July 22: Rufus Wainwright, Singer/Songwriter

b. July 22, 1973

"It’s important for famous people to be an example for gay teens."

Known for his unique style and daring artistic endeavors, Rufus Wainwright is one of the most accomplished singer/songwriters of his generation. He has produced six albums and is the recipient of two Juno Awards and five GLAAD Media Awards.

Wainwright’s musical talent was shaped by his folksinger parents, Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III. He was born in Rhinebeck, New York, and holds dual United States and Canadian citizenship. After his parents divorced, he spent most of his youth with his mother in Montreal.

At age 14, Wainwright broke into the entertainment world with a song he composed and sang in the film "Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller," earning him a Juno Award nomination for "Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year." That same year, he was sexually assaulted by a man he met at a bar. Deeply disturbed by the attack, he remained celibate for seven years.

In 1998, following the release of his first album, Wainwright was named "Best New Artist" by Rolling Stone. He composes music for theater, dance and opera, and has contributed to numerous film soundtracks, including "Moulin Rouge" and "Brokeback Mountain." Additionally, he has acted in "The Aviator" and "Heights," among other films.

As a collaborator, Wainwright has worked on albums with music greats Rosanne Cash and Elton John. John hailed him as "the greatest songwriter on the planet." His first opera, "Prima Donna," premiered in 2009 at the Manchester International Festival and was the subject of a documentary film that premiered on Bravo! in 2010.

Despite fame and success, Wainwright struggled with crystal meth addiction, a habit he eventually recovered from in 2002. With two decades of performing under his belt, Wainwright assures his fans that he won’t be retiring any time soon: “I am a self-sustaining, vibrant, long-term artist, and I’m not going away!” 

Bibliography

"About Rufus Wainwright.” The Official Community of Rufus Wainwright. 20 May 2010.
"Kitty Empire talks to Rufus Wainwright." The Guardian. 21 May 2010.
Brown, Lane. "The Inquisition: Rufus Wainwright.” Spin Magazine Online. 19 May 2010.
Ganz, Caryn. "Rufus Wainwright.” Interview Magazine. 19 May 2010.
"Rufus Wainwright Biography.” Contactmusic.com. 19 May 2010.
"Rufus Wainwright Biography.” Biography.com. 19 May 2010.


Music by Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright Albums
“Moulin Rouge” Soundtrack
“Brokeback Mountain” Soundtrack


Video of Rufus Wainwright
All I Want: A Portrait of Rufus Wainwright


Websites
Rufus Wainwright on MySpace
Rufus Wainwright: NPR


Rufus Wainwright’s Social Network
Rufus Wainwright’s Facebook Fan Page
Rufus Wainwright’s Twitter Page 

Related articles

• More of the OUT 100 revealed: Actress Meredith Baxter, singer Rufus Wainwright and Tony winners Levi Kreis and Nathan Lane! (pinkbananaworld.com)
• An Incomplete History of Rufus Wainwright's Musical Pedigree (seattleweekly.com)
• Kylie Minogue & Rufus Wainwright Perform Together In NY (pinkisthenewblog.com)
• Rufus Wainwright Take Cues From Mozart, Nina Simone on Current Tour (spinner.com)

David Hockney (1937 - ), British. Artist

b. 9th July, 1937

"David Hockney, who immigrated permanently to America in 1963, painted lyrical portraits of gay couples and individuals. Both in depictions of incidents from everyday life (such as Domestic Scene, Los Angeles, 1963), in portraits of friends such as Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, and in commissioned portraits (such as The Conversation, showing Henry Geldzahler and Raymond Foy, 1980), Hockney subtly revealed the intimacies and complexities of committed relationships. In these works, the (homo)sexuality of the subjects is evident, but it is not emphasized."

glbtq >> arts >> American Art: Gay Male, 1900-1969:

The Conversation – Jasmine Gauthier

Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy

Domestic Scene, Los Angeles, 1963

Peter Getting Out Of Nick's Pool

9 July: David Hockney, Painter

b. July 9, 1937

It is very good advice to believe only what an artist does, rather than what he says about his work.

Initially famous for popularizing British pop art in the 1960s, David Hockney grew more influential as he showcased exceptional artistic flexibility. From oil paintings to lithography, photomontage to computer sketch, Hockney demonstrated an uncanny ability to adapt his creative talents to various media. The Hockney exhibit in the National Portrait Gallery in London from October 2006 to January 2007 was one of the Gallery's most successful exhibitions.

Aug 1: Rep. Jim Kolbe Comes Out: 1996

b. June 28, 1942

A former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona, serving 11 terms from 1985 to 2007. For much of that time, he was deeply closeted, until his vote for the Defence of Marriage Act in 1996 resulted in efforts by some gay activists to out him. He then came out in August that year, becoming the second openly gay Republican in Congress, after Steve Gunderson of Wisconsin. He was able to win re-election, and went on to become the first openly gay person to address the Republican National Convention, although his speech did not address gay rights. Even after coming out, Kolbe's record on gay rights was somewhat mixed. He was lukewarm in his support of same-sex marriage, but he strongly supported the availability of universal civil unions.

In 2000, when Kolbe found out about former Congressman Mark Foley's "Internet communications with teenagers" who were subordinate to Foley, he informed the office that oversaw the page program. He assumed the matter had been taken care of, although this was not brought to the public's attention until September 29, 2006[6] when it became public that Foley had sent sexually explicit and solicitative e-mails and instant messages to young adult male pages. Republican leaders had claimed that they had only recently been made aware of Foley's actions, despite Kolbe's actions.

In October 2006, federal prosecutors in Arizona opened a preliminary investigation into a camping trip that Kolbe took in July 1996 that included two teenage former congressional pages, as well as National Park officials, then-current staff, and Kolbe's sister. During that trip to the Grand Canyon, he was accused of "acting inappropriately"; NBC News interviewed several people who were on the trip, and their accounts vary. One participant, who requested anonymity, said he was uncomfortable with the attention Kolbe paid to one of the former pages. He was "creeped out by it," he said, adding that there was a lot of "fawning, petting and touching" on the teenager's arms, shoulders and back by Kolbe. On June 5, 2007, federal investigators absolved Kolbe of any wrongdoing in the case. In a statement released by the Justice Department, "investigators have completed their work on the preliminary inquiry opened by federal prosecutors last fall, and see no reason to pursue it further."

June 28: Sunil Babu Pant, Nepalese Politician

"People in general do not wish to discriminate against their fellow neighbors."

Sunil Babu Pant is the first openly gay politician in Nepal. His 2008 election to the national legislature followed years of activism on behalf of the Nepalese GLBT community.

Trained as a computer engineer, Pant received a scholarship to study in Belarus. It was there that he first heard the word "homosexual" and identified as a gay man. It was also where he was first exposed to entrenched homophobia, inspiring him to fight for equality in his home country.

In 2002, Pant founded the Blue Diamond Society. The group consists of more than 20 organizations and 120,000 members representing the interests of the country’s GLBT and HIV/AIDS communities. Leaders and members of the society have continued their advocacy in the face of threats of arrest and violence.

The Blue Diamond Society was party to a 2007 case that led Nepal’s highest court to declare that GLBT individuals were “natural persons” who deserve protection and civil rights. The court also ordered the establishment of a commission to study same-sex marriage as well as the addition of a third gender option on official government documents.

Pant was elected to Nepal’s Constituent Assembly as a member of Nepal’s Communist Party United. His legislative goals include equal justice and economic rights. He serves on a committee charged with rewriting Nepal’s constitution. In spite of his many accomplishments, Pant insists that his work is far from complete: "With our progress, however, is the awareness that so many more need to be served."

In 2005, Pant and the Blue Diamond Society were awarded the Utopia Award, Asia’s leading GLBT honor. In 2007, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission bestowed the group with its Felippa de Souza Award.

Pant, who lives in Nepal's capital city, Kathmandu, recently founded Pink Mountain, a company that offers GLBT-geared travel packages to Nepal.

Bibliography

"MOP Sunil Babu Pant makes history in Nepal." APCOM. 1 May 2008.
Nelson, Dean. "Nepal 'to stage gay weddings on Everest.'” The Daily Telegraph. 19 January 2010.
"People of the Year: Sunil Babu Pant, Hilary Rosen, Suze Orman." The Advocate. 16 December 2008.
Pokharel, Tilak. "In Conservative Nepal, a Tribune for the Third Generation Speaks Out.” The New York Times. 19 September 2008.
Pant, Sunil Babu. "Sunil Babu Pant Address to the United Nations." Gays Without Borders. 19 December 2008.
Thottman, Jyoti. "Why Asia's Gays are Starting to Win Acceptance.” Time. 24 August 2009.
Articles about Sunil Babu Pant
BBC: Nepal court rules on gay rights
Sunil Babu Pant, gay rights activist and CA member
Videos of Sunil Babu Pant
Action Equals Life: Sunil Babu Pant
WATER: Climate Change and Emissions in Nepal
Websites
World Outgames 2009
Blue Diamond Society
Pinkmountain Travels and Tours

Related articles

• Out in Asia: Gay Equality, Nepal (itsaqueerworld.blogspot.com)
• Gay Marriage, Nepal. (rooting-for-gay-marriage.blogspot.com)
• Nepal Celebrates First International Gay Parade (lezgetreal.com)

Gay Politicians: UK Minister Nick Brown

b. 14th June, 1950

In the UK, any public suggestion of homosexuality would once have been a kiss of death: no more.

Prime Minister now says that errors of judgement may be a "resigning issue", but orientation is not. The PM is standing by his Agriculture minister Nick Brown, who has revealed that he is gay.

From BBC News:

Cabinet rallies around gay minister

Cabinet colleagues have been quick to voice their support for Agriculture Minister Nick Brown, who has revealed he is gay. Their backing for Mr Brown closely follows the line set by Prime Minister Tony Blair, who declared he was standing by his minister. 

By lending Mr Brown its full support, the government's line appears to be that "errors of judgement" may be a resigning issue for ministers, but their sexuality is not.

Mr Blair's official spokesman said the prime minister was "satisfied" with Mr Brown's account of his relationship with a former male partner.

It was his former partner's attempts to sell a story about the relationship to the News of the World newspaper which forced Mr Brown to publicly declare his sexuality and to deny he had paid for sex with the man.

Once again, the lesson is clear: the simplest way to avoid blackmail over sexuality, is to out oneself.

June 6th: Harvey Fierstein, Actor, playwright and screenwriter

b. June 6, 1952

“Prejudice tolerated is intolerance encouraged.”

Distinguished by his signature gravelly voice, Harvey Fierstein is a celebrated playwright, actor and producer. He is the only entertainer to have won Tony Awards as an actor and writer in both dramatic and musical categories.

Fierstein was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of a handkerchief manufacturer and a school librarian. He graduated from Pratt Institute of Art with a B.F.A. in painting.

Fierstein wrote “Torch Song Trilogy,” one of the first Broadway shows to feature a gay theme. It focused on a gay family and their struggle for acceptance and love. Anne Bancroft and Matthew Broderick starred in the film adaptation, which was among the first mainstream movies to address gay issues.

His play “Safe Sex” (1987), another trilogy, was written in response to the AIDS crisis. “Tidy Endings,” the third of the short plays, was adapted for an HBO television movie.

Fierstein narrated “The Times of Harvey Milk” (1984) and appeared in the films “Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993), “Bullets Over Broadway” (1994) and “Independence Day” (1996), among others. He was featured in the television series “Ellen,” “Miami Vice,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “Cheers.” He develops commentaries for the GLBT documentary series “In the Life” and writes op-ed articles on gay themes that have been published in The New York Times. Fierstein also authored “The Sissy Duckling,” a children’s book about a duck who is teased for being a sissy, but ultimately demonstrates his bravery. In 2001, its film adaptation won a Humanitas Prize. 

Fierstein has received four Tony Awards, three Drama Desk Awards and a Theatre World Award for acting and writing.

Bibliography
Clarke, Gerald. “No Opened Doors for Me.” Time. June 20,1983
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,926075,00.html
Collins, Glenn. “In ‘Safe Sex’ Harvey Fierstein Turns Serious.” The New York Times. April 5, 1987
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE6DA153CF936A35757C0A961948260
Fierstein, Harvey. “Our Prejudices, Ourselves.” The New York Times. April 13, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/13/opinion/13fierstein.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
“Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein.” The Gallery Players. November 2, 2006       
http://galleryplayers.com/plays/torch-song-trilogy       
Welsh, Anne Marie. “The Harvey ‘Affair’” The San Diego Union Tribune. September 16, 2007
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070916/21.html
Articles
“Times Topics: Harvey Fierstein.” The New York Times.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/f/harvey_fierstein/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=harvey%20fierstein&st=cse
Books
La Cage aux Folles (1984)
http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=15824
Shows
Torch Song Trilogy (1983)
http://www.amazon.com/Torch-Song-Trilogy-Anne-Bancroft/dp/B0001HAGRE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1215004899&sr=8-5
Safe Sex (1987)
http://www.amazon.com/Harvey-Fiersteins-Safe-Sex-Fierstein/dp/0689708025/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215004985&sr=8-1
Hairspray (2003)
http://www.amazon.com/Hairspray-2002-Original-Broadway-Cast/dp/B00006AALQ/ref=pd_bbs_sr_6?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1215005399&sr=8-6
Hair (2005)
http://www.amazon.com/Hair-Actors-America-Benefit-Recording/dp/B000929ADW/ref=sr_1_28?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1219340816&sr=8-28
A Catered Affair (2008)
http://www.amazon.com/Catered-Affair-Original-Broadway-Recording/dp/B00170LCOA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1215005453&sr=1-1