Once More, with Feeling. For years musicians Ann Rabson, openly gay Gaye Adegbalola (pictured), and Andra Faye delivered brazen, no-holds-barred acoustic blues as Saffire: The Uppity Blues Women. But now it’s time to move on to other things. The trio caps its farewell tour with a tour for its final recording, Havin’ the Last Word. Oct. 8, 7 p.m. $20. McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk St. • mcgonigels.com • 713/528-5999.
At last month’s Creative Arts Emmy show, Kathy Griffin won a third consecutive Emmy award for her Bravo reality series, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. When she accepted the award in 2008, she said, “A lot of people come up here and they thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. He didn’t help me a bit. … So all I can say is, Suck it, Jesus, this award is my god now!” A major uproar ensued, to Griffin’s delight. This year the media whore hosted the Creative Arts Emmys (The Shmemmys, as she calls them, because it’s the D-list awards show to the A-list Emmy ceremony, and is taped and airs at a later date). She says that she would like to think she was offered the job because “I was so offensive and shocking last year that [the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences] thought maybe I could put this thing on the map.” They may still be off the map, but Griffin is rising above her D-list status with the publication of her memoir, Official Book Club Selection (Ballantine Books).
In early September, a German group released a new and controversial AIDS awareness advertisement featuring a 45-second video of a woman and a man having sex. Since it was created for European audiences, the video shows explicit sexual images and a variety of positions. At the end of the couple’s unprotected sexual encounter, viewers finally get a look at the guy’s face and … it is Adolf Hitler! Then the words, “AIDS is a Mass Murderer” followed by “Protect Yourself” appear on a black screen.
Whoa. Heavy. Shocking, even. But it sure got my attention. And that’s just what the
September finally ushered in cooler mornings and evenings. The days seemed hotter though. Despite the drop in outside temperatures, the temperature inside City Hall rose dramatically.
Dust off that tuxedo and get out those acceptance speeches: it’s time for the First Annual Whattie Awards.
Obviously named for the title of this column (which I thank some of you for choosing as your favorite part of OutSmart in this month’s Gayest and Greatest survey. Check’s in the mail), The Whatties recognize those stories, occurrences, and general freaks of nature that have seized our attention in the past year.
In mid-September, organizers of the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne, Germany, announced that more than 1,700 athletes and artists have registered to participate in the quadrennial sports and cultural event next July and August 2010. Participants from more than 30 nations have already signed up to participate in the games, including many from Eastern European countries where many who are openly gay or lesbian are still persecuted.
According to Servicemembers United, the nation’s largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans and their straight allies, new data shows that racial and ethnic minorities constituted an unusually large percentage of discharges under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) law in Fiscal Year 2008.
DOMA was signed into law on September 21, 1996, by President Bill Clinton. The federal government singles out legally married same-sex couples for discriminatory treatment under federal law, denying them more than 1,100 federal protections and responsibilities, including Social Security and immigration benefits, that otherwise apply to married couples.
On September 17, Pride Houston announced the election of 10 new board members to the group responsible for Houston’s Pride celebration. New members are John Buchanan, Tammy Dowe, Troy Dunnahoe, Robert Garcia, Ray Olachia, Ricardo Gonzalez, Michael Hatcher, Ernie Manouse, Frankie Quijano, and Phillip Slaughter. The new members join current board members, Richard Graber and Meghan Stabler.
The Austin-based Hogg Foundation for Mental Health recently announced grants to eight organizations and government services, including Montrose Counseling Center, to fund mental health services for Houston and Harris County children, youth, and their families.
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