8TH ANNUAL LOVEFEST CELEBRATION

BLACK GAY & BISEXUAL MEN TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR HEALTH AT

8TH ANNUAL LOVEFEST CELEBRATION

Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus (CBGMC) to Launch “Healthy Is Sexy” Lifestyle Campaign

Event to Bring Awareness to LGBT Health and Wellness Management

Performance by Legendary Dance Diva Crystal Waters

(Chicago, Illinois – Aug 1, 2012) – The Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus (CBGMC), will host the 8th Annual LoveFest Celebration on Sunday, August 26th from 12p – 8p at Jackson Park (63rd & Cornell Drive). A free event, LoveFest is an annual summer “edu-tainment” festival designed for the African-American LGBT community, more specifically gay and bisexual men, to bring awareness to health and wellness management with live entertainment, dancing, health screenings and physical fitness activities. Since 2005, CBGMC has produced LoveFest, which attracts more than 500 attendees each year.

The 8th Annual LoveFest Celebration will serve as the official launch of CBGMC’s “Healthy Is Sexy” (HIS) Lifestyle Campaign, which will consist of advertisements, events, social media interactions, health tools and access points for African American gay and bisexual to become more involved in managing their overall health.

“We are truly excited to launch the Healthy is Sexy Lifestyle Campaign at this year’s Lovefest,” stated Keith Green, CBGMC Chairman. “This campaign will present more opportunities for black gay and bisexual men to take an active role in their overall health which will improve the quality of their lives and in turn create a more healthy community,” he continued.

This year’s theme is Healthy.Sexy.We., which takes cues from the Chicago Department of Public Health’s Healthy Chicago LGBT Community Action Plan. Attendees will be able to enjoy a variety of physical activities in the park including yoga, physical challenge obstacle courses, kickboxing, and volleyball. The Healthy is Sexy (HIS) Lifestyle Health Village will mimic the ideal “health and wellness visit” experience for African American gay and bisexual men – offering free private “Doc Chat” sessions with skilled medical professionals, screenings for HIV/STIs, hepatitis C, diabetes, obesity and a number of other health issues facing men.

Legendary dance diva Crystal Waters and Chicago’s very own Cyon Flare are the event’s featured entertainers. In addition, LoveFest will host the Old School vs. New School Battle of the DJs, and the EGOmania Mini-Ball.

“It’s important that we continue to provide positive affirming environments where black gay and bisexual men can come together and have access to health services,” said Craig Johnson, interim chair of the CBGMC executive planning commission (EPC).

“This festival is an opportunity for the Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus to communicate to the Black MSM population the importance of taking control of their health and that with our [CBGMC] assistance we can change the overall health landscape for our community.”

The 8th Annual LoveFest partners include but are not limited to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Chicago Department of Public Health, the University of Chicago Medical Center, Test Positive Aware Network, Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Stroger Hospital of Cook County, the CORE Center, Medical Center, Howard Brown Health Center, Access Community Health Network, the Center on Halsted, Perfect Fit., Inc., and Yogatones.

For more information about LoveFest, please contact CBGMC at info@chiblackgaycaucus.org or visit www.chiblackgaycaucus.org

About the Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus (CBGMC)
The Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus (CBGMC), a nonprofit organization, was established in 2005 to improve the lives and well-being of Black gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. Since its inception, CBGMC has taken strategic action towards accurately identifying the HIV burden among Black MSM in Chicago, understanding the underlying causes of risk and acquisition, and identifying solutions to curb the epidemic in Chicago. CBGMC’s primary goal is to decrease new HIV infections through creative and collaborative programming that promotes HIV testing, education and risk reduction activities.