Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 46 November 16, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions.
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: November 16-22, 2009
Just Added!!!: FRI: 11/13: San Francisco, CA: William J. Mann does a reading/booksigning for his new biography: "How to Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood". A Different Light. http://adleventscastro.blogspot.com/
FRI-SUN: 11/20-11/22: West Palm Beach, FL: 2009 Anti-Heterosexism Conference. In-depth workshops open to everyone who seeks to challenge the harmful affects of heterosexism, reparative therapy, ex-gay ministries and other efforts to change people’s sexual orientation. http://www.soulforce.org/anti-heterosexism-conference
SUN: 11/22: New York, NY: 16th Annual Race to Deliver. Road race in Central Park to benefit God's Love We Deliver to help provide life-sustaining meals for those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-altering illnesses. www.racetodeliver.org
Newsworthy:
Election 2009: Maine: Backers of Same-Sex Marriage vow to keep fighting despite defeat at the polls. the Boston Globe reports: http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/11/backers_of_same.html
Election 2009: The Maine Event. The New York Times Opinionator Blog tries to figure out what went wrong in the vote on same-sex marriage. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/maine-event/
Election 2009: Mark Kleinschmid was elected Mayor of Chapel Hill, NC. He's the third openly-gay mayor in North Carolina. Q-Notes reports: http://www.q-notes.com/4182/openly-gay-kleinschmidt-is-next-chapel-hill-mayor/
Election 2009: Houston, TX: City Controller Annise Parker was the top vote getter in the 11/03/09 mayoral election and now advances to a runoff next month against former city attorney Gene Locke. If Parker, a lesbian, wins the December election, Houston will become the largest U.S. city with an openly gay mayor.The Washington Blade reports: http://www.washblade.com/2009/11-6/news/national/15512.cfm
New Jersey: Now that the gay marriage fight is over in Maine (for the time being), the battle moves on to the Garden State. New Jersey currently recognizes civil unions. The Wall Street Journal reports: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125754593369434611.html
New York: The Senate delayed its vote on gay marriage bill. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/nyregion/11albany.html
Utah: Salt Lake City's City Council passed a bill prohibiting LGBT discrimination in housing and employment, after a Mormon endorsement. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/mormon-church-to-shift-on-gay-policies.html
High School Dress Code. When genders bend the rules, schools struggle. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/fashion/08cross.html
Returning: The Tempermentals, Jon Maran's acclaimed drama about Harry Hay (Thomas Jay Ryan), designer Rudi Gernreich (Michael Urie of "Ugly Betty") and friends as they form The Mattachine Society before Stonewall, was last summer's Off-Broadway hit. It returns for an unlimited run, opening 2/18/10. www.thetemperamentals.com
Awards and Honors:
Neil Patrick Harris will receive the Trevor Project's 2009 Life Award at the organization's holiday gala, Cracked Xmas 12, to be held in Los Angeles on 12/06/09. The Trevor Project is a national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ youth. www.thetrevorproject.org.
Nominees: People's Choice Awards include: Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick Harris and Adam Lambert. The Associated Press reports: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gavYkc3odMovcZe7uYH-9iU8YBWQD9BSPVP80
Features
Profile: Lee Daniels, the out director of "Precious", a new film making waves. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/director-daniels-talks-precious-which-is-setting-box-office-records.html
In Print:
How to Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood by William J. Mann. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. A new biography of Taylor by the gay historian, biographer and novelist. williamjmann.com
You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas by Augusten Burroughs. St. Martin's Press. The out author of "Running With Scissors" has a new book of humor and essays about the holiday season, which he calls "hideous".
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***Billy Elliot, Elton John’s Tony-winning musical about a boy who wants to become a ballet dancer. www.billyelliotbroadway.com.
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
***The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever. Joe Marshall's comedy about a struggling gay theatre company in West Hollywood. to 1/03/10. www.alternativethratreco.org.
***Hair, Tony-winning revival of the first major rock musical. www.publictheater.org.
***Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter. a new musical about her glamourous life with gay husband Cole Porter. to 11/21/09. www.lovelindathemusical.com
***Q-Talk, the late night gay talk show at The Metropolitan Room. 11/21/09. www.metropolitanroom.com.
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. She wakes up with a dead gay Republican in her bed and more. to 1/17/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
***The Addams Family. Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth and Jackie Hoffman co-star in the musical based on the TV sitcom, cartoon series and films. Pre-Broadway tryout. Chicago, IL. www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com
***Arias With A Twist. The song stylings of drag artist Joey Arias surrounded by an eye-popping theatrical extravaganza directed by Basil Twist. to 12/13/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.redcat.org.
***Bonnie and Clyde. Stark Sands and Laura Osnes play the fun-loving bank-robbing couple in a new musical. to 12/20/09. LaJolla, CA. www.lajollaplayhouse.org.
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. 11/17/09-11/22/09, Green Bay, WI; www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***Santaland Diaries. David Sedaris' tale of being an unemployed writer who takes a holiday job as a department store elf. Nicholas ("Buffy, The Vampire Slayer") Brendon stars. 11/20/09-12/20/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.theblank.com.
***Shakespeare's R & J, an edgy take on the Bard's "Romeo and Juliet" as performed by four young men in a boarding prep school. to 12/20/09. Hartford, CT. www.theaterworks.org.
***Tiny Kushner. Five short plays by out playwright Tony ("Angels in America") Kushner. to 11/29/09. Berkeley, CA. www.berkeleyrep.org
***Valet of the Dolls. Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans turn Jacqueline Susann upside down. to 11/22/09. Boston, MA. www.brownpapertickets.com
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs.
***Dare, a trio of high school students who become unlikely friends at the end of their senior year. starring Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, Sandra Bernhard and Emmy Rossum.
***8: The Mormon Proposition is a new documentary about the involvement of the Church of Latter Day Saints' involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Written and directed by Reed Cowan and narrated by Dustin Lance Black. http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/documentary-exposes-mormon-financial-contributions-to-prop-8.html
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
Out On Video & DVD
***An Evening with John Barrowman. Concert DVD with the out star of Torchwood. ilmed before a live audience. www.amazon.co.uk.
***Bruno. Sacha Baron Cohen’s comedic take on an outrageously gay Austrian fashionista.
***The Fall of '55. The documentary about the gay sex sting in Boise, Idaho in 1955.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***Margaret Cho: Beautiful.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination.
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
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 every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed
***November: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***November: An Englishman in New York. John Hurt plays Quentin Crisp in a film about the last years of his life. Among the co-stars: Cynthia Nixon, Denis O'Hare, Jonathan Tucker. Logo. Check local listings.
***TUE: 11/17: Carrie Fisher talks "Wishful Drinking" on The Today Show. 7AM. NBC.
***WED: 11/18: Liza Minnelli visits The Today Show. 7AM. NBC.
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
11/19/09: San Francisco, CA: Mary L. Gray does a reading/booksigning of her book "Out in the Country" about rural gay youth. A Different Light. http://adleventscastro.blogspot.com/
11/23/09: Los Angeles, CA: Kathy Griffin, queen of the D List, signing copies of "Official Book Club Selection". 7PM. Barnes & Noble, Grove Drive.
11/23/09: New York, NY: Lily Tomlin performs a benefit for Dixon Place. Comedienne Reno hosts. www.dixonplace.org.
11/30/09: New York, NY: Coleman Domingo's Big Ass 40th Birthday Party. The star of "A Boy And His Soul" offers an evening of song with guests Anika Noni Rose and Ari Gold. Domingo regularly appears on "The Big Gay Sketch Show" for Logo. www.joespub.com.
11/30/09: New York, NY: A Very MARY Holiday Benefit for Broadway Speaks OUT & The Ali Forney Center. Featuring Nick Adams and Jeffery Self and Cole Escola of Logo "Jeffery & Cole Casserole". AFC promotes awareness of the plight of homeless LGBT youth. Broadway Speaks OUT! is an online talk show that provides viewers with an inside look at Broadway, current events, and the LGBT community. www.broadwayspeaksout.com
12/01/09: Atlanta, GA: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
12/01/09: Worldwide: World AIDS Day
12/02/09: Los Angeles, CA: The Drama of AIDS, a program in celebration of World AIDS Day featuring the premiere of EZTV’s Dream Man and readings from Michael Kearns’ book in tandem with an exhibit from the AIDS Quilt. www.onearchives.org.
12/03/09: Ft. LAuderdale, FL: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
12/06/09: Los Angeles, CA: Cracked Xmas 12. An evening of irreverent comedy, musical performances and special awards to benefit The Trevor Project. Neil Patrick Harris to be honored. http://www.thetrevorproject.org/events.aspx
12/09/09: New York, NY: The Talented Miss Highsmith: The Secret Life and Serious Art of Patricia Highsmith. Playwright JoanSchenkar and actor Kathleen Chalfant discuss the writer whose characters living closeted sexual lives in fiction mirrored her real life. Barnes & Noble. Broadway at 82nd St.
12/10/09: Houston, TX: Rainbow Night at The Ensemble Theatre. Performance of "Christmas with Great Aunt" with a reception. A benefit for Gay & Lesbian Rainbow Pages foundation that provides scholarships, and The Ensemble Theatre. www.ensemblehouston.com
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: LGBT Veterans
Veteran’s Day was November 11. Despite the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which discriminates against LGBT service personnel, many have served with honor. Thank them.
1. Question: Name this Middle Eastern nation that has permitted gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military since 1993. Answer: Israel.
2. Question: Name this American author who profiled the discrimination of gays and lesbians in the US military (from the Vietnam War to the Persian Gulf). Hint: He also wrote a best-seller about the AIDS Movement in America. Answer: Randy Shilts, author of "Conduct Unbecoming: Lesbians and Gays in the U.S. Military, Vietnam to the Persian Gulf. It was published in 1993 as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" took effect. Shilt's "And The Band Played On" takes on America's slow reaction to the AIDS epidemic.
3. Question: Which was the first nation to ban discrimination against gays in the military. Answer: The Netherlands, which adopted the policy in 1974.
4. Question: Name this doctor, humanitarian, and writer, who was dishonorably discharged from the military for being gay. As a navy doctor, he supervised a medical assistance program for more than 600,000 refugees fleeing North Vietnam. After his discharge, he established a network of clinics in South East Asia. He died at age 34. Answer: Dr. Tom Dooley. His book "Deliver Us From Evil" is a fascinating story of his life.
5. Question: Name this Vietnam veteran, recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, who was one of the best-known openly gay men in America in the 1970's. His fight to remain in the military put him on the cover of TIME Magazine in 1975. Answer: Leonard Matlovich, Tech Seargant in US Air Force.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: November Sweeps
1. Question: Name this news anchor/reporter, still part of a network news magazine team. On March 7, 1967, he hosted "CBS Reports: The Homosexual", the first major network news special about homosexuality.
2. Question: Name this actor, comic and awards show host. On September 13, 1977, he made his sitcom debut as a gay man with a closeted pro football player boyfriend. Before the show's debut, ABC received over 30,000 letters demanding the show be cancelled.
3. Question: Name this award-winning TV talk show host who came out to Diane Sawyer in 2002 on a program about gay parenting. She once joked with Ellen deGeneres about being “lebanese”.
4. Question: Who was the first out competitor on "Dancing With The Stars", the consistent ABC ratings winner.
5. Question: Name this sitcom which made history on March 1, 1994, when an actress, granddaughter of a literary giant, played a character who kissed the show's leading lady in an episode called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". The episode was the highest rated TV show of the week.
The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.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/
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 11/09/09
Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 45 November 9, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions.
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: November 9-15, 2009
thru SAT: 11/14: Chicago, IL: Reeling 2000: Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Fest. www.reelingfilmfestival.org
MON: 11/09: New York, NY: Tony Kushner honored by the New York City Anti-Violence Project at its 13th annual Courage Awards. www.avp.org
MON: 11/09: New York, NY: Jane Lynch of "Glee" (Sue, the cheerleader coach) appears in the first installment of "Newsmakers" at the LGBT Center. www.gaycenter.org.
MON: 11/09: New York, NY: Broadway Barks Because Broadway Cares. Bernadette Peters performs a benefit concert for Broadway Barks and Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS. www.BroadwayCares.org.
WED: 11/11: New York, NY: 2nd Annual Travel Summit/Insiders Europe. www.outprofessionals.org.
FRI: 11/13: Northampton, MA: Out For Reel, the LGBT film series, presents Sharon Gless in “Hannah Free”. www.outforreel.org.
SAT: 11/14: Hartford, CT: One Big Event. Benefit for the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective. http://www.hglhc.org/onebigevent/index.html
Newsworthy:
Election 2009: Maine: Voters repeal gay marriage. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/us/politics/05maine.html
Election 2009: Wrap-Up from Towleroad: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/election-09-results-some-maine-bullet-points.html
Hate Crimes Bill is Law. President Obama signed a hate crimes bill into law on 10/28/09, telling an audience at the White House that the provision would “strengthen the protections against crimes based on the color of your skin, the faith in your heart, or the place of your birth.” The law expands the definition of violent federal hate crimes to those committed because of a victim’s sexual orientation. Obama said, “No one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love.” The New York Times reports: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/obama-signs-hate-crimes-bill/
US HIV Travel Ban Lifted. President Obama said 10/30/09 that his administration is lifting a 22-year-old ban that prevented persons with HIV/AIDS from entering the country. The United States was the first country to institute such a ban, "a decision rooted in fear rather than fact," Obama said. Now only a dozen nations continue the practice. Obama made the announcement as he signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, which provides help to more than half a million Americans. USAToday reports: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/10/620000743/1
Gay Couple Sues SkyWest Airlines for anti- gay discrimination. One, an employee, is not allowed to make use of spousal benefits despite his legal marriage. The San Francisco Chronicle reports: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/31/BAPV1ACLGV.DTL
The Buzz (People Making News)
Gavin Newsom, the San Francisco Mayor who is a strong ally for LGBT rights, dropped out of the California Governor's Race because of low numbers, limited campaign finances, and the birth of a new daughter. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/us/31newsom.html
Features
And Then There's Maude...on your arm. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/and-then-theres-maude-on-your-arm.html
Opportunities
Fresh Fruit, New York City's only multidiscipline festival of LGBT Culture and Arts, celebrates the work of LGBT artists past , present and future, in all mediums and genres. It aims, as well, to reveal the LGBT community's ethnic, racial and religious diversity. They're looking for submissions for the 2010 festival. Application deadline for this year's submissions is February 7, 2010. For application and information please email artisticdirector@freshfruitfestival.com.
In Print:
Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle by Dr. Abbie Goldberg. The American Psychological Association. A comprehensive summary and analysis of the research on gay and lesbian parents and their families to date, and the first full-length analysis of the research on gay parenting, summarizing research data on the subject from the 1970’s to the present day. The research is consistent in suggesting that the outcomes and well-being of children raised by gay and lesbian parents are no different than those of children raised by heterosexual parents. Abbie E. Goldberg, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Clark University in Worcester, MA.
On CD:
Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, the 11th annual holiday CD to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. More than 20 holiday songs recorded by the casts of Off-Broadway and Broadway productions. www.broadwaycares.org
The Power of Two. the new duets CD featuring Broadway favorite Cheyenne Jackson and cabaret veteran Michael Feinstein.
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever. Joe Marshall's comedy about a struggling gay theatre company in West Hollywood. to 1/03/10. www.alternativethratreco.org.
***Judy Garland Live! Tommy Femia, award-winning Judy impressionist, celebrates his 20th season at Don't Tell Mama. Guest star: Eileen Fulton (11/07/09); Christine Pedi as Liza (11/21/09); TBA (12/05/09); Michael Musto (12/19/09). www.donttellmamanyc.com.
***Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter. a new musical about her glamourous life with gay husband Cole Porter. to 11/21/09. www.lovelindathemusical.com
***Miss Coco Peru is Undaunted. Clinton Leupp's GLAAD Media Award-winning drag sensation. to 11/15/09. www.SpinCycleNYC.com
***Not The Boy Next Door. Darren Williams celebrates the Peter Allen songbook. 11/10/09. 11/14/09. Metropolitan Room. www.metropolitanroom.com
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. She wakes up with a dead gay Republican in her bed and more. to 1/03/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
***The Addams Family. Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth and Jackie Hoffman co-star in the musical based on the TV sitcom, cartoon series and films. Opens 11/13/09. Chicago, IL. www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. 11/13/09-11/15/09, Hartford, CT. www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***Judy Garland in Concert, a new multi-media concert that blends footage of the performer with the sounds of a live symphony orchestra. 11/14/09, Louisville, KY; www.judygarlandinconcert.com.
***Parade. TR Knight ("Greys Anatomy") stars as Leo Frank in the musical about a 1913 murder in Atlanta. to 11/15/09. Los Angeles, CA.www.centertheatregroup.org.
***Shakespeare's R & J, an edgy take on the Bard's "Romeo and Juliet" as performed by four young men in a boarding prep school. to 12/20/09. Hartford, CT. www.theaterworks.org.
***Tiny Kushner. Five short plays by out playwright Tony ("Angels in America") Kushner. to 11/29/09. Berkeley, CA. www.berkeleyrep.org
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs.
***Dare, a trio of high school students who become unlikely friends at the end of their senior year. starring Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, Sandra Bernhard and Emmy Rossum.
***8: The Mormon Proposition is a new documentary about the involvement of the Church of Latter Day Saints' involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 in California.
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
Out On Video & DVD
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***The Fall of '55. The documentary about the gay sex sting in Boise, Idaho in 1955.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***The Judy Garland Show Holiday Special. The 1963 one-hour special with Garland, Liza Minnelli and Lorna and Joe Luft, Jack Jones, Mel Torme.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination. The new DVD has updates to reflect the 2009 status of LGBT workplace rights. /www.newday.com/films/outatwork.html?code=H2U7UA
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
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 every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed
***November: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***November: An Englishman in New York. John Hurt plays Quentin Crisp in a film about the last years of his life. Among the co-stars: Cynthia Nixon, Denis O'Hare, Jonathan Tucker. Logo. Check local listings.
***November: Outrage. Kirby Dick's ("This Film is Not Yet Rated") documentary, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. thru 11/10/09. http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/outrage/index.html
***THU: 11/05: Sir Ian McKellan, actor and gay rights activist, visits "The View". ABC. Check local listings. He later shows up on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. NBC. Check local listings.
***FRI: 11/06: Rosie O'Donnell chats with Jimmy Fallon. NBC Late Night. Check local listings.
***THU: 11/12: Cheyenne Jackson guest stars on 30 Rock. NBC. For preview photos: http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2009/10/30rockcheyennepictures
***THU: 11/12: Joel Grey's Anatomy. The star of "Cabaret" guests stars at Seattle Grace. 9PM. ABC.
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
11/20/09-11/22/09: West Palm Beach, FL: 2009 Anti-Heterosexism Conference. In-depth workshops open to everyone who seeks to challenge the harmful affects of heterosexism, reparative therapy, ex-gay ministries and other efforts to change people’s sexual orientation. http://www.soulforce.org/anti-heterosexism-conference
11/22/09: New York, NY: 16th Annual Race to Deliver. Road race in Central Park to benefit God's Love We Deliver to help provide life-sustaining meals for those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-altering illnesses. www.racetodeliver.org
11/23/09: Los Angeles, CA: Kathy Griffin, queen of the D List, signing copies of "Official Book Club Selection". 7PM. Barnes & Noble, Grove Drive.
11/23/09: New York, NY: Lily Tomlin performs a benefit for Dixon Place. Comedienne Reno hosts. www.dixonplace.org.
11/30/09: New York, NY: A Very MARY Holiday Benefit for Broadway Speaks OUT & The Ali Forney Center. www.broadwayspeaksout.com
12/01/09: Atlanta, GA: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
12/01/09: Worldwide: World AIDS Day
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: Gay On The Air
1. Question: Name this libertarian radio talk show host who came out publicly on the air in 1994, after being diagnosed with HIV. Having attracted a largely conservative audience based on his political views, traditional anti-gay conservatives rejected him, though others admired him for his courage. His ratings upticked after his autobiography was released. He died in 2004. Answer: David Brudnoy, of Boston flagship station WBZ. His autobiography, "Life Is Not a Rehearsal" is a good read.
2. Question: Name this out actress and comic, whose late night talk show hits the TV screen next month. Recently, she was the first African-American and the first openly LGBT person to be featured entertainer at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner. She's an Emmy winner. Answer: Wanda Sykes. Her new Saturday night talk show premieres on Fox on 11/07/09.
3. Question: Name this TV pundit who rose to quick fame in radio. She is the first out American to win a Rhodes scholarship. After a quick rise to fame in radio in Northampton, MA, she jumped to Air America before moving to television. She is the first openly gay anchor to be hired to host a prime-time news program in the United States. Answer: Rachel Maddow.
4. Question: Name this up-and-coming National Public Radio journalist, who often hosts the network's morning drive news magazine. He covers the justice department and legal affairs beat. In 2008, Out Magazine included him in the Out 100. Answer: Ari Shapiro of NPR.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: LGBT Veterans
Veteran’s Day is upcoming next week. Despite the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which discriminates against LGBT service personnel, many have served with honor. Thank them.
1. Question: Name this Middle Eastern nation that has permitted gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military since 1993.
2. Question: Name this American author who profiled the discrimination of gays and lesbians in the US military (from the Vietnam War to the Persian Gulf). Hint: He also wrote a best-seller about the AIDS Movement in America.
3. Question: Which was the first nation to ban discrimination against gays in the military.
4. Question: Name this doctor, humanitarian, and writer, who was dishonorably discharged from the military for being gay. As a navy doctor, he supervised a medical assistance program for more than 600,000 refugees fleeing North Vietnam. After his discharge, he established a network of clinics in South East Asia. He died at age 34.
5. Question: Name this Vietnam veteran, recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, who was one of the best-known openly gay men in America in the 1970's. His fight to remain in the military put him on the cover of TIME Magazine in 1975.
The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.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/
Volume 12 No. 45 November 9, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions.
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: November 9-15, 2009
thru SAT: 11/14: Chicago, IL: Reeling 2000: Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Fest. www.reelingfilmfestival.org
MON: 11/09: New York, NY: Tony Kushner honored by the New York City Anti-Violence Project at its 13th annual Courage Awards. www.avp.org
MON: 11/09: New York, NY: Jane Lynch of "Glee" (Sue, the cheerleader coach) appears in the first installment of "Newsmakers" at the LGBT Center. www.gaycenter.org.
MON: 11/09: New York, NY: Broadway Barks Because Broadway Cares. Bernadette Peters performs a benefit concert for Broadway Barks and Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS. www.BroadwayCares.org.
WED: 11/11: New York, NY: 2nd Annual Travel Summit/Insiders Europe. www.outprofessionals.org.
FRI: 11/13: Northampton, MA: Out For Reel, the LGBT film series, presents Sharon Gless in “Hannah Free”. www.outforreel.org.
SAT: 11/14: Hartford, CT: One Big Event. Benefit for the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective. http://www.hglhc.org/onebigevent/index.html
Newsworthy:
Election 2009: Maine: Voters repeal gay marriage. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/us/politics/05maine.html
Election 2009: Wrap-Up from Towleroad: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/election-09-results-some-maine-bullet-points.html
Hate Crimes Bill is Law. President Obama signed a hate crimes bill into law on 10/28/09, telling an audience at the White House that the provision would “strengthen the protections against crimes based on the color of your skin, the faith in your heart, or the place of your birth.” The law expands the definition of violent federal hate crimes to those committed because of a victim’s sexual orientation. Obama said, “No one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love.” The New York Times reports: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/obama-signs-hate-crimes-bill/
US HIV Travel Ban Lifted. President Obama said 10/30/09 that his administration is lifting a 22-year-old ban that prevented persons with HIV/AIDS from entering the country. The United States was the first country to institute such a ban, "a decision rooted in fear rather than fact," Obama said. Now only a dozen nations continue the practice. Obama made the announcement as he signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, which provides help to more than half a million Americans. USAToday reports: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/10/620000743/1
Gay Couple Sues SkyWest Airlines for anti- gay discrimination. One, an employee, is not allowed to make use of spousal benefits despite his legal marriage. The San Francisco Chronicle reports: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/31/BAPV1ACLGV.DTL
The Buzz (People Making News)
Gavin Newsom, the San Francisco Mayor who is a strong ally for LGBT rights, dropped out of the California Governor's Race because of low numbers, limited campaign finances, and the birth of a new daughter. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/us/31newsom.html
Features
And Then There's Maude...on your arm. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/and-then-theres-maude-on-your-arm.html
Opportunities
Fresh Fruit, New York City's only multidiscipline festival of LGBT Culture and Arts, celebrates the work of LGBT artists past , present and future, in all mediums and genres. It aims, as well, to reveal the LGBT community's ethnic, racial and religious diversity. They're looking for submissions for the 2010 festival. Application deadline for this year's submissions is February 7, 2010. For application and information please email artisticdirector@freshfruitfestival.com.
In Print:
Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle by Dr. Abbie Goldberg. The American Psychological Association. A comprehensive summary and analysis of the research on gay and lesbian parents and their families to date, and the first full-length analysis of the research on gay parenting, summarizing research data on the subject from the 1970’s to the present day. The research is consistent in suggesting that the outcomes and well-being of children raised by gay and lesbian parents are no different than those of children raised by heterosexual parents. Abbie E. Goldberg, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Clark University in Worcester, MA.
On CD:
Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, the 11th annual holiday CD to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. More than 20 holiday songs recorded by the casts of Off-Broadway and Broadway productions. www.broadwaycares.org
The Power of Two. the new duets CD featuring Broadway favorite Cheyenne Jackson and cabaret veteran Michael Feinstein.
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever. Joe Marshall's comedy about a struggling gay theatre company in West Hollywood. to 1/03/10. www.alternativethratreco.org.
***Judy Garland Live! Tommy Femia, award-winning Judy impressionist, celebrates his 20th season at Don't Tell Mama. Guest star: Eileen Fulton (11/07/09); Christine Pedi as Liza (11/21/09); TBA (12/05/09); Michael Musto (12/19/09). www.donttellmamanyc.com.
***Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter. a new musical about her glamourous life with gay husband Cole Porter. to 11/21/09. www.lovelindathemusical.com
***Miss Coco Peru is Undaunted. Clinton Leupp's GLAAD Media Award-winning drag sensation. to 11/15/09. www.SpinCycleNYC.com
***Not The Boy Next Door. Darren Williams celebrates the Peter Allen songbook. 11/10/09. 11/14/09. Metropolitan Room. www.metropolitanroom.com
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. She wakes up with a dead gay Republican in her bed and more. to 1/03/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
***The Addams Family. Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth and Jackie Hoffman co-star in the musical based on the TV sitcom, cartoon series and films. Opens 11/13/09. Chicago, IL. www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. 11/13/09-11/15/09, Hartford, CT. www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***Judy Garland in Concert, a new multi-media concert that blends footage of the performer with the sounds of a live symphony orchestra. 11/14/09, Louisville, KY; www.judygarlandinconcert.com.
***Parade. TR Knight ("Greys Anatomy") stars as Leo Frank in the musical about a 1913 murder in Atlanta. to 11/15/09. Los Angeles, CA.www.centertheatregroup.org.
***Shakespeare's R & J, an edgy take on the Bard's "Romeo and Juliet" as performed by four young men in a boarding prep school. to 12/20/09. Hartford, CT. www.theaterworks.org.
***Tiny Kushner. Five short plays by out playwright Tony ("Angels in America") Kushner. to 11/29/09. Berkeley, CA. www.berkeleyrep.org
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs.
***Dare, a trio of high school students who become unlikely friends at the end of their senior year. starring Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, Sandra Bernhard and Emmy Rossum.
***8: The Mormon Proposition is a new documentary about the involvement of the Church of Latter Day Saints' involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 in California.
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
Out On Video & DVD
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***The Fall of '55. The documentary about the gay sex sting in Boise, Idaho in 1955.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***The Judy Garland Show Holiday Special. The 1963 one-hour special with Garland, Liza Minnelli and Lorna and Joe Luft, Jack Jones, Mel Torme.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination. The new DVD has updates to reflect the 2009 status of LGBT workplace rights. /www.newday.com/films/outatwork.html?code=H2U7UA
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
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 every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed
***November: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***November: An Englishman in New York. John Hurt plays Quentin Crisp in a film about the last years of his life. Among the co-stars: Cynthia Nixon, Denis O'Hare, Jonathan Tucker. Logo. Check local listings.
***November: Outrage. Kirby Dick's ("This Film is Not Yet Rated") documentary, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. thru 11/10/09. http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/outrage/index.html
***THU: 11/05: Sir Ian McKellan, actor and gay rights activist, visits "The View". ABC. Check local listings. He later shows up on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. NBC. Check local listings.
***FRI: 11/06: Rosie O'Donnell chats with Jimmy Fallon. NBC Late Night. Check local listings.
***THU: 11/12: Cheyenne Jackson guest stars on 30 Rock. NBC. For preview photos: http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2009/10/30rockcheyennepictures
***THU: 11/12: Joel Grey's Anatomy. The star of "Cabaret" guests stars at Seattle Grace. 9PM. ABC.
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
11/20/09-11/22/09: West Palm Beach, FL: 2009 Anti-Heterosexism Conference. In-depth workshops open to everyone who seeks to challenge the harmful affects of heterosexism, reparative therapy, ex-gay ministries and other efforts to change people’s sexual orientation. http://www.soulforce.org/anti-heterosexism-conference
11/22/09: New York, NY: 16th Annual Race to Deliver. Road race in Central Park to benefit God's Love We Deliver to help provide life-sustaining meals for those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-altering illnesses. www.racetodeliver.org
11/23/09: Los Angeles, CA: Kathy Griffin, queen of the D List, signing copies of "Official Book Club Selection". 7PM. Barnes & Noble, Grove Drive.
11/23/09: New York, NY: Lily Tomlin performs a benefit for Dixon Place. Comedienne Reno hosts. www.dixonplace.org.
11/30/09: New York, NY: A Very MARY Holiday Benefit for Broadway Speaks OUT & The Ali Forney Center. www.broadwayspeaksout.com
12/01/09: Atlanta, GA: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
12/01/09: Worldwide: World AIDS Day
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: Gay On The Air
1. Question: Name this libertarian radio talk show host who came out publicly on the air in 1994, after being diagnosed with HIV. Having attracted a largely conservative audience based on his political views, traditional anti-gay conservatives rejected him, though others admired him for his courage. His ratings upticked after his autobiography was released. He died in 2004. Answer: David Brudnoy, of Boston flagship station WBZ. His autobiography, "Life Is Not a Rehearsal" is a good read.
2. Question: Name this out actress and comic, whose late night talk show hits the TV screen next month. Recently, she was the first African-American and the first openly LGBT person to be featured entertainer at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner. She's an Emmy winner. Answer: Wanda Sykes. Her new Saturday night talk show premieres on Fox on 11/07/09.
3. Question: Name this TV pundit who rose to quick fame in radio. She is the first out American to win a Rhodes scholarship. After a quick rise to fame in radio in Northampton, MA, she jumped to Air America before moving to television. She is the first openly gay anchor to be hired to host a prime-time news program in the United States. Answer: Rachel Maddow.
4. Question: Name this up-and-coming National Public Radio journalist, who often hosts the network's morning drive news magazine. He covers the justice department and legal affairs beat. In 2008, Out Magazine included him in the Out 100. Answer: Ari Shapiro of NPR.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: LGBT Veterans
Veteran’s Day is upcoming next week. Despite the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which discriminates against LGBT service personnel, many have served with honor. Thank them.
1. Question: Name this Middle Eastern nation that has permitted gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military since 1993.
2. Question: Name this American author who profiled the discrimination of gays and lesbians in the US military (from the Vietnam War to the Persian Gulf). Hint: He also wrote a best-seller about the AIDS Movement in America.
3. Question: Which was the first nation to ban discrimination against gays in the military.
4. Question: Name this doctor, humanitarian, and writer, who was dishonorably discharged from the military for being gay. As a navy doctor, he supervised a medical assistance program for more than 600,000 refugees fleeing North Vietnam. After his discharge, he established a network of clinics in South East Asia. He died at age 34.
5. Question: Name this Vietnam veteran, recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, who was one of the best-known openly gay men in America in the 1970's. His fight to remain in the military put him on the cover of TIME Magazine in 1975.
The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.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/
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 11//02/09
Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 44 November 2, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: November 2-8, 2009
MON: 11/02: San Jose, CA: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html
MON: 11/02: New York, NY: America Dances! Celebrating Our Sparkling Heritage--Broadway, TV & Film, a benefit for Career Transition for Dancers. Patrick Swayze will receive the Rolex Dance Award posthumously. The evening will include appearances by Ethan Steifel, Ann Reinking, and Laura Benanti. www.careertransition.org.
TUE: 11/03: New York, NY: The "Glee" cast (from the hit FOX series) sign copies of the show's soundtrack album. 5:30PM. Border's/Columbus Circle.
TUE: 11/03: Boston, MA: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
WED: 11/04: Washington, DC: Raymond Luczak shares his tale of growing up gay and deaf in his new book "Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life". Lambda Rising Books. www.lambdarising.com.
WED: 11/04: New York, NY: Celebrity Autobiography. Kristen Johnston, Carol Kane, \Carson Kressley, Andrea Martin, and Michael Urie interpret the actual words and stories written by the famous and the infamous, in both solo and ensemble "chamber" pieces culled from the autobiographies of celebrities. www.celebrityautobiography.com
WED-SUN: 11/04-11/08: Hartford, CT: EROS (Encouraging Respect of Sexualities) Film Festival. www.outfilmct.org
THU-SAT: 11/05-11/14: Chicago, IL: Reeling 2000: Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Fest. www.reelingfilmfestival.org
Newsworthy:
News-In-The-Making: President Obama will sign the Hate Crimes Bill today, shortly after we go to press. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/obama-will-make-remarks-on-enactment-of-hate-crimes-bill-at-white-house-reception-on-wednesday.html
Senate Approves Hate Crimes Legislation. The Senate voted on 10/22/09 to extend new federal protections to people who are victimized because of their gender or sexual orientation, bringing the legislation close to reality after years of fierce debate. The 68 -29 vote sends the measure to President Obama, who has said he supports it. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/us/politics/23hate.html?hp
Bea Arthur left over $300,000 to the Ali Forney Center, which offers food, emergency housing, medical treatment, HIV testing, and educational training for as many as 1,000 young LGBT people annually. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/10/27/Bea_Leaves_$300K_to_Homeless_Youths/
Awards and Honors:
Winner: Rome Film Festival. "Brotherhood", the Danish film that profiles a gay romance in a neo-Nazi cult. No news as yet, as to who will distribute it in the USA and Canada. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/brotherhood-gay-neonazi-romance-wins-rome-film-festival.html
In Memoriam:
Michael Frazier, the theatrical producer, who presented "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music" on Broadway, died on 10/23/09, at age 72. Playbill.com reports: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/134146-Michael_Frazier_Producer_Is_Dead_at_72
Features
Profile: Paul Rudnick, the out playwright ("Jeffrey") and humorist has a new short story collection. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/dining/28Rudn.html?_r=1&th&emc=th
Profile: Cheyenne Jackson is a Broadway leading man. Being out and proud is part of his charm. He's got a new album out and he's starring in "Finian's Rainbow". Next reports: http://www.nextmagazine.net/features/3.php
Profile: Terri White, survivor, stars in "Finian's Rainbow" on Broadway. A year ago, she was homeless. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/nyregion/27bigcity.html?ref=nyregion
In Print:
I Shudder by Paul Rudnick. Harper Collins. The out playwright and humorist shares a collection of short essays on life including the premise that the kids in us will like: it is possible to thrive on a diet of candy. (A profile of him appears in our features section).
The Collected Plays of Mart Crowley. Alyson Books. "The Boys in the Band" (his legendary gay-themed commercial hit) and its sequel "Men from the Boys" and four other plays, two in print for the first time.
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***The Diary of Anne Frankenstein. HX Drag Queen of the Year Mimi Imfurst stars as Anne, hiding in an attic in Bavaria. to 11/29/09. www.thediaryofannefrankenstein.com
***Fela! The story of African composer/activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti staged by out Bill T. Jones.
***Finian's Rainbow. A musical with Cheyenne Jackson starring for the swoon quotient.
***Hair, Tony-winning revival of the first major rock musical. www.publictheater.org.
***Judy Garland Live! Tommy Femia, award-winning Judy impressionist. Guest star: Eileen Fulton (11/07/09); Christine Pedi as Liza (11/21/09) www.donttellmamanyc.com.
***Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter. a new musical about her glamourous life with gay husband Cole Porter. to 11/21/09. www.lovelindathemusical.com
***Mario Cantone brings his comedy to Caroline's on Broadway. 11/05/09-11/08/09. www.carolines.com
***Miss Coco Peru is Undaunted. Clinton Leupp's GLAAD Media Award-winning drag sensation. 11/06/09-11/15/09. www.SpinCycleNYC.com
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. She wakes up with a dead gay Republican in her bed and more. to 1/03/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
***Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party. A rural third grade teacher outs Abe at the annual Christmas pageant. to 11/08/09. Storrs, CT. www.crt.uconn.edu
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. to 11/08/09, Columbus, OH; 11/13/09-11/15/09, Hartford, CT; www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***I Am My Own Wife, the freal-life story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a German transvestite who survived both Nazi rule and the East German Communist regime. to 11/08/09. Sacramento, CA. www.bstreettheatre.org
***The Little Dog Laughed. A Hollywood agent goes bonkers when her matinee idol client decides to come out. to 11/08/09. San Francisco, CA. www.nctscf.org
***My Walk Down The Pink Carpet. Leslie Jordan's hilarious solo show. 11/04/09-11/06/09, Key West, FL; http://www.thelesliejordan.com/
***Parade. TR Knight ("Greys Anatomy") stars as Leo Frank in the musical about a 1913 murder in Atlanta.to 11/15/09. Los Angeles, CA.www.centertheatregroup.org.
***A Streetcar Named Desire. The Tennessee Williams classic with Cate Blanchett as Blanche. to 11/21/09. Washington, DC. www.sydneytheatre.com.au
***Tiny Kushner. Five short plays by out playwright Tony ("Angels in America") Kushner. to 11/29/09. Berkeley, CA. www.berkeleyrep.org
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs.
***8: The Mormon Proposition is a new documentary about the involvement of the Church of Latter Day Saints' involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Narrated by Dustin Lance Black. http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/documentary-exposes-mormon-financial-contributions-to-prop-8.html
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on Elliot Tiber's memoir. Demetri Martin stars as the gay Tiber. Liev Schriber plays a transvestite; Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a closeted married guy who has an affair with Tiber.
Out On Video & DVD
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination. /www.newday.com/films/outatwork.html?code=H2U7UA
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
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 every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed
***November: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***November: An Englishman in New York. John Hurt plays Quentin Crisp in a film about the last years of his life. Among the co-stars: Cynthia Nixon, Denis O'Hare, Jonathan Tucker. Logo. Check local listings.
***November: Outrage. Kirby Dick's documentary, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. thru 11/10/09. http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/outrage/index.html
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
11/09/09: New York, NY: Tony Kushner honored by the New York City Anti-Violence Project at its 13th annual Courage Awards. www.avp.org
11/09/09: New York, NY: Jane Lynch of "Glee" (Sue, the cheerleader coach) appears in the first installment of "Newsmakers" at the LGBT Center. www.gaycenter.org.
11/11/09: New York, NY: 2nd Annual Travel Summit/Insiders Europe. www.outprofessionals.org.
11/14/09: Hartford, CT: One Big Event. Benefit for the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective. http://www.hglhc.org/onebigevent/index.html
11/20/09-11/22/09: West Palm Beach, FL: 2009 Anti-Heterosexism Conference. In-depth workshops open to everyone who seeks to challenge the harmful affects of heterosexism, reparative therapy, ex-gay ministries and other efforts to change people’s sexual orientation. http://www.soulforce.org/anti-heterosexism-conference
11/22/09: New York, NY: 16th Annual Race to Deliver. Road race in Central Park to benefit God's Love We Deliver to help provide life-sustaining meals for those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-altering illnesses. www.racetodeliver.org
11/30/09: New York, NY: A Very MARY Holiday Benefit for Broadway Speaks OUT & The Ali Forney Center. Featuring Nick Adams and Jeffery Self and Cole Escola of Logo "Jeffery & Cole Casserole". www.broadwayspeaksout.com
12/01/09: Atlanta, GA: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
12/01/09: Worldwide: World AIDS Day
12/02/09: Los Angeles, CA: The Drama of AIDS, a program in celebration of World AIDS Day featuring the premiere of EZTV’s Dream Man and readings from Michael Kearns’ book in tandem with an exhibit from the AIDS Quilt. www.onearchives.org.
12/03/09: Ft. LAuderdale, FL: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
12/06/09: Los Angeles, CA: Cracked Xmas 12. An evening of irreverent comedy, musical performances and special awards to benefit The Trevor Project. http://www.thetrevorproject.org/events.aspx
12/10/09-12/14/09: New York, NY: Isaac Mizrahi narrates "Peter & The Wolf", with George Manahan conducting the Juilliard Ensemble. www.worksandprocess.org.
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: November Milestones
1. Question: Name this successful LGBT news magazine, subject of a front page profile in the Wall Street Journal on November 3, 1975. It continues to be one of the leading LGBT news sources today. Answer: The Advocate.
2. Question: Name this out comic, the first openly-gay cast member of “Saturday Night Live”. He joined the company on November 9, 1985, and did a great “Nancy Reagan”. Answer: Terry Sweeney.
3. Question: Name this bisexual American designer born November 19, 1942. Many people have his name below their belts. When Mark Wahlberg teamed up with him, Times Square had fender benders for days. Answer: Calvin Klein. MarkyMark’s billboard in Times Square (in his Calvins) caused fender benders along Broadway.
4. Question: Name this gay photographer and artist, born November 4, 1946. He was known for his “uptown” floral portraits, but his “downtown” nudes and S&M pictures caused a censorship controversy in the 1980s. Answer: Robert Mapplethorpe.
5. Question: Name this award-winning play (and subsequent film), which opened on Broadway on November 20, 1934. It profiled two schoolteachers accused of being lesbians. Its author, one of the most celebrated female playwrights in 20th century literature, wrote a play which made Talullah Bankhead an American icon. Answer: The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman, author of “The Little Foxes”.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Gay On The Air
1. Question: Name this libertarian radio talk show host who came out publicly on the air in 1994, after being diagnosed with HIV. Having attracted a largely conservative audience based on his political views, traditional anti-gay conservatives rejected him, though others admired him for his courage. His ratings upticked after his autobiography was released. He died in 2004.
2. Question: Name this out actress and comic, whose late night talk show hits the TV screen next month. Recently, she was the first African-American and the first openly LGBT person to be featured entertainer at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner. She's an Emmy winner.
3. Question: Name this TV pundit who rose to quick fame in radio. She is the first out American to win a Rhodes scholarship. After a quick rise to fame in radio in Northampton, MA, she jumped to Air America before moving to television. She is the first openly gay anchor to be hired to host a prime-time news program in the United States.
4. Question: Name this up-and-coming National Public Radio journalist, who often hosts the network's morning drive news magazine. He covers the justice department and legal affairs beat. In 2008, Out Magazine included him in the Out 100.
The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.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/
Volume 12 No. 44 November 2, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions
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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: November 2-8, 2009
MON: 11/02: San Jose, CA: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html
MON: 11/02: New York, NY: America Dances! Celebrating Our Sparkling Heritage--Broadway, TV & Film, a benefit for Career Transition for Dancers. Patrick Swayze will receive the Rolex Dance Award posthumously. The evening will include appearances by Ethan Steifel, Ann Reinking, and Laura Benanti. www.careertransition.org.
TUE: 11/03: New York, NY: The "Glee" cast (from the hit FOX series) sign copies of the show's soundtrack album. 5:30PM. Border's/Columbus Circle.
TUE: 11/03: Boston, MA: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
WED: 11/04: Washington, DC: Raymond Luczak shares his tale of growing up gay and deaf in his new book "Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life". Lambda Rising Books. www.lambdarising.com.
WED: 11/04: New York, NY: Celebrity Autobiography. Kristen Johnston, Carol Kane, \Carson Kressley, Andrea Martin, and Michael Urie interpret the actual words and stories written by the famous and the infamous, in both solo and ensemble "chamber" pieces culled from the autobiographies of celebrities. www.celebrityautobiography.com
WED-SUN: 11/04-11/08: Hartford, CT: EROS (Encouraging Respect of Sexualities) Film Festival. www.outfilmct.org
THU-SAT: 11/05-11/14: Chicago, IL: Reeling 2000: Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Fest. www.reelingfilmfestival.org
Newsworthy:
News-In-The-Making: President Obama will sign the Hate Crimes Bill today, shortly after we go to press. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/obama-will-make-remarks-on-enactment-of-hate-crimes-bill-at-white-house-reception-on-wednesday.html
Senate Approves Hate Crimes Legislation. The Senate voted on 10/22/09 to extend new federal protections to people who are victimized because of their gender or sexual orientation, bringing the legislation close to reality after years of fierce debate. The 68 -29 vote sends the measure to President Obama, who has said he supports it. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/us/politics/23hate.html?hp
Bea Arthur left over $300,000 to the Ali Forney Center, which offers food, emergency housing, medical treatment, HIV testing, and educational training for as many as 1,000 young LGBT people annually. The Advocate reports: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/10/27/Bea_Leaves_$300K_to_Homeless_Youths/
Awards and Honors:
Winner: Rome Film Festival. "Brotherhood", the Danish film that profiles a gay romance in a neo-Nazi cult. No news as yet, as to who will distribute it in the USA and Canada. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/brotherhood-gay-neonazi-romance-wins-rome-film-festival.html
In Memoriam:
Michael Frazier, the theatrical producer, who presented "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music" on Broadway, died on 10/23/09, at age 72. Playbill.com reports: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/134146-Michael_Frazier_Producer_Is_Dead_at_72
Features
Profile: Paul Rudnick, the out playwright ("Jeffrey") and humorist has a new short story collection. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/dining/28Rudn.html?_r=1&th&emc=th
Profile: Cheyenne Jackson is a Broadway leading man. Being out and proud is part of his charm. He's got a new album out and he's starring in "Finian's Rainbow". Next reports: http://www.nextmagazine.net/features/3.php
Profile: Terri White, survivor, stars in "Finian's Rainbow" on Broadway. A year ago, she was homeless. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/nyregion/27bigcity.html?ref=nyregion
In Print:
I Shudder by Paul Rudnick. Harper Collins. The out playwright and humorist shares a collection of short essays on life including the premise that the kids in us will like: it is possible to thrive on a diet of candy. (A profile of him appears in our features section).
The Collected Plays of Mart Crowley. Alyson Books. "The Boys in the Band" (his legendary gay-themed commercial hit) and its sequel "Men from the Boys" and four other plays, two in print for the first time.
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***The Diary of Anne Frankenstein. HX Drag Queen of the Year Mimi Imfurst stars as Anne, hiding in an attic in Bavaria. to 11/29/09. www.thediaryofannefrankenstein.com
***Fela! The story of African composer/activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti staged by out Bill T. Jones.
***Finian's Rainbow. A musical with Cheyenne Jackson starring for the swoon quotient.
***Hair, Tony-winning revival of the first major rock musical. www.publictheater.org.
***Judy Garland Live! Tommy Femia, award-winning Judy impressionist. Guest star: Eileen Fulton (11/07/09); Christine Pedi as Liza (11/21/09) www.donttellmamanyc.com.
***Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter. a new musical about her glamourous life with gay husband Cole Porter. to 11/21/09. www.lovelindathemusical.com
***Mario Cantone brings his comedy to Caroline's on Broadway. 11/05/09-11/08/09. www.carolines.com
***Miss Coco Peru is Undaunted. Clinton Leupp's GLAAD Media Award-winning drag sensation. 11/06/09-11/15/09. www.SpinCycleNYC.com
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. She wakes up with a dead gay Republican in her bed and more. to 1/03/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
***Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party. A rural third grade teacher outs Abe at the annual Christmas pageant. to 11/08/09. Storrs, CT. www.crt.uconn.edu
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. to 11/08/09, Columbus, OH; 11/13/09-11/15/09, Hartford, CT; www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***I Am My Own Wife, the freal-life story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a German transvestite who survived both Nazi rule and the East German Communist regime. to 11/08/09. Sacramento, CA. www.bstreettheatre.org
***The Little Dog Laughed. A Hollywood agent goes bonkers when her matinee idol client decides to come out. to 11/08/09. San Francisco, CA. www.nctscf.org
***My Walk Down The Pink Carpet. Leslie Jordan's hilarious solo show. 11/04/09-11/06/09, Key West, FL; http://www.thelesliejordan.com/
***Parade. TR Knight ("Greys Anatomy") stars as Leo Frank in the musical about a 1913 murder in Atlanta.to 11/15/09. Los Angeles, CA.www.centertheatregroup.org.
***A Streetcar Named Desire. The Tennessee Williams classic with Cate Blanchett as Blanche. to 11/21/09. Washington, DC. www.sydneytheatre.com.au
***Tiny Kushner. Five short plays by out playwright Tony ("Angels in America") Kushner. to 11/29/09. Berkeley, CA. www.berkeleyrep.org
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs.
***8: The Mormon Proposition is a new documentary about the involvement of the Church of Latter Day Saints' involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Narrated by Dustin Lance Black. http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/documentary-exposes-mormon-financial-contributions-to-prop-8.html
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Oy Vey. My Son is Gay. A coming out film with Carmen Electra, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Jai Rodriguez. One assumes it's a comedy.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on Elliot Tiber's memoir. Demetri Martin stars as the gay Tiber. Liev Schriber plays a transvestite; Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a closeted married guy who has an affair with Tiber.
Out On Video & DVD
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination. /www.newday.com/films/outatwork.html?code=H2U7UA
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant.
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 every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed
***November: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***November: An Englishman in New York. John Hurt plays Quentin Crisp in a film about the last years of his life. Among the co-stars: Cynthia Nixon, Denis O'Hare, Jonathan Tucker. Logo. Check local listings.
***November: Outrage. Kirby Dick's documentary, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. thru 11/10/09. http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/outrage/index.html
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
11/09/09: New York, NY: Tony Kushner honored by the New York City Anti-Violence Project at its 13th annual Courage Awards. www.avp.org
11/09/09: New York, NY: Jane Lynch of "Glee" (Sue, the cheerleader coach) appears in the first installment of "Newsmakers" at the LGBT Center. www.gaycenter.org.
11/11/09: New York, NY: 2nd Annual Travel Summit/Insiders Europe. www.outprofessionals.org.
11/14/09: Hartford, CT: One Big Event. Benefit for the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective. http://www.hglhc.org/onebigevent/index.html
11/20/09-11/22/09: West Palm Beach, FL: 2009 Anti-Heterosexism Conference. In-depth workshops open to everyone who seeks to challenge the harmful affects of heterosexism, reparative therapy, ex-gay ministries and other efforts to change people’s sexual orientation. http://www.soulforce.org/anti-heterosexism-conference
11/22/09: New York, NY: 16th Annual Race to Deliver. Road race in Central Park to benefit God's Love We Deliver to help provide life-sustaining meals for those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-altering illnesses. www.racetodeliver.org
11/30/09: New York, NY: A Very MARY Holiday Benefit for Broadway Speaks OUT & The Ali Forney Center. Featuring Nick Adams and Jeffery Self and Cole Escola of Logo "Jeffery & Cole Casserole". www.broadwayspeaksout.com
12/01/09: Atlanta, GA: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
12/01/09: Worldwide: World AIDS Day
12/02/09: Los Angeles, CA: The Drama of AIDS, a program in celebration of World AIDS Day featuring the premiere of EZTV’s Dream Man and readings from Michael Kearns’ book in tandem with an exhibit from the AIDS Quilt. www.onearchives.org.
12/03/09: Ft. LAuderdale, FL: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
12/06/09: Los Angeles, CA: Cracked Xmas 12. An evening of irreverent comedy, musical performances and special awards to benefit The Trevor Project. http://www.thetrevorproject.org/events.aspx
12/10/09-12/14/09: New York, NY: Isaac Mizrahi narrates "Peter & The Wolf", with George Manahan conducting the Juilliard Ensemble. www.worksandprocess.org.
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: November Milestones
1. Question: Name this successful LGBT news magazine, subject of a front page profile in the Wall Street Journal on November 3, 1975. It continues to be one of the leading LGBT news sources today. Answer: The Advocate.
2. Question: Name this out comic, the first openly-gay cast member of “Saturday Night Live”. He joined the company on November 9, 1985, and did a great “Nancy Reagan”. Answer: Terry Sweeney.
3. Question: Name this bisexual American designer born November 19, 1942. Many people have his name below their belts. When Mark Wahlberg teamed up with him, Times Square had fender benders for days. Answer: Calvin Klein. MarkyMark’s billboard in Times Square (in his Calvins) caused fender benders along Broadway.
4. Question: Name this gay photographer and artist, born November 4, 1946. He was known for his “uptown” floral portraits, but his “downtown” nudes and S&M pictures caused a censorship controversy in the 1980s. Answer: Robert Mapplethorpe.
5. Question: Name this award-winning play (and subsequent film), which opened on Broadway on November 20, 1934. It profiled two schoolteachers accused of being lesbians. Its author, one of the most celebrated female playwrights in 20th century literature, wrote a play which made Talullah Bankhead an American icon. Answer: The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman, author of “The Little Foxes”.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Gay On The Air
1. Question: Name this libertarian radio talk show host who came out publicly on the air in 1994, after being diagnosed with HIV. Having attracted a largely conservative audience based on his political views, traditional anti-gay conservatives rejected him, though others admired him for his courage. His ratings upticked after his autobiography was released. He died in 2004.
2. Question: Name this out actress and comic, whose late night talk show hits the TV screen next month. Recently, she was the first African-American and the first openly LGBT person to be featured entertainer at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner. She's an Emmy winner.
3. Question: Name this TV pundit who rose to quick fame in radio. She is the first out American to win a Rhodes scholarship. After a quick rise to fame in radio in Northampton, MA, she jumped to Air America before moving to television. She is the first openly gay anchor to be hired to host a prime-time news program in the United States.
4. Question: Name this up-and-coming National Public Radio journalist, who often hosts the network's morning drive news magazine. He covers the justice department and legal affairs beat. In 2008, Out Magazine included him in the Out 100.
The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.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/
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 10/26/09
Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 43 October 26, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: October 26-November 1, 2009
This Just in !!! SUN: 10/25: Los Angeles, CA: Michael Kearns, the author/director who was the first Hollywood actor to come out on TV, launches his new book "The Drama of AIDS: My Lasting Connections with Two Plays That Survived the Plague" www.skylightbooks.com/event
This Just in !!! SUN: 10/25: Hollywood, CA: The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later benefit for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. All-star reading with Lisa Edelstein, Barrett Foa, Johnny Galecki, and appearance by Judy Shepard. www.matthewshepard.org
MON: 10/26: San Francisco, CA: Defying Inequality: The San Francisco Concert, a benefit for Marriage Equality USA and Garden State Equality. Featuring the San Francisco cast of "Wicked", Patty Duke, Bruce Vilanch, Judy Gold and others. www.defyinginequality.com.
MON: 10/26: Denver, CO: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. Also: TUE: 10/27: Irvine, CA: WED: 10/28: Carmel, CA: THU: 10/29: San Rafael, CA: FRI: 10/30: San Diego, CA: SAT: 10/31: Boise, ID: SUN: 11/01: Vancouver, BC: www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html
MON: 10/26: New York, NY: Broadway Close Up: The John Kander Salute. with David Hyde Pierce, Debra Monk, and Karen Ziemba. www.kaufmancenter.org
MON: 10/26: Seattle, WA: A Life in the Theater: An Onstage Conversation with Stephen Sondheim and Frank Rich. www.benaroyahall.org
WED: 10/28: New York, NY: Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Concert benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. www.broadwaycares.org
WED: 10/28: Richmond, IN: Peterson Toscano performs his solo theatre piece "Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House'." about surviving time in the ex-gay movement. www.petersontoscano.com
THU: 10/29: Washington, DC: Mary L. Gray discusses her book "Out in the Country: Youth, Media, and Queer Visibility in Rural America". Lambda Rising Books. lambdarising.com.
THU: 10/29: Washington, DC: Sir Ian McKellan, acclaimed actor and gay rights activist, performs his one-man autobiographical show "A Knight in Harman Hall". www.ShakespeareTheatre.org
SAT: 10/31: Los Angeles, CA: Rooftop Halloween Voyeur Party, benefitting The Trevor Project. LASC. http://www.thetrevorproject.org/events.aspx
Newsworthy:
Kevin Jennings, GLSEN founder and now President Obama's Safe Schools Czar, is under attack by a group of House Republicans who want him fired for supporting LGBT students. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/53-house-gop-sign-on-to-antigay-witch-hunt-against-kevin-jennings.html
"Laramie Updated". The production of "The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later", an epilogue to the original "Laramie Project" (which told the story of Matthew Shepard's murder and its impact on the people of Laramie) drew over 50,000 people to simultaneous performances in 150+ theatres. The New York Times reports: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/the-laramie-project-10-years-later-draws-50000-theatergoers/
Sweden: Tourism offices have been bombarded with inquiries from millions of men captivated by a mythical town of sex-mad lesbians in Chako Paul City. Australia's News.com reports: http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,26182164-5014090,00.html
The Buzz (People Making News)
Coming Out: Donal Og Cusack, the Irish hurler, has come out. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/irish-hurler-donal-og-cusack-im-gay.html
Coming Out: Law & Order SVU Special Agent George Huang MD comes out on the show's 10/21/09 episode. Huang is played by out actor B.D. Wong. After Elton reports: http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2009/10/law-oder-gay-character-revealed?#comment-96218
Coming Out: Jonathan Groff, Tony-nominee actor for "Spring Awakening" and recently seen in "Taking Woodstock", has come out. Broadway.com reports: http://www.broadway.com/buzz/let-sun-shine-hair-and-broadway-make-history-national-equality-march/
Features
Reflections: Lou Chibbaro Jr. has been a reporter at the Washington Blade for over 30 years. He recalls the news and the stories that he covered, as the LGBT paper celebrates its 40th Anniversary. Coming out stories played a big role on the agenda. http://www.washblade.com/2009/10-16/news/localnews/15372.cfm
Twenty Best Signs at the National Equality March: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-20-best-signs-at-the-national-equality-march
In Print:
Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life by Raymond Luczak. RID Press. Luczak shares stories from his days growing up as a deaf gay man in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and learning signs in secret, trying to follow the music on the radio in order to be cool like his hearing classmates, and feeling clueless whenever gay cultural icons like the Village People, Queen, and Bette Midler were promoted in his small hometown. After he graduated from high school and enrolled at Gallaudet University, the world’s only university for Deaf people, he discovered gay literature and came out soon after. http://www.raymondluczak.com/assemblyrequired/
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***A Boy and His Soul. Colman Domingo's one-man musical about coming of age and coming out. to 11/01/09. http://www.vineyardtheatre.org/show-a-boy-and-his-soul.html
***The Diary of Anne Frankenstein. HX Drag Queen of the Year Nominee Mimi Imfurst stars as Anne, who hides in a lab attic in Bavaria. to 11/08/09. www.thediaryofannefrankenstein.com
***Fela! The musical story of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti staged by out Bill T. Jones.
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
***Hair, Tony-winning revival of the first major rock musical. www.publictheater.org.
***Justin Bond, best known as Kiki (of Kiki and Herb fame), in concert. 10/31/09. www.joespub.com.
***Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter. a new musical about her glamourous life with gay husband Cole Porter. to 11/21/09. www.lovelindathemusical.com
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. She wakes up with a dead gay Republican in her bed and more. to 1/03/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
***Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party. Aaron Loeb's comedy. A rural third grade teacher outs Abe at the annual Christmas pageant. to 11/08/09. Storrs, CT. www.crt.uconn.edu
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. to 11/08/09, Columbus, OH; www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***I Am My Own Wife, the fascinating real-life story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a German transvestite who managed to survive both Nazi rule and the repressive East German Communist regime. to 11/08/09. Sacramento, CA. www.bstreettheatre.org
***The Little Dog Laughed. A Hollywood agent goes bonkers when her matinee idol client decides to come out. to 11/08/09. San Francisco, CA. www.nctscf.org
***Margaret Cho in concert.. 10/30/09, Palm Springs, CA. www.margaretcho.com.
***Parade. TR Knight ("Greys Anatomy") stars as Leo Frank in the musical about a 1913 murder in Atlanta. to 11/15/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.centertheatregroup.org.
***A Streetcar Named Desire. The Tennessee Williams classic with Cate Blanchett as Blanche in the Sydney Theatre Company production, directed by Liv Ullman. to 11/21/09. Kennedy Center. Washington, DC. www.sydneytheatre.com.au
***Tiny Kushner. Five short plays by out playwright Tony ("Angels in America") Kushner. to 11/29/09. Berkeley, CA. www.berkeleyrep.org
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs.
***8: The Mormon Proposition is a new documentary about the involvement of the Church of Latter Day Saints' involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Written and directed by Reed Cowan and narrated by Dustin Lance Black. http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/documentary-exposes-mormon-financial-contributions-to-prop-8.html
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Passing Strange. Spike Lee's documentary about Stew's Broadway rock musical.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on (gay) Elliot Tiber's memoir.
Out On Video & DVD
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***The L Word. The Complete Series in a box set.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination. The new DVD has updates to reflect the 2009 status of LGBT workplace rights. /www.newday.com/films/outatwork.html?code=H2U7UA
***The Wizard of Oz. 70th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition showcasing Dorothy and friends.
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 every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed
***October/November: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***October: An Englishman in New York. John Hurt plays Quentin Crisp in a film about the last years of his life. Among the co-stars: Cynthia Nixon, Denis O'Hare, Jonathan Tucker. Logo. Check local listings.
***October: Outrage. Kirby Dick's ("This Film is Not Yet Rated") documentary, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. Includes analysis by Barney Frank, Jim McGreevey, Larry Kramer, Michelangelo Signorile, and Mike Rogers. thru 11/10/09. http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/outrage/index.html
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
11/03/09: Boston, MA: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
11/04/09: Washington, DC: Raymond Luczak shares his tale of growing up gay and deaf in his new book "Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life". Lambda Rising Books. www.lambdarising.com.
11/05/09-11/14/09: Chicago, IL: Reeling 2000: Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Fest. www.reelingfilmfestival.org
11/09/09: New York, NY: Jane Lynch of "Glee" (Sue, the cheerleader coach) appears in the first installment of "Newsmakers" at the LGBT Center. www.gaycenter.org.
11/11/09: New York, NY: 2nd Annual Travel Summit/Insiders Europe. www.outprofessionals.org.
11/14/09: Hartford, CT: One Big Event. Benefit for the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective. http://www.hglhc.org/onebigevent/index.html
11/20/09-11/22/09: West Palm Beach, FL: 2009 Anti-Heterosexism Conference. In-depth workshops open to everyone who seeks to challenge the harmful affects of heterosexism, reparative therapy, ex-gay ministries and other efforts to change people’s sexual orientation. http://www.soulforce.org/anti-heterosexism-conference
11/22/09: New York, NY: 16th Annual Race to Deliver. Road race in Central Park to benefit God's Love We Deliver to help provide life-sustaining meals for those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-altering illnesses. www.racetodeliver.org
11/30/09: New York, NY: A Very MARY Holiday Benefit for Broadway Speaks OUT & The Ali Forney Center. Featuring Nick Adams and Jeffery Self and Cole Escola of Logo "Jeffery & Cole Casserole". www.broadwayspeaksout.com
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: Marches for Equality
1. Question: When did the first major National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights take place ? It drew over 75,000 people to the Nation's Capitol to demand equal civil rights and urge the passage of protective civil rights legislation. It drew major LGBT figures of the times, amongst them Allen Ginsberg, Troy Perry, and Leonard Matlovich. Answer: October 14, 1979, ten years after Stonewall.
2. Question: Name this activist, very much involved in last week's Equality March. A contemporary of Harvey Milk (he was played by Emile Hirsch in the recent film), he was a co-founder of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. His memorial initiative to people with AIDS was unveiled for the first time in public at the secondMarch on Washington. Answer: Cleve Jones, founder of the AIDS Quilt.
3. Question: Name the initiative, which evolved from the second major March on Washington in 1987, which drew over 500,000 people to demand government action, especially by the Reagan administration, in the fight against AIDS. Today, this initiative supports an act of bravery in the LGBT community. Answer: National Coming Out Day, which launched in 1988.
4. Question: Name this national center, which opened days before the 1993 LGBT March on Washington. It's part memorial, part history museum about the marginalization and extermination of minorities, gays included. One major gay rights symbol traces it roots to this dark historical period. Answer: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which has sent exhibitions about the persecution of gays during Nazi Germany on national tours. The pink triangle traces its roots as a symbol to identify gays in Nazi concentration camps.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: November Milestones
1. Question: Name this successful LGBT news magazine, subject of a front page profile in the Wall Street Journal on November 3, 1975. It continues to be one of the leading LGBT news sources today.
2. Question: Name this out comic, the first openly-gay cast member of “Saturday Night Live”. He joined the company on November 9, 1985, and did a great “Nancy Reagan”.
3. Question: Name this bisexual American designer born November 19, 1942. Many people have his name below their belts. When Mark Wahlberg teamed up with him, Times Square had fender benders for days.
4. Question: Name this gay photographer and artist, born November 4, 1946. He was known for his “uptown” floral portraits, but his “downtown” nudes and S&M pictures caused a censorship controversy in the 1980s.
5. Question: Name this award-winning play (and subsequent film), which opened on Broadway on November 20, 1934. It profiled two schoolteachers accused of being lesbians. Its author, one of the most celebrated female playwrights in 20th century literature, wrote a play which made Talullah Bankhead an American icon.
The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.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/
Volume 12 No. 43 October 26, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: October 26-November 1, 2009
This Just in !!! SUN: 10/25: Los Angeles, CA: Michael Kearns, the author/director who was the first Hollywood actor to come out on TV, launches his new book "The Drama of AIDS: My Lasting Connections with Two Plays That Survived the Plague" www.skylightbooks.com/event
This Just in !!! SUN: 10/25: Hollywood, CA: The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later benefit for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. All-star reading with Lisa Edelstein, Barrett Foa, Johnny Galecki, and appearance by Judy Shepard. www.matthewshepard.org
MON: 10/26: San Francisco, CA: Defying Inequality: The San Francisco Concert, a benefit for Marriage Equality USA and Garden State Equality. Featuring the San Francisco cast of "Wicked", Patty Duke, Bruce Vilanch, Judy Gold and others. www.defyinginequality.com.
MON: 10/26: Denver, CO: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. Also: TUE: 10/27: Irvine, CA: WED: 10/28: Carmel, CA: THU: 10/29: San Rafael, CA: FRI: 10/30: San Diego, CA: SAT: 10/31: Boise, ID: SUN: 11/01: Vancouver, BC: www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html
MON: 10/26: New York, NY: Broadway Close Up: The John Kander Salute. with David Hyde Pierce, Debra Monk, and Karen Ziemba. www.kaufmancenter.org
MON: 10/26: Seattle, WA: A Life in the Theater: An Onstage Conversation with Stephen Sondheim and Frank Rich. www.benaroyahall.org
WED: 10/28: New York, NY: Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Concert benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. www.broadwaycares.org
WED: 10/28: Richmond, IN: Peterson Toscano performs his solo theatre piece "Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House'." about surviving time in the ex-gay movement. www.petersontoscano.com
THU: 10/29: Washington, DC: Mary L. Gray discusses her book "Out in the Country: Youth, Media, and Queer Visibility in Rural America". Lambda Rising Books. lambdarising.com.
THU: 10/29: Washington, DC: Sir Ian McKellan, acclaimed actor and gay rights activist, performs his one-man autobiographical show "A Knight in Harman Hall". www.ShakespeareTheatre.org
SAT: 10/31: Los Angeles, CA: Rooftop Halloween Voyeur Party, benefitting The Trevor Project. LASC. http://www.thetrevorproject.org/events.aspx
Newsworthy:
Kevin Jennings, GLSEN founder and now President Obama's Safe Schools Czar, is under attack by a group of House Republicans who want him fired for supporting LGBT students. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/53-house-gop-sign-on-to-antigay-witch-hunt-against-kevin-jennings.html
"Laramie Updated". The production of "The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later", an epilogue to the original "Laramie Project" (which told the story of Matthew Shepard's murder and its impact on the people of Laramie) drew over 50,000 people to simultaneous performances in 150+ theatres. The New York Times reports: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/the-laramie-project-10-years-later-draws-50000-theatergoers/
Sweden: Tourism offices have been bombarded with inquiries from millions of men captivated by a mythical town of sex-mad lesbians in Chako Paul City. Australia's News.com reports: http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,26182164-5014090,00.html
The Buzz (People Making News)
Coming Out: Donal Og Cusack, the Irish hurler, has come out. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/irish-hurler-donal-og-cusack-im-gay.html
Coming Out: Law & Order SVU Special Agent George Huang MD comes out on the show's 10/21/09 episode. Huang is played by out actor B.D. Wong. After Elton reports: http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2009/10/law-oder-gay-character-revealed?#comment-96218
Coming Out: Jonathan Groff, Tony-nominee actor for "Spring Awakening" and recently seen in "Taking Woodstock", has come out. Broadway.com reports: http://www.broadway.com/buzz/let-sun-shine-hair-and-broadway-make-history-national-equality-march/
Features
Reflections: Lou Chibbaro Jr. has been a reporter at the Washington Blade for over 30 years. He recalls the news and the stories that he covered, as the LGBT paper celebrates its 40th Anniversary. Coming out stories played a big role on the agenda. http://www.washblade.com/2009/10-16/news/localnews/15372.cfm
Twenty Best Signs at the National Equality March: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-20-best-signs-at-the-national-equality-march
In Print:
Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life by Raymond Luczak. RID Press. Luczak shares stories from his days growing up as a deaf gay man in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and learning signs in secret, trying to follow the music on the radio in order to be cool like his hearing classmates, and feeling clueless whenever gay cultural icons like the Village People, Queen, and Bette Midler were promoted in his small hometown. After he graduated from high school and enrolled at Gallaudet University, the world’s only university for Deaf people, he discovered gay literature and came out soon after. http://www.raymondluczak.com/assemblyrequired/
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***A Boy and His Soul. Colman Domingo's one-man musical about coming of age and coming out. to 11/01/09. http://www.vineyardtheatre.org/show-a-boy-and-his-soul.html
***The Diary of Anne Frankenstein. HX Drag Queen of the Year Nominee Mimi Imfurst stars as Anne, who hides in a lab attic in Bavaria. to 11/08/09. www.thediaryofannefrankenstein.com
***Fela! The musical story of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti staged by out Bill T. Jones.
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
***Hair, Tony-winning revival of the first major rock musical. www.publictheater.org.
***Justin Bond, best known as Kiki (of Kiki and Herb fame), in concert. 10/31/09. www.joespub.com.
***Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter. a new musical about her glamourous life with gay husband Cole Porter. to 11/21/09. www.lovelindathemusical.com
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. She wakes up with a dead gay Republican in her bed and more. to 1/03/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
***Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party. Aaron Loeb's comedy. A rural third grade teacher outs Abe at the annual Christmas pageant. to 11/08/09. Storrs, CT. www.crt.uconn.edu
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. to 11/08/09, Columbus, OH; www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***I Am My Own Wife, the fascinating real-life story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a German transvestite who managed to survive both Nazi rule and the repressive East German Communist regime. to 11/08/09. Sacramento, CA. www.bstreettheatre.org
***The Little Dog Laughed. A Hollywood agent goes bonkers when her matinee idol client decides to come out. to 11/08/09. San Francisco, CA. www.nctscf.org
***Margaret Cho in concert.. 10/30/09, Palm Springs, CA. www.margaretcho.com.
***Parade. TR Knight ("Greys Anatomy") stars as Leo Frank in the musical about a 1913 murder in Atlanta. to 11/15/09. Los Angeles, CA. www.centertheatregroup.org.
***A Streetcar Named Desire. The Tennessee Williams classic with Cate Blanchett as Blanche in the Sydney Theatre Company production, directed by Liv Ullman. to 11/21/09. Kennedy Center. Washington, DC. www.sydneytheatre.com.au
***Tiny Kushner. Five short plays by out playwright Tony ("Angels in America") Kushner. to 11/29/09. Berkeley, CA. www.berkeleyrep.org
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs.
***8: The Mormon Proposition is a new documentary about the involvement of the Church of Latter Day Saints' involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Written and directed by Reed Cowan and narrated by Dustin Lance Black. http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/documentary-exposes-mormon-financial-contributions-to-prop-8.html
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Passing Strange. Spike Lee's documentary about Stew's Broadway rock musical.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on (gay) Elliot Tiber's memoir.
Out On Video & DVD
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***The L Word. The Complete Series in a box set.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination. The new DVD has updates to reflect the 2009 status of LGBT workplace rights. /www.newday.com/films/outatwork.html?code=H2U7UA
***The Wizard of Oz. 70th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition showcasing Dorothy and friends.
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 every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed
***October/November: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***October: An Englishman in New York. John Hurt plays Quentin Crisp in a film about the last years of his life. Among the co-stars: Cynthia Nixon, Denis O'Hare, Jonathan Tucker. Logo. Check local listings.
***October: Outrage. Kirby Dick's ("This Film is Not Yet Rated") documentary, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. Includes analysis by Barney Frank, Jim McGreevey, Larry Kramer, Michelangelo Signorile, and Mike Rogers. thru 11/10/09. http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/outrage/index.html
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
11/03/09: Boston, MA: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
11/04/09: Washington, DC: Raymond Luczak shares his tale of growing up gay and deaf in his new book "Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life". Lambda Rising Books. www.lambdarising.com.
11/05/09-11/14/09: Chicago, IL: Reeling 2000: Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Fest. www.reelingfilmfestival.org
11/09/09: New York, NY: Jane Lynch of "Glee" (Sue, the cheerleader coach) appears in the first installment of "Newsmakers" at the LGBT Center. www.gaycenter.org.
11/11/09: New York, NY: 2nd Annual Travel Summit/Insiders Europe. www.outprofessionals.org.
11/14/09: Hartford, CT: One Big Event. Benefit for the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective. http://www.hglhc.org/onebigevent/index.html
11/20/09-11/22/09: West Palm Beach, FL: 2009 Anti-Heterosexism Conference. In-depth workshops open to everyone who seeks to challenge the harmful affects of heterosexism, reparative therapy, ex-gay ministries and other efforts to change people’s sexual orientation. http://www.soulforce.org/anti-heterosexism-conference
11/22/09: New York, NY: 16th Annual Race to Deliver. Road race in Central Park to benefit God's Love We Deliver to help provide life-sustaining meals for those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-altering illnesses. www.racetodeliver.org
11/30/09: New York, NY: A Very MARY Holiday Benefit for Broadway Speaks OUT & The Ali Forney Center. Featuring Nick Adams and Jeffery Self and Cole Escola of Logo "Jeffery & Cole Casserole". www.broadwayspeaksout.com
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: Marches for Equality
1. Question: When did the first major National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights take place ? It drew over 75,000 people to the Nation's Capitol to demand equal civil rights and urge the passage of protective civil rights legislation. It drew major LGBT figures of the times, amongst them Allen Ginsberg, Troy Perry, and Leonard Matlovich. Answer: October 14, 1979, ten years after Stonewall.
2. Question: Name this activist, very much involved in last week's Equality March. A contemporary of Harvey Milk (he was played by Emile Hirsch in the recent film), he was a co-founder of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. His memorial initiative to people with AIDS was unveiled for the first time in public at the secondMarch on Washington. Answer: Cleve Jones, founder of the AIDS Quilt.
3. Question: Name the initiative, which evolved from the second major March on Washington in 1987, which drew over 500,000 people to demand government action, especially by the Reagan administration, in the fight against AIDS. Today, this initiative supports an act of bravery in the LGBT community. Answer: National Coming Out Day, which launched in 1988.
4. Question: Name this national center, which opened days before the 1993 LGBT March on Washington. It's part memorial, part history museum about the marginalization and extermination of minorities, gays included. One major gay rights symbol traces it roots to this dark historical period. Answer: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which has sent exhibitions about the persecution of gays during Nazi Germany on national tours. The pink triangle traces its roots as a symbol to identify gays in Nazi concentration camps.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: November Milestones
1. Question: Name this successful LGBT news magazine, subject of a front page profile in the Wall Street Journal on November 3, 1975. It continues to be one of the leading LGBT news sources today.
2. Question: Name this out comic, the first openly-gay cast member of “Saturday Night Live”. He joined the company on November 9, 1985, and did a great “Nancy Reagan”.
3. Question: Name this bisexual American designer born November 19, 1942. Many people have his name below their belts. When Mark Wahlberg teamed up with him, Times Square had fender benders for days.
4. Question: Name this gay photographer and artist, born November 4, 1946. He was known for his “uptown” floral portraits, but his “downtown” nudes and S&M pictures caused a censorship controversy in the 1980s.
5. Question: Name this award-winning play (and subsequent film), which opened on Broadway on November 20, 1934. It profiled two schoolteachers accused of being lesbians. Its author, one of the most celebrated female playwrights in 20th century literature, wrote a play which made Talullah Bankhead an American icon.
The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.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/
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 10/19/09
Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 42 October 19, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions.
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: October 19-25, 2009
October: LGBT History Month: http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2009/
thru SAT: 10/24: Washington, DC: Reel Affirmations, the LGBT film festival. www.reelaffirmations.org. The Washington Blade's preview: http://www.washblade.com/2009/10-9/arts/film/15320.cfm
thru SUN: 10/25: Seattle, WA: Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. www.threedollarbillcinema.org
MON: 10/19: Stevens Point, WI: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. Also: TUE: 10/20: Norfolk, VA. WED: 10/21: Kansas City, MO. THU: 10/22: Billings, MT. FRI: 10/23: Missoula, MT: SAT: 10/24: Salt Lake City, UT: SUN: 10/25: Sun Valley, ID:http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html
MON: 10/19: New York, NY: Martin Moran performs excerpts from "The Tricky Part", his award-winning one-man show about being gay and surviving abuse. www.writer.org.
WED: 10/21: Minneapolis, MN: Judy Shepard signs copies of her new book "The Meaning of Matthew", her story of Matthew Shepard's murder and her becoming a gay rights activist. 7PM. Barnes & Noble Also: THU: 10/22: Danville, CA: Time TBD. Rakestraw Books..FRI: 10/23: Santa Cruz, CA :Time TBD. Half Moon Theatre. http://www.matthewshepard.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Press_Media_Judy_BookTour09
SAT: 10/24: Los Angeles, CA: Rise Up and Shout ! Voices of the next gay generation. A benefit for gay youth. LGBT elders leading the community and youth coming out showcase their voices and visiions. www.riseupandshout.com
SUN: 10/25: Hartford, CT: Jason & Demarco perform a benefit for the Center Church, An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ. www.centerchurchhartford.org
Newsworthy:
Hate Crimes Definition Expanded: The US House voted by a wide margin (281-to-146) on 10/08/09, to expand the definition of violent federal hate crimes to cover those committed because of a victim’s gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/us/politics/09hate.html?hp
Revisited: Matthew Shepard's Murder. Ten years later, "The Laramie Project" creators return to Wyoming to complete the story. The epilogue was performed by over 150 theatre groups worldwide. The Los Angeles Times reports: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-laramie11-2009oct11,0,2733126.story
Harvey Milk Day will be recognized in California. Slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk will get a special day of recognition in California, making him only the second person in state history to gain such a designation.Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signing of the bill establishing "Harvey Milk Day" each May 22, Milk's birthday, was announced 10/12/09. The Associated Press reports: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hI1JvvWLcApKQ5ncgj8RUGlsWnYwD9B9NSJ80
Gay Ambasaador: President Barack Obama has nominated David Huebner, a gay attorney specializing in international law, to be U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and the Independent State of Samoa. Huebner, who is currently based in Shanghai and heads the China and International Disputes division for the law firm Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, would become the nation's third openly gay ambassador. The Washington Blade reports: http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=27545
Equality March Updates
***The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/us/politics/12protest.html
***The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/10/11/ST2009101101924.html
***The Springfield (MA) Republican: Barney Frank says the March is a waste of time: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/us_rep_barney_frank_says_gay_m.html
The Buzz (People Making News)
Tab Hunter, the 50s movie heart-throb who came out in his 2005 autobiography "Tab Hunter Confidential", will be the subject of an autobiographical documentary that tells what it's like to live a lie. Variety reports: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009820.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
In Memoriam:
Stephen Gately, the British performer who found fame as a member of the pop group Boyzone and later performed in London’s West End, was found dead in Spain at the age of 33. Gately made news at the height of Boyzone’s success by coming out of the closet. He married husband Andrew Cowles in a civil union in 2006. Broadway.com reports: http://www.broadway.com/buzz/brit-boy-band-and-stage-star-stephen-gately-dead-33/
Features
Profile: Lady GaGa: For LGBT activists, this lady is a champ. The Washington Post profile: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/11/AR2009101101892.html?sid=ST2009101101924
Profile: Sean Strub, founder of POZ, turns his life into one of activism and giving. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/fashion/11genb.html?_r=1
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***A Boy and His Soul. Colman Domingo's one-man musical about coming of age and coming out. to 11/01/09. http://www.vineyardtheatre.org/show-a-boy-and-his-soul.html
***Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today. Cumming's show based on his new CD. 10/25/09. www.iboughtabluecartoday.com.
***Broadway Close Up salutes out composer John Kander with David Hyde Pierce, Karen Ziemba, Debra Monk, Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley. 10/26/09. www.kaufman-center.org.
***The Diary of Anne Frankenstein. HX Drag Queen of the Year Nominee Mimi Imfurst stars as Anne, who hides in a lab attic in Bavaria. to 11/08/09. www.thediaryofannefrankenstein.com
***Fela! The musical story of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti staged by out Bill T. Jones. The show sizzled off-Broadway last year.
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. She wakes up with a dead gay Republican in her bed and more. to 1/03/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. 10/20/09-11/08/09, Columbus, OH; www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***F__king Men. Joe DiPietro’s adaptation of Schnitzler's 19th century "La Ronde" which observes the sex lives of modern gay America. to 10/25/09. Hollywood, CA.
www.celebrationtheatre.com
***I Am My Own Wife, the fascinating real-life story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a German transvestite who managed to survive both Nazi rule and the repressive East German Communist regime. to 11/08/09. Sacramento, CA. www.bstreettheatre.org
***Insatiable Hunger. Lea Delaria stars in a new musical about a washed-up rock star who comes face-to-face with her past. to 10/23/09. Wellfleet, MA. www.what.org.
***Parade. TR Knight ("Greys Anatomy") stars as Leo Frank in the musical about a 1913 murder in Atlanta. to 11/15/09. Los Angeles, CA.www.centertheatregroup.org.
***Tiny Kushner. Five short plays by out playwright Tony ("Angels in America") Kushner. to 11/29/09. Berkeley, CA. www.berkeleyrep.org
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs.
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Passing Strange. Spike Lee's documentary about Stew's Broadway rock musical.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on Elliot Tiber's memoir. Demetri Martin stars as the gay Tiber. Liev Schriber plays a transvestite; Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a closeted married guy who has an affair with Tiber.
Out On Video & DVD
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***The Judy Garland Show Holiday Special. The 1963 one-hour special with Garland, Liza Minnelli and Lorna and Joe Luft, Jack Jones, Mel Torme.
***The L Word. The Complete Series in a box set.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination. The new DVD has updates to reflect the 2009 status of LGBT workplace rights. /www.newday.com/films/outatwork.html?code=H2U7UA
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant. .
***The Wizard of Oz. 70th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition showcasing Dorothy and friends.
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 every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed
***October: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***October: Outrage. Kirby Dick's ("This Film is Not Yet Rated") documentary, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. Includes analysis by Barney Frank, Jim McGreevey, Larry Kramer, Michelangelo Signorile, and Mike Rogers. thru 11/10/09. http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/outrage/index.html
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
10/26/09: San Francisco, CA: Defying Inequality: The San Francisco Concert, a benefit for Marriage Equality USA and Garden State Equality. Featuring the San Francisco cast of "Wicked", Patty Duke, Bruce Vilanch, Judy Gold and others. www.defyinginequality.com.
10/28/09: Richmond, IN: Peterson Toscano performs his solo theatre piece "Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House'." about surviving time in the ex-gay movement. www.petersontoscano.com
11/03/09: Boston, MA: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
11/05/09-11/14/09: Chicago, IL: Reeling 2000: Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Fest. www.reelingfilmfestival.org
11/20/09-11/22/09: West Palm Beach, FL: 2009 Anti-Heterosexism Conference. In-depth workshops open to everyone who seeks to challenge the harmful affects of heterosexism, reparative therapy, ex-gay ministries and other efforts to change people’s sexual orientation. http://www.soulforce.org/anti-heterosexism-conference
11/22/09: New York, NY: 16th Annual Race to Deliver. Road race in Central Park to benefit God's Love We Deliver to help provide life-sustaining meals for those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-altering illnesses. www.racetodeliver.org
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: Opera: Queens and Divas
1. Question: Name this 2000 opera, written by an out composer and playwright, who were inspired by Susan Sarandon and the story of a Louisiana sister. Hint: It has become one of the most popular contemporary operas, alongside Andre Previn’s “A Streetcar Named Desire”. Answer: Dead Man Walking, Jake Heggie’s and Terrence McNally’s treatment of the film, which chronicled Sister Helen Prejean (played by Sarandon in the movie).
2. Question: Name this 20th century diva, whose offstage life was as dramatic as her roles (Fanny Ardont played her in a Zefferelli biographical film. Faye Dunaway, Dixie Carter and Patti LuPone played her onstage.). She inspired gay playwright Terrence McNally twice; Nathan Lane became a star because of McNally’s first play. Answer: Maria Callas. Lane starred in McNally’s play “The Lisbon Traviata”; McNally later wrote “Masterclass” about the diva which brought raves for Faye, Dixie and Patti. “Callas Forever” with Fanny Ardont and Jeremy Irons is out on video.
3. Question: Name this gay opera composer who wrote many leading roles for his off-stage partner of many years. His final work (1973), based on a German novella, was the story of an older man obsessed with a beautiful Venetian twink. Answer: Benjamin Britten, who composed “Death in Venice”. His partner Peter Pears sang the lead.
4. Question: Name this historical character, whose life and tragic death became the subject of a 1995 American opera. The character rose to fame in post-Stonewall America as an out politican and gay rights activist. Answer: Harvey Milk, the subject of Stewart Wallace’s and Michael Korie’s opera “Harvey Milk”, which has played major international opera houses since its debut. Korie wrote the Broadway musical "Grey Gardens".
5. Question: Name this opera which inspired a Broadway musical which has starred an American idol, a TV-show cop, a very young doctor, a green witch, and a queer guy. Hint: It’s not “Madama Butterfly (which became “Miss Saigon”) or “Carmen” (which became “Carmen Jones”). Answer: “La Boheme”, which became “Rent”. Frenchie Davis, Jesse L. Martin, Neil Patrick (“Doogie Howser”) Harris, Idina Menzel and Jai Rodriguez have starred in the Broadway version.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Marches for Equality
1. Question: When did the first major National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights take place ? It drew over 75,000 people to the Nation's Capitol to demand equal civil rights and urge the passage of protective civil rights legislation. It drew major LGBT figures of the times, amongst them Allen Ginsberg, Troy Perry, and Leonard Matlovich.
2. Question: Name this activist, very much involved in last week's Equality March. A contemporary of Harvey Milk (he was played by Emile Hirsch in the recent film), he was a co-founder of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. His memorial initiative to people with AIDS was unveiled for the first time in public at the secondMarch on Washington.
3. Question: Name the initiative, which evolved from the second major March on Washington in 1987, which drew over 500,000 people to demand government action, especially by the Reagan administration, in the fight against AIDS. Today, this initiative and its personal action supports an act of individual bravery in the LGBT community.
4. Question: Name this national center, which opened days before the 1993 LGBT March on Washington. It's part memorial, part history museum about the marginalization and extermination of minorities, gays included. One major gay rights symbol traces it roots to this dark historical period.
The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.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/
Volume 12 No. 42 October 19, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions.
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: October 19-25, 2009
October: LGBT History Month: http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2009/
thru SAT: 10/24: Washington, DC: Reel Affirmations, the LGBT film festival. www.reelaffirmations.org. The Washington Blade's preview: http://www.washblade.com/2009/10-9/arts/film/15320.cfm
thru SUN: 10/25: Seattle, WA: Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. www.threedollarbillcinema.org
MON: 10/19: Stevens Point, WI: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. Also: TUE: 10/20: Norfolk, VA. WED: 10/21: Kansas City, MO. THU: 10/22: Billings, MT. FRI: 10/23: Missoula, MT: SAT: 10/24: Salt Lake City, UT: SUN: 10/25: Sun Valley, ID:http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html
MON: 10/19: New York, NY: Martin Moran performs excerpts from "The Tricky Part", his award-winning one-man show about being gay and surviving abuse. www.writer.org.
WED: 10/21: Minneapolis, MN: Judy Shepard signs copies of her new book "The Meaning of Matthew", her story of Matthew Shepard's murder and her becoming a gay rights activist. 7PM. Barnes & Noble Also: THU: 10/22: Danville, CA: Time TBD. Rakestraw Books..FRI: 10/23: Santa Cruz, CA :Time TBD. Half Moon Theatre. http://www.matthewshepard.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Press_Media_Judy_BookTour09
SAT: 10/24: Los Angeles, CA: Rise Up and Shout ! Voices of the next gay generation. A benefit for gay youth. LGBT elders leading the community and youth coming out showcase their voices and visiions. www.riseupandshout.com
SUN: 10/25: Hartford, CT: Jason & Demarco perform a benefit for the Center Church, An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ. www.centerchurchhartford.org
Newsworthy:
Hate Crimes Definition Expanded: The US House voted by a wide margin (281-to-146) on 10/08/09, to expand the definition of violent federal hate crimes to cover those committed because of a victim’s gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/us/politics/09hate.html?hp
Revisited: Matthew Shepard's Murder. Ten years later, "The Laramie Project" creators return to Wyoming to complete the story. The epilogue was performed by over 150 theatre groups worldwide. The Los Angeles Times reports: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-laramie11-2009oct11,0,2733126.story
Harvey Milk Day will be recognized in California. Slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk will get a special day of recognition in California, making him only the second person in state history to gain such a designation.Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signing of the bill establishing "Harvey Milk Day" each May 22, Milk's birthday, was announced 10/12/09. The Associated Press reports: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hI1JvvWLcApKQ5ncgj8RUGlsWnYwD9B9NSJ80
Gay Ambasaador: President Barack Obama has nominated David Huebner, a gay attorney specializing in international law, to be U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and the Independent State of Samoa. Huebner, who is currently based in Shanghai and heads the China and International Disputes division for the law firm Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, would become the nation's third openly gay ambassador. The Washington Blade reports: http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=27545
Equality March Updates
***The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/us/politics/12protest.html
***The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/10/11/ST2009101101924.html
***The Springfield (MA) Republican: Barney Frank says the March is a waste of time: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/us_rep_barney_frank_says_gay_m.html
The Buzz (People Making News)
Tab Hunter, the 50s movie heart-throb who came out in his 2005 autobiography "Tab Hunter Confidential", will be the subject of an autobiographical documentary that tells what it's like to live a lie. Variety reports: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009820.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
In Memoriam:
Stephen Gately, the British performer who found fame as a member of the pop group Boyzone and later performed in London’s West End, was found dead in Spain at the age of 33. Gately made news at the height of Boyzone’s success by coming out of the closet. He married husband Andrew Cowles in a civil union in 2006. Broadway.com reports: http://www.broadway.com/buzz/brit-boy-band-and-stage-star-stephen-gately-dead-33/
Features
Profile: Lady GaGa: For LGBT activists, this lady is a champ. The Washington Post profile: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/11/AR2009101101892.html?sid=ST2009101101924
Profile: Sean Strub, founder of POZ, turns his life into one of activism and giving. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/fashion/11genb.html?_r=1
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***A Boy and His Soul. Colman Domingo's one-man musical about coming of age and coming out. to 11/01/09. http://www.vineyardtheatre.org/show-a-boy-and-his-soul.html
***Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today. Cumming's show based on his new CD. 10/25/09. www.iboughtabluecartoday.com.
***Broadway Close Up salutes out composer John Kander with David Hyde Pierce, Karen Ziemba, Debra Monk, Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley. 10/26/09. www.kaufman-center.org.
***The Diary of Anne Frankenstein. HX Drag Queen of the Year Nominee Mimi Imfurst stars as Anne, who hides in a lab attic in Bavaria. to 11/08/09. www.thediaryofannefrankenstein.com
***Fela! The musical story of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti staged by out Bill T. Jones. The show sizzled off-Broadway last year.
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. She wakes up with a dead gay Republican in her bed and more. to 1/03/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. 10/20/09-11/08/09, Columbus, OH; www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***F__king Men. Joe DiPietro’s adaptation of Schnitzler's 19th century "La Ronde" which observes the sex lives of modern gay America. to 10/25/09. Hollywood, CA.
www.celebrationtheatre.com
***I Am My Own Wife, the fascinating real-life story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a German transvestite who managed to survive both Nazi rule and the repressive East German Communist regime. to 11/08/09. Sacramento, CA. www.bstreettheatre.org
***Insatiable Hunger. Lea Delaria stars in a new musical about a washed-up rock star who comes face-to-face with her past. to 10/23/09. Wellfleet, MA. www.what.org.
***Parade. TR Knight ("Greys Anatomy") stars as Leo Frank in the musical about a 1913 murder in Atlanta. to 11/15/09. Los Angeles, CA.www.centertheatregroup.org.
***Tiny Kushner. Five short plays by out playwright Tony ("Angels in America") Kushner. to 11/29/09. Berkeley, CA. www.berkeleyrep.org
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs.
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Passing Strange. Spike Lee's documentary about Stew's Broadway rock musical.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on Elliot Tiber's memoir. Demetri Martin stars as the gay Tiber. Liev Schriber plays a transvestite; Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a closeted married guy who has an affair with Tiber.
Out On Video & DVD
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***The Judy Garland Show Holiday Special. The 1963 one-hour special with Garland, Liza Minnelli and Lorna and Joe Luft, Jack Jones, Mel Torme.
***The L Word. The Complete Series in a box set.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination. The new DVD has updates to reflect the 2009 status of LGBT workplace rights. /www.newday.com/films/outatwork.html?code=H2U7UA
***Pageant. The documentary about the Miss Gay America Pageant. .
***The Wizard of Oz. 70th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition showcasing Dorothy and friends.
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 every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed
***October: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***October: Outrage. Kirby Dick's ("This Film is Not Yet Rated") documentary, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. Includes analysis by Barney Frank, Jim McGreevey, Larry Kramer, Michelangelo Signorile, and Mike Rogers. thru 11/10/09. http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/outrage/index.html
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
10/26/09: San Francisco, CA: Defying Inequality: The San Francisco Concert, a benefit for Marriage Equality USA and Garden State Equality. Featuring the San Francisco cast of "Wicked", Patty Duke, Bruce Vilanch, Judy Gold and others. www.defyinginequality.com.
10/28/09: Richmond, IN: Peterson Toscano performs his solo theatre piece "Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House'." about surviving time in the ex-gay movement. www.petersontoscano.com
11/03/09: Boston, MA: HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo. http://gaylifetravel.squarespace.com/
11/05/09-11/14/09: Chicago, IL: Reeling 2000: Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Fest. www.reelingfilmfestival.org
11/20/09-11/22/09: West Palm Beach, FL: 2009 Anti-Heterosexism Conference. In-depth workshops open to everyone who seeks to challenge the harmful affects of heterosexism, reparative therapy, ex-gay ministries and other efforts to change people’s sexual orientation. http://www.soulforce.org/anti-heterosexism-conference
11/22/09: New York, NY: 16th Annual Race to Deliver. Road race in Central Park to benefit God's Love We Deliver to help provide life-sustaining meals for those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-altering illnesses. www.racetodeliver.org
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: Opera: Queens and Divas
1. Question: Name this 2000 opera, written by an out composer and playwright, who were inspired by Susan Sarandon and the story of a Louisiana sister. Hint: It has become one of the most popular contemporary operas, alongside Andre Previn’s “A Streetcar Named Desire”. Answer: Dead Man Walking, Jake Heggie’s and Terrence McNally’s treatment of the film, which chronicled Sister Helen Prejean (played by Sarandon in the movie).
2. Question: Name this 20th century diva, whose offstage life was as dramatic as her roles (Fanny Ardont played her in a Zefferelli biographical film. Faye Dunaway, Dixie Carter and Patti LuPone played her onstage.). She inspired gay playwright Terrence McNally twice; Nathan Lane became a star because of McNally’s first play. Answer: Maria Callas. Lane starred in McNally’s play “The Lisbon Traviata”; McNally later wrote “Masterclass” about the diva which brought raves for Faye, Dixie and Patti. “Callas Forever” with Fanny Ardont and Jeremy Irons is out on video.
3. Question: Name this gay opera composer who wrote many leading roles for his off-stage partner of many years. His final work (1973), based on a German novella, was the story of an older man obsessed with a beautiful Venetian twink. Answer: Benjamin Britten, who composed “Death in Venice”. His partner Peter Pears sang the lead.
4. Question: Name this historical character, whose life and tragic death became the subject of a 1995 American opera. The character rose to fame in post-Stonewall America as an out politican and gay rights activist. Answer: Harvey Milk, the subject of Stewart Wallace’s and Michael Korie’s opera “Harvey Milk”, which has played major international opera houses since its debut. Korie wrote the Broadway musical "Grey Gardens".
5. Question: Name this opera which inspired a Broadway musical which has starred an American idol, a TV-show cop, a very young doctor, a green witch, and a queer guy. Hint: It’s not “Madama Butterfly (which became “Miss Saigon”) or “Carmen” (which became “Carmen Jones”). Answer: “La Boheme”, which became “Rent”. Frenchie Davis, Jesse L. Martin, Neil Patrick (“Doogie Howser”) Harris, Idina Menzel and Jai Rodriguez have starred in the Broadway version.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Marches for Equality
1. Question: When did the first major National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights take place ? It drew over 75,000 people to the Nation's Capitol to demand equal civil rights and urge the passage of protective civil rights legislation. It drew major LGBT figures of the times, amongst them Allen Ginsberg, Troy Perry, and Leonard Matlovich.
2. Question: Name this activist, very much involved in last week's Equality March. A contemporary of Harvey Milk (he was played by Emile Hirsch in the recent film), he was a co-founder of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. His memorial initiative to people with AIDS was unveiled for the first time in public at the secondMarch on Washington.
3. Question: Name the initiative, which evolved from the second major March on Washington in 1987, which drew over 500,000 people to demand government action, especially by the Reagan administration, in the fight against AIDS. Today, this initiative and its personal action supports an act of individual bravery in the LGBT community.
4. Question: Name this national center, which opened days before the 1993 LGBT March on Washington. It's part memorial, part history museum about the marginalization and extermination of minorities, gays included. One major gay rights symbol traces it roots to this dark historical period.
The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.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/
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 10/12/09
Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 41 October 12, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: October 12-18, 2009
October: LGBT History Month: http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2009/
Editor's Pick! MON: 10/12: Nationwide: The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. A new epilogue to Moises Kaufman's award-winning theatrical docudrama, a study of the murder of Matthew Shepard, will be performed in over 100 theatres in all 50 states and several countries. www.laramieproject.org.
MON: 10/12: Tulsa, OK: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. Also: TUE: 10/13: Fayetteville, AR: WED: 10/14: Minneapolis, MN: THU: 10/15: Davenport, IA: FRI: 10/16: Champaign, IL: SAT: 10/17: Columbus, OH: SUN: 10/18: East Lansing, MI: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html
MON: 10/12: Towson, MD: Peterson Toscano performs his solo theatre piece "Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House'." about surviving time in the ex-gay movement. www.petersontoscano.com
THU: 10/15: West Hollywood, CA: Christian Siriano, star of “Project Runway”, signing copies of "Fierce Style". 9:30 PM. Book Soup. Also: SAT: 10/17: Bloomington, MN: 2PM. Nordstrom Court.
THU-SUN: 10/15-10/18: St. Petersburg, FL: InterPride 2009 Conference. Workshops for/by the International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Coordinators. www.interpride.org
THU-SUN: 10/15-10/18: San Francisco, CA: Sundance Stompede. San Francisco's annual LGBT country/ western dance weekend. www.stompede.com
FRI-SUN: 10/16-10/18: New York, NY: 5th Annual Broadway Cabaret Festival. 10/16: David Merrick Tribute. 10/17: Linda Eder. 10/18: Broadway Originals. www.the-townhall-nyc.org.
FRI-SUN: 10/16-10/25: Seattle, WA: Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. www.threedollarbillcinema.org
SAT: 10/17: West Hartford, CT: AIDS Walk 2009 to benefit AIDS Project Hartford. www.aphct.org
SAT: 10/17: Phoenix, AZ: Peterson Toscano performs his solo theatre piece "Transfigurations: Transgressing Gender in the Bible" about gender-variant Bible characters. www.petersontoscano.com
SUN: 10/18: Los Angeles / West Hollywood, CA: AIDS Walk LA. www.aidswalk.net
Newsworthy:
Texas: A judge has ruled that two gay men, married in another state, can divorce in Texas (where same-sex marriage is banned) saying that the state's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The Dallas Morning News reports: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/DN-gaydivorce_02met.ART.State.Edition2.4bcd80d.html
The Buzz (People Making News)
Kevin Jennings, founder of GLSEN, advocate for LGBY youth, and now at the U.S. Department of Education, is under attack from the right wing over a decades old counseling incident. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/under-attack-from-right-education-departments-kevin-jennings-releases-statement-on-counseling-incide.html
Donna Sachet made history as the first drag queen to sing the National Anthem at a Major League Baseball Game. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/donna-sachet-is-first-drag-queen-to-sing-national-anthem-at-major-league-baseball-game.html
Cheyennetologists Take Note: Rumors abound that hot out Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson is bound for "30 Rock", spreading the Cheyennetology movement nationwide. Playbill.com reports: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/133411-Is_Cheyenne_Jackson_30_Rock-Bound%3F
In Memoriam:
Kevin McGee, ex-husband of "Little Britain" star Matt Lucas, hung himself after leaving a Facebook note. The Daily Mail reports: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1218387/Kevin-McGee-ex-husband-Little-Britain-star-Matt-Lucas-hangs-leaving-Facebook-suicide-note.html
Features
Iraq: Gay Pogroms and Americans shepherding gay Iraqis to safety. New York Magazine reports: http://nymag.com/news/features/59695/
The High Price of Being a Gay Couple. Gay rights isn't just about marriage, protections, and equality. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/your-money/03money.html
T.R. Knight makes the move from "Grey's Anatomy" to serious theatre. The Los Angeles Times reports: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-ca-knight4-2009oct04,0,3923126.story
The Resource Center:
Prime Timers Worldwide: A social network for older gay and bisexual men. There are chapters and travel programs across the country. http://www.primetimersww.org/
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***A Boy and His Soul. Colman Domingo's one-man musical about coming of age and coming out. to 11/01/09. http://www.vineyardtheatre.org/show-a-boy-and-his-soul.html
***A Steady Rain. It's raining men (Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman) in the two-character Keith Huff play about two Chicago cops who are lifelong friends. to 12/06/09. www.asteadyrain.com.
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
***Hair, Tony-winning revival of the first major rock musical. www.publictheater.org.
*** Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Nora and Delia Ephron's new play. Tyne Daly and Rosie O’Donnell star to 10/18/09. www.LoveLossOnStage.com
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. She wakes up with a dead gay Republican in her bed and more. to 1/03/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. to 10/18/09, Cleveland, OH www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***F__king Men. Joe DiPietro’s adaptation of Schnitzler's 19th century "La Ronde" which observes the sex lives of modern gay America. to 10/25/09. Hollywood, CA.
www.celebrationtheatre.com
***I Am My Own Wife, the fascinating real-life story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a German transvestite who managed to survive both Nazi rule and the repressive East German Communist regime. to 11/08/09. Sacramento, CA. www.bstreettheatre.org
***Insatiable Hunger. Lea Delaria stars in a new musical about a washed-up rock star who comes face-to-face with her past. to 10/23/09. Wellfleet, MA. www.what.org.
***Parade. TR Knight ("Greys Anatomy") stars in the revival of the musical about a 1913 lynching in Atlanta. to 11/15/09. Los Angeles, CA.www.centertheatregroup.org.
***Tiny Kushner. Five short plays by out playwright Tony ("Angels in America") Kushner. to 11/29/09. Berkeley, CA. www.berkeleyrep.org
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Resource: GLAAD's Guide to What's LGBT in Film: http://glaadblog.org/whats-lgbt-in-film/
Out on Screen...
***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs.
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Passing Strange. Spike Lee's documentary about Stew's Broadway rock musical.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on Elliot Tiber's memoir. Demetri Martin stars as the gay Tiber. Liev Schriber plays a transvestite; Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a closeted married guy who has an affair with Tiber.
Out On Video & DVD
***A Jihad for Love, the daring documentary filmed in 12 countries in which Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma explores the intersections of Islam and homosexuality.
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Mad Men, Season 2. Look for Bryan Batt as a closeted ad exec in this TV drama about a 1960s ad agency.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination. The new DVD has updates to reflect the 2009 status of LGBT workplace rights. /www.newday.com/films/outatwork.html?code=H2U7UA
***The Wizard of Oz. 70th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition showcasing Dorothy and friends.
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 every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed
***October: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***October: Outrage. Kirby Dick's ("This Film is Not Yet Rated") documentary, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. Includes analysis by Barney Frank, Jim McGreevey, Larry Kramer, Michelangelo Signorile, and Mike Rogers. thru 11/10/09. http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/outrage/index.html
***FRI: 10/16: Ugly Betty two-hour season premiere. 8PM. ABC.
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
10/24/09: Los Angeles, CA: Rise Up and Shout ! Voices of the next gay generation. A benefit for gay youth. LGBT elders leading the community and youth coming out showcase their voices and visiions. www.riseupandshout.com
10/26/09: San Francisco, CA: Defying Inequality: The San Francisco Concert, a benefit for Marriage Equality USA and Garden State Equality. Featuring the San Francisco cast of "Wicked", Patty Duke, Bruce Vilanch, Judy Gold and others. www.defyinginequality.com.
11/05/09-11/14/09: Chicago, IL: Reeling 2000: Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Fest. www.reelingfilmfestival.org
11/22/09: New York, NY: 16th Annual Race to Deliver. Road race in Central Park to benefit God's Love We Deliver to help provide life-sustaining meals for those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-altering illnesses. www.racetodeliver.org
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: National Coming Out Day
1. Question: Name this real-life teen who came out to his all-American family on January 15, 1973, on television’s first “reality series”. Hint: He later became a musician and a magazine columnist. Answer: Lance Loud. the Loud family was profiled on PBS’ “An American Family”.
2. Question: Name the comic strip, whose major character came out on February 10, 1976. He was the first comic hero to do so. Answer: Doonesbury. The character was Andy Lippincott.
3. Question: Name this singer, the first major entertainment figure to come out in an Advocate cover story on October 16, 1992. Her career never suffered as a result, and she paved the way for other entertainers, from Amanda Bearse to Nathan Lane. Answer: k.d. lang.
4. Question: Names this high-level American elected official who came out under duress on July 20, 1983. A fellow Congressman from his home state followed four years later. They were amongst the highest-ranked out public officers prior to Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin and New Jersey Governor James McGreevey. Answer: Gerry Studds, Massachusetts congressman. Barney Frank came out after him on May 30, 1987.
5. Question: Name this Emmy winner, who came out on television and on the cover of Time on February 14, 1997. Other Emmy winners who have since come out include: Rosie O’Donnell (2002) and Cynthia Nixon (2004). Answer: Ellen DeGeneres.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Opera: Queens and Divas
You don't have to know or like opera to figure these out.
1. Question: Name this 2000 opera, written by an out composer and playwright, who were inspired by Susan Sarandon and the story of a Louisiana sister. Hint: It has become one of the most popular contemporary operas, alongside Andre Previn’s “A Streetcar Named Desire”.
2. Question: Name this 20th century diva, whose offstage life was as dramatic as her roles (Fanny Ardont played her in a Zefferelli biographical film. Faye Dunaway, Dixie Carter and Patti LuPone played her onstage.). She inspired gay playwright Terrence McNally twice; Nathan Lane became a star because of McNally’s first play.
3. Question: Name this gay opera composer who wrote many leading roles for his off-stage partner of many years. His final work (1973), based on a German novella, was the story of an older man obsessed with a beautiful Venetian twink.
4. Question: Name this historical character, whose life and tragic death became the subject of a 1995 American opera. The character rose to fame in post-Stonewall America as an out politican and gay rights activist.
5. Question: Name this opera which inspired a Broadway musical which has starred an American idol, a TV-show cop, a very young doctor, a green witch, and a queer guy. Hint: It’s not “Madama Butterfly (which became “Miss Saigon”) or “Carmen” (which became “Carmen Jones”).
The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.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/
Volume 12 No. 41 October 12, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: October 12-18, 2009
October: LGBT History Month: http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2009/
Editor's Pick! MON: 10/12: Nationwide: The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. A new epilogue to Moises Kaufman's award-winning theatrical docudrama, a study of the murder of Matthew Shepard, will be performed in over 100 theatres in all 50 states and several countries. www.laramieproject.org.
MON: 10/12: Tulsa, OK: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. Also: TUE: 10/13: Fayetteville, AR: WED: 10/14: Minneapolis, MN: THU: 10/15: Davenport, IA: FRI: 10/16: Champaign, IL: SAT: 10/17: Columbus, OH: SUN: 10/18: East Lansing, MI: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html
MON: 10/12: Towson, MD: Peterson Toscano performs his solo theatre piece "Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House'." about surviving time in the ex-gay movement. www.petersontoscano.com
THU: 10/15: West Hollywood, CA: Christian Siriano, star of “Project Runway”, signing copies of "Fierce Style". 9:30 PM. Book Soup. Also: SAT: 10/17: Bloomington, MN: 2PM. Nordstrom Court.
THU-SUN: 10/15-10/18: St. Petersburg, FL: InterPride 2009 Conference. Workshops for/by the International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Coordinators. www.interpride.org
THU-SUN: 10/15-10/18: San Francisco, CA: Sundance Stompede. San Francisco's annual LGBT country/ western dance weekend. www.stompede.com
FRI-SUN: 10/16-10/18: New York, NY: 5th Annual Broadway Cabaret Festival. 10/16: David Merrick Tribute. 10/17: Linda Eder. 10/18: Broadway Originals. www.the-townhall-nyc.org.
FRI-SUN: 10/16-10/25: Seattle, WA: Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. www.threedollarbillcinema.org
SAT: 10/17: West Hartford, CT: AIDS Walk 2009 to benefit AIDS Project Hartford. www.aphct.org
SAT: 10/17: Phoenix, AZ: Peterson Toscano performs his solo theatre piece "Transfigurations: Transgressing Gender in the Bible" about gender-variant Bible characters. www.petersontoscano.com
SUN: 10/18: Los Angeles / West Hollywood, CA: AIDS Walk LA. www.aidswalk.net
Newsworthy:
Texas: A judge has ruled that two gay men, married in another state, can divorce in Texas (where same-sex marriage is banned) saying that the state's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The Dallas Morning News reports: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/DN-gaydivorce_02met.ART.State.Edition2.4bcd80d.html
The Buzz (People Making News)
Kevin Jennings, founder of GLSEN, advocate for LGBY youth, and now at the U.S. Department of Education, is under attack from the right wing over a decades old counseling incident. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/under-attack-from-right-education-departments-kevin-jennings-releases-statement-on-counseling-incide.html
Donna Sachet made history as the first drag queen to sing the National Anthem at a Major League Baseball Game. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/donna-sachet-is-first-drag-queen-to-sing-national-anthem-at-major-league-baseball-game.html
Cheyennetologists Take Note: Rumors abound that hot out Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson is bound for "30 Rock", spreading the Cheyennetology movement nationwide. Playbill.com reports: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/133411-Is_Cheyenne_Jackson_30_Rock-Bound%3F
In Memoriam:
Kevin McGee, ex-husband of "Little Britain" star Matt Lucas, hung himself after leaving a Facebook note. The Daily Mail reports: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1218387/Kevin-McGee-ex-husband-Little-Britain-star-Matt-Lucas-hangs-leaving-Facebook-suicide-note.html
Features
Iraq: Gay Pogroms and Americans shepherding gay Iraqis to safety. New York Magazine reports: http://nymag.com/news/features/59695/
The High Price of Being a Gay Couple. Gay rights isn't just about marriage, protections, and equality. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/your-money/03money.html
T.R. Knight makes the move from "Grey's Anatomy" to serious theatre. The Los Angeles Times reports: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-ca-knight4-2009oct04,0,3923126.story
The Resource Center:
Prime Timers Worldwide: A social network for older gay and bisexual men. There are chapters and travel programs across the country. http://www.primetimersww.org/
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***A Boy and His Soul. Colman Domingo's one-man musical about coming of age and coming out. to 11/01/09. http://www.vineyardtheatre.org/show-a-boy-and-his-soul.html
***A Steady Rain. It's raining men (Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman) in the two-character Keith Huff play about two Chicago cops who are lifelong friends. to 12/06/09. www.asteadyrain.com.
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
***Hair, Tony-winning revival of the first major rock musical. www.publictheater.org.
*** Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Nora and Delia Ephron's new play. Tyne Daly and Rosie O’Donnell star to 10/18/09. www.LoveLossOnStage.com
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. She wakes up with a dead gay Republican in her bed and more. to 1/03/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. to 10/18/09, Cleveland, OH www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***F__king Men. Joe DiPietro’s adaptation of Schnitzler's 19th century "La Ronde" which observes the sex lives of modern gay America. to 10/25/09. Hollywood, CA.
www.celebrationtheatre.com
***I Am My Own Wife, the fascinating real-life story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a German transvestite who managed to survive both Nazi rule and the repressive East German Communist regime. to 11/08/09. Sacramento, CA. www.bstreettheatre.org
***Insatiable Hunger. Lea Delaria stars in a new musical about a washed-up rock star who comes face-to-face with her past. to 10/23/09. Wellfleet, MA. www.what.org.
***Parade. TR Knight ("Greys Anatomy") stars in the revival of the musical about a 1913 lynching in Atlanta. to 11/15/09. Los Angeles, CA.www.centertheatregroup.org.
***Tiny Kushner. Five short plays by out playwright Tony ("Angels in America") Kushner. to 11/29/09. Berkeley, CA. www.berkeleyrep.org
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Resource: GLAAD's Guide to What's LGBT in Film: http://glaadblog.org/whats-lgbt-in-film/
Out on Screen...
***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs.
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Passing Strange. Spike Lee's documentary about Stew's Broadway rock musical.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on Elliot Tiber's memoir. Demetri Martin stars as the gay Tiber. Liev Schriber plays a transvestite; Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a closeted married guy who has an affair with Tiber.
Out On Video & DVD
***A Jihad for Love, the daring documentary filmed in 12 countries in which Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma explores the intersections of Islam and homosexuality.
***Every Little Step: The Journey of "A Chorus Line".
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Mad Men, Season 2. Look for Bryan Batt as a closeted ad exec in this TV drama about a 1960s ad agency.
***Out At Work. The documentary that vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination. The new DVD has updates to reflect the 2009 status of LGBT workplace rights. /www.newday.com/films/outatwork.html?code=H2U7UA
***The Wizard of Oz. 70th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition showcasing Dorothy and friends.
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 every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed
***October: In the Life. LGBT news magazine. PBS. Check local listings. http://www.itl.tv/inthelife/episodes/
***October: Outrage. Kirby Dick's ("This Film is Not Yet Rated") documentary, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. Includes analysis by Barney Frank, Jim McGreevey, Larry Kramer, Michelangelo Signorile, and Mike Rogers. thru 11/10/09. http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/outrage/index.html
***FRI: 10/16: Ugly Betty two-hour season premiere. 8PM. ABC.
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
10/24/09: Los Angeles, CA: Rise Up and Shout ! Voices of the next gay generation. A benefit for gay youth. LGBT elders leading the community and youth coming out showcase their voices and visiions. www.riseupandshout.com
10/26/09: San Francisco, CA: Defying Inequality: The San Francisco Concert, a benefit for Marriage Equality USA and Garden State Equality. Featuring the San Francisco cast of "Wicked", Patty Duke, Bruce Vilanch, Judy Gold and others. www.defyinginequality.com.
11/05/09-11/14/09: Chicago, IL: Reeling 2000: Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Fest. www.reelingfilmfestival.org
11/22/09: New York, NY: 16th Annual Race to Deliver. Road race in Central Park to benefit God's Love We Deliver to help provide life-sustaining meals for those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-altering illnesses. www.racetodeliver.org
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: National Coming Out Day
1. Question: Name this real-life teen who came out to his all-American family on January 15, 1973, on television’s first “reality series”. Hint: He later became a musician and a magazine columnist. Answer: Lance Loud. the Loud family was profiled on PBS’ “An American Family”.
2. Question: Name the comic strip, whose major character came out on February 10, 1976. He was the first comic hero to do so. Answer: Doonesbury. The character was Andy Lippincott.
3. Question: Name this singer, the first major entertainment figure to come out in an Advocate cover story on October 16, 1992. Her career never suffered as a result, and she paved the way for other entertainers, from Amanda Bearse to Nathan Lane. Answer: k.d. lang.
4. Question: Names this high-level American elected official who came out under duress on July 20, 1983. A fellow Congressman from his home state followed four years later. They were amongst the highest-ranked out public officers prior to Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin and New Jersey Governor James McGreevey. Answer: Gerry Studds, Massachusetts congressman. Barney Frank came out after him on May 30, 1987.
5. Question: Name this Emmy winner, who came out on television and on the cover of Time on February 14, 1997. Other Emmy winners who have since come out include: Rosie O’Donnell (2002) and Cynthia Nixon (2004). Answer: Ellen DeGeneres.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Opera: Queens and Divas
You don't have to know or like opera to figure these out.
1. Question: Name this 2000 opera, written by an out composer and playwright, who were inspired by Susan Sarandon and the story of a Louisiana sister. Hint: It has become one of the most popular contemporary operas, alongside Andre Previn’s “A Streetcar Named Desire”.
2. Question: Name this 20th century diva, whose offstage life was as dramatic as her roles (Fanny Ardont played her in a Zefferelli biographical film. Faye Dunaway, Dixie Carter and Patti LuPone played her onstage.). She inspired gay playwright Terrence McNally twice; Nathan Lane became a star because of McNally’s first play.
3. Question: Name this gay opera composer who wrote many leading roles for his off-stage partner of many years. His final work (1973), based on a German novella, was the story of an older man obsessed with a beautiful Venetian twink.
4. Question: Name this historical character, whose life and tragic death became the subject of a 1995 American opera. The character rose to fame in post-Stonewall America as an out politican and gay rights activist.
5. Question: Name this opera which inspired a Broadway musical which has starred an American idol, a TV-show cop, a very young doctor, a green witch, and a queer guy. Hint: It’s not “Madama Butterfly (which became “Miss Saigon”) or “Carmen” (which became “Carmen Jones”).
The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.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/
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 10/05/09
Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 12 No. 40 October 5, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions.
Subscription Information: This newsletter is available via free email subscription only. Our mailing list is confidential.
To subscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Subscribe COS News” in subject line.
To unsubscribe: Email OnQYB@aol.com and write “Cancel COS News” in subject line.
The Gay Agenda: Datebook: October 5-11, 2009
This Just In !!! FRI: 10/03: Washington, DC: AIDS Walk Washington. www.Aidswalkwashington.org
thru SUN: 10/18: New York, NY: New York Musical Theatre Festival. A showcase for new musicals. NYMF's previous success stories include "[title of show]", "Altar Boyz", "Yank!" and "The Big Voice: God or Merman". www.nymf.org.
MON: 10/05: New Haven, CT: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. Also: TUE: 10/06: Burlington, VT: WED: 10/07: Washington, DC: THU: 10/08: Greensboro, NC: FRI: 10/09: Birmingham, AL: SAT: 10/10: Oxford, MS: SUN: 10/11: Little Rock, AR: http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html
MON: 10/05: New York, NY: A Place At the Table. Rufus Wainwright headlines the benefit for the Ali Forney Center, the nation's largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth. www.aliforneycenter.org/
MON: 10/05: Washington, DC: Barney Frank signs copies of his new biography by Stuart Weisberg. 8PM. 6th and I Street Synagogue.
MON: 10/05: New York, NY: Steven Brinberg as Simply Barbra: “Love Is The Answer...But What Was the Question?”. www.BirdlandJazz.com
WED: 10/07: New York, NY: Christian Siriano, star of “Project Runway”, signing copies of Fierce Style. 7PM. Border's. Columbus Circle. Also: THU: 10/08: Huntington, NY: 7PM. Book Revue. SAT: 10/10: Washington, DC: 2PM. Border's. K Street NW.
WED: 10/07: Chicago, IL Kathy Griffin, queen of the D-List, signing copies of "Official Book Club Selections". 7PM, Borders. N. Michigan.
WED-FRI: 10/07-10/09: New York, NY: 20th Annual Cabaret Convention. Stars include: Matt Cavenaugh, Andrea Marcovicci, Elaine Stritch, Ann Hampton, Liz and Shirley Callaway; Christine Ebersole; Karen Akers, Jeff Harnar, and Julie Wilson. www.mabelmercer.org
THU-SUN: 10/08-10/11: Washington, DC: Gay Bowl IX: The National Gay Flag Football Championship Tournament. www.dcmonuments.blogspot.com, .
THU-SUN: 10/08-10/11: Sacramento, CA: Sacramento International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. www.siglff.org
THU: 10/08: South Orange, NJ: Elaine Stritch performs "The Lighter Side of Tennessee Williams". Gay icon performs gay playwright. www.sopacnow.org.
FRI: 10/09: Chattanooga, TN: Peterson Toscano performs his solo theatre piece "Transfigurations: Transgressing Gender in the Bible" about gender-variant Bible characters. www.petersontoscano.com
FRI-SUN: 10/09-10/11: Washington, DC: Equality Across America: The National Equality March to let our elected officials know that now is the time for full equal rights for LGBT people nationwide. www.NationalEqualityMarch.com
SUN: 10/11: Los Angeles, CA: Broadway Voices for Arts in Education. A benefit starring Carol Channing, Sam Harris, and Jason Graae. UCLA Royce Hall. 310-825-2101
Coming Out: SUN: 10/11: Nationwide: National Coming Out Day.
Some Resources:
Human Rights Campaign: http://www.hrc.org/issues/coming_out/13476.htm
Coming Out Stories: http://www.comingoutstories.org/ www.hrc.com/ncop
Newsworthy:
Coming Out: Coming Out Billboard Vandalized. A Memphis LGBT group's National Coming Out Day, featuring a gay soldier, was trashed. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/coming-out-billboard-featuring-gay-soldier-destroyed-in-memphis.html
Gays or Golf ? On behalf of Equality Across America, Cleve Jones invites President Obama to the March on Washington. The March and National Coming Out Day conflicts with a Presidential Golf Tournament. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/read-cleve-jones-national-equality-march-invitation-to-obama-will-president-choose-gays-or-golf.html
Bill Clinton (to Anderson Cooper): "I was wrong about gay marriage". Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/bill-clinton-i-was-wrong-about-gay-marriage.html
Cleveland, Ohio will host the 2014 Gay Games. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/watch-live-2014-gay-games-announcement.html
Broadway's "Hair" Goes to Washington. In an unusual sign of activism, the company will cancel a Columbus Day Weekend performance to march for equality in Washington, DC. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/theater/30hair.html?_r=2&ref=theater
It's a Hit! The 23rd Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction held on 9/27/09, raised a grand total of $403,929 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA). Since its debut in 1987, which then raised $12,000, the 23 editions of The Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction have raised a grand total of $8,161,752 for BC/EFA.
Photo Shoots and Video
Photos: T.R. Knight stars in the musical "Parade" in Los Angeles. Knight plays Leo Frank, a Jew in Atlants, who is lynched--a true story. Playbill reports: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/133320-PHOTO_CALL_T.R._Knight_Stars_in_Parade_in_Los_Angeles
Features
Coming Out: Coming Out in Middle School. More kids are coming out in high school, but now tweens are coming out too. Benoit Denizet-Lewis, an out journalist, interviews young people coming out and their families, as well as older LGBT people who had very different coming out experiences. The New York Times Magazine reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27out-t.html?_r=2q
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***A Boy and His Soul. Colman Domingo's one-man musical about coming of age and coming out. to 10/18/09. http://www.vineyardtheatre.org/show-a-boy-and-his-soul.html
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
***Hair, Tony-winning revival of the first major rock musical. www.publictheater.org.
***Justin Bond, best known as Kiki (of Kiki and Herb fame), in concert. 10/11/09, www.joespub.com.
***Vigil. Malcolm Gets stars in Morris Panych's comedy. to 11/22/09.
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. to 1/03/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
***Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today. Cumming's show based on his new to 10/06/09. Hollywood, CA. www.iboughtabluecartoday.com.
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. to 10/18/09, Cleveland, OH; www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***F__king Men. Joe DiPietro’s adaptation of Schnitzler's 19th century "La Ronde" which observes the sex lives of modern gay America. to 10/25/09. Hollywood, CA.
www.celebrationtheatre.com
***Grey Gardens, the award-winning musical about eccentric Jackie O cousins Edie Beale and her mother, to 10/10/09. Atlanta, GA. www.actors-express.com.
***Insatiable Hunger. Lea Delaria stars in a new musical about a washed-up rock star who comes face-to-face with her past. to 10/23/09. Wellfleet, MA. www.what.org.
***Into The Woods. Moises ("I Am My Own Wife") Kaufman stages Sondheim's fairy tales. to 10/11/09. Kansas City, MO. www.kcrep.org.
***Judy Gold, out Jewish comic, performs. 10/08/09-10/11/09. San Francisco, CA. www.therrazzroom.com.
***Parade. TR Knight ("Greys Anatomy") stars as Leo Frank in the musical about a 1913 murder in Atlanta. to 11/15/09. Los Angeles, CA.www.centertheatregroup.org.
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs. Release date: 9/25/09.
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on Elliot Tiber's memoir. Demetri Martin stars as the gay Tiber. Liev Schriber plays a transvestite; Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a closeted married guy who has an affair with Tiber.
Out On Video & DVD
***Grey Gardens, a new movie about eccentric Jackie O cousins Edie Beale and her mother, starring Drew Barrymore as Little Edie and Jessica Lange as her mother Big Edie.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Mad Men, Season 2. Look for Bryan Batt as a closeted ad exec in this TV drama about a 1960s ad agency.
***The Patty Duke Show: Season One. Before Neely O'Hara, there were cousins, identical cousins all the way.
***The Wizard of Oz. 70th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition showcasing Dorothy and friends.
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 every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
thru October: Nationwide: Judy Shepard signs copies of her new book "The Meaning of Matthew", her story of Matthew Shepard's murder and her becoming a gay rights activist. For tour info: www.matthewshepard.org
thru October: Nationwide: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. For tour schedule: http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html
10/12/09: Nationwide: The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. A new epilogue to Moises Kaufman's award-winning theatrical docudrama, a study of the murder of Matthew Shepard, will be performed in over 100 theatres in all 50 states and several countries. www.laramieproject.org.
10/15/09-10/18/09: St. Petersburg, FL: InterPride 2009 Conference. Workshops for/by the International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Coordinators. www.interpride.org
10/15/09-10/18/09: San Francisco, CA: Sundance Stompede. San Francisco's annual LGBT country/ western dance weekend. www.stompede.com
10/16/09-10/25/09: Seattle, WA: Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. www.threedollarbillcinema.org
10/17/09: West Hartford, CT: AIDS Walk 2009 to benefit AIDS Project Hartford. www.aphct.org
10/18/09: Los Angeles / West Hollywood, CA: AIDS Walk LA. www.aidswalk.net
10/19/09: New York, NY: Martin Moran performs excerpts from "The Tricky Part", his award-winning one-man show about being gay and surviving abuse. www.writer.org.
10/20/09-10/24/09: St. John's, NL. St John's International Women's Film Festival. www.womensfilmfestival.com
10/24/09: Los Angeles, CA: Rise Up and Shout ! Voices of the next gay generation. A benefit for gay youth. LGBT elders leading the community and youth coming out showcase their voices and visiions. www.riseupandshout.com
10/26/09: San Francisco, CA: Defying Inequality: The San Francisco Concert, a benefit for Marriage Equality USA and Garden State Equality. Featuring the San Francisco cast of "Wicked", Patty Duke, Bruce Vilanch, Judy Gold and others. www.defyinginequality.com.
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: October Milestones
1. Question: Name this American celebrity, whose death from AIDS on October 2, 1985, brought international attention to the epidemic. Hint: One of his best friends stepped up to the arena to become the world’s leading HIV/AIDS fundraiser. Answer: Rock Hudson, the actor. Elizabeth Taylor began raising millions for AIDS research through her own foundation and AmFAR.
2. Question: Name this LGBT event, which began on October 11, 1988. Coincidentally, it’s also the birthday of a former First Lady, suspected of having a romantic relationship with another woman, a journalist. Their letters were made public on October 21, 1979. Answer: National Coming Out Day. The First Lady was Eleanor Roosevelt.
3. Question: Name this international musician and composer who came out bisexual in Rolling Stone on October 7, 1975. He’s since revised his statement and identifies as gay. Answer: Elton John.
4. Question: Name this gay man, the victim of a hate crime on October 6, 1998. (He died several days later). His murder, which inspired some important plays and films, launched a new era in the LGBT Rights Movement. His parents have taken on the cause. Answer: Matthew Shepard.
5. Question: Name this actor and muse (born October 19, 1946) of American cinema’s most famous bad boy. The muse did her own stunt work as the world’s filthiest person and died shortly after winning mainstream approval as the mother of a chubby teen. Answer: Divine, star of John Waters’ “Pink Flamingos” and “Hairspray”.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: National Coming Out Day
1. Question: Name this real-life teen who came out to his all-American family on January 15, 1973, on television’s first “reality series”. Hint: He later became a musician and a magazine columnist.
2. Question: Name the comic strip, whose major character came out on February 10, 1976. He was the first comic hero to do so.
3. Question: Name this singer, the first major entertainment figure to come out in an Advocate cover story on October 16, 1992. Her career never suffered as a result, and she paved the way for other entertainers, from Amanda Bearse to Nathan Lane.
4. Question: Names this high-level American elected official who came out under duress on July 20, 1983. A fellow Congressman from his home state followed four years later. They were amongst the highest-ranked out public officers prior to Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin and New Jersey Governor James McGreevey.
5. Question: Name this Emmy winner, who came out on television and on the cover of Time on February 14, 1997. Other Emmy winners who have since come out include: Rosie O’Donnell (2002) and Cynthia Nixon (2004).
The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.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/
Volume 12 No. 40 October 5, 2009
Newsletter Editor: OnQYB@aol.com
The Fine Print
See previous editions.
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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: October 5-11, 2009
This Just In !!! FRI: 10/03: Washington, DC: AIDS Walk Washington. www.Aidswalkwashington.org
thru SUN: 10/18: New York, NY: New York Musical Theatre Festival. A showcase for new musicals. NYMF's previous success stories include "[title of show]", "Altar Boyz", "Yank!" and "The Big Voice: God or Merman". www.nymf.org.
MON: 10/05: New Haven, CT: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. Also: TUE: 10/06: Burlington, VT: WED: 10/07: Washington, DC: THU: 10/08: Greensboro, NC: FRI: 10/09: Birmingham, AL: SAT: 10/10: Oxford, MS: SUN: 10/11: Little Rock, AR: http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html
MON: 10/05: New York, NY: A Place At the Table. Rufus Wainwright headlines the benefit for the Ali Forney Center, the nation's largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth. www.aliforneycenter.org/
MON: 10/05: Washington, DC: Barney Frank signs copies of his new biography by Stuart Weisberg. 8PM. 6th and I Street Synagogue.
MON: 10/05: New York, NY: Steven Brinberg as Simply Barbra: “Love Is The Answer...But What Was the Question?”. www.BirdlandJazz.com
WED: 10/07: New York, NY: Christian Siriano, star of “Project Runway”, signing copies of Fierce Style. 7PM. Border's. Columbus Circle. Also: THU: 10/08: Huntington, NY: 7PM. Book Revue. SAT: 10/10: Washington, DC: 2PM. Border's. K Street NW.
WED: 10/07: Chicago, IL Kathy Griffin, queen of the D-List, signing copies of "Official Book Club Selections". 7PM, Borders. N. Michigan.
WED-FRI: 10/07-10/09: New York, NY: 20th Annual Cabaret Convention. Stars include: Matt Cavenaugh, Andrea Marcovicci, Elaine Stritch, Ann Hampton, Liz and Shirley Callaway; Christine Ebersole; Karen Akers, Jeff Harnar, and Julie Wilson. www.mabelmercer.org
THU-SUN: 10/08-10/11: Washington, DC: Gay Bowl IX: The National Gay Flag Football Championship Tournament. www.dcmonuments.blogspot.com, .
THU-SUN: 10/08-10/11: Sacramento, CA: Sacramento International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. www.siglff.org
THU: 10/08: South Orange, NJ: Elaine Stritch performs "The Lighter Side of Tennessee Williams". Gay icon performs gay playwright. www.sopacnow.org.
FRI: 10/09: Chattanooga, TN: Peterson Toscano performs his solo theatre piece "Transfigurations: Transgressing Gender in the Bible" about gender-variant Bible characters. www.petersontoscano.com
FRI-SUN: 10/09-10/11: Washington, DC: Equality Across America: The National Equality March to let our elected officials know that now is the time for full equal rights for LGBT people nationwide. www.NationalEqualityMarch.com
SUN: 10/11: Los Angeles, CA: Broadway Voices for Arts in Education. A benefit starring Carol Channing, Sam Harris, and Jason Graae. UCLA Royce Hall. 310-825-2101
Coming Out: SUN: 10/11: Nationwide: National Coming Out Day.
Some Resources:
Human Rights Campaign: http://www.hrc.org/issues/coming_out/13476.htm
Coming Out Stories: http://www.comingoutstories.org/ www.hrc.com/ncop
Newsworthy:
Coming Out: Coming Out Billboard Vandalized. A Memphis LGBT group's National Coming Out Day, featuring a gay soldier, was trashed. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/coming-out-billboard-featuring-gay-soldier-destroyed-in-memphis.html
Gays or Golf ? On behalf of Equality Across America, Cleve Jones invites President Obama to the March on Washington. The March and National Coming Out Day conflicts with a Presidential Golf Tournament. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/read-cleve-jones-national-equality-march-invitation-to-obama-will-president-choose-gays-or-golf.html
Bill Clinton (to Anderson Cooper): "I was wrong about gay marriage". Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/bill-clinton-i-was-wrong-about-gay-marriage.html
Cleveland, Ohio will host the 2014 Gay Games. Towleroad reports: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/watch-live-2014-gay-games-announcement.html
Broadway's "Hair" Goes to Washington. In an unusual sign of activism, the company will cancel a Columbus Day Weekend performance to march for equality in Washington, DC. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/theater/30hair.html?_r=2&ref=theater
It's a Hit! The 23rd Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction held on 9/27/09, raised a grand total of $403,929 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA). Since its debut in 1987, which then raised $12,000, the 23 editions of The Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction have raised a grand total of $8,161,752 for BC/EFA.
Photo Shoots and Video
Photos: T.R. Knight stars in the musical "Parade" in Los Angeles. Knight plays Leo Frank, a Jew in Atlants, who is lynched--a true story. Playbill reports: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/133320-PHOTO_CALL_T.R._Knight_Stars_in_Parade_in_Los_Angeles
Features
Coming Out: Coming Out in Middle School. More kids are coming out in high school, but now tweens are coming out too. Benoit Denizet-Lewis, an out journalist, interviews young people coming out and their families, as well as older LGBT people who had very different coming out experiences. The New York Times Magazine reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27out-t.html?_r=2q
In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance
New York City (and Broadway)
***A Boy and His Soul. Colman Domingo's one-man musical about coming of age and coming out. to 10/18/09. http://www.vineyardtheatre.org/show-a-boy-and-his-soul.html
***Finian's Rainbow. An old show with good tunes and Cheyenne Jackson starring as Woody for the swoon quotient.
***Hair, Tony-winning revival of the first major rock musical. www.publictheater.org.
***Justin Bond, best known as Kiki (of Kiki and Herb fame), in concert. 10/11/09, www.joespub.com.
***Vigil. Malcolm Gets stars in Morris Panych's comedy. to 11/22/09.
***Wishful Drinking. Carrie Fisher's solo autobiographical show. to 1/03/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Elsewhere...
***Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today. Cumming's show based on his new to 10/06/09. Hollywood, CA. www.iboughtabluecartoday.com.
***Dixie's Tupperware Party, bringing Tupperware-mania to a theatre near you. Dixie Longate stars. to 10/18/09, Cleveland, OH; www.DixiesTupperwareParty.com
***F__king Men. Joe DiPietro’s adaptation of Schnitzler's 19th century "La Ronde" which observes the sex lives of modern gay America. to 10/25/09. Hollywood, CA.
www.celebrationtheatre.com
***Grey Gardens, the award-winning musical about eccentric Jackie O cousins Edie Beale and her mother, to 10/10/09. Atlanta, GA. www.actors-express.com.
***Insatiable Hunger. Lea Delaria stars in a new musical about a washed-up rock star who comes face-to-face with her past. to 10/23/09. Wellfleet, MA. www.what.org.
***Into The Woods. Moises ("I Am My Own Wife") Kaufman stages Sondheim's fairy tales. to 10/11/09. Kansas City, MO. www.kcrep.org.
***Judy Gold, out Jewish comic, performs. 10/08/09-10/11/09. San Francisco, CA. www.therrazzroom.com.
***Parade. TR Knight ("Greys Anatomy") stars as Leo Frank in the musical about a 1913 murder in Atlanta. to 11/15/09. Los Angeles, CA.www.centertheatregroup.org.
On Screen (and Video & DVD)
Out on Screen...
***Coco Before Chanel, Audrey Tautou stars as the legendary fashion designer, as the film follows her early years, exploring her rumored lesbian affairs. Release date: 9/25/09.
***Fame. A remake of the 1980 musical with Kelsey Grammer, Debbie Allen and Megan Mullally with a cast of unknowns playing the wannabe stars at a New York City performing arts high school.
***Hannah Free. Sharon Gless stars in the film adaptation of Claudia Allen's play about a woman who fights to see her lesbian partner one last time in a nursing home. Premiere screening:www.hannahfree.com
***Hump Day. Two straight dudes contemplate going gay to enter and win Humpfest, Seattle's amateur porn contest.
***Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee's new film about the rock festival based on Elliot Tiber's memoir. Demetri Martin stars as the gay Tiber. Liev Schriber plays a transvestite; Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a closeted married guy who has an affair with Tiber.
Out On Video & DVD
***Grey Gardens, a new movie about eccentric Jackie O cousins Edie Beale and her mother, starring Drew Barrymore as Little Edie and Jessica Lange as her mother Big Edie.
***Hope Along The Wind: The Life of Harry Hay. the 2002 documentary about the gay rights pioneer.
***Mad Men, Season 2. Look for Bryan Batt as a closeted ad exec in this TV drama about a 1960s ad agency.
***The Patty Duke Show: Season One. Before Neely O'Hara, there were cousins, identical cousins all the way.
***The Wizard of Oz. 70th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition showcasing Dorothy and friends.
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 every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed
Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events
thru October: Nationwide: Judy Shepard signs copies of her new book "The Meaning of Matthew", her story of Matthew Shepard's murder and her becoming a gay rights activist. For tour info: www.matthewshepard.org
thru October: Nationwide: An Evening with David Sedaris. Humorist and author. For tour schedule: http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris_appearances.html
10/12/09: Nationwide: The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. A new epilogue to Moises Kaufman's award-winning theatrical docudrama, a study of the murder of Matthew Shepard, will be performed in over 100 theatres in all 50 states and several countries. www.laramieproject.org.
10/15/09-10/18/09: St. Petersburg, FL: InterPride 2009 Conference. Workshops for/by the International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Coordinators. www.interpride.org
10/15/09-10/18/09: San Francisco, CA: Sundance Stompede. San Francisco's annual LGBT country/ western dance weekend. www.stompede.com
10/16/09-10/25/09: Seattle, WA: Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. www.threedollarbillcinema.org
10/17/09: West Hartford, CT: AIDS Walk 2009 to benefit AIDS Project Hartford. www.aphct.org
10/18/09: Los Angeles / West Hollywood, CA: AIDS Walk LA. www.aidswalk.net
10/19/09: New York, NY: Martin Moran performs excerpts from "The Tricky Part", his award-winning one-man show about being gay and surviving abuse. www.writer.org.
10/20/09-10/24/09: St. John's, NL. St John's International Women's Film Festival. www.womensfilmfestival.com
10/24/09: Los Angeles, CA: Rise Up and Shout ! Voices of the next gay generation. A benefit for gay youth. LGBT elders leading the community and youth coming out showcase their voices and visiions. www.riseupandshout.com
10/26/09: San Francisco, CA: Defying Inequality: The San Francisco Concert, a benefit for Marriage Equality USA and Garden State Equality. Featuring the San Francisco cast of "Wicked", Patty Duke, Bruce Vilanch, Judy Gold and others. www.defyinginequality.com.
Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: October Milestones
1. Question: Name this American celebrity, whose death from AIDS on October 2, 1985, brought international attention to the epidemic. Hint: One of his best friends stepped up to the arena to become the world’s leading HIV/AIDS fundraiser. Answer: Rock Hudson, the actor. Elizabeth Taylor began raising millions for AIDS research through her own foundation and AmFAR.
2. Question: Name this LGBT event, which began on October 11, 1988. Coincidentally, it’s also the birthday of a former First Lady, suspected of having a romantic relationship with another woman, a journalist. Their letters were made public on October 21, 1979. Answer: National Coming Out Day. The First Lady was Eleanor Roosevelt.
3. Question: Name this international musician and composer who came out bisexual in Rolling Stone on October 7, 1975. He’s since revised his statement and identifies as gay. Answer: Elton John.
4. Question: Name this gay man, the victim of a hate crime on October 6, 1998. (He died several days later). His murder, which inspired some important plays and films, launched a new era in the LGBT Rights Movement. His parents have taken on the cause. Answer: Matthew Shepard.
5. Question: Name this actor and muse (born October 19, 1946) of American cinema’s most famous bad boy. The muse did her own stunt work as the world’s filthiest person and died shortly after winning mainstream approval as the mother of a chubby teen. Answer: Divine, star of John Waters’ “Pink Flamingos” and “Hairspray”.
This Week’s Trivia Quiz: National Coming Out Day
1. Question: Name this real-life teen who came out to his all-American family on January 15, 1973, on television’s first “reality series”. Hint: He later became a musician and a magazine columnist.
2. Question: Name the comic strip, whose major character came out on February 10, 1976. He was the first comic hero to do so.
3. Question: Name this singer, the first major entertainment figure to come out in an Advocate cover story on October 16, 1992. Her career never suffered as a result, and she paved the way for other entertainers, from Amanda Bearse to Nathan Lane.
4. Question: Names this high-level American elected official who came out under duress on July 20, 1983. A fellow Congressman from his home state followed four years later. They were amongst the highest-ranked out public officers prior to Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin and New Jersey Governor James McGreevey.
5. Question: Name this Emmy winner, who came out on television and on the cover of Time on February 14, 1997. Other Emmy winners who have since come out include: Rosie O’Donnell (2002) and Cynthia Nixon (2004).
The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: OnQYB@aol.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/
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