OUTTAKE VOICES™ (Interviews)

Cyndi Lauper’s TRUE COLORS FUND

Gregory Lewis, Executive Director of Cyndi Lauper’s TRUE COLORS FUND talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. The mission of this non-profit organization co-founded by music icon and fierce gay ally Cyndi Lauper is to assist gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth who have been thrown out of their homes by their parents or primary custodians because of their sexual orientation. Recently the West End Intergenerational Residence which Cyndi is co-founder of opened the TRUE COLORS RESIDENCE in Harlem, New York for a diverse group of LGBTQ homeless youth. The residence has 30 studio apartments with indoor and outdoor communal space. Each resident pays affordable rent based on their income and receives job assistance if they do not have one. There are also social and educational programs provided. The goal of the TRUE COLORS RESIDENCE is to open similar facilities nationwide. When asked how he became involved in the TRUE COLORS FUND, Lewis stated, “Well I’ve known Cyndi and her manager Lisa Barbaris for a number of years. I use to work at the Human Rights Campaign for many years and was the Managing Director for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. So I knew them from both of those organizations and I was very friendly with them and helped them with their advocacy work. And when they were ready to take the TRUE COLORS TOUR to the next level they asked me to come and work with them. It was a great honor and of course I said yes immediately and I have been with them for 4 years now.” It is estimated that 20 percent to 40 percent of all homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The TRUE COLORS FUND is committed to doing what it can to raise awareness about this issue and develop resources to help these young people, most of whom are homeless because of their sexual orientation. On December 4th at New York City’s historic Beacon Theatre help raise awareness about LGBTQ youth homelessness by attending CYNDI LAUPER & FRIENDS: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS A CONCERT TO BENEFIT HOMELESS LGBT YOUTH. It’s a star-studded benefit concert to help raise awareness about this crucial LGBTQ issue. The evening will feature music from Cyndi Lauper as well as special appearances by Norah Jones, Amy Lee, Cassandra Wilson, Rosie O'Donnell, Wanda Sykes, Jon Secada, Carson Kressley, Chely Wright, Skylar Grey, Vanessa Carlton, Angelique Kidjo, Harvey Fierstein, Deluka, Debbie Harry, Alan Cumming, Randy Fenoli and Clay Aiken. If you can’t make the concert this is an organization that will appreciate your support to help ensure the future of our LGBT community. For More Info & Tix: truecolorsfund.org

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New Margaret Cho Concert DVD

Actress Comedian Margaret Cho talks about her new Showtime Comedy Special CHO DEPENDENT available on DVD November 22nd with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. Beginning with her early days on the scene in the Bay Area Margaret Cho has always been the Agent Provocateur of stand up. Never one to shy away from difficult, or even 'taboo' topics, there is no subject off limits. Her socially aware brand of comedy has made her a fierce gay activist that opens hearts and minds. Her latest stand-up concert film, CHO DEPENDENT recorded during her 2010 tour, finds Margaret in her usual top form, riffing on smart topics that matter. We talked about her amazing year with her album and concert tour for CHO DEPENDENT, DWTS, co-starring in the Lifetime TV series DROP DEAD DIVA, her commitment to LGBT civil rights and more. In the Huffington Post Margaret wrote that she identifies herself as “Queer.” When asked if she could clarify what that term means to her, Cho stated, “To me queer is really a balance of everything. To me it encompasses homosexual and also heterosexual. To me that’s like the equality that I have within me and the equanimity I have within me. And then there are my politics that are really all about gay rights and so to me although I am married and I’m in a heterosexual marriage, I also identify as homosexual. To me that is what queer is. There are a lot of different definitions of queer but to me my queer politics come from a pretty impressive pedigree. I grew up in San Francisco. I grew up around the times of Harvey Milk and experienced that wave of politics. I experienced a lot of what became the modern foundation of what gay politics is. The impulse to fight AIDS and the impulse to raise money to make sure that people were protected when it came to policy when it came to AIDS. So that’s really what my background is and that’s what my queer politics are.” CHO DEPENDENT is Margaret’s sixth live concert film, shot at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA. The DVD shares a name with her Grammy nominated comedy album. Joining Margaret on the album were artists Fiona Apple, Andrew Bird, Grant Lee Phillips, Tegan & Sara, Ben Lee and more. The CHO DEPENDENT DVD features songs from the album interwoven into the thought provoking stories. There’s really something for everyone. CHO DEPENDENT made its debut on Showtime on October 15th and is on Comcast On-Demand. The DVD is set to be released on November 22, 2011 via Rocket Science. The DVD also features “Behind The Scenes” backstage bonus footage. For More Info: margaretcho.com

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Barney Frank LGBT Issues Update

Congressman Barney Frank, (D-MA) talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about LGBT issues and more. Congressman Frank was in attendance at Assi Azar’s coming out film MOM & DAD: I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU in celebration of OUT in ISRAEL MONTH. Throughout the month of November advocacy organizations in and around Boston have joined together along with politicians, filmmakers, artists, musicians, students and other activists to celebrate the vibrant LGBT communities in Israel and Massachusetts. We talked to Congressman Frank to get his spin on the film, LGBTQ teen bullying and federal LGBT civil rights. When asked if he thought in the next year anymore (federal) legislation has a chance of passing Congressman Frank stated, “None whatsoever with the Republicans in charge. The only chance you ever have to adopt pro LGBT legislation is if you have a Democratic President, House and Senate. I wish that wasn’t the case. In 1976 Jimmy Carter and Gerry Ford were equal on the LGBT issues. Since then the Democrats have gotten a lot better, not quite perfect and the Republicans have gotten a lot worse. So long as you have Republicans in power there simply is no chance. I do believe if we were to get a Democratic House, Senate and President we could move forward with some things but as long as the Republicans are in power we have to hold our own. In fact if you were to get a Republican President we would have to face the very real likelihood I think of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to be reinstated by that President.” Openly gay Congressman Barney Frank and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) are Co-Chairs of the Congressional LGBT Caucus. As part of the “It Gets Better Project,” they recently released a video message of hope and encouragement to our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and those questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity. They are joined by the other two openly gay members of Congress, Jared Polis (D-CO) and David Cicilline (D-RI). For More Info: trevorproject.org Watch Trailer & More LGBT Leaders Interviews

Assi Azar on OUT in Israel

Assi Azar is a well-known Israeli TV personality who co-hosts the Israeli version of the Big Brother TV show talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. In 2005 Azar came out as an openly gay man. In 2009 he was chosen by OUT Magazine as one of the top 100 most influential gay people around the world. In 2010 he starred in the 45 minute documentary, “Mom and Dad, I Have Something to Tell You” where he shares his personal coming out experience. This fascinating Israeli documentary explores coming out from the parent’s perspective as well as from members of our LGBT community in Israel. “Mom and Dad, I Have Something to Tell You” was screened on November 6th at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge by the Boston LGBT Film Festival in celebration of OUT in Israel Month. Congressman Barney Frank was in attendance. When asked what his inspiration was for making the film, Azar stated, “Actually this production company approached me about making a movie about coming out. At the beginning I said no because I really didn’t see a reason to, but then, I don’t know if you heard of it, but this guy with a mask got inside a youth center where gay and lesbian kids play and shot all over and killed two kids. After that those kids were hospitalized in several hospitals and those parents found out their kids are gay just from the incident. They actually found out their kid was injured and gay at the same time. And I remember that one of the parents did not come to see his kid in the hospital because of his gay lifestyle. And I told my mom, ‘What kind of a parent doesn’t come to see his injured son?’ And she told me you cannot understand what is going on in a parent’s mind after he finds out his son is gay. And that immediately made me feel, God I really don’t know what happened to my mom and dad when I told them. That was the point when I decided to make this film.” Over the next few weeks Azar will be visiting the United States showing his 45 minute documentary “Mom and Dad, I Have Something to Tell You”. He is pleased to speak about his experience as a popular media broadcaster in the Middle East, as well as what it was like for him to come out openly as a gay man in his field and with media scrutiny upon him and his family. Assi Azar will be in Atlanta 11/8 to 11/10, NYC 11/11 to 11/13, San Francisco 11/13 to 11/15, Washington DC 11/16 to 11/17, Philadelphia 11/18 to 11/20 & Miami 11/21 to 11/25. For More Info: outinIsraelmonth.com

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BAD SEX: The TV Show

Chris Donaghue, Sex Specialist, talks about his new television series BAD SEX that premieres on LOGO TV Friday, November 4th at 9P with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. BAD SEX follows the real-life experiences of 10 diverse participants undergoing an intensive two month program that explores their sex lives. The participants are male, female, gay and straight, ranging in age from 20 to 40 years old. They’ve come to the group with issues from dangerous promiscuity to clinical frigidity, violent sex addiction to compulsive public sex. Under Donaghue’s supervision they participate in a unique sex therapy group program where they finally address their deep-rooted issues around sex, infidelity, trust, relational intimacy and sex addiction. When asked if he thinks Americans have a difficult time embracing their sexuality, Donaghue stated, “American have the hardest time. I think we’re probably among the most sexually phobic and sexually negative cultures and it’s something from a very early age is repressed within you. Think about the words that parents use with their children when talking about anatomy, even into their adulthood. It’s words that express embarrassment and social taboo even though it’s a really common healthy basic drive and an important component of all our lives and that moves with you. Then we transmit that to our children and so it’s something we have to get more comfortable with because I think it’s our fear and phobia around it that actually created and sustains a lot of the major sexual issues. When I’m working with couples and I say this again on the show with some of the participants, there’s a lot of incorrect education and misinformation about sex. So my job on the show is to really re-inform and re-educate people and get them comfortable with what the real true basic norms are.” Christopher Donaghue is a sex expert specializing in the sexuality spectrum and addictive behaviors such as sexual compulsivity/sex addiction, as well as mood and relational intimacy disorders. Donaghue received his Master's Degree in Clinical Social Work from Temple University and is currently finishing a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. He trained in couples and sex therapy at Florida's Post Graduate Sex Therapy training program, UCLA, and the Center for Healthy Sex. Chris currently specializes in couples and sex therapy, as well as running sex addiction, love addiction and sexuality group therapy at The Hills Treatment Center. He is a member of American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). For More Info: logotv.com/BADSEX

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