New music is sometimes the hardest to get ahold of, especially when looking for something that isn’t generic and on the radio. Alpine (Twitter, Facebook), an alternative band from Australia, is set to debut their first album tomorrow, May 21, on Votiv. Set to be on showcase with the Spanish rockers Crystal Fighters this coming summer, the band has recently been named iTunes’ Australian Alternative Album of the Year and will be making their rounds on United States soil.

Their debut album, called A is for Alpine, is full of contemporary pop and airy arrangements. The latest single from their album, “Gasoline,” is full of smooth melodies and a steady beat that allows for easy listening and a calming influence. The band’s music ranges from upbeat styles to more fluid and slow timings that convey the emotions behind the songs. The harmonious play of voices and instruments catches the ear like nothing else and Alpine comes to the top with their engaging music videos, the latest being based on their single “Seeing Red” from the same album. It sees the group rocketed into space and uses visuals to enhance upon their already engaging melodies.

With their new sound and light, upbeat tracks, Alpine is sure to be a treat to any listener and a good addition to any alternative collection. Overall, the album is quite the new experience and great for those looking for a fresh sound coming from their speakers.  If you’d like to hear or read more from Alpine, please visit their Facebook page.

The post “A Is For Alpine” New Music With A Twist appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Free hugs were offered by people of the gay community in Times Square earlier this afternoon.  This was a peaceful rally in Times Square started by Frostie Flakes (Miss Stonewall 2013) against recent hate crimes in NYC as recently as early Saturday morning against Mark Carson.

The post Free Hugs In Times Square: Love Against Hate Crimes in NYC appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

The post NYC Candlelight Vigil for Mark Carson, Hate Crime Victim in Greenwich Village appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Photos from contributing Out Impact photographer Chiu K. Ng

Imagine being called a faggot while you and your boyfriend/girlfriend were just walking down the street in New York City. Imagine trying to have a typical morning with your significant other, and being viciously attacked for one reason and one reason only: you are gay. These anti-gay attacks are what sparked an anti-hate crime rally Thursday, May 16.

“This is how I go to work…I will not live in fear,” Miss Stonewall 2013 drag performer Frostie Flakes held up her poster in full drag.

“Take Back the Night” was hosted outside of Madison Square Garden, and its original intention was to have a nonviolent protest to the recent hate crime attacks happening right outside of Madison Square Garden.

“Faggot is a punch. Dyke is hitting someone,” Eugene Lovendusky, Queer Rising (Facebook, Twitter) co-founder, said. The first blow of gay hate crimes start with the
verbal assaults, then it can turn violent.

There is the common interpretation of New York City because it is thought of as one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Specifically, for members of the gay community, it’s becoming frightening to walk the streets at any time and in any place.

Some are not willing to be afraid, and peacefully protest against the crimes that have been happening.

According to John Fredrick, an activist not associated with Queer Rising, “these bias attacks are disheartening, and infuriating.”

These attacks are not just happening in New York City, but people wonder about how long these have been going on for.

With the rally close to many hearts, some of the audience members still understand why a peaceful protest is the best route to go: “It’s nice to know that people still care and that they are willing to do this,” Meaghan Alexander, a sophomore at Pace University said.

Even though there was so much love at this rally, a few people tried to disturb that peace and love. A guy stormed through behind the rally, screaming obscenities at the people protesting.

“When you see me in the streets, scream like a queen,” Cathy Marino-Thomas, Board President of   Marriage Equality USA (Facebook, Twitter), said in her speech.

Though this rally provided more gay hate crime awareness, according to the New York Anti-Violence Project, there has been a 13% increase of violence. This is been the third year in a row that the increase has been present although the national rate is down.

“I am here to say that people respond to violence in their own special way. They can turn to the political sphere and work in the political system, or some people take self-defense classes, and fight back,” Lovendusky said.

Depending on the person being attacked, they have the option to fight back. One thing positive coming from these horrendous crimes was the amount of different people coming together. Not only did the LGBTQ community come out, but a lot of allies and supporters came from different ages and backgrounds.

The common theme throughout the whole rally was that “you are worth defending.” Raven Koch from the Center for Anti-Violence Education (Facebook) wanted to give the audience that instead of teaching them how to throw a punch.

The peaceful protest was held on the same night as a New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers NBA Playoffs game. A couple of the posters talked about Jason Collins, the NBA player that recently came out of the closet. Collins was mentioned in a few of the posters, and some of the speeches: “Would you hit Jason Collins for being gay?”

So, where did all this hatred come from? According to Fredrick, this hatred is promoted via people on the Internet, but he said, “We can do a better job, but we aren’t educating enough.”

In addition to speeches, information was also being distributed including safety tips, and information on why the rally was happening for those who weren’t aware of the recent attacks.

“It’s pretty ridiculous to me that in 2013 I have to stand here and fight for my right to be safe,” Flakes said. She refuses to be afraid taking the subway to work because she is just like everybody else.

Would informational peaceful anti-hate rallies like this influence positive change or will hate crimes continue?

“I think the government should pay more attention to it. It’d be nice if the government would follow through with attacks that should be called a hate crime,” Ashley Marrero, a 24 year old film student, said. To her, time will only tell if things will get better for her LGBTQ friends.

If you know someone who was attacked in any way and they can call the New York Anti-Violence Project (Facebook, Twitter) at (212)714-1141. It’s a 24-hour bilingual hotline and they serve New York’s Lesbian, Gay, BiSexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-affected Communities.

The post Refusing to run back to the closet: Take Back the Night, an Anti-Hate Crime Rally in New York City appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

We all have those habits we’d love to kick and routines we’d like to pick up. Some people want to quit smoking, biting their nails, or eating 1000 calories worth of junk food before bed (Ok, maybe that last problem just applies to me). Some people want to work out each morning, floss nightly, or read for an hour everyday. With the technology and applications that we have access to regularly, wouldn’t you think that there would be something to get us on the right track to these goals?

Enter, 21habit! (Twitter, Facebook) 21habit is an organization founded by Himanshu Khurana, Pranav Goel, and Ian McAllister, dedicated to help its users achieve a desired lifestyle in twenty-one days, while also presenting the opportunity to give back to charity!

Here’s how it works: first, you must decide to make a change, a big step for anyone. When I signed up, I decided I wanted to workout daily to help me lose the freshman, sophomore, and senior fifteen pounds. It is up to the subscriber to decide what they want to focus on; the options are infinite!  

Next, you must sign up at the website. This only requires you to simply enter your name, e-mail, and desired password. Once you are subscribed, you decide which “mode” you would like to use. There is the “Free Mode,” and also, the “Committed Mode.” Now I know what you’re thinking…I don’t like commitments. But isn’t a little financial kick in the butt to motivate you to make a change what you need?

In committed mode, users pledge $21 to their challenge. Each day, users visit the website and click “Success” or “Fail.” Every day you succeed, you get a dollar back; however, if you fail, a dollar goes to support one of their offered charities.  Users will also receive a daily e-mail, reminding them to log their success.

Now, being a recent college graduate, facing frequent (and sometimes surprise) overdrafts and student loans, I was very tempted to choose the free mode too. However, I decided it was just the incentive – more of the driving force - I needed to complete the task. Even if you do fail, the daily money is generously going to an incredible charity. Consider it a win-win. The charities offered to chose from are the American Red Cross, Amnesty International, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, charity: water, Habitat for Humanity, Pat Tillman Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Team in Training, and United Way.

Now for the big question on most people’s mind: Can’t you just cheat and say that you succeeded for the day? The answer is, yes, you can cheat, but whom are you really cheating? There are no 21habit police watching you to make sure you do not sneak that bag of popcorn at night while watching “The Voice” before bed. 21habit is meant for YOU to achieve YOUR own goals. Cheating will only affect you from achieving the goals you set for yourself.

If at any point of the challenge you feel as if you are overwhelmed, or not in the right place to complete this goal, you can stop at anytime! The same goes if you feel as if that the goal you are focusing on now, isn’t truly what you need to focus on and need to switch goals, you can! Even if you are on committed mode, there will be no penalties. All you have to do is go to settings and withdraw your remaining funds (you cannot get your money back for the days you failed, as that money has been generously donated!).

The longer you wait, the more intense the habits become. So, why not use this opportunity to end those unwanted habits and fill your life with improved mental and physical health? It is never too late to achieve the way of life you’ve dreamed of. 21habit will be right by your side as you pave your path to happiness. Take the five minutes out of your day to visit 21habit.com and set up your account. Hopefully, you will have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The post Make A Change, Invest In Yourself with 21habit appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

The post We Happy Trans’ Jen Richards: ‘We have to address the divisions in our community’ appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

New Delhi-born chef Suvir Saran (Twitter) has nurtured a lifelong passion for the traditional flavors of Indian cooking to become an accomplished chef, cookbook author, and organic farmer. As Executive Chef of Dévi, Saran shared the authentic flavors of Indian home cooking in an inviting restaurant in the heart of New York City. Under Saran’s leadership, Devi consistently received popular and critical acclaim, earning three stars from New York magazine, two stars from the New York Times, and the first Michelin star ever awarded to a U.S. Indian restaurant. Saran serves as Chairman of Asian Culinary Studies for The Culinary Institute of America and has participated in culinary festivals around the world. When not on the road, Saran joins his partner, Charlie Burd, in caring for American Masala Farm, a nineteenth-century farm in upstate New York, home to their heritage-breed animals and pets. You may also have seen him on season 3 of Top Chef Masters on Bravo TV.

Out Impact: You were born in New Delhi, India. How was it growing up there?

Suvir Saran: Looking back at my upbringing in New Delhi in my grandmother’s and parents’ home, I feel I could not have been luckier. They gave their children an amazing life; we were rich in every sense of the word. There was nothing left for want and no shortage of opportunities. Our home could be called a bastion of free thought, independent inquiry, and diversity at is brightest. All thoughts, people, issues, and mindsets were indulged, celebrated, protected, and debated. This is not to say all of India was so lucky, but our household and the homes of those near us were this way. We were also sent to a school where we got an amazing education, with equal weight given to both in-classroom and extra-curricular activities. As spiritual as India is, science is science there, and the rest is never muddled into it. It was this deep-rooted sense of the separation of church and state in our education and lives that I feel kept us (at least in our home and immediate circles) really strong as people and also taught us a wonderful plurality of thought, action, and deed from a young age.

OI: What brought you to the states and when did you move here?

SS: I moved to the United States in 1993 at age 20 to further my education in the visual arts. I was studying Graphic Design in Mumbai, India after graduating from high school in Delhi. A chance meeting with a visiting curator from the U.S. got me thinking about studying visual arts in New York City. Both the chance to study at the School of Visual Arts and a desire to discover NYC got me excited about this change and to move so far away from home.

OI: What inspired you to become a chef?

SS: After arriving in NYC and making it home, I found myself always craving the foods, dinner table conversations, and the brimming energy of the Indian homes during daily parties. After school and a day of work, I would find myself at the stove cooking for my roommate and anyone interested in joining us for a humble, simple, home-cooked meal. These were modest meals, cooked with amateur effort and incomparable love. I had no idea that my efforts would someday turn my career into something quite removed from the visual arts. People would arrive at my table hungry for food, conversations, and intellectual debates. I would also cook at friends’ homes. Word got around about this fearless kid cooking for anywhere from two to two hundred people. Soon people started requesting that I come help them cook for special occasions and parties. This led to a few requests for catering gigs, then in turn to requests for me to teach classes on Indian cuisine, eventually leading to suggestions from people that I open my own restaurant. The rest is history.

OI: What does your cooking style revolve around?

SS: My cooking, like my life, marries the two worlds that inform my every action – India and America. I find inspiration in the magical world of spices, aromatics, herbs, and sensibilities of India. My life in America makes me deeply aware of the busy lives we lead and the constant angst we feel about how to bring real beauty to our lives in a society where every minute has a dollar value and every choice matters. Together these create in me a desire to cook with both a respect for tradition and an endless search to streamline older recipes and make them doable for everyday cooking in the modern home. For me, flavor matters most. I am greedy for delicious flavors and tastes and feel that once you can seduce people with the strength of honest and deep flavors, you can open their hearts, minds, and palates to entertain new ways of eating and living. My cooking and entertaining style is as much about ease of living as it is about leaving others with memories that are both special and mind changing.

OI: What was it like cooking with Martha Stewart?

SS: Every time I have worked by Martha Stewart’s side or been on her show, I have seen the face of professionalism, talent, and vision. She is exemplary in her manner, her skill set, and her brilliance. She is a treat to watch, work with, learn from, and get to know. Her success is not a fluke. That she has been so successful only showcases how formidable her personality and personal strengths are. That she has achieved as much as she has in an industry still ridden with macho prejudice is astounding. I am forever in awe of her and she is my hero in the world of lifestyle and food. I wish more people could watch her in action and learn from her. She has something to teach to even the most perfect amongst us.

OI: How was your experience with Top Chef Masters?

SS: Top Chef Masters was a challenge unlike any I have had in my life. I have never been competitive (which was detrimental to winning); both my agent and my life-partner warned me that I shouldn’t go on the show with the intent to win, but to enjoy being with my peers and to bring my charity onto national television. What I learned from the show was that my core values were stronger than I knew and my talents deeper than I could have imagined. Overall, the experience was wonderful. Bravo and its team gave us amazing challenges that kept us all on our toes and also made us think about what we could do to leave a legacy long after our own years on the planet are over.

OI: Tell us about the challenge you were sent home for.

SS: I call myself the Biggest Loser of the Biggest Loser Challenge. This challenge could not have been more relevant and timely, as we are a nation in the grips of a horrific obesity pandemic. In the end I believe the judges failed America. They sent me home for not giving my contestant from The Biggest Loser a smaller portion of a bacon cheeseburger and without bothering to educate themselves, the other chefs, or the country at large about how no two calories are the same. I was burdened with being the only chef on the show who had worked extensively in the arena of health and wellness and had knowledge about calorie intake. My knowledge ended up being my demise on the show.

OI: So what do you really think of red meat?

SS: Red meat and I have a strange friendship. I grew up in a strictly vegetarian (ovo-lacto-vegetarian – we ate eggs, dairy, and vegetables) home. I lived my first 35 years on this planet happily vegetarian. However, in the last five years I have tasted almost every kind of meat and enjoyed many amazing preparations of meat cooked by some incredible chefs and home cooks. With that said, meat is nothing I crave or choose to eat daily. I have an amazing repertoire to choose from that makes plant-based cooking sexy and satiating. There are endless plant-based dishes to choose from. I also know my own body and health are good indicators of the damage done to our bodies from eating meat. There are many studies that prove the point I was making on Top Chef Masters about the relationship between bad heart-health and red meat. My words from the show are being echoed almost everywhere today where mindful living and eating are discussed. Red meat is not the enemy per se, it is our overindulgence and endless use of it in daily eating and living that give it such a bad name.

OI: What are the benefits of vegan or vegetarian diets?

SS: I think of a plant-based diet as a lifestyle. It is a mindful way of living and a holistically sound way of existing in a world shared with millions of others. Mindfulness is nothing short of religiousness. If you can learn to be mindful, you can almost say you have achieved whatever goals any religion might ask of its followers. Respect for self and other. Respect for the earth. Respect for the future of the world. The carbon footprint we each leave behind as we eat a mostly plant-based diet is reduced greatly. And a plant-based diet is rich in nutrients, fiber, and other healthy ingredients that make our bodies and our minds function at a better pace. But mindfulness is nothing one can learn overnight. It is a way of being, thinking, cohabiting, and existing.

OI: Why do you think some people have an aversion to other sources of nutrition outside of meat?

SS: It is easy to fill tummies with a big hunk of meat. With vegetables and plant-based ingredients, one has to work a little more to bring that same kind of fullness and satiety. It is not just cut, cook, and serve. I think the idea that people have an aversion to a plant-based diet is a myth. What people have an aversion to is bland, overcooked, and badly prepared foods. Most of the vegetables that we find across America are prepared this way. It is easy to understand why many have no interest in eating vegetables, legumes, grains, and other plant-based ingredients. If more people here were offered, from a young age, wonderfully prepared plant-based dishes from the Mediterranean and from North Africa, Asia, and South America, I think you’d have more people hankering to try new ingredients, dishes, and flavors.

Of course, the amount of money spent on marketing a purely animal-protein diet is staggering; marketing is designed to make you think, how could I risk not putting meat on the table without feeling inadequate as a host? In other cultures, cooking great vegetarian food is the ultimate test of a great cook. Too often in America, offering huge cuts and diverse assortments of meats is taken as a sign of masterful talent in the kitchen. We have completely reversed how people should think. The poor in most of the world die of hunger or malnutrition. Our poor are fat and challenged by heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Marketing efforts by the meat, dairy, and poultry industries, paired with the challenging life of two working parents, creates a recipe for disaster that does not make it easy for the working class to put a richly diverse and varied array of food on the table. The healthy aversion to meat that the rest of the world enjoys is not a reality in America because we have no time to indulge ourselves with tasty food that is also good for you.

OI: A vegetarian or vegan diet typically lacks in protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin B-12 (what you typically get from meat, fish, eggs and dairy) and some may say flavor. Could you provide a vegetarian recipe that is rich in all of these?

SS: Meat is not rich in all that a body needs, and similarly, vegetables are not rich in everything one needs. I believe in a varied assortment of foods that gives you everything your body needs. For vegetarians or vegans I suggest the following foods that are consistent with a vegan diet (since vegetarians often consume eggs and dairy) and which contribute protein and B-12:

Protein – tofu, nuts, nut butters, seeds, beans, soy products, higher protein pasta (like Barilla Plus)

Iron – leeks, kale, spinach, beet greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens

Zinc – cashews, chickpeas, almonds, kidney beans

Calcium – soy milk, collard greens, spinach, turnip greens, black/kidney/cannellini beans, tofu

Vitamin B-12 - Plant foods do not contain vitamin B-12. Vegans need to add fortified foods or supplements to get Vitamin B-12. I suggest vitamin B-12 fortified soy milk, vitamin B-12 fortified meat analogues (food made from wheat gluten or soybeans that resemble chicken, fish, or meat), or vitamin supplements

OI: This is from an article I read entitled “Queers in the Kitchen” in The Advocate: “…the culinary industry is male-dominated, but according to gay and lesbian chefs, the macho environment has little tolerance for anything feminine — whether that be a woman or a gay man whom workers view as effeminate.” Do you think being openly gay has affected your career?

SS: I am lucky that I got into the industry by happenstance rather than by working my way to the top. I would be cheating others by suggesting I have ever known what it means to have worked in the industry. I have always been at the very top of the pecking order. I never really found myself exposed to the tough work environment that our industry poses to women and gay men. In my kitchens, I have led by example, and it is my hope that in the end, no one faces any intolerance. I preach tolerance. This means acceptance of the most radical issues. I feel if one wants acceptance one must also offer it to others. I can see how the industry is rather macho and therefore falsely bigoted. But really, I see bullies as people who are most uncomfortable in their own skin and in the end make a statement about their own misery and lack of confidence as they try to shove that on another person. Being gay is nothing that I look at as either a hindrance or a road to greater success. It is just who I am. Certainly some people might have taken their business away from me and in the same vein many have brought it my way because of my sexual orientation. My being gay has afforded me opportunities many other chefs may never have seen. The best thing that has happened to me has been the press I have gotten as a gay chef and how I have been able to be a role model to younger gay men and women who want a positive story to embrace and have as a stepping stone for their own lives. That makes me sleep happily each night.

OI: Please tell us about your work with the Agriculture Stewardship Association.

SS: ASA is a community-supported land trust that is working hard to ensure that farmland in our area is preserved, maintained, and kept viable for future generations. Anyone who enjoys life as we know it today should work hard to ensure future generations can also savor the world with the same magic. Charlie and I work with Team ASA in different ways, from being part of the jury that comes together, to creating an annual for-profit art sale, to hosting a gathering at the farm, or to whatever other way we can help.

OI: What other causes are you passionate about?

SS: Education, community gardens, art education, science education, ending hunger, school lunch programs, museums, adult literacy programs, Head-Start, WIC, and AIDS organizations are some of many that find our dollars, sweat, and passion.

OI: What’s next for you that you’d like to share with our readers?

SS: I’m getting ready to open a restaurant in San Francisco this fall/winter. I am excited to bring the honest, vibrant, fresh, haunting, light, rich, and bright flavors of India to the West Coast and indulge new hearts, minds, and souls with the brilliance that makes the varied cuisines of India some of the finest in the world.

The post Suvir Saran: Opening Hearts, Minds and Palates To Entertain New Ways of Eating and Living appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Rhode Island has just become the tenth state to legalize gay marriage, and more are expected to follow. In this exciting time in history, one company is leading the way in gay wedding planning. Bernadette Coveney Smith is the creator and president of 14 Stories (Facebook, Twitter), the first wedding planning firm to specialize in gay and lesbian weddings in the country. Bernadette is the nation’s leading expert on gay wedding planning. I got to talk with Bernadette and she explained more about her groundbreaking company.

OI: 14 Stories was the first firm in the country to specialize in planning legal gay and lesbian weddings. What inspired you to start a gay wedding planning firm?

Bernade Coveneney Smith: I was inspired to start 14 Stories when Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. I saw hundreds of same-sex couples fighting for their rights to legally marry and was committed to being an advocate for them as they navigated the very traditional wedding industry.

OI: What is the significance of the name 14 Stories?

BCS: The number 14 has a powerful legacy in marriage’s civil rights history. The U.S. Constitution’s 14^th amendment worked toward dismantling institutionalized segregation and ending the ban on interracial marriage. The historic Massachusetts court case that first led same-sex marriage to be legalized in the U.S. had 14 plaintiffs as well.

OI: In states where gay marriage is not legal, couples may desire commitment ceremonies. Would you consider extending your services to include commitment ceremonies?

BCS: We will plan commitment ceremonies/celebrations back home for couples who legally marry with us in a state where it’s legal. There is not enough demand for us to plan commitment ceremonies and advertise in all the places where it is not.

OI: What sort of services do you provide for marrying couples?

BCS: Our company provides comprehensive planning services for couples who are starting from scratch and looking for a complete, cohesive planning and design experience. We also provide elopement packages for couples who want to travel into Massachusetts or New York to legally marry with a small group of people. Those packages include photography, cake, flowers, an officiant and help with the marriage license (among other things).

OI: As gay marriage has become legal in more and more states, have you expanded to provide services in those states as well?

BCS: If couples ask us to plan somewhere else, we’re happy to go wherever we are invited, in the U.S. or around the world. However, we have no plans to open satellite offices in other states.

OI: How do you handle planning weddings in different states?

BCS: It’s easy for us to go around New England, but for other states that are farther away, we simply make 3-4 big planning trips to meet a couple and work on the plans locally. Then we do most of the work by phone, email and Skype.

OI: Do you think your services have contributed to acceptance of gay marriage?

BCS: I very passionately believe that our services promote marriage equality. The reality is that most of our clients’ guests are straight. Our weddings allow our clients to be invited into the timeless rite of passage that is a legal marriage ceremony. That is a profound experience that seldom leaves dry eyes. Those guests go home and tell their neighbors, co-workers and friends, “I went to the best wedding last weekend, and it was a gay wedding.” That’s how the world changes… when we are seen as human, as equal. And a real, legal wedding is an amazing equalizer.

OI: Have you found planning gay weddings to be more challenging than planning straight weddings? What challenges are the same? What challenges are unique to gay weddings?

BCS: I’m used to gay weddings…it’s what I know – so I find them easier to plan than straight weddings. I usually don’t have to deal with obnoxious MOBs or wedding party dynamics for example. I usually don’t have to deal with a church ceremony. But on the other hand, I do have to handle things like family acceptance issues and the emotions that go along with that, creating a unique ceremony and so on.

OI: How do you deal with traditions like the bride walking down the aisle to the groom when there are two brides or two grooms?

BCS: With the processional, we often have the couple walk in together down one central aisle holding hands, thus avoiding the question, “who’s the bride?” and the associated gender roles. If we can work out the logistics in the venue, I strongly advise my clients to instead have two parallel aisles, process simultaneously and meet in the middle at the altar space. It’s up to the couple but those are our top two solutions to the gender role issue.

OI: What is the number one concern you get from LGBT couples?

BCS: The number one concern is the same as it would be with straight couples – how to have the kind of wedding I want with the budget I have.

OI: You teach other wedding planning firms how to understand the LGBT wedding market through your Gay Wedding Certification course. What does the course entail?

BCS: The Gay Wedding Institute certification course and workshops are very comprehensive. Topics include defining terms such as LGBT and understanding the Defense of Marriage Act. We also compare gay and straight weddings and dig into the similarities and differences. Finally, there’s a large component on marketing.

OI: “Fourteen” is a line of suits and tuxedos for lesbian, queer, and trans people. What inspired you to start this clothing line?

BCS: Fourteen (Facebook, Twitter) was inspired by the struggles of my female clients who couldn’t find an appropriate suit for their wedding without paying for a custom piece or shopping in the men’s department. It was something I struggled with as well. Fourteen is a ready to wear line, so it comes in sizes and in great styles for many of us in the community.

OI: 14 Stories is also involved with several charities like the Family Equality Council. Your website says you have a policy of donating to a charity on every full service client’s first anniversary. This is a very generous policy, how did you come up with it?

BCS: This policy of donating to charity on each full service client’s first anniversary has been in place since 2004. I’m not sure where the idea came from but giving back to our community has always been a priority. Family Equality Council (Twitter, Facebook) is my current top charity because Jen and I have a child and we want our family to be seen as equal to all other families.

OI: Do you have any advice to couples that want to get married, but live where gay marriage is not legal?

BCS: If you want to get legally married, then get married. Don’t let the laws stop you. 14 Stories can make it easy for you with one of our elopement packages for NYC or Boston. We work with many couples who travel in but have the big celebration back home.

Bernadette and her team have made hundreds of couples’ dreams come true with their incredible wedding planning. 14 Stories has locations in Boston and New York and they plan marriages all over the country. Explore their website, 14stories.com, or their Facebook page, Facebook.com/14stories, to see stunning pictures from weddings they have planned and to book your own!

The post 14 Stories & Bernadette Coveney Smith: Planning Gay Weddings From Start to Finish appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Held Saturday, May 4th at SIR Stage 37 in New York City, the “Fashion Loves Animals” benefit fashion show and cocktail party honored Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgart for her Vaute Couture work, an animal free line of clothing. She made history earlier this year with the first all-vegan fashion label at New York Fashion Week, which placed her on the news pages of places such as CNN with her cruelty free couture.

Launched in the summer of 2009, the goal of Hilgart’s first project, and what started the Vaute line, was wool free winter coats. She developed a new fabric, entirely vegan, and made from the latest in recyclable and recycled materials. The concept was a hit, preordered by the hundreds by people who would have to wait for the coats to go into production without seeing them or having them in hand first.

By the end of the sale dates, Hilgart had enough funds to start the Vaute line with the latest processes and machines.

Having been through New York’s famed Fashion Week and moving to New York to open up her own store, Hilgart was asked to give a repeat showcase and runway walk of her designs once more to benefit Farm Sanctuary (Facebook, Twitter). An organization that was founded in 1986 to combat the abuses of factory farming and encourage a new awareness and understanding about farm animals, Farm Sanctuary is committed to ending cruelty to farm animals and promoting compassionate vegan living through rescue, education, and advocacy efforts.

The night started with drinks and vegan hors d’oeuvres provided by Jay Astafa, before guests took their seats for the show. Emceed by Chloé Jo Davis of Girlie Girl Army, the vegan line showed off that there is no need or desire for animal products within the fashion world, leather and wool materials of the past as models strutted the various pieces down the catwalk.

To show that cohabitation of fashion, style, and animals, some of the models could be seen carrying dogs as they walked. These animals could be adopted from the New York Humane Society (Facebook, Twitter) after the show, promoting not only aware of animal skins in clothing but also that there are other ways in which someone can help furry friends. In this case, through adoption of local animals that need new homes.

Not only were the models in vegan clothes, however. The night’s lineup included various other vegan accessories from Love is Mighty, Brave Gentleman, and Matt & Nat.

Makeup was done by The Body Shop, so that not only were the showcased styles vegan but the entire show. The inspiration of the look was based around the anime character Sailor Moon, who is known for her ability to transform from an average school girl into a super-powered version of herself to save the day.

After the show, Farm Sanctuary’s President and Co-Founder Gene Baur spoke of the twenty-five years that the Sanctuary has taken farm animals from abusive businesses and brought them to their New York reserve. Hilgart even stood before the crowd and offered an account of her first introduction to and visit of the Farm Sanctuary in New York.

The benefit ended with an auction on fashion packages from the shows designers and even an exclusive in home meal made by Chef Astafa for the highest bidder’s family and friends. The theme of the show continued into the night with vegan desserts by famed author and pastry chef Fran Costigan, accompanied by music from Rosi Golan, whose songs have been featured on The Vampire Diaries, Grey’s Anatomy, In Plain Sight, Dollhouse, and Ghost Whisperer”

To see pictures from the live show, please visit Vaute Couture’s Facebook album: The VAUTE SHOW for the FARM SANCTUARY Gala,

To hear more from Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgart and Vaute Couture, follow them at their Twitter or via Facebook. Or you can follow her blog, On Our Sleeve, on her site.

The post Fashion Loves Animals benefit fashion show benefits Farm Sanctuary’s work appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

The post Major League American Sports: The Final Frontier appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.