Category: Giving Them Their Roses
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RAMON NOVARRO
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known as the “latin lover” (yeah, hollywood’s been using that trope even before talking movies) that made hearts of women (and secretly, men) go a flutter, ramon novarro was one of hollywood’s biggest stars during the golden era of silent films in the 1920’s. here appears in over 50 movies…
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HERB RITTS
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on august 19, 1989 – 30 freakin’ years ago – madonna’s “cherish” made its debut on billboard’s hot 100. released as the third single from her “like a prayer” album, the doo-wop motown inspired “cherish” eventually peaked at #2 and that was due in part to the the sultry black and white ritts directed music…
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MICHAEL PETERS
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on august 11, 1985, the original broadway production of the musical “dreamgirls” closed after over 1500 performances. the six-time tony award-winning musical was such a phenomenon that nearly everyone involved became stars in their own right. one of those people and probably the most unsung, is the late great choreographer…
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GWEN GUTHRIE
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dubbed the queen of paradise garage, the notable and beloved new york night clubs of the 1980’s, gwen guthrie entered the mainstream pop music consciousness with her 1986 hit, “ain’t nothing going on but the rent.” the song helped her garner a wider audience but by that time, gwen was…
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JERMAINE STEWART
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born on september 7, 1957, in columbia, ohio, jermaine, who was already a budding entertainer, got his first taste of fame when became a soul dancer after his family moved to chicago in 1972. jermaine became a local celebrity and when the show relocated to los angeles, jermaine, along with…
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JESSE TORRES
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the telling of our history can sometimes confine people to one of two categories: those who made history and those who were a part of history. often times, it is the former that is celebrated and amplified. it is because of this that we have to search for any kind…
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CONSUELA COSMETIC
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in 1996, the FDA approved the first HIV antiretrorivals, deaths caused by HIV declined for the first time since the start of the epidemic and queer films “too wong foo” and “priscilla queen of the desert” had enjoyed mainstream success. quietly in the background of all of these breakthroughs, consuela…
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SHANNON
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as a kid in the early half of the the 1980′s, i’d watch as my mother and her gay friends shuffle through a crate of vinyl records to choose a song to dance to. one of those songs was “let the music play” by shannon. my mother’s friend, josie, a Black…
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DANITRA VANCE
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today we honor and celebrate the legacy of danitra vance, who was a highly regarded stage actress and comedian and the first black woman and first out queer woman to become a cast regular on saturday night live. the chicago born artist mounted her own off-broadway show, “danitra vance &…
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SYLVESTER
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“i get this conformist shit from queens all the time. they always want to read me. they always want me to do it their way. i am not going to conform to the gay lifestyle as they see it and that’s for sure.” – sylvester sylvesterjames jr. september 6, 1947…
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MARCELINO SÁNCHEZ
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there are many who walked this earth and cracked open the universe just enough for their energy to linger and leave mark only noticeable for those who exist int he subtext. one of these people was gay puerto rican actor marcelino sánchez. marcelino was born on december 5, 1957 in…
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ANGIE XTRAVAGANZA
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“I’m your mother,” she said. It was a promise and defiant declaration to her kids that they would feel orphaned in a world where AIDS, violence, poverty, and homophobia would surely attempt to steal their magic. It was the early 1980’s, pre-gentrified New York, years before “transgender” and “gender non-conforming”…