Sixth Annual Youth Pride Day April 13 - Mayor and Chad Allen to Speak

WASHINGTON, DC (April 2, 2001) - Youth Pride Alliance is pleased to announce the sixth annual Youth Pride Day, which will occur on Saturday, April 13, 2002 in P Street Beach (also known as Rock Creek Park) at P and 23rd Sts., NW, in Washington, DC.

The annual celebration for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people has brought together thousands of youth for a day with two stages of entertainment and speakers and dozens of booths and exhibitors. According to Paul Marango, Director of Youth Pride Day 2002, this year should be the largest ever.

"With the event maturing in our sixth year, we're looking at doing more than just our wonderful Saturday celebration," said Marango. "We're starting activities a week before Youth Pride Day and continue them through Sunday; more like a Youth Pride Week!"

This year's keynote speaker is Chad Allen of television and stage fame. Allen, 27, starred on such television shows as Webster, Our House, and Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman. Recently, Allen has been a part of numerous theater productions around the country. He came out as a gay man in the Advocate Magazine in 2001.

DC Mayor Anthony Williams is also scheduled to speak, a first for Youth Pride Day.

Youth Pride Day has been organized by the Youth Pride Alliance since 1997. This past year has brought many changes to the organization. Board and staff changes include David Grossman, President; Ridley Beierschmitt, Vice President and Program Director of Youth Pride Day 2002; and Marango, Director of Youth Pride Day 2002.

Youth Pride Alliance opened an office at the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL) late last year, and now has several part-time staff working on Youth Pride Day and other Youth Pride Alliance activities.

"Between expanding our events around Youth Pride Day, we're beginning to lay out plans for having events on a year-round basis," said Grossman, President of Youth Pride Alliance. "For the past half decade, everyone in the community loves Youth Pride Day, we're working to make more spaces for gay youth to feel comfortable being themselves."

The Youth Pride Alliance celebrates the dignity and courage of all young people as they discover their identities as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or straight, and challenges society to stop the hate, the violence, the fear, the isolation, and the denial. Every young person deserves to live, love, and be loved.

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