OUTTAKE VOICES™ (Interviews)

Nicole Conn New Film “Nesting Doll”

Filmmaker Nicole Conn talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about her new production “Nesting Doll” a story about three broken women whose lives intersect at a lakeside community and whose lives are forever changed through their shared love of a boy with special needs. The film pays homage to Conn’s daughter and in particular her son who has special needs and is medically fragile. He was the focus of her 2005 film “little man” which earned Conn 12 Best Documentary Awards along with the prestigious Cedar Sinai’s Courageous Beginnings Award. “Nesting Doll” is the breakout debut for 11 year-old Cale Ferrin who was diagnosed with Fanconi Anemia, a rare genetic disease that can lead to bone marrow failure and cancer and is often marked by congenital defects and short stature. Celebrated and beloved Australian actress, Zoe Ventoura (“Packed to the Rafters”) has signed on for the lead, McKenzie De Ridder and Kayla Radomski of “So You Think You Can Dance” fame will co-star. Also joining the stellar cast are Harley Jane Kozak as the mother and Bruce Davison as the head of his clan and supporting cast includes French Stewart (“3rd Rock From the Sun”), Brooke Elliott (“Drop Dead Diva”), Lesley Nicol, Kay Lenz, Wally Kurth and Gaby Christian. Gabrielle Baba-Conn, Conn’s real life daughter is also making her feature debut. A group known as the “Silver Tribe” who are Conn’s dear friends and loyalists are teaming up with the multiple award-winning filmmaker behind the scenes to bring this film to the international audience that it deserves. We talked to Nicole about her inspiration for making “Nesting Doll” and her spin on our LGBTQ issues.

When asked how she sees our LGBTQ community moving forward in a Trump administration Conn stated, “Well not just our community but any community that is marginalized in any way has to move very carefully and also very vocally. I mean we all need to really be paying attention, do some heavy lifting for the next few years to try to get an entirely different look and face in Congress, flip the Senate certainly and maybe get the House equalized. I don’t see any other way moving forward with this insanity other than trying to flip the lever of power and the only way we can do that is by voting and making our voices heard. I can even tell you, I spent three months in utter depression after he won. I feel like things were rolled back. I think that you know, we move carefully, we move vocally and we use our dollars and we use our voices and voting.”

Veteran filmmaker Nicole Conn paved the way for lesbian themed cinema with her cult classic, “Claire of the Moon” that will be celebrating its milestone 25th Anniversary in 2018 and also for her acclaimed features “Elena Undone” which boasts the longest screen kiss in cinema history and “A Perfect Ending”. Nicole understands the need for using her talent to change hearts and minds especially during our LGBTQ community’s fight for marriage equality. Conn conceptualized and directed Jen Fosters, “She” into a national anthem by directing a seven-minute short PSA entitled “SHE4ME” which was sponsored and endorsed by Marriage for Equality, USA and won The Community Award 2015, as well as OutMusic’s Music Video of the Year. “Nesting Doll” is her seventh film and she hopes it will deliver a much need message about our special needs community as well as our LGBTQ community.
For More Info: nicoleconn.com

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Pink Hat Run Event In Chicago

LGBTQ ally Jennifer Camille Lee, founder and co-leader of Action Illinois a progressive advocacy organization talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about the Pink Hat Run, Walk & Roll that takes place in Chicago on November 4th. Illinois State Representative Juliana Stratton (D-5) and Chicago Alderman Pat Dowell (D-3) have been named Grand Marshals for the inaugural Pink Hat Run, Walk and Roll, a 5K and one-mile recreational event. The elected officials will greet participants and launch the start on Saturday November 4th in Chicago’s South Loop. Both women represent the area in which the race is being staged and both are ‘pink hatters’ in their own right, fighting for the rights of women throughout the city and state. The route takes participants along Chicago’s beautiful lakefront and Museum Campus. This action is a pledge-drive event to benefit organizations that provide services, advocacy and support to women and girls and are central to improving the lives of Chicago communities. Pink Hat Run, Walk and Roll Chicago’s 2017 beneficiaries include Access Living, Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW), Chicago Women's AIDS Project, Chicago Women Take Action (CWTA), Fierce Over 40, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Mujeres Latinas en Acción, National Organization for Women - Chicago, League of Women Voters of Chicago, Pediatric AIDS Chicago Prevention Initiative, Personal PAC, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA), A Sister’s Hope, Women’s March on Chicago and YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. We talked to Jennifer about what she hopes to accomplish with the Pink Hat Run, Walk & Roll Event and her spin on our LGBTQ issues.

When asked how she sees our LGBTQ community moving forward in a Trump administration Lee stated, ‘I think that so many communities are being marginalized right now and they’re all being stepped on quite frankly. You know we kind of have to get mad and stay mad and get organized and stay organized. We just have to keep pushing. The pendulum has been pushed back against progress since (last) November and it’s up to us all to be smashing the pendulum back.”

Jennifer Camille Lee is also the founder and leader of Women Rising - Illinois an organization based in downstate Illinois that recruits, trains and helps elect progressive women to office. In the most recent municipal elections, three of the four endorsed Women Rising candidates won their elections. For the last five years Jennifer has worked with the Labor Education Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to establish an Advisory Board made up of labor leaders across the Midwest, create a policy institute Project for Middle Class Renewal dedicated to improving the lives of the middleclass in Illinois through applied policy research and trainings, and developed programming for union labor and communities throughout the state. In her role there she also co-directed a Women’s Labor Leadership School. Jennifer organized the sister rally to the National Women’s March in Springfield, Illinois and was a co-chair of the Illinois Women March on Springfield event at the State Capitol which saw 2000 community members rally for a responsible state budget with a progressive agenda. The Pink Hat Run, Walk & Roll event is sponsored by Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, A & N Mortgage Services Inc. and Windy City Times.
For More Info: pinkhatrun.com

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Playwright Oliver Mayer New Works

Playwright Oliver Mayer talks about the World Premiere of his new play “Yerma in The Desert” at Greenway Court Theatre and Urban Theatre Movement November 17th through December 16th in Los Angeles, CA with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks. The play is inspired by Federico Garcia Lorca's play “Yerma” but gives the story a contemporary spin addressing current issues of immigration, racism, sexual identity and gender inequality. Set in an elite university “Yerma in The Desert” focuses on the lives of custodial and public safety staff who clean up the mess and tell no tales in a Trumpian dystopia where personal grudges lead to deportation and worse. Mayer tackles big themes in the shifting relations between men and women at work and in the bedroom and with “Yerma In The Desert”, co-directed by Marlene Forte and Edgar Landa, they fuse with Lorca to speak loudly towards liberating us all from political constraints and cultural extremism. Oliver who is a fierce ally and married to the talented Latina actress Marlene Forte might not be gay but he holds our LGBTQ community close to his heart and close to home as his mother has been with her partner for over 20 years. We talked to Mayer about his new play “Yerma in The Desert” and his spin on our LGBTQ issues.

When asked how he sees our LGBTQ community moving forward in a Trump administration Mayer stated, “I think it’s a good news and bad news situation. I do think that Trump by being a celebrity in quotes, a creature of Hollywood, I don’t think he bears any animus in particular to the LGBTQ community that he’s met or dealt with in his business. I do really think he sees green and so I think at least there’s no animus like there might be from a President Pence; that scares me. So I think the good news about Trump is he’s not some kind of really scary figure. I feel he’s a puppet and I feel he can be maneuvered any which way. So I’m really afraid of the people that are on either side of him. So the bad news is that they will move him. I think not that they can, but they will in ways that are going to be really distasteful to any of us who feel that we made any strides in the last fifteen years, that we’re going to have to fight for everything all over again. So I really do think that the LGBT community members really have to get together now and prepare for the worst and maybe hope for the better than that but prepare for the worst, prepare for fights, prepare for trials and demonstrations. I’m afraid that the next few years are going to be riffed with struggling for things that we thought we had already gained.”

Oliver Mayer is the author of nearly 30 plays. In the 1990’s he ignited a firestorm with his controversial play "Blade to the Heat” about a 1950's nobody-turned-championship boxer forced to confront his own sexuality after a dethroned champion accuses him of being gay. The sequel “Members Only” will be opening in 2018. Mayer is an Associate Professor with tenure and Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives at the USC School of Dramatic Arts and has won several awards including the Associates Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is also a member of The Temblors, an LA writer's collective. “Yerma in The Desert” is made possible through the support of the Greenway Residency Program and Greenway Court Theatre, programs of Greenway Arts Alliance.
For More Info & Tix: greenwaycourttheatre.org

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MBCC Lesbians & Friends Event

Cheryl Osimo Executive Director of the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about the 20th anniversary of their premier fundraising event the Lesbians and Friends LGBTQ Dance Party For Prevention that takes place in Brookline, Massachusetts on October 21st. This year MBCC will be honoring Attorney Susan Wilson the founder of this dance event who has been an inspiration and supporter of MBCC for over two decades. MBCC’s annual fundraising events like the upcoming Lesbians and Friends LGBTQ Dance Party For Prevention helps subsidize crucial funding for its sister organization, Silent Spring Institute. Since 1994 Silent Spring Institute has conducted scientifically sound and environmentally focused breast cancer prevention research. The funding will be used to study exposure to toxic cancer-causing chemicals in drinking water and homes throughout Massachusetts. Unfortunately this year the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has radically decreased their funding to $25,000, a fraction of the $647,500 needed, making fundraising events like the Lesbians and Friends LGBTQ Dance Party For Prevention more important than ever.

We talked to Cheryl about MBCC’s vital work and her spin on our LGBTQ issues. When asked how she sees our LGBTQ community moving forward in a Trump administration Osimo stated, “I think that the LGBTQ community is stronger than ever. We cannot let this administration turn anything around in terms of how we have made progress, how we moved ahead. We need to stay strong as he would say and move to not let him derail us in anyway, shape or form. We’re going to be okay because we are strong and we’ve come so far and continue with our work, remain strong, stick together and not allow him to derail us. That’s the most important thing.”

Cheryl Osimo is a fierce LGBTQ ally and devoted breast cancer activist and advocate since 1991 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 41. She has been a catalyst in raising public awareness of the possible environmental links to breast cancer. Her commitment to breast cancer prevention and awareness will benefit women worldwide. The 20th Annual Lesbians and Friends LGBTQ Dance Party For Prevention takes place on Saturday October 21st from 8P to12A at the Brookline-Boston Holiday Inn located at 1200 Beacon Street in Brookline, MA. Hundreds of women will come together to celebrate and hope for a future free of breast cancer. Their goal is to raise at least $20,000. Directly before the event dance instructor Liz Nania will lead a free Merengue dance workshop for all interested participants from 7P to 8P. Refreshments including complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will also be provided to all attendees. There will be a silent auction with items donated from celebrities including Melissa Etheridge, Pink Martini, Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, Patti Lupone, The Boston Pops and LGBTQ friendly businesses. Sponsors for this year’s event are Eastern Bank, Fenway Health, Lisa J. Drapkin & Debbie Lewis, Sue Wilson, Esq & Founder, Hy-Line Cruises, Kauffman Law Mediation, The Davis Group, Neiman & Associates Financial Services, LLC, Gonzalez & Associates, PC, OUT to DANCE, Estelle Disch Phototransformations, Ellen Janis & Josh Real Estate Team, Pure Haven Independent Consultant, The Meeting Point, South Cove Community Health, Stop & Shop and OUTTAKE™ LLC. DJ Triana will provide the music. Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door.
For More Info & TIX: mbcc.org

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“Desert Hearts” The Sequel & More

Director Donna Deitch Talks about being honored by Provincetown Film Society on October 13th and the sequel to her classic film “Desert Hearts” with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. The Provincetown Film Society is presenting an exciting line-up of film screenings with special filmmaker appearances and events during Women’s Week that runs from October 6th to 15th. Among the highlights of the ten-day showcase of films made for, about and by women is the 31st anniversary re-release of Deitch’s groundbreaking film “Desert Hearts” that will have multiple screenings throughout the week. Deitch will be honored at the 3rd Annual Women Filmmaker’s Residency brunch on Friday, October 13th from 11A to 1P at Harbor Lounge, in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Other featured films in the series are Catherine Gund and Deresha Kyi’s “Chevala” based on the life of musical pioneer and queer icon Chevala Vargas who captured the heart of Frida Kahlo and the imagination of Pedro Almodovar. Also Robin Kampf’s short film “Love Wins” that tells the story of two women now in their eighties Jan and Emily who met and fell in love during a time when doing so was strictly taboo. They'd travel to Provincetown each year where for one week would be able to live their true lives. Actor Blaire Baron will also be on hand to present her provocative short titled “The Candidate” and local favorites Andrea Myerson’s “Clambake” and Maggie Rizzi’s “Ann Maguire: The Story of an American Hero” will also screen. We talked to Donna about the 31st anniversary re-release of “Desert Hearts” and her spin on our LGBTQ issues.

When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBTQ equality Deitch stated, “My personal commitment to LGBTQ equality is 100% but I think that I am most useful in terms of my commitment and my production to making that come about is just making movies that tell these stories.” Then when asked how she sees our LGBTQ community moving forward in this Trump administration Deitch added, “Well I think that’s a question that so many different communities are asking themselves. One thing that I feel is just so essential to survival is truth telling. So I believe that just subscribing to your local newspaper or another paper you value because that’s a way of keeping investigative journalism alive is essential to truth being told and resistance in whatever way works for you.”

After producing and directing “Desert Hearts” the landmark hit of the 1986 Sundance, Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals, Donna Deitch became an established TV director when Oprah Winfrey hired her to direct the ABC Emmy nominated 4-hour mini series “The Women of Brewster Place”. From there Donna directed movies for cable including HBO's “Prison Stories, Women on the Inside” and Showtime's “Devil's Arithmetic” starring Kirsten Dunst and Brittany Murphy for which she won an Emmy for her direction. For decades she has been directing the best of one hour television drama including numerous episodes of “Grey's Anatomy”, “Private Practice”, “NYPD Blue”, “ER”, “Law and Order: SVU”, “Heroes”, “Crossing Jordan”, “Murder One” and others. The Provincetown Film Society that is honoring Deitch on October 13th is a nonprofit dedicated to continuing the founding mission of the Provincetown Art Colony to provide a welcoming, nurturing, and inspiring environment for boundless and authentic creative exploration in film.
For More Info & Tix: provincetownfilm.org

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World Channel Stories From The Stage

Liz Cheng, Co-Executive Producer of the new TV series “Stories from the Stage” that premieres on the WORLD Channel on Monday October 9th talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. This groundbreaking series is designed to explore the meaning and value of diversity in America by illustrating the power of real stories told by both masterful and first-time multicultural storytellers. Each of the 12 half-hour episodes will feature storytelling with an audience, interviews with tellers before and after performances as well as comments, reactions and short stories from the audience. The first episode entitled “Last Dance” begins with the story of Mark Lamb who shares his experience of growing up gay in a small Kentucky town and how he couldn’t wait to get out and start his career as a performing artist. Decades later as an established choreographer with his own dance company in New York City he was offered the opportunity to return home to teach a dance workshop in his former rural public school and tells what transpired in this heartfelt experience. “Last Dance” also features the stories of Sandi Marx who narrowly misses getting cast for Broadway’s A Chorus Line and Jean Appolon who dances his way out of a death sentence in Haiti. “Stories from the Stage” is co-executive produced by Liz and Patricia Alvarado Nuñez and hosted by humorists/storytellers Theresa Okokon and Wes Hazard. We talked to fierce LGBTQ ally Cheng about her inspiration of this fabulous new series and her spin on our LGBTQ issues.

When asked how she sees our LGBTQ community moving forward in a Trump administration Cheng stated, “I’m hoping that we as a country will move back to center. Starting with the recognition of what transgender people and LGBTQ folks have been contributing to American life and the hope at least with these current challenges, the hope is that this recognition and that this groundswell of support challenges new directive for all armed forces. When you think about it among the first national organizations to try and in many cases to succeed in leading integration of differences in America has been in the armed forces. So I’m hoping that there’s a groundswell support for people who are doing good work.”

Liz Cheng is also General Manager for WGBH Television, overseeing local channels WGBH 2, WGBX 44, ’GBH Kids, Create and Boston Kids & Family TV as well as the national public television WORLD Channel. WORLD Channel is a 24/7 full service multicast channel featuring public television’s signature nonfiction documentary, science and news programming complemented by original content from emerging producers. Launched in 2007 WORLD is produced and distributed by WGBH, Boston, American Public Television (APT) and WNET, New York in association with Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA). WORLD is distributed by APT and is now carried by 69 licensees/151 stations representing 61.09% of U.S. TV households. WORLD is designed to provide viewers with independent voices telling personal stories from around the globe. Now more than ever “Stories from the Stage” hopes to amplify these personal voices that can create understanding, empathy and appreciation for people very different from ourselves to prove how much we all have in common.
For More Info: worldchannel.org

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New Historic LGBT Children's Book

Dr. Gayle E. Pitman tals with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™about her new children’s book entitled “When You Look Out the Window: How Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin Built a Community”. Published by Magination Press, which is the children’s book imprint of the American Psychological Association, the book is about the pioneering lesbian activists Lyon and Martin and is written for children ages 4 to 8 with beautiful illustrations by Christopher Lyles. “When You Look Out the Window” depicts Phyllis and Del pointing out landmarks throughout the city of San Francisco from the panoramic view from the window of their home. Each landmark tells a piece of the story of one of San Francisco’s most legendary couples and how their work for LGBT rights transformed their community and sending ripple effects around the world. As we approach LGBT History Month this October it is important for parents, caregivers and educators to provide information about our LGBTQ community’s history whose stories are far too often neglected or ignored.

We talked to Dr. Pitman about her inspiration for writing “When You Look Out the Window: How Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin Built a Community” and her spin on our LGBTQ issues. When asked how she sees our LGBTQ community moving forward in a Trump administration Pitman stated, “I think Trump’s election was really a wake up call because I think for a lot of folks it was really easy to rest on our laurels and say ‘You know it’s so much better than it was. We’ve achieved marriage equality; we’ve achieved some transgender rights; we’ve got more visibility than ever. We have TV shows and movies all over the place, like life is pretty good. We have medications that help treat HIV that weren’t available a couple of decades ago’. I think it was really easy to just kind of sit back and say okay like we’re good you know like we’re in an okay place. I think that the election that took place last November really makes clear that no we can’t afford to stop. We can’t afford to rest because we can maybe delude ourselves into thinking there’s widespread universal acceptance of LGBTQ class people but I think what the Trump administration has done is embolden people to come out of the closet and further oppress people in a much more visible way. This may sound a little twisted but I think for our community that’s really an opportunity. An opportunity to see the writing on the wall and to say okay I can’t afford to be silent. I have to get involved, I need to say my peace or become active in some way, shape or form whatever way people can. I think there’s a variety of ways people can get involved in working toward social justice.”

Dr. Gayle E. Pitman teaches Psychology and Women/Gender Studies at Sacramento City College. Her teaching and writing focuses on gender and sexual orientation and she has worked extensively with our LGBTQ community. By night she writes children’s books and engages in other forms of rebellious creativity. Her debut picture book “This Day in June” won the 2015 ALA Stonewall Award and won the IRA’s 2014 Notable Books for a Global Society Award.
For More Info: gaylepitman.com

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“M. Butterfly” at Everyman Theatre

Bruce Randolph Nelson talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about starring in “M. Butterfly” at Baltimore's Everyman Theatre now through October 8th. Based on an epic true story and celebrating its 30th anniversary of David Henry Hwang’s torrid and timeless Tony Award-winning play, “M. Butterfly” is a masterful probe of truth, illusion, culture and gender. The play tells the story of French diplomat Rene Gallimard (Bruce Randolph Nelson) who becomes enchanted with divine Peking opera star Song Liling (Everyman newcomer Vichet Chum) but this diva is hiding more than her true identity. Converging fact with fiction this gender-bender addresses East and West tensions onstage as “M. Butterfly” delivers the allure of fantasy and the power of obsession that are a recipe for betrayal that takes place in the closeted Beijing and Paris in the 1960’s. What’s even more curious is that Everyman’s Founding Artistic Director Vincent M. Lancisi who directs this fabulous production of “M. Butterfly” actually experienced art-imitating-reality when he met Bernard Boursicot the French Diplomat which the character René Gallimard is based on in a chance meeting in France. Weeks later he traveled accompanied by Nelson to join the former diplomat for an illuminating six-hour conversation that provided unrestricted access to Boursicot’s remarkable stories, personal photographs and candid perspective. We talked to Bruce about his encounter with Boursicot and his spin on our LGBTQ issues.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBTQ civil rights Nelson stated, “First and foremost I wish I was more involved with my time, with my money because I think it’s obviously vital and being a fifty-one-year old man and experiencing I guess going from a time when gay and lesbians were on my radar then to have the whole alphabet represented and the fluidity of it represented has been a little learning curve for me too. So my commitment personally is to certainly continue to learn and accept and remain open. I mean, my God it’s why I got involved with theatre in the first place as a safe welcoming place for people of all kinds to come and express themselves and it was my surrogate family when maybe my own family wasn’t a place where I could be fully myself. You know afternoon drama class was a place where I could not only be myself but all these other wild fabulous characters.”

Bruce Randolph Nelson has been a professional actor and teacher in the Baltimore-DC area for years. As a member of the Everyman Theatre in Baltimore he was recognized as Baltimore’s Best Actor in 2004 and 2012 by the City Paper. The Everyman Theatre is a professional Equity theatre company founded in 1990 by Vincent M. Lancisi. The theatre is dedicated to engaging the audience through a shared experience between actor and audience seeking connection and emotional truth in performance. Their production of “M. Butterfly” is sponsored in part by the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore with media support from The Baltimore Sun Media Group and WYPR. Everyman Theatre is supported in part by grants from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Baltimore County Commission on Arts and Sciences. (Photo credit: DJ Corey Photography)
For Info & Tix: everymantheatre.org

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New Movie “A Very Sordid Wedding”

Emerson Collins actor, producer talks about his new film “A Very Sordid Wedding” he appears in and produced with award-winning writer/director Del Shores with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. The film reunites their all-star cast of iconic characters to explore the acceptance, conflict and bigotry following the Supreme Court Marriage Equality Decision. The ensemble cast of 32 actors is led by Bonnie Bedelia (“Parenthood”), Caroline Rhea (“Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”), Dale Dickey (Independent Spirit Award winner “Winter’s Bone”), Leslie Jordan (Emmy winner “Will & Grace”) with cast members from the original Sordid Lives film Newell Alexander (“August: Osage County”), Rosemary Alexander, Kirk Geiger, Sarah Hunley, Lorna Scott (“Wanted”) and Ann Walker. New additions Levi Kreis (Tony winner “Million Dollar Quartet”), Carole Cook (“Sixteen Candles”), Alec Mapa (“Ugly Betty”), Aleks Paunovic (“Van Helsing”), Katherine Bailess (“Hit The Floor”) and a cameo from Whoopi Goldberg. After premiering at the Palm Springs Film Festival the film went on to play in 31 cities across the U.S. in theatrical runs and festival screenings with 20 sold-out events with another fifteen markets scheduled. “A Very Sordid Wedding” will continue to travel around the country until its DVD release on October 17^th. We talked to Emerson about the significance of his new film especially after the events in Charlottesville, Virginia and his spin on our LGBTQ issues.

When asked how he sees our LGBTQ community moving forward in a Trump administration Collins stated, “Vocally, persistently, daily, really I think about we must fight at every level. Fighting for equal rights ordinances against all legislations cropping up in so many places particularly targeting trans people and at the same time fighting for representation culturally. That way we target bigotry and all its form. We have to be accountable to fight for the equal treatment of all marginalized communities because as LGBTQ people we are part of all communities: Black Lives Matter, undocumented immigrants, we are members of every other community. Sort of as a white gay cis man if you only fight for your own rights that’s just self-interest. Then following the leadership of our national organizations that do such great work to inform us, GLAAD, PFLAG, Lambda Legal and the work that they are doing and those of us who have the ability to support them financially and to donate our time. We also have to celebrate the victories as they happen and to take care of ourselves. It is a long fight but we’re in for it. Staying together is how we can continue to push forward.”

Emerson Collins joined Del Shores Productions as Vice-President of Development and began as a producer on the revivals of “Sordid Lives”. He has also starred in four seasons of BRAVO’s hit social series “The People’s Couch”. Emerson won the Desert Theatre League for Best Actor in a Comedy in the first regional theatre production of Jonathan Tolins' one-man show “Buyer & Cellar” with Coyote Stage Works in Palm Springs, California. He returned to the role to close the 95th season of the historic Laguna Beach Playhouse in 2016. Emerson also produced and hosted "A Sordid Affair," the national tour variety and comedy show starring Rue McClanahan, Leslie Jordan, Del Shores and Caroline Rhea.

For More Info: averysordidwedding.com

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Trump Targets Transgender Military

Matt Thorn, President and CEO of OutServe-SLDN, the national voice for LGBT service members, talks to  Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks about Trump’s threatening tweets that transgender service members would be banned from serving in the Armed Forces. Trump claimed in his Tweets that our transgender community should be banned from the military because of the financial cost and disruption associated with transgender service members. Currently there are 15,000 transgender service members in the US military. The financial cost of providing health care to transgender troops would be at most $8.4 million per year according to the New England Journal of Medicine which is one one-hundredth of one percent of the military's annual health care budget. Fifty-six retired Generals and Admirals have warned Trump that if his ban were to be implemented it would degrade military readiness. Transgender troops have been serving honorably and openly for the past year and have been widely praised by commanders. Eighteen foreign nations including the UK and Israel allow transgender troops to serve and none have reported any detriment to readiness. We talked to Matt about what action OutServe-SLDN will take to protect transgender service members and recruits should Trump follow through on his threats to ban transgender military service members and his spin on our LGBTQ issues.

When asked what he hopes to accomplish, Thorn stated, “Well I hope that people have a higher degree of respect for transgender individuals particularly those serving in the military. We have an all-volunteer force regardless of sexual orientation, sex, national origin, race or gender identity. People are signing up to voluntarily defend our country and it is important to recognize that and appreciate that. We don’t have a draft and we don’t have a mandatory service like Israel does. So these are individuals who have a very high degree of commitment to our country and it’s really fundamentally important to brief that awareness. Trans individuals are not just Caitlyn Jenner; these are individuals who are serving in combat zones who have a K-47 or fly an F-35 jet and it is really fundamentally important that they are given the respect and dignity that they serve as human beings, as individuals. Our hope is that as destructive as these tweets are and as much of a distraction that they are that it does raise awareness of the public that Caitlyn Jenner is just one example of a transgender individual but we have 15,000 who are defending our country every single day around the world…”

Matt Thorn a graduate of Catholic University is a fierce advocate for what he believes in and the mission of progressive change. He is committed to uniting and bringing education, awareness and a variety of services to progressive and socially conscious community. OutServe-SLDN is the largest non-profit, legal services, advocacy and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
For More Info: outserve-sldn.org

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