BWMT 25th Anniversary Bash
When: Sept. 29 – Oct. 1
Where: Westin Hotel, Southfield
Email: [email protected]
Online: http://www.geocities.com/BWMTDetroit2K
Tom Laskarides' fondest memory of Black and White Men Together Detroit are pool parties with his "club brothers" at a founding member's home in Indian Village.
"Every summer he would throw a pool party for the group and it became a tradition," said Laskarides, the co-chair of BWMT.
The tradition died, but the group hasn't.
BWMT Detroit, a group for gay men of various ethnicities, was doubted upon its creation in 1981 and now has more than 60 members. "The founding members had to fight antics that an interracial group of men didn't have anything in common but sex, and the group wasn't going to last," said Jamar McKinney, co-chair of BWMT.
But here they are 25 years later.
To celebrate BWMT's milestone they've recruited Charles Pugh, the openly gay newscaster for FOX2 Detroit, as the guest speaker at their celebration on Sept. 30. His speaking engagement is part of a weekend of events from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at the Westin Hotel in Southfield.
"He's an icon in the Detroit community," McKinney said. He has such a beautiful personality in and out of the spotlight, he continued.
While both McKinney and Laskarides have been co-chairs, they've initiated an Outreach Committee that assisted the LGBT community. Their first project was helping teens at the Ruth Ellis Center. The group raised more than $1,500 at an event held at two members' home last year and has also made other contributions to the center. Last month the co-chairs won the National BWMT Special Achievement Award at a convention in California.
"That was all the confidence we needed," McKinney said.
McKinney and fellow co-chair Laskarides (both had been members of the group before their promotion) took over the group in February 2005 and focused on giving BWMT a new image by changing their logo, launching two Web sites and networking in the community with other LGBT groups.
"It was a task but we were up for it," McKinney said.
Initially the two co-chairs didn't know how much progress they had made. But when one of the original co-chairs approached them, he gave them props.
"We were so relieved to get that approval from one of the founders," McKinney said. "That was a breath of fresh air."
For Laskarides, the last two years have allowed him to open up socially and create bonds with fellow members.
"I've made friendships in the group that will last a lifetime," he said.
As McKinney and Laskarides look to the future of BWMT, they hope the group continues to flourish as it has for the past several years.
"I would hope as the years go by that BWMT will continue to be invigorated with fresh new blood, because when you have new members, it can bring a new perspective to the group along with new ideas," Laskarides said.
