Pride Event Names This Year’s Honorees

Organizers of Orange County’s biggest gay and lesbian pride event have announced honorees for this year’s celebration, set for Aug. 15-16 at UC Irvine.

This is the 10th anniversary of the Gay & Lesbian Pride Celebration. The top honor, parade grand marshal, will go to Janet Avery.

Avery worked with rap groups for women at the Orange County Gay & Lesbian Community Service Center in the early 1980s and later became the organization’s director. In 1988, she helped found Orange County Cultural Pride, which sponsors the annual pride celebration.

Avery since moved to Dallas, and is planning to move to Washington, D.C.

Man of the Year is Jeff LeTourneau, a founder of Orange County’s first lesbian, gay and HIV activist organization. The group, Orange County Visibility League, helped bring the Names Project AIDS Quilt here and spearheaded educational efforts. LeTourneau also has served on the Board of Directors for AIDS Walk Orange County.

Sarah Kasman, Woman of the Year, serves as director of Laguna Shanti in Laguna Beach. The agency provides emotional support and practical assistance to people with HIV and AIDS, and their families.

Also being honored are Joseph Amster, editor and columnist for the Orange County Blade magazine. He is considered a watchdog for gay rights in the county.

The agency honoree this year is Delhi Center, a Santa Ana AIDS services provider that caters mainly to the Latino community.

The celebration, including a march, entertainment and speeches, will be at Aldrich Park, off Campus Drive at UC Irvine.

Information: (714) 637-PROUD.