Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 13 No. 1 January 4, 2010
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions:
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: January 4-10, 2010
WED-SUN: 1/06-1/10: Park City, UT: Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week. www.gayskiing.org
THU-SUN: 1/07-1/10: New York, NY: New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend. A series of events celebrating the arts in New York with Alan Cumming, Natalie Portman, Carrie Fisher, Lee Daniels ("Precious"), Eric Ripert and more. www.artsandleisureweekend.com.
Newsworthy:
California: The Federal Challenge to Proposition 8 could be televised, which has Prop 8 supporters livid. The trial begins on 1/11/10. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/will-the-olsonboies-federal-challenge-to-prop-8-be-televised.html
The Buzz (People Making News)
Sharon Lubinski has been appointed America's first out Federal Marshall. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/sharon-lubinski-first-openly-gay-us-marshal-confirmed.html
The Sanctity of Marriage: Karl Rove divorces. Chicago Pride reports: http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/9096001
Features
Coming Out: Coming Out (Onstage) in Ireland. True stories of older Irish men willing to flout tradition by frankly discussing their homosexuality form the spine of "Silver Stars," produced by Dublin company Brokentalkers. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/theater/27broken.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=theater&adxnnlx=1261839689-rNBA5/sMm+Qc95WsHaX1xw
Larry Kramer. His boundless outrage changed the face of AIDS. He's now at work on a still-unfinished epic history of gay America. New York Magazine reports: http://nymag.com/news/features/62887/
Cheyennetology Explained. The New York Daily News recaps the Cheyenne Jackson appeal. http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2009/12/27/2009-12-27_all_the_worlds_a_stage_for_hot_new_yorker_cheyenne_jackson.html
Opportunities
Scholarships Opportunity: Point Foundation Scholarships. The Point Foundation is the nation’s largest, publicity-supported organization granting scholarships to LGBT students of merit. Point provides support through multi-year scholarships, leadership training, mentoring and hope to LGBT students who are marginalized because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Application deadline is: 2/12/10. www.pointfoundation.org
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***A Little Night Music. Sondheim's all-waltz musical stars Catherine Zeta-Jones (singing "Send in the Clowns") and Angela Lansbury.
***At Home At The Carlyle: Elaine Stritch Singin' Sondheim One Song At a Time. The Broadway legend (and frequent laughmaker on "30 Rock" sings music of the Broadway legend. to 1/30/10. www.thecarlyle.com.
***Ernest in Love, a musical based on gay Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Ernest". to 1/31/10. www.irishrep.org.
***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.
***Jewdy! Jewdy! Jewdy!, Judy Gold's new lesbian jewish stand-up act. to 1/25/10. www.JudyGold.com
***Present Laughter. Gay Noel Coward's gay comedy. Victor Garber stars as an aging star. to 3/21/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
On National Tour
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. through 4/25/10. www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***Xanadu, the camp roller-disco musical, described by one character as "children's theatre for 40 year old gay men". www.xanaduonbroadway.com
***Fiddler on The Roof. Harvey Fierstein, Broadway's classic Mom in "Hairspray" plays a classic father of five. to 1/10/10. Toronto, ON. www.mirvish.com or visit fiddlerontour.com.
***F*cking Men. A new play, conceived as a riff on Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde, observes the sex lives of modern urban gay America. to 2/14/10, Los Angeles, CA. www.celebrationtheatre.com
***High Spirits. Georgia Engel stars in the musical version of gay Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit". to 1/17/10. Naples, FL. www.theatrezone-florida.com.
***The Threshing Floor. James Ijames's one-actor profile of gay writer James Baldwin (starring Ijames), presented by the LGBT-friendly Mauckingbird Theatre Company. to 1/31/10. Philadelphia, PA. www.mauckingbirdtheatreco.org
***Tru. Jay Presson Allen's one-actor profile of gay writer Truman Capote, presented by the LGBT-friendly Mauckingbird Theatre Company. to 1/31/10. Philadelphia, PA.
www.mauckingbirdtheatreco.org
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***A Single Man. Tom Ford's debut film, an adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel, about a day in the life of a gay man, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.
***Dare, a trio of high school students who become unlikely friends at the end of their senior year. starring Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, Sandra Bernhard and Emmy Rossum.
***Nine, the Rob Marshall movie based on the Broadway musical. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the conflicted film maker. The women in his life: Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Judi Dench and Fergie.
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
***Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. A stunning drama from out director Lee Daniels about an overweight, illiterate Harlem teen, pregnant with her second child, who is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.
Out On Video & DVD
***An Evening with John Barrowman. Concert DVD with the out star of Torchwood. ilmed before a live audience. www.amazon.co.uk.
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***The Fall of '55. The documentary about the gay sex sting in Boise, Idaho in 1955.
***Glee: Volume 1: Road to Sectionals. the first DVD of the hot new TV series.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***Law of Desire. A young Antonio Banderas stars as an obsessed fan of a film director in this 1987 Almodovar classic film.
***Margaret Cho: Beautiful.
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
***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.
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: The Wanda Sykes Show. The out comic's late night talk show. 11PM Saturdays. FOX.
***January: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***WED: 1/06: People's Choice Awards. Live. CBS.Check local listings.
8PM. Live. CBS. www.TonyAwards.com
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
1/11/10: New York, NY: True Colors Cabaret. Karen Olivo and sRufus Wainwright co-star to benefit Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund and Broadway Impact. The True Colors Fund seeks to inspire and engage everyone, particularly the straight community, to become active participants in the advancement of LGBT equality. Broadway Impact is a grassroots coalition of the Broadway community and its fans, mobilizing in support of marriage equality. www.FeinsteinsatLoewsRegency.
1/15/10-1/17/10: Los Angeles, CA: Annual National Union of Jewish LGBTQQI Students Conference. Workshops, services, community building, and social time. NUJLS is a fiscally managed project of Keshet, an organization that works for the full inclusion of LGBT Jews in Jewish life. http://www.nujlsonline.org/confereinceinfo.html
1/16/10: East Haddam, CT: Musical Theatre Symposium with historian John Pike, author Ted Chapin, and "The Creation of Next to Normal". For showtune people. Goodspeed Opera House. www.goodspeed.org.
1/17/10-1/24/10: Aspen, CO: Aspen Gay Ski Week. www.gayskiweek.com
1/20/10-1/24/10: Stowe, VT: Winter Rendezvous. gay skiing & winter sports. www.winterrendezvous.com
1/21/10-1/31/10: Park City, UT: Sundance Film Festival. Among the screenings: James Franco as beat poet Allen Ginsburg in "Howl", the story of the poet's obscenity trial, which also stars Jon Hamm and Mary-Louise Parker and a documentary: "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work". www.sundance.org
1/28/10: White Plains, NY: OUT Professionals Westchester Networking Event, co-sponsored by the LOFT, a non-profit community-based group serving the LGBT community in lower Hudson Valley. www.outprofessionals.org.
1/28/10-1/30/10: Bloomington, IN: Pride Film Festival. www.pridefilmfestival.org
2/08/10: San Francisco, CA: All You Need Is Love 2, the Help is On The Way benefit concert for STOP AIDS PROJECTand Aguilas. Produced by The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation. www.helpisontheway.org
2/12/10-2/15/10: Hudson Valley, NY: Winter Explosion. LGBT African-American winter event. www.winterexplosion.com
2/12/10-3/13/10: Los Angeles, CA: Fusion. Los Angeles’ LGBT people of color film festival. www.outfest.org/fusion.html
2/16/10-2/21/10: New York, NY: CineKink NYC. mixed gay/straight film festival exploring a wide variety of sexualities through documentary, comedy, drama & more. www.cinekink.com
2/19/10-2/21/10: San Luis Obispo, CA: Western Regional LGBTQIA College Conference, sponsored by California Polytechnic State University. www.comeoutwest.org
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: January Milestones
1. Question: Name this musician, author and activist, who was the first person to come out on television on January 18, 1973. His family was the subject of a reality series documentary on PBS. Answer: Lance Loud, on “An American Family”.
2. Question: Name this playwright and activist. On January 12, 1982, a group of gay men met at his apartment to form the GMHC, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, a non-profit organization to provide programs and services to people with HIV. Today, the GMHC is one of the nation’s laregest AIDS service organizations, and the playwright is best known for his activism. Answer: Larry Kramer, who wrote “The Normal Heart” and later founded ACT-UP.
3. Question: Name this out award-winning actor and activist. His gay and lesbian theatre and film colleagues, among them Alec McGowen, Simon Callow, Stephen Fry, Cameron Macintosh, and Martin Sherman, came out publicly in the UK’s Guardian to support his knighthood on January 9, 1991. Answer: Sir Ian McKellan.
4. Question: Name this popular icon who was outed in January, 2005. He joined Tinky Winky and Bert & Ernie as gay icons. Answer: SpongeBob Squarepants.
5. Question: Name this bisexual American actress, born January 31, 1902. She was best known for her portrayals of Southern belles, although she had a mouth that could frighten sailors. Answer: Tallulah Bankhead, star of “Lifeboat”, “The Little Foxes” who said “i’m as pure as the fresh-driven slush”.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (this year’s runs Janunary 21-31) is the largest independent cinema festival in the USA. Founded with the support of Robert Redford, the festival has showcased numerous LGBT films in hits history. Its Queer Lounge is a gathering point for LGBT film makers and those interested in LGBT-themed films (www.queerlounge.org). For information on this year’s festival: festival.sundance.org.
1. Question: Name this Sundance Film Festival winner. It was based upon an off-Broaday musical about a transgender East German rock singer. It won the same year that a film "Southern Comfort" won in the documentary category for its chronicle of the final year of a FTM TG person with fatal cervical cancer.
2. Question: Name this person, who was the focus of a documentary that won an award in 1985, the Festival's first year. The person was the focus of an Oscar-winning film, an award-winning book, an opera, and a second film (a non-documentary big-budget Hollywood effort).
3. Question: Name this 1990 Sundance winner, the first mainstream film to compassionately show the human side of the AIDS epidemic (premiering years before "Philadelphia" on PBS). It featured many theatre actors, and one of its best performances came from the artistic director of a major American regional theatre.
4. Question: Name this 1996 Sundance winner, a documentary based upon a book that chronicled the portrayal of LGBT people in American cinema, and the closets of Hollywood. Its author was an authority on gay cinema who unfortunately died early in the AIDS epidemic.
5. Question: Sundance has awarded documentary films that showcased gay artists ("Paul Monette: The Brink of Summers End"); the drag ball culture of New York ("Paris is Burning") and the story of a couple impacted by HIV/AIDS ("Silverlake: The View from Here"). What Sundance winner (1986) became commercial cinema's first mainstream hit with a lesbian theme ?
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/
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 12/28/09
Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 52 December 28, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions.
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
Season’s Greetings! Our best wishes for a happy holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year !
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: December 28, 2009-January 3, 2010
THU: 12/31: Los Angeles, CA: Adam Lambert performs a midnight set at Gridlock. Pamela Anderson hosts. www.gridlockla.com
FRI: 1/01: New York, NY: 2010: An Equality Odyssey Benefit. The cast of Broadway's "Hair" will perform a benefit at Joe's Pub to raise money for Broadway Impact. www.broadwayimpact.com
Newsworthy:
Mexico City gets marriage equality. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/mexico-city-gets-marriage-equality-in-definitive-vote.html
The Buzz (People Making News)
Coming Out: Gareth Thomas, the Welsh rugby star, has come out. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/british-rugby-star-gareth-thomas-im-gay.html
Also: Thomas' ex-wife speaks out:Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/i-still-love-gareth-and-i-will-never-stop-loving-him-says--jemma-in-her-first-interview-since-he-publicly-announced-he-was.html
In Memoriam:
Arthur Cores, one of the founders of Boston Market, the chicken restaurant chain, died on 12/16/09 at age 52. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/19/business/19cores.html?_r=3
Features
Decade-End Recap: It's a Wrap: 2000-2009: Charting the course of progress in LGBT rights during the last decade. The San Francisco Chronicle reports: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/16/MNML1B484M.DTL
Opportunities
Scholarships Opportunity: Point Foundation Scholarships. The Point Foundation is the nation’s largest, publicity-supported organization granting scholarships to LGBT students of merit. Point provides support through multi-year scholarships, leadership training, mentoring and hope to LGBT students who are marginalized because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Scholarships for the 2010-2011 school year become available on 12/11/09. Application deadline is: 2/12/10. www.pointfoundation.org
In Print:
Year-End Recap: Fifty Gay and Lesbian Books Everybody Must Read. Edited by Richard Canning. Alyson. A wide-ranging group of essays by some of today’s most outstanding novelists, writers, and critics. Some familiar names—Melville, Plato, Sappho, Rimbaud—are seen afresh, while others will be unfamiliar books waiting to be discovered.
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***A Little Night Music. Sondheim's all-waltz musical stars Catherina Zeta-Jones (singing "Send in the Clowns") and Angela Lansbury.
***Dec. '09: An Evening With Sandra Bernhard. to 12/31/09. www.joespub.com
***Ernest in Love, a musical based on gay Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Ernest". to 1/31/10. www.irishrep.org.
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
***The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever. Joe Marshall's comedy about a struggling gay theatre company in West Hollywood. to 1/03/10. www.alternativethratreco.org.
***Present Laughter. Gay Noel Coward's gay comedy. Victor Garber stars as an aging star. 1/2/10-3/21/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
***She Like Girls, Chisa Hutchinson’s drama about a 2003 hate crime, the killing of a high school lesbian, shot at a Newark bus stop. to 12/30/09. www.theatermania.com.
Elsewhere...
On National Tour
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. through 4/25/10. www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***Xanadu, the camp roller-disco musical, described by one character as "children's theatre for 40 year old gay men". www.xanaduonbroadway.com
And...
***The Addams Family. Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth and Jackie Hoffman co-star in the musical based on the TV sitcom, cartoon series and films. to 1/10/10. Chicago, IL. www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com
***Fiddler on The Roof. Harvey Fierstein, Broadway's classic Mom in "Hairspray" plays a classic father of five. to 1/10/10. Toronto, ON. www.mirvish.com or visit fiddlerontour.com.
***F*cking Men. A new play, conceived as a riff on Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde, observes the sex lives of modern urban gay America. 1/01/10-2/14/10, Los Angeles, CA. www.celebrationtheatre.com
***The Marga Gomez New Year's Eve Spectacular, the out comic's stand-up comedy blow-out. 12/31/09. San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com
***Santaland Diaries. David Sedaris' tale of being an unemployed writer who takes a holiday job as a department store elf. to 12/30/09, San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/89315
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***A Single Man. Tom Ford's debut film, an adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel, about a day in the life of a gay man, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.
***Dare, a trio of high school students who become unlikely friends at the end of their senior year. starring Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, Sandra Bernhard and Emmy Rossum.
***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
***Nine, the Rob Marshall movie based on the Broadway musical. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the conflicted film maker. The women in his life: Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Judi Dench and Fergie.
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
***Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. A stunning drama from out director Lee Daniels about an overweight, illiterate Harlem teen, pregnant with her second child, who is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.
Out On Video & DVD
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***The Fall of '55. The documentary about the gay sex sting in Boise, Idaho in 1955.
***Glee: Road to Sectionals. the first DVD based on the hot new TV series.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***Margaret Cho: Beautiful.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination.
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on Elliot Tiber's memoir. Demetri Martin stars as the gay Tiber.
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: The Wanda Sykes Show. The out comic's late night talk show. 11PM Saturdays. FOX.
***December/January: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***December: Liza's At The Palace, her recent Broadway concert form. Pledge programming on PBS. A DVD will be issued, first as a pledge premium and later on the retail circuit (2/02/10). www.pbs.org. for airtimes.
***TUE: 12/29: The Kennedy Center Honors Gala. This year's honorees include: Bruce Springsteen and Mel Brooks. 9PM. CBS.
***THU: 12/31: CNN New Year's Eve from Times Square with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin in Times Square and Lance Bass in Las Vegas. 11PM ET.
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
1/6/10-1/10/10: Park City, UT: Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week. www.gayskiing.org
1/07/10-1/10/10: New York, NY: New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend. A series of events celebrating the arts in New York with Alan Cumming, Natalie Portman, Carrie Fisher, Lee Daniels ("Precious"), Eric Ripert and more. www.artsandleisureweekend.com.
1/11/10: New York, NY: True Colors Cabaret. Karen Olivo and sRufus Wainwright co-star to benefit Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund and Broadway Impact. The True Colors Fund seeks to inspire and engage everyone, particularly the straight community, to become active participants in the advancement of LGBT equality. Broadway Impact is a grassroots coalition of the Broadway community and its fans, mobilizing in support of marriage equality. www.FeinsteinsatLoewsRegency.
1/15/10-1/17/10: Los Angeles, CA: Annual National Union of Jewish LGBTQQI Students Conference. Workshops, services, community building, and social time. NUJLS is a fiscally managed project of Keshet, an organization that works for the full inclusion of LGBT Jews in Jewish life. http://www.nujlsonline.org/confereinceinfo.html
1/16/10: East Haddam, CT: Musical Theatre Symposium with historian John Pike, author Ted Chapin, and "The Creation of Next to Normal". For showtune people. Goodspeed Opera House. www.goodspeed.org.
1/17/10-1/24/10: Aspen, CO: Aspen Gay Ski Week. www.gayskiweek.com
1/20/10-1/24/10: Stowe, VT: Winter Rendezvous. gay skiing & winter sports. www.winterrendezvous.com
1/21/10-1/31/10: Park City, UT: Sundance Film Festival. Among the screenings: James Franco as beat poet Allen Ginsburg in "Howl", the story of the poet's obscenity trial, which also stars Jon Hamm and Mary-Louise Parker and a documentary: "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work". www.sundance.org
1/25/10: New York, NY: Michael Urie ("Ugly Betty") stars in a reading of Albert Camus' "Caligula". www.redbulltheater.com.
1/25/10: New York, NY: Bruce Vilanch hosts the Night Life Awards, celebrating the best in clubs, cabaret, and other entertainment. Winners perform in lieu of acceptance speeches. Town Hall.www.SiegelEntertainment@msn.com
1/28/10-1/30/10: Bloomington, IN: Pride Film Festival. www.pridefilmfestival.org
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: 2009 In Review: Part III
1. Question: Name this publishing empire which closed shop, silencing major LGBT voices in Atlanta, Houston, and Washington, DC. Answer: Window Media, the former publisher of Genre magazine, which also published the Washington Blade, Southern Voice, Houston Voice, and South Florida Blade. The New York Times reported: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/business/media/17window.html
2. Question: Name this gay scientist, the father of modern computing, who broke the Nazi Enigma codes. He was convicted of "gross indecency", after which he committed suicide. This year, The British government formally apologised to him. Answer: Alan Turing. Two years after being convicted of "gross indecency" and sentenced to undergo hormone therapy, he killed himself with a cyanide-laced apple. His story was made into a play and ilm called "Breaking The Code".
3. Question: Name this out African-American author who died in 2009. His writing often addressed gay black culture on the down low, and his 10 consecutive books were New York Times best-sellers, making him one of the most successful gay and African-American writers of his era. Answer: E. Lynn Harris, who died on 7/24/09, at age 54. The Washington Post reported: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/24/AR2009072403333.html
4. Question: Name this actress, beloved by the gay community, who died this year. She played a boozy Broaway star and yenta on Broadway, and a liberal suburbanite and loud-mouthed senior on TV. She was a generous supporter of New York's Ali Forney Center for homeless LGBT teens, and she left the bulk of her estate to that institution. Answer: Beatrice Arthur, the TV star in the hit shows "Maude" and "The Golden Girls" and Broadway's "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Mame". She died 4/25/09 at age 86. C
5. Question: Name this comic character who came out this year. DC Comics resurrected her character as a lesbian. Answer: Batwoman. DC Comics reinvented the classic comic book character as a lesbian in July. EDGE Boston reported: http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=&sc3=&id=87244
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: January Milestones
1. Question: Name this musician, author and activist, who was the first person to come out on television on January 18, 1973. His family was the subject of a reality series documentary on PBS. A
2. Question: Name this playwright and activist. On January 12, 1982, a group of gay men met at his apartment to form the GMHC, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, a non-profit organization to provide programs and services to people with HIV. Today, the GMHC is one of the nation’s laregest AIDS service organizations, and the playwright is best known for his activism.
3. Question: Name this out award-winning actor and activist. His gay and lesbian theatre and film colleagues, among them Alec McGowen, Simon Callow, Stephen Fry, Cameron Macintosh, and Martin Sherman, came out publicly in the UK’s Guardian to support his knighthood on January 9, 1991.
4. Question: Name this popular icon who was outed in January, 2005. He joined Tinky Winky and Bert & Ernie as gay icons.
5. Question: Name this bisexual American actress, born January 31, 1902. She was best known for her portrayals of Southern belles, although she had a mouth that could frighten sailors.
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/
Volume 12 No. 52 December 28, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions.
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
Season’s Greetings! Our best wishes for a happy holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year !
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: December 28, 2009-January 3, 2010
THU: 12/31: Los Angeles, CA: Adam Lambert performs a midnight set at Gridlock. Pamela Anderson hosts. www.gridlockla.com
FRI: 1/01: New York, NY: 2010: An Equality Odyssey Benefit. The cast of Broadway's "Hair" will perform a benefit at Joe's Pub to raise money for Broadway Impact. www.broadwayimpact.com
Newsworthy:
Mexico City gets marriage equality. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/mexico-city-gets-marriage-equality-in-definitive-vote.html
The Buzz (People Making News)
Coming Out: Gareth Thomas, the Welsh rugby star, has come out. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/british-rugby-star-gareth-thomas-im-gay.html
Also: Thomas' ex-wife speaks out:Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/i-still-love-gareth-and-i-will-never-stop-loving-him-says--jemma-in-her-first-interview-since-he-publicly-announced-he-was.html
In Memoriam:
Arthur Cores, one of the founders of Boston Market, the chicken restaurant chain, died on 12/16/09 at age 52. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/19/business/19cores.html?_r=3
Features
Decade-End Recap: It's a Wrap: 2000-2009: Charting the course of progress in LGBT rights during the last decade. The San Francisco Chronicle reports: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/16/MNML1B484M.DTL
Opportunities
Scholarships Opportunity: Point Foundation Scholarships. The Point Foundation is the nation’s largest, publicity-supported organization granting scholarships to LGBT students of merit. Point provides support through multi-year scholarships, leadership training, mentoring and hope to LGBT students who are marginalized because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Scholarships for the 2010-2011 school year become available on 12/11/09. Application deadline is: 2/12/10. www.pointfoundation.org
In Print:
Year-End Recap: Fifty Gay and Lesbian Books Everybody Must Read. Edited by Richard Canning. Alyson. A wide-ranging group of essays by some of today’s most outstanding novelists, writers, and critics. Some familiar names—Melville, Plato, Sappho, Rimbaud—are seen afresh, while others will be unfamiliar books waiting to be discovered.
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***A Little Night Music. Sondheim's all-waltz musical stars Catherina Zeta-Jones (singing "Send in the Clowns") and Angela Lansbury.
***Dec. '09: An Evening With Sandra Bernhard. to 12/31/09. www.joespub.com
***Ernest in Love, a musical based on gay Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Ernest". to 1/31/10. www.irishrep.org.
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
***The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever. Joe Marshall's comedy about a struggling gay theatre company in West Hollywood. to 1/03/10. www.alternativethratreco.org.
***Present Laughter. Gay Noel Coward's gay comedy. Victor Garber stars as an aging star. 1/2/10-3/21/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
***She Like Girls, Chisa Hutchinson’s drama about a 2003 hate crime, the killing of a high school lesbian, shot at a Newark bus stop. to 12/30/09. www.theatermania.com.
Elsewhere...
On National Tour
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. through 4/25/10. www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***Xanadu, the camp roller-disco musical, described by one character as "children's theatre for 40 year old gay men". www.xanaduonbroadway.com
And...
***The Addams Family. Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth and Jackie Hoffman co-star in the musical based on the TV sitcom, cartoon series and films. to 1/10/10. Chicago, IL. www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com
***Fiddler on The Roof. Harvey Fierstein, Broadway's classic Mom in "Hairspray" plays a classic father of five. to 1/10/10. Toronto, ON. www.mirvish.com or visit fiddlerontour.com.
***F*cking Men. A new play, conceived as a riff on Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde, observes the sex lives of modern urban gay America. 1/01/10-2/14/10, Los Angeles, CA. www.celebrationtheatre.com
***The Marga Gomez New Year's Eve Spectacular, the out comic's stand-up comedy blow-out. 12/31/09. San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com
***Santaland Diaries. David Sedaris' tale of being an unemployed writer who takes a holiday job as a department store elf. to 12/30/09, San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/89315
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***A Single Man. Tom Ford's debut film, an adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel, about a day in the life of a gay man, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.
***Dare, a trio of high school students who become unlikely friends at the end of their senior year. starring Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, Sandra Bernhard and Emmy Rossum.
***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
***Nine, the Rob Marshall movie based on the Broadway musical. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the conflicted film maker. The women in his life: Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Judi Dench and Fergie.
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
***Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. A stunning drama from out director Lee Daniels about an overweight, illiterate Harlem teen, pregnant with her second child, who is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.
Out On Video & DVD
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***The Fall of '55. The documentary about the gay sex sting in Boise, Idaho in 1955.
***Glee: Road to Sectionals. the first DVD based on the hot new TV series.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***Margaret Cho: Beautiful.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination.
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on Elliot Tiber's memoir. Demetri Martin stars as the gay Tiber.
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: The Wanda Sykes Show. The out comic's late night talk show. 11PM Saturdays. FOX.
***December/January: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***December: Liza's At The Palace, her recent Broadway concert form. Pledge programming on PBS. A DVD will be issued, first as a pledge premium and later on the retail circuit (2/02/10). www.pbs.org. for airtimes.
***TUE: 12/29: The Kennedy Center Honors Gala. This year's honorees include: Bruce Springsteen and Mel Brooks. 9PM. CBS.
***THU: 12/31: CNN New Year's Eve from Times Square with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin in Times Square and Lance Bass in Las Vegas. 11PM ET.
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
1/6/10-1/10/10: Park City, UT: Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week. www.gayskiing.org
1/07/10-1/10/10: New York, NY: New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend. A series of events celebrating the arts in New York with Alan Cumming, Natalie Portman, Carrie Fisher, Lee Daniels ("Precious"), Eric Ripert and more. www.artsandleisureweekend.com.
1/11/10: New York, NY: True Colors Cabaret. Karen Olivo and sRufus Wainwright co-star to benefit Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund and Broadway Impact. The True Colors Fund seeks to inspire and engage everyone, particularly the straight community, to become active participants in the advancement of LGBT equality. Broadway Impact is a grassroots coalition of the Broadway community and its fans, mobilizing in support of marriage equality. www.FeinsteinsatLoewsRegency.
1/15/10-1/17/10: Los Angeles, CA: Annual National Union of Jewish LGBTQQI Students Conference. Workshops, services, community building, and social time. NUJLS is a fiscally managed project of Keshet, an organization that works for the full inclusion of LGBT Jews in Jewish life. http://www.nujlsonline.org/confereinceinfo.html
1/16/10: East Haddam, CT: Musical Theatre Symposium with historian John Pike, author Ted Chapin, and "The Creation of Next to Normal". For showtune people. Goodspeed Opera House. www.goodspeed.org.
1/17/10-1/24/10: Aspen, CO: Aspen Gay Ski Week. www.gayskiweek.com
1/20/10-1/24/10: Stowe, VT: Winter Rendezvous. gay skiing & winter sports. www.winterrendezvous.com
1/21/10-1/31/10: Park City, UT: Sundance Film Festival. Among the screenings: James Franco as beat poet Allen Ginsburg in "Howl", the story of the poet's obscenity trial, which also stars Jon Hamm and Mary-Louise Parker and a documentary: "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work". www.sundance.org
1/25/10: New York, NY: Michael Urie ("Ugly Betty") stars in a reading of Albert Camus' "Caligula". www.redbulltheater.com.
1/25/10: New York, NY: Bruce Vilanch hosts the Night Life Awards, celebrating the best in clubs, cabaret, and other entertainment. Winners perform in lieu of acceptance speeches. Town Hall.www.SiegelEntertainment@msn.com
1/28/10-1/30/10: Bloomington, IN: Pride Film Festival. www.pridefilmfestival.org
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: 2009 In Review: Part III
1. Question: Name this publishing empire which closed shop, silencing major LGBT voices in Atlanta, Houston, and Washington, DC. Answer: Window Media, the former publisher of Genre magazine, which also published the Washington Blade, Southern Voice, Houston Voice, and South Florida Blade. The New York Times reported: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/business/media/17window.html
2. Question: Name this gay scientist, the father of modern computing, who broke the Nazi Enigma codes. He was convicted of "gross indecency", after which he committed suicide. This year, The British government formally apologised to him. Answer: Alan Turing. Two years after being convicted of "gross indecency" and sentenced to undergo hormone therapy, he killed himself with a cyanide-laced apple. His story was made into a play and ilm called "Breaking The Code".
3. Question: Name this out African-American author who died in 2009. His writing often addressed gay black culture on the down low, and his 10 consecutive books were New York Times best-sellers, making him one of the most successful gay and African-American writers of his era. Answer: E. Lynn Harris, who died on 7/24/09, at age 54. The Washington Post reported: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/24/AR2009072403333.html
4. Question: Name this actress, beloved by the gay community, who died this year. She played a boozy Broaway star and yenta on Broadway, and a liberal suburbanite and loud-mouthed senior on TV. She was a generous supporter of New York's Ali Forney Center for homeless LGBT teens, and she left the bulk of her estate to that institution. Answer: Beatrice Arthur, the TV star in the hit shows "Maude" and "The Golden Girls" and Broadway's "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Mame". She died 4/25/09 at age 86. C
5. Question: Name this comic character who came out this year. DC Comics resurrected her character as a lesbian. Answer: Batwoman. DC Comics reinvented the classic comic book character as a lesbian in July. EDGE Boston reported: http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=&sc3=&id=87244
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: January Milestones
1. Question: Name this musician, author and activist, who was the first person to come out on television on January 18, 1973. His family was the subject of a reality series documentary on PBS. A
2. Question: Name this playwright and activist. On January 12, 1982, a group of gay men met at his apartment to form the GMHC, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, a non-profit organization to provide programs and services to people with HIV. Today, the GMHC is one of the nation’s laregest AIDS service organizations, and the playwright is best known for his activism.
3. Question: Name this out award-winning actor and activist. His gay and lesbian theatre and film colleagues, among them Alec McGowen, Simon Callow, Stephen Fry, Cameron Macintosh, and Martin Sherman, came out publicly in the UK’s Guardian to support his knighthood on January 9, 1991.
4. Question: Name this popular icon who was outed in January, 2005. He joined Tinky Winky and Bert & Ernie as gay icons.
5. Question: Name this bisexual American actress, born January 31, 1902. She was best known for her portrayals of Southern belles, although she had a mouth that could frighten sailors.
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/
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 12/21/09
Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 51 December 21, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: December 21-27, 2009
MON: 12/21: San Francisco, CA: Frederick Hertz discusses his new book, "Living Together: A Legal Guide for Unmarried Couples and A Legal Guide for Lesbian and Gay Couples", co-authored with Emily Doskow. A Different Light Books. http://adleventscastro.blogspot.com/
FRI: 12/25: Global: Christmas. Seasons greetings to all.
Newsworthy:
Washington, DC: Same-sex couples won the right to marry in the nation’s capital 12/15/09, when the District of Columbia City Council voted 11-2 to pass a measure sponsored by openly gay council member David Catania. Congress has 30 days to review the law before it takes effect, but Congressional leaders have already agreed not to block the law’s adoption. GayPolitics. com reports: http://www.gaypolitics.com/2009/12/15/marriage-equality-approved-in-nations-captital/
Texas: Houston became the largest city in the United States to elect an openly gay mayor on 12/12/09, as voters gave a solid victory to the city controller, Annise Parker. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/us/politics/13houston.html
California: The California Assembly has picked John Perez as its first openly gay speaker. The San Francisco Chronicle reports: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/10/BAKV1B2CJU.DTL&tsp=1
Rent Boys: Coming to a Nevada Brothel Near You. But, not everyone's thrilled. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/homophobe-objects-to-opening-of-nv-brothels-to-male-prostitution.html
Awards and Honors:
Golden Globes Nominees: "Mad Men", "Glee", "Nine", Sigourney Weaver in "Prayer for Bobby", Neil Patrick Harris. For the list of nominees: http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/hfpa-golden-globes-nominations/
Features
Coming Out: Gay British Soldier speaks out about coming out while on tour of duty in Afghanistan. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/gay-british-army-trooper-speaks-out-about-coming-out.html
Chat: Angela Lansbury and Stephen Sondheim talk about "A Little Night Music" and more. New York Magazine reports: http://nymag.com/arts/theater/features/62635/
The Resource Center:
GayPolitics covers the intersection of politics and the fight for LGBT equality, highlighting key stories about electoral politics, the legislative process and the people involved in both. As a project of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, we also report on the campaigns and careers of openly LGBT elected and appointed officials at all levels of government. www.gaypolitics.com
In Print:
The Best LGBT Books of 2009: 56 writers select their favorites. Band of Thebes (one of our favorite blogs for literature) reports: http://bandofthebes.typepad.com/bandofthebes/2009/12/the-best-lgbt-books-of-2009-56-writers-select-their-favorites.html#more
Sordid Truths: Selling My Innocence for a Taste of Stardom by Aiden Shaw. Alyson Publications. Shaw's autobiography chronicles the author’s ascent from being just another broke college boy, who dabbled with the idea that he could sell his young body for hard cash, to becoming the internationally renowned adult film superstar. He later turned author.
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***A John Waters Christmas. Homo for the holidays. His one-man show. 12/22/09. www.bbkingblues.com
***A Little Night Music. Sondheim's all-waltz musical stars Catherina Zeta-Jones (singing "Send in the Clowns") and Angela Lansbury.
***Dec. '09: An Evening With Sandra Bernhard. 12/26/09-12/31/09. www.joespub.com
***Ernest in Love, a musical based on gay Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Ernest". to 1/31/10. www.irishrep.org.
***The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever. Joe Marshall's comedy about a struggling gay theatre company in West Hollywood. to 1/03/10. www.alternativethratreco.org.
***The Michael Feinstein & David Hyde Pierce Holiday Show. to 12/30/09. feinsteinsatloewsregency.com
***She Like Girls, Chisa Hutchinson’s drama about a 2003 hate crime, the killing of a high school lesbian, shot at a Newark bus stop. to 12/30/09. www.theatermania.com.
***Zero Hour. Jim Brochu’s award-winning play about the life of theatre legend Zero Mostel. Brochu, who plays Mostel, and his onstage/offstage partner Steve Schalchlin, penned "The Big Voice: God or Merman?". to 1/31/10. www.ZeroHourShow.com
Elsewhere...
***The Addams Family. Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth and Jackie Hoffman co-star in the musical based on the TV sitcom, cartoon series and films. to 1/10/10. Chicago, IL. www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com
***Fiddler on The Roof. Harvey Fierstein, Broadway's classic Mom in "Hairspray" plays a classic father of five. to 1/10/10. Toronto, ON. www.mirvish.com or visit fiddlerontour.com.
***The Marga Gomez New Year's Eve Spectacular, the out comic's stand-up comedy blow-out. 12/31/09. San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com
***Santaland Diaries. David Sedaris' tale of being an unemployed writer who takes a holiday job as a department store elf. to 12/30/09, San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/89315 to 12/27/09, Houston, TX. www.alleytheatre.org.
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***A Single Man. Tom Ford's debut film, an adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel, about a day in the life of a gay man, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.
***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
***Nine, the Rob Marshall movie based on the Broadway musical. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the conflicted film maker. The women in his life: Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Judi Dench and Fergie.
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
***Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. A stunning drama from out director Lee Daniels about an overweight, illiterate Harlem teen, pregnant with her second child, who is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.
Out On Video & DVD
.
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***The Fall of '55. The documentary about the gay sex sting in Boise, Idaho in 1955.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***Margaret Cho: Beautiful.
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
***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.
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: The Wanda Sykes Show. The out comic's late night talk show. 11PM Saturdays. FOX.
***December: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***December: Liza's At The Palace, her recent Broadway concert form. Pledge programming on PBS. A DVD will be issued, first as a pledge premium and later on the retail circuit (2/02/10). www.pbs.org. for airtimes.
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
1/6/10-1/10/10: Park City, UT: Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week. www.gayskiing.org
1/07/10-1/10/10: New York, NY: New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend. A series of events celebrating the arts in New York with Alan Cumming, Natalie Portman, Carrie Fisher, Lee Daniels ("Precious"), Eric Ripert and more. www.artsandleisureweekend.com.
1/15/10-1/17/10: Los Angeles, CA: Annual National Union of Jewish LGBTQQI Students Conference. Workshops, services, community building, and social time. NUJLS is a fiscally managed project of Keshet, an organization that works for the full inclusion of LGBT Jews in Jewish life. http://www.nujlsonline.org/confereinceinfo.html
1/17/10-1/24/10: Aspen, CO: Aspen Gay Ski Week. www.gayskiweek.com
1/20/10-1/24/10: Stowe, VT: Winter Rendezvous. gay skiing & winter sports. www.winterrendezvous.com
1/21/10-1/31/10: Park City, UT: Sundance Film Festival. Among the screenings: James Franco as beat poet Allen Ginsburg in "Howl", the story of the poet's obscenity trial, which also stars Jon Hamm and Mary-Louise Parker and a documentary: "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work". www.sundance.org
1/28/10-1/30/10: Bloomington, IN: Pride Film Festival. www.pridefilmfestival.org
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: 2009 In Review: Part II
1. Question: Name this American university that established an endowed chair in LGBT studies, in what was believed to be the first professorship of its kind in the country. Hint: It wasn't City University of New York, which started the first LGBT studies program in 1986, nor Yale which attempted to endow a chair in the 1990's. Answer: Harvard University. The New York Times reported: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/education/04harvard.html?_r=1&ref=us
2. Question: Name this radio host and former TV spokesperson whose crystal ball and tarot cards said it was time to come out. Answer: Miss Cleo, former spokesperson for the Psychic Readers Network, came out. She's now released a spoken-word CD and started a radio show.
3. Question: Name this LGBT bookstore (the oldest in the USA) which folded this year. It's not Los Angeles' A Different Light Books, which folded nor Giovanni's Room in Philadelphia, which had financial issues. Answer: The Oscar Wilde Bookshop in New York's Greenwich Village, which shuttered on 3/29/09. The New York Times reported: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/nyregion/04bookstore.html?ref=nyregion
4. Question: Name this out Broadway and television star who has hosted both the Tony Awards and the Emmy Awards in the same year. Hint: It's not Ellen DeGeneres. Answer: Neil Patrick Harris, star of "How I Met Your Mother" and Sondheim's "Assassins".
5. Question: Name this legendary gay porn star who died in 2009. He went from porn to musical theatre and producing; he married a legendary big band singer, and his life was the subject of a film documentary. Answer: Jack Wrangler, who died at age 62. He married the famous big band singer Margaret Whiting later in his life. The Advocate recapped his life. http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid77929.asp
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: 2009 In Review: Part III
2009 was a milestone year. A new President promised change, but it came slowly to the LGBT community. Gay marriage rights in California and Maine were put to the test. Stonewall was commemorated, Washington got marched upon, and a gay rights icon made Oscars history. How much of 2009 do you remember ? Answers to this quiz are found in previous editions of the coming Out Support News. http://cosnewsweekly.blogspot.com/
1. Question: Name this publishing empire which closed shop, silencing major LGBT voices in Atlanta, Houston, and Washington, DC.
2. Question: Name this gay scientist, the father of modern computing, who broke the Nazi Enigma codes. He was convicted of "gross indecency", after which he committed suicide. This year, The British government formally apologised to him.
3. Question: Name this out African-American author who died in 2009. His writing often addressed gay black culture on the down low, and his 10 consecutive books were New York Times best-sellers, making him one of the most successful gay and African-American writers of his era.
4. Question: Name this actress, beloved by the gay community, who died this year. She played a boozy Broaway star and yenta on Broadway, and a liberal suburbanite and loud-mouthed senior on TV. She was a generous supporter of New York's Ali Forney Center for homeless LGBT teens, and she left the bulk of her estate to that institution.
5. Question: Name this comic character who came out this year. DC Comics resurrected her character as a lesbian.
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/
Volume 12 No. 51 December 21, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: December 21-27, 2009
MON: 12/21: San Francisco, CA: Frederick Hertz discusses his new book, "Living Together: A Legal Guide for Unmarried Couples and A Legal Guide for Lesbian and Gay Couples", co-authored with Emily Doskow. A Different Light Books. http://adleventscastro.blogspot.com/
FRI: 12/25: Global: Christmas. Seasons greetings to all.
Newsworthy:
Washington, DC: Same-sex couples won the right to marry in the nation’s capital 12/15/09, when the District of Columbia City Council voted 11-2 to pass a measure sponsored by openly gay council member David Catania. Congress has 30 days to review the law before it takes effect, but Congressional leaders have already agreed not to block the law’s adoption. GayPolitics. com reports: http://www.gaypolitics.com/2009/12/15/marriage-equality-approved-in-nations-captital/
Texas: Houston became the largest city in the United States to elect an openly gay mayor on 12/12/09, as voters gave a solid victory to the city controller, Annise Parker. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/us/politics/13houston.html
California: The California Assembly has picked John Perez as its first openly gay speaker. The San Francisco Chronicle reports: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/10/BAKV1B2CJU.DTL&tsp=1
Rent Boys: Coming to a Nevada Brothel Near You. But, not everyone's thrilled. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/homophobe-objects-to-opening-of-nv-brothels-to-male-prostitution.html
Awards and Honors:
Golden Globes Nominees: "Mad Men", "Glee", "Nine", Sigourney Weaver in "Prayer for Bobby", Neil Patrick Harris. For the list of nominees: http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/hfpa-golden-globes-nominations/
Features
Coming Out: Gay British Soldier speaks out about coming out while on tour of duty in Afghanistan. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/gay-british-army-trooper-speaks-out-about-coming-out.html
Chat: Angela Lansbury and Stephen Sondheim talk about "A Little Night Music" and more. New York Magazine reports: http://nymag.com/arts/theater/features/62635/
The Resource Center:
GayPolitics covers the intersection of politics and the fight for LGBT equality, highlighting key stories about electoral politics, the legislative process and the people involved in both. As a project of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, we also report on the campaigns and careers of openly LGBT elected and appointed officials at all levels of government. www.gaypolitics.com
In Print:
The Best LGBT Books of 2009: 56 writers select their favorites. Band of Thebes (one of our favorite blogs for literature) reports: http://bandofthebes.typepad.com/bandofthebes/2009/12/the-best-lgbt-books-of-2009-56-writers-select-their-favorites.html#more
Sordid Truths: Selling My Innocence for a Taste of Stardom by Aiden Shaw. Alyson Publications. Shaw's autobiography chronicles the author’s ascent from being just another broke college boy, who dabbled with the idea that he could sell his young body for hard cash, to becoming the internationally renowned adult film superstar. He later turned author.
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***A John Waters Christmas. Homo for the holidays. His one-man show. 12/22/09. www.bbkingblues.com
***A Little Night Music. Sondheim's all-waltz musical stars Catherina Zeta-Jones (singing "Send in the Clowns") and Angela Lansbury.
***Dec. '09: An Evening With Sandra Bernhard. 12/26/09-12/31/09. www.joespub.com
***Ernest in Love, a musical based on gay Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Ernest". to 1/31/10. www.irishrep.org.
***The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever. Joe Marshall's comedy about a struggling gay theatre company in West Hollywood. to 1/03/10. www.alternativethratreco.org.
***The Michael Feinstein & David Hyde Pierce Holiday Show. to 12/30/09. feinsteinsatloewsregency.com
***She Like Girls, Chisa Hutchinson’s drama about a 2003 hate crime, the killing of a high school lesbian, shot at a Newark bus stop. to 12/30/09. www.theatermania.com.
***Zero Hour. Jim Brochu’s award-winning play about the life of theatre legend Zero Mostel. Brochu, who plays Mostel, and his onstage/offstage partner Steve Schalchlin, penned "The Big Voice: God or Merman?". to 1/31/10. www.ZeroHourShow.com
Elsewhere...
***The Addams Family. Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth and Jackie Hoffman co-star in the musical based on the TV sitcom, cartoon series and films. to 1/10/10. Chicago, IL. www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com
***Fiddler on The Roof. Harvey Fierstein, Broadway's classic Mom in "Hairspray" plays a classic father of five. to 1/10/10. Toronto, ON. www.mirvish.com or visit fiddlerontour.com.
***The Marga Gomez New Year's Eve Spectacular, the out comic's stand-up comedy blow-out. 12/31/09. San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com
***Santaland Diaries. David Sedaris' tale of being an unemployed writer who takes a holiday job as a department store elf. to 12/30/09, San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/89315 to 12/27/09, Houston, TX. www.alleytheatre.org.
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***A Single Man. Tom Ford's debut film, an adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel, about a day in the life of a gay man, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.
***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
***Nine, the Rob Marshall movie based on the Broadway musical. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the conflicted film maker. The women in his life: Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Judi Dench and Fergie.
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
***Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. A stunning drama from out director Lee Daniels about an overweight, illiterate Harlem teen, pregnant with her second child, who is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.
Out On Video & DVD
.
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***The Fall of '55. The documentary about the gay sex sting in Boise, Idaho in 1955.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***Margaret Cho: Beautiful.
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
***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.
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: The Wanda Sykes Show. The out comic's late night talk show. 11PM Saturdays. FOX.
***December: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***December: Liza's At The Palace, her recent Broadway concert form. Pledge programming on PBS. A DVD will be issued, first as a pledge premium and later on the retail circuit (2/02/10). www.pbs.org. for airtimes.
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
1/6/10-1/10/10: Park City, UT: Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week. www.gayskiing.org
1/07/10-1/10/10: New York, NY: New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend. A series of events celebrating the arts in New York with Alan Cumming, Natalie Portman, Carrie Fisher, Lee Daniels ("Precious"), Eric Ripert and more. www.artsandleisureweekend.com.
1/15/10-1/17/10: Los Angeles, CA: Annual National Union of Jewish LGBTQQI Students Conference. Workshops, services, community building, and social time. NUJLS is a fiscally managed project of Keshet, an organization that works for the full inclusion of LGBT Jews in Jewish life. http://www.nujlsonline.org/confereinceinfo.html
1/17/10-1/24/10: Aspen, CO: Aspen Gay Ski Week. www.gayskiweek.com
1/20/10-1/24/10: Stowe, VT: Winter Rendezvous. gay skiing & winter sports. www.winterrendezvous.com
1/21/10-1/31/10: Park City, UT: Sundance Film Festival. Among the screenings: James Franco as beat poet Allen Ginsburg in "Howl", the story of the poet's obscenity trial, which also stars Jon Hamm and Mary-Louise Parker and a documentary: "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work". www.sundance.org
1/28/10-1/30/10: Bloomington, IN: Pride Film Festival. www.pridefilmfestival.org
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: 2009 In Review: Part II
1. Question: Name this American university that established an endowed chair in LGBT studies, in what was believed to be the first professorship of its kind in the country. Hint: It wasn't City University of New York, which started the first LGBT studies program in 1986, nor Yale which attempted to endow a chair in the 1990's. Answer: Harvard University. The New York Times reported: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/education/04harvard.html?_r=1&ref=us
2. Question: Name this radio host and former TV spokesperson whose crystal ball and tarot cards said it was time to come out. Answer: Miss Cleo, former spokesperson for the Psychic Readers Network, came out. She's now released a spoken-word CD and started a radio show.
3. Question: Name this LGBT bookstore (the oldest in the USA) which folded this year. It's not Los Angeles' A Different Light Books, which folded nor Giovanni's Room in Philadelphia, which had financial issues. Answer: The Oscar Wilde Bookshop in New York's Greenwich Village, which shuttered on 3/29/09. The New York Times reported: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/nyregion/04bookstore.html?ref=nyregion
4. Question: Name this out Broadway and television star who has hosted both the Tony Awards and the Emmy Awards in the same year. Hint: It's not Ellen DeGeneres. Answer: Neil Patrick Harris, star of "How I Met Your Mother" and Sondheim's "Assassins".
5. Question: Name this legendary gay porn star who died in 2009. He went from porn to musical theatre and producing; he married a legendary big band singer, and his life was the subject of a film documentary. Answer: Jack Wrangler, who died at age 62. He married the famous big band singer Margaret Whiting later in his life. The Advocate recapped his life. http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid77929.asp
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: 2009 In Review: Part III
2009 was a milestone year. A new President promised change, but it came slowly to the LGBT community. Gay marriage rights in California and Maine were put to the test. Stonewall was commemorated, Washington got marched upon, and a gay rights icon made Oscars history. How much of 2009 do you remember ? Answers to this quiz are found in previous editions of the coming Out Support News. http://cosnewsweekly.blogspot.com/
1. Question: Name this publishing empire which closed shop, silencing major LGBT voices in Atlanta, Houston, and Washington, DC.
2. Question: Name this gay scientist, the father of modern computing, who broke the Nazi Enigma codes. He was convicted of "gross indecency", after which he committed suicide. This year, The British government formally apologised to him.
3. Question: Name this out African-American author who died in 2009. His writing often addressed gay black culture on the down low, and his 10 consecutive books were New York Times best-sellers, making him one of the most successful gay and African-American writers of his era.
4. Question: Name this actress, beloved by the gay community, who died this year. She played a boozy Broaway star and yenta on Broadway, and a liberal suburbanite and loud-mouthed senior on TV. She was a generous supporter of New York's Ali Forney Center for homeless LGBT teens, and she left the bulk of her estate to that institution.
5. Question: Name this comic character who came out this year. DC Comics resurrected her character as a lesbian.
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/
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 12/14/09
Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 50 December 14, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: December 14-20, 2009
thru MON: 12/14: New York, NY: Isaac Mizrahi narrates Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter & The Wolf", with George Manahan conducting the Juilliard Ensemble. www.worksandprocess.org.
Newsworthy:
Episcopal Church Elects First Openly Lesbian Bishop. The Rev. Canon Mary D. Glasspool, canon to the bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, was elected bishop suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles on 12/05/09. Glasspool is the first openly lesbian priest to be elected a bishop in the Episcopal Church, and is the first openly gay bishop chosen since the 2003 election of V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire brought a longstanding divide over homosexuality within the church out into the open.
Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/episcopal-church-elects-first-openly-lesbian-bishop.html
USAToday reports: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2009/12/gay-bishop-episcopal-anglican-catholic/1
New Jersey: The gay marriage bill advances through the Senate Juiciary Committee. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/nyregion/08marriage.html
Washington, DC: Lambda Rising, the bookstore serving the LGBT community in the nation’s capital for 35 years, is closing its D.C. store in Dupont Circle and its remaining out-of-town store in Rehoboth Beach, Del., in January. The closings mark the end of the city’s only exclusively LGBT bookstore and becomes another in a series of gay bookstores that have closed in recent years in other cities, including New York and Baltimore. The DC Agenda reports: http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/04/lambda-rising-bookstores-to-close/
High School Musical. A Boston-area school embraces the gay-themed musical "Falsettos". the Boston Globe reports: http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/12/06/concord_carlisle_regional_tackles_gay_themed_school_play/
Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS 21st Gypsy of the Year Competition raised over $4,630,695 for the non-profit that provides services to people with HIV. Actors from 60 participating Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Tour companies raised the money uring the last month. www.BroadwayCares.org
"As The World Turns", Procter & Gamble's last soap opera, has been cancelled by CBS after 54 years. The show chronicled generations of characters in fictional Oakdale, IL. "ATWT" featured a male couple, Noah and Luke, and the first gay kiss on daytime television. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/arts/television/09soap.html
Awards and Honors:
Satellite Award Nominees (given by the International Press Academy) include: Neil Patrick Harris, "Glee", "Grey Gardens", Rob Marshall, ""Mad Men", Cherry Jones, Ian McKellan. Awards ceremony will be held on 12/20/09. www.pressacaemy.com
Grammy Awards Nominees announced. Awards ceremony will be held on 1/31/10. For the nominees: www.grammy.com
Features
Coming Out: Coming Out in Hollywood is not always easy. Meredith Baxter's recent revelation that she is a lesbian resonates with other celebrities who have been forced to discuss their sexuality publicly after gossip and tabloid speculation put a spotlight on the issue. CNN reports: http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/04/celebs.coming.out/
Coming Out: Rupert Everett on coming out. The out actor and author wouldn't advise any actor thinking of his future in Hollywood to do so. The Guardian reports: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/nov/29/rupert-everett-madonna-carole-cadwalladr
Profile: Diane Savino, the New York State Senator who gave an impassioned speech on marriage equality, is interviewed in New York Magazine. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/ny-mag-interviews-state-senator-diane-savino.html
In Print:
The Best LGBT Books of 2009: 56 writers select their favorites. Band of Thebes (one of our favorite blogs for literature) reports: http://bandofthebes.typepad.com/bandofthebes/2009/12/the-best-lgbt-books-of-2009-56-writers-select-their-favorites.html#more
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
Homo For the Holidays
***A John Waters Christmas. Homo for the holidays. His one-man show. 12/22/09. www.bbkingblues.com
**Dec. '09: An Evening With Sandra Bernhard. 12/26/09-12/31/09. www.joespub.com
***Ernest in Love, a musical based on gay Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Ernest". to 1/31/10. www.irishrep.org.
***The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever. Joe Marshall's comedy about a struggling gay theatre company in West Hollywood. to 1/03/10. www.alternativethratreco.org.
***Jackie Beat: Alcoholidays. NYC’s Favorite Drag Grinch Returns for her 12th Annual Holiday Show. 12/18/09-12/20/09. www.JackieBeatRules.com.
***Judy Garland Live! Tommy Femia, award-winning Judy impressionist, celebrates his 20th season at Don't Tell Mama. Guest star: Michael Musto 12/19/09. www.donttellmamanyc.com.
***The Michael Feinstein & David Hyde Pierce Holiday Show. to 12/30/09. feinsteinsatloewsregency.com
***New York Gay Men's Chorus with Victoria Clark. Together at Town Hall: A Holiday Celebration of the Power of Love. 12/20/09. www.nycgmc.org.
***Santa Claus Is Coming Out, a theatrical mockumentary by Jeffrey Solomon, revolving around the scandal that rocks the world when truth leaks out that Santa is in love not with Mrs. Claus but with toymaker Giovanni Gepetto. to 12/20/09. TicketCentral.com
***She Like Girls, Chisa Hutchinson’s drama about a 2003 hate crime, the killing of a high school lesbian, shot at a Newark bus stop. to 12/30/09. www.theatermania.com.
And...
***A Little Night Music. Sondheim's all-waltz musical stars Catherina Zeta-Jones (singing "Send in the Clowns") and Angela Lansbury.
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
Elsewhere...
Homo For the Holidays
***A John Waters Christmas. Homo for the holidays. His one-man show. 12/17/09. Alexandria, VA. www.birchmere.com
***Full of Gin and Regret: An Evening with Leslie Jordan, (Beverley Leslie of Will & Grace, and "Brother Boy" of Sordid Lives.). Special guest: TG actress/singer Alexandra Billings. to 12/20/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.lagaycenter.org.
***I Bought a Blue Car Today. Alan Cumming's one-man cabaret show. to 12/18/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.iboughtabluecartoday.com
***The Marga Gomez New Year's Eve Spectacular, the out comic's stand-up comedy blow-out. 12/31/09. San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com
***Pop! A new musical about gay pop artist Andy Warhol (played by “Queer As Folk” star Randy Harrison). to 12/19/09. New Haven, CT. www.yalerep.org.
***Santaland Diaries. David Sedaris' tale of being an unemployed writer who takes a holiday job as a department store elf. to 12/20/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.theblank.com. to 12/30/09, San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/89315 to 12/27/09, Houston, TX. www.alleytheatre.org.
**Xanadu, the camp roller-disco musical, described by one character as "children's theatre for 40 year old gay men". to 12/27/09, Costa Mesa, CA; 12/28/09-1/10/10, Sacramento, CA
And...
***The Addams Family. Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth and Jackie Hoffman co-star in the musical based on the TV sitcom, cartoon series and films. Pre-Broadway tryout. Chicago, IL. www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com
***Fiddler on The Roof. Harvey Fierstein, Broadway's classic Mom in "Hairspray" plays a classic father of five. to 1/10/10. Toronto, ON. www.mirvish.com or visit fiddlerontour.com.
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***A Single Man. Tom Ford's debut film, an adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel, about a day in the life of a gay man, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.
***Dare, a trio of high school students who become unlikely friends at the end of their senior year. starring Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, Sandra Bernhard and Emmy Rossum.
***8: The Mormon Proposition is a new documentary about the involvement of the Church of Latter Day Saints' involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 in California.
***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
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
Out On Video & DVD
***An Evening with John Barrowman. Concert DVD with the out star of Torchwood. ilmed before a live audience. www.amazon.co.uk.
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***The Fall of '55. The documentary about the gay sex sting in Boise, Idaho in 1955.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***Margaret Cho: Beautiful.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination.
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on (gay) Elliot Tiber's memoir.
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: The Wanda Sykes Show. The out comic's late night talk show. 11PM Saturdays. FOX.
***December: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***December: Liza's At The Palace, her recent Broadway concert form. Pledge programming on PBS. A DVD will be issued, first as a pledge premium and later on the retail circuit (2/02/10). www.pbs.org. for airtimes.
This Just In!!! THU: 12/10: Adam Lambert, whose appearances on ABC's "GMA" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" were cancelled, will chat on "The View". ABC. Check local listings.
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
12/21/09: San Francisco, CA: Frederick Hertz discusses his new book, "Living Together: A Legal Guide for Unmarried Couples and A Legal Guide for Lesbian and Gay Couples", co-authored with Emily Doskow. A Different Light Books. http://adleventscastro.blogspot.com/
1/6/10-1/10/10: Park City, UT: Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week. www.gayskiing.org
1/15/10-1/17/10: Los Angeles, CA: Annual National Union of Jewish LGBTQQI Students Conference. Workshops, services, community building, and social time. NUJLS is a fiscally managed project of Keshet, an organization that works for the full inclusion of LGBT Jews in Jewish life. http://www.nujlsonline.org/confereinceinfo.html
1/17/10-1/24/10: Aspen, CO: Aspen Gay Ski Week. www.gayskiweek.com
1/20/10-1/24/10: Stowe, VT: Winter Rendezvous. gay skiing & winter sports. www.winterrendezvous.com
1/21/10-1/31/10: Park City, UT: Sundance Film Festival. Among the screenings: James Franco as beat poet Allen Ginsburg in "Howl", the story of the poet's obscenity trial, which also stars Jon Hamm and Mary-Louise Parker and a documentary: "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work". www.sundance.org
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: 2009 In Review: Part I
1. Question: Name this mayor who was the first out gay chief executive of a top-30 American city. Shortly after his election, he was involved in a scandal, when it was learned that he had lied about his relationship with a teen intern. He shares his name with a Founding Father of the USA and a beer. Answer: Sam Adams. Adams was cleared of charges of innappropriate sexual contact with the intern.
2. Question: Name this child of a gay icon, whose coming out as a lesbian was quite public. A longtime LGBT rights activist, this person made headlines coming out transgender and making public the sexual reassignment process. Answer: Chaz Bono, formerly Chastity Bono, child of Sonny and Cher.
3. Question: Name this out actor whose television series character came out on an episode this year. He's starred as a transvestite spy in a Broadway play based on a true story and in two series with Christopher Meloni. Answer: B.D. Wong, whose character Special Agent George Huang MD came out on the 10/21/09 episode of "Law & Order: SVU". He starred with Meloni on that series and in "Oz". He won a Tony for "M. Butterfly", the story of a Chinese opera diva who romanced a French diplomat.
4. Question: Name this pre-Stonewall organization whose formation was highlighted in this season's hit Off-Broadway play starring an "Ugly Betty" star. A) The Mattawan Society, B) The Mattachine Society, C) The Manhattan Society. The show takes its name from a code word for gay. Answer: B) The Mattachine Society, profiled in "The Tempermentals", Jon Maran's drama about Harry Hay, Rudi Gernreich (played by Michael Urie), and the Mattachine Society. The show reopens on 2/18/10. www.thetemperamentals.com
5. Question: Name this award-winning American actor who came out this year, after critically-acclaimed roles opposite Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, and Jodie Foster plus an ongoing role in a lesbian-themed TV series. Answer: Kelly McGinnis, star of "Witness", "Top Gun", "The Accused" and "The L Word".
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: 2009 In Review: Part II
2009 was a milestone year. A new President promised change, but it came slowly to the LGBT community. Gay marriage rights in California and Maine were put to the test. Stonewall was commemorated, Washington got marched upon, and a gay rights icon made Oscars history. How much of 2009 do you remember ? Answers to this quiz are found in previous editions of the coming Out Support News. http://cosnewsweekly.blogspot.com/
1. Question: Name this American university that established an endowed chair in LGBT studies, in what was believed to be the first professorship of its kind in the country. Hint: It wasn't City University of New York, which started the first LGBT studies program in 1986, nor Yale which attempted to endow a chair in the 1990's.
2. Question: Name this radio host and former TV spokesperson whose crystal ball and tarot cards said it was time to come out.
3. Question: Name this LGBT bookstore (the oldest in the USA) which folded this year. It's not Los Angeles' A Different Light Books, which folded nor Giovanni's Room in Philadelphia, which had financial issues.
4. Question: Name this out Broadway and television star who has hosted both the Tony Awards and the Emmy Awards in the same year. Hint: It's not Ellen DeGeneres.
5. Question: Name this legendary gay porn star who died in 2009. He went from porn to musical theatre and producing; he married a legendary big band singer, and his life was the subject of a film documentary.
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/
Volume 12 No. 50 December 14, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: December 14-20, 2009
thru MON: 12/14: New York, NY: Isaac Mizrahi narrates Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter & The Wolf", with George Manahan conducting the Juilliard Ensemble. www.worksandprocess.org.
Newsworthy:
Episcopal Church Elects First Openly Lesbian Bishop. The Rev. Canon Mary D. Glasspool, canon to the bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, was elected bishop suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles on 12/05/09. Glasspool is the first openly lesbian priest to be elected a bishop in the Episcopal Church, and is the first openly gay bishop chosen since the 2003 election of V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire brought a longstanding divide over homosexuality within the church out into the open.
Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/episcopal-church-elects-first-openly-lesbian-bishop.html
USAToday reports: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2009/12/gay-bishop-episcopal-anglican-catholic/1
New Jersey: The gay marriage bill advances through the Senate Juiciary Committee. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/nyregion/08marriage.html
Washington, DC: Lambda Rising, the bookstore serving the LGBT community in the nation’s capital for 35 years, is closing its D.C. store in Dupont Circle and its remaining out-of-town store in Rehoboth Beach, Del., in January. The closings mark the end of the city’s only exclusively LGBT bookstore and becomes another in a series of gay bookstores that have closed in recent years in other cities, including New York and Baltimore. The DC Agenda reports: http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/04/lambda-rising-bookstores-to-close/
High School Musical. A Boston-area school embraces the gay-themed musical "Falsettos". the Boston Globe reports: http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/12/06/concord_carlisle_regional_tackles_gay_themed_school_play/
Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS 21st Gypsy of the Year Competition raised over $4,630,695 for the non-profit that provides services to people with HIV. Actors from 60 participating Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Tour companies raised the money uring the last month. www.BroadwayCares.org
"As The World Turns", Procter & Gamble's last soap opera, has been cancelled by CBS after 54 years. The show chronicled generations of characters in fictional Oakdale, IL. "ATWT" featured a male couple, Noah and Luke, and the first gay kiss on daytime television. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/arts/television/09soap.html
Awards and Honors:
Satellite Award Nominees (given by the International Press Academy) include: Neil Patrick Harris, "Glee", "Grey Gardens", Rob Marshall, ""Mad Men", Cherry Jones, Ian McKellan. Awards ceremony will be held on 12/20/09. www.pressacaemy.com
Grammy Awards Nominees announced. Awards ceremony will be held on 1/31/10. For the nominees: www.grammy.com
Features
Coming Out: Coming Out in Hollywood is not always easy. Meredith Baxter's recent revelation that she is a lesbian resonates with other celebrities who have been forced to discuss their sexuality publicly after gossip and tabloid speculation put a spotlight on the issue. CNN reports: http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/04/celebs.coming.out/
Coming Out: Rupert Everett on coming out. The out actor and author wouldn't advise any actor thinking of his future in Hollywood to do so. The Guardian reports: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/nov/29/rupert-everett-madonna-carole-cadwalladr
Profile: Diane Savino, the New York State Senator who gave an impassioned speech on marriage equality, is interviewed in New York Magazine. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/ny-mag-interviews-state-senator-diane-savino.html
In Print:
The Best LGBT Books of 2009: 56 writers select their favorites. Band of Thebes (one of our favorite blogs for literature) reports: http://bandofthebes.typepad.com/bandofthebes/2009/12/the-best-lgbt-books-of-2009-56-writers-select-their-favorites.html#more
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
Homo For the Holidays
***A John Waters Christmas. Homo for the holidays. His one-man show. 12/22/09. www.bbkingblues.com
**Dec. '09: An Evening With Sandra Bernhard. 12/26/09-12/31/09. www.joespub.com
***Ernest in Love, a musical based on gay Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Ernest". to 1/31/10. www.irishrep.org.
***The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever. Joe Marshall's comedy about a struggling gay theatre company in West Hollywood. to 1/03/10. www.alternativethratreco.org.
***Jackie Beat: Alcoholidays. NYC’s Favorite Drag Grinch Returns for her 12th Annual Holiday Show. 12/18/09-12/20/09. www.JackieBeatRules.com.
***Judy Garland Live! Tommy Femia, award-winning Judy impressionist, celebrates his 20th season at Don't Tell Mama. Guest star: Michael Musto 12/19/09. www.donttellmamanyc.com.
***The Michael Feinstein & David Hyde Pierce Holiday Show. to 12/30/09. feinsteinsatloewsregency.com
***New York Gay Men's Chorus with Victoria Clark. Together at Town Hall: A Holiday Celebration of the Power of Love. 12/20/09. www.nycgmc.org.
***Santa Claus Is Coming Out, a theatrical mockumentary by Jeffrey Solomon, revolving around the scandal that rocks the world when truth leaks out that Santa is in love not with Mrs. Claus but with toymaker Giovanni Gepetto. to 12/20/09. TicketCentral.com
***She Like Girls, Chisa Hutchinson’s drama about a 2003 hate crime, the killing of a high school lesbian, shot at a Newark bus stop. to 12/30/09. www.theatermania.com.
And...
***A Little Night Music. Sondheim's all-waltz musical stars Catherina Zeta-Jones (singing "Send in the Clowns") and Angela Lansbury.
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
Elsewhere...
Homo For the Holidays
***A John Waters Christmas. Homo for the holidays. His one-man show. 12/17/09. Alexandria, VA. www.birchmere.com
***Full of Gin and Regret: An Evening with Leslie Jordan, (Beverley Leslie of Will & Grace, and "Brother Boy" of Sordid Lives.). Special guest: TG actress/singer Alexandra Billings. to 12/20/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.lagaycenter.org.
***I Bought a Blue Car Today. Alan Cumming's one-man cabaret show. to 12/18/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.iboughtabluecartoday.com
***The Marga Gomez New Year's Eve Spectacular, the out comic's stand-up comedy blow-out. 12/31/09. San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com
***Pop! A new musical about gay pop artist Andy Warhol (played by “Queer As Folk” star Randy Harrison). to 12/19/09. New Haven, CT. www.yalerep.org.
***Santaland Diaries. David Sedaris' tale of being an unemployed writer who takes a holiday job as a department store elf. to 12/20/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.theblank.com. to 12/30/09, San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/89315 to 12/27/09, Houston, TX. www.alleytheatre.org.
**Xanadu, the camp roller-disco musical, described by one character as "children's theatre for 40 year old gay men". to 12/27/09, Costa Mesa, CA; 12/28/09-1/10/10, Sacramento, CA
And...
***The Addams Family. Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth and Jackie Hoffman co-star in the musical based on the TV sitcom, cartoon series and films. Pre-Broadway tryout. Chicago, IL. www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com
***Fiddler on The Roof. Harvey Fierstein, Broadway's classic Mom in "Hairspray" plays a classic father of five. to 1/10/10. Toronto, ON. www.mirvish.com or visit fiddlerontour.com.
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***A Single Man. Tom Ford's debut film, an adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel, about a day in the life of a gay man, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.
***Dare, a trio of high school students who become unlikely friends at the end of their senior year. starring Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, Sandra Bernhard and Emmy Rossum.
***8: The Mormon Proposition is a new documentary about the involvement of the Church of Latter Day Saints' involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 in California.
***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
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
Out On Video & DVD
***An Evening with John Barrowman. Concert DVD with the out star of Torchwood. ilmed before a live audience. www.amazon.co.uk.
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***The Fall of '55. The documentary about the gay sex sting in Boise, Idaho in 1955.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***Margaret Cho: Beautiful.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination.
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on (gay) Elliot Tiber's memoir.
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: The Wanda Sykes Show. The out comic's late night talk show. 11PM Saturdays. FOX.
***December: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***December: Liza's At The Palace, her recent Broadway concert form. Pledge programming on PBS. A DVD will be issued, first as a pledge premium and later on the retail circuit (2/02/10). www.pbs.org. for airtimes.
This Just In!!! THU: 12/10: Adam Lambert, whose appearances on ABC's "GMA" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" were cancelled, will chat on "The View". ABC. Check local listings.
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
12/21/09: San Francisco, CA: Frederick Hertz discusses his new book, "Living Together: A Legal Guide for Unmarried Couples and A Legal Guide for Lesbian and Gay Couples", co-authored with Emily Doskow. A Different Light Books. http://adleventscastro.blogspot.com/
1/6/10-1/10/10: Park City, UT: Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week. www.gayskiing.org
1/15/10-1/17/10: Los Angeles, CA: Annual National Union of Jewish LGBTQQI Students Conference. Workshops, services, community building, and social time. NUJLS is a fiscally managed project of Keshet, an organization that works for the full inclusion of LGBT Jews in Jewish life. http://www.nujlsonline.org/confereinceinfo.html
1/17/10-1/24/10: Aspen, CO: Aspen Gay Ski Week. www.gayskiweek.com
1/20/10-1/24/10: Stowe, VT: Winter Rendezvous. gay skiing & winter sports. www.winterrendezvous.com
1/21/10-1/31/10: Park City, UT: Sundance Film Festival. Among the screenings: James Franco as beat poet Allen Ginsburg in "Howl", the story of the poet's obscenity trial, which also stars Jon Hamm and Mary-Louise Parker and a documentary: "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work". www.sundance.org
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: 2009 In Review: Part I
1. Question: Name this mayor who was the first out gay chief executive of a top-30 American city. Shortly after his election, he was involved in a scandal, when it was learned that he had lied about his relationship with a teen intern. He shares his name with a Founding Father of the USA and a beer. Answer: Sam Adams. Adams was cleared of charges of innappropriate sexual contact with the intern.
2. Question: Name this child of a gay icon, whose coming out as a lesbian was quite public. A longtime LGBT rights activist, this person made headlines coming out transgender and making public the sexual reassignment process. Answer: Chaz Bono, formerly Chastity Bono, child of Sonny and Cher.
3. Question: Name this out actor whose television series character came out on an episode this year. He's starred as a transvestite spy in a Broadway play based on a true story and in two series with Christopher Meloni. Answer: B.D. Wong, whose character Special Agent George Huang MD came out on the 10/21/09 episode of "Law & Order: SVU". He starred with Meloni on that series and in "Oz". He won a Tony for "M. Butterfly", the story of a Chinese opera diva who romanced a French diplomat.
4. Question: Name this pre-Stonewall organization whose formation was highlighted in this season's hit Off-Broadway play starring an "Ugly Betty" star. A) The Mattawan Society, B) The Mattachine Society, C) The Manhattan Society. The show takes its name from a code word for gay. Answer: B) The Mattachine Society, profiled in "The Tempermentals", Jon Maran's drama about Harry Hay, Rudi Gernreich (played by Michael Urie), and the Mattachine Society. The show reopens on 2/18/10. www.thetemperamentals.com
5. Question: Name this award-winning American actor who came out this year, after critically-acclaimed roles opposite Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, and Jodie Foster plus an ongoing role in a lesbian-themed TV series. Answer: Kelly McGinnis, star of "Witness", "Top Gun", "The Accused" and "The L Word".
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: 2009 In Review: Part II
2009 was a milestone year. A new President promised change, but it came slowly to the LGBT community. Gay marriage rights in California and Maine were put to the test. Stonewall was commemorated, Washington got marched upon, and a gay rights icon made Oscars history. How much of 2009 do you remember ? Answers to this quiz are found in previous editions of the coming Out Support News. http://cosnewsweekly.blogspot.com/
1. Question: Name this American university that established an endowed chair in LGBT studies, in what was believed to be the first professorship of its kind in the country. Hint: It wasn't City University of New York, which started the first LGBT studies program in 1986, nor Yale which attempted to endow a chair in the 1990's.
2. Question: Name this radio host and former TV spokesperson whose crystal ball and tarot cards said it was time to come out.
3. Question: Name this LGBT bookstore (the oldest in the USA) which folded this year. It's not Los Angeles' A Different Light Books, which folded nor Giovanni's Room in Philadelphia, which had financial issues.
4. Question: Name this out Broadway and television star who has hosted both the Tony Awards and the Emmy Awards in the same year. Hint: It's not Ellen DeGeneres.
5. Question: Name this legendary gay porn star who died in 2009. He went from porn to musical theatre and producing; he married a legendary big band singer, and his life was the subject of a film documentary.
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/
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 12/07/09
Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 49 December 7, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: December 7-13, 2009
thru THU: 12/10: Online: LIFEBeat Celebrity Memorabilia Auction Honoring World AIDS Day. Participants include Christine Baranski, Lance Bass, Craig Bierko, Gerard Butler, Stockard Channing, Gavin Creel, Colman Domingo, Marcia Gay Harden, Jackie Hoffman, Brian D'Arcy James, Allison Janney, Kristen Johnston, Jude Law, Sylvia Miles, Christopher Seiber, Michael Urie, and B.D. Wong. www.Bid2BeatAIDS.com.
MON: 12/07: New York, NY: Gavin Creel, star of Broadway's "Hair" an one of the organizers of the Equality March on Washington, performs original songs at Symphony Space. 7PM and 9:30PM. www.symphonyspace.org.
MON-TUE: 12/07-12/08: New York, NY: 21st Annual Gypsy of the Year competition, where New York's most talented Broadway and Off-Broadway shows compete in a variety show to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Palace Theatre. www.broadwaycares.org.
WED: 12/09: New York, NY: The Talented Miss Highsmith: The Secret Life and Serious Art of Patricia Highsmith. Playwright JoanSchenkar and actor Kathleen Chalfant discuss the writer whose characters living closeted sexual lives in fiction mirrored her real life. Barnes & Noble. Broadway at 82nd St.
THU: 12/10: Houston, TX: Rainbow Night at The Ensemble Theatre. Performance of "Christmas with Great Aunt" with a reception. A benefit for Gay & Lesbian Rainbow Pages foundation that provides scholarships. www.ensemblehouston.com
THU-MON: 12/10-12/14: New York, NY: Isaac Mizrahi narrates Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter & The Wolf", with George Manahan conducting the Juilliard Ensemble. www.worksandprocess.org.
Newsworthy:
Breaking News: Marriage Equality Nixed in New York. The New York Senate voted on marriage equality; the bill was defeated 38-24. Towleroad has early coverage: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/watch-live-new-york-senate.html
China: Dali, a city with one of the nation's highest rates of AIDS has opened a government-funded gay bar in an outreach effort that has stirred debate over the use of taxpayers' money. Dali is one of the 10 cities in China most affected by AIDS. Reuters reports: http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5AT1J620091130
California: Evan Low has become the nation's youngest out mayor. He's chief administrator of Campbell, CA in Silicon Valley. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/campbell-california-elects-countrys-youngest-openly-gay-mayor.html
The Buzz (People Making News)
Coming Out: Meredith Baxter, the "Family Ties" mom, has come out as a lesbian mom off-screen. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/family-ties-mom-meredith-baxter-im-gay.html
Coming Out: Sir Ian McKellan on his coming out. "Not telling my parents I was gay remains my greatest regret" he tells a group of secondary school students. The Telegraph reports: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/6694627/Sir-Ian-McKellen-Not-telling-parents-I-was-gay-remains-my-greatest-regret.html
Kerry Bell, a Utah transgender police officer is living his dream, as a cop and a man. The Salt Lake Tribune reports: http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_13886492
In Memoriam:
Mike Penner, the L.A. Times sportswriter who transitioned to Christine Daniels, and then transitioned back to Mike Penner, has died on 11/27/09 at age 52, a suicide. AP reports: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iBnQ9zzsYd5gHySa7ILztNQClvFAD9C8P7780
Features
Adam Lambert: "People aren't used to seeing a sexual "gay man" on TV. US Magazine reports: http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/adam-lambert-people-arent-used-to-seeing-a-sexual-gay-man-on-tv-1970241
In Print: The Best of 2009
There was some excellent literature in 2009 by LGBT writers and/or about LGBT themes. The following non-fiction books left an impact on us. They’re worth seeking out in new or used versions.
Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life by Raymond Luczak. RID Press. Luczak shares stories from his days growing up as a deaf gay man in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and subsequently at Gallaudet University.. http://www.raymondluczak.com
Coming Out, Coming In: Nurturing the Well-Being and Inclusion of Gay Youth in Mainstream Society by Linda Goldman. Routledge Press. A therapist shares her coming out story as the parent of a gay child, a process that friends and family go through when a family member comes out.
Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle by Dr. Abbie Goldberg. The American Psychological Association. A comprehensive summary and analysis of the research on LGBT parents and their families to date, and the first full-length analysis of the research on gay parenting, summarizing research data on the subject from the 1970’s to the present day.
Making It Legal: A Guide to Same-Sex Marriage, Domestic Partnership & Civil Unions by Emily Doskow and Frederick Hertz. Trade Paperback. A guide to the past, present, and future of same-sex relationship laws in the U.S.
The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie and a World Transformed by Judy Shepard. Penguin. The mother of Matthew Shepard shares her story about her son's death and the choice she made to become an international gay rights activist.
Milk: A Pictorial History of Harvey Milk by Dustin Lance Black. Foreward by Armistead Maupin. Newmarket Press. This official illustrated companion book by the Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Milk". Features oral histories, archival photographs, behind-the-scenes stills, and the story of the film directed by Gius Van Sant and starring Sean Penn.
Out in the Country: Youth, Media, and Queer Visibility in Rural America by Mary L. Gray. New York University Press. An unprecedented contemporary account of the lives of today's rural queer youth.
Pre-Gay LA: A Social History of the Movement for Homosexual Rights by C. Todd White. University of Illinois Press. An exploration of the origins and history of the modern American movement for homosexual rights, which originated in Los Angeles in the late 1940s and continues today.
Smash the Church, Smash the State!: the Early Years of Gay Liberation, edited by Tommi Avicolli Mecca. City Light Books. A collection of essays by those who have first-hand memories to share of those years of gay rights before Stonewall.
Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America by Nathaniel Frank. Thomas Dunne Books.a definitive history of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". www.unfriendlyfire.org.
Where's My Fifteen Minutes ? by Howard Bragman. Penguin. The PR guru helped NBA player John Amaechi come out and parlay that experience into a positive one. One chapter is devoted to coming out, which, in Bragman’s world, extends beyond gay issues to anyone with a secret. A long-time gay and HIV activist who’s been out for decades, Bragman says outing is still an issue that must be carefully navigated.
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***Christmas Spells, Justin (Kiki from "Kiki & Herb") Bond stars in his holiday special. 12/09/09-12/12/09. www.abronsartscenter.org
***The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever. Joe Marshall's comedy about a struggling gay theatre company in West Hollywood. to 1/03/10. www.alternativethratreco.org.
***Lea Delaria's Holiday Ho-Ho-Ho-Down!, a wild romp through the holidays with fabulous music, prizes, and some of New York's favorite performers, including Judy Gold, Mary Testa, Jeffrey Self, and Cole Escola. 12/09/09. www.highlineballroom.com
***The Michael Feinstein & David Hyde Pierce Holiday Show. to 12/30/09. feinsteinsatloewsregency.com
***Santa Claus Is Coming Out, a theatrical mockumentary by Jeffrey Solomon, revolving around the scandal that rocks the world when truth leaks out that Santa is in love not with Mrs. Claus but with toymaker Giovanni Gepetto. to 12/20/09. TicketCentral.com
***Zero Hour. Jim Brochu’s award-winning play about the life of theatre legend Zero Mostel. Brochu, who plays Mostel, and his onstage/offstage partner Steve Schalchlin, penned "The Big Voice: God or Merman?". to 1/31/10. www.ZeroHourShow.com
Elsewhere...
***Arias With A Twist. The song stylings of drag artist Joey Arias surrounded by an eye-popping theatrical extravaganza directed by Basil Twist. to 12/13/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.redcat.org.
***Beautiful Thing. Jonathan Harvey's coming out and coming of age play that became a 1990s film. to 12/13/09. San Francisco, CA: www.nctcsf.org
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. 12/08/09-12/13/09, Mesa, AZ; www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***Fiddler on The Roof. Harvey Fierstein, Broadway's classic Mom in "Hairspray" plays a classic father of five. 12/08/09-1/10/10. Toronto, ON. www.mirvish.com or visit fiddlerontour.com.
***Full of Gin and Regret: An Evening with Leslie Jordan, (Beverley Leslie of Will & Grace.). 12/10/09-12/20/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.lagaycenter.org.
***I Bought a Blue Car Today. Alan Cumming's one-man cabaret show. 12/13/09-12/18/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.iboughtabluecartoday.com
***My Walk Down The Pink Carpet. Leslie Jordan's hilarious solo show. 12/08/09-12/09/09, Atlanta, GA. http://www.thelesliejordan.com/
***Pop! A new musical about the shooting of gay pop artist Andy Warhol (played by “Queer As Folk” star Randy Harrison). Leslie Kritzer is Valerie Solanas, Brian Charles Rooney plays TG Candy Darling. to 12/19/09. New Haven, CT. www.yalerep.org.
***Santaland Diaries. David Sedaris' tale of being an unemployed writer who takes a holiday job as a department store elf. to 12/20/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.theblank.com. to 12/30/09, San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/89315 to 12/27/09, Houston, TX. www.alleytheatre.org.
***Sin City Santas. The Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus holiday concerts. 12/12/09, New Haven, CT; 12/13/09, Hartford, CT. www.ctgmc.org
***Xanadu, the camp roller-disco musical, described by one character as "children's theatre for 40 year old gay men". to 12/27/09, Costa Mesa, CA
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***A Single Man. Tom Ford's debut film, an adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel, about a day in the life of a gay man, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.
***Dare, a trio of high school students who become unlikely friends at the end of their senior year. starring Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, Sandra Bernhard and Emmy Rossum.
***8: The Mormon Proposition a documentary about the involvement of the Church of Latter Day Saints' involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 in California.
***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
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
Out On Video & DVD
***An Evening with John Barrowman. Concert DVD with the out star of Torchwood. ilmed before a live audience. www.amazon.co.uk.
***Bruno. Sacha Baron Cohen’s comedic take on an outrageously gay Austrian fashionista.
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***The Fall of '55. The documentary about the gay sex sting in Boise, Idaho in 1955.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
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
***December: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***December: Liza's At The Palace, her recent Broadway concert form. Pledge programming on PBS. A DVD will be issued, first as a pledge premium and later on the retail circuit. www.pbs.org. for airtimes.
***WED: 12/09: Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert are two of Barbara Walters' "Ten Most Fascinating People of 2009". 10PM. ABC.
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: December Milestones
1. Question: Name this gay international fashion designer, born December 2, 1946. His murder, at the hands of a hustler, made recent headlines. A relative, often spoofed on “Saturday Night Live” has taken over his work. Answer: Gianni Versace. His sister, Donatella, was often spoofed by Maya Rudolph.
2. Question: Name this progressive state, which passed legislation on December 6, 1993, to protect LGBT youth from discrimination in the public school system--a first. Hint: the state has a liberal reputation. Answer: Massachusetts.
3. Question: Name this gay-themed movie, which opened in New York on December 14, 1988. Its author and star (the movie originated on Broadway) has played one of Broadway’s most glamourous mothers and one of its favorite fathers of five. Answer: Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein, who played Edna Turnblad in “Hairspray” and Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof”.
4. Question: Name this internationally famous concert hall. On December 8, 1981, the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus performed there...they were the first openly gay musical group to do so. Answer: Carnegie Hall.
5. Question: Name this commemorative event, which premiered on December 1, 1988. At first, it memorialized the lives of a few and celebrated the work and dedication of a few. Today, it memorializes millions. Answer: World AIDS Day, started by the World Health Organization.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: 2009 In Review: Part I
2009 was a milestone year. A new President promised change, but it came slowly to the LGBT community. Gay marriage rights in California and Maine were put to the test. Stonewall was commemorated, Washington got marched upon, and a gay rights icon made Oscars history. How much of 2009 do you remember ? Answers to this quiz are found in previous editions of the Coming Out Support News. (all on this blog)
1. Question: Name this mayor who was the first out gay chief executive of a top-30 American city. Shortly after his election, he was involved in a scandal, when it was learned that he had lied about his relationship with a teen intern. He shares his name with a Founding Father of the USA and a beer.
2. Question: Name this child of a gay icon, whose coming out as a lesbian was quite public. A longtime LGBT rights activist, this person made headlines coming out transgender and making public the sexual reassignment process.
3. Question: Name this out actor whose television series character came out on an episode this year. He's starred as a transvestite spy in a Broadway play based on a true story and in two series with Christopher Meloni.
4. Question: Name this pre-Stonewall organization whose formation was highlighted in this season's hit Off-Broadway play starring an "Ugly Betty" star. A) The Mattawan Society, B) The Mattachine Society, C) The Manhattan Society. The show takes its name from a code word for gay.
5. Question: Name this award-winning American actor who came out this year, after critically-acclaimed roles opposite Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, and Jodie Foster plus an ongoing role in a lesbian-themed TV series.
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/
Volume 12 No. 49 December 7, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: December 7-13, 2009
thru THU: 12/10: Online: LIFEBeat Celebrity Memorabilia Auction Honoring World AIDS Day. Participants include Christine Baranski, Lance Bass, Craig Bierko, Gerard Butler, Stockard Channing, Gavin Creel, Colman Domingo, Marcia Gay Harden, Jackie Hoffman, Brian D'Arcy James, Allison Janney, Kristen Johnston, Jude Law, Sylvia Miles, Christopher Seiber, Michael Urie, and B.D. Wong. www.Bid2BeatAIDS.com.
MON: 12/07: New York, NY: Gavin Creel, star of Broadway's "Hair" an one of the organizers of the Equality March on Washington, performs original songs at Symphony Space. 7PM and 9:30PM. www.symphonyspace.org.
MON-TUE: 12/07-12/08: New York, NY: 21st Annual Gypsy of the Year competition, where New York's most talented Broadway and Off-Broadway shows compete in a variety show to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Palace Theatre. www.broadwaycares.org.
WED: 12/09: New York, NY: The Talented Miss Highsmith: The Secret Life and Serious Art of Patricia Highsmith. Playwright JoanSchenkar and actor Kathleen Chalfant discuss the writer whose characters living closeted sexual lives in fiction mirrored her real life. Barnes & Noble. Broadway at 82nd St.
THU: 12/10: Houston, TX: Rainbow Night at The Ensemble Theatre. Performance of "Christmas with Great Aunt" with a reception. A benefit for Gay & Lesbian Rainbow Pages foundation that provides scholarships. www.ensemblehouston.com
THU-MON: 12/10-12/14: New York, NY: Isaac Mizrahi narrates Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter & The Wolf", with George Manahan conducting the Juilliard Ensemble. www.worksandprocess.org.
Newsworthy:
Breaking News: Marriage Equality Nixed in New York. The New York Senate voted on marriage equality; the bill was defeated 38-24. Towleroad has early coverage: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/watch-live-new-york-senate.html
China: Dali, a city with one of the nation's highest rates of AIDS has opened a government-funded gay bar in an outreach effort that has stirred debate over the use of taxpayers' money. Dali is one of the 10 cities in China most affected by AIDS. Reuters reports: http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5AT1J620091130
California: Evan Low has become the nation's youngest out mayor. He's chief administrator of Campbell, CA in Silicon Valley. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/campbell-california-elects-countrys-youngest-openly-gay-mayor.html
The Buzz (People Making News)
Coming Out: Meredith Baxter, the "Family Ties" mom, has come out as a lesbian mom off-screen. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/family-ties-mom-meredith-baxter-im-gay.html
Coming Out: Sir Ian McKellan on his coming out. "Not telling my parents I was gay remains my greatest regret" he tells a group of secondary school students. The Telegraph reports: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/6694627/Sir-Ian-McKellen-Not-telling-parents-I-was-gay-remains-my-greatest-regret.html
Kerry Bell, a Utah transgender police officer is living his dream, as a cop and a man. The Salt Lake Tribune reports: http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_13886492
In Memoriam:
Mike Penner, the L.A. Times sportswriter who transitioned to Christine Daniels, and then transitioned back to Mike Penner, has died on 11/27/09 at age 52, a suicide. AP reports: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iBnQ9zzsYd5gHySa7ILztNQClvFAD9C8P7780
Features
Adam Lambert: "People aren't used to seeing a sexual "gay man" on TV. US Magazine reports: http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/adam-lambert-people-arent-used-to-seeing-a-sexual-gay-man-on-tv-1970241
In Print: The Best of 2009
There was some excellent literature in 2009 by LGBT writers and/or about LGBT themes. The following non-fiction books left an impact on us. They’re worth seeking out in new or used versions.
Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life by Raymond Luczak. RID Press. Luczak shares stories from his days growing up as a deaf gay man in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and subsequently at Gallaudet University.. http://www.raymondluczak.com
Coming Out, Coming In: Nurturing the Well-Being and Inclusion of Gay Youth in Mainstream Society by Linda Goldman. Routledge Press. A therapist shares her coming out story as the parent of a gay child, a process that friends and family go through when a family member comes out.
Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle by Dr. Abbie Goldberg. The American Psychological Association. A comprehensive summary and analysis of the research on LGBT parents and their families to date, and the first full-length analysis of the research on gay parenting, summarizing research data on the subject from the 1970’s to the present day.
Making It Legal: A Guide to Same-Sex Marriage, Domestic Partnership & Civil Unions by Emily Doskow and Frederick Hertz. Trade Paperback. A guide to the past, present, and future of same-sex relationship laws in the U.S.
The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie and a World Transformed by Judy Shepard. Penguin. The mother of Matthew Shepard shares her story about her son's death and the choice she made to become an international gay rights activist.
Milk: A Pictorial History of Harvey Milk by Dustin Lance Black. Foreward by Armistead Maupin. Newmarket Press. This official illustrated companion book by the Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Milk". Features oral histories, archival photographs, behind-the-scenes stills, and the story of the film directed by Gius Van Sant and starring Sean Penn.
Out in the Country: Youth, Media, and Queer Visibility in Rural America by Mary L. Gray. New York University Press. An unprecedented contemporary account of the lives of today's rural queer youth.
Pre-Gay LA: A Social History of the Movement for Homosexual Rights by C. Todd White. University of Illinois Press. An exploration of the origins and history of the modern American movement for homosexual rights, which originated in Los Angeles in the late 1940s and continues today.
Smash the Church, Smash the State!: the Early Years of Gay Liberation, edited by Tommi Avicolli Mecca. City Light Books. A collection of essays by those who have first-hand memories to share of those years of gay rights before Stonewall.
Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America by Nathaniel Frank. Thomas Dunne Books.a definitive history of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". www.unfriendlyfire.org.
Where's My Fifteen Minutes ? by Howard Bragman. Penguin. The PR guru helped NBA player John Amaechi come out and parlay that experience into a positive one. One chapter is devoted to coming out, which, in Bragman’s world, extends beyond gay issues to anyone with a secret. A long-time gay and HIV activist who’s been out for decades, Bragman says outing is still an issue that must be carefully navigated.
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***Christmas Spells, Justin (Kiki from "Kiki & Herb") Bond stars in his holiday special. 12/09/09-12/12/09. www.abronsartscenter.org
***The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever. Joe Marshall's comedy about a struggling gay theatre company in West Hollywood. to 1/03/10. www.alternativethratreco.org.
***Lea Delaria's Holiday Ho-Ho-Ho-Down!, a wild romp through the holidays with fabulous music, prizes, and some of New York's favorite performers, including Judy Gold, Mary Testa, Jeffrey Self, and Cole Escola. 12/09/09. www.highlineballroom.com
***The Michael Feinstein & David Hyde Pierce Holiday Show. to 12/30/09. feinsteinsatloewsregency.com
***Santa Claus Is Coming Out, a theatrical mockumentary by Jeffrey Solomon, revolving around the scandal that rocks the world when truth leaks out that Santa is in love not with Mrs. Claus but with toymaker Giovanni Gepetto. to 12/20/09. TicketCentral.com
***Zero Hour. Jim Brochu’s award-winning play about the life of theatre legend Zero Mostel. Brochu, who plays Mostel, and his onstage/offstage partner Steve Schalchlin, penned "The Big Voice: God or Merman?". to 1/31/10. www.ZeroHourShow.com
Elsewhere...
***Arias With A Twist. The song stylings of drag artist Joey Arias surrounded by an eye-popping theatrical extravaganza directed by Basil Twist. to 12/13/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.redcat.org.
***Beautiful Thing. Jonathan Harvey's coming out and coming of age play that became a 1990s film. to 12/13/09. San Francisco, CA: www.nctcsf.org
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. 12/08/09-12/13/09, Mesa, AZ; www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***Fiddler on The Roof. Harvey Fierstein, Broadway's classic Mom in "Hairspray" plays a classic father of five. 12/08/09-1/10/10. Toronto, ON. www.mirvish.com or visit fiddlerontour.com.
***Full of Gin and Regret: An Evening with Leslie Jordan, (Beverley Leslie of Will & Grace.). 12/10/09-12/20/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.lagaycenter.org.
***I Bought a Blue Car Today. Alan Cumming's one-man cabaret show. 12/13/09-12/18/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.iboughtabluecartoday.com
***My Walk Down The Pink Carpet. Leslie Jordan's hilarious solo show. 12/08/09-12/09/09, Atlanta, GA. http://www.thelesliejordan.com/
***Pop! A new musical about the shooting of gay pop artist Andy Warhol (played by “Queer As Folk” star Randy Harrison). Leslie Kritzer is Valerie Solanas, Brian Charles Rooney plays TG Candy Darling. to 12/19/09. New Haven, CT. www.yalerep.org.
***Santaland Diaries. David Sedaris' tale of being an unemployed writer who takes a holiday job as a department store elf. to 12/20/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.theblank.com. to 12/30/09, San Francisco, CA. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/89315 to 12/27/09, Houston, TX. www.alleytheatre.org.
***Sin City Santas. The Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus holiday concerts. 12/12/09, New Haven, CT; 12/13/09, Hartford, CT. www.ctgmc.org
***Xanadu, the camp roller-disco musical, described by one character as "children's theatre for 40 year old gay men". to 12/27/09, Costa Mesa, CA
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***A Single Man. Tom Ford's debut film, an adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel, about a day in the life of a gay man, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.
***Dare, a trio of high school students who become unlikely friends at the end of their senior year. starring Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, Sandra Bernhard and Emmy Rossum.
***8: The Mormon Proposition a documentary about the involvement of the Church of Latter Day Saints' involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 in California.
***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
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
Out On Video & DVD
***An Evening with John Barrowman. Concert DVD with the out star of Torchwood. ilmed before a live audience. www.amazon.co.uk.
***Bruno. Sacha Baron Cohen’s comedic take on an outrageously gay Austrian fashionista.
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***The Fall of '55. The documentary about the gay sex sting in Boise, Idaho in 1955.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
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
***December: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***December: Liza's At The Palace, her recent Broadway concert form. Pledge programming on PBS. A DVD will be issued, first as a pledge premium and later on the retail circuit. www.pbs.org. for airtimes.
***WED: 12/09: Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert are two of Barbara Walters' "Ten Most Fascinating People of 2009". 10PM. ABC.
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: December Milestones
1. Question: Name this gay international fashion designer, born December 2, 1946. His murder, at the hands of a hustler, made recent headlines. A relative, often spoofed on “Saturday Night Live” has taken over his work. Answer: Gianni Versace. His sister, Donatella, was often spoofed by Maya Rudolph.
2. Question: Name this progressive state, which passed legislation on December 6, 1993, to protect LGBT youth from discrimination in the public school system--a first. Hint: the state has a liberal reputation. Answer: Massachusetts.
3. Question: Name this gay-themed movie, which opened in New York on December 14, 1988. Its author and star (the movie originated on Broadway) has played one of Broadway’s most glamourous mothers and one of its favorite fathers of five. Answer: Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein, who played Edna Turnblad in “Hairspray” and Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof”.
4. Question: Name this internationally famous concert hall. On December 8, 1981, the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus performed there...they were the first openly gay musical group to do so. Answer: Carnegie Hall.
5. Question: Name this commemorative event, which premiered on December 1, 1988. At first, it memorialized the lives of a few and celebrated the work and dedication of a few. Today, it memorializes millions. Answer: World AIDS Day, started by the World Health Organization.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: 2009 In Review: Part I
2009 was a milestone year. A new President promised change, but it came slowly to the LGBT community. Gay marriage rights in California and Maine were put to the test. Stonewall was commemorated, Washington got marched upon, and a gay rights icon made Oscars history. How much of 2009 do you remember ? Answers to this quiz are found in previous editions of the Coming Out Support News. (all on this blog)
1. Question: Name this mayor who was the first out gay chief executive of a top-30 American city. Shortly after his election, he was involved in a scandal, when it was learned that he had lied about his relationship with a teen intern. He shares his name with a Founding Father of the USA and a beer.
2. Question: Name this child of a gay icon, whose coming out as a lesbian was quite public. A longtime LGBT rights activist, this person made headlines coming out transgender and making public the sexual reassignment process.
3. Question: Name this out actor whose television series character came out on an episode this year. He's starred as a transvestite spy in a Broadway play based on a true story and in two series with Christopher Meloni.
4. Question: Name this pre-Stonewall organization whose formation was highlighted in this season's hit Off-Broadway play starring an "Ugly Betty" star. A) The Mattawan Society, B) The Mattachine Society, C) The Manhattan Society. The show takes its name from a code word for gay.
5. Question: Name this award-winning American actor who came out this year, after critically-acclaimed roles opposite Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, and Jodie Foster plus an ongoing role in a lesbian-themed TV series.
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/
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