Gay Writer Michelle Theall Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with writer Michelle Theall about her memoir TEACHING THE CAT TO SIT about growing up gay and Catholic in the Texas Bible Belt and her quest years later to keep her four-year old adopted son from being expelled from Sacred Heart of Jesus School because of her sexuality. Dealing with religion and faith continues to challenge our LGBT community especially when it comes to marriage equality. When her son’s Colorado Catholic school expelled all children of gay parents, Michelle found herself wrestling long-buried shame in order to stand up for her son. The result was a public battle with the Church and a private one with her parents that challenged everything she knew about family and faith. It was in this process that Michelle realized that in order to be a good mother, she might have to be a bad daughter and risk losing her parents for good. We talked to Michelle about the difficult decisions she made and her spin on our LGBT Issues.

When asked what her personal commitment to LGBT civil rights is Theall stated, “I speak at LGBTQ events and at churches too. I think that a lot of the divide happens at the ostracisation and kids being torn away by their families and all this kind of thing stems from religion and religious beliefs. That divide between gay and Christians is at the heart of what remains in terms of our fight. I feel I’m a bit of an oxymoron to a lot of people because I’m a gay Christian and I’ll go and talk about my faith and my partner to show that the two are not incongruous and hopefully start mending that divide rather than make it bigger. The other issue that is important for me and our rights would be adoption and gay adoption in particular. The fact that other married couples can adopt children for instances from foster care or other places and not have to go through extra hoops to be both parents on the adoption certificate and that sort of thing I can’t do that. My partner and I have to go through extra lawyers and all different other things because we can’t marry in the state we live in which is Colorado.”

Michelle Theall is an award-winning health, fitness and travel writer and the founder of Women’s Adventure magazine. Her feature essay in 5280, the inspiration for her memoir, was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award. Theall is also the editor-in-chief of Alaska Magazine. She lives with her partner, their son, and three dogs in Boulder, Colorado.
For More Info: michelletheall.com

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Filmmaker Caryn Hayes Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with filmmaker Caryn Hayes about her acclaimed short film CLEAN HANDS that had its world premiere at the 2014 Pan African Film Festival. CLEAN HANDS follows Anna (Grasie Mercedes) and Kirsten (Dawn Noel) as a married lesbian couple who are caring for Anna's terminally ill father (Kurt Sinclair). Anna is forced to deal between her homophobic father, her wife, her Christian beliefs and her sexuality. CLEAN HANDS, which also appeared at The Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and the Women’s International Film & Arts Festival, will be available for a digital download on August 22nd. We talked to Caryn about her film and her spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Hayes stated, “I would say that I definitely put my money where my mouth is so to speak. I definitely don’t go to the Chick-fil-A’s of the world. I definitely do that as well as when I create stories I try and create characters not only for LGBT people but also black characters that you don’t always see in the world. People have their singular view and I want to show that we are very vast and different and we’re just like you.”

Caryn Hayes is originally from New Orleans and a graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana. She is also a two-time winner of the TV Pilot Award in the original script competition presented by the Organization of Black Screenwriters for THE RIDGE in 2007 and DIRTY THIRTIES in 2009. She was awarded Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series for her series BREAKING POINT from the 2011 Los Angeles Web Series Festival. BREAKING POINT has been nominated and awarded over twenty times, including nods for Best Drama and Best Directing from the 2012 International Television Festival. Caryn's most recent web series, ENTANGLED WITH YOU has already won five awards with three other nominations and has just launched its second season. Additionally she has produced, written and coordinated numerous documentary and corporate videos, short films, independent features, TV pilots and commercials. Caryn continues to seek out and create character-driven stories for any format with an unwavering passion for diversity and is a voice to be reckoned with in the lesbian film community.
For More Info: hardlyworkingent.com 
 
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Carole Pope Rocks New EP “Music For Lesbians”

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with award-winning Canadian rock icon Carole Pope about her fabulous new EP MUSIC FOR LESBIANS. When asked what her inspiration was for creating it Pope stated, “I think the lesbian community takes itself too seriously. There are so many funny tragic things involved being with another woman. I wanted to explore the humor of it. It was so fun to work with Peaches and my rock’n’roll husband Tim Welch on the title track LESBIANS IN THE FOREST which was inspired by performing at the Michigan Womyn’s Festival. I got to unleash my inner Shirley Bassey Bond Girl on VAGINA WOLF. Alain Johannes created a Smith’s-like glam rock track for Francis Bacon, my ode to Dusty Springfield. I was Lee Hazelwood to Sara T. Russell’s Nancy Sinatra on SOME VELVET MORNING. Rob Preuss contributed the lush orchestrations. I had my first exposure to lesbianism through lesbian pulp fiction. The books were salacious except for those written by Ann Bannon, Patricia Highsmith, and Valerie Taylor to name a few. I loved the lurid covers and that inspired MUSIC FOR LESBIANS title and the cover art which was created by Sara T Russell.” Pope’s music makes you think and dance at the same time. We talked to Carole about her music and her spin on our LGBT issues.

Carole Pope has won three Juno Awards (Canadian Grammy), a Genie Award (Canadian Oscar) and four Gold, one Platinum and one double Platinum records to her credit. Her infamous band ROUGH TRADE was inducted into the Indy Hall of Fame during Canadian Music Week. Throughout her career she has blazed a trail sharing her thoughts on sexuality, AIDS and sexual politics. Pope’s autobiography ANTI DIVA is currently being made into a dramatic feature entitled ROUGH TRADE THE MOVIE with an Indiegogo funding campaign through August 28th. It’s based on the life of Pope and her band ROUGH TRADE set in the 1980’s downtown art scene in Toronto as well as her relationships including being lovers with legendary British singer Dusty Springfield who died in 1999. Andrew Boutilier and Jan Nathanson have signed on as producers and are currently searching for the lead. Pope would like to see someone edgy like Evan Rachel Wood in the title role.
For More Info: carolepope.com

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Gay Filmmaker Alexia Kosmider Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with filmmaker Alexia Kosmider (Not Your Mama’s Roller Derby, Sappho’s Fire) about her new documentary TransJourney that’s premiering at the Rhode Island International Film Festival Saturday August 9th at 7P. While the United Nations is mapping the legal environment for Transgender people and Time Magazine is addressing the “T” in LGBT with Laverne Cox gracing the cover of their magazine, TransJourney follows Sandra on her cross-country journey to share in the life of her former son, now her “new” daughter Annabelle. TransJourney explores three women’s personal journeys and the ways their lives have become intertwined and made stronger because of one another. In 2009 Annabelle transitioned to her new life as a woman in Seattle, Washington and her mother Sandra who lives in Rhode Island sets out on the cross-country trip to spend time with her new daughter. Annabelle meets Shannon an older transgender woman through the meetings they both attended at the Ingersoll Gender Center in Seattle. By offering to talk to Sandra about any questions she may have Shannon and Sandra have become close friends but have yet to meet one another in person. TransJourney is a quest of discovery of family, acceptance and identity. We talked to Alexia about her new documentary and her spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Kosmider stated, “I’m very committed maybe not as an activist but as a professor who teaches queer lit and film at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) and also as a queer filmmaker. So I’m always not far from my passion, my work and I think I do a lot in that realm of being available to students at universities, turning them on to good LGBT literature and film.”

Alexia Kosmider with co-director Blue Wade and documentarian Michael Welty director of photography have created a tight, exceptional team for this timely breakthrough film. TransJourney takes us on those unsung back roads leading from openness to growth, acceptance to expression and community to support. Greater Providence PFLAG was one of the first LGBTQ organizations to come onboard with TransJourney. One of their missions is to tell stories and they felt that TransJourney tells an important story that benefits LGBTQ families. PFLAG has experienced more families reaching out to them that have members that are transgender and they felt that TransJourney is a logical and important link to their own mission. TransJouney will make its debut on Saturday, August 9th at 7P at Rhode Island School of Design’s Metcalf Auditorium in Providence, RI.
For More Info & Screening: shiftingvisions.com 

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