Heroes recognized
DURHAM — Durham’s Gay Rights Pioneers panel discussion will be held on Aug. 8 at 3 p.m. at the Durham County Library, Auditiorium, 1st Floor, 300 N. Roxboro St.
A event will be moderated by Mandy Carter and also includes Dannia Southerland, Steve Schewel and Allan Troxler. The topic will surround the groundbreaking 1981 “Our Day Out” and the subsequent Pride march in 1986.
This is being held as a part of the library’s Commemorating Courage series. For more information, call Marian Fragola at 919-560-0268.
Reading slated
DURHAM — Join the Triangle Gay Professionals for a staged play reading of “Almanac of Dust” will take place on Aug. 22, 2:30 p.m. at Common Ground Theatre, 4815B Hillsborough Rd. Admission is free.
The piece is written by gay playright Anthony Garcia-Copian.
To learn more or to RSVP, visit meetup.com/trianglegayprofessionals/calendar/14146942/.
Author selected for honors
RALEIGH — Lambda Literary announced its Class of 2010: Emerging LGBT Voices in July.
Among the 33 writers was North Carolina’s own Mark Hardy who premiered on the young adult fiction circuit with his freshman novel, “Nothing Pink” in 2008. This book was included on the American Library Association’s 2009 Rainbow List. It is now being adapted for a stage presentation. Hardy wanted to write a book about the struggles of a teen who is trying to reconcile his “gay identity with his Christian upbringing,” Hardy said.
Hardy is an elementary school teacher with the Wake County School System. Prior to that he was a Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and independent national literacy consultant. He also spent time his early teaching career in the New York City school system.
The Garner Citizen reported that Principal Jen Benkovitz of Creech Road Elementary School saw Hardy as someone who was “consistently responsive to the needs of all of his students, making each student feel respected, valued and fully included in their classroom community.” She went on to say that “Mark Hardy is a once-in-a-lifetime teacher and I am a better administrator for having had the opportunity to work with him.”