Alison Burgos Talks LGBTQ Red Shirt Pride Day (AUDIO)

 

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Alison Burgos, Co-Founder and Vice President of the KindRED Pride Foundation about the launch of “Red Shirt Pride Day” an annual global movement on the first Saturday of June to get a million LGBTQ individuals and allies to wear a red shirt not only in celebration of Pride Month but as a message of “KindRED” spirit in these challenging times. The link between red and Pride originated in 1991 when Disney cast members and the Central Florida LGBTQ Community decided to meet socially on the first Saturday in June in front of the Castle at Magic Kingdom. They wore red t-shirts as an expression of pride and to identify their “kindred spirits” since they had only met on a bulletin board and never in person. “Gay Disney” flourished and quickly grew to be one of the largest LGBTQ annual gatherings in the world. The growth was in part the result of the national exposure brought on by the protests of far-right groups threatening to boycott. The LGBTQ community responded in droves and year after year have journeyed to Disney World Resorts from around the world. Red is also the first color of the rainbow flag and stands as a symbol of life and passion. Burgos hopes to start a yearly worldwide tradition with Red Shirt Pride Day building connections with LGBTQ communities and allies around the world as a sign of solidarity for those who believe in diversity, inclusion, equality, safe expression and kindness. The KindRED Pride Foundation will inaugurate its Red Shirt Campaign at the official kickoff of Pride Cup the annual LGBTQ multi-sport competition held during Gay Disney weekend that takes place June 1st to June 4th in Orlando, Florida. We talked to Alison about what she hopes to accomplish with Red Shirt Pride Day and her spin on our LGBTQ issues. 

KindRED Pride Foundation is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to support the endeavors of like-minded charities for the education, promotion and celebration of Diversity, Inclusion, Equality, Safe Expression and Kindness. The organization is aligning with national, regional and local non-profits who provide valuable resources to fight bullying, teen homelessness, HIV services and legal/business/housing services to the LGBTQ community. For More Info…

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Boze Hadleigh Talks New Book “Game Show Confidential” (AUDIO)

 

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Boze Hadleigh about his fabulous new book “Game Show Confidential” published by Lyons Press and distributed by the National Book Network. At a time when books are being censored across the country this must-read LGBTQ inclusive book covers a fascinating history of the game show genre. Since first appearing on radio broadcasts in the 1930’s to the current phenomenon dominating our broadcast culture, game shows continue to draw huge audiences. We especially saw an insurgence of this popular programming during COVID providing TV audiences with its “feel good” entertainment. “Game Show Confidential” describes the evolution of the game show with its larger-than-life producers and hosts as well as the scandals that have rocked it from time to time. Back in 1954 the FCC tried to ban television game shows but the Supreme Court disagreed. Then came the 1958 game show scandals that led to a Congressional investigation into the rigging of game shows which director Robert Redford zeroed in on in the film "Quiz Show". During that time an interesting fact was ex contestant and child star Patty Duke appeared before a Congressional investigating committee and broke down crying admitting she'd been coached by adults to lie. “Game Show Confidential” also addresses the misogyny, bigotry and homophobia that have dominated the genre until recently. Though we now have women hosting primetime games show like Jane Lynch, Ellen Degeneres and Elizabeth Banks, when Betty White was set to host a 1960’s game show, ABC vetoed having a female host. We talked to Boze about his inspiration for writing “Game Show Confidential” and his spin on our LGBTQ issues. 

Boze Hadleigh has published 29 books primarily on show business that are all LGBTQ inclusive though they’re not all gay-themed. Hadleigh is the #1 author on our LGBTQ presence in the entertainment industry especially Hollywood. The Los Angeles Times dubbed him a "pop culture phenomenon." Hadleigh holds a Master's in journalism, speaks five languages and won on the TV game show "Jeopardy!" Boze’s LGBTQ inclusive titles include Hollywood Gays, The Lavender Screen, Sing Out!, Broadway Babylon, Celebrity Lies!, Marilyn Forever, An Actor Succeeds, “Hollywood Lesbians: From Garbo To Foster, Inside the Hollywood Closet: A Book of Quotes and currently Game Show Confidential. For More Info…

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David Zimmerman Talks LGBT Executive Networking Night (AUDIO)

 

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with fierce LGBTQ ally David Zimmerman, Publisher of Boston Spirit Magazine about the 15th Annual LGBT Executive Networking Night on May 17th in Boston, MA. This year's event will feature keynote speaker Jonathan Knight the popular HGTV star and “New Kids On The Block” member. Knight is both a local and LGBTQ icon capturing the hearts of millions of fans with his incredible farmhouse renovations on HGTV’s “Farmhouse Fixer” and during his Grammy-nominated career in pop music with NKOTB. As keynote speaker Jonathan will share his story and celebrate his remarkable career. The evening promises to be a fabulous night of networking, mingling and making valuable connections with the Greater Boston LGBTQ corporate professional community and business leaders. The event will take place at the Marriott Boston Copley Place Ballroom from 6P to 9P. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, share insights and build lasting relationships. There will also be a special presentation by the LGBT History Project on the history of the LGBTQ community in the region. Since its founding in 2006 Boston Spirit Magazine has become an indispensable resource for Boston's LGBTQ community covering a wide range of topics including business, arts and entertainment, travel, health and wellness and more. Boston Spirit Magazine is dedicated to producing high-quality content that informs, educates and inspires its readers. We talked to Zimmerman about what he hopes to accomplish with the 15th Annual LGBT Executive Networking Night and his spin on our LGBTQ issues. 

David Zimmerman launched Boston Spirit Magazine 17 years ago after a stellar career in both public relations and advertising. For nearly 20 years David worked at both the Boston Business Journal and Boston Magazine. The 15th Annual LGBT Executive Networking Night on May 17th at the Marriott Boston Copley Place Ballroom is an opportunity to network with other LGBTQ professionals from the Greater Boston area and meet with over 50 exhibitors. Many of the attending exhibitors are hiring so if you are in the market for a new career be sure to bring business cards. There will also be fabulous free appetizers and a cash bar with your $15 cover (cash or check only) at the door. For More Info & RSVP…

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Victoria Kirby York Talks National Black Justice Coalition (AUDIO)

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Victoria Kirby York, Director of Public Policy & Programs for the National Black Justice Coalition. Since 2003 the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) has been America’s leading national civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black LGBTQ people including people living with HIV/AIDS through coalition building, federal policy change, research and education. Their mission is to end racism, homophobia, LGBTQ bias and stigma. NBJC supports Black individuals, families and communities in strengthening the bonds and bridging the gaps between the movements for racial justice and LGBTQ equity. Recently NBJC unveiled its Federal Policy Agenda for the 118th Congressional Term offering its recommendations for urgently needed action to address pressing public policy issues facing our Black LGBTQ community ensuring their freedoms and equal protection under the law. NBJC is prioritizing three policy pillars this legislative session addressing Awareness, Access and Accountability. Black LGBTQ Americans represent a significant subset of Black families with over one million people (3.7 percent of all Black Americans) identifying as LGBTQ. The community's challenges are compounded partly by the stigma and marginalization resulting from social constructions of race, normative gender and sexuality. NBJC will also continue to fight and campaign for the Equality Act, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the Student Loan Debt Relief Act, the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2019 and several Biden-Harris Administration executive actions. We talked to Victoria about what she hopes to accomplish at NBJC and her spin on our LGBTQ issues. 

Victoria Kirby York is responsible for leading NBJC’s advocacy and action strategies to maintain the org’s position as a recognized public-policy leader especially concerning Black trans, queer and non-binary/non-conforming people, families and communities as well as other multiple marginalized communities. Previously she served as the Deputy Director for the Advocacy & Action Department at the National LGBTQ+ Task Force where she managed the policy, organizing and faith team to queer advocacy around faith, equity and democracy. For over 20 years Victoria has been working in a variety of capacities regarding a number of progressive issues and candidates as well as in the private sector. For More Info…

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Carine de Mesmaeker Talks Velvet Ibiza Epic Women’s Party (AUDIO)

 

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Carine de Mesmaeker, the creator and founder of Velvet Ibiza the fab all-inclusive five-day party for LGBTQ women that takes place May 2nd to May 7th at Cala Martina in Ibiza, Spain. De Mesmaeker rents out the entire resort so there’s no need to venture anywhere, the party is literally on your doorsteps. Velvet Ibiza is an all-inclusive five-day and five-night party which includes transportation from the airport, a bungalow, meals, activities, all parties and drinks until around 10:30P. Celebrating its 7th year Velvet Ibiza attracts a vast international crowd with LGBTQ women traveling from all over the globe for one big giant celebration for our community. From the pool parties, sports tournaments, yoga classes, club nights and now the infamous duck race to the top queer female DJs from Europe and America dropping the sickest beats, Velvet Ibiza has it all. This year Velvet Ibiza is focusing on single women adding speed dating to the mix. All the dance parties and special events take place at the host hotel Cala Martina located in the historical Hippie Market one of the few places in Ibiza where you can still find the retro hippie essence. It was founded in 1973 and for that reason it is currently the largest and oldest market on the island. A second hotel Paraiso Beach right next to Hotel Cala Martina has also been retained as well so there’s no reason to go anywhere unless of course you want to go shopping, head to the beach or explore the island. We talked to Carine about her inspiration for creating Velvet Ibiza and her spin on our LGBTQ issues. 

Carine De Mesmaeker is the mastermind behind Velvet 69 one of Europe’s biggest queer Women’s Party in Brussels, Belgium founded in 2010. Since 2015 Velvet Ibiza has made history being the first ever queer women event held in the small Balearic Island famously known for its LGBTQ friendly culture, its vibrant nightlife scene and celebrity sighting. Carine has been producing parties in bars and clubs since the early 80s. She owned and operated her own club “Gate” from 1999 to 2004. Her goal is to create a safe space for queer women and to throw amazing parties. Velvet Ibiza the all-inclusive 5-day and 5-night event is becoming a holy ground for queer women who continue to descend on this fabulous isle to enjoy one the most life changing and bonding experience. For More Info…

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Emma Chinn Talks Discriminatory Laws In Tennessee (AUDIO)

 

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Emma Chinn, Special Projects Coordinator at Campaign for Southern Equality and a proud LGBTQ Tennessean. Recently Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed into law 2 LGBTQ discriminatory bills that go into effect on July 1, 2023. First is HB/SB 9 that bans drag performances from taking place on any public property in the state as well as in any location where people under 18 could be present. This law unfairly places male or female impersonators in the same adult cabaret performance category as topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers and strippers. The second Bill signed into law was HB/SB 1 that bans lifesaving medical care for transgender youth under the age of 18. Although legal groups including the ACLU of Tennessee have announced intentions to challenge the law in court young people who have begun accessing gender-affirming hormone therapy or puberty blockers prior to July 1st will be able to access care until March 31st 2024 at which time this care will no longer be available in Tennessee. Prior to the passing of Tennessee’s anti LGBTQ legislation Chinn co-authored a report entitled “Coming of Age as an LGBTQ Southerner: Family, Faith, Education & Health” detailing the life and health experiences of LGBTQ Tennesseans. The research found that approximately 84% of transgender respondents from Tennessee reported that when they were under the age of 18 having access to gender-affirming care was important to their overall well-being. Yet among respondents who reported currently using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) only 18% reported using HRT prior to the age of 18 and only 5% reported using hormone blockers prior to the age of 18. We talked to Emma about Tennessee’s aggressive attack on our transgender community and her spin on our LGBTQ issues. 

Emma Chinn in addition to her work with the Campaign for Southern Equality is currently a Master of Public Policy student at the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Her thesis is based on the effect state policies have on LGBTQ Tennesseans. Southern Equality based in Asheville, North Carolina promotes full LGBTQ equality across the South. Their work is rooted in commitments to equity in race, gender and where everyone is free to be who they truly are and love who they truly love. For More Info…

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Annise Parker Talks LGBTQ Victory Fund Political Agenda (AUDIO)

 

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Annise Parker, President and CEO of the Victory Fund and Victory Institute about the importance of endorsing openly LGBTQ political candidates for local, state and federal elective offices. Currently there are 1200 openly LGBTQ people serving in offices across America but we need at least 30,000 to come close to leveling the political scope in this country. The LGBTQ Victory Fund works to achieve this goal and sustain equality by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government while ensuring they reflect the diversity of those they serve. We all know how successful the religious right has been in stacking the political field against our community. Now is the time to support LGBTQ candidates in their quest to advance our progressive values. To be considered for endorsement by the Victory Fund and Victory Institute candidates must be openly LGBTQ, pro-choice and support an individual’s right to privacy. It’s also crucial that they support the rights of transgender individuals, demonstrate community support and have a realistic plan to win. Candidates must additionally demonstrate support of federal, state or local efforts to advance LGBTQ civil rights through the legislative or regulatory process and demonstrate support of federal, state or local efforts to safeguard privacy and reproductive freedom. Victory Fund was founded in 1991 by LGBTQ activists and donors who recognized the success of EMILY’s List at attracting attention and support for women candidates for public office and applied the success of this model to advance equality for our LGBTQ community. We talked to Annise about what she hopes to accomplish at the Victory Fund and her spin on our LGBTQ issues. 

Annise Parker is the first former elected official to lead the Victory Fund and Victory Institute after serving six years as a Houston City Council member, six years as City Controller and six years as Mayor of Houston becoming the first openly LGBTQ mayor of a major American city. In the private sector Annise spent 20 years working in the oil and gas industry including 18 years with Mosbacher Energy Company. She also co-owned “Inklings” a lesbian/feminist bookstore for 10 years. Mayor Parker and her wife Kathy Hubbard have been together since 1991 and are advocates for adoption with three daughters, a son and three grandchildren. For More Info…

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Virginia Apuzzo Talks The Task Force Celebrating 50 Years (AUDIO)

 

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with LGBTQ pioneer activist Virginia (Ginny) Apuzzo who served as Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force from 1982 to 1986. The Task Force is the country’s oldest LGBTQ advocacy group celebrating 50 years of advancing freedom, justice and equality for LGBTQ people. This milestone year will recognize and celebrate the Task Force’s rich history of driving progress within the LGBTQ community from its early days lobbying the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality as a mental illness and advocating for AIDS funding to longstanding campaigns to Queer the Census, Queer the Vote, work for trans rights, fight for reproductive justice and bringing an intersectional approach to the LGBTQ movement. The celebration kicks off this month with their Creating Change Conference from Friday February 17th to Tuesday February 21st in San Francisco, CA at the Hilton Hotel Union Square. This year’s theme is “The State of the Movement: Our Past. Our Present. Our Future”. Creating Change is the foremost political, leadership and skills-building conference for our LGBTQ social justice movement. The event will include speakers Angelica Ross, activist X Gonzalez and more. Then the 50th celebration will continue next month in Miami Beach, Florida at the 30th Annual Winter Party Festival with this year’s theme “Live Free Play Hard Give Back” that takes place Wednesday March 1st to Tuesday March 7th. Other events related to the 50th celebration will include the Task Force Gala on October 22nd, its premier annual celebration of South Florida’s LGBTQ community with more details to be announced as they are confirmed. We talked to Ginny about what it was like when she led the National LGBTQ Task Force in the 1980’s and her spin on our LGBTQ issues. 

Virginia "Ginny" Apuzzo became a nun in 1967 at the Sisters of Charity in the Bronx and left the convent in 1969 after the Stonewall riots. During the 1970s she became a member of the Coordinating Committee of the Manhattan Women's Political Caucus and earned a Master of Science in Urban Education from Fordham University. In 1978 she co-founded the Lambda Independent Democrats and ran for the New York State Assembly. In 1979 she served as the assistant commissioner for operations in the New York City Department of Health and became a strong advocate for people with AIDS. She then served as executive deputy of the New York State Consumer Protection Board and as the vice chair of the New York State AIDS Advisory Council. She was also President of the New York State Civil Service Commission and Commissioner of the New York State Department of Civil Service. In 1996 she became the Associate Deputy Secretary of Labor at the United States Department of Labor and in 1997 she became the Assistant to the President for Management and Administration under the Clinton administration. In 2007 she began serving on the Commission on Public Integrity where she worked until her retirement. The National LGBTQ Task Force advances full freedom, justice and equality for LGBTQ people. They are building a future where everyone can be free to be their entire selves in every aspect of their lives. For More Info…

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Craig Coogan Talks “Music Triumphs Homophobia” Film (AUDIO)

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Craig Coogan about his new documentary "Music Triumphs Homophobia" that’s available on Amazon Prime Video. The film chronicles the impact of the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus (BGMC) as they perform for audiences in New England and around the world. Using archival material, news footage and interviews “Music Triumphs Homophobia” documents how a small Boston-based chorus became global cultural ambassadors educating people about LGBTQ lives and encouraging acceptance and respect for our LGBTQ community. Written and directed by multiple award-winning filmmakers Michael Willer and Craig Coogan the film is scored with original compositions by Chad Weirick BGMC’s Principal Accompanist and Assistant Music Director and features choral cover performances of songs by Katy Perry, Janet Jackson, Andrea Day, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Stephen Schwartz and Benji Pasek. Since 1982 BGMC has created musical experiences to inspire change, build community and celebrate difference. It’s a mission that has brought BGMC to some unlikely venues including a Congregational Church in rural Vermont, Worcester’s College of Holy Cross, Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate, conservative Catholic-dominated Poland, a kibbutz by the Dead Sea, a university parking lot in Istanbul and the shores of South Africa. In South Africa the city of George welcomed BGMC for a free community concert as part of its inaugural Pride celebration. The invitation by George’s city council was marred when George Mayor Melvin Naik took to the airwaves to lambaste BGMC and the city’s support for its LGBTQ residents. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded by inviting BGMC to join him for the country’s annual Youth Day march where he personally greeted each member of the chorus and publicly welcomed them to South Africa. We talked to Coogan about what he hopes to accomplish with "Music Triumphs Homophobia" and his spin on our LGBTQ issues. 

Craig Coogan served as Executive Director of the Boston Gay Men's Chorus from 2012-2022. Currently he is the Interim Executive Director of the Seattle Choruses. Coogan’s expertise is in developing strategies and programs to help LGBTQ and other nonprofit organizations achieve their operational and artistic goals. A graduate of Syracuse University he brings experience in both the for-profit and non-profit arenas. Craig has also produced independent films, award-winning documentaries and acclaimed original plays that tell the LGBTQ experience. For More Info…

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