The Letter August 2008

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LETTER

the respected source for GlBt news since June 1990

Spaghetti Dinner

The Kentuckiana Pride Festival willhold an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner onSaturday, September 6 beginning at 5:00pm.The dinner will be held at American LegionPost 201, 2919 Bardstown Road. “DJ Mike” will be hosting Karaoke.The menu includes spaghetti, garlicbread, salad, dessert, coee and teas - allor only $10.00. The Legion's bar will beopen to those who want other beverages. Advance tickets are available or purchaseonline (www.kentuckianaprideestival.com)and rom members. Reservations may alsobe made by leaving a message at (502) 649-4851. Walk-ins will be welcome.

MurDer MyStery Dinner

Mark your calendars or Saturday, October4. The Kentuckiana Pride Festival will hostanother Murder Mystery Dinner. Becauseo the success o the last two, the event willbe hosted at the American Legion Post onBardstown Road (see address above).

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Volume 19, issue 8 • AuGust 2008

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Members o the Kentuckiana Pride Festival Committee presented Brad Hampton, 2008 Louisville AIDS Walk Director, witha check or $4,000.00 making the Festival a Gold Level Walk sponsor. The committee raised $3,356.00 through tip jars atthe estival's beverage stations. Read Mike Shouse’s report on this ear’s record setting estival in our AROUND THE REGIONsection that begins on page 3.

Fall Fund Raisers Will BenefitKentuckiana Pride Festival

 THE LETTER WWW.THELETTERonLInE.Com AUGUST 008

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Agst 8  10

7th AnnalMr. Timberell Competition

Cash prizes, trophies,and un or all!

Agst 22  24

Nde Weekend Part III

Another weekend to show o that all-over tan!

Agst 29  Sept. 1

Labor Da Weekend Bash

Book early! -- 70’s Disco Party Saturday evening.

Single & Frustrated?

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The man who shot and killed two peopleand injured seven others at the TennesseeValley Unitarian Universalist Church selectedthe church because o its liberal stance andoutspoken support o the gay community.The shooting spree took place on Sunday, July 27.In a press conerence that took place theday ater the shooting, Knoxville,Tennessee Police Chie SterlingP. Owen told reporters thatthe shooter was targeting both“liberals and gays.”Owen said a our-page letter written by Jim David Adkisson,58, stated that his reasons orthe attack were or “lack o being able to obtain a job andrustration over that and hisstated hatred or the liberalmovement,” Owen said. “Werecovered a our-page letter in which he describes his eelings and the reasonshe claims he committed these oenses.” A reporter asked the police chie “does thatmean he was talking about targeting gays inparticular or just liberals in general?”“Both,” the chie responded. “Liberals ingeneral, as well as gays.”Owen said his department wasinvestigating the shooting as a hate crimeand that ederal authorities had been askedto assist.Knoxville Police have charged Adkisson with one count o rst degree murder and areholding him on a one million dollar bond.Police said 76 shotgun shells and a 12-guageshotgun were ound at the church, with threerounds red. The gun was purchased rom alocal pawn shop.Owen said the shooter expected to bekilled by the responding police.“It appears that church had received somepublicity regarding its liberal stance,” thechie told the Knoxville News Sentinel.The church is home to Knoxville’sSpectrum Caé, which is a social gatheringplace or Knoxville area high school youth who “support the principles o diversity,tolerance, and the worth and dignity o every human being.” Teens who come toSpectrum respect each others'ideas, religious views, race,sexual orientations, abilities,and ethnic backgrounds. Thegroup welcomes “sel-identiy as gay, lesbian, bisexual ortransgender, or who arequestioning their sexual orgender identity.”The Knoxville Monday Gay Men’s Group meets at thechurch each Monday evening.The local chapter o Parents& Friends o Lesbians andGay s has also held meetings at the church.The church recently put up a “Gays Welcome” sign as part o its long-rangeplanning to conduct more outreach and welcome the GLBT community.Leaders o the Tennessee Equality Projectare asking District Attorneys to prosecute theincident as a hate crime, as Tennessee’s hatecrimes statute explicitly includes religionand sexual orientation. As mentioned above,a signed, our page letter authored by thegunman stated his hate or “liberals” and“gays.”The Tennessee Equality Project is anon-prot organization whose mission isto promote and sustain the rights o gay,lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons inTennessee.

Jerry Jones is the Publisher of Out & About Newspaper, based in Nashville,Tennessee.

Church Shooter Targeted “Liberals”, “Gays”;Equality Leaders Urge Hate Crime Prosecution

b Jerr Jones & Sta Reporters,

Out & About Newspaper

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Av i the letter!

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A lame within a chalice is asmbol widl associated withthe Unitarian Universalist aith

LExINGTON LyONS TO CELEBRATE 10 yEARS

On August 23, the Lexington Lyons, the city’s oldest GLBT leather group, will be celebrating is tenth anniversary witha banquet at the Lexington Raddison Hotel.Founded in 1998, there are currently nine ull members and 11 associates. Known aectionately as “The Leather JuniorLeague,” the group travels to events throughout the country and provides support or groups in the Lexington area.Over the years, the Lyons have received numerous local, regional, national, and international awards or its service.In the last three years alone, the group has raised over $31,000 or other organizations. Most notably, they helpedthe New Orleans AIDS Task Force to come back ater the devastating eects o Hurricane Katrina in 2005.Many titleholders have been members, including Mr. Kentucky Leather, Mr. International Rubber, and KentuckyLeather boy, to name a ew.For more inormation about the upcoming anniversary celebration write to lexingtonlyonsll@yahoo.comor call (859) 468-6371.