About the Second Tuesday Lecture Series

The Second Tuesday Lecture Series is a is the oldest and longest running cultural event of The LGBT Community Center (GayCenter.org) in New York City.

Since 1985, the series has presented over 140 noted speakers in the arts, academia, and politics in lectures, discussions, and readings. Speakers representing every major cultural award in America, including the Pulitzer Prize, the Grammy Award (Grammys), the Academy Award (The Oscars), Broadway's Tony Awards, the Lambda Literary Award, the National Book Award, and the British Man Booker award, have made presentations.

It was through this program that Larry Kramer (a last minute replacement speaker) in March 1987 spoke about the devastating plight of the AIDS Crisis. Critical of the organized community's response to the disease, what began as a speech led to an intense discussion and the decision to meet again the following week to see what could be done. This was the beginning of ACT-UP (The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), which became one of the largest direct action AIDS organizations in the world.

Unless noted otherwise, Second Tuesday programs start at 7:00pm, often with a reception before the presentation. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center recommends a donation of $10, although all donations are voluntary and all proceeds go to The Center.

Upcoming Speakers
 

 May 12, 2009 (6:00pm reception, 7:00 presentation)

Wayne Besen on the Boycott Jamaica campaign to change the most homophobic place on earth

Activists have given Jamaica the infamous title “The Most Homophobic Place on Earth.” If you care about the human rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, you won’t buy Jamaican products. With dozens of great alternatives, there is no reason why you or your straight friends should visit this violently anti-gay country.

There has already been one "rum dump" at the legendary Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, where they poured their Myers Rum and Red Stripe beer in the sewer, and there will be more actions in the future.

In the meantime, see www.BoycottJamaica.org for more information and to see what you can do.

Wayne Besen is the Executive Director of Truth Wins Out, which exposes lies about the "ex-gay" movement, and the author of "Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth," which was nominated for two Lambda Literary Awards last year. Besen is a former spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay and lesbian advocacy group. He has appeared as a guest on all the leading news and political talk shows including: the NBC Nightly News, The Roseanne Show, CNN's Talk Back Live and The Point, and, most recently, Fox's O'Reilly Factor.

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