Monthly Archives: April 2015
Is Ruth Bader Ginsburg Right?
Is Ruth Bader Ginsburg Right?
In the very definition of ‘necessary but dangerous,’ could a pro-marriage equality ruling from the Supreme Court stop ‘the momentum that was on the side of change?’
Sunnivie Brydum
www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2015/04/23/ruth-bader-ginsburg-right
Bruce Jenner’s Coming to Coffee: 5 Ways to Be An Ally for Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace
Bruce Jenner’s Coming to Coffee: 5 Ways to Be An Ally for Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace
Whether you tune in or not, chatter about Diane Sawyer’s exclusive interview Friday with Bruce Jenner will likely make its way into your workplace’s morning coffee talk.
HRC.org
You’ll Have A Chain Reaction To Radical Element Swimwear
You’ll Have A Chain Reaction To Radical Element Swimwear
Having launched their premier collection just this month, swimwear brand Radical Element jumps into the spring scene with a selection of swim shorts, briefs and trunks perfect for anyone looking for something fresh. The new California brand brings a touch of masculinity to its debut lineup with prints that range from rifle ammunition to brightly colored camouflage. Think: manly hunter comes to the city.
Where the new collection really begins to shine is in Radical Element’s consideration of the little things. Look at the Gary and the Luke, two swim brief lines that allow you to choose between a traditional tight-fit elastic waistband, or a more accommodating one without the elastic stretch.
Not to be outdone, the Frason swim shorts, complete with side pockets, are the perfect length for seaside lounging or grabbing a drink at that bar up the street. Finish the look with one of Radical Element’s black t-shirts or tanks, each one stamped with some of the brand’s signature imagery.
You can see more of this photo campaign on The Underwear Expert.
Photo Credit: Radical Element
Underwear Expert
New Musical ‘Something Rotten!’ Brings Shakespeare and Sex Puns to Broadway: REVIEW
New Musical ‘Something Rotten!’ Brings Shakespeare and Sex Puns to Broadway: REVIEW
BY NAVEEN KUMAR
A love of musicals is something of a requisite for enjoying Something Rotten, a crowd-pleasing new one that opened on Broadway last night at the St. James Theatre. An origin story in the form of a send-up, the comedy about the first ever musical packs enough references to the Broadway canon to give any theatre queen whiplash. That’s not to say this Renaissance-set romp isn’t also chock-full of enough humor both high (Shakespearean sex puns) and low (regular sex puns) to please a range of tastes, but it saves its biggest winks for the regulars. Though often grossly (and unabashedly) overplayed, overall the show’s on-the-nose wit is disarmingly funny and likely to charm.
Nick and Nigel Bottom (whose last name is subject to innumerable obvious jokes, for some idea of how this is going to go) are playwriting brothers toiling in the shadow of Shakespeare (Christian Borle, doing his best Mick Jagger). Nick (played by spot-on everyman Brian d’Arcy James) is the ambitious one with the supportive, salt-of-the-earth wife (Kate Blickenstaff, excellent), and Nigel (an endearingly nerdy John Cariani) is the insecure poet. In hopes of outdoing the Bard, Nick visits a soothsayer (Brad Oscar) to find out what the next big thing in theatre will be (you’ll never guess the answer!). Meanwhile, Nigel is busy exchanging verses and innuendo with Portia (Kate Reinders), daughter of this tale’s Puritanical wet blanket (a priceless Brooks Ashmanskas), who speaks exclusively in euphemisms for gay sex.
The music and lyrics by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick (brothers themselves, with impressive track records in song- and screenwriting) follow in the tradition of musicals like Spamalot and The Book of Mormon, pairing down-the-line melodies with nimbly clever lyrics that would never shy away from, say, rhyming “genius” with “penis.” For the script, Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell freely mine Shakespeare’s plays to assemble their framework — from fortune-telling, star-crossed lovers, and F-to-M cross-dressing, to a kvetching Jew and a trial.
Many of the musical’s basest laughs would be plainly eye-rolling (or some even more so than they already are) were it not for director Casey Nicholaw’s deft comedic hand coupled with the cast’s timing and finesse. In true homage to the form, Nicholaw’s choreography is likewise nail-on-the-head (you didn’t think you’d escape without a full-company kick line and a handful of tap numbers, did you?). Eclectic fairy tale sets by Scott Pask flow seamlessly, and don’t expect to covet any of Gregg Barnes’ kooky mash-up of period and fantasy dress (except maybe a wig or two for your next lip sync).
Something Rotten arrives at the table eager to show off a full bag of tricks — stacked high with insider jokes wrapped in a by-the-book iteration of the form it both worships and spoofs. Like most tongue-in-cheek musicals (and most musicals in general, for that matter), its persistent gesture is more of a wallop than a nudge. And if, one hand in five you pull up, well, something rotten — you came to the table, didn’t you?
Recent theatre features…
Alison Bechdel’s Graphic Novel Comes to Broadway in New Musical ‘Fun Home’: REVIEW
Kelli O’Hara and Ken Watanabe Open In Lavish Broadway Revival of ‘The King and I’: REVIEW
Matthew Morrison and Kelsey Grammer Open in ‘Finding Neverland’ on Broadway: REVIEW
Ballet Meets Broadway in Dazzling New Musical ‘An American in Paris’: REVIEW
’90s Political Sex Farce ‘Clinton the Musical’ Opens Off Broadway: REVIEW
Possessed Puppet Comedy ‘Hand to God’ Opens on Broadway: REVIEW
Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy Open in ‘Skylight’ on Broadway: REVIEW
Follow Naveen Kumar on Twitter: @Mr_NaveenKumar (photos: joan marcus)
Naveen Kumar
AIDS/LifeCycle
1,000,000 Reasons to Look Beyond Marriage Equality and Say #IDO
1,000,000 Reasons to Look Beyond Marriage Equality and Say #IDO
This post was co-authored by Karen K. Dixon and her wife Nan Schaffer.
The long wait is nearly over and we are thrilled that a team of brilliant attorneys will soon stand before the Supreme Court in support of the constitutional right for people in America to marry the person they love.
We are grateful to all the courageous plaintiffs who stood up to injustice, the corporations and small businesses that pledged their support for fairness, our military and political leaders who spoke out in favor of equal rights, and the hundreds of thousands of people who have marched, protested, signed petitions and filed briefs on behalf of our families and community.
Yet, as we look ahead and contemplate the state of the LGBTQ civil rights movement post-marriage equality, we cannot escape a sense of foreboding about a possible loss of momentum if this pivotal and historic moment is mistakenly perceived as “Mission Accomplished” rather than an important milestone on the path to full equality.
Indeed, even after we achieve marriage equality, our friends and family members can still be fired in 28 states for simply being who they are because their state has not enacted laws that tell employers and landlords that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is illegal. In these states, LGBTQ couples who post their wedding photos on Facebook today risk losing their incomes, benefits and housing options tomorrow. As natives of the Midwest, we know all too well what it’s like to live in a state without the benefit of basic legal protections; as transplants, we know the freedom and sense of security such protection can provide.
We know firsthand about the enduring effects of discrimination and hate. We remember the pain of rejection and the isolation it brings and still viscerally react each time we hear about another desperate teenager that reaches for a rope, a gun or a handful of pills after coming out to a parent or pastor. A marriage equality victory won’t provide shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth; stop bullying in our schools; protect our seniors from discrimination in nursing homes; ensure people with HIV have access to medical treatment; stem the tide of increasingly violent and too often fatal attacks on our transgender brothers and sisters or prevent misguided state legislatures from enacting discriminatory laws disguised as measures to promote religious freedom designed to eviscerate the legal protections we fought for years to obtain.
This is not the time to grow complacent, but it is the time to celebrate our achievements to date and then recommit our time, voices and resources to ensure the fight against discrimination continues.
With your help we can stave off complacency and maintain momentum by using this “marriage moment” as a call to action for every American that values justice and equality to stay in fight as we face the battles that lie ahead and the potential if not inevitable backlash.
To that end, we have Taken the Vow and offered a $1,000,000 Challenge Grant to Lambda Legal — the oldest, largest, and strongest LGBTQ legal organization in the country and the most effective and respected advocacy group within this community. With an unparalleled track record of success, Lambda Legal has been leading the fight for equality — and winning — for more than 40 years. As an organization keenly aware of its role as part of a broader movement, no other organization has the experience or is better suited to coordinate the strategy for a multitude of issues among multiple partner organizations than Lambda Legal.
To meet our Challenge and ensure Lambda Legal has access to an additional $1 Million to expand the fight, we need you and your friends and family to join us as part of the equality movement that keeps moving forward by visiting www.lambdalegal.org and Taking the Vow by saying #IDO.
Say #IDO for people across our country who need allies and supporters.
Say #IDO to stand with the LGBTQ Community to show our opponents the strength of this movement.
Say #IDO as a symbol of America’s collective resolve to ensure “Liberty and Justice for All.”
With each Vow taken online and dollar donated between now and the moment the United States Supreme Court issues its decision in the pending marriage equality cases this June, we will donate $1 to Lambda Legal.
Over the next 10 weeks, instead of just waiting for the Court’s decision, we can seize this moment and push ourselves and our nation — without apology or compromise — to join the fight for people like Julia Frost, a teacher who despite California’s anti-discrimination laws, lost her teaching contract because she is an out lesbian and openly supportive of her LGBTQ students; to join the fight for Chanse Cox who, despite the American’s with Disabilities Act, was fired by his Georgia employer because he is HIV positive; to join the fight for people in states with legislatures that have passed so-called religious freedom bills that attempt to legalize discrimination; and to join the fight for all the vulnerable LGBTQ teenagers that see suicide as their only option.
We trust Lambda Legal to continue securing our rights and protecting our freedom, but they cannot fight without your support.
They need you.
We need you.
Join us.
Take the Vow today and say #IDO.
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Wonderful Wales: one man's quest for foodie heaven in the Brecon Beacons
Wonderful Wales: one man's quest for foodie heaven in the Brecon Beacons
Food, nature and the quiet life in the greenest of valleys
jamiet
www.gaystarnews.com/article/wonderful-wales-one-mans-quest-foodie-heaven-brecon-beacons230415
Another Poll Showing Americans Embracing Marriage Equality
Another Poll Showing Americans Embracing Marriage Equality
Just days before oral arguments on marriage equality are scheduled to begin at the Supreme Court, a new Washington Post/ABC Poll has found overwhelming support for marriage equality.
HRC.org
Model Behind Norman Rockwell's 'Rosie the Riveter' Dies at Age 92
Model Behind Norman Rockwell's 'Rosie the Riveter' Dies at Age 92
Mary Doyle Keefe, the model that served as the basis for Norman Rockwell’s iconic “Rosie the Riveter” has died this week at her home in Simsbury, Connecticut at the age of 92, CNN reports:
As a 19-year-old telephone operator, Keefe posed for the famous painting that would become the cover of the Saturday Evening Post on May 29, 1943.
Although she was petite, Keefe was transformed into the iconic — and burly — embodiment of the character by Rockwell.
“Other than the red hair and my face, Norman Rockwell embellished Rosie’s body,” Keefe said in a 2012 interview with the Hartford Currant. “I was much smaller than that and did not know how he was going to make me look like that until I saw the finished painting.”
Keefe pocked $10 for the two mornings of modeling work she did in Arlington, Vermont. Rockwell lived in neighboring West Arlington at the time.
Watch a video report on the story, AFTER THE JUMP…
Kyler Geoffroy
www.towleroad.com/2015/04/model-behind-norman-rockwells-rosie-the-riveter-dies-at-age-92.html
