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Rev. Kay Thomas & Sonny Cleveland:
Co-Chairs of Planet Pride ~
19th Annual Pride Fest
by Patrick Shannon, III

The Rev. Kay Thomas is pastor of Grace Fellowship In Christ Church. This church, which actively accepts Lesbian and Gay Christians for membership, is located in a wonderful old two story mansion at 3151 Dauphine Street in the Bywater Community of New Orleans. I met with Pastor Thomas on a rainy Sunday morning at the Church right after the 11am service. Sitting across a large desk in her office I was struck by the sincere warmth and genuine honesty of her presence. This was our first meeting. I asked if she would give me a brief self description.

She laughed and said, "O.K., originally from the Northeast Texas area about 30 minutes from Texarkana, between Texarkana and Dallas. I graduated from college with a degree in nursing. I have an RN. In 1991 I moved to New Orleans and began attending church here at Grace Fellowship. Went into the Eldership Program here and took courses for leadership, and to get ready-I knew I had been called by God to be a Minister. In 1993 I became the Associate Pastor here to Pastor Terry Enloe. This Church has been here for 19 years. In January of 1994 I became fulltime pastor here; Pastor Terry was HIV positive and he had full blown AIDS at that time and he died in June of 1994. So I've been pastor here since January of 1994. My congregation is about 35 to 45. Yes, I do traditional counseling. We're a spirit filled Bible based Church who knows that God loves Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transgenders and non-Gay people; God loves everybody. He knew us before we were born in our mother's womb and he made us the way we are."

"As a registered nurse you must have been very involved with the community for some time."

"Yes, I've been out since about 1986. I have a significant other, Marsha, and we've been together for 13 years."

"Do you have any other brothers and sisters and are any of them Gay or Lesbian?"

"No. They all support me though. I have three sisters and one brother. Everybody knows. They're very supportive."

"Is this the only Grace Fellowship Church in New Orleans?"

"This is the only one in New Orleans, but there is another one on the Northshore, called Abundant Grace Christian Fellowship. From this church we also opened one in Dallas, Texas and there's one in Austin now. Yes, we tend to cater towards the spiritual needs of the Gay and Lesbian community."

"I'm familiar with Rev. Dexter's Metropolitan Community Church, but I didn't know that we had another spiritually Christ centered church that catered to our community. When was it founded?"

"It was Labor Day weekend in 1979 as a church. There was Bible study before that but it was incorporated as a church in 1979. This is the 19th year, as I've said. Next year is the big 20."

"Tell me about your involvement as co-chair for this year's Planet Pride Gay Pride Fest. Were you elected or chosen to be co-chair?"

"They asked me and I agreed. I was on the board of directors last year just as a board member and then in November of last year we had a nominating committee and they elected Sonny Cleveland and myself as co-chairs."

"What specific duties have you concentrated on?"

"There's a lot of running around and organizing. We've been trying to get corporate sponsors for the festival. Meeting with these people from the corporations like Hospitality Enterprises and people like Rip and Marsha with Ambush and also with The House of Blues, then we had to get our permits and meet with the police. You know someone told me that the very first Gay Pride Celebration was held in Armstrong Park. We've used Washington Square Park for the last several years but they're planting more trees there and that's a good thing, but it takes more room away and more people want to participate each year, so we'll be at Armstrong Park for this festival. I think we're going to have about 50 booths this year. Each booth is divided in two so that's going to be about 100 booths-crafts, T-shirts, stained glass, and lots of food booths. We'll have a Country & Western area this year with dance lessons and music and a Gospel Tent. Mike Thomas is in charge of the Boot Scootin' Boogie that they have at Rubyfruit Jungle and he thought about bringing all this C&W fun to the festival. No, it wasn't one of my Texas ideas. (She laughs). He does all this on Tuesday nights. We're going to have a Drag Stage and Miss Tiffany Raye is in charge of that. Yes, most of my congregation is Lesbian or Gay but we have some non-Gay people who attend. We don't discriminate. Anyone can come to church here. We're having raffles this year and we've had many fundraisers to help pay for the stages and for places some of the entertainers to stay," she enthused.

"Where do you get all your energy?"

"Oh," she said with a big bright smile, "I get it all from the Lord. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," she quoted from St. Paul.

"How would you describe yourself in 25 words or less. What you look like and what you are?"

"Well," she said with that wonderful smile lighting up her office and her dark blue eyes shining, "I guess I look like a round, jolly dyke. That's what I've been told. There you go." She laughed again.

"What advice would you give the community as a whole?"

"O.K.," she sat back in her chair. "I would like to tell everybody worldwide that we really need to love each other. It doesn't matter if you're Gay or non-Gay, whether you're a country western person or a drag person or somebody who is on the Gospel Stage or whatever. We have to LOVE each other. In the Bible, God is Love and everyone who loves is born of God and I want us all to know if we want to do what God wants us to do we just need to love each other. That would be a tremendous step in the right direction because right now there's too much hatred and prejudice going on. Not only towards our community but towards anybody who is different. Anybody that is different from the person doing hating is who they hate. We really need to bond together as human beings and love each other."

"Co-chair, Sonny Cleveland, newspaper man, motion picture star? How would you describe yourself?"

"Raised 90 miles from here in Morgan City, La. 31yrs. old, short and a ton of energy. A tad bit of a work-a-holic. Actually I'm a simple sort of guy but I think too deeply as only my closest friends know. I love to party and have fun with my many friends & 'family.' I've brought myself from a rather rough childhood and home life that you would only read about in a book through the age of 25 of suffering in the closet, then I got shot out of the closet by the corporate world. Between my break up with my fiance, being disowned by my own family, getting ex-communicated from one of the Christian mega-churches and getting caught going into a Gay bar, my life changed! The on-the-job harassment, the prejudice, it was all there and I got every bit they could muster.

"I found my real 'family' here in New Orleans in our community and have tried to be there when I was needed by becoming deeply involved in a great number of the many Gay and Lesbian causes. At the time I came OUT I thought I understood life and myself as a person. It didn't take long to learn I didn't know jack about either. It's been a crash course in the lessons of life! Between the public and personal life I have been stretched far beyond anything I have ever experienced and, trust me when I say, I have experienced some of the worst of the worst growing up. I guess that's why I try so hard to help my new 'family' in as many ways as I can. I have been blessed with more friends than I have ever fathomed being here and they all play a part in my change and growth process.

"Lots of mistakes! I've made tons but I keep going til hopefully I get it right! I believe in taking chances and that's why I have gotten this far. 'If you don't try, you've failed!' I don't quite know why I am on this earth but I try to make the best of it! I figure if I was put on this earth with no choices in the beginning I was damn well going to make it good while I am here.

"As you know, I'm on the staff with this newspaper, Ambush, and I've been honored with the Co-chairmanship of this year's & the 1999 Gay Pride Festival. I have gained a strong heart for Pride in general. Being heavily involved for the past few years in the IAL/GPC (International Association of Lesbian & Gay Pride Coordinators) has taught me much more than just how to organize and put on a pride festival but what an important part of the GLBT community the event actually is.

"It's a chance for everyone to 'COME OUT' and be amongst their own people, even if for a couple of days, and a chance to show the World that we are not a minority but many. I have studied our vast community intensely since I have been OUT and have learned a lot. The many friends and acquaintances have taught me the diverseness and common ground that all of us share with each other whether male, female, Transgender, drag queen, leather lover, deaf, handicapped, Black, White, Asian, American, European, white collar, blue collar, hustler, hooker, etc. Diverseness-we got it all! Homosexuality has no prejudice! It knows all and affects all one way or the other.

"I never realized the amount of hatred, other than the normal growing up kind of stuff, that the 'straight' world had to offer and give willingly in great portion. As a result my heart towards my 'family' has become protective over them. I hate stereotypes, separation from the rest of the world and rejection-all things that mankind thinks he has the right to serve to others. I thought we were all created EQUAL. Homosexuality to me is a blessing from God. After all, He made us! The idea that the rest of the world thinks that we chose to be homosexual is utterly absurd. I would never choose to be hated by the world around me. Why would anyone else?"

"Tell us your thoughts about being co-chair with Pastor Kay." "First of all, I'm honored to serve with Pastor Kay Thomas as well as the other great board members. Kay has been my buddy, big sister and even more so a friend and supporter. Where I am weak in areas, she helps pick up the slack! She is a great business woman."

"What would you like to say to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender community from your position as Co-chair of this great openly GLBT festival?"

"As our 2 first billboards on the I-10 highway state, 'Come out, come out, wherever you are! Join your family and friends in Armstrong Park' for our biggest festival yet. This year has been phenomenal in the area of support of the festival as far as morale and fundraising. The bar community has stood up to help in vast amounts like never before. From some of the smallest to the largest they have helped pay for the festival. The corporate world has jumped on like gang busters this year.

"Come OUT to the festival and enjoy the fun! There will be plenty to do between the Main Stage with a slew of live bands, Gospel Stage for inspiration and a commitment ceremony, Speakers Hill for information on the community, Drag Stage & Country/Western Tent for entertainment, Marketplace for shopping, Food Court for good eats & munchies and for the kids, the Zoo Mobile will be paying us a visit for the weekend. Let's not forget the Pride Pet Show on Sunday at noon! Oh, we even have an ATM machine!"

"Who are the sponsors this year?"

"The big dogs, as I affectionately call them, our major corporate sponsors, made it on the beautiful posters just in time. Ambush Mag, AMBUSHOnLINE, Miller, Pepsi, Hospitality Enterprises: Destination Management Inc.; New Orleans Paddlewheels (Grand Marshal Reception Sept. 23rd); New Orleans Tours & Travel; Airport Shuttle; Visitor Marketing (posters). VitaRx (Main Stage), Wood Enterprises (Louis Armstrong Park), Wet International, House of Blues (VIP Tent), Instinct Magazine.

"Other sponsors include: First NBC (ATM Machine), Grace Fellowship (Gospel Tent), Southern Estate Services, Rubyfruit Jungle & Quarter Scene Restaurant paid for the Country/Western Dance Tent. Friends For Friends, Double Play, Footloose, Golden Lantern, Mother Bob's, TT's, LeRoundup, Wolfendale's, Ambush Mag and AMBUSHonLINE helped pay for the Drag Stage.

"The Times Picayune Money section is even doing a write up on the amount of corporate sponsorship that we have gotten-about time for some good publicity for the Gay community! I have to admit this year has been a stinker but everything seems to be pulling together well. So as you can see we are trying to make the festival bigger and better. Between Decadence and Pride we will be getting lots of good publicity for our community and it is long since overdue. It's time for New Orleans to Come Out of her closet so we can be put on the map."

"Any closing remarks for the community?"

"Just that I wish to continue to be a part of this large and wonderful family and to continue to serve my brothers and sisters with love, compassion, honesty and integrity to the best of my ability! As the song says, 'We Are Family.'"

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