2008, May * DJ Dallas Dances at the German Club (Cambridge) Began

In May 2008, DJ Dallas formerly of Baker's Street and The Warehouse started hosting a number of dances a year for the LGBT community at The German Club on Main St. in Cambridge.
[source: Rick Lethbridge.]

2008, May 2 (Friday) * La Cage 2008

On Friday May 2nd, 2008 in the Crystal Ball Room of the Walper Terrace Hotel, the tri-Pride Community Association inc. presented "La Cage Featuring the finest talent in female impersonation." The doors opened at 6:00 pm, there was a silent auction and the show began at 6:45 pm.
[source: a document issued (evidently in 2008) by the Tri-Pride Community Association and entitled "Welcome to La Cage."]

2008, May 25 (Sunday) - June 1 (Sunday) * Pride Week 2008: Growing Stronger Together

The Pride Guide gives the dates for Pride Week (entitled Growing Stronger Together) as May 25 - June 1, 2008, and lists the following events: a film screening, bingo games, the Miss tri-Pride Pageant, an event called Genderf**t, a bonfire, a bar party, the Island Festival and an AIDS walk.
[source: Pride Guide '08]

2008, May 26 (Monday) * The Record: Out in the open

Out in the open This article consists of two pieces; above these two pieces is a colour photo of three of the Directors of the tri-Pride Community Association: Michael Lisetto-Smith, Shelley Secrett and Thom Ryan. One piece (with no writer's name given) is entitled tri-Pride events running all week long and lists tri-Pride events from May 27 (Tuesday) to June 1 (Sunday); this piece is confined to p.D1. The second piece is entitled Tri-Pride festival returns with family-friendly event at Victoria Park on Sunday and is attributed to Barbara Aggerholm (Record staff); this piece runs from pp.D1-D2. The second piece begins by noting that “The symbolic rainbow or Pride flag will fly in Cambridge and will be displayed in Kitchener and Waterloo. ” [NOTE: This is an indirect reference to the fact that, although the City of Cambridge was willing to fly the flag on a public flag-poles, the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo were not. This problem was not resolved until the “flag flap” in the spring of 2014.] The article refers to the fact that the festival had been cancelled the previous year (2007) because sufficient volunteers were not found. Shelley Secrett (association co-chair) indicated that the festival is about families and the diversity of families. Thom Ryan (Marketing Director) pointed out that the group was not involved in advocacy, but education and “to celebrate this community and create connections and forge networks.” He went on to refer to numerous local services and programs currently available to the rainbow community. Michael Lisetto-Smith (association co-chair) indicated that most of those were not available 15 years ago; he refers specifically to the fact that he and his partner were married in December of 2003, thanks to the ruling by the Ontario Appeal Court decision. Secrett said that Sunday's celebration “gives people an opportunity to see that acceptance can be more powerful than prejudice.” She goes on to thank the business community for donating so many item to the silent auction.
[source: Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 2008, May 26 (Monday), pp.D1-D2.]

2008, May 27 (Tuesday) * Pride Week 2008: Gloriously Free - A Film

A film entitled "Gloriously Free" was screened on Tuesday, May 27 from 7:00-9:00 pm in the Heritage Room of Kitchener City Hall.
[source: Pride Guide '08, p.7.]

2008, May 28 (Wednesday) * Pride Week 2008: 5th Annual Lesbo Bingo

The 5th Annual Lesbo Bingo event was held on Wednesday, May 28 from 7:00-9:00 pm at YukYuks in Kitchener.
[source: Pride Guide '08, p.7.]

2008, May 29 (Thursday) * Pride Week 2008: Miss tri-Pride Pageant

The Miss tri-Pride Pageant was held on Thursday, May 29 from 10:00 pm - 2:00 am in Club Renaissance in Kitchener.
[source: Pride Guide '08, p.7.]

2008, May 30 (Friday) * Pride Week 2008: Genderf**t

An event entitled Genderf**t was held on Friday, May 30 beginning at 9:00 pm in the King Street Theatre Centre in Kitchener.
[source: Pride Guide '08, p.7.]

2008, May 30 (Friday) * Pride Week 2008: GLOW Columbia Lake Bonfire

The GLOW Columbia Lake Bonfire was held on the shore of Columbia Lake in Waterloo from sundown to about 9:00 pm.
[source: Pride Guide '08, p.7.]

2008, May 31 (Saturday) * Pride Week 2008: Club Ren Unity Party

There was a Club Ren Unity Party with DJ Alexx Brown on Saturday, May 31 from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am at Club Renaissance in Kitchener.
[source: Pride Guide '08, p.7.]

2008, June 1 (Sunday) * Pride Week 2008: Annual tri-Pride Outdoor Festival

The Annual tri-Pride Outdoor Festival was held on Sunday, June 1 from 12:30 - 7:00 pm on Roos Island in Victoria Park. The Pride Guide describes this as a "family-friendly event, with a BBQ, Licensed Area, Kids Area, Vendors Market, Silent Auction and featuring the stylistic indie talents of Kelly and the Kelly Girls, Charlena Russell, Kate & Moxy, S&M, the Ote'a Tane Hawaiian Dancers, Miss Drew and more!"
[source: Pride Guide '08, p.7.]

2008, June 1 (Sunday) * Pride Week 2008: Shed a Light on AIDS Walk

The Shed a Light on AIDS Walk began at 7:00 pm starting in Victoria Park and finishing at the ACCKWA offices.
[source: Pride Guide '08, p.]

2008, June 2 (Monday) * The Record: 'A hate-free zone'

'A hate-free zone' This article by Brent Davis (Record staff) contains reflections on the Pride celebration that saw the culmination on Sunday (June 1) of the week's events in the form of the Annual tri-Pride Festival. Shelley Secrett (co-chair of the tri-Pride Community Association) was very pleased with the entire event, which had to be cancelled the previous year, because there were not enough volunteers). This year, attendance was estimated at between 3,000 and 4,000 people. Bradley Hammacher (aka local drag performer Miss Drew) described the celebration as a “hate-free zone.” Michael Lisetto-Smith (co-chair of the association) said that over the past 15 years the community was moving beyond being merely tolerated to being accepted. Shelley Secrett remarked, however, that there was still much work to be done.
[source: Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 2008, June 2 (Monday), pp.A1-A2.]