Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 12/06/10

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 13 No. 48 December 6, 2010
Newsletter Editor: M. G. Auerbach Email: COSNewsweekly@gmail.com

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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: December 6-12, 2010

MON: 12/06: 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

MON: 12/06: New York, NY: Patti LuPone, Broadway star, signs copies of her memoir. 7PM. Borders Books, Columbus Circle.

MON: 12/06: New York, NY: Elaine Stritch chats show biz with Broadway’s Jordan Roth. www.92Y.org/lectures.

MON-TUE: 12/06-12/07: 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.

THU: 12/09: New York, NY: Armistead Maupin does a booksigning for his newest book of “Tales of The City”, “Mary Ann in Autumn”. Barnes and Noble Lincoln Center. http://www.armisteadmaupin.com/Events.html

SAT-SUN: 12/11-12/12: 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/

SUN: 12/12: New York, NY: Research in Action Awards. The benefit for Treatment Action Group (TAG) is an independent AIDS research and policy think tank fighting for better treatment, a vaccine, and a cure for AIDS. http://www.treatmentactiongroup.org/RIAA2010.aspx

Newsworthy:

DADT Repeal Report: The Pentagon's long-awaited report on gays in the military concludes that repealing the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" law would present only a low risk to the armed forces' ability to carry out their mission, and that 70 percent of service members believe it would have little or no effect on their units The Washington Post reports: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/11/_the_reports_release_caps.html?hpid=topnews

DADT: The Pentagon sees little impact if DADT is repealed. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/us/politics/01military.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Point Foundation Scholarships are now available for 2011-12. The Point Foundation is the nation's largest scholarship granting organization for 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.  Online applications available on 12/10/10. Application deadline is 2/11/11. www.pointfoundation.org.

Awards and Honors:

Rachel Maddow won the top spot in the “30 Media Heros” poll from The Nation. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/11/29/Maddow_Tops_Media_Heroes_Poll/

Nominees: Independent Spirit Awards for Independent Film. Among the nominees: “The Kids Are All Right”, John Cameron Mitchell, http://www.spiritawards.com/nominees

Features

State of the Queer Union. NEA Four artists Holly Hughes and Tim Miller have new performance pieces about same-sex marriage. Theatermania reports: http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/news/11-2010/state-of-the-queer-union_32359.html

In Print:

Welcome to My World. by Johnny Weir. Simon & Schuster. Olympic figure skater tells all.

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.
***Christmas Spells. Justin Bond’s gender-bending holiday show. to 12/18/10. http://www.abronsartscenter.org/
***The Divine Sister. Charles Buschplays an indomitable Mother Superior driven to build a new school for her Pittsburgh convent. www.DivineSisterOnstage.com.
***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”.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".www.LaCage.com
***The Pee-wee Herman Show. Paul Reubens’ stage version of his TV hit. to 1/02/11.
***Sordid Confessions. Del Shores, creator of “Sordid Lives” has a new solo show. 12/09/10-12/12/10. www.spincycle.com.

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. to 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.
***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. to 12/21/10. San Diego, CA. www.diversionary.org
***Santaland Diaries. The David Sedaris holiday story about a department store elf. Todd Waite stars. to 12/31/10, Houston, TX..www.alleytheatre.org
***Scrooge in Rouge. Varla Jean Merman’s holiday show. to 12/23/10: New Orleans, LA: http://varlaonline.com/index.php?option=com_eventlist&view=eventlist&Itemid=12
***Snow Girls. a parody of Show Girls. to 12/19/10. New Orleans, LA. www.southernrep.com.
***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
***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.
***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.

Out On Video & DVD

***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). .
***Mädchen in Uniform, the 1958 lesbian classic.
***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/
***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.
***Ongoing: Public Speaking. Martin Scorses’s documentary about occasional author Fran Lebowitz. HBO. Check listings.
***MON: 12/06: Oral Arguments in Federal Proposition 8 case televised on C-SPAN. 1PM ET.
***SAT: 12/11: Private Screenings: Liza Minnelli. Robert Osborne interviews Liza about movies of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli, Liza’s parents. 10PM. Turner Classic Movies.
***SUN: 12/12: Wishful Drinking, Carrie Fisher’s intoxicating autobiographical solo show. 9PM. NBO. Also through 12/28/10.

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

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

1/05/11-1/09/11: Salt Lake City, UT: Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week. www.gayskiing.org

1/09/11: San Francisco, CA: dot429 LGBT Professionals Networking Brunch. http://dot429.com/events/brunch-san-francisco-0

1/11/11: New York, NY: Johnny Weir does a booksigning for “Welcome to My World”. 7PM. Borders Books, Columbus Circle.

1/15/11-6/04/11: Nationwide: David Sedaris continues his book tour with his new bestseller “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk”. http://www.barclayagency.com/speakers/appearances/sedaris.html

1/16/11-1/23/11: Aspen, CO: Aspen Gay Ski Week. www.gayskiweek.com

1/19/11-1/23/11: Stowe, VT: Winter Rendezvous gay skiing, winter sports & entertainment. www.winterrendezvous.com

Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: World AIDS Day

1. Question: In what year was AIDS first detected in California and New York (the first states to report any cases. Answer: 1981.

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. Answer: The Netherlands.

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. Answer: Elizabeth Taylor, who after the death of friend Rock Hudson, became involved with AMFAR, The American Foundation for AIDS Research.

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. Answer: Ryan White. (1971-1990). His death inspired Elton John to create the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

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. Answer: Cleve Jones, who founded the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt.

This 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.

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.

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.

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.

5. Question: Name this former California congressman and almost Senator who came out publicly in December, 1998. He was the spouse of the internationally known commentator and blogger. He had supported LGBT causes, including supporting Andrew Tobias’ “Out of The Past“ documentary.

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/