Friday, February 10, 2012

Know Your LGBT History - Nell Carter

I was especially sadden when actress and singer Nell Carter passed away in 2003. She was one of the few celebrities I had wanted to meet. She was truly an awesome lady.





From Wikipedia:

Born Nell Ruth Hardy in 1948 to Horace and Edna Mae Hardy in Birmingham, Alabama, Carter was one of nine children. She overcame adversity and personal hardships before finding success as an actress. Her father died in an accident with a power line. A man raped her when she was 16, and she became pregnant from the attack, giving birth to a daughter, Tracy.

She was in the 1971 rock opera Soon, which closed after three performances. She was the Music Director for the 1974 Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective's production of "What Time of Night It Is". Carter appeared alongside Bette Davis in the 1974 stage musical Miss Moffat, based on Davis' earlier film The Corn Is Green. The show closed before making it to Broadway. She broke into stardom in the musical Ain't Misbehavin, for which she won a Tony Award in 1978. She also won an Emmy for the same role in a televised performance in 1982. Additional Broadway credits included Dude and Annie.

In 1979, she had a part in the Miloš Forman-directed musical film adaptation of Hair. Her vocal talents are showcased throughout the motion picture soundtrack. One of the more memorable moments in the film involves her rendition of the song "White Boys" where she can be seen dancing playfully as she performs the song (alongside Ain't Misbehavin co-star, Charlayne Woodard).

In 1978, Carter was cast as Effie White in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, but departed the production during development to take a television role on the ABC-TV soap opera, Ryan's Hope in New York. When Dreamgirls premiered in late 1981, Jennifer Holliday had taken over the lead. Carter also took a role on television's The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, before landing a steady role as housekeeper Nell Harper on the sitcom Gimme a Break!, for which she earned Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations. The popular show lasted from 1981 to 1987.

'NOM ally - Use chemicals to 'cure' gays' and other Friday midday news briefs

New York Rabbi: Use Chemicals To ‘Cure’ Homosexuality - And this guy just happens to be an ally of the National Organization for Marriage. But just use chemicals. Why not shock treatment? They used to do that once. I bet NOM will register no comment on this one.

NJ Family Policy Council: Homosexuality Is Unhealthy, Can Be Cured, Linked To Pedophilia- Old lies die hard, don't they?

Top 10 questions on next steps in the Prop 8 trial - What you need to know about the next step in the Prop 8 trial.

Glitter-Bombing: Is It Fabulous Or Foolish? (POLL) - Glitter-bombing is lazy and stupid. Visibility for the sake of visibility is counterproductive. And the best work for equality is not done in front of the cameras. We need to organize and marshal all allies in this battle.


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Supporting Ellen DeGeneres = supporting fisting for children?

Ellen DeGeneres
By now, you all know of the ridiculous attack on JC Penny by the religious right group One Million Moms simply because the company has partnered up with popular lesbian comedian Ellen DeGeneres,

It hasn't gone well for One Million Moms (a sham offshot of the anti-gay hate group the American Family Association). Many folks have been turned off of the boycott because it's nothing more than wanton homophobia. This group don't like DeGeneres because she is a lesbian. In fact, not only has JC Penny dug in, but people, such as radio personality Howard Stern, have voiced strong support of the store and DeGeneres,

But like a moron who continues bash his head against a brick wall while ignoring the pain, One Million Moms and its supporters slog on.

Sandy Rios
Take for example this awful piece written by former Concerned Women for America employee Sandy Rios:

Imagine you had to make a case against Ellen DeGeneres being the new spokesman for JCPenney. Ellen is charming and delightful ... witty, warm and engaging. What's not to like about Ellen DeGeneres? And yet for thousands ... yeah millions of Penney's customers, it is an unsettling proposition.

American Family Association's OneMillionMoms have said as much. In fact they've asked JCPenney to reconsider their choice of a spokesperson. They've launched a campaign to get Penney customers to tell the retailer how they feel. But thousands are fighting back, including the new CEO of JCPenney, former Apple executive Ron Johnson, who said, "I think Ellen is someone we all trust. She's loveable, likeable, honest and funny, but at her soul, we trust her." On-line petitions have sprung up sponsored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination, GLAAD, in fierce defense of DeGeneres. It's the intolerant Religious Right pitted against the affable and charming Ellen DeGeneres and really, on that basis it is a losing battle.