Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 2/07/11

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 14 No. 5 February 7, 2011
Newsletter Editor: M. G. Auerbach Email: COSNewsweekly@gmail.com

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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: February 7-13, 2011

thru 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

thru SAT: 2/05: Kingston, ON: Reel Out Queer Film & Video Festival. www.reelout.com

MON: 2/07: Nationwide: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. www.blackaidsday.org.

MON: 2/07: 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

TUE: 2/08: Albany, NY: Marriage Equality Day at the State Capitol. A Marriage Equality New York Rally. http://www.meny.us/

WED: 2/09: New York, NY: amFar New York Gala. Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and Dionne Warwick perform for honorees Bill Clinton; Diane von Furstenberg; Dr. Mathilde Krim and Elizabeth Taylor.www.amfar.org.

FRI: 2/11: Northampton, MA: “Heart to Heart”. The LGBT Coalition of Western Massachusetts benefit for the Shining Star Scholarship Fund for LGBT youth. www.lgbtcoationwma.org

SAT: 2/12: Baltimore, MD: B+More Proud Intercollegiate LGBTQA Leadership Summit. for Baltimore/Washington college and university students. http://bmoreproud.org/summit/summit.php

Newsworthy:

Resource: Free LGBT News E-Newsletter. Gay Politics Report comes out twice-weekly with news briefings. From Smart Brief. An excellent resource for LGBY officials, business organizations, and community leaders. http://www.smartbrief.com/lgbt/

Gay Politics Top 25 LGBT News Stories of the week: http://www.gaypolitics.com/2011/01/28/top-25-lgbt-news-stories-of-the-week/

Uganda:

***David Kato, the outspoken gay rights advocate in Uganda, was murdered on 1/27/11. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/world/africa/28uganda.html?_r=1&src=fbmain
*** The White House Statement on the David Kato Murder. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/01/27/statement-president-killing-david-kato
***A Ugandan lesbian has won a reprieve from deportation back to her home country, where she fears for her safety. BBC News reports: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12311319

Same-Sex Marriage Lawsuits may force The Obama Administration to take a stand. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/29/us/politics/29marriage.html?hp

Illinois legalizes civil unions. The Advocate reports: http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/01/31/Ill_Civil_Unions_Law_Signed/

Iowa: A Symbolic vote on gay marriage failed in the state Senate. The Des Moines Register reports: http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2011/01/27/iowa-senate-will-take-symbolic-vote-on-gay-marriage-issue-this-morning/

The Naval Academy treats a gay graduate’s husband as next-of-kin.The Chicago Sun-Times reports: http://www.suntimes.com/3526027-417/ketterson-academy-naval-usna-fliszar.html

Chicken Chain Gets Skewered by gay rights activists. Chick-Fil-A, a sandwich maker with conservative religion built into its corporate ethos, has come under fire for sponsoring a known anti-gay group’s seminar againt marriage equality. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/us/30chick.html?hpw

Bay Windows, New England’s largest LGBT publication has acquired Golden Rainbow, a monthly newspaper for LGBT seniors and boomers. The Boston Globe reports: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2011/01/26/bay_windows_acquires_monthly_paper/

PC Air, a Thai start-up airline, is recruiting transgender flight attendants. USAToday’s “Today in the Sky” blog reports: http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2011/01/thai-airline-says-its-recruiting-third-sex-attendants/140667/1

The Buzz (People Making News)

Coming Out: Geri Jewell, the actress who played Cousin Geri on “The Facts of Life” has come out in a new memoir. Jezebel reports: http://jezebel.com/5744923/geri-jewell-comes-out-in-new-memoir

Coming Out: Jonathan Knight of New Kids on the Block confirms that he is gay. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/01/jonathan-knight.html

Coming Out: Graeme Obree, the international bicycling champion, has come out. He’s the highest ranking member of that sport to do so. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/01/cycling-champ-graeme-obree-im-gay.html

Roberta Achtenberg, the LGBT rights activist, has been appointed by President Obama to the US Commision on Civil Rights. GLAAD reports: http://glaadblog.org/2011/01/28/president-obama-names-lgbt-advocates-to-historic-appointments/

J. Paul Oetken, an out former Clinton administration lawyer, has been nominated to the federal bench by President Obama. If confirmed, he would be the first openly gay man to sere on the federal bench in the USA. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/nyregion/28judge.html?_r=1&hpw

James Franco will play Nicole Kidman’s boy toy in a revival of gay Tennessee Williams’ “Sweet Bird of Youth”, which opens on Broadway this fall. BroadwayWorld.com reports: http://broadwayworld.com/article/TV_James_Franco_Confirms_Broadway_Debut_in_SWEET_BIRD_OF_YOUTH_with_Nicole_Kidman_20110128

Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester on “Glee”) is writing a memoir for release this year. The New York Times reports: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/life-aint-easy-for-a-girl-named-sue-a-personal-memoir-from-jane-lynch-of-glee/

Barbara Bush, daughter of former President George W, has endorsed marriage equality in a public service announcement. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/us/politics/01bush.html?_r=1

Transitions:

Ralph McClean, Australia’s first out mayor, died on 12/25/10, at age 53. Australia’s Age reports: http://www.theage.com.au/national/obituaries/act-of-political-bravery-australias-first-openly-gay-mayor-20110130-1a9pf.html

Charles Nolan, the fashion designer who dressed many politicos including Tipper Gore, died on 1/30/11 at age 53. His partner is Andrew Tobias, the financial writer who penned the coming out classic “The Best Little Boy in the World”. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/fashion/31nolan.html?_r=1&hpw

Photo Shoots and Video

Coming Out: Video: What Was It Like to Come Out in the 1950s ? The Gay History Video Project is recording the stories of some of the pioneers in our community to chronicle LGBT history. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/02/50s.html

The Resource Center:

The No Shame Project. Championed by former TV anchor/author Charles Perez and baseball star Billy Bean. http://www.no-shame.org/

In Print:

Coming Out: Confessions of a Gay Anchorman by Charles Perez. Lulu.com. A behind the scenes, in front of the camera look at what it is to be a gay man on TV. Perez is an alum of ABC’s flagship station in New York. He trashes many of the people there. http://www.charles-perez.com/

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 thru 3/27/11. www.signaturetheatre.org.
***The Divine Sister. Charles Busch plays an indomitable Mother Superior driven to build a new school for her Pittsburgh convent. to 4/30/11. www.DivineSisterOnstage.com.
***The Importance of Being Earnest. Gay Oscar Wilde’s classic. Brian Bedford turns in a gender-bender as Lady Bracknell. to 7/03/11. 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". Harvey Fierstein and Jeffrey Tambor co-star beginning 2/15/11.www.LaCage.com

Elsewhere...

***The Little Dog Laughed, Douglas Carter Beane's Tony Award-winning comedy about a Hollywood agent’s crisis dealing with her star’s decision to come out. to 2/13/11. Morristown, NJ. www.bickfordtheatre.org
***Little Miss Sunshine. A new musical by William “Falsettos” Finn and James Lapine based on the film. Hunter Foster and Malcolm Gets co-star. 2/15/11-3/27/11. LaJolla, CA. www.lajollaplayhouse.org.
***Marry Me A Little, an all-male production of the Stephen Sondheim revue. 2/2/11-2/20/11. San Francisco, CA. www.therhino.org.
***Out of Sight. Sara Felder’s solo show about lesbians, Palestine, and juggling. to 2/13/11. San Francisco, CA. www.themarsh.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. 2/25/11-4/24/11. Washington, DC. www.arenastage.org.

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”.
***Kaboom, a new film from Gregg Araki. The world according to Smith, a bisexual Southern California cinema studies major (Thomas Dekker).
***Rabbit Hole, John Cameron Mitchell (“Hedwig” and “Short Bus”) directs the movie version of the Broadway drama which stars Nicole Kidman. www.rabbitholefilm.com.

Out On Video & DVD

***Glee: Season 2, Volume 1: First ten episodes of Glee Season 2 on 3 DVDs.
***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). .
***Lucky Lady. Liza Minnelli stars in the 1975 comedy with Gene Hackman and Burt Reynolds.
***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

***February: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***SUN: 2/11: Grammy Awards, 53rd edition. Live. 8PM. CBS.

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

2/17/11: New York, NY: Jim Caruso’s Cast Party, a benefit for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS with Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, and more. www.ticketmaster.com

2/19/11: Denver, CO: 2011 Youth Summit. to bring LGBTQ high school, college students and allies together for a day of dialogue. Betty DeGeneres will be in attendance. http://www.matthewsplace.com/engage/2010-youth-summit/

2/26/11-2/27/11: Boston, MA: Back to Work training program for transgender people seeking jobs. http://www.hrc.org/15215.htm

2/26/11-3/05/11: Telluride, CO: Telluride Gay Ski Week. www.telluridegayskiweek.com

2/27/11: Los Angeles, CA: Academy Awards. www.oscars.org

2/28/11: New York, NY: Harmony. A musical gala to benefit the NYC Gay Men’s Chorus and Youth Pride Chorus. Ann Harada from “Avenue Q” stars. http://www.nycgmc.org/Event.aspx?EventId=HARMONY2011

3/12/11-3/15/11: New York, NY: The 18th GLBT Expo. Trade show. http://www.originalglbtexpo.com/

3/13/11: New York, NY: ABC Daytime Salutes Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Stars from “All My Children”, “One Life to Live”, “General Hospital” and “The View” perform to raise money for BroadwayCares. www.broadwaycares.org.

3/14/11: New York, NY: Straight for Equality Gala. PFLAG’s 3rd annual salute of straight allies in the LGBT community. http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=1341

3/19/11-3/26/11: Crested Butte, CO: Butte 11: Matthew Shepard Foundation Gay Ski Week, to be held at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Some of the proceeds benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation. http://www.matthewshepard.org

Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: February Milestones

1. Question: Name this elected official who started a national craze on February 12, 2004 just weeks after taking the oath office. Saying he was influenced by a President’s State of the Union address that appeared to make gays second class citizens, his actions caused national controversy, yet made him a hero within the LGBT community. Answer: Gavin Newsom, CA Lieutenant Governor and former Mayor of San Francisco, who authorized the city to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

2. Question: Name this rodent, who comes out annually on February 2nd. His coming out, applauded by people everywhere, is used to predict weather events. Answer: Puxatawny Phil, the star of Ground Hog Day. His shadow determines whether there is six weeks left to winter.

3. Question: Name this hit television show, which was the first to feature a lesbian liplock on February 7, 1991. Hint: It’s based down the coast from the Newsom residence in Question #1. Answer: L.A. Law.

4. Question: Name this award-winning gay athlete, born February 10, 1893. He captured worldwide acclaim for his skills, only to fall into obscurity when his interest in young men came to light. Answer: Bill Tilden, the tennis great.

5. Question: Name this lesbian writer, born in Pennsylvania on February 3, 1874. After she moved abroad, she established a salon which nurtured some of the most important writers of the 20th century. Her partner was known for a secret ingredient in her brownies.. Answer: Gertrude Stein. Her partner was Alice B. Toklas, who added marijuana to her brownies, according to the Arlo Guthrie song.

2/07: This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Black History Month

1. Question: Name this young, gifted, bi, black American author and playwright, who became the foremother of African-American drama, and a contributor to the understanding of pro-choice, discrimination, and Africa. She died at age 35, but her work is still read and performed frequently.

2. Question: Name this American author, playwright and Civil Rights activist. Gay characters appeared in his works, which often dealt with the personal impact of prejudice against those who were young, gifted, black, and gay.

3. Question: Name this American-born bisexual dancer, singer and actress, who lived most of her life in France. She was known for her extravagant night club act. She also adopted twelve children from all over the world and called them her "rainbow-family".

4. Question: Name this flamboyant rock and roll legend, who has topped pop music charts since 1956.

5. Question: Name this American activist in the struggle for human rights and economic justice who helped organize one of the most important civil rights actions in American history.

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/