Tom Wilson Weinberg to perform for National Coming Out Day
After performing at the very first National Coming Out Day in 1987, Tom Wilson Weinberg will perform his feature “AMERICA” for the 2022 iteration on October 11 at Giovanni’s Room. All proceeds will go to Philly AIDS Thrift.
Weinberg and Cabaret Vérité will perform politically-centered songs that tackle topics including the recent “Don’t Say Gay” legislation in numerous states as well as the efforts to ban books with LGBTQ content.
“There’s a section where we sing about relationships, from secrecy to legal marriage,” Weinberg told PGN. “We sing of the March on Washington (1987) and another song suggests how to vote (2020). And I’ve rewritten the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance. All of this happens in 70 minutes.”
The show will also feature numbers on Anita Bryant, who led an anti-LGBTQ crusade in the 1970s; a song about the Supreme Court sung by “The Supremes”; and a hymn on the degradation of the separation of church and state.
“October 11, 1987, brought a huge crowd to Washington, 750,000 according to the DC police,” Weinberg said. “This gathering was a game changer. Reagan was in office and had ignored the AIDS epidemic for five years. The cast of my show, Ten Percent Revue, was invited to sing from the stage in The Mall. Thirty-five years later, “AMERICA, a Cabaret for the Moment” compares then with now. Dangerous backlash happens but we refuse to hate our foes. Instead, we become smarter, angrier, nicer and way funnier.”
Showtimes on October 11 are at 2:00 PM and 6:15 PM at Giovanni’s Room (345 S. 12th St.). For ticket information, visit queerbooks.com/.
The Wardrobe to host Community Wardrobe Day for LGBTQ, all genders
For those in need of clothing, The Wardrobe is holding a free fashion day on Oct. 17. The event provides free clothing and accessories for all genders, with no appointment needed. In addition to clothes, attendees will be able to find shoes, bags, accessories, gender-affirming underwear such as binders and gaffs and community resources.
William Way, Philly AIDS Thrift will serve as donation drop-off sites and will help The Wardrobe team collect clothing for the event. Action Wellness will also serve as a donation drop-off site. Representatives from galaei will provide information about the organization’s services, safe sex resources, giveaways from Lush and Rare Beauty, and one-on-one services throughout the day. The galaei team is also working with drag performers for the purpose of donating drag and burlesque attire to the event. The Philadelphia chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America will also be in attendance to help people register to vote.
The Wardrobe, formerly the Career Wardrobe, is a nonprofit that provides clothing to communities in need. The organization’s mission is to “eliminate clothing insecurity” by providing clothes for all bodies, which includes casual clothes and work attire.
“Our basic philosophy is [there are] programs for housing, programs for food, but we don’t really have any big government programs for clothing insecurity,” Al Sharrock, program director for The Wardrobe, told PGN last May. “But when you think about basic needs, you think about clothing as well – it’s food, clothing and shelter.”
The free fashion day will take place at 413 N. 4th Street in Philadelphia from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Oct. 17. To RSVP, visit https://bit.ly/phillycw/.
Philly Family Pride to host Family Matters Conference
Philadelphia Family Pride’s (PFP) 13th annual Family Matters Conference is coming up on Nov. 3 to 5. “Family Reunion” is the theme of this year’s conference, which will take place as a combination of Zoom sessions and an in-person community building event.
PFP board member and family law attorney Rebecca Nayak will answer legal questions pertaining to LGBTQ families, whether formed through
assisted reproductive technology with donor sperm, surrogacy, adoption or any other means. PFP board member Michael Galvan will moderate the panel.
PFP Assistant Director Shanay Rowe and Marcus Gaston-Ecks will lead the session “LGBTQ Parenting at the Intersections,” where they will discuss the unique challenges of parenting as a queer or trans person of color and other intersectional identities.
Nhakia Outland, founder and executive director of Prevention Meets Fashion, will lead a session on how to navigate complex conversations with pre-teens and teens, like topics including sex, drug use, mental health and more.
Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta and PFP’s Galvan will run a session about the impacts that national, state and local elections may have on LGBTQ families. The conference also offers a session on how to find affirming providers for LGBTQ families, whether that be finding a daycare, pediatrician, camp or school. Also on the menu is a panel of past PFP members, previous teen panel participants and new families who will share knowledge and connection.
Virtual sessions will take place in the evenings on Nov. 3 and 4, and the community building family day will take place at Smith Playground in Fairmount Park on Nov. 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There, attendees can engage in a mixer for LGBTQ families with babies and todlers; a mixer for LGBTQ families with school-age kids; a mixer for LGBTQ expectant and prospective parents; as well as lunch and a carnival.
For more information and to register, visit https://www.pfpconference.org/.