When It Comes to Kissing Guys, Bill Hader Doesn't Hold Back
The Skeleton Twins isn’t necessarily a gay film, but it’s got one of the clearest gay characters of 2014.
Michelle Garcia
Daily Archives: December 18, 2014
'A Home For The Holidays,' CBS Show, To Feature First Gay Couple
'A Home For The Holidays,' CBS Show, To Feature First Gay Couple
Today’s installment is a special addition to the Huffington Post Gay Voices RaiseAChild.US “Let Love Define Family™” weekly series.
When I first shared that our family was invited to participate in a holiday special on television’s biggest network with my partner of eight years Jared Gee, he was not exactly enthusiastic about the idea.
“Are you kidding me?” exclaimed Jared. “No way are we doing a television show where you know they are going to re-write our family’s history to make it palatable to their conservative viewers.”
“The producers assure me that they won’t do that to us,” I replied. “And this is the first time in the 16-year history of this CBS holiday special that an LGBT-headed family will be featured. They want to tell the story of an adoptive family like ours.”
“Think of what you are asking of our kids!” Jared demanded, who, like me, is protective of our children and their time in the public eye.
The truth is that I had ruminated over that very question constantly during the two days that passed since receiving the call from a producer of the show. I’m the type of parent that is concerned that my kids will catch a cold when they show up at the breakfast table with bare feet.
“Forget it,” Jared said, as he stood up. “No way. I am not doing it. Don’t ask me again.”
Clearly that wasn’t the last discussion about the opportunity. As most decisions go between couples, it was a process. For us, the process took about three weeks and I was running out of excuses with the show’s producers. But, finally, Jared began to thaw to the idea when I was better able to frame my three reasons why we could not let this opportunity go.
First of all, this annual “A Home for The Holidays” special has very significant relevance to our family. I discovered this show back in about its third year. Its stories of adoptive families moved me. It opened my eyes to the real truths of children in the foster care system. And even though I had never seen a gay dad on the show, it still managed to inspire me to build my family through fostering and adoption. Over the years, “A Home for The Holidays” has become a tradition at our house. My children find comfort and community in watching the stories of other adopted children like them.
The second compelling reason was for the future of our children and all of those in the foster care system. I grew up in a small town at a time when adoptions were secretive and at times considered rather shameful. Over the past ten years or so, my views on adoption and foster care have evolved dramatically. I have learned and seen what abuse, neglect, abandonment, and malnourishment do to our country’s youth can do. I now know the innocence of foster children. I have also seen how resilient children are and how love nurtures the souls of both child and parent. Adoptions should be celebrated, not hidden.
As the last reason, I asked Jared to agree to do the show for the opportunity it presents for our community of LGBT parents, families and their children. Present and future. Our participation would not really be about us as individuals or as a family. Instead, our family’s inclusion in the show might be a small step toward equality.
Jared agreed.
The producers kept their word.
For years, I watched “A Home for the Holidays” and hoped that after the next musical act or commercial break, a story of an LGBT-headed adoptive family would be featured. In 15 years, that never happened. This Friday night, Jared, our kids and I hope that our story just might serve to motivate a new group of prospective parents to build families through fostering and adoption. Regardless of what might be said by those opposed to LGBT equality, we are deeply honored to have the opportunity to put the needs of the 400,000 children in the U.S. foster care system first. These children need good parents and safe homes, and my family believes firmly that single adults and the LGBT community are equally viable answers to our nation’s foster care crisis.
Seventeen years ago, the idea for “A Home for the Holidays” was pitched to CBS by Dave Thomas, Founder and CEO of Wendy’s, and Jennifer Perry, Executive Director of the Children’s Action Network. Each year the CBS special, presented in association with The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and Children’s Action Network, successfully moves about 60 percent of the presented children toward adoption. Over 30,000 people have been inspired to reach out for more information on becoming an adoptive parent as a direct result of this annual special. Performers and presenters for the 16th annual “A Home for the Holidays” include Jennifer Hudson, Train, Earth Wind & Fire, Rixton, Katharine McPhee, Ashley Monroe, Dan & Shay, Jillian Michaels, and Elyes Gabel. The show will be broadcast Friday, December 19, 2014, 9–10 PM ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.
“We are pleased to include the Valenza-Gee family on this year’s ‘A Home for the Holidays,’” said Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music and Live Events, CBS Entertainment. “The special aims to include all families in order to raise awareness and get foster children placed in loving homes, which it succeeds in doing year after year.”
Rich Valenza is the founder and CEO of RaiseAChild.US, a national organization headquartered in Hollywood, California that encourages the LGBT community, and all people equally, to build families through fostering and adoption to serve the needs of the 400,000 children in the U.S. foster care system. Since 2011, RaiseAChild.US has run media campaigns and events to educate prospective parents and the public, and has engaged more than 2,500 prospective parents. For information about how you can become a foster or fost/adopt parent, visit www.RaiseAChild.US.
Joel Osteen On Gays LGBT
Joel Osteen On Gays LGBT
Op-ed: Why 'I Can't Breathe' Does Belong on the Basketball Court
Op-ed: Why 'I Can't Breathe' Does Belong on the Basketball Court
Some say sports isn’t political, but one athlete argues the opposite.
Paulo Senra
www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/12/18/op-ed-why-i-cant-breathe-does-belong-basketball-court
'American Horror Story: Freak Show' Just Revealed How The Seasons Are Connected
'American Horror Story: Freak Show' Just Revealed How The Seasons Are Connected
Ryan Murphy shocked “American Horror Story” fans in October when he revealed that all the seasons of the anthology series are connected. On Wednesday night, the first links were made onscreen.
We first knew that Season 4 would connect to Season 2’s “Asylum” when it was announced that Lily Rabe’s Sister Mary Eunice would appear on “Freak Show.” Wednesday night’s mid-season finale finally connected the dots between Elsa Mars’ freak show and Briarcliff Manor from “Asylum.” The episode revealed Pepper’s entire origin story, from when she first met Elsa to how she arrived at the asylum. In present day of “Freak Show,” which is set in Jupiter, Florida in 1952, Elsa finds Pepper’s sister and asks her to take Pepper in so she can finally have a real family.
But then “Freak Show” jumped ahead 10 years to 1962 in Massachusetts — let us remind you that Briarcliff was purchased by the Catholic church and converted into a Sanitarium that year, according to “Asylum.” In the scene, Pepper’s sister sat across from Rabe’s Sister Mary Eunice (she’s back!) and told her that Pepper murdered her son. In Season 2 of “AHS,” it was revealed that Pepper had been accused of drowning her sister’s son and cutting his ears off (but it was actually her sister’s husband who committed the murder). The “Freak Show” mid-season finale included this twist: Pepper’s sister and brother-in-law both conspired against her, killing their own son to have her locked away.
The episode ended with Pepper’s arrival at Briarcliff where she meets Sister Mary for the first time and the God-loving nun (remember, this is before her demonic possession) welcomes her with kindness. Pepper looked down at an old Life magazine dated July 6, 1958 to see Elsa Mars on the cover, a now-proclaimed TV star. So now we know that no matter how Season 4 of “American Horror Story” ends, Elsa’s dreams of stardom will eventually come true. The only thing we’re left wondering is how we’re supposed to ignore the fact that Elsa looks exactly like Sister Jude.
“American Horror Story: Freak Show” returns on Jan. 7 with a mid-season premiere that will guest star Neil Patrick Harris and feature the return of “AHS” alum Jamie Brewer.
“American Horror Story: Freak Show” airs on Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET on FX.
Bills Aim To Overturn Anti-Gay Texas Law That Punishes Children For Having Same-Sex Parents
Bills Aim To Overturn Anti-Gay Texas Law That Punishes Children For Having Same-Sex Parents
The founders of a popular support network for gay dads are taking on a Texas law that prohibits them from having both of their names on their son’s birth certificate.
Austinites Andy Miller and Brian Stephens (above and below), founders of The Handsome Father, say the law is “mean-spirited” because it punishes their son, 7-year-old Clark, for something over which he has no control. From The Texas Observer:
“As he got older, it became less about us and it became more about him,” Miller said. “This is his document that he’ll carry with him the rest of his life, and it very clearly only lists half of his family on it, and that’s when we kind of became angry and said the state is treating our son differently because of who his parents are, not because of anything he has done or hasn’t done. This needs to change because of our kids. The state is basically targeting them for unequal treatment.”
Acting in the name of “conservative values,” the Texas Legislature decided in 1997 to require supplemental birth certificates issued to adoptive parents to have the name of one man and one woman. Texas is one of a handful of states with similar laws, and marriage equality won’t solve the problem.
On Wednesday, lawmakers in the state House and Senate introduced bills to overturn the law. State Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, told the Observer:
“I think if you asked every member of the Legislature, they would say they care about orphaned children, and if we can get them to understand that this bill is about children and not about who their parents are, then that should carry the day. There’s no doubt that this policy has cruel effects.”
Daniel Williams, legislative specialist for Equality Texas, called the law “the lowest form of politics possible — if you don’t like someone, attack their children.”
A few years ago, Lambda Legal challenged a similar law in Louisiaina, but lost the case when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear it.
Equality Texas is calling on people to contact their legislators in suport of the bills.
John Wright
Spot illegale legale (Diritti LGBT)
Spot illegale legale (Diritti LGBT)
Gioco, Guida in stato di ebbrezza, Sostanze stupefacenti, tutto ciò illegale.. ma in questa lista d’illegalità vogliamo aggiungere anche l’amore?!? NO, BASTA L’amore non può essere illegale!
Snow gets sexy: 6 gay ski weeks around the world
Snow gets sexy: 6 gay ski weeks around the world
Planning your winter ski trip? Grab your mates and do it in style
G2003
www.gaystarnews.com/article/snow-gets-sexy-6-gay-ski-weeks-around-world131214
WATCH: Duggars Claim Petition Against Show Is Gaining Them Fans
WATCH: Duggars Claim Petition Against Show Is Gaining Them Fans
The homophobic and prolific couple contend that ‘God is expanding our borders through the national media.’
Dawn Ennis
Church That Fired Gay Music Director Is Closing Its Doors For Good
Church That Fired Gay Music Director Is Closing Its Doors For Good
The First United Methodist Church in Alexandria, IN has fallen on hard times.
Last year, it made headlines for firing its music director, Adam Fraley, after learning he was gay. As a result, members of the congregation left in droves. Now, Pastor David Mantor says the church will be closing its doors for good at the end of the year, but he insists that it has nothing to do with the Fraley firing incident, the Herald Bulletin reports.
“This closure is not due to that situation whatsoever,” he said.
Instead, he claims falling attendance, membership and financing problems are to blame.
“This is a problem that’s going on everywhere,” he said. “And that’s why we’re closing.”
The church has been steadily losing members over the past year. Dr. David Steele, a former member and lay leader for the church, said it lost around 80 percent of the congregation after Fraley was fired for being gay.
“I think this is hurtful for all of us who were involved in that church,” Steele said. “I grew up in that church. We had a very tight-knit congregation.”
According to Mantor, only 20 or 30 of the once 700 parishioners remain. But come December 31, they will need to find a new place to worship.
Related stories:
Indiana Church Divided After New Minister Fires Gay Man, Straight Supporters
Methodist Minister Shares Journey As Transgender Man With Congregation
Pastor Who Was Defrocked For Officiating Gay Son’s Wedding Is Officially “Re-Frocked”
Graham Gremore is a columnist and contributor for Queerty and Life of the Law. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
Graham Gremore