OUTTAKE VOICES™ (Interviews)

Cheryl Osimo, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about the 23rd anniversary of their premier fundraising event the Lesbians and Friends LGBTQ Dance Party For Prevention that takes place virtually on October 24th from 7P to 9P via Zoom. This year MBCC will feature a special guest appearance and award presentation to long-time environmental activist, comedian and actress Lily Tomlin. The MBCC Environmental Activist Award will be presented to Ms. Tomlin in acknowledgment of her passion and work on many environmental issues. Osimo stated, “We are constantly inspired by trailblazers like Ms. Tomlin who have fearlessly and relentlessly paved the way of putting the greater good of our planet and families first. Including her in MBCC’s history of individuals dedicated to making a positive impact in the world is thrilling news.” The online event will also include laughs with guest comedian Karen Williams and dance lessons with OUT to Dance's Liz Nania where you can learn to dance the cha-cha, rhumba, salsa or merengue with no partner needed. DJ Shelly Cullen will be spinning the tunes throughout the virtual event with a Silent Auction that will run from October 17th through October 24th. MBCC is the only breast cancer non-profit working closely with a research and sister organization Silent Spring Institute to investigate preventable environmental causes of the disease. This work is funded through annual fundraising events like the upcoming virtual Lesbians and Friends LGBTQ Dance Party For Prevention. We talked to Cheryl about what she hopes to accomplish with her work at MBCC and her spin on our LGBTQ issues. 

Cheryl Osimo is a fierce LGBTQ ally and devoted breast cancer activist and advocate since 1991 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 41. She has been a catalyst in raising public awareness of the possible environmental links to breast cancer. Her commitment to breast cancer prevention and awareness benefits women worldwide. MBCC is currently working on crucial national health projects to address environmental causes of breast cancer including water testing and how PFAS enters groundwater from firefighting foams, wastewater and other pollution sources as well as their impacts on children’s health. The studies will also assess PFAS exposure on a range of health effects including immune response, kidney function, thyroid disease, liver disease, glycemic parameters, diabetes and neurobehavioral outcomes. Funds raised from the Lesbians and Friends LGBTQ Dance Party For Prevention will help support MBCC's community education programs and their local and national work toward breast cancer prevention. Tickets to attend the virtual event for adults are on a sliding scale of $15, $30, or $45 with tickets for students $10.

For More Info & Tix: mbcc.org

LISTEN: 500+ LGBTQ Chats @OUTTAKE VOICES 

Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about their upcoming virtual events and how The Task Force is adjusting to the new normal in these challenging times with the COVID-19 pandemic. To begin with the 24th annual National LGBTQ Task Force Gala will stream virtually on Saturday October 3rd beginning at 8P EST in lieu of the customary gala held in Miami Beach, FL. This year’s theme is “The Power of US” which will focus on celebrating progress for LGBTQ people and their families. It will also emphasize the critical work of the National LGBTQ Task Force as they work to ensure that our LGBTQ community is counted through their “Queer the Census” campaign and the critical need to "Queer the Vote" in the upcoming election. The National LGBTQ Task Force Gala online event will be hosted by Latrice Royale of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame and the evening will include video messages from Pete Buttigieg, Alan Cumming, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, Sam Champion, Jai Rodriguez of the original “Queer Eye” cast and George Takei among others to be announced. The National Task Force Gala virtual event will also be more accessible nationally and globally for supporters and members of the Task Force family with no fixed ticket price this year so any donation will get you in and tables are not limited to just 10 people with the virtual table host feature there’s no limit to the number of guests at a given table. So put on your tux or your sweatpants and join in the fun that will help support this fabulous organization. Then following the gala the next virtual events will be the “Queering Racial Justice Institute” on October 10th, 2020 and the Creating Change Conference from January 27th to 31st, 2021. We talked to Rea about what she hopes to accomplish with the upcoming virtual events and her spin on our LGBTQ issues.

LISTEN: 500+ LGBTQ Chats @OUTTAKE VOICES 

Jason Stuart and Mitch Hara talk with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about their new must-watch comedy series “Smothered” currently available on Amazon Prime. With everything that’s happening in the world right now “Smothered” brings much needed comedic relief with a thirty-minute binge session of seven, five-minute episodes of outrageous, irreverent and laugh out loud bliss. Jason Stuart (The Birth Of A Nation) and Mitch Hara (Mutant Olive) have co-written, co-starred and co-produced this series about a longtime gay couple that cannot stand each other but can’t afford to get divorced. They decided to attempt to save their relationship by navigating their way through couple’s therapy. As the series unfolds through their uninhibited and often shocking therapy sessions, viewers discover how the couple of twenty years outrageously nit-pick and push each other’s buttons. Guest stars appearing as assorted brands of therapists include Dalila Ali Rajah (Criminal Minds), Erik Audé (American Sniper), Clent Bowers (Little Fockers), Erika Ervin (American Horror Story), Helen Hong (Silicon Valley), Scott Krinsky (Chuck), Pancho Moler (Ray Donovan) and Carole Ita White (Laverne & Shirley). “Smothered” is directed by Terri Hanauer (Sweet Talk) and won the Audience Award for Best Series in the International Film Festivals in Spain, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin. We talked to Jason and Mitch about what they hope to accomplish with their hysterical comedy series “Smothered” and their spin on our LGBTQ issues.

For More Info: jasonstuart.com

LISTEN: 500+ LGBTQ Chats @OUTTAKE VOICES 

Actor and philanthropist Phillip Keene best known as 'Buzz Watson' the tech savvy member of LAPD's exclusive squad on TNT's hit drama franchise "The Closer" and spin-off "Major Crimes" talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about his work with Project Wingman USA a COVID-19 charitable initiative mobilizing volunteers from the travel industry to support frontline health care heroes with pop-up lounges in hospitals. First launched with great success in the UK Project Wingman creates an area in hospitals where staff can come in before, during or after shifts to decompress, switch off and be looked after by uniformed aircrew for the duration of their break. Project Wingman crew volunteers provide snacks and refreshments as well as much needed sympathetic support having a shared experience of working in a highly disciplined, regulated and stressful environment. The lounges are located in a secluded, non-patient facing environment and the hospitals provide the volunteers with personal protective equipment such as facemasks and gloves. Keene a licensed pilot and once Pan Am flight attendant jumped on board when approached about the crucial need for Project Wingman programs and volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic to help support the hospital frontline workers including doctors, nurses and staff working to save coronavirus patients. We talked to Phillip about his philanthropic work, LGBTQ representation in Hollywood and his spin on our LGBTQ issues.

LISTEN: 500+ LGBTQ Chats @OUTTAKE VOICES 

Shannon Minter, Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about his work with “Born Perfect” to end conversion therapy. NCLR launched “Born Perfect” in 2014 to protect LGBTQ children and young people by fighting in courtrooms to ensure their safety and raising awareness about the serious harms caused by these dangerous practices. Their efforts have led to banning conversion therapy in 20 states and over 70 municipalities in the United States. For over 20 years NCLR has been working to protect LGBTQ youth from these horrific practices by working with legislators and LGBTQ leaders in dozens of states to help bring similar protections to the rest of the country. They believe that every LGBTQ child is born perfect and that any young person’s identity as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender should be honored, celebrated and supported. “Born Perfect” is also led by Mathew Shurka, Co-Founder and Chief Strategist who is a survivor of conversion therapy when at 16 years old his father took him to a licensed therapist who claimed he could make gay people straight. It was the start of years of cruel and damaging “therapy” that left Mathew estranged from his family and his own identity. He then decided to take action posting his personal story on YouTube where it went viral. It was the start of his journey to forgive his father and therapist, reconcile with his family and lead a nationwide battle to end conversion therapy. We talked to Shannon about what he hopes to accomplish with “Born Perfect”, his reaction to the historic U. S. Supreme Court ruling that prohibits workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and his spin on our LGBTQ issues.

LISTEN: 500+ LGBTQ Chats @OUTTAKE VOICES 

Matthew Todd, UK writer-journalist talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about his exquisite new coffee table book “PRIDE: The Story Of The LGBTQ Equality Movement” published by Weldon Owen. The book documents the milestones in our fight for global LGBTQ equality from before Stonewall to the victories of activists over the last five decades that have led to the gradual acceptance of LGBTQ people in politics, sports and the media. It also chronicles the winning landmark court cases including marriage equality and significant legislation that have furthered our basic civil rights. This pictorial and wide-reaching text takes you on a journey covering key figures, heroes, notable moments, events and breakthroughs in a wealth of rare images and documents as well as providing moving essays from vital witnesses throughout our modern day movement. Though we still have a long way to go to achieve full equality, “PRIDE: The Story Of The LGBTQ Equality Movement” is a unique and comprehensive account of the ongoing challenges facing our LGBTQ community and a celebration of civil rights that have been won for many of us as a result of the sacrifices and passion of this mass movement. The book includes personal testimonies from many relevant activists and allies including Judy Shepard mother of Matthew Shepard, legendary photographer Nan Goldin, Reverend Troy Perry founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, novelist playwright essayist Darryl Pinckney, Jake Shears of The Scissor Sisters, activist and former Pride Award-winner Jonathan Blake, New Zealand politician Georgina Beyer the world’s first openly transgender Mayor and transgender member of Parliament, Deborah Brin one of the world’s first openly gay Rabbis and many more. We talked to Todd about his passion and inspiration for creating “PRIDE: The Story Of The LGBTQ Equality Movement” and his spin on our LGBTQ issues.

LISTEN: 500+ LGBTQ Chats @OUTTAKE VOICES