Tom Wilson Weinberg

Activism In the early 1970s, Wilson Weinberg joined the Gay Liberation Movement and was a member of the Gay Activists Alliance. In 1973–1974, he was involved in founding several Philadelphia-based organizations that have had lasting impact on LGBTQ culture in Philadelphia. Inspired by Craig Rodwell and the Oscar Wilde Bookshop in New York City, in 1973 he co-founded Giovanni's Room, the first LGBTQ bookstore in Philadelphia, together with Dan Sherbo and Bern Boyle. The initial launch was peaceful and in 1974, the bookstore was sold to a new owner, Pat Hill, and was later owned by Ed Hermance and Arleen Olshan. Due to the problems the trio encountered in finding a landlord that would rent to them in order to open a gay and lesbian bookstore, in 1974 Wilson Weinberg testified in front of Philadelphia City Council in support of a sexual orientation nondiscrimination ordinance. The final ordinance, Bill 1358, eventually passed 8 years later.

While in Philadelphia, Wilson Weinberg was one of the founders of the Gay Coffeehouse, a space for gay-themed cabarets, poetry nights, health advocacy and political activism. The Gay Coffeehouse was a predecessor of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center in Philadelphia and current William Way LGBT Community Center. He served as treasurer for the Eromin Center in 1975. The volunteer-run group focused on a two-pronged approach: palliative care for people dying of HIV/AIDS and support for their caregivers, along with providing information about safer sex practices to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

After returning to Philadelphia, Wilson Weinberg volunteered for The Attic Youth Center, a non-profit providing support services for LGBTQ youth in the city, from 1997 to 2013. He has served on its board of directors, including serving as president of the board for the 2003–2004 term. He specializes in the Broadway style of music, as his compositions have been deeply influenced by the cabaret and revue genres. The songwriter released two albums of original LGBTQ-themed songs: Gay Name Game in 1979 and All American Boy in 1983, both distributed by his own record company, Aboveground Records, as well as by the feminist music distributors Olivia Records and Ladyslipper Records. The musical, named after the ten-percent statistic of homosexuality in the general population cited in the research of Alfred Kinsey, explores such themes as lesbian and gay stereotypes, homosexual celebrities, intimacy and safer sex, AIDS, and social activism. While it was not the first musical to explore gay and lesbian sexuality, reviews affirm that Wilson Weinberg's style is a "cut above the generic revue format" with songs that are "cheerfully assertive" with humor and savvy while never becoming heavy-handed in their exposition. The show has played in many cities over the years, including an off-Broadway run, and has been released as an album recording. Some of its themes include gay men's dating, gay bashing, the AIDS crisis, and the experience of African-Americans such as Langston Hughes, Bayard Rustin, and James Baldwin. First performed in 1992, the revue was reprised various times over the years in different cities, including an off-Broadway run produced by The Glines. The show remains relevant to the concerns of the LGBTQ community to the present day.

Weinberg's 1994 compilation album Don't Mess With Mary was the official soundtrack for Stonewall25, the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in support of gay and lesbian rights.

The New York City Gay Mens Chorus commissioned the first version of his short musical Sixty Years with Bruhs and Gean, which tells the story of the relationship between Bruhs Mero and Gean Harwood which spanned six decades. The musical premiered at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in 1995, and was later expanded as Bruhs and Gean. The musical was featured on the PBS television series In the Life. Wilson Weinberg performed selections from the musical at the memorial service for Bruhs Mero on October 22, 1995. The song commemorated the ornithological research conducted by biologists Molly and George Hunt, who discovered that female seagulls on Santa Barbara Island were exhibiting lesbian behavior and raising "supernormal" clutches of up to 6 eggs, instead of the usual 1 or 2.

His musical The Teachings of Chairman Rick debuted at the 2005 Philly Fringe Festival, and features original music paired with statements from former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum on provocative topics such as homosexuality, abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research and termination of life support, as in the Terry Schiavo case. At the 2006 Philly Fringe Festival, Wilson Weinberg presented After Guantánamo, a drama about a repressed homosexual Cuban-American Gulf War veteran who seeks to destroy the American military base stationed at Guantánamo Bay.

His musical Eleanor and Hick, also produced under the title Sunrise at Hyde Park, follows the relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and journalist Lorena Hickok as described by Hickok's correspondence with the first lady. From 2013 to 2014, the show ran in multiple cities, including Philadelphia, Fire Island, and Cherry Grove. Lea DeLaria collaborated with Wilson Weinberg again with a reading and demo CD of the show.

Since 2008, Wilson Weinberg has performed in various cabaret shows in Philadelphia, New York, Provincetown and other cities. Often partnered with collaborators such as Keith Kaczorowski and Melissa Kolczynski, these shows feature original music plus reprises from his previous musicals. Many of these performances serve as fundraisers for non-profit institutions that benefit the LGBTQ community. With regard to his Cabaret Vérité shows, the songwriter explains: “We always merge politics with –we hope – good humor and fun, and get people thinking.”

Personal life Wilson Weinberg married his longtime partner John Whyte, a physician and medical researcher, in 2013.

Awards and honors Bessie Smith Award, Greater Boston Lesbian Gay Political Alliance Los Angeles Drama-logue Award (Ten Percent Revue) 2006 OutMusic Heritage Award (New York) 2019 William Way LGBT Community Center Humanitarian of the Year Award (with John Whyte)

Discography 1979 Gay Name Game 1993 Get Used to It! Reading Between the Lines (2009) Cabaret Crime (2011–2012) All's Fair in Love and More (2012) Songs at 75''