Author: Alfredo Casuso

PROMOHOMO.TV® Announces 2021 Fall Season Premieres

Written on September 9, 2021.

media contact: David Perry / David Perry & Associates, Inc

PROMOHOMO.TV® — A Free Online Streaming Service —
Announces 2021 Fall Season Premieres
New Season Begins September 14

Returning are The Nicholas Snow Show, Outinerary®, Notes From Hollywood®,

HIGHRPOWRD® and Hot In Palm Springs; with the series premiere of Life Positive and a live, multi-camera broadcast of the Palm Springs Pride Parade

9 September 2021 – Palm Springs, CA: PromoHomo.TV® programming reached hundreds of thousands of viewers across social media platforms before the pandemic but — while sheltering in place for over a year in his modest apartment in the affordable housing complex on the campus of DAP Health in Palm Springs, California — Producer/Host Nicholas Snow expanded PromoHomo.TV® into a full-fledged online streaming network with television-quality programs created for a global audience.

“Yes, I really have launched a television network from my converted bedroom,” laughs Snow, who describes himself as a Multimedia Entertainment Activist. “I am committed to creating programming that includes, celebrates, and empowers the diversity and intersectionality of all of us. PromoHomo.TV® is, in fact, ‘Connecting the Circuitry of Humanity by Creating Programming for LGBTQ+ Everyone!’”

A highlight of the fall season will be the PromoHomo.TV® live broadcast of the Palm Springs Pride Parade, Sunday, November 7^th.

PromoHomo.TV® launches the Fall 2021 season September 14^th with the series premiere of Life Positive, inspired by Snow’s living-powerfully-with-HIV memoir, Life Positive: A Journey to the Center of My Heart. Life Positive the series is “Spotlighting people living with, impacted by, and/or working to bring about the end of HIV/AIDS,” with the premiere focusing on the upcoming Aging Positively – Reunion Project virtual conference taking place virtually (so it’s accessible worldwide) September 18^th.

Next up, OUTINERARY®, which is “Spotlighting Out of This World Travel while being Out IN This World.” The season opener features a trip to Los Angeles for Opening Night of Hamilton at the historic Pantages Theatre, soundbites from the show’s cast, and a look at Broadway in Hollywood’s spectacularly implemented pandemic safety protocols.

The Nicholas Snow Show spotlights topics and conversations focused on expanding the consciousness of participants and viewers worldwide, both literally and philosophically “Connecting the Circuitry of Humanity.” Featured in the season premiere, Imani Rupert Gordon, Executive Director of NCLR, the National Center for Lesbian Rights. “More people need to know the amazing impact NCLR has had on all LGBTQ+ civil rights, and the work they continue to do” explains Snow.

Originally established by Nicholas Snow in 1990 as a syndicated column—“to examine and strengthen the relationship between the entertainment industry and the LGBTQ+ Civil Rights Movement, thereby positively impacting the movement itself—Notes From Hollywood® the series now features “Reports & Profiles of People Passionately Pursuing Professions in the Entertainment Industry.” In the season premiere, a rare on-camera interview with Hollywood photographer John Paschal, who talks about his experiences photographing icons such as Bette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor, Brad Pitt and others. Also this season, the Notes From Hollywood® storyline follows Snow’s own journey as an actor.

HIGHRPOWRD® features “Stories of Experience, Strength and Hope, Infusing Infinite Views of Spirituality and Purpose.” A key focus of this series is to “take recovery out of the closet,” giving people the opportunity to share their triumphant stories without identifying specific 12-step programs (in keeping with the traditions of these programs). Additionally, inspiring thought leaders from all walks of life are featured. The season premiere episode examines “Why sex work is spiritual work” with special guest David P. Wichman who speaks from personal experience.

Hot in Palm Springs spotlights news, views, and profiles relevant to residents of and visitors to the City of Palm Springs and the Greater Coachella Valley. The season premiere features a tour of the expanded LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert as well as an interview with their new executive director Rob Wheeler, and will be broadcast live from The Center Social—Wednesday, September 22, at 5:30 PM at the Saguaro Hotel—the Center’s first significant in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Also at PromoHomo.TV®, archival episodes of Tinseltown’s Queer, which Snow produced and hosted throughout most of the 1990’s in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area on multiple public access television stations, reaching up to 600,000 households on a regular basis. These historic vintage episodes are being digitized for worldwide streaming and with plans underway to donate the collection to the One Archives at the USC Libraries.

PromoHomo.TV is distributed in partnership worldwide with the #ILoveGay campaign which has over a half million followers across Twitter; and with Coachella-valley based media partners KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs, GayDesertGuide.LGBT and the #ILoveGayPalmSprings podcast.

“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Nicholas Snow and PromoHomo.TV®,” explains Matt Skallerud, President of Pink Media and founder of the #ILoveGay campaign, “continuing our long history of working together since the mid-90s, when we collaborated with him on Tinseltown’s Queer and the first incarnation of The Nicholas Snow Show. Fast-forwarding to today, the fundamentals are the same… telling and sharing unique stories from the deep well of experience and knowledge that is our LGBTQ+ community.”

“Nicholas provides in-depth content that our listeners and viewers love to read and share, says KGAY PSP/GayDesertGuide CEO Brad Fuhr. “His life’s journey gives him a unique perspective on local, regional and national issues.”

“What’s different now,” explains Skallerud, “is in how we tell and share these stories. Social media has empowered all of us to be storytellers, and with the #ILoveGay network we’ve developed, we’ve created an environment where we’re simply a part of these conversations, allowing us to play a part in sharing and enhancing the reach of the stories PromoHomo.TV® continues to tell.”

Concludes Snow, “When I worked with Matt and his business partner, Fabrice Tasendo, in the 1990’s—beloved friends of mine ever since—one of the most compelling soundbites I used in interviews was, ‘The internet is allowing us to jump homophobic Hollywood gridlock and go directly to a global audience that wants and needs entertainment product for and about their lives.’ In the year 2021, almost 30 years later, I am thrilled to continue the work because we still have a long way to go.”

While programming is free across multiple social media platforms, viewers are invited to become co-creators of the network, known as the PromoHomo.TV® Superstars, with a paid subscription, available at www.Patreon.com/PromoHomoTV.

To find live and on-demand broadcasts, visit www.PromoHomo.TV,or like and follow @PromoHomoTV on your favorite social media platform:

YouTube/PromoHomoTVNetwork

Facebook/Nicholas.Snow

Twitter.com/PromoHomoTV

www.Instagram.com/PromoHomoTV

###

Rainbow Honor Walk to Honor Phyllis Lyon, Lesbian Activist and Civil Rights Trailblazer, with Sidewalk Plaque

Written on September 8, 2021.

media contact: David Perry (415) 676-7007/ news@davidperry.com

Rainbow Honor Walk to Honor Phyllis Lyon, Lesbian Activist and Civil Rights Trailblazer, with Sidewalk Plaque

Lyon’s selection to join 2013’s sidewalk tribute to Del Martin, Lyon’s lifelong partner and wife and one of Rainbow Honor Walk’s first round of honorees

www.rainbowhonorwalk.org

8 September 2021—San Francisco CA: The Rainbow Honor Walk (www.rainbowhonorwalk.org) today announced that it has chosen Phyllis Lyon, the world renowned San Francisco-based activist for lesbian rights and visibility, as its next honoree. To date, the twelve-year-old nonprofit organization, which celebrates the contributions of a diverse group of history-making LGBTQ individuals, has placed 36 sidewalk plaques in the city’s Castro District, with additional names to be announced soon.

Lyon, along with Del Martin, her wife and partner of 55 years, was a cofounder of Daughters of Bilitis (DOB), the first lesbian organization in the country, in 1955. A year later, the DOB launched the publication The Ladder. They did so in the face of tremendous social opposition during a time often referred to as “the McCarthy Era,” characterized by extreme federal, state, and local harassment of the LGBTQ community, including public exposure, condemnation, and job loss. The efforts by Lyon and Martin throughout the decades to win civil and human rights for lesbians and other marginalized peoples truly changed the world.

According to Marcia Gallo, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, professor emerita and New York-based author of Different Daughters: A History of the Daughters of Bilitis and the Rise of the Lesbian Rights Movement (2006), “Phyllis Lyon was a lifelong San Franciscan whose visionary leadership reflected her passion for social justice.” In later decades, Lyon “went on to help organize the first lesbian and gay Democratic club, create the National Sex Forum at Glide Memorial Church, serve on the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, represent lesbians at international feminist conferences, and insist that issues of ageism be addressed within LGBTQ and women’s communities. But her passion for ‘telling it like it is’ never kept her from having a good time. She showed us all how to put the ‘social’ in social change. Her big heart, sharp intelligence, and quick wit inspired a wealth of love and commitment from colleagues, friends, and extended family throughout the world.”

In recognition of their pioneering status, Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin were asked to be the first same-sex couple to be married in San Francisco in 2004 when then-Mayor Gavin Newsom began issuing same-sex marriage licenses. In 2008, following the California court ruling affirming LGBTQ marriage equality, Lyon and Martin were again the first couple to be legally married, a civil right later upheld by the Supreme Court.

In 2013, The Rainbow Honor Walk honored Lyon’s lifelong partner, Del Martin, with a bronze plaque in its first round of sidewalk tributes. In an unprecedented move, the board is working with the San Francisco Department of Public Works to install Lyon’s plaque in close proximity to Martin’s on 19th Street, between Castro and Collingwood Streets.

The Rainbow Honor Walk has to date installed 36 plaques along Market Street, Castro Street, and 19th Street. An additional 8 plaques, honoring Gladys Bentley, Quentin Crisp, Divine, Audre Lorde, Leonard Matlovich, Sylvia Rivera, Vito Russo, and Maurice Sendak are expected to be installed in Spring, 2022.

Despite Ongoing Pandemic, An Outpouring of Community Support

On May 27, the Rainbow Honor Walk held its second Rainbow Reels virtual fundraiser, this one celebrating Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin. The evening featured two films about them and their impact and legacy: No Secret Anymore, directed by noted lesbian photographer Joan E. Biren; and One Wedding and a Revolution, directed by Academy Award winner, Debra Chasnoff. The films were presented in partnership with Frameline, whose digital archives of LGBTQ stories is a national treasure. The event, hosted by Board of Directors Vice-President Barbara Tannenbaum, also featured a lively discussion with historian and author Marcia Gallo and Kendra Mon, daughter of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon on the enduring impact of the trailblazing couple.

“In these difficult times, I’m moved and grateful to see the outpouring of support from our community, friends, and family. This successful event raised more than $5,000 from donors paying tribute to Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin,” said Board of Directors President Donna Sachet. “Their support enables our volunteer board members to raise the profiles of the notable lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals from around the world who left a lasting mark on society and made significant contributions in their fields or professions. Their courage in perilous times reminds us of how much we can accomplish when we join forces and work together.”

For more information:

A full list of board members, donors, and honorees can be found online at www.rainbowhonorwalk.org or on Facebook by searching for “Rainbow-Honor-Walk.” For more information, email at info@rainbowhonorwalk.org or by mail to Rainbow Honor Walk, 584 Castro Street, #113 San Francisco, California 94114.

###

A LITTLE POST CARD FROM THE CRYSTAL SYMPHONY #2

Written on September 7, 2021.

A LITTLE POST CARD FROM THE CRYSTAL SYMPHONY #2

From Bill Miller

Thu Sep 2^nd Bermuda: A quiet, very restful day – lots of reading in a shady corner – then specially prepared Steak Tartar (by Roland, a longtime Austrian chef turned restaurant manager here on Crystal) for dinner, then a gala, high-spirited show (at 9 and themed to Broadway musicals) and finally the full band playing up on deck, under the stars & as we sail from Bermuda. Then out into the dark abyss!

Below: Bermuda is famous for its crystal clear, turquoise-blue waters … today, Michael found a small, rock-lined hideaway not too far from the ship itself for some quiet time, reading & swimming …

Our friend Allan Davidson, a local Bermudian & former officer with the Furness-Bermuda Line, took this photo (above) of the Crystal Symphony by night

Fri Sep 3^rd at sea: Sound the trumpets, well softly – he doesn’t like personal celebrations. Today is Michael’s birthday and, quietly, we go off to Prego, the ship’s Italian grill, for a celebratory supper. A delicious 5 courses!

Crystal is noted for its lecture program – absolutely one of the very best on all the seas: authors, astronomers, movie stars, economists, political analysts and even experts telling us how to live longer & live better. Myself, in 100 trips on Crystal (since Aug 1990), I’ve sailed with & enjoyed listening to countless celebrity speakers: Walter Cronkite & Barbara Walters, Debbie Reynolds & Jane Russell, Marvin Hamlish & Dionne Warwick, Anne Jeffreys & Marion Ross, Art Linkletter & Hugh Downs, Dr Ruth & Rex Reed. This trip, we have two splendid speakers: General Anthony Zinni (below), with a huge military & US Government history and holder of no less than three PhDs; and Dr Alec Murphy, a well regarded geographer. Both present their talks with that great added ingredient: passion for their subject. (PS: Alec Murphy discover today that we actually sailed together some 40 years ago, on the Polish liner Stefan Batory (in Sep 1981), traveling from London to Montreal.)

Otherwise, smooth, glass-like seas as we head north to Boston.

Fluffy towels, a shaded chair, a smiling steward delivers a tall glass of iced tea …

Michael likes Hendrik’s gin for a pre-dinner drink!

A fiery ending to a dreamy day at sea!

A LITTLE POST CARD FROM THE CRYSTAL SYMPHONY

Written on September 2, 2021.

A LITTLE POST CARD FROM THE CRYSTAL SYMPHONY

From Bill Miller

All photos by Bill Miller: used with permission

Tue Aug 31^st Bermuda: Knives & forks! The food onboard is nothing short of superb – and of course wickedly appealing. Tonight after a dinner of Caesar Salad, Boston clam chowder and grilled, well seasoned prawns, three of the many dessert offerings (in Waterside, the ship’s main restaurant) included a Vanilla Tart with Chocolate Flavors, French Apple Tart a la Mode and something called Dream of Raspberry Trifle. (PS: Behind the scenes, that small army of Austrian chefs & bakers are always thoughtful – no portion is too big, too overwhelming. And the presentation is usually on very large plates or canyon-style bowls. But then, with little more than a yum-yum and even a slight smile, the waiter will deliver a 2^nd helping! Yes, it can all be downward in deep decay.)

Elegant, beyond thoughtful and almost royally poised at 6 ½ feet in height, Dragan (from Serbia) has been a most splendid server! He has been with Crystal Cruises for 21 years.

Wed Sep 1^st Bermuda: We have only 175 passengers aboard (950 is normally top capacity) – so with over 400 crew, the ratio is roughly 2-to-1. A half-dozen waiters crowded round us at lunch and, at dinner, it was three servers & a wine stewardess. A longtime Crystal regular later noted, “The entire ship is like a big yacht. In your lectures, you used to say that on Crystal they all but chew the meat for you! Well, now, they just about swallow it for you as well! Can it get more pampered!” And a lady on her very first Crystal voyage noted: “This is spectacular! I think I really am onboard one of the ‘floating palaces’ you talk about in your lectures.”

Now quite rare – a quartet of those red British phone boxes!

Hear ye, hear ye – Crystal’s back in town!

Berthed in the Dockyard, the former Royal Navy base here in still very British Bermuda, and then ashore for a café lunch with Stephen Card, a dear friend of some 40 years & of course the celebrated, very gifted, quite brilliant maritime artist. His glorious paintings have been covers for many of my books. But time has passed indeed – I still remember having dinner with Stephen here in Bermuda nearly 35 years ago, in June 1988, on a cruise visit, but then on Royal Caribbean’s Nordic Prince. Just two years ago, Stephen came aboard the Viking Sea for another happy dinner (but then docked in Hamilton).

Exotica! Tonight, we dine in Umi Uma, the ship’s superb Asian grill. Umi Uma (which means “seahorse” in Japanese and the symbol of Crystal Cruises) and which offers legendary Nobu’s fusion cuisine Japanese/Asian/Latin American. Alone, there are 35 varieties of sushi. But my choices are much more moderate: Shrimp Tempura (with Nobu’s Dipping Sauce), then Soft Shell Crab Spring Rolls (with Nanban Salsa) followed by Filet of Wagyu Beef (with grilled onions & asparagus and coupled with 3 sauces accompanied by steamed Japanese vegetables & brown rice) and finished off with Vanilla & Coconut Tapioca Soup (really a cross between pudding & ice cream and served with green tea ice cream). The setting alone is stunning, the food & service flawless. (PS: Remember that Crystal Cruises itself was Japanese owned until several years ago, but now comes under the umbrella of the Genting Hong Kong Group, the huge casino, hotel & travel operator.)

Often redecorated & restyled, Umi Uma began on the Company’s first ship, the Crystal Harmony (back in 1990), as Kyoto (and when guests were given ivory chopsticks) and then became Jade Garden and finally Silk Road. It is quite divine & has always been a very “hot ticket” on Crystal ships.

Overnight in beautiful Bermuda … shoreside lights, the ship itself aglow, a few thousand stars overhead & so pleasant dreams!

SFWednesdays Free Summer Performance Series Continues Through October 20

Written on August 27, 2021.

media contact:
David Perry & Associates, Inc. / David Perry (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

SFWednesdays Free Summer Performance Series Continues Through October 20

San Francisco Mayor Breed’s Initiative to Spur Downtown Revival Features Performances in Union Square, Along the Embarcadero & Mint Plaza

www.SFWednesdays.com

27 August 2021 — San Francisco: Artists have danced, sung, entertained and enlivened San Francisco outdoor public spaces as part of the popular SFWednesdays (www.sfwednesdays.com) series of FREE public performances this summer in some of the City’s most iconic outdoor public spaces. The series continues this Wednesday, September 1 (12pm – 2pm) in three simultaneous offerings at Union Square, Embarcadero Plaza and Mint Plaza.

The series of free live events is designed to reactivate downtown public spaces and reconnect San Franciscans and visitors with the city streetscape. In an effort to support the economic recovery of the cultural and business community, the program employs local artists performing in popular venues where retail and hospitality naturally mix with day-to-day workers. Sites such as Union Square, Embarcadero Plaza, Mint Plaza and Mechanics Monument Plaza will feature music, dance and other live performances as San Francisco renews and recovers. Attendees are encouraged to share their experiences online via social media with the hashtag #sfwednesdays

The schedule for the final five performances follows:

September 1

Union Square – Junior Reggae (12pm – 2pm)

Embarcadero Plaza – Alafia Dance Ensemble (12pm – 2pm)

Mint Plaza – The Pleasure Palace (12pm – 2pm)

September 15

Union Square – Kally Price Old Blues & Jazz Band (12pm – 2pm)

Embarcadero Plaza – InSyncKathak Dance School (12pm – 2pm)

Mint Plaza – Rob Reich Trio (12pm – 2pm)

September 29

Union Square – Golden Gate Tango Ensemble (12pm – 2pm)

Embarcadero Plaza – Arenas Dance (12pm – 2pm)

Mint Plaza – King Dream (12pm – 2pm)

October 6

Union Square – Del Sol Quartet & The Last Hoisan Poets (12pm – 2pm)

Embarcadero Plaza – The Lost Shapes (12pm – 2pm)

Mechanics Monument Plaza – Surplus 1980 (12pm – 2pm)

October 20

Mint Plaza – DJ Christine Chung (12pm – 2pm)

Embarcadero / Bocce Court Entrance– DJ Patrick Diaz (12pm – 2pm)

Mechanics Monument Plaza – jxtheo with Boondock Squad (12pm – 2pm)