The Pooch Parade in Lee Park.
Despite rumors and after some behind-the-scenes negotiating, Easter in the Park will take place as usual on Easter Sunday, April 24.
The Turtle Creek Association, which has staged the event for years, decided to move some of the activities to the Sunday before Easter, April 17, for a family-friendly event. While some members of the LGBT community took that to mean gay-unfriendly, Keith Nix of TCA assured everyone that “family” means all families.
The April 17 event will include a DJ and an Easter egg roll for children.
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will begin its season of free concerts in city parks with its Easter Sunday concert in Lee Park. According to Lee Park and Arlington Hall Conservancy President and CEO John Williams, that event has not changed. Vendors will be at the park selling food and drinks, and he encouraged everyone to come with their blankets for the annual picnic.
What is still not resolved is the Pooch Parade. The Turtle Creek Association was planning to move the Pooch Parade to the week before Easter, April 17. After an outcry from the LGBT community, the Cedar Springs Merchants Association met with the Conservancy last Friday.
On Monday, all of the groups involved met with Chris Heinbaugh in Dallas Mayor Dwaine Caraway’s office, about funding. The expense involved includes a required number of Dallas police to close Turtle Creek Boulevard and provide security. Cleanup also must be provided professionally, not with volunteers, by city ordinance.
More on Easter in the Park and the fate of the Pooch Parade in Friday’s Dallas Voice.
It is great that TCA is willing to get back onboard, even if it had to be pressured back inti it. I do NOT believe, however, that the TCA was planning 2 events or that the “event has not changed.” The event advertised on a poster in my Turtle Creek condo building mentioned nothing of an Easter day event, only of the almost obsessively “family-friendly” Creek Craze, which the flier said Easter in the Park had “evolved into.”. Also, if two events were being supported and planned, why now a scramble to fund the police and clean-up for Easter day? Don’t try to b.s. us, please. We are not stupid.
I am also a little disappointed that the Voice was so late to the table. It’s interesting that Unfair Park had to be the first to cover this issue.
I am, however, happy and pleased that there is NOW a spirit of cooperation, however forced.
What I don’t understand is the need for two events. Easter in the Park has always been family friendly. All the orginal advertising makes no mention of two events only the one titled creek craze. I take offense that the TCA didn’t feel as if they could incorporate more family friendly events into Easter in the Park which has taken place for the past 25 years. It really smells like separate but equal to me.
I heard a rumor the Pooch Parade is back on for Easter Sunday and the REAL Easter In The Park on a smaller scale. Not sure how true that may be. It’s a shame we’re not considered family friendly as most of us were born in to families as opposed to being hatched in a swamp. Many of us hold titles and have professional jobs that some of our heterosexual counterparts can only aspire to. There are quite a few modern families where we see same sex couples with children, adopted or their own. Studies have shown that children in same sex couple households have fewer instances of abuse/violence, are well behaved, and their needs are being met more so than in many opposite-sex couple households.
I hope it all works out for the best so that ALL families are included, because gay families are friendly as well. I’m anxious to see what next month will bring!
Just a rumor, Carl. As of today, details are still being worked out.
As for the TCA and Conservacy moving “some” of the events from Easter Sunday, well their websites don’t even mention it. All they are advertising is the new Creek Craze on April 17th. It’s also sad if the already strained city budget is going to have to help pick up the cost of clean up and police patrol of two events because some feel that the traditional Easter in the Park is not family friendly.
Please call Turtle Creek Association Cathy Golden 214-526-2800 and voice your opposition to the hijacking of the easter in the park event done apparently to exclude gays this year which was only thwarted by heavy arm twisting. Read the press, Join the face book fan page and most importantly SHOW UP. ms golden can have her own “family-friendly” Creek Craze on April 17th is she wants. I echo Lil’ Carl’s comments as I too was born into a family and have a family of choice and consider myself friendly. Doesn’t that make me “family friendly”? Perhaps not in Ms Golden’s “hetero republican marriage and two kids” world but, the world has changed allot. I remember when Lee Park was a cruise spot with a popular tee room – it was all some had. I personally think it’s fantastic that youth today have no clue what a cruise park or a tee room was. There are real role models to aspire to today and real healthy community events – INCLUDING Easter in the Park! This is really quite typical of how things tend to operate. We move in to an area, organization, or event and make it fabulous and then get ran off. I will attend, support and oppose any change that ms. golden wishes to bring that would take us all back to the “golden days” when gays were marginalized on a grand scale, forced into the bushes, trails, tee houses and darkened cruise spots and closets. Change is coming folks – change is here – we’re here – we’re queer – GET OVER IT! Oh and one more thing – THANK GOD for drag queens and trannies if it were not for them we as the gay community would not exist – look back on stonewall and remember – we must never forget to honor the bravest amongst ourselves. I stand in AWE of people who are just who they are and live life day after day against threats of violence, hatred, homophobia, misogyny (which is where I personally believe that homophobia has it’s real origin), and just live OUT LOUD!
Again, Easter in the Park is going on as always on Easter Sunday. The event the week before will be mostly for kids and everyone is welcome.
David what you fail to mention is that the only reason Easter in the Park is happening as usual is becuase such a stir has been made. Orginally the TCA had no plans to have two events. I have one of there orginally posters. Secondly no one has answered the question of why isn’t the traditional Easter in the Park event considered family or kid friendly. And lastly the event is not yet going on as always because as of now all the plans have not been worked out yet. The advertising on the Conservacy’s and the TCA website only advertises the event on the 17th and states that the event is for kids and adults as they will be serving beer and wine so if I may be bold sir your reporting is a little lacking.
I must agree with Bunny. There was no Easter in the Park until 1 person created an event on facebook and over 500 angry and confused LGBT peeps signed on to attend. It seems to me that the TCA thought they could change the date and get rid of the gays and we would just roll over. I am actually really disappointed that there will be two events. I think our community is family friendly and it would have been no prob to add some face painting and an Easter bunny. This is an unnecessary split. But who is gonna cave?
It’s sad that The Voice is really late to the party on this. UnFair Park was on fire last week. If Keith Nix from the TCA is the sole source of information then heaven help us.
You know I just read another article of a young person committing suicide becuase of bullying. What a disgrace. It seems now more than ever we need to have unified events with the community. Seperate is never equal. Sure the TCA says all are welcome at the more family friendly event but what message does it send out. Just another example of how people don’t want their children around a diverse crowd or have real life discussion with the youth. Heaven forbid that children be brought around a bunch of gays at a pooch parade on Easter Sunday, why that’s just not Christain! I still say shame on you TCA.