InterPride 2012 Gay Activists Speak OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Anna Dubrowski and Sylvain Bruni, Co-Chairs of InterPride 2012 which celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in Boston, Massachusetts October 3rd through October 7th. InterPride is the International Association of Pride Organizers and Organizations from around the world. InterPride was created in Boston in 1982 after Pride organizers from Boston, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, San Diego and Los Angeles convened to form the National Association of Lesbian and Gay Pride coordinators. InterPride was established to promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride on an international level to increase networking and communication among Pride Organizations and to encourage diverse communities to hold and attend Pride events as an educational source. InterPride accomplishes its mission with regional conferences and an Annual World Conference (AWC). At the annual conference InterPride members network, attend events and collaborate on an international scale. We talked to Anna and Sylvain about this year’s InterPride Conference and issues facing our LGBT community.

When asked what their personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Bruni stated, “I think my commitment is really about not necessarily giving back but really contributing to the level that I can. I think a lot of people are involved in InterPride or in a pride organization because they have some time or some money; they have some dedication; they have some energy they’re willing to give to make their community a better more accepting community overall, whether it is within the LGBT community or outside of it. I think from the point of view of Boston it is really good for us; things have moved forward really tremendously in the past years. So now it is also time for us to turn outwards and see what we can do to help other people. This is really where I find my energy and my inspiration being part of this, looking at how much we have done here. We’ve learned a lot, we’ve been able to amass that knowledge and make things move forward and now it’s what we can do to support others around the world.”

InterPride strives to create a world where there is full cultural, social and legal equality for all. InterPride hopes to raise awareness of cultural and social inequality through its network of Pride organizations and to effect positive change through education, collaboration, advocacy and outreach. InterPride 2012 Conference was hosted by Boston Pride.
For More Info: interpride2012.org

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Gay Icon Bobby Wetherbee 50th Anniversary

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with piano bar icon Bobby Wetherbee who is celebrating fifty years of entertaining audiences in Provincetown, Massachusetts. His talents have led him to perform at some top venues including The St. Regis’ King Cole Room, the Oak Bar at the Copley Plaza in Boston, New York’s Top of the Sixes, The Colony on Madison Avenue and The Carlyle; but it’s Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod that has played an enormous part in the growth of Bobby’s career. Patrons from all over the world find their way to his piano bar. Bobby confesses that the show can change from very sophisticated to just plain sophisticated fun with lots of audience participation which he loves. He says he enjoys the diversity of the crowd and hearing from a gifted singer or two. We talked to Bobby about the longevity of his career and his spin on our LGBT issues.

 When asked what his reaction is to the Democratic National Platform finally coming out in support of marriage equality and a trans-inclusive ENDA (Employment Nondiscrimination Act) Wetherbee stated, “That was major but I also feel that because I do remember Stonewall and the thing is it was just a matter of time. I’m so thrilled that within my lifetime I’ve seen this happen. As a kid and as an early gay man everything was hidden. I was arrested three times for just coming out of a gay bar. I personally feel that along with the militants, the women, the gay women, keep it in the forefront and I think that is amazing.”

Bobby Wetherbee has had his years of ups and downs always battling his demons at the keyboard, finding a life of free expression in gay-friendly Provincetown where the crowds fill his shows nightly and treat him like a cultural icon in his renaissance years. Wetherbee now calls the Crown and Anchor lounge home and the entertainer carries the Key to the Town around with pride saying it was an honor to be called a 50-year destination. Wetherbee will be performing at The Crown And Anchor through October.

For More Info: onlyatthecrown.com 

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Gay Network Here TV Presents Pride & Groom

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with producer Josh Rosenzweig and director Keren Aronoff about their new documentary Pride & Groom on Here TV. Pride & Groom commemorates the first anniversary of marriage equality in New York State and is part one of a four part series of one-hour specials addressing gay marriage exclusively on Here TV and Here TV Online. Josh Rosenzweig who is also Senior Vice President of Original Programming and Development for Here TV said, “Pride & Groom is dedicated to the thousands of activists, couples and everyday gay and lesbian Americans across the country who are fighting for full marriage equality. We hope audiences across the country, both gay and straight will see the emotional journey that all couples face deciding to enter into marriage and will laugh, cry and be inspired by this true love story.” The first Pride & Groom episode follows Mitchell Cook and Paul Neenos on their journey to wedded bliss. It’s an intimate depiction beginning with their engagement to creating invitations, to choosing flowers to the emotionally charged issues the couple face with their families as they prepare to spend the rest of the lives together. We talked to Josh and Keren about their documentary and issues facing our LGBT community.

When asked what is their personal commitment to LGBT civil rights first Rosenzweig stated, “My job at Here Media gives me a really incredible unique platform to say what I want in terms of LGBT civil rights. Whether that’s a political show or that’s even through some sort of drag show which probably has a lot of subversive or underlined political tones to it that you might see on the surface or something like Pride & Groom. Personally my commitment is incredibly strong and I try and utilize this position to get the word out and continue to discuss not just the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and marriage equality issues but all topics that effect the LGBT population.” Aronoff added, “When it hit me that I had a great friend that would be able to tell his story, I do what I do which is shoot and edit the content in order to tell stories. The specific point of view that I get to tell stories that I am lucky enough to have access to and put ideas to Josh and then tell personal stories about real people is my personal commitment to LGBT civil rights.”
For Info & Watch Pride & Groom: heretv.com/prideandgroom

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Global LGBT Music & Video Competition

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Marlee Walchuk about the second annual RightOutTV Music and Video Awards for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex artists. This year openly LGBTI singer/songwriters from around the world may submit songs as well as music videos in a variety of Indie-friendly categories such as “Best Video Do It Yourself” for the more homegrown project and “Best Song So Far” for those masterpieces written years ago that still deserve recognition. There’s even a “Best Living Room Performance” category to fit the growing trend of artists not wanting to wait for the funding to produce and release big-budget videos. “Our goal this year is to give more artists at every level a chance to compete and get noticed,” says Marlee Walchuk, Co-Producer of the awards. “It’s the artists’ talent and creativity that are being judged, not just the quality of their productions and recordings.” The deadline for submissions is Sept 24, 2012 and nominees will be announced Oct 11, 2012. The popular “Fan Fave” voting also begins Oct. 11th. We talked to Marlee about the RightOutTV Music and Video Awards and issues facing our LGBT community.

RightOutTV is based in Canada which became the fourth country to pass marriage equality in 2005. When asked her thoughts about LGBT equality in America, Walchuk stated, “I have to admit I did expect to see progress sooner than this. I love the US, I have always loved the US. I love going there, there’s something about that country that has a vibe and an energy to it that I just don’t see in other places. I have tons of faith that a country that was founded on ‘liberty and justice for all’ will soon realize that also includes their LGBT population. What I haven’t understood is why there’s so much resistance. I mean here we are in Canada, I don’t know how may countries have passed gay marriage but it’s a significant amount and not one of those countries or even the states that have allowed gay marriage has suffered or collapsed in any way. I just don’t understand why they’re resisting when you just look around and realize that all these ridiculous predictions or derogations and all these things that are going to happen and they’ve never come true anywhere. I understand there are religious reasons that people are holding on to but really it’s tough for us. Obviously we’re being able to marry here in Canada; we feel quite safe here. It does feel different when we go into the States and when we play Pride festivals down there. We do feel different walking the streets and we just can’t wait to see that start to change. I do believe that a major transformation will happen if Obama gets in. So we are rooting for all of you and just hoping that things go the way they are suppose to be going.”

The RightOutTV Music and Video Awards is an offshoot of the free LGBTI artist promotional site at RightOutTV.com. Marlee Walchuk and her wife Tully Callender of the music duo Sugarbeach launched RightOutTV in November 2010 after realizing there were few places to release their own LGBTI messaged music videos. RightOutTV provides a fully developed promotional website and streaming channel for artists who deserve more credit for being out and proud with their music. Openly LGBTI singer/songwriters from around the globe may submit songs and videos to be voted upon by a prestigious panel of professionals in the Music and Arts industries now until Sept. 24, 2012.
For More Info: rightouttvawards.com

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Grace Sterling Stowell LGBT History Maker

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Grace Sterling Stowell, Executive Director of BAGLY the Boston Alliance of Gay and Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Youth. Grace is being awarded The History Project’s 4th Annual HistoryMaker Award for her longtime selfless commitment to our LGBT community. For more than 30 years Grace Sterling Stowell has been a source of light and inspiration not only for LGBT youth but for the entire LGBT community in New England and beyond. We talked to Grace about what this award means to her and issues facing our LGBT community.

Since Grace is from Massachusetts and a longtime LGBT advocate we asked her spin on Mitt Romney’s run for President. Grace stated, “I was born and raised in Massachusetts doing this work so I remember when Mitt Romney was Governor of this state. He ran as somewhat of a moderate Republican and over the course of his governorship he became increasingly conservative for his first presidential run and it was very damaging. He cut funding specifically funding for LGBT youth issues. He pulled back support for the commission on LGBT Youth and ultimately abolished it. He ran as a moderate and ended up a much more extreme conservative and many of us felt he had misrepresented himself for public gain and did not really care for the lives of the people of the state that he was charged with supporting. Certainly we’re seeing more of the same in his second run for President. He’s taking positions that are contrary to social justice, contrary to LGBT equality that hurts lots of folks including women of color and poor and working class folk. He’s not in touch with the needs of the majority of this country who need strong leadership from a President to understand their issues.”

Grace Sterling Stowell is also a nationally known speaker, consultant and trainer on the needs and issues facing transgender youth and young adults. She has been a leading member of several local and national transgender education and advocacy organizations, and currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC). On September 20th she will be honored with The History Project’s 4th Annual HistoryMaker Award at their premier fundraising event. Chris Mason a nationally recognized leader and organizer on LGBT issues with a fierce passion for social justice will be receiving the Lavender Rhino Award. The ceremony will be followed by a reception featuring cocktails and hors d’oeuvres provided by The Paris Creperie and will be held at the Goethe Institut in Boston’s Back Bay.
For Tix & Info: historyproject.org

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Gay Activist Jay Critchley 25th Swim For Life

UPDATE: Over $200,000 was Raised! Thanks Everyone :)
In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with activist and artist Jay Critchley about the 25th Silver Anniversary of the Provincetown Harbor Swim for Life and Paddler Flotilla that happens Saturday September 8th. Since 1987 thousands of swimmers, kayakers, volunteers and the public have been participating in this fabulous Provincetown fundraising tradition presented by the Provincetown Community Compact. Swimmers across the country will swim the 1.4 mile across Provincetown Harbor to benefit the following community organizations and projects: Helping Our Women, AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Outer Cape Health Services, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Lower Cape Ambulance, Academy at Provincetown Schools, Soup Kitchen of Provincetown and The Compact Community Fund. Last year swimmers raised $200,000. We talked to Jay about the event and issues facing our LGBT community.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights, Critchley stated, We’ll I’m an artist who’s always been very out and I’m also a father with a son and two grandchildren. That has been an experience. I’m very open and out as an artist. One of my major projects was “The Old Glory Condom Corporation” which was a patriotic condom company in the eighties and nineties, which made it patriotic to practice safer sex. I wanted to get a trademark for it and the government denied it so I had a three-year legal battle with them. They said it was immoral and scandalous to associate the flag with sex but eventually we won. I did get a trademark. The slogan of the company was “Worn With Pride Countrywide.” Basically the American flag was printed on the condom. I created the first AIDS healing performance on the beach here in Provincetown in 1983 called “Immunity Mandela”. So a lot of my work has been intertwined with civil rights for people with AIDS, for the LGBT community and the community. I bring people together. It’s all about different facets of the community coming together which is what Provincetown is all about.”

The Provincetown Harbor Swim for Life and Paddler Flotilla weekend events include the Celebration of Life free concert on Friday September 7th at the UU Meeting House. On Saturday is the Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla followed by the Mermaid Brunch and awards ceremony at the Boatslip Resort.
For more Info: swim4life.org

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Entertainer & Gay Activist Richard Skipper

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with entertainer Richard Skipper who has been entertaining audiences for 20 years. He received rave reviews for his show Carol Channing's Broadway, his off-Broadway tribute to Carol Channing and he appears in Dori Berenstein's must-see documentary CAROL CHANNING: LARGER THAN LIFE currently on Showtime On-Demand. We talked to Richard about everything Carol Channing and issues facing our LGBT community.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights, Skipper stated, “I am in a committed relationship. My partner and I have been together for twenty-three years. I was a late bloomer. I did not realize that I was a gay man until I was twenty-one but I was a kid who was bullied in school and I was called all kinds of names by other kids and I didn’t know anything about my own sexuality. Yet people were putting labels on who and what I was before I was even able to access what labels I wanted to put on myself. For that reason I really believe in supporting one another because I lead a very full life and I have a wonderful life but I work at that life. I don’t have time to think about what other people are doing in the privacy of their own homes. I don’t have time to think about what my neighbors are doing. I don’t point fingers at other people and I feel it is very important especially here in New York where my partner and I got married. I hear stories over and over again that couples that are in committed relationships to find after 20, 30, 40, 50 years one of the partners gets ill and other partner is denied to be at their bedside in the hospital room or having to fight estate issues when two men or two women have set up a life together. I know there are some people out there who say that that piece of paper does not make a marriage. Well that piece of paper doesn’t make a marriage but it defines and legalizes the fact that two people have committed their lives to one another and for that very reason I have jumped on that bandwagon. To me it’s not a personal issue anymore as much as it is a federal issue. It needs to be across the board that every single person in this country has equal rights and that’s where I am on that issue.”

Currently Richard is writing a book celebrating the 50th anniversary of the musical “Hello, Dolly!” that happens in 2014 and campaigning diligently for Carol Channing to receive a long overdue Kennedy Center Honor. He also has a highly successful blog RICHARD SKIPPER CELEBRATES which focuses on artists and what makes a great entertainer unique.
For More Info: richardskipper.com

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GOP Convention Nix Gay Marriage Speaker

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Retired Navy Captain Joan Darrah about a letter she wrote to Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA), Chairman of the National Republican Party Platform Committee asking to address the Committee in support of marriage equality when it meets in Tampa, Florida August 27th through August 30th. Captain Darrah served for thirty years as a Naval Intelligence officer. She retired in June 2002. After retirement she was a leading advocate in the fight to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and testified before House Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Darrah and her wife Lynne Kennedy are plaintiffs in McLaughlin v. Panetta, a case in which Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) represents eight married gay and lesbian service member and veteran couples seeking the same recognition, rights and benefits as their straight, married colleagues. Her request to speak at the Republican Convention was denied. We talked to Joan about this and other issues facing our LGBT community.

When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights, Darrah stated, “Well I served for thirty years in the Navy. After I was in for several years I realized that I was gay and I continued to serve under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. When I retired I knew it was a terrible law and I knew I basically had to live two lives under it. I got some encouragement from other people to try and join the group primarily led by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network to start work to try and get rid of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. Initially I was a little reluctant because it was so difficult to live under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and I needed a little distance. But then I added my voice and testified before Congress, did a significant amount of lobbying and grassroots initiatives to ultimately get “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repealed. So now gays and lesbians can serve openly in the military without the fear of being fired. My whole career I would go to work each day hoping that wouldn’t be the day I might get outed and fired. So fortunately “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is gone and from all reports gay service men and women are serving and it’s working out just great. So the next logical step is to have all service members be treated equally and because of the Defense of Marriage Act gay couples are not afforded so many benefits that their straight shipmates are afforded.”

During her career Darrah had various operational and administrative assignments including Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander at the Office of Naval Intelligence. Captain Darrah’s personal decorations include the Legion of Merit (three awards), Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), the Navy Commendation Medal (three awards) and the Navy Achievement Medal. Joan lives with her partner and spouse of 22 years, Lynne Kennedy, in Alexandria, Virginia.
For More Info: sldn.org

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Gay Producer Adam Weinstock Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Adam Weinstock, President of Creative Concept Productions. Adam has produced shows on and off Broadway since the 1996 revival of Mart Crowley’s The Boys in the Band. He has worked closely with Bruce Vilanch, Lea Delaria, Judy Tenuta, Charles Busch, Margaret Cho, Ellen Greene, Paula Poundstone, Michael Feinstein, Sandra Bernhard and Linda Eder during the summer Creative Concept Productions theater events in Provincetown, Massachusetts. We talked to Adam about his 2012 Provincetown line-up which includes Lisa Lampanelli, Margaret Cho, Linda Eder and Paula Poundstone. We also talked to Weinstock about issues facing our LGBT community.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights, Weinstock stated, “First of all they’re human rights and because I’m a person in the community I think we fight for what’s important to us and it becomes not necessarily our charity. I have a good friend John Bartlett and he does a lot of work for PETA. Obviously he’s not a member of that group of animal society but that’s what calls to him and what calls to me is the LGBT community probably because I’m a member so I figure that doing something good for the community and selfishly I’m helping myself. If I give money to marriage equality I’m helping myself in the long run. If I give money to AIDS research I’m helping myself in the long run so I think it’s selfish even though it’s humanitarian. I’m a gay man. You can’t turn your back on your community and if you turn your back on your community you’re turning your back on humanity and you might as well be a hermit and live somewhere but you need other people to live. You need books to read and entertainment to go to and food to eat and unless you’re a farmer with a vivid imagination you can’t be isolated. You have to put your faith in the world and try to do something good. I guess you don’t have to, but I think you do. That’s my commitment to the community and I always find plays with our themes but our theme is out there. Any play that I produce is being produced by a gay man so it becomes an LGBT play because I have taken an interest in it and created, supported and paid for it. If I make an omelet it’s a gay omelet and it’s masculine because it’s made by a man, a gay man. So there it is. If this play is produced by a gay man though the actors, writers, and directors may not be gay it becomes part of us.”

We caught Creative Concept Productions Lisa Lampanelli’s show in July, which was fabulous. Margaret Cho is appearing at the Art House in Provincetown August 11th through August 18th during Carnival Week. Paula Poundstone will be appearing at the Crown and Anchor on August 26th. Provincetown is offering amazing performances by topnotch entertainers all summer long so you still have time to take in a show.
For More Info: creativeconceptproductions.com

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