Extended Stay

Jake's got a reason to stay in NYC a little bit longer.  And it looks like he will be celebrating his birthday New York style too.

It was announced today that  If There Is... is getting a two week extension and will now play through December 23 at the Laura Pels Theatre. Originally scheduled to run through November 25, the play will take a 12 day break, and then resuming performances on December 8 and then through month.

With shooting for Prisoners taking place soon after the New Year, and rumored to be in Atlanta, Jake will be staying put on the East Coast for a while. 

How long has it been since Jake has been in LA for something else besides business?

Today was Coming Out Day, and it has been  exciting and encouraging, seeing how many celebrities and news worthy people have made the choice to come out in the past year. And even more  exciting is how they have been accepted and celebrated for their decision and the support for them and for others who have come out before has grown. 

We also celebrate and support those and those friends and acquaintances  around us who have come out, and support and encourage those who are still on their own journey to do so in the future. 

Out Spotlight CI

Programming Note: Today's March for Equality (live) and highlights of President Obama's keynote speech to the Human Rights Campaign from last evening's event can be seen in the US, starting at 1:30 EST on C-SPAN.

Watch the National Equality March on C-Span's Live Feed here. (Thanks NEM)

In 1988, Dr. Robert Eichberg and Jean O'Leary celebrated the first National Coming Out Day, in honor of an historic march for gay and lesbian rights DC one year earlier. Since then, October 11th has been a day for members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community, along with their allies, to speak openly about their sexuality and encourage others to do so as well.

What do a former Marine, several peace activists, a handful of ministers, an interracial lesbian couple, and an average Joe have in common?

Their faces graced five billboards posted throughout the city of Memphis in conjunction with today, National Coming Out Day. The billboards, using the local LGBT community were paid for by the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center (MGLCC), that also advertised the center's website. "We want people to realize that these are your neighbors. That's why we chose all local people, rather than using stock photos," "These are the people who go to your church. These are the people who you work with. These are the people in your community."

One billboard showed former Marine Tim Smith in uniform and reads, "I'm gay and I protected your freedom." Smith was ejected from the Marines under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy 20 days before he was set to deploy to Iraq.

The billboard, the only of the five, was ripped to shreds less than a week after it was put up. MGLCC director Will Batts said in a statement."We choose not to be stopped by fear. Instead, our community unites in solidarity and with the belief that we too deserve equality," "Although we are saddened by yesterday’s hateful expression of intolerance, we are proud of the local Memphian that chose to be the face on the billboard."


What could have been a roadblock to some has become a rallying point. Tim Smith's Coming Out Day billboard was put back up and last Sunday MGLCC members and gay rights advocates gathered in front of First Congregational Church to rally against hate in response to the destruction. 250 people filled the seats at First Congregational Church, to come together in response to the hatred, not to run but galvanize the community in fighting hate.

"The next time we hear somebody say, you're not fit to serve [in the military] because you're gay or lesbian, what are we going to do?" Batts asked. "Raise our voice!" the response yelled by the crowd.

Tim Smith,was greeted with a standing ovation upon approaching the podium after Warren's speech. The son of conservative parents in a small Mississippi town, he joined the Marines in 2001. He said it was the Marine code of "honor, courage, and commitment" that helped him find his voice and become honest with himself and others about his sexuality.


Smith came out to his friends and his church. When a military chaplain found out, Smith told the man he believed God loved him despite his sexuality.

"The chaplain had nothing else left to do but follow the rules," Smith said. He was discharged from the military under the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

Regarding the destruction of the billboard bearing his image, Smith says the vandals actually galvanized his commitment.

"They will not rob me of my honor by making me run and hide," Smith said. "If anything, they've galvanized my commitment to this community."

After the rally, county commissioner Steve Mulroy agreed: "My message to the billboard vandals is thank you for galvanizing the community and symbolizing what we're up against in Memphis."

Last night in the keynote speech to the Human Rights Campaign, President Barack Obama recommitted to the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell.

Today at least 35 people from Memphis are joining the thousands of others in Washington, D.C. for the National Equality March.

In the last 40 years many brave gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals have made themselves open and vulnerable coming out to family and friends. And as they have taken this risk in greater and greater numbers they have changed an astounding number of hearts and cultural attitudes. Their courage and fierce insistence on the right to be themselves and love who they love is still steadily increasing empathy and understanding and the generation who come after them are already benefiting so from it. For that we all say thank you.

Today we celebrate those Americans who have spoken out and acknowledged their sexual orientation, and we reaffirm our commitment to fighting the fear and discrimination that still prevents others from doing the same. National Coming Out Day reaffirms that there's more that unites Americans than divides us.


As we make progress on the path to equal rights, many are contributing in their own way by sharing their stories and standing up for tolerance in their communities. These actions will go a long way toward beating back the fear and discrimination that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered Americans continue to face every day. - Senator Barack Obama (2007)

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are. - John Pierpont Morgan

Celebrating Coming Out Day

To all of those who have come out, told a friend, a loved one, a colleague we stop and give you props for the strength and courage for what you did. We celebrate and support you.

To those who are out and continue to give their lives as examples for others each day and role models for diversity and acceptance and change - Much props and respect.

To the love ones, family and friends giving love and support may you be even a greater example to the community in the lesson of acceptance and love.

For those who are trying to find their way - we hope that this coming year gives you a chance to take the smallest step or the largest leap, every step taken is a step in moving forward.

There is no right or wrong way not right or wrong time to come out, the best way is your way. Your way and your time.


HRC - Coming Out

Out Spotlight 30

Before NPH, and TR, there was B.D. B.D. Wong, and Father's Day is the perfect day to spotlight this out actor, father, and writer.

B.D. was born Bradley Daryl Wong was born in 1962 in San Francisco CA, with a early love of music. He was encourage by his family, to follow his love, leading to discover acting as child. Raised in no single formal religion he was he developed an avid interest in Bible stories through musicals such as Godspell, Jesus Christ, Superstar, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. His high school drama teacher encouraged him to become a part of Bay Area community theater scene. After graduating from SF State University he pursued his dream of acting in Manhattan. With small parts in dinner theater and off Broadway, and screen debut with a small part in Karate Kid II.

Shortening his name to B.D., he made his breakthrough in the gender elusive M. Butterfly. He made on of the greatest Broadway debuts in history, with the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Clarence Derwent and Theatre World awards for his portrayal of Song Liling. He is the only actor to win to all of these awards for the same show.

His stage success led to leads in Jurassic Park, and playing the gay Kico Govantes in Randy Shilt's landmark AIDS novel in HBO's adaptation of And the Band Played On. He may also be remembered many for his role in the Father of the Bride and sequel playing the flamboyant wedding planner assistant Howard Weinstein. While played characters on television and screen, he remained publicly closeted, privately he was out and supported.

He remained publicly closeted until 2003, making this comment in a interview to Zap2It several years later about why he hadn't come out sooner. "I'm a pretty private person, not just a big discloser in general, but also there was an issue of my career. Acting was really my entire world, but I entered a field that was particularly non-welcoming to me as an Asian-American. The opportunities already were somewhat limited to me, so it felt almost like a kind of career suicide to be completely out as a gay man. I bought into that for a long time".

What changed all that? Fatherhood.

Before his success on Broadway, B.D. had been in a long term relationship with his agent Richie Jackson. B.D. and Richie wanted to have children, so they embarked on a journey that would have them experiencing the highs and lows of expecting and parenthood. By 2000, they were in "infanticipating" and using a surrogate they became pregnant with twins produced by B.D's sperm and Richie's sisters Sue's egg.

A normal pregnancy is 40 weeks but B.D. and Richie were thrusted into parenthood when their surrogate, Shauna Berringer went into labor at 28 weeks. Their sons Boaz Dov and then Jackson Foo were born. Boaz Dov was sadly passed away ninety minutes after being born and B.D and Richie were in a fight to save their son Jackson's life, not only due to his prematurity but due to twin to twin transfusion syndrome, that has played a role in taking Boaz Dov. It is when the blood supply is only received from the placenta to one twin and the the other receives it through his twin rather than the placenta.

Jackson Foo was dubbed "the chestnut man" because they thought they he had the weary world wise face of the men who sold chestnuts in NY. While Jackson Foo was in the hospital for the next three month, B.D. began sending emails full and emotion, candor and sometime humor to his family and friends. Encourage by those same family and friends he gather these together into a book that talke about Jackson Foo, their loss of Boaz Dov and JF's two daddies . This book, Following Foo: The Electronic Adventures of The Chestnut Man, was not just about JF's journey but BD's as well. The book published in 2003 was a part of BD coming out. "I wanted a reason to help me come out. And this book became a reason and that allows me to do it 1,000 percent. I'm perfectly happy going on TV now and saying, “I'm a gay man. I'm happy and proud to say that.”

About the price of coming-out publicly, B.D. shared this concern with the Advocate in 2003: “Some days, I think, ‘You're never going to work again.' I think there's a real reason to worry, as anyone reading this magazine can understand. The book, for me, means I'm calling into question the whole career thing. But that's OK.”

Wong needn't have worried. Professionally, he's thrived. He had was on the acclaimed HBO series OZ, as Father Ray Mukada for six seasons and Dr. George Huang, on Law and Order: SVU. Unfortunately coming out was there was a personal sacrifice of the break up of this long term relationship with Richie Jackson. B.D. single parents his son JF, and Richie continues his relationship as an uncle.

B.D. has been vocal about his motivation for becoming a parent, in 2003, telling Gay City News, “It's too much of a pain in the ass to have a kid just because you think it's great as a gay person to do that. I had a real strong impulse to be a father, to share a relationship with a person….a parental blood relationship.”

Among the many things learned upon becoming a father, B.D. shared these insights in 2003, with his hometown paper, the San Francisco Chronicle: “Prior to the day the sky opened up,” the birth of the twins, “I wasn't totally me for some reason and now I'm getting an idea of who I am.”
A devoted and loving father what is better to celebrate every day not just Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day B.D. and Jackson Foo.


B.D Wong and John Lithgow in M.Butterfly for the Tony Awards

And props to Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts who marched with his daughter Kathrine in Boston's Pride Parade yesterday. Kathrine came out publicly this week with the love and support of her parents.

OMG Celebrates National Coming Out Day

Poster by Keith Haring

Happy National Coming Out Day to all, both closeted and out! We tend to think that coming out happens only once in a person's life. But actually it is something queer folks have to do over and over again, as they meet new people and encounter that default setting of "straight." Coming out is always a work in progress for all of us. My wish today is that everyone who is closeted will challenge themselves to open that closet door just a bit. May the day come soon when the word "closet" is only used to mean a place to store things.

Visit HRC's coming out page for more information on the 20th anniversary of National Coming Out Day-

HRC - Coming Out