With Sept. 28 just around the corner, it’s time to start preparing for Dyke March 2003, the first march of its kind to take place on the streets of downtown San Diego. It’s also time to get excited about the top-notch entertainers and speakers who will be hitting the stage after the march, at the 2003 Day of the Dyke Festival, taking place at Embarcadero Park South, from 1:00-6:00 p.m. This year’s lineup is the strongest in San Diego Dyke March history, giving festival-goers yet another reason to kick back and enjoy this special day of community activism.

Leading the pack is headliner Alix Olson, an outspoken folk-poet and musician. Known for her strong feminist rhymes and fiery live performances, Olson has built a strong following within the lesbian community. Joining Olson at Dyke March and on her national tour is Pamela Means, a Boston-based folk musician who mixes intense guitar skills with politically charged lyrics. Rounding off the lineup are some local San Diego favorites, including Danielle LoPresti and the Masses, Alicia Champion, Elena, Invidia, and the SD Kings Club.

Dyke March 2003 will also feature dynamic speakers throughout the day, the two most notable being Leslie Feinberg and Gloria Johnson. Author of the groundbreaking book Stone Butch Blues as well as many other works, Feinberg has distinguished herself as one of the leading activists in the realm of transgender issues. Johnson is a member of the San Diego Democratic Club, a chapter of the National Stonewall Democrats, and will discuss the devastating potential effects of Prop 54.

With such a strong lineup, the organizers of Dyke March 2003 hope to draw record numbers of supporters to the event. Although this is a free event coordinated and staffed entirely by volunteers, VAGINA (Vibrant Activist Girls Invoking National Attention) intends to raise over $5000, all to be donated to organizations serving victims of domestic violence in the San Diego community.

The March will begin with a pre-march rally at 11:00 a.m. at the NBC Building in downtown San Diego, at 225 Broadway, and will proceed south on Front Street to Embarcadero Park South, behind the San Diego Convention Center, where it will culminate with a Rally featuring speakers, music, poetry, food, a children’s garden, a beer garden, crafts, networking tables, and over 2000 revelers.

For more information, call (619) 692-2077, ext. 206 or visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com and click on this article for a link to the VAGINA website.