Sunday, March 07, 2010

Thousands pack annual gay party on the sand in Miami Beach


Posted on Sunday, 03.07.10

By PARADISE AFSHAR
pafshar@MiamiHerald.com


Lizzz Kritzer and her girlfriend, Danielle Lise Desrochers, are not typical snowbirds.

Sure, they migrate from the South Hamptons to Miami Beach once a year to warm up. But for the past two years they have came with a mission: to party in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community at the annual Winter Party Beach Party in Miami Beach.

``The gays are our people,'' said Kritzer, 52, who is staying with Desrochers at their South Beach nest -- and whose name really does have three Z's. ``We love them!''

The party, on the beach at 12th Street and Ocean Drive, is a part of the Winter Party Festival, a week-long series of events benefiting the LGBT community.

Since 1994 the annual festival and its sister event, the Miami Recognition Dinner, have raised $2.3 million for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said the festival's development coordinator, David Cook.

Cook said the task force would distribute the net proceeds of the beach party's $80 to $95 admission fee to HIV-prevention organizations, suicide hot lines and other charitable causes. Thousands of people passed through the gates Sunday.

``It's a party with a purpose,'' Cook said of the Mardi Gras-themed party on the sand.

Like any good beach party this one was hard to miss.

Not only were the neon colors of the party tents and banners easily visible along South Beach, but the thump-thump-thump of the house music could be felt two blocks away.

``It doesn't get much better than this,'' said Matthew Carrigan, 35, who drove from Atlanta for the party. ``I've come every year since '98. It's a good cause and it's a good break from the cold.''

Matthew Sicher compared going to the beach party to being in a fish bowl, though he welcomed the attention of onlookers peeking inside through the party's fence at the crowded sea of shirtless men.

``We have a stronger sense of community. These events help to show the outside world that there are gays here,'' said Sicher, 40, of Kendall, who has come to the beach party for the past six years. ``At the very least we can help to create awareness.''

This year he came with his partner, Angel Cuarts, who is originally from Colombia.

``You would never see this happen over there,'' said Cuarts, 28, of Fort Lauderdale.

The Miami-Dade Department of Health was on hand, giving away condoms and information about HIV/AIDS. The South Beach AIDS Project and other activist groups had a presence, too.

``I think AIDS made the community stronger,'' Kritzer said. ``Before AIDS, no one in the gay community would so anything like this. It gave gay people a reason to mobilize.''..


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2 comments:

Bob the Berean said...

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Rom 1:22-32)

Arsenio A. Lembert Jr. said...

Bob the Berean,

Amen, brother!

How can anyone with a Bible support such abominable acts?

No wonder Jesus reiterated Truth to those that have "ears to hears".


And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Jude 1:6-8.

The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
Deuteronomy 22:5

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9,0.

Arsenio,

Maranatha.