Philadelphia’s LGBT population will be getting a bit bigger in the next week.
In the coming days, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection will play host to the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association’s annual convention and the world series of the Amateur Sports Alliance of North America.
The NLGJA convention, whose myriad workshops and events will be headquartered at the Loews, is expected to draw about 300 journalists, bloggers and other media professionals from Aug. 25-28, while the ASANA world series will bring in about 1,500 players and their families, friends and fans for the Aug. 21-28 events.
While both gatherings will cater to a distinctly different audience, guests will have the chance to mix and mingle with one another and LGBTs and allies from across the region at a number of public events next week.
Starting at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 26, NLGJA will host a night out on the town for its members, who, with their NLGJA convention badges, will receive free admission and drink specials at three LGBT hot spots: ladies bar Sisters, 1320 Chancellor St., new dance club ICandy, 254 S. 12th St., and Tavern on Camac, 235 S. Camac St., the city’s historic LGBT venue that features both a dance club and piano bar.
Before the journalists head back to their hometowns Sunday, they and members of the Independence Business Alliance will come together for a networking brunch at 11 a.m. at Mixto, 1141 Pine St. The cost for the buffet-style Caribbean buffet is $25 for IBA members and $35 for non-members, and tickets can be purchased at www.independencebusinessalliance.com.
ASANA will begin its own series with a kickoff party from 4-9 p.m. Aug. 21 with Ladies 2000 at ICandy. At most ASANA bar events, those who bring their purchased ASANA series mug can take advantage of drink specials.
On Aug. 22, ASANA players will be out in the city for a happy hour from 4-8 p.m. at Knock, 225 S. 12th St., and then from 8 p.m.-midnight will head to a party at Perch Pub, 1345 Locust St.
On Aug. 23, after the registration party from 5-9 p.m. at the pool deck at the host hotel, DoubleTree, ASANA members will head out to Sisters for the official opening party.
After the games start Aug. 24, ASANA players will be out and about in the growing LGBT neighborhood of East Passyunk for a “Night Out on the Avenue” block party, with participation from Adobe Café, 1919 E. Passyunk Ave., and Stogie Joe’s Tavern, 1802 E. Passyunk Ave., and afterward, Adobe will feature a party from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. that includes karaoke.
For those looking to stay in the Gayborhood area Wednesday night, Tavern on Camac will also host an ASANA party from 9 p.m.-2 a.m.
On Thursday, to coincide with HIV/AIDS fundraiser Bar AIDS, ASANA members will join in a bar crawl starting at ICandy at 4 p.m., and heading to Tavern on Camac around 7 p.m., Venture Inn, 255 S. Camac St., around 9 p.m. and ending up at Sisters around 11 p.m.
If you don’t have tickets to see the Phillies in their Gay Community Day game Friday evening, you can take in the fanfare with ASANA players from 4-8 p.m. at a tailgate in parking lot F, with a $25 charge for food and drinks. Or you can stay in Center City and catch the game onscreen at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.
ASANA will hold its championship games Saturday morning, after which players and their supporters will return to the Gayborhood for an OutFest-styled Carniball — complete with the Dunk-A-Dyke tank, a mechanical bull, vendors and food and drinks from 2-8 p.m., stretching down 13th, Locust and Camac streets.
For more information about the NLGJA convention, visit www.nlgja.convention.org/convention/index.html. For more information about the ASANA world series, visit www.bringthelove2011.com.
