Family Equality Council Dinner 2013

By Brandy Black

The Family Equality Council was a spectacular event.   It was quite the red carpet affair with stars from The Real Housewives of  Beverly Hills, Glee, The New Normal and more.  The premiere event at the Globe Theatre at Universal Studios was well attended and an event worth going back to next year.

Family Equality Council connects, supports, and represents the one million parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender in this country and their two million children. They are changing attitudes and policies to ensure that all families are respected, loved, and celebrated—including families with parents who are LGBT.

The standout for the night was Chris Kluwe. “As athletes, what we say on the field and on the sidelines has a direct impact on how some kids are treated on the playground,” said Kluwe. “I hope more professional athletes stand up and declare that all American families are worthy of respect in their community and protection under the law.”

 

 

 

 

Q&A with Katy Lin from Katy Lin & the Moonlight Riders

By: McKenzie Morrell

Exclusive Interview: Romaine Patterson

By: Don Todd

I got a chance to sit down with half of the duo from the “Derek and Romaine Show” on Sirius and XM radio a few weeks ago during “The Dinah”. Romaine has been an advocate for many issues in the LGBT community. She first came into the spotlight as a member of the Angel Action in Laramie Wyoming after her friend Matthew Shepard was killed. She shared with me stories of her partner Iris and their daughter Romaine and their plans on expanding their family.

You and Iris have a daughter Romaine; any plans for more children?

We are, yeah. I have been after my partner Iris for a while to carry a child. When this all started we had a deal that I would carry the first, she would carry the second, and I would carry the third. I have always wanted three kids, so I did my part. I carried a child and I hated it. I was miserable and was really a crabby pregnant woman and I might have scared her. So when it was her turn she told me “yeah I’m scared. I can’t do it.” So I was upset, but with the whole economy and everything we put off trying for a while. Even gay people have to be somewhat responsible. So we put it off for a while and at the end of last year we started trying again. So I started the process and went through two rounds of IUI and neither was successful, then my mom died. So we thought, maybe this is the universe saying, “let’s just take a little break; let’s regroup; and then let’s try again.” I have a little bit more traveling and then in May we might start trying again until we are successful. Who knew having a baby was so hard? I couldn’t imagine being a gay guy and trying to have a child.

With having a child and dating in the gay community, I have found that, when it comes up that you have a child, it’s usually the end of it. What is your take on those of us who have children and are dating?

It’s interesting. I think the lesbians are a little bit more open-minded to dating women with children. Years ago I dated a woman with a child and it was really interesting. Sometimes I wonder, if something were to happen with Iris and me, and we were no longer together, I wonder what it would be like. I think it would be a VERY different experience.

I think part of it too, is that gay parents are much more aware of the consequences of certain things. We are much more aware of what other people are looking at from us, we are kind of much more closely watched to see if we are good parents or “good enough” parents in the eyes of many. So I think you make different dating decisions then if you didn’t have a child.

You talk about your pre-school stories on the show, about you and the other moms and developing that network, Gay or Straight. What was your experience choosing a school for your daughter?

It was interesting for Iris and me. “Romie” (our daughter) has been in daycare / pre-school since she was five weeks old. We went around and really looked high and low even before we had Romie. We went and talked to the different daycares and schools and asked if they ever had gay parents before and how they felt about it. It was something that we knew we had to be really aware of and conscious of. So we found a school we liked and they said they had gay dads “once upon a time” so that was good.

The first and second years went by with no problems and it was great. The start of the third year we started getting all these invitations for birthday parties. So the first time we went to one I said to Iris, “Listen, we are going to divide and conquer here.” We had a meeting in the car on the way there. We have to get to know the other parents. Part of it for me was babysitter network, cause you have to have a good babysitter network, that’s important. The other thing was that it is really important for the other parents to know who we are so that, as Romie is growing up, and their kids are talking about Romie’s mommies, we know what they are telling their kids too. It was almost as important that we know them as they know us. I went in knowing that there was going to be probably one set of parents that was going to have a problem with us and we were going to have to deal with “that”.

The other parents FAR exceeded our expectations. Even the teachers are very supportive. Like when Mother’s Day comes around they ask “how do you want us to do the cards?” or when Father’s Day rolls around they ask if there is someone that she can make a card for. (For that we have her do it for her godfather.) They just really think about those things and it really gives me hope that there is going to be a point where having gay parents is a non-issue. I am hopeful, seeing this generation.

With the bullying in schools lately, with having same sex parents, is there anything like that you are thinking about for your daughter?

I think bullying is going to happen no matter what. I think the key is just having really good communication with your kid. We have started that really early, when there is an issue at the school whether it’s a teacher or a friend. You know little kids:  ”I don’t want to be your friend anymore.” We sit down and talk about those things with Romie and tell her that “sometimes our friends say things that aren’t very nice” and we talk about her feelings about it. If she’s frustrated with it, we try to teach her the words to try to express the feelings she is having. That is something we are doing with her and trying to be very conscientious about. How are we going to explain certain things and how are we going to handle the first time she comes across a group of very hateful people who are going to criticize her family?

We remain hopeful that her generation of young people is not going to have the same stereotypes and crap that previous generations have seen. There are still going to be situations that we are going to come up against and it’s just a matter of really communicating. I also think that gay people are so much more aware of these things and we really take the time to teach their kids about this stuff. Because we KNOW that this is something that is going to happen and we almost anticipate it and build up this level of protection around your family so that when it happens you are prepared to deal with it. I think that we seem to do that a lot more than our hetero counterparts do, and in turn we get a chance to get to know our children in a different way and I think that’s unique.

Being a busy professional, are there any struggles you are running into balancing your career and your family?

I’m pretty lucky because my partner Iris is really “hands on” with Romie. I always worried with her not being the biological parent, how she was going to bond with Romie and how that relationship was going to form. Because I carried her for nine months, our relationship was inherent no matter what. It’s interesting because Romie actually prefers Iris more than me. I get a little jealous sometimes, but Iris is a really wonderful parent. Where I’m lacking she picks up the slack. When I am traveling for the radio show, Iris is home with her and we also have a very strong support network. Lots of friends like A.D.D. Jeff, from the show; he serves very much as a father figure for Romie. He is the man who she sees the most on a week-to-week basis. This was actually the first time where Iris and I left her for the weekend, usually it’s one or the other. We take her on the road a lot, but this weekend mommies need time away. So she is with uncle Jeff this weekend. “The Dinah” is not appropriate for a three-year-old.

Romaine can be heard on the Derek and Romaine show, Sirius radio channel 109 “Out Q” and on XM channel 98. Her book “The Whole World Was Watching” (available on amazon.com) describes how she ended up as a nationally recognized gay rights activist and the uncensored out-of-control lesbian on satellite radio.

The Seattle Lesbian Exclusive Photos from The Dinah!

By: The Seattle Lesbian

 

The Seattle Lesbian attended The Dinah 2011 in Palm Springs, CA this past weekend and we have the photos to prove it! Check out our first set of uploads featuring Crystal Chappell, Chely Wright, Mariah Hanson, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Nicole Conn, Marina Rice Bader, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Charlene Strong, and others!

See them right here!

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Brought to by The Seattle Lesbian

GLAAD Media Awards Los Angeles – Video Recap

By: The Seattle Lesbian

 

Fan favorites Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones hosted the GLAAD Media Awards last night in Los Angeles, CA. The Seattle Lesbian was there on the red carpet and in the ballroom to experience it all with surprise guest…the one and only…Dolly Parton!

Sean Hayes presented the Vanguard Award to Emmy and Tony Award-winning singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth, who has spoken out repeatedly for full equality for LGBT people.  In 2010, Chenoweth publically challenged a controversial Newsweek article which incorrectly asserted that gay actors cannot play straight roles.  The Vanguard Award is presented to individuals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community in the media.

“I want to encourage many people of all faiths to come forward and stand with me,” Chenoweth said in her remarks.  “Even if you don’t believe in Jesus the way I do, he did teach love — not just tolerance, but acceptance.  I’m lucky I had parents who adopted me at birth, conservative Southern Baptists who said, ‘You will love everyone the same’…Mostly I would like to thank GLAAD for this amazing, amazing honor.  This is the biggest honor I have ever received.”

Read the full recap with video here!

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Brought to you by The Seattle Lesbian

Exclusive Interview: Kardashian Favorite The Beach Girl5

By: Sarah Toce

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The Beach Girl5 (BG5) – Brooke Adams, Dominique Domingo, Noreen Juliano, Mandy Jiroux, and Laura New – are splashing around light-heartedly in the world’s oyster of entertainment. With a strong managerial hand at the steering wheel (Kardashian mastermind Kris Jenner serves as one of their managers), these ladies are in the business for the long haul.

I had the rare opportunity to chat with Noreen about the band’s inception, upcoming performance at The Dinah in Palm Springs, the Kardashians, and the possibility of hosting Saturday Night Live…one day.

Read our exclusive interview here!

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Brought to you by The Seattle Lesbian

Exclusive Interview: Thea Gill on Queer As Folk, Slip Away and Finding Her Voice Again

By: Sarah Toce

When Thea Gill called me from her oasis in the mountains, the connection was a little shaky, but she was certainly not. The Canadian-born actress best known for her role on the American Showtime series Queer As Folk was down-to-earth, gracious, full of energy (regardless of the fact that she was fighting a cold), and extremely welcoming. It was an absolute joy to spend a little bit of time with the iconic personality – even if our conversation was paused in order to redial a few times.

Gill’s steadfast commitment to her craft is taking a new musical turn that has her reliving her roots in the theatre. At one point in our conversation, we discussed how the monumental success of Queer As Folk both helped and hindered the 5’10” blonde beauty’s career and personal life. With time, distance, spiritual inflection, and patience, Gill has once again found her voice. Here, she’ll share it with you.

Read our exclusive interview here!

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Brought to you by The Seattle Lesbian

Exclusive Interview: A Marine Story’s Dreya Weber on Aerials, Pink, Britney, and The Dinah

By: Sarah Toce

The Seattle Lesbian caught up with A Marine Story‘s Dreya Weber when she was in town for last year’s Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. Weber is preparing her aerial arrival into Palm Springs, CA for The Dinah 2011 so we thought we’d share this interview with you one more time. Enjoy!

Your incredible aerial work has been seen on the stages of concert performers like Pink, Madonna, Carrie Underwood, Britney Spears, Cher…the list goes on and on. When did you first realize you were interested in aerial performances?

I discovered the joy of aerials on the flying trapeze in 1990 and then, over the years, I realized that I could be more expressive with other aerial apparatuses. I could integrate storytelling, dramatic arc…that kind of thing. I really enjoy imagining and designing new environments to play in when I am in the air.

Your company, Anti-Gravity, worked at the Medals Ceremony at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. We’d love to hear about that event!

I was a founding member of Anti-Gravity in 1991 and I have worked with them many times over the years as a performer, choreographer, and associate director. They were asked to create aerials to complement the opening number at the medals ceremony every night. The audience was 25,000 incredibly enthusiastic people who didn’t mind standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the freezing cold.

What were the 2010 Grammy Awards like for you? Pink was outstanding.

I had choreographed that number for the encore performance for Pink’s “Funhouse Tour”. I dreamed up that apparatus and told her that she was going to get wet at the end of the song. She was quite a sport! That performance was an amazing experience. It was live so it came with all of the risks that go along with that.

Read more of this exclusive interview here

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Brought to you by The Seattle Lesbian

Human Rights Campaign Gala 2011

By: Brandy Black

The Human Rights Campaign Gala was another smashing hit this year!  Held at the Ritz Carlton in downtown Los Angeles, the stars were hard to spot among the many beautiful guests that were in attendance.  Tears were shed as we celebrated the huge steps that the HRC campaign has been making towards equal rights for all.

I got the chance to speak with the fabulous Jesse Tyler Ferguson of Modern Family before the event began.

Brandy: How has it impacted you playing the first gay dad on a major network television show?

Jesse: It’s a huge honor. I don’t take the job lightly, the social ramifications of a role like that of Cameron and Mitchell are huge so we take it very seriously.  I’m encouraged daily by people who come up to me and say “thank you for representing my family on TV” or “thank you for changing the mind of someone I care about” or “thank you for changing my mind.” So it’s awesome. I think television is a very powerful medium and I think it makes certain things safe and I think we’ve made certain gay couples safe in a lot of homes and maybe it wasn’t so and if it’s ok for Cameron and Mitchell to raise a baby and live their lives and get married, maybe it’s ok for Bob and Joe down the street…so I think it’s really encouraging.

Brandy: Do you feel a responsibility as a celebrity to speak out for certain causes?

Jesse: I speak out for causes that I feel passionate about; I accept the responsibility. I certainly never set out to be a poster child for everything but I’m certainly more than happy to add my voice to a group.  I’m just an actor. I didn’t even go to college. I’m not the smartest cookie in the drawer…how about that? I combined three: (1) smartest (2) cookie in the (3) drawer.  I certainly don’t want to be the band leader for anything but I want to be in the band for sure.

Brandy: Are you similar to your character?

Jesse: Mitchell is way more serious than I am…but like he, I have a passion for life. I have family values and I would certainly love to have an adorable little daughter some day, too.

Jesse was one of the opening speakers for the HRC Gala.

“I am so proud to be an openly gay actor in Hollywood and that goes for all 7 of us.  The change is happening and it’s getting better all the time.”

The fabulous Chelsea Montgomery Duban introduced her “new gay uncle- guncle” Joe Solmonese to the stage.  Chelsea is best known for speaking out and supporting her gay dads.  I did a two-part series on her family last year after the 2010 HRC Awards.

The HRC announced its newest LGBT initiative called Welcoming Schools in which they strive to build a school community where all students are welcome and respected.  The speakers celebrated the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the many people on the Human Rights Campaign that helped to make this happen. The President of the HRC, Joe Solmonese, gave an inspiring speech and thanked the many heros that have fought for equality.

Honoree Rabbi Denise L. Egers

Honoree Rev. Susan Russell

Craig Stowell (below right, with his brother Calvin), who served in Iraq, says when he heard about the hearings to repeal gay marriage in New Hampshire, he thought of his 22-year-old brother Calvin and all that he had gone through growing up gay. Craig felt he had to speak out.  He took out a full-page ad in the paper to tell the story of his family.

“Until a month ago, I’d never done anything, not even a letter to the editor…let alone conceived of telling my story in a full-page ad in the most conservative newspaper in New Hampshire. In our family, we stand up for each other no matter what and when it came time for me to speak up, HRC helped me find my voice…because I saw what my brother went through for too many years. It was obvious to me. The effort to take away gay marriage was not only wrong but shameful…Calvin, I’m so proud of the man you’ve become and no one has the right to take away your freedom to marry and one day, when you find the man of your dreams, I hope I’ll get to be your best man, just as you were mine.”

It was a truly inspirational evening for all.

Exclusive Interview: Meet “Out” Singer/Songwriter Julie Schurr

By: Sarah Toce

Our mutual friends God-Des & She arranged for a telephone meeting because they knew the world needed to stop and take notice of both The Seattle Lesbian and the strikingly powerful musician Julie Schurr. It was my pleasure to give her a call and find out a little bit more about the openly-gay singer/songwriter from Missouri.

Read more of our exclusive interview here..

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