Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 2/28/11

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 14 No. 8 February 28, 2011
Newsletter Editor: M. G. Auerbach Email: COSNewsweekly@gmail.com

The Fine Print

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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: February 28-March 6, 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: 3/05: Telluride, CO: Telluride Gay Ski Week. www.telluridegayskiweek.com

MON: 2/28/: 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

WED: 3/02: New York, NY: Meredith Baxter does a booksigning for her memoir “Untied: A Memoir of Family, Fame, and Floundering”. Joy Behar will appear with her. 7PM. Barnes & Noble, Union Square. www.bn.com

FRI: 3/04: New York, NY: dot429 Inaugural Women’s Event. dot429’s queer women’s networking event.http://dot429.com/events

FRI: 3/04: Omaha, NE: Screening: Gen Silent,Stu Maddox’s documentary about six LGBT elders and their caregivers in Boston. Also: SUN: 3/06: Thunder Bay, ON: http://stumaddux.com/gen_silent_screenings.html

FRI-SAT: 3/04-3/05: Los Angeles, CA: Fusion, The Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival, produced by Outfest. Includes “The Wiz” sing-a-long. http://www.outfest.org/article.php?id_art=143

SAT: 3/05: Chicago, IL: Chicago Takes Off. burlesque show to fight HIV/AIDS in the Chicagoland area.www.chicagotakesoff.org

SAT: 3/05: New Haven, CT: The 8th Annual Dorothy Awards. New Haven Pride Center’s benefit honoring Rev. Marilyn Bowens, pastor of MCC New Haven; Tony Ferraiolo, co-founder and president of the Jim Collins Foundation; Robb Bart, owner of Gotham Citi; and the Northeast Ursamen. : http://bit.ly/dTWqRd

SUN: 3/06: San Francisco, CA: dot429 Networking Brunch.Professional networking opportunities for the LGBTA Community. http://dot429.com/events

SUN: 3/06: New York, NY: Broadway BearsXIV. The annual auction for Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS with a collection of 40 one-of-a-kind celebrity autographed teddy bears. http://www.broadwaycares.org/Broadway_Bears_XIV_pre-event

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/

Resource: Gay Rights Media. News and resources of interest for the LGBT Equality Movement. http://GayRightsMedia.org/

Hawaii: Same Sex Civil Unions have been approved by the State Legislature. The Huffington Post reports: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/16/hawaii-samesex-civil-unio_n_824291.html?fbwall

Israel: Dori Spivak, a Harvard graduate, was appointed as a Tel Aviv labour court judge. He’s the first openly gay judge in Israel. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/02/israel-appoints-first-openly-gay-judge.html

Facebook has added “civil union” and “domestic partnership” to its relationship status options. the Huffington Post reports: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/17/facebook-adds-civil-union_n_824758.html

More Companies are covering the costs of TG sexual-reassignment surgery. MSNBC reports: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41705893/ns/business-consumer_news/

The Buzz (People Making News)

Miguel Marquez, the out ABC News correspondent, was beaten while covering protests in Bahrain. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/02/17/Gay_Journalist_Beaten_in_Bahrain/

It’s a girl! Rufus Wainwright and his partner Jorn Weisbrodt had a daughter via Lorca Cohen, Leonard Cohen’s daughter. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/02/18/Rufus_Has_a_Baby/

Transitions:

Jerry Ames, the tap dancer, choreographer and director of a tap dance company, died on 2/07/11 at age 80. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/arts/dance/17ames.html?hpw

Perry Moore, author, film director, and producer of “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, died 2/17/11 at age 39. He authored the award-winning book “Hero” about a gay teen superhero. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/books/19moore.html?_r=1&hpw

Photo Shoots, Audio and Video

Coming Out: Audio: Steve Buckley’s Coming Out Party. Radio Boston interviews the Boston Herald sports reporter about the sports world’s reaction to his announcement. http://radioboston.wbur.org/2011/02/16/buckley

Features

Parenting Magazine looks at same-sex parents. http://www.parenting.com/article/same-sex-parenting

The Resource Center:

GAZE, Gay Happy Hour at Real Art Ways in Hartford, CT. Held the first Friday of every month, GAZE offers network opportunities at one of Southern New England’s most unique cultural centers. http://www.realartways.org/gaze.html

Out in Connecticut. Gay activities, events and things of interest in CT. http://sites.google.com/site/outinconnecticut/

Guiding Proud. A new program in New York City to connect LGBT youth with role models. http://pilot.pandoprojects.org/natasha/dashboard

In Print:

Coming Out: It’s Not About You: Understanding Coming Out and Self-Acceptance by Marc Adamas. Window Books. a practical guide for family and friends of those coming out as well as teachers, social workers and counselors.  The book includes a guide for those coming out on how to live life courageously, confidently and consistently. http://www.windowbooksonline.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 4/24/11. www.signaturetheatre.org.
***Book of Mormon, the new musical penned by "South Park" co-creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker and “Avenue Q” Tony winner Robert Lopez.
***Celebrity Autobiography. Celebrities read from the autobiographies of other celebrities. Mario Cantone, Rachel Dratch and Rosie Perez. 2/28/11. http://www.celebrityautobiography.com/
***My Scandalous Life, Thomas Kilroy’s portrait of Lord Alfred Douglas, who was Oscar Wilde’s lover. Des Keogh stars. to 3/06/11. http://www.irishrep.org/
***Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the musical based on the 1994 Australian film. The story of a drag queen and her two fish-out-of-water friends who head west across the desert to Alice Springs in their battered old bus. www.priscillathemusical.com.

Elsewhere...

***Grey Gardens, the award-winning musical about mother and daughter Beale. to 4/03/11. Ft. Lauderdale, FL. http://www.Risingactiontheatre.com/
***Little Miss Sunshine. A new musical by William “Falsettos” Finn and James Lapine based on the film. Hunter Foster and Malcolm Gets co-star. to 3/27/11. LaJolla, CA. www.lajollaplayhouse.org.
***Prometheus Bound. Gavin Creel and Lea DeLaria star in a new musical from Steven Sater and Serj Tankian, based on the Aeschylus tragedy. to 4/02/11. Cambridge, MA. www.americanrepertorytheater.org
***Pussy on the House, Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans deconstruct “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” to 3/20/11. Boston, MA. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/153985
***Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Tracy Letts and Amy Morton star as sparring spouses in out Edward Albee’s masterpiece. to 4/24/11. Washington, DC. www.arenastage.org.

On Screen (and Video & DVD)

Out on Screen...

***Black Swan. Natalie Portman plays a ballerina competing for a lead in “Swan Lake”.
***Gen Silent,Stu Maddox’s new documentary about six LGBT elders and their caregivers in Boston. http://stumaddux.com/gen_silent_screenings.html
***I Love You Phillip Morris. Based on Steve McVicker's book about real-life events. Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor star.
***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

***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)
***Glee: Season 2, Volume 1: First ten episodes of Glee Season 2 on 3 DVDs.
***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). .
***Prayers for Bobby. Sigourney Weaver stars in a true story about the mother of a gay son who has problems accepting him.
***William S. Burroughs: A Man Within. Documentary about the Beat Generation icon and one of the first writers to explore queer culture in the 1950’s.

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

***March: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***SUN: 2/27: 83rd Annual Academy Awards live from Los Angeles. ABC. www.oscars.org.
***SUN: 3/06: Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert. Norm Lewis, Lea Salonga and Colm Wilkinson star. 7PM. PBS. Check local listings. www.pbs.org.

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

3/07/11: New York, NY: Savor, Ted Allen hosts a culinary event with celebrity chefs to benefit the Gay Mens Health Crisis. https://act.gmhc.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=326

3/11/11-3/12/11: Storrs, CT: I Belong. The True Colors XVIII Conference for sexual minority youth and families. http://www.ourtruecolors.org/

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 soaps 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, http://www.matthewshepard.org

3/19/11: Washington, DC: Servicemembers Legal Defense Network 19th annual National Dinner and Silent Auction. www.sldn.org/dinner

3/19/11: New York, NY: GLAAD Media Awards. Celebrating GLAAD’s 25th anniversary. http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards

3/20/11: Washington, DC: Victory Fund 20th Anniversary Champagne Brunch. www.victoryfund.org.

3/21/11: New York, NY: The Broadway Beauty Pageant. Broadway chorus boys compete in a benefit for the Ali Forney Center, NYC’s primary emergency housing resource for homeless LGBT youth. http://aliforneycenter.org/beauty/

3/24/11: New York, NY: Headlines & Headliners, the 16th annual NLGJA New York benefit hosted by MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts. http://www.nlgja.org/news/NYE2011.htm

3/27/`11-3/29/11: Washington, DC: GLSEN Safe Schools Advocacy Summit. http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/news/record/2680.html

3/28/11-4/03/11: Palm Springs, CA: Kraft Nabisco Golf Championship. previously known as the Dinah Shore. gurlz and golf. www.nabiscochampionship.com

3/29/11-4/03/11: Breckenridge, CO: OutBoard. annual LGBT snowboarding festival
www.outboard.org

3/31/11: Northampton, MA: Screening and Discussion: Transparent, the documentary about 19 FTM parents. Media Education Foundation Community Room. 7PM. http://www.transparentthemovie.com/

4/01/11-4/03/11: Sacramento, CA: GAYLA. GSA Advocacy and Youth Leadership Academy. https://gsanetwork.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=57

Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: Hooray for Hollywood

1. Question: Name this 1969 film, which featured gay themes and was the first X-rated film to win the “Best Picture” Oscar. Its openly gay director made several mainstream movies with gay characters. Answer: Midnight Cowboy, which featured Jon Voight as a Times Square hustler. John Schlesinger, the director, also filmed “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and about a bisexual menage.

2. Question: Name this 1972 Oscar-winning film, based on a Tony-winning musical based on a gay author’s journals about his life in Europe. It won 8 Oscars. Its in-your-face decadence featured threesomes, transvestites and other club types. Answer: Cabaret, based on the musical of the same name, adapted from Christopher Isherwood’s “Berlin Stories”.

3. Question: Name this actor, who received an Oscar for a breakthrough performance as a real-life transgender victim. Answer: Hilary Swank, Oscar winner for “Boys Don’t Cry”, the story of Brandon Teena.

4. Question: Name this actor, who received an Oscar for playing an HIV-infected man who was the subject of discrimination in the first major Hollywood film to deal with HIV. Answer: Tom Hanks, who starred in “Philadelphia” in 1993.

5. Question: Name this out singer and songwriter who got an Oscar gold with a song about going green. For over a decade, this artist's music has been top of the charts; the artist is a GLAAD Media Award winner, a cancer survivor, and a spokesperson for coming out issues. Answer: Melissa Etheridge. Her song "I Need to Wake Up" won the Oscar for "Best Song". It was featured in Al Gore's award-winning movie about global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth".

This Week’s Trivia Quiz: March Milestones

1. Question: Name this nation, the first in the Middle East, to decriminalise same-sex acts between consenting adults on March 23, 1988.

2. Question: Name this organization, the most powerful political advocate for AIDS action, which was founded on March 14, 1987. Ten days later, it staged a major protest in New York City.

3. Question: Name this American author, born March 10, 1934, who turned his days as a hustler and a drifter into a highly-praised 1963 American novel. Today, he teaches literature. Some of his subsequent works also deal with hustling.

4. Question: Name this gay pop-idol dancer, born in Siberia in March, 1938, who lept to fame when he defected to the West. His stagework was legendary; he also played a gay film icon in a Ken Russell movie.

5. Question: Name this gay music legend, singer, piano-man, and songwriter, who was born on March 25, 1947. He has conquered the Billboard charts, Broadway and Hollywood, and is perhaps best known worldwide for his elegy to a dead princess.

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/