Black Pride planning underway
DURHAM — The new organization in charge of producing the first-ever Triangle Black Pride this summer kicked off their planning for the anticipated weekend-long gay Pride event with two film showings and the support of a stage production early this month.
Shades of Pride board members will be hosting the inaugural Triangle Black Pride in the Raleigh-Durham area July 29- Aug. 1. The four day event will feature workshops, an LGBT Writers Event, seminar, and unveiling of cutting edge films. The mission of Triangle Black Pride is to celebrate and honor the diversity of the African-American LGBT community in the Triangle through events open to all.
Board members are building the momentum toward the events and partnered with COLORS of North Carolina Central University (NCCU), the campus LGBT student organization, to showcase “Brother Outsider: the Life of Bayard Rustin” on Feb. 2 and “Brother to Brother” on Feb. 3. Both events were held on the campus of NCCU in the Miller-Morgan Auditorium and are free and open the public. Triangle Black Pride also supported the production of “The Vagina Monologues,” Feb. 5 at Club Steel Blue, Donations at the event went toward the Durham Crisis Response Center.
For more information log on to triangleblackpride.org or call Toya Hankins, chair at 980-229-9469.
ADAP capped
RALEIGH — Officials have capped enrollment in the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) citing budget cuts and concerns and increased demand from patients, the Raleigh News & Observer has reported.
The program provides financial assistance to low-income people living with HIV/AIDS and often picks up the entire costs for anti-retroviral regimens and other drugs.
Jacquelyn Clymore, head of the state HIV/STD Prevention and Care Branch, said those currently receiving benefits will not be dropped from the program. Future enrollment past Jan. 29, however, was cut off.
So far this year, 4,400 people are enrolled with ADAP, compared to 4,000 this time last year. In 2009, state legislators provided $11 million for the program. Clymore said that amount was about half what had been previously budgeted.
This article was published in the Feb. 6 – Feb. 19 print edition.