“Wherever you go, there you are, so the story goes
Am I going to be happy where I go?  I don’t know
Will you still come with me even if I’m not? I surely hope so
But the doubts in me are weakening our link, sou yo [that's right]
But I swear to you, I’ll keep smiling if you stay with me,
if you stay with me”

This video is charting at #8 on LOGO’s The Click List.  We look forward to seeing and hearing more from this talented out singer/songwriter!

The post Video Spotlight: “I’ll Keep Smiling” – Joel Evan appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

On Saturday, February 21st, at 8P EST, our dear friend and Out Impact supporter Sirius OutQ’s and out comedian, Keith Price’s Ebony Chunky Love: Bitch can’t get a date! debuts on LOGO!  We have reviewed Ebony Chunky Love, and we highly endorse this film.  We aren’t the only one with mad love for Ebony Chunky Love, they have been getting a lot of festival coverage, including San Diego’s Black Film Festival recently awarded Ebony Chunky Love the best LGBT film this year.

Keith is the first out and African-American satellite radio personality, and in Ebony Chunky Love recounts his experiences growing up in Texas and his current dating life in New York. This candid documentary produced by our good friend and Out Impact supporter, Lonnie Tristan Renteria, combines Keith’s stand-up act along with interviews to offer a funny and intelligent commentary on issues of family dynamics, class, race, and body image in the gay community.

Ebony Chunky Love is being featured as part of Logo’s Real Momentum documentary series and was a recent hotlist pick in TV Guide!

We are proud of you Keith and Lonnie!  Don’t miss Ebony Chunky Love on LOGO, check your local listings and ask for LOGO in your area!  You can also hear Keith on Sirius OutQ’s Morning Jolt with Larry Flick on Sirius 109 and XM 98 every weekday morning from 7-11a EST!  We also are long-time supporters of Larry and Sirius OutQ!  It’s worth a subscription!

You can also purchase the Ebony Chunky Love DVD and help support Out Impact at the same time!

The post Sirius OutQ’s Keith Price’s Ebony Chunky Love on LOGO appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Queer On Their Feet, a outstanding comedy showcase featuring out comics Jennie McNulty, Jason Dudey and Diana Yanez, who have all been featured nationally on LOGO, are coming to North Carolina, starting on February 19th in Asheville, and concluding their North Carolina part of the tour in the Port City on February 22nd. Queer On Their Feet is refreshing and hilarious, that has each comic doing about 15 minutes of fabulous stand up, with a followup by all three comics together playing improv games onstage with suggestions from the audience. Every show is unique, fun, and totally hysterical. The Wilmington show is a fundraiser for the Frank Harr Memorial Fund at 6:00 PM at St. Jude’s MCC for $15.00.

We recently had a chance to have a fun and frisky roundtable chat with these three fabulous comedians about their upcoming visit:

BW: What does it mean for you to be apart of this tour, Queer On Their Feet?

Jenny McNulty: As someone who’s been touring for years doing comedy by myself, it’s really fun to be part of an ensemble and I LOVE doing the improv as well as the stand up so the tour is really, really, fun.

Jason Dudey: It’s awesome. Jennie came up with this idea a couple of years ago and it incorporates all that I love about comedy. We each get to do some stand up in the beginning and then we do the improv. The improv is fantastic, it brings the whole audience together. Everyone participates and no one knows what’s going to happen. I love bringing a new, different, exciting night out to the gay community. It really provides something different that just heading to the bars. We go there after the shows.

Diana Yanez: It’s a big deal to me to be with this group and on this tour. This is my art and to be in such good company is a bonus triumph. Taking it to the people – I treasure meeting our queer brothers & sisters across the U.S. but I also enjoy meeting our brothers & sisters that are not queer. On the road – & inevitably in our audiences – we always end up meeting a lot of our straight family. I’m a big believer that change is going to happen faster the more people get to know us. And by us I mean the whole GLBT disco ball. Every shiny facet. Everybody laughs, everybody loves, everybody wins.

BW: Jennie, I saw you’re into football – who was your pick for the Super Bowl? Are you surprised by the turnout?

JM: Pittsburgh. My parents are both from Pittsburgh so I grew up liking/following the Steelers. I’m from Detroit so the Lions are my team (I’m loyal if nothing else). But, as a Lion fan, you need a “realistic” team and the Steelers have always been my realistic team. I had some other Steeler fan friends over and we had a great time. Although, one of my friends brought over her new girlfriend who was cheering, and THE ONLY ONE cheering, for the Cardinals. Is it bad to hope they break up?  (smiles)

BW: Where is your favorite place to perform so far to date?

JM: Iraq and Afghanistan. I was honored to be able to perform there for the troops who were all so grateful we were there. They all come up and thank us for “taking their minds off of where they are.” It’s WE who should be thanking THEM. They are amazing people fighting for us over there, even if they don’t believe they should be there, they put their lives on the line for us everyday. It was an honor to be there for them. And pretty exciting for me to be there and see what it’s like….

JD: I must say performing on cruise ships for Atlantis and RSVP has been great. Who could complain about that. Great audiences, great ships and great scenery.

DY: Oh – everywhere has been great but I think loved Tucson, AZ most. The audience was great and it felt more like I was hosting a really great party than performing. It was a blast.

BW: What would your fans be surprised to know about you?

JM: I worked in a research lab that studied growth hormone regulation.

JD: I can’t stand it when my food touches. I know it’s weird and no, I will not grow out of it.

DY: If it’s after 7pm and you tell me a good story, not gossip or current events but a REAL STORY…or put a good “story” oriented movie on, I will pass out before the end of it. It’s my favorite comfort – hearing a good tale makes me all cozy and sleepy.

BW: What non-profits do you support or especially close to your heart?

JM: Marriage equality is in the forefront of my support right now. In fact, my partner and I have designed t-shirts and novelty items under the name of “queer realms” and 20% of our profits go to support marriage equality.

JD: Aid for Aids based in Los Angeles is my primary non-profit to support. We have such a great time and we put on an incredible “talent” show that is so over the top and so much fun. The best part is, in one night a hundred volunteers come together and raise over $300,000, for HIV/AIDS patients throughout Los Angeles.

DY: When the notorious Prop 8 passed in California who was there to take it to the courts and say, “No way Jose! You can’t take away people’s rights by majority vote!” – I tell ya who, the ACLU & HRC!

BW: Jason – you’ve got the “Midwest values, East Coast attitude and West Coast mentality” going for you – where do you call home now and how is it being on the road with all these lovely ladies?

JD: For the last 13 years I have called Los Angeles home. Lately, I should be calling Los Angeles International Airport home. It seems I am there more than anywhere else these days. What can I say about traveling with Jennie, Diana and our manager, Taylor. It’s safe, that’s for sure. Taylor is a nurse and firefighter. Jennie plays football, she’s the tough one. Diana can speak lots of languages so if we get lost she’s our ticket out no matter where we are. I just look pretty and like to drive.

BW: Diana – you stay very active behind the scenes as well as in front on stage – what projects are you working on that you can tease our audience about?

DY: Well this year I get to proudly say I am a published author. That’s something I’ve been working on. It’s called “OUT ON THE EDGE; AMERICA’S REBEL COMICS” – and you’ll see a bunch of essays by other GLBT comedy folk in there. Once again I’ll be part of Outlaugh, the first ever ongoing Queer Comedy Festival in America and this year we are making it a national experience with simultaneous shows in LA, NY, and Lake Tahoe where the Gay Winter Fest is going on. There is another city in the works but I can’t talk about that yet! I’m in talks about developing a one-woman show but I’m still a ways away from that. In production, my latest short film is called “Inner Stupid Ugly” about a casting assistant that is model-blind. She sees the models but for what they really are on the inside, typically, ugly. I’m a type E personality – e for everything all at once.

BW: What are you looking forward most about visiting North Carolina?

JM: Well, we’ve been there before and had some really fun shows so we’re looking forward to meeting all the fun peeps. They come up with some crazy suggestions.

JD: I love North Carolina. Bring on the hush puppies and sweet tea!

DY: I’m looking forward to visiting with my two very good friends, Norbert & John, who live in Asheville. I know them from my college days in Miami. They have seen every incarnation of me – from straight girl, to producer, to agent, to producer again, to actor, to lesbian, to comedian. Progress, I believe! I don’t get to see them very often but whenever I come to visit I am amazed by the natural beauty of NC. I credit Norbert with some of the best writing advice I ever received. He said, ‘when you make a sandwich do you think of every possible thing you can make a sandwich out of? No! You go look in your refrigerator and see what you have.’ I never forget that and if you come see the show you’ll experienced what I found in those mystery Tupperware containers.

BW: Just for fun: Who killed Jenny on The L Word?

JM: The fan base.

JD: The only lesbian activity that I have not participated in is watching The L Word. Is that bad? I know who killed J.R.

DY: The fans. No kidding. I actually met the actress, Mia Kirschner, a couple years and she was a doll. Intelligent, articulate, interesting and down to earth; she was nothing like that character. One of the first things she said to me once we got into a real conversation was – and I am paraphrasing of course – she basically said, “even I hate Jenny.” That says it all, Amigos.

BW:  Thank you guys!  We look forward to seeing all of you in Wilmington and we urge all of our readers to not miss Queer On Their Feet!

For more information, please visit their MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/queerontheirfeet.

Information on the Wilmington, NC show:

Queer On Their Feet will be at St. Jude’s MCC 19 N. 26^th St Wilmington, NC on February 22, 2009 at 6:00 PM. General Admission tickets are $15. Advance tickets available through Brown Paper Tickets at www.BrownPaperTickets.com or by calling 1-877-278-4842. Buy your tickets early before the show sells out! Remaining tickets will be available for sale at the door, cash only.

The post Queer On Their Feet – Out Comedians Weigh In On Prop 8, NC and Who Killed Jenny On The L Word appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center is thrilled to celebrate their 11th annual Women’s Event and the 25th anniversary of the organization on Saturday, November 1, 2008, with an evening of cocktails, dining, fabulous silent auction items, dancing and so much more. Women’s Event is the largest and signature gala for women on the east coast and in New York, and a not-to-be missed celebration. And this year Women’s Event will also serve as a salute to “The L Word” in its sixth and final season, with cast members from the iconic series in attendance!

In addition to cast members from “The L Word” attending, the event serves as an awards evening, with this year’s three distinguished honorees including Ilene Chaiken, Creator and Executive Producer of “The L Word;” Stephanie Gibbons, Executive Vice President of Marketing and On-Air Promotion of FX; and Lisa Sherman, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Logo.

Buy tickets by clicking here.

The post November 1st: 11th Annual Women’s Event – LGBT Community Center, NYC appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

CONTACT: Malia Schlaefer, feminapotenspress@gmail.com

FEMINA POTENS VISUAL ART OPENING RECEPTION: Bust ED

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 14, 2008 – Femina Potens presents “Bust ED” artwork around breast cancer awareness and breast health. Please allow us to tease, tantalize, and captivate you with our dirty pillows. “Bust ED” celebrates the lovely and erotic nature of the bosom, while reminding everyone of the way breast cancer affects our lives. 2.4 million women living in the U.S. have been diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer. An estimated 182,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in American women during 2008 (ACS 2008). Artists Annie Sprinkle, Elizabeth Stevens, Madison Young, Jennifer Clary, Laura Drugal, Mary Ellen Scherel, and Talia Green all address this prevalent issue with their art. Join us to pay tribute to the mighty and healthy breast for the “Bust ED” opening reception October 9, 2008 at 7pm – 10pm. During the reception we will be hosting a live body casting of breast cancer survivors, a “Mamorial”, for artist Mary Ellen Scherl. Show runs October 9 through October 26, 2008.

Bust ED is sponsored by Abigail productions www.abigailproductions.com

“Bust ED” Visual Art Exhibition

October 9 – 26, 2008

Femina Potens Art Gallery

2199 Market Street

San Francisco, CA 94114

Visit feminapotens.org for more information

Annie M. Sprinkle is an internationally known multi-media artist whose work is often studied in History of Performance Art classes, gender studies and film studies at major universities and colleges. Sprinkle has continuously toured theater pieces about her life and work in sexuality since 1989 and her work has long championed sex education and equal rights. Her film The Sluts and Goddesses Video Workshop has been screened at over 200 film festivals, and at museums and galleries, including at the Guggenheim in NYC. Her autobiographical book, Post Porn Modernist broke new ground in art books that incorporate sexually oriented imagery. Hard Core From the Heart; The Pleasures, Profits and Politics of Sex in Performance was published by Continuum Press for the academic market and won the Firecracker Alternative Book Award (2002). Her current work is about love, and is in collaboration with her partner, artist Elizabeth STephens. For more information about Annie Sprinkle, go to her other web site, www.anniesprinkle.org. For her work with Stephens go to www.loveartlab.org.

Elizabeth M. Stephens lives in San Francisco and Santa Cruz. She is a Professor of Art and of Digital Art/New Media the chair of the Art Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Stephens is an inter-media artist who works in sculpture, installation, photography, web-based media and performance art. Her most recent works include the bronze sculptural installation, The Academic/Porn Star Panty Collection; the road trip performance piece Wish You Were Here; the video installation Kiss, as well as her ongoing collaboration with Annie Sprinkle in the Love Art Laboratory. She has exhibited in museums, galleries and non-profit spaces throughout the United States and internationally. For more information about Elizabeth’s other work see http://www.elizabethstephens.org

Madison Young , your kinky girl next door, is making waves in feminism one orgasm at a time with her award winning queer production company Madison Bound Productions and her award winning nationally recognized art gallery and performance space Femina Potens (www.feminapotens.org). Femina Potens is a sex positive art gallery and performance space dedicated to women and transgendered artists. Madison has traveled the world with her sex positive performances, workshops, panels, art work and readings from her upcoming memoir “The Tail of a Bondage Model”. Madison ‘s writings have been published in On Our Backs and Girlfriends Magazine and can also be found in the anthology “Baby Remember My Name”. Madison has been featured on MTV’s LOGO channel program Out and About, the documentary Lesbian Sex and Sexuality Porn Today : Pushing the Limits, and was featured in Brian Alexander’s recent book release “America Unzipped”. Madison’s art work has been exhibited in San Francisco,Seattle, NYC, and London. Her performance art work delves into the exploration of what is public vs private and female/queer identity and sexuality.

Talia Greene received her BA with honors from Wesleyan University, and her MFA from Mills College. Her graduate studies were funded by several grants, including a Graduate Research Mini Grant, the Elkind Fellowship, the Alumni Tuition Scholarship, and two Assistantships. She has had solo exhibitions in Baltimore, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Brooklyn, and most recently at American University Museum in Washington, DC. She has exhibited her work in group shows across the United States, including the Contemporary Museum in Baltimore, MD, The Painted Bride in Philadelphia, Redux Contemporary Art Center in Charleston, SC, International Print Center New York in New York City; the Museum of Contemporary Art in Santa Rosa, CA, and Internationally at expositions for digital art in Cuba and Mexico. Her work is in private collections throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as in California and Oklahoma. Talia currently lives in Philadelphia, and is a Lecturer at University of the Arts. taliagreen.com

Laure Drogoul is an interdisciplinary artist, cabaret hostess, olfactory spelunker and cobbler of situations who lives in Baltimore, Maryland. Laure’s artworks are participatory, sensorial and often incorporate video and/or sound. Her process includes collection and her work examines the relationship between biology and culture. The Nipple Project began in1997 after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and was undergoing surgery. The Nipple Project invited the viewer to design the areolar tattoos for her breast reconstruction. Later a nipple library was created for the submitted designs. The project lives on in the form of “The Nipple Library” for all those that find themselves in need of new nipples. http://www.cultofmarms.org/nipple/grid.html

Jennifer Clary is a 2004 graduate of Vassar College and the co-owner of jenkev productions, a media company that provides production services to companies like GE Healthcare, MBA Diversity, Jewels by Park Lane and The Montessori Foundation. She produced Discover Me, a feature film about internet deception, in 2005. Discover Me won the Audience Choice Award at Indiefest Chicago that year and was an official selection at the Kansas International Film Festival and at Tromafling-Edinburgh. In 2006 Jennifer produced and acted in See Jane Run, a feature film about deadly BBQs. See Jane Run was released nationwide on October 9, 2007 by Cinema Epoch and is represented internationally by MultiVisionnaire Pictures. Dirty Girl is Jennifer’s first directorial endeavor. www.jenkev.com and www.dirtygirlthemovie.com

Mary Ellen Scherl is a sculptural artist that creates work about women’s bodies. Her figurative sculptures address body issues, dignity, pain, and healing. “In 2005, in an effort to try to help heal on a larger scale, I asked myself, “What if my art could help fight breast cancer?” The result of my query was “Mamorial”; a breast cancer awareness installation that has grown into a project echoing the AIDS Awareness Quilt. Mamorial reflects Joseph Buey’s theory on ‘social sculpture’ and Sol Lewitt’s definition of conceptual art, “The idea becomes a machine that makes the art.” Mamorial provides therapeutic healing for breast cancer survivors and a visceral awareness experience for the general public. Two-hundred-fifty survivors from twenty-three states have made molds of their cancer affected chests and have written about their breast cancer experience. The resulting life-casts and soundtrack of testimonials comprise the traveling multi-media Mamorial installation. Creating Mamorial and witnessing its powerful and healing benefits recently inspired Hallowed Ground; a new direction intended to combat systematic genocide. I am neither a breast cancer survivor nor a relative of a victim of genocide. Yet, I find it meaningful that I am able to make a difference through my art. That said, the practice of developing ideas, crafting images and objects feels as essential to me as food, water and shelter. I love making objects. I love making a difference. And I love making objects that make a difference.” www.Mamorial.org

Brittany Howard Outside Looking In Window Installation. Brittany was born in Los Angeles, but does not say she is from there. As a child she wanted to be an astronaut or a doctor when she grew up. Things changed. Both of her ring fingers are longer than her index fingers. Scientific research has noted that this could be suggestive of higher than normal levels of testosterone while in the womb. In palmistry this is indicative of a creative mind. Her “other-job” is as a professional delouser. Yes, really. For her, making art is more about the emotionally exhaustive process than the finished product. She would like to own a tractor one day, maybe. She enjoys panda bears. However, this does not mean that she wants you to give her things that are “panda-related” i.e. t-shirts, porcelain figurines or notepads from Japan with pandas on them. She simply likes them. With the exception of Kim who always has fun presents and sometimes they do have a panda bear on them. Kim can buy her “panda-related” things. She has never beaten her younger sister at Scrabble or finished a game of Monopoly. She is quite certain her sister cheats at both Scrabble and Monopoly. Her life is a series of missed connections and bad timing. She does crosswords before bed and then can’t sleep because she is trying to think of a six-letter word for a popular garden flower. No one has ever used the word “patient” to describe her. She has absolutely no navigational sense of direction. If it weren’t for gravity she would have a difficult time negotiating between up or down. She believes artists are physical philosophers, realizing their ideas through tangible manifestations. She has just discovered how terrific raspberries are. She believes that only self-proclaimed idiots refer to themselves in the third-person.

Abigail Productions creates real porn in which lesbians and women are portrayed as sexual beings and an outlet where the directing team showcases lesbian erotic experiences and sexual fantasies for everyone to identify with, where all viewers are comfortable with the art of erotica. Abigail Productions was founded in 2004 as a way to represent lesbian porn with quality and honesty, today, Abigail Productions stands for quality sensual chemistry drenched with authentic sexual experiences. Abigail Productions writes real scripts, uses real storylines, hires actors who enjoy what they’re doing and are allowed to pick a filming partner in order to capture the most passion and chemistry for the films. www.abigailproductions.com

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Femina Potens is located at 2199 Market St. at Sanchez, San Francisco, California 94114

Gallery Hours Thursday – Sunday Noon – 6pm.

www.feminapotens.org

415-864-1558

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Femina Potens is a nationally-recognized art gallery and performance space dedicated to the advancement of women and transgendered artists since 2001.

Sponsored by the Queer Cultural Center with support from California Arts, Council, San Francisco Arts Commission, the Zellerbach Foundation and Grants for the Arts. Femina Potens is a leading queer organization in San Francisco, and has been featured on the LOGO channel, Q-Television, Bitch, Bust, Spread, Brian Alexander’s book “America Unzipped”, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, and the San Francisco Chronicle where Violet Blue called Femina Potens, “the most happening art space in the city; a revolution in art and sex.”

The post San Francisco: Oct. 9-26, 2008 “Bust ED” Visual Art Exhibition appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

[photo credit: Ron Jaffe for VH1]

We recently sat down to talk with outspoken comedienne Margaret Cho, star of her new reality show on VH1 called The Cho Show.  Cho, always an activist for our gay community, discusses why marriage equality is important to her, the crisis involving Governor Sarah Palin and more:

Bambi Weavil:  How would you describe The Cho Show to people new to you and your work?

Margaret Cho:  Well it’s a comedy show, it’s basically a sitcom starring real people.  It’s really exciting and innovative, it’s a new kind of television show with a new, very multicultural, very queer family and I’m very proud of it.

BW: How did you meet your assistant Selene and The Glam Squad?

MC:  I met Selene and I’ve known her for many years as a frequent collaborator, artistically we do a lot of different stuff together.  She and I dance together, and I brought her in on my big dance show last year off Broadway, and I’ve made films with her…   She’s somebody I’ve worked with for a long time, and in-between all that she’s been my assistant too.  So she’s very helpful, and The Glam Squad are all guys that I’ve worked with.  They are really, really funny, and I’m excited to have them all a part of this family.

[photo credit:  VH1]

BW:  How did your parents support you doing the show?  Are they supportive?

MC:  They were really excited, they just didn’t know how to deal with it at first.  They were kind of scared and didn’t know what it was all about.  Now they love it, and are totally excited…  They were so excited to help me, that’s also a part of Asian culture is that your parents want to help you with your business no matter what it is.  Whether it’s a liquor store or a comedy show, my parents were really excited at the opportunity to finally be a part of my work because they have never been able to before.

BW:  With the Off The Grid episode on The Cho Show, (laughs) many of your lesbian fans can give you some tips on that.  Are you going to go off the grid again?

MC:  I think so, I think we need to try it again.  We need some lesbians to come with us because they are the best at camping.

BW:  I love the issues you tackle on your show — self-acceptance and realizing your beauty in this hyper-critical society.  What can viewers expect to see in upcoming episodes?

MC:  There is going to be a whole new episode about plastic surgery that’s coming up, and that’s pretty intense.  We talk to some beauty icons like Kat Von D, and Joan Rivers, so that’s a really good one coming up.  There’s also another one where I believe my vagina is haunted.  That’s my favorite one, and that will be out in a few weeks.  This week I do a hit single, and make my big recording debut, and I make a porn to promote it.  So basically a sex tape and we do it in the vain of two girls, one cup, that’s me and Selene.

BW:  (laughs)

MC: It’s pretty outrageous.  It gets more outrageous as time goes by.

BW:  Does VH1 give you any guidelines that you can’t break?  Or are they good about it?

MC:  They are very, very supportive.  They really are amazing, they let us do pretty much whatever we want, which is pretty outrageous.  I’m very happy that we landed there because they are really good to us.

BW: And they are cross promoting it on Logo, correct?

MC:  Yes.

BW:  Very good.  I know you are supportive of the gay community and I want to thank you for being so outspoken and true to who you are — you have been an advocate for gay rights and marriage.  Now you have been deputized to perform marriages in San Francisco.  Have you been asked to marry any gay couples thus far?

MC:  I’ve married one gay male couple and one lesbian couple, and I plan to do quite a few more.  It’s very tense right now in California because we are trying to keep this right, we’re trying to make sure we keep it and we’re going to make sure it stays and we’re voting on it in November.  It’s pretty scary because even organizations outside of California, they are so homophobic and anti-gay, something like the Knights of Columbus who are not even in California, they are outside of California, donated $1 million dollars to support organizations who are trying to get gay marriage banned.  It’s become such an important issue for people who don’t live in this state, and I don’t understand where they get off thinking they can do that.  It’s so disgusting, people are so hateful.  I have a lot of fear around what’s going on politically in our country, especially with this whole Sarah Palin thing.  She’s so incredibly anti-gay, she’s fully in support of sending gay people to re-education camps in order to make them heterosexual which is disgusting to me.  I think she is the worst thing to happen to women and to gays forever.  It’s very frightening.

BW:  I was going to ask you about Governor Palin because of the news breaking about “pray the gay away” that her church is involved in.  Do you believe she’s going to face the same criticism that Obama received regarding Reverend Wright?

MC:  She’s got to, she’s got to be held accountable for these real abusive agendas of human rights that she’s trying to promote and support.  What she’s trying to do is send us back to the Stone Age when it comes to human rights and democracy.  It’s a really grave situation and a real problem to hear somebody who is likely to become president because McCain is so old, you know he is going to be senile soon like he’s in a Prison Camp again, and she’s going to end up being President and then we’ll be screwed.

BW:  You don’t think Obama can overturn the odds? He’s really popular right now…

MC: I want to, I want to.  I attended the Democratic National Convention, I watched it all and I was so optimistic and excited about the country and about Obama and thrilled and now I’m scared.  And now all of this Palin Mania has got me really terrified and I’m afraid of the Evangelicals in this country because they are so misguided.  They don’t even read the Bible correctly, they don’t even know what’s in the Scriptures.  They don’t have any understanding of what is Christianity, they don’t really know it’s their own view of what it is, it’s their own interpretation and that makes them just as bad, if not worse, then any kind of terrorist group any kind of fundamentalist terrorist group, they are a danger to our country.

BW:  What was your experience like at the DNC?

MC:  It was great, it was fulfilling and so tremendously exciting.  It was the youngest convention I’ve ever seen and that was tremendously exciting and people were so excited that they were going to get their country back.  And that’s all that they wanted, so I was hanging out with the HRC, and we all watched the Hillary speech together and was there with Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper and Rufus Wainwright, and it was so profoundly exciting.  It was the biggest party and I was so thrilled to be a part of it.  I’m just concerned that human rights will not win over bigotry, it’s scary.

BW:  Do you think the gay community is becoming more apathetic, do you think it’s going to be so demoralizing that we aren’t going to be fighting as much?

MC:  I think the gay community is going to be a major player in what happens in November. We are going to be a deciding factor, because they are using us to get people to vote against gay marriage, we have to mobilize and make sure we stand behind Barack Obama and we stand behind this new president and this new idea, and it’s vitality important that everyone get involved and I think that’s happening so that’s good.

BW:  What are some of the non-profits you are currently working with?

MC:  I am working with Equality California, that is a major, major thing for me. I want to make sure we keep gay marriage in California, that is a huge, huge thing for everybody that I know and for myself as well.

BW:  What are ways that people can support Equality California?

MC:  They can log onto equalitycalifornia.org and they can also look into marriage equality in their state.  It’s not something that is happening just in California but all over the country.

BW:  Do you plan to write any more books anytime soon?

MC:  I’m starting to think about doing that soon, right now I’m focusing on television.  I’m involved with a new television show called Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime next year so it’s a drama/comedy next year so that’s different and really cool.  So lots of things happening.

BW:  I know you are on a new tour called Beautiful, what can fans expect from this tour?

MC:  It’s very funny, very raunchy, very crazy and very raw.  Very exciting.

BW:  Anything else you’d like to say to our readers?

MC:  I hope people come to the shows, and [The Cho Show] is my favorite show to date.  I’m very proud of it.

BW:  Thank you Margaret for your time!  For more information on Margaret Cho, her Beautiful tour and The Cho Show, check out margaretcho.com and The Cho Show on VH1 every Thursday at 11p.

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Out Impact is your gay online magazine for gay men and women in the LGBTQ community and our allies, encouraging readers to create a positive impact in the gay community. Our content focuses on activism/philanthropy; expert advice for your professional life; pet care by leading experts; a yoga/wellness column in health, spirituality and wellness; as well as columns in food, comics, fashion, an expert travel specialist; engaging features in the arts and more. We have movie, music and book reviews, as well as the latest interviews. Out Impact also produces events benefiting various non-profits around the country, as well as comprehensive media campaigns to raise awareness for various philanthropic causes while bridging the non-profit, activism, artistic and gay communities. OutImpact.com – Making a positive impact in the gay community. Make yours.

To subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest at Out Impact, as well as exclusive content and giveaways please visit: http://www.outimpact.com/out-impact-newsletter/

The post Margaret Cho Discusses The Cho Show, Equality and Palin Mania appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Based on the mystery romance novel by Sarah Waters (Tipping the Velvet, Fingersmith), Affinity is a tale of power and possession in the late 19th century. Margaret Prior (Anna Madeley) is a socialite who finds escape and purpose as a mentor who brings hope and comfort to the female inmates at Millbank prison. However, she becomes infatuated with Selina Dawes (Zoe Tapper), a medium who was incarcerated after a séance went horribly awry. As the story unfolds, Margaret, who is at first skeptical of Selina’s gifts, soon discovers a world of secrets and shadows, heightened passions, and the allure of the supernatural.

On August 19, two days after the Logo premiere, an extended version of the gripping Victorian-era suspense thriller are available on DVD. Special features include a candid one-on-one interview with award-winning novelist Sarah Waters.

In a special giveaway with The Karpel Group, we will be giving away five copies in our free newsletter for our readers!

Each issue we will draw a name from those who subscribe to our newsletter! Only those on the newsletter will be eligible! One entry per person! To sign up for the newsletter, which will keep you updated on the latest from Out Impact, as well as exclusive features, giveaways and more – sign up here!

Good luck, and look for the 2nd winner to be announced next week!

For a chance to win one (1) of five (5) Affinity DVDs, a prize valued at approximately $24.99 (the “Prize”), you must be subscribed to the Out Impact newsletter. Out Impact, Inc. (the “Sponsor”), will randomly select the name of 1 winner per week until the duration of the contest is over. The winners will be notified via email. If a winner does not reply to our notification by email within two (2) weeks from the date the notification was sent, Sponsor reserves the right to randomly select another winner from the eligible entries. Chances of winning depends on the number of subscribers to the newsletter. If you are selected and meet the eligibility requirements set forth herein, the Prize will be delivered to the name and address that you provide with your entry. One entry per subscriber. No purchase necessary. Entrants must be eighteen (18) years of age or older and be a legal resident of one (1) of the fifty (50) United States or Washington, D.C. Employees, officers, and directors (including such persons’ parents, spouses, children and siblings and members of the same household) of Sponsor, Out Impact, Inc. and The Karpel Group, are not eligible to participate in this Giveaway. The Sponsor reserves the right to require proof of eligibility.

The post Affinity DVD Contest! appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Melissa Steckbauer recently sat down with out comic and The Big Gay Sketch Show star Kate McKinnon for a candid interview after her recent performance during “Closet Cases” in New York City.

MS: I read that you outed yourself in theatre camp and at your Methodist church. Was that an opportunity for empowerment as a kid or did you feel alienated?

KM: I was speaking at a banquet at theater camp in front of 250 people and thought, “Wouldn’t it be wacky if I came out during this speech?”  So I kind of slipped it in there while talking about how I finally was able to be authentic in this very special place, etc.

It was scary but it was fun.

But then my Methodist church…I think it was my mother’s idea…we have a congregation that is technically welcoming of gay people (a reconciling congregation) but about half the church doesn’t like gay people, or assumes that no one at the church is actually gay, so she thought, “Wouldn’t it be wacky if you made a speech about what it was like growing up gay in the church?”  And I did, and I cried, and everyone else cried and gave me a standing ovation, even people who I know would rather not have gay people at church.

MS: Then you graduated from Columbia, The Big Gay Sketch Show scooped you up right, and then you met Rosie O’Donnell, peed your pants, called your mother—this whole thing.

KM: Right, right, right, that whole thing.

MS: And now your sort of…celebretized. How do you feel being a gay person doing these things, I mean a young person–relatively speaking, how do you feel?

KM: I feel great!  I came out young–I’ve been doing the lesbian thing for a while–so I’m prepared for it in that way. Artistically, I don’t feel prepared for any of the things that I do and that people are going to find out I’m a fraud.  I’ve bombed a lot doing stand-up and in doing solo shows, and that’s hard because I know that it’s not just something I’m trying out–it’s something I’ve committed to do for my profession, and sometimes when I bomb I think, “Oooo…well, clearly, I need a new life plan.”  Sometimes it’s embarrassing.  But I am unbelievably fortunate to have been swept up into this world. And I had no idea I would be. I thought I was just gonna be bartending for 15 years.

MS: Do you have a broad fan base? Do you have a queer base and a straight base?

KM:  I started doing videos on AfterEllen.com, I do a series called “Celesbian Interviews” with Julie Goldman, and we have The Big Gay Sketch Show, so I’ve got like a gay fan base there, but I decided I wanted to try to do something that had nothing to do with the fact that I’m gay, so I started doing a solo show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater called “Disenchanted.” The last performance of it is on the 29th of this month. So that went really well, I did it for six months, and it has one monologue that has gay stuff in it, but otherwise it’s not gay at all.  I wanted to become part of the New York comedy scene, gay or not, and I feel like I’ve made a tiny bit of headway there.

MS: In an interview on “She Said What” on AfterEllen.com, you mentioned that you want to be Ellen, but Ellen’s very mainstream. Do you still want to be on the fringe?

KM: No, I don’t still want to be Ellen.  Now I would like to be Tracy Ulman.

MS: You have talked about your lonesome experience at Columbia and I wonder if you could talk about your affection for outcasts. Do you still have that affinity?

KM: Absolutely! I don’t know what it is…  Whenever I go to a dog park, I’m always drawn to the one dog that’s in the corner, sad, not talking to any of the other dogs, not knowing what to do with itself.  I’m fascinated by mental illness and depression and sadness and people who just cannot connect to other people, because I feel like that a lot.  So those are the characters that I’m drawn to, those are the characters that I want to play, and that’s what I feel like Tracy Ullman specializes in as well. Her new show “State of the Union” on Showtime, is, I mean, sometimes you can’t even laugh, it just knocks the wind right out of you, it’s so devastating. It’s brilliant and
it’s so funny, but it’s also like, “oh god, these are the saddest people in the world.” And I love it.

MS:  Which non-profits do you support? Do you have any interest in working for PRIDEs?

KM: I haven’t really thought about where to lend my energies.  I feel like just being a part of The Big Gay Sketch Show and being a part of the LOGO network is my way of giving back to the community. But I would like one day to write a book maybe about growing up gay–not that we don’t have enough books about growing up gay–or work with gay teenagers. When I was 15, I went to a support group for gay teenagers at an organization on Long Island called “Pride For Youth”, and that really helped me, so maybe one day I’d like to give back to an organization like that.

MS: What can we expect from the next season of The Big Gay Sketch Show?

KM: We’re not filming until March, so it won’t come out until probably next summer or next Fall.  I have no idea what to expect, except creatively our second season was leagues better than our first, so the third season should be just dynamite. I’m very excited because we all know each other and we all love each other. We only get to work together for six weeks out of the year, but we’ve built something that really feels like a family, so I think it’s gonna be great.

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For more on Kate McKinnon and The Big Gay Sketch Show, please visit http://www.logoonline.com/shows/dyn/big_gay_sketch_show_2/series.jhtml.

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Out Impact is your gay online magazine for gay men and women in the LGBTQ community and our allies, encouraging readers to create a positive impact in the gay community. Our content focuses on activism/philanthropy; expert advice for your professional life; pet care by leading experts; a yoga/wellness column in health, spirituality and wellness; as well as columns in food, comics, fashion, an expert travel specialist; engaging features in the arts and more. We have movie, music and book reviews, as well as the latest interviews. Out Impact also produces events benefiting various non-profits around the country, as well as comprehensive media campaigns to raise awareness for various philanthropic causes while bridging the non-profit, activism, artistic and gay communities. OutImpact.com – Making a positive impact in the gay community. Make yours.

To subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest at Out Impact, as well as exclusive content and giveaways please visit: http://www.outimpact.com/out-impact-newsletter/

The post Interview with Kate McKinnon: Why Tragedy is Laughable appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Telling On Trixie

Telling On Trixie

Official MySpace:  http://www.myspace.com/tellingontrixie

Official Website:  http://www.tellingontrixie.com

Telling On Trixie, from New York City, have been featured on Sirius Satelitte Radio, been honored by LOGO and have a lot of soul in their rock and roll. Created from a partnership of opposites- the introverted guitarist (Brad Small) and the extroverted lead singer (Derek Nicoletto) who bring out the best in one another to create something bigger than themselves.

Their music is heavy pop with rock and roll backing, and bottom line is soulful and enjoyable.  “Halfway Back To Sane” is a honest rock/pop song about needing to be disconnected from someone for your own sanity:  “I don’t want to know what you’re going through / I don’t want to know the name of your pain. / I don’t want to hear how he did you wrong. / I I’m only halfway to back to sane.”

“Dumb Boy” is catchy pop and “Orion’s Light” is gorgeous and showcases their big vocals.  “Instincts” is one of the best written songs on the album about controlling your destiny, with one of my favorite lines: “I’m trading my foundation for a moment of your heated breath.” “Angels Fall” is a strong pop-rock love song, while “Devil’s Best Friend” with a rock/blues beat is getting revenge on a cheater with no apologies.  The final track, “Your Silence” is breathtakingly beautiful just the way it is.  Telling On Trixie is someone you should be telling your friends about.

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Out Impact is your gay online magazine for gay men and women in the LGBTQ community and our allies, encouraging readers to create a positive impact in the gay community. Our content focuses on activism/philanthropy; expert advice for your professional life; pet care by leading experts; a yoga/wellness column in health, spirituality and wellness; as well as columns in food, comics, fashion, an expert travel specialist; engaging features in the arts and more. We have movie, music and book reviews, as well as the latest interviews. Out Impact also produces events benefiting various non-profits around the country, as well as comprehensive media campaigns to raise awareness for various philanthropic causes while bridging the non-profit, activism, artistic and gay communities. OutImpact.com – Making a positive impact in the gay community. Make yours.

To subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest at Out Impact, as well as exclusive content and giveaways please visit: http://www.outimpact.com/out-impact-newsletter/

The post Telling On Trixie appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Exes & Ohs:  The Complete First Season

Available at LOGOOnline.com

Official Site:  http://www.logoonline.com/shows/dyn/exes_and_ohs/series.jhtml

Exes & Ohs, the lesbian answer to Sex In The City with more realism than The L Word-lite, is one of the rare shows I’ve seen that is the most relatable to the lesbian community.  Dubbed as a “dramedy” about lesbians in half-hour episodes, featuring a likable cast of characters that isn’t out of touch from the lesbian audience.  Set in Seattle, the series follow the lives of five lesbian friends including the center of the cast,  Jennifer Butler (played by the creator of Exes & Ohs, Michelle Paradise), the documentary filmmaker with social awkwardness since her last relationship, demonstrates Sex In The City/Carrie Bradshaw-like quirks with explanations directly to the audience of the classic lesbian situations like “Fake It: It’s Impressive” rule – if you don’t know about what your love interest is discussing, fake your way through it.  There’s Sam (Marnie Alton), a sexy but likable commitment-phobe with some underlying issues that I expect that will be explored more in the second season with her family.  There’s the resident lesbian couple, Chris (Megan Cavanagh) and Kris (Angela Featherstone), who are looking to expand their pet accessory business and their family; and Crush (Heather Matarazzo), a young musician who wants to be taken seriously but is still struggling to make it beyond the storage closet of the coffee shop she works at.  All friends but currently, not all sleeping together, it’s nice to see their struggles and successes without it being glossed over for the sake of television—this is the one show that doesn’t seem like it insults the intelligence of their lesbian audience.

I love the dynamic of this talented cast together and it’s clear that their chemistry is what makes this show work.  Jennifer’s character progresses into trying to date as she builds her confidence while creating her documentary, which leads into some twisted situations including discovering the unknown girlfriend.  It’s great to see what I had initially thought would be a couple that I wouldn’t enjoy together in Chris and Kris, wondering if they’d be borderline annoying and hyper all season, to start a serious, very realistic struggle and process of trying to expand their family without losing their self-identity in the process. Matarazzo’s character of Crush, which is basically the kid sister of the characters, has the most room for growth in finding who she is, what she’s comfortable with and just trying to make it in Seattle without selling out who she is as a person.  In the last episode, she gets a certain kiss of a approval from a fellow employee that should be interesting to see how it is developing into the next season.

I would recommend Exes & Ohs to new viewers like myself, who want a healthy alternative to The L Word, without losing realistic comedy, drama and heart in storylines about the lives of a group of lesbian friends.
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Out Impact is your gay online magazine for gay men and women in the LGBTQ community and our allies, encouraging readers to create a positive impact in the gay community. Our content focuses on activism/philanthropy; expert advice for your professional life; pet care by leading experts; a yoga/wellness column in health, spirituality and wellness; as well as columns in food, comics, fashion, an expert travel specialist; engaging features in the arts and more. We have movie, music and book reviews, as well as the latest interviews. Out Impact also produces events benefiting various non-profits around the country, as well as comprehensive media campaigns to raise awareness for various philanthropic causes while bridging the non-profit, activism, artistic and gay communities. OutImpact.com – Making a positive impact in the gay community. Make yours.

To subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest at Out Impact, as well as exclusive content and giveaways please visit: http://www.outimpact.com/out-impact-newsletter/

The post Exes & Ohs: The Complete First Season appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.