The night started like any other performance at Ole Miss. The house lights dimmed, the stage lights came up, and our production of The Laramie Project began. As we are theater majors presenting our shows on a university campus, many of our audience members are attending because they are required to for class assignments. This means we as actors have become very used to cell phones, people wearing T-shirts and shorts, and some talking.
Near the second act, however, I noticed a shift happen. People started laughing, but they were not laughing at the show. They were laughing at us as actors, at us as people. During my monologue for the character of Harry Woods, a 52-year-old gay man living in Laramie, Wyo., I heard people talking about me, taking photos, and mocking my lines about being openly gay.
The stage is normally a place where I feel comfortable and safe, but this time I felt threatened and terrified. I did not want to be on that stage. I was shaking. I was fearful. And I was not the only one who was attacked by hate speech.
The hecklers in the audience made rude and threatening remarks about multiple cast members, and not just about sexual orientation. Weight, gender, religion, race – nothing was off-limits to them. Backstage, some of us were crying, some were angry. Still, as a cast we pulled ourselves together and finished the show. The story was told, and I believe it started to sink in with us just how vital and relevant this story truly is.
That night, Oct. 1, I was reminded of what it has been like to grow up gay in this country, especially in the South, where I have been called "fag" or "queer" since the sixth grade. The sad truth is that this type of hate speech has been so much a part of my life that I had almost forgotten how much it hurts. It kept me in the closet until I was 18, because I didn't want to be "bad" or "wrong." I didn't want to be gay. Looking back, that's devastating, because that's simply a part of who I am.
There is something wrong here.
It is still a hostile world for the LGBTQ community, especially for LGBTQ youth. The hecklers on campus reminded me of that. Being involved in theater, I sometimes forget what it is like outside of that circle.
The world of the theater, the arts in general, is known for being very open and accepting, but I was reminded last Tuesday that this is not the case everywhere. I was bluntly reminded that my boyfriend and I are not accepted by everyone, that this "lifestyle" is condemned by some. My hope is that I can continue to provide a voice for my community and be a role model to the youth. We need to create a safe and equal world for the LGBTQ in this country.
When I first got cast in The Laramie Project, I felt an immediate connection to the text and the story of Matthew Shepard. I thought that with the recent successes of the LGBTQ community, such as hate-crime laws and the SCOTUS rulings for marriage equality, it was important to show audiences how far we have come. I never thought that the story would actually remind me along with others how much we still have to do, but it did.
In 1998, the vicious assault and murder of Matthew Shepard awakened America to hate crimes based on sexual orientation and the threats and inequalities faced by the LGBTQ community. The Laramie Project is such an important story 15 years later because we still have a lot of work to do toward achieving complete equality. People are still being bullied, young adults are still fearful of being themselves, and the LGBTQ community still does not have the rights that others have.
I will never forget this experience. It has reminded me that I have a voice and a responsibility to stand up for equal rights. Matthew Shepard's story showed the world that hate is unacceptable. I owe it to him to keep reminding us of that.
Garrison Gibbons is a theater student at the University of Mississippi. He will participate in the candlelight vigil honoring Matthew Shepard's legacy and National Coming Out Day following the Friday, Oct. 11, performance of the Ford's Theatre production of The Laramie Project. For more information, call 202-347-4833 or visit fordstheatre.org.
...more
Return #1
(Photo by Matthew Murphy)
''My older sister was so clumsy,'' Jenelle Figgins says, ''I guess my mother assumed that she'd be able to bypass a few accidents by putting us in dance.''
Ultimately the move inspired three of the four Figgins girls to pursue dance as a career, including Jenelle, who next weekend returns to her hometown with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. The professional troupe, founded in 1972, performs two mixed-repertory programs at Sidney Harman Hall as part of its first national tour since returning last year after an eight-year hiatus due to financial constraints.
''I think the time that we were on hiatus, the energy that Dance Theatre of Harlem brings was missing. It's really multi-dimensional and just all-encompassing,'' says the 24-year-old Figgins, who joined the company last year after college in New York. Among the pieces the Dance Theatre will perform next week, Figgins highlights two, both to be performed in Program A on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 19, at 2 p.m.: Gloria, a new work by the company's resident choreographer Robert Garland, dedicated to the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem; and Past-Carry-Forward, a world premiere ballet by husband-and-wife choreographic duo Tanya Wideman and Thaddeus Davis. ''The work is basically about the Harlem Renaissance and creating a new renaissance in a sense,'' Figgins says of Past-Carry-Forward.
An alumna of the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet, the Dance Institute of Washington and the Duke Ellington School of the Performing Arts, Figgins is a Washingtonian through and through. ''I like Harlem,'' she says, ''but I do miss D.C.!''
Naturally, she's looking forward to her homecoming next week. When asked if her family will be out in force, Figgins laughs: ''Oh, definitely. They have to come!''
The Dance Theatre of Harlem performs Thursday, Oct. 17, through Saturday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m., as well as Saturday, Oct. 19, at 2 p.m. A Dance Party with open bar toasting the company's return is Saturday, Oct. 19, at 10 p.m. 'Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $40 to $75. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.
...moreIn the summer of 1991 I scraped together some coins from my rapidly depleting change bowl and hopped on the 14th Street bus that took me through Columbia Heights — definitely not CoHi in those days — and dropped me in front of a small storefront where the cashiers worked behind thick, bulletproof Plexiglass. That's where this 22-year-old gay white boy with a journalism degree from a prestigious university and the product of a rural and deeply conservative Kentucky family went to redeem my first voucher for food stamps.
It was not a step I'd foreseen on my career path.
This is no secret story. I've shared it from time to time, generally with the self-deprecating irony I use to deal with things I can't ignore but am not particularly proud of. It's more difficult to tell it in a sober, straightforward manner because it makes the memory of the internal shame that much sharper.
I'm a child of the Reagan '80s, just another Reaganite in a high-school letter jacket. Domestic politics then (as today) centered on welfare queens, shifty layabouts and no-good criminals (read: ''black people'') who lived off government checks subsidized by hardworking, real Americans (read: ''white people'').
While coming out during college pushed me to the Democrats for extremely valid reasons, my conservative disdain for government help, whether by check or by cheese, remained. So stupid and blind I was to all things related to the safety net, I refused to apply for unemployment benefits after I lost my first job in the midst of that early '90s recession, spurning the one program I'd already been paying into through payroll deductions.
That explains how bad things were that I would go on food stamps, one of the most reviled programs among conservative Americans who steadfastly believe anyone who needs help buying food did something to deserve their fate. These were the days before EBT cards that allow people to purchase their food with the same swiping motion as everyone else in the store, granting a certain level of privacy from everyone except nosy ''tea partyers'' convinced that any brown person buying a non-generic, non-gruel product is taking tax money straight from their pockets. No, I was using paper food stamps, which might as well have been printed in neon with ''MOOCHER'' and ''LOSER,'' in front of the queens at 17th Street Safeway.
Not pleasant.
My story isn't told to prove anything about the ''worth'' of people on government assistance. I worked hard and I got through it, though that's irrelevant. Not every person who receives welfare will become self sufficient, the same as not everyone who consumes a communion wafer will become a good person, or that not every banker who receives preferential government treatment will refrain from engaging in activities that cause world financial disasters.
I tell it because our societal responsibility for our fellow Americans is under attack from the small group of Republicans who believe they must destroy the nation to protect it. We're being held hostage by Republicans who will gladly vote billions in subsidies to employed farmers, yet cut poor families from food stamps. They demagogue about one child denied experimental cancer treatments because of a government shutdown even as they shut down the government to make sure every sick child without health insurance stays that way.
Once I was ashamed of getting help from the government. Now I'm ashamed of the GOP leaders in the government who would rather hurt us all than help a few.
Sean Bugg is editor emeritus of Metro Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @seanbugg or email him at seanbugg@gmail.com.
...moreMeanwhile, Fox News continues to refer to Chelsea as a man, using her given name, despite her August announcement that she's a transgender woman.
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption ranks employers by their adoption-related benefits.
Joe Bell was killed by a truck driver Wednesday evening in Colorado while walking across the country to commemorate his gay son, who committed suicide earlier this year.
No one dates the same race! It’s a social taboo. Will Drew Drake have the nerve to buck societal norms and come clean about his love for Whitey Ford? Can two white men admit their love for each other and take their relationship to the next level â€" marriage?
Starring Ted Trent and Tim O’Leary, Hidden Hills is a comedy that looks at race, sexuality, aging, and weight issues, flipping the world upside down in a 72 minute feature film that mimics the classic styling of Rock Hudson and Doris Day movies. Also featuring up and coming Hollywood talent including Joy Sudduth (Criminal Minds), Wendy Shapero (Robot Chicken), and Chris Fennessy (Zoey 101) and a performance of an original song by Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s. The movie was written and directed by Dan Steadman (Red Lodge) whose first project Jesus People: The Movie is to be released in early 2014. It features Wendi McLendon-Covey (Bridesmaids) and Academy Award® winner Octavia Spencer (The Help).
IT WILL AIR
ON NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY, OCTOBER 11th, 2013 & YOU CAN WATCH IT FOR FREE!
BRIDEGROOM is the MUST SEE LGBT Movie of the year!
It started with a heart wrenching video that went viral overnight. On May 7, 2012, the anniversary of Tom’s death, after a year of documenting his own grief, Shane decided to make a video tribute to his partner entitled “It Could Happen To You.†This film, posted on YouTube, received over 3.4 million views and has been translated into over 20 different languages. The impact of Shane’s YouTube video and the raw nerve it touched, tells us this is an important story that needs to be told.
With the incredible support from influential people like Brad and George Takei and Neil Patrick Harris, Bridegroom was successfully funded on July 19, 2012 by over 6,500 people on Kickstarter.com becoming the most funded documentary in the history of crowd funding, and released in the fall of 2013.
BRIDEGROOM is a documentary directed by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that tells the emotional journey of Shane and Tom, two young men in a loving and committed relationship â€" a relationship that was cut tragically short by a misstep off the side of a roof. The story of what happened after this accidental deathâ€" of how people without the legal protections of marriage can find themselves completely shut out and ostracizedâ€" is poignant, enraging and opens a window onto the issue of marriage equality like no speech or lecture ever will.
OWN Network will premiere the movie October 27th!
THE STIRRING DOCUMENTARY BRIDEGROOM TO BE AVAILABLE
FOR ALL NETFLIX MEMBERS IN LATE OCTOBER
NOW!“This is really, on one level, a wonderful, sad, heart-breaking yet exhilarating and life-affirming story, and on another level, it’s a story about our nation’s struggle to take one more step in forming a more perfect union, for which marriage is both the symbol and substance,†said former President Bill Clinton of the film.
Shane Crone also added “BRIDEGROOM is not about revenge or politics. It is a film about love, forgiveness, and about finding the courage to be who you are when the world says you shouldn’t. This is my fairy tale, and Tom is, and always will be, my happy ending.â€
BRIDEGROOM Official site
Bridegroom on Facebook
For those who don't know me, and that would be a lot of you, I'm a bibliophile. My vast array of bookshelves is stacked with dozens of audio books, causing the shelf to topple over like a lopsided tower. I love books, and I love the character developments, the plots, and thriving stories hat books can hold between the spines. I've read some amazing books, and then again I've read some books that I've never want to speak of again because it leaves a bad ringing in my ears.
I never usually get into erotica books, but with the eloquent urging of all my hip unliterary friends I decided that I'd read fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. I want to see just why this book is so very popular. I get recommendations from people all the time on Goodreads, so why is this book so popular? Is it the dashing romance, the zesty sex scenes, or the riveting character depth? I don't know.
Usually when I look at a book, I look at the synopsis of the book to try and gage what I'll be in store for. I wonder what the back of this book says.
When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating.
Is it just me but after twilight by Stephenie Meyer came out all the men seem to have the same abusive controlling elements as Edward? I don't know. This does sound interesting though. Nothing about gay black men or even straight black men for that matter. I'm sad now… I need Morgan freeman to hold me and give me God powers. I need to have Denzel Washington wrap me up in a nice bear hug and have his sexy new Yorkers voice put me to sleep with him reading my Miranda rights…
"You have a right to have sex wit me. Anyting you say will get me hard and then I'll have to arrest you with my passion… anyway… Let's keep reading!
"Pasta und Liebe für alle!" (Pasta and love for all) reads the caption on the photo posted to Facebook (above). The company also spoke with Adweek:
"We just wanted to spread the news that Bertolli welcomes everyone, especially those with an empty stomach."
Adweek notes that the company has produced gay-themed ads in the past.
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Married same-sex couples who paid extra tax because the federal government didn't recognize their marriage are now eligible to get some of that money back.
The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, defined marriage as between a man and a woman, which meant married same-sex couples had to file their taxes individually. But the Supreme Court's summer ruling overturned that law. Now these couples are not only able to file as married going forward, but they have the option of amending their tax returns for the past three years if it would benefit them.
For some couples, doing this will reduce their overall tax liability and result in big refunds, which is typically the case when there is a large disparity in incomes (for example, when one spouse doesn't work).They can also claim any tax paid on health insurance benefits extended from one spouse to another through an employer-sponsored plan.
Refunds will vary widely by couple, and could be as high as tens of thousands of dollars. Janet and Janet Emery-Black, from Nampa, Idaho, are anticipating retroactive refunds totaling $30,000. Another couple, Adele and Jennifer Hoppe-House, from Los Angeles, expect to get back $13,000.
Read FULL ARTICLE HERE
In the interview, Barilla said he opposed adoption by gay parents, but was in favor of allowing gay marriage, which is not legal in Italy. His comment about advertising was in response to a direct question about whether he would ever feature a gay family in his company's commercials.
If gays "like our pasta and our advertising, they'll eat our pasta, if they don't like it then they will not eat it and they will eat another brand," he said.
Aurelio Mancuso, head of gay rights group Equality Italia, said Barilla's comments were an "offensive provocation" and called for a boycott of the company's pasta, sauces and snacks.
"We accept the invitation from the Barilla owner to not eat his pasta," Mancuso said. Many Italians used social media to voice support for a boycott.
The one and only Cher herself revealed that she will kick off her “Dressed To Kill†49 city North American Tour beginning in Phoenix on March 22nd with stops in NY, LA, Boston, Las Vegas, and other major markets. Cher shared the happy news with her fans following her performance on the Today Show this morning.
A full list of “Dressed to Kill†tour dates and cities follows this release. The national tour promoter is Marshall Arts USA. For ticket information and to sign up for tour updates please go to Cher.com .
Cher’s previous tour “The Farewell Tour†later dubbed “The Never Can Say Goodbye Tour†was one of the most successful tours ever by a solo artist and played for a record-breaking 325 dates and seen by over 5.5 million people.
American Express® Cardmembers can purchase their tickets to select cities before the general public beginning Monday September 30th, 10am through Thursday, October 3rd, 10pm.
For all online tickets purchased (presale and general public), ticketholders will receive a free copy of Cher’s new album “Closer To The Truthâ€, out September 24th on Warner Bros Records.
Cher is in New York this week celebrating the album’s release with upcoming appearances on David Letterman (Sept. 24th) and Live! with Kelly & Michael (October 1st). Cher will also be appearing as a mentor with Blake Shelton on NBC’s The Voice airing in October.
CHER ‘DRESSED TO KILL’ TOUR
Sat, March 22 Phoenix, AZ US Airways Center
*Mon, March 24 Houston, TX Toyota Center
*Wed, March 26 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Fri, March 28 Little Rock, AR Verizon Arena
Sat, March 29 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
Mon, March 31 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
Wed, April 2 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center
*Fri, April 4 Washington DC Verizon Center
Sat, April 5 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun
Mon, April 7 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
Wed, April 9 Boston, MA TD Garden
Fri, April 11 Indianapolis, IN Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Sat, April 12 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
Wed, April 23 Buffalo, NY First Niagara Center
Fri, April 25 Montreal, QC Bell Center
Sat, April 26 Ottawa, ON Canada Tire Centre
*Mon, April 28 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Wed, April 30 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena
Fri, May 2 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena
Mon, May 5 Charlotte, NC Times Warner Cable Arena
Wed, May 7 Raleigh, NC PNC Arena
*Fri, May 9 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center
*Sat, May 10 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center
*Mon, May 12 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
Wed, May 14 Jacksonville, FL Veterans Memorial Arena
Fri, May 16 Orlando, FL Amway Center
Sat, May 17 Ft. Lauderdale, FL BB&T Center
Sun, May 25 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand
Wed, May 28 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
Fri, May 30 Lincoln, NE Pinnacle Bank Arena
Sat, May 31 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
Mon, June 2 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
Wed, June 4 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center
Fri, June 6 Milwaukee, WI BMO Harris Bradley Center
Sat, June 7 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
Mon, June 9 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena
Wed, June 11 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
Fri, June 20 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
Sat, June 21 Saskatoon, SK Credit Union Centre
Mon, June 23 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
Wed, June 25 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
Fri, June 27 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
*Sat, June 28 Seattle, WA Key Arena
Mon, June 30 Portland, OR Moda Center
*Wed, July 2 San Jose, CA SAP Center at San Jose
Sat, July 5 Ontario, CA Citizens Business Bank Arena
*Mon, July 7 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
*Wed, July 9 Anaheim, CA Honda Center
Fri, July 11 San Diego, CA Valley View Casino Center
(*American Express® Cardmembers can purchase tickets before the general public.*)
FOR NOW - he has a message for the gay people of Russia...YOU ARE WONDERFUL!
Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev, who until now was considered Russia’s top lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocate, appears to have ended his political career tonight in a series of anti-Semitic Facebook and Twitter posts that have even his most ardent supporters calling out his ongoing anti-Semitism.
I’d reported earlier on Alexeyev’s anti-Semitic social media posts last week, and on his earlier run-in with charges of anti-Semitism. Last week, in an apparent fit of ire against a (Jewish) man who penned an op ed in OUT magazine critical of him, Alexeyev retweeted comments calling the author a “jewish pig†and “israeli monkey,†and calling OUT magazine a “jewish slut magazine that supports jews and their filthy faggotry propaganda.†Alexeyev then tweeted and posted on Facebook his own comments about Jewish vodka being made from sperm. More at America Blog
In a call earlier today, U.S. Treasury Department Secretary Jacob Lew told leadership of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and other LGBT interest groups that effective immediately the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ruled that same-sex couples, legally married in jurisdictions that recognize their marriages, will be treated as married for federal tax purposes. The ruling applies regardless of whether the couple lives in a jurisdiction that recognizes same-sex marriage or a jurisdiction that does not recognize same-sex marriage.
"Today's ruling provides certainty and clear, coherent tax filing guidance for all legally married same-sex couples nationwide. It provides access to benefits, responsibilities and protections under federal tax law that all Americans deserve," said Secretary Lew. "This ruling also assures legally married same-sex couples that they can move freely throughout the country knowing that their federal filing status will not change."
This is a major victory for the entire equality movement, but especially for married same-sex couples who own and operate businesses. LGBT people who are legally married in one of the 13 states that grant same-sex marriage, can now ensure their business is a "family" business and are legally entitled to determine the legacy of their wealth.
The NGLCC will continue to work with LGBT small business owners to ensure they are equipped with all the pertinent knowledge and resources throughout this transition. The organization will also advise dozens of our more than 140 corporate partners who will be augmenting grossing-up best practices as a result of this announcement.
Other key takeaways:
- Joint filing beginning 2014 for couples married in 2013.
- Retro-active filing for those married in the past three years.
- Same tax treatment for items like income, gifts, and estate.
The 700 Clubs Pat Robertson claimed that gay people in San Francisco wear special rings in order to cut people so they can then intentionally infect them with AIDS when they shake hands.
Thankfully, CBN edited Robertson's claim out of the broadcast which it aired online, Right Wing Watch reports.
Robertson's claim came in a response to a viewer question from "a woman who wondered if it was wrong for the church not to inform her that a man she was driving to worship services is 'dying of AIDS,.'"
Robertson rambled:
“There are laws now, I think the homosexual community has put these draconian laws on the books that prohibit people from discussing this particular affliction, you can tell somebody you had a heart attack, you can tell them they’ve got high blood pressure, but you can’t tell anybody you’ve got AIDS...
...You know what they do in San Francisco, some in the gay community there they want to get people so if they got the stuff they’ll have a ring, you shake hands, and the ring’s got a little thing where you cut your finger. Really. It’s that kind of vicious stuff, which would be the equivalent of murder."
Wrote Miller in a letter published on GLAAD's website:
Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes.
However, as a gay man, I must decline.
I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government. The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.
Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice.
Said GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz: "Wentworth's bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians: you are not alone. "As people from across the globe continue to speak out against this horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia's anti-LGBT law."
During his time acting on Prison Break, Miller repeatedly denied he was gay. He was also tied to actor Luke McFarlane.
Cedar Point amusement park, one the biggest coaster parks in the US, initially limited the contest to male and female couples because it said state law doesn’t allow gay couples to legally marry in Ohio. A spokesman says the park decided to cancel the event once it started to take on political undertones, reported the Sandusky Register.
Akron couple Scott Kenimond, 37, and Eric Morrison, 28, who had considered holding their commitment ceremony at the park, recruited friends and strangers to send “tweets†to Cedar Point, asking them to allow gay couples to apply.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s legal or not,†Morrison said. “You should be able to have a commitment ceremony."
Cedar Point simply decided to cancel the contest.
The theme said there was no negative intent for the contest, but that “Cedar Point does not take any official stance on political issues.â€
“I’m disappointed they would choose to go that way rather than stand behind their LGBT community,†said Morrison. “Ultimately, they’re playing it safe. But it’s a cowardly choice.â€
What kind of message does this send to their LGBT employees? to their LGBT park guests?
With marriage equality gaining in popularity, why not allow it, and be the hero?
THE OFFICIAL STATEMENT -
Cedar Point does not discriminate against any guest for any reason. The ‘Friday the 13th Wedding’ event was created as a fun, in-park promotion to generate excitement for the kickoff of HalloWeekends. There was no negative intent.
When the promotion logistics started to take on political undertones, as indicated by several guests who gave us feedback, it was decided that now is not the best time for this event. Cedar Point does not take any official stance on political issues.
Outside of official park-provided promotions, Cedar Point does offer opportunities for all couples to have weddings, commitment ceremonies and other events here at the park. We encourage guests to contact us if they’re interested in planning such an event.
Ohioans’ certitude about gay marriage a decade ago has given way to ambiguity, potentially setting the stage next year for a second major battle on one of the most divisive social issues of our time.
Some backers of a constitutional amendment to allow two consenting adults to marry regardless of gender want to go to the statewide ballot in the 2014 gubernatorial election, a roll of the dice on a question that 62 percent of voters answered in 2004. They amended the constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman, effectively prohibiting same-sex marriages in Ohio.
Since then, polling shows a shift in Ohioans’ views, and there have been high-profile Republican defectors to the pro-gay-marriage side, including U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Cincinnati and former Ohio attorney general and state auditor Jim Petro â€" both of whom changed their positions after eachhad a child come out.
In his new album, HIS FIRE, Leonard showcases a deep evolution in his voice, songwriting and producing from his 2010 home-recorded debut album, WITH A PEN.
NEW SONG AND VIDEO - WANTING IT ALL
"His Fire is a personal collection of confrontations," says Leonard. "When I started writing this album, I was drawn to the physical and emotional effects and fears of fire and its parallel relationship to man. Both can be warm and giving. Both can be strong and attractive. And both can be rather impulsive and even seen as threatening. Every song on this record is me confronting the fire and digging beneath the flames."
Leonard's passion for powerful music and individuality has helped pioneer a growing and supportive community of singers and songwriters in Chicago and has produced and hosted concerts and events that have helped raise thousands of dollars for various causes. In 2011, Leonard received the Windy City Times' 30 Under 30 Award for his outstanding contributions to the Chicago LGBTQ music and sports communities.
Superstar drag queen Sherry Vine is at it again with another hysterical video parody. This time, it’s titled “Twerk Bitch” directed by Francis Legge. This video is a parody of Britney Spears’ Work Bitch! Here’s Sherry Vine’s latest video. Enjoy: You can see more of Sherry Vine’s video parodies and subscribe to her YouTube channel […]
The post Sherry Vine’s latest parody ‘Twerk Bitch’ [VIDEO] appeared first on GaySocialites.com.
.New England is one of the best places to work if you are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to a new report by XpertHR, an employment law website. Â The Top 10 LGBT-Employment Friendly States survey based rankings on marriage equality, workplace discrimination protections and same-sex partner benefits. The Huffington Post revealed the North East […]
The post The Top 10 LGBT Employment Friendly States appeared first on GaySocialites.com.
Letitia James will be the next Public Advocate in New York City, but some are confused how she won the office before November’s General Election. Its simple, she has no Republican opponent in November’s primary. By beating Daniel Squadron in a run-off election on October 1st, James essentially became the Public Advocate-elect. According to the […]
The post How Letitia James became NYC Public Advocate-elect appeared first on GaySocialites.com.
.The Food Network took their show “Mystery Diners” to Philadelphia this week for an undercover investigation at a local gay bar called Venture Inn. “Mystery Diners” is a show that focuses on Charles Stiles and his company known for wiring restaurants with video and audio equipment to get to the bottom of wrong doings. For […]
The post Philadelphia gay bar Venture Inn exposes cheating drag queen on Food Network show appeared first on GaySocialites.com.
.Pennsylvania’s Republican Governor, Tom Corbett, is a stupid bitch! The man compared same-sex marriage to incest while appearing on a morning television news show on Friday. According to the Associated Press, The Pennsylvania governor was on WHP-TV in Harrisburg speaking about gay marriage when an anchor asked about a statement his lawyers made in a […]
The post Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett compares marriage equality to incest appeared first on GaySocialites.com.
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