Seriously. Do you need help figuring out when to say “gay”?
Have you seen Les Misérables yet? It’s cool if you haven’t or if that’s not your thing; I won’t judge. (I will say that I saw it yesterday and, despite crying through all three hours, loved it immensely.)
My friend and past editor at The Advocate magazine, Lucas Grindley, wrote this lovely piece on his experience seeing the most recent version of the movie. Many of us already have some memory of the show, he says, whether through community theatre or karaoke. His memories of Les Mis go back to high school, before he knew he was gay. Some of the songs are tied to certain events, like an AIDS memorial.
And the performance was especially meaningful this time around:
Each time any of us sees one of these greatest shows of all time, it is at a different marker on our life’s path. And how I know a show to be truly lasting is whether it can deliver a reinvigorated message each time.
As I sang those lyrics in high school, I couldn’t have imagined one day becoming a dad with two foster children. My daughters are not my own by blood, and yet I feel a promise like the one Valjean made. I relate differently now to his part, it should go without saying. …
The skeptics had one burning question when I returned to the office after seeing Les Misérables. It’s more of a taunt than a question: “So, did you cry?” an editor asked dryly.
The more telling question is,when did you cry? When you cry depends entirely on what you have lived. Are you Eponine? Have you loved him from afar, helplessly longing for a man who never returns your feelings?
Are you Valjean? Are your secrets following you, threatening to ruin an otherwise virtuous life? Are you Marius? Guilty that you haven’t suffered like your friends?
If you’re a theatre fan and in any way identified with the LGBTQ community, I highly suggest reading this piece. It made me look at the show differently, and I’m glad I have.
Time Warner Cable has selected the Ali Forney Center as a recipient of a Learning Lab, giving the LGBT youth homeless shelter a $50,000 grant for new computers, internet access, tablets and televisions.
“Time Warner Cable is proud to partner with an organization that serves as a strong voice for homeless LGBT youth in NYC and across the nation. The Time Warner Cable Learning Lab will feature programs and resources that will assist youth in their educational and career development needs as they grow from adolescence to adulthood.”
The lab will be housed at the Ali Forney Center’s new 24-hour drop-in center in Harlem for homeless LGBT youth, the first of its kind in the nation. The Learning Lab will officially open during the first quarter of 2013.
Wonderful news! Ali Forney is a great organization that could definitely use the help.
Had Marilyn Monroe’s film been called How to Register a Domestic Partnership with a Millionaire, it would not have conveyed the same meaning.
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| — | This line comes from the 9th Circuit Court’s decision invalidating California’s Proposition 8. It was named one of the top legal quotes of the year by the National Law Journal. Well deserved. (via gaywrites) |
Between 2008 and 2010, the number of new HIV infections for young gay and bisexual men increased by 22%, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Overall, the number of new infections across the U.S. has not changed at about 47,500 infections, according to Reuters. Gay and bisexual men account for 66% of those new infections, and African American men in this group account for more new infections than any other subgroup.
Joseph Prejean, chief of the Behavioral and Clinical Surveillance Branch for the CDC said the rising number of infections for gay and bisexual youth may be the perception that HIV is a highly manageable disease.
“We do realize that many men who have sex with men do probably underestimate their personal risk and believe that treatment advances minimize the health threat,” he said.
We’ve still got a lot of work to do, friends.
Remember that time a 13-year-old girl launched a petition to make Easy-Bake Ovens more gender-neutral?
It worked.
Hasbro met with McKenna Pope, who collected 40,000 signatures in honor of her 4-year-old brother who loves to cook, but was distraught by the “girly” pink and purple coloration of Easy-Bake Ovens. The toy chain will now introduce different color schemes for the toys, but says the plan has been in the works for a while:
Hasbro invited McKenna and her family to its Pawtucket, R.I., headquarters to meet with its Easy-Bake team, and on Monday, they drove to Rhode Island from New Jersey. During the meeting, Hasbro executives showed off a prototype of their newest Easy-Bake: one that’s black, silver and blue.
Hasbro has been working on the new color scheme and design for about 18 months, and decided to invite McKenna to see it and offer her thoughts, said John Frascotti, Hasbro’s chief marketing officer.
McKenna said the company is doing everything she asked, including putting boys in the ads.
“I think that they really met most or even all of what I wanted them to do, and they really amazed me,” she said, adding that Gavyn thought the new design was “awesome.”
Heartwarming. Congrats to this young woman and her family for fighting an important battle and winning.
According to Towleroad, 2012 was the “gayest year ever” and these were the 50 most powerful coming outs of the year. Obv these lists are totally silly/subjective, but I think Lana Wachowski should be higher than 48, IMHO.
Courtesy of Washington, D.C.’s transgender acceptance and respect campaign. We need this campaign nationwide, and we need it now.
