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1 September Lily Tomlin, Actor

b. September 1, 1939

Don't be afraid of missing opportunities. Behind every failure is an opportunity somebody wishes they had missed.

Lily Tomlin is an accomplished actress, comedian, writer and producer who has won numerous awards including six Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards and a Grammy Award. She has been involved in many performing arts genres including film, stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, Broadway and television. She starred on "The West Wing" and "Murphy Brown" and also appeared on "X-Files" and "Will and Grace."

Tomlin attended Wayne State University as a premed student until her elective classes in theater arts inspired her to pursue a career as a performer. She started as a stand-up comedian in New York City.

In 1966, Tomlin debuted on television on the "Garry Moore Show." After a few appearances on the "Merv Griffin Show," she joined the comedy series "Laugh-In" in 1969. Ernestine, her character on "Laugh-In," captivated audiences and earned her a Golden Globe Award in 1972. Tomlin worked on comedy television specials with her partner, Jane Wagner. The duo's six specials, produced over the next nine years, netted them three Emmy Awards, the first for "Lily" in 1974.

"Nashville" marked Tomlin's entrance into film in 1975. Two years later, she starred on Broadway in "Appearing Nitely," a show written and directed by Wagner. Another Wagner show, "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," became a major Broadway hit in 1985. Tomlin won a Tony Award in 1986 for her lead role.

Returning to television in 1993, Tomlin starred in "And the Band Played On," an HBO special about AIDS. From 1994 to 1998, she entertained children with her role as Mrs. Valerie Frizzle on "The Magic School Bus." In addition to her featured roles on "The West Wing" and "Murphy Brown," Tomlin continued to appear in hit movies such as "The Kid" (2000) and "I Heart Huckabees" (2004).

Tomlin officially came out to Gay TV in 2000. Her relationship with Wagner had been openly acknowledged for the majority of its existence.

Tomlin and Wagner started the Lily Tomlin Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center, which provides art exhibits, theatre and other programs. The Center donates to services for people with HIV/AIDS and funds programs at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.

Bibliography

“The Mark Twain Prize 2003: About Lily Tomlin.” PBS: On Stage. July 1, 2007

“The World’s Only Official Lily Tomlin Website.” Lily Tomlin Official Website. June 30, 2007

Moore, Candace. “Lily Tomlin’s Evolutionary Career.” After Ellen. March 8, 2005. June 30, 2007

Selected Works

A Prairie Home Companion (2006)

All of Me (1984)

Big Business (1988)

Blue in the Face (1995)

Flirting with Disaster (1996)

Getting Away with Murder (1996)

I Heart Huckabees (2004)

Krippendorf’s Tribe (1998)

Nine to Five (1980)

Orange County (2002)

Shadows and Fog (1992)

Short Cuts (1993)

Tea with Mussolini (1999)

The Best of Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In (1968)

The Beverly Hillbillies (1993)

The Celluloid Closet (1995)

The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)

The Kid (2000)

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (1991)

The West Wing: The Complete Fifth Season (2003)

The West Wing: The Complete Fourth Season (2002)

The West Wing: The Complete Seventh Season (2005)

The West Wing: The Complete Sixth Season (2004)

July 25: Nancy Mahon, Philanthropy Advocate

In public health, sometimes the farthest distance is the one that is most important to travel.

b. July 25, 1964

After graduating magna cum laude from Yale University in 1986, Nancy Mahon attended New York University's School of Law, where she served as editor of the Law Review. She developed an interest in criminal law and became a leading criminal justice expert.

After clerking for two federal judges, Mahon worked as the Director of Research, Policy & Planning for the Osbourne Association, an organization that provides services to prisoners and their families. Philanthropist George Soros named her founding director of the Open Society Institute's (OSI) Center on Crime, Communities & Culture.

Mahon later became Executive Director of God's Love We Deliver (GLWD), a New York City-based organization that provides nutrition to individuals living with HIV and other illnesses. Under Mahon's direction, GLWD grew rapidly in both its functions and clientele.

Throughout her post-graduate career, Mahon has influenced policy through her research and writing. In 1996, the American Journal of Public Health published her groundbreaking article entitled, "New York Inmates' HIV Risk Behaviors: The Implications for Prevention Policy and Programs." Numerous academic conferences, including the International Conference on AIDS, have invited her to present research papers. Mahon has been published in the New York Times, and has appeared on media outlets such as NPR, CBS News, ABC's World News Tonight and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

Mahon left GLWD in 2006 to join MAC Cosmetics as the company's Vice President and Executive Director of the MAC AIDS Fund. The Fund has donated over $80 million to AIDS related causes. At the MAC AIDS Fund, Mahon initiated a grant for research into preventing AIDS among sex workers in Asia.

Bibliography

"Online NewsHour: America's Most Wanted - November 26, 1999." pbs.org. August 24, 2007

Selected Works

HIV Transmission and Advocacy for Harm Reduction in US Prisons and Jails (1995)

Race, Crime and Neighborhood Safety (2000)

July 11: Sharon J. Lubinski, U.S. Marshal

"Hopefully my coming out will dispel any myths that you can’t be gay and in uniform."

b. July 11, 1952

In 2010, Sharon J. Lubinski became the nation’s first openly gay United States Marshal. She is the first female to hold this post in Minnesota.

A native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, Lubinski received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1974 and a master’s degree from Hamline University in 1992. She has served 32 years in law enforcement, including 12 years of command experience as precinct commander of downtown Minneapolis and deputy chief of patrol. From 2006 to 2010, Lubinski managed the Minneapolis Police Department’s daily operations as assistant chief of police.

In 2009, Senator Amy Klobuchar recommended Lubinski to the post of United States Marshal for the District of Minnesota stating, “Her mix of experience managing a large, urban police department and working in a rural sheriff’s office makes her uniquely qualified to serve in this role.”

United States

Marshals are responsible for running the enforcement arm of the federal courts. They protect court officers, apprehend fugitives, transport federal prisoners and protect federal witnesses.

After nominating Lubinski, President Obama stated, “She has dedicated her career to the noble cause of protecting her fellow Americans. She has displayed exceptional courage in the pursuit of justice, and I am honored to nominate her today to continue her selfless work as a U.S. Marshal for the District of Minnesota."

Lubinski is a member of the community faculty at the Metropolitan State University School of Criminal Justice and is a doctoral candidate in Public Administration at Hamline University.

Bibliography

"Assistant Chief of Police Sharon Lubinski.” City of Minneapolis, Minnesota Official Web Site. 6 July 2010.
"President Obama Nominates Sharon Lubinski for U.S. Marshal for the District of Minnesota.”WhiteHouse.gov. 6 July 2010.
"Sharon Lubinski: Senate Confirms First Openly Gay US Marshal." The Huffington Post. 6 July 2010.
"United States Marshal Sharon Lubinski." USMarshals.gov. 6 July 2010.

Article about Sharon Lubinski
Right Pundits: First Gay U.S. Marshal (Open Talk)

Website
U.S. Marshals Service

May 29th: Melissa Etheridge, Singer

b. May 29, 1961

“What do they know about this love anyway?”

Melissa Etheridge is a Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer and songwriter. She came out at the 1993 Triangle Ball, the Clinton administration’s inaugural gala for gays and lesbians, when she exclaimed, “Gee, I’m really excited to be here, and I’m really proud to have been a lesbian all my life!”

She was born in Leavenworth, Kansas, and studied at The Berklee School of Music in Boston. Etheridge moved to Los Angeles and evolved from a bluesy sound to her renowned rock/alternative style.

Etheridge shot to stardom with her trademark blues-rock hit “Come to My Window,” for which she received a Grammy Award in 1994 for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. With its powerful lyrics, the song became an anthem for gay rights.

In 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, she gave one of her most memorable performances with Janis Joplin’s hit, “Piece of My Heart.” She exposed her head, left bald from chemotherapy.

Etheridge’s songs have not only entertained, but have helped heal in times of tragedy. Her songbook includes “Scarecrow,” a tribute to Matthew Shepard; “Tuesday Morning,” dedicated to the memory of Mark Bingham, a hero of 9/11; “Four Days,” about those devastated by Hurricane Katrina; and “I Run for Life,” an anthem for breast cancer survivors.

Julie Cypher, Etheridge’s long-term ex-partner, gave birth to their two children. After their breakup, Etheridge exchanged vows with actress Tammy Lynn Michaels. In 2006, Michaels had twins.

In 2006, Etheridge received the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which honors openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for the community. “I Need to Wake Up,” featured in the film “An Inconvenient Truth,” won an Academy Award for Best Original Song (2007).

May 19: Carolyn Bertozzi, Scientist

b. May 19, 1966

Hopefully people can look at me and realize that it's okay to be open in their lives and be themselves and do great work and make contributions to the world as scientist.

Carolyn Bertozzi is the youngest scientist to receive the MacArthur "genius" award. A Professor of Chemistry and Molecular Biology at Berkeley, she oversees a cutting edge research lab. She has a reputation as an outstanding professor and mentor.

The daughter of a physics professor, Bertozzi worked summer jobs at MIT. Her early interests included sports and music.

Bertozzi found her niche in organic chemistry during her sophomore year at Harvard University. She graduated summa cum laude and received an award for best senior thesis. She completed her graduate studies at University of California, Berkeley, receiving her Ph.D. in 1993.

In 1996, Bertozzi joined the UC Berkeley faculty. Her research focuses on the glycobiology underlying diseases such as cancer and inflammatory disorders. Believing she can link sugar molecules' structures with the presence or absence of disease, Bertozzi developed a unique system to track cell development. Her research team has published over 98 articles. Nature and Angewandte Chemie, an influential chemistry journal, have praised Bertozzi's work.

Co-editor of "Glycochemistry: Principles, Synthesis, and Applications," Bertozzi is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. In 2001, UC Berkeley honored her with its prestigious Distinguished Teaching Award.

Bibliography

“Body Stuff: Carolyn Bertozzi.” Chemical Heritage Foundation: Women in Chemistry. June 30, 2007

Carlson, Brian. “Bertozzi Research Group.” University of California, Berkeley. June 30, 2007

Gardiner, Mary Beth. “The Right Chemistry.” HHMI Bulletin. Vol. 17, Winter 2005. June 30, 2007

March 24th: Margarethe Cammermeyer, Military Officer

b. March 24, 1943

"I wear my uniform at every inappropriate moment to remind people of gays and lesbians who have to serve in silence in the military."

In 1992, Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer became the highest-ranking military officer discharged on the basis of sexual orientation. Cammermeyer was dismissed as chief nurse of the Washington State National Guard after disclosing she was a lesbian during a routine security clearance interview. She challenged the U.S. military’s ban on homosexuals in federal court. In 1994, she was reinstated as chief nurse, making her one of the few openly gay or lesbian members of the military.

Cammermeyer was born in Oslo, Norway, during the Nazi occupation. Her parents sheltered Norwegian resistance forces. Cammermeyer credits her parents’ courage as her inspiration for defending civil liberties.

In 1951, Cammermeyer’s family moved to the U.S. She became a citizen in 1961 and joined the U.S. Army Student Nurse Program. After receiving her B.S. in nursing from the University of Maryland in 1963, Cammermeyer reported for active duty.

At her request, in 1967, Cammermeyer was deployed to Vietnam where she served as head nurse of a neurosurgical intensive care unit. She calls this time in her life “the most extraordinary experience any military nurse could have been a part of.” Cammermeyer was honored with the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service. In 1985, she was named Nurse of the Year by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In 1964, Cammermeyer married a fellow soldier and had four sons. The couple divorced after 15 years. In 1989, Cammermeyer met her life partner, Diane Divelbess.

Cammermeyer’s autobiography, “Serving in Silence” (1994), received critical acclaim. The book was turned into a made-for-TV movie, executive produced by Barbra Streisand and starring Glenn Close. The film generated more than 25 million viewers and received three Emmy Awards and the Peabody Award. It was one of the first television movies about a gay person.

Cammermeyer retired in 1997 after 31 years of service. She serves on the Military Advisory Council for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and is an outspoken advocate for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Bibliography
Bateman, Geoffrey W. “Cammermeyer, Margarethe (b. 1942)” GLBTQ: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer Culture. 2004
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/cammermeyer_m.html
Cammermeyer, Margarethe. “Biography.” June 6, 2008
http://www.cammermeyer.com/bio.htm
“Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer Biography.” HRC-Atlanta. 1998
http://www.hrc-atlanta.org/98Dinner/grethebio.htm
Quindlen, Anna. “Public & Private; With Extreme Prejudice.” The New York Times. June 24, 1992
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DD1F3DF937A15755C0A964958260
Van Biema, David. “Military Ins and Outs.” Time. June 13, 1994
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,980890,00.html
Articles
Egan, Timothy. “Lesbian in Uphill Race for Congress.” The New York Times. July 22, 1998 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9400E5DA1639F931A15754C0A96E958260&scp=12&sq=margarethe%20cammermeyer&st=cse
Mathews, Linda. “She Asks, She Tells.” The New York Times. May 15, 1996
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E03E1D61239F935A25756C0A960958260&sec=&spon=&&scp=14&sq=margarethe%20cammermeyer&st=cse
Schmitt, Eric. “Pentagon Ordered to Reinstate Nurse Forced Out as a Lesbian.” The New York Times. June 2, 1994 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E3D6103BF931A35755C0A962958260&sec=&spon=&&scp=10&sq=margarethe%20cammermeyer&st=cse
Books
Serving in Silence (1994)
http://www.amazon.com/Serving-Silence-Margarethe-Cammer-Meyer/dp/B000R9H0KM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216846572&sr=1-2

Other Resources
Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story (1995)
http://www.amazon.com/Serving-Silence-Colonel-Margarethe-Cammermeyer/dp/B000GI3S00/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1216847124&sr=8-2
Websites
Official Margarethe Cammermeyer Website
http://www.cammermeyer.com

19 February: Sheila Kuehl, California State Legislator

b. February 19, 1941

“The hardest thing I ever did, coming out, turns out to give me a reputation almost instantly for honesty and courage, which any politician would kill for.”

In a 1994 election, Sheila James Kuehl became the first openly gay California legislator. In 1997, she was the first woman in California to be named Speaker pro Tempore. She was a member of the nation’s first legislative LGBT Caucus. In 2002, she coauthored a bill that defined marriage as a civil contract between two persons, which passed the state legislature, but was vetoed by the governor.

As a youth she appeared in the television series “The Stu Erwin Show” and “Broadside.” While an undergrad at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), she portrayed the irrepressible Zelda Gilroy in “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.”

Although her character Zelda was popular enough for CBS to plan a spin-off, the pilot was canceled. A network representative later explained she was “just a little too butch.” During the same time, Kuehl was banned from her sorority house when letters from her girlfriend exposed her sexuality.

After television roles started to dry up, she transitioned into academia. She became associate dean of students at UCLA. Thereafter, Kuehl graduated from Harvard Law School.

Kuehl went into private law practice specializing in civil rights and women’s issues. She advocated for victims of domestic abuse and cofounded the California Women’s Law Center in 1989. She taught law at UCLA, University of Southern California and Loyola University.

In 2000, she was elected a member of the California State Senate for the 23rd district of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Most significant are her successes in civil rights legislation. As of 2007, she authored 171 bills that have been signed into law.

Kuehl is the recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profiles In Courage Award (2003); the C50 Award, Celebrating 50 years of Women at the Harvard Law School (2003); the Outstanding Legislator Award from the Southern California Public Health Association (2003); the Victory Fund Leadership Award (2005); the Building a State of Equality Award from Equality California (2006); and the UCLA LGBT Center Distinguished Service Award (2007).

Bibliography

Davies, Haley. “Legislature OKs Same-Sex Marriage Bill; Governer Expected to Veto.” San Francisco Chronicle. September 8, 2007

Gledhill, Lynda. “State Senate OKs Bill Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage.” San Francisco Chronicle. September 1, 2005

McKinley, Jesse. “From TV Role in ‘Dobie Gillis’ to Rights Fight in Legislature.” The New York Times. May 14, 2006

Walters, Dan. “Lawmakers Address Flurry of Gay Rights Bills.” Oakland Tribune. August 15, 2006

Television Series

The Stu Erwin Show (1955)

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1963)

Broadside (1964)

Websites

Senator Sheila Kuehl: California State Senate

February 02, Alice Walker, Writer and Feminist

b. February 9, 1944

“The truest and most enduring impulse I have is simply to write.”

Alice Walker is an award-winning writer, activist and self-proclaimed “Womanist”—a term she coined in her book “In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens” (1974) to describe black feminists. The voices she brings to life in her novels, short stories and poems helped educate and inspire readers.

Walker was raised in Eatonton, Georgia, during segregation. She was the youngest of eight children born to poor sharecroppers.

Walker received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College in 1965. She moved back to the South to pursue civil rights work and met Mel Leventhal. Walker and Leventhal, a Jewish civil rights lawyer, were the first interracial couple to be legally married in Mississippi. Walker had her only child during the marriage. The couple divorced in 1976.

Walker began teaching at Wellesley College in 1972. Her course, dedicated to the study of African-American women writers, was the first of its kind.

Her most famous novel, “The Color Purple” (1983), won a National Book Award and made Walker the first African-American woman to receive a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. In 1985, the novel was made into a movie directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover. The film earned 11 Oscar nominations. In 2005, “The Color Purple” was adapted as a Broadway musical, with Winfrey as the lead financial backer.

Walker’s awards include a Guggenheim Foundation Grant, an American Book Award, a Lillian Smith Award and an O’Henry Award. She was inducted into the Georgia Writer’s Hall of Fame and the California Hall of Fame. In 1997, Walker was named Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association.

Bibliography

“The Color Purple (1985).” The Internet Movie Database. June 18, 2008
Danielle, Chris. Living By Grace: The Biographical Website About Author Alice Walker. April 1999
Whitted, Qiana. “Alice Walker (b. 1944).” New Georgia Encyclopedia. May 12, 2008

Selected Works

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