"Yes Sir, That's My Baby" - A Tribute To Marriage Equality.

I met Sarah Kilborne and Ryder performing last night at a benefit in Hudson NY for Child Advocacy.          

They sang Yes Sir That's My Baby and shared their desire to "Kiss Inequality Goodbye" 5 days from now the Supreme Court will begin a historical debate. One I believe will come down on the right side of history ending DOMA, allowing equality in marriage for all. Nothing like the power of song to say it best.  

video made of Sarah and Ryder of Missy Mister by Johannes Courtens

Read Sarah's writing I discovered on Huffington Post:

by Sarah S. Kilborne Writer (author American Phoenix), historian, musician (Missy Mister) and editor

The Supreme Kiss: Let's Kiss Inequality Goodbye

In the Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers wrote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." But not all Americans are at liberty to live their lives openly or pursue happiness to its furthest and fullest conclusion,

We can help change that.

Much has been written about the history of marriage, and soon much more will be added. Five weeks from now the Supreme Court will begin to consider marriage equality in this country. March 26, 2013, inaugurates a historic moment in the history of the United States when, for the first time, the highest court in the land will hear arguments on the constitutionality of marriage rights for gay and lesbian Americans.

These will be groundbreaking days. A generation ago America was not ready for marriage equality, but today is a different story, with a November 2012 CBS News poll showing that 51 percent of Americans are now in favor of same-sex marriage.

Let's show the Supreme Court that we are indeed ready to evolve and embrace another chapter in civil rights. While the lawyers are making their cases, let's make our own.

On March 26, kiss someone you love, and share your kiss with the world. Text it, tweet it, post it. Tell everyone, "I kiss for equality!"

Throughout time and across borders, giving a kiss has been a symbol of support, love, friendship, peace, respect and union. Couples unite at the altar with a kiss. Heads of state kiss to show understanding and accord. Adversaries kiss to "make up" and restore harmony. Friends kiss to greet one another "hello."

On March 26, kiss your husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, lover, partner, son, daughter, mother, father, colleague or friend, and do so with a consciousness that you are supporting equal rights for all.

Kisses are free. Civil rights should be too.

In his second inaugural address, President Obama said something profound: "We are made for this moment." And we are!

On March 26, show the Supreme Court that you believe in equality for all.

Kiss for peace. Kiss for justice. Kiss for history.

Gay rights are civil rights, and love is a universal right.

Together, let's kiss inequality goodbye!

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Freedom To Love Concert October 30

The 'Freedom To Love Now!' concert has been postponed due to pending weather conditions. Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets to support this concert, Freedom To Marry, and the fight for the equality for all Americans.  With all the goodwill, momentum, and awareness this concert has generated, we are rebuilding the show on a future date, likely in the Spring.  

You may hold on to your tickets as they will be valid for the rescheduled show.  We will notify you with updated details of the new show very soon.  Alternatively you may request a refund through TicketMaster at this time.

The battle for marriage equality in the US will be far from over even after this election.  And, we hope you'll join us in the future as we continue the fight for social justice with the beauty of music.  Our beneficiary organization Freedom to Marry is doing everything possible to support the ballot campaigns in the four states in the last week before the election.  You can help by making calls for Mainers United for Marriage and Washington United for Marriage without ever even leaving your couch. Just sign up, and an organizer in Maine or Washington will help get you started.  Sign up at these links:

http://www.freedomtomarry.org/page/s/callmaine

http://www.freedomtomarry.org/page/s/callWA

Additionally we will keep you posted on 'Freedom To Love Now!' developments and other projects at www.freedomtolovenow.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FreedomToLoveNow

October 3oth live at the Beacon Theatre 8pm

Inaugural Marriage Equality concert featuring too many artists to mention here.  Freedom To Love Now a concert for marriage equality.

A very special discount for those of you that still need to get your tickets to the Concert on October 30th at the Beacon Theater!

The 15% off discount code is: OCT30NOW  

Get your tickets here: http://freedomtolovenow.com/tickets

see you there!

Update

on 2013-02-19 00:55 by NYC Subway Girl

cancelled due to Storm Sandy

Summer Is On

The past month has been pretty fun and interesting for NYCSubwayGirl

I met and jammed with musicians from Amsterdam in the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and of course got a wonderful What's Your Inspiration? clip from them.  In halting English including no accent Billy responded "this might sound cheesy, but love." I met amazing Sustainability champion Roberto A. Sanchez who gave me such a succinct definition of Sustainability.

I had the chance to sing at a few weddings so far, one of them was for my cousin Michael who not only had the honor of marrying the wonderful Alex, but as Stage Manager of the hit Broadway Show Book Of Mormon, also became part of a Tony award winning team.  All in the same weekend.  How's that for a high time in your life!  Congratulations Michael and Alex.  They made a youtube clip of my singing La Vie En Rose for the first dance

It was rainy last weekend both for my Garden Party gig to benefit Spencertown Academy Arts Center and my visit to Bobby The Carriage horse, living happily at Equine Advocates Sanctuary in Chatham, NY. Here's a clip I made of Bobby's re-Birthday celebration. Bobby was rescued on June 25, 2010 by Equine Advocates and the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages.  He was then shipped to Equine Advocates Rescue & Sanctuary in Chatham, NY where he has been retired.

Of course the big news occurred Friday evening June 24th when the NY State Senate passed the Marriage Equality Bill 33-29 and then signed by Governor Cuomo. Congratulations to everyone on what I believe is the right side of history. To the others I say, in time like so many of our Country's 200+ years of history has shown, that we evolve.

On June 18th I performed at the 2nd annual Hudson Pride. Here's my blog about the day in Hudson, and some clips from my weekend.

My performance clip at Club Helsinki, and I am especially proud of a clip I made of Matthew Hamilton whose "I might be straight, but I'm not narrow" t-shirt prompted a fun exchange.  

Here's Matthew's "make it happen" clip

and event organizer Trixie Starr's What's Your Inspiration Clip.

Summer reading is also something I look forward to as I spend less time performing and more time being inspired by others and the countryside around me. I've already begun with these two:

Fellow Music Under New York performers, Heth and Jed Weinstein's book  Buskers: The On-The-Streets, In-the-trains, Off -the-Grid Memoir of two New York City Street Musicians (now that's 36 characters shy of a full tweet).

Margaret Roach "And I Will Find Some Peace In There." 

Why do these books resonate with me? With Heth and Jed's book, it's their life of discovering an underworld of possibility by performing in public spaces of NYC, something I know about intimately. And in Margaret's book, it's about following a passion begun by a single act of purchasing a weekend home, and then leaving a corporate job for the unknown adventure of living there full time surrounded by nature. My partner Michele and I bought and built on a piece of land in 2002, and this past month she left her corporate job of 14 years for the unknown.  Stay tuned.

Happy 4th of July weekend.  

2nd annual Hudson Pride

Saturday afternoon I travelled to Hudson, NY for the 2nd annual Hudson Pride event. It's been an intense week for Gay Pride as the NY state assembly under the strong support of Governor Andrew Cuomo passed the first step towards a Marriage Equality bill.  Currently held up in the Senate and with the vote looking close to being able to pass, the energy in Hudson was amazing.  I met participant Matthew Hamilton with a homemade t-shirt asking undecided Senator Steve Saland (Columbia County's Senator) to join in passing the bill.  Check out Matthew's clip I made.  It shows Matthew with his t-shirt and a funny rant about how even Britney Spears can be married for only 36 hours but his Mom and her partner Christine of 21 years can't be married.

I also chatted with Trixie Starr one of the event organizers.  Last year was the first year and she proudly talked about how wonderful it was to create an event that brought children and people together in one small amazing community of 6000 people.

check out Trixie's Inspiration clip

Later that evening, I performed at the new state of the art Club Helsinki.  I opened the night of live entertainment with a set of my own brand of what I call folked-up blues to an energized audience.  My partner of 13 years Michele joined along with friends including ex NYC'er and newcomer to the Hudson scene Sherry Jo Williams, (who has opened an amazing shop called The Culture-Commerce Project) to spread the love. 

For me, Gay Pride is best described as: To celebrate living a life that is driven by the force of love with the ability to reach beyond prejudice, fear and ignorance. To live a life without compromising or contradicting that love.

(Pride volunteer Jamie Trachtenberg's beautiful email signature) sums it up perfectly.

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage." - Lao Tzu   

So here's to NY state being on the right side of History and passing the Marriage Equality bill. 

Update on 2011-06-25 11:17 by NYC Subway Girl

June 24 10:30pm bill 1545 passed in NY Senate 33-29. To Senator Tom Duane who so eloquently stated in voting for this bill tonight, "there are no villians in this room, only heros."  Senator Duane, you are the hero. Uniter of hero's.  Thank you.  I'm proud to be a New Yorker.  To Matthew Hamilton whom I met and filmed at Hudson Pride, his Mom and Christine can now get married. So can I.