Drag Queen All Stars Live In Boston

Chris Harris & Rafael Sanchez present “Dragathon: All Stars Live In Boston” with the fiercest Drag Queens from your favorite shows performing live February 17th at the Royale on 279 Tremont St. in Boston, MA from 6P to 10P. This all ages welcomed event will feature many of your favorite Queens of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 4 & some of Boston's local All Stars. Also appearing will be Queens from the upcoming Season 11 of RuPaul's Drag Race. So far the “Dragathon: All Stars Live In Boston” line-up includes Jasmine Masters, Monet X Change, Naomi Smalls, Monique Heart, Manila Luzon, Trinity The Tuck, Yvie Oddly, Plastique Tiara, Destiny, Violencia, Qya Cristal & JuJubee will host the event. There will also be a 21+ President’s Day Sunday official After Party for “Dragathon: All Stars Live in Boston!” with DJ Alain Jackinsky at the Royale at 11P & this event is free with your Dragathon ticket! All Star & Premium Stage Front tickets for “Dragathon: All Stars Live In Boston” are already sold out. Use this promo code DRAGATHONPRIDE & get $15 off general admission tickets while they last. Doors open at 6P & early arrival is strongly encouraged to snag your spot to enjoy the show. There is limited seating available on the second floor. So what are you waiting for get you tickets to secure your seats at this fabulous night of first class drag entertainment.
For Info & Tix…
LISTEN : Lee Wind Talks Novel “Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill” 
Hear Audio Chats w/ LGBTQ Leaders @OUTTAKE VOICES™
OUTTAKE VOICES™ ON HUFFINGTON POST
SUPPORT OUTTAKE™ @ OUR EQUALITY STORE

HOME

Boston Traffic Light Party Event

Kristen Porter is presenting her annual Traffic Light Party on Saturday February 16th as a post Valentine's Day weekend celebration for LGBTQ women at Bella Luna Restaurant’s Milky Way Lounge located at The Brewery, 284 Amory Street in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts from 10P to 1A. This installment of Porter’s Dyke Night® takes the guesswork out of who is single by providing a wearable way to make meeting other singles easy via green, yellow, or red dog tags. Green means go (single), Yellow take it slow and Red means stop (taken)! Kristen stated, "How much easier it becomes to meet someone when you know who is single in the room! That’s why women love our popular Traffic Light party- we take the guess work out for them. Plus, with an advanced ticket option you can skip the line!" Come for the designer pizza, the vegan entrée, the cosmic cocktails or just for the high quality event you’ve come to know & love over the decades of Kristen Porter Presents Dyke Night® events. Again this year the legendary DJ Maryalice from Provincetown’s Boatslip Tea Dance will be spinning a mix of top 40, dance, hip hop & your requests. There will also be a raffle for a weekend pass for The Dinah that takes place April 3rd through April 7th in Palm Springs, California. Doors open at 10P for the party but come early to dine. Dinner reservations are recommended prior to the event but you’ll need an event tix as this is a private event & then stay late to dance. This is a 21+ event & tickets are $10. Advanced tix are highly recommended.
For Info & Tix…
LISTEN: Kyra Sedgwick Talks “Girls Weekend” At Sundance
Hear Audio Chats w/ LGBTQ Leaders @OUTTAKE VOICES™
OUTTAKE VOICES™ ON HUFFINGTON POST
SUPPORT OUTTAKE™ @ OUR EQUALITY STORE

HOME

Congress & Trans Military Update

The U.S. Senate & House of Representatives have introduced parallel Bills in a joint & bipartisan effort to protect our transgender service members & hopefully recruits. The Senate was led by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) & she was joined by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) & Susan Collins (R-ME). In the House of Representatives Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA,14), was joined by Representatives John Katko (R-NY,24), Danny Davis (D-IL,7), Anthony Brown (D-MD,4) & Joe Kennedy III (D-MA,4). Andy Blevins OutServe-SLDN Executive Director stated, “We applaud these Senators & Representatives for their commitment to ensuring open & authentic service for our transgender siblings-in-arms. For the last 2 & 1/2 years, these selfless patriots have proven time & again that they are not only qualified to accomplish the mission, but that our Armed Forces are more efficient & effective because of their authenticity. It is time that we, as a nation, honor the service of these service members & hopeful recruits by ensuring baseless & discriminatory rationalizations not be allowed to define military policy.” The bill comes one day after a new government report warned of substantial shortfalls in military personnel, including those with “critical skills,” with officials from the Army saying “the primary reason why it has struggled to meet its authorized end strength is because it has had difficulty meeting recruiting goals.” Aaron Belkin, Director of the Palm Center concluded, "A shortage of qualified, mission-critical troops is no time to ban qualified, mission-critical troops & recruits who are eager to serve. By implementing the ban, the Pentagon would be shooting itself in the foot for no reason other than Trump-era politics."
For More Info: outserve-sldn.org
LISTEN: Rep. Joe Kennedy & Trans Advocates Talk Equality
Hear Audio Chats w/ LGBTQ Leaders @OUTTAKE VOICES™
OUTTAKE VOICES™ ON HUFFINGTON POST
SUPPORT OUTTAKE™ @ OUR EQUALITY STORE

HOME

Boston Pride 2019 Parade Marshals

Boston Pride has announced their new theme “Looking Back…Loving Forward” for 2019 Pride season & marshals for the Pride Parade will be Dale Mitchell, Ava Glasscott & Chris Harris. This year’s theme “Looking Back…Loving Forward” represents the recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots & is meant to encourage the community to reflect back on the many challenges & incredible victories for our LGBTQ community in that time. Linda DeMarco, President of Boston Pride stated, “The new theme ‘Looking Back…Loving Forward’ acknowledges the people & Pride groups who have come before us who have helped us strengthen our community. The fight for our rights must continue as well as fighting for our ability to love ourselves & each other freely without fear of hate or persecution.” Boston Pride Marshals include Dale Mitchell founder of the LGBT Aging Project, as Grand Marshal; Ava Glasscott, trans model & former Miss Trans USA Pageant contestant will serve as Marshal & Honorary Marshal is the late Chris Harris, entertainment impresario & longtime supporter of the LGBTQ community who passed away in January. DeMarco concluded, “Boston Pride’s 2019 Parade Marshals represent a diverse spectrum of the LGBTQ community who have all made significant contributions. We look forward to having Dale & Ava as marshals in the 2019 parade while we also honor the legacy of Chris Harris & his tremendous impact not just on Pride but on the entire the community.” The 2019 Pride Week kicks off with the annual Flag Raising at City Hall Plaza on Friday, May 31st & continues through Tuesday June 11th. The annual Boston Pride Parade & Festival are on Saturday June 8th. 
For More Info: bostonpride.org
LISTEN : Lee Wind Talks Novel “Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill” 
Hear Audio Chats w/ LGBTQ Leaders @OUTTAKE VOICES™
OUTTAKE VOICES™ ON HUFFINGTON POST
SUPPORT OUTTAKE™ @ OUR EQUALITY STORE

Black Pride Drag Bingo Event

February is Black History Month & Boston Black Pride is celebrating with “Drag Bingo Brunch” a fabulous must-attend event at Club Café at 209 Columbus Avenue in Boston, MA on Sunday February 10th from 11A to 2P. Mizery the amazingly talented legendary drag sensation will host the event as well as guest performers. Drag Bingo is always fun with great prizes & lots of laughs & brunch at Club Café always includes an assortment of both savory & sweet brunch options. Tickets are $30 & will support Boston Black Pride an important program of Boston Pride dedicated to serving the needs of communities of color in our region. Boston Black Pride events are produced by Boston Pride in collaboration with other community organizations focused on creating spaces & visibility for everyone. Boston Pride produces events & activities to achieve inclusivity, equality, respect & awareness in Greater Boston & beyond fostering diversity, unity, visibility & dignity they educate, communicate & advocate by building & strengthening community connections. Boston Pride creates change & progress in society by embracing our community’s diverse history, culture & identities, promoting community engagement & inclusivity & striving for visibility & respect in unity. This year Boston Pride’s theme in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Stonewall is “Looking Back…Loving Forward”. Boston Pride Week 2019 kicks off with the annual Flag Raising at City Hall Plaza on Friday, May 31st & continues through Tuesday, June 11th. The annual Boston Pride Parade & Festival are on Saturday June 8th.
For Info & Tix: bostonpride.org
LISTEN : Lee Wind Talks Novel “Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill” 
Hear Audio Chats w/ LGBTQ Leaders @OUTTAKE VOICES™
OUTTAKE VOICES™ ON HUFFINGTON POST
SUPPORT OUTTAKE™ @ OUR EQUALITY STORE

HOME

New Nebraska LGBTQ Organization

Equality Federation celebrated the launch of OutNebraska formed from OutLinc, Lincoln’s LGBTQ community center that will serve as a statewide organization to secure fairness & equality for LGBTQ+ Nebraskans & their families. Abbi Swatsworth OutNebraska Executive Director stated, “I’m so excited to partner with my fellow Nebraskans from - Nebraska City to ScottsBluff - to ensure our state is a shining example of fairness & equality for all our families, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. There’s a lot of work to do. We need to update our laws so that no one is kicked out of a restaurant, denied housing, or fired from a job simply for being who they are. We also need to restrict the dangerous & discredited practice of so-called conversion therapy, to name a few.” Adam Morfeld Nebraska State Senator added, “As a policymaker I am excited we will now have an organization working statewide every day to organize & advocate on behalf of LGBT equality & bring meaning to the words inscribed in our capitol, ‘Equality Before the Law’. This will change the game when it comes to LGBT advocacy in the state.” Rebecca Isaacs, Executive Director of Equality Federation concluded, “It’s time for the rest of the nation to hear from the tenacious leaders in Nebraska! We are proud that OutNebraska has formed as a statewide advocacy organization & look forward to them joining the Equality Federation family soon. Through this partnership we will support each other’s work to create fairness & equality for Nebraskans & all Americans.”
LISTEN: Kyra Sedgwick Talks “Girls Weekend” At Sundance
Hear Audio Chats w/ LGBTQ Leaders @OUTTAKE VOICES™
OUTTAKE VOICES™ ON HUFFINGTON POST
SUPPORT OUTTAKE™ @ OUR EQUALITY STORE

LGBTQ State Equality Ratings

The Equality Federation Institute & HRC released their 5th annual State Equality Index (SEI) which provides a comprehensive report detailing statewide laws & policies that affect our LGBTQ community by assessing how well states are protecting LGBTQ people & their families from discrimination. Because there are currently no comprehensive civil rights protections for LGBTQ people at the federal level the rights of millions of LGBTQ people & their families depend on which state they live in. In 30 states LGBTQ people remain at risk of being fired, evicted or denied services because of who they are. For this reason, the incoming pro-equality majority in the U.S. House of Representatives has made the Equality Act a bill to establish comprehensive federal protections for LGBTQ people a top priority. Rebecca Isaacs, Executive Director of Equality Federation Institute stated, “The strength of the state-based LGBTQ movement is critical to elevate our representation, visibility & equality across the country. As we look to the next legislative session, the State Equality Index should serve as a recognition of how far we have come & how much we have yet to achieve.” Chad Griffin HRC President concluded, “The work of the HRC Foundation & programs like the State Equality Index, along with HRC's efforts day in & day out to advance protections for LGBTQ people at the state & federal level are vital to the struggle for LGBTQ civil rights. HRC & our partners on the ground defeated dozens of anti-LGBTQ bills last year & worked to pass crucial pro-equality measures that ensure LGBTQ Americans are protected wherever they live. Already, we see the promise of even more protections passing in 2019 -- with action taken in New York, Virginia, Kansas, Ohio, Michigan & Wisconsin.” (Graphic By Richard Emmanuel)
View Full Report…
LISTEN: Kyra Sedgwick Talks “Girls Weekend” At Sundance
Hear Audio Chats w/ LGBTQ Leaders @OUTTAKE VOICES™
OUTTAKE VOICES™ ON HUFFINGTON POST
SUPPORT OUTTAKE™ @ OUR EQUALITY STORE