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March 9, 2004
Dear Dyke Night Supporters,
Dyke Night entered its 6th year in December,
and the vision that gave genesis to Dyke Night was to
fill a void in lesbian nightlife while helping to raise
money for grassroots and nonprofit causes. Dyke Night
has certainly lived up to this mission and grown beyond
what I had ever expected thanks to you! We’ve had a
phenomenal time of it. However, I'm writing
because to tell you IDyke Night Productions will end its weekly "Dyke Night @
the Midway" Thursday night event on Thursday April
29th.
For our last weeks, we’d love to see you each and hope
you will come by to say your goodbyes. I will be
putting together special events to CELEBRATE and
showcase our work over the years. We will host a blow
out farewell party on the 29th and would like to invite
back all our past (and new!) performers to participate
in farewell performance shows during this time, please
email if you’d like to perform at
dykenight@hotmail.com .
It
has been an amazing 6 years! In reflection, I would like
to share with you some of the highlights of Dyke Night @
the Midway Café and what you each have made possible by
your support over the years:
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Dyke Night at the Midway Café made history by being
Boston's longest running lesbian night and our
longevity in the same space with the same management
became an example of what is possible with
collaboration and community.
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The success of Dyke Night opened up opportunities for
other promoters to begin similar nights (i.e. one of
our past regulars started a Dyke Night in Philly!) and
provided a regular audience for promotion.
-
Dyke Night further put lesbian nightlife on the map.
Even as a small venue, the work of Dyke Night has been
esteemed by Boston Magazines Best of Boston "Best
Lesbian Club" honor three consecutive years, along
with two years as “Best Dyke Night” by Boston Phoenix
and the first time a women’s night has won the
audience choice award for “Best Gay Bar” by Boston's
Citysearch.
-
The Dyke Night stage has given countless performers
their start and an audience to share their talents,
opened up the drag king movement for amateurs, and
brought high quality events and special entertainment
to our lives.
-
Most importantly to me, Dyke Night, with your support,
has helped countless efforts in Boston by not only
hosting fundraisers but also by making a weekly
commitment to donate at least 25% of our profit to
grassroots and nonprofit causes, and for the first
year and a half, 100% of the door was given directly
to these efforts. This was the first time Boston
lesbian entertainment and philanthropy had been
partnered in such a consistent way.
-
Dyke Night has been a proud funder of Boston Queer
Agenda (Hannah's List), The Network/La Red, AIDS Care
Project, Spontaneous Celebrations, Theater Offensive,
Pathways to Wellness, Sheila Trapnell Memorial Fund,
Ms. Boston Leather Association, Raelyn Gallina,
Lesbian AIDS Project of MA, Boston Living Center,
Cambridge Cares About AIDS and many others.
Ending our weekly event has been a profoundly difficult
decision to make, both personally and professionally. I
will greatly miss seeing you at the Midway each Thursday
and have so enjoyed all the fun we’ve had over the
years. The void our weekly Thursday Dyke Night stepped
in to fill in 1998 is no longer needed with the many
options available to queer people in Boston currently.
It is my time now to move forward with other endeavors
where there still exists a void, bring renewed energy to
my position as Executive Director of Pathways To
Wellness, and place a focus on nurturing the quality of
my own health and wellness. Although we won’t be
hosting a weekly event, Dyke Night Productions will
continue to produce special events, fundraisers, pride
parties and wedding planning.
I would like to thank each of you for your support over
the many years. I would especially like to thank David
& Jay Balerna, the Midway owners, who took a big risk
back in 1998 when a 20-something bleached blond crew cut
dyke (yes, me...see its been a long, long time!)
approached them to forge a partnership that has become,
as Boston magazine put it, a phenomenal 'dysfunctional
family!' My profound heartfelt thanks to Jasmine, who
has been by my side Thursday nights year after year to
greet you with her kind smile, and put up with my Virgo
perfectionism! To all our DJs over the years who
thought our mission was important enough to join our
team: Kevin, Matty, Eileen, Denise, Mel, Kristin,
Susan. To Debbie who kept me sane during the first
several years of Dyke Night both in and out of the club
and kept things going when my day job got in the way!
To all the performers who shared with us their many
talents, and always jumped in to offer themselves for
the many unpaid benefits I've produced (too many to
list—but know individually you are each so beloved!) To
the press for showcasing the work of Dyke Night,
particularly Innewsweekly and Bay Windows, and
especially RJ Grubb. To other promoters/producers who I
have had the joy to work with, especially Gunner, Amatul,
Melinda, Hannah, Shannon, Beth and Eve. To our
bartenders: Colleen, Gin, Ange, Elizabeth and Diane. To my
friends and confidants who have continuously supported
my efforts even though we joke that we are way too old
to be out on a Thursday night! Finally, my family, who
has always challenged me with what's next and infused in
me a deep sense of gratitude and a passion for helping
others.
Stay tuned to the website for information of what we
will be putting together for our last weeks! We hope to
see you each over this time period as we say farewell to
the space that has brought together many couples, seen
its share of drama!, had 2 on stage wedding proposals,
and has been a refuge for many who have made Dyke Night
the 'Cheers for Dykes!'
I am very proud of the work and mission of Dyke Night
over the years, and our ability to use it as a venue
that has donated over $20,000 to LGBT causes! Thank
YOU for making Dyke Night more than just a nightspot-
and truly a community that has been active in supporting
one another!
Hugs, Kisses and Tons of Love,
Kristen Porter |