THE MEETING* Honors Justin Vivian Bond, 5/16

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre will conclude their Spring 2013 season on Thursday, May 16 at The Duplex in New York's West Village. After a sell-out year, The Meeting* has added a second performance each month due to popular demand; there are now shows at 7:000 PM and 9:30 PM.

Each edition of The Meeting* honors an artist or a cultural work that is iconic to the gay community. The May 9:30 PM show will honor Justin Vivan Bond, who rose to fame as part of the beloved duo Kiki & Herb, but recently has enjoyed a renaissance as an actor, author, visual artist, perfumer and provocateur. But the most groundbreaking contribution has been V's outspoken advocacy for the trans community, putting a spotlight on their emerging visibility by introducing gender-neutral pronouns. The show will feature special guests Nicholas Gorham, Carol Lipnik, Shane Shane, Chris Tyler and Reginald M. Lamar.

The 7:00 PM show will celebrate the show's 4th anniversary and will feature vocalist and longtime Meeting* favorite Molly Pope.

On Monday, June 17 at 8:00 PM, the third annual "Night of A Thousand Judys" - the I.O.S.'s third annual Pride concert honoring Judy Garland - will benefit The Ali Forney Center - the nation's largest organization dedicated to serving homeless LGBT youth - will take place at Merkin Concert Hall. The show will feature performances by Martha Wash ("It's Raining Men"), Madeleine Peyroux (platinum-selling vocalist), Christiane Noll (Tony Award nominee for Ragtime), Karen Mason (Wonderland, Hairspray), Molly Pope (Village Voice "Best of NYC 2011") and Danielle Grabianowski (Sleep No More) in addition to other names to be announced. Purchase tickets at http://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/ali-forney-center-benefit-concert.

The Meeting*, the monthly gathering of the I.O.S. (International Order of Sodomites), has become a downtown sensation with its signature blend of outrageous comedy, political and social activism, and cultural education. Justin Sayre - the show's creator, writer and host - serves as the Chairman of the Board. Each month, the I.O.S gathers to educate the membership on essential business of the day through musical performances, skits, trivia and regular features such as "Letters to the Chairman" and "New Rulings from the Board." According to Time Out New York, "The Meeting* has become a cult hit among a young, festive and culturally aware crowd. Sayre is an avatar of modern-retro cultivation."

Justin Sayre was described by Michael Musto in The Village Voice as "Oscar Wilde meets Whoopi Goldberg." In a recent story for Edge New York, Steve Weinstein said "Comedian, raconteur, performing artist, gay rights activist and sexual outlaw: I'm not sure Justin Sayre is classifiable. The veteran performer is on his way to becoming a Downtown Manhattan institution along the lines of Charles Ludlum or Charles Busch." Justin is a child of Forty Fort, Pennsylvania who demonstrated a supernatural instinct for "camp" at an early age. With a voice straight out the MGM finishing school for girls, he moved to New York believing it was still 1947. He was terribly misinformed. As an actor, he has worked and studied with some of the finest professionals in the city. As a gay, Justin has excelled at scarf placement, devilish quips, and a healthy but firm love of the American musical. An evening of his short plays, Justin Sayre Is Alive and Well... Writing - called one of the "Top 10 Events on the New York Stage" by the New York Daily News - sold out two shows at Ars Nova in April. His new play The Click of The Lock, featuring Randy Harrison, Christian Coulson, Blake Daniel and more, recently had its second reading at the Bank Street Theatre.