Mar 14, 2008  |  By: LOU CHIBBARO J  | COMMENTS     

The Whitman-Walker Clinic has selected the Capital Pride Alliance, a non-profit organization formed by longtime Gay Pride volunteers, to become the new producer and chief fiscal agent for Capital Pride.

Following a formal request for proposals, in which three other local organizations competed to take over Capital Pride, the Clinic announced Tuesday that it determined that Capital Pride Alliance was best suited for taking on the role of operating the annual, week-long Pride festivities, which are estimated to cost $120,000 per year to produce.

The Clinic said it will remain the lead producer of Capital Pride this year while helping the new group get ready to fully take over the Pride festivities in 2009.

“After extensive reviews and interviews with the four organizations who applied to take over Pride, the board of directors felt that the Capital Pride Alliance had the proposal that would ensure the most successful transition,” said ReGina Newkirk, Whitman-Walker’s director of development, communications and community relations.

“As current members of the Capital Pride Committee, they have extensive experience in organizing the event and presented a detailed, long-term plan to make sure the event is successful in the years to come,” Newkirk said.

The other applicants included the D.C. GLBT Community Center; Southwest Renaissance Development Corporation, a non-profit group owned by Washington’s Westminster Presbyterian Church; and Jansi Media, LLC, the company that owns Metro Weekly, a local gay publication.

Michael Lutz, president of the board of Capital Pride Alliance, said his organization was founded late last year by members of the current volunteer Capital Pride Planning Committee, the entity that has helped organize D.C.’s Pride festivities for more than a decade.

“Capital Pride Alliance is honored to have been selected by Whitman-Walker Clinic to assume ownership of the Capital Pride program and gladly accepts this extraordinary opportunity to serve as the next steward of 34-year-old Capital Pride,” Lutz said in a statement.

Bernie Delia, spokesperson for Capital Pride Alliance, said the group stressed in its written proposal and oral presentation to the Clinic’s board that it was the only one of the four groups seeking to take over Pride whose sole mission and purpose was to operate Capital Pride.

Drag queen trong>Christina Kelly (front) leads a varied float at last year's Capital Pride parade. (Blade file photo by Henry Linser)

The other groups competing for the Pride producer’s position each are involved in other programs and projects, Delia said. He noted that most of the non-profit organizations operating Gay Pride festivities in other U.S. cities are “sole function organizations” dedicated to producing their respective city’s Pride festivals and related events.

Newkirk said Whitman-Walker would remain involved in Capital Pride as a supporter and participant in the parade while continuing to operate a large booth at the festival in the coming years. She said the Clinic would play an active role this year in beginning the transition process for turning over the events to Capital Pride Alliance.

“Whitman-Walker will remain as the financial and legal steward of the Pride festival in 2008, with the Alliance taking this year to learn about the internal operations of organizing Pride,” she said.

“This year, many functions that were previously done by Whitman-Walker Clinic staff have been transitioned to the Pride Committee, she said. “However, there are still numerous functions that the Capital Pride Alliance will need to learn and understand in order to transition Pride to them. Our staff will work closely with them to ensure that occurs,” she said.

Delia said members of Capital Pride Alliance have been closely involved with nearly all of the inner workings of Capital Pride for many years in their role as members of the existing Capital Pride Committee.

“Most of us will be wearing two hats,” he said. “We will work to put on the best possible Pride celebration this year while getting ready to take on the responsibility of lead producer in 2008.”

Michael Sessa, president of D.C. gay organization the Center, wishes his own group had been chosen to take over the event, but said he will not cease working with Capital Pride.

“I was disappointed, from the Center’s perspective, but not surprised,” Sessa says. “Of course the Center will continue to support Capital Pride. I hope that it continues to morph into a community event and that they look to involve the community more.”

Former Pride director Robert York acknowledges that change is inevitable, but necessary to the organization’s continuing success.

“Pride is always evolving and changing,” he says. “I know that some people worry about change, but I certainly think that everyone will continue to rally and support Capital Pride.”