't get it. So we need to do more education and community outreach and things like that for the gay and lesbian community. So we're looking to do that in the next couple of years. John Hilgeman 23:45 Well, you know, the Quilt is coming back to town in October. So if the Pride committees would want to do anything educational in terms of helping with that, it would be, it would be great, yeah, that would uh huh. Well, I know Bill is certainly going to be missed. I remember the last time I saw him was at the Mardi Gras Parade, and he was real solicitous at that time to make sure that I had an invitation to party that was being held shortly after that, and he was in the parade and just to drop dead very suddenly. There's a real shock. But with all the people that have suffered, it was good to see that he didn't suffer a lot before he died. Michael Curran 24:33 I think it was also hard to accept, because in the gay community, the men usually die of AIDS, and he didn't. And it was something new to deal with and different, and it was hard to put feelings to when it was so sudden, and no one expected it. John Hilgeman 24:50 I think the dance, the Tea Dance, is going to be kind of celebration of him. Michael Curran 24:54 .The ad is really impressive. John Hilgeman 24:57 I'm not sure exactly what they don't. But Michael Curran 25:01 looking forward to seeing it. Yeah, so John Hilgeman 25:05 the Pride Fest event is on the 30th, and it's at 10 o'clock. People can begin gathering earlier. Michael Curran 25:15 Get started. John Hilgeman 25:16 Okay, then the march is going to be Michael Curran 25:19 at 12 noon John Hilgeman 25:20 and it's going to be through the Central West End, and then come back to the park for the Michael Curran 25:24 Rally, John Hilgeman 25:25 and there's some, Michael Curran 25:27 there'll be speakers from St. Louis organizations, and some entertainment on the main stage. And then the Pythians will have their T Dance. And it's, it should be a very, very very full day, John Hilgeman 25:41 and lots of booths and merchandise and food and game business, more Michael Curran 25:47 bathrooms this year, more for that shouldn't be a problem. We hope John Hilgeman 25:53 great well, it should be a great time, and people should look forward to the billboards, also at highway 40 at 21st Street, right by Union Station, and I70, 170 and 70 right. Okay, so people can see those on their way to and from work, and hopefully they won't get defaced again this year like the last couple years. But fortunately, the company that put them up takes care of them and fixes them. So that's I guess getting defaced is just an indication of how far we are to go, but the fact that the billboards are there is indication of how far we've come, Michael Curran 26:37 especially since there's two this year. John Hilgeman 26:39 That's right. Great. Well, thanks again. Mike Curran from the Lesbian and Gay Pride Celebration Committee for talking with us about the Pride Fest this year and assorted other things. And this is John Hilgeman for Lambda Reports. I hope you enjoyed our show this morning. Join us again next week. Transcribed by https://otter.ai