FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Leah Bartley, DownEast Pride Alliance (DEPA) co-founder, received an exciting phone call recently. What she assumed to be an ordinary telemarketing call was instead a gentleman from the Secret Service Department. He was calling regarding President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Portland, Maine, on Thursday, April 1, 2010. He stated that it was important for President Obama to add diversity to his speech and that Arden Manning, Executive Director of the Maine Democratic Party, had given him Leah’s contact information.

Thus Leah’s Secret Service mission began! Within two hours she was to find several gay/lesbian singers to sing the National Anthem before the President’s speech! Not only were they looking for good singers, but for people who have also contributed to the greater Portland LGBTQ community.

Leah spent the evening tracking people down. “In addition to finding eligible singers, I also needed things like social security numbers & dates of birth for the Secret Service to pre-approve within a time frame of about two hours,” said Leah. “But I was determined to make this happen for the local LGBTQ community.”

“How would you like to sing the National Anthem for President Obama?” was Leah’s first question to Betsy Parson, a singer in the Women in Harmony chorus. Betsy was so excited that she almost drove off the road! Leah thought of Betsy because of her extraordinary voice and for her work with the LGBTQ youth in Maine. Betsy has dedicated her whole life to making Maine schools a safer place for gay kids.

Another of Leah’s calls was to Arthur Kenne, Artistic Director of the Maine Gay Men’s Chorus. Art & the chorus were thrilled when given this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and choose among them Jim Bishop to join Betsy in singing the Anthem. Jim has devoted much time in his commitment to non-discrimination & Marriage Equality in Maine.

Betsy Parson & Jim Bishop did end up singing the National Anthem before President Obama’s speech. “I was thrilled and proud to attend the event and see the rainbow pins on the singers and know that the DownEast Pride Alliance (DEPA) played a big role in making that possible,” stated Sid Tripp, co-founder of DEPA. “It was an honor to be asked such a errand by the Secret Service on behalf of the President and to be able to include & show diversity by having representatives of the LGBTQ community participate.”

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