OUT LOUD: A Cultural Evolution
OUT LOUD: A Cultural Evolution is an annual arts event showcasing the cultural achievements of the wider Queer community in Long Beach and beyond.
Please join us on Saturday, July 7th, 2018, at the Art Theatre in Long Beach from 1:30-4:00 pm for our first annual showcase of local LGBTQ talent. OUT LOUD will feature performances of poetry, art, film, history & music.
The main presentation will be followed by a private reception next door at The Center Long Beach from 4:00-6:00 pm, where attendees can enjoy ***free wine and refreshments*** provided by Lola's Mexican Cuisine, meet and mingle with each other, and enjoy a free raffle for a chance to win some great prizes.
Check out our website at www.OutLoudLB.com, LIKE our Facebook Page, and RSVP to our Facebook event!
We want this to be an accessible and inclusive event open to everyone, which is why it’s important to make it FREE to attend. Since we are not charging a door fee, we need your help to make our first inaugural event a surefire success! Please consider donating to help us cover the costs of producing OUT LOUD. Any amount helps. Thank you!
VISION
Our vision is an annual arts event that complements the Long Beach Pride Festival (May 19-20), drawing hundreds of people and garnering political and media attention. We believe in the power of the arts to motivate and educate even as it entertains, and we wish to use the arts as a platform toward greater understanding and acceptance in our society.
IMPACT
In an age where people are still fighting against marriage equality, where you can still be fired in some states for being gay, where people are actively trying to deny same-sex couples from adopting children, where discrimination (both subtle and overt) exists against the Queer community in myriad ways, we are HERE to tell our stories OUT LOUD.
A story is a powerful thing. Art has the power to change lives, to illuminate and inform, to shed light upon darkness.
It is the mission of OUT LOUD: A Cultural Evolution to create space on stage for LGBTQ artists, writers, musicians, and performers to be seen and heard as their authentic selves, and celebrated for their cultural contributions.
We bring beauty into the world when we express our unique selves.
Our talents enrich the world; they do not destroy it.
Pride is FANTASTIC and we all love it every year, but there are a lot of friends and allies out there who want to support us but who don't necessarily care for the overt sexual displays. People want to understand us, they want to know who we are, they want to show up to the polls and vote for us.
We can help bridge the gaps by sharing our stories OUT LOUD. Let's give the world no reason to doubt that we are completely realized individuals, just like anyone else. We have inner lives. We love and we create. We feel pain and joy. We struggle and celebrate.
From the persecution of gay people during the Holocaust in WWII to the Stonewall raids in 1969 to the current political debates around equal rights, the history of LGBTQ persons/outsiders has been fraught with sorrows and triumphs alike. It is a history worth sharing, a legacy worth keeping alive.
We hope that OUT LOUD may connect older and younger LGBTQ generations, as well as cultivate friendships with the wider community.
There was a time when I (Dave) would be refused service in restaurants because I was there with my partner. I would have been fired at my job if I had let anyone know I was gay. There was a time when you lived in the closet, not because you were afraid to come out, but because it was the only safe place to be. We can walk down the street now holding hands because people died, lost their jobs, fought their entire lives to make our realities acceptable to general society. And there's still a ways to go.
We want to honor our legacy, share our stories, and spread love and acceptance through the arts.
Please help us make this event a success, this year and long into the future. Thank you so much for your support!
2018 PROGRAM
This year, we are featuring a line up of 8 local poets/singers who have powerful words to share, a brief presentation of LGBTQ history by a local professor, a few fantastic art displays, a possible musical guest, and a special awards ceremony to honor local businesses and organizations who support the Queer community. Hosted by yours truly, Dave Russo.
The main presentation will be held at the Art Theatre from 1:30-4:00 pm, followed by an afterparty at The Center to meet and mingle with FREE WINE & SNACKS donated by Lola's Mexican Cuisine!
We hope to build on what we accomplish this year and keep expanding the event to include a wide variety of performances and participants in years to come.
Please visit our website for a full list of performers and their bios (this is being regularly updated), and stay connected on our Facebook page for exciting updates as they're added!
HOW THESE FUNDS WILL BE USED
This is our inaugural event and we need your help to be successful! We will use these funds to produce a robust first event, leading to credibility and viability to continue this legacy well into the future.
The Art Theatre holds 380 people. We hope to fill it! In order to organize an event of this magnitude, there are some considerable funding needs. Some of these costs I (Dave) have already shouldered, and some generous donors have already contributed (thank you!). We hope to raise $4,000 to make sure that we have everything we need to pull this off. The more successful this event is, the more interest we can expect next year.
Here is an overall budget:
VENUE
Art Theatre
=$1,000 (ALREADY DONATED! THANK YOU DAN DODSON!!!)
DIGITAL PROPERTIES
Website Domain & Hosting - 3 yrs ($141 - paid)
Website Design & Maintenance ($500 - estimated)
Trademark Preparation & Filing ($365 - paid)
=$1,006
PROGRAM
Artist Programs ($400 - estimated)
Event Programs ($300 - estimated)
Awards ($100 - estimated)
Refreshments ($200 - estimated)
Performers ($400 - estimated)
Equipment/Supplies ($100 - estimated)
=$1,500
PUBLICITY
Posters/Flyers ($80 - estimated)
Videographer ($300 - estimated)
Photographer ($150 - estimated)
Promotions Manager ($700 - estimated)
=$1,230
OTHER COSTS
GoFundMe fees ($264 - estimated)
Total Funding Goal = $4,000
All of these funds will be used explicitly for organizing and promoting this event. Anything raised above this amount will absolutely go toward planning and organizing next year's event!
WHY DONATE?
If you believe in the power of art to drive change, if you believe that every human being has a right to be free from oppression and celebrated for their uniqueness, if you believe it's important to showcase Queer talent and honor our supporters, then please help us in any way you can to make this vision a reality.
Your support means the world! We can't do it without you! Any amount helps!
With a donation of $100 or more, we will acknowledge you in the program booklet and on stage, plus we will give you a signed poster from the performers!
Thank you so much! YOU are the change you wish to see in the world.
SPONSORS
Thank you to our initial sponsors, Lola's Mexican Cuisine and The LGBTQ Center Long Beach , for stepping up to support this vision. We couldn't be more grateful for the support of our community.
Thank you to Dan Dodson for making it possible for us to rent the Art Theatre.
Thank you to David McKeag for donating his time to create the logo and flyers.
Thank you to John Waiblinger for acting as art coordinator.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZER:
David Russo is a retired attorney, enjoying a second career in the creative world. He is from a very conservative community, where he enjoyed a degree of prominence. When he came out as gay, he went from admired to hated, an outsider in a matter of days. He and his husband resolved to raise his two daughters, hastily moving across the country to escape threats to their custody of the girls. Those were early years in the fight for equality; a male couple raising children was shocking.
He is a political activist, mentor and patron of the arts. He has published two books: Tokin’ Of My Esteem and The Poetic Heart. He was honored to present his poem, "Neighborhood," to the City of Long Beach in 2017. A member of SAG-AFTRA, he has appeared in commercials, television, theater, film and has written and produced for the stage. With his husband and two daughters, he has lived in Long Beach, California, for over twenty-one years. He is a grandfather of four. 
STEERING COMMITTEE:
This is a team effort, and huge thanks goes out to the steering committee:
Andrew Turner
Clifton Snider
Jax NTP
David McKeag
Lara Etzen
CAMPAIGN TEAM:
Ra Avis
Nancy Lynée Woo
Henry Henry
NOTE: I had the idea for OUT LOUD on May 1st and in just two weeks, dozens of people have come together to quickly and tirelessly support this vision. I believe in the power of this event to make waves for years to come. You have my heartfelt gratitude for your support. Thank you for helping to make this vision a reality.
"Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has!" -Margaret Mead