2nd Level Productions is headed by L- R: Madia Branch, Jalissa Vasquez , Tammi White and Travis Love. The group is making a name for itself sponsoring socially oriented activities to celebrate Atlantic City’s diversity.
Location: Atlantic City’s Steel Pier
Dateline: September 10, 2012
National Coming Out Day is being celebrated for the first time ever in Atlantic City on the world famous Steel Pier, Saturday, October 6, from 4–8pm. Admission is free and attendance is encouraged and appreciated by all in the GLBT community and their supporters.
2nd Level Productions is bringing this day to life. This organization’s statement includes: “2nd Level Productions is a movement. We are building and empowering the GLBT community. We are peer designed, creating social opportunities, diffusing safer sex messages, and facilitating personal and community development.”
National Coming Out Day is a day of strength and support. Throughout the nation, it is a festive celebration of love, self-acceptance and promotion of who we are.
The Atlantic City Coming Out party will include speakers, and information from supportive agencies and groups. And a good time is guaranteed all!
We are family. In many instances we are the only family we have left. We take this opportunity to remind you, we come from your families too. Rejected or accepted, we are from all walks of life, all economic levels, all races, religions and nations of the world. We’ve been here since time began, are here to stay, and, will be here when time morphs into that perfect eternity. In fact, our stay here makes yours far more comfortable. You enjoy our contributions daily.
The importance of our family being visible and supporting those ready to move into the spot light becomes increasingly important in this time of daily hate attacks. The closet door must remain wide open. Members of our community are often the victims of brutal attacks and the more we expose our beauty as fellow travelers on this planet, the more hatred we overcome.
Some like chocolate; some like vanilla; some like both. Point is: We like who we are and own the right to enjoy the flavor(s) we desire.
Outsiders, politicians, religious zealots, and our neighbors have turned being gay into something evil. Pity: We consider it something glorious, a special spark. It doesn’t come from Satan. It is a gift from God.
The way I figure it, you have two choices: Love us as we are, or leave us alone. But please, stop hating us, stop abusing our youth, and let’s get along. Those of you who hate have brought us suicide rates among our youth that are four times greater than their peers who identify as straight. That kind of makes you killers.
A brief history of National Coming Out Day
In the beginning, there was a march.
On Oct. 11, 1987, half a million people participated in the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
It was the second such demonstration in our nation’s capital and resulted in the founding of a number of LGBT organizations, including the National Latino/a Gay & Lesbian Organization (LLEGÓ) and AT&T’s LGBT employee group, LEAGUE.
The momentum continued four months after this extraordinary march as more than 100 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists from around the country gathered in Manassas, Va., about 25 miles outside Washington, D.C. Recognizing that the LGBT community often reacted defensively to anti-gay actions, they came up with the idea of a national day to celebrate coming out and chose the anniversary of that second march on Washington to mark it.
The originators of the idea were Rob Eichberg, a founder of the personal growth workshop, The Experience, and Jean O'Leary, then head of National Gay Rights Advocates. From this idea the National Coming Out Day was born.
To this day National Coming Out Day continues to promote a safe world for LGBT individuals to live truthfully and openly.
For more information go to the Human Rights Campaign site, which supplied the above history:
As New Jersey Gov. Christie might say ‘Why fly to the desert when you can Do AC this fall?’
And, thank God we joined you as one, and not apart. Think of how dull this world would be without our creative energy. It would be the light bulb hanging on a wire from the ceiling, without the decorative fixture — or the lamp without the lamp shade.
“I’m very much looking forward to visiting Atlantic City,” says de Medici, who will also be in attendance during Saturday night’s post party at the Pro Bar at Resorts.
It took me years to realize that my father was judging himself as harshly as he was me. His thought process was different. He was judging himself, his wife, their union and their way of raising children, fully questioning in his mind, “What did we do wrong?”
ATLANTIC CITY — Caesars Entertainment has again assembled a weekend full of fun events focused on Atlantic City’s gay community. It starts Friday night, Sept. 23, with a four-course dinner party at House of Blues’ Foundation Room featuring the Hearty Boys — a gay couple who host a cooking show on the Food Network — and several other segments served up in a festive atmosphere and hosted by famed Las Vegas drag queen Frank Marino. This is the third annual OUT In AC event put on by Caesars Entertainment (an organization that regularly receives high commendation from the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index), and one of many GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) events to materialize on the Atlantic...
ATLANTIC CITY — Caesars Entertainment announced the official line-up for its third annual Out in AC weekend, taking place Friday through Sunday, Sept. 23-25, at Harrah’s and Showboat. Tickets for each of the weekend’s offerings are now on sale and include events hosted by special guests Frank Marino and The Hearty Boys. “Out in AC weekend is the quintessential event here in Atlantic City that embodies Caesars Entertainment’s commitment to fun, diversity, and pride,” says Jennifer Weissman, regional vice president of marketing for Caesars Entertainment. “Each year this weekend grows, with this being one of the most desirable times of the year to come and experience all that Atlantic City has to offer.” The Foundation Room kicks off the festivities by hosting “Restaurant Invasion” on Friday, Sept. 23, from 8-10pm. The evening’s hosts are Food Network Party Line stars Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh — The Hearty Boys (pictured right) — who are best known for catering the perfect get-togethers. On Saturday, Sept. 24, The Pool at Harrah’s Resort will serve as the prime location for the Day Party event, from noon-5pm. Famed Joan Rivers impersonator Frank Marino will host this open to the public event which features themed cocktails, nimble dancers...
Funny thing is, it’s the casinos and land speculators who first closed and knocked down gay businesses that thrived for 100 years in Atlantic City. Now, money’s tight, and they’re sorry they did.
Years ago, the gaming halls had targeted alternative lifestyle guests as an untapped market. While they’d never say it publicly, behind the scenes some executives were reluctant to do anything on a broader scale for fear of repercussions from guests and gamblers who don’t embrace the lifestyle or find it offensive.
In town for this weekend's 'Out In A.C.' events, Kristine W. last performed in Atlantic City as Miss Washington in the 1981 Miss America Pageant (winning the pageant’s preliminary swimsuit and non-finalist talent portions).
Sometimes, recessions can present unexpected opportunities. For members of the Atlantic City region's gay and lesbian community, what might be called a civil rights struggle, an attempt to form a real community or even just an effort to create some kind of gay social life in the area, also has one other good thing going for it.
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1. Anonymous said... on Sep 12, 2012 at 12:01AM
“yes ac doing big things come out and show them love go tammy ..”
2. 2nd Level Productions said... on Sep 25, 2012 at 01:18PM
“Thank you for a great article. We believe this is going to truly be a fantastic event not just for us, but for Atlantic City as a whole, please all come out and show some LOVE!!!”