jotos lean esto me lo encontre en internet

Gay pride parade out of downtown, Seattle Center this year
By AMY ROLPH
P-I REPORTER

Seattle's annual celebration of gay pride won't be at Seattle Center in
June because of a large unpaid bill from last year's parade and festival.

Event organizer Seattle Out and Proud announced over the weekend that it
would not be "financially prudent" to proceed with a large-scale event in
downtown Seattle with a $100,000 debt to Seattle Center for last year's
three-day festival.

It is not clear where this year's festival -- scheduled for only one
day -- will be. But some are speculating that it will return to its roots
on Capitol Hill.

"One thing is certain," organizers at Seattle Out and Proud said in a
statement, "there will be a great and financially responsible Seattle
Pride this year."

Taking the Sunday parade off its usual Broadway route was a controversial
move last year, one that caused the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender
Community Center on Capitol Hill to hold a separate festival and parade
the night before in the traditional location.

Now, with only two months remaining before the June 24 event, some
proponents of the festival remaining on Capitol Hill are almost giddy with
anticipation, wondering whether the event will return home.

"They were doing things that were not the will of the people," said Susan
Benner, who helped coordinate last year's Saturday-night parade. "I am
very pleased to hear that it is not going to be downtown. Whatever happens
up here on the hill will be much more to the people's liking."

The community center received a permit from the city last week to hold a
parade June 23, and some are wondering if the center will just end up
moving its event to the next day.

George Bakan, editor of the Seattle Gay News, said that would be possible,
and maybe even preferable considering that it seems unlikely Seattle Out
and Proud will be able to put together an event because of its finances.

"The problems this group has are internal problems, and they need to sit
down and solve them before they take on any events," he said.

Members of Seattle Out and Proud declined to comment beyond the statement
the group issued.

Seattle Center officials could not be reached Sunday, but last month they
were prepared to allow Seattle Out and Proud to have the event downtown
again this year. But the group would have to pay $50,000 of its debt
immediately, then pay back $25,000 each year for two years.

The organizers also were required to hire a professional event planner and
a sponsorship firm, which Seattle Out and Proud did, in addition to voting
in new leadership. But together with its planning and sponsorship team,
the organization determined it would be irresponsible to proceed with
another downtown event.

"While most people believe that the 2006 march and festival in downtown
Seattle showcased the LGBT community extremely well, a fiscally
responsible 2007 march and festival, no matter where their physical
location, is the most important goal," organizers said in the statement.

P-I reporter Amy Rolph can be reached at 206-448-8223 or
amyrolph@seattlepi.com.