Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 12/07/09

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 49 December 7, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com

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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/