This Saturday night, February 13^th, the upstairs of Jae’s Spice will host the second Quite Queer event titled “Heart On”. The party has a high fashion theme and prizes will be given out to the top three most interesting and unique outfits. There also will be a “prom-style” photo booth with on-site printing, wild Valentine-inspired decorations, and specialty cocktails served.

The event is $5 for ages 21+ and $8 for 18+ with a full cash bar for legal drinkers. This event follows the first successful Quite Queer event that took place October 10^th, 2009 at the Elks Club in Pittsfield. Continue reading »

The Berkshire Visitors Bureau hosted an LGBT Tourism Forum on January 27th in Adams which gathered community members, local business owners, consultants on the LGBT market at the State level.

Here is a synopsis developed by the BVB of the LGBT Tourism Forum that was held last week in Adams. Below is a list of links that can serve as resources for local businesses to that are interested in targeting the LGBT market.

I would like to see a targeted and collaborative effort come out of this region to focus on the LGBT population, both locally and for tourists and second home owners.

Many ideas came up about how to encourage local businesses to become more pro-active on hosting events/entertainment that appeals to this niche market (ex. Gay Ski Weekend at one of our fabulous local resorts, etc.)

Last October, Pittsfield hosted the first Out in the Berkshires Weekend, which had a very positive response and strong attendance to each event in the collaboration.

The City will once again serve as a lead collaborator on this event, which will occur over Columbus Day Weekend, which coincides with National Coming Out Day. We would like to make this year’s event larger and more dynamic.

The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts will be hosting the Out in the Berkshires Invitational Art Show, which will feature local LGBT artists, as one of our many events. If you are interested in joining the effort for this year’s event, please contact outintheberkshires@gmail.com

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Club Groove in downtown Pittsfield will host its first LGBT club night on Thursday, December 3rd. The cover will be $5 and the event is 21+.  Dj Phanatik will be throwing down the beats starting at 9pm and the party will run until 2am. 

This is the first LGBT night hosted at this venue since the days of Club Red and its “alternative nights.”

If you have not had the chance to discover the Berkshires newest, hottest, wildest, and (only) club, come to downtown Pittsfield and check out this great new establishment! 

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Berkshire County is joining in on a phenomenon that is sweeping the nation.  The Berkshire Gay Guerrilla Group is planning a series of “takeovers” of bars within the county to create a strong LGBT presence for the evening and create an accepting and fun environment for all within the community. Continue reading »

On Friday, November 20, Williams College Queer Student Union and Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition will host a candlelight vigil in honor of the 11th International Transgender Day of Remembrance from 8-9 pm on Chapin Lawn in front of Paresky Student Center.

State Senator Benjamin B. Downing will attend and speak at the event. Senator Downing is the sponsor of the bill “An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes” (H. 1728/S. 1687), in the Massachusetts State Senate now. Community members will also speak briefly.

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Rebel Sound Records in downtown Pittsfield is hosting two nationally-touring queer acts in November, 8 Inch Betsy and The Shondes.

At 7pm on Saturday, November 7th, all-girl lesbian power punk trio 8 Inch Betsy from Chicago will take the stage alongside  The Soundtrack from Atlanta, and The Furiousity from Boston.

The show is open to all ages and is $8 for general admission and $7 for students.

Check out this live video from 8 Inch Betsy, a “rock/pop/punk trio that focuses intensely on lyric driven rock that gets your irish up, can bring you down to earth and get stuck in your head for days.”

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Out in the Berkshires joined Barrington Stage Company and  Jae’s Spice Restaurant at the 10th International Conference on Gay and Lesbian Tourism’s Travel Expo on Tuesday November 3rd at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston.  The annual expo is put on by Community Marketing, Inc. and takes place in a different city across North America each year.  This year’s expo drew in hundreds of attendees and exhibitors came from as far as Los Angeles, New Orleans, Alaska, and Spain.

Barrington Stage Company will be releasing its 2010 line-up and visitors to Tuesday’s expo got a sneak preview of the amazing line-up beginning next summer.  Keep an eye out for the public release!

BSC and Jae’s Spice have partnered on a number of events and offer an excellent package deal for dinner and a show during the run of Main Stage productions.  Jae’s Spice also has a gorgeous banquet space upstairs that has been used for a number of gay-weddings recently.

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Halloween night is going to be busy across the county, so make sure to plan your night accordingly.

For last minute costumes, head to downtown Pittsfield and visit Berkshire Masquerade, or if you prefer a vintage look, check out the great deals at Greystone Gardens.

If you have your costume, but haven’t found that perfect party yet, here are a couple suggestions.

Rumpy’s Tavern in Lenox, the Berkshires most LGBT-friendly bar, has a reputation for throwing some of the best Halloween bashes in the Berkshires.  Check out some of the photos from last year. Continue reading »

Nampoli Bennet, a MTF transgendered performer will take the stage at the Stone Soup Café at the Topia Art Center in Adams on Friday, Oct. 23.   The show begins at 9pm and the cost of admission is $10.  Don’t miss this opportunity to catch this unique and talented artist in the Berkshires.

Namoli Brennet|Stone Soup Cafe|Adams, MA|Friday, Oct. 23| 9pm| $10

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Berkshire Stonewall will be part of a three-party collaboration with Berkshire Shenanigans, and the Berkshire Museum. You can now purchase tickets for TWO Halloween parties, as well as the Museum’s showing of Nosferatu, the classic 1922 horror film, at the discounted price of $25 for all three events. Take part in Pittsfield’s Triple Treat for Halloween.

Triple Treat joint tickets are available for sale at the Berkshire Museum. Call 413-443-7171 for more information.

Stonewall Halloween Dance with DJ

Saturday, 10/24  8:00pm

The Elks Club, 27 Union Street, Pittsfield 

 Berkshire Stonewall will be hosting a Halloween Party, complete with decorations, appetizers, and costume contest. This event is open to one and all: bring a costume, bring a friend, and have fun!

$5 Cover Charge; $5 Costume Contest Entry Fee (Cash Prize for 1st Place)

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October 17 – DONALD STRACHEY BOOK SIGNING

Richard Stevenson, the pseudonym for our own, Becket, MA author Richard Lipez, has written another book in his famous Donald Strachey detective series, The 38 Million Dollar Smile. He will appear at The Bookstore, 11 Housatonic Street in Lenox on October 17 from 2-4 pm to talk about and sign his new book. The Bookstore in Lenox.

Last year’s Stachey novel, Death Vows, was set in the Berkshires, and one hopes that like several of his earlier books these tales will be made into movies with Chad Allen who has starred in the author’s Ice Blues, Shock to the System and On the Other Hand, Death.

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Quite Queer at the Elks Lodge in Pittsfield kicks off at 6:00pm with live music by queer-oriented acts MKNG FRNDZ, Jen Urban & the Box, Max Steele and the Party Ice and The G-Spots followed by a DANCE PARTY. Continue reading »

The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later (An Epilogue)

October 12th, 3pm and 7pm at Barrington Stage Company

The following BSC artists and local community members are donating their time to participate in this important community event:

Jeremy Bobb from BSC’s Sleuth
Emily Taplin Boyd from BSC’s A Streetcar Named Desire
Kevin Carolan from BSC’s A Streetcar Named Desire
Thom Christopher from BSC’s A Picasso
Tandy Cronyn from BSC’s Private Lives
Mark H. Dold from BSC’s Freud’s Last Session
Christopher Innvar from BSC’s A Streetcar Named Desire
Jeff Kent from BSC’s A Streetcar Named Desire
Seth Rogovoy Editor-in-Chief, Berkshire Living Magazine
Debra Jo Rupp from TV’s That 70’s Show and BSC’s To Kill A Mockingbird
Enrico Spada, Marketing & Web Manager, Shakespeare & Company
Jerome Spratling from BSC’s To Kill A Mockingbird
Lisken van Pelt Dus, Poet in the Schools
Ryan Weightman, Office of Cultural Development, City of Pittsfield
Megan Whilden, Director of Cultural Development, City of Pittsfield
Peggy Pharr Wilson from BSC’s Carousel

BSC Mainstage, 30 Union Street, Pittsfield
Monday, October 12, 3pm and 7pm
Tickets: $15 adults; $10 students Buy Online!

This Friday, October 9th, Berkshire Community is hosting a panel discussion entitled Coming Out.

TIME: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
In celebration of National Coming-Out Day, Sunday, October 11, the Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition, PRIDE BCC and the Diversity Committee are sponsoring a panel discussion on coming-out. The panel will include Berkshire County Residents speaking about their experiences. Forum credit available.Location: G-10 (off of the cafeteria)

The Out in the Berkshires weekend kicks off on with a performance by the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Pittsfield at 3:30pm.The BGMC is one of New England’s largest and most successful community-based choruses.

This will be the first appearance in the Berkshires for BGMC. Their concerts in Boston regularly fill Symphony Hall with music lovers. The 175-voice ensemble is celebrated for its outstanding musicianship, creative programming, and groundbreaking community outreach.

Boston Gay Men’s Chorus will perform highlights from its hit show, Boys Just Wanna Have Fun: Totally 80s, a tribute to the music of the 80s including hits by Madonna, Boy George, Bon Jovi, Prince, George Michael, Cyndi Lauper and many more.  This show was featured during the 2009 Boston Pride festivities and proceeds from the concert will be donated to the Gay/Straight Alliances at Pittsfield High School and Taconic High School. For more information on the chorus please visit www.bgmc.org

Ticket prices are $5 for students, $10 for adults in advance – 10% discount for groups of 10 or more. $15 at the door. Tickets will be sold at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Taconic High School, Pittsfield High School, and St. Stephen’s.