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Video: Australian Gay Rights

JMG points to this compilation of news, pop culture and political moments in Australia’s journey for gay rights.

I remember traveling in a car with Olivia Newton-John (can you believe???) in Australia last year as she was personally writing a statement on marriage equality as the topic was again at the top of the news.

At the time she released this statement: “With respect to marriage equality, I believe that no-one has the right to judge and deny couples who love each other the ability to make a marriage commitment. Love is love.”

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Magic Johnson speaks to TMZ about supporting his gay son

Harvey Levin of TMZ sat down with Magic Johnson for a lengthy interview about his openly gay son, EJ.

Johnson also talks about the hate EJ received on various blogs after coming out and homophobia in the Black community.

Said Johnson: “I think this is gonna be good for a lot of young Black people who want to come out. EJ is really gonna help a lot of young people.”

Johnson also talks about what would happen if a gay player came out on the L.A. Dodgers.

“I would protect him. That’s what I am. I’m a protector. I protect my family. That’s why I was really upset about people attacking my son…First of all, as an owner you really got to support the person, and then help educate the public. We stand with this player. We’re going to support this player.”

(via Towleroad)

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Fox News unhappy abusive Rutgers coach Mike Rice fired

Fox News host Eric Bolling has the sadz that Rutgers University’s decided to fire men’s basketball coach Mike Rice, after video surfaced of Rice abusing players by shoving them, throwing basketballs at them, and harassing them with profane and homophobic language, including “fucking faggot.”

“We’re in the midst of political correctness crushing our ability to teach kinds, to discipline kids, to disagree with people or one another or kids,” Bolling complained. “Our culture is in decline, but this is an example of our culture in free fall and I’m saying this because he got fired, not because of what he did.”

“It’s time to toughen up.  I could talk about the ‘wussification of America, ‘wussification of American men.  This is it.”

(source)

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Jeremy Irons on marriage equality: Could a father not marry his son?

Oh dear. And “into the underbrush on the way to Peoghkeepsie” we go.

(That’s my phrase for when people get lost in making a point).

From the Huffington Post:

Academy Award winning actor Jeremy Irons said Wednesday that while he doesn’t have much of a strong opinion either way on same-sex marriage, he believes it poses interesting questions, including whether allowing same-sex marriage would open the door for interfamilial relationships.

“Could a father not marry his son?” Irons asked HuffPost Live host Josh Zepps. Irons argued that “it’s not incest between men” because “incest is there to protect us from inbreeding, but men don’t breed,” and wondered whether same-sex marriage might allow fathers to pass on their estates to their sons without being taxed.

“It seems to me that now they’re fighting for the name,” Irons said of advocates for same-sex marriage as opposed to civil unions. “I worry that it means somehow we debase, or we change, what marriage is. I just worry about that.”

Irons reiterated that he “[doesn’t] have a strong feeling either way” on same-sex marriage, and said that he “[wishes] everybody who’s living with one other person the best of luck in the world, because it’s fantastic.”

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National Asian Artists Project presents HELLO, DOLLY!

I’m very excited to be asked by Baayork Lee to be part of an upcoming staging of HELLO, DOLLY! in New York City with my partner in DOLLY crime, Lee Roy Reams. As we always say at the beginning of each production “It’s an adventure, Barnaby!”

Plus, I’ll be working with my former CATS cast mate, Christine Toy Johnson, AND my fab Production Stage Manager from two national tours of A CHORUS LINE.

Here’s a little more info on the production:

National Asian Artists Project presents a Rediscover Series production of the Broadway classic, HELLO, DOLLY!, by Jerry Herman (music/lyrics) and Michael Stewart (book). This fully-staged fully-costumed presentation is directed by Lee Roy Reams, director of Carol Channing’s last Broadway revival in 1995, when it was last seen in New York (which was my Broadway debut).

This limited two-nights-only event will take place at the brand new Frank Gehry-designed Pershing Square Signature Center on 42nd Street in the heart of New York City’s theatre district.

The evening is a benefit fundraiser for National Asian Artists Project (NAAP), whose mission is to bridge the work of professional theatre artists of Asian descent with the many communities they can serve, from minority communities and primary schools to seasoned arts patrons, as well as providing opportunities for professional theatre artists to grow. Founded by theatre artists Baayork Lee, Steven Eng, and Nina Zoie Lam, NAAP strives to be a leader in this often unheard community. For more info on NAAP, go to: www.NAAProject.org

Click here for ticket info.

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Bill Clinton to be honored as GLAAD’s 1st “Advocate for Change”

Via press release we get the news that former President Bill Clinton will be honored later this month at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles:

Bill Clinton will receive GLAAD’s first Advocate for Change Award during the event. In 2011, Clinton advocated for marriage equality in New York, stating that “for more than a century, our Statue of Liberty has welcomed all kinds of people from all over the world yearning to be free. In the 21st century, I believe New York’s welcome must include marriage equality.” In 2012, he joined the Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families in working against North Carolina’s proposed Amendment One to ban marriage and civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. Most recently, he called for the Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act in an op-ed for The Washington Post.

During his administration, Clinton became the first U.S. President to appoint out gay and lesbian people to all levels of government. He appointed more than 150 including James Hormel as America’s first openly gay ambassador. During the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, his administration convened the first White House Conference on the epidemic, created the national AIDS Policy Coordinator post, and expanded funding for research. In 2002, his Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) began as the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative to address the HIV/AIDS crisis in the developing world.

Here are the details:
Saturday, April 20, 2013 – 5:30pm
JW Marriott Los Angeles
900 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA

Click here for ticket info.

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House of Rep Dems who haven’t come out for marriage equality – yet

From JoeMyGod, we get a list of House Democrats who’ve not yet publicly stated their support.

Check out names below and please let us know if anybody doesn’t belong on this list.

And get to work reaching out to your rep if they’ve not yet done the right thing.

(Dina Titus, I’m not in your district but just across town. We need to have a chat at Starbucks or something I think…)

1.Ron Barber (AZ-2)
2.John Barrow (GA-12)
3.Sanford Bishop (GA-2)
4.Corrine Brown (FL-5)
5.Jim Costa (CA-16)
6.Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
7.John Dingell (MI-12)
8.William Enyart (IL-12)
9.Pete Gallego (TX-23)
10.Gene Green (TX-29)
11.Marcy Kaptur (OH-9)
12.Ron Kind (WI-3)
13.John Larson (CT-1)
14.Dan Lipinski (IL-3)
15.Jim Matheson (UT-4)
16.Mike McIntyre (NC-7)
17.Bill Owen (NY-21)
18.Collin Peterson (MN-7)
19.Nick Rahall (WV-3)
20.Cedric Richmond (LA-2)
21.Bobby Rush (IL-1)
22.Kurt Schrader (OR-5)
23.David Scott (GA-13)
24.Terri Sewell (AL -7)
25.Bennie Thompson (MS-2)
26.Dina Titus (NV-1)
27.Juan Vargas (CA-51)
28.Filemon Vela Jr. (TX-34)
29.Pete Visclosky (IN-1)