Equality Begins At Home, a campaign to strengthen and unite the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities and promote equality will be observed during the last two weeks of March this year. Initiated as a national program in 1999, the Stonewall Committee and Central New York Diversity have continued to organize events in our area.

The goal of EBAH is to draw attention to efforts to pass civil rights laws, supportive family laws, and to fight anti-gay initiatives at the state level. Equality Begins At Home 2001 events include:

Tuesday, 3/20 -- Staged Reading of Elaine Lytel's "Woman Rebel," a play about reproductive rights pioneer Margaret Sanger. 7:00 p.m. Sponsored by Greater Syracuse National Organization for Women at May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society, 3800 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. Free (donations accepted).

Thursday, 3/22 -- Stonewall Committee presents "The Broken Hearts Club" at the Westcott Cinema, 524 Westcott Street. Admission $8 at the door, $6 in advance. A fundraiser for the proposed New York State Fair Booth sponsored by the Empire State Pride Agenda, Stonewall and CNY Diversity. 7:00 p.m. (315) 476-6226.

Saturday, 3/24 -- Central New York Diversity Annual Dinner at May Memorial. 6:00 p.m. Social Hour, 7:00 p.m. Special Guests: Candidates for Mayor of Syracuse. Catered by Sparky 's at Your Service. $25 per person. A fundraiser for the proposed New York State Fair Booth sponsored by the Empire State Pride Agenda, Stonewall and CNY Diversity. (315) 475-2133.

Sunday, 3/25 -- Empire State Pride Agenda 8th Annual Brunch at the Statler in Ithaca. On the Cornell campus. 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (valet parking included). The keynote speaker will be Beth Robinson, lead counsel in the Vermont marriage case. For information, call Roey Thorpe at (607) 272-4328 or e-mail: rthorpe@prideagenda.org.

Sunday, 3/25 -- 3rd Annual Interfaith Celebration at May Memorial, featuring Ithaca's Out Loud Chorus and Syracuse's Gay Lesbian Chorus. 7:00 p.m. Co-Sponsored by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered Committee for Justice of the InterReligious Council of Central New York.  Preview of Love Makes a Family Photo Exhibit follows with music by Patty Jackson and Mindy Gerken in the Social Hall. .

Monday, 3/26 thru Saturday, 3/31 -- Love Makes a Family Photography Exhibit on display at Onondaga County Public Library in the Galleries Downtown, 447 South Salina Street. Sponsored by the Stonewall Committee. (315) 476-6226 for more information.

Thursday, 3/29 -- Stonewall Committee presents "Aimee and Jaguar," at the Westcott Cinema, 524 Westcott Street. Admission $8 at the door, $6 in advance. 7:00 p.m. A fundraiser for the proposed New York State Fair Booth sponsored by the Empire State Pride Agenda, Stonewall and CNY Diversity. (315) 476-6226.

Saturday, 3/31 -- SAGE Upstate Sock Hop for the LGBT Community at May Memorial, 8:00 p.m. to midnight. Live music by Jerry Cali. $10 donation (more if you can, less if you can’t) at the door. 50’s or “greaser” costumes optional - award for best “greaser” costumes. Dance contest for “best bopper” couple. on the Web at www.geocities.com/sageupstate/.

Events are subject to change and others may be added. Watch Central New York Diversity's Web Site at www.cnydiversity.org or call Earl or Joel at (315) 475-2133 for more information or to discuss listing your organization's event as an EBAH2001 activity.

Click here for a full report on Equality Begins At Home activities in Syracuse, March 20 to March 27, 1999.

Click here for a full report on Equality Begins At Home activities in Syracuse, March 25 to April 2, 2000.