Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 8/24/09

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 34 August 24, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com

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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: August 24-30, 2009

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

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

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

Newsworthy:

Federal Proposition 8 Case Sets Trial Date. A judge has set a 1/11/10 trial date for a federal lawsuit challenging California's gay marriage ban. At a status hearing 8/19/09, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker also barred LGBT advocacy groups from joining the lawsuit, filed on behalf of two gay couples seeking to marry in California.Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/08/judge-denies-gay-groups-in-federal-prop-8-case-sets-trial-date.html

Iraq: Gay men across Iraq are being rounded up, tortured, and killed by the country’s militias, including the feared Mahdi Army—while the government stands by. Parvez Sharma (filmmaker of the documentary "A Jihad For Love") at the Daily Beast reports: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-08-16/iraqs-anti-gay-pogrom/?cid=hp:mainpromo2

Obama Favors DOMA Repeal: President Obama made clear 8/17/09 that he favors the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, and intends to ask Congress to repeal the 13-year-old law that denies benefits to domestic partners of federal employees. The Washington Post reports: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/08/17/obama_makes_explicit_his_objec.html?hpid=topnews

California: Equality California sets 2012 as its Target Date for Proposition 8 measure. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/08/decisions-coming-on-timetable-for-antiprop-8-ballot-measure.html

Gays Count in Census 2010: Married same-sex couples will be counted as such in the US 2010 census, reversing an earlier decision made under the Bush administration. The Washington Blade reports: http://www.washblade.com/2009/8-7/news/national/14981.cfm

New Poll: Half of College Football Players says that they have a gay team mate, according to ESPN's fall football preview. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/08/poll-half-of-college-football-players-say-they-have-a-gay-teammate.html

Gay Mental Health: LGBT people have higher rates of substance abuse and mental health disorders, but they're more likely to seek mental health treatment than heterosexuals, according to UCLA research. The Los Angeles Times reports: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/08/gays-lesbians-bisexual-mental-health-.html

Features

Profile: Theodore Olson. A Conservative's Road to Same-Sex Marriage Advocacy. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/us/19olson.html?_r=2

Profile: Lady GaGa comes out: The lady is a vamp. Out Magazine reports: http://www.out.com/detail.asp?page=1&id=25720

Interviews: Bryan Batt, out star of "Mad Men",
talks with the Windy City Times. http://www.chicagopride.com/news/interview.cfm/articleid/144756
talks with New York Magazine: http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/08/mad_mens_bryan_batt_aka_salvat.html

In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance

New York City (and Broadway)

***Be A Man! Exiene Lofgren’s solo performance. How does a man who looks like Annie Lennox, was raised by feminists, and married a man "be a man"? to 8/28/09. www.beamantheshow.com
***The Boys Upstairs. Jason Mitchell's new comedy about a group of Hell Kitchen gay boys who handle relationships, careers, and the city with style, scandal, and specialty cocktails! to 8/30/09. www.Fringenyc.org or www.TheBoysUpstairs.info
***Darren Williams: "Not The Boy Next Door" performs the Peter Allen Songbook. 8/25/09, 8/27/09, 9/06/09, 9/13/09. Metropolitan Room.
***Hair, Tony-winning revival of the first major rock musical. www.publictheater.org.
***His Greatness. Daniel MacIvor's play about gay playwright Tennessee Williams' last days spent with his assistant and a Canadian hustler. to 8/30/09. www.Fringenyc.org or www.HisGreatnessPlay.com
***The Killing. A William Inge one-act about a guy who picks up a guy in a bar and asks him to do something unspeakable. On a bill with other one-acts. Series B of Summer Shorts 3. to 8/27/09. www.59e59.org.

Elsewhere...

***Anita Bryant Died For Your Sins. West Coast premiere of Brian Christopher Williams' lyric comedy. A teen's coming of age surrounded by Olympian Mark Spitz and anti-gay OJ promoter Anita Bryant. Hollywood, CA..www.westcoastensemble.org
***Grey Gardens, the award-winning musical about eccentric Jackie O cousins Edie Beale and her mother, to 10/10/09. Atlanta, GA. www.actors-express.com.
***Lewd and Lascivious. Michael McKeever's drama deals with Newton Arvin, real-life Smith College professor, who is arrested by the Massachusetts State Police on vice charges in 1960. to 9/13/09. Coral Gables, FL. www.gablestage.org
***Lorna Luft, daughter of Judy and sister of Liza, performs. to 8/30/09. San Francisco, CA. www.therrazzroom.com.
***Margaret Cho in concert.. to 8/31/09, Provincetown, MA www.margaretcho.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.

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.
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***Passing Strange. Spike Lee's documentary about Stew's Broadway rock musical.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on Elliot Tiber's memoir. Demetri Martin stars as the gay Tiber. Liev Schriber plays a transvestite; Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a closeted married guy who has an affair with Tiber.

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
***The Judy Garland Show, Vol. 1. Garland's 1963 television show newly restored and remastered from the original 2-inch videotapes outtakes. First of 13 releases, each featuring two episodes from the 26-episode run.
***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

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

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

9/03/09-9/07/09: Columbus, OH: GALA 2009 Columbus, the annual conference of GALA Choruses, serving LGBT choral groups. Activities for singers, Artistic Directors, administrative personnel and Board members. http://www.galachoruses.org/events/2009_annual_conference.html

9/05/09-9/07/09: Seattle, WA: Gender Odyssey. panels, workshops & meetings; entertainment, art exhibits focusing on transmen, transwomen & other gender variant people. www.genderodyssey.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. Premiere edition. Among the guests: Leslie Jordan. http://www.pacelouisiana.org/SE2009filmfestival.php

9/12/09: North Hollywood, CA: Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays. Various playwrights create short plays addressing the issue of gay marriage in America and/or Proposition 8 in California. Starring Miss Coco Peru, Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Jason Alexander, Hamish Linklater, Robert Gant, and Peter Paige. www.elportaltheatre.com/events.html

9/13/09: New York, NY: Broadway on Broadway 2009. The casts of current and upcoming Broaway musicals perform excerpts from their shows. 11:30AM. Times Square. Free. www.broadwayleague.com

9/16/09-9/20/09: Fresno, CA: Fresno Reel Pride. the annual lesbian & gay film festival in central California. www.reelpride.com

9/20/09: Springfield/Agawam, MA: Out in The Park. unofficial gay day at Six Flags New England. www.outinthepark.com

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. Educating, preparing, and empowering LGBTQA college students for the transition from academia to the workplace, www.outforwork.com.

9/26/09: Los Angeles, CA: Point Honors. Cherry Jones receives The Point Courage Award from The Point Foundation, the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBT students of merit. www.pointfoundation.org.

9/29/09-10/04/09: Palm Springs, CA: IAGLBC Annual Bridge Tournament. sponsored by the International Association of Gay & Lesbian Bridge Clubs. www.GayBridge.org

10/02/09-10/04/09: Anaheim, CA: Gay Days Anaheim. the unofficial gay days at Disneyland. Entertainment includes: Eden Espinosa, Alec Mapa, Stacey Q, and Bruce Vilanch. www.GayDaysAnaheim.com

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 to let our elected officials know that now is the time for full equal rights for LGBT people nationwide. www.NationalEqualityMarch.com

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

10/15/09-10/18/09: St. Petersburg, FL: InterPride 2009 Conference. Workshops for/by the International Association of LGBT Pride Coordinators. www.interpride.org

10/15/09-10/18/09: San Francisco, CA: Sundance Stompede. San Francisco's annual LGBT country/ western dance weekend. www.stompede.com

Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: Gay Music Men


1. Question: Name this gay English-born music man known for his stage performances as actor and singer, his comedies, and his music. He was also known for his wit, flamboyance and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise". He wrote a musicalfor Elaine Stritch; he composed "Mad About the Boy" and he wrote shows about bickering couples, ghostly ex-spouses, and London elite. Answer: Noel Coward (1899-1973), author of "Sail Away", "Bittersweet", "Private Lives", "Blithe Spirit" and more.

2. Question: Name this gay American-born music man who professionally partnered with a globally-famous lesbian to develop an opera about a famous American women's rights activist and a second opera which featured an all-black cast. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his film score for a post-world War II movie. Answer: Virgil Thomson, (1896-1989) who partnered with Gertrude Stein to write "The Mother Of Us All" about feminist Susan B. Anthony; the black opera "Four Saints in Three Acts" and the score to "Louisiana Story".
3. Question: Name this gay Italian-American music man, best known for his dramatic musical theatre pieces which bridged opera and Broadway (one is a famous Christmas tale) and his interest in organizing and running international music festivals, which have flourished in Europe and America. He was partnered at one point with a famous American opera composer whose name is linked with Seville. Answer: Gian-Carlo Menotti (1911-2007), founder of the Spoleto Festivals in Italy and Charleston, SC; composer of "Amahl and The Night Visitors", the classic Christmas opera, and "The Consul" and "The Saint of Bleeker Street". He was partnered with opera composer Samual Barber--they collaborated on "Vanessa".

4. Question: Name this gay American-born music man who made lower East Side puppets sing, and the cast of "Scrubs" turn a hospital into Broadway. He and his partner co-wrote the theme song for the Logo Network's animated series "Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World" and contributed additional songs for the show. He has a law degree and sings with the Los Angeles Gay Men's Chorus. Answer: Jeff Marx, who with partner Robert Lopez, wrote "Avenue Q", music for "Scrubs" and more.

5. Question: Name this gay Australian-born music man, discovered by and imported to America by a gay community icon (he married her daughter, another icon). He won an Oscar for a movie theme, wrote songs for Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, performed at Radio City, and wrote and starred in one of Broadway's notirous flops. He became more famous after his death, when a film-star played his life in a Broadway musical. Answer: Peter Allen (1944-1992), discovered by Judy Garland, married (briefly) to Liza Minnelli, composer of "Arthur's Theme" (Oscar) and "Legs Diamond" (super-flop). Hugh Jackman starred in his life story, "The Boy From Oz".

This Week’s Trivia Quiz: The End of Summer Gay Showtune Quiz

1. Question: Name the Composer. Name the Show. Name the Song. In this musical about a show business reunion, a chanteuse sings “I have gone to Moscow, it’s very gay. Well, anyway on the first of May”. Hint: The composer is gay. and the show gets an encore on Broadway next season.

2. Question: Name the Composer. Name the Show. Name the Song.In this musical about royalty in days of yore, a lusty chorus sings “It’s gay! It’s gay! A libelous display!” The king is left alone when his queen finds her knight in shining armor.

3. Question: Name the Composer. Name the Show. Name the Song. A has been Broadway remembers his glorious past. “When I was young and gay, (but straight)”. Hint: Later on, he encourages a gay director and choregrapher to keep a moment in WW2 gay.

4. Question: Name the Composer. Name the Show. Name the Song. In this classic musical, a girl from the midwest falls for a Frenchmen with a monthly reference the same as that of Questions #1 and #2. Hint: Later on, she shampoos. “I’m as trite and as gay as a daisy in May – a cliché coming true.”

5. Question: Name the Composer. Name the Show. Name the Song. In this classic by a bi composer (and gay lyricist), a lovestruck New Yorker finds her Romeo north of Chelsea along the shores of the Hudson. She swoons... “And witty and gay -- and I pity any girl who isn’t me today.”

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/