LGBT POV

My friend Greg Hernandez was live-blogging during the Emmy Awards Show on NBC Sunday night and has the re-cap on his blog GregInHollywood.

I confess that while I follow The Closer and Glee - what self-respecting LGBT person would miss it? – I am not as familiar with Modern Family or some of the other TV shows up for awards. But here’s the thing: I was genuinely entertained by the Emmy show.

Perhaps that’s because the awards show itself was so gay or actually, gay inclusive. I really could not believe my eyes at this generational shift. Ten years ago, I would fixate on the screen to see which celebrities were wearing red ribbons symbolizing a commitment to fight AIDS.

But Sunday night – not only did openly gay actress Jane Lynch win Best Supporting Actress for Glee and thank her wife Lara Embry from the stage but the Emmy’s feature a photo of Lynch and Embry as part of their official Emmy coverage.This is a really important reminder of how culture changes the world.

There were other terrific and casually gay moments throughout the show. Openly gay actor Neil Patrick Harris came out on stage to present an award and said, “I’d like to thank the Academy for allowing a gay man to host show two years in a row. Congratulatons Jimmy [Fallon] you’re doing a great job!” Not too long ago, the recipient of that joke would have grimaced and shaken his head vigorously to indicate NO! Instead, Fallon seemed to furrow his brow as if thinking, “Really?” Fallon was also very funny imitating Elton John during one number.

There was also a wonderful moment when straight actor Eric Stonestreet won Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for playing his half of a gay couple on ABC’s Modern Family. Apparently there’s some consternation over whether the gay couple, who have an adopted baby, should kiss. Stonestreet seemed to settle the matter by smacking his openly gay co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson on the lips in his enthusiasm over winning. It was reminiscent of the moment on Will and Grace when Eric McCormack’s character kisses Sean Hayes character on the “Today” show.  And no one gasped or thought anything of it. Funny shot of George Clooney in bed with the on-screen gay couple, too.

Same when Glee creator Ryan Murphy kissed his partner. when he won for outstanding writing in a comedy series. He was terrific in reminding everyone that Glee is really about the importance of arts programs in schools. Accepting his award, he said, “I’d like to dedicate this to all my teachers who taught me to sing and fingerpaint.”

One final note: Ricky Gervais, creator of The Office and a pretty funny guy – took a swipe at Mel Gibson that got a laugh that may have added yet another nail in Gibson’s career coffin. For those of you who may not remember – Gibson used to go after gays as well as African Americans and Jews. At the Emmys, Gervais included Gibson in a list of “scary” actors. Then – as a tongue-in-cheek reminder of how he went after Gibson at the Golden Globes – Gervais said: “I won’t have a go at Mel. He’s been through a lot.” Gervais paused. “Not as much as the Jews.”

Conservative radio talk-show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger told CNN’s Larry King on Tuesday that she’s not going to not renew her contract at the end of the year because she wants to “regain my First Amendment rights.” She is expected to continue her show on the Internet or may go to satellite, as did Howard Stern.

This time Schlessinger, 63, became the center of controversy after she used the N-word 11 times on-air in talking to an African American caller about how she doesn’t understand why rappers can use the word while others can’t. Media Matters has the audio of the rant and a transcript.

Schlessinger, who’s been in radio for 30 years told King: ”I want to be able to say what’s on my mind and in my heart and what I think is helpful and useful without somebody getting angry or some special-interest group deciding this is a time to silence a voice of dissent.”

Schlessinger later apologized: ”I was attempting to make a philosophical point, and I articulated the N-word all the way out — more than one time. And that was wrong. I’ll say it again — that was wrong.”

But while regretful, she says her freedom of speech rights “have been usurped by angry, hateful groups who don’t want to debate — they want to eliminate…..”I decided it was time to move on to other venues where I could say my piece and not have to live in fear anymore….I’m not retiring. I’m not quitting. I feel energized actually, stronger and freer to say the things that I believe need to be said for people in this country.”

Schlessinger – whose PHd is in physiology, not psychiatry – has long been a target of LGBTs. Los Angeles activist Robin Tyler teamed up with blogger John Aravois and three others in March 1, 2000 to launch StopDrLaura.com to successfully force Paramount Television to cancel Schlessinger’s much ballyhooed TV talk show. Schlessinger repeatedly and unapologetically called gays and lesbians “biological errors” and deviant with such pronouncements as: “How many letters have I read on the air from gay men who acknowledge that a huge portion of the male homosexual populace is predatory on young boys?”

Schlessinger later tried unsuccessfully to appease gays – though she subsequently became friends with open lesbian talk show host Tammy Bruce and wrote an introduction to one of Bruce’s books.

Zsa Zsa Gabor, the 93-year old legendary Hungarian-born Hollywood actress and socialite,  is an extremely serious condition and late Sunday asked for a priest to administer last rites, according to numerous news sources.

The New York Daily News said Garbor’s publicist John Blanchette described the situation as “very sad,” adding that her husband, Prince Frederic Von Anhalt, “is at her side.” Gabor “has seen a priest and is not doing very well,” Blanchette said. “She asked to see a priest and receive her last rites.”

Gabor broke her hip after falling out of bed on July 17. Recently she went through hip replacement surgery and returned home from Wednesday. But on Friday, she was rushed back to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in pain and bleeding and underwent surgery to removed blood clots, one of which, Blanchette reported, was close to her heart.

Gabor, who appeared in 30 movies (including “Moulin Rouge,” “Lili” and “Touch of Evil”) and appeared on numerous TV shows, was best known for calling people “”dah-ling” and more recently, slapping a Beverly Hills cop. Her sister Eva, who was married to closeted show man Merv Griffin, was also an actress best known for the TV show “Green Acres.”

Gabor is also known for her nine marriages to rich men – including Conrad Hilton of Hilton Hotels fame. On Saturday, Gabor and Von Anhalt celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary in the hospital.

In 1987, Gabor appeared on “The Dame Edna Experience:”

Movieline is reporting that out actor Jane Lynch, who stars as nasty cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on Fox’s very gay hit TV series Glee, will be hosting Saturday Night Live in the Oct. 9^th show. Apparently, like Betty White, Lynch was selected after a successful Facebook petition and campaign. Lynch is a veteran of the comedic sketch troupe Second City and is considered a frontrunner for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy at the Emmy Awards on August 29. Glee returned for its second season on September 21.  Wonder if SNL will do anything with the Jane Lynch/Sue Sylvester rendition of Madonna’s Vogue or if Olivia Newton-John might re-join her for an SNL rendition of “Let’s Get Physical.” Also check out Greg Herndandez’s piece on Lynch on his blog GregInHollywood.

During her appearance in Phoenix, Arizona for her national Monster Ball Tour, pop star and performance artist Lady Gaga excited the crowd when she talked about the boycott of Arizona over the state’s anti-immigration law, SB 1070. Here’s an excerpt:

“Tonight I want you to free yourself. I want you to let go I want you to let go of all your insecurities. I want you to reject  any person or any thing  – or any law – that have ever made you feel like you don’t belong.”

She said rock and pop and rap stars asked her to boycott Arizona:

“And I said, you really think us dumb fucking pop stars are going to collapse the economy of Arizona. I tell you what we have to do about SB 1070.  We have to be active. We have to actively protest, and the nature of the Monster Ball is to actively protest prejudice and injustice and the bullshiot that is put on our society and on you – becase you’re a superstar no matter who you are or where you came from and you were born that way!”

I will not cancel my show. I will yell and I will scream louder and I will hold you and we will hold each other and we will peacefully protest this state.”

For more – watch the video:

The Wrap reports that Ellen DeGeneres leaving as judge of American Idol after one season.

Fox and the comedian announced on Thursday:

“A couple months ago, I let Fox and the ‘American Idol’ producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me,” DeGeneres said. “I told them I wouldn’t leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next.

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While I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings.”

Producers are currently looking for a replacement for Simon Cowell, who doesn’t seem to mind hurting peoples’ feelings. The 10^th season of “Idol” returns in January with judges Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi and host Ryan Seacrest.

Is there anything left but to laugh at Elizabeth Hasselbeck? She gives “dumb blond” a bad name. This time The View’s resident righty thinks lesbians come out later in life because men want younger women – leaving lesbians alone, needing companionship……LOL LOL LOL. So 50s, thinking a man defines me. LOL LOL LOL.  Thanks for the laugh. Now that’s what I needed!

False Choice: Obama’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy vs ABC’s “The View”

By guest blogger Nii-Quartelai Quartey

Change without a plan is change without a chance.

Like the thousands of other HIV/AIDS activist across the United States, I was proud to see President Obama and his Administration make good on a campaign promise to change the way we fight against HIV/AIDS with the first National HIV/AIDS Strategy in the history of the U.S. epidemic

The goals of this inaugural National HIV/AIDS Strategy include:

1. Reducing HIV Infections by 25%
2. Lowering the rate of HIV transmission by 30%
3. Increasing the number of infected people who know their status by 10%
4. Increasing the number of people accessing care within three months of diagnosis by 30%
5. Increase the proportion of gay and bisexual men, Blacks, and Latinos with undetectable viral loads by 20%

According to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Executive Summary: “In 1995, 44 percent of the general public indicated that HIV/AIDS was the most urgent health problem facing the Nation, compared to only 6 percent in March 2009.” I can’t help but firmly agree with the 44% of the general public, especially in light of the fact that HIV/AIDS stigma, lack of quality and affordable health care, and poverty most severely impact the lives of African-Americans.

After reading through the executive summary of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy I kept asking myself this simple question about the largest risk-group in the community most impacted by HIV/AIDS in the United States: Do African-American heterosexual, gay, and bisexual men have a chance to be saved with this strategy?

Please click inside to read the rest of Nil-Quartelai’s essay – and what he has to say about the controversy at “The View.”

My friend Greg Hernandez over at GregInHollywood has been covering Outfest 2010, including a panel during which actress Meredith Baxter – pictured here with gay entertainment publicist and coming-out specialist Howard Bragman – talked about coming out.  She reveals she had toyed with the idea before taking the leap last December.

“To be honest, I was at a point in my life where I was sort of entertaining the idea … I thought I might put an ad in the paper, kind of like a little birth announcement that would say, ‘Okay, I’m gay. – Meredith.’ I didn’t really know how that was supposed to come about but I was planning to talk to my business manager about that the same day he called and said that Perez Hilton and The Enquirer and all those guys were ready to talk about the fact that [her partner] Nancy [Locke] and I were on a lesbian cruise.”

Please click over to Greg’s terrific site for more on this story and Outfest 2010.

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Tickets for 50^th Anniversary Production of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” starring Daniel Radcliffe are on sale now exclusively to American Express cardholders at Telecharge.com (212-239-6200) with preferred seating available to American Express Gold Card, Platinum Card and Centurion members. Tickets go on sale to the general public Saturday, July 31, at 12:01am.  Like “Promises, Promises” and other shows produced by the golden gay team of Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the show will no doubt be a big hit – with some people likely to attend to get actual tips on how to succeed in business without even trying.

Here’s one hint: believe in yourself.

Here’s how star Robert Morse explained it in the original 1961 production:

Please click inside for the press release with more information.

Tonight, the Los Angeles Black Pride is sponsoring Cheryl Dunye’s “The OWLS” (an acronym for Older Wiser Lesbians) tonight at Outfest, which the film festival calls its “U.S. centerpiece.” The 66-minute film from auteur Dunye (‘Watermelon Woman’) screens at 8:00p.m. at the Director’s Guild of America, 7920 Sunset Blvd, L.A. 90046.

A caution: Parking is FREE at the DGA Theatre Complex (7920 Sunset Blvd.) and the Sunset-Lofts (7950 Sunset Blvd.) parking facility both accessible off of Hayworth Street. But the DGA is WeHo-adjacent and Sheriff’s deputies will be on the lookout for traffic violations and parking in restricted areas. Also, when exiting the 7950 Sunset Lofts Parking structure, note the “No Right Turn” sign, which leads into a residential neighborhood. I live around the corner and can confirm that parking and traffic are taken very seriously.

Meanwhile, Greg In Hollywood has a terrific report on Outfest honoree Jane Lynch and the LA Weekly’s Patrick Range McDonald reports on a Sunday panel during which “gay and lesbian filmmakers gave an inside look at the continuing struggle to get Hollywood studio honchos to green-light big budget films with gay central characters, fearing Americans can’t handle homosexuality and those movies will turn into box office losers.”  Please click here for more info on other Outfest films and panels.

Here’s a promo for The OWLS:

On Thursday, July 8, the 28th annual Outfest, Los Angeles’ Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, kicks off with the presentation of the 14th Annual Outfest Achievement Award to Jane Lynch (“Glee”, BEST IN SHOW) presented by Chris Colfer (“Glee”) and Paris Barclay (Director, Producer).  The lights then go down in the Director’s Guild of American main theater for the Los Angeles premiere of “HOWL.” starring James Franco.

This year Outfest, which started in 1982, features 143 films and videos from 25 countries (including for the first time, Nepal) in 6 different venues across Los Angeles over 11 days. 81 separate public programs, 4 galas, 64 features, 12 short film programs and 12 panels and special events and countless parties and receptions! Frontiers In LA has a slew of reviews and videos to view.

Frontiers editor Aaron Drake also sat down for an interview with honoree Jane Lynch. Here’s an excerpt:

So I hear that on the show Kurt is getting a new boyfriend, which means another gay character on the show. What do you think of the way the gay storyline is playing out?

I love it that Ryan [Murphy, the show’s creator] will never make Kurt’s character a victim. He’s a popular kid in school, he’s never gonna be beaten up for being a gay kid; we tend to focus on the negative. He’s a very popular kid, his popularity survives his coming out, his father is doing his best to be all right with it, and doing a pretty darn good job. Everybody’s real honest with each other. It’s a different kind of story—instead of being the cliché it’s a very real story of a kid maligned and being given a hard time because he’s gay.

So many people are freaking out about how Sir Elton John pocketed $1 million for playing the wedding singer at Rush Limbaugh’s fourth wedding that I thought I’d offer up a little counter-balance: Sandra Bullock kissing Scarlett Johansson at Sunday night’s 2010 MTV Movie Awards.

Bullock is the first woman to win the Generation Award since it was started in 2005 and her acceptance speech was all about humorously slapping the tabloids for their outlandish stories about her split with philandering husband Jesse James and “getting back to normal” where it’s OK to make fun of her. She also asked for a prayer for those dealing with the BP oil leak in the Gulf.

The kiss was probably pre-planned with Johansson standing for in Bullock’sThe Proposal costar Ryan Reynolds, who happens to be Johansson’s husband. Bullock and Reynolds were up for “Best Kiss” and have agreed to star in another movie together.

Adam Lambert fan? Actually, while I appreciate his talent, I’m becoming downright fond of Lambert the person – well, at least the person he presents to us through his website and Twitter feed. He gave Frontiers In LA an interview for the LA Pride issue – which just hit the streets. He and editor Stephen Horbelt seem to have some fun (see excerpt inside). But I marvel at how Lambert is so refreshingly honesty – without apparent malice – that I imagine his impact on young American culture will be great and positive.

Please click inside to read an excerpt from his Frontiers interview.
UPDATE: I asked Frontiers editor Stephen Horbelt to talk about his interview with Adam, who has been hanging out in WeHo for years – glam eyeliner and all. Stephen’s response is inside, too.

I don’t know about you – but I could sure use a breather every now and then. With that in mind, I offer this seven minutes of pure glee as we watch 6th grade singer-songwriter Greyson Chance whose YouTube cover of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” has gone viral – sing on Ellen DeGeneres’ show. He finds Lady Gaga an inspiration because of her individuality. Oh – and Lady Gaga calls in to congratulate him so you KNOW he’s good. Enjoy.

Forget that Newsweek brouhaha over Sean Hayes and other openly gay actors playing straight. The girl blog Jezebel goes right for the – umm – meat of the matter and scores Sean Hayes as one of 10 openly gay men straight women want to “get with.” And then there are two who don’t discuss their sexuality (one of whom is Anderson Cooper) who they think might be gay and want to add to the list, anyway. But truthfully the best part of the blog post is the comments section where readers post their own choices for Hot Gay Men they want to get with – adding photos of their own. Check out their 10 Hot Gay Men here.

Dazzling and sultry jazz singer Lena Horne died Sunday at age 92. 

Horne died at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, according to hospital spokeswoman Gloria Chin. No other details were released.

The velvet-throated singer started at the famed Cotton Club at age 16, which brought her considerable attention and entertainment contract. By 1947, she was the highest paid Black entertainer in films – but was upset at always getting roles with songs that could be edited out for distribution in the South. In addition to her Tony and Grammy awards, Horne earned high praise for her outspokenness on behalf of women and civil rights – and withstanding the grueling oppression of the blacklisting communist witchhunts in the 1950s. Please read this tribute from Eugene Robinson.

This is from an obituary in the Los Angeles Times:

“I was unique in that I was a kind of black that white people could accept,” she once said. “I was their daydream. I had the worst kind of acceptance because it was never for how great I was or what I contributed. It was because of the way I looked.”

In the 1940s, she was one of the first black performers hired to sing with a major white band, the first to play the Copacabana nightclub and among a handful with a Hollywood contract.

 In 1943, MGM Studios loaned her to 20th Century-Fox to play the role of Selina Rogers in the all-black movie musical “Stormy Weather.” Her rendition of the title song became a major hit and her signature piece.

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“I was always battling the system to try to get to be with my people. Finally, I wouldn’t work for places that kept us out … it was a damn fight everywhere I was, every place I worked, in New York, in Hollywood, all over the world,” she said in Brian Lanker’s book “I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America.”

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I confess – I’m a “bad” lesbian. I had no clue that was Pink slinking around on top of a Vespa, smoking a cigarette, looking all “come hither” as singer/songwriter Linda Perry tried to auction off the scooter and threw in a photo with Pink as an incentive.

It worked – someone paid $17,000, just a portion of the $379,000 Perry and her producing partners raised for the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center during Saturday night’s extraordinary “An Evening with Women” gala.

Please click inside to read my mostly Lydia Marcus-photo-based story about the wonderful event.

Here’s a video tribute to Jewel – disclaimer: I’m in it:

Crystal Bowersocks sang an emotional rendition of the glorious song “People Get Ready” on last week’s “American Idol.” Her performance earned her a standing ovation from judge Randy Jackson and praise as “inspirational” from judge Simon Cowell.

Many of us remember the original civil rights anthem written by Curtis Mayfield and covered by many, including closeted lesbian Dusty Springfield. It’s a song open to personal imprint – such as this version by Ziggy Marley from 1997.

A little afternoon break. Here’s a video of openly gay music star Adam Lambert performing “Fever” at this Saturday’s 21st Annual GLAAD Awards. Warning to those over 45 – this is way not Lambert’s version of Peggy Lee’s iconic “Fever!” - though Lambert singing Lee would be interesting. Please also check my friend Greg Hernandez at GregInHollywood for more, including an interview with Lambert about his recent mentoring experience on “American Idol.”