Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 8/03/09

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 31 August 3, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com

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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: August 3-9, 2009

thru THU: 8/06: New York, NY: HOT! Festival of LGBT Performance and Culture the oldest, continual festival of queer performance in the world! www.hotfestival.org/

thru SUN: 8/09: Provincetown, MA: Family Week. Programs for LGBT parents, kids & allies. www.familyequality.org

MON-SUN: 8/03-8/09: Providence, RI: Rhode Island International Film Festival. has LGBT component. www.film-festival.org

TUE: 8/04: Philadelphia, PA: 7th Annual Gay Community Night @ Phillies. www.phillygaydays.com.

WED: 8/05: Nampa, ID: Organizational Meeting to develop a LGBT Community Center in Canyon County, ID. Also FRI: 8/07: westernidahorc@gmail.com

THU: 8/06: New York, NY: Broadway in Bryant Park. Free performances by the casts of "Wicked", and "The Lion King". 12:30PM. www.1067newyork.com.

Newsworthy:

NYU Tops LGBT-Friendly Schools, according to the Princeton Review. The other top colleges: Stanford University, New College of Florida, Swarthmore College, Emerson College, Simon's Rock College of Bard, Prescott College, Wellesley College, Marlboro College, Mount Holyoke College, Bennington College, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Macalester College, Hampshire College, Grinnell College, Warren Wilson College, Reed College, Smith College, Pitzer College, and Vassar College.Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/07/nyu-is-tops-among-gayfriendly-schools-says-princeton-review.html

Philadelphia: Giovanni's Room, the LGBT bookstore needs immediate financial help to survive. The Daily Kos reports: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/7/23/756715/-The-U.S.s-Oldest-LGBT-Bookstore-In-Philly-Needs-Your-Help

Massachusetts: UMASS embraces gender neutrality. The Amherst Bulletin reports: http://www.amherstbulletin.com/story/id/152545/

Massachusetts: BAGLY, Boston's Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgener Youth, celebrates its 30th anniversary. Bay Windows reports: http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=94286

Florida: A lesbian couple celebrates 70 years together. The Miami Herald reports: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/1147942.html

GLAAD Ranks Primetime TV. The agency's third annual Network Responsibility Index was released on 7/27/09. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid101443.asp

The Buzz (People Making News)

Carol Channing gives Johnny Depp her blessing. New York Magazine reports: http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/07/carol_channing_cool_with.html

In Memoriam:

Merce Cunningham, the modern dance pioneer, died on 7/26/09 at age 90. He collaborated frequently with the avant-garde composer John Cage, who was his offstage partner. The Washington Post reports: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072701082.html

E. Lynn Harris, the best-selling author of novels that addressed gay black culture died on 7/24/09, at age 54. The Washington Post reports: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/24/AR2009072403333.html

Dr. Joel Weisman, who co-wrote the first report on AIDS in 1981, died on 7/18/09 at age 66. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid100732.asp

Features

T.R. Knight tells The New York Daily News and Entertainment Weekly why he left "Grey's Anatomy". http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/07/23/2009-07-23_tr_knight_reveals_why_he_left_greys_anatomy.html
http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/07/greys-star-tr-knight-reveals-why-he-left.html

Gavin Creel, out star of "Hair" talks about his activism, art and more in an After Elton interview by novelist Brent Hartinger: http://www.afterelton.com/people/2009/7/gavin-creel?page=0%2C0

The Joy of Nude Musicals. Now that "Naked Boys Singing" has celebrated its 10th anniversary, it's playing in London. The Guardian reports: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2009/jul/28/nude-musicals

In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance

New York City (and Broadway)

***Hair, Tony-winning revival of the first major rock musical. www.publictheater.org.
***International CringeFest 09: Go Genital Into That Good Night. Performances of "Dragness of God", a parody with men as nuns, and "Grampa Hitler and the Lil Red Ridin' Hood". 8/08/09. The Producer's Club. www.theatermania.com
***Seth's Broadway 101, Seth Rudetsky's hilarious introduction to showtunes. 8/09/09, 8/16/09. Ars Nova. www.arsnovanyc.com.
***The Tempermentals. Jon Maran's drama about Harry Hay and friends as they form The Mattachine Society before Stonewall. Michael Urie ("Ugly Betty") stars. to 8/23/09. www.thetemperamentals.com
***Thank You For Being a Friend: the Musical. All things (unauthorized) Golden Girls. Lance Bass moves in next door to the elderly quartet who can't sleep because of his all-night gay parties. to 8/23/09. SpinCycleNYC.com

Elsewhere...

***The Cousins Grimm. a new musical that reworks the timeless fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm into contemporary urban fables filled with LGBT characters. to 8/23/09. Chicago, IL. www.bailiwick.org.
***Girls Night Out Tour. Cyndi Lauper and Rosie O'Donnell headline. 8/03/09, Peekskill, NY; 8/04/09, Montclair, NJ; 8/05/09, Staten Island, NY; 8/07/09, Atlantic City, NJ; 8/08/09, Westbury, NY; 8/09/09, Redbank, NJ; www.cyndilauper.com
***The Mystery of Irma Vep. Charles Ludlam's gender-bending gothic spoof, to 9/06/09. San Diego, CA. www.TheOldGlobe.org
***Never the Sinner: The Leopold and Loeb Story, John Logan's crime drama. to 8/30/09. Philadelphia, PA. www.mauckingbirdtheatreco.org.
***Pearls Over Shanghai, a revival of the Cockettes 1970 Musical Extravaganza. to 8/16/09. San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com.
***Take Me Out. Richard Greenberg's award-winning play about a baseball star who comes out. to 8/20/09. Provincetown, MA. http://www.newprovincetownplayers.org/
***Two Spoons. Peter Mercurio's play about gay partners and dads on the brink of marriage. to 8/23/09. Chicago, IL. www.bailiwick.org.

On Screen (and Video & DVD)

Out on Screen...

***Bruno. Sacha Baron Cohen plays a gay fashionista from Austria who fancies himself as "the voice of Austrian youth TV."
***The Country Teacher, a Czech film about a gay school teacher who lusts for a student he tutors.
***Every Little Step. A documentary about the making of the 2006 Broadway revival of "A Chorus Line".
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.

Out On Video & DVD

***A Jihad for Love, the daring documentary filmed in 12 countries in which Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma explores the intersections of Islam and homosexuality.
***Grey Gardens, a new movie about eccentric Jackie O cousins Edie Beale and her mother, starring Drew Barrymore as Little Edie and Jessica Lange as her mother Big Edie.
***Hair: Let the Sunshine In. Pola Rapaport's documentary that traces the roots and legacy of the landmark musical.
***Kiki & Herb Live at The Knitting Factory. The Tony-nominated gender-bending downtown club act.
***Mad Men, Season 2. Look for Bryan Batt as a closeted ad exec in this TV drama about a 1960s ad agency.

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/tvgayed

***Ongoing: Drop Dead Diva. With Margaret Cho in the cast, this is not drama. Sundays at 9PM. Lifetime. http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/drop-dead-diva
***August: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

8/11/09 New York, NY: Ang Lee ("Brokeback Mountain") discusses his new film "Taking Woodstock". Barnes & Noble, Lincoln Triangle. 7:30PM.

8/13/09-8/16/09: Durham, NC: North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. www.carolinatheatre.org

8/14/09-8/16/09: Seattle, WA: National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
Activist Convention. www.nqapia.org

8/14/09-8/30/09: New York, NY: FringeNYC, The New York International Fringe Festival. Off-beat, often LGBT-themed music, dance and theatre. www.fringenyc.org.

8/23/09-8/30/09: Porter, ME: Camp Camp. summer camp for LGBT adults with sports, pottery, theater, yoga & more. www.campcamp.com

8/29/09-9/07/09: Milwaukee, WI:National Gay Softball World Series. www.nagaaasoftball.org

9/02/09-9/07/09: New Orleans, LA: Southern Decadence. the famous city-wide circuit party. www.southerndecadence.com

9/03/09-9/07/09: Columbus, OH: GALA 2009 Columbus, the annual conference of GALA Choruses. www.galachoruses.org/events/2009_annual_conference.html

9/05/09-9/07/09: Seattle, WA: Gender Odyssey. panels, workshops & meetings; for transmen, transwomen & other gender variant people. www.genderodyssey.com

9/05/09: Northampton, MA: Miss Trans Northampton 2009 Pageant; to help support New England Trans United. Info: misstransnorthampton@gmail.com.

9/10/09-9/13/09: Montreal, PQ: National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association Annual Convention and LGBT Media Summit. http://www.nlgja.org/convention/index.html

9/11/09-9/13/09: Shreveport, LA: Northwest Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. www.pacelouisiana.org/SE2009filmfestival.php

9/24/09-9/27/09: Provincetown, MA: Tennessee Williams Theater Festival. The gay playwright is honored by the gay resort and arts community. www.twptown.org

9/25/09-9/27/09: Washington, DC: 5th Annual National LGBTQA College Student Career Conference. www.outforwork.com.

9/28/09-10/18/09: New York, NY: New York Musical Theatre Festival. A showcase for new musicals. www.nymf.org.

9/29/09-10/04/09: Palm Springs, CA: IAGLBC Annual Bridge Tournament. www.GayBridge.org

10/02/09-10/04/09: Anaheim, CA: Gay Days Anaheim. the unofficial gay days at Disneyland. www.GayDaysAnaheim.com

10/07/09-10/09/09: New York, NY: 20th Annual Cabaret Convention. www.mabelmercer.org

10/08/09-10/11/09: Washington, DC: Gay Bowl IX: The National Gay Flag Football Championship Tournament. www.dcmonuments.blogspot.com, .

10/08/09-10/11/09: Sacramento, CA: Sacramento International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. www.siglff.org

10/10/09-10/11/09: Washington, DC: Equality Across America: The National Equality March. www.NationalEqualityMarch.com

10/11/09: Nationwide: National Coming Out Day. www.hrc.com/ncop

Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: August Milestones

1. Question: Name this American author, born August 2, 1924, the preeminent African-American intellectual of his time, who was one of the first writers to deal openly with homosexuality in a 1956 novel. He was a popular speaker on race relations and civil rights, but was not asked to play a visible role in the 1963 March on Washington, because organizers considered his homosexuality a liability. Answer: James Baldwin, author of “Giovanni’s Room”.

2. Question: Name this international competition, held for the first time in San Francisco on August 28, 1982. Over 50,000 people participated. Today, it is a major world event. Answer: The Gay Games.

3. Question: Name this Broadway blockbuster, which opened on August 21, 1983, one of the first to feature openly gay characters. It was written by an award-winning out composer who wrote showstoppers for middle-aged women and an award-winning playwright who had chronicled his own experiences as drag diva and gay dad. Answer: La Cage Aux Folles, written by Jerry Herman (“Hello Dolly”) and Harvey Fierstein (“Torch Song Trilogy”). The musical, revived on Broadway last season, took home a Tony Award for “Best Revival”.

4. Question: Name this out fashion designer, born on August 1, 1936. He took the French fashion world by storm in the 1970s, and built a fashion empire for women and men, which he sold to Gucci for millions. Answer: Yves Saint-Laurent.

5. Question: Name this man who came out on national television on August 13, 2004 with the statement “I am a gay American”. He was the highest-ranked American elected official to do so. He resigned from office shortly thereafter. Answer: James McGreevey, the governor of New Jersey. He came out to avoid being outed by a subordinate.

This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Coming Out on the Page, on Stage and Screen

1. Question: Name this American author, who wrote the ultimate guide to coming out (for LGBT people and their families). It had its third printing in 2005. It provides answers to several hundred FAQ about homosexuality. He also wrote a book on coming out questions for a young adult audience in 2007. Hint: he wrote a couple of LGBT history books and biographies.

2. Question: Name this American mom, whose daughter came out to her on a Gulf Coast beach over 20 years ago. As her daughter became active and visible in the LGBT community, she wrote a best-selling book about love and acceptance. She’s now an authority and an activist in coming out programs.

3. Question: Name this Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway hit, in which an audition turns into a an inner “reveal” for its participants, including a Latino who recalls the painful process of coming out to his parents. Hint: the actor playing the Latino won a Tony Award for his performance.

4. Question: Name this American author, who wrote his coming out autobiography in the early 1970s. When he came out publicly, and wrote the sequel some 20 years later, it turned out that this privileged Ivy Leaguer was a highly visible best-selling author and political activist in real time.

5. Question: Name this British stage play, turned 1998 film, that like “Beautiful Thing” combined a coming out and coming of age story in poignant terms. The play, much more intense than the film, was recently revived in San Francisco.

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/