News

GFP’s Gathering Spot for the Boston Pride Parade

Happy Pride!

Don’t you fret none; we’ve got the details for Pride! We hope you have those sparkly boots ready, ’cause we be dancing, er “marching.”

Details:

Saturday, June 10, 2017
Meet at 12:20 PM
755 Boylston Street (near Max Brenner and Crate and Barrel)

If you haven’t learned DHSS (the parade adaption) or basic two-step yet, that’s just fine! We’ll teach you as we’re lining up. This is a great time and the emphasis is on fun, not on perfection. Dancing to the beat of your own drummer strongly encouraged!

Get your GFP Boston Gay Pride on!

Dancers,

PRIDE season is upon us.

Grab your rainbow cowboy hats, your sparkliest boots, and maybe a feather boa. Dirty Water Saloon and Gays for Patsy will be marching (dancing, really) in the Boston Pride Parade, and you KNOW you want to join us. This is shaping up to be the biggest Pride in Boston Pride history, so don’t miss out.

Gays for Patsy started in 1988 as a whimsically named contingent in Boston’s Gay Pride parade. Since then we’ve been queering country dance through social dances, hoedowns, workshops, performances, and more. Be a part of this important tradition.

Mark your calendars!
This year’s parade is Saturday, June 10 and begins in Copley Square. We are gathering at 12:20 at 755 Boylston Street.

Social dance venues with Pride dances or events…

Gays for Patsy (GFP) Queer Country Social Dance PRIDE Dance

Sunday, June 4 • Suggested sliding scale donation: $12 ($8 members)
First Church of Jamaica Plain, 6 Eliot St, Jamaica Plain, MA

Come to our hour-long workshop on beginning Salsa with Beth. Then dance the afternoon away with our DJ Ruth who will play a selection of music across genres that you can Two-Step, West Coast Swing, Salsa, line dance galore, East Coast Swing, Waltz, and more. Friendly, gender-role-free crowd. We will also teach a variation of DHSS that we’ll be doing at the Pride Parade.

3:00 pm: Beginner Salsa lesson with Beth
4:00 pm: Open Dancing with DJ Ruth

Dirty Water Saloon PRIDE Dance

Tuesday, June 6 • Sliding Scale Fee $1-$10
Bella Luna/Milky Way, 284 Amory Street, Jamaica Plain

You know you love this dance! Come practice for Pride this Tuesday. We’ll be reviewing the basics of two-step and teaching DHSS, a beginner+ line dance that is easily adapted for the parade route.

7:00 pm: Beginner Two-step lesson with Jim
7:45 pm: DHSS with Kendra
8:15-10:00 pm: Open Dancing with DJ Bob

JP Contra PRIDE Dance with Dean Allemang

Saturday June 10 at 7:30 pm
First Church of Jamaica Plain, 6 Eliot St, Jamaica Plain, MA

Boston Gender Free Contra Dance for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Folks and Friends!

Swingtime

Swingtime has swing, Latin, and ballroom dancing for the LGBTQ community and our allies. Includes an East Coast swing dance lesson beforehand with the fabulous Liz Nania. Their PRIDE dance was June 3, but stay tuned for info on upcoming dances.

See you on the dance floor!
Kendra, your GFP PRIDE Coordinator

May and June Happenings and Annual Meeting Notice

In this Post:

A quick list of stuff happening in May/June. Tell us what you think (surveys!). Queer Country Social: May 20, and Dirty Water Saloon update.

Spring Stomp: a Hoedown in P-town was amazing!
Thank you all for making it such a great success (success = happy, smiling, sweaty, exhausted people). In the “Tell us what you think” section below, I have a survey to this year’s Stomp attendees and one for previous Stomp attendees too.

End of Year Annual Board Meeting, Saturday, June 17 (before the dance)
5:30-6:30 pm, 1st UU Church of JP.
GFP Members (those that bought a membership for the 2016/17 season) come talk about the year, elect a new board member, and strategize about the new year.

While we think of the end of the 2016-17 year as the June 17th Queer Country Social dance, our Dirty Water Saloon dances continues through July and August on Tuesday nights in air-conditioned loveliness.

Busy May/June!

We’ve got a bunch of stuff going on, here’s a “quick” list:

  • Tuesdays – Dirty Water Saloon. (see full info below)
    7-10 pm, Bella Luna Restaurant and Milky Way Lounge.
  • Saturday, May 20 – Queer Country Social. (see full info below)
    6:30-11 pm. 1st UU Church of JP.
  • Memorial Day Weekend – IAGLCWDC annual convention.
    A bunch of us are going to Miami to partake of the annual convention in conjunction with Out Games. It should be a blast and we’ll post pics when we can. We’ll also be on the lookout for fun line dances and new dance moves to bring back to you.
  • Sunday, June 4 – Boston AIDS Walk.
    Julie Kaufmann is walking again this year (as she has done since almost the beginning of this fundraiser) and she will be collecting at the May 20th dance. Trivia! Did you know it was at this walk in 1988 that Gays for Patsy was coined and formed? Go figure.
  • Sunday, June 4 – Queer Country “Sweet Tea” Social and Workshop: Pride Edition.
    3-7 pm. 1st UU Church of JP.
    Come at 3 for a hour-long workshop on Salsa with Elvi and Beth! Then dance from 4-7 to music by Ruth Ewing. Invite your friends! We’ll have informal two step lessons in the hall for anyone who is new.
  • Saturday, June 10 – Boston Pride Parade.
    Gather 11 pm, March 12 noon,
    We are marching this year! Kendra and I will have more information after this Sunday.
  • Saturday, June 17 – Annual Meeting before the dance.
    5:30-6:30 pm • 1st UU church of JP
    Members come elect a new board member (Bucky is stepping down), and talk about the year ahead. Let me know if you’d like to be our new board member.
  • Saturday, June 17 – Final Queer Country Social of the 2016-17 year.
    Join us for the last dance before we take a break for the summer. Art Sullivan will be teaching, Bob will be DJing. More details to come.
  • 2017-18 Queer Country Social and Stomp Calendar set.
    I’m hoping to get the dates into the calendar on the site this week. We’ll turn 30 in June 2018, so we’ll be having a special dance to celebrate. More details soon.

Tell us what you think!

Our last season of Queer Country Socials didn’t do well for the first time in my presidency. I’d like your opinions. Ever want to tell me off? Now’s your chance. You can be anonymous.

  • General GFP Survey. (about 3 mins.) survey on instructors, format, partner and line dances, and music. If you’ve not attended dances, I want to hear why.
  • Spring Stomp: A Hoedown in P-town surveys. One for those who attended last month’s Stomp and a survey for people who didn’t come this year but have attended one in the past. Your chance to tell me what you think. Don’t miss out!
    • Survey for 2017 Attendees (about 10 mins) A bit more in-depth than the general GFP survey, but I want to get your feedback, thoughts, and gather some quotes that I can use for next year. Fill out what you can. I definitely want to know about the instructors and your thoughts on line dances.
    • Survey for Past Attendees (about 5 mins) Attended previous Stomps, let me know why you didn’t go this year.

May 20 Queer Country Social: Stomp Review and Renegades Performance

7-11 pm • • $12 suggested sliding-scale donation ($8 for GFP members)
First UU Church of JP • 6 Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain (Boston), MA
gaysforpatsy.org/queer-country-social
6:30-8 pm Lessons with Bob • 8-11 pm Social Dancing with DJ Art Sullivan
Lessons: 6:30 pm – Beginner Two Step with Bob Sweeney
7:00-8:00 pm – Stomp Review with Bob Sweeney. We’ll look over our videos from Stomp and try to recreate moves and line dances taught during Stomp. Think of it as a peer review.
Social Dancing: 8-11 pm with DJ Art Sullivan
Come dance the night away with DJ Art Sullivan while he plays a selection of music that you can two step, west coast swing, east coast swing, line dance galore, waltz and more.
Bring Extra $$ or a check to give to Julie for the Boston

Dirty Water Saloon: Two Step and Line Dance Review

Tuesdays, 7-10 pm • $10 suggested sliding-scale donation.
Bella Luna Restaurant and Milky Way Lounge, 284 Amory St, Jamaica Plain, MA
gaysforpatsy.org/dirty-water-saloon
We are working on Two Step this month and reviews of line dances.
Tonight:
7:00-7:45 pm: Alan Gaskell is teaching a two step move (he may be a few minutes late)
7:45: pm-8:15 pm: Kendra is teaching a line dance of some sort that will be fun
8:15-10:00 pm Bob is DJing the social dance portion

That’s it for now,
Bob “da prez” Sweeney
Gays for Patsy.