Category Archives: Non-Profit News and Events
Flushing Town Hall Event – OPEN CALL
Flushing Town Hall to Celebrate 25th Anniversary of Queens Pride with Special Event on June 3
Flushing Town Hall Hosts Open Call for NYC-Based Performing Artists of All Disciplines; Annual LGBTQ Voices Event
DEADLINE APRIL 21!
Flushing Town Hall and New York City Council Member Daniel Dromm have announced an Open Call to LGBTQ performing artists based in New York City to participate in a fourth annual LGBTQ cultural event on Saturday, June 3 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Queens Pride.
Flushing Town Hall is seeking established and up-and-coming performing artists who identify as LGBTQ to take part in the event in Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights at 5:00 PM. Artists of all disciplines, including music, dance, spoken word/poetry, theater, and performance art are welcome to respond to the Open Call.
“We are grateful to Council Member Dromm for his support of this program,” said Flushing Town Hall Executive and Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek. “Flushing Town Hall celebrates diversity in the Arts, and Council Member Dromm also recognizes and champions its importance.”
“By celebrating who we are through art and song, we resist those who seek to make us invisible,” said NYC Council Member Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights, Elmhurst). “I am proud to continue my support of LGBTQ open call and look forward to the amazing array of participants who bring music, dance and poetry to the plaza. I salute Flushing Town Hall for organizing this powerful event and thank the performers and directors who make this possible.”
In addition to Council Member Dromm, the program is supported by New York State Council on the Arts, Governor Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Legislature, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
Performers will be selected via this Open Call. All LGBTQ musicians, dancers, and performing artists based in New York City may submit applications. Latino and other immigrant and minority artists who self-identify as LGBTQ are particularly encouraged to apply. Applications must be submitted over email, and will consist of:
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A statement of interest and description of proposed performance (200 words maximum).
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Biographical Details (300 words maximum)
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Work samples (three maximum). Artists may submit mp3, jpg, or video. Work samples may be included either as an attachment to the email, or via a URL where they can be accessed and viewed, such as a YouTube or website link).
Applications must be sent by email by to Flushing Town Hall’s Deputy Director Sami Abu Shumays at sshumays@flushingtownhall.o
About Flushing Town Hall
Flushing Town Hall (FTH) presents multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens and New York City, in order to foster mutual appreciation. As advocates of arts equity since 1979, we support local, immigrant, national, and international artists, developing partnerships and collaborations that enhance our efforts. As a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), we serve to restore, manage and program the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York. FTH celebrates the history of Queens as the home of Jazz, by presenting the finest in Jazz performance. We are committed to arts education and hands-on learning, for the arts-curious, arts enthusiasts, and professional artists. We serve one of the most diverse communities in the world, and strive to uphold the legacy of inclusiveness that has defined our community since the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657.
For Tickets & More info:
BUSBY BERKELEY Film Fest!
“BUSBY BERKELEY,” a nine-day festival spotlighting the early movie musical trailblazer famous for his eye-popping kaleidoscopic production numbers, will run at Film Forum from Wednesday, December 7 through Thursday, December 15.
He really took off when Ruby Keeler, via a single cut, moved from tapping in front of a painted backdrop to dismounting from an actual cab on a three-dimensional set of 42nd Street, complete with traffic, mounted police, and hundreds of dancers, all in character – but that was only the beginning. Dance director, choreographer, auteur… and visionary. In his heyday, Busby Berkeley (1895-1976) mounted a series of still must-be-seen-to-be-believed
Says Bruce Goldstein, Film Forum’s Director of Repertory Programming, “Berkeley was the first to realize the endless cinematic possibilities of the musical form. Imitators have never even come close to what he created in the early 30s – not even with tools like CGI.”
Berkeley was born to an actress mother in Los Angeles and first performed on stage at age five. After a stint in the army during WWI, he began his career as a dance director and choreographer, working on nearly two-dozen Broadway shows. His film career began with producer Samuel Goldwyn, but he became a household name with his a string of iconic successes at Warner Bros.: 42nd Street, Footlight Parade, Gold Diggers of 1933, and many others, featuring one astounding production number after another.
In addition to his work as a choreographer and dance director (though neither title does justice to what he actually did), the festival also includes features films entirely directed by Berkeley, including Gold Diggers of 1935 (featuring the spectacular “Lullaby of Broadway” number); Hollywood Hotel (which introduced the song “Hooray for Hollywood”), the Technicolor extravaganza The Gang’s All Here, with Carmen Miranda sporting the world’s largest fruit basket; Strike Up the Band and Babes on Broadway, both featuring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney; For Me and My Gal, with Garland and Gene Kelly (in his debut); Take Me Out to the Ball Game, with Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Esther Williams, and written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green; and a rare non-musical, They Made Me a Criminal, starring John Garfield, Claude Rains, and the Dead End Kids. Most films in the series will be screened as part of double features (two films for one admission), and most of the features will be screened in archival 35m prints.
December 7, the opening day of the festival, is the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In addition to the Berkeley double feature that day, Cavalcade of 1941, a vintage short including FDR’s famous “date that will live in infamy” speech, will be screened.
“Busby Berkeley” has been programmed by Bruce Goldstein, Film Forum’s Director of Repertory Programming.
Public Screening Schedule
DECEMBER 7 WED
DOUBLE FEATURE
ROMAN SCANDALS (1933, Frank Tuttle) 35mm
Eddie Cantor, Ruth Etting, Gloria Stuart
3:30, 7:55
STRIKE UP THE BAND (1940, Busby Berkeley) 35mm print preserved by UCLA Film & Television Archive
Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Paul Whiteman and Orchestra
Songs by George and Ira Gershwin.
12:30, 5:25, 9:45
PLUS “Cavalcade of 1941” 35mm
DECEMBER 8 THU
DOUBLE FEATURE
DAMES (1934, Ray Enright) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Joan Blondell
12:30, 4:00, 7:30
FASHIONS OF 1934 (1934, William Dieterle) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
William Powell, Bette Davis, Frank McHugh
2:20, 5:50, 9:20
DECEMBER 9 FRI
DOUBLE FEATURE
THE GANG’S ALL HERE (1943, Busy Berkeley) DCP
Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
12:30, 4:30, 8:30
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (1949, Busby Berkeley) 35mm
Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Esther Williams
2:35, 6:35
DECEMBER 10 SAT
DOUBLE FEATURE
42ND STREET (1933, Lloyd Bacon) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell
12:30, 4:25, 8:20
THE GANG’S ALL HERE (1943, Busby Berkeley) DCP
2:20, 6:15, 10:10
DECEMBER 11 SUN
DOUBLE FEATURE
GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 (1933, Mervyn LeRoy) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
Warren William, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Ginger Rogers
12:30, 4:30, 8:30
FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933, Lloyd Bacon) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell
2:25, 6:25
DECEMBER 12 MON
Separate Admission
FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933, Lloyd Bacon) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
12:40
DECEMBER 12 MON
DOUBLE FEATURE
THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL (1939, Busby Berkeley) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
John Garfield, Claude Rains, Ann Sheridan, the Dead End Kids
4:05, 7:20
NIGHT WORLD (1932, Hobart Henley) 35mm
Lew Ayres, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff
2:45, 6:00, 9:10
DECEMBER 13 TUE
DOUBLE FEATURE
THE GANG’S ALL HERE (1943, Busby Berkeley) DCP
12:30
42ND STREET (1933, Lloyd Bacon) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
2:35
DECEMBER 13 TUE
DOUBLE FEATURE
BABES ON BROADWAY (1941, Busby Berkeley) 35mm
Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland
4:25, 8:45
FOR ME AND MY GAL (1942, Busby Berkeley) 35mm print courtesy Harvard Film Archive
Judy Garland, Gene Kelly
6:45
DECEMBER 14 WED
DOUBLE FEATURE
GOLD DIGGERS OF 1935 (1935, Busby Berkeley) 35mm
Dick Powell, Adolphe Menjou, Gloria Stuart
12:30, 4:15, 8:00
WONDER BAR (1934, Lloyd Bacon) HD
Al Jolson, Kay Francis, Dick Powell, Dolores del Río,
2:25, 6:10, 9:55
DECEMBER 15 THU
Separate Admission
42ND STREET (1933, Lloyd Bacon) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
12:30
DECEMBER 15 THU
DOUBLE FEATURE
HOLLYWOOD HOTEL (1937, Busby Berkeley) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
Dick Powell, Rosemary Lane, Hugh Herbert, Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
4:35, 8:40
IN CALIENTE (1935, Lloyd Bacon) New 35mm print courtesy Library of Congress
Dolores del Río, Pat O’Brien, Glenda Farrell
2:35, 6:40
For more information, links and showtimes, visit www.filmforum.org
For downloadable photos and press notes, go to: www.filmforum.org/press
LGBTQ Latino Festival NEW YORK
The Hispanic Federation, a leader in advocating for the Hispanic community, presents the first-ever Latino LGBTQ Festival in New York City – FUERZAfest. This event will take place on May 11 through May 22, 2016 at the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center (JDBC), located at 1680 Lexington Avenue, El Barrio, New York City.
Mapplethorpe Pop Up Show Flatiron Building
Pop-Up Installation featuring works of Robert Mapplethorpe
A special Robert Mapplethorpe pop-up installation arrives in NYC in Flatiron Plaza North (23rd St. and Broadway) on Friday, March 18 (6pm-11pm) and Saturday, March 19 (6pm-10pm). The installation features larger-than-life projections, a stunning array of famous and more personal works, and rare, revealing commentary from Robert Mapplethorpe himself. This is a very special chance for guests to experience first-hand the magnitude of Mapplethorpe’s legacy.
This pop-up arrives prior to the premiere of HBO’s upcoming documentary “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures,” which will debut on Monday, April 4 at 9:00 p.m. exclusively on HBO.
Venture inside the mind of one of the 20th Century’s most important artists, and come face to face with his provocative masterpieces. Presented on a scale worthy of its artistic impact, this digital gallery features rare and revealing commentary from the photographer himself.
Where– Flatiron Plaza North (23rd St between 5th Ave & Broadway)
Ali Forney Wants to Buy a Church
The Ali Forney Center (AFC), the nation’s largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth, is raising funds to buy Pastor David James Manning’s Harlem Hate Church, after it was announced that the property is up for auction.
A judge ordered Manning’s church be put up for public auction because Manning has failed to pay $1.02 million in public debts. Manning claims that these debts are largely related to unpaid water and sewage bills which he says he doesn’t have to pay because of his church’s tax exempt status.
Manning, of course, is known for the hateful language in his church sign, and his YouTube videos, one of which claimed that Starbucks puts gay semen in its lattes.
Via Ali Forney:
AFC hopes to raise at least $200K through an initial public fundraising effort, and will seek to leverage those funds to obtain additional support from local government, major donors and foundations. If the Ali Forney Center is not able to obtain the building, it commits to utilize any funds raised to increase its housing and vocational services for homeless LGBT youth in another site.
Read more HERE
Visit Ali Forney
LETS MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!
Blind Yorkie Needs Home in New York
PLEASE HELP MITCHELL!
Poor little Mitchell; who could be so cruel? The ten-year-old blind Yorkshire terrier is so afraid when he was picked up by New York City Animal Care and Control and brought to the Brooklyn shelter this past week. Some miserable culprit had spray painted little Mitchell green on his face, in his eyes, and on his back soaking right into the skin of his caudal spine. (base of his spine)
Mitchell was brought in on October 22, and is due out and ready for rescue on Sunday, October 25. According to his medical notes, even though he is extremely stressed, Mitchell did allow handling although it is advised to move very slowly as this little guy must have been through more than most animal advocates even want to know. The emaciated, six-pound dog is heavily matted around his legs and face and has extensive dental issues, however no flea infestation or active parasites were noted. A volunteer writes the following: “Mitchell is a 10 year old Yorkie mix who came in as a stray- matted and emaciated. During Mitchell’s medical exam, it was noted that he is also BLIND. This little guy needs some TLC- Can you give him some?”
When making inquiries about Mitchell, reference A1055686. For more information on adopting from the New York City Animal Care and Control, click here. A Facebook page for Mitchell can be found here. To adopt from the General Adoption List, click here. To adopt from the At Risk List, click here. Please share Mitchell’s story with friends, family and social media contacts. Sharing saves lives, and every life counts.
New York Broadway and Ballet Benefit
BROADWAY AND BALLET’S BIGGEST NAMES UNITE TO FIGHT HIV/AIDS AT SECOND ANNUAL BROADWAY AND BALLET
HERO AWARDS
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS PERFORMING TOGETHER
The HIV Experience Resources Organization (HERO) has announced that on October 26th 2015 at 8pm it will present, in partnership with Broadway Cares, Equity Fights AIDS, and in association with Stage48, the second annual “BROADWAY AND BALLET, HERO AWARDS,” at Stage 48, 605 West 48th Street in Manhattan. The event will benefit HERO, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that helps newly diagnosed and people living with HIV/AIDS. www.hivhero.org
The 2015 Honorees are: MELBA MOORE, receiving the Broadway HERO Award; GAREN PRICE SCRIBNER (An American in Paris) receiving the John Adams HERO Award and GAY MEN’S HEALTH CRISIS receiving the HERO Partner Award.
HERO awards are given to those organizations and individuals who have gone above and beyond to help the HIV/AIDS community. The event will screen short tribute videos highlighting the accomplishments of the honorees and organizations, and feature many stellar performances by Broadway and the ballet world’s finest. LBGT advocate, communication consultant, and NGLCCNY Director Jonathan D. Lovitz will emcee. The TONY Award winner and GRAMMY nominated Melba Moore will be giving a performance of her new single “JUST DANCE,” choreographed by Nathan Madden. Attila Joey Csiki and Tobin Del Cuore will perform a duet by Lar Lubovitch called “Concerto 622,” a legendary piece of choreography that was created during the AIDS epidemic.
The event features 14 original performances from top dance companies and Broadway shows: Olympic gold medalist Ioannis Melissanidis, Michael Leon Wooley (Little Shop of Horrors, American Buffalo, Walt Disney’s The Princess and the Frog), Stephen Hanna (On The Town, Billy Elliot), Michael Cusumano (All Shook Up, Chicago, American in Paris), Attila Joey Csiki (An American in Paris), Tobin Del Cuore (Lar Lubovitch Dance Company), Josh Green (Wicked), Daniel Robinson (Hairspray), Patrick Boyd (Grease, The Wizard of Oz, Gypsy, Touch: A Love Story), Cristy Candler (Wicked, Chicago, Rock of Ages), top 20 recording artist Kelly King, Sean Michael Murray (American Idiot), Sean Stewart (American Ballet Theatre), Alina Fay (American Ballet Theatre alumni), Jose Sabastian (ABT), founders and dancers of “Ten Hairy Legs” Dance Company – Tyner Dumortier & Alex Biegelson, Luis Villabon (A Chorus Line), Nathan Madden (An American In Paris, Chicago),directed by Mark Robinson.
Tickets are $25 for general admission and $100 for limited premium seating and are available at the Stage 48 Box Office. For advance tickets and/or to learn more about HERO, visit www.hivhero.org and/or http://www.heronews.org.
HIV Experience Resources Organization (HERO) is a non-profit 501(3)(c) organization founded in 2009 by Michael Cavnaugh, former vice president of Event Presentation at Madison Square Garden. HERO helps people find the most pressing, up-to-date information available critical to their heath. HERO’s websites, HIVhero.org and HEROnews.org, provide local, national and international resources and interactive tools which provide assistance in: finding doctors; getting medication; mental health counseling; housing; financial assistance; medical insurance; and much more. It also serves as a portal site providing free content and video production, promoting the services, activities and fundraising efforts of many community/partner organizations. HERO chooses and features a video interview of a Broadway HERO of the Month on its website. Many of the performers at this year’s Broadway and Ballet HERO Awards are Broadway HEROes for www.hivhero.org.
Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) is the nation’s leading provider of HIV and AIDS care, prevention services and advocacy, serving nearly 9,000 people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS in New York City, the epidemic’s largest U.S. epicenter. As the world’s first HIV and AIDS service organization GMHC is an expert in providing services that every person affected by the epidemic deserves. GMHC is on the front lines caring for people who are both HIV negative and positive, including: testing, nutrition, legal, mental health and education services. GMHC also advocates for stronger public policies at the local, state and federal level with the goal ofending AIDS as an epidemic in New York State by 2020. Most recently, GMHC and other HIV and AIDS organizations successfully persuaded the federal government to recommend widespread use ofPrEP, a new daily treatment that is over 90% effective in preventing HIV infection. For more information, visit www.gmhc.org.
Bea Arthur LGBT Residence
On Monday, July 20, 2015, there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the Bea Arthur Residence, an 18-bed residence for homeless LGBT youth operated by the Ali Forney Center.
In 2012 the New York City Council and the Manhattan Borough President awarded $3,300,000 for the renovation of a long vacant building owned by the New York City Department of Housing and Preservation Development.
The building has now been turned over to the Ali Forney Center in partnership with Cooper Square Committee, and renovations are beginning this month. It is anticipated that the building will begin to provide housing by the end of 2016.
Bea Arthur gave one of her final public performances as a benefit for the Ali Forney Center in 2005. She was very upset to learn that hundreds of thousands of LGBT teens were rejected by their families, and driven to homelessness. She said that she would do anything in her power to help these teens. When she died in 2009 the Ali Forney Center learned that she had bequeathed $300,000 to us in her will. At that time, Carl Siciliano, the Executive Director of the Ali Forney Center, pledged that the first building they owned would be named in her memory.
The groundbreaking ceremony will be held at the building site, located at 222 East 13th Street at 1pm. In attendance will be the staff and clients of the Ali Forney Center, as well as invited politicians who have supported this project and the work of the AFC, including Brad Hoylman, Democratic Senator for the New York State Senate in Manhattan’s 27th district, New York City Council Members Richie Torres, Danny Drum, Carlos Menchaca and Rosie Mendez, a representative from Mayor DiBlasio’s office and Steve Herrick, Executive Director of Cooper Square.
Said Carl Siciliano, Founder and Executive Director of the Ali Forney Center:
“It meant the world to me that a star of the magnitude of Bea Arthur would do so much to help the Ali Forney Center in our work of housing homeless LGBT youths.” says Carl Siciliano, Executive Director of the Ali Forney Center. “I am very grateful that we will now be able to honor Bea and continue to keep her compassion alive through the establishment of the Bea Arthur Residence for Homeless LGBT Youth.”
In an article prior to her passing, Bea Arthur said this:
“I’m very, very involved in charities involving youth. These kids at the Ali Forney Center are literally dumped by their families because of the fact that they are lesbian, gay or transgender — this organization really is saving lives.”
Loisaida Festival and LES History Month
Continuing its commitment to showcase the Lower East Side’s independent and diverse spirit, Loisaida Inc. announced its lineup for the 2015 Loisaida Festival.
The programming includes: Chicano Batman, Calma Carmona, Herencia de Plena, and Papote Jimenez y su Orquesta.
Latin Soul, plena, salsa, psychedelic beats, from east L.A. to Puerto Rico, will all converge in one spot. Beloved actor, and Loisaida’s own, Luis Guzman will host the Festival, which takes place on Sunday May 24th, 2015 from 11:00AM to 5:00PM.
Speaking of the long-standing power of the Festival, Libertad Guerra of Loisaida, Inc. said, “The success of Loisaida Inc. and the Loisaida Festival year after year is a testament of what we can accomplish in our communities. We are moving with full force to reactivate awareness of Latino cultural vitality, heritage and contributions to the Lower East Side while maintaining our footprint in the Downtown area. This year’s programming really captures that irreverent, resilient, ethos that made Loisaida a creative hub for NYC’s Latino community.”
Leading up to the festival Loisaida, Inc. will host two days of activities at its new Center on 710 east 9th Street that will highlight the contributions of the LGBTQ Latin@ community on the Lower East Side. The Friday and Saturday expanded programming, a new element introduced last year, integrates the Festival with LES History Month during the month of May. The programs, Performing Queer Latin@ Loisaida: A Cabaret and Reconstructing Queer Latin@ Loisaida in Cinema, Literature, and Art, will celebrate the often-overlooked cultural contributions of LGTB Queer Latino Loisaida.
On Sunday May 24th, these elements merge into the Festival, where a host of culinary, cultural, artistic and musical experiences will come together under the theme of one neighborhood…an entire community. A Carnival Procession, rare these days in the downtown area, will open the event. Parallel to the main stage programming, the festival also includes a Theater Lab initiative, where diverse Latino, Spanish or bilingual theater companies will present original site-specific pieces.
The revamped Loisaida Festival will capture the meaning the event held in its early days back in the 80s. What may have started as an impromptu community gathering for neighborhood children unable to leave the city during Memorial Day weekend soon became an event to share and celebrate community, Puerto Rican and Latino culture, as well as the social and cultural differences that make Loisaida such a vibrant neighborhood.
Today, with the over 15,000 attendants from all walks of life and ages that congregate at the festival each year, #LoisaidaFest2015 is the landmark event for Latino historical and contemporary contributions to the downtown area, bridging cultural and generational divides.
Schedule of Events and Details:
Friday, May 22, 2015 (8:00PM-10:00PM) – In Performing Queer Latin@ Loisaida: A Cabaret some of New York City’s most legendary Queen Latin@ performance artists pay tribute to Loisaida’s long-standing tradition of LGBTQ Latin@ artistic expression, experimentation, and activism with a one night performance.
Saturday, May 23, 2015 (1:00PM – 5:30PM) – Reconstructing Queer Latin@ Loisaida in Cinema, Literature, and Art: An event to celebrate the often overlooked contribution of Queer Latin@ artists and activists to the Lower East Side’s rich cultural fabric.
Sunday, May 24, 2015 (11:00AM – 5:00PM) – Loisaida Inc. will celebrate the 28th Annual Loisaida Festival, which includes an opening Carnival Procession, Main Stage performances, and a Theater Lab at La Plaza Cultural. Hosted by actor Luis Guzman.
AIDS Walk New York
AIDS WALK NEW YORK MAY 17th
AIDS Walk New York is the largest single-day AIDS fund-raising event in the WORLD!
In its 30 years, AIDS Walk New York has inspired nearly 890,000 people to walk, and millions more to donate, raising more than $139 million to combat HIV and AIDS.
The funds raised at the event remain a vital lifeline that sustains GMHC’s prevention, care, and advocacy programs for the thousands of men, women, and families affected by the disease in the tri-state area. Proceeds also benefit dozens of other HIV/AIDS service organizations that are able to participate and raise funds through the Community Partnership Program (CPP).
| 8:30 a.m. Sign-In9:15 a.m. Opening Ceremony10 a.m. AIDS Walk New York Begins |
AIDS Walk New York is 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). The Walk begins and ends in Central Park and usually takes about 2.5 hours to complete. Entrance to General Sign-In is located at 59th Street and 5th Avenue.
NYC Department of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Office of National AIDS Policy
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Empire State Pride Agenda LGBT Equality & Justice Day
WHO:Empire State Pride Agenda with:
New York State Legislators
Prominent community members
Rally speakers and issue expert workshop instructors
Hundreds of LGBT New Yorkers and allies from across New York State
What: Rally at Equality & Justice Day, the largest statewide annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy day
Where: West Capitol Park (backup in case of rain is Convention Center) Albany, NY
When: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 1 – 2 p.m. Rally
Speakers:
- Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Nathan M. Schaefer
- Daniella Carter: Rising star and trans activist who was featured in the MTV & Logo TV documentary “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word;” guested on MSNBC’s “Out There on Shift;” initiated a project to bring visibility to trans youth issues; collaborated with Miss Universe and others to share their experiences in overcoming homelessness; and was recently listed as a 2015 Trans100 honoree;
- Angelica Clarke: the Executive Director at the Albany Social Justice Center, working to build movements that center the experiences of Black and Brown women, trans, genderqueer and gender non-conforming individuals;
- Q and Francisca Montaña: a mom and her 9-year-old trans son who live in Brooklyn, and who are both fierce advocates for our community;
- Jane Shurka: mother of conversion therapy survivor Mathew from Long Island, who is now a strong supporter of her proud, gay son and advocate to end conversion therapy in New York and across the country;
- Reverend Dee Lowman: a progressive United Methodist clergyperson who has turned her efforts towards supporting and influencing the rights and respect of trans people and
- Aileen Roman: a 34-year-old mom who navigated New York State’s arcane laws around parenting and surrogacy and will share her story about how she overcome challenges to build her family
Pride Agenda Justice Day
New Yorks LGBT Center Big Remodel
After undergoing a dramatic $9.2 million dollar renovation, the city and Board of Directors proudly presented the new and improved Center to the community.
Speakers including Executive Director Glennda Testone, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, New York State Assembly member Deborah Glick, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer and more sang the praises of The Center and lauded the great work it has done and will continue to do for future generations.
The final speech of the evening was delivered by LGBT icon, Edie Windsor, whose history-making lawsuit forced the Federal Government to recognize same-sex marriage. The octogenarian received a rousing standing ovation and proudly stated that The Center’s new coffee shop bears her name and that of her late wife, Thea Spyer.
Other notable guests, including jewelry designer Alexis Bittar, sipped on celebratory St-Germain cocktails while admiring The Center’s art exhibition, Once Upon a Time and Now, which showcases artworks preserved in the renovation from 1989’s historic The Center Show – a series of site-specific installations commissioned by The Center to mark the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots – along with new works. The exhibit features art from Keith Haring, David LaChapelle, Kenny Scharf among others. Cocktails served included the signature St-Germain Cocktail (St-Germain, Prosecco and Sparkling Water over ice with a lemon twist) and St-Germain and Champagne. The artisanal French liqueur is a proud supporter of the LGBT community and was thrilled to take part in this momentous occasion.
Signature St-Germain Cocktails:
The St. Germain Cocktail
2 parts MARTINI Prosecco
1½ parts St-Germain
2 parts Sparkling water
Stir ingredients in a tall ice-filled Collins glass, mixing completely. Think of Paris circa 1947. Garnish with a lemon twist.
also try….
St-Germain and Champagne
½ part St-Germain
Top with Brut Champagne
Serve in a flute glass and garnish with a strawberry.
About the Center:
Established in 1983, New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center empowers people to lead healthy, successful lives. The Center celebrates our diversity and advocates for justice and opportunity. Each year, The Center welcomes more than 300,000 visits to our building in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan from people who engage in our life-changing and lifesaving activities. We are proud to be your community Center. To learn more about our work, please visit gaycenter.org.
Men of Matinee NYC and Boxers Bar
This year, Matinee NYC announces the launch of their sexy 2015 charity calendar, featuring the Men of Matinee and Boxers Bar, shot by celeb photographer Marco Ovando.
100% of the proceeds will directly help provide homeless LGBT youth with the support and nourishment they need to succeed and thrive in NYC.
Grab your copy at any of the 3 Boxers Bar locations (Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Philadelphia) for a minimum donation of $20, and receive a free Stoli cocktail.
With your help, we can reach our fundraising goal of $50,000!
MEET THE MEN! Thursday Jan 8th – Boxers Chelsea
Friday Jan 9th – Boxers Hells Kitchen
All proceeds benefit Ali Forney center
HERO Awards Broadway and Ballet
The best of both worlds performing together.
Featuring performances from the brightest stars from Broadway and Ballet.
A benefit for HERO – HIV Experience Resources Organization.
Honoring The Actors Fund.
Sunday, October 19th, 2014
42 West, 516 West 42nd Street, NYC
8–10 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Purchase Tickets $20 General Admission – Premium seating $100 – Tables of Ten
The awards are given to those organizations and individuals who have gone above and beyond to help the HIV/AIDS community. The event will screen short tribute videos highlighting the accomplishments of the honorees and organizations.
Talent participating in Broadway and Ballet will include: Michael Leon Wooley (Broadway – The Plant – Little Shop of Horrors, American Buffalo, The Music Man, Five Guys Named Moe, the voice of Louis – Walt Disney’s The Princess and the Frog), Stephen Hanna (Broadway – On The Town, Billy Elliot, Principle Dancer at New York City Ballet), Michael Cusumano (Broadway – All Shook Up, Chicago,” “American in Paris”) ABT, World Ballet Gold Medalist), Patrick Boyd (Me and My Girl, “Grease” and starring in the upcoming movie, “Touch: A Love Story”), Kelly King (“Silver Seagull” Award for best international singer at the Viña Del Mar International Song Festival, top 20 recording artist), Sean Stewart (ABT Ballet), Alina Fay (ABT Ballet alumni), Marty Thomas and The Divas, (Broadway – Wicked, The Secret Garden” Xanadu), Russell Brown, (Irish historian , harpist and Irish dance sensation), and many surprise celebrity guests.
The first HERO Awards Broadway and Ballet will be hosted in order to honor the individuals and collectives that have helped HERO become a valuable resource where those afflicted by HIV/AIDS can find the information and help they need. Our event aims to showcase the brightest in the ballet and Broadway worlds while also screening short tribute videos for the recipients of our HERO awards The awards are given to those individuals who have gone above and beyond to help the HIV/AIDS community. Top talent from the Broadway and ballet worlds, will be in attendance to entertain YOU! There will be five awards presented. The Broadway HERO Award, presented to Jerry Mitchell (on availability), in honor of a Broadway artist who has helped the HIV/AIDS community by promoting awareness.
The Ballet Hero, presented to Ballet Star, Stephen Hanna, who has also gone above and beyond for the community. The HERO Partner Award, presented to The Actor’s Fund, is to acknowledge our partner, who has distinguished itself by assisting those afflicted with HIV/AIDS. The Super HERO award, will be given to a corporation that has shown outstanding advocacy for both the HIV/AIDS and LGBT communities. And a special award given to Stephen Lessard from Orrick who helped us to gain our 501 (3) (c) status.
YOUR HELP:
To produce this event, we need your help. There are many costs associated with putting on an event of this magnitude. Although we have many volunteers, and no one is paid at HERO, we are hoping for your support to help us pay for venue costs and promotion materials including: posters, postcards and donation envelops, press kit production, promotion and PR assistance. Go to INDIE GOGO
WHY WE ARE DOING THIS:
Although we have been fighting the spread and helping people with HIV/AIDS for more than five years, we have not ever done a national media event to let people know about the resources we offer. In addition to valuable local, national and international resources and tools, we provide a large amount of video content, celebrity support and coverage for many other HIV/AIDS related charities. We also put the latest news regarding HIV/AIDS from the World AIDS Map which is updated weekly under NEWS.
ABOUT HERO:
HIV Experience Resources Organization (HERO) is a non-profit 501(3)(c) organization founded in 2009 by Michael Cavnaugh, former vice president of Event Presentation at Madison Square Garden. HERO helps people find the most pressing, up-to-date information available critical to their heath. HERO’s Websites, HIVhero.org and HEROnews.org, provide local, national and international resources and interactive tools which provide assistance in:
· finding doctors
· getting medication
· mental health counseling
· housing
· financial assistance
· insurance
and much more. We also serve as a portal site providing free content and promoting the services, activities and fundraising efforts of our partner organizations including: Broadway Cares, Equity Fights AIDS, The Actors Fund, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, The LBGT Center and Housing works.
HERO produces celebrity interviews and event coverage that support the services, activities and events of our partners. These videos are filmed and edited in-house and provided to partner organizations and the media open free of charge. Celebrity interviews discussing safe sex, and healthy living with HIV/AIDS, have been conducted with Cyndi Lauper, Matthew Bomer, Angela Lansbury, Neil Patrick Harris, Bebe Neuwirth, Alley Sheedy, Kelly Ripa, Mary Louise Parker, Alan Cumming ,Chita Rivera and many other.
Broadway Bares Raises $1.3 Million
The annual flesh fest BROADWAY BARES this year featured performances by Alan Cumming, war veteran-turned-underwear model Alex Minsky, and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Bianca Del Rio giving actor James Franco a “full cavity search”, the rock-and-roll themed Broadway Bares: Rock Hard!
Playbill reports:
The 75-minute show opened with two dads (Matthew Saldivar and Joey Taranto) complaining that they had been dragged to a One Direction concert by their daughters and reminiscing about the great old days of rock. Through the magic of Broadway Bares, they were whisked back in time to watch performances inspired by the likes of Elvis, Michael Jackson, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin and Prince, with their memories putting the sex back in sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.
To date, Broadway Bares has raised more than $11.3 million in the fight against AIDS.
Kevin Tachman goes backstage for Jeffrey Fashion Cares in New York
The 2014 Jeffrey Fashion Cares
benefit fashion show took place this week!
Vogue editrix Anna Wintour, designers Diane von Furstenberg, Prabal Gurung and Jason Wu, Veep actress Anna Chlumsky, models Constance Jablonski, Kate Bock, Jihye and Nina Agdal, and former Top Model mentor Jay Manuel took in a bevy of male beauties showing off some sizzling hot spring looks.
Organized by retailer Jeffrey Kalinsky, the event raised more than $650,000 – which goes to a variety of LGBT organizations include the Hetrick-Martin Institute and Lambda Legal.
In its 22-year history, Jeffrey Fashion Cares has raised more than $11 million!
Photographer Kevin Tachman had the best seat in the house! Snapping hot models backstage!
See all of his photos here!
SAVE New Yorks Gay Halloween Parade
The
New York City Village Halloween Parade, a not-for-profit arts
organization, today announced the launch of their Kickstarter Campaign,
set to go live on September 17th. The campaign will raise
monies in an effort to recover considerable financial losses from the
last minute cancellation of last year’s Parade due to Superstorm Sandy,
as well as provide financial backing to ensure that the Parade will
celebrate its 40th Anniversary this Halloween.
The
iconic event has provided an exuberant cacophony of lights, sounds and
magical visuals on Halloween night for the past 40 years, attracting
over 2 million people from across the globe at the 2011 Parade alone.
Last year’s cancellation was the first in the Parade’s history, marking a
milestone the organization never hoped to meet. In the face of
devastation and destruction, the Parade has always been there to lift
the spirits of the global community, having been the first major event
in New York after 9/11, welcoming thousands of Hurricane Katrina
refugees in 2005 and commissioning Haitian Carnival Puppets in 2010
after the earthquake in Haiti.
“While
nothing compares to the tragic loss of life and home caused by Sandy,
the last minute cancellation proved to be a financial disaster for the
Parade, putting our
organization
out over $50,000,” said Jeanne Fleming, Producer and Artistic Director.
“We have been hard at work to overcome the setbacks Hurricane Sandy
brought, but
now
we are asking the millions of people who have ever marched in or
watched to parade to help us make certain the Parade lives on.”
Through the help of crowd funding via Kickstarter, the Parade will continue to entertain the public for a 40th
year with a special appearance of the Giant Spider by Master Puppeteer
Basil Twist on the Jefferson Market Library Clock Tower. For more
information on how to become involved in the Kickstarter campaign to
save the New York City Village Halloween Parade, please visit http://www.kickstarter.com/
New York City Gay BLACK PRIDE
It’s coming! New York City Black Pride weekend is August 14th – August 18th 2013. The
16th anniversary of Black Pride in this city. We celebrate everyday
both of our unique cultural heritages as Black and LGBT people.
Black and Latino Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)
community.
addressing HIV/Aids, Heart Disease, Breast Cancer and any STD adversely
affecting this community. Proceeds from NYC Black Pride will be
redistributed back into the people of color LGBT community in the NYC
area through various non Profit 501(c)3 organizations.”
+ Pool Will Become a Reality in New York’s Hudson River
It’s going to happen! A pool in the Hudson River! It started with a vision – not it’s going to become a reality!
for everybody to swim in clean river water right here in NYC.
river, what if you started by just cleaning a small piece of it?
what if you could change how New Yorkers see their rivers, just by
giving them a chance to swim in it?
A Kickstarter fund drive was launched with goal of $250,000, “we’ll be able to build the 35′ x
35′ Float Lab off the Brooklyn shore this August, giving everybody a
chance to see and learn about how + POOL will clean the rivers.” – As of July 20th, $273,000 has been raised!
+ POOL is driven by the supporters, backers and collaborators that want
to see the pool in the water as much as we do. So we thought, what if
we broke the pool into bite-size chunks and gave everybody a way to
claim a piece of the pool for themselves?”
Find out how to own your own piece of the pool at Kickstarter!
4th Annual Barclays Oasis Summer Benefit July 17th
