Pictured Buster and lesbian family values.
Finalist Mario Vazquez quit American Idol 4 for 'personal reasons,' and was replaced by Nikko—but even his mom doesn't know for sure why. There are rumors it may because because he didn't want to be 'outed.' The show's official online reportedly blocks anyone wanting to discuss sexual orientation for the former contestant. AfterElton.com 'found one source who swears Mario used to go to gay youth dances 10 years ago,' and reports about 'bloggers claiming they had seen Mario in New York gay clubs.'
The Family Pride Coalition—the only national non-profit organization exclusively dedicated to securing equality for LGBT parents and their families—has announced it will broadcast online the 'controversial' episode of PBS' popular children's program Postcards from Buster. The program features Buster, an animated character who visits real-life families, exploring the diversity of America. But in the episode entitled 'Sugartime!,' a storm of controversy ignited after U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings denounced the program because it featured children whose parents are lesbians. See buster.familypride.org .
Pride at Work, the national organization of LGBT workers, praised the AFL-CIO for criticizing the Federal Marriage Amendment ( FMA ) . The AFL-CIO executive council stated that 'the FMA and its state counterparts threaten the rights of working people by creating an environment ... that is hostile to the rights of domestic partners, regardless of their sexual orientation.' The Pride at Work co-presidents expressed their 'delight that the AFL-CIO has taken this stand.'
The annual Goodman Theatre black-tie gala May 21 at the Fairmont Hotel features Megan Mullally [ Karen Walker on NBC's hit series Will & Grace ] . The Women's Board of the Goodman Theatre presents the Annual Goodman Theatre Gala, co-chaired by Women's Board members Helen Ashley and Sherry John. Mullally will perform a variety of songs with Supreme Music Program. Contact Leslie Garner at ( 312 ) 443-3811 ext. 586, by email at LeslieGarner@goodmantheatre.org, or online at www.goodmantheatre.org .
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ( GLAAD ) awards will be televised for the first time. The Emmy-winning producing team of Craig Zandan and Neil Meron will executive produce the telecast for Logo on MTV Networks. The telecast will be comprised of segments from GLAAD Awards ceremonies scheduled March 28 in New York, April 30 in Los Angeles, and June 11 in San Francisco.
The Human Rights Campaign announced that Citigroup, the world's largest financial institution, has become a platinum level sponsor of HRC's mission of securing equal rights for LGBT Americans.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova is suing the sponsor of a credit card directly marketed to the GLBT community, saying that it uses her name and image after her request that it stop. Navratilova is seeking at least $75,000 from Do Tell, Inc., which offers the Rainbow Card.
Openly gay Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank delivered the keynote address to a crowd of more than 500 at the NAACP Boston Branch annual dinner on March 5, Bay Windows reported. Frank, who accepted the organization's Humanitarian Award, said though the struggle for racial equality and gay rights are not the same, they are allied. Frank also blasted New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently, saying, 'What he did was terrible for us,' when asked about the city's decision to appeal a state judge's ruling ordering the city to provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Gay City News reported. Frank spoke before a crowd of several hundred at a gay professionals' meeting at Manhattan's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center.
The Association of Latino Men for Action ( ALMA ) is hosting a tamale-making course on March 20, 12-3 p.m., at Rique's Regional Mexican Food, 5004 N. Sheridan. The fee is $10 for ALMA members and $20 for everyone else. RSVP to ( 773 ) 929-7688 or e-mail info@almachicago.org .
Award-winning poet Mark Doty will read at Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan, Room 244, on March 28 at 5 p.m. Doty has written books of poetry such as My Alexandria and School of the Arts, his newest; his prose volumes include Heaven's Coast: A Memoir, about his partner's battle with AIDS. For more info, contact Janet Wondra at ( 312 ) 341-3770 or jwondra@roosevelt.edu .
The Community Media Workshop's annual Studs Terkel Awards will be Wed., April 6, 5-8 p.m. at The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario, Chicago. Honorees include: Windy City Times Publisher Tracy Baim, writer John Conroy, Tribune columnist Mary Schmich, and James Weinstein—writer and founder of In These Times. See www.newstips.org . Community Media Workshop is a nonprofit organization of journalists, educators and media experts helping other nonprofits doing work in their community connect with the media and visa versa. Call ( 312 ) 344-6400.
