After months of planning the big day for the National Equality March on Washington was finally here! Upon entering D.C. we all saw the traffic jams and we knew this was something BIG! Hundreds of thousands of people were all making their way into the city. As we woke Saturday morning there was excitement in the air! Thousands were already in place, greeting new ralliers and chanting by 10 am as we noticed thousands of rainbow flags, signs, pins, shirts and banners. We saw choirs, bands, drill teams, colleges, churches and organizations. State by state gay unity signs appeared everywhere. We looked up to see Rosie O’Donnell yelling out of her window, “All for equal rights for everyone in the United States!” We had a Stand Up Florida banner most of the media wanted to film. The National Equality March started on I Street at 17th then onto Pennsylvania Ave. to pass the White House, then right to the Capitol. Dozens and dozens of speakers kept the crowd energized, inspired and ready to continue the fight for equality. We were very impressed by the size, organization and well behaved groups. The most impressive thing to us was all the young people that were there. It is so good to know that thousands and thousands of young people are picking up the torch and carrying it on into the future!
Since we were in Washington our Senior Editor, Scott Holland, and some of the Hotspots team headed to Orlando Pride. They informed us that the event, which for the first time was moved to October to coincide with National Coming Out Weekend, was very successful. The festival started at noon around Lake Eola. There were hundreds of booths, a children’s play area sponsored by Disney, a main stage area which featured many performances and much more. The parade started at 3 pm sharp and went for over an hour, filling the streets with thousands of onlookers. Entries in the parade ranged from businesses to organizations, churches and the Grand Marshall float with Harvey Milk and everything in between. Of course the best floats were from the 3 largest clubs in Orlando, Parliament House, Revolution and Pulse. Congrats to the entire team who made Orlando Pride a huge success!
On Friday, October 23rd the Sawmill Campgrounds presents A Taste of Sawmill, which will feature food and wine samplings, auctions and an arts and crafts show.
On Friday, October 23rd at 5:15 pm Stylus Gay Speed Dating, a fresh new concept in speed dating for the GLBT crowd, takes place at Parliament House. Date multiple quality men in one night. Seating is limited, so reserve your space now. Pre-register at MyStylus.com and use voucher code HS25 and instantly save 25% on Stylus Event Registration. For more info e-mail info@MyStylus.com or call 800-210-4317.
Pulse Orlando presents The Pink Party on Saturday, October 24th featuring the house music of DJ Scott Robert and shows by Roxxxy Andrews, Tyra Sanchez, Blade Matthews and the Pulse Adonis dancers. The night will also be celebrating Louis’s 21st birthday.
G-Bar presents Bones and Boners, a Halloween themed event, on Saturday October 24th starring DJ Lydia Prim. They will also feature the RentBoy.com calendar giveaway with RentBoy.com models live and hard.
Revolution Nightclub, in association with Exor Torres, Father Henry Legacy, Jarvis Legacy and members of the house of Legacy, presents The Devil’s Advocate Ball on Sunday, October 25th.
