Williamstown Theatre Festival and Audible Announce Rehearsals and Remote Recording Sessions for Upcoming Productions

Today, Williamstown Theatre Festival (Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director) and Audible (Kate Navin, Artistic Producer, Audible Theater) announced rehearsals and remote recording sessions have commenced for four productions as part of the upcoming Williamstown Theatre Festival season produced by Audible, the world’s largest producer and provider of original spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks.

The four plays – Chonburi International Hotel & Butterfly Club by Shakina Nayfack, directed by Laura Savia; Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler, directed by Susan Stroman; Animals by Stacy Osei-Kuffour, directed by Whitney White; and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, directed by Robert O’Hara – will begin remote recording sessions as early as next week. Exact release dates on Audible and additional information about the full season of seven shows including casting will be announced shortly.

In addition, rehearsals are now underway for Chonburi International Hotel & Butterfly Club which features a cast that includes nine actors of trans experience. The complete cast features the playwright, Shakina Nayfack, alongside Ivory Aquino, Kate Bornstein, Liz Lark Brown, SAG Award® winner Annie Golden, Bianca Leigh, Telly Leung, Dana Levinson, Pooya Mohseni, Angelica Ross, Ita Segev, Grammy Award® nominee Jason Tam, and Samy Nour Younes.

In Shakina Nayfack’s world premiere play, a vibrant, international group of transgender women band together at a hotel in Thailand to confront the challenges and joys of gender confirmation surgery. Despite the group’s warm welcome, Kina (Nayfack) prepares for her life-altering operation all alone. But a caring nurse (Ivory Aquino), a wise couple (Kate Bornstein and Annie Golden), and a karaoke-loving bellhop (Telly Leung) may be exactly who she needs to ignite her truest sense of self. WTF Associate Artistic Director Laura Savia directs this spirited comedy about one woman who tests the bonds of an unlikely sisterhood.

As previously announced, this unprecedented collaboration between two industry leaders, forged during and in response to a fraught moment in history, preserves the festival season in a different format, provides continued work for the artists involved in the festival season, and produces a body of work that will be made available for global Audible listeners to enjoy and experience. It also marks the first time that an external theatrical season of work will be produced on Audible. In addition to being available for Audible listeners, the Williamstown Festival season on Audible will be made available to Williamstown Festival subscribers and donors.

PFLAG National calls out White House on "illegal aliens"

Today, the White House issued a memo to reduce the time of the Census, resort to sampling, and direct the Sec. of Commerce not to count "illegal aliens" in reapportionment.

Brian K. Bond, Executive Director of PFLAG National, released the following statement:

“Dear Mr. President, while Martians and other space creatures may be aliens, human beings are not. The U.S. Constitution plainly states that all persons get to be counted for the purposes of reapportionment of taxes and representatives. When all people count in the Census, we make sure communities get the monies needed to support schools, transportation, electricity, and other services. These race-baiting and discriminatory tactics to discourage people from filling out the Census and to also shorten the time of the Census are flatly un-American. They will disproportionately harm rural communities that depend heavily on federal investment and representation. PFLAG will continue to encourage all people to complete the Census without fear and to make sure everyone is counted.”

'Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful' Opens July 24

Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful opens July 24. One of the great masters of photography, Helmut Newton made a name for himself exploring the female form, and his cult status continues long after his tragic death in a Los Angeles car crash in 2004. Newton worked around the globe, from Singapore to Australia to Paris to Los Angeles, but Weimar Germany was the visual hallmark of his work. Newton's unique and striking way of depicting women has always posed the question: did he empower his subjects or treat them as sexual objects? Through candid interviews with Grace Jones, Charlotte Rampling, Isabella Rossellini, Anna Wintour, Claudia Schiffer, Marianne Faithfull, Hanna Schygulla, Nadja Auermann, and Newton's wife June (a.k.a. photographer Alice Springs), this documentary captures his legacy and seeks to answer questions about the themes at the core of his life's work – creating provocative and subversive images of women. The film also features Newton’s own home movies, archival footage (including a pointed exchange with Susan Sontag) and, of course, scores of iconic Newton photographs. The result: a wildly entertaining portrait of a controversial genius.

NMAC Celebrates the Life of Congressman John Lewis

Following is a statement from NMAC on the passing of Congressman John Lewis.

"In one of his last interviews, Congressman Lewis stated 'you cannot stop the call of history,” said NMAC Executive Director Paul Kawata. “‘You may use troopers. You may use fire hoses and water, but it cannot be stopped. There cannot be any turning back. We have come too far and made too much progress to stop now and go back.' NMAC's mission is to lead with race to fight for health equity and racial justice to end the HIV epidemic. As we go on with our mission, we will continue to memorialize Congressman Lewis’s dream by fighting alongside the millions of Americans who were and remain inspired by Congressman Lewis's drive to make this country a more fair and just country for all Americans.”

"Congressman John Lewis's voice unlocked millions of American's who shared his vision that civil rights, including the right to vote, the right to work, and the right to walk down a street without being murdered is a fundamental right which should be afforded to all Americans, regardless of their race,” said Joe Huang-Racalto, NMAC Director of Government Relations and Public Policy. "His deep faith in Americans’ ability to accept and forgive is what earned him the title of Conscience of the Congress. The power of his voice was only matched by the power of the movement he inspired.”

The Chicks release highly anticipated fifth studio album 'GASLIGHTER' today

After nearly 14 years, the 13-time GRAMMY award-winning, multi-platinum selling global

superstars, The Chicks, released today their highly anticipated fifth studio album, GASLIGHTER, via Columbia Records. The record release also brings the trio’s second single off the album, “Sleep at Night,” with a powerful new music video shot in the Mojave Desert. GASLIGHTER was co-produced by GRAMMY award-winning singer-songwriter, record producer, and friend of the band, Jack Antonoff. Order GASLIGHTER here and watch the official music video for “Sleep at Night” here.

Collaborators on GASLIGHTER alongside Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer, Martie Maguire, and Jack Antonoff include master sound engineer, Laura Sisk, and award-winning singer-songwriters, Sarah Aarons, Ben Abraham, Annie Clark, Teddy Geiger, Ross Golan, Ian Kirkpatrick, Charlotte Lawrence, Julia Michaels, H.G. Penne, Ariel Rechtshaid, Joe Spargur, Justin Tranter, and Dan Wilson.

The Chicks are proud to announce the “For Her Alliance,” a collection of female visual artists who collaborated with the band to create visualizers for select tracks off the album. The talented artists whose work is represented in these videos include Miranda Burke on “Tights On My Boat,” Lucy Dyson on “Texas Man,” Cosima Elwes on “Everybody Loves You,” “For Her,” “Set Me Free,” “Hope It’s Something Good,” “Julianna Calm Down,” and Paloma Grim, Sam Cutbush and Milly Constanti on “For Her.” The Chicks collaborated on the visualizers for “My Best Friend’s Weddings” and “Young Man.” The “For Her Alliance” Creative Director is Seanne Farmer, Executive Produced by Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire and Produced by Mindi Pelletier. Watch the videos today via the The Chicks official YouTube Channel here.

To celebrate the album’s release, The Chicks appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night for their debut performance of “March March.” The band also performed “Sleep at Night” for the first time this morning on the TODAY Show’s Summer Concert Series with a special performance of “Gaslighter” exclusive to TODAY.com. The Chicks will end the day with a simultaneous YouTube and Twitter live Happy Hour, complete with a few surprise guest appearances.

Tituss Burgess “Dance M.F.” Netflix Pride 2020 Performance

 
ICYMI check out Tituss Burgess' Dance M.F. performance at Netflix Pride 2020 presented by @most.

Dance M.F. is a sultry sexy stomper of a track with an attitude that is certain to bring comfort and escapism to our currently socially distanced souls. This song is a love letter to all the party people who in spite of the pandemic, are still committed to "live their best lives", party on down and celebrate Pride safely while in lockdown.

 

Premiering On Revry This Weekend: Life is Easy

Queer virtual cable TV network, Revry, pays homage to the cult classic FREAKY FRIDAY with LIFE IS EASY–a comedy series that uses the body swap trope to highlight race, gender, sex, and the true meaning of being “woke” in 2020. Created in New Zealand and featuring a multi-cultural cast, the series will have its live world premieres on Revry’s live TV channels on July 19th at 5pm & 8pm (PST). Viewers can also binge watch the entire season on July 17th by upgrading to Revry Premium.

 

Welcome to the world of Jamie-Li and Curtis: Yin and Yang; Potato and gravy; BFF’s since childhood. Jamie-Li, a straight Chinese-Kiwi woman, and Curtis, a gay white man, have a friendship that defies race, gender and sex...or so they think. After a night of wet and wild partying on their joint 25th birthdays, the two Gemini’s wake up to find themselves in each other’s bodies–revealing a hot mess of unexplored issues that unravels the way they see others, one another, and themselves. They thought they were “woke”–until they woke up in each other’s bodies! LIFE IS EASY (LIE) is a smart, funny, sexy, wholesome, and thought-provoking 8-episode satire series exploring the complexities of race, gender and sexuality in today’s seemingly “woke” society.

 

“Being able to distribute globally on Revry is incredibly exciting for us. Sometimes it’s hard for us #millennials to envision greatness for ourselves outside of New Zealand, because we’re literally so far away from everything that is making waves,” says Producer, Ruby Reihana-Wilson. “It’s amazing to have our work debut on a platform that is specifically there to showcase and support queer and indigenous filmmakers.”

“In a time of BLM, LIE poignantly explores what it means to literally live in someone’s else’s shoes,” said Revry COO and Co-Founder, Alia J. Daniels. “It not only makes us laugh, but makes us think–a potent combination in entertainment.”

Commission on Unalienable Rights Report Undermines Human Rights

On 16 July 2020 The Commission on Unalienable Rights, founded this time last year to provide the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with advice “on human rights grounded in our nation’s founding principles and the principles of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, issued a draft report to the public.

The report paints the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a document that is outranked by national level legislation. Concluding remark 6 highlights that “Nation-states have some leeway to base their human rights policy on their own distinctive national traditions”. Moreover, some rights are elevated above others - page 38 states “decisions about the priority of rights are not only inescapable but desirable. In many circumstances certain rights have a necessary logical precedence.”

The report also cautions against what it calls “new rights”, asserting on page 39 that “more rights do not always yield more justice. Transforming every worthy political preference into a claim of human rights inevitably dilutes the authority of human rights.” The report proposes that “new rights” need to be tested for consistency with “constitutional principles and moral, political, and legal traditions” - all arguments which are often used to deny LGBTIQ people of their human rights.

Deputy Executive Director of OutRight Action International, Maria Sjödin, comments:
“The fundamental principle of human rights is universality - human rights belong to us all, regardless of religious denomination, gender, race, sexual orientation, or any other number of distinguishing features. By using human rights language the report claims to safeguard human rights, while in fact doing the opposite. It positions international human rights law as secondary to national legislation, elevates one human right over another, and equates “unalienable rights” to “natural law” and “natural rights” - terms used to describe a social order which is often characterized by male-domination, subservience of women, racial inequality, and complete erasure of LGBTIQ people.”

A two-week public consultation follows the release of this report. OutRight urges progressive civil society and individuals to make submissions and challenge the misleading and dangerous interpretation of human rights promoted by the Commission.

Black Families Through Queer Eyes

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Thomas Allen Harris’ debut film VINTAGE: Families of Value, Third World Newsreel and Family Pictures USA present a virtual screening from July 21-23 and a live panel discussion on "Black Familes Through Queer Eyes" on July 22.

Produced by NAACP award-winning filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris, VINTAGE: Families of Value is a refreshing experiment in community storytelling that serves as an up-close-and-personal celebration of queer black intimacy. Three pairs of queer Black siblings – including Thomas Allen Harris and his younger brother, artist Lyle Ashton Harris – each take up cameras to document their families from separate angles. The result is a compassionate yet candid family video album, interwoven with tender and difficult conversations on parent-child relationships, gender identity and coping with HIV.

Viewers who register for the event can livestream the 72 minute documentary on YouTube for free every day from July 21-July 23. 

A live panel discussion, “Black Families Through Queer Eyes,” will take place on July 22 at on Facebook and YouTube. Hosted by Thomas Allen Harris and featuring filmmaker, artist and Sundance New Frontier programmer Shari Frilot, and MoMA Chief Curator of Film Rajendra Roy, the discussion will place VINTAGE within the broader contexts of 1990's Black queer experimental filmmaking and current civic activism.

Following the panel and to help expand the notions of family as seen through queer and trans eyes. Family Pictures USA will invite a multicultural group of artists, filmmakers, and activists to share their own family photographs on the stream.

KQED Wins Motion to Unseal Videotapes of Historic Same-Sex Marriage Trial

On Thursday, July 9, a federal judge in San Francisco ordered that video documentation of the 2010 Proposition 8 trial be unsealed next month. The ruling came after KQED and its counsel Thomas R. Burke argued that the tapes should be made available to the public.

Prop 8 banned same-sex marriage in California in 2008. The trial of Perry v. Schwarzenegger was later held to determine its constitutionality. Tapes of that trial, which were made at the behest of the judge who led those proceedings, Honorable Vaughn Walker, were to remain under seal for ten years from the end of the trial.

In recent years, some Prop 8 proponents have argued that the court should extend the seal, and a virtual court hearing was held on the matter on June 17.

In his ruling, District Court Judge William H. Orrick argued that the motion contained "no justification, much less a compelling one, to keep the trial recordings under seal any longer."

"It's incredibly important to have it be open, not only for the historical record, but so the people can see this particular trial video," said Burke. "It's one of the only federal trial videos of its kind ever in the United States."

Chief Content Officer Holly Kernan praised KQED Senior Editor Scott Shafer, who helped advance KQED’s effort, as well as Burke: “This is a victory for transparency and accountability. Kudos to Scott Shafer for pushing for access and to Thomas Burke, who is a tremendous first amendment advocate.”

Prop. 8 proponents have appealed Judge Orrick’s decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Barring any intervention from a higher court, the videotapes will be released August 12, 2020.

KQED’s full story on the ruling is here.

Books: Voices of LGBTQ+

Voices of LGBTQ+ helps educate, dispel fears, and start positive conversations about what knowing, loving, or simply peacefully and positively coexisting with someone in the LGBTQ+ community truly means. 

Author Lynda Wolters knows firsthand: she has come to have a deep respect for the community through her son, who is gay. 

StartOut and Socos Labs announce the launch of the StartOut Pride Economic Impact Index

StartOut and Socos Labs have launched the StartOut Pride Economic Impact Index™ (SPEII) to quantify the economic value of under-utilized LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs in near real-time, an industry first. Funded by JPMorgan Chase as part of its $150 million Small Business Forward philanthropic initiative to invest in underserved entrepreneurs, this project is further supported by Ogilvy, Google, Crunchbase, Reaching Out, and the Movement Advancement Project.

The goal of the SPEII is to quantify the unrealized potential of "out" high-growth LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, for the benefit of the US economy at large. While integration of underserved entrepreneurs, including the LGBTQ+ community, may have progressed over the last decades, but their access to critical resources is still far from equal. This is due in part to the lack of reliable data on the contributions of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who create jobs, raise capital, and innovate, and the impact they could have had with equal access. The SPEII fills that gap at a time when the US needs all talent available to kickstart the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiative shows that over the last 20 years, for example:
• More inclusive access to resources would have created over 2 million jobs in the U.S.
• Over two of every three US metro areas with at least 50 high-growth entrepreneurs did not show a single one who identifies as LGBTQ+, which presents major growth opportunities for these metro areas.
• Only about one in ten high-growth LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who would have been expected to close $1M+ in funding actually raised it, illustrating a major opportunity for investors.
• Metro comparisons reveal big discrepancies in leveraging the economic potential of high-growth LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. While San Francisco benefited from over 15,000 jobs, the numbers in Boston and Chicago were a tiny fraction of that.
• LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs raised $5 billion in funding. San Francisco, a traditional hub for both entrepreneurship and LGBTQ+ culture, accounted for $3.9 billion of that funding. Funding LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs in the rest of the country is thus a major growth and investment opportunity.

Municipalities, investors, ecosystem builders, and grantors can use the new SPEII to improve environments for founders of diverse backgrounds and reap the corresponding benefits. This product can help decisions based on economic impact and comprehensive quantitative data. Free for anyone to view and dynamically updated at least monthly, the product considers data on a total of five million U.S. entrepreneurs, identifies the approximately 86,000 high-growth entrepreneurs among them who typically raised $1M or more in funding, and compares actual and potential economic output of "out" LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs with their peers. The platform offers views and comparisons by metropolitan area.

"The launch of the SPEII, two years in the making, could not be more timely. Each entrepreneur who has what it takes to drive the recovery of the US economy must get a fair chance to contribute," added Andres Wydler, StartOut's executive director. "We are immensely proud to offer, with our partners, an actionable tool for decision makers nationwide who recognize the need to include and leverage all entrepreneurial talent that is able and willing to rise to the occasion."

An industry first, the initiative utilizes big data analysis and a corresponding AI-driven engine to both measure contributions in close to real time, and calculate what they could be with equal access, thus quantifying the unused potential for job creation and innovation by LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. The easy-to-use platform visualizes growth opportunities by metro areas in terms of jobs, patents, fundraising and company exits.

Dr. Vivienne Ming, founder of Socos Labs, said: "Our big-data driven, close to real-time approach takes the guesswork out of decision making for interventions. Over time, we can evaluate trends and differences with the data at hand and will gain deep insights into which programs and regulations impact opportunities for underrepresented communities, positively and negatively."

Ted Archer, head of Small Business Forward at JPMorgan Chase, added: "Now more than ever, it is critical to create an environment free of marginalization where all have a chance to share in the economic opportunity that business ownership can provide. SPEII and its near real-time data will enable decision-makers to make data-driven investments that support the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem as we recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 crisis. We are proud to support StartOut in this groundbreaking endeavor that helps put into focus the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community."

As Diversity & Inclusion is increasingly recognized as a driver for innovation, business success and ultimately shareholder returns, the SPEII allows business leaders and investors to increase impact by integrating LGBTQ+ talent across industries, nationwide.

The Soundflowers (Paris Jackson and Gabriel Glenn) - Your Look (Glorious)

Today, The Soundflowers, featuring Paris Jackson and Gabriel Glenn, debuts the official

video for “Your Look (Glorious)”—watch HERE! The full-length video was executive produced and shot by Prince Jackson via his production house King’s Son Productions.

“Your Look (Glorious)” is taken from the band’s self-titled debut EP, The Soundflowers, released last month to widespread acclaim via IMPERIAL. Billboard hailed “Your Look (Glorious)” as “simply romantic,” while Idolator proclaimed “The Soundflowers make a winning first impression” and Hollywood Life praised the EP as “five songs full of indie-folk goodness.”

This morning, Paris and Prince appeared on Good Morning America to discuss The Soundflowers, “Your Look (Glorious)” and more—watch their interview here. On collaborating with Prince, Paris says, “I was really comfortable working with my brother, it just felt natural.”

The Soundflowers’ five-track debut project eclectically blends indie acoustic and folk with influences of blues, soul, bluegrass country and beach reggae. The EP was produced by Mike Malchicoff (King Princess) with GRAMMY Award-winning mix engineer Rob Kinelski (Billie Eilish), and it is accompanied by video vignettes created by award-winning director Hannah Lux Davis (Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Nicki Minaj). The band is donating their net proceeds from merchandise sales to Black Women Lead, Black Voters Matter Fund and BEAM through the end of this month.

The Soundflowers’ six-part Facebook Watch Original Docuseries, “Unfiltered: Paris Jackson & Gabriel Glenn,” is currently airing every Tuesday at 3AM PT/6AM ET through August 4th. The docuseries explores the band’s journey together beyond the music—watch the latest episode here and check out the band’s recent performance of “Geronimo” here.

New Report Highlights Unique LGBTQ Landscape and Advocacy in the U.S. South

Despite being home to the most hostile policy landscape in the country for LGBTQ issues, the South is also home to some of the most innovative, resilient, and effective LGBTQ organizing and activism in the country. Today, the Movement Advancement Project released a new report, Telling a New Southern Story: LGBTQ Resilience, Resistance, and Leadership, which explores the unique experiences of LGBTQ Southerners and the innovative ways they build community, provide direct support, and make cultural and political change in the region.
 
Released in partnership with the Campaign for Southern Equality and Equality Federation, this report examines the experiences and advocacy strategies of LGBTQ people in the U.S. South. Despite the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling affirming employment discrimination protections nationwide, 93% of LGBTQ Southerners live in a state with a low or negative LGBTQ equality score, reflecting laws which impact virtually every aspect of daily life. Additionally, key elements of Southern culture—including religious conservatism, one-party control, and the legacy of slavery—make the South unlike any other region in the country.

Read a USA TODAY exclusive article about the report.

Key findings from the report include the following:

• Roughly 3.6 million LGBTQ adults live in the South, including over half a million transgender adults—more than in any other region. 
• More than four in 10 LGBTQ people in the South are people of color. More than one in five LGBTQ Southerners are Black, higher than any other region.
• The legacy of slavery and systemic racism have significant, continuing impacts on the experiences of LGBTQ Southerners who are Black and other people of color.  

LGBTQ Southerners experience multiple challenges in economic security, health access and outcomes, as well as in daily life—all of which are often amplified for LGBTQ people of color.

Despite a harsh state-level policy landscape, notable progress has been made across the South in the past ten years, most notably with recent wins in Virginia.

LGBTQ Southerners have responded to the South’s unique cultural and political landscape in innovative and resilient ways, often leading the nation in modeling effective and broad coalition work.   

• LGBTQ people in the South often focus on building community and providing direct support to address community needs without waiting for state legislatures.
• Examples of direct support include mobile health clinics, food pantries, providing housing, distributing gender affirming clothing, summer camps, and skills-building clinics.
• Many Southern LGBTQ organizations work on broad-ranging issues including voter suppression, racism, police violence against Black people and other communities of color, immigration reform, and climate change.
• Advocates are adept at seizing opportunities to educate and change hearts and minds.

TAKE ACTION

• READ the report: lgbtmap.org/regional-south
• DONATE to support more impactful policy reports like Telling a New Southern Story: LGBTQ Resilience, Resistance, and Leadership

One Colorado: Our virtual health tour is coming to your region

By Marvyn Allen, Health Equity & Training Director, One Colorado

When the coronavirus hit Colorado, we knew that it wasn't safe to continue our previously scheduled 16-city 'What the LGBTQ Health?' Statewide Tour. So earlier this year, we offered three virtual events to present information from the Closing the Gap: The Turning Point for LGBTQ Health report. And now, we want to hear directly from you about what is both amazing and challenging in your regions!

From July 25th to October 17th, we'll virtually "visit" six regions in Colorado to offer a town hall style webinar with local panelists who are leaders and allies of the LGBTQ community in each region. Learn about your Colorado neighbors, local resources, and how you can help close the gap between legal and lived equality in every corner of Colorado.