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
 

 Tuesday, December 9 (reception at 6:00pm, program at 7:00pm)

"Where Have All the Sissies Gone?"
Sirius Radio Host Frank DeCaro moderates a panel discussion with fashion maven Simon Doonan and author Josh Kilmer-Purcell

In this current day of on-line dating with profiles that always seem to include "straight acting" descriptions and the new emphasis on "Chelsea bodies," gym workout 5x sper week, and hairy bears, we have to ask: What happened to our girly-men? Frank DeCaro will moderate a panel attempting to answer this question with charming examples of the new sissy sensibility.

Frank DeCaro is a national talk-show host on Sirius Satellite Radio OutQ channel, a nightly panelist on the GSN's new TV game show "I've Got a Secret," and the author of a memoir, "A Boy Named Phyllis." For nearly seven years, he co-wrote and hosted the popular "Out at the Movies" segments on the Daily Show on Comedy Central. He is also a much sought-after pop culture pundit who has appeared on such shows as NBC's Dateline, CNN's Showbiz Tonight, Inside TV Land: Tickled Pink , and numerous VH1 countdown programs.

Simon Doonan is a writer, bon-vivant, fashion commentator and window-dresser. He is known for his provocative "Simon Says" column in the New York Observer. His life philosophy is a simple one: “Life is like a gogo box. You jump on it wearing top ‘n' bottom false eye-lashes and jiggle around until you eventually fall off.” He has written four books: "Confessions of a Window Dresser," "Wacky Chicks," a memoir entitled "Nasty" and a tongue-in-cheek style guide entitled "Eccentric Glamour." A comedy series entitled "Beautiful People," based on "Nasty," is scheduled to air Fall 08.

Josh Kilmer-Purcell is the best selling author of "I Am Not Myself These Days: A Memoir" (2006), describing his early days in NYC as advertising art director by day and drag queen by night. He has recently published the novel "Candy Everybody Wants," which follows a starry-eyed gay teenager from Wisconsin to New York to Hollywood as he chases his dreams of celebrity. Starting in 2006, Josh began writing a monthly column about urban gay life for OUT magazine.

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