''Gay'' is a word that commonly refers to a male or female whose sexual orientation is attraction to persons of the same sex. It was originally used to refer to feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"; it had also come to acquire some connotations of "immorality" as early as 1637.

The term's use as a reference to homosexuality may date as early as the late 19th century, but its use gradually increased in the 20th century. In modern English, ''gay'' has come to be used as an adjective, and occasionally as a noun, referring to the people, especially to men, and the practices and cultures associated with homosexuality. By the end of the 20th century, the word ''gay'' was recommended by major style guides to describe people attracted to members of the same sex. At about the same time, a new, pejorative use became prevalent in some parts of the world. In the Anglosphere, this connotation, among younger speakers, has a derisive meaning equivalent to ''rubbish'' or ''stupid'' (as in "That's so gay."). In this use, the word does not mean "homosexual", so it can be used, for example, to refer to an inanimate object or abstract concept of which one disapproves. This usage can also refer to weakness or unmanliness. When used in this way, the extent to which it still retains connotations of homosexuality has been debated.

History

Overview

thumb|250px|Cartoon from Punch magazine in 1857 illustrating the use of "gay" as a euphemism for being a prostitute. One woman says to the other (who looks glum), "How long have you been gay?" The poster on the wall is for La Traviata, an opera about a courtesan.The word "gay" arrived in English during the 12th century from Old French ''gai'', most likely deriving ultimately from a Germanic source. For most of its life in English, the word's primary meaning was "joyful", "carefree", "bright and showy", and the word was very commonly used with this meaning in speech and literature. For example, the optimistic 1890s are still often referred to as the ''Gay Nineties''. The title of the 1938 French ballet ''Gaîté Parisienne'' ("Parisian Gaiety"), which became the 1941 Warner Brothers movie, ''The Gay Parisian'', also illustrates this connotation. It was apparently not until the 20th century that the word began to be used to mean specifically "homosexual", although it had earlier acquired sexual connotations.

The derived abstract noun ''gaiety'' remains largely free of sexual connotations, and has, in the past, been used in the names of places of entertainment; for example W.B. Yeats heard Oscar Wilde lecture at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin.

Sexualization

The word had started to acquire associations of immorality by 1637 and was used in the late 17th century with the meaning "addicted to pleasures and dissipations." This was by extension from the primary meaning of "carefree": implying "uninhibited by moral constraints." A ''gay woman'' was a prostitute, a ''gay man'' a womanizer and a ''gay house'' a brothel.

The use of ''gay'' to mean "homosexual" was in origin merely an extension of the word's sexualised connotation of "carefree and uninhibited", which implied a willingness to disregard conventional or respectable sexual mores. Such usage is documented as early as the 1920s, and there is evidence for it before the 20th century, although it was initially more commonly used to imply heterosexually unconstrained lifestyles, as in the once-common phrase "gay Lothario", or in the title of the book and film ''The Gay Falcon'' (1941), which concerns a womanizing detective whose first name is "Gay." Well into the mid 20th century a middle-aged bachelor could be described as "gay", indicating that he was unattached and therefore free, without any implication of homosexuality. This usage could apply to women too. The British comic strip ''Jane'' was first published in the 1930s and described the adventures of ''Jane Gay''. Far from implying homosexuality, it referred to her free-wheeling lifestyle with plenty of boyfriends (while also punning on Lady Jane Grey).

A passage from Gertrude Stein's ''Miss Furr & Miss Skeene'' (1922) is possibly the first traceable published use of the word to refer to a homosexual relationship. According to Linda Wagner-Martin (''Favored Strangers: Gertrude Stein and her Family'' (1995)) the portrait, "featured the sly repetition of the word gay, used with sexual intent for one of the first times in linguistic history," and Edmund Wilson (1951, quoted by James Mellow in ''Charmed Circle'' (1974)) agreed. For example:

The 1929 musical ''Bitter Sweet'' by Noël Coward contains another use of the word in a context that strongly implies homosexuality. In the song "Green Carnation", four overdressed, 1890s dandies sing:

The song title alludes to Oscar Wilde, who famously wore a green carnation, and whose homosexuality was well known. However, the phrase "gay nineties" was already well established as an epithet for the decade (a film entitled ''The Gay Nineties; or, The Unfaithful Husband'' was released in the same year). The song also drew on familiar satires on Wilde and Aestheticism dating back to Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Patience'' (1881). Because of its continuation of these public usages and conventions in a mainstream musical the precise connotations of the word in this context remain ambiguous.

Other usages at this date involve some of the same ambiguity as Coward's lyrics. ''Bringing Up Baby'' (1938) was the first film to use the word ''gay'' in apparent reference to homosexuality. In a scene where Cary Grant's clothes have been sent to the cleaners, he must wear a lady's feathery robe. When another character inquires about his clothes, he responds "Because I just went gay...all of a sudden!" However, since this was a mainstream film at a time when the use of the word to refer to homosexuality would still be unfamiliar to most film-goers, the line can also be interpreted to mean "I just decided to do something frivolous." There is much debate about what Grant meant with the ad-lib (the line was not in the script). The word continued to be used with the dominant meaning of "carefree", as evidenced by the title of ''The Gay Divorcee'' (1934), a musical film about a heterosexual couple. It was originally to be called ''"The Gay Divorce"'' after the play on which it was based, but the Hays Office determined that while a divorcee may be gay, it would be unseemly to allow a divorce to appear so.

Shift to ''homosexual''

By the mid-20th century, ''gay'' was well established in reference to hedonistic and uninhibited lifestyles and its antonym ''straight'', which had long had connotations of seriousness, respectability, and conventionality, had now acquired specific connotations of heterosexuality. In the case of ''gay'', other connotations of frivolousness and showiness in dress ("gay apparel") led to association with camp and effeminacy. This association no doubt helped the gradual narrowing in scope of the term towards its current dominant meaning, which was at first confined to subcultures. ''Gay'' was the preferred term since other terms, such as ''queer'', were felt to be derogatory. ''Homosexual'' is perceived as excessively clinical, since the sexual orientation now commonly referred to as "homosexuality" was at that time a mental illness diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

In mid-20th century Britain, where male homosexuality was illegal until the Sexual Offences Act 1967, to openly identify someone as homosexual was considered very offensive and an accusation of serious criminal activity. Additionally, none of the words describing any aspect of homosexuality were considered suitable for polite society. Consequently, a number of euphemisms were used to hint at suspected homosexuality. Examples include "sporty" girls and "artistic" boys, all with the stress deliberately on the otherwise completely innocent adjective.

The sixties marked the transition in the predominant meaning of the word gay from that of "carefree" to the current "homosexual". By 1963, a new sense of the word ''gay'' was known well enough to be used by Albert Ellis in his book ''The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Man-Hunting''. Similarly, Hubert Selby, Jr. in his 1964 novel Last Exit to Brooklyn, could write " [he] took pride in being a homosexual by feeling intellectually and esthetically superior to those (especially women) who weren't gay..." Later examples of the original meaning of the word being used in popular culture include the theme song to the 1960–1966 animated TV series ''The Flintstones'', whereby viewers are assured that they will "have a gay old time." Similarly, the 1966 Herman's Hermits song "No Milk Today", which became a Top 10 hit in the UK and a Top 40 hit in the U.S. and included the lyric "No milk today, it was not always so / ''The company was gay'', we had turn night into day." In June 1967, the headline of the review of the Beatles' ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' album in the British daily newspaper ''The Times'' stated, "The Beatles revive hopes of progress in pop music with their gay new LP". Yet in the same year, The Kinks recorded "David Watts". Ostensibly about schoolboy envy, the song also operated as an in-joke, as related in Jon Savage's "The Kinks: The Official Biography", because the song took its name from a homosexual promoter they'd encountered who'd had romantic designs on songwriter Ray Davies' teenage brother; and the lines "he is so gay and fancy free" attest to the ambiguity of the word's meaning at that time, with the second meaning evident only for those in the know. As late as 1970, the first episode of ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' has the demonstrably straight Mary Richards' downstairs neighbor, Phyllis, breezily declaiming that Mary is, at age 30, still "young and gay."

There is little doubt that the homosexual sense is a development of the word's traditional meaning, as described above. It has nevertheless been claimed that ''gay'' stands for "Good As You", but there is no evidence for this: it is a folk etymology backronym.

Homosexuality

Sexual orientation, identity, behavior

The American Psychological Association states that ''sexual orientation'' "describes the pattern of sexual attraction, behavior and identity e.g. homosexual (aka gay, lesbian), bisexual and heterosexual (aka straight)". It says, "There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay, or lesbian orientation. Although much research has examined the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental, social, and cultural influences on sexual orientation, no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors. Many think that nature and nurture both play complex roles."

According to Rosario, Schrimshaw, Hunter, Braun (2006), "the development of a lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) sexual identity is a complex and often difficult process. Unlike members of other minority groups (e.g., ethnic and racial minorities), most LGB individuals are not raised in a community of similar others from whom they learn about their identity and who reinforce and support that identity. Rather, LGB individuals are often raised in communities that are either ignorant of or openly hostile toward homosexuality."

The British gay rights activist Peter Tatchell has argued that the term ''gay'' is merely a cultural expression which reflects the current status of homosexuality within a given society, and claiming that "Queer, gay, homosexual ... in the long view, they are all just temporary identities. One day, we will not need them at all."

If a person engages in same-sex sexual encounters but does not self-identify as gay, terms such as 'closeted', 'discreet', or 'bi-curious' may be applied. Conversely, a person may identify as gay without engaging in homosexual sex. Possible choices include identifying as gay socially while choosing to be celibate or while anticipating a first homosexual experience. Further, a bisexual person can also identify as "gay" but others might consider ''gay'' and ''bisexual'' to be mutually exclusive. There are some who are drawn to the same-sex, and may not have sex, and also not identify as gay; these could have the term 'asexual' applied, even though an 'asexual' generally can mean no attraction, and includes heterosexual attraction that is not sufficient to engage in sex, or where the sex act is not desirable, even though titillation may occur.

Terminology

Some reject the term ''homosexual'' as an identity-label because they find it too clinical-sounding; they believe it is too focused on physical acts rather than romance or attraction, or too reminiscent of the era when homosexuality was considered a mental illness. Conversely, some reject term ''gay'' as an identity-label because they perceive the cultural connotations to be undesirable or because of the negative connotations of the slang usage of the word.

Style guides, like the following from the Associated Press, call for ''gay'' over ''homosexual'':

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Sociological theory

While the gay movement has been based on encouraging people to identify themselves as gay and "come out," there have been many who have argued that the approach is self-defeating. Among those are the advocates of labeling theory who argue that gay identity is a stigmatic role created by society to control and limit the behavior.

Strong defense of labeling theory also arose within the gay community. Many advocate dropping the label entirely. While adopted as a strategy for dealing with the oppression, gay identity comes with its own set of problems.

Gay community vs. LGBT community

Just as the word ''gay'' is sometimes used as a shorthand for the term LGBT, so is ''gay community'' sometimes a synonym for the ''LGBT community''. In other cases, the speaker may be referring only to homosexual men. Starting in the mid-1980s in the United States, a conscious effort was underway within what was then called the gay community, to add the term ''lesbian'' to the name of all gay organizations that catered to both male and female homosexuals, and to use the terminology of gay and lesbian, or lesbian/gay when referring to that community. So, organizations like the National Gay Task Force became the National Lesbian/Gay Task Force. For many ardent feminist lesbians, it was also important that the ''L'' come first, lest an ''L'' following a ''G'' become another symbol of male dominance over women. In the 1990s, this was followed by another equally concerted push to include the terminology specifically pointing out the inclusion of bisexuals and transgender people, reflecting an end to the intra-community debate as to whether these other sexual minorities were part of the same sexual liberation movement. Most news organizations have formally adopted this use, following the example and preference of the LGBT organizations, as reflected in their press releases and public communications. Today, many people interpret the phrase "gay community" to mean "the population of LGBT people."

Cultural relativity of the term

The concept of a "gay identity" and the use of the term ''gay'' itself may not be used or understood the same way in non-Westernised cultures since modes of sexuality may differ from those prevalent in the West.

Descriptor

The term ''gay'' can also be used as an adjective to describe things related to homosexuals or things which are part of the said culture. For example, while a gay bar is not itself homosexual, using the term ''gay'' as an adjective to describe the bar indicates that the bar is either homosexually oriented, caters primarily to a homosexual clientele, or is otherwise part of homosexual culture.

Using it to describe an object, such as an item of clothing, suggests that it is particularly flamboyant, often on the verge of being gaudy and garish. This usage predates the association of the term with homosexuality, but has acquired different connotations since the modern usage developed.

Using the term ''gay'' as an adjective where the meaning is akin to "related to homosexual people, culture, or homosexuality in general" is a widely accepted use of the word. By contrast, using ''gay'' in the pejorative sense, to describe something solely as negative, can cause offense.

Use as a noun

The label "''gay''" was originally used purely as an adjective ("he is a gay man" or "he is gay"). The term has been in use as a noun with the meaning "homosexual man" since the 1970s, as in "gays are opposed to that policy." Although some dislike this usage, it is common, such as in the case of "LGBT" (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender"), and particularly in the names of various organizations such as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and Children Of Lesbians And Gays Everywhere (COLAGE). It is sometimes used as a singular noun, as in "he is a gay", such as in its use to comic effect by the ''Little Britain'' character Dafydd Thomas.

Generalized pejorative use

When used with a derisive attitude (e.g. "that was so gay"), the word ''gay'' is pejorative. While retaining its other meanings, it has also acquired "a widespread current usage" amongst young people, as a general term of disparagement. This pejorative usage has its origins in the late 1970s. Beginning in the 1980s and especially in the late 1990s, the usage as a generic insult became common among young people.

This usage of the word has been criticized as homophobic. A 2006 BBC ruling by the Board of Governors over the use of the word in this context by Chris Moyles on his Radio 1 show, ''"I do not want that one, it's gay,"'' advises "caution on its use" for this reason:

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The BBC's ruling was heavily criticised by the Minister for Children, Kevin Brennan, who stated in response that "the casual use of homophobic language by mainstream radio DJs" is:

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Shortly after the Moyles incident a campaign against homophobia was launched in Britain under the slogan "homophobia is gay", playing on the double meaning of the word "gay" in youth culture.

Usage in other language

The German equivalent for ''gay'', ''schwul'', which is etymologically derived from ''schwuel'' (hot, humid), also acquired the pejorative meaning within youth culture.

Given name

The first name ''Gay'' is still occasionally encountered, as is the spelling ''Gaye''. (795th and 1295th most common in the United States, according to the 1990 U.S. census). It was also used as a male first name. The first name of the popular male Irish television presenter Gabriel Byrne was always abbreviated as "Gay", as in the title of his radio show ''The Gay Byrne Show''. It can also be used as a short form of the female names ''Gaynell'' and ''Gaynor'' and as a short form of the male names ''Gaylen'' and ''Gaylord''. The writer Gay Talese's name is derived from ''Gaetano'', his grandfather's name.

See also

Anti-LGBT slogans

Gender identity

Gender identity disorder

Gay bashing

Hate speech

Stigma

Deviance (sociology)

Labeling theory

Heterosexism

Human Rights Campaign

LGBT rights opposition

List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people

LGBT themes in mythology

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Human male sexuality

Religion and sexuality

Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures

Notes

Further reading

External links

2 Category:LGBT terms Category:Sexual orientation Category:Reclaimed words

af:Gay als:Schwul ast:Gai br:Gae bg:Гей ca:Gai ceb:Bayot cs:Gay cy:Hoyw de:Gay et:Gei el:Ομοφυλόφιλος es:Gay eo:Gejo fa:همجنس‌گرایی مردانه fr:Gay (homosexualité) ga:Aerach gl:Gai hy:Արվամոլ hr:Gej iu:ᑕᑯᑦᓱᒍᓱᑉᐳᖅ ᐊᑯᓐᓂᖓᓐᓂ ᒪᒡᒎᒃ ᐊᖑᑦ/akunninganni takutsugusuppuq magguuk angut it:Gay he:גיי ka:გეი ku:Gay lv:Gejs mk:Хомосексуалец ml:കുണ്ടൻ mr:गे ms:Gay nah:Tecuīlontiliztli ja:ゲイ pl:Gej pt:Gay qu:Chinaku ru:Гей si:සමරිසි simple:Gay sr:Геј sh:Gej ta:ஃக்கே th:เกย์ tr:Gey uk:Гей vi:Người đồng tính nam zh:男同性戀

name	Sam Merlotte
series	True Blood
first	Novel: ''Dead Until Dark'' Television: "Strange Love"
creator	Charlaine Harris
portrayer	Sam Trammell
species	Shape shifter
gender	Male
occupation	Business owner Bartender
significantother	Callisto (maenad)
nationality	American }}

Sam Merlotte is a fictional character from the ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse Series'' by author Charlaine Harris.

Sam lives in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, and is the owner of a bar named Merlotte's. Sam has strawberry blond hair with blue eyes. He is both a close friend of and the employer of mind-reading barmaid Sookie Stackhouse. Sam is a shape shifter. His biological mother was a shifter as well as his brother. He is a true shape-shifter in that he can take the form of any animal; although his preferred shape is that of a collie, he can change into any animal he has seen. On nights when the moon is full, Sam - like all shapeshifters - feels a strong urge to change; the rest of the time he can do it at will. In the eighth book during the were war, instead of turning into a collie as usual, Sam unexpectedly changes to a lion to protect Sookie. It is said that the enemy weres were even frightened to challenge him due to his now great strength, though he is eventually challenged by the enemy pack leader, who initially jumps on his back but proves to be no real challenge as he defeats her with little effort and then goes on to kill more weres brutally, as Sookie watches now under Claudine's protection.

Sam has expressed his interest in Sookie and has kissed her on more than one occasion, but the two have never actually dated. He remains her good friend and supporter. He is protective of Sookie and is both jealous and concerned when Sookie involves herself first with the vampire Bill Compton and then Bill's employer Eric Northman. Under the guise of platonic friendship, he often advises Sookie to get away from the vampires while she still can. Despite this, Sam is dragged into the drama that surrounds Sookie and other supernatural creatures on an irregular basis.

Sam also engages in a sexual relationship with Callisto, a maenad, who briefly drifts through Sookie's hometown (and later attacks Sookie). Callisto leaves Bon Temps shortly after the attack.

When Sookie unexpectedly discovers that Sam is a shape-shifter, she is hurt that he did not see fit to confide in her because she has always been open with him about her own condition. With time, their friendship recovers.

Background in the novels

In the book series, it is revealed that both of Sam's parents were shape-shifters. His father is dead. Both Sam and his mother have kept their true nature secret from his human stepfather, brother, and sister. Because only the first-born of a were couple inherits the ability to change, his younger siblings are just regular humans.

Sam drifted from town to town before deciding to settle in Bon Temps and buy the bar. Since the Weres and shifters publicly revealed themselves, Sam has mentioned that he is an U.S. Army veteran, as was his father. Sam has generally avoided long relationships, but has dated other Weres and shifters. Although he was always attracted to Sookie, he did not reveal it to her until after she began dating Bill Compton. They each tend to be more than a little suspicious of the other's choices in romantic partners.

Television portrayal

In the HBO series True Blood, based on the The Southern Vampire Mysteries, Sam is portrayed by actor Sam Trammell. In the first season, Sam engages in a brief sexual relationship with Tara Thornton. Sam is also revealed, in the second season, to have had a sexual encounter with the maenad Maryann while he was still an adolescent. Maryann comes to Bon Temps looking for the now adult Sam, convinced that he is the sacrificial victim she needs to bring forth her god. In the season's conclusion, Sam and Bill concoct a scheme to trick Maryann into making herself vulnerable, and succeed in killing her.

Sam was adopted as a child by the Merlottes, who then abandoned him when his abilities manifested at the age of 15. At the beginning of Season 3 Bill and Sam have a short seductive gay scene (which is revealed to be a dream sequence). Afterwards, Sam travels to Arkansas to find his biological family, the Mickens. He discovers that his biological mother and younger brother are also shape-shifters, and that his father is hiding a secret. Soon after Sam meets his biological parents he learns of his brother Tommy is being forced into dog fighting due to him being a shifter for money. Sam eventually saves Tommy from his corrupt parents and takes him to live with him and then the troubles soon start. At the close of Season 3, Tommy reveals he cannot read. He is fired from his Merlotte's job by a drunk Sam. Tommy steals Sam's money and tries to run, but Sam catches up with him. In the final scene, we see Tommy continue to walk away under Sam's gunpoint, and we see a gunshot.

Category:Fictional shapeshifters Category:Fictional businesspeople Category:Fictional bartenders

es:Sam Merlotte it:Sam Merlotte pt:Sam Merlotte

William H. "Bill" Compton, Jr., MA (October 6, 1945, Rockford, Illinois – August 27, 2007) was a mental health advocate in California who attained national stature. After suffering a mental health crisis in 1989, he became heavily involved in self-help and patients' rights advocacy issues, including running a large network of peer support groups between 1994 and 2007.

Work in the mental health field

Beginning in 1994, Compton headed Project Return: The Next Step (PR:TNS), a consumer-run self-help network supported by the National Mental Health Association of Greater Los Angeles. In May 2007, the organization was renamed Project Return Peer Support Network. He became director of the network when the sponsoring organization decided to turn the network's administration over to those who used its services.

Compton built the network from about thirty peer-support groups to more than one hundred, which employed about one hundred individuals in positions ranging from stipend to full time, serving several thousand individuals with serious mental disorders. The network included projects that Compton developed, such as PR:TNS Discovery Centers, which provided personal and professional growth opportunities, and the Friendship Line, an after-hours phone service that provided peer-to-peer support for people with mental illness.

Compton was on the Board of Directors of Mental Health America (formerly the National Mental Health Association) from 2002 to 2007. He was also president of the board of Protection & Advocacy, Inc. of California, which focused on protecting the rights of mental health and other disabled consumers throughout California. Beginning in November, 2003, Compton was the chairman of the board of directors for the Pacific Clinic, the largest nonprofit mental health organization in California, based in Pasadena, California; he left that position in 2005.

In 2005, Compton wrote a one-man play, "Swept Away or The Week That I Went Crazy." He performed it at a number of conferences and schools.

Personal history

Compton was born in 1945 in Rockford, Illinois. He spent his teenage years at a military boarding school in West Virginia; during the 1960s, he was a vocal anti-war activist. Compton earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1969 in Theater Arts from the University of Akron, and returned to earn a master of arts degree in 1986. During this time he worked as an actor, producer and director in New York, Boston, and eventually Los Angeles. In Boston, in the 1970s, he ran a then-innovative business for theater-goers to purchase tickets by phone, using a credit card. He sold the business, Quickcharge, to a predecessor of Ticketmaster.

In 1989, in his mid-40s and an event salesperson for a large Los Angeles theater, Compton suffered a complete mental breakdown; his family believes it may have been caused by his use of crystal methamphetamine. When he was diagnosed as having late-onset schizophrenia, he had already left his job and had no health insurance. After three admissions to a private hospital over a nine-month period, paid for by his family, he was transferred to a public hospital. Upon his discharge from there, Compton went to live in a community board and care home. He began hearing voices again, ending up living on the streets for nine months, panhandling for money to buy food. In the early 1990s, he made his way to a hospital waiting room, his first step on the road to recovery.

Presentations and testimony

In 2001, while president of the California Network of Mental Health Clients, a statewide alliance of consumers, Compton testified before the state legislature’s Joint Commission on Mental Health Reform.

Compton made presentations at state and national conferences on topics such as establishing and enhancing a network of self-help clubs, running a peer support telephone help line and incorporating the role of consumer-run services into a mental health system.

He regularly made presentations to graduate students at the University of Southern California School of Social Work and Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, as well as psychology students at the University of California Los Angeles.

Awards and recognition

In June 2001, the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) presented the Clifford W. Beers Award to Compton at its annual conference in Washington, D.C. In June 2002, Compton received the Consumer Advocacy Award from the International Association of Psychosocial Rehabilitative Agencies. In November 2003, Eli Lilly and Company gave Compton its "Helping Move Lives Forward Reintegration Award" for his mentorship of people with mental illness. In 2004, Compton was included in Who's Who in America. In 2007, Compton received a proclamation from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for bringing Project Return Peer Support Network members "into a full participation in community life."

References

External links

PRTNS.org - Project Return: The Next Step (PR:TNS)

Category:1945 births Category:American health activists Category:People from Rockford, Illinois Category:Personal development Category:University of Akron alumni Category:2007 deaths

Steve Hughes is an Australian musician and stand-up comedian.

Music career

In the early 1980s he formed the Sydney thrash metal band Slaughter Lord, who recorded some demos before disbanding. Hughes then joined Mortal Sin in 1989 and stayed with them until 1991. In 1993, he became an original member of the black metal band Nazxul and also performed in the rock band Presto.

Comedy career

Hughes began his comedy career in the mid 1990s at an open mic night at the Sydney Comedy Store, quickly progressing through the amateur ranks to become one of Australia's premier and most sought-after comedy acts. During this time he was also called upon to provide his expertise in comedy and music as a host for MTV Australia. After his success on the Australian scene Hughes was keen to expand his audience and so moved to the UK in 2002 to begin his work in UK stand-up. Following successful Edinburgh festival appearances, Hughes has firmly established himself, and lives in the city of Manchester, which he has made reference to in several of his performances.

Hughes recently returned to Australia in the hope of appearing on the recently resurrected "Hey Hey it's Saturday" program. Unfortunately he arrived back on Thursday and missed out due to the fact that "Hey Hey it's Saturday" is now broadcast on Wednesdays. While in Australia Hughes performed in both the Melbourne and Sydney Comedy Festivals and during the Sydney Comedy Festival filmed several shows to be released on a DVD. Hughes also made time to record a film clip for his upcoming musical release Sumaire, Steve plays all parts in this film clip including the part of the leather bound wench tied to the whipping post.

TV credits

''Comedy Cuts''

MTV Australia

SPN Channel 31

The Footy Show (NRL)

The Arnold Chipchase hour

Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow

Good News Week

Raw Comedy Club, Sweden

The Saint Pius Garetti Comedy Jamboree

Smoke and Mirrors (Drummer and Performer), Ireland

Paster Mullover's Burnt Church

Spicks and Specks (Guest)

Stand Up for the Week

Stand and Deliver, Ireland

Music credits

Slaughter Lord - ''Thrash 'til Death''

Presto - "The Remedy" - EP (Mushroom Records), ''Sum of its parts'' - LP (Mushroom Records)

Nazxul - ''Totem''

Eternum - Sumaire (Yet to be released)

External links

Hughes at MySpace

Hughes at the Comedy Store

Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Australian comedians Category:Australian heavy metal drummers Category:Black metal musicians

no:Steve Hughes

Name	Margaret Cho
Birth name	Moran Cho
Birth date	December 05, 1968
Birth place	San Francisco, California, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up comedy, television, film
Nationality	American
Active	1993–present
Genre	Liberal/Political Humor, LGBT Humor
Subject	Gay rights, race, liberal issues
Influences	Bill Hicks
Spouse	Al Ridenour (2003–present)
Notable work	''Assassin'', ''I'm the One That I Want''
Website	www.MargaretCho.comwww.MySpace.com/MargaretCho
Footnotes	}}

{{infobox korean name| image	| hangul조모란| hanja| rrJo Mo-ran| mrCho Moran| }}

Margaret Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American comedian, fashion designer, actress, author, and recording artist. Cho is best known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially those pertaining to race and sexuality. She has also directed and appeared in music videos and has her own clothing line. She has frequently supported LGBT rights and has won awards for her humanitarian efforts on behalf of women, the transgender community , Asians, and the LGBT community.

As an actress she has played more serious parts, such as that of John Travolta's long-suffering FBI colleague in the action movie ''Face/Off''. She is part of the hit TV series ''Drop Dead Diva'' on Lifetime Television, playing the role of Teri Lee, a paralegal assistant.

Early life

Cho was born into a Korean family in San Francisco, California. She grew up in a racially diverse neighborhood in the 1970s and 1980s, which she described as a community of "old hippies, ex-druggies, burn-outs from the '60s, drag queens, Chinese people, and Koreans. To say it was a melting pot — that's the least of it. It was a really confusing, enlightening, wonderful time."

Cho's parents, Young-Hie and Seung-Hoon Cho, ran Paperback Traffic, a bookstore on Polk Street at California Street in San Francisco. Her father writes joke books and a newspaper column in Seoul, South Korea. After Cho expressed an interest in performance, she auditioned and was accepted into the San Francisco School of the Arts, an area arts high school. While at the school, she became involved with the school's improvisational comedy group alongside actor Sam Rockwell.

Early career

After doing several shows in a club adjacent to her parents' bookstore, Cho launched a stand-up career and spent several years developing her material in clubs. Cho's career began to build after appearances on television and university campuses. In 1992, she appeared on the unsuccessful ''Golden Girls'' spin-off ''The Golden Palace'' in a small role. In 2010, on ''The View'', she discussed her nervousness about doing ''The Golden Palace'' and thanked the late Rue McClanahan for her help with rehearsing. Also in the early years of her career, she secured a coveted spot as opening act for Jerry Seinfeld and was featured on a Bob Hope special. She was also a frequent visitor to ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. In 1994, Cho won the American Comedy Award for Best Female Comedian.

Television career

''All American Girl''

That same year, ABC developed and aired a sitcom based on Cho's stand-up routine. The show, ''All American Girl'', was initially feted as the first show prominently featuring an East Asian family, although the short lived sitcom Mr. T and Tina preceded it by nearly two decades.

Cho has expressed subsequent regret for much of what transpired during the production of the show.

After network executives criticized her appearance and the roundness of her face, Cho starved herself for several weeks. Her rapid weight loss, done to modify her appearance by the time the pilot episode was filmed, caused serious kidney failure.

The show suffered criticism from within the U.S. East Asian community over its perception of stereotyping. Producers told Cho at different times during production both that she was "too Asian" and that she was "not Asian enough". At one point during the course of the show, producers hired a coach to teach Cho how to "be more Asian".

Much of the humor was broad, and at times stereotypical portrayals of her close Korean relatives and gay book-shop customers were employed.

The show was canceled after suffering from poor ratings and the effect of major content changes over the course of its single season (19 episodes).

After the show's 1995 cancellation, Cho became addicted to drugs including alcohol. As detailed in her 2002 autobiography, ''I'm the One That I Want,'' in 1995 her substance abuse was evident during a performance in Monroe, Louisiana, where she was booed off the stage by 800 college students.

New Year's Rockin' Eve

At the same time ''All American Girl'' underwent a difficult period, Margaret Cho hosted the New Year's Rockin' Eve 95 show with Steve Harvey

Other appearances

Cho and her family and friends appeared in an episode of NBC's series ''Celebrity Family Feud'', which premiered on June 24, 2008. Later that summer, Cho appeared in her own reality show for VH1. ''The Cho Show'' premiered on August 21, 2008 and lasted one season. She next appeared as a supporting actress on the series ''Drop Dead Diva'', which debuted in July 2009.

In April 2011, Cho guest starred on the comedy ''30 Rock'' in the episode "Everything Sunny All the Time Always". She played North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. The role had her speak Korean as well as English. In 2010, Cho appeared as a contestant on the 11th season of ''Dancing with the Stars''.

Books

''I'm the One That I Want''

Cho's career and personal life were challenging after the cancellation of the show, but Cho eventually sobered, refocused her energy and developed new material. In 1999, she wrote about her struggles with the show in her first one-woman show, ''I'm the One That I Want''. Cho then released her book of the same name, and the show was filmed and released as a concert film in 2000. Her material dealt with her difficulties breaking into show business because of her ethnicity and weight and her resulting struggle with and triumph over body image issues and drug and alcohol addiction.

''I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight''

Also in 2005, Cho released her second book, ''I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight'', a compilation of essays and prose about global politics, human rights, and other topical issues. Cho launched a national book tour in support of the collection. An audio reading of the book was also released. A DVD of a live taping of the ''Assassin'' tour was released in conjunction with the book.

Film career

In late 2004, Cho began work on her first self-written film in which she starred. ''Bam Bam and Celeste'', a low-budget comedy about a "fag hag" and her gay best friend, co-starred Cho's friend and co-touring act Bruce Daniels. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2005. On Valentine's Day of 2004, Cho spoke at the Marriage Equality Rally at the California State Capitol. Her speech can be seen in the documentary ''Freedom to Marry''.

Shows and tours

Cho appeared in an episode of the HBO comedy ''Sex and the City'''s fourth season. The episode, titled "The Real Me", first aired on June 3, 2001, and also guest-starred supermodel Heidi Klum.

In 2002, the show ''Notorious C.H.O.'' (the title derived from slain rapper The Notorious B.I.G.) dealt with the comedian having been raised in 1970s San Francisco and her bisexuality.

In 2003, Cho made another stand-up film, ''Revolution'', which was released in 2004.

In 2005, Cho started promoting and touring with her new show, ''Assassin''. The show became her fourth live concert film and premiered on the gay and lesbian premium cable network Here! TV in September 2005. In this DVD, she notably includes herself when talking about gays, saying "we" and "our community". Posters for ''Assassin'' featured Cho in paratrooper gear and holding a microphone in the style of an automatic rifle, a reference to the infamous 1974 photo of heiress Patty Hearst.

Cho launched "The Sensuous Woman" burlesque-style variety show tour in Los Angeles, California on August 10, 2007, with tour dates scheduled through November 3, as of October 10. Past and scheduled tour stops after Los Angeles are Chicago, Illinois and New York, New York. On August 10, 2007 the San Francisco Chronicle reviewed the show, Cho's work, key events in her personal life and characterized the show as, "In fact, as bawdy and bad-behaving as the cast gets, the whole show feels more like a crazy family reunion than a performance."

The premiere performance of Cho's "Beautiful" tour was on February 28, 2008, in Sydney, Australia as part of the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival. Cho was also the Chief of Parade for the festival's annual parade along Oxford Street on March 1. During her stay in Sydney, Cho was filmed shopping for parade outfits in a drag store with Kathy Griffin and Cyndi Lauper for Griffin's reality series ''Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List''. The episode featuring Cho aired on June 26, 2008.

Music

In September 2008, Cho released her single, "I Cho Am a Woman", on iTunes. The song, produced by Desmond Child, was featured on her VH1 series.

Throughout 2010, she worked on a full length album, going through the titles "Guitarded" and "Banjovi" before finally settling on ''Cho Dependent''. The album was released on August 24, 2010. It was supported by music videos for "I'm Sorry", "Eat Shit and Die", and "My Lil' Wayne"; Liam Kyle Sullivan directed the first two. The album was nominated for a 2010 Grammy award for Best Comedy Album.

In May 2010, Cho directed and appeared in the music video for "I Wanna Be a Bear," a song by "Pixie Herculon" (a pseudonym of Jill Sobule).

Nature of material and political advocacy

Cho is also well known for discussing her relationship with her mother, particularly in imitating her mother's heavily accented speech. Her depictions of "Mommy" have become a popular part of her routine. Cho's comedy routines are often explicit. She has covered substance abuse, eating disorders, her bisexuality and obsession with gay men, and Asian-American stereotypes, among other subjects, in her stand up.

A substantial segment of her material and advocacy addresses LGBT issues. In addition to her shows, Cho also developed an additional outlet for her advocacy with the advent of Margaretcho.com and her daily weblog. When San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom directed that San Francisco's city hall issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in San Francisco in 2004 (until reversed by the state supreme court), Cho started ''Love is Love is Love'', a website promoting the legalization of gay marriage in the United States.

Cho's material often features commentary on politics and contemporary American culture. She has also been outspoken about her dislike of former President George W. Bush. She began to draw intense fire from conservatives over her fiercely anti-Bush commentary; a live performance in Houston, Texas was threatened with picketing. Although protesters never showed up, she held a counter protest outside the club until security told her she had to go inside.

In 2004, Cho was performing at a corporate event in a hotel when after ten minutes her microphone was cut off and a band was instructed to begin playing. Cho claims this was because the manager of the hotel was offended by anti-Bush administration comments. Cho's payment, which was issued by way of check directly to a non-profit organization, a defense fund for the West Memphis Three, initially bounced but was eventually honored.

In July 2004, during the Democratic National Convention, Cho was disinvited to speak at a Human Rights Campaign/National Stonewall Democrats fundraiser out of fear that her comments might cause controversy. In November 2005, she campaigned to pardon Stanley Tookie Williams, an early Crips gang leader, for his death sentence for four murders. On December 13, 2005, after exhausting all forms of appeal, Williams was executed by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison, California.

She emceed the multi-artist True Colors Tour, which traveled through 15 cities in the United States and Canada. The tour, sponsored by the Logo channel, began on June 8, 2007. Headlined by Cyndi Lauper, the tour also included Debbie Harry, Erasure, The Gossip, Rufus Wainwright, The Dresden Dolls, The MisShapes, Rosie O'Donnell, Indigo Girls, The Cliks and other special guests. Profits from the tour helped to benefit the Human Rights Campaign as well as PFLAG and The Matthew Shepard Foundation.

On January 25, 2008, Cho officially gave her support to Barack Obama for the nomination on the Democratic ticket for the 2008 U.S. presidential election. After Republican Presidential candidate John McCain announced his running-mate, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska, Cho said of Palin, "I think [Palin] is the worst thing to happen to America since 9/11."

After same-sex marriage became legal in California in May 2008, Cho was deputized by the City of San Francisco to perform marriages there.

Other projects

In 2002, Cho founded a clothing line with friend and fashion designer Ava Stander called High Class Cho. The company eventually went defunct.

In 2004, Cho took up bellydancing and in 2006 started her own line of bellydancing belts and accessories called Hip Wear (sold through her website). She also had extensive tattooing done to cover the majority of her back. She co-wrote and starred in a sitcom pilot based around the "Mommy" character of her stand-up, but it was not picked up. She began releasing comedic rap animated videos on her website under the moniker "M.C. M.C." (MC Margaret Cho) including the tracks "Finger" and "Roofies."

In November 2006, Cho joined the board of Good Vibrations. She co-wrote a rap song with fellow comedian Diana Yanez entitled "My Puss", which was recorded by the duo as "Maureen and Angela". She then appeared in and directed the music video for the song. In December 2006, Cho appeared on the Sci-Fi Channel's miniseries ''The Lost Room'' as Suzie Kang.

In 2007, Cho appeared in The Dresden Dolls' video of their song "Shores of California", which was MCed by Amanda Palmer and in The Cliks' video for "Eyes in the Back of My Head", in which she played Lucas Silveira's lover. She also voiced a character, Condie Ling, on the Logo animated series ''Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World''. Her episodes began airing in 2007.

Recently on an episode of ''The Hour'' with host George Stroumboulopoulos, Cho mentioned that she loved Broken Social Scene and wishes to be a part of the band (offering to play the rainstick or the triangle). On air, Stroumboulopoulos called Kevin Drew from his cell phone and Cho made her request to join the band via his voicemail.

In April 2009, Cho was photographed by photographer Austin Young and appeared in a Bettie Page–inspired "Heaven Bound" art show.

In September 2010 she competed in the eleventh season of ''Dancing with the Stars'' partnered by Louis van Amstel. She was the third star to be eliminated on week three of the show, landing her in 10th place.

Personal life

In 1994 Cho was in a relationship with Quentin Tarantino. During this year, she starred in a short-lived sitcom called ''All-American Girl''. One episode was called 'Pulp Sitcom', a parody of ''Pulp Fiction'' where Tarantino played Desmond the bootleg video salesman.

Cho married Al Ridenour, an artist involved in the production of Cacophony Society and the Art of Bleeding, in 2003. Margaret was featured in an Art of Bleeding performance in March 2006. In a ''Bond'' interview, she reveals that her marriage is "very conventional and conservative, I think. I mean we're such weird people that people just can't imagine that we would have a conventional marriage. But, yeah, we are very conventional."

Cho began getting major tattoo work done in 2006 and has become an enthusiast; as of March 2007 she estimates that 15–20% of her body is currently tattooed.

As of 2009, Cho lives in Peachtree City, Georgia.

She is openly bisexual.

Commendations

In 1994, Skankin' Pickle released their album Sing Along With Skankin' Pickle featuring a song entitled "It's Margaret Cho."

In 1999, ''I'm The One That I Want'' won ''New York'' magazine's Performance of the Year award and was named one of the Great Performances of the year by ''Entertainment Weekly''. In 2000, her "E! Celebrity Profile" won a Gracie Allen Award from the American Women in Radio and Television organization acknowledging its "superior quality and effective portrayal of the changing roles and concerns of women." In 2000, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) awarded her with a Golden Gate award and described her as an entertainer who, "as a pioneer, has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity." In 2001, she was given a Lambda Liberty Award by Lambda Legal for "pressing us to see how false constructions of race, sexuality, and gender operate similarly to obscure and demean identity." In 2003, she received a "Justice in Action" award from the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. In 2003, she was given an Intrepid Award by the National Organization for Women. In 2004, she was awarded with the First Amendment Award from the American Civil Liberties Union. In 2007, she won for Outstanding Comedy Performance in AZN's Asian Excellence Awards. April 30, 2008 was declared "Margaret Cho Day" in San Francisco, CA.

Filmography

''The Golden Palace'' (1992) - Television (Episode: ''One Old Lady to Go'')

''All American Girl'' (1994–1995) - Television (all episodes)

''Angie'' (1994)

''The Doom Generation'' (1995)

''Sweethearts'' (1996)

''It's My Party'' (1996)

''Pink as the Day She Was Born'' (1997)

''Fakin' Da Funk'' (1997)

''Face/Off'' (1997)

''The Thin Pink Line'' (1998)

''Ground Control'' (1998)

''The Rugrats Movie'' (1998)

''The Tavern'' (1999)

''I'm the One That I Want'' (2000)

''Notorious C.H.O.'' (2001)

''Sex and the City'' (2001) - Television

''Revolution'' (2003)

''Margaret Cho: Assassin'' (2005)

''Bam Bam and Celeste'' (2005)

''The Lost Room'' (2006)

''Falling for Grace'' (2007)

''Celebrity Family Feud'' (2008)

''One Missed Call'' (2008)

''The Cho Show'' (2008)

''Beautiful'' (2009)

''17 Again'' (2009)

''Miss Oriented'' (2009)

''Drop Dead Diva'' (2009–present) - Television

''Ghost Whisperer'' (2010) - Television

''Dancing With The Stars'' (2010) - Television

''Don't Forget The Lyrics'' Celebrity Edition (2010) - Television

''30 Rock'' as Kim Jong-il (2011) - Television

Bibliography

''I'm the One That I Want'' (2000)

''I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight'' (2005)

Discography

Comedy

''Drunk with Power'' (1997)

''Live in Houston'' (1998)

''I'm the One That I Want'' (2000)

''Notorious C.H.O.: Live at Carnegie Hall'' (2001)

''Revolution'' (2003)

''Assassin'' (2005)

Music

''Cho Dependent'' (2010)

Tours

"I'm the One That I Want" (2000)

"Notorious C.H.O." (2002)

"Revolution" (2003)

"State of Emergency" (2004)

"Assassin" (2005)

"True Colors" (2007)

"Beautiful" (2008)

"True Colors" (2008)

"Cho Dependent" (2010)

References

External links

Comedienne Margaret Cho: Watching the Brady Bunch Made Me Realize I Wasn't White

Category:1968 births Category:American actors Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American actors of Korean descent Category:Actors from California Category:Feminist artists

Category:LGBT Asian Americans Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Living people Category:People from San Francisco, California Category:San Francisco State University alumni Category:Women comedians Category:LGBT comedians

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