Quiz: How Well Do You Know 'The Birdcage?'

Test your knowledge of this 1996 comedy classic.

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Jami Smith

www.advocate.com/comedy/2014/12/04/quiz-how-well-do-you-know-birdcage

'Living Different,' Four-Part Special Featuring Extraordinary Women, To Premiere On Oxygen
A new series which explores the lives of nine women who live their lives outside the expectations of societal norms is headed your way.

From Oxygen comes a four-part series called “Living Different,” which takes a candid look at a handful of women who live their lives authentically on their own terms. Each of the hour-long episodes follows the diverse narratives of two women on their individual journeys.

The first episode of “Living Different,” which premieres Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 9pm ET/PT, is called #LoveWithoutLabels and highlights the complicated story of a girl named Lizz who comes out to her conservative, Mexican Catholic family. This story then offers further complexities due to the fact that Lizz’s long-time girlfriend has revealed that he is coming out as transgender. The episode also follows the story of Rain, an “an androgynous model dating both men and women” who struggles with “a nonexistent bond with her mother and the lack of true acceptance by her father [which] prevents her from fully becoming the person she knows herself to be.”

“‘Living Different’ showcases nine strong and inspiring young women who are out to change the world by simply being themselves,” Rod Aissa, Senior Vice President of Original Programming and Development, Oxygen Media, said in a statement sent to The Huffignton Post. “These women will empower viewers as they live the truth of who and what they are, despite the questioning and obstacles from the world around them.”

Several of the women from “Living Different” answered a couple of questions about appearing in the series. See their responses below and head here to learn more about “Living Different,” which premieres Tuesday, January 6 at 9pm ET/PT.

Rain
The Huffington Post: Why did you want to be on this show?
I wanted to be on is show because the series is a rare case of reality television that is aimed at inspiration and exploring uniqueness without aiming to mock or demonize individuals. As a woman who is a bit of an oddity herself, I saw an opportunity to contribute my own unique story to the world in a way where people can perhaps feel connected and inspired to live their truths.

What do you hope viewers take away from your story?
What I really want viewers to take away is the realization that they are limitless. I want them to know that their gender specifications are purely based on anatomical evaluations and should not restrict what they are capable of achieving, how they are capable of living and who they are capable of loving. The world is not filled with men and women. It is simply filled with people who should only be divided based on their individual actions, not their anatomy.

Perl & Dalia Of Bulletproof Stocking
The Huffington Post: Why did you want to be on this show?
We were interested in appearing on “Living Different” because we realized what a great opportunity it would be to have this platform to share our music and personal journeys with women of varying backgrounds and cultures on such a grand scale. We have both been through a number of challenging experiences in our lives, experiences that, while difficult, helped us grow into the women that we are today and shaped what it is that we do and how we do it. We recognize that while our story may seem foreign to some, plenty of women out there will be able to relate to the challenges we’ve faced, many of whom have been through similar experiences. We’re hoping that seeing two Chasidic women, one a divorcee, the other a widow and mother of 4 children, using their talents to bring light into the world, will inspire other women to channel their own strengths to do what they love.

What do you hope viewers take away from your story?
We’re hoping that viewers get inspired to share their gifts and talents with the world, get a better sense of the beauty of Chasidic life and feel empowered by the liberation that happens when ladies get together in an all-women space.

Kiki
The Huffington Post: Why did you want to be on this show?
I loved the concept of creating a show targeted at empowered young women taking risks every day simply by being authentically themselves and being able to be a part of such a show sharing my story and giving light to my work was a dream come true. There are too many misconceptions and negative connotations that come with the titles “Psychic-Medium” and “Spiritual Healer.” I was given the opportunity to take a stand and show how wonderful, empowering and special the world of the occult can be.

What do you hope viewers take away from your story?
I hope viewers will be reminded what it is like to feel with their hearts even if just for a moment and can begin to recognize the world around them, their environment and become a vestibule for change. I was one of easily thousands of intuitives, mediums, empaths and spiritually hyper-aware people living in doubt of who I was and what I was capable of achieving. I hope my story compels those individuals with similar attributes to stop living in the dark and for those who do not find themselves with their own innate abilities, I hope my story instills you with compassion for others and a will to create something larger than yourself.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/04/living-different-oxygen_n_6263932.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

WIN: a 4-night stay at Bluestone National Park Resort

Stunning retreat in Pembrokeshire, West Wales offers exclusive prize for GSN readers

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jamiet

www.gaystarnews.com/article/win-4-night-stay-bluestone-national-park-resort041214

The Stigma is What Really Hurts Us: Older Americans Living with HIV

Kevin Lynch has been HIV-positive since the early years of the epidemic, and is just one of the many older Americans facing the challenges of living with HIV. 
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/the-stigma-is-what-really-hurts-us-older-americans-living-with-hiv?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Arrests Follow Homophobic Attack Against Two Men for Singing Songs from the Musical 'Wicked' – VIDEO

Jim Redmond

www.towleroad.com/2014/12/arrests-follow-vicious-homophobic-assault-in-manchester-england-video.html

Remembering The Unarmed Black Man Killed By A Cop For Being In A Cruising Area

With two police officers avoiding prosecution for killing unarmed black men (Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, and just yesterday, Eric Garner in New York City), the nation is engaging in a heated debate about how law enforcement treats communities of color. It’s worth remembering that four years ago, a high-profile case in New Jersey already demonstrated the issue. In that instance, a police officer shot and killed an unarmed black man after confronting him in a cruising area.

DeFarra “Dean” Gaymon was a married father of four and the CEO of a successful credit union in Atlanta when he returned to Newark in July 2010 for his 30th high school reunion. While his reunion was taking place, he lay dying in a hospital from What happened the night of July 16th depends solely on the word of a single police officer, who was never prosecuted for the crime. It’s all depressingly familiar.

According to the Officer Edward Esposito, Gaymon was “engaged in a sexual act” (apparently masturbating) when he approached the officer, who was dressed in plain clothes, in a Newark park. The park had been the scene of more than 200 arrests over an 18 month period by officers who apparently made a career out of arresting gay men for lewd behavior because there are so few other crimes to pursue in New Jersey.

Esposito says he was bending over to pick up handcuffs (really) when Gaymon propositioned him without any encouragement. Standing up, Esposito told Gaymon he was under arrest.

What followed was, by all accounts of anyone who knew Gaymon, totally unbelievable. Esposito says Gaymon pushed him away, threatened to kill Esposito, reached into his pocket and lunged at the officer in an attempt to disarm him. Esposito says he fired a shot in self defense.

The Essex County sheriff’s department expressed regret about the episode. They also made a point of portraying Gaymon as a bit of a pervert in search of sex in public by playing up the cruising area setting. A grand jury refused to indict Esposito and the state attorney general refused to investigate the case. Esposito had been involved in three other violent arrests in the park.

Gaymon’s family just settled a lawsuit against Essex County for $1.5 million. Of course, that doesn’t bring Gaymon back.

JohnGallagher

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/Un1Wj20vREE/remembering-the-unarmed-black-man-killed-by-a-cop-for-being-in-a-cruising-area-20141204