OUTTAKE VOICES™ (Interviews)

U.K. Students Rally Against Hate In NYC

Professor Dominic Shellard, one of the only openly gay Vice Chancellor’s of a major university in the United Kingdom talks to Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. This week a groundbreaking event is going to take place when 1,082 De Montfort University students travel from Leicester in the United Kingdom to New York City from Tuesday January 3rd to Sunday January 8th to boost their global outlook with a mixture of academic, cultural and networking opportunities in the Big Apple. One of the highlights of the trip will occur when they demonstrate against intolerance on January 6th braving the cold for a picnic in Central Park holding banners that state “Citizens of the World.” Vice Chancellor Shellard is an outspoken critic of anti-immigration rhetoric following the Brexit vote and wants to send the message that universities should be producing students who think globally. Shellard who is a recipient of the Mahatma Gandhi Seva Medal is working with citizens and university staff to counter hate crimes that are on the rise in his community just like they are here in this country since the presidential election of Donald Trump. We talked to Dominic about what he hoped to accomplish with this important peaceful rally event on January 6th and his spin on our LGBTQ issues.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Shellard stated, “First of all I’ve introduced at the university De Montfort University Pride because unfortunately the actual pride festival that we have in our city in Leicester takes place when our students aren’t here. It takes place end of August and I always felt our students missed out in engaging with Leicester Pride. So we have our own pride festival which is a series of cultural events, celebrations and talks in February. We always try to invite people who might not be as fortunate as us to enjoy some of the tolerance we’re very lucky to have in the U.K. We obviously had our Parliament vote very recently to permit gay marriage and that was a great big moment I think for the U.K. as a country. So last pride we invited 10 members from the LGBT community of Russia who are suffering terrible persecution at the moment. There is tremendous intolerance in Russia as you know for members of our community and our students raised funds to pay for 10, generally people under 25, to come over to Leicester and I think they were here for upward of 2 weeks and they forged strong links with them going forward and I think that is a very important thing. Secondly I’m the honorary president of our local LGBTQ center in Leicester. There are only 5 centers left in the U.K. now which is in itself I think a rather horrifying figure actually. So I’m very pleased to be able to have it be all quite a cursory role but I do what I can to raise the profile at our center.”

Professor Dominic Shellard joined De Montfort University (DMU) in June 2010 as vice-chancellor and chief executive. During his tenure DMU has embarked upon a focused journey of improvement. Dominic has led the expansion of the international agenda, most notably with the launch of #DMUglobal in 2013, giving thousands of students an opportunity to travel and study overseas as part of their course.
For More Info: dmu.ac.uk

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Kate Clinton's LGBT Year End Review

Kate Clinton our favorite political humorist talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about her annual LGBT year end review and chat about what 2017 may bring our LGBT community. This has been an extremely difficult year for our LGBT community especially with the election of Donald Trump. For the past few weeks we have watched as Trump has been picking the most homophobic, transphobic, racist, xenophobic and misogynistic candidates to fill his White House administration team including unconstitutional attempts to bring family members on his staff. Across the nation, labor, civil rights and faith leaders and others have called on President-elect Donald Trump to unequivocally denounce the hundreds of hate-fueled acts of harassment, vandalism, property destruction and assaults that have happened since his election. We talked to Kate about how she has been coping with the aftermath of the election and her spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked how she sees our LGBT community moving forward in a Trump administration Clinton stated, “Well I think historically the LGBT community has been very creative and there’s a lot going on and this certainly is a challenge. On December 1st, World AIDS Day I went down to The New York City AIDS Memorial and you know you are reminded of the creativity and fierceness that the gay community reacted to AIDS and we really transformed a healthcare system and made sure we got drugs in a timely manner and we took care of each other and there was great art produced and great anger so I think that we have the resilience and we will do it again. We’ve had victories and we’ve had a very short life as a movement. So it’s understandable that we’ll have some setbacks but I believe in the creativity and wonderful things that we come up with. My fear is being used by the Trump administration and I think in passing the federal marriage law we really reached out and it was a great strategy reaching out to republicans like Portman of Ohio who has a gay son and therefore he supported full equality rights for gay people which I always thought like couldn’t you possibly like dreamed it up yourself on your own, you have to have a son? But anyways, so I think that what I worry about now is that we could be used. We could be a wedge issue again, a pink-wash. That the Trump people they’re lovely people, they have a lot of humanity, look how wonderful they are to gay people, which will drive a wedge between us and people of color and it’s a dangerous thing. I think we really have to be careful how we use the Trump administration. I think to say it’s the lesser of two evils, we’ll pick that but it’s still evil. I think we have to rely on a moral compass at this moment.”

Kate Clinton is also very involved with NCLR (The National Center for Lesbian Rights) and LPAC (Lesbian Political Action Committee) conceptualized by her wife Urvashi Vaid to give lesbians a real and meaningful seat at the political table. LPAC is a political action committee (PAC) that builds the political power of LGBTQ women by electing candidates who champion LGBTQ rights, women’s equality and social justice. Currently Kate is working on her new show that she’ll be performing nationally in 2017.
For More Info & Appearances: kateclinton.com

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Will & Anthony Nunziata New CD & More

Will and Anthony Nunziata talk about their upcoming Carnegie Hall debut with The New York Pops on December 16th and December 17th in NYC and new Christmas EP “The Gift Is You” with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. The new XMAS EP features holiday classics as well as three original songs including the title track “The Gift Is You.” The Carnegie Hall concert on December 16th and 17th entitled “Make the Season Bright” is led by New York Pops Music Director Steven Reineke with a quartet of guest stars including Broadway siblings Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway. In recent years the brothers have brought their distinct take on classic and contemporary songs to performing arts centers and theaters as well as symphony concerts with orchestras such as the Detroit Symphony, Cleveland Pops Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Lancaster Symphony, Annapolis Symphony, Cape Cod Symphony, Toledo Symphony and Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. We talked to Will and Anthony about how performing at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops this holiday season is a dream come true as well as a thrill to release their first Christmas EP and their spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what their personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Will Nunziata stated, “Well I know for Anthony and I we’ve gotten to meet a lot of people throughout the country from the LGBTQ community and we’ve had great conversations with them. I think it comes down to first and foremost a conversation and listening to peoples stories and hearing where they’re coming from, how they’re feeling especially in these times when we obviously have a lot of people in the country and in this world who may not agree with or support marriage equality for instance. I fervently believe that love is love is love and love is a human right for all people and so for Anthony and I to continue to commit ourselves to entertaining and inspiring, we hope that can help lead to leading policy makers in this country and in the world to truly make it possible to have laws, all laws, equal rights for everyone on all accounts.”

Will and Anthony Nunziata are the Brooklyn-born, classically trained singers, entertainers, recording artists, funny-men and advocates of arts in education. Separately, Will is an acclaimed stage director and is the concert director for many of Broadway’s leading ladies including Tony Award Winner Lillias White. While Anthony an emerging songwriter, is currently collaborating with legendary songwriters. They are also extremely proud to have created their Arts in Education Outreach Program “Arts Matter!” wish their mission to provide young people with the tools and encouragement to set and reach their goals in the arts. Will and Anthony also conduct master class workshops for singers and actors in elementary school, middle school, high school and college giving students constructive criticism on their song selections and acting technique, all the while creating a safe and fun environment for everyone.

For Carnegie Hall Concert Tickets December 16th & 17th
For More Info: willandanthony.com

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Trump Administration & LGBT Equality

Jessica Stern, Executive Director of OutRight Action International that specializes in gender, sexuality and human rights globally, talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about how the Trump presidency could effect our LGBT civil rights. OutRight Action International, the only US based LGBTIQ organization with consultative status at the United Nations has called on the upcoming Trump administration to maintain important policies and programs introduced by the Obama administration to safeguard the human rights of LGBTIQ people everywhere. Over the last eight years the United States has initiated unprecedented commitment to promote the human rights of LGBTIQ people by issuing a presidential memorandum to advance LGBT human rights, appointing a Special Envoy for LGBTI Rights, banning USAID contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and financing support of the Global Equality Fund among other initiatives. This is not a time to become complacent when dealing with the threat of a homophobic Trump administration. This is a time for our LGBT community and allies to organize and maintain the progress we have worked so hard to achieve. We talked to Jessica about how other countries dealing with an anti-LGBT agenda have worked to move their countries forward and give us her spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked how she sees our LGBT community moving forward in a Trump administration Stern stated, “We as a queer community and as a human rights community have to move forward with extraordinary caution because so far it seems that Trump himself is not particularly ideological about LGBTIQ rights and actually has in various incidents acknowledged the power of the LGBTIQ movement in a way that makes me think he’s not as likely to come for us the way he’s been coming for immigrants and Muslims and women, but my fear is almost that LGBTIQ people will be left off easily relative to all of the other vulnerable groups that he is targeting for attack. So I can’t say what will happen but I know that the only way the LGBTIQ community can move forward under a Trump administration is by working together with other communities. In the domestic context it means working with immigrants; it means working with Muslims; it means working with women’s rights advocates and in an international context it means we have to have an anti-war agenda. So I think there’s a lot that is very fluid right now and we’re still trying to figure out which way is up.”

OutRight Action International formerly known as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, has a twenty-five year history partnering with activists to produce hundreds of groundbreaking reports that expose discrimination and violence in both the public and private spheres globally. This December OutRight is sponsoring its 3rd annual UN Advocacy Week. During this time hundreds of international LGBTIQ activists come to New York for advocacy meetings with member states and agencies at the United Nations, including some governments that may not be receptive to human rights for LGBTIQ people at home. The week culminates on December 10th with OutSummit a one-day conference bringing together international and US-based activists for a day of panels and workshops on human rights relating to sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex issues that takes place at the City University of New York School of Law. They have created a special OUTTAKE VOICES discount code for our listeners. Just enter OutTakes into the promo code box and you can purchase a ticket for only $25 dollars as opposed to the normal price of $70.
For More Info: outsummit.org

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Dr. Lauren Costine Election Healing Advise

Dr. Lauren Costine a leading clinical psychologist, author, educator and activist whose practice focuses on LGBT affirmative psychotherapy talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about coping with the aftermath of the presidential election. Developed in the 1970’s, Lesbian and Gay-Affirmative Psychotherapy (Bisexuality and Transgender were added later) was created as homosexuality was removed from the DSM-II as a mental disorder in 1973. For the last ten years Dr. Costine has worked within the framework of an affirmative approach where she creates a safe, warm, and empathic environment that aims to heal the trauma of growing up LGBT in a heterosexist world. Studies show that growing up LGBT in a world that negates, devalues and demonizes our LGBT community is very traumatizing to the budding sense of self. In her practice, Lauren addresses and deconstructs any and all negative myths and messages about LGBT people that you were taught. Her passion is to debunk these damaging lies so that we can begin to feel an authentic sense of self-love, confidence, empowerment and joy. She has proven this form of psychotherapy works. Now with a pending Trump administration, we have experienced the traumatizing effects over the last week of the prospect of losing hard fought rights for women, people of color, our LGBT community and beyond. We talked to Dr. Lauren Costine about how we need to address our shock, disappointment, grief and anger as we more forward to continue our fight for full equality.

When asked what advise she can offer our community dealing with the aftermath of the election Dr. Costine stated, “Upon review of the most recent fight for the White House it is obvious that our patriarchal-oriented world is still out of balance, in part due to the split between masculine and feminine values in which the masculine is deemed untouchable while the feminine is demonized. When people in a place of unearned privilege, white, heterosexual, cisgender, demonize the feminine, consciously or unconsciously, hate and aggression, misogyny, racism, heterosexism, LGBTQ phobias, oppression and inequality flourish. Learning how to deal with painful feelings so they can morph into something beyond our initial understanding heals our wounds so that we can move onto the next right action. If you are grieving, give yourself the space to grieve. Grief is a process that runs its course if it is given the chance. If you are angry, stay with it without taking it out on others; it will shift and change into something else sooner than you think. If you are sad, don't run from it; it will also dissipate if you give it room to be. These mindfulness practices will heal those painful states so that you can then channel your energy in ways that feel good to you so that we can move onto the next right action.”

Dr. Lauren Costine received her MA in Psychology at Antioch University Los Angeles in 2001 and her PhD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in 2007. Her focus is on addiction and codependence issues, co-occurring disorders, depth psychology, LGBT-affirmative psychotherapy, lesbian-centered psychotherapy, psychodynamic and family systems modalities. She works with both individuals and couples. Her office is located in Beverly Hills, California.
For More Info: drlaurencostine.com

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Cuba’s LGBT Revolution On HBO

Director and fierce LGBT ally Jon Alpert talks about his new HBO documentary “Mariela Castro’s March: Cuba’s LGBT Revolution” with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ which follows the crusade of Mariela Castro, Raul Castro’s daughter and Fidel Castro’s niece, to establish LGBT equality in Cuba. This must-see documentary also examines the cultural and institutional homophobia that gay men faced throughout much of the Cuban Revolution when they were often put into work camps. Mariela Castro is the director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education in Havana and a fierce activist for LGBT rights in Cuba. The documentary chronicles her travels across the country bringing her message of diversity to a new more progressive Cuba. The film introduces a variety of gay, lesbian and transgender Cubans who tell their moving stories in the weeks leading up to a celebratory Gala Against Homophobia and Transphobia. We talked to Jon about what inspired him to take on this crucial fight and what he hopes to accomplish with “Mariela Castro’s March: Cuba’s LGBT Revolution” as well as his spin on our LGBT issues.

In the USA LGBTQ teens are still four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers after facing bullying incidents. When asked what advise he has for these kids Alpert stated, “I’d like to point out that one of the reasons why Mariela Castro began her involvement in the LGBT rights movement in Cuba was because a number of her friends committed suicide. Their parents had basically told these kids that they’d rather have a dead son than a gay son and it was very personal to Mariela at that point and is one of the reasons why she undertook the campaign she’s working on. We see these difficulties every day here in New York City. We do a lot of work with high school kids. We have 200 high school kids in a program that teaches them filmmaking skills and helps them tell their stories. In many cases it’s kids that are dealing with difficulties in their own families, difficulties with acceptance in schools and community and when we put cameras in their hands and give them the power to tell their own stories it makes them stronger, makes them resilient, helps educate people, so we’re dealing every single day in New York City and we’re using filmmaking to empower people and make their lives better.”

Jon Alpert has produced and directed dozens of acclaimed documentaries winning 16 Emmy Awards. Over a hundred of his reports and documentaries from across the United States and around the world have been broadcast on HBO, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, ESPN, Canadian and Japanese networks. Alpert is the Co-Founder/Co-Executive Director of the Downtown Community Television Center (DCTV), the oldest and most honored non-profit community media arts center in the country that’s located in a landmark Tribeca firehouse in New York City. “Mariela Castro’s March: Cuba’s LGBT Revolution” was directed and produced by Alpert with producer Saul Landau, associate producer Rosalino Ramos, Cuban producer and additional camera Roberto Chile, editor David Meneses and consulting producer Matthew O’Neill. For HBO senior producer Sara Bernstein and executive producer Sheila Nevins. “Mariela Castro’s March: Cuba’s LGBT Revolution” premiers on HBO on Monday November 28th at 9P.
For More Info: docnyc.net

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Before I Do: A Legal Guide to Marriage

Attorney Elizabeth Schwartz talks about her best-selling new book “Before I Do: A Legal Guide to Marriage, Gay and Otherwise” published by The New Press with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. In this must-read book leading gay and lesbian rights attorney Elizabeth Schwartz spells out the range of practical considerations couples should address before tying the knot. She explores the fundamental rights marriage provides and those it does not. With cameos from some of the most prominent LGBT professionals, Schwartz explains all of the implications of marriage from name changes and getting a license to taxes, insurance, Social Security and more. There are also substantial chapters on estate planning, pre-and post-nuptial agreements and organizing finances making “Before I Do” relevant for all couples, young and older and a crucial handbook for anyone considering marriage because as this book maps out, just because you can get married does not mean you should. We talked to Elizabeth about her inspiration for writing “Before I Do: A Legal Guide to Marriage, Gay and Otherwise” and her spin on our LGBT issues.

With the presidential election just days away, when asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Schwartz stated, “Right now I’m really focused on this election. I’m really focused on the ways which electing a Democratic president and taking back the Congress, the ways in which that is extremely important on so many levels for the LGBT community, for broader progressive values, for the communities with whom we stand in solidarity. There are so many important aspects to this election up and down the ballot, but certainly as an attorney and activist in the LGBT legal community, I’m extremely focused on our Supreme Court. The statistics show that the next president is likely to appoint up to three Supreme Court Justices just sort of based on the math. Certainly we know we have one vacancy and it’s likely that there will be another two in the next four or eight years. So I say to folks who aren’t sure, or who may not be in love with Hillary, or who think she’s got it on lock and are not worried, or they were Bernie people or they are just not so sure, I say to please just think about the Supreme Court because that is so incredibly important. So yes, four years or eight years are going to go by in a heartbeat but of course the Supreme Court, they’re appointed for life and that’s a long, long time.”

Elizabeth Schwartz has been practicing law since 1997 and is a nationally recognized advocate for the legal rights for our LGBT community. Elizabeth also serves as co-chair of the national board of SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders). She is a member of the National Family Law Advisory Council of NCLR and has served as pro bono counsel in several cases that helped overturn Florida's bigoted 1977 ban forbidding gays and lesbians from adopting children. Elizabeth received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993 and her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Miami in 1997. Elizabeth lives in Miami Florida with her wife writer Lydia Martin.
For More Info: elizabethschwartz.com
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“Ava - The Lucky Girl With Two Dads”

Storyteller Sandro Isaack talks about his new Kickstarter animation project “Ava - The Lucky Girl With Two Dads”, the sequel to his book “Stork M.I.A.” that was published in 2010 with n this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. The book tells the story of two dads who get tired of waiting for the stork to bring them a baby. Instead, they decide to find the stork taking them on an adventure around the world which results in gracing them with a beautiful little girl Ava. Now it’s six years later and we have Ava, this fun, smart, determined little girl deciding that she's going to be the first woman president of The United States of America or likely second or third, depending on how history writes itself in the next few weeks, but first she has to figure out how to become president of her second grade class. As innocent as this project appears it’s important for our LGBT community to support Sandro’s project because too many children of same gender couples as well as heterosexual couples are watching cartoons that do not reflect our evolved society. It’s time to introduce kids to a cartoon that features same gender couples and their kids as a regular part of life. We talked to Sandro about his inspiration for “Ava - The Lucky Girl With Two Dads” and his spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights and what he would you like to see happen for LGBT equality in the next few years Isaack stated, “It’s the same I have for all civil rights. I want everyone to have opportunities in life and be treated with respect and I think it needs to start as early in life as childhood and that’s where I come in. Most children live a huge chunk of their lives in their imagination. That’s where I want to help by showing we all belong and we can be anything we want to be. That’s why I’m creating a cartoon that features same gender parents and their kids as a natural part of life, not as something special or different and I also want kids to know and understand that they can be anything they want to be especially little girls. The possibilities are endless.

Definitely I would love to see things to be simpler for people to understand that two people that love each other and want to build a family together are a threat to no one; that people being who they are, are a much smaller danger than the violence just trying to control the lives of others and that people understand that The Bible is a book of tales, not a moral manual. It would also be great if separation between church and state became a real thing and not just an idea.”

 Sandro Isaack is a storyteller who started as an actor and can be currently seen in Amazon Studios' Golden Globe winner series, “Mozart in the Jungle” playing Pavel. He's also the author/illustrator of the children's book “Stork M.I.A.” published in 2010.Sandro’s Kickstarter campaign for his animation series “Ava - The Lucky Girl With Two Dads” will only be funded if at least $58,000 is pledged by Friday December 2nd 2016.
For More Info: kickstarter.com
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Singer Brandon Stansell EP "Slow Down"

Country artist Brandon Stansell about his new EP and music video “Slow Down” with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. Stansell brings a fresh face to the country music scene and there’s more that meets the eye with this crooner with Nashville roots breaking into the epicenter of his "California Country" sound. He is also navigating the path of an openly gay country artist. Though Brandon’s not the first to chart these waters, he is one of few people in the industry willing to lay everything out for the listener and the result is an honest, beautiful musical experience. “Slow Down” co-written with Mylen, was produced by Nashville-based producer, writer and guitarist Erik Halbig. Stansell met Erik a few years ago through mutual friend Ty Herndon who is also featured on the track. Director Trent Atkinson once again joined his team directing the “Slow Down” music video building on the cinematic scope after their first collaborative work “Dear John” which was released in early 2016. We talked to Brandon about his inspiration for “Slow Down” and his spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights and what he would like to see happen for LGBT equality in the next few years Stansell stated, “I think that really the first step for anyone is just being honest and being genuine to who you are. For me that is I write and sing country music so I think it is my responsibility to be genuinein the music I put out there and how I portray myself. I think it’s really important that you see me with someone that I would be with and that is a man. If it’s a song about heartbreak or breakup or anything that we country people like to write about the visual is genuine to the artist. I think that is the first step for anyone.

Well I think over the past few years we’ve made great strides thanks to people better than I and I am so thankful and grateful for that and benefit from those things. I think we still have a long way to go and I would love to figure out my part to help in that. One of the things that I think about is the fact that we still have states including my home state where people just like me can be fired from their jobs just for loving the people they love and I think that is grossly unfair and un-American and not right and something I would love to see changed. I came out as a 22 year old man and at the time was working at a job where I didn’t know how my boss felt about me being gay. They didn’t know and I really relied on my paycheck like most people do. I don’t think that anyone should have to go through fear of coming out to their boss for fear that they are going to lose their jobs. It is a horrible feeling and experience and something I personally had to go through and something I just want to shield others from ever having to experience. So I would love to see that pushed forward and make this something that people in the LGBT community don’t have to worry about anymore”

Brandon Stansell grew up in Tennessee about an hour away from Nashville. He spent five years living in Nashville before moving to New York and then eventually landing in Los Angeles California where he is based. “Slow Down” is available for purchase via iTunes. 
For More Info: brandonstansell.com
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New Gay Play “5 Guys Chillin”

UK writer-director Peter Darney talks about his award winning play “5 Guys Chillin” with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ that opened September 27th for fourteen performances through October 9th at the SoHo Playhouse in NYC. Darney script was born from more than 50 hours of interviews with guys contacted through apps like Grindr about their experience with the toxic exploration of meth driven gay sex parties. From surgeons to students this is an original look into a drug-fuelled, hedonistic, highly secret world of Chem-Sex, Grindr and instant gratification. The resulting play comes with unexpected humorous perspectives as well as brutally hard-hitting moments. The play also tackles crucial issues like HIV status, STDs and the less glamorous side of this recreation activity that may seem foreign to some but for others this kind of party will be painfully familiar. “5 Guys Chillin” is winner of the Brighton Fringe Award for best LGBTQ theatre 2016, winner of the Doric Wilson Intercultural Dialogue Award at the Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival and winner of Boyz Scene Award for best London play. We talk to Peter about his inspiration for “5 Guys Chillin” and his spin on our LGBT issues.

Being from the United Kingdom when asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights and what he would like to see happen for LGBT equality in his country Darney stated, “I’d say that my commitment is more to fighting discrimination of any kind. Through my art, through my theatre I shine a light on untold stories to make people think about things, to make people get out of their own box, get out of their own comfortable norm and think about other people. So I’d say it’s more about that than specifically targets towards LGBT civil rights for me although obviously I have worked on a lot of plays that are trying to push those rights forward but inequality in general and ignorance in general is what I try to fight.

(In the UK) I would like to see people able and this is starting already in some cases, people able to come out at a very early age. I would like to see people not have to go through school denying their sexuality. I would like there to be open dialogue and education within our school system and our community group so that young people do not have to grow up holding a secret that makes them feel bad and guilty and ashamed and different and don’t have to form a lie behind every relationship that they have through this secret as they grow up because I think ultimately that is what we need in order to be able to achieve a better or happier level of intimacy as adults.”

 Peter Darney was trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. His credits include: Signal Failure (Soho Playhouse-Off Broadway 6 week run). Kindness- BBC Radio 4 (Pick of the week- the Independent), Frank Sent Me (Soho Theatre/ The Underbelly/ Theatre 503), Githa (St James Theatre, W/E and York Theatre Royal), Pinocchio (Sutton Theatres), Tom’s Midnight Garden (Orchard Dean: open air production), 6 Degree’s (Soho Theatre: Main House, Edward II (The Rose Theatre), Mysterious Skin (Gilded Balloon, The Drill Hall, Teacher’s Club, Dublin), Arden of Faversham (The Rose Theatre) and Beautiful Thing (BAC). Peter is also a recipient of the prestigious BBC Carlton Hob’s Award.
For More Info & Tix…
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