Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 11/29/10

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 13 No. 47 November 29, 2010
Newsletter Editor: M. G. Auerbach Email: COSNewsweekly@gmail.com

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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: November 29-December 5, 2010

thru THU: 12/02: Nationwide: David Sedaris does a book tour with his new book: Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Beastiary http://www.barclayagency.com/speakers/appearances/sedaris.html

MON: 11/29: Charlotte, NC: Fannie Flagg, out author of “Fried Green Tomatos” signs copies of “I Still Dream About You”. 7PM. Joseph-Beth Booksellers. Also: TUE: 11/30: Columbia, SC: Books-A-Million. THU: 12/02: Charleston, SC: 7PM. Barnes & Noble, Sam Rittenberg Blvd. FRI: 12/03: Pawley’s Island, SC: 11AM. Litchfield Books, Ocean Highway.

MON: 11/29: New York, NY: A Very Mary Holiday. A benefit honoring activist Laura Benanti as a benefit for the Ali Forney Center. Onboard: Brian Charles Rooney, Sandra Bernhard, Anthony Rapp, Kate Shindle, and more. (www.aliforneycenter.org). http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/broadwayspeaksout/co-produce-broadway-stars-at-benefit-honoring-judi

MON: 11/29: New York, NY: Stephen Sondheim and Tony Kushner will appear in conversation for the conclusion of The Public Forum, hosted by Rocco Landesman, the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, who has produced shows by both writers. www.publictheater.org.

MON: 11/29: Philadelphia, PA: “Jersey Boys” hosts a concert/auction to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. www.broadwaycares.org.

WED: 12/01: Worldwide: World AIDS Day

WED: 12/01: San Francisco, CA: Cocktails for a Cure. a benefit on World AIDS Day for the Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation. http://www.richmondermet.org/reaf10.1/index.htm

WED: 12/01: San Francisco, CA: December One at Borders. Authors Michael Thomas Ford, Lucy Jane Bledsoe and Monica Nolan do a lunchtime LGBT author’s panel curated by the Lambda Literary Foundation. http://www.lambdaliterary.org/features/news/11/23/lgbt-authors-ally-with-borders-on-world-aids-day-san-francisco/

WED: 12/01: New York, NY: OUT Music Awards, celebrating the contributions of out LGBT and allies recording artists and performers. Honorees: Melissa Etheridge, Wayne Besen, Cyndi Lauper, Randy Jones. www.outmusicawards.com.

THU: 12/02: New York, NY: Stonewall Honors 2010. Honoring contributions of lesbians and other leaders in the LGBT community of New York. http://www.stonewallfoundation.org/events.php?Section=Event

SAT: 12/04: New York, NY: Flying: The Youth Pride Chorus. Dance, spoken word and song. http://www.youthpridechorus.org/

SUN: 12/05: Los Angeles, CA: Trevor Live, formerly Cracked Xmas. The annual comedy performance and dinner benefit for The Trevor Project. http://www.thetrevorproject.org/trevorlive

Newsworthy:

New Hospital Visitation Rules: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued the new hospital visitation rule Wednesday that allows patients to designate their own visitors during a hospital stay, including their same-sex partners. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/11/17/New_Hospital_Visitation_Rule_Issued/

France: The Constitutional Council will decide within three months whether same-sex marriage should be legal. Bay Windows reports: http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3&id=113192

18 Anti-Gay Hate Groups from the Southern Poverty Law Center: http://splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2010/winter/the-hard-liners

New Jersey. The state Assembly and Senate have passed an Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights. NJ.com reports: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/11/nj_assembly_passes_anti-bullyi.html

Fox rejects DADT ad. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2010/11/fox-news-rejects-ad-advocating-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell.html

C-Span will televise oral arguments in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the federal challenge to Proposition 8, when it goes before the Ninth Circuit Court of AppealsTowleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2010/11/c-span-to-televise-oral-arguments-in-federal-prop-8-case.html

The Advocate: Best Cover Stories of 2010. http://advocate.com/Print_Issue/Cover_Stories/The_Best_of_2010/

The Buzz (People Making News)

Phyllis Frye has become Texas’ first transgender judge. The Dallas Voice reports: http://www.dallasvoice.com/phyllis-frye-texas-1st-transgender-judge-1052664.html

Photo Shoots and Video

Video: Graeme Taylor, the 14 year old who defended a teacher at a school board meeting, talks about coming out to Ellen. The teacher was disciplined for removing two kids who had made homophobic comments from class. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2010/11/graeme.html

Features

Profile: Dr. Marci Bowers: First TG woman doctor to perform TG surgeries. Dot429.com reports: http://dot429.com/articles/2010/11/19/dr-marci-bowers-transgender-remembrance-day

In Print:

Just Kids by Patti Smith. Ecco Press. National Book Award non-fiction winner from the rocker who writes a memoir about her friendship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance

New York City (and Broadway)

***Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. Tony Kushner’s award-winning epic. thru 2/20/11. www.signaturetheatre.org.
***Jackie Five-Oh! Comic Jackie Hoffman begins her second half-century with a new stand-up comedy show on her nights off from “The Addams Family”. 11/29/10, 12/06/10, 12/13/10. www.joespub.com
***La Cage Aux Folles, a revival of the 1983 Jerry Herman/Harvey Fierstein musical, based on a French film, which inspired the film "Birdcage". Kelsey Grammer stars. Harvey Fierstein stars as Albin beginning 2/15/11.www.LaCage.com
***The Last Castrato. the story of Alessandro Moreschi, the last of that unique, almost forgotten group --the castrati-- who were damaged at a young age by forces beyond their control. www.lastcastrato.com.
***The Pee-wee Herman Show. Paul Reubens’ stage version of his TV hit. to1/02/11.
***Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. A new musical based on out filmmaker Pedro Almodovar’s film. Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Sherie Renee Scott star. www.lct.org.

Elsewhere...

***Annie. Out comic Wanda Sykes is the evil Miss Hannigan. to 1/16/11. Media, PA. http://mediatheatre.org
***A Queer Carol. The holiday tale retold with gay sensibility. 12/03/10-12/18/10. Theatre Out, Santa Ana, CA. www.theatreout.com
***The Boys in the Band, Mart Crowley’s groundbreaking 1968 play about pre-Stonewall gay life. to 12/12/10, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. www.risingactiontheatre.com.
***Dirty Little Showtunes. Off-color, adults-only musical spoof on Broadway shows from “Wicked” to “Grey Gardens”. Six guys skewer showtunes in an antidote to Sugarplum saturation. to 1/16/10. San Francisco, CA. www.nctcsf.org.
http://www.playhouseonpark.org/pop/20102011Season/newplayreadings_home.html
***Gavin Creel in concert. 12/04/10. Boston, MA. www.rylesjazz.com
***Santa Claus Is Coming Out, a theatrical mock-u-mentary by Jeffrey Solomon, reveals the secret romantic life of the beloved childhood icon and the scandal that rocks the world when the truth leaks out. 12/04/10-12/21/10. San Diego, CA. www.diversionary.org
***Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays. Playlets about marriage equality. 12/06/10-2/07/11. Los Angeles, CA. www.StandingOnCeremony.net
***Take Me Out. A baseball player comes out. to 12/19/10. Hollywood, CA. www.celebrationtheatre.com

On Screen (and Video & DVD)

Out on Screen...

***A Marine Story. Alexandra, a married Marine, is a casualty of DADT. After discharge, she rebuilds her life. The trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixk192SX9es
***Black Swan. Natalie Portman plays a ballerina competing for a lead in “Swan Lake”.
***Burlesque. Cher returns to the screen for her first movie in seven years in a musical drama that tells the tale of a young singer (Christina Aguilera) who is hired as a cocktail waitress at a club that does musical revues by the star (Cher).
***I Love You Phillip Morris. Based on Steve McVicker's book about real-life events. Jim Carrey plays Steven Russell, who falls for his cellmate, Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor), after being put in prison and makes regular attempts to escape when the object of his affections is released.
***The Nutcracker (in 3D). Nathan Lane is home for the holidays.

Out On Video & DVD

***The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story, the film documentary about songwriting brothers Robert Sherman and Richard Sherman, (Mary Poppins,' 'The Jungle Book,' 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' and more). They were tempestuous in life and great work collaborators.
***Eyes Wide Open, two ultra-orthodox Chasidic Jews who fall in love in Israel. Aaron is a married, respected butcher; Ezri is a yeshiva student, who becomes Aaron’s apprentice who becomes something more.
***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). .
***Out: The Glenn Burke Story. A new documentary on the life of the late professional baseball player Glenn Burke raises haunting questions about the impact of homophobia in major league sports. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/11/10/Documentary_Shows_Struggle_of_Gay_Baseball_Player/
***Sex and The City 2. Carrie and the girls and a gay wedding with Liza.
***Sondheim: The Birthday Concert. Davd Hyde Pierce hosts.

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

***December: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***Weekdays: The Nate Berkus Show. Oprah’s out protege goes hourly in syndication. Check local listings.
***Weekdays The Talk. Out “Roseanne” alum Sara Gilmore produces a new version of “The View” with Marissa Jaret Winokur, Julie Chen, and Sharon Osbourne. CBS Weekdays. Check local listings.
***thru 12/28: Wishful Drinking, Carrie Fisher’s intoxicating autobiographical solo show. 9PM. NBO. Check times.

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

12/06/10: Los Angeles, CA: Bruce Vilanch hosts the opening performance of “Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays” as a benefit for the American Foundation for Equal Rights and Equality California. www.StandingOnCeremony.net

12/06/10-12/07/10: New York, NY: Gypsy of The Year Competition. Broadway shows compete in a benefit for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS. Carol Channing opens the show. www.broadwaycares.org.

12/11/10-12/12/10: San Francisco, CA: Dance-Along, Sing-Along Nutcracker with the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band. You CAN be the Sugar Plum Fairy.. http://dancealongnutcracker.org/

12/13/10: San Francisco, CA: A Shrektacular Holiday Musical Extravaganza with the cast of “Shrek” and Deborah Gibson. A benefit for The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. www.HelpIsOnTheWay.org

12/15/`10: Palm Springs, CA: Sparkle: A Holiday Concert with Broadway’s Brightest to benefit The Christmas Foundation, which works to help underprivileged children and children with HIV. Carol Channing, Lorna Luft , Max vonEssen, and Bobby Steggert star. http://sparklepalmsprings.eventbrite.com.

12/16/10: San Francisco, CA: Big Gay Christmas Party to benefit GLAAD, NCLR, and more. http://dot429.com/events/temple

12/18/10: Westport, CT: LGBT Night Out at The Playhouse, Westport Country Playhouse and Norwalk's Triangle Community Center present a cocktail party, erformance by “The Broadway Boys”. www.westportplayhouse.org

Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: The Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot

1. Question: Name this gay composer and lyricist whose 1934 hit about changing times mentioned “since the puritans got a shock, when they landed on Plymouth Rock”. Answer: Cole Porter. The title song from the hit musical is “Anything Goes”.

2. Question: What LGBT civil rights milestone took place about 50 miles from the locale in Question #1 on 11/18/03 ? Answer: Same-Sex Marriage. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court approved same-sex marriage in Boston, up the road from Plymouth.

3. Question: Name this entertainer and gay icon whose Vicki Edie “Around the World” lounge act took Miss Edie on a Turkey trot? Answer: Bette Midler, whose character Vicki sang about “Istanbul is Constantinople” in Turkey’s largest city. Vickie got “preposterous on the Bosphorus”.

4. Question: Name the bi choreographer who rose to the top when he created a showstopping Broadway dance number with a fowl theme. Hint: He lined up the chorus for Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Answer: Michael Bennett, who staged "Turkey Lurkey Time" for the musical "Promises, Promises". The show returned to Broadway this year with Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth.

This Week’s Trivia Quiz: World AIDS Day (December 1)

1. Question: In what year was AIDS first detected in California and New York (the first states to report any cases.

2. Question: As healthcare professionals learned that HIV was transmitted between IV-drug users, what was the first country (1984) to set up a needle exchange program.

3. Question: Name this actor who has become one of the world’s major philanthropists and activists for those with HIV/AIDS. One of the founders of a national AIDS research foundation, a founder of another AIDS foundation, and a spokesperson for HIV/AIDS, this person’s participation in the movement brought international attention to AIDS activism.

4. Question: Name the American teenager, who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS, after being expelled from middle school for being HIV+ (from hemophilia). Lesgislation bearing his name was launched in 1990 to create the USA’s largest federally-funded program for people living with HIV/AIDS.

5. Question: Name this AIDS activist who combined community folk art with AIDS activism. His project, begun in 1983, put a personal touch on those impacted with HIV. He also co-founded the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, one of the now largest AIDS advocacy organizations in the country.

The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: COSNewsweekly@gmail.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/