Pride Marshals Phyllis Randolph Frye; Rev. Marilyn Meeker-Williams (honorary); Ray Ramirez; and Christian Rogers (honorary). Kindred spirits come together again. Datebook: Lone Star Volleyball Association members. Datebook: Spring Iniquity XV. Datebook: GLBT teens will receive an IPod for completing the MCC's drug education program. Datebook: Formerly known as the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas, Equality Texas will monitor the upcoming special session of the Leg. Datebook: July 15-22. Tickets on sale now. James Black plays the bisexual Laurence Olivier at the Alley.

THIS ISSUE > NEWS & COMMENT > NEWS BRIEFS

See also: Datebook
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HOUSTON MAKES A SPLASH

Houston Splash, the massive annual Black Pride celebration, returns May 2-8. Highlights include:

Sapience Magazine co-hosts the welcome reception on May 5 in the Urban Lounge at the Four Points Sheraton.

There is a Him.4.Him Kick-Off Party at The Meridian and a Her.4.Her Kick-Off Party at Club Toyz on May 5.

Fresh Start Church hosts the Revolution Worship Celebration on May 7 at the Four Points Sheraton.

May 7 is also the day of the famous all-day Beach Party on East Beach in Galveston.

Bartini hosts the Sunday Soiree on May 7, and Rich's hosts the Southern Beach After-Party Show.

Details: www.houstonsplash.com
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Swoops Goes Clubbing

During Houston Splash weekend, Comets star Sheryl Swoopes will open a new downtown club, Swoopes 22 Sports Bar and Nightclub. Partners in the venture include Deidre Sam, owner of House of Finesse private-events facility, and Traxx Nightclub Management LLC. The grand opening of the GLBT-friendly club, located at 2020 Leeland, is May 3 at 5 p.m., a post-game party following the Comets' first pre-season game against the Charlotte Sting. Opening-weekend events include a "surprise celebrity appearance " on Friday and the 2006 Black Pageant and Social Event, a Houston Splash celebration, on Sunday.

Swoopes, an Olympic gold medalist and WNBA MVP, came out in an ESPN The Magazine interview published last October. Read about life six months after her public announcement in the upcoming May OutSmart.
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PRIDE DUBS MARSHALS

On March 2, Pride Houston announced the grand marshals for the June 24 GLBT Pride Parade at reception at Guava Lamp: female grand marshal Phyllis Randolph Frye; honorary grand marshal Rev. Marilyn Meeker-Williams; male grand marshal Ray Ramirez; and Christian Rogers, president of Bunnies on the Bayou, honorary marshal (organization).
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Kindred Spirits Returns

For the fifth year, Marion Coleman and friends revisit the glory years of the legendary local women's club Kindred Spirits (1980-1989) with a reunion evening on April 29 at the Hornberger Center. As Jacquelyn Hedden wrote for us in 2002: "For almost a decade, Kindred Spirits was the premier place for women to meet and socialize in a safe, upscale environment. Besides its reputation as a 'community bar' where everyone knew your name, it gave back to both men and women by raising awareness and providing support where it was needed most. Kindred Spirits was more than just a bar--it was a community phenomenon worth remembering" ("Those Were the Days, My Friend," March 2002 OutSmart ). Joining Coleman (c), owner of the House of Coleman printing firm, in celebrating the club are event committee members Anna Fornaris (l) and Deb Gebhardt, photographed at the Kindred Spirits Celebration in 2005. Other committee members are Marlene Caldwell, Trudy Denny, Cindy Durham, Nancy Ford, Sally Huffer, Tricia Lynn, Iris Rodriguez, Renee Tappe,   Hillary Woest, and Judy Woods. Terry Flores of Bocado's serves as DJ for the evening,   presented by A Christmas Songfest. Tickets: $25 at the door, $20 in advance. Proceeds benefit AssistHers, Bering Support Network, Houston Buyers Club, and Lesbian Health Initiative.
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DATEBOOK

Just in time for spring, City Controller Annise Parker's Monday Matters program on the Municipal Channel, 2 and 8 a.m. and 2 and 8 p.m. Monday, focuses on a tour of new Buffalo Bayou developments in April. The Municipal Channel airs on Time Warner Cable (Channel 16) and other local services. Details: www.houstoncontroller.org.

On Apr. 6, Imam Wazir Ali, resident imam of Houston Masjid of Al-Islam, and Rev. Tom Doyle, visiting lecturer at Catholic University of America and the Chicago Theological Union, speak on "Reconciling the Dark Side of Religion" at Rothko Chapel , 7:30 p.m. Details: 713/524-9839, www.rothkochapel.org.

Professional business coach Mattison Grey of Greystone Guides ["Well Coached," June 2004 OutSmart] teaches Reality Marketing on Apr. 7, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $279. Register: 713/296-9245, www.greystoneguides.com.

Houston Challengers/Houston Toros wheelchair basketball team holds a practice session on Apr. 8, noon-4 p.m., and other Saturdays during the month, at Houston Multi-Service Center. Details: Jacob Klementich, 832/722-4115.

Dreamy Missy Gentile is one of the artists in Zolar: Interpretation of Dreams and Visions at Sippora Gallery, opening Apr. 8, 6-9 p.m. Details: 713/520-1085, www.sippora.com.

So Brokeback Mountain inspired you to make your own queer love story (maybe one with a happy ending)? Two classes in the Southwest Alternate Media Project workshop series can jump-start those dreams: On Apr. 8, Kit Candler and Stacy Schoolfield of Storie Productions offer Developing Scripts for Low-Budget Features, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at Houston Community College Town & Country. $50, $40 SWAMP members/students. On May 13, native Houstonian and independent producer Mark Stolaroff, instructor at the No Budget Film School in Los Angeles (and once managing director of Curtains Theater here), offers No-Budget Film School, a 10 a.m.-5 p.m. class at Rice University Media Center. $150, $125 SWAMP members/students. Reservations: www.swamp.org.

Hop on your two-wheeler and join Bike for a Better City , the GLBT cycling club, for its Apr. 9 ride, 8:30 a.m. Details: Aaron Love, bikeforabettercity@hotmail.com.

Ready for the Art Car Parade to roll? Orange Show Center for Visionary Art holds a volunteer recruiting party on Apr. 10, 6-8 p.m., at St. Arnold's Brewery for the May 13 parade. Details: 713/926-6368, www.orangeshow.org.

Candidates endorsed by the Houston GLBT Political Caucus for the Apr. 11 Democratic primary run-off election include Senate hopeful Barbara Ann Radnofsky. Full slate: www.hglbtpc.org.

Pride Houston holds a volunteer interest session on Apr. 11, 6:30 p.m., at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center. Details: 713/529-6979, www.pridehouston.org.

Lone Star Volleyball Association welcomes 48 teams from across North America for the Lone Star Classic Volleyball Classic VII Apr. 14-15 at Willowbrook Sports Complex. Event proceeds benefit Camp Hope. Details: www.lsva.org.

Party like it's 1991 at the 15 th anniversary Spring Iniquity XV weekend. Apr. 14-15, hosted by National Leather Association: Houston. The theme: A Day at the Baths. Registration is Apr. 13, 8 p.m., at The Ripcord. $30. Details: Daddy Rose, DaddyRose3925@aol.com.

Free your inner jock at Queer Bingo on Apr. 15, 6 p.m., at Club 1415. Athletics is the theme of this month's game night hosted by Houston GLBT Community Center. $15. Details: 713/524-3818, www.houstonglbtcommunitycenter.org.

Houston Transgender Unity Committee presents the first Peggy Rudd Transgender Scholarships ["Legacy of Learning," April 2004 OutSmart ] at the annual Unity Banquet on Apr. 15, 6:30 p.m., at the Westchase Hilton. $60. Details: www.houstontransgenderunity.org.

GLBT teens ages 14-19 who participate all 13 sessions of Interactive Program About Drugs at Montrose Counseling Center , which begins Apr. 21, will receive an iPod Nano. Hence, the snappy name: IPAD for an iPod. Sessions are 5:30 p.m. Friday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, through June 2. Bonus: Pizza is served. Register: Deb Murphy, 713/529-0037, ext. 353

The Texas legislature convenes on Apr. 17 for yet another special session to hash out a public-school funding plan. There are no plans for anti-GLBT legislation, but in the right-wing-dominated Capitol anything is possible. Equality Texas (the new name for the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas) monitors. Details: www.equalitytexas.org.

On Apr. 24, Holocaust Museum Houston hosts the citywide commemoration of Yom HaShoah, the international day of Holocaust remembrance, with a 7 p.m. service at Congregation Beth Yeshurun. Details: 713/942-8000, www.hmh.org.

We don't mean to imply that any of our readers are ogres, but we will point out that Texas Renaissance Festival holds auditions on Apr. 29 for the New Market ogre for the Sept. 30-Nov. 19 event. Don't have the right stuff to be an ogre? The festival holds auditions for character actors and specialty acts on May 20 and May 27. Appointments: Jeff Baldwin, 800/458-3435.

Think classical music is stodgy? On Apr. 30, Mukuru Arts for AIDS presents "Love Triangle: Music of Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms." We don't know if there are pictures for the 7 p.m. concert at Christ the King Lutheran Church, but we are intrigued. Tickets: $20. 623-6796 x 278, www.mukuru.org.