Posts Tagged ‘Music’

Music Makes the People Come Together…

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Dreamgirls-7_jpg_550x550_q85 It's like I'm in my own game of "Where's Waldo?" Today, I'm blogging from the Big Apple. Looking forward to a winter weekend back in Ohio (fingers crossed for no flight delays!).

Since I'm still living the life of a professional nomad, I've been collecting my random thoughts for this week's post. Happy Friday, and here goes…

  • Born in the U.S.A. I know he's the Boss, but now he really should be. This week, THE Bruce Springsteen posted the following to his site: "Like many of you who live in New Jersey, I've been following the progress of the marriage-equality legislation currently being considered in Trenton. I've long believed in and have always spoken out for the rights of same sex couples and fully agree with Governor Corzine when he writes that, 'The marriage-equality issue should be recognized for what it truly is — a civil rights issue that must be approved to assure that every citizen is treated equally under the law.' I couldn't agree more with that statement and urge those who support equal treatment for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to let their voices be heard now." Go Bruce! I appreciate when artists use their communications platform to advocate for causes for which they are passionate. He came out in support of a highly debated issue, and he shared it with the masses. And now, he's got one more gay fan. Granted he had me at "Streets of Philadelphia," but still.
  • Glee Fall Finale. Any television show that involves a pairing of both "And I'm Telling You" from Dreamgirls and "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl deserves its own Nobel Peace Prize. Seriously– Effie White and Barbara Streisand? I'm suprised there wasn't a blackout across the U.S. from all us show choir gleeks imploding.
  • Speaking of Dreamgirls: Took a break last night while in NYC and decided to go see the revival of Dreamgirls at the Apollo Theater, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary. What a historic place. And what a fitting place to host this stunning revival. I don't think I've ever seen so much celebrated diversity like I did at the Apollo– gay men, black men, white women… you name it, we were all captivated by the star turn of Moya Angela. And I'm telling you, you better get going there before it closes.
  • Sadness: My mother has made cameo appearances on this blog before. On Wednesday, during our daily conversation, she told me she happened to read the paper and saw the story about the proposed anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda. Her words to me: "I read so many sad things in the paper today. It makes me scared for you. You never know what hateful people can do out there." I won't get into a discussion about what's going on in Uganda. Actually– I can't. It's too tragic to think that such anger and intolerance still permeates our society.

Thank you Bruce, and thank you Mom, for caring about our human rights.

Talk to you next week.

(Photo Courtesy of Playbill)

| December 11th, 2009 2 Comments »
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Don’t Ask, Don’t Sing?

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Alg_singer_ama_adam-lambert Gang–hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. Too much turkey, not enough shopping, but bygones.

It's been one of those weeks getting back into the swing of things, so I'm going to share a bunch of random musings:

  • Adam Lambert/American Music Awards: First of all– what a boring awards show. Yes, J-Lo fell. Janet lipsynched the opening. Kelly Clarkson rocked it out. But, Adam Lambert kissed and grossed a boy and the world fell apart! 1,500 calls to ABC! Good Morning America canceled his concert! CBS Early Show booked him but didn't show his controversial performance! Double standard? Maybe. But, shame on Good Morning America for canceling on him– especially when the network actively incorporates the LGBT community in their primetime shows. And double shame for CBS for capitalizing on the controversy but not showing his performance. What did I think about the performance? Much ado about nothing– especially the vocals :(
  • Mrs. Keaton is a lesbian! In an overdue return to the pop culture radar, Meredith Baxter (aka Family Ties matriarch) came out on the Today Show as a lesbian. I don't know how Alex P. and the gang will react to this. But, kudos to Meredith for taking the gossip hounds to task by coming out on her own terms, and doing it privately with her family first before addressing it nationally.
  • Cleveland is still rocking out as a result of My Games Rock! On Monday, Cleveland City Council unanimously passed legislation that expands the city's existing anti-bias laws to bar businesses from denying jobs or housing to people because of their gender identity or gender expression. It's great recognition for our transgendered community. Ohio is fast-becoming the LGBT mecca we dreamed. Here's hoping for more progress.
  • Twilight vs. Precious. Precious wins, hands down.

Happy first December Friday to all. Speak to you next week.

(Photo Courtest of NY Daily News)

| December 4th, 2009 No Comments »
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Give Thanks: LGBT Communications

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J0422463 It’s the Monday before a brief Thanksgiving break. Your dreams are taking you to a place of turkey, pumpkin pie and shopping heaven. It’s lovely there isn’t it? You’re reminded of family gatherings and that indescribable warmth of being home. For some of us in the LGBT community, this holiday season brings heartfelt and heartbreaking stories.

In preparation for holiday fun, I got to thinking about the things I'm grateful for. Here are a few (in the world of LGBT communications, in no particular order):

  1. Washington Blade – After 40 years of delivering LGBT news, the Washington Blade shut its doors after its parent company, Window Media, filed for bankruptcy. Thank you to the Blade for sharing LGBT news when others didn’t. Emerging at a time when the majority of the LGBT community was still in the closet, the Blade provided us with an outlet, a unified message to stand behind. It armed us for action and gave us a voice. The Blade’s editor, Kevin Naff, intends to launch a new LGBT publication. We look forward to seeing the new paper Kevin! For more on The Blade check out Michael's post from last week. 
  2. Young advocates – Fifth grader, Will Phillips and 17-year-old, James Neiley. Will Philips recently received much attention after he refused to say the pledge of allegiance to a country that discriminates against the LGBT community. James Neiley, a volunteer for Outright Vermont gave a moving and heartfelt speech to the Vermont Senate during the equal marriage rights debate. Cultivating young advocates is essential to the battle for equal rights. They provide a unique perspective and an unmatched passion for change. Young advocates fuel our progress. For a more intriguing list of the top 100 honorees by Out, go here. 
  3. And finally, Lady Gaga. Though many people may call her odd, I do appreciate Lady Gaga and all that she brings to the music industry and to pop culture. Lady Gaga takes any opportunity to be vocal about homophobia and fight for equal rights. She thanked God and the gays in her MTV VMA award win, performed at Pride Festivals and the HRC gala, and walked with us at the National Equality March in October. Ra-ra Ga-Ga! 

So tell us, what are a few things that you’re grateful for this year?

| November 23rd, 2009 1 Comment »
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Music: the Universal Language of… Acceptance?

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Asi es señoras y señores

(that’s right, ladies and gentlemen)—through none other than Norteño music, traditionally performed by a group of four to eight vaqueros (Mexican cowboys) starring the accordion as the instrument which sets it apart from others of similar beats.

Our friends at GLAAD blogged about this song that promotes acceptance and forgiveness of homosexual sons and daughters. Somewhere in the second stanza, after the singer admits to being shamed by his homosexual son, he sings: “I’d like to mistreat you and beat you.” It seems this may not be a good start, but then the lyrics continue: “…since this is your destiny I have to support you.” Naturally, the singer prays for patience and tolerance to accept his son and courage to not let shame take over.

The song continues, advocating that there is nothing wrong with being gay, and admits there are people that will shame him. Another prayer is a reflection of why we as people are so harsh, so quick to judge instead of each one living our lives in peace.

This song is about a father who has just learned that his son is gay. In the end, the reaction of the father is positive. This is huge, readers, huge. The demographic that this song reaches is exactly the one that most needs to hear this message. They are the less-educated, more recently immigrated workforce. Norteño (translates as “from the north” music typically sings of the ache of working in America for a family which resides in Mexico and the struggles of crossing the border for work.

The singer hits the nail right on the head as he addresses pride. Hispanic parents of gays often ask their children not to come out to the family. “What will everyone think?”

GLAAD got a chance to speak with Tino Silva, songwriter and member of the decade old “Grupo Perverso” who recorded this song.  Tino tells GLAAD that the band was accused of backing up gays and lesbians on a radio show. “That’s the idea, that they feel comfortable.”

This song is truly one of a kind in its genre, not because of its political point of view, but because it sings messages of acceptance, and not hate, to our gay and lesbian community.

 

| September 30th, 2009 No Comments »
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One Moment in Time…Again

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Whitney Houston Whitney's back.

Personally, I think those two words are sufficient enough for an entire posting, but for those who may be in pop culture rehab, our girl Whitney Houston is back in the spotlight. This week, the diva returned to the airwaves after a self-imposed seven year hiatus with her new album "I Look to You."

Whitney's voice was one that defined pop music in the 80s and 90s. Who didn't love the fact that Whitney couldn't dance in the "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" video!?! Her crystal clear soprano voice nailed the cover of "I Will Always Love You." I can't count the number of times I lip-synced to "Queen of the Night" in my bathroom mirror– but that's probably for a whole other post.

She's now on a promotional blitz, with a concert this week on "Good Morning America" and the required Oprah sit-down scheduled for Sept. 14. There's a great deal of positive energy out there for Whitney, thanks in large part to the marketing strategy by Arista Records. Scott Seviour, the label's senior VP of marketing and artist development, gave an interview to Reuters and said that part the label has left "no marketing stone unturned, targeting Houston's core fan base of 30- to 55-year-old women, as well as the gay and lesbian community."

I'll admit that I've seen a slew of postings and articles in the LGBT press and blog community about Whitney's return. Kudos to Arista for making the effort. Let's face it– the gays love Whitney. We love a good comeback story, and we certainly love a diva. I'm sure we all cyber-stalk for Whitney news on a regular basis, so our hoopla around the Great Miss W is no surprise. But, Arista still made the effort to engage us as a loyal consumer base, recognizing that just because we're already part of the core base doesn't mean that we should be left out of any major marketing strategy.

As much as I also love to watch celebrity trainwrecks, I hope that Whitney continues to come out from the dark and take her place as queen of the pop-dom. What do you think about the new album? Can Whitney continue this positive momentum?

IMAGE COURTESY OF WIRE IMAGES

| September 4th, 2009 No Comments »
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