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Thursday, December 23, 2010

Kate Clinton's The Gay Year in Review











OUTTAKE BLOG™ Update: Courting Gay Marriage in 2011...
In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Kate Clinton, our favorite gay political humorist about the historic repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and more. As we head into the New Year it’s time to reflect on 2010 and chat about what civil rights 2011 will bring our LGBT community. This has been a challenging and important year for our community ending victoriously with the repeal of the archaic military policy “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” In 2010 it appeared that our LGBT advocates spent the entire year in Federal Court proving the unconstitutionality of the ‘Defense of Marriage Act’ Section 3, which provides federal rights to legally married gay couples in Massachusetts, ‘Prop 8’ and the game changer ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’.
When asked what her spin was on 2010 The Year in Gay Review Clinton stated, “It has felt like a whole year of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Marry’. I’m happy that it’s a conversation that we’re having in this country, that’s moving along at different paces and people are wildly involved in it, either for or against. I think it’s a real engaging topic, maybe not the one that I would have chosen but I’m happy when gay people are involved in the gay movement. I think it will come in its own time, the moment when people are really working for gay rights, so I’m all for it.”

Join Kate Clinton for her 2011 Glee Party Tour, celebrating her 30-year career. This is a rolling Restore-to-Sanity rally. Problems are solved in less than an hour. Break into flash mobs of song and dance for no apparent reason. Kate preaches way beyond the choir. She is the original Nostra Dame. Get some PTSG - Post-Traumatic Stress Glee. If the whole world's crashing, we might as well be gleeful and gay.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

"Gen Silent" Speaks OUT for LGBT Seniors










Gay Leaders Speak OUT on "Don't Ask Don't Tell" Repeal...
In this exclusive audio interview montage Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with members of the Boston LGBT community at the premier of Director Stu Maddux new film Gen Silent. In this new groundbreaking documentary Maddux puts a face on what experts in the film call an epidemic: gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender seniors so afraid of being subject to discrimination, or worse, in long-term/health care that many go back into the closet. Their surprising decisions are captured through intimate access to their day-to-day lives over the course of a year in Boston, Massachusetts.
We interviewed Bob Linscott, Assistant Director, LGBT Aging Project, Sue Reamer, PHD, Co-Chair Stonewall Communities, David Aronstein, Founder of Stonewall Communities and his partner Steve Tamasy. We also talked with Sheri Barden and Lois Johnson who have been together for over 40 years, legally married in Massachusetts and featured in Gen Silent. Filmmaker Stu Maddux was on hand for an intimate reaction to the premier of his film.

When asked how we can get Gen Silent into the educational system Bob Linscott stated, “A lot of fundraising because when there are funds people stand behind it and put capital behind it. Then you can get it out there, you can create curriculum and get it into places. When an agency has to buy something like this, a DVD on LGBT seniors, they’re not going to do it but when there’s funding that is supplied to these agencies it makes it much easier to get in the door to see it right now. The critical thing is to get this film to be seen.”

The team at Gen Silent is requesting as many end of year tax-deductible donations as possible this month to create a teaching version of Gen Silent by Spring. It is crucial that this film becomes mandatory viewing for paid caregivers as part of their continuing education requirements. Then we'll have a chance to change lives and the future of our LGBT seniors. You can make your gift conveniently on their website.
For Donations & More Info: Gen Silent
Watch Trailer


Thursday, December 9, 2010

Kenyan Gay Ally Rev. Makokha Interview 2










In the conclusion of this two-part exclusive audio interview, Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Rev. John Makokha, senior pastor of Riruta United Methodist Church in Nairobi, Kenya. He is the African correspondent for Reconciling Ministries Network and the Country Coordinator of Other Sheep Kenya Trust, a faith-based LGBTI organization. John is the Africa Author of Reconciling Ministries Network. He passionately runs educational awareness seminars on human sexuality and gender identity programs to address religious homophobia and transphobia in Kenya with his wife Anne.

When asked what he thought about American religious leaders' influence on Africa, Makokha stated, “I’m really concerned about the American Fundamental Christian leaders who are very, very homophobic. I think what America needs to do is focus on what the bible says about human sexuality and gender identity and maybe try to reach out in Christian awareness and maybe have conferences with Fundamental Christian Religious leaders so they can tone down their red flags on homosexuality. I’m sorry to say it is a big concern in Africa that we respect each other's opinions but the Fundamentalist Evangelical Christian leaders from America have been transporting homophobia to Africa. The best example is the bill in Uganda and even in Kenya and other parts of Africa have been receiving big chunks of money to propagate heterosexuality and propagate homophobia.”

As Coordinator for Other Sheep Kenya, John organizes and leads educational awareness seminars on human sexuality and gender identity throughout Kenya. Other Sheep Kenya addresses religious homophobia, transphobia, social justice, and HIV/AIDS in Kenya through capacity building and advocacy programs for LGBTI people and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Other Sheep has ministries in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. Other Sheep Kenya came into existence during the 2007 Kenya summer ministry program of Rev. Stephen Parelli and Jose Ortiz, Other Sheep Executive Director and Other Sheep Coordinator for Africa, respectively. Our gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender (LGBT) community are once again subject to homophobia, religious and cultural extremism. Recently the UN General Assembly has actually voted to allow LGBT people to be executed without cause. Read More…. This holiday season we hope our audience will consider making a donation to support our LGBT community, especially in oppressive countries.
Listen to Kenyan Gay Ally Rev. Makokha Speaks OUT Part #1
For More Info: othersheep.org






Thursday, December 2, 2010

UK Gay Activist Tris Reid-Smith Speaks OUT











In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Tris Reid-Smith Editor-in-Chief of the Pink Paper and the Gay Times in London, UK. Pink Paper was established in 1987 and remains the only national newspaper for the LGBT community in the UK. In 2009 Pink Paper became strictly an online format. Gay Times and Diva are fabulous glossy magazines serving our gay and lesbian communities that are available worldwide. We talked to Tris about our LGBT community’s rights and protections in the UK and America.

In the United Kingdom there are complete protections for our LGBT community in the workplace, unless you are a priest. This is similar to what the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) would provide our LGBT community in America if it ever gets out of committee. In the UK the new Equality Act covers shops, services, hotels and public services like hospitals and schools; all must avoid discrimination. Civil partnerships were passed in 2005 and provide 99% of the same rights and protections as heterosexual marriages. The one percent appears to be the use of the word “marriage” which is currently under consideration. Gays and lesbians have been openly serving in the military since 2000.

When asked his thoughts about our “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” military policy Reid-Smith stated, “I can’t believe how hard it is in the US to get something done. I can’t believe that the Obama Administration which says that they want to get rid of the ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ policy which was an election promise, as I recall; I can’t believe that they’re still fighting it. So first of all I’m stunned by what’s happening in the US. I’m as disappointed as I am surprised. Secondly, I think you certainly will get there because you only have to look at Iraq and Afghanistan where US and UK troops are basically doing the same job. There are more of you guys than there are of us but you’re doing the same job in the same conditions and serving along side each other and if it works for us there’s no way any military chief in the US can put his hand on his heart and genuinely say it’s not possible because it is. Now in the UK the military are very proud of its record and you can go to a gay event and our (gay & lesbian) military will march in uniform in the beginning of pride events around the country. I’ve been to events at Downing Street at the Prime Minister’s house and being amongst a room full of gay people including senior officers from the navy, the army, the air force in uniform and openly gay. So it is incredible and it can be solved in the US. But, I am baffled at a time when you would have thought we need to retain as many troops as possible that the Obama administration is prevaricating about this quite so badly and letting the troops that do such a good job for you guys, letting them down.”

Tris Reid-Smith has been the Editor of Pink Paper since 2001. In 2009 he was made Editor-in-Chief of Gay Times and PinkPaper.com. He is Consulting Editor of DIVA, AXM, Puffta and Co-Executive Producer of PinkSixty their new TV daily news series.
For More Info: PinkPaper.com