Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 10/05/09

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 40 October 5, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com

The Fine Print

See previous editions.

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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: October 5-11, 2009

This Just In !!! FRI: 10/03: Washington, DC: AIDS Walk Washington. www.Aidswalkwashington.org

thru SUN: 10/18: New York, NY: New York Musical Theatre Festival. A showcase for new musicals. NYMF's previous success stories include "[title of show]", "Altar Boyz", "Yank!" and "The Big Voice: God or Merman". www.nymf.org.

MON: 10/05: New Haven, CT: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. Also: TUE: 10/06: Burlington, VT: WED: 10/07: Washington, DC: THU: 10/08: Greensboro, NC: FRI: 10/09: Birmingham, AL: SAT: 10/10: Oxford, MS: SUN: 10/11: Little Rock, AR: http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html

MON: 10/05: New York, NY: A Place At the Table. Rufus Wainwright headlines the benefit for the Ali Forney Center, the nation's largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth. www.aliforneycenter.org/

MON: 10/05: Washington, DC: Barney Frank signs copies of his new biography by Stuart Weisberg. 8PM. 6th and I Street Synagogue.

MON: 10/05: New York, NY: Steven Brinberg as Simply Barbra: “Love Is The Answer...But What Was the Question?”. www.BirdlandJazz.com

WED: 10/07: New York, NY: Christian Siriano, star of “Project Runway”, signing copies of Fierce Style. 7PM. Border's. Columbus Circle. Also: THU: 10/08: Huntington, NY: 7PM. Book Revue. SAT: 10/10: Washington, DC: 2PM. Border's. K Street NW.

WED: 10/07: Chicago, IL Kathy Griffin, queen of the D-List, signing copies of "Official Book Club Selections". 7PM, Borders. N. Michigan.

WED-FRI: 10/07-10/09: New York, NY: 20th Annual Cabaret Convention. Stars include: Matt Cavenaugh, Andrea Marcovicci, Elaine Stritch, Ann Hampton, Liz and Shirley Callaway; Christine Ebersole; Karen Akers, Jeff Harnar, and Julie Wilson. www.mabelmercer.org

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

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

THU: 10/08: South Orange, NJ: Elaine Stritch performs "The Lighter Side of Tennessee Williams". Gay icon performs gay playwright. www.sopacnow.org.

FRI: 10/09: Chattanooga, TN: Peterson Toscano performs his solo theatre piece "Transfigurations: Transgressing Gender in the Bible" about gender-variant Bible characters. www.petersontoscano.com

FRI-SUN: 10/09-10/11: 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

SUN: 10/11: Los Angeles, CA: Broadway Voices for Arts in Education. A benefit starring Carol Channing, Sam Harris, and Jason Graae. UCLA Royce Hall. 310-825-2101

Coming Out: SUN: 10/11: Nationwide: National Coming Out Day.
Some Resources:
Human Rights Campaign: http://www.hrc.org/issues/coming_out/13476.htm
Coming Out Stories: http://www.comingoutstories.org/ www.hrc.com/ncop

Newsworthy:

Coming Out: Coming Out Billboard Vandalized. A Memphis LGBT group's National Coming Out Day, featuring a gay soldier, was trashed. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/coming-out-billboard-featuring-gay-soldier-destroyed-in-memphis.html

Gays or Golf ? On behalf of Equality Across America, Cleve Jones invites President Obama to the March on Washington. The March and National Coming Out Day conflicts with a Presidential Golf Tournament. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/read-cleve-jones-national-equality-march-invitation-to-obama-will-president-choose-gays-or-golf.html

Bill Clinton (to Anderson Cooper): "I was wrong about gay marriage". Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/bill-clinton-i-was-wrong-about-gay-marriage.html

Cleveland, Ohio will host the 2014 Gay Games. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/watch-live-2014-gay-games-announcement.html

Broadway's "Hair" Goes to Washington. In an unusual sign of activism, the company will cancel a Columbus Day Weekend performance to march for equality in Washington, DC. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/theater/30hair.html?_r=2&ref=theater

It's a Hit! The 23rd Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction held on 9/27/09, raised a grand total of $403,929 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA). Since its debut in 1987, which then raised $12,000, the 23 editions of The Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction have raised a grand total of $8,161,752 for BC/EFA.

Photo Shoots and Video

Photos: T.R. Knight stars in the musical "Parade" in Los Angeles. Knight plays Leo Frank, a Jew in Atlants, who is lynched--a true story. Playbill reports: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/133320-PHOTO_CALL_T.R._Knight_Stars_in_Parade_in_Los_Angeles

Features

Coming Out: Coming Out in Middle School. More kids are coming out in high school, but now tweens are coming out too. Benoit Denizet-Lewis, an out journalist, interviews young people coming out and their families, as well as older LGBT people who had very different coming out experiences. The New York Times Magazine reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27out-t.html?_r=2q

In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance

New York City (and Broadway)

***A Boy and His Soul. Colman Domingo's one-man musical about coming of age and coming out. to 10/18/09. http://www.vineyardtheatre.org/show-a-boy-and-his-soul.html
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
***Hair, Tony-winning revival of the first major rock musical. www.publictheater.org.
***Justin Bond, best known as Kiki (of Kiki and Herb fame), in concert. 10/11/09, www.joespub.com.
***Vigil. Malcolm Gets stars in Morris Panych's comedy. to 11/22/09.
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. to 1/03/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org

Elsewhere...

***Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today. Cumming's show based on his new to 10/06/09. Hollywood, CA. www.iboughtabluecartoday.com.
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. to 10/18/09, Cleveland, OH; www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***F__king Men. Joe DiPietro’s adaptation of Schnitzler's 19th century "La Ronde" which observes the sex lives of modern gay America. to 10/25/09. Hollywood, CA.
www.celebrationtheatre.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.
***Insatiable Hunger. Lea Delaria stars in a new musical about a washed-up rock star who comes face-to-face with her past. to 10/23/09. Wellfleet, MA. www.what.org.
***Into The Woods. Moises ("I Am My Own Wife") Kaufman stages Sondheim's fairy tales. to 10/11/09. Kansas City, MO. www.kcrep.org.
***Judy Gold, out Jewish comic, performs. 10/08/09-10/11/09. San Francisco, CA. www.therrazzroom.com.
***Parade. TR Knight ("Greys Anatomy") stars as Leo Frank in the musical about a 1913 murder in Atlanta. to 11/15/09. Los Angeles, CA.www.centertheatregroup.org.

On Screen (and Video & DVD)

Out on Screen...

***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs. Release date: 9/25/09.
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***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

***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.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Mad Men, Season 2. Look for Bryan Batt as a closeted ad exec in this TV drama about a 1960s ad agency.
***The Patty Duke Show: Season One. Before Neely O'Hara, there were cousins, identical cousins all the way.
***The Wizard of Oz. 70th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition showcasing Dorothy and friends.

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

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

thru October: Nationwide: 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. For tour info: www.matthewshepard.org

thru October: Nationwide: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. For tour schedule: http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html

10/12/09: Nationwide: The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. A new epilogue to Moises Kaufman's award-winning theatrical docudrama, a study of the murder of Matthew Shepard, will be performed in over 100 theatres in all 50 states and several countries. www.laramieproject.org.

10/15/09-10/18/09: St. Petersburg, FL: InterPride 2009 Conference. Workshops for/by the International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender 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

10/16/09-10/25/09: Seattle, WA: Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. www.threedollarbillcinema.org

10/17/09: West Hartford, CT: AIDS Walk 2009 to benefit AIDS Project Hartford. www.aphct.org

10/18/09: Los Angeles / West Hollywood, CA: AIDS Walk LA. www.aidswalk.net

10/19/09: New York, NY: Martin Moran performs excerpts from "The Tricky Part", his award-winning one-man show about being gay and surviving abuse. www.writer.org.

10/20/09-10/24/09: St. John's, NL. St John's International Women's Film Festival. www.womensfilmfestival.com

10/24/09: Los Angeles, CA: Rise Up and Shout ! Voices of the next gay generation. A benefit for gay youth. LGBT elders leading the community and youth coming out showcase their voices and visiions. www.riseupandshout.com

10/26/09: San Francisco, CA: Defying Inequality: The San Francisco Concert, a benefit for Marriage Equality USA and Garden State Equality. Featuring the San Francisco cast of "Wicked", Patty Duke, Bruce Vilanch, Judy Gold and others. www.defyinginequality.com.

Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: October Milestones

1. Question: Name this American celebrity, whose death from AIDS on October 2, 1985, brought international attention to the epidemic. Hint: One of his best friends stepped up to the arena to become the world’s leading HIV/AIDS fundraiser. Answer: Rock Hudson, the actor. Elizabeth Taylor began raising millions for AIDS research through her own foundation and AmFAR.

2. Question: Name this LGBT event, which began on October 11, 1988. Coincidentally, it’s also the birthday of a former First Lady, suspected of having a romantic relationship with another woman, a journalist. Their letters were made public on October 21, 1979. Answer: National Coming Out Day. The First Lady was Eleanor Roosevelt.

3. Question: Name this international musician and composer who came out bisexual in Rolling Stone on October 7, 1975. He’s since revised his statement and identifies as gay. Answer: Elton John.

4. Question: Name this gay man, the victim of a hate crime on October 6, 1998. (He died several days later). His murder, which inspired some important plays and films, launched a new era in the LGBT Rights Movement. His parents have taken on the cause. Answer: Matthew Shepard.

5. Question: Name this actor and muse (born October 19, 1946) of American cinema’s most famous bad boy. The muse did her own stunt work as the world’s filthiest person and died shortly after winning mainstream approval as the mother of a chubby teen. Answer: Divine, star of John Waters’ “Pink Flamingos” and “Hairspray”.

This Week’s Trivia Quiz: National Coming Out Day

1. Question: Name this real-life teen who came out to his all-American family on January 15, 1973, on television’s first “reality series”. Hint: He later became a musician and a magazine columnist.

2. Question: Name the comic strip, whose major character came out on February 10, 1976. He was the first comic hero to do so.

3. Question: Name this singer, the first major entertainment figure to come out in an Advocate cover story on October 16, 1992. Her career never suffered as a result, and she paved the way for other entertainers, from Amanda Bearse to Nathan Lane.

4. Question: Names this high-level American elected official who came out under duress on July 20, 1983. A fellow Congressman from his home state followed four years later. They were amongst the highest-ranked out public officers prior to Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin and New Jersey Governor James McGreevey.

5. Question: Name this Emmy winner, who came out on television and on the cover of Time on February 14, 1997. Other Emmy winners who have since come out include: Rosie O’Donnell (2002) and Cynthia Nixon (2004).

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/