Here is a excerpt:

“We were in our car, driving to the place where a video conference would link us to the family court of Camden County, Pennsylvania for the finalization hearing regarding the adoption of our son Wolf, when I got this SMS from Philip: ‘Yay, we did it! The Senate has passed the bill!’ Two simple sentences that brought silence to my heart, and a smile to my face. “The Senate has passed the bill, Jos,” I said to my husband. It was raining and he was focusing on the road.”

To read more: Four by Jarko De Witte van Leeuwen: “Bill”

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About: Jarko De Witte van Leeuwen:

Jarko De Witte van Leeuwen was born as Jarko De Witte on April 1, 1970 in Ghent, Belgium. He studied English and Spanish at the Polytechnic School for Translators and Interpreters in Ghent and graduated cum laude at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. In 1989, at age 19 Jarko met his husband Jos van Leeuwen at the Dutch Gay Pride in Haarlem, The Netherlands. In 1991 they moved in together from their parental homes. For that purpose Jarko moved to Jos’s city of birth: Dordrecht, in The Netherlands. In 1993 Jarko started working as a translator and later on communication consultant with Hewitt Associates. In 1995 he gave up his Belgian nationality and became Dutch. In 2001, the year when same sex marriage was legalized in The Netherlands, Jarko and Jos got married on the day they had been together for exactly twelve years. They decide to merge their family names to De Witte van Leeuwen. After returning from their honeymoon, Jarko started working as a communication consultant and public relations officer to the City Board of his hometown Dordrecht. At the same time they start their adoption journey. Jarko is a driven political lobbyist fighting for joint international adoption rights for same sex couples. In 2007 the Dutch Parliament passes the bill to enable this with an overwhelming 90 percent majority. In September 2005, Jos and Jarko adopt their daughter Arwen at age 1 and a half weeks old. Arwen was born in New York City, NY. In February 2008, they adopt their son Wolf, at age 4 weeks. Wolf was born in Philadelphia, PA. Jarko has written several articles and columns on various topics including adoption and gay parenting for various media. He has recently written and illustrated the children’s book, Arwen and her daddies, about the adoption of their daughter Arwen. Several publishers in The Netherlands, the US and the UK have shown interest. Jarko hopes to have his book published in 2009. Meanwhile, he has started working on other titles. Jarko, Jos, Arwen and Wolf happily live together in their wonderful home in a national monument located at one of the inner harbours in the historic town centre of Dordrecht.

* * * *

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 Four by Jarko De Witte van Leeuwen: “Bill” 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.

* * *
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.

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Here’s why:
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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.

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Maria Kogan – All The Kings Men troupe member:

Official MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/46708809

Cris Long: What influenced your decision to start performing drag?

MK: I got my first official start in college in 1999, performing in bars in Connecticut. My friend was hosting monthly women’s nights at that time, called “Bushfire” parties, and often put on fun drag numbers. It was a very intimidating experience at the time, but also a lot of fun.

After I moved to Boston, I met people who shared the same interests and desire to get on stage and entertain and make people laugh. We eventually formed a troupe and gave ourselves the name, “All The Kings Men.” That was 5 1/2 years ago, and we are going stronger than ever!

CL: Do you credit a specific person or entertainer for your performance decisions? If so, who and why?

MK: My first real-audience performances (outside of performing for my parents in our living room) were in Connecticut bars back in college. The friend I have to credit for this is Tuty Huerta. She still resides in Connecticut, and now does monthly “T + T” parties in Hartford. I actually saw Tuty recently at a show we did at Partners Cafe in New Haven; I think she was definitely proud of me.

CL: Would you say that the latest style/fashion trends play a part in your song and costume choices? If so, what trends have you executed on stage? Please be as specific as possible and, if available please supply photo examples of trends.

MK: The beauty of All The Kings Men (ATKM) is that we do a wide range of different songs and themes and genres. We have a mix of comedy and sexiness and dance and seriousness…we are certainly aware of new music trends and styles, but we never lose track of the older music that we all grew up with (everything from the 50′s to the 80′s to present time).

Sometimes we pick a modern theme or issue, but pick an older song to express it; or the other way around. An example of this would be a political piece we recently did about current world politics, but set to the song “All She Wants to Do is Dance” from the 80′s. Despite the 20+ year difference, there is still a common message.

Other pieces we do are more nostalgic, like a love story about Batman and Robin, set to the theme song from the TV show and the Partridge Family song “I Think I Love You.”

A lot of our pieces are “timeless” in subject matter, in the sense that you can be any age and still get the message. An example of this is a piece we do about three women in an old age home, with sexy young male nurses caring for them, starting off with an old jazzy tune from the 40′s and suddenly switching to Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.” We have a lot of photos uploaded to our profile, and the three numbers mentioned are in the mix.

CL: Do you perform for non-profit? If so, what organizations have you been affiliated with?

MK: ATKM has performed at many benefits/volunteer shows/venues–most recently we donated money to MassEquality. In the past, we have performed for organizations like Home for Little Wanderers, NAGLY, True Colors in Connecticut, AIDS Care Project, AIDS Action Committee, Arts Central, BAGLY, Network La Red, GLEE, etc. The troupe is always open to participating in important causes.

CL: What is the most rewarding experience you’ve had performing?

MK: The most rewarding thing for me is the audience applause and reaction and love of what we do. I am repeatedly overwhelmed and so proud of our troupe–we have come a long way and have accomplished a lot of goals. I appreciate every supportive fan after a show, an email or comment. It is so great to be loving what you do and believe in it 200%, and realize that the audience shares your sentiments. Especially since I personally did not go to school for theater, I am even more amazed to see how far I have come, being one of the original founders. I whole-heartedly believe that we have something really special going for us, and I don’t want to slow the momentum down!

CL: If you could give advice to aspiring drag kings what would it be?

MK: I would say, to ANY kind of performer, that to love what you do. Understand why you are getting on stage…because if you are having a great time and believe in your craft and your purpose for being on stage, the crowd will be there with you–it will be contagious. I was very fortunate to have found some incredible people to collaborate with…but on the other hand, if I wasn’t looking for them and wasn’t putting my own energy out there, I may have never met them.

CL: Would you share your coming out story with us?

MK: In a nutshell: I was 18 years old, in my freshman year in college, still living at home that first year. I met some very interesting people in school, very different from the white bread suburban high school I went to. I was attending an art school, so the mind set was very free and open to new things and new experiences. One of my new college friends had a friend who I found out was bisexual, and I was instantly intrigued and attracted to this idea– before even meeting her. After many confused and tortured encounters (wanting, but not wanting to admit my interests) I finally had my first sexual encounter with a woman. It was overwhelming and like a fever, these new found feelings and awakenings. This realization answered so many things about my childhood and the way I was. I embraced the label “bi sexual” for a while, but soon I realized my greater lean was towards women (though my heart always was open to both genders). I can hardly believe that I came out 13 years ago; that time in my life remains very vivid in my memory.

CL: Where do you regularly perform? Please include all venues.

MK: The list of all our venues is a long one (you cover a lot of ground in 5 1/2 years!). I will try to list the places we have performed in our career:

(Boston area): Midway Cafe, Milky Way Cafe, Jorgez Hernandez Center, Randolph Country Club, BCA, Jimmy Tingle’s Off Broadway, Machine Nightclub, Hollywood, Boston Pride ’06 + ’07, Toast Lounge.

(Provincetown, MA): Vixen Nightclub, Art House Theater, UU Meeting House, Provincetown Inn, Chasers. (Rhode Island): Mixx Lounge, RI Pride ’07.

(Misc:) the common ground, ithaca / divas, Northampton / Partners, new haven.

(Colleges:) University of Maine, UNH, UCONN, Babson, Wellesley, Dartmouth, Lesley, BU, MASSART, MIT, Salem State, Tufts.

CL: Have you won any titles? When? What songs did you perform?

MK: To my memory, ATKM has not been in any contests–we used to do that as individual performers, but once we formed our troupe, we primarily put on shows for entertainment, not competition.

But we were voted “Boston’ Best Kept Secret” in 2004, and most recently voted as “Best Lesbian Theater” by Curve Magazine (out of 10 winners total). We also have many various press write-ups about our shows.

Also, Margaret Cho announced to an MIT crowd that we were her favorite act in a show she was the guest performer in (and that we were invited to do a piece in).

CL: Do you have any signature moves or techniques to help you work the crowd?

MK: Like I mentioned earlier, ATKM does not have just one style of dress, or one genre of music, or one set choreography that we use. I think what keeps people coming back to our shows in our *variety*. Humor is a key factor. Eye contact and good energy in the show. It’s knowing your skits by heart, but performing the characters and actions as if you’re doing them for the first time–this is a note troupe member Julee Anton Ellis often offers as acting advice.

CL: Did/do you have a special person who mentored you?

MK: Like mentioned above, I got my very first-hands on experience with Tuty Huerta. But I would say my mentors and teachers are the friends I made in Boston who I ultimately founded All The Kings Men with. I learned so much from them, and from being on stage all the time—and I never stop learning. There is always room for improvement.

CL: Any Drag Queens that helped you break into performing?

MK: Nope.

* * * *

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 Bring Out The Kings!: Maria Kogan – All The Kings Men appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.