Gay Ally Actor Hal Sparks Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Actor Hal Sparks, star of Disney XD’s top-rated TV series LAB RATS and the groundbreaking series QUEER AS FOLK. Sparks appears as a regular guest and fill-in host on the national STEPHANIE MILLER RADIO SHOW, providing three hours of commentary and humor on Wednesday mornings. We talked to Hal about the new season of LAB RATS and his spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights, Sparks stated, “In my life growing-up in Kentucky I use to hang out with four running buddies as a kid, six, ten and eleven years old. Two of them would later come out and so fifty percent of my friends as a kid were gay. So in the long run I guess the short answer is people will ask you why you care about gay rights or why you care about LGBT issues and my question would be, why wouldn’t you? If you are for freedom and equal rights which we hear a lot of talk about these days, then you have to include the LGBTQ community in that. And if you’re not willing to put your time where your mouth is then I don’t know quite what you mean by commitment in your life. I think the AIDS Crisis was a shock to the community. It required sort of a new level of commitment to all of these issues. And I think the primary one was lack of hospital visitation rights, which is probably the crux of my involvement early on working with Marianne Williamson and AIDS Project Los Angeles and Project Angel Food. And once you get past the life and death of it you know you get to the life of it.”

Sparks is politically active not only in his cutting-edge stand-up and weekly Saturday radio show THE HAL SPARKS RADIO SHOW being picked up by Sirus XM this fall but as the celebrity spokesperson for major equality and civil rights movements, including the NOH8 Campaign and AIDS Walk. Hal appears in top shape with two sold-out tours: Stephanie Miller’s Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour which boasts the country's #1 album on the Billboard comedy charts and SRO dates with his leading rock band, ZERO 1. All new LAB RATS episodes air through the summer on Thursday nights at 7:30P on Disney XD and the cast returns to tape the new fall season in August. Sparks resides in Los Angeles and is a proud new father to son, Camden.
For More Info: halsparks.com

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Gay Club Favorite Pop Star Emii Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Sultry Pop Songstress Emii. Recently her remix of her hit song STILETTOS has grabbed the attention of “MTV Buzzworthy” landing itself on their ultimate Friday night "getting-ready playlists.” STILETTOS is the follow up to Emii's Snoop Dogg collaborated smash hit MR ROMEO. STILETTOS has all the right ingredients for a fabulous hot dance floor sensation. Emii is a gay club favorite including performing at the number one US gay nightclub KRAVE in Las Vegas. We talked to Emii about her music and her spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights as a heterosexual woman who has performed in gay clubs and with her songs appearing on the gay network LOGO, Emii stated, “Actually I would correct you a little bit there. If we have to put a label on my sexuality as it stands I honestly believe I would be more accurately define it as pansexual. It is entirely irrelevant to me what gender someone is. For me personally falling in love is purely dependent on the quality and personality of the individual so I’m open to falling for the right person for me, whatever that may be. But regardless, I believe it is our fundamental right as human beings to love who we love. I think it is a crime against humanity to chastise people for their personal decision when those decisions have no ill-effect on society.”

Emii has been taking the world by storm with her infectious music and her rocking style. Her controversial video for STILETTOS can be found on Viacom’s LOGO on demand channel amongst club favorites Lady Gaga and Beyonce. No stranger to the stage, Emii has performed all over the world, singing at the hottest spots in Miami, New York and Los Angeles and touring Beirut, Lebanon on the NJR Music Tour. With her eyes on the prize, Emii is focused on breaking boundaries, inspiring others and sharing her musical prowess with the world.
For More Info: emii.net

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Provincetown Int’l Film Festival June 13-17

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Andrew Peterson, Director of Programming for the Provincetown International Film Festival that takes place in Provincetown, Massachusetts June 13th through June 17th. This year there will be over sixty films presented at the 14th annual PIFF. The Opening Night Film will be the East Coast premiere of BACHELORETTE, directed by Leslye Headland and starring Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, and Lizzy Caplan. The Festival will close with FAIRHAVEN, directed by Tom O’Brien and starring O’Brien, Chris Messina and Rich Sommer. The Friday Spotlight Film is GAYBY, directed by Jonathan Lisecki and the Saturday Spotlight Selection is VITO, directed by Jeffrey Schwarz. The 2012 Filmmaker on the Edge Award sponsored by the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation will be awarded to Iconic Producer/Director Roger Corman. PIT AND THE PENDULUM, THE TRIP and THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS are just a few of his cult-classics and will be presented by director John Waters. Actor Parker Posey, PRICE CHECK, PARTY GIRL, BEST IN SHOW will receive the Excellence In Acting Award. The Faith Hubley Career Achievement Award sponsored by the MALLRD Foundation will be given to documentary director Kirby Dick, THE INVISIBLE WAR, THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED and OUTRAGE. We talked to Andrew about the Provincetown International Film Festival and issues facing our LGBT community.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Peterson stated, “Part of it at the Festival is showing films and having conversations and trying to inspire people and remind people of their roots and recharge that sense of community that I think is increasingly hard to have. I think that festivals are rare that do that. I don’t even know if people go to see movies much anymore in their own cities other than blockbusters. It use to be when a gay film opened in the nineties the theater would be packed in Minneapolis where I live. Now I think a lot of people experience things at home and I think there’s such a power of seeing things together and having conversations and talking to the creators and particularly documentaries. These filmmakers are so steeped in their subject and have so much knowledge to impart and advance the dialogue and give a positive message.”

The Provincetown Film Society, Inc. (PFS) is the year-round organization and home of the 14 year old Provincetown International Film Festival and the Whaler's Wharf Cinema. PFS is dedicated to showcasing new achievements in independent film and honoring the work of acclaimed and emerging directors, producers and actors. This is achieved through its 5-day Festival in June as well as its year-round theater operation, the Whaler's Wharf Cinema. PFS is equally devoted to expanding the audience for independent film and to serving the Provincetown and Outer Cape community by filling the void for annual film programming and reflecting the community's rich diversity in selected films and honorees. An integral part of PFS's mission is to contribute to the economic and creative vitality of America's oldest art colony. This is the sixth year we’ll be covering the festival for OUTTAKE VOICES™.
For More Info & Tix: ptownfilmfest.org

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Gay Activist Robin Schwartz Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Robin Schwartz, one of the founders and the Executive Director of the Aqua Foundation for Women based in Miami, Florida. The mission of the Aqua Foundation for Women is to serve as the funding catalyst for lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women. Their annual grant program awards organizations in a variety of areas including wellness, youth empowerment, therapeutic counseling, cultural enrichment, equality and more. AFW has targeted the unique health needs of LBT women by providing funding to the Pride Center to create an online directory of healthcare professionals who have passed a vetting process to determine that they treat LBT women with the respect they deserve. This initiative encourages LBT women to seek medical attention with greater frequency, comfort and ultimately save lives. We talked to Robin about Aqua Foundation for Women and issues facing our LGBT community.

When asked what her inspiration was for forming Aqua Foundation for Women, Schwartz stated, “Well, back in 2004 there was a group of us who felt that there were lots of pretty good organizations out there but they were mostly run by men and supported by men and therefore a lot of the work was for things that men thought were important. We agree with all that but we felt if there was an organization run by women and supported by women that we would be able to focus on some of the needs that were specific to women. So each year we put out grant programs for all different organizations to apply. This past year we gave funding to a university down here to do a study on transgender women’s health and there’s practically no statistics on that issue. We also gave money to PFLAG and other different youth groups in town. We also support a conference for the last few years called OUTlet which is put on by one of our local organizations and is really powerful. Not only do we give them funding but I also participate in panels. That one is centered around helping young women get job skills.”

In May the annual Aqua Girl® event is held in South Beach which features something for every LBT woman with an array of pool & dance parties, comedy shows, film screenings, cocktail receptions and fitness workshops with the proceeds going to Aqua Foundation for Women. What began as a one-night breast cancer benefit in 1999 has grown into the largest charity women’s week in the country, having raised more than $1.8 million dollars for Aqua Foundation for Women. Aqua Girl® has been attended by thousands of women, all with the focus of having a good time for a great cause.
For More Info: aquafoundation.org

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