AIDS Walk Raises Over $4 Million

On the surface, it initially might seem encouraging that there was a slight increase — 5.4 percent — in LGBTQ characters in movies produced by major film studios last year. But dig a little deeper and it’s not all that p... Show more

that pretty: LGBTQ characters played key roles in only half of those films, there were fewer queer people of color starring in those roles than in 2017, and there were no trans characters in any of those films, according to GLAAD’s 2019 Studio Responsibility Index report. And while GLAAD counted 45 LGBTQ characters in films last year, they weren’t very visible. A majority of them were seen for less than three minutes and 16 were on screen for under a minute. The lack of racial diversity among LGBTQ characters was just as glaring: There was a 15 percent decrease in LGBTQ characters of color in 2018 when compared to the previous year, with GLAAD noting that less than half of queer characters consisted of people of color. Latinx representation dipped significantly, dropping from 28.5 percent of characters last year to seven percent this year. Animated films, which are popular among younger demographics and can serve as a vehicle through which children can learn about diversity, boas

Schemers and Lovers

In its 34th annual AIDS Walk beginning and ending in Central Park on May 19, Gay Men’s Health Crisis raised more than $4 million to support living-saving services there and at other HIV/ AIDS organizations in... Show more

in the tri-state area. More than 15,000 participants either walked the 10k route through the Upper West Side or ran five miles within the park. Over the course of its 34 years, AIDS Walk has raised more than $160 million. “As we enter the presidential election season, we need to stay focused on how to elevate the issue of ending HIV and AIDS at all levels of government — and hold candidates and elected officials accountable for working with us toward our shared goal of ending the HIV/ AIDS epidemic,” said GMHC CEO Kelsey Louie. Comment on this story.

It Wouldn’t Be Pride Without Queens

By comparison to this year’s utterly misfired “Traviata”, Michael Mayer’s Rat Pack-era, Vegas-set “Rigoletto” (April 26) seemed less offensive — though still there are aspects of the visually neon-lurid story that mak... Show more

story that make no sense. If “the Duke” is a famous headliner, how do Sparafucile and Maddalena not recognize him? Has no one at the hotel or church wondered why the teenage Gilda is not attending school? Does the titular jester-as-Rodney-Dangerfield really believe in curses? In their blatancy, Christine Jones’ sets and Susan Hilferty’s costumes become wearisome. Truly obnoxious — and, like the frequent yellings from the stage, profoundly unmusical — are the slangy, wannabe snarky Met titles, designed for those who can’t or won’t listen to the music. Is that Peter Gelb’s target audience? That said, the Met is doing something right: a youth-aimed “party night” got hundreds of younger people in to see (maybe even to hear?) Verdi’s wonderful score, and they seemed to be having an excellent time. Surely everyone enjoyed the evening’s soprano and tenor. Gilda can be a striking, high-wire Met debut role. Gianna d’Angelo, Mariella Devia, June Anderson, and Sumi Jo all pulled it off, and s

Next Up for Pride: Brooklyn

An official partner of WorldPride, the 27th annual Queens Pride festivities are kicking into gear ahead of the borough’s June 2 parade and festival. Pride season in Queens launched on May 17 with ... Show more

h a successful kickoff event at Katch Astoria, but there is plenty more to do in the weeks ahead. We’ve got you covered with a slate of Pride-related events in the borough. LGBTQ Youth Prom When: Thu., May 30 from 5-8 p.m. Where: New York Hall of Science at 47-01 111th St. in Corona. Transportation will be provided to and from the 7 train at the 111th St. station. Under the theme “Honor the past, defend the future,” Queens Pride’s LGBTQ Youth Prom offers an opportunity for those between the ages of 14 and 20 to enjoy an evening of food, music, DJs, giveaways, make-up by MAC, live performances, and a photo booth. Those who are 21 years or older can sign up to volunteer at the event. Find out more information and register at queenspride.org/prom2019. Pre-Pride Breakfast When: Sun., Jun. 2 from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Where: The Jewish Center of Jackson Heights at 37-06 77th St. Join Councilmember Daniel Dromm for a breakfast fundraiser before you march in the Pride Parade. A

The Composer Never at Rest

How do you celebrate Pride? No matter what you like to do, Brooklyn seems to have something for you. The city’s most populous borough boasts a broad range of Pride-related festivities during the ti... Show more

time leading up to and after the twilight Pride parade on June 8. Check out some of the upcoming events for Pride in Brooklyn: Community Bike Rides: Pride Ride When: Sat., Jun. 1 at 10:45 a.m. Where: 1368 Fulton St. at Marcy Ave. Hop on your bike and enjoy a Pride ride through Brooklyn! Through a partnership program involving the Brooklyn Community Pride Center, CitiBike, and other organizations, folks who do not have a bike can ride one for free. Riders must be 16 years or older. RSVP at tinyurl.com/yy5ue8hu. Curator Tour: On the (Queer) Waterfront When: Sun, June 2 from 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Where: Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St. at Clinton St. Curator Hugh Ryan (author of “When Brooklyn Was Queer”) offers a private tour of the first exhibition focusing on LGBTQ history in Brooklyn. Ryan will share stories he unearthed in his years-long pursuit of queer history in the borough. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at tinyurl.com/y5awpaj4. For more inform

Finding Your Voice in a New Key

East Village-based classical composer Nico Muhly thinks fast, talks fast, and, more than anything else, works fast — and he is almost always working. He may not always have a keyboard with him, but he goes nowhere... Show more

re without his iMac, upon which he can compose and notate, and be in almost simultaneous contact with his many collaborators around the globe. Known for composition of opera (“Two Boys” and “Marni,” both at the Met), dramatic scores (“Joshua” and the Academy Award-winning “The Reader”), and the score for the Starz Channel reboot of “Howards End”), he’s also made nifty forays into queer pop — for example, his collaborations with fellow queer music world darlings like Brooklyn’s Sufjan Stevens, the trans chamber pop vocalist and artist Anohni, and British transplant to Manhattan composer Thomas Bartlett. Muhly, at 37, is indisputably one of the most in-demand composers of classical music around, so much so that London’s Daily Telegraph famously called him “the hottest composer on the planet.” I met Muhly near Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia on a recent Saturday afternoon. That evening, the Philly Orchestra, under the direction of music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin