TheEdAdvocate
TEACHING STUDENTS ABOUT BRUCE VILANCH
BY MATTHEW LYNCH (and Mister D)
DECEMBER 14, 2023

Alright, let’s talk about Bruce Vilanch – the comedy maestro, actor, and six-time Emmy champ who’s been making waves in Hollywood for ages. With his lightning-fast wit and one-of-a-kind style, he’s been part of some of the biggest shows in Tinseltown. But hey, there’s more to him than just jokes and laughter. Vilanch‘s also been a force for positive change, using his talent to make the world a better place. So, when you’re teaching students about this guy, you’re not just talking about humor – you’re showing them how creativity can spark real change.

Early Life and Career

Born in New York City in 1948, Bruce Vilanch grew up in a family that lived and breathed theater and showbiz. Embracing his identity as a gay man from an early age, he found his voice through comedy. His journey kicked off as a journalist covering entertainment, but soon he was writing for big TV shows like “Donny & Marie” and “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.” I think Bette Midler is his biggest muse. as mine. and helped jump strat this new career he found. May not be true. but please just abide with me. if you can.

As his career took off, Vilanch became the brains behind major events like the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and Tony Awards. And hey, he’s not just a wordsmith – he’s also a Broadway star, gracing the stage in the smash-hit musical “Hairspray.”

Teaching Students about Bruce’s Advocacy

Sure, Bruce‘s known for his humor, but his heart’s just as big. A fierce supporter of LGBT rights and HIV/AIDS awareness, he’s used his humor to raise millions for charitable causes. So, when you’re teaching students about him, you’re not just talking about making people laugh – you’re showing them how laughter can change the world.

In the classroom, get students digging into Bruce‘s work with organizations like amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research) and the Trevor Project. How did his humor help these causes? Let them explore and learn.

The Art of Punchlines: Teaching Students Comedy Writing

Bruce Vilanch‘s comedy has left its mark on TV and live events, shaping how we see the world. Introducing students to his style can fire up their interest in writing and help them find their own unique voice.

Why not set up a comedy writing workshop? Get students dissecting some of Vilanch’s best jokes and figuring out how they work. By inspiring them to craft their punchlines, you’re not just teaching comedy – you’re nurturing creative minds.

Role Model for Overcoming Adversity

Growing up can be tough, and students face all kinds of challenges. Bruce Vilanch‘s journey as an openly gay man in Hollywood, unapologetic about who he is, is a powerful example of resilience.

Sharing Bruce’s story with students can be a reminder that it’s okay to be yourself, no matter what. It’s a lesson in self-acceptance and embracing others for who they are.

I loved the guy who really wrote this, I just took it and rewrote it in my own style then had AI smooth out the grammar. I used these kinds of techniques in college to help me pass English, Speech. Philosophy. and Psycho;ogy papers by talking about Bette, Bruce, and the Harlettes in some way that would fit within the subjects I needed them too, as examples of somerhing. Made A’s. Can’t Beat That. So I fell in love with this topic. Hope you enjoyed….Mister D

The post Teaching “Bruce Vilanch 101” first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Los Angeles Times
The Lavender Effect Live Virtual Pride Parade
By MATT COOPER
MAY 30, 2020

The stars come out to kick off LGBTQ Pride Month a day early with this virtual celebration hosted by “Transparent” actress and activist Alexandra Billings. With appearances by Lily Tomlin, Judith Light, Sean Hayes, Audra McDonald, Betty Buckley, Sandra Bernhard, Kathryn Hahn and Bruce Vilanch, plus performances from the Fruitcake Follies and the Windy City Gay Men’s Chorus. Noon to 2 p.m. Sunday. Free. facebook.com/TheLavenderEffect/

The post Stars Like Bruce Vilanch, Lily Tomlin, & Judith Light Kick-Off LGBTQ Pride Month Sunday, May 31, 2020, Virtually first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

When Cinema Diverse premiered in 2008, the lineup was 15 films, including “Shelter,” a coming-of-age romance produced by J.D. Disalvatore.

Ten years later and with 91 films, the line-up has grown significantly, but it still includes a screening of “Shelter,” a coming-of-age romance produced by J.D. Disalvatore.

Resurrecting the inaugural event film is part of the special programming intended to help celebrate the LGBTQ film festival’s 10th anniversary, Thursday through Sept. 24 at Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs, said Michael C. Green, Cinema Diverse festival director and executive director of the Palm Springs Cultural Center.

“It’s interesting because J.D. Disalvatore just passed last week … and she was such an icon in Los Angeles in terms of lesbian filmmakers and was just really such a part of our history. And we’ll have a special moment before we screen that film to kind of honor her memory,” he said.

Another “big deal” festival event is a planned appearance by Armistead Maupin, the immensely popular author of “Tales of The City” series of novels which spawned a few television miniseries.

The opening night will feature a screening of “The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin,” a film by Jennifer Kroot which tells the story of the renowned author from conservative to gay rights pioneer and includes interviews with Sir Ian McKellen, Laura Linney and Olympia Dukakis. It will be followed by a Q&A with Maupin and a presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award. He then will sign copies of his new memoir, scheduled to be released in October.

“We’re getting advanced copies of his new memoir that’s coming out. We’re going to have it early so he’ll be signing copies of that. I’m really excited,” said Green “That’s going to be the big big deal.”

Right before the Maupin screening, audiences will see an 8-minute short called “Zeitgeist 1977,” a tribute to the first gay and lesbian film festival in San Francisco 40 years ago.

“So that’s kind of fun. It was the first in San Francisco, they were using Super 8 film and they were mostly getting it developed in Harvey Milk’s photo shop and (there’s) just a lot of history with it. It’s kind of cool and it’s ironically the same exact time Armistead started writing and got his first book published,” added Green.

While last year saw many films that addressed the divide between mainstream religion and the LGBTQ community, this year has a prominent selection of movies that touch on the international treatment of the LGBT community.

“I think a lot of it is immigration being a big topic. There are so many people from so many parts of the world that are trying to immigrate,” said Green. “They are escaping persecution because they are LGBT. It’s a very poignant topic.”

The film festival closes on Sunday, Sept. 24, with a full slate of films including the Palm Springs premiere and 10th anniversary of the docu-comedy “Laughing Matters …The Men,” from filmmaker Andrea Meyerson and featuring six comedians including Bruce Vilanch and Andre Kelly. Meyerson, Vilanch and Kelly are all expected to attend the festival, said Green.

“It was actually filmed in Palm Springs at Gay Pride in 2006 and it came out as a film in 2007 but it never has screened in Palm Springs ever … so that’s gonna be a lot of fun too,” he said.

Another closing day highlight is the screening of the third season of the Emmy-nominated “Eastsiders” produced by Kit Williamson and John Halbach, who married in Joshua Tree, live in Silver Lake and enjoy weekend trips to Palm Springs. The screening includes four episodes filmed on location in 16 different states from New York to Silver Lake and one episode shot in Palm Springs in July.

The filmmaking duo, who also appear in the show, are excited to bring most of season three to Cinema Diverse after a screening at OutFest in Los Angeles and a sneak peek at SeriesFest in Denver. They appreciate the interaction with other filmmakers and like-minded filmgoers.

“When you go to film festivals like these it’s a great way to meet other filmmakers who are passionate about the same kind of work. It’s also a great way to connect with audiences who are specifically seeking out LGBT content like ours. So they’ll come to this festival knowing that they want to see gay stories and if they weren’t familiar with our show before they could find our show there,” said Halbach.

“Yeah, we’re in a vacuum as filmmakers, as the storytellers … and I think it’s important to stay connected with the people that engage your work,” added Williamson who also writes and directs the series.

READ MORE: Popular LGBT series ‘Eastsiders’ films episode in Palm Springs

The show, which started as a web series on YouTube in 2012, follows gay couple Cal, played by Williamson, and Thom, played by Van Hansis as they deal with infidelity and life. Halbach plays a straight guy named Ian. Other show characters include Constance Wu from “Fresh of the Boat” who plays Kathy, Stephen Guarino of Showtime’s “I’m Dying Up Here” who plays Quincy, Willam Belli who plays Douglas and Traci Lords who plays Cal’s mother. Season 2 is currently available on Netflix.

The season 3 episode filmed in Palm Springs follows couple Quincy and drag queen Douglas, whose car breaks down in the desert while on their way to a drag gig. The idea for this episode came after a fan of the show, who owns a vacation rental in Palm Springs called The Burton House, reached out to them via Instagram and said he’d love to host them for a filming of the show. So Williamson came up with this Palm Springs-specific episode.

This will be Williamson’s second time to Cinema Diverse. He starred in a movie “Kiss Me, Kill Me” which screened there about two years ago.

“We love to go to festivals like these and I think it’s really important to support other people’s work. Having been making the show for five years now we understand what a miracle it is that anything ever makes it across the finish line and I think when anything gets done that should be celebrated,” said Halbach.

If you go

What: Cinema Diverse: Palm Springs LGBT Film Festival, presented by the Palm Springs Cultural Center

When: The film festival runs Sept. 21-24 at Camelot Theatres, 2300 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs. The Best of the Fest screenings is Sept. 29 and 30 at Mary Pickford Theatre, 36850 Pickfair St., Cathedral City.

Tickets: VIP Pass $279, Producer Pass $229, Director Pass $199, Cinema Six Pack $72, Opening night screening and after party $35, individual screening tickets $13.25

Information: (760) 880-4921 or (760) 324-7333 or cinemadiverse.org

The post Bruce Vilanch To Attend The LGBTQ Palm Springs Film Festival first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

NEW YORK, March 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Stoli® Group USA, LLC in partnership with the Key West Business Guild, is returning to New York to kick off the world’s largest annual LGBTQ bartending competition, the Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic. Now in its fourth year, the competition will feature more contestants, participating cities and charitable donations than ever before.

In addition to recognizing the talents of the industry’s top LGBTQ bartenders, the Cocktail Classic celebrates the role that gay bars have played in the movement towards equality as original community centers. The competition will culminate in Key West, FL, a diverse and accepting city with a thriving LGBTQ community.

The world’s largest annual LGBTQ cocktail competition, The Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic, returns for its fourth year, showcasing the creativity and talent of mixologists and bartenders in the LGBTQ community. Seventeen regional finalists will compete for the 2017 Cocktail Classic Champion title at the Grand Finale during Key West Pride 2017.
The world’s largest annual LGBTQ cocktail competition, The Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic, returns for its fourth year, showcasing the creativity and talent of mixologists and bartenders in the LGBTQ community. Seventeen regional finalists will compete for the 2017 Cocktail Classic Champion title at the Grand Finale during Key West Pride 2017.
The Fourth Annual Key West Cocktail Classic finale is generously being hosted and judged by actor and musician, Jai Rodriguez, and past as well as returning celebrity judges include president of the Harvey Milk Foundation, Stuart Milk; writer and Emmy Award-winner, Bruce Vilanch; American Idol’s Latoya London; fashion designer and nightlife personality Andrew Christian; and Key West’s drag queen star, Sushi.

“Every year we look forward to bringing together the people, charities and business that make up our extraordinary LGBTQ community,” said Patrik Gallineaux, Stoli’s National LGBTQ Ambassador and Brand Manager. “While our mission is to recognize the most talented and innovative bartenders, community will always be at the heart of Cocktail Classic. It has been a privilege to support and grow together over the years.”

A maximum of six LGBTQ trade staff and/or allies from 17 cities across North America will be selected to create an original cocktail using Stoli Vodka as their primary ingredient. A panel of judges and 100 eligible audience members will evaluate each cocktail based on taste, balance and presentation, as well as each bartender’s authenticity, knowledge, and creativity in presentation and performance.

The finalist from each regional competition will win a six-day, all-inclusive trip to participate in a week of events and celebratory entertainment culminating in the grand finale during Key West Pride 2017. In addition to being named the 2017 Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic Champion, the winner of the final event will ride in the Key West Pride Parade as Honorary Grand Marshall and receive:

$12,500 grand prize for a pre-selected charity of his/her choice;
a victory celebration and charity check presentation at champion’s home bar hosted by Stoli Vodka;
and an all-expense paid exclusive Stoli Vodka destination event
The first runner up to the 2017 Champion will also receive $2,500 for their chosen charity.

“Stoli’s work through the Key West Cocktail Classic is an example of how companies can use their resources to make a difference both large and small,” stated Matt Hon, Executive Director of the Key West Business Guild. “From the charitable monetary donations to general awareness, the Cocktail Classic has significantly impacted our local community by becoming a destination event for the city of Key West. In 2016, we saw tourism and revenue increase by 20-percent on the island during Pride!”

The 2017 Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic Tour Schedule:

Kick Off: New York, NY: Boxers – March 1
Dallas, TX: Round-Up Saloon – March 6
San Diego, CA: Rich’s – March 22
Los Angeles, CA: The Abbey – March 25
Denver, CO: Hamburger Mary’s – March 27
Atlanta, GA: Swinging Richards – March 30
Miami, FL: Score – April 5
New Orleans, LA: Oz – April 12
Philadelphia, PA: Franky Bradley’s – April 18
Washington, D.C.: Nellie’s Sports Bar – April 24
Chicago, IL: Sidetrack – April 26
Dayton, OH: MJ’s on Jefferson – May 1
Boston, MA: Club Cafe – May 4
Toronto, ON: Gladstone Hotel – May 11
Portland, OR: CC Slaughters – May 16
Vancouver, BC: Numbers Cabaret – May 18
Northern California (San Francisco): Club 21 – May 22
Finale: Key West, FL: Bourbon St. Pub– June 10
Last year’s Champion, Rocky Collins from the Round-Up in Dallas proudly competed for DIFFA/Dallas and which raises funds for organizations that support education programs, treatment and direct care services for people living with or impacted by HIV and AIDS. Rocky also won a matching $5,000 donation to the Wesley House Family Services in Key West, an organization he represented on behalf of the Key West Business Guild. Rocky’s winning cocktail and presentation best embodied the spirit of the Key West community and the heart of the competition. Named ‘The Key West Kitty Kat,’ Rocky’s original Stoli cocktail is made with 2 oz. Stoli Vanil, 2 oz. coconut simple syrup, 1.5 oz. pineapple juice, 0.5 oz. key lime juice, coconut cream, grenadine, cinnamon and garnished with a pineapple slice and served over ice.

For more information about the Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic including how to apply, rules, guidelines and the full schedule of events, visit http://www.out.com/keywestcocktailclassic.

About Key West Business Guild
The mission of the Key West Business Guild is to promote LGBTQ travel to Key West through marketing and the promotion of specialty events; to support gay-owned, gay-managed, and gay-friendly businesses; to strengthen the Gay community’s position within the local community by supporting relevant LGBTQ issues. The KWBG was founded in 1978 by 8 local gay business owners and has grown to approximately 400 members, which work together to continue efforts to brighten the rainbow over the island, an island now known as Gay Key West. Promotion of events, such as Key West Pride, Tropical Heat and Womenfest, has made Key West a year-round LGBTQ travel destination. For more information visit www.kwbgonline.org.

About Stoli Group, USA
Stoli Group USA, LLC is a U.S. importer and marketer of alcoholic beverages, headquartered in New York City. Stoli Group USA is a subsidiary of SPI Group based out of Luxemburg, one of the world’s most dynamic wine and spirits organizations. Formed in 2013, Stoli Group USA’s current portfolio of brands includes the Stolichnaya® brand of premium vodkas and Stoli Ginger Beer, ultra-premium elit®Vodka, Louisiana-distilled Bayou® Rum, artfully designed KAH® Tequila, Achaval-Ferrer from Argentina, and Arinzano wines of Spain.

Media Contact:
Patrick Rizzuto
Golin for Stoli Group, USA
T. +1 212.373.6015
PRizzuto@golin.com

The post Stoli® Vodka Honors the Legacy of LGBTQ Bartenders in the Movement for Equality, Kicks Off Fourth Annual Key West Cocktail Classic Competition first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

LOS ANGELES — The fundraiser for SAGE USA March 4 in the Hollywood Hills felt like a reunion, a coming together of a generation of LGBT people with shared memories and a desire to confront aging, an issue, SAGE Board Development chair Bill Weinberger said, he heretofore had avoided thinking about. Honorees Jewel Thais-Williams and Bruce Vilanch, however, exemplify how LGBT people can age as respected elders with grace, continued activism, and humor.

Weinberger introduced Phill Wilson, founder of the Black AIDS Institute, whom he has known since the early 1980s. Shortly after, Wilson discovered he was HIV positive. He noted that while “many of us were dealing with whether we would survive or not, SAGE has always believed we would.” Wilson shared how Thais-Williams bravely opened Jewel’s Catch One Disco as a refuge for LGBT people desperate for a place where they could be themselves.

“Jewel has been a leader, a hero, and a visionary and an advocate for a long, long time,” Wilson said. “Jewel was one of those ‘bridge’ people,” linking the LGBT African-American community to organizations such as AIDS Project Los Angeles and her alma mater, UCLA. You always speak up, whether you’re afraid or not.”

Thais-Williams joked that she was honored to be honored, having spent the last 42 years at Catch One “partying,” adding that she will turn 78 in a couple of months. “To be of service to my community has been a great joy,” she said. “But there is still a lot of work to do. Remember to always reach out to those in need.”

“There has never been a more important time to come together,” SAGE CEO Michael Adams told the diverse crowd of SAGE board members, staffers and supporters at the elegant home of James Frost and William Yi. “We are living in very challenging times,” a notion received with a knowing chuckle for its understatement.

A civilization is historically measured by how it cares and supports its children and most vulnerable and how it supports its elders, Adams said, not just the “right kind of elders….We owe it to our elders, the pioneers who paved the way for the equality we celebrate today….We need the wisdom of our pioneers, our elders.”

Demographic estimates predict that there will be 6 million LGBT people age 65 years or over in America by 2030. That sets the stage for a potentially disastrous future since, as SAGE notes, LGBT seniors are “twice as likely to be single, twice as likely to live alone, and four times more likely to be without children than their heterosexual peers.”  And, Adam said, facilities that take care of the aging population are “woefully unprepared” to take care of LGBT seniors who fear having to go back in the closet in order to get care and treatment without discrimination.

In introducing comedic writer/actor Bruce Vilanch, SAGE Board co-chair Elizabeth Schwartz—whose co-chair is former LA-based board activist Kevin Williams—said Vilanch’s appearances on “Hollywood Squares” were “instrumental in shaping gay images.” Watching him, “we didn’t have to speculate obsessively” about whether he was gay “as I did over Kristy McNichol.”  She was also grateful that he was also out about being chubby. Vilanch, she said, has a “tireless dedication to the LGBT community.”

In accepting the handsomely shaped glass award, the legendary Oscar writer said that when he was told he was being honored by SAGE, his first thought was: “You have the wrong envelope,” referring to the Best Picture mishap at the Academy Awards.

However, a recent interview with a young journalist underscored that he is now arcing “into my dotage.” The young gay man had no idea who Ted Mack was, though “Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour,” the variety-show precursor to shows like “American Idol,” launched the careers of such future celebrities as Pat Boone and Ann-Margret.  The young man sat stone faced at the mention of her name.

“When queens don’t know who Ann-Margret is, we’re in trouble,” Vilanch said to an uproar of laughter.

“Senior gays are not venerated,” he said. “But we are valued because we can pick up the check or write it.”

As to his decision to be openly gay at a time when being out was a brave decision, Vilanch noted that he worked in the more accepting entertainment industry. But early on, he worked as a journalist writing features for the Chicago Tribune and tried to get gay stories into the paper. Vilanch cited a quote that stuck with him: “A faggot is a homosexual gentleman who just left the room.” He determined to be “the faggot who stayed in the room.”

LGBT progress is result of taking action. “We did the bravest thing—we came out and that changed everything,” Vilanch said. But the LGBT community cannot rely on help from outside. “We have to do it for ourselves….[and] we’re not done yet.”

SAGE CEO Michael Adams also announced the launch of a new initiative in conjunction with AARP—SAGETable— to build “intergenerational connections in the LGBT community” by “breaking bread with your LGBT family on May 18. Visit sagetable.org.

The post SAGE honors Vilanch, Jewel Thais-Williams in L.A. first appeared on We Got Bruce!.