From Ben’s website: Our focus this year has been on our work to stop bullying wherever and to whom ever it occurs and so proceeds from our 2012 calandar benefit The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation and our network of partners.
When you buy merchandise from Ben Cohen USA, Inc., profits from your purchase will be donated to and support the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation, Inc. and the StandUp Network.
Calendar is currently in the print process and we will keep you informed of progress over the next couple of weeks.
This year’s production includes appointment spaces. So, practical as well as gorgeous!
The calendar is available here via the StandUp Foundation website. All orders in local currencies (converted through shopping process) and with local shipping for faster delivery (price includes shipping).
October 17, 1994, I met Michael Caprio for the first time.
I was on the road with the pre-Broadway tour of the Broadway revival of “Hello, Dolly!” and we were in Minneapolis recording our cast recording. Michael was VP of Publicity and Marketing for the record label.
“It only takes a moment, for your eyes to meet and then…”
Thank you dear Jerry Herman and Carol Channing for creating the circumstances that brought us together that day.
Seventeen years, two marriage certificates (one in Toronto, Canada, one in Palm Springs, CA), one cancer journey and six dogs later – here we are.
We actually are very different people. Michael is very social and loves being out in the world; he loves seeing the world and meeting lots of people, and people love him back. I love our friends, but in small doses where I can focus on them and their lives one at a time. I love being home with the dogs in our own little world.
And somehow, this all works really, really well.
I love being married to Michael. I love our life together.
By the way, I looked it up and apparently the 17th anniversary (in modern terms) is the “furniture anniversary.” Everyone, please know we don’t expect any furniture gifts coming to the house. (However, I do see the 20th anniversary is the “platinum gift” anniversary. I’m sure Michael would like you all to know you are welcome to begin saving up to send platinum gifts or jewelry when the time comes in three years. You have advance notice.)
A few pics from the short journey together – so far:
First pic Michael ever sent me after we met, from the set of a photo shoot for the record label he was VP of publicity for at the time. Can you say “cute”???
From a Mammoth Ski weekend after a long day of skiing
My favorite pic with Michael
First wedding! Toronto, October 17th, 2003 Senior Justice Lauren Marshall was very gracious to officiate the marriage for us.
Getting married in Palm Springs, CA, right before 2008 election Mayor Pro Tem Ginny Foat officiated the marriage for us right before Prop 8 passed. We are one of the 18K couples who still have our legal married status in CA.
Michael’s 40th birthday party. John Ganun, fabulous photog, came and shot the party. The picture says a lot about us I think.
While the passionate debate over the legitimacy of Marriage Equality in the United States rages on, the LGBT community continues to fight for their slice of the American dream. Powered by media, religion and influential anti-gay organizations, the civil right of marriage continues to be held just out of reach for many LGBT citizens.
The Right To Love: An American Family chronicles one story of courage born out of the highly mediatized and controversial Prop 8 2008 election results in California. A private Californian married Gay couple and their two adopted children fight back against discrimination, ignorance and hate through home videos posted on their YouTube channel, Gay Family Values. As they pursue their American Dream, the opposing political, social and religious opinions that pervade society attempts to strip it from them.
Second, I love the whole dynamic that occurs on the arrivals red carpet for events. When you see the pics in magazines you aren’t aware that basically the celebs in the pics are yelled at for about 5-10 minutes by the photographers each trying to get a great shot of the celeb that will sell.
Notice all the flashes going off. It’s really a funny thing to watch and experience. Clearly celebs just have to learn how to do this and keep scanning all the photographers as the flashes go off.
And did I mention he looks good?
🙂
Click to view larger
With Pee Wee Herman making best werewolf face Click to view larger
Rugby superstar turned equality activist Ben Cohen says that a lot of straight people don’t get why he’s fighting antigay bullying and discrimination, in a new interview with NBC Miami.
Cohen, who is straight and the 10th highest point scorer in England rugby history, retired from the sport to create the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation, which raises awareness for the long-term effects of bullying. Cohen says he was inspired to create the foundation after his father was killed trying to break up a fight in a nightclub.
Cohen reveals, “A lot of straight people have asked, ‘Why are you doing this?’ I just explain that it really is just to break down stereotypes. I knew I would be able to speak to both the gay and straight community and maybe reach a few different groups of people. I just want people to know that how you treat others is how you should want to be treated yourself. Random acts of kindness are simple.” (via Advocate)
“The greatest threat to our economy is neither corporations nor the government. The greatest threat to our economy is both of them working together. There are currently two sizable coalitions of angry citizens that are almost on the same page about that, and they’re too busy insulting each other to notice.”
I had an amazing time seeing Stevie Nicks last night at the Hard Rock here in Las Vegas. Stevie was the legend we wanted her to be and the crowd was beside itself.
BUT the high point of the concert was Stevie calling her long-time vocal coach Steve Real out on stage to sing her huge hit “Leather & Lace.” Apparently she never does the song in concert because it’s a duet and it’s been hard to find a great vocal partner to do the song justice. Steve Real more than lived up to the Don Henley role and the audience lost their minds. Thrilling to be there. I wanted to share so I found a youtube video from earlier in the tour. Sorry to be selfish but I couldn’t bring myself to pull my phone out and video it – I wanted to just enjoy. BUT I did find a good video from a couple of weeks ago.
Speaking to Steve after the concert, he said it “just came up in sound check one day” that she thought they should do it. He sang it on the spot and now it’s a permanent part of her tour.
Long time fans know that Steve Real is also Olivia Newton-John’s vocal coach and back-up singer, which is how I know Steve.
Fantastic night last night.
Me with Steve and Michael after seeing Stevie Nicks in concert Steve was fantastic singing “Leather and Lace” with Stevie
Zachary Quinto blog: “when i found out that jamey rodemeyer killed himself – i felt deeply troubled. but when i found out that jamey rodemeyer had made an it gets better video only months before taking his own life – i felt indescribable despair. i also made an it gets better video last year – in the wake of the senseless and tragic gay teen suicides that were sweeping the nation at the time.
but in light of jamey’s death – it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it – is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality. our society needs to recognize the unstoppable momentum toward unequivocal civil equality for every gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered citizen of this country. gay kids need to stop killing themselves because they are made to feel worthless by cruel and relentless bullying. parents need to teach their children principles of respect and acceptance. we are witnessing an enormous shift of collective consciousness throughout the world.
we are at the precipice of great transformation within our culture and government. i believe in the power of intention to change the landscape of our society – and it is my intention to live an authentic life of compassion and integrity and action. jamey rodemeyer’s life changed mine. and while his death only makes me wish that i had done this sooner – i am eternally grateful to him for being the catalyst for change within me. now i can only hope to serve as the same catalyst for even one other person in this world. that – i believe – is all that we can ask of ourselves and of each other.”
