Center Blog

Week 2 of Pride Month is packed with events!  First, two well-known figures read at the Center.  On Tuesday 6/9, you can see author Staceyann Chin read from The Other Side of Paradise. Then on Wednesday 6/10, Kate Clinton is back with a new book Told You So, a hilarious, bittersweet, politically acute survival guide.

The Center’s Summer Art Exhibitions open on Thursday 6/11 with a reception.  Exhibitions include:   Ellen Shumsky: Portraits of Transformation: 1967–1973; Steven F. Dansky: Gay Liberation Front (1969–1971); Gay & Lesbian Photography Club’s As We See It: The Fifth Annual Photography Exhibition; and Boris Torres: Portraits of a Congo and Positive Paintings. Visit Center Calendar for more information, and find this event on Facebook.

Catch Cause and Effect, an evening of new short plays by the Village Playwrights, on Friday 6/12 or Saturday 6/13. “Cause and Effect promises to be an emotional roller coaster ride and revealing look into some of the causes and effects of contemporary gay life.” More at Center Calendar, Facebook.

Saturday 6/13 is Brooklyn Pride this Saturday 6/13. First, visit the Center’s booth at the festival from 11AM-6PM, then march with the Center in the parade starting at 8:30PM.  Sign up to volunteer at Pride events with the Center or check out the Center’s list of Pride events at gaycenter.org/pride, or see Brooklyn Pride on Facebook!

As always, check the Center Calendar for the full list of upcoming events.

Then and Now Opening Reception, Thursday, May 28

If you’ve ever been to the Center’s Keith Haring Bathroom, you’ve seen some of the work of the 1989 Center Show.   This Thursday 5/28, check out the original artwork as well as new pieces by LGBT artists at Then and Now: An Exhibition Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Center Show.

On Saturday 5/30, the Center and the Bi Writers Association are hosting a free one-day summit on Putting the ‘B’ in LGBT to address bisexual inclusion and visibility within the LGBT movement.  As the Center’s Interim Executive Director Bruce Anderson noted, “Many people aren’t quite sure how the ‘B’ fits into LGBT.  As a result, mention of bisexual people often goes missing from discussion of LGBT rights issues.”

Genderqueer and interested in parenting?  Join  Center Kids, Center Families on Wednesday 5/27 for a Genderqueer Parenting Meet and Greet for parents and people interested in becoming parents.

Straightlaced Premiere, Tuesday, May 26

Tonight 5/26 is the NYC Premiere of Straightlaced–How Gender Has Got Us All Tied Up at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (tickets or more info).  The Center is happy to be a community partner for this event!

Also, this is the last week to participate in the Center’s May Membership Drive!  Don’t miss your chance to earn free tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway Shows The 39 Steps, Irena’s Vow and The Marvelous Wonderettes. Recruit a new Center Member today!

Membership Drive: Join Now!

Don’t Know What To Give Your Mama For Mother’s Day?
How about 20 Broadway stars?

Broadway at the Center presents
When You’re Good to Mama: The Mother of All Mother’s Day Concerts

Sunday, May 10, 2009

7:30 p.m., $25 general admission, VIP Seating Sold Out!

A limited number of standing room spots available for $10.

Reservations at gaycenter.org/events/mothersdayconcert2009

Cast:

Daniel Bogart, Les Miserables

Kerry Butler, Xanadu

Alan Cambell, Sunset Boulevard

Rachel Cobb, La Boheme

Page Davis, Trading Spaces

Tracy Jai Edwards

Ansel Elgort, The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T

Noah Galvin, The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T

Matthew Garrett, Scottish Opera

Greg Jbara, Billy Elliot

Mark Kudish, 9 to 5

Jayne Peterson, Billy Elliott

Benjamin Perry, New York City Opera

Andrew Samnsky, South Pacific

Taylor Sternberg, Jersey Boys

Matthew Schecter, Waiting for Godot

Glenn Seven Allen, The Light in the Piazza

Additional Dialogue by Maria S. Schlatter

Special Appearance by the men of South Pacific

(pictured above with Jenn Colella, High Fidelity)

Creator Glen Roven

Director Adam Kensinger

Producer Martin Giannini

Photo by Jicky Leidicke

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center

208 West 13th Street (between 7th & 8th Avenues), New York, NY (Map)

From http://www.gaycenter.org/out/ Writer and downtown performance artist Mike Albo stopped by the Center to give us a taste of edgy New York humor. In these highlights he discusses the personal grooming habits of young gay males, channels Gwyneth Paltrow, introduces us to the Underminer and then takes a request from the audience, poking fun at the seedier side of online life for certain members of our community. Viewer discretion is advised. This video excerpt is from Out at the Center, a TV show and video podcast of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of New York City. The show is made possible thanks to members of the Center and viewers like you. To find out more, join or donate go to: http://www.gaycenter.org/support

From http://www.gaycenter.org/out/ Linda Villarosa, author of Passing for Black and Fiona Zedde, author of Hungry for It, stopped by the Center to tell us what motivates their writing in these books and to give advice to up and coming black, lesbian writers, including tips on marketing black lesbian erotica. This video excerpt is from Out at the Center, a TV show and video podcast of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of New York City. The show is made possible thanks to members of the Center and viewers like you. To find out more, join or donate go to: http://www.gaycenter.org/support

Cocktails with Content presents: A Networking Seminar for Women
Thursday, April 23, 2009 at The CenterOpen Bar Reception 6PM
Program 7PM
Free

Join us for cocktails this Thursday!

The Center is proud to announce a seminar designed to allow the women within the LBQT community to improve their networking skills and make effective and strategic networking connections. In addition participants will be able to develop their leadership skills and improve their ability and capacity to network with confidence.

The Center is proud to announce a seminar designed to allow LBTQ women to improve their networking skills and make effective and strategic networking connections. In addition, participants will be able to develop their leadership skills and improve their ability and capacity to network with confidence.

Our seminar will be moderated by Katherine Linton. Our seminar will be led by Lisa A. Linsky, Jennifer Brown, Jim Arnoff and Chris Crespo.

Seminar Moderator

Katherine Linton is an award-winning producer whose documentaries have aired on PBS, A&E, Logo, VH1, Bravo, TLC and Discovery Health.

Seminar Leaders

Lisa Linsky is a Partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP in the New York office.

Jennifer Brown is the founder of Jennifer Brown Consulting, a leadership, communications and diversity consulting firm based in New York City.

Jim Arnoff is a Certified Life/Career Coach specializing in the entertainment industry. He is a graduate of IPEC Coaching, leads teleclassses for iPEC on niche/brand coaching and is a member of the International Coach Federation. Jim is also a television packaging agent and entertainment lawyer.

Chris Crespo is an Inclusiveness Director leading lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and ally inclusion efforts at Ernst & Young.

REGISTER HERE!

More information…

From http://www.gaycenter.org/out Author Martin Duberman sat down to speak with Sarah Schulman on the publication of Radical Acts, a collection of four of his politically charged plays. Here is some of their conversation. This video excerpt is from Out at the Center, a TV show and video podcast of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of New York City. The show is made possible thanks to members of the Center and viewers like you. To find out more, join or donate go to: http://www.gaycenter.org/support

From http://gaycenter.org/out At the time of her mid-career survey at the Guggenheim last year, American photographer Catherine Opie visited the Center to talk about her work. She told us it was her first time doing a presentation in an LGBT space. It was a fascinating evening in which she explained the background motivating much of her work. You should be aware that some of the images are explicit. This video excerpt is from Out at the Center, a TV show and video podcast of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of New York City. The show is made possible thanks to members of the Center and viewers like you. To find out more, join or donate go to: http://www.gaycenter.org/support