FRONTIERS BLOG

  • GMCLA's 'The Voice Awards' Brought Out the Celebs

    Sunday night's Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles 2nd annual The Voice Awards at Universal Studios brought many celebrities yet surprisingly very few paparazzi. Kanye West would have loved it.

    Here's who photographers caught walking The Voice Awards' red carpet. The soccer player with supermodel looks—no not David Beckham, but Robbie Rogers; Glee's Alex Newell; former Voice constant De'Borah; makeup and hair genius Brandon Liberati with his partner, fitness expert Craig Ramsay; GLAAD East Coast spokesman Omar Sharif Jr.; The Advocate Editor Matthew Breen; NYPD Blue's Sharon Lawrence; Hart of Dixie's Ross Phillips; E! News' Robbie Laughlin; Joan of Arcadia and Twilight vet Michael Welch; American Idol's first transgender contestant, JDA; Adam & Steve's Craig Chester; and Sordid Lives cast members Emerson Collins and Ann Walker.

    As one of the evening's themes was being out and proud, I found it ironic to learn from True Blood and Cougar Town vet Carolyn Hennesy that she used her mother's closet to borrow a beautiful black vintage Jax bolero-style jacket.

    Opening the evening were co-emcees Wilson Cruz and talk show host Stephanie Miller, who had trouble using the correct initials for GMCLA. But that's why alcohol is served at these functions—it's something to blame when your lips and tongue aren't communicating.

    Cruz, as always, was prepared and quick to ad-lib when needed, holding composure yet spreading a sense of fun from the stage. He's that Neil Patrick Harris-type actor who's more than stage eye candy but great at hosting, fast-witted and never ruffled. Comedy writer Bruce Vilanch took the stage and brought expected laughs when he claimed to be using the dating site Christian Mingle and had just come from a rehearsal with his new boy band, A Different Direction.
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  • Center's 'An Evening with Women' A Rocking Success


    Saturday night's edition of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's An Evening with Women was another huge success at the Beverly Hilton. Produced by rocker singer/songwriter Linda Perry, the event raised glasses, attention and funds for women's services.

    Never one to worry about controversial comedy, emcee Kathy Griffin opened with jokes about lesbian stereotypes, which taught me that Home Depot is better than a singles bar for women on the prowl. An unusual fact for red carpet events, this one had as many celebrities as there were paparrazi. Among them were TMZ's Brian McDaniel and Queer as Folk vet Peter Paige with Teri Polo and Sherri Saum (the leads of the new series he's producing for ABC Family, the Fosters). 

    Other notable faces on the photo line were Roseanne alum and co-host of The Talk, Sarah Gilbert, Extreme Makeover Home Edition contributor Michael Moloney, iconic Family Ties star Meredith Baxter, Perez Hilton, The Hills' alum Brent Bolthouse, the beautiful Jessica Clark, who played Lilith on True Blood and Young and the Restless cast members Christian LeBlanc and Greg Rikaart.  

    Entertainment was provided by Sia, who gave a beautiful rendition of her song Titanium with only the accompaniment of a piano. "Pocketful of Sunshine" singer Natasha Bedingfield brought the crowd to its feet, which led into the blasting sounds of Ozzy Osbourne and his band. Having a warped sense of humor, I was probably the only person there who was concerned for the hearing impaired interpreter and how she'd be able to decipher the words of the Osbourne patriarch.
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  • Watch: AFER's Matt Baum Updates Us on the Marriage Equality Fight

    These are incredibly exciting times for the advancement of gay and lesbian rights. Delaware, Rhode Island, and Minnesota have all passed bills recognizing the rights of same-sex couples to marry which are set go into effect this summer, states with the freedom to marry bringing the total to 12. And Supreme Court is expected to hand down a ruling on the constitutionality of California’s Prop. 8 and parts of the Federal Government’s Defense of Marriage Act by the end of June. These are advances that would have seemed inconceivable a decade ago, and now the cause of queer rights is advancing so rapidly it is hard to keep up.

    Luckily the always helpful and informative Matt Baume of the American Foundation for Equal Rights is here with a very concise break down for us how far we’ve come, what we have to do to consolidate the gains we’ve made, and what needs to happen next.

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  • New Release Tuesday: May 21, 2013

    It should be The National or Daft Punk in the top spot, but I’m giving a shout-out to a Milwaukee four-piece that’s worth your time. Also, to hear more about new releases, check me out with Grant Owens on We Found New Music.

    Alchemy – Gold EP. I’m fudging a bit here, but, hey, it’s my blog and I can do what I want. And what I most want right now is to introduce you to this up-and-coming Milwaukee quartet. They released their debut Creature of Love on January 1, 2013, and then immediately got back to work on a follow-up EP, Gold, that came out a few weeks ago. The sound is indie electro (think Two Door Cinema Club, St. Lucia, etc.), pop-savvy and hummable. Download their free bonus track “I Need You Here” and then support them by getting their stuff from their website.

    The National – Trouble Will Find Me. The sixth release from this Brooklyn institution isn’t as immediate as High Violet, but instant hooks have never been how this band works. The uptempo tracks catch you first: “Sea of Love” and my personal fave this week, “Graceless.” But two weeks from now that could change; and by year’s end nearly every tune will probably be echoing throughout my brain.

    Daft Punk – Random Access Memory. Album four from these French robots has caused a rift in their fanbase—it’s too disco, not hard enough, sounds like their countryman Air at times. As a non-fan all I can tell you is that I very much enjoy their disco on “Get Lucky,” think their '70s funk riff “Give Life Back to Music” is the real thing and find “Giorgio by Moroder” the masterstroke they’ve been heading towards since their 1997 debut.

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  • L.A. Gay Athletes Suit Up for Safe Sex Campaign

     

    Los Angeles is a place that is very very big, and very very sexy. This is mostly awsome state of affairs, but it does come with some drawbacks. In 2011, the Department of Public Health reported more than 47,500 new cases of chlamydia, more than 9,500 new cases of gonorrhea and nearly 1,800 new cases of syphilis. And an estimated 2,000 new HIV infections occur annually in L.A. County. Tackling this very real public health concern sounds like an almost insurmountable task, but the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health isn't going to take it... um... "lying down."

    In an effort to encourage condom use and safer sex practices, the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health will begin distributing its official "L.A. Condom" in a 40-foot condom mobile that made its debut at Long Beach Pride. Condoms being distributed feature new wrappers designed by local residents as part of last summer's "L.A. Condom" wrapper design contest.

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  • Poll: Justin Bieber 'Least Liked in the Business,' 'The Hangover III' Premieres in Westwood

    A recent poll conducted by Public Policy Polling claimed that Justin Bieber is the least-liked musician in the business. Though it states that Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Chris Brown have equally negative reputations, Bieber was the only singer who received somewhat equal hatred among all political party lines, including Democrats, Republicans and Independents. 

    The new comedy series The Goodwin Games starring Ugly Betty's Becki Newton, True Blood vet Scott Foley and Cloverfield's T.J. Miller begins tonight on FOX. I'd say don't get your hopes up, but hey, stranger things have happened. After all, ABC chose to renew The Neighbors.

    If you are seeking new autograph memorabilia for your eBay business, celebrities galore are expected at tonight's premiere of The Hangover III at the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood. Star Ed Helm should be rushing right over to it following his afternoon taping of The Jimmy Kimmel Show today. He could be the reason the taping was moved up a half-hour. I mean, It couldn't possibly be for Jewel, who's the other guest on tonight's episode.  
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  • 'C.O.G.' to Open Outfest 2013, Starring Jonathan Groff, Denis O'Hare, Casey Wilson

    To many people, C.O.G. is their position in a factory-mentality workplace. But when it's the title of a movie based on a short story from David Sedaris' book Naked, it's the promise of poignant charm and laughter.

    Director Kyle Patrick Alvarez's film has been chosen as the feature film of the Opening Night Gala for this year's Outfest. This 31st edition of the Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival will be unveiled Thursday, July 11.

    C.O.G. presents Glee vet Jonathan Groff as a cocky college grad who feels that a cross-country road trip is necessary in order to become a successful writer. Faster than you can say "Grapes of Wrath," he ends up working at an apple farm in the Northwest—and I don't mean an iPhone factory. Surprised by his new fish-out-of-water status, he is soon surrounded by challenges to his lifestyle and perspective about real life. Written and directed by Alvarez, this is the first movie version of a Sedaris composition. The cast includes True Blood alumni Dale Dickey and Denis O'Hare, with Quantum Leap's Dean Stockwell, House of Cards' Corey Stoll, Happy Endings' Casey Wilson and Pretty Little Liars' Troian Bellisario.

    Attention for C.O.G. comes at the perfect time to help Jonathan Groff's growing career. Among his current workload is an untitled series for HBO about a group of gay friends living in San Francisco. Many sources are calling it the queer version of the hit series Girls, which leaves an important question: Who is going to play  the chubby, low-self-esteem Lena Dunham character who doesn't mind doing nude scenes?
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  • Texas Judge Orders Lesbian Couple to Live Apart or Lose Kids

    McKinney,Texas Republican Judge John Roach Jr. is enforcing a “morality clause” he put in Carolyn Compton’s divorce papers ordering her partner of almost three years, Page Price, to leave the house the couple shares or Compton will lose custody of her children, according to the Dallas Voice. 

    The “morality clause” underscores the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act.  The clause says Compton can only have someone related to her “by blood or marriage” after 9:00pm when her children are home. Since Texas does not allow marriage equality, Page must leave.

    “Our children are all happy and well adjusted. By his enforcement, being that we cannot marry in this state, I have been ordered to move out of my home,” Price wrote on her Facebook page. She also noted that Compton’s ex-husband, once charged with stalking Compton, rarely sees their two children with whom she shares custody.

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