Events

Everyone -

We’re having a Sunday “Family Dinner” event at Really Cooking Cafe in Dallas on June 1st.

They are providing a limited ‘lite’ menu for $8.99 plus tax and tip. Those who want to order off the full menu may do so as well. The regular dinner menu can be found at http://www.reallycookingcafe.com. Those who order food off the regular menu will enjoy a 10% discount (no discounts on the lite menu or on alcoholic beverages).

There will be LIVE entertainment, too!

Get more details and RSVP at http://gaynepa.eventbrite.com.

Schedule of PRIDE of NEPA Events:
Tuesday, April 8, 6:30 pm - Monthly Social Meeting - Tony Di’s
Tony Di’s Pizza Buffet is located on South Main Street in downtown Wilkes-Barre across from the Post Office. Tony Di’s is a gay owned/operated establishment so even if you can’t make the meeting stop by and say Hi.

Thursday, April 17, 6:30 pm - Monthly Dinner “OUT” - Marianacci’s
The members choice this month is Marianacci’s 252 West 8th Street, Wyoming. RSVP to events@prideofnepa.org Subject: Dinner Out Read the rest of this entry »

Hello:

We hope you’ve all enjoyed the holidays.  At the Rainbow Alliance/GayNEPA.com we’ve been taking some time off after a very busy 2007.  It’s been a landmark year for our organization and community and we want to take a minute and say, “Thanks!”

Put simply, none of these accomplishments would have happened without the support of our donors, volunteers, and friends.

• We’ve been featured as front page stories in the Weekender and Diamond & Electric City Newspapers.
• Several of our advisors and I have been featured guests on local TV and Radio Shows on LGBT issues
• We’ve worked with local legislators to gain their sponsorship on the PA Non-Discrimination Bill. Info here.
• We’ve grown our contact list to nearly 2,000.
• We’ve held the first ever Gay & Lesbian Film Festival with venues in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.
• We held a special Welcoming Worship Service.  Copies of the sermon are at this link.
• We’ve published the 2007-08 Pride Guide, a directory of welcoming and supportive businesses in Eastern Pennsylvania.
• We’ve held programs around financial services for LGBT individuals and families.
• We’ve held programs for LGBT parents.
• We’ve become well known throughout the region, showing a strong presence for the gay community.

The Rainbow Alliance is committed to working as the bridge between the gay community and countless organizations throughout our region to provide much needed programs and services.

Now we only have one more question: WHERE DO YOU SEE A NEED?   What programs have helped?  What programs do you want to see?  What are the great organizational, service, or program needs for the gay community in Northeastern Pennsylvania?

Please write back and let us know what your thoughts are as we continue in Northeastern Pennsylvania to build an even more welcoming and supportive community in 2008.

Finally, our sincere appreciation goes out to Susan Smith, the regional manager of Planned Parenthood, who has been a long time ally of the LGBT community, and served as our board of directors chair for the past two years.  As her term comes to an end, we offer our sincere thanks for all her support and leadership.  She will remain on our advisory committee, and continue to chair our healthcare working group.  You can contact her here.

Warmest regards,

The NEPA Rainbow Alliance Boards & Staff

P.S. If you’re receiving this as a forward, please join our e-mail list here.  If you’re on myspace and aren’t our friend yet, please send us a friend request here.

Pre-Thanksgiving Party

Rio’s Birthday Party 2007

By The Reverend Peter D. D’Angio, Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church - Scranton
A sermon preached at the service for the Rainbow Alliance, 30 September 2007

The Sermon
I’m Peter D’Angio and I’m priest in charge at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Scranton. My partner and I arrived in Northeastern Pennsylvania seven months ago; it’s a joy to connect with the Rainbow Alliance and to be part of this day.

After you leave here you’ll be going to watch “The Saint of 9/11″ which tells the story of Father Mychal Judge, the New York City fire department chaplain who died at Ground Zero on September 11th. As you’ll see in the film, queer people like Father Judge struggle in the church, just like they struggle in life. But that does not mean that the church does not have a place for sexual minorities, as Jesus makes clear in the story of the wedding banquet that we hear today from Luke’s gospel.

How can imagine the story in modern day terms? Well, I’m a big fan of the Style Channel (who would have guessed?) and I sometimes watch “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?” which tells stories of wedding planners and brides locking horns. So here’s Jesus’ story as told on “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?”

The father of the bride has hired the best venue for the wedding reception, and we see the camera lovingly hovering over the beautiful table settings, the gorgeous flowers, and all the rest of the details. The father barges into the scene and demands that the wedding planner do something about the fact that none of the guests have shown up for the wedding.

Ever resourceful the (gay) wedding planner goes the immigration office and gets all the people waiting in line there. He hires a bus to go to a local nursing home to get all the residents, some of whom are in wheelchairs, some on walkers. He goes to some place like the 12 Penny which just happens to be having drag night and brings all the drag kings and queens, as well as all the other patrons. Finally, when all these people have assembled and sit down at the lovely tables the father of the bride says, “Now the party can begin!” Of course, it is a fabulous party as only queer folk can pull off!

More…
What Jesus tells us in this story this morning is that we have a place at that party with him. He reverses the societal expectation that we are outcasts and he tells us, and all the rest of the marginalized, that we are honored guests to him, contrary to what the church often says in word and deed.

We find Jesus’ attitude reflected in the letter of John which says: “Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth…” (1 John 3:18-19a). What I hear in this is that as queer folk, we have to speak the truth in love about our own lives. We have to come out and in coming out we will know ourselves as both truthful and whole. In this call to come out, and I would add to come out in the church, we start from the belief that God created and continues to create us as who we are: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, intersexed and yes even straight, and that that is GOOD. God did not create LGBTI folk as second class citizens, any more than God did women or people of color, despite what some denominations have outwardly taught at times or at least implied. When we tell the truth of our lives we can integrate the social, erotic, and spiritual; we speak the truth to power, which empowers not only us but those around us. And the place to do this is not only in our families and in the workplace but in the church as well because the church needs to hear our voices as the beloved people of God.

I get the question “Why bother with the church?” all the time, and not just from queer folk. The argument goes something like this: God is everywhere not just in the church and I have my own spirituality even though I’m not really religious. So why should I come to the church which is so messed up about human sexuality anyway? But there’s a flaw in this stance: being spiritual alone is kind of like being queer alone; it’s possible, but not very rewarding. Spirituality practiced in the closet tends to produce a similar thing to sexuality practiced in the closet: the elements of being a spiritual person are all there just like the elements of being a member of a sexual minority. But they just haven’t been allowed to grow or to see the light of day. We all know what happens when someone comes out as queer; they undergo a process of growth and transformation, but it takes a community to help make that happen, and that’s why we’re here today to help to continue to make a community which we and others like us can be a part of.

The same thing happens when we come out to Jesus; our spiritual lives grow and blossom. But we need the love and support of other people on the same journey and that’s what the church is all about, just like what the queer community is all about. There are churches out there like Saint Stephen’s and like Saint Luke’s that welcome you and where you will hear the truth of our lives proclaimed from the pulpit. One young man said he was electrified the first time he heard me use the word “gay” in a sermon, and he began a journey with us at Saint Luke’s. Just after his twenty-first birthday he stood in the pulpit at Saint Luke’s and preached a sermon about diversity, acceptance, and the truth of his life. People’s attention was riveted on him throughout the sermon and in the line at the back of church after the service people commented glowingly on his message.

Often hidden inside stone walls like these are places of warmth, acceptance and community. But churches Saint Stephen’s and Saint Luke’s have to struggle to come out in a queer culture that equates Christianity with homophobia, judgmentalism, and narrow-minded prudishness. All the parties involved: queer folk, our straight allies, and the church are engaged in the process of coming out, not only to each other but also to God. And with all us all stands Jesus who says to one and all alike, “Come and join my party.”

The Readings

First reading: 1 John 3:16-23
We know love by this, that Jesus laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment –  that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

Second reading: Luke 14:15b-24
While attending a banquet with the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus said, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, “Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, “I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, “Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ And the slave said, “Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ Then the master said to the slave, “Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.”

Preached at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 30 September 2007.
All Bible quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), unless noted otherwise.

Everyone:

Thanks again to those of you who came out this weekend for the film festival.  We estimate that we saw around 125 unique participants over the three-day event.  Expect an recap and update from us soon!

Now, we have a number of events going on in October that I want to make you aware of immediately.

GLBT History Month
Starting today, we are participating in GLBT History Month.   Each day during October we’ll present a short profile of a GLBT leader.  Look for these profiles on http://gaynepa.com, http://blog.gaynepa.com, and http://myspace.com/gaynepa. Also, if you’re on Comcast cable, look for occasional commercials.

Transformation Tuesdays
We’ll be hosting nights out at local supportive businesses starting on Tuesday the 9th and every Tuesday afterwards in October.  Visit http://rainbow.dcssites.com/tuesdays/ for the schedule of events and printable coupons.   Each event starts at 5:30 p.m. and goes through 8 p.m.

The schedule is as follows:
Oct. 9th: Ground Round, Wilkes-Barre
Oct. 16th: Barnes & Noble at Arena Hub Plaza, Wilkes-Barre*
Oct. 23rd: The Banshee Pub, Scranton*
Oct. 30th: The FireGrill @ Inn at Nichols Village, Clarks Summit
* - also business networking events

“Remembering Keith” - Benefits for the Diversity Partnership
Keith Haring’s bold, cartoon-like images have made him an icon in modern art and GLBT civil rights.  Keith’s sister Kay will join the Diversity Partnership of The Luzerne Foundation on Sunday, October 14, 2007 at two events in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  Funds raised from this event will be tripled due to a matching grant.
EVENTS:
1:00 p.m. at Keystone College (donations will be accepted)
3:00 p.m. at Wyoming Valley Red Cross ($25 donation per person)
For more information call 570-371-6555 or e-mail diversity@luzfdn.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about any of these events, e-mail john@gaynepa.com or call 570-606-4410.

Home Town Pride
Introducing the inaugural Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
By Jeff Boam

After the 2001 Pennsylvania Film Festival was cancelled due to the events of 9/11, area filmgoers had few prospects on the horizon so far as film festivals were concerned. Milford’s Black Bear Film Festival and Tunkhannock’s bi-annual Dietrich Theater Film Festival afforded audiences some choice cinematic offerings, but Scranton and Wilkes-Barre residents still had no film festival to call their own. Then came last year’s Electric City Film Festival held at Hanlon’s Grove in Scranton’s Nay Aug Park. Though largely viewed as a success, future such incarnations had to be curtailed after the tent that had once covered this event’s venue (as well as the Scranton Jazz Festival) gave way under immense snow accumulation during 2007’s wicked Valentine’s Day.

And then, there were none … that is, of course, until not one but two separate film festivals were slated to debut this fall. The Rainbow Alliance, the largest organization serving the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community in Northeastern Pennsylvania, will hold its inaugural Northeastern Pennsylvania Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre this Friday through Sunday. (The Northeastern Pennsylvania Jewish Film Festival, which ec/dc will cover in a future story, is set to launch on Oct. 20.)

A niche film festival stands to offer local filmgoers a great deal of diversity in terms of programming. “The art of film has always allowed everyone to have a voice no matter where the voice comes from,” said Paige Balitski, executive director of the Greater Scranton Film Office. “This is a great opportunity for these voices and talent to be seen and heard.”

For its part, this weekend’s Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will present short and feature-length gay-themed documentary and narrative films. “The project has been in development for the past years,” said John Dawe, executive director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Rainbow Alliance. “We have been polling the community for program ideas and suggestions for several years.”

In 2006, the Alliance premiered a short film as part of the entertainment for its annual dinner. The film, Trish Blaine’s Red/Blue, will be among the short films kicking off the festival on Friday at the offices of Semian & Gress Real Estate in Scranton. “It’s a gay-themed movie and … our organization provided a large number of the extras in the film,” said Dawe. “We saw there was a lot of interest, and things went from there.”

On Saturday, the festival will feature the local premieres of feature narratives Steam Cloud Rising and Rolling. Set on the eve of the Three Mile Island nuclear facility accident, Steam Cloud Rising, which was written and directed by Central Pa. filmmaker Eric Spaar, deals with a star high school athlete’s struggle to come out of the closet in 1979. Rolling, a faux documentary chronicling the dangers of the drug Ecstasy, will be followed by Q&A with the screenwriter, Scranton native Cody Parrish Thompson. Justice for ALL, a Human Rights Campaign-produced short documentary about fair and balanced judiciary, will screen in-between the features.

Sunday, however, will offer attendees a unique addendum to the typical film festival programming. Following a Welcoming and Affirming Ecumenical Worship Service & Lunch at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Wilkes-Barre, festival-goers will walk to the R/C Theatre’s Wilkes-Barre Movies 14 where Saint of 9/11 will be screened. “We have a Faith and Spirituality Committee as part of the organization. ‘Saint of 9/11′ is about a gay Franciscan priest and focuses on his life’s work,” said Dawe. “Doing the service and lunch at the church, and then walking down the street to the screening seemed like a perfect fit.”

This award-winning documentary, which is narrated by Sir Ian McKellen, chronicles the life and work of New York Fire Department chaplain Father Mychal Judge, who lost his life as a result of the World Trade Center collapse on September 11, 2001. “(He) was beloved by the broadest range of folks from literally Bill and Hillary Clinton who spoke eloquently about him at his funeral to literally the most marginalized homeless people in New York,” said Malcolm Lazin, who served as executive producer for both Saint of 9/11 and Friday’s short documentary offering, Gay Pioneers. “And the fact that there’s going to be this ecumenical service is just literally a blessing in his memory and for me personally.”

The PBS co-produced Gay Pioneers, on the other hand, chronicles the start of the organized gay and lesbian civil rights movement. “We think that at least through our documentary films and through the efforts of others,” said Lazin, “that it is having an important impact through film festivals in advancing our civil rights.”

But will this niche programming find an audience beyond the gay and lesbian community? “All the films scheduled easily appeal to any audience,” said Dawe. Balitski agreed: “I think that these festivals are very important not only as an art form but as teaching tool. You don’t have to be gay or lesbian to attend and appreciate the work.”

Lazin, who also serves as the executive director of Equality Forum, a national gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization, feels that this inaugural event is important in terms of promoting equality. “A film is just an incredible way of educating, entertaining, and energizing our community,” said Lazin. “It’s terrific to see what we’re doing.”

When all is said and done and the final film has screened, the Rainbow Alliance hopes that the consensus of filmgoers will walk away from the festival saying or feeling the same as Lazin. “This is the first time we’re attempting this festival and we have some hopes that people will have done the three things in our slogan … Learn, Grow, and Understand,” said Dawe. “All that, and movies too!”

Schedule:
Friday, September 28
Shorts in Scranton at Semian & Gress, 400 Spruce St., Scranton - 7 p.m. including After the 2001 Pennsylvania Film Festival was cancelled due to the events of 9/11, area filmgoers had few prospects on the horizon so far as film festivals were concerned. Milford’s Black Bear Film Festival and Tunkhannock’s bi-annual Dietrich Theater Film Festival afforded audiences some choice cinematic offerings, but Scranton and Wilkes-Barre residents still had no film festival to call their own. Then came last year’s Electric City Film Festival held at Hanlon’s Grove in Scranton’s Nay Aug Park. Though largely viewed as a success, future such incarnations had to be curtailed after the tent that had once covered this event’s venue (as well as the Scranton Jazz Festival) gave way under immense snow accumulation during 2007’s wicked Valentine’s Day.

And then, there were none … that is, of course, until not one but two separate film festivals were slated to debut this fall. The Rainbow Alliance, the largest organization serving the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community in Northeastern Pennsylvania, will hold its inaugural Northeastern Pennsylvania Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre this Friday through Sunday. (The Northeastern Pennsylvania Jewish Film Festival, which ec/dc will cover in a future story, is set to launch on Oct. 20.)

A niche film festival stands to offer local filmgoers a great deal of diversity in terms of programming. “The art of film has always allowed everyone to have a voice no matter where the voice comes from,” said Paige Balitski, executive director of the Greater Scranton Film Office. “This is a great opportunity for these voices and talent to be seen and heard.”

For its part, this weekend’s Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will present short and feature-length gay-themed documentary and narrative films. “The project has been in development for the past years,” said John Dawe, executive director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Rainbow Alliance. “We have been polling the community for program ideas and suggestions for several years.”

In 2006, the Alliance premiered a short film as part of the entertainment for its annual dinner. The film, Trish Blaine’s Red/Blue, will be among the short films kicking off the festival on Friday at the offices of Semian & Gress Real Estate in Scranton. “It’s a gay-themed movie and … our organization provided a large number of the extras in the film,” said Dawe. “We saw there was a lot of interest, and things went from there.”

On Saturday, the festival will feature the local premieres of feature narratives Steam Cloud Rising and Rolling. Set on the eve of the Three Mile Island nuclear facility accident, Steam Cloud Rising, which was written and directed by Central Pa. filmmaker Eric Spaar, deals with a star high school athlete’s struggle to come out of the closet in 1979. Rolling, a faux documentary chronicling the dangers of the drug Ecstasy, will be followed by Q&A with the screenwriter, Scranton native Cody Parrish Thompson. Justice for ALL, a Human Rights Campaign-produced short documentary about fair and balanced judiciary, will screen in-between the features.

Sunday, however, will offer attendees a unique addendum to the typical film festival programming. Following a Welcoming and Affirming Ecumenical Worship Service & Lunch at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Wilkes-Barre, festival-goers will walk to the R/C Theatre’s Wilkes-Barre Movies 14 where Saint of 9/11 will be screened. “We have a Faith and Spirituality Committee as part of the organization. ‘Saint of 9/11′ is about a gay Franciscan priest and focuses on his life’s work,” said Dawe. “Doing the service and lunch at the church, and then walking down the street to the screening seemed like a perfect fit.”

This award-winning documentary, which is narrated by Sir Ian McKellen, chronicles the life and work of New York Fire Department chaplain Father Mychal Judge, who lost his life as a result of the World Trade Center collapse on September 11, 2001. “(He) was beloved by the broadest range of folks from literally Bill and Hillary Clinton who spoke eloquently about him at his funeral to literally the most marginalized homeless people in New York,” said Malcolm Lazin, who served as executive producer for both Saint of 9/11 and Friday’s short documentary offering, Gay Pioneers. “And the fact that there’s going to be this ecumenical service is just literally a blessing in his memory and for me personally.”

The PBS co-produced Gay Pioneers, on the other hand, chronicles the start of the organized gay and lesbian civil rights movement. “We think that at least through our documentary films and through the efforts of others,” said Lazin, “that it is having an important impact through film festivals in advancing our civil rights.”

But will this niche programming find an audience beyond the gay and lesbian community? “All the films scheduled easily appeal to any audience,” said Dawe. Balitski agreed: “I think that these festivals are very important not only as an art form but as teaching tool. You don’t have to be gay or lesbian to attend and appreciate the work.”

Lazin, who also serves as the executive director of Equality Forum, a national gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization, feels that this inaugural event is important in terms of promoting equality. “A film is just an incredible way of educating, entertaining, and energizing our community,” said Lazin. “It’s terrific to see what we’re doing.”

When all is said and done and the final film has screened, the Rainbow Alliance hopes that the consensus of filmgoers will walk away from the festival saying or feeling the same as Lazin. “This is the first time we’re attempting this festival and we have some hopes that people will have done the three things in our slogan … Learn, Grow, and Understand,” said Dawe. “All that, and movies too!”

Schedule:
Friday, September 28
* Shorts in Scranton at Semian & Gress, 400 Spruce St., Scranton - 7 p.m. including Gay Pioneers and Red/Blue

Saturday, September 29
* Steam Cloud Rising at R/C Theatre’s Wilkes-Barre Movies 14, Northampton and Main streets, Wilkes-Barre - 2 p.m.
* Justice for ALL at R/C Theatre’s Wilkes-Barre Movies 14, Northampton and Main streets, Wilkes-Barre - 6:30 p.m.
* Rolling at R/C Theatre’s Wilkes-Barre Movies 14, Northampton and Main Streets, Wilkes-Barre - 7 p.m.

Sunday, September 30
* Welcoming and Affirming Ecumenical Worship Service & Lunch, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church - 12:00 p.m.
* Saint of 9/11 at R/C Theatre’s Wilkes-Barre Movies 14, Northampton and Main streets, Wilkes-Barre - 2:00 p.m.

Weekender 9/26/07 — OUT to the Movies (page 40)
Donna Talarico | Weekender Correspondent

It’s one more sign of the growth and acceptance of diversity in Northeast Pennsylvania: A gay and lesbian film festival.

The Eastern Pennsylvania Gay & Lesbian Film Festival will be held Friday through Sunday at various venues. In fact, the county seats of both Luzerne and Lackawanna counties will share the hosting duties of the inaugural fest, with films being shown in theaters in both downtown Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.

John Dawe, executive director of the sponsoring organization says this “tour format” was selected because the Rainbow Alliance is a regional organization.

“We wanted to give opportunities for people across the region to attend some part of the festival,” Dawe said. “If you can’t make it down to Wilkes-Barre or up to Scranton, we hope you’ll attend at an event in your home county.”

The festival will include a selection of films and shorts, a few from NEPA natives.

“This is our first time doing a film event,” Dawe said. “We wanted to keep it as simple as possible and solicited films from filmmakers that we knew who had done GLBT-themed films. We also partnered with the Community Film Project.”

Dawe explained the collection of films is not just geared toward a gay and lesbian audience — there are themes in each movie applicable to everyone. Even lessons.

“We think we’ve programmed films that will appeal to a diverse audience. ‘Saint of 9/11’ for example — it will be meaningful for teens and senior citizens — and you don’t have to be GLBT either,” he explained.

The critically acclaimed “Saint of 9/11” is about a friar and chaplain of the Fire Department of New York City who died the day of the World Trade Center attacks. “Rolling” is a film about drug abuse. “Steam Cloud Rising” is a story about love — and a nuclear power plant. The short comedy “Red/Blue” is the story of a young lesbian faced with a choice. “Gay Pioneers” explores early GLBT activism, and “Justice for ALL” tackles the judicial system.

The weekend-long festival kicks off with “Shorts in Scranton,” co-sponsored by the Community Film Project. In fact, one of the GLBT-themed shorts was a CFP project and was perhaps a mini-predecessor to the Eastern PA Gay & Lesbian Film Fest. “Red/Blue,” the comedy/drama about an 18-year-old lesbian deciding to come out, was premiered at the 2006 Rainbow Alliance Summer Soiree.

“It’s a gay-themed movie, and filmed in part at the 12 Penny Saloon in Moosic,” said Dawe. “Our organization provided a large number of the extras in the film. We saw there was lots of interest and things went from there.”

In addition to “Red/Blue” and “Gay Pioneers” (produced by WHYY), nine CFP films will be shown. These shorts, each between four and 12 minutes, are of various genres including comedy, suspense, drama and even animated. One highlight is “President Swap,” a parody of TV’s “Wife Swap” where President Bush trades places with a “Saved by the Bell” fan club president.

The festival continues Saturday with a matinee showing of “Steam Cloud Rising” and an evening show of “Justice for ALL” and “Rolling,” which was co-written by former NEPA resident Cody Parrish Thompson.

“I am very excited to be having the East Coast Premiere of my film Rolling in NEPA,” Thompson said. “I lived there for almost three years and left behind my mother, sister and friends to come to Los Angeles and pursue my dreams. I will be visiting everyone and doing some film promotion.

A self-taught film industry pro, Thompson said he was incredibly lucky to have Rolling as his first feature film. He is currently working on a horror script, The Cult for which he’ll be returning to the area next year to shoot. (He’ll be looking for local cast and crew, he added.)

Sunday begins earlier with a worship service, followed by a lunch and then a matinee of “Saint of 9/11.”

For $25, folks can purchase a pass to attend all movies, the lunch and the after-party event. Sold separately, movie tickets are $8 each. A Sunday-only pass, which includes lunch and movie admission, is $10.

For more details about the movies, see the sidebar. Or get a sneak peak with trailers and snippets of each movie at nepafilms.com and communityfilmproject.org.

When asked what he hopes people will feel after exiting the theaters, watching one, some or all of these movies, Dawe responded: “We have our motto, ‘Learn, Grow, Understand.’ We hope each of these goals are met by attending this festival.”

Thompson agreed.

“I think the festival is a great idea and a fantastic way to get people more involved in the arts and LGBT acceptance,” he said. “Having a university full of students from around the country and the world, it’s good to see that people are taking the time to make a difference and spread the LGBT culture to those who may not be familiar with it.”

More information: nepafilms.com

Wilkes-Barre, Pa. – The Rainbow Alliance Business and Professionals Network will hold a special mixer for gay and gay-supportive businesspersons from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at Barnes and Noble Arena Hub Plaza in Wilkes-Barre Township.

Businesses interested in participating may optionally pre-register by calling 570.371.6555.

A portion of any book, magazine, music or video purchases made from October 9 to 15 will be donated to Rainbow Alliance. Coupons are available beginning October 1 at this site or upon request at the Barnes and Noble customer service desk.

For more information about the Rainbow Alliance, visit www.gaynepa.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: John Dawe, Executive Director
V: 570.417.3335 F: 570.227.0098
e: john@gaynepa.com

RAINBOW ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES
2007 GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL

September 1, 2007 (Wilkes-Barre, PA) – The Rainbow Alliance, the largest organization serving the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) community in the Northeastern Pennsylvania region, announced that it will hold the 2007 NEPA Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre from Friday, September 28 through Sunday, September 30, 2007.

The festival will feature six films per the following schedule:

Friday, September 28
Shorts in Scranton at Semian & Gress, 400 Spruce St., Scranton — 7 p.m. including Gay Pioneers and Red/Blue

Saturday, September 29
Steam Cloud Rising at R/C Theatre’s Wilkes-Barre Movies 14, Northampton & Main Streets, Wilkes-Barre – 2 p.m.
Justice for ALL at R/C Theatre’s Wilkes-Barre Movies 14, Northampton & Main Streets, Wilkes-Barre – 6:30 p.m.
Rolling at R/C Theatre’s Wilkes-Barre Movies 14, Northampton & Main Streets, Wilkes-Barre – 7 p.m.

Sunday, September 30
Welcoming and Affirming Ecumenical Worship Service & Lunch, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church – 12 p.m.
Saint of 9/11 at R/C Theatre’s Wilkes-Barre Movies 14, Northampton & Main Streets, Wilkes-Barre – 2 p.m.

“The Rainbow Alliance is excited to be sponsoring this event,” said John Dawe, executive director. “Over the past two years, we have taken into account the input from our members and supporters. A survey last year showed very strong support for community-wide events, so our board of directors has planned a series of special programs and events centered on what our constituents have requested, including the film festival.”

Interviews with film makers and community partners are available by calling Dawe at 570.417.3335.

The following web-links contain information about the festival:
Schedule of Events: http://filmfest.gaynepa.com/schedule.html
General Information: http://filmfest.gaynepa.com
Organization Site: http://www.gaynepa.com

About the Rainbow Alliance:
The Rainbow Alliance is the largest organization serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities in Northeastern Pennsylvania through direct programming and partnerships with service organizations. With more than 2,000 supporters, the organization’s website gaynepa.com is a central hub for GLBT programs in NEPA.

FILM SYNPOSES

Gay Pioneers (Short) – Produced in collaboration with PBS-affiliate WHYY, Gay Pioneers is documents the first organized gay and lesbian civil rights demonstrations. These “annual reminders” took place every Fourth of July in front of Independence Hall from 1965 to 1969.

Red/Blue (Short) – Written and Directed by Scranton-native Trish Blaine, Red/Blue examines a young woman’s decision to come out or succumb to societal pressures to “play straight” and be married to her ex-boyfriend.

Steam Cloud Rising (Feature) – Harrisburg-based film maker Eric Spaar’s Steam Cloud Rising tells the story of popular and athletic Hugh. While struggling to contain his true sexual identity at a high school in the 70’s, Hugh fights to get the town’s nuclear power plant to disclose the truths of its releases. Ultimately, both have a meltdown. Based on actual events relating to the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in Middletown, Pa.

Justice for ALL (Short) – National GLBT organization the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation produced Justice for ALL to inform diverse groups about the importance of a fair & balanced judiciary.

Rolling (Feature) – With screenplay by Scranton-native Cody Parrish Thompson, Rolling examines seven diverse individuals whose lives all cross paths in the Ecstasy-riddled L.A. underground party scene. Rolling is a turbulent journey that takes a tough yet entertaining look at this unique drug phenomenon. With the pace and style of a documentary, the 99-minute feature film captures the essence of Ecstasy culture, exposing the delicate balance of relationships and responsibilities with chasing this drug-induced euphoria.

Saint of 9/11 (Feature) – Critically acclaimed documentary film, Saint of 9/11, is winner of the Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival’s best documentary, jury & audience awards. It is the story of Father Mychal Judge, the gay FDNY chaplain who died in the line of duty on September 11^th. Judge was a Franciscan who struggled with alcoholism and the struggle of being a gay man in the Catholic Church. Father Mychal’s life, not his death, is the focus here. Irish immigrants, friends, church members, the poor, AIDS victims, firemen, President Clinton and leaders of the gay Catholic movement all talk about how their lives were made better by Father Mychal’s example of loving and serving others before yourself.