Mygazine

Angus & Zoe Wish You Happy Holidays

DSCN1100.JPG, originally uploaded by erichunter.

I hope all of you are enjoying some downtime and a much needed break. Happy holidays to you and all your favorite people. Here's to an amazing 2007.

Day 11: 31 Days of Giving

It is true. We are everywhere. And the musical community is no exception.

Outmusic is a network of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered musicians and supporters. Performers, composers, lyricists, producers, recording artists, activists, promoters, press/media and even non-musicians who believe in LGBT music have joined Outmusic over the years. Since, 2001 the group has given out its annual Outmusic Awards. 2006 award nominees include Lea Delaria, Billy Porter and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles.

 

               

Day 10: 31 Days of Giving

2007 will be here before we know it, and in January the indie film community, along with the folks behind the Queer Lounge, will be making the annual pilgrimage to the Sundance Film Festival. If, like me, you are huge fan of LGBT film, think about making a donation to this great group.

By donating, you will help ensure that films important to the LGBT community have a voice in the mainstream; that the next generation of LGBT filmmakers have the professional knowledge, contacts and opportunities to create compelling work and reach broad audiences; and that our community has an advocate, challenging Hollywood and the independent film world to continue to make and distribute films with LGBT themes and characters.

A Look Back at Week One: 31 Days of Giving

Here is a list you can use to learn about the many worthy charities I wrote about in the first week of my 31 Days of Giving.

• AVOC
• The Trevor Project
• GALA Choruses
• GLSEN
• The Lambda Literary Foundation
• GLAAD
• The Hetrick-Martin Insitute
• Freedom to Marry
• Family Pride

Days 8 & 9:31 Days of Giving

With the gay community's ever-increasing focus on marriage and family, you may want to consider supporting either or both of these organizations.

Freedom to Marry is the gay and non-gay partnership working to win marriage equality nationwide. Headed by Evan Wolfson, one of America's leading civil rights advocates and lawyers, Freedom to Marry brings new resources and a renewed context of urgency and opportunity to this social justice movement. Freedom to Marry brings the work of its partner organizations into a larger whole, a shared civil rights campaign that fosters heightened outreach to non-gay allies.

From their policy and legislative work in support of all loving families to the fun week the organization sponsors each summer in P-town, Family Pride works with other progressive national and state-based organizations, local parents groups and families, friends and allies to make change, share information and build community. 

Day 7: 31 Days of Giving

Despite all the media attention that lgbtq youth receive, these kids often still face a very tough road in one of the places where they should feel safest--at school. Luckily here in New York City, we have The Hetrick-Martin Institute.

While HMI’s serves youth Members, ranging in age from 12 to 21, from 172 zip codes throughout all of New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area, the organization's flagship program is Tthe Harvey Milk High School. Founded in 1985 in collaboration with the New York City Department of Education, which administers the school and is responsible for admissions, the school is the first and largest of its kind in the world—a public school devoted to fulfilling the specific needs of at-risk youth. HMI’s goal is to provide each young person with the skills and support necessary to move safely through adolescence and successfully into the realms of higher education, career, and life.

Think about giving generously to support another very wothy cause.

The Buzz on Dreamgirls

Unless you are living under a rock, you already know that the film of the holiday season is going to be Dreamgirls. If I can't score a pass to a screening, you know I'll be at the theater on December 15 to get me some Dgirls.

Hopefully all the advance buzz about Jennifer Hudson's Oscar-worthy performance, including the cover story in the issue of The Advocate that arrived in today's mail, won't jinx her as the members of the Academy start hunkering down with their screeners.

Today I read two great Dreamgirls stories on two blogs that are on my daily reading list. On Patmix, you can read about the blogger's love of the original Dreamgirls and the original Dreamgirls diva herself, Jennifer Holiday. Josh&Josh recount Josh H's brush with no other than Gayle King herself at a recent press screening of the film here in NYC.

Check 'em out.

Days 5 & 6:31 Days of Giving

GLBTQ literature is alive and thriving in large part thanks to organizations like The Lambda Literary Foundation. In addition to giving out its annual literary awards, sometimes known as "Lammies," the foundation works tirelessly to promote and advocate on behalf of the entire lgbt literary genre and community.

In 2006, the group's initiatives included the relaunch of Lambda Book Report as a quarterly publication, an outreach program to GLBTQ youth to help form book clubs and a media watch program that monitored and advocates for review coverage of GLBTQ books in the nation’s newspapers and periodicals.

Speaking of the press and media, you might also considering making a gift to GLAAD, our communities most prominent national media watchdog. Known for its annual GLAAD Media Awards held in several major cities across the country, the organization is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Day 4: 31 Days of Giving

You're gonna shop for gifts this month. So, why not make purchases and contribute to a very worthy cause at the same time?

When you are ready to settle for some on-line holiday shopping, click on over to the the Towleroad Holiday Gift Guide. You'll find suggestions for everything: books (including one by yours truly), DVDs, electronic gadgets, baby gifts for your favorite new g,l, b or t parents, soothing grooming products, just to name a few things.

The best part is that 25% of any proceds generated here during December will be donated to GLSEN (Gay Lesbian, and Straight Education Network), an organization which ensures safe schools for all students and works to combat harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Day 3: 31 Days of Giving

All across the country this month, gay and lesbian choruses large and small will be keeping our spirits high with a slew of holiday concerts. From New York City (NYCGMC) and San Francisco (SFGMC) to Colorado Springs (Out Loud) and Albuquerque, New Mexico (NMGMC), gay and lesbian choruses truly are everywhere. If you haven't heard your local group perform, there's no time like the present.

If you choose to support an individual chorus, a few worthy ones are mentioned above. Or, if you would like to contribute on a more national level, you can give to the national governing organization, GALA Choruses. GALA is a not-for-profit organization serving the GLBT choral movement. The mission of GALA Choruses is to support GLBT choruses as we change our world through song. GALA Choruses is open to all GLBT and GLBT-allied choruses. Through workshops, festivals and ongoing networking and administrative support services, GALA Choruses fosters the continued artistic and organizational growth of its member choruses.