Filmmaker Jane Clark Soars With Diversity

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with director/writer Jane Clark (“Meth Head” & “Elena Undone”) about her new comedy horror cult classic "Crazy Bitches". The movie is about eight gay and straight friends who go to a remote ranch for a week of gossip and fun but after a number of drinks on their first night a dark secret is revealed. The house they rented is the site of an unsolved mass murder of teenage girls fifteen years earlier and bloodstains are discovered under the replacement carpets. At first they take it as an intriguing horror story for a rainy night by a roaring fire but after one of them disappears and is discovered dead, the story isn’t fun anymore. Then one by one they die, killed by their own vanity and their fun-filled week turns into a race against death of who will make it out alive. The cast includes Mary Jane Wells, Cathy De Buono, Guinevere Turner and Candis Cayne just to name a few. We talked to Clark about casting her movies to reflect our evolving diverse society and her spin on LGBT equality.

When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT equality Clark stated, “I don’t necessarily think of myself as an activist in any way. I’m a filmmaker and a storyteller first but I have quite a number of dear friends that are LGBT and I mean all of them. So the way I see the people around me, I see people just like me who love the same sex, love the opposite sex, love both, have chosen to change their gender because they feel more truthful about themselves and more whole as another gender. But they may be gay as another gender or they may be straight as another gender; I mean it’s all one piece to me. I see everybody as we’re just living in this world and love all my friends equally and don’t see a difference in them. So for me, telling stories that fit into the LGBT community because the characters in the films are in the gay community is just a matter of saying I don’t see a difference, truthfully. I think that it is important to tell stories that are unique to the LGBT community. I also think it’s important to tell stories where being gay is just part of a whole rather than unique on its own because in my world my friends are just a part of my whole. The only way to reach a wider straight audience and to say we are part of this whole community of human beings is to tell stories that bridge that divide as opposed to just fall separately into one category or another.”

Jane Clark began her career as an actress including a recurring role on “Chicago Hope”. She has spoken on panels covering film production, fundraising, marketing, distribution and most recently addressing the topic of filmmakers and social change. She is currently writing a book on making short films from idea through distribution and has devoted time as a board member and programmer to the Woods Hole Film Festival in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. "Crazy Bitches" is currently available online on VOD platforms and will be released on DVD and Blu Ray on April 1st 2015.
For More Info: thecrazybitchesmovie.com

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Walter Naegle Shares Bayard Rustin’s Legacy (AUDIO)

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Walter Naegle who was pioneer civil rights activist Bayard Rustin's partner for the last decade of Rustin's life who died in 1987. Rustin taught Martin Luther King Jr. strategies of nonviolence during the Montgomery Bus Boycott and reached international notoriety in 1963 as the openly gay organizer of the March on Washington. With the racial unrest in this country and in recognition of Black History Month Cleis Press has just published a new ebook edition of “Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin” with the timely message of nonviolent and peaceful protest. In 2013 President Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor posthumously to Bayard Rustin. Naegle accepted the award on Rustin's behalf stating "Being black, being homosexual, being a political radical, that’s a combination that’s pretty volatile and it comes along like Halley’s Comet. Bayard’s life was complex, but at the same time I think it makes it a lot more interesting." We talked to Naegle about what Bayard was really like, how they met, the importance of Rustin’s work and his spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Naegle stated, “My personal commitment is to be who I am as an LGBT person and more broadly a human being to support LGBT equality and issues whenever I can, which nowadays is very often speaking at colleges and community centers and libraries and lifting up the fact that Bayard was a very important leader in the civil and human rights movement who happened to be LGBT and lived during a time when these kinds of things weren’t discussed. And yet he was able to live fairly openly as a gay man. He paid the price for it but actions that were taken to try and quiet him never really succeeded. He rose above all that stuff and was able to make a significant contribution to the democratization of our society as a whole, so that is really the reason why a lot of younger LGBT folks kind of lift him up now as an inspiration and as a hero. I guess my commitment would be to sort of continue promoting his legacy and his values and to live as an integrated person myself.”

Beyond being Bayard Rustin's partner for the last decade of Rustin's life, Naegle has served as Rustin's executor and archivist and is the Executive Director of the Bayard Rustin Fund, which promotes Rustin's legacy and values. “Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin” showcases the extraordinary career of this black gay civil rights pioneer. Spanning five decades the book combines classic texts from Bayard Rustin ranging in topic from Gandhi’s impact on African Americans, white supremacists in Congress, the antiwar movement and the assassination of Malcolm X, with never-before published selections on the call for gay rights, Louis Farrakhan, affirmative action, AIDS and women’s rights. Also included in the book are twenty-five photos from the Rustin estate with a Foreword by Barack Obama and Afterword by Barney Frank.
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First LGBT Millennia Scope Oscar Gala

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks to Shahid Manning, Founder and Executive Director of Millennia Scope Entertainment Foundation about their upcoming gala for the LGBT entertainment community. The first annual Millennia Scope Gala is a post Oscar ceremony celebration event honoring the best, brightest and emerging LGBT talent shaping entertainment in Hollywood and takes place on Sunday February 22nd at Los Globos in Los Angeles, California. During this unprecedented fabulous event Millennia Scope will acknowledge the contributions of significant players whose creative work raises awareness and rewrites a modern image of our LGBT community in the world of entertainment and well beyond. Honorees include Martin Gero, Creator “LA Complex” (CW), Ben Cory Jones, Creator and Writer “Bro’s” (HBO), Producer Toni Newman “Heart of A Woman” and Actor Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent” (Amazon Prime). We talked to Shahid about making the Millennia Scope Gala an annual event and his spin on our LGBT issues.

 When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Manning stated, “I’m a gay black man. I am 100% committed to it. My mother taught me in the seventies that ‘it doesn’t matter what other people think, it matters what you think of yourself. I love you for who you are.’ So that’s just who I am and of course as a member of the LGBT community I firmly believe we should have the same rights as any other citizen in this country. I am actually proud that we have more states than not who have equal marriage rights and that’s the way it should be. Equality, equality, equality, that’s what this country is suppose to be about anyway.”

Shahid Manning is a graduate of Howard University’s theatre and business schools. A former corporate executive, Manning moved from New York to Southern California to become an active participant in the theatre and film community in Los Angeles. He has worked in a number of capacities within the entertainment industry uniquely promoting LGBT media and film. In 2009 Manning launched Millennia Scope Entertainment Foundation a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports independent filmmakers of LGBT visual media. Millennia Scope is dedicated to fostering the careers of a community of artists traditionally underserved and underrepresented in mainstream media, who embody diversity, innovation, uniqueness of vision and the next generation of talented filmmakers. Their important fundraising event DIVERSIFYING HOLLYWOOD: 1st Annual Millennia Scope Oscar Gala takes place February 22nd in LA.
For More Info & Gala Tix: msefoundation.org 

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Gay Veteran Making History In Boston Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Bryan Bishop, Founder and Executive Director of OUTVETS, the first LGBTQ nonpartisan, nonpolitical veterans organization in the nation. OUTVETS mission is to recognize and honor the contributions and sacrifices of LGBTQ veterans through social interaction and community service. Last December OUTVETS made LGBT history when the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council (AWVC) voted 5-4 in favor of allowing this LGBT veterans organization to march in South Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade next month. Since 1995 when the U.S. Supreme Court voted unanimously to not allow LGBT groups to march via freedom of speech for the AWVC the parade has been boycotted by Massachusetts politicians. Whether other LGBT organization will be permitted to march is doubtful. AWVC’s decision to allow OUTVETS to participate was because of OUTVETS nonpolitical agenda and after OUTVETS’ historic appearance as the first LGBT group to march in Boston’s Veterans Day Parade last November. We talked to Bryan about the controversy surrounding the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Parade and his spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Bishop stated, “Every person in this country deserves to be treated fairly and equally. Now to say that yeah yeah yeah, but does it ever happen? I do everything in my power to ensure that I treat everyone with dignity and respect and equally as the best I can. I mean I come from North Carolina. I come from a place where there is no equality, racially, socioeconomically, you know whether you’re gay or straight it doesn’t matter. I mean the bigots run wild down there. But living here (Boston) for the last 25 years I’ve moved beyond that and I think that my commitment to LGBT civil rights is the fact that we just keep going. We’ve won some major, major battles but we haven’t won the war. I think that struggle is something that we continue to do everyday but as I said before I don’t have a political pull in that. My commitment to LGBT civil rights is that LGBT veterans are honored for the service they gave to this country and nothing more, nothing less. I don’t get into the activism side of it other than that one agenda and that is to honor the service and sacrifice of LGBT veterans and all veterans, but that’s where I draw the line.”

Bryan Bishop retired from the US Air Force after twenty years of service. He now serves as Chief of Staff of the Boston Department of Veteran Service. OUTVETS is currently working on establishing OUTVETS chapters in all 50 states by the end of 2016 and making September 20th the day “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was repealed as LGBT Veteran Freedom Day.
For More Info: outvetsamerica.org 

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Michael Urie Directs New Series “What’s Your Emergency”

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with actor Michael Urie (Ugly Betty, Buyer & Cellar, Partners) about directing his new comedy web series “What’s Your Emergency” that premiered January 27th on Stage17, the digital platform that’s bridging the gap between traditional theatre and new media. “What’s Your Emergency” created by and starring Ryan Spahn and Halley Feiffer features a cast of Broadway veterans including Sierra Boggess, Debra and Reed Birney for six episodes. Taking place in Hell, Michigan, the show chronicles the misadventures of the inept rescue workers of the town’s 911call center. The show also features a slew of guest stars including Urie’s Ugly Betty costar America Ferrera, Alan Cumming, Lynn Cohen, Richard Kind, David Krumholtz, and Mike Sorrentino. We talked to Michael about what he hopes to accomplish with this new comedy series and his spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Urie stated, “ I feel as an actor we have a responsibility to entertain first and foremost but I also feel like being in the public eye and putting work out there for public consumption, we also have a responsibility for artists as activists or activists as artists. I feel strongly that it’s important to show good role models in the LGBTQ community and not to avoid characters. When people first started to know who I was doing Ugly Betty, I was told by industry insiders not to take another gay character because the character I played was openly gay and also specifically that character was very campy, very fashionable, also very bitchy. I think people were afraid I’d be pigeonholed by playing gay characters but I haven’t shied away from playing gay characters and I also have gotten to play a wide variety of gay characters since then. I’m so proud that Matt Bomer just won a Golden Globe for The Normal Heart, a gay man playing a gay man. That’s very rare. I mean straight actors get awards for playing gay characters all the time but you don’t often see gay actors playing gay characters, at least you don’t see them in the mainstream and up on stage accepting awards. So that was a pretty proud moment for me when I saw Matt up there accepting that award. I think it was a huge step. I want to keep working towards things like that. I want to see the community continue to strive. We keep adding letters to LGBTQ, hopefully someday it won’t matter what letter we are. We’ll all just be people.”

Michael Urie recently finished a successful Off-Broadway run and national tour of Jonathan Tolins’ Buyer & Cellar for which he received the Drama Desk Award, Clarence Derwent Award and Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show, as well as nominations for Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Awards. He’s taking his one-man show Buyer & Cellar to London in March to perform as part of the 10th anniversary season of the Menier Chocolate Factory from March 12th to May 2nd. “What’s Your Emergency” premiered January 27th on Stage17.
For More Info: stage17.tv

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Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition Prevention Event

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Cheryl Osimo Executive Director of the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition about their premier fundraising event that takes place in Boston on January 24th. The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) is the only breast cancer non-profit working closely with a research organization (Silent Spring Institute) to investigate preventable, environmental causes of the disease. This work is funded through annual fundraising events like the upcoming Lesbians & Friends Dance: A Party for Prevention. On Saturday January 24th for the 17th year, hundreds of women will come together for an evening of celebration and hope for a future free of breast cancer. We talked to Cheryl about working to lower the national statistic that ONE in EIGHT women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime and her spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked about her involvement with our LGBT community Osimo stated, “My personal involvement has been one where many and most of my friends and my extended family are lesbian women. The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition was founded by lesbian women and I have worked hand in hand with them on different issues throughout the years and have been very proud to learn from them and to help in ways they’ve guided me to help. I support full and equal rights for everyone. I believe in the legislative piece of gay marriage ruled by the Supreme Court. I believe all rights accorded to heterosexual married people will be accorded to married gay couples. We need to work together hand in hand to make sure we do all we can to change the world for future generations. The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition is doing all we can to prevent this disease and we need to make sure that all of us who are working on a single issue branch out to help one another to work together on any and all issues that need attention... So I’m hoping in the new year that people are going to volunteer time to support those organizations that need help.”

Cheryl Osimo has been a devoted breast cancer activist and advocate since 1991 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 41. She has been a catalyst in raising public awareness of the possible environmental links to breast cancer. Her commitment to breast cancer prevention and awareness will benefit women worldwide.The 17th annual Lesbians & Friends Dance: A Party for Prevention takes place on Saturday January 24th from 8:30P to12:30A at the Brookline-Boston Holiday Inn located at 1200 Beacon Street in Brookline, MA. Their goal is to raise at least $7000. Music will be provided by DJ Jodi. The event is sponsored by Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, Fenway Health, Lisa J. Drapkin & Debbie Lewis, Wade Horowitz LaPointe LLP, Sue Wilson, Esq & Founder, Hy-Line Cruises, Kauffman Crozier LLP, Geri Davis, The Davis Group, Neiman & Associates Financial Services, LLC, Debra Neiman, CFP, Diane Neumann & Associates, Liz Nania OUT to Dance, Meg Steere, Wilson, Marino & Bonnevie, PC. Advance tickets are $40 and $45 at door and volunteers are needed for this important fundraising event.
For More Info: mbcc.org

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Gay Activist Josh Sanders Speaks OUT (AUDIO)

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Josh Sanders, Director of External Engagement, GO! Athletes Network about the change.org petition he initiated to cancel TLC TV show “My Husband’s Not Gay” which promotes the false and dangerous idea that gay people can and should choose to be straight in order to be part of their faith communities. With over 125,000 signatures this action has sparked mainstream media’s attention and hopefully will result in the cancellation of this misrepresented view of our LGBT community. “My Husband’s Not Gay” also sends a very disturbing and irresponsible message to our LGBTQ youth who are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers when dealing with bullying incidents. Sanders who is a devout Christian understands the important role faith plays in the lives of the show’s main characters especially after being subjected to six months of so-called "reparative therapy" that falsely claims to turn gay people straight. We talked to Josh about his inspiration to launch this petition to stop spreading such dangerous misinformation by cancelling TLC’s “My Husband’s Not Gay” and his spin on LGBT issues.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Sanders stated, “My personal commitment is to live authentically. I have to live authentically; I have to speak up if I see injustice and right now I love what’s going on with marriage equality. I love what’s going on with equal protection rights and the abilities for spouses to be able to receive health benefits. I want to be someone that works towards that in all areas. I work specifically within athletics right now. I love to see any type of discrimination towards LGBT youth done away with. So my personal commitment is just to live an authentic life and do what I can every day to make a difference.”

Josh Sanders is an advocate and educator with a passion for inclusion and equality in athletics and beyond. As Director of External Engagement with the GO! Athletes Network he builds upon GO’s mission of engaging, educating and empowering LGBTQ athletes and others. Josh speaks nationally on intersectional issues including religion, identity, homophobia, sexism, racism and other topics and has been a guest speaker and advisor for the NCAA on developing inclusive spaces within athletic departments for religious institutions.
To Sign Petition: change.org 

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Terry Baum In New Solo Play HICK: A Love Story

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with playwright/actress Terry Baum about her solo play HICK: A Love Story, The Romance of Lorena Hickok and Eleanor Roosevelt that she’s performing through January 25th at The Berkeley City Club in Berkeley, California. Lorena Hickok was the most famous woman journalist of her day and the first woman to have a byline on the front page of the NY Times. She met Eleanor Roosevelt (ER) during FDR’s first Presidential campaign in 1932. She convinced her editor that this particular candidate’s wife was worth her own reporter and was assigned to the job herself. The love affair between the aristocratic First Lady and the charming, hard-living butch reporter lasted several years. HICK: A Love Story is based on 2,336 letters ER wrote to Hick over 30 years. These letters were discovered in 1978 when a researcher opened 18 boxes willed to the FDR Library by Lorena Hickok. The letters document a passionate lesbian relationship between Hick and ER in the early years of their friendship and a deep connection that lasted Eleanor’s lifetime. A few of ER’s quotes from these letters during their affair include “I can’t kiss you, so I kiss your picture good night and good morning” and “I would give a good deal to put my arms around you and to feel yours around me. I love you deeply and tenderly.” Hick helped Mrs. Roosevelt become an outspoken, media-savvy activist for democracy and human rights and one of the greatest women of the 20th century. We talked to Baum about HICK: A Love Story and her spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what she would like to see happen for LGBT equality in the next few years Baum stated, “I would like to see of course federal recognition of gay marriage. That would be an important thing and I would like for people to not lose community after we gain this equality that we have fought so hard for, to keep going as a gay community and a political force and gay people to get more involved in electoral politics. If we want this thing to happen, federal recognition of gay marriage, then we have to elect different people to office. I feel that’s really important. All other kinds of activism are also important but I feel often we overlook the very crucial aspect of who actually makes the laws and spends tax money.”

Terry Baum is a pioneer lesbian playwright and has toured internationally as a solo performer. Her new solo play HICK: A Love Story that she wrote with Pat Bond and directed by Carolyn Myers, has a limited engagement of 19 performances through January 25th at The Berkeley City Club 2315 Durant Street in Berkeley, California.
For More Info & Tix: crackpotcrones.com 

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Kate Clinton: 2014 LGBT Review & 2015 Forecast

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Kate Clinton, our favorite political humorist. As we head into the New Year it’s time to reflect on 2014 and chat about what 2015 will bring our LGBT community. This has definitely been another year for marriage equality. As the year comes to an end gay and lesbian couples can now legally marry in 35 states. However, as we move forward with LGBT equality in America there are still 79 countries where being LGBT is illegal. We talked to Kate about how much work still needs to be done and her spin on our current LGBT issues.

When asked what she would like to see happen for LGBT civil rights in 2015 Clinton stated, “Well I think our big challenge in 2015 is going to be the kind of slimy interpretation of the horrible Hobby Lobby case; the right to refuse on your religious convictions and that’s bigger than a company that does flowers saying ‘No we’re not going to do flowers for that gay wedding’. But I do think there’s going to be a lot of push back and not that kind of full frontal assault on marriage equality, but again just more chipping away of LGBT rights.” On marriage equality heading to the US Supreme Court in 2015 Clinton added, “I do think it’s moving. I think that Evan Wolfson, the intrepid Evan Wolfson and the Freedom to Marry have really had a plan that they have been following and I do think their absolute goal is to get a decision about federal marriage equality at the Supreme Court.” When asked about LGBT workplace protection and the Republican majority in 2015 Clinton concluded, “I think there’s been a lot of work done through organizations like Out & Equal that have really been working with corporations and their memberships and their employee relations groups to really talk about discrimination in the workplace. I think that it’s been very much under the radar. They’ve been doing amazing work with corporations not only here but internationally and I do think that the notion that ENDA is just good business might sway moderate corporate business types in the Republican Party. I do think that it does have a possibility but we can’t do it without trans rights…”

Clinton is also very involved with NCLR (The National Center for Lesbian Rights) and LPAC (Lesbian Political Action Committee) conceptualized by her wife Urvashi Vaid to give lesbians a real and meaningful seat at the political table. Currently Kate is working on a new book and revealed to us the name of her new 2015 tour “Hello Katey: A One Woman Pussy Riot” she’ll be performing nationally.
For More Info: kateclinton.com

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