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Stoli Vodka Honors Activist Harvey Milk

LGBTQ Iconic Activist Harvey Milk’s 91st birthday is May 22nd & to commemorate Harvey Milk Day this year Stoli® Vodka & The Harvey Milk Foundation are continuing their partnership with the launch of the limited stock Stoli® Harvey Milk Global Collector’s Edition Bottle featuring art from Paraguayan artist Oz Montania. Stoli has worked with The Harvey Milk Foundation in this capacity before having launched the first Harvey Milk Bottle in 2018 commemorating the 40th anniversary of Milk taking office in 1978 as the first openly gay elected official in California. Miriam Richter, Harvey Milk Foundation Education Director & Counsel stated, "The Harvey Milk Foundation is excited to see our long term partnership with Stoli Vodka go global this year. The 2021 HMF/Stoli collaboration is a message to people all over the globe that visibility is vital & that hope can not be silenced, not just LGBTQ+ people, but for ALL people". Patrik Gallineaux, Global LGBTQ+ Ambassador for Stoli® concluded, “As a company recommitting itself as a true global organization devoted to sustainable equality, there could be no better partner for the first true Stoli® Global LGBTQ+ Limited Edition than the Harvey Milk Foundation (HMF). Harvey Milk’s legacy & spirit & the Harvey Milk Foundation’s unparalleled work around the globe transcend borders & uplift Stoli®’s promise to liberate authentic voices in pursuit of a better world.” The famed Harvey Milk quote “Hope Will Never Be Silent” will feature prominently in the new artwork for the Stolichnaya® vodka bottle. Stoli® has long championed the LGBTQ+ community showing its commitment to equality & diversity since the 1990s. Partnering with the Harvey Milk Foundation stresses the importance of knowing & understanding LGBTQ+ history & Stoli has committed to voicing its hope out loud. Cheers & Happy Harvey Milk Day!! For More Info…
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Lesbian Icon Alix Dobkin Passes (AUDIO)

I was sad to hear about Alix Dobkin, Lesbian Activist & Feminist Music Icon back who passed this week at 80. In 2009 I had the honor to talk to Alix in this exclusive audio interview. Dobkin began her music career in Greenwich Village in the early 60’s along with legends like Bob Dylan & Joni Mitchell. In the early 70’s she came out as the first lesbian performer of her day. I talked to Alix about her memoir “My Red Blood” that begins in post-war New York City growing up in a Communist family & rubbing elbows with radical left celebrities like Paul Robeson. In the 1950’s in the midst of the McCarthy Era she joined the Communist Party & offers a first-hand glimpse of daily life as a teenager living under FBI surveillance. In 1965 she married Sam Hood who ran the historic Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village. They then moved to Miami & opened The Gaslight South folk club but moved back to New York in 1968. Their daughter Adrian was born two years later & the following year the marriage broke up. A few months later Alix came out as lesbian which was extraordinary for a public personality to do at the time. Shortly after that she released her 1973 debut album “Lavender Jane Loves Women” at 32 which was the very first album by, for & about Lesbians in the history of the world. All present day lesbian & feminist women’s music performers are indebted to Dobkin's groundbreaking accomplishments & spirit. Dobkin suffered a brain aneurysm & stroke & died at home surrounded by family on Wednesday, May 19th in Woodstock, New York. LISTEN  

 For More Info: alixdobkin.com

Hear Audio Chats w/ LGBTQ Leaders @OUTTAKE VOICES™
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LGBTQ Youth Amid COVID-19 & Beyond

The Trevor Project has released its 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health representing the experiences of nearly 35,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 across the United States. The third annual survey finds that 42% of respondents seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year including more than half of transgender & non-binary youth. Amit Paley, CEO & Executive Director, The Trevor Project stated, “The past year has been incredibly difficult for so many LGBTQ young people because of multiple crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the hostile political climate & repeated acts of racist & transphobic violence. This data makes clear that LGBTQ youth face unique mental health challenges & continue to experience disparities in access to affirming care, family rejection & discrimination. We are proud that this survey sample is our most diverse yet, with 45% being LGBTQ youth of color & 38% being transgender or non-binary. The data speaks to the wide variety of experiences & identities held by LGBTQ youth across the country & emphasizes the need for comprehensive, intersectional policy solutions to confront systemic barriers & end suicide. To all the lawmakers considering anti-transgender bills across the county — we urge you to take a hard look at this evidence & take time out of your day to actually meet with the transgender & non-binary youth who would be harmed by your misguided proposals. Affirming a young person in their gender identity is strongly associated with lower suicide risk. That’s why we should be expanding systems of support & implementing more inclusive policies, not denying trans youth access to affirming spaces & care.”
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State Department LGBTQ Policy Change

The U.S. Department of State has announced that it will update its policies under Section 301 of the Immigration & Nationality Act (INA) to start recognizing the U.S. citizenship of children born abroad to parents which at least one is a U.S. citizen & who are married to each other at the time of the birth. This change will positively impact married gay & lesbian parents & their children following two court decisions last year in lawsuits brought by Lambda Legal & Immigration Equality that resulted in courts finding the prior policy of refusing to recognize the citizenship of children born abroad to married gay & lesbian couples to be unlawful. Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, Senior Counsel from Lambda Legal & one of the families’ attorneys stated, “Lambda Legal applauds the State Department’s decision in response to change its policy & start recognizing the U.S. citizenship of children of married same-sex couples born abroad…We are pleased to see this resolution, as this welcome change respects the marriages & families of same-sex couples as is required by our laws & constitution.” Derek Mize & Jonathan Gregg, plaintiffs in Mize-Gregg v. Pompeo concluded, “We are extremely pleased to see the State Department take this long-overdue step. We are so happy that children like our daughter will no longer be denied recognition of their U.S. citizenship at birth because their parents are of the same-sex or they were born through surrogacy…We are humbled that our fight, as well those forged by other families, was able to play a part in bringing about this change & thankful to Lambda Legal & Immigration Equality for having taken on our case.”
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PFLAG Parent Day Virtual Celebration

PFLAG the first & largest organization for LGBTQ people, their parents & families & allies will present online PFLAG Parent Day: A Virtual Celebration of Parenting People on May 23rd at 2P ET / 11A PT via PFLAG National's Facebook & YouTube channels. This free virtual special event will celebrate & uplift all the parents, grandparents, foster parents, adoptive parents, caregivers & found family members who have provided love, support & affirmation to their LGBTQ+ kids. Appearing on this fabulous will include Ana Ortiz, Michael Cimino & James Martinez “Love Victor”, Javicia Leslie “Batwoman”, Wilson Cruz & Anthony Rapp “Star Trek: Generations”, Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Go’s & Duke Mason; Coy Stewart, Radford Sechrist & Bill Wilkoff “Kipo & The Age Of Wonderbeasts”, Jessica Hecht, “Special”, Michael D. Cohen “Henry Danger”, Molly Bernard “Younger” John Pavlovitz; Braunwyn Windham-Burke & Jacob Windham-Burke “The Real Housewives Of Orange County”, Silvia Vasquez Lavado author & subject of upcoming biopic “In The Shadow of the Mountain”. There will also be special appearances of Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, Daphne Rubin-Vega “In The Heights”, Shangela “We’re Here”, Zelda, Daniel & Ben Barnz “Genera + Ion”, Tim Gunn “Making The Cut”, Adam Faison “Everything’s Gonna Be Okay”, Dana Terrace “The Owl House” Malia Civetz, Kat Cunning & Matt Palmer. With musical performances by Mother Mother, Allison Ponthier & Olivia Olson from “Adventure Time: Distant Lands”. “PFLAG Parent Day: A Virtual Celebration of Parenting People” is produced by Michelle Robinson & Philip D’Amour with graphics by Five by Five Global. For More Info…
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Marriage Equality Celebrates 17 Years


In Massachusetts May 17th marks the 17th anniversary of marriage equality. It was a watershed moment in the history of civil rights when the landmark Goodridge ruling designated the constitutional right of gay & lesbian marriages in Massachusetts & at midnight on May 17, 2004 Cambridge, MA was the first city in the United States to issue marriage licenses for gay & lesbian couples. I was there & directed & produced this historic award-winning short film “OUTTAKE: Gay Marriage 2004” shot from midnight on May 17th 2004 in Cambridge & throughout the day in Boston when marriage equality became the law in Massachusetts. The film became instrumental in the passage of marriage equality nationwide in 2013 & was shot by Kirsten Martin & narrated by Arline Isaacson, Co Chair of the Massachusetts Gay & Lesbian Political Caucus. Watch Film  Next we need to pass the Equality Act that prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation & gender identity in areas including public accommodations & facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit & the jury system. Specifically the bill defines & includes sex, sexual orientation & gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation. Right now there are only 21 states & 330 cities that have passed LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections which leaves half of our LGBTQ community living in the other 29 states without comprehensive statewide laws. The Equality Act allows the Department of Justice to intervene in equal protection actions in federal court on account of sexual orientation or gender identity. It is time for our Federal government, now with the support of the Biden-Harris administration to pass the Equality Act & have it signed into law.

Hear Audio Chats w/ LGBTQ Leaders @OUTTAKE VOICES™
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NYC Pride Human Rights Conference

NYC Pride will present its Human Rights Conference for the fourth consecutive year from June 21st through June 23rd. Over the course of the three days guests will experience a virtual gathering of creators, changemakers, historians, influencers, artists & storytellers to explore the many intersections of our LGBTQ community’s continued fight for equity & justice. Samantha Johnson, Event Manager for the Human Rights Conference stated, “This year’s events will touch on a wide variety of topics subjects. In particular, we’re delighted to be working in partnership with Native Son at this year’s Human Rights Conference to amplify the voices of queer LGBTQIA+ black men in film, TV & entertainment. In addition, we’re continuing our amplification of queer music with a spotlight on Trannilish & Ms.Boogie. We’re also expanding our partnership with Friedman Transgender Program by creating space for 3 days of health. ‘Health Track’ will reflect on NYC LGBTQ+ experiences with COVID-19 over the last year & its effect on the community, amidst evolving NYC & CDC guidelines as well as ongoing vaccine access & hesitancy concerns.” This year’s Human Rights Conference introduces a series of exclusive interactive Master classes where guests join experts & tastemakers in the field of activism, fashion, culture, queer history & more to share insight & expertise through live seminars. Powered by NYC Pride’s sponsors & community partners these classes offer viewers a chance to learn & interact with presenters representing LGBTQ excellence in their fields. Following daily master classes guests move to the conference’s Mainstage for panels on topics affecting the queer community from queer BIPOC collective power, activism in nightlife, political representation, mental health, wellness & much more. For More Info…
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James Baldwin Legacy Awards Event

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