Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 8/02/10

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 13 No. 30 August 2, 2010
Newsletter Editor: M. G. Auerbach Email: COSNewsweekly@gmail.com

The Fine Print

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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: August 2-8, 2010

Ongoing: Global: 2010 Pride Season. Parades, fairs, festivals celebrating LGBT Pride around the world. www.interpride.org

thru SUN: 8/08: New York, NY: International CringeFest. Theme nights include: Sex Encounters of a Disturbed Mind; Psycho Bitch Party; Is That a Corncob in Your Pocket?; Sex, Thugs & Rockin' Roles; Dow Jones Meets Deep Throat; and No Holes Barred. www.nyartists.org.

thru TUE: 8/10: Provincetown, MA: 15th Annual Family Week, for LGBT families and friends. http://www.familyequality.org/site/Calendar/1740357659?view=Detail&id=100061

MON: 8/02: Milwaukee, WI: Witches Night Off. The National Touring Company of “Wicked” hosts snd performs in an evening of adult cabaret performances to benefit the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin. www.arcw.org/witches.

TUE-TUE: 8/03-8/10: Walhalla, MI: Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival. Music by women for women since 1976. www.michfest.com

TUE: 8/03: Provincetown, MA: Classical Varla, a benefit for the ASGCC with Varla Jean Merman. http://varlaonline.com/index.php?option=com_eventlist&view=eventlist&Itemid=12

TUE: 8/03: New York, NY: GLAAD Manhattan. Social networking opportunity to benefit programs and services of GLAAD. http://www.glaad.org/events

THU: 8/05: New York, NY: Broadway in Bryant Park. Free lunchtime (12:30PM) concerts featuring casts of “Avenue Q” and “Fela”. www.1067litefm.com

FRI: 8/06: Seattle, WA: Jallen Rix reads and signs from his book “Ex Gay No Way”. 7PM. Elliott Bay Bookstore www.elliottbaybook.com or http://www.exgaynoway.com/

FRI: 8/06: Chicago, IL: Thank GLAAD IT’s Friday. Social networking opportunity to benefit programs and services of GLAAD. http://www.glaad.org/events

SAT: 8/07: Bennington, VT: Bennington Pride Community Celebration. http://gayberkshires.blogspot.com/2010/07/bennington-vt-pride-picnic-saturday.html

SAT: 8/07: Las Vegas, NV: Alison Arngrim, star of "Little House of the Prairie" signing copies of her new book “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch”. 3PM. Borders. Las Vegas Blvd. South.

SUN: 8/08: Los Angeles, CA: The Trevor Project’s LA Pool & Garden Party. http://www.thetrevorproject.org/events.aspx

SUN-SUN: 8/08-8/15: Los Angeles, CA: Writer’s Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices. Sponsored by Lambda Lit at the American Jewish University. http://www.lambdaliterary.org/writers-retreat/

Newsworthy:

Massachusetts: After serving 14 years on the bench and issuing the historic ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, Chief Justice Margaret Marshall has announced her retirement. Marshall was known as “the gay marriage judge”.
The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/07/21/Mass_Gay_Marriage_Judge_Retires/

California: Sonoma County has agreed to pay $600,000 to settle a lawsuit by an elderly gay man who said social workers kept him from seeing his dying partner in the hospital. The Mercury News reports: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15587750?nclick_check=1

Lutherans Welcome Gay Pastors. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America welcomed into its fold seven openly gay pastors who had until recently been barred from the church’s ministry. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/us/26lutheran.html?src=me

Gay Iranian faces deportation and execution. ABC News reports: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/immigration-gay-iranian-seeks-us-asylum-faces-deportation/story?id=10865471

The Buzz (People Making News)

Coming Out: Army National Guard Lt. Dan Choi was honorably discharged, 17 months after he came out on national television to join the fight to overturn "don't ask, don't tell." The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/07/22/Dan_Choi_Honorably_Discharged/

Coming Out: Howard Bragman, the publicist who has helped many celebrities negotiate coming out publicly, is developing a show for A&E about coming out. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2010/07/publicist-howard-bragman-developing-coming-out-show.html

In Memoriam:

Judith Peabody, the New York socialite who was one of the first care partners and donors to the Gay Mens Health Crisis during the early years of the AIDS crisis, died on 7/25/10 at age 80. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/nyregion/27peabody.html?hpw

Photo Shoots and Video

Photo: “Angels in America”. The new poster graphic for the upcoming Broadway’ revival. The New York Times reports: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/the-new-angels-in-america-poster/

Features

Judy Shepard: The Towleroad Interview: http://www.towleroad.com/2010/07/towleroad-interview-judy-shepard-on-hate-crimes-forgiveness-and-the-meaning-of-matthew.html

Preview: “Secret Historian”. a biography of sexual renegade Samuel Steward by Justin Spring. The book comes out 8/17/10. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/books/26secret.html?hpw

Profile: William Ivey Long, Broadway costumer, courtesy of the Washington Blade: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2010/07/22/legendary-costume-designer-on-his-career-in-theater/

The Resource Center:

Outserve: A new group is helping prepare LGBT service people for life after “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2010/07/outserve-gay-and-lesbian-service-members-prep-life-after-dadt.html

In Print:

Kicked Out. Edited by Sassafras Lowrey. Forward by Judy Shepard. Homofactus Press.First-hand accounts of queer people pushed out of their homes into the mean streets of the USA to fend for themselves. It combines auto-ethnographic narratives of survivors with accounts from social workers and policy makers who lay bare the gaps in services and care, as well as the innovation and creativity of this population.

In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance

New York City (and Broadway)

***Abraham Lincoln's Big, Gay Dance Party, the comedy about a fourth-grade Christmas pageant in Lincoln's rural Illinois hometown which sets off a firestorm of controversy when it calls into question Honest Abe's sexuality. www.abrahamlincolnsbiggaydanceparty.com
***A Little Night Music. Sondheim’s waltz musical with Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch as the Armfeldts. www.nightmusiconbroadway.com.
***Another American: Asking and Telling. Mark Wolf’s tour-de-force one man show about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. Mondays to 8/30/10. Proceeds benefit several LGBT non-profits. http://www.facebook.com/anotheramerican
***La Cage Aux Folles, a revival of the Jerry Herman/Harvey Fierstein musical, based on a French film, which inspired the film "Birdcage". Kelsey Grammer stars. www.LaCage.com
***Promises, Promises. Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth star in the Burt Bacharach & Hal David & Neil Simon musical. www.promisespromisesbroadway.com.
***Secrets of The Trade. Out actors John Glover and Bill Brochtrup star in out Jonathan Tolins’ new play. to 9/04/10. www.primarystages.org.

Elsewhere...

***Becoming Norman. Norman Dixon’s story about being gay and Mormon. Dixon stars. to 9/12/10. N. Hollywood, CA. www.becomingnorman.com.
***Hairspray. Christopher Sieber, who recently played Dan Savage in “The Kid”, a musical about gay parenting, plays Edna Turnblad. to 8/07/10. Dennis, MA. www.capeplayhouse.com
***Love, Loss and What I Wore. The Ephron Sisters’ latest play stars newly out Mereditch Baxter and “Hairspray” star Marissa Jaret Winokur. to 8/29/10. Los Angeles, CA. www.geffenplayhouse.com
***The Scottsboro Boys. The Kander/Ebb musical about the 1930’s Scottsboro case, where a group of black teens are unjustly accused of attacking two white women. 7/31/10-9/25/10. Minneapolis, MN. www.guthrietheater.org
***Slap and Tickle. David Parr’s new play, set in a bathhouse, about how drugs, politics,
HIV, and the internet have changed the social landscape for gay men in America. to 8/14/10. Provincetown, MA. www.slapandtickleonline.com

On Screen (and Video & DVD)

Out on Screen...

***Arias With a Twist. The incredible performance collaboration between performance artist Joey Arias and puppeteer Basil Twist is now a documentary. To see the trailer: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=759971528901
***Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride. Bob Christie’s documentary shows that Pride is more than a parade, it’s a giant step on the road to global human rights.
***Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work. A new documentary which follows from gig to gig, onstage and at home, and historically through the ups and downs of her career.
***The Kids Are All Right. Julianne Moore and Annette Bening star in a two-mom family dramedy. Their kids seek out their sperm donor father (Mark Ruffalo). http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/the_kids_are_all_right
***Stonewall Uprising, a new documentary by Kate Davis and David Heilbroner covering the 3-day Stonewall riots in 1969. http://firstrunfeatures.com/stonewalluprising_playdates.html

Out On Video & DVD

***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. .
***8: The Mormon Proposition, initially a documentary about gay teen homelessness and suicide in Utah. Director Reed Cowan added the Mormon involvement in Proposition 8 into the mix.
***I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. Kevin James and Adam Sandler play straight firefighters who pretend to be gay in order to reap their company's domestic partner benefits.A rather tepid comedy.
***The Matthew Shepard Story. Stockard Channing plays Judy Shepard in the Lifetime network film about Matthew’s murder. Her performance is incredible.
***Out in the Silence. A small town confronts a firestorm of controversy ignited by a same-sex wedding announcement in the local newspaper. Available for viewing online. http://www.hulu.com/watch/157306/out-in-the-silence

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 frequently. www.glaad.org/tvgayed

***August: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***August. Clay Aiken: Tried and True, a concert based on Aiken’s new CD, will air with guest appearances by Ruben Studdard and Linda Eder. PBS. Check local listings. www.pbs.org or www.clayaiken.com.

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

8/12/10-8/15/10: San Francisco, CA: Homo A Go Go. Queer arts festival. www.homoagogo.com.

8/13/10-8/29/10: New York, NY: New York International Fringe Festival. emerging theatre serious and otherwise from 197 theatre troupes at 20 venues in lower Manhattan. www.fringenyc.org.

8/14/10: San Francisco, CA: .The Big Gay 10K. www.thebiggay10k.com

8/15/10: San Francisco, CA: Help is On The Way XVI. a benefit for four Bay Area AIDS Service Agencies. www.helpisontheway.org

8/21/10: Fire Island, NY: The Stonewall Swim 5K open water pledge fundraiser for the Stonewall Community Foundation. http://www.stonewallfoundation.org/events.php?Section=Event

8/22/10-8/29/10: Porter, ME: Camp Camp. Summer camp for LGBT adults.
www.campcamp.com

8/23/10: Philadelphia, PA: .8th Annual Gay Community Night at the Phillies. www.phillygaydays.com

8/26/10-8/28/10: Miami Beach, FL: Lavendar Law 2010. National LGBT Bar Association 2010 Career Fair and Conference. http://lgbtbar.org/annual/

8/26/10-8/29/10: Philadelphia, PA: Rainbow Boogie 2010 World’s only gay skydiving event. www.rainbowskydivie.com.

Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: August Milestones

1. Question: Name this American author, born August 2, 1924, the preeminent African-American intellectual of his time, who was one of the first writers to deal openly with homosexuality in a 1956 novel. He was a popular speaker on race relations and civil rights, but was not asked to play a visible role in the 1963 March on Washington, because organizers considered his homosexuality a liability. Answer: James Baldwin, author of “Giovanni’s Room”.

2. Question: Name this international competition, held for the first time in San Francisco on August 28, 1982. Over 50,000 people participated. Today, it is a major world event. Answer: The Gay Games.

3. Question: Name this Broadway blockbuster, which opened on August 21, 1983, one of the first to feature openly gay characters. It was written by an award-winning out composer who wrote showstoppers for middle-aged women and an award-winning playwright who had chronicled his own experiences as drag diva and gay dad. Answer: La Cage Aux Folles, written by Jerry Herman (“Hello Dolly”) and Harvey Fierstein (“Torch Song Trilogy”). The musical, revived on Broadway this season, took home a Tony Award for “Best Revival”.

4. Question: Name this out fashion designer, born on August 1, 1936. He took the French fashion world by storm in the 1970s, and built a fashion empire for women and men, which he sold to Gucci for millions. Answer: Yves Saint-Laurent.

5. Question: Name this man who came out on national television on August 13, 2004 with the statement “I am a gay American”. He was the highest-ranked American elected official to do so. He resigned from office shortly thereafter. Answer: James McGreevey, the governor of New Jersey. He came out to avoid being outed by a subordinate.

This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell

1. Question: Name this non-profit organization, founded in 1993, which provides support and legal assistance to gays in the military affected by "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". It has responded to over 9,000 requests for legal assistance since its founding.

2. Question: Name the author of the definitive history of LGBT people in the US military. This author, who had chronicled the gay rights movement in the Harvey Milk years and the rise of AIDS activism in the USA, died shortly after completing the book.

3. Question: Name this gay soldier who was perhaps the best-known openly gay man in the 1970s. A Vietnam War veteran and recipient of the Purpole Heart and the Bronze Star, he came out and fought to stay in the Air Force, a battle that put hiim on the cover of Time Magazine in 1975.

4. Question: Name this out former colonel in the Washington National Guard and a gay rights activist. Prior to DADT, she came out in a security clearance, and was discharged. She fought for reinstatement. Her battle became the subject of an award-winning film.

5. Question: Name this Naval Academy student who was expelled from Annapolis in 1987, after coming out to his commanding officer. At the time, he was six weeks from graduation and one of the top six midshipmen within the academy. He sued for reinstatement. His case was unique in that he was accused of no homosexual conduct; his separation from the military was predicated solely upon his admission of homosexuality. After a long legal battle, he chose not to appeal his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Today, he's a successful attorney.

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