Gay Activists Valentine’s Day Action

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!
In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Robin McGehee, Director of GetEQUAL and Molly McKay, Media Director of Marriage Equality USA, for a Gay Marriage update and about joining forces for a very important Valentine's Day Action. Since 2001, Marriage Equality USA chapters have engaged in annual marriage license counter actions to show the discrimination that is enforced every day against our LGBT community. Whether states have gay marriage, domestic partnerships, civil unions, or without any legal protections under their state's laws, all gay couples are denied the 1,138 federal rights of marriage. This Valentine’s Day action is an opportunity for our LGBT community to bring attention to this travesty and participate by going to their county clerks throughout America and requesting marriage licenses on February 14, 2011.
When asked how this collaboration came about McGehee stated, “From the GetEQUAL perspective we are in agreement that this nonviolent and civil disobedience action is going to illuminate for the community, not only locally in your own city, but if you can create a national narrative with multiple different cities and states taking action on Valentine’s Day by going into marriage county clerks offices and requesting a marriage license and introducing yourself to the staff that’s there and also to the (heterosexual) people who are there to get married and highlighting for them the discrimination, essentially we are producing the “lunch counter” moment. There are also people who are interested in having sit-ins and facing possible risk of arrest because they are unwilling to leave to highlight the discrimination. No matter where you fall in the spectrum from the person who doesn’t want to risk arrest to the person who does want to take that risk to highlight discrimination, the benefit is that people are taking action. As long as we are together in concert working toward highlighting discrimination at some point it will be the clarion call that cannot be denied. That is what I watched and witnessed from Molly and Marriage Equality USA for years, so when she called and asked if we could join forces together I didn’t hesitate because it just felt like a good fit.”

When asked what they hoped to accomplish with this action, McKay stated, “Ideally this is an opportunity for us to be in every local paper, every local TV and radio station in the area where an action takes place. It is important to be able to tell the local stories and for the people to hear from real-life people who are impacted by marriage discrimination and to have pictures of our families and have stories of how the inability to marry has impacted us. It is also an opportunity for our straight allies to come out and speak in support of marriage equality. So it’s really an opportunity to put a very personal message and face on this issue.”

We also addressed DOMA, (the Defense of Marriage Act) and Prop 8 which were both found unconstitutional in federal court. With public opinion polls showing that America favors gay marriage, we urge President Obama, Congress and all states with discriminatory laws on their books to stand for justice and equality for all people, as the Constitution requires, and work together to uphold the American tradition of fairness and equality by ending marriage discrimination.
For Info to Join the Action: equalityevents.ning.com

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Gay Activist Josh Rosenzweig Speaks OUT

OUTTAKE BLOG™: Was Mona Lisa a Drag Queen?
In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Josh Rosenzweig host of “Just Josh” which made its worldwide television debut January 28th on here! TV and on here! Online. The show is filmed on location throughout New York City where Josh gives the traditional talk show format a new twist. From celebrity interviews to premiere VIP events, Josh brings his own brand of humor and his intense love of New York City to the small screen, treating the audience to a unique and entertaining spin on pop culture. The premier episode features an in-depth interview with writer, actor and drag legend Charles Busch. Additionally, Josh explores the work of celebrity photographer Johnny Rosza, currently being featured at New York’s Christopher Henry Gallery, and visits the trendy Alias restaurant.

When asked what he would like to see happen in 2011 for LGBT civil rights, Josh stated, “That all states pass marriage equality laws, for sure. And really in a general way I would like to see the continual visibility of powerful, successful, happy, gay men and (gay) women. I think that one of the things I know that stood in the way, that was a real hurdle for me to overcome was with my own mother and father, who are very traditional liberals not conservative at all but very liberal, sort of New York intellectual Jews, but still they thought that being gay was a road of unhappiness. There was just no possible way for you to be happy. And you know what? You can live and be successful and you can be admired and you can achieve great things personally and achieve great things spiritually and you can achieve great things professionally and still be openly gay. Be yourself, that’s the message. And that’s what I hope for 2011. We just keep moving forward in that direction.”

We had an opportunity to talk about “The Kids Are All Right”, the torch bearer for gay visibility at this year's Academy Awards and who would be on Josh’s guest wish list like David Bowie, Meryl Streep and gay icons like Bette Midler and Madonna. Celebrities that will be appearing in upcoming shows include rock legends Duran Duran, screen beauty Isabella Rossellini, Emmy Award nominee Molly Shannon, Tabatha’s Salon Takeover star Tabatha Coffey and New York staples Sherry Vine and Joey Arias.
For More Info: www.heretv.com/Just_Josh/about

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Gay Activist Amy Sueyoshi Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Amy Sueyoshi, co-chair of the Board of Directors of GLBT Historical Society and co-curator of the new GLBT History Museum in San Francisco. The museum which had its grand opening on January 13th is featuring two debut exhibitions. In the main gallery, “Our Vast Queer Past: Celebrating GLBT History,” and in the front gallery, “Great Collections of the GLBT Historical Society Archives.”

When asked how The GLBT History Museum came about Sueyoshi stated, “The GLBT History Museum has been one of several goals the GLBT Historical Society has been working towards. We’ve always had exhibits along side our historical society office in the archives but this is the first time we secured a separate museum space in the Castro for a significant amount of time. We’re the first in the nation and the second in the world. It’s a remarkable achievement for us 25 years after the founding of the GLBT Historical Society started as a small grassroots community organization run entirely by volunteers in the midst of the AIDS crisis in the early eighties. At that time gay men’s belongings were being thrown out with complete disregard and a group of folks decided it was important to honor these young men’s lives and to preserve a history that had been frequently seen as shameful and irrelevant. The GLBT Historical Society’s primary goal has always been to preserve queer history to form an archive. Through the GLBT History Museum we’re now able to share this very important history to a broader audience.”

Located in San Francisco in the heart of the Castro district at 4127 18th Street, the museum includes 1,600 square feet of gallery and program space to create a museum as rich, diverse and surprising as the LGBT community itself. Whether gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or straight, visitors are sure to be moved, enlightened and entertained. This choice location can accommodate tens of thousands of tourists every year who come to San Francisco in search of LGBT culture. The GLBT History Museum joins the Schwules Museum, the queer museum founded 25 years ago in Berlin, as one of only two stand-alone, full-scale museums devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history. A number of other LGBT archives and libraries will also offer periodic exhibitions at The GLBT History Museum. (Photo by Mia Nakano)
For More Info: www.glbthistory.org

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Gay Ally Patti Austin Speaks OUT

 

 

 

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Grammy winning music icon Patti Austin about issues close to Ms Austin’s heart and her new CD entitled "Sound Advice".

Patti Austin lives in California where Prop 8 was found unconstitutional. When asked what her feelings are about LGBT civil rights Austin stated, “I wish that people would put more emphasis on how they’re treating themselves because we have a lot of haters walking around. It takes a lot of time to hate and it takes a lot of time away from you dealing with your own issues. When you worry about what somebody else’s sexuality is, what somebody else’s political proclivity is, instead of trying to figure out what yours is, and try to hone in on that and make that work, and taking the energy to hate on somebody else because of the way they want to live their life is foolish, absolutely foolish and sad. People need to be allowed to live and grow and be who they are. And if what they are doing is not effecting you, I don’t understand the concern or even purpose behind the concern.”

Austin also reflects on the one year anniversary of "We Are The World 2" recording/video for Haiti Relief which she co-produced with Executive Producers Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie. Patti Austin has been performing since she was four years old and was discovered by Dinah Washington and mentored by her now "godfather" Quincy Jones. She was later known as the "Queen of Jingles" and then quickly transitioned to the top of the Billboard charts with classics that include "Baby Come to Me" and "How Do You Keep The Music Playing". Whether performing in the pop, contemporary jazz or straight-ahead jazz world, Patti leaves her vocal stamp on every note her voice touches. With 9 Grammy nominations and a recent Grammy win for her revered "Avant Gershwin" recording, Patti Austin proudly reigns amongst music's elite. Her eagerly anticipated new pop CD, entitled "Sound Advice" release date is January 25th.
For More Info: PattiAustin.com

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Gay Ally Robin Bronk Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Robin Bronk, CEO of The Creative Coalition. The Creative Coalition is the leading national, nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment industry. This is the organization founded in 1989 by prominent figures in the creative community, including actors Alec Baldwin, Ron Silver, Christopher Reeve, Susan Sarandon, Blair Brown and Stephen Collins. The Creative Coalition educates and mobilizes leaders in the arts community on issues of public importance, specifically in the areas of First Amendment rights, arts advocacy and public education.

Over the past few months there’s been a great deal of media coverage about the fact that LGBTQ teens are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Sadly numerous LGBTQ teens have taken their own lives after facing bullying incidents. When asked how can we turn this around and reach these kids, Bronk stated, “One of the things that The Creative Coalition does is we’re a real proponent of using the arts to advocate, to educate, to activate and to motivate citizens; whether it’s teens, kids or adults on issues. So one of the things from our toolbox is that we’d certainly advocate and be supportive of any campaign that utilizes the arts and entertainment to promote this very important social welfare issue. I would encourage your listeners to email their favorite television programs. Have the television programs take up storylines about this. Encourage the Ad Council to put their dollars and their airtime behind public campaigns that address this. We know that entertainment can move the needle. And so I would encourage listeners to support campaigns that originate in the entertainment and arts world.”

The Creative Coalition is a strong presence at the Sundance Film Festival that takes place January 20th-30th. They conduct panels, seminars, and two very special events. On Sunday evening, January 23rd, The Creative Coalition and SELF Magazine will gather leaders in film and creative arts to celebrate and honor influential women of the industry at the Tribute to Women Who Make Women Look Good on Film. On Monday January 24th at Sundance The Creative Coalition will present the Spotlight Initiative Awards. Those accepting awards will include the cast and writer/director of Margin Call, an enthralling thriller featuring an all-star ensemble cast set in the high-stakes world of the financial industry. The film was written and directed by J.C. Chandor and stars Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, with Demi Moore and Stanley Tucci. Liv Tyler, Ellen Barkin are being honored and Wednesday TCC announced that Oscar winning actor Alan Arkin will receive a 2011 Spotlight Initiative Award. Isabella Rossellini (Animals Distract Me) and Maria Cuomo Cole (Living for 32) also will be accepting awards for their short films. Both shorts and Mr. Arkin’s film (The Convincer) are featured selections in the upcoming Sundance Film Festival.

The Creative Coalition has produced a must-see film about their important work called POLIWOOD directed by Barry Levinson. For the next 30 days a special sale of the acclaimed film which is available on DVD, will benefit several national charity organizations including The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, PSI Youth Aids, The National Education Association’s Read Across America, HELP USA, The Pennsylvania State University, Blue Star Families, The Veterans Healing Initiative, Artists for a New South Africa, The African Medical and Research Foundation, The Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center and Being Alive San Diego.
For More Info: www.thecreativecoalition.org

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Kate Clinton's The Gay Year in Review

OUTTAKE BLOG™ Update: Courting Gay Marriage in 2011...
In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Kate Clinton, our favorite gay political humorist about the historic repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and more. As we head into the New Year it’s time to reflect on 2010 and chat about what civil rights 2011 will bring our LGBT community. This has been a challenging and important year for our community ending victoriously with the repeal of the archaic military policy “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” In 2010 it appeared that our LGBT advocates spent the entire year in Federal Court proving the unconstitutionality of the ‘Defense of Marriage Act’ Section 3, which provides federal rights to legally married gay couples in Massachusetts, ‘Prop 8’ and the game changer ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’.
When asked what her spin was on 2010 The Year in Gay Review Clinton stated, “It has felt like a whole year of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Marry’. I’m happy that it’s a conversation that we’re having in this country, that’s moving along at different paces and people are wildly involved in it, either for or against. I think it’s a real engaging topic, maybe not the one that I would have chosen but I’m happy when gay people are involved in the gay movement. I think it will come in its own time, the moment when people are really working for gay rights, so I’m all for it.”

Join Kate Clinton for her 2011 Glee Party Tour, celebrating her 30-year career. This is a rolling Restore-to-Sanity rally. Problems are solved in less than an hour. Break into flash mobs of song and dance for no apparent reason. Kate preaches way beyond the choir. She is the original Nostra Dame. Get some PTSG - Post-Traumatic Stress Glee. If the whole world's crashing, we might as well be gleeful and gay.

FOR MORE INFO: KATE CLINTON.COM

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"Gen Silent" Speaks OUT for LGBT Seniors

Gay Leaders Speak OUT on "Don't Ask Don't Tell" Repeal...
In this exclusive audio interview montage Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with members of the Boston LGBT community at the premier of Director Stu Maddux new film Gen Silent. In this new groundbreaking documentary Maddux puts a face on what experts in the film call an epidemic: gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender seniors so afraid of being subject to discrimination, or worse, in long-term/health care that many go back into the closet. Their surprising decisions are captured through intimate access to their day-to-day lives over the course of a year in Boston, Massachusetts.
We interviewed Bob Linscott, Assistant Director, LGBT Aging Project, Sue Reamer, PHD, Co-Chair Stonewall Communities, David Aronstein, Founder of Stonewall Communities and his partner Steve Tamasy. We also talked with Sheri Barden and Lois Johnson who have been together for over 40 years, legally married in Massachusetts and featured in Gen Silent. Filmmaker Stu Maddux was on hand for an intimate reaction to the premier of his film.

When asked how we can get Gen Silent into the educational system Bob Linscott stated, “A lot of fundraising because when there are funds people stand behind it and put capital behind it. Then you can get it out there, you can create curriculum and get it into places. When an agency has to buy something like this, a DVD on LGBT seniors, they’re not going to do it but when there’s funding that is supplied to these agencies it makes it much easier to get in the door to see it right now. The critical thing is to get this film to be seen.”

The team at Gen Silent is requesting as many end of year tax-deductible donations as possible this month to create a teaching version of Gen Silent by Spring. It is crucial that this film becomes mandatory viewing for paid caregivers as part of their continuing education requirements. Then we'll have a chance to change lives and the future of our LGBT seniors. You can make your gift conveniently on their website.

For Donations & More Info: Gen Silent
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Kenyan Gay Ally Rev. Makokha Interview 2

In the conclusion of this two-part exclusive audio interview, Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Rev. John Makokha, senior pastor of Riruta United Methodist Church in Nairobi, Kenya. He is the African correspondent for Reconciling Ministries Network and the Country Coordinator of Other Sheep Kenya Trust, a faith-based LGBTI organization. John is the Africa Author of Reconciling Ministries Network. He passionately runs educational awareness seminars on human sexuality and gender identity programs to address religious homophobia and transphobia in Kenya with his wife Anne.

When asked what he thought about American religious leaders' influence on Africa, Makokha stated, “I’m really concerned about the American Fundamental Christian leaders who are very, very homophobic. I think what America needs to do is focus on what the bible says about human sexuality and gender identity and maybe try to reach out in Christian awareness and maybe have conferences with Fundamental Christian Religious leaders so they can tone down their red flags on homosexuality. I’m sorry to say it is a big concern in Africa that we respect each other's opinions but the Fundamentalist Evangelical Christian leaders from America have been transporting homophobia to Africa. The best example is the bill in Uganda and even in Kenya and other parts of Africa have been receiving big chunks of money to propagate heterosexuality and propagate homophobia.”

As Coordinator for Other Sheep Kenya, John organizes and leads educational awareness seminars on human sexuality and gender identity throughout Kenya. Other Sheep Kenya addresses religious homophobia, transphobia, social justice, and HIV/AIDS in Kenya through capacity building and advocacy programs for LGBTI people and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Other Sheep has ministries in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. Other Sheep Kenya came into existence during the 2007 Kenya summer ministry program of Rev. Stephen Parelli and Jose Ortiz, Other Sheep Executive Director and Other Sheep Coordinator for Africa, respectively. Our gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender (LGBT) community are once again subject to homophobia, religious and cultural extremism. Recently the UN General Assembly has actually voted to allow LGBT people to be executed without cause. Read More…. This holiday season we hope our audience will consider making a donation to support our LGBT community, especially in oppressive countries.
Listen to Kenyan Gay Ally Rev. Makokha Speaks OUT Part #1
For More Info: othersheep.org

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UK Gay Activist Tris Reid-Smith Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Tris Reid-Smith Editor-in-Chief of the Pink Paper and the Gay Times in London, UK. Pink Paper was established in 1987 and remains the only national newspaper for the LGBT community in the UK. In 2009 Pink Paper became strictly an online format. Gay Times and Diva are fabulous glossy magazines serving our gay and lesbian communities that are available worldwide. We talked to Tris about our LGBT community’s rights and protections in the UK and America.

In the United Kingdom there are complete protections for our LGBT community in the workplace, unless you are a priest. This is similar to what the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) would provide our LGBT community in America if it ever gets out of committee. In the UK the new Equality Act covers shops, services, hotels and public services like hospitals and schools; all must avoid discrimination. Civil partnerships were passed in 2005 and provide 99% of the same rights and protections as heterosexual marriages. The one percent appears to be the use of the word “marriage” which is currently under consideration. Gays and lesbians have been openly serving in the military since 2000.

When asked his thoughts about our “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” military policy Reid-Smith stated, “I can’t believe how hard it is in the US to get something done. I can’t believe that the Obama Administration which says that they want to get rid of the ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ policy which was an election promise, as I recall; I can’t believe that they’re still fighting it. So first of all I’m stunned by what’s happening in the US. I’m as disappointed as I am surprised. Secondly, I think you certainly will get there because you only have to look at Iraq and Afghanistan where US and UK troops are basically doing the same job. There are more of you guys than there are of us but you’re doing the same job in the same conditions and serving along side each other and if it works for us there’s no way any military chief in the US can put his hand on his heart and genuinely say it’s not possible because it is. Now in the UK the military are very proud of its record and you can go to a gay event and our (gay & lesbian) military will march in uniform in the beginning of pride events around the country. I’ve been to events at Downing Street at the Prime Minister’s house and being amongst a room full of gay people including senior officers from the navy, the army, the air force in uniform and openly gay. So it is incredible and it can be solved in the US. But, I am baffled at a time when you would have thought we need to retain as many troops as possible that the Obama administration is prevaricating about this quite so badly and letting the troops that do such a good job for you guys, letting them down.”

Tris Reid-Smith has been the Editor of Pink Paper since 2001. In 2009 he was made Editor-in-Chief of Gay Times and PinkPaper.com. He is Consulting Editor of DIVA, AXM, Puffta and Co-Executive Producer of PinkSixty their new TV daily news series.
For More Info: PinkPaper.com

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