Interview: Chica Lit, Meet Johnny Diaz and The Boston Boys Club

From Blogcritics magazine:

Written by Lisa Alvarado

A staff writer for The Boston Globe, Johnny Diaz covers Boston’s colorful neighborhoods and Hispanic issues. Previously, Diaz was a reporter for The Miami Herald where he shared in the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the federal seizure of Elian Gonzales and its aftermath. MTV Real World fans will remember him as the “gay guy’s boyfriend” from the Miami season. In Boston Boys Club, his first novel, Johnny Diaz follows a trio of friends as they search for that perfect guy at the most happening bar in Boston, the Café Club.

I caught up with Johnny as he continues to juggle being a successful journalist and preparing for the national debut of his novel. Come back next week for a review of Boston Boys Club, summer read season is just around the corner.

To read more, click here.

NATIONAL LGBT GROUPS CONDEMN OUSTING OF LARGO CITY MANAGER

News release:

NATIONAL LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER RIGHTS
ORGANIZATIONS CONDEMN OUSTING OF LARGO CITY MANAGER

(Largo, Florida, March 23, 2007) — Today, the National Center for Lesbian
Rights, Equality Florida, the National Center for Transgender Equality, the
Human Rights Campaign, the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, and
the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force denounced the discriminatory action of
the Largo, Florida City Commission for violating its own nondiscrimination
policy as well as state and federal law by firing long time City Manager Steve
Stanton after learning that Stanton is transgender. Stanton is one of the
most successful and accomplished City Managers in the country and has
loyally served the City of Largo for nearly two decades. The Commission's
decision to terminate is a stunning demonstration of bias and intolerance. By
choosing discrimination over inclusiveness, the City Commissioners failed
Stanton and failed their city. Stanton, who is represented by the National
Center for Lesbian Rights, will announce next week whether he intends to
pursue litigation.

Despite outcry, Stanton is fired

Largo again votes 5-2; dozens testify his gender change shouldn't matter.

[Times photo - Doug Clifford]

By LORRI HELFAND, St. Petersburg Times

LARGO - Steve Stanton couldn't overcome the odds. Largo city commissioners voted 5-2 to fire him early this morning, a month after he revealed he planned to become a woman.

The vote was identical to one taken Feb. 27 and came after a six-hour meeting including four hours of public testimony, most of it urging the commission to save Stanton's job.

"I was optimistic, but realistic that it was going to be very difficult to slow down the train," Stanton, 48, said after the vote. He said he has made no decision about whether he'll take additional legal action.

Stanton - joined by his attorney, specialists and accomplished transgender people - had led the charge for his job Friday night, asking commissioners to look past gender issues and judge him on his accomplishments in 14 years as Largo's top bureaucrat.

"I'm asking you to realize I'm still the same person today that I was four weeks ago. I'm asking you to judge me on my qualifications and performance and the fact that this organization is the best run organization in Pinellas County," he said.

But in the end, commissioners said that they lost their trust in him and that he didn't meet the leadership standards he set for employees.

To read more, click here.

Center For Positive Connections "Cooking for a Cause"

News release from Center For Positive Connections:

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for the first in a series of cooking classes to benefit The Center for Positive Connections.   HOW TO PREPARE A MORROCAN FEAST   The menu includes: Aubergine Salad A Tagine of Chicken with prserved Lemons and Limes Traditional couscous with seven vegetables and Smen (an aged Clairifed butter) Mint Tea Sweets

COOKING FOR A CAUSE HOW TO PREPARE A MORROCAN FEAST with Pat Montgomery   DATE:  Monday, March 26, 2007 TIME:  6:00p.m. - 8:00p.m. LOCATION:  Williams-Sonoma                      Village of Merrick Park                      350 San Lorenzo                      Coral Gables, FL  33146   Class Cost $75.00 per person Seats are very limited RESERVE YOURS TODAY by calling (305) 446-9421

Proceeds will benefit The Center for Positive Connections, a local not-for-profit organization serving individuals infected and affected by chronic illness.

Meet Lily Tomlin following Carnival Center concert on April 12

From Carnival website:

Please Log In with Promotional Code LILY799 to Party with Lily Tomlin and Support the Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center!

Enjoy the brilliant comedy of Lily Tomlin at the Knight Concert Hall and t hen MEET her at a post-performance dessert reception in the intimate Cejas Patron’s Salon.

$75 package includes:

• 1 orchestra-level seat
• Admittance to the post-performance party
• $5 contribution to the Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center, which provides services for people with HIV or AIDS.

Thursday, April 12

Pridelines seeks volunteers at March 31 open house

News release:

Great news! Pridelines Youth Services is growing in leaps and bounds. Overall youth participation is up 300%! We are offering tutoring 4 days a week, we have an Internet cafe featuring 8 computers (thanks MTV LA) and we are preparing for our 12th annual youth GLBTQ prom!

Now is time for those volunteers that have been through our training to 'come on in' and for those of you interested to 'come on down'!

Join us on Saturday, March 31st from 10am for coffee and bagels while we give you an overview of how you can join the Pridelines Family.

We are looking for people with skills or interest in the following:

1) Volunteer directly with youth in group

2)  Finance Team--Business plan, accounting support

3)  Adult Gala Steering Team

4)  Special Event Team

5)  Chaperoning Youth Prom

6)  Website/IT Team

7)  Grant Locating/Writing/Editing Support Team

8)  Marketing Materials Team

9) Development/Donor Campaign

To RSVP call or write us at:
vivian marthell                     harry congdon

305 807 7304                        786 281 2641

vivian@pridelines.org harry@pridelines.org

 

 

Thank you for your continued support -see you on Saturday!

 

vivian & harry

pridelines youth services

2007 MIAMI GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS PROGRAM LINE-UP

News release:

100 International films to compete during 9th annual event

Opening Night Gala Screening - “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Duncan Roy

Centerpiece Gala Screening – “Anger Me” by Elio Gelmini

Closing Night Gala Screening – “The Chinese Botanists Daughter” by Sijie Dai

Career Achievement Award sponsored by HBO to Director Eytan Fox

Miami, Florida – March 23, 2007 – The celebrated 9th Annual Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, presented by Avis Rent-a-Car, The Flamingo South Beach and Sundance Channel  has unveiled the line-up of the best gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender films that will be featured during the 10 day event from April 27 to May 6. The screenings will take place at Regal Cinemas South Beach, Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, Colony Theatre and the Gateway Cinemas (located in Fort Lauderdale). The announcement was made today by Festival Director Carol Coombes. 

Returning this year as presenting sponsor is Avis Rent-a-Car and Sundance Channel who are joined by new presenting sponsor The Flamingo South Beach.

“Florida’s number one export is oranges, the Florida license plate prominently features an orange, and significantly, thirty years ago in 1977, Anita Byrant - an outspoken opponent of an ordinance for equal rights in Miami-Dade - was the spokesperson for the Florida Citrus Growers Commission.  The orange has been claimed as our branded image for 2007, as we celebrate our creativity, vibrancy and visibility across 10-days of films, parties and special events.    We are especially delighted to unveil such a strong line-up of films, as the MGLFF once again stakes its position as the launch-pad festival for the new season of queer films in the U.S.” said Carol Coombes, Festival Director of the MGLFF.

The 10-day festival will kick-off on Friday, April 27th with the Opening Night Gala presentation and North American Premiere The Picture of Dorian Gray at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami. Banish all notions of Merchant Ivory from your heads, as the 10-day event commences with a new vision of Oscar Wilde’s classic fable of the quest for eternal youth directed by Duncan Roy (genius director of the smash-hit “AKA”). Continue to the fabulous Opening Gala after party at the Bank of America Tower Sky Terrace. Flooded in decisively luscious orange light, the building will light up the Miami skyline announcing the anticipated arrival of the 2007 MGLFF season. Watch as this Miami monument comes to life with an ultra sensory experience of sound, vision, entertainment, food, drink and camaraderie. This is the evening of the year when South Florida and the GLBT film industry come out in force to mix, mingle, twist, twirl and celebrate the vast diversity and human experience comprising the rich fabric of our community - woven onto the silver screen. (Director Duncan Roy will attend the screening to discuss the film with the audience).

Download the complete press release with schedule.

GLAAD Policies Under Fire from here! Networks

From 247gay.com:

here! Networks sends letter to GLAAD condemning exclusion of gay media from annual awards
03.21.07

After months of debate, here! Networks took a stand against GLAAD Tuesday with a letter addressed to the organization’s president, Neil Giuliano, copying GLAAD’s Board of Directors.

In the letter, here! Networks’ Senior Vice President Stephen Macias condemns GLAAD’s policy preventing gay media from submitting their programming for consideration in GLAAD’s annual Media Awards program. We have printed the letter below in its entirety.

To read the letter, click here.

April 2007 Ambiente online now

New issue of Ambiente available online.

Teen who wants to wear anti-gay T-shirt takes battle to court

BY LISA FEDOROWICZ, Chicago Sun-Times

A Neuqua Valley High senior has gone to federal court seeking the right to wear an anti-gay T-shirt to school next month on the day after a national event in support of gays is scheduled in schools.

Heidi Zamecnik, 17, is asking the court to order her school and Indian Prairie District 204 to allow her to express her anti-gay beliefs on April 19, the day after the 11th annual "Day of Silence'' is scheduled to protest harassment of gays in schools.

According to the Web site www.dayofsilence.org, students and teachers across the country plan to observe the day in silence "to echo'' the silence that gay students face all the time.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of Heidi and an NVHS freshman did not state what written message they planned to wear on T-shirts.

To read more, click here.