Yesterday afternoon David and I attended a theatrical reading/performance of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, An Epilogue which is a sequel of sorts to the critically acclaimed play The Laramie Project which chronicled the year after the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard took place in Laramie, WY. Laramie: 10 Years Later picks up 10 years after Shepard’s brutal murder and chronicles the ways Laramie has changed and not changed in that time. Yesterday’s performance took place at the Hollywood United Methodist Church and featured an all-star cast of players … Julie Benz (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dexter), Christian Clemenson (CSI: Miami), James Cromwell (Babe, The Queen), Lisa Edelstein (House, M.D.), Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory), Barrett Foa (NCIS: Los Angeles), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Pauley Perrette (NCIS), Zachary Quinto (Heroes, Star Trek), Helen Shaver (The L Word), Michael Weatherly (NCIS). Here is a photo of the cast, taken by Richard Settle from the United Methodist Church, and an interview with actress Pauley Perrette about the performance:

NCIS’ Pauley Perrette and more of TV’s biggest stars are banding together for a one-time performance of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later to benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation and stand up for gay rights. The play is a sequel to The Laramie Project, which was based on the reactions of people in Laramie, Wyo., after Shepard, a 21-year-old gay college student, was murdered there in 1998. The new production revisits the townspeople a decade later and also portrays an interview with one of Shepard’s killers. The new play began performances across the country on Oct. 12. Perrette said she was approached by a member of her church, Hollywood United Methodist Church, about putting together a reading of the play there. Pretty soon, Perrette’s NCIS co-star Michael Weatherly, The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki, House’s Lisa Edelstein, Dexter’s Julie Benz, Heroes’ Zachary Quinto and Emmy winner Christian Clemenson were all on board. “We have so many people from so many different shows, which is fun,” Perrette toldTVGuide.com. “Everyone we called was like, ‘I’m in.’ It’s really incredible. We’re just extremely excited, and it’s really amazing to have that many people come together to do something that’s important.” The reading is planned to coincide with a book signing and speaking appearance by Shepard’s mother, Judy. All proceeds go to benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which promotes antiviolence toward the gay and lesbian community. Perrette, who describes herself as an “outspoken civil rights activist who never shuts up,” says it’s important for people to stand up and be heard. “With so much going on with Prop. 8 and everything else right now, LGBT civil rights activism is what’s most necessary,” Perrette said. “In the women’s movement, women needed men to stand up and say this isn’t right. In the civil rights of the ’60s, it took people of all color to demand equal rights. And in this case, it takes straight chicks like me to demand equal rights for everybody.” Perrette also said it is incumbent on the government to make changes. “I believe that what is legislated bleeds down into everything,” she says. “So if the legislation continues to uphold anything that doesn’t support equal rights and civil rights, that bleeds down into Matthew Shepard being murdered.” Coincidentally, moments after we interviewed Perrette, news broke that the Senate passed a hate-crimes amendment that was partly inspired by Shepard’s murder.

The performance yesterday was … stunning. I was not fully prepared for the emotion that overwhelmed me as I heard the works spoken on that stage. It’s pretty incredible to know that it’s been 10 years since Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered for being gay and so much remains unchanged in that time. I cannot for the life of me imagine what it must feel like to endure that kind of loss … hearing the words spoken from the people of Laramie really hit me hard. Kudos goes out to the cast and crew of this extremely powerful performance. I urge all of you to read The Laramie Project and, if possible, see a performance of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, An Epilogue and be reminded that hate crimes are still as prevalent in this country today as they were 10 years ago … and earlier. I’m encouraged that the Senate finally passed a hate crimes amendment … it is a great step forward in policing the safety and protection of all US citizens.

[Source]

My good friend (and sometimes roving reporter) Darion is working with the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center on their 2009 Gala and Auction this year (which takes place THIS SATURDAY October 24) and would like me to pass along some great info about this year’s event. Up for auction at this year’s event are some very cool items and experiences including: 2 VIP Tickets to see Lady Gaga in concert with limo transportation to her LA concert along with a meet and greet with Lady Gaga herself, 2 Tickets to The Showgirl Must Go On in Las Vegas, NV plus a meet and greet with The Divine Miss M Bette Midler, A walk-on role on How I Met Your Mother with Neil Patrick Harris, a signed iPod by Kylie Minogue, a signed guitar from Maroon 5, 2 Tickets to any Columbia Pictures world Premiere in 2010 (where you can walk the red carpet like your favorite star), and MUCH MUCH MORE!

For me, the big prize has to be the chance to win a walk-on role on HBO’s True Blood:

All proceeds from the auction and ticket sales for the gala ball will go to the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center which provides advocacy work, seniors programs, empowering youth programs, life-saving health services and personal development courses for GLBT members of the community … which is an endeavor that I fully and wholeheartedly support. This year’s Gala & Auction promises to be a complete blast!!!

Click HERE to see the (thus far) confirmed list of celeb attendees, click HERE to see what other items/experiences are up for auction and click HERE to purchase YOUR tickets to attend the event this year. My love and respect goes out to Darion and everyone involved with this year’s event. It is my sincere hope that they are able to generate LOTS of revenue for the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. Woot!!

My boo David Hauslaib (who edits the gay interest site Queerty) was invited to the CNN bureau here in NYC earlier today to be interviewed about President Barack Obama’s commitment (or lack thereof) to GLBT issues here in the US and his appearance has been posted on CNN.com. Watch the video below to hear David (and Huffington Post writer Jose Antonio Vargas) discuss the matter with CNN correspondent Reggie Aqui:

While I don’t always agree with David on all matters, there is no denying that he is absolutely well-spoken and quite knowledgeable on these matters. GLBT issues are at the forefront of water-cooler discussions right now and it is my hope that all of this attention will work towards advancing equal rights for all citizens in this country. It cannot always happen overnight but a hearty and educated on-going discussion of the issues can go a long way to affecting change. I’m glad that CNN had the foresight to invite David to speak on this matter today because they’d be hard-pressed to find someone to better speak on these issues. He did a great job, didn’t he?

[Source]

Yesterday tens of thousands of people made their way to Washington DC, our nation’s capitol, in order to take to the streets to demand of our government that equal rights in marriage, military service, immigration and more be extended to ALL citizens of the United States of America. David and I were lucky enough to attend yesterday’s historic march and were able to see first hand the action up close and personal. Here are are a few photos from the New York Times to give a taste of the event yesterday and some deets about what went down:

Tens of thousands of gay-rights activists marched Sunday in Washington to show President Obama and Congress that they are impatient with what they consider piecemeal progress and are ready to fight at the federal level for across-the-board equality, including for the right to marry and the right to serve in the military. Key votes on same-sex marriage are coming up in the District and Maine, and Obama reiterated his campaign promise Saturday to end the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that forces gay and lesbian members of the armed forces to keep their sexual orientation a secret. But organizers of the National Equality March and its participants said they want to shift the political effort toward seeking equality in all states, rather than accepting just local and state-level victories. “We’re not settling,” said Cleve Jones, co-chairman of the march and founder of the Names Project, the AIDS memorial quilt that recognizes Americans who have died from HIV- or AIDS-related causes. “There’s no such thing as a fraction of equality. We want equal protection under the law.” The march was coordinated by Equality Across America, a group formed this year. Organizers said they represent those who want immediate fundamental change in the legal status of gays, as opposed to those who think patience is needed as legal obstacles are overcome. Some in the latter group are political veterans, such as Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the highest-ranking openly gay political figure in the United States. Last week, Frank said he thought the march was “useless,” a remark that was attacked at the rally. “How many more tears should be shed before some politicians in a backroom can decide it is convenient to join us and fight for our freedom?” asked David Mixner, a longtime activist who spoke at the rally. Attendees expressed complicated feelings about Obama. Nearly every person interviewed said he or she had voted for him, but many people said they were disappointed by what they see as a lack of action on key gay-rights issues, such as letting gays serve openly in the military. Thousands of people marched from McPherson Square, a few blocks from the White House, down Pennsylvania Avenue, chanting “President Obama: Let mama marry mama!” and “L, G, B, T — We demand equality!” Marchers carried signs reading “We Won’t Wait for Full Equality” and “Mind Your Own Marriage.” Spectators watched from the street and the roof of the Newseum, many cheering the participants. As the march ended about 2:30 p.m., people gathered on Capitol Hill for a rally. Many supporters identified themselves as heterosexual, carrying signs with such slogans as “I’m Not Queer But I’m Here.” Organizers seemed surprised by the turnout.

It was a pretty fantastic day … being a part of it all … there are no words. As anyone who even remotely knows me, I’m not the kind of person who likes to get up at 5AM in order to walk around all day long — so it must’ve been a pretty important cause to get me active. But in all seriousness, I am so thankful that David pushed and planned for us to be at yesterday’s march. Walking the streets of Washington DC with so many other people united in the single push to demand equal treatment from our government was really an event I’ll remember for the rest of my life. After the jump, check out some of my personal photos and watch video of speakers Lady Gaga, Cynthia Nixon and Dustin Lance Black at the National Equality March yesterday …

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »

Today is a very important day for equal rights in the United States of America … legions of Americans of all walks of life will be marching in our nation’s capital, Washington DC, today to demand the government provide the same equal rights for all citizens — regardless of sexual orientation:

The National Equality March describes its aim as:

Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states. We will accept no less and will work until it is achieved. Equality Across America exists to support grassroots organizing in all 435 Congressional Districts to achieve full equality.

We are guaranteed equal protection under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. Free and equal people do not bargain for or prioritize our rights. Full equality necessarily includes all members of the LGBT community and encompasses, but is not limited to:

* The right to work our jobs and go to school free of harassment and discrimination.
* The right to safety in our daily lives, and protection from hate crimes.
* The right to equitable healthcare, and the right to donate blood.
* The right to equitable immigration policies.
* The right to marry.
* The right to serve in the military openly.

Many bills currently exist to address some of these issues, but we do not support a piecemeal strategy. We seek one federal solution to full equality.

David and I feel compelled to lend our presence and our voices to this call to action and will be marching proudly with our compatriots today. I will be tweeting all day long from the National Equality March (#NEM) which you can follow along with right here on the blog. After the jump, watch a live stream from C-SPAN from the National Equality March in Washington DC and check out an interactive widget that will allow you to log in with your Twitter account and follow the #NEM tweets that will becoming out of Washington DC all day today …

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »

Last night Darion, Loy, Sebastian and I met up with a bunch of friends at Six Flags Magic Mountain for their annual GLBT night called Out on the Mountain where the park is closed down for just GLBT folks and friends for a night of roller coaster fun. I have to admit, since I’m very familiar with the roller coasters at Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH I had a chip on my shoulder that the coasters at Magic Mountain wouldn’t measure up … I was very pleasantly surprised that many of them do. Here are a few pics from our fun night:

Aren’t the superhero capes fun? I was so glad they had a purple Batgirl cape to match my Lakers ensemble ;) Our first ride of the night was X2 and HOLY SHIZZ is that ride awesome. It had to be my fave of the night but Tatsu, Batman, Riddler’s Revenge and Viper were really fun too. I can’t wait to go back … David has to enjoy these rides the next time we go.

No plans for today … have to pack for my trip to SF tomorrow … no rest for the weary ;)

After becoming the 4th State in the United States of America to legalize same-sex marriage back in April, same-sex couples began to legally marry in the great State of Vermont yesterday on the first full day that the law legalizing the practice went into effect. Bill Slimback and Bob Sullivan, a couple from New York, were the first same-sex couple to marry in Vermont at the stroke of midnight on September 1, 2009 … here are a couple photos from their joyous wedding ceremony and some deets about the first day of same-sex marriage in Vermont:

After 17 years together, Bill Slimback and Bob Sullivan couldn’t wait another minute to get married. So they didn’t. With Vermont’s new law allowing same-sex marriage only a minute old, they tied the knot in a midnight ceremony at a rustic lodge, becoming one of the first couples to legally wed under a law that took effect at midnight Monday. The start of gay weddings, which came nine years after Vermont’s first-in-the-nation civil unions law, prompted demonstrations Tuesday in Montpelier and Burlington. Five members of the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church, based in Topeka, Kan., carried signs and sang songs but were outnumbered by counterdemonstrators preaching love and tolerance. The state’s gay marriage era dawned even before dawn Tuesday, with a pair of midnight weddings. At the Moose Meadow Lodge in Duxbury, Slimback and Sullivan tied the knot at 12:01 a.m. The two Whitehall, N.Y., men said their vows under a large wall-mounted moose head, promised their love, exchanged rings and held hands during a modest 17-minute ceremony. Moose Meadow Lodge co-owner Greg Trulson, who’s also a Justice of the Peace, presided. “It feels wonderful,” said Slimback, 38, an out-of-work Teamster who is taking Sullivan’s last name as his own. “It’s a day I’ve been long waiting for, and a day I truly honestly thought would never come.” Slimback said he and Sullivan, 41, have long wanted to cement their relationship with a wedding, but since they couldn’t legally marry in New York they chose Vermont. Vermont is one of four states that now allow same-sex couples to marry. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa are the others. New Hampshire’s law takes effect Jan. 1, 2010. Vermont, which invented civil unions in 2000 after a same-sex couple challenged the inequality of state marriage statutes, was a mecca for gay couples who to that point had no way to officially recognize their relationships. Since then, other states have allowed gay marriage, as did Vermont, which in April became the first state to legalize gay marriage through a legislative decree and not a court case. In another midnight ceremony, Claire Williams, 34, and Cori Giroux, 27, were married in their South Burlington home, with about 20 people attending. They were wed by attorney Beth Robinson, a founder of Vermont Freedom to Marry.

First and foremost, much love and congrats to the happy couples who were married yesterday … and much love and congrats goes out to all those making their way to Vermont to make their marriage dreams come true. Marriage equality in Vermont seems extra special to me because Vermont is the first State in our country to legalize same-sex marriage by legislation … active and public work took place among the State’s lawmakers and a conscious effort to afford marriage equality to all it’s State’s citizens won out. It is a glorious day for marriage equality in our country. The US still has a very long way to go but by following the lead of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa our country will truly be the Land of the Free one day. Again … love and congrats! Well done, Vermont!!!

[Source, Source]