Saturday, April 9, 2011, my new friend Lucille Prater-Holliday will hold a fundraiser at the Shadow Lounge from 6-8 PM. Tickets are $10.

Lucille is running for City Council in District 9 (East Liberty, Homewood, Point Breeze, Garfield, etc).  She is challenging incumbent Rev Ricky Burgress.

Ricky Burgess has repeatedly slapped the LGBT community in the face in SPITE of his former tenure ass a PATF board member.  Most recently, Burgess refused to join in the City Council Pride proclamation which is about as tepid support one can offer.  Even more recently, Burgess implied that openly gay councilman Bruce Kraus is a ?rich white Republican? who has no idea was it is like to be oppressed.  What sort of collegiality is this? What sort of dialogue does that open on meeting the needs of the LGBTQ community in District 9?  What kind of stereotype does that put out there about gay people?  That?s a sickening cheap shot and serves only to keep LGBT folks in his district deep in the closet. 

There are plenty of gay folks in District 9 and Ricky Burgess is hurtin' them all. 

This is the District of Hope. Dreams of Hope has performed repeatedly at the Kelly-Strayhorn,  Vanessa German opens her newest piece tonight at that same venue. There is hope politically and her name is Lucille Prater-Holliday.  She?s a single parent with a strong background on social services.  She?s very smart, a powerful  speaker and isn?t afraid to take the bus down to Grant Street. She has great ideas and a lot of passion.  Lucille?s now-deceased sister was an open lesbian for decades when that wasn?t a good idea.  Lucille has been poor, has struggled to raise her sons, has stood behind her community groups when they were under assault, has stood up to her own absentee landlord and still makes time to create beautiful green spaces so children have a place to experience green.

She needs your help to challenge a Councilman who isn?t doing anything for our community.  It is a chance to invest your $10 and your two hours into the sort of change that will help a very vulnerable district and the larger City.  Plus, you?ll be out by 8 and off to whatever great queer friendly activity is next on your agenda.

If you are pissed off about the gay bashings in Lawrenceville and Bloomfield, you should come. 

If you know about the underground gay-conversion ?ministries? in Pittsburgh, you should come.

If you want to see Homewood get some attention and resources, you should come.

If you want a smart City Council that stays in touch with the community in a very real way, you should come.

Lucille was endorsed by the Steel City Stonewall Democrats.  Revered Burgess didn?t even submit a questionnaire.

Most political fundraisers are FAR more expensive. Lucille also knows that our collective $10 donations can generate change. 

Please email me if you need more information.