News in Brief: Neil Patrick Harris for Pride marshal?

Neil Patrick Harris, Etheridge in running for Boston Pride marshal

Compared with Pride festivals in larger cities like New York and Los Angeles, Boston Pride rarely attracts top-tier celebrities, but this year there are two genuine superstars in the running for the job of celebrity Pride marshal in this summer's parade. Among the five nominees are Neil Patrick Harris -- who has enjoyed a career renaissance with his role on the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother and high-profile gigs on Saturday Night Live, the Harold and Kumar movies and Prop 8: The Musical -- and rock icon Melissa Etheridge, who recently made headlines with her controversial statements urging the LGBT community to engage with anti-gay pastor Rick Warren. Also in the running for celebrity marshal are Boston comedian Amy Tee, Israeli trans pop singer Dana International, and comedian Marga Gomez.

From now through Feb. 15 visitors to the Boston Pride website (www.bostonpride.org) have the opportunity to cast their votes for celebrity marshal, Pride theme, honorary marshal, and grand marshal. Elizabeth Stewart, media chair for the Pride committee, said each of the celebrity marshal nominees committed to attend the event if selected.

"Once we got the nominations in we contacted those people to make sure that if they were voted in they would accept," said Stewart. Last fall the Pride Committee picked the nominees for all categories based on suggestions sent in to the Boston Pride website.

There are currently four themes in the running for this year's Pride: "Equal Access for All," which focuses on disability issues; "Half the Rights, Half the Taxes," which puts an LGBT spin on the slogan "No Taxation without Representation"; "Opening Doors with Open Minds," which encourages inclusivity within the LGBT community; and "Trans-forming Our Community," which promotes transgender rights.

Among the nominees this year for Grand Marshal are former Boston Redevelopment Authority head Harry Collings, Pathways to Wellness, the Somos Latinos LGBT Coalition, and the Board of Selectmen for the Town of Billerica, who passed a proclamation supporting the LGBT community. Honorary marshal nominees include the late congresswoman Barbara Jordan, Daughters of Bilitis co-founder Del Martin, who passed away last year, and the late Cape Cod Pride organizer Pam O'Brien.

To vote for a Pride theme and Pride marshals visit www.bostonpride.org.

Fenway Women's Dinner to feature Lily Tomlin, Katherine Patrick, Kate Clinton

This year's Fenway Community Health Women's Dinner Party promises to be a star-studded event. Legendary entertainer Lily Tomlin will be on hand to accept the Dr. Susan M. Love Award in honor of her work in support of Fenway's capital campaign to construct its new 10-story headquarters at 1340 Boylston Street.

"We're really excited," said Keri Aulita, who is co-chairing the Women's Dinner Party along with Katherine Truscott. "Everybody we've talked to, young, old, middle-aged, everybody knows and loves her, so it's going to be really great to have her there."

The award is named for the women's health and breast cancer pioneer, who helped found the Revlon/UCLA Breast Center in 1992 and who currently heads the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation. The Women's Dinner Party will be held March 14 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place.

Also on hand will be Katherine Patrick, the openly gay daughter of Gov. Deval Patrick, who will serve as the event's honorary chair. Patrick made headlines across the country last June when she came out in the pages of Bay Windows with the full support of her famous parents.

The Women's Dinner Party will feature entertainment from another marquee lesbian, comedian Kate Clinton.

Aulita said the committees organizing the Women's Dinner Party and the Fenway Men's Event, which will be held April 4, are aiming high in their fundraising efforts. Fenway is currently working to raise $3.6 million to secure a $1.75 million grant from the Kresge Foundation as part of its capital campaign for its new facility, which is scheduled to open in April.

"The development department gave [the committees organizing both events] a goal of $850,000 this year, and we said, 'Let's make it a million,'" said Aulita.

Tickets to the Women's Dinner Party cost $175, but Aulita said members of the dinner committee will be out and about at lesbian nightspots, including Lesbian Night at Machine and She at Stix Restaurant and Lounge, both in Boston, selling tickets at a discounted price of $150.

While the economy may be putting the squeeze on many people's wallets, Aulita said Fenway and other community organizations are in particular need of community support this year.

"It's now more than ever that local non-profits like Fenway need us to do what we can," said Aulita. "Every dollar matters this year."

For more information on the Women's Dinner Party or to purchase tickets visit www.fenwayhealth.org or call 617.927.6350.

MBCC to honor founding member at Lesbians and Friends Dance

The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC), a non-profit working to eradicate breast cancer, will hold its 11th annual Lesbians and Friends Dance Jan. 24 at the Brookline Holiday Inn. This year's dinner will honor one of the founders of MBCC, Amy Present, who will receive the inaugural Marla J. Frazin Award.

Cheryl Osimo, event coordinator for the dance, said MBCC was honoring Present both for her work with MBCC as well as for her founding of the Silent Spring Institute, which studies the environmental factors impacting breast cancer and other women's health concerns.

"She worked tirelessly on the [MBCC] board of directors for many years. Her mother died of breast cancer and she herself was diagnosed with breast cancer," said Osimo. "The truth of the matter is women everywhere, not just locally, have benefited from this strong woman's work."

Present currently devotes her time to both MBCC and Silent Spring Institute, and she serves on the Silent Spring Institute board of directors.

The Lesbians and Friends Dance will feature music spun by DJ Ann Rogers, and attendees will enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. The event has drawn a crowd of about 600 to 700 women in the past, and Osimo said organizers hope to do the same this year. Tickets to the dance are $35 in advance or $40 at the door.

For more information or to purchase tickets call 1.800.649.6222 or visit www.mbcc.org.

Yakovleff's friends launch fund, South End fundraiser

Last June the friends of slain hair stylist Daniel Yakovleff organized a fundraiser in his honor to start a scholarship in his name, but last month the same group of friends worked to create a more permanent vehicle to honor the 20-year-old openly gay Roxbury resident. In December, with the pro bono assistance of the Boston law firm Weil, Gotshal, & Manges, Yakovleff's friends created the Daniel Yakovleff Memorial Fund.

The fund will hold its first fundraising event, a dinner at the South End Buttery, Jan. 25. Fund president Elle Jarvis, one of Yakovleff's close friends, said the fund would grant scholarships and make donations to LGBT community organizations dedicated to causes that Yakovleff supported.

"For most of us we're really nervous that people are going to forget about Dan and who he was and his ideals," said Jarvis.

Yakovleff was found stabbed to death last January in the Dorchester apartment of Stephen Odegard, who was arrested and charged with Yakovleff's murder last month after a lengthy grand jury investigation. Before his death Yakovleff worked as hair stylist at the South End's Liquid Hair Studios.

Jarvis said she and the other fund board members, all friends of Yakovleff, are still exploring what sort of work the fund will pursue. She said the board would like to collaborate on fundraising events with other LGBT organizations.

"What we would like to do with this organization is partner with other non-profit organizations such as BAGLY [Boston Alliance for GLBT Youth] and the Fenway Health Center to support them, other organizations that help within the GLBT community. ... This is our first event to basically gain exposure and feel out other organizations to see if they'd be wiling to partner with us," said Jarvis.

The South End Buttery fundraiser will consist of a three-course meal, with each course paired with beer donated by Harpoon Brewery. The event will kick off with a cocktail reception featuring a raw bar donated by Island Creek Oysters. The event runs from 6-9 p.m., and tickets cost $75.

Jarvis said the board hopes to reprise the fundraiser held last June, during which attendees received haircuts from Liquid Hair Studios and then crossed Tremont Street to enjoy food and drink at Sister Sorel, one of Yakovleff's favorite South End hangouts.

Jarvis said the board still plans to administer a scholarship in Yakovleff's honor. They have not yet used the money raised during last June's fundraiser, but after the event at the South End Buttery Jarvis said the board will focus its attention on the scholarship.

"We're going to reconvene after this and really start a partnership with Blaine again and get that process going," said Jarvis.

For more information on the Daniel Yakovleff Memorial Fund or to purchase tickets for the Jan. 25 dinner at South End Buttery visit www.dymf.org.