Gay Network Here TV Presents Pride & Groom

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with producer Josh Rosenzweig and director Keren Aronoff about their new documentary Pride & Groom on Here TV. Pride & Groom commemorates the first anniversary of marriage equality in New York State and is part one of a four part series of one-hour specials addressing gay marriage exclusively on Here TV and Here TV Online. Josh Rosenzweig who is also Senior Vice President of Original Programming and Development for Here TV said, “Pride & Groom is dedicated to the thousands of activists, couples and everyday gay and lesbian Americans across the country who are fighting for full marriage equality. We hope audiences across the country, both gay and straight will see the emotional journey that all couples face deciding to enter into marriage and will laugh, cry and be inspired by this true love story.” The first Pride & Groom episode follows Mitchell Cook and Paul Neenos on their journey to wedded bliss. It’s an intimate depiction beginning with their engagement to creating invitations, to choosing flowers to the emotionally charged issues the couple face with their families as they prepare to spend the rest of the lives together. We talked to Josh and Keren about their documentary and issues facing our LGBT community.

When asked what is their personal commitment to LGBT civil rights first Rosenzweig stated, “My job at Here Media gives me a really incredible unique platform to say what I want in terms of LGBT civil rights. Whether that’s a political show or that’s even through some sort of drag show which probably has a lot of subversive or underlined political tones to it that you might see on the surface or something like Pride & Groom. Personally my commitment is incredibly strong and I try and utilize this position to get the word out and continue to discuss not just the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and marriage equality issues but all topics that effect the LGBT population.” Aronoff added, “When it hit me that I had a great friend that would be able to tell his story, I do what I do which is shoot and edit the content in order to tell stories. The specific point of view that I get to tell stories that I am lucky enough to have access to and put ideas to Josh and then tell personal stories about real people is my personal commitment to LGBT civil rights.”
For Info & Watch Pride & Groom: heretv.com/prideandgroom

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Global LGBT Music & Video Competition

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Marlee Walchuk about the second annual RightOutTV Music and Video Awards for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex artists. This year openly LGBTI singer/songwriters from around the world may submit songs as well as music videos in a variety of Indie-friendly categories such as “Best Video Do It Yourself” for the more homegrown project and “Best Song So Far” for those masterpieces written years ago that still deserve recognition. There’s even a “Best Living Room Performance” category to fit the growing trend of artists not wanting to wait for the funding to produce and release big-budget videos. “Our goal this year is to give more artists at every level a chance to compete and get noticed,” says Marlee Walchuk, Co-Producer of the awards. “It’s the artists’ talent and creativity that are being judged, not just the quality of their productions and recordings.” The deadline for submissions is Sept 24, 2012 and nominees will be announced Oct 11, 2012. The popular “Fan Fave” voting also begins Oct. 11th. We talked to Marlee about the RightOutTV Music and Video Awards and issues facing our LGBT community.

RightOutTV is based in Canada which became the fourth country to pass marriage equality in 2005. When asked her thoughts about LGBT equality in America, Walchuk stated, “I have to admit I did expect to see progress sooner than this. I love the US, I have always loved the US. I love going there, there’s something about that country that has a vibe and an energy to it that I just don’t see in other places. I have tons of faith that a country that was founded on ‘liberty and justice for all’ will soon realize that also includes their LGBT population. What I haven’t understood is why there’s so much resistance. I mean here we are in Canada, I don’t know how may countries have passed gay marriage but it’s a significant amount and not one of those countries or even the states that have allowed gay marriage has suffered or collapsed in any way. I just don’t understand why they’re resisting when you just look around and realize that all these ridiculous predictions or derogations and all these things that are going to happen and they’ve never come true anywhere. I understand there are religious reasons that people are holding on to but really it’s tough for us. Obviously we’re being able to marry here in Canada; we feel quite safe here. It does feel different when we go into the States and when we play Pride festivals down there. We do feel different walking the streets and we just can’t wait to see that start to change. I do believe that a major transformation will happen if Obama gets in. So we are rooting for all of you and just hoping that things go the way they are suppose to be going.”

The RightOutTV Music and Video Awards is an offshoot of the free LGBTI artist promotional site at RightOutTV.com. Marlee Walchuk and her wife Tully Callender of the music duo Sugarbeach launched RightOutTV in November 2010 after realizing there were few places to release their own LGBTI messaged music videos. RightOutTV provides a fully developed promotional website and streaming channel for artists who deserve more credit for being out and proud with their music. Openly LGBTI singer/songwriters from around the globe may submit songs and videos to be voted upon by a prestigious panel of professionals in the Music and Arts industries now until Sept. 24, 2012.
For More Info: rightouttvawards.com

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Grace Sterling Stowell LGBT History Maker

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Grace Sterling Stowell, Executive Director of BAGLY the Boston Alliance of Gay and Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Youth. Grace is being awarded The History Project’s 4th Annual HistoryMaker Award for her longtime selfless commitment to our LGBT community. For more than 30 years Grace Sterling Stowell has been a source of light and inspiration not only for LGBT youth but for the entire LGBT community in New England and beyond. We talked to Grace about what this award means to her and issues facing our LGBT community.

Since Grace is from Massachusetts and a longtime LGBT advocate we asked her spin on Mitt Romney’s run for President. Grace stated, “I was born and raised in Massachusetts doing this work so I remember when Mitt Romney was Governor of this state. He ran as somewhat of a moderate Republican and over the course of his governorship he became increasingly conservative for his first presidential run and it was very damaging. He cut funding specifically funding for LGBT youth issues. He pulled back support for the commission on LGBT Youth and ultimately abolished it. He ran as a moderate and ended up a much more extreme conservative and many of us felt he had misrepresented himself for public gain and did not really care for the lives of the people of the state that he was charged with supporting. Certainly we’re seeing more of the same in his second run for President. He’s taking positions that are contrary to social justice, contrary to LGBT equality that hurts lots of folks including women of color and poor and working class folk. He’s not in touch with the needs of the majority of this country who need strong leadership from a President to understand their issues.”

Grace Sterling Stowell is also a nationally known speaker, consultant and trainer on the needs and issues facing transgender youth and young adults. She has been a leading member of several local and national transgender education and advocacy organizations, and currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC). On September 20th she will be honored with The History Project’s 4th Annual HistoryMaker Award at their premier fundraising event. Chris Mason a nationally recognized leader and organizer on LGBT issues with a fierce passion for social justice will be receiving the Lavender Rhino Award. The ceremony will be followed by a reception featuring cocktails and hors d’oeuvres provided by The Paris Creperie and will be held at the Goethe Institut in Boston’s Back Bay.
For Tix & Info: historyproject.org

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