I’ve got another fan-spotlight for Questions & Answers. Ruth Birkholz is another person I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know thanks to her support of Out With Dad. She’s been tweeting, commenting and sharing about us since the beginning. She’s also donated some money to us via our contribution page which she doesn’t think was very much – but it means the world to us as we’re building up towards season two’s production. I highly recommend you follow her on Twitter (@RuthsArtsLab), where she posts and re-tweets interesting and important items impacting the LGBT/GLBT community.
Ruth's first tweet about us, we were hardly known then!
||Q:|Heading|font_size=20|| How did you discover Out With Dad?
||A:|Heading|font_size=20|| Wow! It was so long ago that I don’t know if I can remember. I think it was a clip on onemorelesbian.com, as that seems to be where I find some great new webseries and shows that have lesbian focused content and features.
||Q:|Heading|font_size=20|| What about it got you hooked?
||A:|Heading|font_size=20|| I really like the different spin on it. All the coming out stories are always from the glbt person’s perspective, so it’s very interesting to incorporate Rose’s dad’s perspective into the mix.
||Q:|Heading|font_size=20|| What’s the one thing that keeps you coming back for more?
||A:|Heading|font_size=20|| The anticipation of how things will actually play out in the show with all of the characters. Everyone probably has an idea in their own head, based on their hopes and experiences of how they would LIKE it to turn out with all of the characters…so it’s interesting to see what “twists and turns” the scripting has the storyline take to get the characters to where they are eventually going to end up.
||Q:|Heading|font_size=20|| What’s your favourite scene, and why?
||A:|Heading|font_size=20|| Hmmm…I have to pick ONE? I would bet that many people would say the dance seen where she is heartbroken when she realizes how much she loves Vanessa, but I guess I would have to say the scene where she notices the girl on the train looking at her and she realizes that she is looking back and clicking with her. Everyone remembers when they “figure out” that they are really gay/lesbian and for me that was when it came true for Rose. With Vanessa, she could justify it away as being just good friends, but when she realized that she indeed was attracted to other women…it clicked and became real.
||Q:|Heading|font_size=20|| What are some of your other favourite shows, movies, webseries?
||A:|Heading|font_size=20|| For Webseries in specific (other than OWD), I really like Anyone But Me, which is struggling to fund a 3rd season. I also really like That’s What She Said. For TV, I watch Glee (of course), Grey’s Anatomy, and web clips of glbt content we don’t get state-side (Coronation Street and Lip Service).
||Q:|Heading|font_size=20|| So, what do you look for?
||A:|Heading|font_size=20|| In general I try to support those shows that include glbt characters/content.
||Q:|Heading|font_size=20|| As I said in my introduction, you’ve been such a big supporter of Out With Dad. You tweet and re-tweet often. You’ve even donated to use via our PayPal donation button. Why do you feel the need to help us out so much? (we’re very thankful!)
||A:|Heading|font_size=20|| I really love the storyline in that it incorporates the parents perspective. PFLAG is SUCH a great ally for the glbt community and I think it gets left behind a lot. My ex’s family was much less tolerant and accepting of our relationship for many years initially and it made such a big difference in how we acted and re-acted to situations between our families for many years. Not that it affected “us” as much as it affected her, which affected me. My family was all-in, from day 1 when I came out…and what a difference that makes. What an important story to tell about a dad that is actually WAITING for his daughter to come out, rather than waiting to kick her out of the house when she announces she’s a lesbian. So many homeless teens are on the streets just because they are gay, and here is a story about a guy that just wants to do the right thing…no matter how clumsy he is trying too hard to get it right. Excellent concept and show!!!
||Q:|Heading|font_size=20|| OWD is a Canadian production. Not as many Canadian productions are shown in the US, as there are American ones are shown here. So I wonder if you noticed any cultural differences that maybe we aren’t aware of? Does it fit with what you imagined of Canada/Toronto?
||A:|Heading|font_size=20|| I don’t think about the cultural differences I guess because the storyline is universal. I did love the crack about the Internet search when he was searching about his gay teen and saving her, though. 🙂 The process of coming out, and bringing your family with your (or having your family and friends wait for you) is the same no matter where in the world you are…so it’s pretty transferable.
||Q:|Heading|font_size=20|| On your Twitter profile you mention you serve on a board for One Voice Mixed Chorus. Can you tell us about that organization? What’s your involvement there?
||A:|Heading|font_size=20|| I could go on about One Voice forever! The site is www.ovmc.org for more information. The mission is: Building community and creating social change by raising our voices in song. We are a GLBTA chorus that has two outreach programs, one to outstate Minnesota and surrounding areas and one to local schools. We also have two ticketed concerts per year about whatever programs our Artistic Director creates each year. Last year we focused on recognizing the GLBT and jewish experiences of the Holocaust and the other celebrating differences and dealing with bullying. This year we are having a concert about the Equality of Love and one about building community by celebrating the universality of worldwide percussion and focusing on instrumentation from those countries that have glbt intolerance…but partnering with ensembles from the local community. I currently serve as a Co-Chair of the Board of the Directors and we have dedicated volunteer Board, award-winning Staff, and absolutely phenomenal chorus of glbt and allied singers that carry out our mission each and every day!
That sounds like an amazing organization. Please be sure to tell me know when those ticketed concerts come up, I’d love to share the news here on OutWithDad.com.
Thanks for taking the time to answer some Q’s!
If you have questions you’d like to ask, please do! Go to About>Questions & Answers for more information. On that page you’ll find we’ve set up a Formspring account. Or you can just ask in the comments anywhere on the site.
Recent Comments