Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 1/10/11

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 14 No. 1 January 10, 2011
Newsletter Editor: M. G. Auerbach Email: COSNewsweekly@gmail.com

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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: January 10-16, 2011

MON: 1/10: Los Angeles, CA: “Be-In” for Broadway Impact. Members of the national tour of “Hair” perform showtunes to benefit Broadway Impact’s fight for marriage equality. The Show at Barre, 1714 N. Vermont. www.showatbarre.com

TUE: 1/11: New York, NY: Johnny Weir does a booksigning for “Welcome to My World”. 7PM. Borders Books, Columbus Circle. Also: WED: 1/12: Huntington, NY: 7PM. Book Revue. SUN: 1/16: Beachwood, OH: 7PM. Borders Books, Richmond Road.

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

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

Newsworthy:

DADT Signed: The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/us/politics/23military.html

UN Victory for gay rights supporters. Reuters reports: http://blogs.reuters.com/global/2010/12/22/un-victory-for-gay-rights-supporters/

Prop 8 Update: The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals punts the case to the California Supreme Court for advice. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/01/04/Prop_8_Case_Punted_to_Calif__Sup__Court/

Tyler Clemente’s Parents intend to sue. The Washington Post reports: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/22/AR2010122201452.html

VP Joe Biden on gay marriage: “It’s inevitable”. The San Francisco Chronicle reports: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fn%2Fa%2F2010%2F12%2F24%2Fnational%2Fw045637S01.DTL

New Hampshire is likely to be the next battleground for marriage equality fight, as out-of-state groups descend to repeal same-sex marriage. The Concord Monitor reports: http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/231898/outside-groups-gird-for-gay-marriage-fight

Gay-Straight Alliances flourish in nation’s schools, as a result of the many gay teen suicides. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/us/02utah.html?_r=2

TV Season Update: younger LGBT characters are showing up on more mainstream TV series. The Los Angeles Times reports: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/03/entertainment/la-et-gay-characters-20110103

Pee-Wee Herman’s Broadway hit is being filmed by HBO. It will be on a TV set by you in 2011. The New York Times reports: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/scream-real-loud-pee-wee-herman-show-coming-back-to-hbo/

North Carolina: The North Carolina Council of Churches, a social justice advocacy group that unites denominations and congregations, has become the first organization of its kind in the South to elect an openly gay person as its president. Bay Windows reports: http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3&id=114692

Coming Out: Richard Chamberlain advises other gay actors: “stay in the closet”. The Hollywood Reporter reports: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/richard-chamberlain-advises-gay-actors-65875

2010 Recap

Top 10 LGBT News Stories from Bilerico: http://www.bilerico.com/2010/12/top_10_lgbt_news_stories_of_2010.php

Video: 2010: A Year of Equality. Lambda Legal’s recap. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJH2lAYsCpA

Best LGBT Films of 2010: The Windy City Times picks: http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=29988

The Advocate’s 2010 Newsmakers of the Year: http://advocate.com/News/News_Features/Newsmakers_of_the_Year/

Cinema: Best LGBT Characters of 2010. Nathaniel Rogers recaps for Towleroad: http://www.towleroad.com/2010/12/movies-best-lgbt-characters-of-the-year.html

2010’s Most Googled Gays. The Advocate knows: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Internet/2010s_Most_Googled_Gays/

The Buzz (People Making News)

It’s A Boy! for new parents Elton John and David Furnish. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2010/12/elton-john-and-david-furnish-announce-birth-of-their-son.html

Transitions:

Gayle Batt, civic activist and mother of Bryan (Mad Men) Batt, has died at age 79. The New Orleans Times Picayune reports: http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2010/12/gayle_batt_civic_activist_and.html

David Gurland, the cabaret artist, died on 1/1/11. BroadwayWorld.com reports: http://broadwayworld.com/article/AwardWinning_Cabaret_Singer_David_Gurland_Dies_20110102

John Warhola, the older brother who helped raise pop art icon Andy Warhol and later helped establish the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, died. on 12/24/10 at age 85. Google News reports: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gNFN3TtrZQsUpw7XHLAuPDT2TcCw?docId=0f677269efc24365b16e718055ae7e97

Photo Shoots and Video

Coming Out: The Dan Savage Interview. Chicago Tonight’s Phil Ponce interviews Savage about coming out, his sex advice column, “It Gets Better” and more. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2010/12/watch-chicago-tonights-phil-ponce-interviews-dan-savage.html

Coming Out: Gareth Thomas, gay Welsh rugby player, recaps his coming out to Ellen DeGeneres. http://www.towleroad.com/2011/01/watch-gay-rugby-icon-gareth-thomas-talks-coming-out-on-ellen.html

Features

Coming Out: Interview: Rupert Everett: I Never Got a Job in Hollywood After Coming Out. BBC reports: http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9323000/9323285.stm

Coming Out: How Hollywood Shuts Out Gay Actors. Ramin Setoodeh, former Newsweek reporter, who caused a stir last year when he said gay actors couldn’t play straight, talks about the Hollywood closet. The Daily Beast reports: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-01-02/gay-actors-real-challenge-in-hollywood/

Coming Out: Justin Bond. “New Year, New Name, New Gender”. The Tony-nominated star of “Kiki & Herb” explains v’s transformation to trans Mx Justin Vivian Bond. http://justinbond.com/

Profile: John Cameron Mitchell, “Hedwig” creator, West Village resident and director of “Rabbi Hole”. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/fashion/30mitchell.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=fashion&adxnnlx=1293801472-H74HILrvZ0iowhjrp882Qw

Opportunities

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. Application deadline is 2/11/11. www.pointfoundation.org.

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. Michael Urie stars beginning 2/02/11 thru 3/27/11. www.signaturetheatre.org.
***Bruce Vilanch. Comedy in concert. 1/11/11-1/12/11. http://feinsteinsattheregency.com/
***The Divine Sister. Charles Busch’s new play. Busch plays an indomitable Mother Superior driven to build a new school for her Pittsburgh convent. www.DivineSisterOnstage.com.
***The Importance of Being Earnest. Gay Oscar Wilde’s classic. Brian Bedford turns in a gender-bender as Lady Bracknell. to 3/06/11. www.roundabouttheatre.org
***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

Elsewhere...

***A Catered Affair. the Harvey Fierstein and John Bucchino musical based on the film with a little gay sensibility added. to 1/23/11. Houston, TX. www.mainstreettheater.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.
***Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays. Playlets about marriage equality. to 2/07/11. Los Angeles, CA. www.StandingOnCeremony.net
***[title of show], the musical about guys who write a musical. 1/12/11-1/30/11. Philadelphia, PA. www.mauckingbird.org
***Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Tracy Letts and Amy Morton star as sparring spouses in out Edward Albee’s masterpiece. to 2/13/11. Chicago, IL. . www.steppenwolf.org.

On Screen (and Video & DVD)

Holiday Movies with a Gay Bent. EDGE Publications reviews what’s on screens or available to rent this holiday season. http://www.edgeonthenet.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=movies&sc3&id=114450&pf=1

Out on Screen...

***Black Swan. Natalie Portman plays a ballerina competing for a lead in “Swan Lake”.
***I Love You Phillip Morris. Based on Steve McVicker's book about real-life events. Jim Carrey plays a convict, who falls for his cellmate, Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor).
***Little Fockers. Barbra Streisand returns as “Roz” in the latest “Meet The Parents” series.
***Rabbit Hole, John Cameron Mitchell (“Hedwig” and “Short Bus”) directs the movie version of the Broadway drama which stars Nicole Kidman. www.rabbitholefilm.com.
***Twelve Thirty. Jonathan Groff and Mamie Gummer star in a quirky film about a broken family (Dad is bi). www.twelvethirtymovie.com.
***Undertow. A Peruvian film about a man with a pregnant wife who takes a male lover. Limited screenings to qualify for Best Foreign Film Oscar.

Out On Video & DVD

***HOWL, the docu-feature about Allen Ginsberg (James Franco) by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.
***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). .
***The Life of Reilly. A riveting, sometimes hysterical documentary about Charles Nelson Reilly, the out comic, actor, and director.
***Prayers for Bobby. Sigourney Weaver stars in a true story about the mother of a gay son who has problems accepting him.

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

***January: 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.
***SUN: 1/16: Golden Globe Awards. Ricky Gervais hosts. 8PM. NBC.

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

1/17/11: New York, NY: Friends With Benefits. cabaret fundraiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS with Robin de Jesus, Beth Leavel and others. www.broadwaycares.org.

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

1/20/11-1/30/11: Park City, UT: Sundance Film Festival. www.sundance.org

1/21/11: Springfield, MA: Viva!, the 14th annnual gala benefitting the AIDS Foundation of Western Massachusetts. http://www.aidsfoundationwm.org/

1/23/11: New York, NY: dot429 LGBT Professionals Networking Brunch. http://dot429.com/events/brunch-new-york

1/24/11-1/28/11: Nationwide: No Name-Calling Week, a GLSEN initiative. The annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds. www.nonamecallingweek.org.

1/28/11-2/05/11: Kingston, ON: Reel Out Queer Film & Video Festival. www.reelout.com

1/30/11: Los Angeles, CA: dot429 LGBT Professionals Networking Brunch.
http://dot429.com/events/brunch-los-angeles-3

1/30/11-2/06/11: Whistler, BC: WinterPRIDE: Whistler Gay Ski Week. www.gaywhistler.com

2/02/11-2/06/11: Minneapolis, MN: Creating Change. The National Conference on LGBT Equality. http://www.creatingchange.org/?tr=y&auid=6739637

2/07/11: New York, NY: Broadway Backwards #6. Gender bendered showtunes to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) and The LGBT Community Center (the Center). Clay Aiken, Alan Cumming, Denis O’Hare, Bobby Steggert, and more co-star. http://www.broadwaycares.org/backwards2011

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: Anniversaries

1. Question: What was this milestone 30 years ago (reported in the New York Times on 7/2/81). It started an epidemic of fear, ignorance, and activism within the LGBT community.

2. Question: What was this milestone 40 years ago. Name the state, the second to decriminalise same-sex acts among consenting adults. (Illinois was the first). Hint: The state has passed legislation to approve same-sex marriage, and its not Massachusetts.

3. Question: What was this milestone 50 years ago. Name the Washington DC chapter of this groundbreaking LGBT rights organization formed on 11/15/61. Frank Kameny was elected its first president.

4. Question: What was this milestone 10 years ago ? Name the award-winning Broadway musical based on a film of the same name, in which two producers advise a gay director and his partner to make the Third Reich a bit gayer.

5. Question: What was this milestone 20 years ago. Name this epic drama which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1991 It dealt with AIDS and gay life in America. It had a Broadway run later, a film and opera adaptation, and is currently playing a revival in New York.

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/