Category Archives: News and Happenings
Seth Sikes Sings Judy Garland
He has only performed his show Seth Sikes Sings Judy Garland four times but sold-out on each time at New York’s premiere nightclub!
And he is garnering draw-dropping reviews:
Chip Deffaa of Theater Scene said, “He has a very engaging presence on-stage. He looks like he belongs there on that stage, singing these songs with unbridled zest. He holds back nothing. And I hope he will do more singing. I enjoyed every minute of his act. It’s the best tribute to Garland I’ve ever seen. When he sings “You Made Me Love You”–and he sings it as well as anyone you are ever likely to hear sing it today–you can sense his love for Garland. Seth Sikes has made his return to performing in a very big way.”
Liz Smith said, “I went off to see him last week and couldn’t have been more charmed. He’s young and handsome and enthusiastic. He doesn’t look Judy-ish (he’s blonde, for one thing) and he doesn’t try to duplicate her sound. He tells his tales of being attracted by early MGM musicals, Judy, and later overwhelmed by the lady alone onstage, at Carnegie Hall. Sikes has boundless energy and a true, strong voice, with just the right amount of throb and drive and melancholy, depending on the number. But not too much. He never, ever veers into caricature. He wrote a good deal of the beautifully melded patter and links between the songs. The place was packed….”
Rex Reed of the NY Observer said, “Seth Sikes, a new kid on the block from Paris (Paris, Texas, that is) with a voice loud as a cymbal and brassy as Merman singing a duet with a trumpet belted out small gems and big treasures alike to a sold-out house screaming for more.”
Besides his incredible talent Seth has a unique story. After attending acting school he decided he didn’t have the talent to break through so he worked behind-the-scenes instead. In recent years he directed BUNKED! (Outstanding Musical at the NY Fringe Festival) and The 7th Annual Broadway Beauty Pageant. On Broadway he was the Assistant Director of The Nance and Off-Broadway’s Tribes, Pageant and Lincoln Center’s Sondheim: The Birthday Concert.
But the call to perform was too great and he put together a show which has enabled him to get back on-stage. Seth‘s next performance is on September 18th at 54 Below. GET TICKETS NOW!
Sneak Peak video HERE
New York City Gay Pride 2015
WANT TO FEEL GOOD TODAY! Watch This!
This is what GAY PRIDE is all about. Celebration and Family!
2015 was a record-breaking year for NYC Pride, with more than 2 million people attending 11 amazing events over 8 days. Check out some of our favorite moments in this video, produced by the amazing team at Boxing Rooster Productions, with music from NYC’s own Joe Gauthreaux.
Louis Falcone’s lawsuit against the NYPD
Gay Staten Island Man To Sue Four NYPD Officers Over Homophobic Beating/ Hate Crime in front of victim’s 66 year old mother.
- On June 19, 2015, 4 NYPD officers arrived at the Staten Island home of 31 year old Louis Falcone. Mr. Falcone and his brother got into a verbal disagreement and the police showed up about an hour later after Mr. Falcone’s brother had left and all had calmed down.
- 1 of the 4 police officers entered plaintiff’s home, dragged him outside and then all four police officers forced plaintiff to the ground and beat him.
- While the beating was taking place the police officers were calling him a “fag” and a “faggot”. Mr. Falcone is openly homosexual. The police officers stomped on plaintiff’s head and on his ankle causing him multiple fractures which required surgery. Mr. Falcone’s face was forced into the mud and he was unable to breathe. When Mr. Falcone was finally able to lift his head from the mud and spit out the mud that had gotten in his mouth one police officer said to the others that they needed to watch out because he was spitting up blood and that “all faggots have AIDS so I’m sure this one does too.” The vicious beating took place in front of the victim’s distraught 66 year old mother.
- The police officers also threatened to kill Mr. Falcone’s dog “Looch” who was crying at the sight of his owner being beaten.
- After the beating was over, Mr. Falcone was handcuffed on his front lawn. While in cuffs an ambulance came (Mr. Falcone does not know who called the ambulance) and the cuffs were removed. Mr. Falcone was treated in the emergency room and required two surgeries. Mr. Falcone was never arrested by these police officers for anything and he was never taken to the precinct for any reason whatsoever. The incident was caught on camera by a neighbor across the street.
- Press conference to discuss Louis Falcone’s
lawsuit against the NYPD will take place Tuesday August 4th, 2015. More details soon!
Bronx LGBTQ Gay Pride July 18th
Join us on Saturday, July 18th in Crotona Park for our 3rd annual Bronx LGBTQ Pride & Health Fair! Hostesses Appolonia Cruz, Lady Clover Honey, and Vivika Westwood are going to WERQ it out for our community in Crotona park!
Music by DJ Chauncey Dandridge and DJ TK, with entertainment by numerous local LGBTQ talent, including our headliner, Aaron Paul — who’s come all the way from London, England to support us!
Crotona Park at the amphitheatre (between Indian Lake and the picnic area).
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.”
Matthew Camp – Getting GO
How did I miss this?
I stumbled upon this cute little movie by accident this week – it’s a Sexy, innovative gay romance with Tanner Cohen & Matthew Camp!
“An affecting drama full of heart and humor, reminiscent of instant classics like Weekend.” — Edge Boston
This wonderfully innovative and exceptionally sexy drama has an infectious energy and a completely unique aesthetic as it tells a classic story of lust becoming love — and then some. Super cute Tanner Cohen (Were The World Mine) returns to the big screen as a college boy named Doc who drunkenly cruises a gay go-go boy named Go (super hot Matthew Camp – well known New York night life performer) with the pretense of making a documentary about him.
“As they grow closer, flirtation blurs the line between subject and filmmaker,” the film’s description reads, “until a steamy night together solidifies deeper feelings.”
Though his character “Go” was inspired directly by his dancing alter-ego, Matthew Camp says he’s actually pretty different from what most believe him to be behind closed doors — he’s quite reserved, completely monogamous, an artist, a perfumer, and nothing like what you’d assume a New York City bar star to be.
“What you see in Getting Go is a rough representation of me,” he says. “I mean, I do run around shirtless all the time, Go and I are both not afraid of a lot of things, and we danced in our underwear, so we’re both confident. But I wouldn’t have handled most of the situations in the same way Go did. I’m not as sexual as him… I don’t go on a lot of dates, I’m very reclusive, hanging out at my house. Go-go dancing was very much a job for me and after I’d perform, I’d leave right away rather than hang out at the club.”
Now 30, Camp reveals that he began go-go dancing when he moved to the city at 21 in order to pay his bills. “I’ve never felt I should be embarrassed by go-go dancing,” he says. “It’s not prostitution – which I’m not judgmental about – but I view dancing more as performance. I don’t like opening myself up to people, so with go-go dancing, people get to just see my body, they don’t see what’s going on in my head.”
See more at Queerty.
WOLFE movies on demand
WIGSTOCK Returns August 16
Wigstock’s Sea Tea Cruise Sets Sail on Sunday August 16th!
Ahoy! It’s been over 10 years since the last Wigstock festival was held. The famed NYC drag Labor Day bash attracted 30,000 revelers at it’s height and became the subject of the film Wigstock: The Movie in 1995. But after 20+ years of sequins, fake lashes and immaculate coiffures, organizers Lady Bunny and Scott Lifshutz needed a break. A long one! But the celebration of wigs hasn’t completely curled up and dyed.
On August 16th, the gang will take hi-jack Michael Fesco’s Sea Tea for a 4 hour cruise to recapture some of the wiggy magic from festivals past. Bunny will host, emcee and perform, along with many of the event’s most celebrated acts, including downtown legends Sister Dimension, Linda Simpson, HRH Princess Diandra, Flotilla Debarge, Sweetie, Sugga Pie Koko, David Ilku and Ffloyd. DJ Johnny Dynell of Jackie 60 fame will recreate the 90s club sound from when Wigstock was at it’s peak, along with DC’s Ed Bailey. So prepare to boogie to the sounds of CeCe Peniston, Ultra Nate, Crystal Waters, Barbara Tucker and all of the tunes that made going out such a non-stop blast during NYC’s golden club years. Think The Love Boat on acid with a killer new soundtrack of classic NYC house music.
To kick it off, Linda Simpson will present her 90s Drag Explosion photo exhibit complete with her hysterical commentary. It’s basically a retelling of every time Linda was sober enough to pull out a camera and snap it during her My Comrade days with pics of every queen from RuPaul to trans model Page.
Why revive a Wigstock-themed event now?
Says, Bunny: “Someone recently sent me an photo spread from the UK’s Guardian featuring Michael James O’Brien’s shots from Wigstock during the 90s, calling it “New York’s hair-raising 90s drag scene.” It made me nostalgic, just as people are nostalgic for clubs which don’t only play top 40 tunes and drag acts which focus more on talent than on contouring ability. Then I got wind of a new Wigstock party in South Africa in addition to other annual events in Tel Aviv, Sweden and Melbourne, Australia and had to ask myself “Why should everyone else have all the fun?” and “How much should I sue for?” Everyone is always telling me “Bring back Wigstock!” so this Sea Tea cruise will test the waters, literally, and relive the party on a smaller scale. This may lead to other full-scale Wigstock festivals in the future. I’ve performed on Michael Fesco’s Sea Tea in the past and this boat ride seems like the perfect way to reunite the crazy crew of very gifted performers. And to show that the Wigstock vibe is unsinkable! This cruise offers a unique opportunity to relive one of the Village’s maddest moments, since many considered Wigstock to be a hipper version of gay pride day for decades.
A lot of people complain about how the Manhattan scene has lost it, so we’re trying to recapture some of that zaniness by doing something about it. Revelers are encouraged to come in costume—and we’ll award $250 for the freakiest wig. I always marveled at wigs’ powers to bring out people’s crazier sides—whether they’re real women, body builders or even dogs. But enough about Linda! Nothing makes a “girl” feel more “fish” than gliding along the sparkling waters of the Hudson. But please, wear wedges or sensible heels! Rock The Boat isn’t just a song and this ride is definitely ill-suited to spikes!” No VIP nothing and no tired bottle service. Just a rollicking, wigged out bash!
The Hornblower boards at 6PM promptly, sails at 7:30PM and is back on the dock at 10PM. It departs from Pier 40 near Christopher Street. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at Pier 40 the day of. 21 and over. Admission includes a free dinner buffet, two decks with deejays Johnny Dynell and DC’s Ed Bailey spinning actual music and an hour and a half of entertainment in the typically wacky Wigstock style which ranges from singing live, lip-synching the house down, live singing, comedy, and of course one of those filthy Laugh-In skits that Bunny still milks in her own act!
Don’t miss the boat on this one—come and join us!
FOR TICKETS
Joey Contreras Love Wildly
The FEEL GOOD song of summer is HERE!
NYC-based, pop/broadway artist, Joey Contreras, announces his brand new music video for “Love Wildly,” featuring the vocals of Eric Krop.
Watch HERE.
The video was featured on The Advocate who called it “A day-in-the-life montage from a sexier Fame.” Additionally, Contreras just announced his appearance at the New York Musical Theatre Festival on Thursday, 7/16.
“Love Wildly” is featured on Contreras’ LP, Young Kind of Love, which showcases sounds of both pop and contemporary musical theatre. The album features notable artists such as Loren Allred (The Voice) and numerous Broadway talents. Contreras was hailed one of Playbill’s “Contemporary Musical Theatre Songwriters You Should Know.”
Stonewall Inn gets Landmark Status
The Stonewall Inn, the Greenwich Village bar where resistance to a police raid sparked the modern gay rights movement, was made a city landmark Tuesday, the first time a site has been named primarily because of its significance to the LGBT history.
“New York City’s greatness lies in its inclusivity and diversity,” Meenakshi Srinivasan, chairwoman of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, said before the unanimous vote. “The events at Stonewall were a turning point in the LGBT rights movement and in the history of our nation.”
Patrons fought back against a police raid on the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969, and the street protests that followed for several days are credited with galvanizing gay activism in New York and globally. The rebellion is commemorated with annual gay pride parades in hundreds of cities. (JUDY GARLAND had died June 22nd that same week. So the queens were in no mood that week!)
The two buildings that comprised the Stonewall Inn were originally built in the 1840s as stables, and in 1930 were merged at the first story and given a unified facade. Their combined ground floor commercial space originally housed a bakery, and in 1934 it was taken over by the Stonewall Inn Restaurant. The property reopened in 1967 as a gay club, retaining the name Stonewall Inn
To read The REAL History of the Stonewall Riots CLICK HERE
Suspect Sought in Gay Bashing
The suspect was captured on film violently beating a gay couple over the head with a chair inside the restaurant on 8th Avenue and 23rd Street after an altercation in which homophobic slurs were allegedly used.
The incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
See video footage of suspect HERE
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.
Ian Reisner Admits Poor Judgment
Ian Reisner,
one of the two gay hoteliers facing boycott calls for hosting an event for Senator Ted Cruz, who is adamantly opposed to same-sex marriage, apologized to the gay community for showing “poor judgment.”
Mr. Reisner put the apology on Facebook, where a page calling for a boycott of his properties, the gay-friendly Out NYC hotel and his Fire Island Pines holdings, had gotten more than 8,200 “likes” by Sunday evening.
“I am shaken to my bones by the emails, texts, postings and phone calls of the past few days. I made a terrible mistake,” wrote Mr. Reisner.
Will people forgive him?
more at New York Times
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
Everard Baths Fire of 1977
Today on Back to Stonewall, they ran a piece about the 1977 fire at the Everard Baths. 38 years ago, nine patrons (ages 17 to 40) were killed in a fire: seven from smoke inhalation, one from respiratory burns, and one who had jumped from an upper floor.
A sprinkler system had been installed at the baths but was not hooked up to a water supply. The bathhouse had been ordered to install the sprinkler system a year ago, but the deadline for its operation was not until the coming July 27.
Despite total destruction of the top two floors, the two floors were rebuilt and The Everard Baths baths would reopen and stay open for another nine years until April of 1986 when it was closed by New York City mayor Ed Koch during the city’s campaign to close gay sec venues during the AIDS epidemic.
Read more (plus VIDEO) at Back to Stonewall.
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
BOYCOTT Out Hotel and Fire Island Pines Project
WORST GAY NEW YORK
Gay men using Gay Money to Fund ANTI GAY Politics!
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Boycott Fire Island Pines Establishments (Pavilion, Low Tea, High Tea, Botel, Botel Barracks, Pool Deck, Harbor Club, Blue Whale, Cultured Elephant), Out NYC Hotel, and XL Nightclub after owners hold reception for Senator Ted Cruz.
FROM HRC’s WEBSITE:
Whether the issue is marriage or protection from discrimination, Sen. Ted Cruz has consistently opposed equality for LGBT Americans. And he’s gone even further, attacking fellow Republicans for marching in pride parades, and using his opposition to marriage to win his first Senate campaign.
imagine an America where gays forever stay second class citizens
.
Marriage: Ted Cruz led the charge to deny Texas couples marriage equality. In the Senate, he has supported a constitutional amendment that would prevent the federal government from recognizing marriage equality.Discrimination: Cruz has consistently opposed granting protections to LGBT Americans. Cruz has opposed both local ordinances in Texas that would protect LGBT Americans, and ENDA’s explicit federal workplace protections.Conversion Therapy: Cruz has refused to speak out against “conversion therapy” that coerces minors into “treatment” that can lead to depression and suicide.
Harmful Rhetoric: Cruz has no problem about using equality as a wedge issue against fellow Republicans – he’s attacked Republicans for appearing in pride parades and suggested that he believes being gay is a “choice.” He even bragged about intervening in a case to stop a civil union.
Significant Findings on Marriage Equality
Says marriage is between “one man and one woman”
Pledged to introduce Federal Constitutional Amendment opposing marriage equality
Introduced The State Marriage Defense Act (twice) which would cede definition of marriage to states for federal purposes
Opposed Proposition 8 ruling
Ran for Senate based on his opposition to marriage equality
Bragged about intervening to prevent recognition of civil union
Said people can “vote with their feet” if they don’t like living in a state without marriage equality.
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Boylesque Returns May 8th – 9th
Equal parts striptease, circus act, and comedy routine, the nascent sibling of burlesque is finally turning heads.” Details Magazine
“Start saving up those singles, boys–you’re gonna wanna make it rain!” Queerty
“You’re about to be schooled.” Time Out NY
40 Performers from around the world! 2 big nights!
Get tickets HERE!
The festival kicks off Friday May 8th with a Teaser Party, hosted by nightlife icon World Famous *BOB* at Williamsburg hotspot, The Knitting Factory, and features over a dozen national and international performers and is sure to get your motor started for a weekend of non-stop “testicle festival” realness. Performers include Mr. Gorgeous (NYC),The Brotherhood of Boylesque (CO), Lou Henry Hoover (NYC), Bobby Barnaby (San Francisco), Dirty Develin (Chicago), Bohemian Bretheren (San Francisco), Gee Gee Louise (CT), Hard Cory (NYC), Jack N Tha Cox (Savannah), Johnny Panic (NYC), Beau Creep (Canada), Lucky Charming (NYC), Matt Knife (NYC), Mike Monaco (MASS), Brief Sweat (NYC), Mustang Monroe (CO), Rify Royalty (NYC) and James and The Giant Pastie (Canada)!
Saturday May 9th, the festival moves to Times Square for The Main Event at BB Kings on 42nd Street, hosted by NYC’s drag legend Sweetie, this stellar event features over 20 of the top boylesque performers from across the globe! Performers include Bazuka Joe & Ray Gunn (The Stage Door Johnnies/Chicago), Luminous Pariah (Seattle), Brewster (NYC), Charles D Barkley (Australia), Waxie Moon (Seattle), Boylesque TO (Canada), Jason Mejas (NYC), , Dew Lily (Canada), Rhythm Knights Dance Troupe (NYC), El Toro (Canada), Ben Franklin (NYC),Gilbert de Moccos (Toyko), Jonny Porkpie (NYC), 2 to Fly (NYC), Kirby Lebrea (LA), Manchego (NYC), Mat Fraser (London), Mr. Valdez (CO), Serge Violland (France), Sirelesque (MASS)!
Humans of New York
I just love this site – and I am sure you must know of it, but if not, NOW YOU DO!
“Brandon and I began Humans of New York in the summer of 2010. I thought it would be really cool to create an exhaustive catalogue of New York City’s inhabitants, so I set out to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers and plot their photos on a map. I worked for several months with this goal in mind, but somewhere along the way, HONY began to take on a much different character.
I started collecting quotes and short stories from the people I met, and began including these snippets alongside the photographs. Taken together, these portraits and captions became the subject of a vibrant blog. With over eight million followers on social media, HONY now provides a worldwide audience with daily glimpses into the lives of strangers in New York City. It has also become a #1 NYT bestselling book.. It’s been quite a ride so far. Feel free to follow along.”
I would highly recommend the BOOK as well!
Funding Doubles for Homeless Youth in NY
New York State Budget Doubles Funding for Homeless Youth;
Maintains Funding for LGBT Health and Human Services Network
The New York State Legislature Increases Funding for Runaway and Homeless Youth to $4.48M and Maintains Funding for the LGBT Health and Human Services Network at $4.97M
The Empire State Pride Agenda, New York’s statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, today celebrates the New York State Legislature’s passage of the 2015 State Budget, which nearly doubles the amount of funding for Runaway and Homeless Youth (“RHY”) to $4.48 million. The increase in funding is welcome news to the thousands of young people – 40% of whom identify as LGBT – who are forced to sleep on the streets each night and will help to create up to 1,000 new dedicated youth shelter beds across the state.
The increase in funding for homeless youth shelters is the result of a successful campaign launched by a coalition of partners, including the Pride Agenda, the Coalition for Homeless Youth, the Ali Forney Center, and Covenant House, under the leadership of New York State Senator Brad Hoylman, Senator Tony Avella and Assembly Members Linda Rosenthal and Andrew Hevesi. Even singer Miley Cyrus weighed in by sending a letter to New York State leaders. Since 2008, state funding for homeless youth shelters and services has been cut by $4 million. At the same time, the number of instances of kids being turned away from youth shelters each year due to a lack of beds has increased from 570 to more than 5,000, according to state data. While more is still needed to address this growing crisis, this year’s increase will provide much needed relief to hundreds of New York’s most vulnerable kids.
In addition, the New York State Legislature maintained funding for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Health Initiative through the AIDS Institute at the NYS Department of Health at $4.97 million. One major project of the LGBT Health Initiative is the New York State LGBT Health and Human Services Network (The Network). The Network is a coalition of 53 LGBT-specific and LGBT-supportive nonprofit organizations that provide programming and services to nearly 1.5 million LGBT New Yorkers and our families. Founded in 1994 and administered by the Pride Agenda Foundation, the Network consists of organizations like AIDS Care in Rochester, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center in Manhattan and Long Island’s Pride for Youth, providing services that address the continuum of needs facing our communities. Though more funding is still needed, the funding allocated by the state helps sustain the critical services provided by Network organizations in all 62 counties across New York State.
“We’re grateful to Senator Hoylman, Senator Tony Avella, Assembly Member Rosenthal and Assembly Member Hevesi for leading the efforts in the legislature to make our kids a priority in this year’s budget. We also commend Governor Cuomo Speaker Heastie, and Senate Leaders Skelos and Klein for defending the funding increase during budget negotiations,” said Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Nathan M. Schaefer. “This is the first appreciable increase in funding for runaway and homeless youth since 2008 and represents years of advocacy. As a result, fewer kids will be forced to fend for themselves on New York’s streets or to resort to survival sex just to find a warm place to sleep at night.”
Now that the budget has passed, the Pride Agenda looks forward to working with the legislature to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), which would extend civil rights protections to transgender New Yorkers, and the bill to protect LGBT youth from conversion therapy.
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About the Empire State Pride Agenda
Founded in 1990, the Empire State Pride Agenda is New York’s statewide civil rights and advocacy group committed to achieving full equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) New Yorkers and our families. The Pride Agenda fights for these priorities by: educating policymakers, elected officials and the public; building coalitions and mobilizing allies; lobbying government officials; administering a Political Action Committee; and organizing and empowering the LGBT community. prideagenda.org
Will Gays Support Chick Fil A in New York?
Does a companies belief, for better of for worse, have any influence on your spending??
For some people, they don’t care. For other people, it’s a big deal.
Chick-fil-A plans to open its first New York franchise this summer, with more locations to come as the once controversial fast-food chain makes good on its urban expansion plan.
Fast food chain Chick-fil-A found itself embroiled in controversy a few years ago after an executive made comments construed as anti-gay. Now the restaurant, known for a conservative heritage, has announced plans to open its first franchise restaurant in New York this summer as part of a major push into big liberal cities.
The Atlanta-based privately owned restaurant operator will open a 5,000-square store on Avenue of the Americas at 37th Street, a five-minute walk from the Empire State Building and about half a mile north of Manhattan’s Chelsea district, an area with a high concentration of gays.
Such a venture might have been unthinkable in 2012, when then-Chief Operating Officer and current CEO Dan Cathy, the son of the company’s deeply religious father, told a Christian news organization that Chick-fil-A supported “the biblical definition of the family unit” and later saying that marriage equality was “inviting God’s judgment” on the United States.
Later that year, activists staged same-sex kiss-ins at some of Chick-fil-A’s 1,600 restaurants around the country in protest.
In a move to step away from the controversy, Cathy said he would leave the discussion of marriage equality to “the politicians” with his eye on the bigger prize for Chick-fil-A: big city markets. “The next big thing is urbanization,” Cathy, told USA Today last year.
Will you buy Chick Fil A ??
