Gay Activist Nicole Conn Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with filmmaker Nicole Conn about her new film A Perfect Ending” starring Morgan Fairchild, John Heard, Barbara Niven and newcomer Jessica Clark. Conn stated this is her best cinematic achievement in 20 years of filmmaking and audiences will be thrilled when sparks fly between Barbara Niven and Jessica Clark.
(Check out the trailer below.)

When Nicole Conn released her landmark film, “Claire of the Moon” in 1992, the landscape was practically void of other lesbian-themed movies. Nearly 20 years later, a sprinkling of movies with queer themes has made it to the mainstream like Brokeback Mountain, Boys Don’t Cry, The Kids are Alright. But the field is still so small that most people can name those films off the top of their head. With this summer’s restored re-release of “Claire of the Moon”, Nicole Conn takes a look back at the film, her career and the future of women’s films.

When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights, Conn stated, “Complete and utter devotion to LGBT civil rights. I believe that we should get everything that everyone else gets. I believe in absolute equality for all human beings. I have worked with HRC on many fundraisers for my documentary “Little Man”. They sponsored the film in many places. And I continue to fight that fight and I believe in the fight for marriage equality, all equality across the board. I am not a political filmmaker and I’ve gotten some negative feedback around that. I’m really a storyteller and that’s just who I am. I’m not political in my art, I’m political in my life.”

“Claire of the Moon” will be released by Peccadillo Pictures Ltd. this month along with a Nicole Conn Box Set that will include “Claire of the Moon”, “Cynara”, and “Elena Undone”. “A Perfect Ending” will be playing the festival circuit this year and into 2012.
For More Info: soulkissfilms.com

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Gay Role Model John Waters Speaks OUT

 

  

 

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with filmmaker John Waters in part two of our series of celebrity chats from the Provincetown International Film Festival. Waters is one of the founders of the PIFF and every year he conducts an event highlighting his movie pick of the year. John’s favorite movie of 2010 is "Domaine" a French film directed by Patric Chiha that tracks the evolution of the unusually close relationship between an alcoholic mathematician (Betty Blue’s Béatrice Dalle) and her gay teenage nephew. Their friendship is an homage to that of Albert Einstein and Kurt Gödel but with more white wine and visits to a shadowy discotheque. The result is a sexy, fresh, and poignant movie, one that gets to the underlying truths John Waters truly appreciates.

We also talked to Waters about LGBT civil rights, gay marriage and LGBTQ teen bullying. LGBTQ teens are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Over the past year, numerous teens have taken their own lives after facing bullying incidents. When asked what advise he would have for these kids, Waters stated, “Bullying is going to happen even if you’re not gay. Bullying is a thing that you have to learn to deal with; it’s part of getting through life unfortunately. High school is how you learn. Wait until you get a job and you get bullied in your job. Wait until you try to get into the art world to make a film, you get bullied. So unfortunately you have to learn how to deal with bullies. You have to figure out a way to be smart enough to get around them or make them laugh. People that wanted to beat me up, I made them laugh first. Humor can be a great weapon but teachers are very wrong to allow it. When I went to high school there was no talk about bullying. They (teachers) didn’t lift a finger to stop it so that’s very wrong.”

John Waters, filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector rose to fame in the early 1970s for his cult films like “Pink Flamingos” and “Female Trouble”. His 80’s film “Hairspray” brought him mainstream success followed by the Broadway play of the same name. His bestselling book “Role Models” is now available in paperback just in time for your summer reading.
Listen to Part One with Kathleen Turner
Listen to Part Three with Albert Maysles
Listen to Part #4: with Actress Jackie Monahan

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New York Gay Wedding Caterer Chef Rossi

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Chef Rossi, owner and executive chef of The Raging Skillet one of New York City’s best and wildest gay-owned caterers. Now that New York has passed gay marriage and you’re seeking the perfect caterer for your wedding, check out The Raging Skillet which has been catering weddings for 23 years and has won “The Knot Best of Weddings Pick” for the last 3 years running. If there is such a thing as an anti-caterer, this company, which specializes in nontraditional parties, may be it. Every detail is personalized down to the attire of the staff (miniskirts? or kilts?) and the style of service. Chef Rossi serves dishes from several different cuisines at a single event -- she calls her firm "the wildest catering company this side of the Mason-Dixon line". Their food reflects fusions from Korea, Japan, Thailand, Cuba, South Carolina, New Orleans, Morocco, Jamaica, India, The Southwest, Vegan, Vegetarian and Rossi's mother's Hungarian Yiddish home-cooking.

Chef Rossi is ecstatic to be able to cater her first legal gay weddings next month now that gay marriage has passed in her state. When asked if she thought passing gay marriage will be a financial boom for New York Chef Rossi stated, “Oh, of course, it’s going to be a windfall. Our own little Mayor Bloomberg is running around announcing he wants to turn us into the gay marriage capital of the universe. And I think it’s great. Listen, New York like everywhere else has had their problems in this economy and New York has had a rough time. And if doing the right thing and saying ‘yes’ to marriage equality makes us a booming business for gay marriage I think what a great reason. So yes I definitely think this is going to bring in tons of money.”
For your special Wedding Day, The Raging Skillet offers hot and cold vegetarian poultry, meats and fish hors d'oeuvres. Enjoy three cheese quesadillas with tomatillo salsa, wild mushroom wontons with red pepper dip, Thai style chicken saté with spicy peanut sauce, roast lamb brochettes with cilantro aioli or crab and shrimp shu mai dumplings just to name a few delectable choices. Entrées include such tasties as lobster tails, Senegalese chicken Yassa breast of chicken smothered in sweet onions and green olives with Scotch bonnet peppers served over coconut scented jasmine rice, leg of lamb with pear chutney cous cous and curried baby squash and portabella mushroom au poivre in port wine and thyme with garden vegetables and crispy parsnips.
The New York Times called Chef Rossi “a new breed of rebel anti-caterer” and “eclectic and off the wall” by the Zagats review. She has also been featured on “The Food Network.” As a radio personality Rossi’s hit show “Bite This” on Cape Cod’s WOMR is now in its 7th season where she shares her edible memoirs from her book entitled “The Devil and Mrs. Goldstein" which is currently seeking a publisher.
She has also appeared on NPR.
For More Info: theragingskillet.com

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Gay Activists Jenni & Lisa Go Global

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Jenni Chang and Lisa Dazols about “Out and Around”. Their mission is to travel around the world in search of LGBT leaders and allies that are making a difference. They will be chronicling their journeys as a lesbian couple and sharing the accounts of the extraordinary individuals they meet during their “not-so-straight travels”.

When asked what do they hope to accomplish with “Out & Around”, Jenni stated, “One of the things that we realized in the LGBT community is that we really lack role models. So we hope by highlighting these people around the world and these could be leaders in community organizing, in business, in arts, in entertainment, in health, and all aspects of society, we think that their stories will provide role models to LGBTQ youth and queer people globally. Secondly, we hope that by highlighting stories of LGBT people in all walks of life we can help decrease homophobia and just show that gay people are striving everywhere and they contribute to society in so many ways. And thirdly, we want to bring attention to LGBT issues, particularly in developing countries because in those countries there’s still a long way to go.”

Lisa is fluent in Spanish and Jenni is fluent in Chinese. They’re going places where their dollar stretches far or where they have family or where people have promised a place to stay since their finances are limited. The first stop starting July 6th is New Zealand, then on to Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Taiwan, China, Nepal, India, Africa and South America.

Jenni and Lisa have been together for two years. Jenni Chang works as a business manager for eBay Inc, the online marketplace site. Jenni’s international experience includes volunteering with community outreach groups in Taiwan, Cambodia, and China. Jenni is an LGBT activist who is involved in the Asian American and Christian LGBT communities in San Francisco. Lisa Dazols is a licensed clinical social worker who is in her tenth year in HIV services. Lisa works at UCSF’s Positive Health Program in San Francisco’s largest HIV clinic. She started her career as an international HIV social worker in Chile before getting her masters degree in social welfare at UC Berkeley.
For Info & Donations: outandaround.com

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Gay TV Network Reboots in New York

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Josh Rosenzweig, Senior Vice President of Original Programming and Development at Here Media about the new shows on here! TV and the timely move to increase production in New York as the state passes marriage equality. The newest addition to their schedule is “Threesome” which premiered on here! TV this month. This show consists of 24 half-hour episodes hosted by Stoya and features an expert panel of guests including Cherie Lily and Will Wikle with special guest Dr. Frank Spinelli. “Threesome” is here! TV’s roundtable discussion addressing sex, dating, and relationships. The show includes celebrity panelists who answer viewers’ questions. Each episode features a new panel of experts lending their advice to the here! TV audience.

When asked what new TV trends were on his radar, Rosenzweig stated, “In the end of 2010 and when Here Media decided they were going to move the majority of production from Los Angeles to New York our CEO Paul Colichman came to me and said ‘Hey look, we need to breathe life into our TV network again. We’ve had a low boil for a year and a half while we utilized resources on the magazines and websites. Now we need to put some energy into the television network with some really exciting original programming!’ And I said to Paul, for me, what I think we need to do is not make it edgier but a little younger, a little hipper, more fun, just add some comedy stuff to it, just make it a little more modern, exciting programming that utilizes people from various walks of life. Whether it’s entertainment, media or news just add a younger hipper edge to it.”

Some of the new here! TV original series include: “Behind the Bar”, an insider’s glimpse at the best mixologists working today, “This Gay House”, a tour of the stunning homes of the hottest LGBT tastemakers, “Dinah Girls”, a sizzling behind-the-scenes tour of Club Skirts The Dinah, the music series “Boombox” with DJ Cazwell, “Face to Face” and “Just Josh”, a new talk show hosted by Josh Rosenzweig. Note: This interview was recorded prior to New York passing marriage equality.
For More Info: www.heretv.com

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Gay Ally Kathleen Turner Speaks OUT

UPDATE: 2012 Interview With Director Anne Renton
In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with the fabulous Kathleen Turner about her starring role in THE PERFECT FAMILY directed by Anne Renton, the new comedy/drama that opened the Provincetown International Film Festival. In this family themed film Turner plays a devout Catholic and New Jersey suburban mom who is confronted by her religious beliefs. She learns she’s a candidate for “Catholic Woman of the Year.” This is where it gets interesting. The church must interview her family in order to make their decision. Her daughter played by Emily Deschanel (from the hit Fox TV Series Bones) plays her lesbian daughter who’s about to marry her partner but Mom is in denial that the relationship even exists. Her son played by Jason Ritter wants to get a divorce and Michael McGrady portrays her recovering alcoholic husband who has just had about enough of all the deceptions. The stellar cast also includes a rare performance by Richard Chamberlain as Monsignor Murphy. This film deals with positive LGBT family issues and whether you’re Catholic or not you must see this movie.

As a New Yorker Turner supports gay marriage and when asked about how this LGBT themed movie came about Kathleen stated, “Well I think it’s very much part of the writer’s and everyone’s lives. I mean the director has a wonderful partner and the producers are two women who are married. So it is something they were all open to and receptive towards. For me I think that a family is a family and love is love and I really don’t need to draw distinctions based on gay or lesbian issues. My question is: Is it a committed solid relationship, not are they both lesbian, gay or straight. Is it a marriage? That’s what I find compelling.”

THE PERFECT FAMILY, written by Paula Goldberg and Claire V. Riley and produced by Certainty Films, is playing the festival circuit and will be at Outfest LA in July. It will be released May 4th 2012 in NYC, LA and on demand with a wide release on May 11th.
Listen to Part Two with John Waters
Listen to Part Three with Albert Maysles
Listen to Part #4: with Actress Jackie Monahan
For More Info: theperfectfamilymovie.com

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Gay Vet Advocate Speaks OUT on DADT

UPDATE: Fed Appeals Court Rules Against DADT
In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Aubrey Sarvis, Executive Director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Despite Obama signing the bill last December authorizing the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), it is still unsafe for service members to come out until 60 days after certification by President Obama, Secretary Gates, and Admiral Mullen. Recently Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated that he is prepared to move forward on the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) repeal certification before he leaves office at the end of June.
Update: Defense Secretary Robert Gates, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) in an interview on June 23rd that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) repeal would not be certified before he retires June 30, instead coming from his successor Leon Panetta in late July or early August.

When asked where we stand with the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and when it will finally take effect, Sarvis stated, “Unfortunately we’re in a holding pattern right now on the repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’. Repeal has not happened. ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is still the law. We’re pushing the White House, pushing the Pentagon to get certification which is an important part of the process. To get certification by the President, Defense Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, to get those three together this month in June before Secretary of Defense Gates leaves. There’s some signs that certification may slip, may not happen this month and if it does slip that certification could well be in July or later. Then there’s another part of the process. Once we have the certification, an additional 60 days has to run before we have repeal of the statute known as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ finally goes away. All of this could come together by mid or late September or October. So unfortunately we have several more months to go before this law is gone entirely. In the meantime we caution and advice service members to be careful, to serve in silence, until we have this final repeal.”

While we are in this holding pattern the House Republicans have attached ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to the National Defense Act. Obama has stopped short of specifically stating that he would veto the final bill when it is passed by both the House and Senate if that bill includes the current House language. Openly gay Representatives Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin, Jared Polis and David Cicilline stated in a letter to Obama, “Because this issue is so important in so many ways, we think it would be the best course for you to reaffirm your strong support of the end of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ by making it explicit that you would veto a bill in the unlikely event that it came to you, which undermined the decision that you led us to make last year – namely a military that does not discriminate unfairly and does not turn away patriotic, productive Americans seeking to serve their country.”
This is an extremely important issue for our LGBT community. We must not become complacent and make sure this archaic legislation is removed once and for all.
Update: Senate Armed Services Committee’s markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 which was completed June 17th, contained none of the reactionary and distracting amendments related to the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that were inserted into the House version of the bill and also would repeal the outdated and widely ignored prohibition on sodomy between consenting adults.
For More Info: sldn.org

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Provincetown International Film Fest 2011

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Connie White, Artistic Director of the Provincetown International Film Festival that takes place in Provincetown, Massachusetts June 15th through June 19th. The Opening Night Film will be THE PERFECT FAMILY directed by Anne Renton with the stellar cast Kathleen Turner, Jason Ritter, Emily Deschanel and Richard Chamberlain. The festival will close with MASTER HAROLD AND THE BOYS. The Friday Spotlight Selection is CIRCUMSTANCE and the Saturday Spotlight Selection is SPLINTERS. Career Achievement Award will be given to director Albert Maysles who created the amazing documentaries GIMME SHELTER, GREY GARDENS and SALESMAN. The 2011 Filmmaker on the Edge Award will be awarded to writer/director Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN and THE WRESTLER. The Excellence In Acting Award will be presented to Vera Famiga, UP IN THE AIR, DOWN TO THE BONE and HIGHER GROUND.

Other highlights among the 50+ films programmed this year include the East Coast and New England Premiers of TOMBOY and ON TOUR. There are award-winning international favorites such as ANOTHER EARTH, JANIE JONES and HAPPY, HAPPY. Acclaimed documentaries include BECOMING CHAZ, THE LAST MOUNTAIN, PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES and TABLOID. Of course there will be the annual A NIGHT AT THE DRIVE-IN which will be in the horror genre with ALIENS and TROLLHUNTER. This year the Youth & Diversity Program will include the timely film THE BULLY PROJECT.

LGBTQ teens are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Over the past year, numerous teens have taken their own lives after facing bullying incidents. When asked what advise she would have for these at risk kids, White a mother and gay ally stated, “I would just say to find your passion. Whether that’s art, music, cooking or movies, and you’ll find your community. And just know that you’re not alone. I think that finding community is probably the most important.”

Connie White has been with the Provincetown International Film Festival since it began thirteen years ago. Under her direction, the PIFF has hosted and honored such acclaimed independent filmmakers as Gus Van Sant, John Waters, Mira Nair, Christine Vachon, Todd Haynes and Quentin Tarantino. The Provincetown International Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing new achievements in independent film and honoring the work of acclaimed and emerging directors, producers and actors. PIFF is equally devoted to expanding the audience for independent film and to serving the Provincetown community and reflecting the community’s rich diversity in America’s oldest art colony. This is the fifth year we’ll be covering the festival for OUTTAKE VOICES™.
For More Info & Tix: ptownfilmfest.org

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Boston Pride 'EQUALITY No More No Less'

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Keri Aulita, Deputy Director of the Boston Pride Committee, about this year’s events. Boston’s LGBT Pride celebration starts June 3rd and runs through Sunday June 12th. In celebration of the 41st anniversary of Boston Gay Pride this year’s theme is ‘EQUALITY No More No Less’. The 2011 Boston Pride Theme reminds us to continue the fight for full and true equality, with no exceptions and no concessions. Equal treatment under the law, in our schools, at work, in our neighborhoods and in the religion of our choice. We expect to be treated with respect and fairness by our peers, families, elected officials, doctors, landlords, employers, neighbors and religious leaders. We must insist on the same rights, dignity, protection, access and opportunities in our towns, cities, countries and worldwide. All people. All places. All ways. ‘EQUALITY No More No Less’.

When asked what her reaction was to the violence that broke out at the recent Moscow Pride Parade, Aulita stated, “Boston Pride is a member of the International Association of Pride Committees. We know the organizers of the Moscow Pride. We have an annual conference every year and we get together with pride colleagues from across the globe. Moscow has been struggling for a long time to get a permit to have a parade. What’s my reaction, it’s disgusting. Part of why we do what we do is people question ‘is pride still relevant especially in Massachusetts?’ It is because things like this still happen, because David Kato was murdered in Uganda this past winter. This is why we continue to do it. The Moscow struggle was documented in the documentary made by the Vancouver Pride Society in Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride. In that documentary you saw a piece on Moscow and how they struggle just to walk down the street. It’s unfortunate and it’s why the people in the pride movement are so committed and why we in Boston are so committed. We want to have parties and parades but we want to really try and get the word out there that there’s a reason why we are so demanding on visibility. It’s just so unfortunate that violence happens anywhere.”

The annual Pride parade is on Saturday June 11th with over 30 events and parties happening all week long. Happy Pride Everyone!!
For More Info: bostonpride.org

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