Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 8/31/09

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 35 August 31, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com

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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: August 31-September 6, 2009

This Just In !!! FRI: 8/28: Asbury Park, NJ: A Thong For Hope. The cast of ReVision Theatre's "The Full Monty" performs a benefit for Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS. Program includes: an eclectic mix of musical theatre, contemporary rock and some fun distractions. www.revisiontheatre.org.

This Just In!!! FRI: 8/28: New York, NY: "Hair" cast performs at a rally to mobilize the community in advance of October's National Equality March in Washington, D.C. 2:30PM-3:30PM. Delacorte Theatre. Central Park. www.NationalEqualityMarch.com.

This Just In !!!: SAT: 8/29: New York, NY: Stonewall Veterans Association Meeting. 4:15PM. Gay Community Services Center. www.STONEWALLvets.org

thru MON: 9/07: Milwaukee, WI: National Gay Softball World Series. www.nagaaasoftball.org

WED-MON: 9/02-9/07: Atlanta, GA: Atlanta Black Pride Weekend. www.inthelifeatl.com

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

THU-MON: 9/03-9/07: 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

SAT-MON: 9/05-9/07: Seattle, WA: Gender Odyssey. panels, workshops & meetings; entertainment, art exhibits focusing on transmen, transwomen & other gender variant people. www.genderodyssey.com

SAT: 9/05: Santa Monica, CA: Mikhail Baryshnikov, dancer and actor, signing copies of "Merce My Way", the biography of Merce Cunningham. 1PM. Barnes & Noble. 3rd Street Promenade.

SAT: 9/05: Seattle, WA: Peterson Toscano performs his solo theatre piece "Transfigurations: Transgressing Gender in the Bible" about gender-variant Bible characters. www.petersontoscano.com

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

SUN: 9/06: Altadena, CA: Carol Channing Raises the Roof, a gospel concert. She performs selections from her gospel CD "For Heaven's Sake", as a benefit for the congregation of Altadena Community Church. (626) 395-9923

Newsworthy:

Lutherans took openly gay clergy more fully into its fold 8/21/09, as leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to lift a ban that prohibited sexually active gays and lesbians from serving as ministers. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/08/21/us/AP-US-Lutherans-Gays.html?em

Washington, DC: Ex-gays are protected under the DC Human Rights Act. PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays), a Virginia “ex-gay” group won a small victory alongside a big defeat in D.C. Superior Court this summer. Washington City Paper reports: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2009/08/25/ex-gays-protected-under-dc-human-rights-act/

The Buzz (People Making News)

Bea Arthur Honored: The "Golden Girls" star, a gay icon, will be honored in a memorial service on 9/14/09, as New York City's Ali Forney Center, an organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youths, plans to celebrate her gay advocacy efforts by naming a residence center in her honor. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid105988.asp

In Memoriam:

Ted Kennedy, the Democratic US Senator from Massachusetts, died on 8/25/09 at age 77. Although he wasn't gay, he was a LGBT rights pioneer. The Examiner recaps: http://www.examiner.com/x-4107-Gay--Lesbian-Issues-Examiner~y2009m8d26-Remembering-LGBT-rights-pioneer-Ted-Kennedy

Robert Hilferty, a writer and an AIDS activist who made a documentary film in 1989 that roiled the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York and the Public Broadcasting Service, died on 7/24/09 at age 49. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/20/nyregion/20hilferty.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

Phil DiMaggio, the New York-based casting director and stage manager, died on 8/14/09, at age 57. Playbill.com reports: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/132184-Phil_DiMaggio_Stage_Manager_and_Casting_Director_Dead_at_57

Photo Shoots and Video

Photos: TR Knight, formerly of "Grey's Anatomy", in rehearsal for "Parade" at Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum from BroadwayWorld.com: http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Flash_PARADE_In_Rehearsals_With_TR_Knight_At_MTF_20090821

In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance

New York City (and Broadway)

***Billy Elliot, Elton John’s Tony-winning musical about a boy who wants to become a ballet dancer. www.billyelliotbroadway.com.
***Darren Williams: "Not The Boy Next Door" performs the Peter Allen Songbook. 9/06/09, 9/13/09. Metropolitan Room.
***Hair, Tony-winning revival of the first major rock musical. www.publictheater.org.

Elsewhere...

***An Evening With Simply Barbra and Julie Wilson. Ultimate cabaret with Steven Brinberg and legend Julie Wilson. 9/01/09-9/06/09. San Francisco, CA. http://simplybarbra.com/html/tour.html
***Carol Channing and Friends. JoAnne Worley emcees. 8/31/09. Sacramento, CA. www.channingarts.com.
***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. World Premiere. 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
***The Mystery of Irma Vep. Charles Ludlam's gender-bending gothic spoof, to 9/06/09. San Diego, CA. www.TheOldGlobe.org
***Varla Jean Merman and the Mushroomheads. to 9/05/09. Provincetown, MA. www.varlaonline.com.

On Screen (and Video & DVD)

Out on Screen...

***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***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.
***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.
***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
***September: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

9/08/09: West Hollywood, CA: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. Also: 9/10/09: San Francisco, CA: http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com

9/09/09: New York, NY: Tim Gunn, star of Project Runway, signs copies of "Models, Inc". 4PM. Midtown Comics.

9/9/09: New York, NY: Judy Shepard signs copies of her new book "The Meaning of Matthew", her story of Matthew Shepard's murder and her becoming a gay rights activist. 7PM. Barnes & Noble, Union Square. For national tour dates/ locations: http://www.matthewshepard.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Press_Media_Judy_BookTour09

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. http://www.pacelouisiana.org/SE2009filmfestival.php

9/12/09: North Hollywood, CA: Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays. Various playwrights 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

9/12/09: Springfield, MA: 2009 AIDS Foundation of Western Massachusetts AIDS Walk and 5K Run. www.aidsfoundationwm.org.

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

9/25/09-9/27/09: Washington, DC: 5th Annual National LGBTQA College Student Career Conference. Preparing, LGBTQA college students to transition from academia to the workplace, www.outforwork.com.

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

9/30/09: New York, NY: Matthew Broderick, star of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, speaks. 8PM. 92nd Street Y

9/30/09: Pittsfield, MA: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. For his Fall tour dates and locations: http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html or www.thecolonialtheatre.org

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

10/04/09: San Francisco, CA: Castro Street Fair. the arts & community groups street fair co-founded by Harvey Milk. www.castrostreetfair.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: 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. Answer: Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Follies”. The song is “Ah, Paris”.

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. Answer: Frederick Loewe’s musical “Camelot”. The song is “The Lusty Month of May”.

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. Answer: Mel Brooks’ musical “The Producers”. The song is “The King of Broadway”.

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.” Answer: Richard Rodgers from the musical “South Pacific”. The song is “A Wonderful Guy”. Nurse Nellie later washes the man right outta her hair.

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.” Answer: Leonard Bernstein’s (and Stephen Sondheim’s “West Side Story”. The song is “I Feel Pretty”.

This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Hey Boys and Girls, Who's Gay ?

1. Question: Name this cartoon couple of 25+ years, who were assumed to be gay. A 1993 film documentary about them confirmed the urban legend, but their creators denied that they were any more than “just friends”.

2. Question: Name this British born member of a television quartet, who was accused in 1999 by a member of the religious right of promoting a “homosexual agenda”. The cleric said this stylish puppet “looked gay”.

3. Question: Name this syndicated cartoon. One of its major characters came our on February 10, 1976, the first cartoon character to do so.

4. Question: Name this address, where a closeted Republican stockbroker puppet named Rod lives with his “roomate”, Nicky. Rod likes Broadway musicals from the 1940s and 1950s.

5. Question: Name this peripatetic cartoon hero who was chastized for hanging out with lesbian moms on a Vermont maple sugaring trip. P.S. The segment was filmed near the home of Vermont's tastiest same-sex couple, Ben & Jerry.

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/