Cleveland Pride

PRESS RELEASE

Cleveland, OH  October 24, 2008—Cleveland Lesbian-Gay-Bi-Trans Pride, Inc. dba \ Cleveland Pride has announced its admittance as a Full Member with InterPride, The International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Coordinators.   “Cleveland Pride’s significant involvement and investment in InterPride demonstrates our commitment to being a part of a world wide solution meeting Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer and Questioning communities” stated Todd Saporito, Cleveland Pride Board President and CEO.  “Developing relationships beyond our own city, state and country boarders,” he continued, “will place Cleveland on the LGBTQQI world map.”

InterPride is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes and is a recognized 501(c)(3) charity in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service.  InterPride’s nature of business is to promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Pride on an international level by: (a) conducting programs of an educational purpose for the intent of helping Lesbians, Gay Men, Bisexuals, Transgender and Intersex persons become more comfortable with who they are; (b) educating the general public towards a better and more accurate understanding of homosexuality, bisexuality, transgender identity and intersex identity; (c) facilitating networking and the sharing of information related to promoting and producing Pride Events and related educational events; (d) empowering and supporting Pride Organizations in their efforts of producing Pride Events; and (e) holding the Annual World Conference to assist with the above purposes.

“I’m excited to announce that Todd Saporito, Board President and CEO of Cleveland Pride Inc., was nominated, elected and accepted the position of InterPride’s Region 4 Director, with a term to expire in 2010,” shared Rachel Randall, Cleveland Pride Board Vice-President.  She continued by stating that, “Cleveland continues to demonstrate a high degree of energy to participate in larger organizations that have the potential to bring significant benefits back to the local Greater Cleveland area”.

InterPride Regional Directors duties and responsibilities include:

Advancing the mission and goals of the Organization;
Outreach to Pride organizations in their Region and representing those organizations’ views to the Board;
Disseminating information to and from the Board, Executive Committee and member organizations in their Region;
Promoting the existence of the Organization;
Maintaining good relations with current members;
Seeking out and recruiting new member organizations;
Assisting the Treasurer in the collection of membership dues from member organizations in their Region;
Providing the Vice President of Member Services and Secretary with contact and other information on all Pride organizations within their Region for entry into the member database;
Providing semi-annual reports to the Vice President of Operations to which they liaise on their activities and activities within their Region;
Facilitating an annual conference within their Region;
Attending or otherwise participating in meetings of the Board;
Actively participating in at least one (1) committee of the Organization; and
Exercising and performing such other duties and responsibilities as may, from time to time, be assigned by the Board, these Bylaws and the other governing documents of the Organization.

The Board of Directors of InterPride, is comprised of an Executive Committee and Regional Directors. There are 13 established regions.

Region 1: Mexico, United States (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah)
Region 2: United States (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming)
Region 3: United States (Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)
Region 4: United States (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin)
Region 5: United States (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Virginia and West Virginia)
Region 6: United States [Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and the District of Columbia
Region 7: Canada and St. Pierre et Miquelon
Region 8: Belarus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia and the Ukraine
Region 9: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican
Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti,
Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Navassa Island,
Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts-
Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and
Tobago, Turks and Calicos Islands, Virgin Islands (U.K.) and the
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Region 10: Guernsey, Jersey, Ireland, Isle of Man, United Kingdom of Great
Britain and, Northern Ireland (including England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales)
Region 11: Åland, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Jan
Mayen, Norway, Svalbard and Sweden
Region 12: Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, The Netherlands and Switzerland
(German speaking Cantons)*
Region 13: Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Monaco, Switzerland (French-
speaking Cantons)*

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