Sunday, December 22, 2013

Out Spotlight

Today's Out Spotlight was an LGBT activist. She organized the first Pride parade and is known as the “Mother of Pride.” Today's Out Spotlight is Brenda Howard.

Brenda Howard was born December 24, 1946 in the Bronx and grew up in Syosset, Nassau County, Long Island, New York. She graduated from Syosset High School and from Borough of Manhattan Community College with an AAS degree in Nursing.

In the late 1960s, Howard was active in the movement against the Vietnam War. In 1969 she lived in an urban commune of anti-war activists and draft resisters in downtown Brooklyn New York. Like many other women in the US anti-war movement at the time, she became critical of its domination by men, and she soon became involved in the feminist movement as well.

A militant activist who helped plan and participated in LGBT rights actions for over three decades, Howard was an active member of the Gay Liberation Front and for several years chair of the Gay Activists Alliance's Speakers Bureau in the post-Stonewall era.

She participated in the 1969 Stonewall riots that marked a turning point in the gay rights movement. A year later, she organized the first Christopher Street Liberation Day March to mark Stonewall’s anniversary.

Howard is known as the "Mother of Pride" for her work in coordinating a rally and the march to commemorate the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots. She also originated the idea of a week-long series of events around Pride Day which became the genesis of the annual LGBT Pride celebrations that are now held around the world every June.   Additionally, she along with fellow LGBT activists Stephen Donaldson and L. Craig Schoonmaker are credited with popularizing the word "Pride" to describe these festivities.



A fixture in New York City's LGBT Community she was active in the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights which helped guide New York City's LGBT rights law through the City Council in 1986.

In 1987 she helped found the New York Area Bisexual Network to help co-ordinate services to the region's growing Bisexual community. She was also an active member of the early bisexual political activist group BiPAC, a Regional Organizer for BiNet USA, a co-facilitator of the Bisexual S/M Discussion Group and a founder of the nation’s first Alcoholics Anonymous chapter for bisexuals.

On a national level, Howard’s activism included work on the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation where she was female co-chair of the leather contingent and Stonewall 25 in 1994.

The Brenda Howard Award, created in her memory by PLFAG, is presented annually to a group or individual advocating on behalf of the bisexual community.Howard is survived by her partner, Larry Nelson.

“Bi, Poly, Switch—I’m not greedy, I know what I want.”

16 comments:

prairiegirl said...

Ha ha ha ha ha. Dummy me just realized those snowflake underoos matched Austin's snowflake sweater perfectly! BWAH!!!!

I'm snickering myself to death over that. Wherever or however did you find those, Special?

Another really interesting Spotlight, too. I enjoyed it. Activism has just to be in one's blood, don't you reckon? That takes some real determination and dedication, whatever the activism is for.

prairiegirl said...

^^^Not true. No matter how much you want it to be. People in HW may know or think Jake is gay and maybe with Austin, but, HW does not know that they have children together. Only believers of Ted and people who need this to be true because "nothing" points in that direction. No child in sight for years. In your head you think this is true but it's probably far from it. Believe what you want.

Oh stop it, why don't you? I think your blog is calling you. Time for more conversations for one.

Of course a lot of people know. Every time one of these two guys does a film, theater, or TV project, that circle of those who know and protect, grows.

Hollywood protects its own.

sad said...

Hollywood protects its own.

they don't really. ask why Wentworth Miller contempelated suicide? these guys lie to their own agents and managers. it's very sad.

Article? said...

Wasn't there an article in a major newspaper a few years back that focused on this issue? It made the rounds, one of the big points was more than half of gay actors are not even out to their agents because agents won't work as hard for them or might even drop them. It quoted anonymous insiders.

Hollywood protects their investments said...

Oh, please. Those are actors who are not known and still trying to make it. Once you've achieved some kind of success, it's important for the agents to know because they have to "protect" their clients from certain rumors. Why do you think there's a whole cottage industry in Hollywood related to closeting actors? If they are all lying to their agents and managers there would be no need for beards or planted stories in the press. There also would be no need for appearance clauses.

Your 50% statistic is meaningless because only 5% of actors actually work on a regular basis. Lots of wannabees who hide themselves so they can get representation.

Hollywood protects their investments said...

Continued: There may be lots of wannabees who hide themselves so they can get initial representation, but once the career begins in earnest agents and managers factor the gay into their clients career plan.

prairiegirl said...

Why do you think there's a whole cottage industry in Hollywood related to closeting actors? If they are all lying to their agents and managers there would be no need for beards or planted stories in the press. There also would be no need for appearance clauses.

Exactly.

prairiegirl said...

Hmm, I'm beginning to think there could be something that has someone a little riled up. Something floating out there in cyber space that isn't supposed to be, in other words.

And that's why the trolling.

? said...

trolling? where is the trolling?

no trolls said...

Unless some posts were deleted:

This is not trolling. Asking questions and having a conversations about the plight of gay actors in Hollywood is not trolling. If ever you wonder where the old timer TBs went just read this comment thread. There is your answer.

Cary Grant said...

Of course a lot of people know. Every time one of these two guys does a film, theater, or TV project, that circle of those who know and protect, grows.


^^^
NO! Everyone in Hollywood does Not know that Jake and Austin has children as you and some others have stated. Quite frankly many may even laugh at such a thing. One prominant (Jake) and under the radar (Austin) actors hiding 5+ children they had by secret surrogacy, then telling every interviewer they have no children. Not one of these guys ever seen with a child unless it's a know child of someone else. These people live around others, people do and ((will talk)). Especially if Austin, the lower on the totem pole is ssen with a brood of children. Everyone would know this via social network. But still, not one instance of it, period.
Besides, Hollywood is liberal and accepting, but I don't think anyone in HW would cover for jerks who have 5+ children, hide them, deny them and act as if it's normal. Especially in this day and time. Preach that HW protects and covers for it's own narrative to someone else when it comes to J/A and family.

Cary said...

^^^ social (network / media)

Special K via my phone said...

There were trolls on early this morning that had to be deleted.

prairiegirl said...

Asking questions and having a conversations about the plight of gay actors in Hollywood is not trolling. If ever you wonder where the old timer TBs went just read this comment thread. There is your answer.

Hilarious

The pretend, fictional world of a blogger who thinks he's fooling a few of us. The blogger of many disguises and personas.

Knock it off, Jack. It's all you.

prairiegirl said...

totem pole is ssen


^^^ Again - one and the same.

Set it to music. Same spiel,
different day, different hour.

Different blogger name. Different 'identity'.

Actors and their many secrets said...

Not one of these guys ever seen with a child unless it's a know child of someone else.

That's not true. Jake has been seen with kids when his nieces have been unaccounted for. Hollywood has no real other concern except money and power. They will cover up what they need to cover up, just like politicians. In fact, the more secrets someone has, the better the exec types like the situation. Gives them more of an ability to control the person hiding the secret.