Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 3/07/11

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 14 No. 9 March 7, 2011
Newsletter Editor: M. G. Auerbach Email: COSNewsweekly@gmail.com

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

thru SAT: 6/04: Nationwide: David Sedaris continues his book tour. http://www.barclayagency.com/speakers/appearances/sedaris.html

MON: 3/07: 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

MON: 3/07: New York, NY: Trailblazers: Trans Women Making A Difference. Panel with Amanda Simpson, Sara Davis Beuchner and Michael Silverman. www.gaycenter.org.

TUE: 3/08: New York, NY: Justin Vivian Bond hosts Karen Finley’s reading from her new book, “The Reality Shows”. 6PM. Dixon Place. http://www.dixonplace.org/index2.html

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

FRI: 3/11: New York, NY: The Greatest Night in Show Business History: The 50th Anniversary of Celebrating Judy. The New York Pops recreates Judy Garland’s 1961 concert. Lorna Luft and current Broadway divas sing the songs. www.carnegiehall.org

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

SAT: 3/12: Philadelphia, PA: Fay Jacobs will do a booksigning for her latest book of essays “For Frying Out Loud”. 5:30PM. Giovanni’s Room.

SAT: 3/12: Pasadena, CA: Meredith Baxter does a booksigning for her memoir “Untied: A Memoir of Family, Fame, and Floundering”. 4PM. Vromans Bookstore, E. Colorado Avenue.

SUN: 3/13: Winston/Salem, NC: Screening: Gen Silent,Stu Maddox’s documentary about six LGBT elders and their caregivers in Boston. http://stumaddux.com/gen_silent_screenings.html

SUN: 3/13: 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.

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 is the 7th state to legalise civil unions. The Honolulu Star Advertiser reports: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/116776119.html

DOMA: The Department of Justice will not defend section 3 of DOMA, The Defense of Marriage Act, in federal court, following a directive by President Obama. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/us/24marriage.html?hp

The Human Side of the DOMA Decision. The Washington Post reports: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2011/02/edie_and_jerry_the_real_people.html

Flexisexual. Girls who kiss girls but like guys etc. ABC News reports: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/flexisexuals-girls-kiss-girls-gay-bisexual/story?id=12973190

The Buzz (People Making News)

Coming Out: Steven Davies, the British cricketer, has come out. He’s the first professional in that sport to do so. The Telegraph reports: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/8350779/Steven-Davies-England-cricketer-announces-he-is-gay.html

Jeremy Bernard has been named White House Social Secretary. He is the first man and the first openly gay person to hold that position. The Washington Post reports: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2011/02/jeremy_bernard_a_historic_choi.html

Andrew Sullivan, the conservative gay blogger has joined The Daily Beast/Newsweek. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/02/28/Sullivan_Moves_to_Daily_Beast_Newsweek/

Frank Rich, the pro-gay equality columnist (and former theatre critic) at The New York Times, is moving to New York Magazine. The Huffington Post reports: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/01/frank-rich-to-new-york-ma_n_829588.html

Transitions:

Rev. Peter J. Gomes, the Harvard minister who came out a generation ago, died on 2/28/11 at age 68. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/us/02gomes.html?_r=1&src=twrhp

Awards and Honors:

Winners: 2011 Academy Awards. BBC reports: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12278412

Winners: Independent Spirit Awards, awarded to independent films with budgets under $20 million.. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/02/black-swan-leads-independent-spirit-awards.html

Winners: 2010 Razzie Awards for the worst of Hollywood. The Huffington Post reports: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/27/golden-raspberry-awards-2010_n_828706.html

Nominees: Helen Hayes Awards (for excellence in Washington, DC theatre) from BroadwayWorld.com. http://offbroadway.broadwayworld.com/article/Kudisch_Sheik_More_Nominated_for_Helen_Hayes_Awards_Full_Nominations_Announced_20110228

Photo Shoots, Audio and Video

Video: Hawaii’s Governor signs the Civil Union Bill. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y0B3tvJRF8

Features

Gay Marriage seems to wane as a conservative issue. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/25/us/politics/25marriage.html?hp

DOMA: After Obama’s decision, It’s a “New World”. NPR reports. http://www.npr.org/2011/02/25/134035020/after-obamas-gay-marriage-decision-a-new-world?sc=fb&cc=fp

DADT is Alive and Well for Educators. Take Part reports: http://www.takepart.com/news/2011/02/24/for-gay-educators-dont-ask-dont-tell-is-still-a-way-of-life-

Profile: Mary Bonauto, the Massachusetts gay marriage legal strategist, is taking on a more national role. Boston.com reports: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/02/28/gay_marriage_legal_strategist_is_taking_on_national_role/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Local+news

Profile: Rep. David Cicilline, the freshman Rhode Island democrat on Capitol Hill and the fourth sitting out member of Congress. The Washington Blade reports: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/02/24/adjusting-to-freshman-life-on-the-hill/

In Print:

Best LGBT Young Adult Novels of the 21st Century from Flashlight Worthy. http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com/Best-Gay-Lesbian-GLBT-Young-Adult-Novels-of-the-New-Century/659?fwsource=tw

Heat Wave: The Life and Career of Ethel Waters by Donald Bogle. HarperCollins. A biography of the vaudevillian, blues singer, radio and TV star. She was the first black woman to have a TV sitcom. She was also known for her fluid sexual orientation. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/books/review/Hajdu-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

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.
***Arts and Crafts, a new musical (reading) by and starring Sandra Bernhard and Justin Vivian Bond. They’re country cousins who meet up at a family reunion. 3/07/11. www.joespub.com.
***Book of Mormon, the new musical penned by "South Park" co-creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker and “Avenue Q” Tony winner Robert Lopez.
***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
***Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony. The D-List diva’s Broadway debut. 3/11/11-3/19/11.
***La Cage Aux Folles, a revival of the 1983 Jerry Herman/Harvey Fierstein musical, based on the film "Birdcage". Harvey Fierstein stars. www.LaCage.com
***Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the musical based on the 1994 Australian film. Three drag queens head across the Outback in a 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. 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...

***Beastly. A modern take on “Beauty and the Beast”. Neil Patrick Harris is featured.
***Gen Silent,Stu Maddox’s new documentary about six LGBT elders and their caregivers in Boston. http://stumaddux.com/gen_silent_screenings.html
***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. 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).
***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.
***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/

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

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

3/14/11: Chicago, IL: Be-In for Equality. The cast of “Hair” and other Chicago actors perform a concert to benefit Broadway Impact. 6PM. Sidetrack Chicago. www.SidetrackChicago.com

3/16/11: New York, NY: Proud to Know You: A Celebration of Doric Wilson's 50 Years as a Playwright. The pre-Stonewall gay playwright is honored by numerous theatre artistis including Charles Busch. 212-695-6909.

3/16/11-3/20/11: Mammoth Lakes, CA: Elevation Mammoth 2011, Mammoth Gay Ski Week. www.mammothgayskiweek.com.

3/19/11-3/26/11: Crested Butte, CO: Matthew Shepard Foundation Gay Ski Week, at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. 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: GayFest NYC Spring Gala with Wanda Sykes, Michael Urie and Lance Horne, to benefit the students of the Harvey Milk School. www.gayfestnyc.com.

3/21/11: New York, NY: The Broadway Beauty Pageant. Broadway chorus boys compete in talent, formal wear and swim suits. 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

3/26/11: Portland, ME: EqualityMaine 27th Awards Dinner, honoring the Maine AIDS Alliance and others. www.equalitymaine.org

3/26/11: New York, NY: Rainbow Book Fair, a LGBT Book Expo sponsored by the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies. www.rainbowbookfair.org.

3/27/11: New York, NY: dot429 Networking Brunch.Professional networking opportunities for the LGBTA Community. http://dot429.com/events

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 Golf Championship. 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. http://www.transparentthemovie.com/

Last 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. Answer: Israel.

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. Answer: ACT-UP, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power. Playwright Larry Kramer was one if its founders.

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. Answer: John Rechy, author of “City of Night” and “Numbers”.

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. Answer: Rudolf Nureyev, best known for his dance partnership with Dame Margot Fonteyn, many years his senior. He starred as Valentino in Russell’s film bio.

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. Answer: Elton John.

This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Spring Training

Time for baseball, tennis and golf.

1. Question: Name this out Welsh jock, who Sports Illustrated calls “the world’s only current professional male athlete in a team sport who is openly gay.” He received the Stonewall Hero of The Year Award last October.

2. Question: Name this professional tennis player who had been denied entry into the US Open for being transgender. The New York State Supreme Court ruled in her favor; Vanessa Redgrave later portrayed her in a TV movie.

3. Question: Name this athlete, who was the first and only major league baseball player known to be out during his professional career. He’s the subject of a recent documentary.

4. Question: Name this athlete, the second major league baseball player to come out in 1999. He became a noted author.

5. Question: Name this pro golfer who came out when an out lesbian company became her sponsor.

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/