Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 9/14/09

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 37 September 14, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com

The Fine Print

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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: September 14-20, 2009

MON: 9/14: New York, NY: Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words. Kristin Johnston, Jackie Hoffman and Michael Urie launch season #2 of actors reading from celebrity autobiographies like those of Miley Cyrus, Ivana Trump, Zsa Zsa Gabor and others. www.smarttix.com.

MON: 9/14: New York, NY: "Love! Valour! Compassion", Terrence McNally's Tony-winning play about a group of gay guys who vacation together in a benefit performance featuring an all Asian-American cast. A benefit for the National Asian American Theatre Company. www.naatco.org.

MON: 9/14: New York, NY: Celebrating Bea Arthur, a memorial tribute. Hosted by Angela Lansbury with appearances by: Adrienne Barbeau, Zoe Caldwell, Billy Goldenberg, Norman Lear, Clinton Leupp, Rue McClanhan, Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller, Rosie O'Donnell, Chita Rivera, and Daryl Roth 1PM. Majestic Theatre. Free.

MON: 9/14: Miami, FL: 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. Books & Books. Also: TUE: 9/15: Atlanta, GA: Time TBD. Outwrite Books. SAT: 9/19: Washington, DC: 2PM. Borders. K St. http://www.matthewshepard.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Press_Media_Judy_BookTour09

TUE: 9/15: New York, NY: Sondra Lee signs copies of her memoir "I've Slept With Everybody". 7:30PM. Barnes & Noble. Lincoln Triangle.

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

SAT: 9/19: Springfield/Agawam, MA: Out in the Park at Six Flags New England. http://www.oicgifts.com/outinthepark/outinthepark/index.html

SUN: 9/20: West Springfield, MA: Out at The Fair at the Eastern States Exposition. http://www.oicgifts.com/outinthepark/outatthefair/index.html

The Buzz (People Making News)

Truth Stirs No Malice. A transgender Methodist minister comes out to his congregation, and receives a positive response from his congregation. The Portland Tribune reports: http://portlandtribune.com/news/print_story.php?story_id=125192444103642100
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/print_story.php?story_id=125192432557447200

Don't Touch That Dial: Former Congressman Mark Foley has a new talk radio show. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/former-florida-rep-mark-foley-has-a-new-radio-show.html

Weddings, Civil Unions and Engagements:

Jim Verraros, American Idol finalist from Season #1, is marrying his partner, Bill Brennan. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/american-idol-season-1-finalist-jim-verraros-marrying-his-partner.html

In Memoriam:

Albert L. Gordon, a straight attorney with gay sons, who worked pro-bono to defend LGBT rights in the early days of the gay rights movement, died on 8/10/09, at age 94.The Los Angeles Times reports: http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-albert-gordon6-2009sep06,0,506052.story

Photo Shoots and Video

Video: Rachel Maddow says gay marriage is saving Massachusetts. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/rachel-maddow-gay-marriage-saving-marriage-in-massachusetts.html

Features

Theatre Takes a Stand for Gay Rights. California's The Attic Theatre asked several playwrights to define gay rights after Proposition 8 passed. Their playlets are being given a showcase. LAStage Blog reports: http://www.lastageblog.com/2009/09/07/taking-a-stand-for-gay-rights/

Profile: Jordan Roth, the new head of Broadway's Jujamcyn theatre empire. He's young, out, and innovative. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/theater/09theater.html?_r=1&ref=theater

In Print:

Barney Frank: The Story of America's Only Left-Handed, Gay, Jewish Congressman. by Stuart Weisberg. University of Massachusetts Press. A new biography about one of America's few out congressman and a major LGBT rights advocate and activist.

I've Slept With Everybody by Sondra Lee. Bear Manor Fiction. A memoir by the actress-turned-director and coach about her relationships -- both romantic and platonic -- with the many stars she met along the way, including Marlon Brando, Jerome Robbins, Stella Adler, and Jane Fonda. BroadwayWorld.com's review:
http://broadwayworld.com/article/Sondra_Lee_Set_To_Appear_At_Barnes_and_Noble_Lincoln_Triangle_915_20090825

In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance

New York City (and Broadway)

***A Steady Rain. It's raining men (Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman) in the two-character Keith Huff play about two Chicago cops who are lifelong friends. to 12/06/09. www.asteadyrain.com.
***Avant-Garde-Arama. Joey Arias and Jackie Hoffman headline a multi-discipline arts event. 9/18/09-9/19/09. www.ps122.org.
enter.org.
***The Hole. Ari Gold stars in a musical about the short-lived infamous East Village gay bar of the same name. to 9/20/09. 212-868-4444.
***Justin Bond, best known as Kiki (of Kiki and Herb fame), in concert. 9/20/09, 10/11/09, 10/31/09. www.joespub.com.
***Vigil. Malcolm Gets stars in Morris Panych's comedy. 9/20/09-11/22/09.

Elsewhere...

***Becoming A Man In 127 Easy Steps. KT Kilborn, former Southern debutante and a homecoming queen transitions F2M to Scott Turner Schofield, full-time performance artist. 9/18/09-9/19/09. Hartford, CT. www.realartways.org
***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.
***Into The Woods. Moises ("I Am My Own Wife") Kaufman stages Sondheim's fairy tales. to 10/04/09. Kansas City, MO. www.kcrep.org.
***The Picture of Dorian Gray, gay Oscar Wilde's scandalous thriller about a handsome young man (Roderick Hill) who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. to 10/04/09. Bethesda, MD. www.roundhousetheatre.org.

On Screen (and Video & DVD)

Out on Screen...

***The Big Gay Musical, Fred M. Caruso's movie, a hilarious story that mixes backstage drama, conservative religious families, coming out, coming to terms, and the occasional tap dancing angel during the making of "Adam & Steve". http://www.thebiggaymusical.com/
***Bruno. Sacha Baron Cohen plays a gay fashionista from Austria who fancies himself as "the voice of Austrian youth TV."
***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.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***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/
***September: Were The World Mine, one of the most buzz-worthy films in recent years. The tale of a contmporary all-boys high school taking on Shakespeare's “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” On Logo On Demand throughout the month of September.
***SUN: 9/20: Neil Patrick Harris hosts the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards. Live. 8PM. CBS.

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

9/21/09+: St. Louis, MO and Beyond: 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. Left Bank Books. For Fall 09 tour dates an locations: http://www.matthewshepard.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Press_Media_Judy_BookTour09

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.

9/26/09: New Orleans, LA: Night of Divas. A benefit for the Forum for Equality, celebrating 20 years of service to the Louisiana LGBT community honoring Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. www.forumforequality.com

9/27/09: New York, NY: 23rd Annual Broadway Flea Market to benefit Broadway Cares. Featuring Bryan Batt , Harvey Fierstein, John Glover, Constantine Maroulis, Bernadette Peters, and Christopher Sieber. www.broadwaycares.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. www.GayDaysAnaheim.com

10/03/09: Bristol, CT: Out on The Lake at Lake Compounce. http://www.oicgifts.com/outinthepark/outatthelake/index.html

10/04/09: San Francisco, CA: Castro Street Fair. the arts & community groups street fair co-founded by Harvey Milk. www.castrostreetfair.org

10/05/09: Washington, DC: Barney Frank signs copies of his new biography by Stuart Weisberg. 8PM. 6th and I Street Synagogue.

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

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 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

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

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

Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: September Milestones

1. Question: Name this French entertainer, born September 12, 1889, whose Lerner and Loewe signature song implied he liked the pretty Parisian pre-teens. In reality, he went home to his “valet” Felix Paquet for many years. Answer: Maurice Chevalier, star of “Gigi”.

2. Question: Name this legislation, signed by President Clinton on September 20, 1996, which defined a hot LGBT community issue being debated today. Answer: DOMA, The Defense of Marriage Act, which bars federal employees from receiving same-sex spousal benefits.

3. Question: Name this soldier, who came out on a Time Magazine cover titled “I Am A Homosexual” on September 8, 1975. He later became a gay rights activist. Answer: US Army Sgt. Leonard Matlovich.

4. Question: Name this TV series actress, who came out on the Advocate cover on September 21, 1993. She was the first regular series cast member on an American sitcom to do so. Answer: Amanda Bearse of “Married with Children”.

5. Question: Name this lesbian rights organization, founded on September 21, 1955, which was on the forefront of the Pre-Stonewall women’s rights and gay rights movement. The group opened its first New York chapter in September, 1958. Answer: Daughters of Bilitis.

This Week’s Trivia Quiz: The Emmy Awards

1. Question: Name this 2003 Emmy winner, a PFLAG Mom who moved from song to variety series to movies and to spectacle. Hint: She has an Oscar too.

2. Question: Name this award-winning stand-up comic, sitcom-star and new talk show host, who came out on in a Time Magazine cover story in 1997, just weeks before her TV character did the same.

3. Question: Name this award-winning TV talk show host who came out to Diane Sawyer in 2002 on a program about gay parenting. She once joked with the answer to question #2 about being “lebanese”.

4. Question: Name this sometimes gay-themed three-night TV mini-series, which premiered on PBS in 1994, bringing the network its highest ratings in TV history. Subsequent sequels went to cable, because PBS funders got nervous about its subject matter.

5. Question: Name this made-for-TV movie, the first network effort about AIDS, in which a young gay lawyer is diagnosed HIV+ and comes home. It premiered during November sweeps in 1985.