Countdown to PrideFest 2013: VIP Passes and emcee Demarcio Slaughter

Organizers at The GLBT Community Center of Colorado center are busy creating the year’s biggest LGBT party: The four-day lineup starts with launch events on Friday, June 14 and ends with ‘Gay Day’ at Elitch Garden’s on Monday, June 17.

New this year: VIP passes available for public purchase include meet–and–greets with the headliners, backstage seating and microbrewery tastings.

PrideFest will be fenced in for the first time this year, a measure requested by the City of Denver to prevent underage drinking by stopping food and drink from going out or coming in the PrideFest area in Civic Center Park.

Amping up for the celebration, Out Front pays homage to the Demarcio Slaughter, who has been emceeing the event for the past 10 years with style, sass and personality.

“Although this Pride will be my 10th year as the Center Stage emcee, I don’t think it will be my last,” Slaughter said. “I said this two years ago – and found myself always in the same position. I do know that I will be pulling back on my involvement and delegating responsibilities moving forward but I think I have a few more Prides in me still.”

Celebrating 10 Years

By Demarcio Slaughter

Eight years ago when I took over as Entertainment Coordinator of Center Stage, begged for a national headliner. Although I had emceed for two years prior, I was finally “in charge of it all,” and wanted it to be a big deal. It had never been done before and I actually raised money to make it happen. We booked CeCe Penniston and when I introduced her – I remember feeling the cheers, applause and energy from the audience actually push me back on stage. I’d never experienced such a rush and wave of exciting emotion like that. That’s when I this was gonna be a gig I would keep for a while.

Three years ago – what the audience or The Center doesn’t know, is that En Vogue cancelled on me about two weeks before Pride. Apparently they couldn’t get all four girls and just sent me a two line email, saying – ‘Sorry – we can’t be in Denver. The girls are not available.’ I had worked very hard to book this group, all the money had been paid, air and hotel all booked – it was The Center’s 30th anniversary and I was going to accept this. I was on vacation in California at the time and decided to just go to the agents office and just get this done. In the end – we had only three of the four girls and one of the biggest crowds to date. However a headache and what we’d call a “hot mess.”

Over the years – the costumes I wear have gotten far more elaborate, as the audience has come to expect (and now places bets) on what I’ll wear and how many times I’ll change on stage (thank you Diana Ross)! This year will be no exception, as I’ve just returned from NYC with 42 yards of stunning new material and meet with my costume designer next week.

My idol is Miss Diana Ross – and I love being on stage and (in Ross fashion) being able to make 10,000 people all sing, laugh and dance in unison. There is so much love and good energy at PrideFest, and my job as Entertainment Coordinator and emcee is to put together fun, diverse entertainment and narrate our way through. It is the most fun a guy can have; playing dress up and making people smile. That’s my goal and that’s why I keep coming back!