There are many traditions in America today which truly deserve to be done away with. These include such nonsensical rituals as doing the "Chicken Dance" at weddings, going Christmas shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, and having a cigarette after sex. However, there's one American tradition that we should fight to keep alive: sleeping late on Sunday. There should be a federal law against getting up before noon on Sunday. Besides, do you really know anyone-- besides maybe Martha Stewart-- who LIKES getting up early on the weekends?

HOWEVER... there's one Sunday during the year worth getting up before noon. That day is the Long Island Pride Parade. And the best reason for getting up EXTRA early is the Pre-Parade Community Breakfast, which has become an event in its own right. The Pre-Parade Community Breakfast, held at The Historical Thatched Cottage in Centerport on June 10th, boasted 200 attendees-- a great achievement considering it's only the event's second year. All proceeds (not just profits) benefited the Long Island Pride Parade Committee. Any attendees who arrived that morning bleary-eyed and yawning were soon wide awake and smiling at the sight and smell of Eggs Benedict, french toast, fresh fruit, and much more. This, of course, was hardly a surprise for anyone familiar with the Historical Thatched Cottage's exquisite cuisine, with its emphasis on presentation as well as gastronomic appeal. And what better excuse to indulge that morning than "Well, I'll just march it all off at the Parade!"

In addition to fueling up before the events of that day, the Pre-Parade Community Breakfast was an excellent opportunity to network. Hope you brought your pencil and pad! Representatives from no less than 12 community organizations were present. This included Dignity Nassau, BiasHELP of L.I., Community House of L.I. (CHOLI), Gay Democrats of Suffolk County, Nassau County Lesbian and Gay Democrats, Gay and Lesbian Switchboard of L.I., Empire State Pride Agenda, GOAL, SILK West, SAGE-Queens, and N.O.W. One of the newest groups on Long Island, GOLD (Great Older Lesbian Discussions), had a large presence-- 40 women! Tom thanked Dee Peterson, Events Coordinator for GOLD, for organizing the sale of the tickets for GOLD. GOLD's mission is to create a safe place for lesbians to gather and share feelings on issues relating to the community. All 'self-identified' older lesbians are welcome. GOLD meets every Tuesday evening and also has special events. The next big thing is The Romantic Boat Cruise on August 4th. Log onto Golddiscussions.com for more info. Out in L.I. also had a large showing. As I'm sure you've all noticed, this group is EVERYWHERE lately. The members of Out in L.I. prove that you CAN be involved in important political and social causes and still have fun doing it! The group seeks to create strong connections among the 20-something crowd, as well as encourage activism in the GLBT community. They hold regular meetings at CHOLI and also have a diverse calendar of social events. Check out their cute website at www.outinli.org. Out in L.I. shared the responsibility of serving as Grand Marshall in this year's Parade with handsome (and single!) Bill Borman, Chair of the Nassau County Lesbian and Gay Democrats, who was also present at the Breakfast. During the event, a representative from BiasHELP of L.I. handed out cards with the group's toll-free Bias Crime Hotline printed on them-- always good to have.

Also in attendance were Peter Quinones of GOAL L.I. (in uniform!), Director of the LI Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Stephen Flynn, award-winning activist/volunteer Louis Trapani, diva Venise Charles (complete with gown and tiara.), and many more movers and shakers of our community. Talk about a power breakfast! A welcomed presence was Archbishop Bruce J. Simpson of the Order of St. John the Beloved, Old Catholic Church. In addition to being personable, charming, and VERY funny, Archbishop Simpson is the busiest holy man in our community as of late-- lending his voice, time, and energy to important issues in the gay and lesbian community. Greg Fox, creator of the comic strip "Kyle's Bed and Breakfast," had an extra reason to be proud: his comic strip just became syndicated. It now also appears in The Orange County Blade, the Express Gay News of Florida, and others. On his T-shirt, Greg sported a drawing of four of the hunky characters from "Kyle's Bed and Breakfast." Wow! Who knew that cartoon characters could be so sexy?

The Long Island Pride Parade received $1700 from the event, and CHOLI received $220 from the 50/50 raffle. The groups which sold tickets for the event got $5.00 from each ticket they sold. This resulted in more than 120 tickets being sold through groups, totaling over $600.00.

Related Articles:
Something for Everyone: The 11th Annual LI Pride Parade
Pandora Vox - The Vox that Rocks
Judy Gold - Golden Girl

Photos by:
Jed Ryan
Louis Trapani (c) 2001