For the first time in a decade, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender South Floridians, will join together in celebration of Gay Pride this month. “It is hard to believe a city as diverse and as inclusive of the LGBT community has not had an official Miami Beach Gay Pride in the past,” says City of Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower. “I am very proud to be a part of such a historical event in our community and will make every effort to ensure that Miami Beach Gay Pride 2009 is a success.”
Arguably a gay Mecca, Miami was a noticeable absent on the Pride celebration circuit. Due to lack of political and public support in the late 1990s, the former organizers packed up and took Florida Gay Pride festivities up to Fort Lauderdale. However, with bounding support of the City of Miami Beach’s Mayor, Matti Herrera Bower and of her newly developed Gay, Business Development Ad Hoc Committee, South Floridians will again participate in the first annual Miami Beach Gay Pride.
The Miami Beach Gay Pride Committee, a committee formed to spearhead all logistics for the parade and festival, has chosen “PROUD” as this year’s main theme for all festivities including the parade, and a festival/expo composed of businesses and community booths, kiosks, and exhibits. They are expecting about 5,000 attendees.
The first annual Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade and Festival is set to kick-off with two-time Grammy award winner Patti LaBelle and fashion designer Richie Rich as Grand Marshalls. The event will be held on Saturday, April 18 from 12- 7 pm on Ocean Drive. Top music sensations India, Fanny Lu, Carol Jiani, Ceevox, and Jery will perform on the main stage, and music will be provided by DJ Maximus 3000.
“We are honored by the participation of such top celebrities who are coming to Miami Beach to celebrate our diversity,” said Babak Movahedi, chair of Miami Beach Gay Pride Committee. “This is truly a historic time for our community, and we should all be proud to have accomplished so much in this, our first annual celebration.”
Patti LaBelle, R&B singer, songwriter and author, has been a steady supporter of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. She is known worldwide for hits such as “Lady Marmalade,” which she performed with her group the Bluebelles in the ‘70s. She serves as a spokeswoman for the National Minority AIDS Council's “Live Long, Sugar” campaign.
Richie Rich co-owns the fashion label Heatherette and has been designing for celebrities as Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. One of the most famous Heatherette t-shirts, “Carrie,” was featured in HBO’s Sex and the City international ad campaign.
The parade will originate at 5th Street and end at 15th Street on Ocean Drive. “PROUD,” the festival and expo, will follow at Lummus Park between 10th and 12th Streets, and where from the main stage India, Fanny Lu, Carol Jiani, Ceevox, and Jeri Brown, and DJMaximus 3000 will delight the throngs.\
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Crowned the “Princess of Salsa” by Celia Cruz, Puerto Rican phenomenon India has exhibited a range of musical abilities throughout her career, from freestyle and house to Latin pop and reggaeton, but she will always be defined by her run of chart-topping New York salsa hits in the mid to late '90s.
In 2006, musician and actress Fanny Lu released her album, Lágrimas Cálidas, with the record’s single, "No Te Pido Flores," which gained fame when it became the theme song for a popular telenovela. Lágrimas Cálidas achieved gold status and landed on a variety of Billboard's Latin charts.
Carol Jiani known as the “Queen of Hi-Energy Disco” in the 1980's is famous for her disco classic "Hit ‘n Run Lover," which she recorded after just one hour in the studio and escalated her career to perform all around the globe.
Born in New Jersey and of Cuban descent, Ceevox has been hitting the charts since the mid 1990’s and worked with global Djs and musical engineers as George Acosta, Junior Vazquez, Alyson Calagna and Tracy Young. Her hits include “Luv 2 Luv,” “Your Love, Got to Have It” and most recently “Believe in We.”
Model, actress, and singer Jery Sandoval was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, where she played the role of Maria Reyes in the soap opera, “Los Reyes.” She was recently signed by White Lion/Universal Music Latin Entertainment, one of the biggest record labels in the world and will soon be releasing her single “Astronauta.”
A Miami native, DJ Maximus 3000's music roots span from Cuban Mambo to Garage Disco. He spins with a cross section of dark electronic, early rave, house, and filtered disco while fusing elements of early 80's electronic.
More information is available online at the Miami Beach Gay Pride website.
