Same-sex marriage could soon become a reality for Marylanders. Even though gaining marriage equality is still a long-running battle, acceptance seems to be on the rise. I had the chance to speak with Amy Becker Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Towson University in the department of Mass Communication and Communication studies, an expert on Gay Marriage and Maryland Legislature. Dr. Becker's research focuses on four different areas in the field of communication: public opinion and citizen participation on controversial political issues; the political effects of exposure and attention to political entertainment (especially late night comedy); new media; and science communication.

The Maryland Institute College of the Arts (MICA) presents The Vagina Monologues to benefit V-Day, a day devoted to ending violence against women. The show will raise funds for the Family & Children's Services of Central Maryland.

The Iron Crow Theatre Company is hosting their 2012 fundraiser on Saturday, February 4 with a one-night-only performance of Sunrize: The Musical.

Known for her razor sharp wit and her ability to interact spontaneously with audience members in conversations that invoke riotous laughter, Paula has been doing comedy for 33 years, and is still on a mission to make people laugh. I had the opportunity to have some spontaneous conversation with Paula myself:

Some people say that music artists these days simply do not have the staying power like those of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Bands like The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, for example. Ani DiFranco shatters the stereotypical all-male rock band career longevity phenomena. Self-producing and releasing albums since 1990 with absolutely no signs of slowing down, she has written hundreds of songs and played thousands of shows. Some of her musical influences include Utah Phillips, Bruce Springsteen, Indigo Girls, Woody Guthrie, and Miles Davis.

DiFranco is openly bisexual, a green energy user and supporter, and a feminist icon. Her song “In or Out” addresses the controversy about her sexuality. She is also a National Organization of Women (NOW) “Women of Courage Award” recipient as well as a 2004 Grammy Award winner for Best Recording Package.

When asked about being a feminist she stated, “All decent people, male and female, are feminists. The only people who are not feminists are those who believe that women are inherently inferior or undeserving of the respect and opportunity afforded men. Either you are a feminist or you are a sexist/misogynist. There is no box marked ‘other.’”

Ani is a hardcore do-it-yourselfer, founding her own record label, Righteous Babe Records, to release her music in 1990. She wanted to be free from the constraints of giant corporate record labels so she could have total artistic and musical freedom. Without the large publicity and marketing budget like that of a much larger label, she relies on word of mouth and her street team of die hard fans to help spread the word and promote her work. She is actually seeking more street team members in the Baltimore/DC Metro area. The street team is a group of volunteers that promote Righteous Babe Records in their town by visiting coffee shops, music venues, universities, bars, and art spaces.  (Learn more at RighteousBabe.com/street_team).

On October 22, Baltimoreans can see Ani perform a sampling of her many songs which could include the breakup anthem “Untouchable Face” and upcoming tracks from her 2012 release of her new album “Which Side Are You On?” Her fall leg of the tour has special guest Anais Mitchell as the opening act. If one Ani show just isn’t enough, her tour swings back around to Bethlehem, Pa. on November 15 at Lehigh University. Her winter tour dates include opener Melissa Ferrick.

DETAILS: Ani Difranco with guest Anais Mitchell. Saturday, October 22. Doors 7pm. $40. Rams Head Live, 20 Market Pl.Tickets.RamsHeadLive.com.RighteousBabe.com.

Free Speech Symposium also includes Trevor Paglen and Jay Stanley.

Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland (ACLU-MD) will hold a symposium on this coming Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day, Sept. 17) discussing the highly debated topic of free speech and digital communication. The talk will feature experts, advocates, and artists bringing forward their different viewpoints and thoughts on the future of personal expression as it relates to digital communication technology.

Whether you prefer to hit old man winter out of the park with a little softball or maybe dance those winter blues away, area  organizations serve up plenty of opportunities to get out and play this spring.