Welcome to Gay Visalia
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Quote of the Week:
"When things never change, you must".
Monthly Green Tip:
Please conserve water this summer. And Reduce, Reuse and Recycle whenever you can. |
Want to make a difference? Sign up as a volunteer! Contact us for more details. Be sure to check out our community calendar.
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Guess What's Missing from TV Next Year....US!!
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- Created on Monday, 13 May 2013 20:52
- Written by Brooke
I'm not sure about the rest of you but I've rather enjoyed the enflux of LGBT characters on television lately. Whether they actually identify as part of our community or just play them on TV. Well, according to an interesting article...that's all changing next year. It seems gay folks and gay characters are getting the axe! Maybe it just seems like a lot because it was all neatly put into one article? Maybe America is saying no more "in your face" storylines, shows, etc.? Could that be a progress thing? Have they realized us gays have boring lives, just like them? Perhaps America as a whole is just watching far less TV? Who knows the answer but I do find it curious that so many gay shows and gay characters will not be returning for more seasons. It's some scary times, at least for me, when decent adult shows are going away but the likes of hillbilly duck men, family marrying underage gypsies and I can't even find the right words to describe the Honey Boo Boo clan, are what people are choosing to watch. That's far more scarier than gay marriage or gay rights could ever be!
Read the article HERE for yourself and draw your own conclusions.
Fresno Pride 2013
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- Created on Friday, 10 May 2013 19:09
- Written by Brooke
Hey Visalians, Fresno Pride is just around the corner. Make sure you head up there to support our community and also our Mayor, Amy Shuklian who happens to be one of the Grand Marshalls at this years parade. So check out the gnarly waves of change and hang ten because Prides up dudes!
Local AIDS Lifecycle Rider Needs Your Help!
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- Created on Wednesday, 24 April 2013 20:40
- Written by Brooke
One local, Erin Saluta, needs your help raising funds for her ride this summer. All monies raised goes directly towards the fight against HIV/AIDS. She's having a great fundraiser next month that involves Tahoe Joes. Everyone eats right? Might as well do some good while you do!
From Erin:
The fundraiser is at Tahoe Joe's on Caldwell Avenue. I am selling lunch/dinner tickets for a meal (either dine-in or take-out) on Thursday, May 16. The tickets are $20 each and the diner gets to choose the entre (6oz Joe's Steak dinner, Wood grilled BBQ chicken breast or Sierra Mountain ribs) and it comes with Blue Lake green beans and Mountain mashers. I am willing to deliver the meals to places of employment if that would be more convenient for people but am looking to do that for orders of 4+ people.
You can contact Erin at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
. If you won't be around to eat that day or would just like to make a cash donation to this wonderful cause, you can visit her Lifecycle online link here: http://www.tofighthiv.org/
Trevor Saves Lives, Do You??
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- Created on Friday, 05 April 2013 05:29
- Written by Brooke
Like volunteering? Love making a difference? Join the Trevor Project and help our local youth!!
Local LGBT Scholarships!
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- Created on Friday, 05 April 2013 05:14
- Written by Brooke
Join the National Movement!
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- Created on Tuesday, 19 March 2013 08:22
- Written by Jennifer
**UPDATE: Porterville is at City Hall (not courthouse) on Main St. and Cleveland.
Please help spread the word across the valley!!! Our first event is the Visalia discussion panel. Please share the event on your own & your organization(s) pages today, tomorrow & Wednesday. Also, please help spread the word about our panelists: Robin MeGeHee, Teresa & Marica Martin, Jennifer McGuire, Justin Pursley, Tim Rich, Sabrina Krystal, and Jasmin Janusiewicz. Moderated by Andre Gomez. This is our "kick off" event so we are hoping for a good turn-out! We are pushing that this is a community event to learn more about the specifics of the upcoming SCOTUS oral arguments, an opportunity for everyone to learn more about the specifics of the cases & to hear & discuss local perspectives, how the cases effect our local LGBTQ populations.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013, 5p. COS, 150 Sequois.
Sponsored by the COS Pride Club
Local PFLAG Meeting for March
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- Created on Tuesday, 12 March 2013 15:24
- Written by Brooke
PFLAG Tulare and Kings Counties is a volunteer group of parents, family and friends of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT). We welcome members of the GLBT community to our meetings and membership. We meet on the third Sunday of each month.
| Location: | Family HealthCare Network 305 East Center Street (Corner of Bridge Street) Visalia (Use the courtyard entrance on Bridge. Pedestrian gate is in the alley.) |
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| Map: | Click here | ||||||
| Next meeting: | |||||||
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| Refreshments will be served | |||||||
| PFLAG provides a safe and confidential space place to talk about sexual orientation and gender identity, and works to build a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity. There is no cost to attend, and membership is optional. PFLAG Tulare and Kings Counties is a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. |
Seriously??! Discriminate against a 6 year old??
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- Created on Tuesday, 26 February 2013 15:27
- Written by Brooke
Look at her!! How could you possibly want anything but the best for her? How can you set her up for failure at only age 6!?!! By forcing her to use the boys bathroom or the faculty or nurses bathroom, you are sending her a message that she is not "normal". You are also sending a clear message to her schoolmates. Isn't this the exact behavior we are trying to teach in our schools NOT to do? Don't bully? Don't harrass people for not fitting neatly into the boxes we've been dictated? Now an entire school district is being the bully....of a 6 year old! What do they think is honestly going to happen if they make her use the boys restroom? That would not only set her up for ridicule but possible physical harm as well. And we send our children to school thinking they are safe and protected there!? This world seriously makes me shake my head sometimes. Schools should be about learning, promoting and fostering WELL BEING and CONFIDENCE in ALL children!
Thankfully, the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund has filed a complaint against the school district with the Colorado Civil Rights Division. Meanwhile, this beautiful girl is having to be home-schooled to avoid further trauma. I've posted the info/complete story below from TLDEF below. Make sure you click on the link to see photos of this wonderful family.
TLDEF today announced that it has filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division on behalf of a 6-year-old girl who has been barred from using the girls' bathrooms at her elementary school. For the past year, Coy Mathis, a first-grader at Eagleside Elementary School in Fountain, CO, has used the girls' bathrooms. In mid-December 2012, the Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 informed her parents that Coy would be prevented from using the girls' bathrooms after winter break. The District ordered Coy to use the boys' bathroom, a staff bathroom, or the nurse's bathroom.
Coy was labeled male at birth, but has always known that she is a girl, and has expressed this since she was 18 months old. Since kindergarten, Coy has worn girls' clothing to school. Her classmates and teachers have used female pronouns to refer to her and she has used the girls' bathrooms, just like any other girl in her school.
The Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination against transgender students in public schools. Despite efforts to get the District to reconsider its decision, it has refused to do so. Coy's parents have removed her from school and are home schooling her until this Complaint is resolved.
"We want Coy to have the same educational opportunities as every other Colorado student," said Kathryn Mathis, Coy's mother. "Her school should not be singling her out for mistreatment just because she is transgender."
"By forcing Coy to use a different bathroom than all the other girls, Coy's school is targeting her for stigma, bullying and harassment," said Michael Silverman, TLDEF's executive director, and one of Coy's lawyers. "Through the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, Coloradans have made it clear that they want all Colorado children to have a fair and equal chance in school," he added. "Coy's school has the opportunity to turn this around and teach Coy's classmates a valuable lesson about friendship, respect and basic fairness."
"We have five children and we love them all very much," said Mrs. Mathis. "We want Coy to return to school to be with her teachers, her friends, and her siblings, but we are afraid to send her back until we know that the school is going to treat her fairly. She is still just six years old, and we do not want one of our daughter's earliest experiences to be our community telling her she's not good enough."
In addition to TLDEF, the legal team representing the Mathis family includes Michael Flynn, Lucy Deakins, Jami Mills Vibbert, and Rosario Doriott Dominguez of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
For the latest information on Coy's case, including upcoming media appearances, please follow us on Twitter and "like" us on Facebook. We'll be posting the latest information there first.
ENS: Youth Conference
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- Created on Wednesday, 20 February 2013 12:38
- Written by Brooke
It's that time again for the annual all empowering and all inspiring LGBT+ youth conference in Fresno.
Expression Not Suppression (ENS) is a Fresno-based annual conference for LGBTQ youth and straight allies who are dedicated to creating safer schools and building the GSA movement in the Central Valley. ENS is youth-planned and youth-led.
Are you a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning or straight ally youth? Want more tools to make YOUR school safer and defeat bullying?
Join us at ENS on Saturday, February 23, 2013 at The Big Red Church in Fresno for a day of powerful workshops, insightful speakers, an LGBTQ Resource Fair, and a youth dance!
WHAT: Every year, ENS brings together more than 100 LGBTQ youth activists and straight allies from around the Central Valley who are dedicated to creating safe schools and defeating homophobia and transphobia in the Central Valley.
WHEN: Saturday, February 23rd, 2013, 9:00am to 9:00pm
WHERE: Big Red Church of Fresno
2131 N Van Ness Blvd.
Fresno, CA 93704
WHO: We encourage high school and middle school students, teachers, school administrators, parents, GSA advisors and organizations working in support of LGBTQ youth, to join us and learn about youth activism, leadership and how to make our Central Valley schools safer for all!
Find out more at the website HERE!
February PFLAG Meeting
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- Created on Wednesday, 13 February 2013 09:11
- Written by Brooke
PFLAG Tulare and Kings Counties is a volunteer group of parents, family and friends of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT). We welcome members of the GLBT community to our meetings and membership. We meet on the third Sunday of each month.
| Location: | Family HealthCare Network 305 East Center Street (Corner of Bridge Street) Visalia (Use the courtyard entrance on Bridge. Pedestrian gate is in the alley.) |
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| Map: | Click here | ||||||
| Next meeting: | |||||||
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| Refreshments will be served | |||||||
| PFLAG provides a safe and confidential space place to talk about sexual orientation and gender identity, and works to build a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity. There is no cost to attend, and membership is optional. PFLAG Tulare and Kings Counties is a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. |
Same Sex Couples Statistics
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- Created on Thursday, 31 January 2013 15:27
- Written by Brooke
Last month, the U.S. Census Bureau released estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS) for the combined years from 2007 to 2011, providing much information on various subjects. I remembered several years ago, the census called me to schedule a meeting with other LGBT individuals in our area, which we held. They told us of their plans to start collecting data on LGBT homes. This recollection prompted me to go out in search of said statistics and I found a nice little report on the findings.
It's a long read but does have some interesting data and statistics that I wanted to share. If you're up for the read, you can find the info HERE. To seek other findings on varying subjects, you can click HERE.
It's nice to have some hard data on the subject. I find the variance interesting on how same sex couples identify and what their family dynamic is. Variety, indeed, is the spice of life.
POW February MixHER
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- Created on Tuesday, 29 January 2013 12:46
- Written by Brooke
If you're a woman, identify as a woman or even feel womanly, you need to attend these fabulous monthly outings! They're a great place to network, meet new friends and possibly that someone special. You can read more about the gathering below and should check out the event page on Facebook HERE. There will be a new mixHER on the fourth Friday of every month at various locations. Save those dates and plan for a super fun time!
Professional OUT Women's February event will be held at the PALMS on Friday, February 22 from 5:30-7:30pm. The no-host mixHER will ha...ppen at the PALM's and many will stay for dinner. Please call to make dinner reservations... (559) 438-0500 for you and your party. We are working to secure a private banquet room, so if you plan to dine after the mixHER, please state that you are with POW when you make your reservation.
Also, please follow the FB link, join the event and help us share the event with others who you think might be interested in attending. This event is monthly, rotating locations, for the lesbian community. Our goal is to be inclusive without gender boundaries and accepting of women who self identify on a wide continuum of their sexual expression.
Please extend this invitation to women you know who may be interested and a good addition to the group, and who we may not otherwise know to contact.
Here is the list of reasons that our group was formed:
PURPOSE:
To learn about other women's business and to support women in the business community
To attract and inform others of our businesses and to support our professions.
To meet new people and connect with old friends
To hold a space for socializing and networking
To date and find love.......
To offer support, mentorship and camaraderie
To enjoy various venues in the Valley where we can break bread and imbibe.
To Acknowledge the success and accomplishments of gay women in business.
Looking for an inviting setting to hang out with and meet local women? Excited to have a professional networking opportunity to connect, share ideas and possibly collaborate with local women? Wanting to expand or add to your social circle? New to the area and wanting to meet new people? If the answer is yes to any of the above, join other professional women at the Professional Out Women's February mixHER at the PALMS!
If you have any questions, would like to join our email list or would like to be more involved, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Save this Date! (2-28-13)
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- Created on Friday, 25 January 2013 12:14
- Written by Brooke
The dates were just confirmed for this, you really need to come to this forum and help spread the word!
Community Forum
February 28, 2013 - 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
LGBTQ Reducing Disparities Project
Visalia Convention Center
For the release of "First Do No Harm" the 1st report of it's kind of California's LGBTQ Communities, with Guest Speaker Robin McGehee, Founder of GetEqual.
The meeting follows a recent report by Equality California and Mental Health America of Northern California titled, "First Do No Harm, Reducing Disparities for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Population in California.
Contact Van for more information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Get involved and get informed!
Dining OUT for Equality-January
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- Created on Tuesday, 22 January 2013 16:19
- Written by Brooke
The lunch group will be meeting at the Exeter Whistle Stop in Exeter, 401 W. Pine Street this Sunday, January 27 at 12:30 pm.
Wear your shirt promoting equality and join them!!
January Local PFLAG Meeting
- Details
- Created on Saturday, 19 January 2013 12:04
- Written by Brooke
PFLAG Tulare and Kings Counties is a volunteer group of parents, family and friends of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT). We welcome members of the GLBT community to our meetings and membership. We meet on the third Sunday of each month.
| Location: | Family HealthCare Network 305 East Center Street (Corner of Bridge Street) Visalia (Use the courtyard entrance on Bridge. Pedestrian gate is in the alley.) |
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| Map: | Click here | ||||||
| Next meeting: | |||||||
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| Refreshments will be served | |||||||
| PFLAG provides a safe and confidential space place to talk about sexual orientation and gender identity, and works to build a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity. There is no cost to attend, and membership is optional. PFLAG Tulare and Kings Counties is a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. |
Future Plans for Visalia
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- Created on Wednesday, 16 January 2013 13:28
- Written by Brooke
The following was sent to me and I wanted to share it with you. I felt it was important for all of Visalia to have a say in what happens to our town. I, as Gay Visalia, will not endorse this nor will I deny this. I don't want to influence anyone, just inform. I Brooke, however, will be getting involved. I encourage all of you to get involved too and have a voice regardless of your stance.
Jon, a concerned Visalian, writes:
Please help us save Visalia! The Visalia City Planning Commission and City Council will soon act on the “2030 General Plan Update, Preferred Option” that would allow massive commercial development south of Visalia Parkway, and at Caldwell Avenue and Highway 99. These proposed commercial developments, far from Visalia’s vibrant Downtown and core Mooney Boulevard retail district, will flood the market with a dangerous oversupply of commercial space. The flooding and oversupply of commercial development will lead to excessive vacancies, faltering retail sales in the City core, and declining property values throughout the City. The downtown area will no longer be a vibrant pedestrian-friendly city, but rather, a strip of abandoned and run downed storefronts. The impacts will be severe as it will add blight to the city landscape, increase congestion and pollution from traffic, and will significantly diminish the positive quality of life and economic stability that Visalia residents enjoy.
For more information, please visit our website: http://protectvisalia.squarespace.com.
Spread the word and save our town!
Thank you Jon for including Gay Visalia in your outreach.
Last Words for EJ...
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- Created on Wednesday, 16 January 2013 11:15
- Written by Brooke
I wanted to thank the nearly 60 people who came out to the EricJames candlelight vigil on Friday. It just shows how many people he touched during his brief life. Thank you to those who stood up and shared your words with us and those who wrote them down. I also have to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who contributed towards his memorial scholarship fund. We raised almost $250.00! We’re nearly half way there. To the person(s) who donated that $100.00 bill, you are a selfless, kind and caring human, THANK YOU DEARLY! If you didn’t get a chance to donate or were unable at that time and would still like to do so, please contact me. Our goal is to be able to offer a $500 scholarship to a local LGBT individual. Again, thank you for your support in honoring EJ in this way.
Attendees were asked to write down their thoughts, words and/or feelings to EricJames or words of encouragement to others who may be struggling. They placed those words in a container during our song of silence. I would like to share some of them with you now. I wasn't able to write all of them down because there were so many and some were quite long, but rest assured that I at least put in a quote from every one received. Thank you all for your participation and beautiful words....
"Thank you for being here for me, even if you aren't here. You are always in my thoughts."
"I still remember the first time we met. Love you."
"Eric, I love and miss you. Thanks for saving my life."
"My sweet angel, I love you and you are the reason I have hope. I promised I would never let you down and I mean it. Forever fighting for you and forever here for you."
"I know we never met but I wish we did. Even though you're gone you have impacted so many lives. We love you Eric!"
"Eric, I don't know what to say other then that I miss you and love you so much. You were the best friend I have ever had. I know we were young, but I've never had a friend like you. I'll cherish memories of you forever. I love you."
"EricJames, I love you! Thank you for all of you and leaving your spirit with all of us!"
"You've touched so many lives and are still such an influence even after you're gone. Can't wait to see you again someday. With all my love."
"Hope is never silent. Help is always just a phone call, text or click online away. The world will never be the same without you."
"From the moment I met you, I knew you were special! You had a talent of making anyone smile, even when they needed it most. I wish I could have shown you how special you are to me. You changed my life forever."
"I'm so sorry the world won't get to see what you could have done."
"I can't believe it's already been a year. I still think of you. So many things remind me of you but thinking of you makes me smile."
"Eric, you meant the world to me. I will always love you EJ. Thank you for being in my life for a reason, a season and a lifetime."
"EJ, puppy’s miss you. Air Hugs"
"I'm glad to have my guardian angel by my side forever sharing in every loving memory. I have you in my heart 4ever."
"You were the only one I shared my writing to for years. I wish you were here to write with me. Miss you beautiful."
"Eric, I love and miss you. Baja Chalupa!"
"Sweet Eric, may you rest, laugh and continually dance and make music"
"I will never give up on my dreams because of you."
"There is always another day."
"You have the most amazing niece and nephew; they will grow up hearing wonderful stories about you."
"RIP Eric, I miss you so much and wish you could be here. I'll never forget you."
Although we are honoring EricJames and how he touched our lives, please know, we aren't glorifying his death. Suicide should never be an option for anyone. It's permanent, there's no second chance. It's not glamorous, it's not the answer and as you can see from above, you leave this earth empty of all that you were meant to do. You leave behind many who love you and were meant to continue being touched by your life. You REALLY DO matter and you REALLY DO make a difference in this world. PLEASE reach out for help if you need it. Dial 1-866-488-7386 for the Trevor Lifeline or 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Talk to me. I'm not afraid or ashamed to talk about suicide, you shouldn't be either. Talk to someone. Never give up...
They're Expecting!
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- Created on Tuesday, 15 January 2013 13:34
- Written by Brooke
Kacy and Cori are expecting!! If you follow the gals of the Real L Word, you joined the rest of the viewers in this heart wrenching story. If you're like me, you bawled on many occasions as they have gone through their journey of making babies and of loss. But recently announced, she's 4 months pregnant and taking many precautions this time around. I'm excited for them and for all the couples out there trying for the same thing over and over again. It can and will happen when the time is right. Never lose hope!
Showtime has yet to announce if they will be continuing the show for another season. Straight from the mouth of Kiyomi in Fresno on Saturday, "This one is for the Real L Word, rest in peace". You can read that two ways: They aren't renewing the show or the band didn't get asked back. Regardless, you can follow Kacy and Cori on thier BLOG.
LGBT Valentine's Dinner & Dance
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- Created on Wednesday, 09 January 2013 11:49
- Written by Brooke
So, next month is Valentine’s Day, the day that can prove to be stressful for everyone. If you’re not in a relationship, it can be a sad reminder that you’re alone. If you’re in a relationship, it is figuring out what the heck to buy your partner that will prove how much you love and cherish them. (I digress: So silly, right? Does a box of chocolates really say you mean the world to me and I love you? Maybe it’s my old age or being in a relationship going on 17 years, but screw the chocolate… Buy me a babysitter or let me sleep in. And don’t you dare waste our money on flowers that will just die! LOL, I will not succumb to corporate
This is the third annual event for the Visalia Pride Lions. Every year it gets bigger and better. It’s a night about coming together as a community, having a really fun time and doing some good. The money this event raises goes to fund LGBT events, outreach and scholarships. The Pride Lions do a lot for our community and this night helps them be able to do so. Your attendance is supporting that. So, in theory, you are making a difference to your community simply by eating, drinking and dancing…how fabulous is that?!?
Here are the details:
Saturday, February 16th
Visalia Holiday Inn
559-651-5000
4:00pm- Meet & Greet in the hotel bar
6:00pm- Cocktails in the ballroom
7:00pm- Dinner
8:30pm- Dancing, drinking….more drinking
There will be games, prizes, raffles, a photo booth and more!
For those who really want to party or those who don’t want to worry about a sober driver, the hotel is offering special room rates. Just make reservations and mention the code “VPL” and you can get a standard room with a king or two queens for only $79.00. This is also a great option for our out-of-towners. The Lions and friends will be meeting the following morning at the hotel restaurant at 9:30 for the breakfast special of only $10.00. What a great weekend of fun, right?! Don’t spend your time doing the same ol’ thing, going to the same ol’ clubs, with the same ol’ people… Do something different with a great group who holds this great event only once a year. What are you waiting for, get your tickets now!
Ticket Pricing:
Dinner & Dance: $42.00 per person (Dinner is a choice of: Chicken, Beef or Vegetarian and includes tea, coffee & dessert)
Dance Only: $16.00 per person
You can get your tickets from me, any other VPLC member or online at their website: http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/
See ya there!!
More Articles...
- EricJames Borges: Candlelight Vigil
- A Sad Goodbye...
- A Poetic Ending to the Year...
- The Defiance of Hobby Lobby
- PFLAG Holiday Event & Meeting!
- Watch a movie, help our cause.
- Local November PFLAG Meeting
- DOFE- October
- Fourth Annual Holiday Toy Drive
- Local Progress within our School District
- Local PFLAG October Meeting
- Family Fest Wrap Up
- We've got your Hunter Hookup!
- Skittles are at it again!
- Local PFLAG September Meeting