“My Uncle Gloria” Inspires Life-Altering Change

Transformation of 62-Year-Old Tough Uncle Butch to Attractive Aunt Gloria at 66 in Memoir

At age 62, most people have accepted their life choices and are planning retirement from their fulfilled career to a more quiet and serene lifestyle. Bernard “Butch” Rosichan, however, decided to go through a life-altering change at age 66. Thus, the old-school gruff and surly auto wrecking & salvage owner underwent a transformation via male-to-female reassignment surgery. Today, she goes by the name of Gloria Stein and is a naturally feminine-looking Jewish grandma!

Gloria’s larger-than-life personality and inspiring story has entertained and captivated the hearts of thousands of South Floridians as well as changed the lives of her family members forever. Gloria’s nephew, Steven Shulman, is to release a memoir chronicling how his uncle’s road to self-rediscovery reflected his own rebirth, titled, “My Uncle Gloria.”

“I found in Gloria what I had always hoped to find in Butch, a loving, caring family member,” says Shulman. “Because of her unique journey, my family is now more complete than ever. This memoir is the first step in sharing her beautiful story with the world and helping others.”

This inspiring tale follows the life of Shulman, who battled troubles with drugs due to family turmoil and how the transition and metamorphosis of a gruff uncle to a fierce, funny and loving aunt marked the start of his reconciliation with a problematic past, into a life filled with promise and family love.

Gloria Stein, who founded the South Florida Gender Coalition, now has become a leading advocate to educate the general public regarding misconceptions of the transgendered community. 


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GEORGE TAKEI AND LA TOYA JACKSON TO JOIN SAN DIEGO PRIDE

San Diego Pride is thrilled to announce exciting new additions to our amazing Pride weekend! Actor, author, and activist George Takei will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Spirit of Stonewall Rally and Flag Raising.  He will champion Pride’s 2013 theme “Freedom to Love and Marry.”

Takei had this to say about his participation, "Freedom, love, and commitment are shared values across the spectrum of humanity, and I'm honored to celebrate and share that truth alongside my husband at this year's San Diego LGBT Pride.”

George Takei will be joined by his husband, Brad Takei, as San Diego Pride Parade Grand Marshals due to their extensive work as fearless advocates for marriage, anti-bullying efforts, and LGBT equality.

Singer-songwriter and philanthropist La Toya Jackson will also be a celebrity Grand Marshal for her efforts in continuing her late brother Michael’s mission to combat HIV and AIDS.  La Toya will then appear at the Festival main stage Sunday evening as an MC as we close out Pride weekend.

“I am so excited and I am absolutely honored to be a part of San Diego Pride. Love is hard for anyone to find and if you have someone who you love enough to marry, why not celebrate it,” said La Toya Jackson.


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MIKE RUIZ TO HOST “SHRED OF HOPE” FUNDRAISER

WHAT: This June 20th trailblazing menswear label Nasty Pig will launch Shred of Hope, a fundraiser for the Ali Forney Center (AFC), the nation’s largest services and advocacy organization working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) runaway and homeless youth.

Shred of Hope is an auction of one-of-a-kind “Shredder” t-shirts created by celebrities. The auction will take place entirely online from June 20th through June 27th at ShredofHope.com. 100% of the proceeds of Shred of Hope will support AFC’s work to protect and empower homeless LGBT youth, and to help them in becoming safe and independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood.

On June 20th Nasty Pig and the Ali Forney Center will host a launch party for Shred of Hope at the iconic Rootstein Gallery in New York City. Nasty Pig models will walk the floor selling opportunities to win one-of-a-kind Shred of Hope items and experiences to benefit the AFC.


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Mercy Debuts Special-Edition LGBT Pride Can with GLAAD

Mercy Nutraceuticals, Inc., the maker of functional products with proven results, today debuts its first-ever, special-edition rainbow can in support of LGBT Pride and will donate a portion of the proceeds to GLAAD. This limited-edition version of Mercy, a caffeine-free, non-alcoholic beverage that helps prevent hangovers, marks the company’s first charitable partnership, signifying its commitment to empowering the LGBT community.

Mercy, a citrus-flavored drink packed with vitamins and amino acids, has been involved with the LGBT community since the company’s inception. The rainbow can will be available during GLAAD’s 2013 Summer Pride, which includes parades and celebrations in New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Dallas.

Mercy, which helps fortify the body against damage caused by alcohol, launched in 2011 after eight years of research and development. Its therapeutic mix of vitamins, amino acids and botanical nutrients makes the drink the most effective product on the market at preventing hangovers. Recommended as the last drink of the night, Mercy allows you to have a pleasant and productive next day.

Mercy is sold at groceries, restaurants, hotels and bars in New York City, New Jersey and Florida and is expanding to the San Francisco Bay area, Massachusetts, Rhode Island as well as Southern New Hampshire. It’s also available online at www.drinkmercy.com. Mercy retails for $14 for a four-pack and $33 for a case of twelve.



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25 Great Gay Moments In Music

Equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is today’s defining civil rights issue, and the music industry is playing a significant part. In honor of LGBT Pride Month, Billboard looked back at some of the most important music-related moments in LGBT progress including:

• Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! comes out as transgender        
• Adam Lambert is the first out gay man to earn No. 1 album        Frank Ocean comes out
• “Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
• Fun. establishes the Ally Coalition
• Sara Bareilles releases “Brave” written for her friend struggling to come out
• Jay-Z and Obama Support Same-Sex Marriage
• Lady Gaga Fights for Gay Rights
• Lance Bass Gets in Sync With His Sexuality

To see all the LGBT pride stories,  please check out this week’s issue of Billboard Magazine for the “Pride in Music” feature, along with the link below for the full list of “25 Great Gay Moments In Music.”

http://www.billboard.com/articles/list/513476/25-great-gay-moments-in-music?page=0%2C0

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Devotion Project Features Couple’s Bittersweet Journey Through More Than 50 Years

With decisions expected this month in the two marriage cases before the Supreme Court, Freedom to Marry and the Devotion Project released an online video featuring Bill Campbell and John Hilton, a New York couple together 54 years. Hilton worked for Otis Elevator Company for 23 years and later moved into the nonprofit sector, including work for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, while Campbell used his knowledge of over five foreign languages to oversee the production of language textbooks for 25 years and teach ESL to students both in America and abroad.

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Sports Leaders Gather to Tackle Anti-LGBT Bias in Athletics

An alliance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) sports leaders from across the country has announced the second annual Nike LGBT Sports Summit, set for June 12-15 in Portland, Ore. The Sports Summit will bring together college and professional athletes, coaches, athletic administrators, political figures, LGBT advocates and sports organizations to combat anti-LGBT bias in sports.

Over three days, attendees will develop a strategy that embraces LGBT diversity on the courts and playing fields. They will examine best practices, troubleshoot common problems, and develop projects to tackle anti-LGBT bias in kindergarten through professional sports.

The group will also formalize the creation of the LGBT Sports Coalition, a framework to unite the movement toward equality in sports with one goal: End anti-LGBT bias in sports by 2016. Last year’s summit, held at Nike World Headquarters, brought together 25 leading organizations and individuals who began working together toward that goal.

The summit was founded by Outsports.com’s Cyd Zeigler, National Center for Lesbian Rights Sports Project Director Helen Carroll, and LGBT sports pioneer Pat Griffin.

The sports world has experienced a dramatic shift since the first summit, with professional athletes coming out, scores of universities forming LGBT/Straight Athletic Alliances, national and local sports bodies implementing LGBT-inclusive policies, and the sports media focusing more attention on this issue.

More people than ever before now understand that the acceptance of anti-LGBT attitudes is destructive to team development as well as harmful to athletes. Core to the mission of the coalition is the goal of empowering LGBT athletes and coaches to be true to themselves and reach their full potential.


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Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!

“Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!” a completed indie comedy film is seeking the public’s help to fund distribution through  www.oyveymovie.com “Oy Vey” has partnered with Freestyle Releasing to start an Indigogo campaign to help finance the distribution dollars to take the movie theaters in the U.S. and beyond.

“Oy Vey” is the heartwarming story about the journey a Jewish mother goes through after finding out her son is not only gay, but that he is dating a Roman Catholic boy. The film stars Golden Globe, Emmy & Tony nominee Lainie Kazan, Emmy winner Jai Rodriguez, Vincent Pastore, Carmen Electra and Saul Rubinek.

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Esurance Donating $100,000 To LGBT Charities

Esurance, the direct-to-consumer personal car insurance company, has kicked off its third annual charitable giving campaign supporting LGBT equality.

This year, however, Esurance is increasing its support by donating a total of $100,000 to three very important causes GLAAD, PFLAG, and The Trevor Project. Friends and fans can steer Esurance's donation to these organizations by visiting Esurance's Facebook page, "Liking" Esurance, and voting for their favorite cause. Each organization will earn a percentage of the donation based on the number of votes they receive. The voting campaign will run through June 30.

"As a company rooted in the principles of diversity and inclusion, Esurance recognizes the importance of raising awareness for LGBT issues. We hope that LGBT supporters will cast a vote to help these three deserving causes make a difference in the community," said Esurance Vice President of Marketing Darren Howard.

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Governor Brown Issues Proclamation Declaring "Harvey Milk Day"

 Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued a proclamation declaring May 22, 2013 as "Harvey Milk Day" in the State of California.

The text of the proclamation is below:

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Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) Hosts Second Annual Voice Awards

  Honors Leaders Who Use Their Voices for Equality

Omar Sharif Jr.

The Globe Theatre at Universal Studios was brought to life on Sunday, May 19, 2013 where the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) hosted its second annual Voice Awards, honoring organizations and activists who have helped lead the charge in support of equality for the LGBT Community.

This year’s honorees included pioneers American Idol and AT&T, which have set precedents for national recognition of equality, activists Fred Arens and Jason Duguay who have helped to raise more than one million dollars for LGBT organizations nationwide, and writer/director Liesel Reinhart, the board member and creator of GMCLA’s national tour of it gets better, which visits schools and communities across America’s heartland with a message of acceptance and anti-bullying. Performances at the Voice Awards were held by the more than 200-member chorus, “Glee” actor Alex Newell and “The Voice” contestant De’Borah.

GMCLA Executive Director, Chris Verdugo, spoke to the crowd of more than 500 attendees, and said that the Chorus was an outlet that saved his life. His was not a story unique to him, he said to the attentive audience. But rather the story of many GMCLA members.

Proud sponsors of GMCLA’s Voice Awards included State Farm, Brian Pendleton & Chad Goldman, Geffen Foundation, Macias Media Group, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Athens Services, Combined Properties, HBO, IAC, Outlook Amusements, Inc. and JimmyWin.com. Hilton Los Angeles/Universal served as the Voice Awards Official Host Hotel, and Southwest Airlines was the Official Airline.

The Chorus will soon conclude its 34th Season, which was sponsored by Wells Fargo, on June 22nd and June 23rd at the Saban Theatre with two performances of “Not Entirely Wicked,” which will feature the music and an appearance of Broadway legend Stephen Schwartz along with the voice of Emmy Award winning singer Liz Callaway. For more information about the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, or to buy tickets for “Not Entirely Wicked,” please visit www.gmcla.org.

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Nordstrom Continues Support Of Same Sex Marriage With New Video

Nordstrom’s has continued its history of support for the LGBT community, this time including two same-sex couples in a commercial for its wedding suite.
The commercial, titled “Ultimate Dance Party,” features both a lesbian couple and a gay couple, along with heterosexual couples and their party guests, dancing to music by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, the musical duo whose hit 2011 Same Love celebrates LGBT equality

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