Welcome to Gay Parent mag’s first blog entry. Read our blog for reviews, news, views and a behind the scenes look at Gay Parent magazine (GPM). We also plan to keep you entertained and informed with our guest bloggers. A couple of items we want to mention, first, our current May-June issue features a cover story on actor, entertainer and new dad, Alec Mapa. Alec starred in the TV show Ugly Betty and was a guest host on The View.
Last summer when she was living in Hawaii, GPM assistant editor Flavia Francesquini first interviewed Alec for the local LGBT magazine eXpressions! while he was there for promotional purposes. So when Flavia interviewed Alec again for GPM this February when he was performing his show Baby Daddy in New York City, he looked at her and said, “What are you doing here?” In our May-June 2012 issue #82, Alec chats with Flavia about his life as an adoptive dad and how that experience inspired him to create his new act. Alec’s new one-man show Baby Daddy is such a big hit, he returned to New York City for an encore performance July 19 – 22, 2012 at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.
Angeline Acain, Alec Mapa and Flavia Francesquini at performance of Baby Daddy, NYC, February 2012
In April, Flavia, my partner Susan and I traveled to the Stress Factory in New Brunswick, New Jersey and enjoyed an evening performance of comedian and lesbian mom, Judy Gold. I laughed so hard I had to use my dinner napkin to blot the tears from my eyes. After Judy’s first set Flavia interviewed her for GPM. Unfortunately I had a brain malfunction and could not get my camera to work for a photo opportunity with Judy. Fortunately Judy’s publicity person sent us a great photo that is on the cover of Gay Parent magazine-New York 2012-2013. In this issue read about Judy’s life as she co-parents with her ex their two boys, one a teenager. Look for a second article of Judy by Flavia in our upcoming July-August issue, as according to her publicist, Judy will be on a national tour soon so we’ll try to include information on her upcoming shows. If she performs in your area, I highly recommend buying tickets to her show.
This May the First International Family Equality Day was held on May 6, 2012. International Family Equality Day brings together LGBT families and their children from across North America and Europe for the first time to celebrate the millions of families with parents who are LGBT. Part of the festivities included a group photo shoot in New York’s Times Square followed by a news conference and family dance at NYC’s LGBT Community Center. View photos on our web site by clicking here. Additional events were held Sunday in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New Hampshire, Canada, South Africa, Finland, Germany and Switzerland. The organizers, Family Equality Council, R Family Cruises, New York City LGBT Community Center and a host of LGBT family organizations from other countries plan to schedule the event every May but a specific day/time in the month has not yet been decided. Check back with GPM’s blog for more photos and videos documenting the First International Family Equality Day.
In closing if you’re wondering about the word “snogging,” I went through a British phase recently, reading works by the author Sarah Waters and watching movies based on her books. Ladies you will enjoy Fingersmith and Tipping the Velvet, the latter features 19th century lesbian parenting. I was also hoping that this blog debuted on Valentine’s Day – hence the snogging – but as it turns out it will be in time for Father’s Day. Stay tuned for Gay Parent magazine’s next blog installment, we’ll announce them through GPM’s Facebook page, Twitter feeds and monthly e-newsletter. Sign up for our e-newsletter through our mailing list and get the scoop on GPM.
– Angeline Acain, publisher & editor
