Coming Out Party

Seven well-known "out" gay comics got together on June 18, 2003, to tell their "coming out" stories in a special concert in Santa Monica CA. Included were Rene Hicks, Dan ("Real World - Miami") Renzi, Bob Smith, Terry Sweeney, John Riggi, Sabrina Matthews and Jackie Beat (who performed out of drag, which is unusual). They tell about coming out to themselves and family, and the very real problems of working as an openly gay comedian in small town clubs.

I have seen most of those comedians in other shows, and felt that the restrictive focus on "coming out" issues made them less funny than they usually were. I suppose that "Coming Out Party" fills a need of sorts, for those who are dealing with their own coming out, and it is commendable on that level. But for the best in gay comedy, I instead recommend the "Out There" (1-3) series, which is still available on VHS from many sources.

I recently sat down and watched this movie on DVD, after having seen a very funny trailer for it. I knew nothing about the comics who were telling their "coming out" stories in front of a live audience in a Santa Monica nightclub. The comics were represented by two lesbians, and the remainder were gay guys, all with humorous anecdotes about what "coming out" meant to them. Some had heartfelt comments, others had racial comments, some had comments directed towards religion. This was not, as funny as the trailer made it out to be, but is life as funny as we make it out to be? Some of us use humour as an excuse to shield ourselves from the pain we go through on a daily basis. Not all "coming out" stories are funny, as all these comics pointed out, and all agreed that its not an easy resolution to come too, but if you are a gay person, then it is an obligation to oneself, to come out and proudly acknowledge your existence to the world.

This film is a recording of a stand up comedy show with 7 gay and lesbian comedians.

Each comedian had only 10 minutes each, and I think it was not quite enough. It feels as if each of the show is just warmed up and it has to stop. All the comedians are really funny, and they tell their coming out stories in a touching but fun way. I particularly enjoyed John Riggi and Jackie Beat's performances, because they were the most touching and personal (yet fun).

Maybe this video will encourage people to come out, but as Terry Sweeney said, "There's still fear in the air". People refused to be in this show because they feared they would lose future job prospects. Between the jokes, it reminds people that coming out is not easy, and life is simply not easy.