OUTLAUGH COMEDY FESTIVAL 2012 Lineup Announced: Erin Foley, ANT and More

Friday, June 1, Outlaugh 2012, an 8-night comedy festival featuring standup, sketches, short films, essays, improv and1-person shows, kicks off. America's first and continuing queer Comedy Festival, Outlaugh has previously presented such names as Lea DeLaria, Margaret Cho, and Bob Smith.

This year, headlining the event on Saturday, June 2 at West Hollywood's Macha Theatre is Erin Foley, whose impressive career includes her own Comedy Central special plus appearances on Chelsea Lately, Conan, and across the US. Other stand-ups that weekend include Jason Stuart (LOGO), Kelly Mantle (LOGO), Sandra Valls (Showtime's Latin Divas of Comedy), Gloria Bigelow (SHOWTIME), Matthew Nouriel (Laugh Factory), Justin Martindale (LOGO, Atlantis Cruises), ANT (Last Comic Standing), and Nico Santos (Finalist San Francisco's Best Comic Standing).  

On Saturday, June 2 the Outlaugh 2012 Comedy Award will be presented to San Francisco Assemblymember Tom Ammiano for his contribution to queer comedy. Mr. Ammiano created one of the first gay comedy nights, hosting and performing in a show at the Valencia Rose in San Francisco. Lea DeLaria performed standup for the first time at the Valencia Rose. Other talents Tom brought to the stage were Karen Ripley, Marga Gomez, Charles Busch, and Whoopi Goldberg. The Valencia Rose became the place for queer culture and comedy in the 1980s. For three decades Tom has been a teacher, civil rights leader, educator, Supervisor and now Democratic State Assemblymember. We've heard he's also managed not to lose his sense of humor.

Outlaugh 2012's more theatrical Hollywood Fringe shows at the Theatre Asylum beginning June 10 include the hit "Streep Tease" by Roy Cruz, "David  Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show," by David Dean Bottrell, a comedic essay show about bullying , an Outlaugh Comedy Jam, and shows featuring Diana Yanez, Drew Droege, and the Angry Daddies.

A portion of the opening weekend ticket price goes to support The Lavender Effect, the foundation creating the LGBTQ Museum and Cultural Center in Los Angeles. To buy tickets or for more information, dates and lineup information please visit www.outlaughfestival.com.