Gay Ally Director Susan Seidelman Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Director Susan Seidelman (Desperately Seeking Susan) whose new film MUSICAL CHAIRS has been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film - Limited Release. The film features the fabulous transgender actress Laverne Cox who plays a transgender character in this love story set against the backdrop of a wheelchair ballroom dance competition in New York City. Seidelman stated, "We are really honored to be nominated for a GLAAD award since our film was intended as a celebration of cultural, physical and gender diversity. It's our differences that make us interesting and unique." We talked to Susan about the film’s nomination and her commitment to LGBT issues.

When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT equality Seidelman, stated, “Well my commitment is on a couple of levels. Artistically I have made a lot of films that have had gay characters and I think it is important to have all kinds of characters in your movies and have real characters; people who are flesh and blood and not caricatures like sometimes you see in bad sitcoms. So artistically it was very validating and important. On a personal level I am the stepmother of a lesbian daughter who I am very supportive of her lifestyle and she is just a great person. So I have a personal commitment to the community and also even in terms of my family, my sister is an adoption attorney who deals with gay couples to help them work their way through the massive red tape and archaic legal system that makes it very hard for gay couples to adopt children. So I have a kind of family history of my connection to the gay community.”

Susan Seidelman arrived on the scene in 1982 when her film “Smithereens” became the first US Independent film to be accepted into competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Her next endeavor was "Desperately Seeking Susan" (starring Madonna and Rosanna Arquette), a critical and commercial success. Other film credits include John Malkovich in “Making Mr. Right”, Meryl Streep in "She-Devil, and Judy Davis and Marcia Gay Harding in the gender bending detective comedy “Gaudi Afternoon.” She also directed the pilot and early episodes of the HBO series "Sex And The City". Currently Susan is completing “The Hot Flashes” starring Brooke Shields, Daryl Hannah, Wanda Sykes, Virginia Madsen and Camryn Manheim, about a group of middle-aged women who form a basketball team in small town Texas to raise money for charity. The 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards takes place in New York on March 16th, Los Angeles April 20th and San Francisco on May 11th. We’ll have exclusive interviews from the Red Carpet in NYC. 2014 Update: You can catch this film on HBO and Comcast On Demand...:) For More Info About Musical Chairs...
  
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Gay Activist Brett Edward Stout Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Brett Edward Stout brand manager of gay.com the LGBT social networking site that has recently revealed a hot new site design delivering a dynamic and comprehensive online networking experience. Brett stated, “Giving our members the ability to congregate around specific communities allows them to make their search for friends and mates as expanded or narrow as they wish. The need for multiple apps to access a specific community is no longer necessary. The new gay.com provides members a fun and technologically sophisticated environment that meets the numerous needs of our users, whether they’re looking for friends, activity partners, or their one true love.” We talked to Brett about the next generation of gay social networking and his spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked how he got involved with gay.com and social networking Stout stated, “Well I started working for Here Media three years ago but I’ve been logged onto gay.com for a long time. When I was in the Marine Corps it was really the only place I had to turn to. I served in the Marines from 1997 to 2002 which was under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ which I’m sure your listeners are familiar with and I really didn’t know where else to express myself. I didn’t have any sense of community. I didn’t have any friends. I was all alone and it was a place I found where not to be alone. It saved my life in many ways.”

Brett joined the Marines at age 18 serving his full tour as a Russian linguist. He returned to his home state of Iowa to earn his degree in Russian studies at the University of Iowa. He is also very outspoken about the anti-gay movement in Russia which, like Uganda, its homophobic roots stem from the United States. He has also written numerous articles for OUT Magazine, The Advocate, ACCESSline Iowa, Watermark Orlando and others. His debut novel, “Sugar-baby Bridge,” was published in 2009 by Breur Media.
For More Info: gay.com 

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Gay TV Star Lauren Bedford Russell Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with jewelry designer Lauren Bedford Russell who starred in Season 3 of Showtime's hit reality series The Real L Word. Last July in the midst of The Real L Word airing Lauren was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. This was a shocking and frightening diagnosis to receive at age 31, to say the least. The young reality TV star was at her prime both professionally and personally with a successful show and her relationship with cast member Kiyomi McCloskey, lead singer of Hunter Valentine, blossoming into a love of her life. Lauren's first MS "episode" manifested with loss of vision in one eye known as optic neuritis. She has now regained her vision back for the most part. When she was diagnosed Kiyomi was at her side. We talked to Lauren on her cellphone while touring with Hunter Valentine about her MS diagnosis and her spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked how this diagnosis has been life changing for her Lauren stated, “Well it certainly changed my life in a lot of ways. First of course is how I’m living from day to day by taking my medication which is a Copaxone injection and being an overall healthier person. It adjusts your whole kind of way of thinking because with this disease you really don’t know what’s going to happen. Every experience is different and every single person who has it has a different story. You just have to think positive and know that will help you at the end. Everything you think will benefit your outcome. Just sort of shifting my attitude, shifting my day to day and shifting my outlook about what I want to accomplish in life.”

Lauren Bedford Russell strongly believes in the power of one to make a difference after Jack Osbourne inspired her to go see her doctor back in June of 2012 about the first symptoms he experienced which were similar to hers. She suspected something was wrong. Now she is committed to doing the same for others and plans to work with the National MS Society in every possible way. She’s already designed a special bracelet for her Lyon Fine Jewelry line called POSITIVITY BRACELET with 15% of the proceeds to be donated to the National MS Society.
For More Info: lyonfinejewelry.com 

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Mesma Belsare Dancer & LGBT Activist

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with dancer Mesma Belsare who presented a spectacular full-length evening concert of Bharatanatyam which is classical dance from South India, at the Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mesma was  joined by Carnatic vocalist Deepti Navaratna. This concert explored LOVE from the carnal to the spiritual through the language of music, dance and poetry in compositions that were performed in South Indian temples and royal courts in the 8th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Mesma is a true activist and supporter of LGBT issues. She has performed for numerous LGBT events and continues to show how love transcends gender roles and challenges everyone to look within themselves to find their true spirituality of love. We talked to Mesma about this and her spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what she would like to see the Obama administration accomplish for our LGBT community in the next four years Belsare stated, “I think that President Obama’s open public support of LGBT people is an affirmation of this country’s progressive direction especially among the youth. The fact that he had to be so careful about his support during his first term was an unfortunate reality and probably incensed many people but I know that a country cannot make progress if we are honoring the fundamental rights of its people in a way that is not uniform. The United States is not an exception to that rule. In an ideal world I would like the President to take measures to enable the country to treat its people equally in all aspects of life. Only then can we have change in attitude and perfection towards people and I really am hopeful that the current administration will put these debates to rest so that we can move forward because we have so many other issues on a global level to tackle. Quite honestly I find it not a very productive debate in terms of making progress because we are not making progress if are still debating all of this.”

 The New York times calls Mesma Belsare "a tour de force". The Dance Current Magazine describes her "as mesmerizing as staring into the heart of a fire". Her professional dancing career spans more than two decades and includes performances as a solo dancer at international venues including Lincoln Center (NYC), Asia Society (NYC), Alvin Ailey Theater (NYC) and the Harbourfront Centre (Toronto). She was twice nominated for the Brother Thomas Fellowship by The Boston Foundation and once for the Dora Mavor Moore Award by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts. Mesma is a recipient of the Government of India scholarship for advanced training in classical Bharatanatyam and Indian classical music. Her concert at the Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts was made possible by a grant from The Cambridge Arts Council.
For More Info: mesmabelsare.com 

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