June is Pride Month. As an adolescent, Anita Berber was enrolled in traditional ballet classes in her native Berlin. She also learned acrobatics and gymnastics at the behest of her grandmother, by whom she was raised. Before the age of 20, Anita was performing regularly in Berlin’s burgeoning cabaret scene, often dancing nude. She favored …
June is Pride Month. Charles Silverstein was a respected author, lecturer and psychologist. In 1973, his presentation before the American Psychiatric Association led to the declassification and eventual removal of homosexuality as a mental illness from the organization’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. In 1977, he and writer Edmund White, co-authored the groundbreaking The Joy of Gay Sex. They …
June is Pride Month. Leelah Alcorn just wanted to be happy. At 14, Leelah came out to her parent as transgender. Doug and Carla Alcorn, devout followers of the Church of Christ, were mortified. They refused to accept Leelah’s identity. Leelah pressed and stood firm, despite her parent’s denial. At 16, instead of supporting Leelah’s …
June is Pride Month. How could you not love Leslie Jordan? He was a versatile actor, singer, writer, comedian… a jack of all trades. In reality, Leslie Jordan essentially portrayed one character and that character was Leslie Jordan. As an actor, he made guest appearances in a number of television series, stealing every scene with …
June is Pride Month. Arizona-born Sue Hardesty began her budding writing career as an editor, refining books for other authors. She collaborated on her first book, a collection of recipes, punctuated by commentary on gender roles and identity, entitled The Butch Cook Book. The book was likened to the old-fashioned church-issued cookbooks, but for a …
When teenage Anna Mae Bullock was picking cotton and cleaning the houses of rich, white families in Nutbush, Tennessee, did she ever imagine that her life would end as a Swiss citizen, having won twelve Grammy Awards and enjoyed success as a singer, actress, author and internationally-known and beloved public figure?
12-year old Bud Brisbois picked up a trumpet and his life was never the same. Mostly self-taught, he headed to Los Angeles after a brief enrollment at the University of Minnesota. Bud bounced around the LA music scene until he joined Stan Kenton’s band as lead trumpet player. He recorded ten albums as a part …
In 1982, Fun Boy Three released their first of two albums. Formed from the remnants of the breakup of pioneering British ska band The Specials, Fun Boy Three brought together Neville Staple, Lynval Golding and Terry Hall for a fleeting bit of fame. With a little help from girl group du jour Bananarama, recorded and …
Ann Prentiss, the younger sister of actress Paula Prentiss, had a pretty good career in front of the camera, She was featured in a number of small roles on some of the most popular TV series on the 60s and 70s. Adept at both comedy and drama, Ann appeared in episodes of Mannix, Hogan’s Heroes, …
As a psychology major at Yale University, Bruce Geller discovered his real calling — theater. He started his career writing scripts for shows on the fledgling DuMont Television Network in the early 1950s. He also tried his hand at writing librettos for several musicals, none of which were successful. Looking for better opportunities, he left his …
