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Members of the Utah Pride Interfaith Coalition on Thursday will hold their sixth-annual Pride Interfaith Service to help kick off Utah Pride 2007.

The coalition combines efforts of 30 organizations, including LDS, Catholic, Presbyterian, Jewish, Pagan and other faith traditions. The annual event will begin with a potluck dinner at 6 p.m. followed by the service, which starts at 7:30 p.m. The service at Holladay United Church of Christ will include remarks from clergy, a drum processional, liturgical dance and more.

Russ Gorringe, a member of the service's planning committee, said the coalition expects a turnout of as many as 500 people.

He said the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community "really parallels heterosexual society in that within our community there's a large segment of people who are of faith."

The service, he added, is an appropriate beginning to Utah Pride 2007 because "for many of us Pride weekend is a celebration of who our creator created us to be."

"It's a worship service where we can praise our God, whoever that is to us, for the gift of being gay."

Sixth Annual Pride Interfaith Service

THURSDAY EVENING'S EVENT will be held at Holladay United Church of Christ, 2631 E. Murray-Holladay Rd. The potluck dinner begins at 6 p.m., the service starts at 7:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. To learn more about the evening and participating organizations, visit http://www.utahprideinterfaith.org.