Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 4/06/09

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 14 April 6, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com

The Fine Print

See previous editions

The Gay Agenda: Datebook: April 6-12, 2009

Ongoing: Portland, OR: Coming Out: Discourses and Resources. A new discussion group led by a of rotating queer-identified trusted individuals. Neither therapy nor lecture. 6PM-7PM on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month. www.pdxqcenter.org

MON: 4/06: Providence, RI: David Sedaris reads from "When You Are Ingulfed in Flames". Also: TUE: 4/07: Athens, OH: WED: 4/08: Columbia, MO: THU: 4/09: Milwaukee, WI: FRI: 4/10: Roanoke, VA: SAT: 4/11: Durham, NC: http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html

TUE: 4/07: Los Angeles, CA: Cloris Leachman, Oscar winner and occasional dancer, signs copies of "Cloris: The Autobiography". 7:30PM. Barnes & Noble, Grove Drive. Also: SAT: 4/11: West Hollywood, CA: 7:PM. Book Soup, Sunset Blvd.

WED: 4/08: Portland, OR: Toby Johnson, gay novelist and spirituality writer, former editor of White Crane Journal, speaks about his book "GAY PERSPECTIVE: Things our [homo]sexuality tells us about the nature of God and the Universe". www.pdxqcenter.org

THU-SAT: 4/09-4/11: Calgary, AB: Canada Badminton, Bowling, Curling, Running, Swimming, Volleyball Western Cup XXVII, 27th anniversary of North America's longest running annual LGBT multi-sport tournament and trophy event for Apollo, Friends in Sports, Calgary's LGBT sport & social organization. www.westerncup.com

THU-SUN: 4/09-4/12: Washington, DC: International Gay Square Dance Clubs Convention. www.iagsdc.org

SAT: 4/11: New Orleans, LA: Batt on a Hot Tin Roof. "Mad Men" star Bryan Batt does a benefit for the Le Petit Théâtre duVieux Carré, a New Orleans landmark. The out actor, a Big Easy native, starred on Broadway in "Jeffrey" and "La Cage Aux Folles". www.LePetitTheatre.com

SAT: 4/11: Jersey City, NJ: Nathaniel Frank, author of "Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America" does a reading and booksigning. Chillfest. http://www.unfriendlyfire.org/events.php

Newsworthy:

Sweden has become the 7th country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid77092.asp

Gay Marriage in USA Update. A setback in one state and a gain in another. The New York Times reports on the issue in Vermont and New Hampshire. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/us/27hampshire.html?ref=us

How Much Do They Make ? The Washington Blade charts the compensation packages of the leaders in the LGBT rights movement. http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=24698

The Buzz (People Making News)

Corine Mauch, who is openly gay, was elected mayor of Zurich, making Zurich the most prominent international city to elect an out lesbian mayor to date. The historic election also made Mauch the first female mayor of the largest city in Switzerland. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76796.asp

Damon Romine has left his post as Director of Entertainment Media at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to join Screen Actors Guild (SAG) as its Director of Communications. Romine led GLAAD's entertainment advocacy efforts for more than four years and was the architect of GLAAD’s multi-platform "Be an Ally & a Friend" public education campaign.

Awards and Honors:

GLAAD Media Awards: Suze Orman, Tyra Banks and Phil Donahue honored in New York. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/03/my-entry.html

Winners: Kevin Kline Awards for outstanding theatre in metropolitan St. Louis: "The Little Dog Laughed" at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis; Playbill.com reports: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/127854.html

In Memoriam:

James Hoover, former publisher of Boston's Bay Windows and the South End News died on 3/19/09 at age 53. He was one of the founding members of the National Gay Newspaper Guild. Bay Windows reports: http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=88876

Ronald Tavel, a founder of Theatre of the Ridiculous, and a playwright who brought Harvey Fierstein and Charles Ludlam to prominence, died 3/25/09, at age 68. The Village Voice reports: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/03/ronald_tavel_19.php

The Resource Center:

Knights Out is a support and education organization that promotes dignity, diversity, and respect for LGBT alumni of the United States Military Academy at West Point and their family and allies. They offer panel discussions, conference calls, networking forums and a speakers bureau for the benefit of our participants. www.knightsout.org

Live Out Loud is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering, mentoring, and celebrating LGBT youth. Live Out Loud produces panel discussions, lectures, and workshops that connect LGBT youth with role models and leaders in the LGBT community. Since its inception in 2000, the group has presented events at dozens of metropolitan area high schools and universities featuring panelists from every walk of life. www.livoutloud.info

In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance

New York City (and Broadway)

***Accent on Youth. David Hyde Pierce stars in Samson Raphaelson’s 1934 comedy about a backstage love triangle among a playwright (Hyde Pierce), his secretary and a young leading man. www.manhattantheatreclub.com.
***Blithe Spirit. Rupert Everett makes his Broadway debut in Noel Coward's ghostly comedy. Angela Lansbury and Christine Ebersole co-star.
***Hair, The first major American rock musical, which has "sodomy" and other words in its lyrics. www.publictheater.org.
***9 to 5: The Musical. Dolly Parton has adapted her film for Broadway. www.9to5themusical.com
***Waiting for Godot. Bill Irwin and Nathan Lane mount Samuel Beckett. John Goodman, and John Glover co-star.
***West Side Story. The acclaimed musicalization of "Romeo & Juliet" in a new production directed by Arthur Laurents. www.broadwaywestsidestory.com.

Elsewhere...

***Act A Lady. A group of men in a small Prohibition-era town cross-dress to perform a play. to 4/26/09. New Conservatory Theatre Pride Season. San Francisco, CA. www.nctcsf.org
***The Andrews Brothers. Roger Bean's musical about three USO stagehands who long to sing with The Andrews Sisters. to 4/26/09. Ft. Lauderdale, FL. www.risingactiontheatre.com
***Blind Faith. a world premiere by Harry Cronin. Two teen boys fall in love in conservative Colorado Springs. to 5/03/09. New Conservatory Theatre Pride Season. San Francisco, CA. www.nctcsf.org
***Grey Gardens, the award-winning musical about mother and daughter Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier Beale, former society queens turned into recluses with 51 cats.to 5/17/09. Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. www.ordway.org.

On Screen (and Video & DVD)

Resource: Cine-Queer: GLAAD's Guide to What's LGBT in Film: http://www.glaad.org/eye/cinequeer.php

Out on Screen...

***Ciao. Two men meet after the death of a mutual friend. www.ciaomovie.com.
***Hair: Let the Sunshine In. Pola Rapaport's documentary that traces the roots and legacy of the landmark musical, which features interviews with authors James Rado and Gerome Ragni, composer Galt MacDermot and late director Tom O'Horgan as well as Oscar winner Milos Forman, who directed the 1979 film adaptation of Hair.
***Little Ashes, Paul Morrison's drama about the young lives and loves of Salvador Dali, Luis Bunuel and Frederico Garcia Lorca. www.littleashes-themovie.com.
***The Universe of Keith Haring, a documentary on the late gay pop artist. Now making the rounds of film festivals and independent cinemas
***Valentino: The Last Emperor, a new documentary about the life of the Italian fashion designer, focusing on his business and romantic relationship with Giancarlo Giametti, who says they've spent a total of two months apart since they met..

Out On Video & DVD

***Brideshead Revisited. In the 1930s, Charles and Sebastian (Matthew Goode and Ben Wishaw) tryst on a country estate. www.bridesheadrevisited-themovie.com.
***Doubt, the film adaptation of John Patrick Shanley's award-winning drama. A nun (Meryl Streep) suspects a popular priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of abusing a boy.
***Fashion Victims, a 2008 German film, tells the story of a straight fashion designer’s teen son who falls for his father’s biggest rival in the design world.
***Jerome Robbins: Something to Dance About, a documentary about the American dancer/choreographer/director whose genius was tempered by obsessive behavior, perfectionism, and guilt over his bisexualism.
***Milk, Gus Van Sant's film about gay activist Harvey Milk (Sean Penn). Also starring: Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, James Franco. Milk comes to DVD with extras.
***Religulous. Bill Maher travels the globe to investigate the current state of world religion, questioning many religious leaders on LGBT rights. www.lionsgate.com/religulous.
***The Yellow Brick Road And Beyond. A feature documentary takes a look at the phenomenon that is The Wizard of Oz, highlighting some of the earliest stage and screen adaptations, and the musical Wicked.

On TV Of Note: All times listed are ET. Check local listings for times in your area.

Resource:TV Gayed, GLAAD's Weekly Guide to What's LGBT on TV: Updated every Friday. www.glaad.org/eye/tv_listings.php

***April: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

4/16/09-4/19/09: Miami, FL. Miami Latin Gay Film Festival. www.miamilatingayfilmfestival.com

4/17/09-4/19/09: Minneapolis, MN: 2009 Bisexual Empowerment Conference (BECAUSE) at the University of Minnesota. www.becauseconference.org.

4/17/09-4/19/09: Jersey City, NJ: New Jersey Bowling Gotham Open, an IGBO sponsored gay bowling tournament. www.gothambowling.com

4/17/09: Nationwide: National Day of Silence. bringing attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. www.dayofsilence.org

4/18/09-4/19/09: San Diego, CA: Camp Courage. An intensive two-day training institute to provide grassroots activists the practical, hands-on skills to organize in their communities on marriage equality. www.couragecampaign.org/campcouragearmy.

4/18/09-6/28/09: Minneapolis, MN: Everything Kushner at The Guthrie. a landmark theater-wide celebration honoring the work of out playwright Tony Kushner. Featuring three productions on three unique stages. http://www.guthrietheater.org/kushner

4/20/09: New York, NY: The Broadway Beauty Pageant. Male cast members from Broadway shows compete for the crown. Proceeds will benefit the Ali Forney Center, the nation's largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/127418.html

4/23/09-4/26/09: New Haven, CT: Yale LGBT Reunion Weekend.
www.yalegala.org/YaleGayRunion.html.

4/24/09-4/26/09: Toronto, ON: All Out Swim 2009, splash and swim competition. www.dsctoronto.ca/alloutswim/

4/24/09-5/03/09: Miami, FL: Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. www.MGLFF.com

4/27/09: New York, NY: Live Out Loud 8th Annual Young Trailblazers Benefit Gala. Hosted by Nick Adams. Chelsea Art Museum. www.livoutloud.info

Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: April Milestones

1. Question: Name this American blues singer, born April 15, 1894. One of her most famous songs included the lyrics: "There's two things got me puzzled, there's two things I don't understand; That's a mannish-actin' woman, and a skippin, twistin' woman-actin' man." Answer: Bessie Smith, whose best friend was male impersonator Gladys Fergusson and who had been introduced to the world of 'women-lovin' women' by blues singer Ma Rainey.

2. Question: Name this New York City educational institution that opened its doors on April 1, 1985. Named for a slain gay rights activist, it was the first publicly-funded school for LGBT kids. Answer: The Harvey Milk School, started by the Hetrick-Martin Institute.

3. Question: Name this gay American playwright, born April 17, 1887. He’s best known for his portrayal of a rural American community, but he also wrote a breakthrough role for Talullah Bankhead and a play set in Yonkers which became one of America’s most popular musicals. Answer: Thornton Wilder, author of “Our Town”, “The Skin of Our Teeth” (Bankhead played the wisecracking maid) and “The Matchmaker” which became “Hello Dolly”.

4. Question: Name this young American who died on April 8, 1990. He put a human face to HIV and AIDS, and in his final years, worked tirelessly to raise monies and awareness of AIDS issues. Several funding initiatives are named in his memory. Answer: Ryan White.

5. Question: Name this award-winning play, which opened in New York on April 14, 1968. It was the first commercially successful theatre production to deal with openly gay characters and queer subject matter. Answer: The Boys in the Band, Mart Crowley’s portrait of a birthday party that turns into “truth or dare”. The movie version on DVD and VHS features the original cast.

This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Who Said That ?

1. Question. Who said or wrote this? “I don’t want to be the greatest lesbian of the western world” said this renowned contemporary gossip columnist, who came out in her autobiography. She made the previous statement comparing herself to Sandra Bernhard. Hint: Her column was recently dropped from the New York Post.

2. Question. Who said or wrote this? “Take it from me, the first rule of how not to come out to your parents: do not come out when they are driving. The second rule: do not come out on a major family holiday when the whole clan is around.” Hint: This TV sitcom actor spent his so called life on Broadway in a Jonathan Larson musical based on “La Boheme”.

3. Question. Who said or wrote this? “I don’t have any problems with my sexuality, whatever you wanna think I am. I’ll never answer the question. I’d rather have you die wanting to know.”. Hint: This singer and talk-show host got rave reviews in a movie musical, where she played a butch jailhouse matron. She’s rap royalty.

4. Question. Who said or wrote this? “It took me 49 years to be able to say to a stranger like you that I was gay”. Hint: This actor and activist is currently reprising his role in a hot movie. He was the second openly-gay actor (the first was Nigel Hawthorne) to be nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award.

5. Question. Who said or wrote this? “It is never too late to come out. Never! and, I encourage everyone to come out.”. Hint: This bisexual conductor and composer adapted “Romeo and Juliet” for Broadway and wrote a ballet and musical about three sailors running wild in New York over 24 hours.

The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.com. If you do not want your email address to appear in the blog format of this newsletter, please indicate that. http://cosnewsweekly.blogspot.com/