Saturday, November 30, 2013
and #39;Different From the Others, and #39; a 1919 Film on Homosexuality - New York Times
The following year, censors banned and ldquo;Different From the Others and rdquo; throughout Germany, claiming that the film could endanger public safety or turn impressionable...
Lesbian overthinks her gender expression. News at 11.
I'm a 22-year-old lesbian. I have never made any effort to look hot, but suddenly I want to, and it's raising some serious identity issues for me. Hygiene/beauty-wise, all I do is shower daily, brush my teeth, comb my hair (though it tends to go every which-way), and wear deodorant, clean clothes (some men's, some women's), and moisturizer (for the SPF). I don't own any makeup and I don't know how to apply it. Basically, I look like I don't give a fuck.
Here's the thing, though?I do give a fuck, and I think my apparent apathy's a holdover from a time when I truly wasn't comfortable with myself. As a closeted teen/pre-teen, I wore dingy sweats everyday and kept a copy of The Beauty Myth in my junior high school locker. (I'm sure NO ONE ever suspected.) I defined myself in opposition to other girls because I felt like I could never truly be one of them anyway and was too proud to try. I also did it to distance myself from them so I didn't have to deal with my attraction. On a less psychosexual level, I felt like if I tried to look pretty, people would see right through it and laugh at me.
I had a boyfriend in high school and a couple more in college, along with some random male hookups (I came out "bisexual" at 18). Almost every single first makeout session would include a moment where the guy would look at me real close and then quizzically remark, "You know, you're really pretty," like he'd never noticed before and was pleasantly surprised. Secretly, I loved hearing that?in my mind, it indicated that I wasn't naturally uglier than other girls, but merely had less superficial values. (Ugh.)
Now I've graduated college and am finally out as gay, not bi. My frumpiness is no longer really a source of political pride for me anymore, because I've internalized patriarchal beauty standards enough to only be attracted to women who mostly fit them (yeah, stone me). I'm not trying to imply that a butch or androgynous woman who likes feminine women is necessarily a hypocrite; just that my former feminister-than-thou attitude about not meeting those standards no longer makes sense. Also, it's not like I'm some Jackie Warner/Kate Moennig type?I just look like a troll.
I don't know what sort of gender presentation I'd have if I didn't go through such a long phase of self-loathing, but I suspect that the answer is still not "Barbie". The last time I really dressed up girly was a couple years ago and I felt like I was in drag, but hey, I don't feel terribly comfortable with the way I look now either. Ultimately, I'd like to look like a cute urban 20-something queer girl that other cute urban 20-something queer girls could see themselves dating, instead of an overgrown 3rd grader with blotchy skin and gigantic boobs.
I suppose I know, in broad strokes, how to go about changing my image: learn how to tame my hair, get some makeup and try to even my skin tone a little on nights that I go out, buy trendy-looking clothes I normally wouldn't look at twice, get less-dorky glasses the next time I need a new prescription. If you have any practical advice on those matters, it's more than welcome. (I'm 5'5", 140 lbs, white, and would look ridiculous with hair any shorter than chin-length.) But I guess my real question is, though, how do I not feel so ridiculous trying? I spent my entire adolescence acting either aggressively opposed to this sort of stuff or innocently too "deep" for it. It's a big part of who I was, which is probably why it feels like such a big deal changing it. I don't have any real reason to believe I won't just feel like a potential poser again. Also, I feel like most other people have settled into their style by this age even if do they switch things up here and there, so this sort of deliberate change feels kind of life-stage inappropriate.
As for what I can afford... I make $35,000 a year, my rent's $650/month, and I'm not in any debt. Obviously cheaper is better, but I'm willing to throw a little bit of money at this problem.
(Also, yes, I know that confidence is my biggest issue and that that's not primarily a matter of looks, but I wanted this question to be targeted.)
Throwaway email: anon724 at gmail
Here's the thing, though?I do give a fuck, and I think my apparent apathy's a holdover from a time when I truly wasn't comfortable with myself. As a closeted teen/pre-teen, I wore dingy sweats everyday and kept a copy of The Beauty Myth in my junior high school locker. (I'm sure NO ONE ever suspected.) I defined myself in opposition to other girls because I felt like I could never truly be one of them anyway and was too proud to try. I also did it to distance myself from them so I didn't have to deal with my attraction. On a less psychosexual level, I felt like if I tried to look pretty, people would see right through it and laugh at me.
I had a boyfriend in high school and a couple more in college, along with some random male hookups (I came out "bisexual" at 18). Almost every single first makeout session would include a moment where the guy would look at me real close and then quizzically remark, "You know, you're really pretty," like he'd never noticed before and was pleasantly surprised. Secretly, I loved hearing that?in my mind, it indicated that I wasn't naturally uglier than other girls, but merely had less superficial values. (Ugh.)
Now I've graduated college and am finally out as gay, not bi. My frumpiness is no longer really a source of political pride for me anymore, because I've internalized patriarchal beauty standards enough to only be attracted to women who mostly fit them (yeah, stone me). I'm not trying to imply that a butch or androgynous woman who likes feminine women is necessarily a hypocrite; just that my former feminister-than-thou attitude about not meeting those standards no longer makes sense. Also, it's not like I'm some Jackie Warner/Kate Moennig type?I just look like a troll.
I don't know what sort of gender presentation I'd have if I didn't go through such a long phase of self-loathing, but I suspect that the answer is still not "Barbie". The last time I really dressed up girly was a couple years ago and I felt like I was in drag, but hey, I don't feel terribly comfortable with the way I look now either. Ultimately, I'd like to look like a cute urban 20-something queer girl that other cute urban 20-something queer girls could see themselves dating, instead of an overgrown 3rd grader with blotchy skin and gigantic boobs.
I suppose I know, in broad strokes, how to go about changing my image: learn how to tame my hair, get some makeup and try to even my skin tone a little on nights that I go out, buy trendy-looking clothes I normally wouldn't look at twice, get less-dorky glasses the next time I need a new prescription. If you have any practical advice on those matters, it's more than welcome. (I'm 5'5", 140 lbs, white, and would look ridiculous with hair any shorter than chin-length.) But I guess my real question is, though, how do I not feel so ridiculous trying? I spent my entire adolescence acting either aggressively opposed to this sort of stuff or innocently too "deep" for it. It's a big part of who I was, which is probably why it feels like such a big deal changing it. I don't have any real reason to believe I won't just feel like a potential poser again. Also, I feel like most other people have settled into their style by this age even if do they switch things up here and there, so this sort of deliberate change feels kind of life-stage inappropriate.
As for what I can afford... I make $35,000 a year, my rent's $650/month, and I'm not in any debt. Obviously cheaper is better, but I'm willing to throw a little bit of money at this problem.
(Also, yes, I know that confidence is my biggest issue and that that's not primarily a matter of looks, but I wanted this question to be targeted.)
Throwaway email: anon724 at gmail
Group advocates for HIV services for trans individuals
In 2002, Joy Morris, a Chicago transgender woman living with HIV, had an epiphany and founded TransActions, an organization that lobbies and advocates for HIV services for transgender people at both the local and national levels. "God told me to get up and pick up my cross, and that he had my back." She remembered from her bed at Kindred Hospital.
(81) AUDIO: Eva Longoria Lies About Eating Cheetos On Twitter
New mini-podcast, can you believe it?! Haven’t posted in a very long WHILE but had to say something about some of the things we have seen on our Twitter timeline NAMELY Eva Longoria LYING about eating Cheetos! Miss you all terribly and not sure when there will be another podcast but someone had to tackle […]
NOW Joins Illinois Rally for Marriage Equality
http://now.org/press/10-13/10-22.htmlWe rally today to remind the Illinois House what is at stake for the thousands of same-sex couples in Illinois. It is time to end the second-class status of civil unions. It is far past time for the Illinois House to listen to the majority of Illinois residents and pass marriage equality.
I've Been Telling Her This for YEARS...
Step 1: Watch the video. Step 2: Listen to the lyrics. Step 3: Imagine my face right now:
Friday, November 29, 2013
(46) New Years Poo
Rectifying Rick, Burka’s, Poopy diapers, Bitter Old Cat Ladies and Dirty Old Dog Men, Burn that Sex, Kenosha, Marshals …
Health/wellness fair Dec. 3 at Center
On Tuesday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., will host a community health and resource fair with a focus on healthy living for LGBTQ individuals.
Concert benefits people with HIV/AIDS
The annual Evening of Hope and Inspiration, now in its fourth year, features a concert with well-known musicians and a talk about HIV and AIDS with local and national...
"Seventh-Gay Adventists" film available for free over Thanksgiving weekend | VIDEO
Seventh-Gay Adventists, the new character-driven documentary about the experiences, challenges, and spiritual journeys of three gay and lesbian members of a conservative denomination, has been winning film festiva
Seventh-Gay Adventists, the new character-driven documentary about the experiences, challenges, and spiritual journeys of three gay and lesbian members of a conservative denomination, has been winning film festival awards all around the country.
read more
Seventh-Gay Adventists, the new character-driven documentary about the experiences, challenges, and spiritual journeys of three gay and lesbian members of a conservative denomination, has been winning film festival awards all around the country.
read more
GLAAD's What To Watch On Tuesday
Tonight catch all new episodes of The Biggest Loser, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Chicago Fire and Shahs of Sunset.
What to Watch: Tuesday, November 26
GLAAD's LGBT-friendly TV picks for Tuesday night.
read more
What to Watch: Tuesday, November 26
GLAAD's LGBT-friendly TV picks for Tuesday night.
read more
Conditional Success: ''If/Then'' features some great performances, led by Idina Menzel -- but also a convoluted plot and mostly overwrought music
Stage:
The creators of the new musical If/Then have given D.C. theatergoers many reasons to be thankful this Thanksgiving. The most obvious three: a grand return for Idina Menzel, in a demanding new role that proves she's still got those powerful, pristine pipes and seasoned acting chops last seen in her Tony-winning turn in Wicked a decade ago; an equally celebratory return for LaChanze, who won the lead-actress Tony two years after Menzel for her work in The Color Purple and here gives a strong, standout performance in a truly supporting role; and of course the fact that If/Then is being staged here first.
As a result, Washingtonians get to see it before any other locale, including Broadway, where it won't make its debut until March.
If/Then: Idina Menzel (L) and James Snyder
(Photo by Joan Marcus)
There are still more reasons to give thanks and see the latest show from the creators of the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning musical Next to Normal before it ends its short D.C. run next Sunday, Dec. 8. But – and this is a big qualifier – don't go into it expecting to get an early Christmas gift, a show you'll still be swooning about into the new year. Because after you reflect on and talk up Menzel and LaChanze -- and there's Rent's Anthony Rapp among the cast, too -- you'll get mired in the muck of what is a confusing show, with a convoluted plot and mostly overwrought music to match.
It's a struggle just to make sense of writer/lyricist Brian Yorkey's overly ambitious plot, which mostly moves at a New York-paced gallop and often abruptly alters course just like a train on the city's subway. Menzel stars as middle-aged Elizabeth, a Type A analytical woman who overthinks and second-guesses every decision she makes. That predilection hasn't helped her as much as she thinks it should -- certainly not when it comes to love. We meet Elizabeth just after returning to an urban dream of New York, after a spell in the sprawling nightmare of Phoenix where she moved with a husband who didn't value her or her ambitions. She's a credentialed urban planner, the show jokes at one point, which does not mean she's cut out to work at Urban Outfitters.
After leaving Arizona, Elizabeth, in short order, meets her lesbian neighbor Kate, a school teacher played by LaChanze; reconnects with her bisexual college friend and sometime-lover Lucas, played by Rapp; and has several random run-ins with Josh (James Snyder) before chancing what Kate calls fate and agreeing to a date. From there the plot zigzags back and forth between several possible life and career paths for Elizabeth -- alternately known as ''Liz'' and ''Beth'' -- chief among them whether to remain a professor and find fulfillment as a mother, or stay childless and aim for greater success as a high-profile city official.
Those paths don't appear to be mutually exclusive by show's end, or at least not to my understanding. If/Then is fuzzy on ''what is'' versus ''what might have been'' in Elizabeth's life. Whatever path she takes, the end result is that Elizabeth has slowly made a kind of peace with a reality that is unpredictable -- and always changing. No matter how much you've done and how much you've learned, she sings, every day you're ''Always Starting Over.'' That penultimate number is the show's crowning glory, its version of Gypsy's ''Rose's Turn,'' complete with Menzel belting it out to the balcony.
If only it didn't take so long to get to such a display of bravura. Instead, Elizabeth is an identifiable but hard-to-love character, one who dwells in the past -- and worries about her future -- more than appreciating the present. The story's biggest saving grace is probably LaChanze's character Kate, a nice, light counterbalance to Elizabeth's neurosis. Kate helps make Elizabeth more open to chance and less anxious about things she can't quite explain. You don't exactly love many of the other characters in If/Then, and you can't single out many of the other supporting actors for praise, either. That's no doubt partly a consequence of them still settling into their characters, particularly in a show, directed by Michael Greif, still finding its way. (The show officially opened Sunday, Nov. 24, after a few weeks of previews when reportedly it underwent significant changes, no doubt including character development.)
If/Then -1/2 To Dec. 8 National Theatre $53 to $178 800-514-3849 www.thenationaldc.com
Aside from ''Always Starting Over,'' the all-character ''Finale'' and a few other songs, you won't be singing many praises for Tom Kitt's music. Or, at least, several awkward leaps and disjointed passages throughout will trip you up in your appreciation. Structurally the music is far more complicated than it should be. It often seems complicated simply for the sake of being complicated. For example, the random leap to falsetto in a late passage of ''You Never Know'' doesn't help the song, and it certainly doesn't help James Snyder's voice, which strains beyond comfort. There are also a few subpar songs, such as ''A Map of New York,'' unfortunately drawn out too long and seemingly never-ending, with long passages of dialogue sprinkled in between choruses.
Larry Keigwin of the contemporary dance company Keigwin + Company is making what will be his Broadway debut as a choreographer -- and it is certainly different than most anything else seen on the Great White Way. Keigwin has the actors move in loose, subtle steps, more individualistic than in-synch; more blasé than bombastic -- Bob Fosse's style it is not. It's far easier to appreciate Mark Wendland's elaborate set design, as well as Kenneth Posner's accentuating lights, often bold and bright. The set includes a turntable spinning around the rooms of Elizabeth's spacious apartment, and a large overhead mirror rotating to add depth and dimension to the show's most hopeful scenes, all set in Madison Square Park, where the principal characters meet.
Too bad we can't spend more time there.
...more
The creators of the new musical If/Then have given D.C. theatergoers many reasons to be thankful this Thanksgiving. The most obvious three: a grand return for Idina Menzel, in a demanding new role that proves she's still got those powerful, pristine pipes and seasoned acting chops last seen in her Tony-winning turn in Wicked a decade ago; an equally celebratory return for LaChanze, who won the lead-actress Tony two years after Menzel for her work in The Color Purple and here gives a strong, standout performance in a truly supporting role; and of course the fact that If/Then is being staged here first.
As a result, Washingtonians get to see it before any other locale, including Broadway, where it won't make its debut until March.
If/Then: Idina Menzel (L) and James Snyder
(Photo by Joan Marcus)
There are still more reasons to give thanks and see the latest show from the creators of the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning musical Next to Normal before it ends its short D.C. run next Sunday, Dec. 8. But – and this is a big qualifier – don't go into it expecting to get an early Christmas gift, a show you'll still be swooning about into the new year. Because after you reflect on and talk up Menzel and LaChanze -- and there's Rent's Anthony Rapp among the cast, too -- you'll get mired in the muck of what is a confusing show, with a convoluted plot and mostly overwrought music to match.
It's a struggle just to make sense of writer/lyricist Brian Yorkey's overly ambitious plot, which mostly moves at a New York-paced gallop and often abruptly alters course just like a train on the city's subway. Menzel stars as middle-aged Elizabeth, a Type A analytical woman who overthinks and second-guesses every decision she makes. That predilection hasn't helped her as much as she thinks it should -- certainly not when it comes to love. We meet Elizabeth just after returning to an urban dream of New York, after a spell in the sprawling nightmare of Phoenix where she moved with a husband who didn't value her or her ambitions. She's a credentialed urban planner, the show jokes at one point, which does not mean she's cut out to work at Urban Outfitters.
After leaving Arizona, Elizabeth, in short order, meets her lesbian neighbor Kate, a school teacher played by LaChanze; reconnects with her bisexual college friend and sometime-lover Lucas, played by Rapp; and has several random run-ins with Josh (James Snyder) before chancing what Kate calls fate and agreeing to a date. From there the plot zigzags back and forth between several possible life and career paths for Elizabeth -- alternately known as ''Liz'' and ''Beth'' -- chief among them whether to remain a professor and find fulfillment as a mother, or stay childless and aim for greater success as a high-profile city official.
Those paths don't appear to be mutually exclusive by show's end, or at least not to my understanding. If/Then is fuzzy on ''what is'' versus ''what might have been'' in Elizabeth's life. Whatever path she takes, the end result is that Elizabeth has slowly made a kind of peace with a reality that is unpredictable -- and always changing. No matter how much you've done and how much you've learned, she sings, every day you're ''Always Starting Over.'' That penultimate number is the show's crowning glory, its version of Gypsy's ''Rose's Turn,'' complete with Menzel belting it out to the balcony.
If only it didn't take so long to get to such a display of bravura. Instead, Elizabeth is an identifiable but hard-to-love character, one who dwells in the past -- and worries about her future -- more than appreciating the present. The story's biggest saving grace is probably LaChanze's character Kate, a nice, light counterbalance to Elizabeth's neurosis. Kate helps make Elizabeth more open to chance and less anxious about things she can't quite explain. You don't exactly love many of the other characters in If/Then, and you can't single out many of the other supporting actors for praise, either. That's no doubt partly a consequence of them still settling into their characters, particularly in a show, directed by Michael Greif, still finding its way. (The show officially opened Sunday, Nov. 24, after a few weeks of previews when reportedly it underwent significant changes, no doubt including character development.)
If/Then -1/2 To Dec. 8 National Theatre $53 to $178 800-514-3849 www.thenationaldc.com
Aside from ''Always Starting Over,'' the all-character ''Finale'' and a few other songs, you won't be singing many praises for Tom Kitt's music. Or, at least, several awkward leaps and disjointed passages throughout will trip you up in your appreciation. Structurally the music is far more complicated than it should be. It often seems complicated simply for the sake of being complicated. For example, the random leap to falsetto in a late passage of ''You Never Know'' doesn't help the song, and it certainly doesn't help James Snyder's voice, which strains beyond comfort. There are also a few subpar songs, such as ''A Map of New York,'' unfortunately drawn out too long and seemingly never-ending, with long passages of dialogue sprinkled in between choruses.
Larry Keigwin of the contemporary dance company Keigwin + Company is making what will be his Broadway debut as a choreographer -- and it is certainly different than most anything else seen on the Great White Way. Keigwin has the actors move in loose, subtle steps, more individualistic than in-synch; more blasé than bombastic -- Bob Fosse's style it is not. It's far easier to appreciate Mark Wendland's elaborate set design, as well as Kenneth Posner's accentuating lights, often bold and bright. The set includes a turntable spinning around the rooms of Elizabeth's spacious apartment, and a large overhead mirror rotating to add depth and dimension to the show's most hopeful scenes, all set in Madison Square Park, where the principal characters meet.
Too bad we can't spend more time there.
...more
Changent Cate Cameron
My friend, amazing photographer Cate Cameron, was selected for an initiative Proctor and Gamble is working on called Children's Safe Drinking Water. She just shipped off to NYC and will then be heading to an area of Haiti within Zone Code 4 (No Travel Advised), where she will be connecting and photographing with some of the world's poorest people in relation to access to clean water.She is writing a blog about her life altering adventure and you can follow it here: http://givehealth.changents.com/cate-cameron
Thursday, November 28, 2013
(54) Potty Training & Stalkers
Opening song by Wendy Ho, widely known and beloved in the community and gay rights supporter. To purchase more of Wendy Ho’s music go here: http://www.wendyho.net Friend Wendy on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/wendyho (Don’t listen to S, it’s show 54 not 55, it’s 54) A Smother’s love, Getting scammed for juice, Why does Heide http://theheideshow.podomatic.com say lesbians […]
Homo-erotic Pilgrim art
Advocate: Gay illustrator J. C. Leyendecker’s Thanksgiving covers for the Saturday Evening Post took the grim out of pilgrim. The prolific American illustrator, J.C. Leyendecker, was the creator of the Arrow Collar Man, and like the later illustrator Norman Rockwell, Leyendecker is almost exclusively associated with one publication: The Saturday Evening Post. Leyendecker produced over […]
Oh Dear John Travolta in another Gay legal case
Image via Wikipedia
Who cares (but John Travolta) is John Travolta is gay or not? In an interview with The Advocate, Carry Fisher answered questions about Johns sexuality. Fisher and Travolta go way back. On a question about whether Travolta was gay, Fisher said:-
?Wow! I mean, my feeling about John has always been that we know and we don?t care. Look, I?m sorry that he?s uncomfortable with it, and that?s all I can say. It only draws more attention to it when you make that kind of legal fuss. Just leave it be.
There have been a number of guys who have alleged that they have had relationships with Travolta.
Image via Wikipedia
On being gay John , get over it!
Gay news
View Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
Who cares (but John Travolta) is John Travolta is gay or not? In an interview with The Advocate, Carry Fisher answered questions about Johns sexuality. Fisher and Travolta go way back. On a question about whether Travolta was gay, Fisher said:-
?Wow! I mean, my feeling about John has always been that we know and we don?t care. Look, I?m sorry that he?s uncomfortable with it, and that?s all I can say. It only draws more attention to it when you make that kind of legal fuss. Just leave it be.
There have been a number of guys who have alleged that they have had relationships with Travolta.
Image via Wikipedia
On being gay John , get over it!
Gay news
View Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
LGBT Strategy To Stay the Course in Richmond: After Virginia elections and state Senate changes, push will continue for nondiscrimination law, marriage-ban repeal
News:
LGBT allies and advocates in Virginia say they are committed to permanently banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in public employment and repealing the Marshall-Newman Amendment, which bans the recognition of any form of same-sex relationship, even if committees are reshuffled in the wake of November's election and several expected House vacancies.
The victories of state Sen. Ralph Northam (D) in the lieutenant governor's race and state Sen. Mark Herring (D) – provided he maintains his lead in a recount – in the attorney general's race will leave two Democrat-held seats in the closely divided state Senate vacant, meaning Democrats must win the election contests to replace both men in order to gain control of the chamber, with Northam acting as a tiebreaker.
But Northern Virginia's state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D), the General Assembly's only openly gay member, says that even losing both seats wouldn't significantly affect the makeup of Senate committees, which are currently split 8-7 in favor of Republicans, and 3-2 in favor of Republicans at the subcommittee level, as Senate rules say committee memberships last for a senator's full four-year term.
Ebbin is the chief patron of a Senate resolution to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment to the Virginia Constitution, which currently blocks recognition of marriage as anything but ''the union of one man and one woman,'' as well as any legal status for same-sex couples at all similar to marriage, anywhere in the state. That resolution has been co-patroned by incoming Del. Marcus Simon (D-Falls Church, Fairfax Co.), who was elected in November to replace the retiring Del. Jim Scott.
In addition to the Ebbin-Scott resolution, Del. Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond, Henrico, Charles City counties) has sponsored a similar House resolution. Last year, a similar bill patroned by Del. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax Co.) was killed in subcommittee.
Ebbin tells Metro Weekly he will be ''working hard'' to find votes for his resolution in the upper chamber, noting that conversations his Republican peers have already begun.
''The fact that we had three statewide candidates elected who were supportive of marriage equality this last election has proven that pro-gay legislators can prevail in statewide elections,'' Ebbin says. ''No one has lost an election for being pro-gay.''
While he hasn't polled every member of the Democratic caucus on their marriage-equality positions, Ebbin says most are supportive. Ebbin says his short-term focus is on getting the resolution out of committee and onto a floor vote, which give a sense of which legislators to lobby on resolution. He added that recent developments in other states to legalize marriage equality, along with the Supreme Court's June decisions favoring marriage equality, have made some legislators, including Republicans, open to changing their positions.
While not offering names, Ebbin says several Virginia legislators in the House of Delegates seem to have ''evolved'' on marriage equality. Prior to November's election, Del. Ron Villanueva (R-Virginia Beach, Chesapeake) told the editorial board of the Virginian-Pilot that he now supports repealing the Marshall-Newman Amendment, something the board cited in its endorsement of him. However, Villanueva also noted in that interview with the editorial board that he is still opposed to any bill that would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in state employment.
Ebbin also has some time to rally support for the repeal of the marriage ban, even if the vote doesn't occur during the 2014 session, due in part to the nature of how a constitutional amendment must be repealed. Under Virginia law, the General Assembly must first pass a bill or resolution repealing the Marshall-Newman Amendment prior to the 2015 state and local elections. Next, that measure must again in the session following those elections. Finally, the measure would be put to Virginia voters. That means the earliest the ban could be repealed is 2016.
Ebbin adds that he will be introducing, along with Sen. A. Donald McEachin (D-Richmond, Henrico, Charles City counties), a bill to prohibit discrimination in state employment based upon a job applicant's sexual orientation or gender identity. Last year, the two successfully shepherded a similar bill through the Senate, though it died in a House subcommittee.
Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe (D) has vowed to sign an executive order to ban such discrimination in public employment, but Ebbin says passing a statewide statute needs to be a priority of LGBT allies in the Legislature.
''There needs to be consistency in state law, and nondiscrimination policies should not depend on the whim of a governor,'' says Ebbin of the need for a nondiscrimination law. ''It tells all employees their service is valued and protected.''
Del. Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax Co.), who co-patroned both the Surovell bill to repeal Marshall-Newman and the nondiscrimination bill last session, says Virginia voters have ''completely changed'' on the issue of marriage equality and would support having another vote on the issue. But he was more pessimistic about the chance of nondiscrimination legislation in the House, due largely to the influence of lobbyists from the Family Foundation, a right-wing organization that emphasizes socially conservative views and opposes LGBT rights.
''I think we might gain a few votes, but it wouldn't be more than two or three House members,'' says Sickles. ''The Family Foundation has them on a short string.''
Asked about whether House Democrats could be further disadvantaged by upcoming vacancies, particularly the retirement of Del. Onzlee Ware (D-Roanoke) and the possible absence of Del. Lynwood Lewis (D-Norfolk, Accomack, Northampton counties) if he wins a special election to fill Northam's Senate seat, Sickles says he doesn't believe Republicans would use potential vacancies, as some liberal bloggers have feared, to strip Democrats of additional committee seats by changing the committee structure from a 15-7 split favoring Republicans to a 16-6 split.
Sickles adds that even absent Ware's seat, Democrats would still hold 32, the number they held last year. And Lewis, he points out, will continue to serve in the House throughout his campaign for the Senate, meaning the possibility of two vacancies at the same time – which would be the trigger for a committee reshuffling – is unlikely. Besides, he says, with Republicans already holding a supermajority in the chamber, there's little incentive for House Speaker Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg, Stafford Co.) to make such a power grab.
''Del. Ware's seat will be filled before we go into session,'' says Sickles. ''I don't think the majority will use his absence as an excuse to cut seats on our committees. … The speaker's a very fair man.''
Jonathan Parrish, executive director of LGBT-rights group Equality Virginia, says he's unaware of any potential committee reshuffling on the House side, but confirms his organization's strategy will be constant, regardless.
''Our focus has always been on passing the nondiscrimination bill through the Senate, and then working on getting it past the House,'' Parrish said.
Ebbin, a former House member, says he remains optimistic about the chances of LGBT legislation this session, and doesn't foresee any major anti-gay legislative threats.
''We have a much-improved climate in the General Assembly when it comes to these measures,'' Ebbin shares, noting that legislators will no longer be able to use the threat of a veto by outgoing Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) as an excuse for inaction. ''We will get a better sense of attitudes on gay rights in the General Assembly this session, and will see if we have any new allies.''
[File photo: Adam Ebbin (by Todd Franson.)] ...more
LGBT allies and advocates in Virginia say they are committed to permanently banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in public employment and repealing the Marshall-Newman Amendment, which bans the recognition of any form of same-sex relationship, even if committees are reshuffled in the wake of November's election and several expected House vacancies.
The victories of state Sen. Ralph Northam (D) in the lieutenant governor's race and state Sen. Mark Herring (D) – provided he maintains his lead in a recount – in the attorney general's race will leave two Democrat-held seats in the closely divided state Senate vacant, meaning Democrats must win the election contests to replace both men in order to gain control of the chamber, with Northam acting as a tiebreaker.
But Northern Virginia's state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D), the General Assembly's only openly gay member, says that even losing both seats wouldn't significantly affect the makeup of Senate committees, which are currently split 8-7 in favor of Republicans, and 3-2 in favor of Republicans at the subcommittee level, as Senate rules say committee memberships last for a senator's full four-year term.
Ebbin is the chief patron of a Senate resolution to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment to the Virginia Constitution, which currently blocks recognition of marriage as anything but ''the union of one man and one woman,'' as well as any legal status for same-sex couples at all similar to marriage, anywhere in the state. That resolution has been co-patroned by incoming Del. Marcus Simon (D-Falls Church, Fairfax Co.), who was elected in November to replace the retiring Del. Jim Scott.
In addition to the Ebbin-Scott resolution, Del. Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond, Henrico, Charles City counties) has sponsored a similar House resolution. Last year, a similar bill patroned by Del. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax Co.) was killed in subcommittee.
Ebbin tells Metro Weekly he will be ''working hard'' to find votes for his resolution in the upper chamber, noting that conversations his Republican peers have already begun.
''The fact that we had three statewide candidates elected who were supportive of marriage equality this last election has proven that pro-gay legislators can prevail in statewide elections,'' Ebbin says. ''No one has lost an election for being pro-gay.''
While he hasn't polled every member of the Democratic caucus on their marriage-equality positions, Ebbin says most are supportive. Ebbin says his short-term focus is on getting the resolution out of committee and onto a floor vote, which give a sense of which legislators to lobby on resolution. He added that recent developments in other states to legalize marriage equality, along with the Supreme Court's June decisions favoring marriage equality, have made some legislators, including Republicans, open to changing their positions.
While not offering names, Ebbin says several Virginia legislators in the House of Delegates seem to have ''evolved'' on marriage equality. Prior to November's election, Del. Ron Villanueva (R-Virginia Beach, Chesapeake) told the editorial board of the Virginian-Pilot that he now supports repealing the Marshall-Newman Amendment, something the board cited in its endorsement of him. However, Villanueva also noted in that interview with the editorial board that he is still opposed to any bill that would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in state employment.
Ebbin also has some time to rally support for the repeal of the marriage ban, even if the vote doesn't occur during the 2014 session, due in part to the nature of how a constitutional amendment must be repealed. Under Virginia law, the General Assembly must first pass a bill or resolution repealing the Marshall-Newman Amendment prior to the 2015 state and local elections. Next, that measure must again in the session following those elections. Finally, the measure would be put to Virginia voters. That means the earliest the ban could be repealed is 2016.
Ebbin adds that he will be introducing, along with Sen. A. Donald McEachin (D-Richmond, Henrico, Charles City counties), a bill to prohibit discrimination in state employment based upon a job applicant's sexual orientation or gender identity. Last year, the two successfully shepherded a similar bill through the Senate, though it died in a House subcommittee.
Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe (D) has vowed to sign an executive order to ban such discrimination in public employment, but Ebbin says passing a statewide statute needs to be a priority of LGBT allies in the Legislature.
''There needs to be consistency in state law, and nondiscrimination policies should not depend on the whim of a governor,'' says Ebbin of the need for a nondiscrimination law. ''It tells all employees their service is valued and protected.''
Del. Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax Co.), who co-patroned both the Surovell bill to repeal Marshall-Newman and the nondiscrimination bill last session, says Virginia voters have ''completely changed'' on the issue of marriage equality and would support having another vote on the issue. But he was more pessimistic about the chance of nondiscrimination legislation in the House, due largely to the influence of lobbyists from the Family Foundation, a right-wing organization that emphasizes socially conservative views and opposes LGBT rights.
''I think we might gain a few votes, but it wouldn't be more than two or three House members,'' says Sickles. ''The Family Foundation has them on a short string.''
Asked about whether House Democrats could be further disadvantaged by upcoming vacancies, particularly the retirement of Del. Onzlee Ware (D-Roanoke) and the possible absence of Del. Lynwood Lewis (D-Norfolk, Accomack, Northampton counties) if he wins a special election to fill Northam's Senate seat, Sickles says he doesn't believe Republicans would use potential vacancies, as some liberal bloggers have feared, to strip Democrats of additional committee seats by changing the committee structure from a 15-7 split favoring Republicans to a 16-6 split.
Sickles adds that even absent Ware's seat, Democrats would still hold 32, the number they held last year. And Lewis, he points out, will continue to serve in the House throughout his campaign for the Senate, meaning the possibility of two vacancies at the same time – which would be the trigger for a committee reshuffling – is unlikely. Besides, he says, with Republicans already holding a supermajority in the chamber, there's little incentive for House Speaker Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg, Stafford Co.) to make such a power grab.
''Del. Ware's seat will be filled before we go into session,'' says Sickles. ''I don't think the majority will use his absence as an excuse to cut seats on our committees. … The speaker's a very fair man.''
Jonathan Parrish, executive director of LGBT-rights group Equality Virginia, says he's unaware of any potential committee reshuffling on the House side, but confirms his organization's strategy will be constant, regardless.
''Our focus has always been on passing the nondiscrimination bill through the Senate, and then working on getting it past the House,'' Parrish said.
Ebbin, a former House member, says he remains optimistic about the chances of LGBT legislation this session, and doesn't foresee any major anti-gay legislative threats.
''We have a much-improved climate in the General Assembly when it comes to these measures,'' Ebbin shares, noting that legislators will no longer be able to use the threat of a veto by outgoing Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) as an excuse for inaction. ''We will get a better sense of attitudes on gay rights in the General Assembly this session, and will see if we have any new allies.''
[File photo: Adam Ebbin (by Todd Franson.)] ...more
Horoscope
ARIES (March 20 – April 19): Sex doesn’t solve all the problems in a relationship, but now it offers an interesting perspective on whatever the real problems are. Any secrets, resentments, unfulfilled wishes? Share yours and invite your partner to open up!
TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): Your partner and colleagues are obstructing whatever you want to do. Or is that really it? Be responsible for your own accomplishments. While your partner’s feedback won’t make you happy, it will help you find answers.
GEMINI (May 21- June 20): Trying too hard to promote your own plans can provoke problems with colleagues. If you’re sensing hidden agendas, it may be due to your own pushiness. Have a good talk. Listen between the lines, but…
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TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): Your partner and colleagues are obstructing whatever you want to do. Or is that really it? Be responsible for your own accomplishments. While your partner’s feedback won’t make you happy, it will help you find answers.
GEMINI (May 21- June 20): Trying too hard to promote your own plans can provoke problems with colleagues. If you’re sensing hidden agendas, it may be due to your own pushiness. Have a good talk. Listen between the lines, but…
Read More
The GLT turns the spotlight on Mila Rivera
Dancer and bartender at Rich’s and Numbers
Upon meeting Mila people are surprised to find out she is not a wild party girl. Her passion is dancing, however she is a self described puzzle geek and somewhat of a homebody. She is surprisingly reserved and likes spending her days cooking, reading and relaxing. Her nights are reserved for her showboating alter ego, she says. A girl who lives to learn new things and who has interests that range from one extreme of the spectrum to the other makes for a really well rounded and interesting person.
“I love garlic, bats and sharks, caverns and canyons, drag shows, deep philosophical conversations and the smell of sandalwood. I enjoy studying language, archaeology, history, the arts, and science. My past jobs include working at zoos and observatories, wri…
Read More
Upon meeting Mila people are surprised to find out she is not a wild party girl. Her passion is dancing, however she is a self described puzzle geek and somewhat of a homebody. She is surprisingly reserved and likes spending her days cooking, reading and relaxing. Her nights are reserved for her showboating alter ego, she says. A girl who lives to learn new things and who has interests that range from one extreme of the spectrum to the other makes for a really well rounded and interesting person.
“I love garlic, bats and sharks, caverns and canyons, drag shows, deep philosophical conversations and the smell of sandalwood. I enjoy studying language, archaeology, history, the arts, and science. My past jobs include working at zoos and observatories, wri…
Read More
Bling Bow Ties for that Dash of Sparkle!
Sacha Chen uses his creativity, inspiration and artistic abilities to make people happy with unique and eye catching bow ties.His Bling Bow Tie line is seen from fashion all around the world for men, women and even dogs! Sacha noticed that the changes throughout the years have been different colors, reversible style, color blocking and prints/patterns - the only thing missing is BLING!! Gorgeous ties perfect for any event . Stop by and see his site an order a tie for that fabulous holiday party coming up! Find him on Facebook too!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Jolly Holidays: Previewing the many holiday performances on tap this season
Events:
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and right now every arts organization and venue in the Washington area is gearing up to offer shows and events -- many, many shows and events, to an almost overwhelming degree -- toasting the jolly, joyous spirit of the winter holiday season. That’s true whether the show is ballet or symphony, a carol sing-along or a stage show, religious or non-religious.
The 2013 holiday season officially launches Wednesday, Nov. 27 -- the first day of the eight-day Jewish holiday Hanukkah. Among Hanukkah-themed events, there’s a live performance of Hanukkah Lights Reading, the popular radio broadcast by NPR’s Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz, set for Monday, Dec. 2, at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital. There’s also the Jewish reggae/rock musician Matisyahu, whose Festival of Light concert plays Monday, Dec. 9, at the 9:30 Club. Also of note is the annual concert by Rob Tannenbaum and David Fagin, who comprise the comedic rock band Good for the Jews and who perform specifically for Jews on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24, at this now annual event at Jammin Java.
This season brings an eclectic assortment of holiday shows with specific appeal to the LGBT community. The standard-bearer, of course, is the annual holiday show from the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, this year titled “Sparkle, Jingle, Joy” and featuring the great gay singer-songwriter and former Chanticleer Matt Alber. The GMCW show runs Friday, Dec. 20, and Saturday, Dec. 21, at Lisner Auditorium. Meanwhile, Baltimore’s zaniest filmmaker and certain hilarious raconteur returns for the annual A John Waters Christmas, an evening of stand-up and storytelling set for Wednesday, Dec. 18, at The Birchmere.
And then there are at least two other zany shows, starting with Shi-Queeta Lee’s special Xmas edition of “A Drag Salute to the Divas” called Dreamgirls Twisted. The show features Lee and fellow drag queens and kings lip-synching right along to the soundtrack of that Tony-winning musical, for a performance Tuesday, Dec. 3, at the Howard Theatre. The other zany -- and downright queer -- production this season is the Best of Burlesque(er)’s Down & Dirty Holigay Blues Burlesque, an event hyped as offering “some of the hottest queers taking it all off for you,” and set for Friday, Dec. 6, at the Black Cat.
Washington will see no less than three live versions of The Nutcracker ballet this year. There’s the D.C.-centric version from The Washington Ballet, opening Thursday, Dec. 5, and running to Dec. 29 at the Warner Theatre. Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet comes to town, featuring live music from the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and the Arlington Children’s Chorus, starting Wednesday Nov. 27, and running to Dec. 1 at the Kennedy Center Opera House. And there’s Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker featuring 40 Russian artists performing Olympic-like feats in the holiday classic, on Monday, Dec. 16, at Strathmore.
Even more than The Nutcracker, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without Handel’s Messiah. This year offers the choice between the National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorale and soloists set for Saturday, Dec. 15, at Strathmore, or Rossen Milanov leading the National Symphony Orchestra and the Choral Arts Society and soloists for a weekend run starting Thursday, Dec. 19, at the Kennedy Center.
But, naturally, there are plenty more choral options beyond the Messiah in what is regarded as the choral capital of the country. Among these: Robert Shafer’s City Chorus of Washington offers The Holly and The Ivy: Music for Christmas Sunday, Dec. 15, at the National Presbyterian Church; The Washington Chorus presents several performances of A Candlelight Christmas, starting Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, as well as performances Thursday, Dec. 19, and Monday, Dec. 23, at Strathmore; The Choral Arts Society of Washington presents the Italian-themed An Enchanted Christmas, a collaboration with the Italian Embassy in performances starting Monday, Dec. 16, at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
For even more multi-culti twists on holiday traditions, there’s the 31st annual Christmas Revels from The Washington Revels, featuring folk music, dance and drama from Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey, and presented over two weekends starting Saturday, Dec. 7, at Lisner Auditorium. There’s also the Folger Consort, whose holiday show this year focuses on Christmas in New Spain: Early Music of Mexico and Peru, with performances starting Friday, Dec. 13, and running to Dec. 22 at the Folger Theatre.
You have three options if your taste runs more Celtic/Irish: The Celtic Tenors offer A Celtic Christmas Friday, Dec. 6, at Rams Head Center Stage at the Maryland Live! Casino in Hanover, Md.; The Celts present Christmas with the Celts Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club; and The Irish Tenors sing hits and holiday classics in “the Premiere Irish Holiday Celebration Tour” Saturday, Dec. 21, at Strathmore.
Also this season the Washington National Opera debuts a world premiere holiday family opera, an adaptation of the children’s book about the biblical Nativity tale, The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me. The production opens Saturday, Dec. 14, and runs to Dec. 22, at the Kennedy Center.
Three big-band jazz ensembles swing into action this season: the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra ventures from its U Street home base to reprise last year’s sold-out holiday concerts that included performance of Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker at Strathmore, Sunday, Dec. 8; the Preservation Hall Jazz Band from New Orleans offers “A Creole Christmas” on Monday, Dec. 2, at the Birchmere; and the Boston Brass and the Brass All-Stars Big Band presents the tribute show, A Stan Kenton Christmas, featuring jazzy orchestral holiday favorites, on Sunday, Dec. 1, at Strathmore. Meanwhile, the National Symphony Orchestra’s Happy Holidays! Pops program, put together by Steven Reineke, features Broadway veteran Brian Stokes Mitchell and runs Thursday, Dec. 12, through Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Kennedy Center.
Every year Ford’s Theatre stages a production of Charles Dickens’s perennially popular classic A Christmas Carol, now onstage and running to Jan. 1 at the historic venue. There’s also the return of an alternate version, A Commedia Christmas Carol, which the local Commedia dell-Arte-focused theater company Faction of Fools first produced last year. The show, which visually ramps up the spookiness, humanity and humor in Dickens’s text, gets restaged starting Friday, Nov. 29, and running to Dec. 22, at Gallaudet University’s Elstad Auditorium. But wait, there’s still more: The Kennedy Center will present the stage version of the Hollywood hit Elf the Musical, starting Tuesday, Dec. 17, and running to Jan. 5.
And then there are those shows that are hard to describe, or can’t be pinned down to just one arts category. These “Above and Beyond” offerings include Holiday Cirque from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, a show featuring holiday favorites played by the BSO while awe-inspiring aerial artists and mind-boggling contortionists perform. Performances start Wednesday, Dec. 11, at the Meyerhoff, and Thursday, Dec. 12, at Strathmore. ...more
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and right now every arts organization and venue in the Washington area is gearing up to offer shows and events -- many, many shows and events, to an almost overwhelming degree -- toasting the jolly, joyous spirit of the winter holiday season. That’s true whether the show is ballet or symphony, a carol sing-along or a stage show, religious or non-religious.
The 2013 holiday season officially launches Wednesday, Nov. 27 -- the first day of the eight-day Jewish holiday Hanukkah. Among Hanukkah-themed events, there’s a live performance of Hanukkah Lights Reading, the popular radio broadcast by NPR’s Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz, set for Monday, Dec. 2, at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital. There’s also the Jewish reggae/rock musician Matisyahu, whose Festival of Light concert plays Monday, Dec. 9, at the 9:30 Club. Also of note is the annual concert by Rob Tannenbaum and David Fagin, who comprise the comedic rock band Good for the Jews and who perform specifically for Jews on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24, at this now annual event at Jammin Java.
This season brings an eclectic assortment of holiday shows with specific appeal to the LGBT community. The standard-bearer, of course, is the annual holiday show from the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, this year titled “Sparkle, Jingle, Joy” and featuring the great gay singer-songwriter and former Chanticleer Matt Alber. The GMCW show runs Friday, Dec. 20, and Saturday, Dec. 21, at Lisner Auditorium. Meanwhile, Baltimore’s zaniest filmmaker and certain hilarious raconteur returns for the annual A John Waters Christmas, an evening of stand-up and storytelling set for Wednesday, Dec. 18, at The Birchmere.
And then there are at least two other zany shows, starting with Shi-Queeta Lee’s special Xmas edition of “A Drag Salute to the Divas” called Dreamgirls Twisted. The show features Lee and fellow drag queens and kings lip-synching right along to the soundtrack of that Tony-winning musical, for a performance Tuesday, Dec. 3, at the Howard Theatre. The other zany -- and downright queer -- production this season is the Best of Burlesque(er)’s Down & Dirty Holigay Blues Burlesque, an event hyped as offering “some of the hottest queers taking it all off for you,” and set for Friday, Dec. 6, at the Black Cat.
Washington will see no less than three live versions of The Nutcracker ballet this year. There’s the D.C.-centric version from The Washington Ballet, opening Thursday, Dec. 5, and running to Dec. 29 at the Warner Theatre. Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet comes to town, featuring live music from the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and the Arlington Children’s Chorus, starting Wednesday Nov. 27, and running to Dec. 1 at the Kennedy Center Opera House. And there’s Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker featuring 40 Russian artists performing Olympic-like feats in the holiday classic, on Monday, Dec. 16, at Strathmore.
Even more than The Nutcracker, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without Handel’s Messiah. This year offers the choice between the National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorale and soloists set for Saturday, Dec. 15, at Strathmore, or Rossen Milanov leading the National Symphony Orchestra and the Choral Arts Society and soloists for a weekend run starting Thursday, Dec. 19, at the Kennedy Center.
But, naturally, there are plenty more choral options beyond the Messiah in what is regarded as the choral capital of the country. Among these: Robert Shafer’s City Chorus of Washington offers The Holly and The Ivy: Music for Christmas Sunday, Dec. 15, at the National Presbyterian Church; The Washington Chorus presents several performances of A Candlelight Christmas, starting Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, as well as performances Thursday, Dec. 19, and Monday, Dec. 23, at Strathmore; The Choral Arts Society of Washington presents the Italian-themed An Enchanted Christmas, a collaboration with the Italian Embassy in performances starting Monday, Dec. 16, at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
For even more multi-culti twists on holiday traditions, there’s the 31st annual Christmas Revels from The Washington Revels, featuring folk music, dance and drama from Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey, and presented over two weekends starting Saturday, Dec. 7, at Lisner Auditorium. There’s also the Folger Consort, whose holiday show this year focuses on Christmas in New Spain: Early Music of Mexico and Peru, with performances starting Friday, Dec. 13, and running to Dec. 22 at the Folger Theatre.
You have three options if your taste runs more Celtic/Irish: The Celtic Tenors offer A Celtic Christmas Friday, Dec. 6, at Rams Head Center Stage at the Maryland Live! Casino in Hanover, Md.; The Celts present Christmas with the Celts Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club; and The Irish Tenors sing hits and holiday classics in “the Premiere Irish Holiday Celebration Tour” Saturday, Dec. 21, at Strathmore.
Also this season the Washington National Opera debuts a world premiere holiday family opera, an adaptation of the children’s book about the biblical Nativity tale, The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me. The production opens Saturday, Dec. 14, and runs to Dec. 22, at the Kennedy Center.
Three big-band jazz ensembles swing into action this season: the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra ventures from its U Street home base to reprise last year’s sold-out holiday concerts that included performance of Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker at Strathmore, Sunday, Dec. 8; the Preservation Hall Jazz Band from New Orleans offers “A Creole Christmas” on Monday, Dec. 2, at the Birchmere; and the Boston Brass and the Brass All-Stars Big Band presents the tribute show, A Stan Kenton Christmas, featuring jazzy orchestral holiday favorites, on Sunday, Dec. 1, at Strathmore. Meanwhile, the National Symphony Orchestra’s Happy Holidays! Pops program, put together by Steven Reineke, features Broadway veteran Brian Stokes Mitchell and runs Thursday, Dec. 12, through Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Kennedy Center.
Every year Ford’s Theatre stages a production of Charles Dickens’s perennially popular classic A Christmas Carol, now onstage and running to Jan. 1 at the historic venue. There’s also the return of an alternate version, A Commedia Christmas Carol, which the local Commedia dell-Arte-focused theater company Faction of Fools first produced last year. The show, which visually ramps up the spookiness, humanity and humor in Dickens’s text, gets restaged starting Friday, Nov. 29, and running to Dec. 22, at Gallaudet University’s Elstad Auditorium. But wait, there’s still more: The Kennedy Center will present the stage version of the Hollywood hit Elf the Musical, starting Tuesday, Dec. 17, and running to Jan. 5.
And then there are those shows that are hard to describe, or can’t be pinned down to just one arts category. These “Above and Beyond” offerings include Holiday Cirque from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, a show featuring holiday favorites played by the BSO while awe-inspiring aerial artists and mind-boggling contortionists perform. Performances start Wednesday, Dec. 11, at the Meyerhoff, and Thursday, Dec. 12, at Strathmore. ...more
(80) What Are We Talking About?
Ciao, hello! Long time. Ignore the color of the audio player (on the site) it’s ugly and needs to be changed. Nicole begins with an audio apology for being a slacker s.o.b so I ?audio? answer because these bitches do NOT help me for shit! Let’s hope they aren’t as LAZY in the sack as […]
Group advocates for HIV services for trans individuals
In 2002, Joy Morris, a Chicago transgender woman living with HIV, had an epiphany and founded TransActions, an organization that lobbies and advocates for HIV services for transgender people at both the local and national levels. "God told me to get up and pick up my cross, and that he had my back." She remembered from her bed at Kindred Hospital.
Who Else Misses Sundays?
*singing* Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got til its gone...
The Flashlites, are here and they?re queer-friendly.
Introducing and all female, queer-friendly comedy group called The Flashlites. The Flashlites are based out of Los Angeles, but are Continue reading →
GLAAD's What To Watch On Monday | VIDEO
Tonight catch the series premiere of Generation Cryo and an all new episode of Dancing with the Stars.
What to Watch: Monday, November 25
GLAAD's LGBT-friendly TV picks for Monday night.
read more
What to Watch: Monday, November 25
GLAAD's LGBT-friendly TV picks for Monday night.
read more
Horoscope
Breathe, Aries!
Saturn in Libra is squaring the lunar nodes, showing necessary steps in the relationships that are most important in our life’s lessons. Mars is in Scorpio, offering insights to those problems, but those insights can feel more urgent and be more complex and distracting than strictly helpful.
ARIES
March 20 – April 19
Your control issues can wreck your relationship. Step back. Breathe. Be responsible for yourself, and let your partner do the same. Domestic issues are an easy distraction. Work is where you need to focus your energies and sense of mastery.
TAURUS
April 20 – May 20
You’re fine on the details; don’t worry about those! Work on seeing the big picture. There, you need some help that you’ll …
Read More
Saturn in Libra is squaring the lunar nodes, showing necessary steps in the relationships that are most important in our life’s lessons. Mars is in Scorpio, offering insights to those problems, but those insights can feel more urgent and be more complex and distracting than strictly helpful.
ARIES
March 20 – April 19
Your control issues can wreck your relationship. Step back. Breathe. Be responsible for yourself, and let your partner do the same. Domestic issues are an easy distraction. Work is where you need to focus your energies and sense of mastery.
TAURUS
April 20 – May 20
You’re fine on the details; don’t worry about those! Work on seeing the big picture. There, you need some help that you’ll …
Read More
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
John Lithgow and Alfred Molina Get Married in New York!
John Lithgow and Alfred Molina are headed to the chapel in this first released image of the upcoming dramatic comedy ?Love Is Strange,? provided exclusively to Variety.
Lithgow and Molina play a gay New York couple who finally decide to tie the knot after 38 years. The film is directed by Ira Sachs, who received a feature Independent Spirit Awards nomination for 2012?s ?Keep the Lights On.? Read the whole scoop at VARIETY
Lithgow and Molina play a gay New York couple who finally decide to tie the knot after 38 years. The film is directed by Ira Sachs, who received a feature Independent Spirit Awards nomination for 2012?s ?Keep the Lights On.? Read the whole scoop at VARIETY
Calif. group likely lacks signatures for referendum to repeal trans law
A group looking to repeal a transgender student-protections law in California probably won't be able to gather enough signatu -More-
Help me at least TRY to flirt with my friend
Seeing as how I was an utter failure at my LAST crush, I?m determined to do things differently and boy do I want to move on from that nightmare. Help me figure out how to do it. Mini backstory ? 28 year old lesbian just starting to come out (it?s been a little over a year) and navigate dating and flirting with intent. Very slim dating history with guys, and they did all the work anyway. Still have not been with a girl. Making a first move scares the *%@# out of me. Being single for so long is beginning to really wear on me - I'm increasingly lonely and it makes rejection all the worse.
I?ve recently been hanging out with someone that I?ve known for a little more than a year. She is also a lesbian. We hadn?t really hung out one on one much or anything, and she got into a fight with some of my friends and they all had a falling out, which led to me kind of avoiding her a bit. Not being mean to her or anything like that, just not really engaging her. I didn?t know her very well at the time anyway, so it wasn?t like I was ditching her or something. Recently though she has moved into my town and we have more mutual friends.
She reached out to me to hang out a couple times and I accepted and we had fun. Mostly in groups and such. But recently we?ve been in touch/hanging out a bit more, mainly with other friends, and both initiating plans. And wouldn?t you know it, I?m kinda crushing on her. It?s probably because I always had a seed of a crush/attraction to her, and I guess the fact that she was suddenly hitting me up a lot, and then us having a few deep conversations about our mutual friends, made that grow into a regular crush.
So, what are some things I can do to steer this in a more romantic direction before I suddenly get lost in friend-ville and am doomed to suffer there for all eternity? This is pretty much all just starting so I have a fresh slate to work with here. There's good signs and bad signs from her end, and she's kind of hard to read at the moment. I probably am too.
I am suspicious of a friend of hers that she seems to be texting a lot, and that is giving a huge blow to my confidence here. I know she?s not dating her or in a serious relationship, and she might just be friends with her, but the thought that she might be interested in someone else destroys my resolve and is upsetting me more than I thought it would (whoops, guess my crush is bigger than I thought). I guess I?ll find out about that soon enough. And if she IS into someone else and hasn?t really thought of me that way, is it possible to spark an attraction in her?
I guess some people are going to say "ask her on a date." And that's a possibility, but I guess I'd like to see if I can make this a bit...smoother. I feel like the timing is not right to just ask her out just yet and it would be a little awkward, especially since we started out on the friends foot. I guess I want to gauge or provoke interest a bit more, if possible.
I've been doing a bit more than with my last crush, and we communicate better so I'm a bit more confident. I?ve been trying to do the eye contact thing. Today I mentioned something that made me think of her while I was with family for Christmas. I am going to try to hang out with her one on one more. Any other brilliant ideas? The problem is that when it?s another girl it?s always kind of hazy because you can think YOU?RE being flirty and the other person thinks you?re just being friendly. The thing is, it?s so hard for me to be direct with flirting. Guess I?m just wondering if anyone has any great ideas on how the progression should be, or even if there?s any other lesbians out there with anecdotes about what they did or do in this type of situation.
I?ve recently been hanging out with someone that I?ve known for a little more than a year. She is also a lesbian. We hadn?t really hung out one on one much or anything, and she got into a fight with some of my friends and they all had a falling out, which led to me kind of avoiding her a bit. Not being mean to her or anything like that, just not really engaging her. I didn?t know her very well at the time anyway, so it wasn?t like I was ditching her or something. Recently though she has moved into my town and we have more mutual friends.
She reached out to me to hang out a couple times and I accepted and we had fun. Mostly in groups and such. But recently we?ve been in touch/hanging out a bit more, mainly with other friends, and both initiating plans. And wouldn?t you know it, I?m kinda crushing on her. It?s probably because I always had a seed of a crush/attraction to her, and I guess the fact that she was suddenly hitting me up a lot, and then us having a few deep conversations about our mutual friends, made that grow into a regular crush.
So, what are some things I can do to steer this in a more romantic direction before I suddenly get lost in friend-ville and am doomed to suffer there for all eternity? This is pretty much all just starting so I have a fresh slate to work with here. There's good signs and bad signs from her end, and she's kind of hard to read at the moment. I probably am too.
I am suspicious of a friend of hers that she seems to be texting a lot, and that is giving a huge blow to my confidence here. I know she?s not dating her or in a serious relationship, and she might just be friends with her, but the thought that she might be interested in someone else destroys my resolve and is upsetting me more than I thought it would (whoops, guess my crush is bigger than I thought). I guess I?ll find out about that soon enough. And if she IS into someone else and hasn?t really thought of me that way, is it possible to spark an attraction in her?
I guess some people are going to say "ask her on a date." And that's a possibility, but I guess I'd like to see if I can make this a bit...smoother. I feel like the timing is not right to just ask her out just yet and it would be a little awkward, especially since we started out on the friends foot. I guess I want to gauge or provoke interest a bit more, if possible.
I've been doing a bit more than with my last crush, and we communicate better so I'm a bit more confident. I?ve been trying to do the eye contact thing. Today I mentioned something that made me think of her while I was with family for Christmas. I am going to try to hang out with her one on one more. Any other brilliant ideas? The problem is that when it?s another girl it?s always kind of hazy because you can think YOU?RE being flirty and the other person thinks you?re just being friendly. The thing is, it?s so hard for me to be direct with flirting. Guess I?m just wondering if anyone has any great ideas on how the progression should be, or even if there?s any other lesbians out there with anecdotes about what they did or do in this type of situation.
(15B) Freestyle Friday Nostalgia Hour at SpiceNYC
lost a lot of sound quality when converted to mp3 but here goes … There’s A Party Going On – Nayobe You’ll Never Find Another Love - Take It While It’s Hot – Sweet Sensation Dancing On The Fire – India Give Me Back My Heart – Corina I Remember What You Like – Jenny […]
Right-Wing Activists 'Unlikely' to Qualify Calif. Trans Student Law for Repeal
Initial projections indicate that right-wing activists did not secure enough signatories to place California's School Success and Opportunity Act on the chopping block in next year's election.
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In the Pit
Look out…. for BEARQUAKE 2010
Get ready for BearQuake 2010! I don’t know if that means they’ll be shaking, rocking or rolling but the Southern California Bear Club Alliance wants to welcome all their hirsute brothers, their chasers and maybe a few sisters to San Diego for “Cirque De L’Ours” on the weekend of October 14-17. This means you have approximately three weeks to grow your beard, chest and back hair so you too can be “without the trappings”. Bear events are still some of my favorites because of the names they come up with (bears can insert the word “bear” anyplace and have a jolly good time) and more importantly because there is food, everywhere!
“Cirque De L’Ours” is hosted by Bears San Diego and Bears L…
Read More
Get ready for BearQuake 2010! I don’t know if that means they’ll be shaking, rocking or rolling but the Southern California Bear Club Alliance wants to welcome all their hirsute brothers, their chasers and maybe a few sisters to San Diego for “Cirque De L’Ours” on the weekend of October 14-17. This means you have approximately three weeks to grow your beard, chest and back hair so you too can be “without the trappings”. Bear events are still some of my favorites because of the names they come up with (bears can insert the word “bear” anyplace and have a jolly good time) and more importantly because there is food, everywhere!
“Cirque De L’Ours” is hosted by Bears San Diego and Bears L…
Read More
A Queer Girls Guide to Navigating Weddings - Guest Blog by Charlotte Nash
Guest blogger Charlotte Nash*
Monday, November 25, 2013
(20A) Ass Angst and Hill On the Hill (1hr)
Fellow Podcast – Swannie of Goddess Radio Interviews Zsussana Budapest author of The Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries http://www.GoddessRadio.podomatic.com
The Dinah 2011: Day 3
They're here, they're queer, and you might just react with fear. Videos of 10,000 lesbians in the desert.
(75) Prank Fails and Jive
Maybe we’ve outgrown the pranks, yeah? We tried over and over and over to get through one prank and failed every single time. Tune in and you’ll hear how pranks with potential go from bad to worse because of our inability to execute, as me and Nikki pretend to be a couple on the rocks. […]
Queer Beer: a beer for gays and lesbians
A Mexican company has launched a new beer aimed at the gay and lesbian community that will also be exported to other countries, company officials said.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
WATCH: Activists Picket Calif. Group Targeting Trans Kids
Transgender activists hosted a demonstration outside the Southern California office of the Pacific Justice Institute to protest the Christian organization's ongoing harassment of a transgender teen in Colorado.
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Community News
Women honored for their contributions
San Diego Woman’s Club hosts dinner benefiting women at risk
Many local women in San Diego work tirelessly to make the city a better community for all. The San Diego Woman’s Club will recognize the efforts of one special woman by hosting a benefit dinner in her honor. The honoree for the evening is Sister Christina MacLean, Director of Mary’s House which is a home for victims of human trafficking.
The proceeds for the evening will benefit Women at Risk, International (WAR, Int’l). WAR was established in 2006 and currently has representation in 16 states and projects in 14 different countries around the world. The purpose behind WAR is to unite and educate women as well as children in areas of …
Read More
San Diego Woman’s Club hosts dinner benefiting women at risk
Many local women in San Diego work tirelessly to make the city a better community for all. The San Diego Woman’s Club will recognize the efforts of one special woman by hosting a benefit dinner in her honor. The honoree for the evening is Sister Christina MacLean, Director of Mary’s House which is a home for victims of human trafficking.
The proceeds for the evening will benefit Women at Risk, International (WAR, Int’l). WAR was established in 2006 and currently has representation in 16 states and projects in 14 different countries around the world. The purpose behind WAR is to unite and educate women as well as children in areas of …
Read More
Mizeur Announces Coates as Running Mate: Hitting on progressive themes, the Maryland duo downplay historic candidacy, saying results more important than ''identity politics''
News:
Maryland Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Montgomery Co.) officially announced her selection of the Rev. Delman Coates as her running mate in her bid to become Maryland's first female governor and country's first out lesbian governor at a campaign rally in Silver Spring Wednesday night.
Coates, the pastor of the 8,000-member Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Md., brings racial, gender and – perhaps most importantly – geographic balance to Mizeur's ticket, potentially allowing the campaign to better compete in vote-rich Prince George's County, which is the home base of Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, one of Mizeur's rivals for the Democratic nomination. Mizeur's other Democratic opponent, Doug Gansler, made a similar play for the county's voters by selecting Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Prince George's Co.) as his running mate.
Mizeur insisted, however, in her Wednesday speech before a packed room at the American Legion Post 41 headquarters that she did not choose Coates based on a campaign calculation.
''I am not just picking a running mate for an election season,'' Mizeur said. ''This wasn't a calculation based on how do you win a campaign. I am choosing a partner who is best situated to help me deliver on a shared vision for the future of Maryland.''
Praising Coates as a friend and confidant with a ''brilliant mind and a strong and caring heart,'' Mizuer emphasized Coates's dedication to progressive causes and record of defending social justice throughout his life – including, most prominently, his willingness to stand up for marriage equality, even appearing in ads in late 2012 for the Marylanders for Marriage Equality coalition that urged voters to approve Question 6, the ballot initiative allowing same-sex couples to obtain Maryland marriage licenses.
''[Coates] is known as a charismatic leader, an innovative thinker, and a risk-taking change agent,'' Mizeur said. ''Our efforts to pass marriage equality in the state Legislature had one pivotal moment: the moment that Pastor Coates led a group of ministers and faith leaders to testify in favor of the legislation.''
''This is a man who knows how to move mountains by word and action,'' Mizeur continued. ''And every candidate for statewide office in the state of Maryland comes before Pastor Delman Coates seeking his blessing. I asked for his partnership.''
Both Mizeur and Coates mentioned a number of progressive causes on which their campaign is based, including universal preschool, child care affordability, an end to high-stakes educational testing, environmental safeguards against ''fracking,'' support for small businesses, the imposition of a ''millionaire's tax'' and stopping the ''war on drugs.'' Mizeur implored those present to become actively involved in the campaign and become part of the ''grassroots army'' they would need to beat their well-known and well-funded opponents.
Taking the stage to chants of ''Delman! Delman!'' Coates said he was joining Mizeur's campaign with ''great enthusiasm'' in the hope of bringing about ''transformational change.'' Noting that he is the only member of the three Democratic slates that does not have a background in politics, Coates said he was nonetheless qualified to serve as the state's lieutenant governor.
''I don't come bearing a political title, or long history in elective office,'' Coates said. ''But while I have not been elected to public office, that does not mean I have not been serving the public. My life's work has been on the front lines of our biggest community issues, working with families impacted by foreclosures, advocating for individuals reintegrating into society after a prison sentence, and fighting for equal marriage rights for all Marylanders.''
Coates also took what could be interpreted as a swipe against Mizeur's rivals for the nomination, as Brown seeks to become Maryland's first African-American governor and Ivey seeks to become the first female African-American lieutenant governor.
''You already know that every candidate in this race is historic, and that's important,'' Coates said, adding in a joke that he believes he would be the first ''completely bald'' lieutenant governor. ''It's what makes being a part of a pluralistic democratic society exciting. But people care mostly about results, not identity politics.
''When Heather first approached me about her campaign and told me she was running, the first thing she said to me was, 'Delman, this campaign is not about making history. It's about making a difference,''' Coates recounted. ''This campaign is about transformational change, and not transactional politics.''
Though Mizeur trails significantly in polls – a Gonzales Research poll from October showed Brown leading Gansler and Mizeur by a 41-21-5 margin – her supporters think she still has potential to become a viable alternative to the other two Democrats running, particularly if she can increase her name recognition and solicit funding or endorsements from outside groups, such as the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which has not yet made an endorsement in the governor's race.
Kevin Walling, a former staffer with LGBT rights organization Equality Maryland and a candidate for the House of Delegates in District 16 in Montgomery County who considers Mizeur a mentor and friend, handicapped Mizeur's chances.
''I think she's right in it,'' Walling said. ''If you look at the percentage of women who vote in Democratic primaries, it's 62 percent. … You're going to see a lot of time and effort spent between the lieutenant governor and the attorney general, spending a lot of time taking each other on head-to-head, and Heather's got a real good shot of running right up the middle with a positive campaign.''
Walling pushed back against narratives that claim that the candidates for governor – through their running mate selections – have snubbed or abandoned the Baltimore area. He noted that Mizeur is frequently holding events in and traveling back and forth between Baltimore City and the other areas of the state. He also warned not to underestimate Mizeur's chances, saying she impresses wherever she goes.
''I was in a meeting today with some people from the labor community, and they said she was a total rock star when she spoke to the building trades,'' Walling said. ''When she's out there in the community, connecting with people, she can't be beat. And neither can Delman. There's no question, when I was at Equality Maryland, Delman was an integral part to speaking to the African-American church community about the need for marriage equality. He helped lead the fight. … He was the boots on the ground that really carried the day and pushed us forward in those communities on marriage. So I think it's a great team.'' ...more
Maryland Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Montgomery Co.) officially announced her selection of the Rev. Delman Coates as her running mate in her bid to become Maryland's first female governor and country's first out lesbian governor at a campaign rally in Silver Spring Wednesday night.
Coates, the pastor of the 8,000-member Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Md., brings racial, gender and – perhaps most importantly – geographic balance to Mizeur's ticket, potentially allowing the campaign to better compete in vote-rich Prince George's County, which is the home base of Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, one of Mizeur's rivals for the Democratic nomination. Mizeur's other Democratic opponent, Doug Gansler, made a similar play for the county's voters by selecting Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Prince George's Co.) as his running mate.
Mizeur insisted, however, in her Wednesday speech before a packed room at the American Legion Post 41 headquarters that she did not choose Coates based on a campaign calculation.
''I am not just picking a running mate for an election season,'' Mizeur said. ''This wasn't a calculation based on how do you win a campaign. I am choosing a partner who is best situated to help me deliver on a shared vision for the future of Maryland.''
Praising Coates as a friend and confidant with a ''brilliant mind and a strong and caring heart,'' Mizuer emphasized Coates's dedication to progressive causes and record of defending social justice throughout his life – including, most prominently, his willingness to stand up for marriage equality, even appearing in ads in late 2012 for the Marylanders for Marriage Equality coalition that urged voters to approve Question 6, the ballot initiative allowing same-sex couples to obtain Maryland marriage licenses.
''[Coates] is known as a charismatic leader, an innovative thinker, and a risk-taking change agent,'' Mizeur said. ''Our efforts to pass marriage equality in the state Legislature had one pivotal moment: the moment that Pastor Coates led a group of ministers and faith leaders to testify in favor of the legislation.''
''This is a man who knows how to move mountains by word and action,'' Mizeur continued. ''And every candidate for statewide office in the state of Maryland comes before Pastor Delman Coates seeking his blessing. I asked for his partnership.''
Both Mizeur and Coates mentioned a number of progressive causes on which their campaign is based, including universal preschool, child care affordability, an end to high-stakes educational testing, environmental safeguards against ''fracking,'' support for small businesses, the imposition of a ''millionaire's tax'' and stopping the ''war on drugs.'' Mizeur implored those present to become actively involved in the campaign and become part of the ''grassroots army'' they would need to beat their well-known and well-funded opponents.
Taking the stage to chants of ''Delman! Delman!'' Coates said he was joining Mizeur's campaign with ''great enthusiasm'' in the hope of bringing about ''transformational change.'' Noting that he is the only member of the three Democratic slates that does not have a background in politics, Coates said he was nonetheless qualified to serve as the state's lieutenant governor.
''I don't come bearing a political title, or long history in elective office,'' Coates said. ''But while I have not been elected to public office, that does not mean I have not been serving the public. My life's work has been on the front lines of our biggest community issues, working with families impacted by foreclosures, advocating for individuals reintegrating into society after a prison sentence, and fighting for equal marriage rights for all Marylanders.''
Coates also took what could be interpreted as a swipe against Mizeur's rivals for the nomination, as Brown seeks to become Maryland's first African-American governor and Ivey seeks to become the first female African-American lieutenant governor.
''You already know that every candidate in this race is historic, and that's important,'' Coates said, adding in a joke that he believes he would be the first ''completely bald'' lieutenant governor. ''It's what makes being a part of a pluralistic democratic society exciting. But people care mostly about results, not identity politics.
''When Heather first approached me about her campaign and told me she was running, the first thing she said to me was, 'Delman, this campaign is not about making history. It's about making a difference,''' Coates recounted. ''This campaign is about transformational change, and not transactional politics.''
Though Mizeur trails significantly in polls – a Gonzales Research poll from October showed Brown leading Gansler and Mizeur by a 41-21-5 margin – her supporters think she still has potential to become a viable alternative to the other two Democrats running, particularly if she can increase her name recognition and solicit funding or endorsements from outside groups, such as the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which has not yet made an endorsement in the governor's race.
Kevin Walling, a former staffer with LGBT rights organization Equality Maryland and a candidate for the House of Delegates in District 16 in Montgomery County who considers Mizeur a mentor and friend, handicapped Mizeur's chances.
''I think she's right in it,'' Walling said. ''If you look at the percentage of women who vote in Democratic primaries, it's 62 percent. … You're going to see a lot of time and effort spent between the lieutenant governor and the attorney general, spending a lot of time taking each other on head-to-head, and Heather's got a real good shot of running right up the middle with a positive campaign.''
Walling pushed back against narratives that claim that the candidates for governor – through their running mate selections – have snubbed or abandoned the Baltimore area. He noted that Mizeur is frequently holding events in and traveling back and forth between Baltimore City and the other areas of the state. He also warned not to underestimate Mizeur's chances, saying she impresses wherever she goes.
''I was in a meeting today with some people from the labor community, and they said she was a total rock star when she spoke to the building trades,'' Walling said. ''When she's out there in the community, connecting with people, she can't be beat. And neither can Delman. There's no question, when I was at Equality Maryland, Delman was an integral part to speaking to the African-American church community about the need for marriage equality. He helped lead the fight. … He was the boots on the ground that really carried the day and pushed us forward in those communities on marriage. So I think it's a great team.'' ...more
Sea Rocket Bistro in North Park to close next month
SAN DIEGO -- Sea Rocket Bistro, a North Park eatery that specialized in farm-to-table fish, meats and vegetarian dishes, announced this week in an e-mail to customers that it will close for good on Dec. 8.
Opened in 2008, co-owner Elena Rivellino said that as hard as they've worked to bring the restaurant's locally-inspired menu to life, the costs of doing business for them have exceeded the restaurant's revenue.
Read the full letter below.
Sea Rocket Bistro, a North Park eatery that specialized in farm-to-table fish, meats, and vegetarian dishes, announced today in an e-mail to customers that it will close for good on Dec. 8.
read more
Opened in 2008, co-owner Elena Rivellino said that as hard as they've worked to bring the restaurant's locally-inspired menu to life, the costs of doing business for them have exceeded the restaurant's revenue.
Read the full letter below.
Sea Rocket Bistro, a North Park eatery that specialized in farm-to-table fish, meats, and vegetarian dishes, announced today in an e-mail to customers that it will close for good on Dec. 8.
read more
Today Is the Day You Learn to Make Tampon a Pipe
Jezebel: I’ve been wanting to dive into the world of DIY pipes and bongs for a while now. But it’s intimidating! There seems be an endless list of things that people can convert into smoking devices. Apples, soda bottles, Pringles cans, Grandma. I honestly didn’t know where to start. Another obstacle is the fact that […]
Southern Man: This ensemble piece of a family in emotional vivisection is executed with wit, collective cohesion and intensity
Stage:
In an extraordinary combination, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's Appropriate is funny, unflinchingly honest, and awful in the best possible way. Somewhere in the neighborhood of Tracy Lett's August: Osage County, Jacobs-Jenkins offers another dysfunctional extended family who do their best to feint, dive and provoke one another while he herds them toward the difficult, elusive and messy truths they both want and dread. And not unlike the works of Tom Stoppard, Jacob-Jenkins's process is as intellectual as it is emotionally intuitive: a complex construct of motives, wants and needs in which every knot and loose end has its purpose – even if the purpose is to stay tangled or unresolved. And unlike so many dramas with a ''dark secret,'' this one delivers because the secret is not the be all and end all; it is, far more authentically, lubricant to a bigger, older process.
Having said that, the secret here is well worth keeping and thus some circumspection is required. Suffice it to say that the action begins with the members of an extended and somewhat estranged family arriving from disparate corners to sell the large ramshackle house and hoarder's stash of their recently deceased father. As they come to terms with his loss, his confusing array of possessions, and their own newly unanchored dynamic, tensions, to put it mildly, mount.
''Appropriate'' at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Photo by Stan Barouh
And though this premise may sound clichéd, it is anything but. The wonderful originality of this production starts with Clint Ramos's spectacularly rendered set evoking the ancient, now dilapidated, Southern house on the verge of being reclaimed by the dank and moldy flora that surrounds it. Filled with a cleverly curated collection of the detritus of an eccentric old man, there are also the well-placed and gradually revealed vestiges of his recent decline. Hanging like a smell in the big room is the gloomy reckoning that comes with the death of an ambiguous and difficult person. In full complement, the lighting of Colin K. Bills brings the subtle grey-greens of the swampy light, the warm yellows of candlelight, and in scene segues, the patterns and ever-so-subtle colors of the imagination. And yet despite all this potent atmosphere and attention to detail, the set never intrudes, even though it does offer its own silent story.
And it is a story that comes like silent commentary as the family begins to grapple with the memory of the departed and all manner of family legacies. Coming out swinging is the angry, damaged Toni, daughter and sometime caregiver to her now deceased father and her adult yet wayward brother Franz. In a brilliant performance that carries the tortured heart (and plenty of the humor) of this play, Deborah Hazlett captures superbly the unrelenting blend of rage, hurt and confusion born of powerful, if mundane, pressures that have turned the screw long before the dark secret emerges. The question for Toni is what she will do with her inner chaos: let it lash her nearest and dearest like a whip (donning, perhaps, her father's mantle); let it consume her; or something altogether else.
And this is what makes Jacobs-Jenkins a cut above. Toni is laid bare, but she is never boxed. She remains changeable, reactive and organic. She has been written to express, not to teach, and it's inestimably refreshing.
Counterpoint to Toni's volatility is brother Bo, the one who got away – from his Southern roots and, apparently too, his father. David Bishins's Bo is credible and understated, oozing the quiet self-possession of the educated East Coast inner-suburbanite, and yet he is a strong enough presence to keep Hazlett's Toni in balance. Hers is not the only perspective on this family and Bishin's ability to keep Bo ''in the frame,'' physically and expressively, shows this as much as Jacob-Jenkins tells it. And although there is not quite enough in the way of long-married chemistry between Bo and his wife Rachael, Beth Hylton gives her uncomfortable in-law some giggle-worthy traits and holds her own with a quivery outrage when the fur begins to fly.
Bringing much color are Tim Getman as repenting ne'er-do-well Franz and Caitlin McColl as his ridiculously precious girlfriend, River. Although they are perhaps the most caricatured of the characters, both Getman and McColl have the skill to bring the inherent humor in these two to the fore and yet move just as easily into the real and palpable. As Toni's teenaged son Rhys, a chronically overlooked and misunderstood kid who is already his own worst enemy, Josh Adams offers a beautifully understated, pitch-perfect guileless pathos that leaves one rooting for him and his diminished expectations. Convincing and possessed of some great comic timing, Maya Brettell as Bo and Rachael's tween daughter Cassie, is a memorable symbol of all that is morally unhinged in the 21st century young. She plays well against Adams's Rhys and it is her ebullient innocence that tells us much of what Rhys has lost.
Appropriate To Dec. 1 Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co. $45-$82.50 202-393-3939 641 D St. NW woollymammoth.net
Yet it is in some ways a disservice to put these performances into relief because, as much as Toni drives this train, this is truly an ensemble piece. There is an entirety here - a family in emotional vivisection - and credit must go to the actors for their collective cohesion, intensity and shared vision. And such is the skill of director Liesl Tommy who ensures the emotional momentum and pace, even when briefly threatened by some overdone mayhem (which nevertheless sets up one of the plays funniest moments).
And, indeed, there may be a few other odd moments here where the axis wobbles, but they fade into insignificance in the face of Jacob-Jenkins's incisive and uncompromising quest for so many truths. And whatever one makes of these truths, for he does not dictate it, there is one universal: No matter how elaborate one's personal myth, there is always someone there to level it – and more often than not it's family.
...more
In an extraordinary combination, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's Appropriate is funny, unflinchingly honest, and awful in the best possible way. Somewhere in the neighborhood of Tracy Lett's August: Osage County, Jacobs-Jenkins offers another dysfunctional extended family who do their best to feint, dive and provoke one another while he herds them toward the difficult, elusive and messy truths they both want and dread. And not unlike the works of Tom Stoppard, Jacob-Jenkins's process is as intellectual as it is emotionally intuitive: a complex construct of motives, wants and needs in which every knot and loose end has its purpose – even if the purpose is to stay tangled or unresolved. And unlike so many dramas with a ''dark secret,'' this one delivers because the secret is not the be all and end all; it is, far more authentically, lubricant to a bigger, older process.
Having said that, the secret here is well worth keeping and thus some circumspection is required. Suffice it to say that the action begins with the members of an extended and somewhat estranged family arriving from disparate corners to sell the large ramshackle house and hoarder's stash of their recently deceased father. As they come to terms with his loss, his confusing array of possessions, and their own newly unanchored dynamic, tensions, to put it mildly, mount.
''Appropriate'' at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Photo by Stan Barouh
And though this premise may sound clichéd, it is anything but. The wonderful originality of this production starts with Clint Ramos's spectacularly rendered set evoking the ancient, now dilapidated, Southern house on the verge of being reclaimed by the dank and moldy flora that surrounds it. Filled with a cleverly curated collection of the detritus of an eccentric old man, there are also the well-placed and gradually revealed vestiges of his recent decline. Hanging like a smell in the big room is the gloomy reckoning that comes with the death of an ambiguous and difficult person. In full complement, the lighting of Colin K. Bills brings the subtle grey-greens of the swampy light, the warm yellows of candlelight, and in scene segues, the patterns and ever-so-subtle colors of the imagination. And yet despite all this potent atmosphere and attention to detail, the set never intrudes, even though it does offer its own silent story.
And it is a story that comes like silent commentary as the family begins to grapple with the memory of the departed and all manner of family legacies. Coming out swinging is the angry, damaged Toni, daughter and sometime caregiver to her now deceased father and her adult yet wayward brother Franz. In a brilliant performance that carries the tortured heart (and plenty of the humor) of this play, Deborah Hazlett captures superbly the unrelenting blend of rage, hurt and confusion born of powerful, if mundane, pressures that have turned the screw long before the dark secret emerges. The question for Toni is what she will do with her inner chaos: let it lash her nearest and dearest like a whip (donning, perhaps, her father's mantle); let it consume her; or something altogether else.
And this is what makes Jacobs-Jenkins a cut above. Toni is laid bare, but she is never boxed. She remains changeable, reactive and organic. She has been written to express, not to teach, and it's inestimably refreshing.
Counterpoint to Toni's volatility is brother Bo, the one who got away – from his Southern roots and, apparently too, his father. David Bishins's Bo is credible and understated, oozing the quiet self-possession of the educated East Coast inner-suburbanite, and yet he is a strong enough presence to keep Hazlett's Toni in balance. Hers is not the only perspective on this family and Bishin's ability to keep Bo ''in the frame,'' physically and expressively, shows this as much as Jacob-Jenkins tells it. And although there is not quite enough in the way of long-married chemistry between Bo and his wife Rachael, Beth Hylton gives her uncomfortable in-law some giggle-worthy traits and holds her own with a quivery outrage when the fur begins to fly.
Bringing much color are Tim Getman as repenting ne'er-do-well Franz and Caitlin McColl as his ridiculously precious girlfriend, River. Although they are perhaps the most caricatured of the characters, both Getman and McColl have the skill to bring the inherent humor in these two to the fore and yet move just as easily into the real and palpable. As Toni's teenaged son Rhys, a chronically overlooked and misunderstood kid who is already his own worst enemy, Josh Adams offers a beautifully understated, pitch-perfect guileless pathos that leaves one rooting for him and his diminished expectations. Convincing and possessed of some great comic timing, Maya Brettell as Bo and Rachael's tween daughter Cassie, is a memorable symbol of all that is morally unhinged in the 21st century young. She plays well against Adams's Rhys and it is her ebullient innocence that tells us much of what Rhys has lost.
Appropriate To Dec. 1 Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co. $45-$82.50 202-393-3939 641 D St. NW woollymammoth.net
Yet it is in some ways a disservice to put these performances into relief because, as much as Toni drives this train, this is truly an ensemble piece. There is an entirety here - a family in emotional vivisection - and credit must go to the actors for their collective cohesion, intensity and shared vision. And such is the skill of director Liesl Tommy who ensures the emotional momentum and pace, even when briefly threatened by some overdone mayhem (which nevertheless sets up one of the plays funniest moments).
And, indeed, there may be a few other odd moments here where the axis wobbles, but they fade into insignificance in the face of Jacob-Jenkins's incisive and uncompromising quest for so many truths. And whatever one makes of these truths, for he does not dictate it, there is one universal: No matter how elaborate one's personal myth, there is always someone there to level it – and more often than not it's family.
...more
World News Briefs
UK finds that only 1.5% of population is GLB
The United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics has produced data suggesting that only 1.5 percent of UK adults are gay, lesbian or bisexual.
As part of a yearly data collection effort, ONS questioned 247,623 people about their sexual identity. In the case of face-to-face interviews, respondents were shown a card that said “heterosexual/straight, gay/lesbian, bisexual, other” and told to read out a number beside the word that “best describes how you think of yourself.” In telephone interviews, respondents were read the four categories and told to “please say ‘yes’ when you hear the option that best describes how you think of yourself.”
ONS then applied t…
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The United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics has produced data suggesting that only 1.5 percent of UK adults are gay, lesbian or bisexual.
As part of a yearly data collection effort, ONS questioned 247,623 people about their sexual identity. In the case of face-to-face interviews, respondents were shown a card that said “heterosexual/straight, gay/lesbian, bisexual, other” and told to read out a number beside the word that “best describes how you think of yourself.” In telephone interviews, respondents were read the four categories and told to “please say ‘yes’ when you hear the option that best describes how you think of yourself.”
ONS then applied t…
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Saturday, November 23, 2013
A Pox on Purity: Absolutes and perfection are extremes best suited to fantasy
Opinion: In political advocacy, as in statecraft, purity is a luxury an effective practitioner cannot afford. The tea party's aggressive push for ideological purity has yielded a GOP at war with itself and incapable of governing. Destructive stunts like the $24 billion federal shutdown championed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have strengthened Democrats' chances of retaining control of the Senate, while primary challenges to Republican incumbents from the right in red states promise an influx of new bomb throwers in the upper chamber come 2015. This will accelerate the GOP's decline as a national party. The LGBT left often pursues its own ideological purity, as if right-mindedness were self-implementing, and as if punishing imperfect allies magically produced better and winning candidates. Advancing policy goals in a diverse society requires overcoming differences. The "easy gets" are already with us; we need imagination and perseverance, not rage nor a sense of inevitability. ... (more)
Phill Wilson to be honored; trans woman's killer gets life
The National AIDS Memorial Grove announced it will commemorate World AIDS Day with two days of events honoring leaders instrumental in the fight against AIDS, according to Business Wire. Tim Hanlon, President of the Wells Fargo Foundation, will receive the 2013 Lifetime of Commitment Award during the annual Light in the Grove event; during World AIDS Day ceremonies at the Grove Dec. 1, The National Leadership Recognition Award will be awarded to Phill Wilson, president and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute. The Local Unsung Hero Award will be presented to Franco Beneduce, an AIDS fundraising event producer who unexpectedly passed away earlier this year.
Bonez N Booze with Franki
Bartender and Culinary Extraordinaire
Franki has been a staple in the San Diego lesbian, nightlife and art scene for a long time. She is someone that everyone has something good to say about. Franki was one of the first lesbians to throw San Diego art shows including The No Name Art Shows that drew in huge crowds eager to participate in something other than the status quo. Franki has the reputation of being one of San Diego’s hottest and most down to earth bartenders. A combination hard to find in any person let alone a bartender and she truly is one of a kind. Talented in the art of making drinks and customer service she commands her bar like a pro. She is equally as talented in the arts of all kinds. Everything from food to painting to the drums she does well and grabs attention while do…
Read More
Franki has been a staple in the San Diego lesbian, nightlife and art scene for a long time. She is someone that everyone has something good to say about. Franki was one of the first lesbians to throw San Diego art shows including The No Name Art Shows that drew in huge crowds eager to participate in something other than the status quo. Franki has the reputation of being one of San Diego’s hottest and most down to earth bartenders. A combination hard to find in any person let alone a bartender and she truly is one of a kind. Talented in the art of making drinks and customer service she commands her bar like a pro. She is equally as talented in the arts of all kinds. Everything from food to painting to the drums she does well and grabs attention while do…
Read More
In the Pit
Leather labors of love
All over the country leather people are competing for local titles so that they may represent their communities at home and also at international contests next year. Producing a contest is an expensive and time consuming labor of love but the leather women of San Diego have found an ingenious way to raise funds and put a little camp into a community that sometimes takes itself way too seriously. Next Saturday, October 9th is the thirteenth annual Butch Revue which will benefit the charities of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and SD Leather Pride. Former Ms. World Leather and producer of Ms San Diego Leather, Annie Romano is the founder of the Butch Revue which was initially a fundraiser for her travel fund when she ran for IMsL in 1998 during her reign a…
Read More
All over the country leather people are competing for local titles so that they may represent their communities at home and also at international contests next year. Producing a contest is an expensive and time consuming labor of love but the leather women of San Diego have found an ingenious way to raise funds and put a little camp into a community that sometimes takes itself way too seriously. Next Saturday, October 9th is the thirteenth annual Butch Revue which will benefit the charities of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and SD Leather Pride. Former Ms. World Leather and producer of Ms San Diego Leather, Annie Romano is the founder of the Butch Revue which was initially a fundraiser for her travel fund when she ran for IMsL in 1998 during her reign a…
Read More
(47) Lesbonanza
Sandi talks to Nikki and Lale about Electro-Shocks, L Word Spoiler (not so much), Thrillaaah Micheal Jackson, Lady CaCa, The Lesbian Mafia Stimulus Package: 350 -1 millions, Revolution and more … NEW! The Lesbian Mafia is now syndicated on http://www.NoSaintsMedia.com & Tuesdays @6pm EST On: http://www.RadioDentata.com! & Daily @12pm EST On http://www.ReapSowRadio.com Come and give […]
Hunting Season GAY TV
This is a must see!
HUNTING
SEASON is a new smash hit comedy series based on the funny and
painfully truthful blog of ALEX, a single gay 20-something in Manhattan,
a smart and successful blogger at Gawker by day, who turns the
spotlight on himself and his friends and starts anonymously writing
about his social life. Based on the wildly popular blog, The Great Cock
Hunt, and the novel of the same title published by Kensington Books.
THE SERIES launched on September 12, 2012 at LogoTV.com with the
UNCENSORED version available for paid download only at huntingseason.tv.
The cast is uber sexy! The show is witty, smart and did I say, sexy?! It has won awards and lots of great press! It looks and feels like REAL TV! It's not some web series filmed with a cheap camera in someone's backyard. Over 100 people worked on season one. IT'S QUALITY. It's gay and real!
HELP THEM MAKE SEASON 2!
"We
have just launched a Kickstarter campaign to ask for your help in
funding a second season. The creator of the show paid for season one
out of his own pocket, and then took out loans to finish it. The sales
of downloads paid back the loans and proved how big the audience was for
the show. But all the conversations we had with networks and
advertisers did not pan out and we must turn to the fans of the show to
make more episodes."
VISIT KICKSTARTER and help get Seaosn 2 made!
IF WE DON?T HIT OUT KICKSTARTER GOAL, THERE WON?T BE A SEASON 2.
Alex and his friends?s stories are just getting started. There is so much more of the world we want to bring you.
Please click the link below to take you to our project page and please make a donation today!
- See more at: huntingseason.tv/hs2-kickstarter/#sthash.bgDjVPpg.dpuf
HUNTING
SEASON is a new smash hit comedy series based on the funny and
painfully truthful blog of ALEX, a single gay 20-something in Manhattan,
a smart and successful blogger at Gawker by day, who turns the
spotlight on himself and his friends and starts anonymously writing
about his social life. Based on the wildly popular blog, The Great Cock
Hunt, and the novel of the same title published by Kensington Books.
THE SERIES launched on September 12, 2012 at LogoTV.com with the
UNCENSORED version available for paid download only at huntingseason.tv.
The cast is uber sexy! The show is witty, smart and did I say, sexy?! It has won awards and lots of great press! It looks and feels like REAL TV! It's not some web series filmed with a cheap camera in someone's backyard. Over 100 people worked on season one. IT'S QUALITY. It's gay and real!
HELP THEM MAKE SEASON 2!
"We
have just launched a Kickstarter campaign to ask for your help in
funding a second season. The creator of the show paid for season one
out of his own pocket, and then took out loans to finish it. The sales
of downloads paid back the loans and proved how big the audience was for
the show. But all the conversations we had with networks and
advertisers did not pan out and we must turn to the fans of the show to
make more episodes."
VISIT KICKSTARTER and help get Seaosn 2 made!
IF WE DON?T HIT OUT KICKSTARTER GOAL, THERE WON?T BE A SEASON 2.
Alex and his friends?s stories are just getting started. There is so much more of the world we want to bring you.
Please click the link below to take you to our project page and please make a donation today!
- See more at: huntingseason.tv/hs2-kickstarter/#sthash.bgDjVPpg.dpuf
PHOTOS: A Little More Cosplay
Fall brings out the best and the beast. This is the last Cosplay gallery before we head into all that warm coziness of the holidays.
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Friday, November 22, 2013
Best Gay Phoenix Arizona Restaurants
These are some of the best places to eat in the Phoenix area gay or not but the fact these places are very gay friendly and in some cases male only makes them even that much better. #1 Harley’s Italian … Continue reading →
CRITICS' PICKS
The Killer Angels, Lifeline Theatre, through Nov. 24. Gettysburg, 1863: three days of slaughter that turned the tide of the Civil War. This skillful adaptation of Michael Shaara's novel, with period songs, brings heart and soul to officers and enlisted men alike in a beautiful ensemble production. JA
Lesbian News - 17 Nov 2013
Gaga's Little Monsters, lesbian-lovers and grandmas out for Hong Kong PrideRichard Cohen?s other outrage: Stop saying Chirlane McCray ?used to be a lesbian?!NSW GLRL has announced new Committee ManagementLesbian Rep. Jo Jordan explains why she voted against Hawaii gay marriage billIllinois governor to sign marriage equality bill Nov. 20Sia Donates Track Profit to Gay & Lesbian Centre
4 Hour Body
This is a must for all gym boys out there.
I have started the 4 Hour Body diet (yeh) - follow my progress here The Four Hour Body - Paul ThompsonView Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
I have started the 4 Hour Body diet (yeh) - follow my progress here The Four Hour Body - Paul ThompsonView Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
Angela Peoples, Supporting Slate Win at Stein: Relative newcomer beats challenge from longtime club member and activist Jeri Hughes
News:
Angela Peoples, the current vice president for political and legislative affairs for the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, the city's main LGBT political organization, won her bid to become president of the club by a margin of 25 votes Monday night, beating back a challenge from longtime Stein member and local transgender activist Jeri Hughes.
Peoples, who ran as part of a five-person slate seeking spots on Stein's executive committee, received 49 votes to Hughes's 24 votes. In the race for vice president of administration, newcomer Diana Bui, a member of Peoples's slate, beat out incumbent Secretary Jimmie Luthuli, who was endorsed by Hughes, by a margin of 40-31.
The three other executive committee races were uncontested, with incumbent Stein Club President Martin Garcia becoming the new vice president for political and legislative affairs, Terrence Laney becoming treasurer, and Bobbi Strang becoming secretary as part of the Peoples slate. Strang, the first openly transgender person to work at the Department of Employment Services, and who previously worked in the Office of Latino Affairs, also earned an endorsement from Hughes for her ''engagement with the diverse populations that comprise the LGBT community, and her passion for full equality.''
In her bid for the presidency, Hughes said she hoped to use the Stein Club as a vehicle to fight LGBT discrimination in the District and reach out to marginalized populations. She said her experience advocating for less powerful LGBT District residents – and in getting things accomplished by applying pressure to stakeholders and various government officials – made her a good choice to lead the Stein Club to make a difference in people's lives.
''I see this club as an instrument of progress, as an instrument of change, promoting equality for this community,'' Hughes said. ''But Stein Club is not just about the people in this room. Let's make that clear: It's about the people on North Capitol Street, it's about the people in Columbia Heights, in Trinidad, and across the river. … I've fed them, I've listened to them. … I've worked in those areas. I know their problems.''
Peoples emphasized her efforts on the executive committee to recruit and engage new members and said she'd like to focus on ''advocacy at the intersections,'' or expanding Stein's fight to issues that affect LGBT people but are not specifically geared toward them, such as wages, unemployment, affordable housing and immigration.
''Leadership is more than just having the experience or having a long résumé,'' Peoples said. ''Leadership is about finding that person who is not a member, or maybe has never heard of the Stein Club, or maybe was part of the Stein Club and has become disengaged, finding that person, finding their skills and bringing them into the fold.''
While the two traded veiled barbs at each other in the course of their statements and responses to audience questions, both kept the tone of the conversation civil, with Hughes even joking at one point: ''My opponent, Miss Peoples, she's young, bright, beautiful and articulate. I probably don't want to beat her as much as I want to be her.''
In the vice presidential race, Bui emphasized her fearlessness to tackle tough issues and her desire to build coalitions with other groups, such as the LGBT Asian-American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, while Luthuli took a more technocratic approach, emphasizing her experience in two terms as the secretary for the club and her knowledge of the planning and logistics needed to successfully manage the website and events like Stein's political endorsement forums.
Following her victory in the presidential race, Peoples said she was ''humbled and honored'' to receive the support of the members.
I mean what I say, I want to continue to grow the membership, to strengthen the membership, and find new ways to engage, not just in the elections, but in policy and advocacy, and in reaching out to more and different communities, to show the force of the LGBT community,'' Peoples said. ''It really is growing. I think we're really going to be a powerhouse in 2014, and we're going to have an impact on [next year's] election.''
Hughes also thanked her supporters following the vote.
''I appreciate the support I received,'' Hughes said. ''It was a fair election, and Angela won. I will support the club and I will support her. There are a lot of issues that need attention, a lot of work to do. I'll be seeking assistance from the club to get some things done.''
Courtney Snowden, a seventh-generation D.C. resident and longtime Stein Club member who had become inactive, said she was very excited about the victories of Peoples and Bui, whom she supported.
''I have been involved in the community for a really long time and have had the opportunity to see a lot of leadership be recycled over and over again,'' Snowden said. ''I think it's a new day in Stein. We're going to see fresh, young leadership, with new ideas about how the club should be run in the future.''
Paul Kuntzler, a founding member of the Stein Club, who nominated Hughes, said he expected the final outcome but stressed the importance of the new board reaching out to veteran members of the club, who may feel slighted, or as if they're being disregarded in favor of the priorities of newer members who control the entire executive committee. Peoples and Garcia were part of an insurgent slate last year that unseated then-President Lateefah Williams, who was supported by many ''old guard'' members who felt disenfranchised when the insurgents won narrow victories, propelled chiefly by the votes of new or first-time members personally allied with Peoples and Garcia.
''I was sort of expecting the so-called 'machine' to win. We weren't optimistic,'' Kuntzler said. ''I think that we give a lot of lip service to this issue of transgender, and I think [Jeri's] election would make a big difference, and that's why I supported her. She's a very good spokesperson. … I think leadership should try to make a better effort to bring back the old members. They need to make a better effort to reach out.'' ...more
Angela Peoples, the current vice president for political and legislative affairs for the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, the city's main LGBT political organization, won her bid to become president of the club by a margin of 25 votes Monday night, beating back a challenge from longtime Stein member and local transgender activist Jeri Hughes.
Peoples, who ran as part of a five-person slate seeking spots on Stein's executive committee, received 49 votes to Hughes's 24 votes. In the race for vice president of administration, newcomer Diana Bui, a member of Peoples's slate, beat out incumbent Secretary Jimmie Luthuli, who was endorsed by Hughes, by a margin of 40-31.
The three other executive committee races were uncontested, with incumbent Stein Club President Martin Garcia becoming the new vice president for political and legislative affairs, Terrence Laney becoming treasurer, and Bobbi Strang becoming secretary as part of the Peoples slate. Strang, the first openly transgender person to work at the Department of Employment Services, and who previously worked in the Office of Latino Affairs, also earned an endorsement from Hughes for her ''engagement with the diverse populations that comprise the LGBT community, and her passion for full equality.''
In her bid for the presidency, Hughes said she hoped to use the Stein Club as a vehicle to fight LGBT discrimination in the District and reach out to marginalized populations. She said her experience advocating for less powerful LGBT District residents – and in getting things accomplished by applying pressure to stakeholders and various government officials – made her a good choice to lead the Stein Club to make a difference in people's lives.
''I see this club as an instrument of progress, as an instrument of change, promoting equality for this community,'' Hughes said. ''But Stein Club is not just about the people in this room. Let's make that clear: It's about the people on North Capitol Street, it's about the people in Columbia Heights, in Trinidad, and across the river. … I've fed them, I've listened to them. … I've worked in those areas. I know their problems.''
Peoples emphasized her efforts on the executive committee to recruit and engage new members and said she'd like to focus on ''advocacy at the intersections,'' or expanding Stein's fight to issues that affect LGBT people but are not specifically geared toward them, such as wages, unemployment, affordable housing and immigration.
''Leadership is more than just having the experience or having a long résumé,'' Peoples said. ''Leadership is about finding that person who is not a member, or maybe has never heard of the Stein Club, or maybe was part of the Stein Club and has become disengaged, finding that person, finding their skills and bringing them into the fold.''
While the two traded veiled barbs at each other in the course of their statements and responses to audience questions, both kept the tone of the conversation civil, with Hughes even joking at one point: ''My opponent, Miss Peoples, she's young, bright, beautiful and articulate. I probably don't want to beat her as much as I want to be her.''
In the vice presidential race, Bui emphasized her fearlessness to tackle tough issues and her desire to build coalitions with other groups, such as the LGBT Asian-American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, while Luthuli took a more technocratic approach, emphasizing her experience in two terms as the secretary for the club and her knowledge of the planning and logistics needed to successfully manage the website and events like Stein's political endorsement forums.
Following her victory in the presidential race, Peoples said she was ''humbled and honored'' to receive the support of the members.
I mean what I say, I want to continue to grow the membership, to strengthen the membership, and find new ways to engage, not just in the elections, but in policy and advocacy, and in reaching out to more and different communities, to show the force of the LGBT community,'' Peoples said. ''It really is growing. I think we're really going to be a powerhouse in 2014, and we're going to have an impact on [next year's] election.''
Hughes also thanked her supporters following the vote.
''I appreciate the support I received,'' Hughes said. ''It was a fair election, and Angela won. I will support the club and I will support her. There are a lot of issues that need attention, a lot of work to do. I'll be seeking assistance from the club to get some things done.''
Courtney Snowden, a seventh-generation D.C. resident and longtime Stein Club member who had become inactive, said she was very excited about the victories of Peoples and Bui, whom she supported.
''I have been involved in the community for a really long time and have had the opportunity to see a lot of leadership be recycled over and over again,'' Snowden said. ''I think it's a new day in Stein. We're going to see fresh, young leadership, with new ideas about how the club should be run in the future.''
Paul Kuntzler, a founding member of the Stein Club, who nominated Hughes, said he expected the final outcome but stressed the importance of the new board reaching out to veteran members of the club, who may feel slighted, or as if they're being disregarded in favor of the priorities of newer members who control the entire executive committee. Peoples and Garcia were part of an insurgent slate last year that unseated then-President Lateefah Williams, who was supported by many ''old guard'' members who felt disenfranchised when the insurgents won narrow victories, propelled chiefly by the votes of new or first-time members personally allied with Peoples and Garcia.
''I was sort of expecting the so-called 'machine' to win. We weren't optimistic,'' Kuntzler said. ''I think that we give a lot of lip service to this issue of transgender, and I think [Jeri's] election would make a big difference, and that's why I supported her. She's a very good spokesperson. … I think leadership should try to make a better effort to bring back the old members. They need to make a better effort to reach out.'' ...more
GLAAD's What To Watch on Thursday | VIDEO
Tonight catch all new episodes of Sean Saves the World, Degrassi, Grey's Anatomy, Glee, White Collar and Scandal.
What to Watch: Thursday, November 21
GLAAD's LGBT-friendly TV picks for Thursday night!
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What to Watch: Thursday, November 21
GLAAD's LGBT-friendly TV picks for Thursday night!
read more
World news: Luxembourg has gay leader; South Korean movie's rating
Luxembourg City mayor Xavier Bettel looks set to become the world's third openly gay or lesbian national leader after ruling monarch Grand Duke Henri picked him to negotiate the next governing coalition, Gay Star News reported. Bettel said he plans to legalize same-sex marriage as soon as next year and he will be sharing the Prime Minister's official residence with his partner, Destenay Gauthier.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Gay Pets and Big Discount
Hello Readers, I have missed you so much. I’ve been spending time on my new website I started a blog there but I have a dilemma since that is my professional website and I’m not sure how outspoken I ought … Continue reading →
(12) The Lesbian Teen Show (1hr)
Sandi talks with teenagers Mandy, Tash and Mary, about relevant and retarded issues. What’s on the minds of lesbian youth today, safe dental sex, and how to off an abusive parent … all in one 54 minute show.
Former Secretary of the Army, Clifford Alexander:
“The policy is an absurdity and borderline on being an obscenity. What it does is cause people to ask of themselves that they lie to themselves, that they pretend to be something that they are not. There is no empirical evidence that would indicate that it affects military cohesion. There is a lot of evidence to say that the biases of the past have been layered onto the United States Army.”
Iraq War Veteran and U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, challenging a witness during “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” hearings in the U.S. House:
“You’re basically asserting that straight men and women in our military aren’t professional enough to serve openly with gay troops while completing their military missions. You know as a fo…
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Iraq War Veteran and U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, challenging a witness during “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” hearings in the U.S. House:
“You’re basically asserting that straight men and women in our military aren’t professional enough to serve openly with gay troops while completing their military missions. You know as a fo…
Read More
Which X-Men Character Just Came Out as Gay?
A new addition to Marvel Comics' list of LGBT superheroes was revealed in 'Uncanny X-Men 14.'
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read more
Crystal Bowersox hopes "Coming Out For Christmas" becomes an LGBT anthem
Crystal Bowersox, called one of the most compelling, authentic and dynamic singer/songwriters of her generation, has released a new Christmas single on iTunes. In typical fashion, Bowersox delivers a heartfelt song with a poignant message with her "Coming Out For Christmas," which she co-wrote with Maia Sharp.
If you purchase a New York Rock Exchange song share, $1 goes to the Trevor Project, which aids LGBTQ youth.
Crystal Bowersox, of "American Idol" fame, delivers a heartfelt song with a poignant message with her "Coming Out For Christmas," which she co-wrote with Maia Sharp.
read more
If you purchase a New York Rock Exchange song share, $1 goes to the Trevor Project, which aids LGBTQ youth.
Crystal Bowersox, of "American Idol" fame, delivers a heartfelt song with a poignant message with her "Coming Out For Christmas," which she co-wrote with Maia Sharp.
read more
Stuff Lesbians Like Part 123: Identifying other lesbians by who they are dating or sleeping with within 30 seconds of introducing or meeting them
The most important element of a lesbian?s identity is the last known person she was sleeping with or dating. The sooner everyone knows the last person you?ve played tonsil hockey with, the more you are truly understood. The world is a cold and unforgiving place, and everyone wants to be understood. Help your new friend understand you. You will be better off in the long run.
First Gay-LGBT "Active Lifestyle" Retirement Village in France/Europe welcomes first US investors
(08-13-13) -- For many years now the world's top tourism destination, France, which attracted a staggering 83 million people in 2012, more than its own resident population, has also been the top vacation choice for US citizens traveling overseas.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Montana GOP policy: Make homosexuality illegal
HELENA, Mont. (AP) – At a time when gays have been gaining victories across the country, the Republican Party in Montana still wants to make homosexuality illegal.
The party adopted an official platform in June that keeps a long-held position in support of making homosexual acts illegal, a policy adopted after the Montana Supreme Court struck down such laws in 1997.
The fact that it’s still the official party policy more than 12 years later, despite a tidal shift in public attitudes since then and the party’s own pledge of support for individual freedoms, has exasperated some GOP members.
“I looked at that and said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” state Sen. John Brueggeman, R-Polson, said last week. “…
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The party adopted an official platform in June that keeps a long-held position in support of making homosexual acts illegal, a policy adopted after the Montana Supreme Court struck down such laws in 1997.
The fact that it’s still the official party policy more than 12 years later, despite a tidal shift in public attitudes since then and the party’s own pledge of support for individual freedoms, has exasperated some GOP members.
“I looked at that and said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” state Sen. John Brueggeman, R-Polson, said last week. “…
Read More
Equality House Gets Makeover for Transgender Day of Remembrance
The home, located across the street from the Westboro Baptist Church, has adopted the colors of the transgender flag in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance.
read more
read more
La Soiree Takes New York by Storm With All New Show
International
smash
LA
SOIR�E
@ New York?s Union Square Theatre
Opening Night November 7
Limited
Engagement
A theatrical phenomenon, a
unique and inspirational night of live entertainment, LA SOIR�E is thrilled to return
to New York this fall
where it will begin performances at the Union Square Theatre (100 East 17th
Street).
Bringing
the glamour and glitz of the velvet-draped vaudeville salons straight into the
21st century, LA
SOIR�E?s seductive
setting is complete with ringside seats, bar service and posh tables from where
audiences will be treated to a heady cocktail of cabaret, new burlesque, circus
sideshow and contemporary variety.
GET A SNEAK PEAK!
It
is high glamour and low inhibition entertainment for those who
enjoy the risky and the risqu�. The
lineup for LA SOIR�E features the cr�me de la cr�me of singular
entertainers, including stars of the Olivier-Award winning La Clique. LA
SOIR�E has seduced audiences around the world, conquering Paris, Sydney,
Stockholm and London with their astonishingly sexy, funny and downright
dangerous take on cabaret and variety. Delicious, deviant and delirious, it is
impossible to describe and impossible to resist.
LA SOIR�E took New York by storm in 2006 under the title Absinthe: Les Artistes
de La Clique.
Subsequent versions of Absinthe shows
were inspired by the original production but did not have any of the same
creative or production team.(Photo - David Omer aka Bath Boy. A gymnast, jeans and a bathtub! WOW!)
LA SOIR�E?s creative producer is
Brett Haylock. It is presented by Brett
Haylock, Mark Rubinstein and Mick Perrin.
LA SOIR�E has received raves from around the world:
?Good nights out don?t come much better than LA
SOIR�E.
It
will have you screaming for more."
- Daily Telegraph (UK)
?LA
SOIR�E is variety that?s genuinely
varied ? and burlesque with balls.
Pure adrenalin-fueled
entertainment at its best.? - Time Out
London
?This playful, sexy variety
show is a party worth going to. Just let these dazzling performers show you a
good time.? - Time Out, Chicago
?It?s cheeky, it?s clever and it?s damn sexy.? - Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
?A decadently stylish and
daringly entertaining night out.? - Chortle, UK
?An absolute blast. LA SOIR�E is a production which
loves the audience as much as they adore it.
It?s one big group hug with
inappropriate touching.? - Australian Stage
� � � � �
TICKETS
AND PLAYING SCHEDULE:
Union
Square Theatre (100 East 17th Street)
Tickets
are available through www.ticketmaster.com.
Seating is unreserved within each section so
make sure you arrive in plenty of time to choose your seat! Doors will open
half an hour before the show starts.
Tues
?Thurs at 8pm: $120 and $79
Fri-Sat:
7pm & 10pm: $130 and $89 Sun:
5pm: $130 and $89
Mezzanine
Price: $49.00 all performances
Champagne and VIP Packages available.
LIKE them on Facebook! see more at Instagram.
smash
LA
SOIR�E
@ New York?s Union Square Theatre
Opening Night November 7
Limited
Engagement
A theatrical phenomenon, a
unique and inspirational night of live entertainment, LA SOIR�E is thrilled to return
to New York this fall
where it will begin performances at the Union Square Theatre (100 East 17th
Street).
Bringing
the glamour and glitz of the velvet-draped vaudeville salons straight into the
21st century, LA
SOIR�E?s seductive
setting is complete with ringside seats, bar service and posh tables from where
audiences will be treated to a heady cocktail of cabaret, new burlesque, circus
sideshow and contemporary variety.
GET A SNEAK PEAK!
It
is high glamour and low inhibition entertainment for those who
enjoy the risky and the risqu�. The
lineup for LA SOIR�E features the cr�me de la cr�me of singular
entertainers, including stars of the Olivier-Award winning La Clique. LA
SOIR�E has seduced audiences around the world, conquering Paris, Sydney,
Stockholm and London with their astonishingly sexy, funny and downright
dangerous take on cabaret and variety. Delicious, deviant and delirious, it is
impossible to describe and impossible to resist.
LA SOIR�E took New York by storm in 2006 under the title Absinthe: Les Artistes
de La Clique.
Subsequent versions of Absinthe shows
were inspired by the original production but did not have any of the same
creative or production team.(Photo - David Omer aka Bath Boy. A gymnast, jeans and a bathtub! WOW!)
LA SOIR�E?s creative producer is
Brett Haylock. It is presented by Brett
Haylock, Mark Rubinstein and Mick Perrin.
LA SOIR�E has received raves from around the world:
?Good nights out don?t come much better than LA
SOIR�E.
It
will have you screaming for more."
- Daily Telegraph (UK)
?LA
SOIR�E is variety that?s genuinely
varied ? and burlesque with balls.
Pure adrenalin-fueled
entertainment at its best.? - Time Out
London
?This playful, sexy variety
show is a party worth going to. Just let these dazzling performers show you a
good time.? - Time Out, Chicago
?It?s cheeky, it?s clever and it?s damn sexy.? - Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
?A decadently stylish and
daringly entertaining night out.? - Chortle, UK
?An absolute blast. LA SOIR�E is a production which
loves the audience as much as they adore it.
It?s one big group hug with
inappropriate touching.? - Australian Stage
� � � � �
TICKETS
AND PLAYING SCHEDULE:
Union
Square Theatre (100 East 17th Street)
Tickets
are available through www.ticketmaster.com.
Seating is unreserved within each section so
make sure you arrive in plenty of time to choose your seat! Doors will open
half an hour before the show starts.
Tues
?Thurs at 8pm: $120 and $79
Fri-Sat:
7pm & 10pm: $130 and $89 Sun:
5pm: $130 and $89
Mezzanine
Price: $49.00 all performances
Champagne and VIP Packages available.
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