the rally

Marga Gomez can be seen in the upcoming LOGO comedy special "One Night Stand-Up" and this June at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater in her new comedy "Long Island Iced Latina." Marga is a GLAAD Award winner and one of the first openly Lesbian comedians in America. She has also appeared on Comedy Central, Showtime, HBO and PBS. She was raised in Washington Heights, currently lives in San Francisco, and travels worldwide spreading her laughs for strangers. For more about Marga visit www.margagomez.com

Michael Serrato is best known for the diverse characters he played on LOGO television's Big Gay Sketch Show. Durring the first season of the succesful all gay show Michael performed fan favorites, Tranny Nanny Heaven, Bear in the Burbs and the PFLAG Mom. He's also made waves in films like, Eating Out: Sloppy Seconds and enchanted audiences as an alumni of the world famous Groundling's, and the Deviants. Michael's currently working a super fun, super top secret production with super gay, Neil Patrick Harris. YAY for Michael!

If one word could sum up Telling on Trixie, it would be “unstoppable”. The New York rock quintet doesn’t take no for an answer, and the result has been increasing exposure on radio, TV and an unshakable relationship with a growing fanbase that supports the band beyond measure – funding their recording, providing input, support and more. Their new album, Ugly, Broke & Sober, is a clear artistic breakthrough, displaying the benefits of their hard work, new partnerships and relentless commitment to taking their music to the next level.

Telling on Trixie is one of those special bands that have managed to marry musical excellence with an exceptional drive to have their songs heard – building something unique in the process. Ugly Broke & Sober is the fruit of all their hard work, openness and musical aspirations. Derek concludes, “Last time, we laid the foundation and established ourselves as a strong band. We created a machine built to produce a real impact. I really believe that we have set ourselves up so that anything is possible.” For Telling on Trixie, as the refrain of their title track promises, “it’s gonna be all right.”

Chic & Sassy have been friends and collaborators for over 10 years. Their first show Chic & Sassy: The Higher the Hair the Closer to God was part of the NYC Fringe Festival in 2002. In 2006 they co-founded the premiere NYC political comedy troupe Gender Offenders. They have worked closely with Marriage Equality New York for civil equalities and have hosted MENY’s The Wedding March across the Brooklyn Bridge for the past two years. They can be seen on Youtube.com in The Chic & Sassy Show as well as in friend and singer/songwriter Robert German’s music video “Open Wide”, which hit #1 on LOGO TV’s The Click List. Chic & Sassy are currently working on their debut CD and are performing throughout NYC’s Pride week in June 2009 and additional dates in other cities this summer.

Mélange Lavonne is an outspoken, openly lesbian hip-hop artist who has been performing to audiences across the nation. Her passionate lyrics and intense performances have stirred many across the world. Lavonne displays honesty and conviction in her material, rapping about who she is and the blatant discrimination many have been faced with based on their sexual orientation. She performed on the Main Stage of the 2007 Long Beach Gay and Lesbian Pride Celebration and recorded the intense song "Gay Bash" which delved into the death of her fictional best friend Kevin at the hands of gay bashers. A compelling music video of the song was made which made it onto LOGO, where it received frequent rotation, making it a staple on their Top Ten "Click List" throughout last summer.

Broadway Voices, a new group from the NYC Gay Men’s Chorus. This all-male cast, brings a unique twist to the traditional Broadway songbook. Broadway Voices features: Sonelius Kendrick Smith, Phil Zipkin, Dan Baillie and Eric Saggese.

Catherine Marino-Thomas is the Board President of Marriage Equality New York. The group is an all-inclusive organization whose mission is to educate the public by raising awareness of the important right of all persons to enter into legally recognized gender neutral civil marriage with all the benefits and responsibilities that entails.

Ken Wong is the director of the NYC-based FACE-TO-FACE AIDS PROJECT, a nonprofit organization that uses photographs, videos, and interviews to document the AIDS pandemic in Africa and Asia. His photographic installations, the AIDS PhotoMosaics, have been exhibited at the United Nation headquarters, the Boston Museum of Science, and numerous universities such as Harvard, Yale, NYU School of Medicine, and Princeton. The Face-to-Face AIDS Project also supports child-focused, educational, and income-generating funding projects in Malawi and Cambodia, and its achievements include the creation and operations of schools for orphans, scholarships, and income-generating maize mill and community gardens.

Emperor XVIII Tony Monteleone and Empress XXIII Anne Tique of the Imperial Court of New York.

Corey Andrew is an independent recording artist and political activist that has recently been praised in such publications as Advocate, Next, HX, Gay City News, the Chicago Tribune, and the Boston Globe. As an opponent of the U.S. military's "Don't Ask – Don't Tell" policy, Andrew recently gained national notoriety upon releasing copies of a 3-day e-mail exchange exposing the homophobic and racist rants that a United States military sergeant recruiter released upon him after learning he was gay. Andrew's current dance tracks are remixed by heavy hitters Hex Hector, DJ Exacta, Eddie Thoneick and Jerry Ropero. He looks forward to bringing his high energy musical message of unity to the 2008 HOP Pride rally, expressing, "It's great to be recognized for my efforts in support of gay equality by such a prominent organization as HOP. Its such an honor to perform on that stage!"

aceyann Chin is a fulltime artist. A resident of New York City and a Jamaican National, she has been an “out poet and political activist” since 1998. From the rousing cheers of the Nuyorican Poets' Cafe to one-woman shows Off- Broadway to poetry workshops in Denmark and London to co-writer and performer in the Tony nominated, Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, Chin credits the long list of "things she has done" to her grandmother's hard-working history and the pain of her mother's absence.

In 2007 she made her film debut in Julie Taymor’s Across the Universe. She is currently performing in both the stage and film versions of Howard Zinn’s Voices of a People's History of the United States.

At an early age Khalid Rivera showed a proficiently for the arts. He has performed on Broadway, appeared in starring roles in a number of motion pictures, and shares a philosophy of bringing unique and fresh music to those who want to listen.

With two singles under his belt and a debut album, the time has come for Khalid to make his mark in the entertainment industry. He attended the Professional Performing Arts School where he performed in DUKE ELLINGTON'S 100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION at Carnegie Hall. He has done numerous international tours and trained at Stella Adler Conservatory and Henry Street Settlement to perfect his craft.

This lesbian Aussie/Canadian duo pack dance floors with their “electroni-lesbi-pop”. Sugarbeach are energetic, powerful, moving, and married… to each other. Determined to positively impact the lives of GLBT people, they write “in your face” lyrics covering gay love to gay rights. Their CD “I Just Love Girls” stayed at #1 on the GLBT top 40 OutVoice chart for 3 months in 2008 and their Gay Pride anthem “Living Out Proud” snapped up by 8 cities around the world is in good company with Cyndi Lauper and Gloria Gaynor on the June 09 release of “Out & Proud” from Le Chapelle Records in Montreal. Watch for the upcoming lesbian short “The 6-month Rule” starring Michelle Wolf and featuring 2 of Sugarbeach’s songs.

Michael Lynch has been performing since the age of 15, most recently he has written a one person show called living on the real, about growing up gay in new york city, his last film was the stephen winter drama chocolate babies, he is a founding member of tosos theater company founded by doric wilson, was also a member of the hot peaches a political gay rock group founded by jimmy camicia, whos politic songs about gay life inspired him to write his own music in the same way, he presently performes with steve kaufman his accompanist, they are very active in the out music field, and plan on producing a album in the fall.

With the international release of their latest album SAFE and the rave reviews that their award-winning SHOWTIME film, We're All Angels, is receiving, Jason and deMarco's recent story in the September 22nd issue of People Magazine made the recording duo familiar names to music fans around the world. With the release of SAFE, Jason & deMarco step into the mainstream with their new moody and chilled-out delivery of new music as well as recordings that appear in We're All Angels. Known to loyal fans for their beautiful harmonies, uplifting lyrics and empowering messages, Jason & deMarco take this opportunity to have their voices heard by a new audience.

Self-taught musician, poet and producer Rachael Sage radiates what MOJO Magazine calls "warm, intelligent...NY indie charm". An innovative, improvisational keyboardist, she performs over 150 dates a year with her band The Sequins at venues ranging from large festivals to more intimate clubs & theaters throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

Her latest self-produced album, CHANDELIER contains 13 tracks of what Performing Songwriter magazine calls "engaging pop arrangements and gripping melodies". She is currently preparing its follow-up, DELANCEY STREET for a 2010 release.

Dustin Lance Black is a screenwriter, director, film, television producer, and LGBT rights activist. He has won an Academy Award and two Writers Guild of America Awards for his work on the television series Big Love and the 2008 film, Milk. He has also written and directed a number of other movies, including The Journey of Jared Price and Pedro. He also screen-wrote the upcoming films A Like Mine and The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.

Cleve Jones is an AIDS and LGBT rights activist. He worked as a student intern in Milk’s office, as he studied political science at San Francisco State University. When Milk was assassinated along with San Francisco’s Mayor George Moscone, Jones went to work in the district office of State Assemblyman Art Agnos. He conceived the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt which is now the world's largest piece of community folk art as of 2009. In 1983, at the onset of the AIDS pandemic Jones co-founded the San Francisco AIDS Foundation which has grown into one of the largest and most influential People with AIDS advocacy organizations in the United States.

Openly out recording artist Josh Zuckerman is not your typical rock star. While exemplifying the perfect star quality, he continues to carry a message about being true to one's self. He has released two CDs (Out From Under, A Totally New Sensation) to great reviews. His latest CD Got Love? will be released in July 2009.

Josh has integrated his world life experiences to a fresh music style that is ready to explode the alternative pop markets. Josh's motto is: "Be who you are, it's all about love..."

If the girl next door were black… and gay! Nominated for a brink of fame comedy award for LOGO’s NewNowNext award Gloria Bigelow is an emerging comic on the national comedy scene. You can catch her in the fourth installment of Andrea Meyersons award winning Laughing Matters series, Laughing Matters… Next Gen. With race, gender, and sexuality at the forefront of her work she tackles everything from Low Lesbian Esteem to the Iconization of Snoop Dog- all done with a smile. Her humorous rants on sex, relationships, and politics can be found on her blog, The Persuasive Pundit, on Shewired.com. A co-host of Cherry Bomb, a weekly vlog that airs on Afterellen.com, she can be seen every Friday debating the ins and outs of lesbian relationships. Subtle, disarming and witty Gloria is poised to take the world of comedy by storm. Glo as she is called was named in the Funniest Lesbians in America issue of Curve Magazine.

Luis Garay is a 19 year old from Brooklyn, New York. He is a sophomore in college; studying political science and dramatic arts. Luis has an unmatched dedication to the LGBT community. Starting at the age of 13 until today, he has joined and worked with over 25 of New York's most prestigious LGBT and allied organizations and all of these organizations have taken him to new heights.. In that time, he has developed youth programs, started gay-straight alliances in schools, done workshops, panals, and has organized events against homohobia in schools. He works closely with legislatures in Albany to make sure that his community has leaders that support Marriage Equality, Dignity For All Students, and GENDA. His efforts will not stop until he sees equal freedoms for all.

M. Dru Levasseur is Staff Attorney for Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF), a national nonprofit based in New York City that works to achieve equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services, community organizing, and public policy efforts. He recently co-founded the Jim Collins Foundation, an organization that works to provide financial assistance to transgender people for gender-confirming surgeries. Dru serves on the Foundation Board of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Law Association of Greater New York (LeGaL) and chairs LeGaL's Transgender Committee. He is also a member of the Legal Issues Committee of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Prior to moving to New York, Dru initiated and co-organized New England’s first-ever Transgender Pride March and Rally, which was attended by a thousand people in Northampton, Massachusetts in June 2008.

August Gold is the co-author of the bestselling novel THE PRAYER CHEST, as well as author of four children’s books, including THANK YOU, GOD, FOR EVERYTHING. She is also the co-author of several books that will be published in the next two years, including THE THINK & GROW RICH WORKBOOK, PRAYER PARTNERS and 365 BIBLE.

Using insights from the Tao Te Ching, captivating story-telling, her unique Soul-WorkTM, as well as the wisdom traditions both Eastern and Western, August Gold weavers exciting ideas and concepts with practical tools to give audiences a fresh approach to life. As an ordained Interfaith minister, she commands a center that is growing rapidly, and now has an annual budget of over $1 million.

Lieutenant Dan Choi graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 2003 with a degree in Arabic and Environmental Engineering. He served as an infantry officer and served and extended combat tour in Iraq (2006-7). His fluency in Arabic and West Point degree became very useful to the Army's mission in Iraq as he did not need to use an interpreter. He served as a combat leader, government liaison, and reconstruction officer, rehabilitating water infrastructure. When he returned home he began his first love relationship with his current boyfriend, despite the ban on gay military service. He decided he could not lie about love and so left active duty in 2008. He continued to serve in the Army National Guard. As a founder of Knights Out the West Point LGBT Alumni, he fights for the repeal of the discriminatory Don't Ask Don't Tell policy and reminds all soldiers that they are not alone, and they should never be ashamed of being honest with themselves and others. He declared his sexual orientation publicly on national television, resulting in his recent notification of discharge despite his desire to continue serving.