Memphis, TN-AR-MS (1888PressRelease)
May 01, 2008 - After celebrating its 9th anniversary this past February, QBliss has officially announced this years QBliss GLBTIA Creating Change Community Award winners, the awards this year will be given out to the winners during Mid-South Pride’s “Many Cultures, One Community” Pride Festival 2008, On June 14, 2008 in Memphis, Tennessee.
QBliss Executive Director, Russell Olivera says’” We are so happy to actually do this years awards all in one place, and to be able to share our honors, not only to our readers but to the southeast area of the US. This brings everything up another level and this year we are honoring some extraordinary people, and we added quite a few more awards this year”
Olivera is extremely happy about one of those new awards, this one is extremely personal. As he explains” This year I am so happy that we can honor a personal hero of mine, we named an award after my dear friend who past away last fall Gary Wilkerson, of Mid-South Pride. I met and worked with Gary last year when we gave him and his organization our “Voice Of Pride” award (2007). He was such a wonderful guy, he and I saw the same rare vision of where we wanted to lead our GLBTI community. We hit off and he renewed my internal feels for this community in a way that was very empowering, in many ways it was like we were connected, we were like minded leaders, even a bit like long lost brothers.”
The award Olivera is referring to is the first ever The QBliss GLBTIA Creating Change Community Award " - "Gary Wilkerson Visionary Leadership Award".
The awards will be one of the highlights of this year Mid-South Pride’s Pride 2008 celebration, the biggest ever for the organization. QBliss is Mid-South Prides major sponsor and is sponsoring the entire 13 days of events and fun! Olivera explains why QBliss decided to support them:” When we honored them last year, we knew we had to do more to support this great group of people who are truly changing the stereotypes of Pride events and deserve to be applauded. This year we stepped up to help showcase and bring some big name people to their event, to show that some us in mainstream GLBTI Media support what they are doing.” says Olivera.
For the first time in QBliss history all award winners, except one, are scheduled to be present at the awards event on June 14, 2008, The one who can not make it to the awards event will receive his award, just days before in another one of Mid-South Pride’s event in Memphis, Tennessee. Comedian, actor, and author Leslie Jordan will receive the first ever The QBliss GLBTIA Creating Change Community Award "Visibility Award”, at his theater show “My Trip Down the Pink Carpet”, at the Michael D. Rose Theater In Memphis, Tennessee, On June 4, 2008, which will be the official kick off event for Mid-South Pride’s - Pride 2008 events.
QBliss will have a strong presence at all the events but it’s the Pride festival that surely will be a not to miss event. Not only will all the awards be presented on The QBliss / Mid-South Pride Stage But some of the biggest names, who are also award winners will be performing and making appearances on that stage including the incredible openly gay and proud singer Ari Gold, dance diva Rachel Panay, and Filmmakers Robert L. Camina, Yen Tan and many other VIP’s.
Attached to this Press Release is the full list of this year’s winners:
QBliss Mission Statement:
“Celebrating Our Community And Lives Thru Diversity, Information, Awareness, Support & Helping To Create Change.”
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List Of The QBliss GLBTIA Creating Change Community Awards 2008 Winners:
1. "The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Award - Voice of PRIDE Award” 2008
Awarded to: - The “Soulforce” organization.
2."The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Award – “Visibility Award” 2008
Awarded to: Actor / Comedian - Leslie Jordan.
3. "The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Award – “PRIDE In Music Award” 2008
Awarded to: Recording Artist - Ari Gold.
4. "The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Award –“Outstanding Song Of The Year” 2008
Awarded to: “Transport Me”. by Recording Artist - Ari Gold.
5. "The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Award: “Community Supporter Award” 2008
Awarded to: Recording Artist and ally - Rachel Panay.
6.”The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Award – “PRIDE In Cinema Award” 2008
Awarded to: Filmmaker / Director Robert L. Camina.
7. The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Award – “Outstanding Documentary Award” 2008
Awarded to: “Pageant” Directed By: Ron Davis & Stewart Halpern.
8.”The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Award – “Outstanding Feature Film Award” 2008
Awarded to: “Ciao’ Directed By Yen Tan.
9.”The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Award – “PRIDE In Literature Award” 2008 “
Awarded to: Author / Professor Nancy Polikoff.
10.”The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Award – “Outstanding Book Of The Year ” 2008
Awarded to: “Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage” By Nancy Polikoff.
11. "The QBliss GLBTIA Creating Change Community Award " - "Gary Wilkerson Visionary Leadership Award" 2008 – Awarded to: Thomas N. Simmons - Shelby County Committee Co-Chair & Of The Tennessee Equality Project.
12."The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Award – “Voice Of Community Award” 2008
Awarded to: Sean Alexander & Kent Hamson Of Mid-South Pride.
13. The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Award – “Empowerment Award” 2008
Awarded to: Rich Overton & RJO Artist Relations & Management.
14. "The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Award – “Voice Of QBliss" 2008 -”
Awarded to: Christopher Neumann Of QBliss
For more information on The QBliss GLBTI Creating Change Community Awards
visit: www.qbliss.net/awards.
For more information on Mid-South Pride visit: www.midsouthpride.org.
About QBliss:
Founded in February 1999, QBliss is a not for profit GLBTI Media outlet and organization created to celebrate the diversity of our lives by providing information and to increase awareness, support and effect change in our local, national and international Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Intersexed (GLBTI) community and it’s Allies and friends.
Working in conjunction with some of the largest local, national, and international groups and organizations, QBliss offers many media outlets that focus on GLBTI issues throughout the world. This is achieved by utilizing the Internet and its resources by offering www.QBliss.net,, our online edition, as well as our email lists, print edition, podcast edition, multimedia edition, mobile phone edition, & community awards.
Unlike many other GLBTI web sites and media outlets that offer nothing more than adult material and a somewhat stereotypical twist on our community, QBliss is becoming a more visual entity on the Internet and in our community by breaking down the stereotypes and creating real change. Please join us in an effort to put a real face on the GLBTI community and celebrating our diversity. Visit our website at: www.qbliss.net.
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