Arts & Entertainment
Anthony Rapp announces engagement to partner
Out actor Anthony Rapp is marrying his boyfriend, and he wants everyone to know about it.
The 48-year old Rapp went on social media Sunday to tell fans and followers he had proposed to partner Ken Ithiphol, saying:
“So something happened tonight. I asked Ken if he would marry me and he said yes. I am so very happy and I’m so very thrilled to share this news.”
The couple on Sunday both re-posted Instagram stories from others, showing the actor down on one knee proposing to his partner in front of friends at a Toronto party.
Ithiphol is a leadership coach, social researcher and advocate.
Rapp has been an actor since childhood, making his Broadway debut in 1981 in a short-lived musical called “The Little Prince and the Aviator,” based on the beloved children’s book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and his film debut with 1987’s “Adventures in Babysitting.” It was with the original production of “Rent” in 1994 that he first gained widespread recognition, creating the role of Mark in the now-iconic Jonathan Larsen musical and reprising the role in the 2005 film version. He has since appeared in numerous roles in theatre, television, and film, recently expanding his fanbase with the role of Lt. Commander Paul Stamet in the CBS All Access series, “Star Trek: Discovery,” in which his character, alongside fellow out actor Wilson Cruz, is half of the first gay couple in the “Star Trek” television franchise.
Rapp came out as queer in the mid-90s. At the time, he told Oasis magazine: “I don’t want to get into labels, but I’ve never labeled myself except to say I’m queer. The thing that’s been most important to me to be out about is that I have been in loving relationships with men … I haven’t said, ‘I am gay.’ Because the truth is that I’ve also been in love with women, although the truth is I do think I’m primarily homosexual.”
He made headlines when he revealed that he had been the recipient of unwanted sexual advances from actor Kevin Spacey at the age of 14, saying that he had attended a party at the home of the then 26-year-old Spacey. At the end of the evening, according to Rapp, the older actor, who was apparently drunk, picked him up and placed him on a bed, attempting to begin a sexual encounter. He had spoken about the incident in an Advocate magazine interview in 2001, but had at that time withheld Spacey’s name; inspired by the rise of the #MeToo movement, he came forward with the full story in 2017. Spacey claimed, on Twitter, not to have remembered the incident, but did not explicitly deny it, instead apologizing for “what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.” At least 14 other men subsequently came forward with similar accusations against the older actor.
Rapp has credited activist/author Larry Kramer as an inspiration, saying in a 2018 interview on “The View” that he had worked with the activist on a play as a young man.
“[He] was a really powerful force to be around,” said Rapp, “so I always thought it was really important to live an open life.”
Photos
PHOTOS: Goodwin Living Pride Parade
Senior living and healthcare organization holds fifth annual march at Falls Church campus
The senior living and healthcare organization Goodwin Living held its fifth annual Pride Parade around its Bailey’s Crossroads campus in Falls Church, Va. with residents, friends and supporters on Thursday, June 12.
(Photos courtesy of Goodwin Living)
You’re going to be on your feet a lot this month.
Marching in parades, dancing in the streets, standing up for people in your community. But you’re also likely to have some time to rest and reflect – and with these great new books, to read.
First, dip into a biography with “Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson” by Tourmaline (Tiny Rep Books, $30), a nice look at an icon who, rumor has it, threw the brick that started a revolution. It’s a lively tale about Marsha P. Johnson, her life, her activism before Stonewall and afterward. Reading this interesting and highly researched history is a great way to spend some time during Pride month.
For the reader who can’t live without music, try “The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman” by Niko Stratis (University of Texas Press, $27.95), the story of being trans, searching for your place in the world, and finding it in a certain comfortable genre of music. Also look for “The Lonely Veteran’s Guide to Companionship” by Bronson Lemer (University of Wisconsin Press, $19.95), a collection of essays that make up a memoir of this and that, of being queer, basic training, teaching overseas, influential books, and life.
If you still have room for one more memoir, try “Walk Like a Girl” by Prabal Gurung (Viking, $32.00). It’s the story of one queer boy’s childhood in India and Nepal, and the intolerance he experienced as a child, which caused him to dream of New York and the life he imagined there. As you can imagine, dreams and reality collided but nonetheless, Gurung stayed, persevered, and eventually became an award-winning fashion designer, highly sought by fashion icons and lovers of haute couture. This is an inspiring tale that you shouldn’t miss.
No Pride celebration is complete without a history book or two.
In “Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day” by Alex L. Combs & Andrew Eakett ($24.99, Candlewick Press), you’ll see that being trans is something that’s as old as humanity. One nice part about this book: it’s in graphic novel form, so it’s lighter to read but still informative. Lastly, try “So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color” by Caro De Robertis (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. $32.00) a collection of thoughts, observations, and truths from over a dozen people who share their stories. As an “oral history,” you’ll be glad to know that each page is full of mini-segments you can dip into anywhere, read from cover to cover, double-back and read again. It’s that kind of book.
And if these six books aren’t enough, if they don’t quite fit what you crave now, be sure to ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for help. There are literally tens of thousands of books that are perfect for Pride month and beyond. They’ll be able to determine what you’re looking for, and they’ll put it directly in your hands. So stand up. March. And then sit and read.
Baltimore Orioles Pride Night will be held on Wednesday, June 25 at 6:35 p.m. at Orioles Park at Camden Yards.
Festivities include immersive Pride decorations, pregame music, crafts, face painting, Pride merchandise, and more. The first 15,000 fans will receive an Orioles Pride jersey. Tickets are available on the Orioles’ website.
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