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Restoring Honor To Gay Vets


U.S. Representatives Mark Pocan (WI-02) & Charlie Rangel (NY-13), lead sponsors of the bipartisan “Restore Honor to Service Members Act,” commended the introduction of this bill in the U.S. Senate by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) & Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). The “Restore Honor to Service Members Act,” which Pocan & Rangel introduced in the House in July, would instill the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” into law & ensure that gay & lesbian veterans who were discharged from the military because of their sexual orientation receive the honor & recognition they deserve. Pocan & Rangel stated, “We applaud Senators Schatz & Gillibrand for introducing the “Restore Honor to Service Members Act” in the Senate & standing up for our gay & lesbian veterans. This bill would close the book on “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” & provide tens of thousands of gay veterans, who selflessly risked their lives for our nation. Our bill already has the support of more than 140 House members & we look forward to working with Senators Schatz & Gillibrand to ensure it can pass Congress and get to the President’s desk.” Since World War II to the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” in 2011, approximately 114,000 service members were discharged because of their sexual orientation. Every form of discharge previously given out prior to the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” carries with it consequences that can follow a service member for his or her entire life. While the characterization of the discharges varied, many members received discharges that were classified as "other than honorable" or "dishonorable", particularly prior to the implementation of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy in 1993. In many states a dishonorable discharge is treated as a felony & service members receiving a "general discharge", a lesser offense, can encounter grave difficulties acquiring civilian employment. All were barred from reenlisting in the military. Depending on the discharge received, service members may also be blocked from voting, unemployment benefits, participating in the GI Bill or receiving veteran benefits such as health care, VA disability & ceremonial burial rights at military cemeteries.
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Transgender Victory In Maine


The Maine Supreme Court has ruled that denying a transgender girl the use of the girls’ restroom at her school violated her rights under Maine’s Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination against transgender people. The decision in Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders’ lawsuit Doe v. Clenchy marks the first time a state court has ruled that transgender students must be allowed to use the bathrooms that match who they are. Jennifer Levi, GLAD’s Transgender Rights Project Director stated, “This is a momentous decision that marks a huge breakthrough for transgender young people. Schools have a responsibility to create a learning environment that meets & balances the needs of all kids & allows every student to succeed. For transgender students this includes access to all school facilities, programs & extracurricular activities in a way that is consistent with their gender identity.” Bennett Klein GLAD Senior Attorney who was co-counsel with Levi in the case added, “A transgender girl is a girl & must be treated as such in all respects, including using the girls’ restroom. This ruling is consistent with what educators & human rights commissions – including the Maine Human Rights Commission -- around the country have concluded.” As we reported in June this case began after officials at an Orono elementary school denied Nicole Maines, a transgender girl who was then in fifth grade, use of the girls’ restroom. The school had previously allowed Nicole to use the girls’ room but reversed course after the misconduct of one male student who followed Nicole into that facility. Read More…
For More Info: glad.org
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GLAAD Media Awards Nominees


It’s that time of year when the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation’s LGBT media watchdogs announce the nominees for its 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. This is in recognition for outstanding images of our LGBT community in the entertainment & media industry. Sarah Kate Ellis GLAAD President stated, "Since its inception 25 years ago, the GLAAD Media Awards have reshaped the news & entertainment industries, inspiring thoughtful and inclusive characters & plotlines that have driven equality forward. This year has brought momentous progress for LGBT people & families - & our nominees have created images & stories that continue to challenge misconceptions, shatter stereotypes, & change hearts & minds of millions all across the globe."
Among the nominees are: Netflix's smash hit Orange is the New Black; ABC Family's The Fosters, BBC America's Orphan Black; HBO's Behind the Candelabra starring Michael Douglas & Matt Damon; Blue Is the Warmest Color, winner of the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival; Dallas Buyers Club; Kill Your Darlings, starring Daniel Radcliffe & Dane DeHaan; Call Me Kuchu & God Loves Uganda, both documentaries about LGBT people in Uganda; Bridegroom about Shane Bitney Crone & the death of his partner; interviews with NBA players Jason Collins & Kenneth Faried on Oprah's Next Chapter & E:60 respectively; Ariel Levy's profile of Edie Windsor in The New Yorker; MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry; Huffington Post Live for its interview with Janet Mock & Laverne Cox & Lady Gaga for her ARTPOP album. The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies will be held in Los Angeles on April 12th at The Beverly Hilton & we’ll be in in New York on May 3rd at the Waldorf Astoria New York to cover the RED Carpet for OUTTTAKE VOICES™.
For More Info & List: glad.org
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Obama Speech Avoids Gay Issues


Last night it appeared that President Obama who is dealing with a 37% approval rate stayed clear of our LGBT issues in his State of the Union Address. Instead our LGBT community barely got a mention stating, "...across the country, we're partnering with mayors, governors & state legislatures on issues from homelessness to marriage equality." Though he did deal with employment issues he avoided any mention of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) that would protect millions of LGBTQ workers from being harassed, discriminated against or fired in many states based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Though ENDA passed through the Senate last November, it's stagnant in the anti gay Republican majority House of Representatives. Obama could pass ENDA by using "executive actions" to push through changes that can't be cleared in a Congress controlled by the opposition by declaring a policy of non-discrimination in federal employment practices but he's yet to do so. Chad Griffin Human Rights Campaign President stated, “The president’s message tonight failed to address the needs of LGBT workers looking for a fair shake in this economy. Not only was there no call for the House to pass a federal law to protect LGBT workers nationwide, President Obama also sidestepped his commitment to take action where Congress has left off, leaving out an order prohibiting discrimination by federal contractors." The other LGBT notable mention was by first lady Michelle Obama who invited Jason Collins, the first openly gay active NBA player to sit in her box.
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Heroic Folk Singer Pete Seeger Dies


It's sad news to hear that Pete Seeger died Monday at 94. This was a man that stood for everything good in the world & spent his life singing about it. I met Pete in 1969-70 when he was traveling with a young singer named Don Mclean before his hit “American Pie” landed on the charts at number one. Seeger was 50 at the time & I was a kid in awe of his greatness. I think my favorite Seeger hit was “Little Boxes” which was written by Malvina Reynolds in 1962 & became a hit for her friend Pete Seeger in 1963. When Seeger’s wife of 70 years Toshi Seeger died last year we suspected Pete would follow. President Bill Clinton described Seeger at a Kennedy Center Honors ceremony in 1994 as, “an inconvenient artist who dared to sing things as he saw them.” The news media sometimes called him a “pied piper of musical dissent.” When it came to LGBT equality Seeger was always an advocate. During the anti-Communist “Red Scare” of the 1950s, he was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee stating, “I have sung in hobo jungles & I have sung for the Rockefellers & I am proud that I have never refused to sing for anybody. I have never done anything of any conspiratorial nature. . . . I love my country very deeply.”
Pete Seeger Rest In Peace….
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Gay Marriage On Grammy Awards


On the Grammy Awards last night Queen Latifah married 33 couples of all ages, races & sexual orientations during a performance of Macklemore, Ryan Lewis & Mary Lambert's marriage equality anthem "Same Love." As the song ended Latifah re-emerged from behind an arch stating, “When we say music has the power to bring people together at the Grammys, we mean it. This song is a love song not for some of us, but for all of us." Then Latifah who was deputized by Los Angeles County to perform the legal weddings recently entered the stage adding, "We are gathered here to celebrate love & harmony in every key, in every color.” She then asked the couples to exchange rings "to signal their commitment to one another & to a life shared together with the music of love." It was very emotional to watch as Latifah took a moment herself to compose before pronouncing them all married couples. At that point Madonna emerged, dressed in white, to sing her classic song "Open Your Heart." A gospel choir, the other performers onstage, the couples & the audience joined in. Then the couples exited as the audience stood cheering with joy & many in the audience, including celebrities like Keith Urban, wiped away tears. Of course we all wonder when Queen Latifah will formally come out...:)
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Lesbian Dance Event Rocked


On Saturday January 25th hundreds of lesbian women came together for the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition’s 16th Annual Lesbians & Friends Dance: A Party for Prevention benefit. The event featured a silent auction with items donated from LGBT friendly businesses across New England that raised thousands of dollars to support MBCC’s fabulous work in the prevention of breast cancer. In Massachusetts breast cancer incidence rates are over 5% higher than the national average which estimates that ONE in EIGHT women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. However, the most commonly cited risk factors genetic inheritance & lifestyle factors - are present in only 20-30% of breast cancer cases. This leaves 70-80% of cases unexplained. The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) is the only breast cancer non-profit working closely with a research organization (Silent Spring Institute) to investigate preventable, environmental causes of the disease. This work is funded through annual fundraising events like the Lesbians & Friends Dance: A Party for Prevention & MBCC’s annual Against the Tide Event that takes place in Hopkinton, MA on Saturday June 21st & Brewster, MA on August 16th. This year’s sponsors for the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition’s 16th Annual Lesbians & Friends Dance: A Party for Prevention were Advanced Laser & Skin Center, An Hinds & Susan Gorman, Boston Spirit Magazine, Cathy Stern, Debra Mayfield, Diffuse 5, Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation (2014 Sponsor), Elegant Outings, Inc., Fenway Health (2014 Sponsor), Fuse Landscape Design Group, Homoground, Hy-Line Cruises (2014 Sponsor), InMed Diagnostic Women's Centers, Janis Lippman & Ellen Grubert, Karen Nickel, Kauffman Crozier LLP (2014 Sponsor), Law Offices of Susan Wilson, LLC (2014 Sponsor), Leah Sklar, LesbianNightLife.com (2014 Sponsor), Lisa J. Drapkin & Debbie Lewis (2014 Sponsor), Looney & Grossman, LLP (2014 Sponsor), Lorry Sorgman, MassEquality, Multistage Productions, Nancy Dreyer, Let’s Talk Dusty!, Nanette Dumas, Neiman & Associates Financial Services, LLC (2014 Sponsor), Patti Brainard, Southeastern Adoption Services, Strong Financial Group, The Davis Group Inc. (2014 Sponsor), Wade Horowitz LaPointe, LLC (2014 Sponsor), & Wilson, Marino & Bonnevie, P.C. (2014 Sponsor)
For More Info: mbcc.org 
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Virginia Gay Marriage Update


The next gay marriage battlefield for the legal team of Ted Olson & David Boies is set for Virginia with a hearing on January 30th. Thursday the Commonwealth’s Attorney General, Mark Herring said that he will actively oppose the state’s discriminatory Constitutional ban on marriage equality. Attorney General Herring’s statement came exactly one week prior to the first hearing in the Virginia marriage equality case of Bostic v. Rainey, which will be held at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia before Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen on Thursday, January 30th at 9A. Plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel Ted Olson stated, “This is a great day for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia’s marriage laws are needlessly mean-spirited & cause harsh & gratuitous pain & humiliation to gay & lesbian Virginians & their families. Attorney General Herring’s actions today have brought Virginia that much closer to the quintessential American ideals of equality under the law & the freedom to pursue happiness. We are grateful for his leadership & look forward to working with him to strike down Virginia’s odious marriage ban.” The Bostic case filed in July 2013 in Norfolk argues that the Virginia Marriage Amendment is unconstitutional because it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, violates Due Process & singles out gay & lesbian couples for a disfavored legal status, thereby creating a category of “second-class citizens.” Updates to Come…:)
For More Info: afer.org
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Gay Marriage Lawsuit In Florida


Equality Florida Institute & six gay & lesbian couples filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Florida state court in Miami seeking the freedom to marry. The lawsuit argues that Florida’s laws barring gay & lesbian couples from marriage violate the United States Constitution by denying them the legal protections & equal dignity that having the freedom to marry provides. The couples are from Miami & the surrounding area. Nadine Smith Equality Florida Institute Chief Executive Officer stated, “Today the majority of Floridians stand with us as we take this historic step toward marriage equality in the Sunshine State. These couples have been embraced by their families & communities, but every day, Florida laws are denying them the protections & dignity that every family deserves. These harmful laws are outdated & out of step. It is time for all families in our state to have full equality under the law.” Four of the couples are raising children & another couple has an adult child & two grandchildren. The couples are: Catherina Pareto & Karla Arguello, Dr. Juan Carlos Rodriguez & David Price, Vanessa & Melanie Alenier, Todd & Jeff Delmay, Summer Greene & Pamela Faerber, & Don Price Johnston & Jorge Isaias Diaz. They’re represented by the law firm Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, attorney Elizabeth F. Schwartz, attorney Mary B. Meeks & the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR).
For More Info: equalityflorida.org
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MLK Day & LGBT Civil Rights


Every year as we celebrate Martin Luther King Day we talk about how King would have supported full LGBT civil rights. Jack O'Dell, former Southern Christian Leadership Conference activist & aide to Dr. Martin Luther King stated, "Dr. King would have fully supported gay marriage." The late Coretta Scott King agreed stating, “Gay & Lesbian people have families & their families should have legal protections. A constitutional amendment banning gay marriage is a form of gay bashing & will do nothing at all to protect traditional marriage.” Now that the US Supreme Court has ruled DOMA the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional we move a little closer to sharing King’s dream. This year for the first time our LGBT community will be able to file for federal rights & protections for our families. We owe a lot to the legacy of Martin Luther King. We have fought hard but we still have a ways to go until our LGBT community has full equality in America. But King would have been very proud about the advancements we have made in the last decade. Until this country wakes up to the fact that the majority should never vote on the rights of a minority our hard work will continue. When we asked singer & gay ally Patti Austin on OUTTAKE VOICES™ what Martin Luther King Day means to her Austin stated, “When Martin Luther King was alive I was very active politically. I was in high school at the time. I was truly a political activist...So I was kind of all over that stuff. And by now I’m exhausted from the whole experience. It just represents a lot of pain & a lot of hard work & a lot of anguish because I lived it.”   Listen to Audio Byte:
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Banks Study LGBT Investors


While our LGBT community strives for equality a new study conducted by the Spectrem Group out of Chicago has been released examining our community’s investing practices. Especially focusing on wealthy LGBT investors. They find that when it comes to investing & financial planning we’re more conservative & more satisfied with our financial planners & advisors than heterosexual investors. Many affluent LGBT investors also feel that their legal & advising needs are not well understood by mainstream society & we prefer LGBT professionals who understand our needs. Wealthy LGBT investors are also more worried about receiving help & advice than non-LGBT investors & more likely to seek it. George H. Walper, Jr., President of Spectrem Group stated, “At first glance, the profile of the affluent LGBT investor is similar to the wealthy non-LGBT investor. But there are key differences. Wealthy LGBT investors tend to have less diversified portfolios, while demonstrating higher social media use & a preference for conservative investing. Wealthy LGBT investors also have unique needs regarding their trust & estate planning. They want to work with professionals who are familiar with their financial challenges, whether those professionals are attorneys, financial planners, bankers or financial advisors.” Study respondents were affluent LGBT investors with $100,000 to $25 million in net worth, NIPR & were broken into three wealth segments: Mass Affluent, Millionaire & Ultra High Net Worth. Research was fielded in fall 2013 & sponsored by a number of financial firms including Lincoln Financial Group, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, RBC Wealth Management, U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management & Vanguard.
For More Info: spectrem.com
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LGBT Oppression In Russia


With the Sochi Winter Olympics just a few weeks away our global LGBT community will focus on Russia & their oppressive antigay laws. According to The Advocate in their February cover story “Love in Putin’s Russia” street violence, intimidation & governmental discrimination are the problems facing our LGBT brothers & sisters. In their story they visit gay & lesbians residing in Russia to find out what it’s like living there today & it reads like America in the 1950’s. To find a gay bar in Moscow is nearly impossible. The gay scene is a network of back-alley stairwells & unmarked doors. Storefronts are disguised as flower shops, trap doors lead to secret passages. There are only about a half-dozen such bars in the city of over 11 million. According to the article people like Sergey, a journalist who has been writing for Moscow newspapers since the days of Soviet censorship states like many gay people, he’s “not in the closet, but also not out,” largely because he could still lose his job for being gay, “From every corner of this country, on every TV station, all you hear is ‘gay.’ Such public attention to this topic has never occurred in Russia,” Sergey tells The Advocate’s Chadwick Moore, “So many people are interested in gay items, even people who didn’t think about this before. The people who started this antigay law have contributed not so much against, but for gay propaganda. It’s a good thing.” A gay person living in Russia concluded, “Russia is really good at enacting laws, but the people just do whatever they want. This country is lawless. There is a disconnect between society & politics. The propaganda law is disgraceful in what it represents, but the practical effect is still yet to be seen.” Updates to Come..:)
Read Full Article: advocate.com 
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LGBT Celebrities At Golden Globes


At the 2nd Annual "Gold Meets Golden" Event A-List celebrities celebrated the best of sport, film & television at the ultimate intersection of Olympic athletics & Hollywood. Held within the NBC Universal Golden Globes After Party the event was attended by celebrities including; Hayden Panettiere, Kerry Washington, Chris Hemsworth, Sofia Vergara, Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Jason Collins, Nate Berkus, Seth Meyers, Frank Marshall & Ryan Kavanaugh who all celebrated with the Olympians. Some of the highlights of the event included Taylor Swift chatting with to-be Sochi Olympic freeskiier Nick Goepper about their mutual love for downhill speed; Sofia Vergara asked advice from her family on how to spell "Olympians" as she wrote a message of support to the Sochi team; Kerry Washington telling Nadia Comeneci, Mary Lou Retton, Greg Louganis & Jackie Joyner-Kersee that they were inspirations in her life & career; Mike Tyson & Orlando Bloom holding & inquiring about Olympic medals brought to the carpet by Tim Morehouse; a red-carpet reunion of Greg Louganis & Mario Lopez who once portrayed him in his life story; Jimmy Fallon exclaiming that the "Olympians are Awesome!" on the red carpet, Seth Myers delivering a heart-felt message to the athletes of the Sochi 2014 Games which he said he will also be attending in February. United for Equality in Sports & Entertainment (UESE) equality champions Jason Collins, Nate Berkus & Caitlin Cahow, Olympian & Presidential select U.S. Delegate to Sochi Winter Olympics chatted with David McFarland Founder & CEO of the LGBT org about the state of Equality in Sports.
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For More Info: UESE.org

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Rosie O’Donnell To Play Boston


Rosie O’Donnell is performing at The Wilbur Theatre in Boston on Friday, January 24th at 7:30P. The Emmy Award-winning comedienne has devoted much of her time & money toward philanthropic causes including gay rights. When Rosie debuted on The Rosie O’Donnell Show in 1996, it wasn’t long before she was dubbed the “Queen of Nice” & started racking-up up Emmys. That’s the first time I met her at the Daytime Emmy Awards when they were in NYC. In 2002 Rosie decided to give up the talk show life & return to her first love, stand-up comedy. Her return to stand-up was a great success, though her tough style refreshingly replaced her “The Queen of Nice” persona. Then she had a heart attack in August 2012. When asked how that experience changed her life O’Donnell stated, “What’s interesting is that the doctor said, you know, you really have to be careful because after a major heart attack, a lot of people have depression. And I’ve struggled with depression my whole life, so I was kind of ready for that. But I found that the opposite happened – I had an awakening & a gratitude that I did not have before. I did not get depressed after the heart attack & the doctors were really, really worried & were watching me for that. I haven’t had depression at all after the attack & not that I’m saying it’s a remedy, but for me, it let me know that, wow, I really could have been done. And I am on “extended play,” like when you get the extra lap at the video game of the Grand Prix race car driver. That’s what I feel like — I’m on the extra lap. I’m happy that I got that chance. I feel like I cheated death & I kind of slid by, and I don’t know why. The nurse even said to my wife, who was asking her, “How’s she doing compared to people who have what she had?” And I was half-awake, half-not. And the nurse said, “Excellent.” And my wife said, “How do you know?” And the nurse said, “Because everyone else is dead.” Rosie married Michelle Rounds in 2012 & the couple adopted a baby girl a year ago. O'Donnell also has four children with her first wife, Kelli Carpenter. The Wilbur Theatre is located at 246 Tremont St. in Boston’s Historic Theatre District & tickets: $29-$59.
For Info & TIX: thewilbur.com 
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Watch Hillary Take On Gay Rights


It’s hard to believe that is was over 2 years ago when then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave her infamous United Nations ‘Gay Rights Are Human Rights & Human Rights Are Gay Rights’ speech. Since then we have seen DOMA & California’s Prop 8 found unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court & 18 states pass marriage equality counting Utah though that state is having a bit of a meltdown. The video that Hillary made for HRC is definitely a declaration of things to come if elected to the presidency in 2016. It’s an amazing when remembering when she ran in 2008 gay marriage was not even on her agenda. Everyone should take five minutes to watch this video no matter what you believe. It honest to the point & very encouraging especially if you live in the 32 US states that passed unconstitutional amendments against our LGBT community or countries like Russia, Uganda, India & Australia that have inflicted homophobic anti gay laws. Here's a video rundown: At 0:40, she talks about meeting a Tunisian man with an interesting question. At 1:04, Hillary talks about some people who don't share her opinion on gay rights & human rights. At 2:23, she exactly describes the people we are all fighting for. At 2:58, Hillary admits how her opinions have changed & evolved. At 3:32, Hillary drops some serious knowledge about the evolution of America. At 4:35, she asks that the gay rights debate be done in a certain way. At 5:02, she compares this fight to the gender equality fight. WATCH VIDEO:
 
Kate Clinton Reviews 2013 & Talks 2014 & More

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UESE At Gold Meets Golden Event


Top Hollywood celebrities will host Olympic Legends at the second annual “Gold Meets Golden” event on Sunday, January 12th at the NBC/Universal Golden Globes Party in LA. United for Equality in Sports & Entertainment (UESE) the leading voice for achieving equality in sport & entertainment for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender) athletes & artists, is proud to support “Gold Meets Golden” & the Olympic & Paralympic Teams headed to the Sochi 2014 Games as the organization recently did via the United Nations’ historical event “Sport Comes Out Against Homophobia,” which was held in 2013 on International Human Rights Day. UESE will also feature as their special guest openly gay basketball player Jason Collins. Hollywood has long been inspired by the Olympic sporting world & vice-versa, but rarely do these two worlds have the chance to mix & mingle. The second annual “Gold Meets Golden” Globes Event will be hosted by a variety of Hollywood elite who are passionate about the Olympic & Paralympic Games, including Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Ryan Kavanaugh, Bradley Cooper, Mark Wahlberg, Sofia Vergara, Adrien Brody, Chelsea Handler, Kerry Washington, Owen Wilson & Hayden Panettiere. Sports legends Magic Johnson & Arnold Schwarzenegger will round out the experience by hosting a table within the Globe Awards for a variety of winter & summer athletes. The Hollywood team will join forces with popular & legendary Olympians including gymnasts Mary Lou Retton, Nadia Comaneci, Bart Conner, Gabby Douglas, Carly Patterson, Nastia Liukin & Jake Dalton; figure skater Sasha Cohen; speed skaters Apolo Anton Ohno, Bonnie Blair, Dan Jansen & Blake Skjellerup; track & field’s Bruce Jenner, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Alyson Felix, Carmelita Jeter, Will Claye & DeeDee Trotter; diver Greg Louganis; swimmers Rebecca Soni, Eric Shanteau, John Naber, Jessica Hardy & Summer Sanders; water polo player Tony Azevedo; freeskier Nick Goepper; fencer Tim Morehouse; beach volleyball players Kerri Walsh Jennings, Misty May Treanor, April Ross & Jen Kessy & openly gay ice hockey player Caitlin Cahow who was recently announced as a member of President Barack Obama’s Presidential Delegation for the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
Listen to UESE's David McFarland on OUTTAKE VOICES
For More Info: UESE.org

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New CEO P-Town Film Society


The Provincetown Film Society announced that filmmaker & festival consultant Mitch Levine has been chosen as the new CEO replacing Gabby Hanna who retired from the position last summer. In his new role Levine will also serve as Executive Director of the Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF), Waters Edge Cinema at Whalers Wharf & a new Institute of Cinema Arts. Director John Waters (PINK FLAMINGOS, HAIRSPRAY) & PIFF’s resident artist who hosts its Filmmaker on the Edge Award stated, “Mitch Levine comes to Provincetown with experience, a new found energy & a will to make movie going all over town an even better experience than ever!” Rick McCarthy, President of the PFS Board of Directors stated, “We are so pleased & excited to have Mitch as our new leader. We have every confidence that with Mitch's extraordinary experience & business acumen, he will lead the Festival and Society to new heights. His scholarly knowledge of cinema, his genuine love for his fellow artists & his deep appreciation for the historical & cultural traditions that make Provincetown such a special gathering place for artists set him apart as a true friend to the art form.” Levine founded The Film Festival Group a global consulting firm for filmmakers & the film festival community after serving as CEO of the Palm Springs International Film Festival. He currently produces First Time Fest in New York & produced the first edition of the Bahamas International Film Festival as well as Le Festival International des Espoirs du Cinema in Monte-Carlo. PIFF is celebrating its “Sweet Sixteen” in 2014 & is now open for international submissions. OUTTAKE VOICES has covered PIFF since 2007 & we're looking forward to 2014...:) PIFF runs from June 17th to 23rd.
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For More Info: ptownfilmfest.org

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16th MBCC Lesbian Dance Party

The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition’s 16th Annual Lesbians & Friends Dance: A Party for Prevention benefit takes place Saturday January 25th. MBCC is Massachusetts’ leading breast cancer organization with the unique goal of breast cancer prevention. Breast cancer knows no bounds. It affects all ages, races, genders & sexual orientations. Since 1991 MBCC has worked toward breast cancer prevention for everyone by conducting education, outreach & advocacy. This first fabulous party of the year takes place on Saturday January 25th from 8:30P to 12:30A at Brookline’s Holiday Inn at 1200 Beacon Street in Brookline, MA. To celebrate the 16th year of this great dance event MBCC has invited DJ Jodi to provide music & long time supporter Liz Nania, Dance Instructor & Director of Out to Dance, will lead a free 30-minute dance workshop for all interested participants. Special awards will be presented to businesses & individuals who have gone above and beyond to help the organization reach out to the LGBT community & continue working towards breast cancer prevention. Award recipients include: Susan Wilson, founder of the Lesbians & Friends Dance; Janis Lippman, 5th President of MBCC & her wife Ellen Grubert, former MBCC board member, owners of Ellen & Janis Real Estate; Bay Windows Magazine co-publishers Sue O’Connell & Jeff Coakley; Lesbian Night Life owner Beth McGurr & Doreen Michaels of the OVA4D Meetup Group. Other event highlights include a silent auction, complimentary hors d’oeuvres & a cash bar. Tickets are $40 in advance & $45 at the door. Students tickets are $20 in advance & $25 at the door with a valid student ID.
For More Info: mbcc.org or call 617.376.6222
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