It Begins

From today's Marine Corps Times:

A Reserve corporal whose star has been rising in conservative circles over the past few months — including appearing on Fox News and being photographed with right-wing firebrand Ann Coulter — has acknowledged appearing in gay porn films.

Cpl. Matthew Sanchez, 36, now a member of the Individual Ready Reserve, has made national headlines since, as a student at Columbia University, he stood up to war protesters who publicly vilified him for his military service while administrators there refused to intervene, citing freedom of speech.

(snip)

Sanchez also appeared at last week’s Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington where he was photographed with his arm around Coulter, who caused a stir when she gave a speech at the conference in which she slammed Democratic presidential contender John Edwards using a vulgar word for a gay man.

On March 6, four days after Coulter’s comment, homosexual blogger Joe.My.God. published the picture of Coulter and Sanchez and alleged that Sanchez had spent the mid ’90s acting in gay porn films such as “Man to Men” under the screen names Rod Majors and Pierre LaBranche.

(snip)

While Sanchez says he has put his gay porn past behind him, the Marine Corps hasn’t. Homosexual behavior is prohibited by an article of the Uniform Code of Military Justice that forbids “sodomy.”

As a member of the IRR, Sanchez falls under the authority of Marine Corps Mobilization Command in Kansas City, Mo., where the commanding general’s staff judge advocate, Lt. Col. Michael Blessing, has begun an inquiry into the revelations about his past, according to command spokesman Shane Darbonne.

“We’re looking into it and we’re going to verify facts and determine if any further action is warranted,” Darbonne said.

As of Friday afternoon, officials at Marine Forces Reserve in New Orleans were unable to confirm whether Sanchez had enlisted prior to the end of his film career or if Reserve Marines were prohibited from doing porn when not in a drilling status. Sanchez has not returned phone calls seeking comment. He joined the Corps May 14, 2003 and is a refrigeration mechanic.

On Friday Officials at Marine Corps Recruiting Command were unable to say whether past participation in gay porn disqualifies a potential enlistee because it was unclear how the current “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy might apply.

Believe it or not, I don't feel great about this. Not one bit.
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Fall, Out

Slowly, some evangelicals are coming around to the belief that homosexuality is largely biology-based. However, Rev. Albert Mohler, leader of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, believes that there's still a way to "fix" the problem.

In a statement posted on his blog, Mohler advocates for advancing the study of ways to prenatally redirect the development of potentially homosexual fetuses, saying, "If a biological basis is found, and if a prenatal test is then developed, and if a successful treatment to reverse the sexual orientation to heterosexual is ever developed, we would support its use as we should unapologetically support the use of any appropriate means to avoid sexual temptation and the inevitable effects of sin."

Read the rest here, it's fascinating stuff, full of condemnation for homosexual "behavior", with a kind word for those us of doomed to enternal damnation because it's God's punishment for man's "fall". To Mohler, it's not our fault that we're dirty cocksuckers, God is punishing all of mankind by inflicting dirty gay babies that grow up to be porn stars. It's original sin, manifested as hairdressers and the LPGA.

Queer Sighted's Richard Rothstein has a typically brilliant reaction called Genetic Cleansing Of Original Sin. Mohler actually has a coherent thought or two in his essay, and later on his blog he even comes out against Ann Coulter for her CPAC comments. But calling for the better treatment of existing gays while calling for a way to prevent future homos from being born doesn't win him a pass. Christians still want to change us, they've just decided they need to start earlier.

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Haliburton OK's Gays

Defense contractor Halliburton has amended its corporate governance rules to protect gays from discrimination. Last year, the Halliburton board of directors fought vigorously to prevent such an amendment. According to the news article, there's no evidence that the move has anything to do with Mary Cheney's pregnancy or if Grandpa Dick had a hand in the rule change. Still, when the former CEO has an out, pregnant, lesbian daughter, that has got to have an influence on internal corporate politics, don't you think?
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An Escort We Love

Mike Jones has placed his infamous "Ted Haggard Massage Table" up for auction on eBay, to benefit Denver's Project Angel Heart, which delivers meals to people with HIV/AIDS. Anybody want to own a piece of American political history? That massage table belongs in the Smithsonian. I love that Mike's eBay seller name is "escortmjones".
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Morning View - The Kenilworth

The 99-year old Kenilworth on Central Park West is one of my favorite Beaux Arts buildings in the city. Embiggen to make super-pretty.
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Arrrrr!

Tonight Little David and I attended Pirates Of Penzance at the New York City Opera. My first Gilbert & Sullivan. We sat in the Lincoln Center equivalent of Shea Stadium's upper deck, but luckily I brought my binoculars, which I used to pick out how many of the pirates I recognized from the Eagle. (At least two.) Anyway, the tickets were only $12, just a little more than a Manhattan movie. After the last time I went to Lincoln Center, I made the mistake of telling some queen that I'd just come from the opera and was icily informed that "Sweeney Todd is not opera, darling." David advised me that tonight falls under "not-opera" too. Guess I'm still an o-virgin. Hey, why are pirates so hot? Because they just arrrrrrr. You're welcome.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that the only song I recognized was Modern Major-General, cuz, you know, Sideshow Bob.

Manhunt Mystery Man

I wonder who this is? Certainly couldn't be someone who is putting his sordid gay sex career behind him. I wonder if he's good at being gay? Is anybody "ready to fuck"? This guy is. Or at least he was, 12 days ago.
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Task Force Comes Out For Sanchez

The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force has issued a statement of support for Matt Sanchez, which reads in part:

Porn, gay or straight, has no ideology. Porn stars and porn consumers are Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, atheists and evangelicals. There's no inherent contradiction between Matt Sanchez being pro-military and being part of the adult film industry. The real hypocrisy expresses itself in two different and important ways. First, the failed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law requires Matt Sanchez and thousands of other loyal Americans to hide their sexual orientation to serve their country in the military. Second, Ann Coulter and her ilk lift a man to hero and spokesperson status until "gasp!" he is found out to be a "faggot" (Coulter's word).- Matt Forman, Executive Director.

I agree. Where Sanchez' hypocrisy lies is in his allegiance to the very people who would like to keep gay Americans second-class citizens, even though his livelihood came at the very hands (ahem) of the gay Americans who gobbled up his cock, on screen and in person. THAT is where the hypocrisy lies, not in his conservatism per se, his porn career, or his military service. I am very pro-porn and pro-sex workers. My issue is when they take gay money with one hand and diddle Ann Coulter with the other.

Read the full NGLTF statement in full at AMERICAblog.
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Sirius 2:30PM EST

I'm doing a short phone interview with Michalangelo Signorile on Sirius OutQ at 2:30pm EST. If somebody can grab it off the air, I'll post it here.

"Semper Fi, Matt"

Some of you have probably seen last's night MSNBC Countdown, where the Sanchez story was #1. Today Matt Sanchez has posted a letter on Salon.
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Battle Cry For Hate Crimes Bill

The current issue of The Advocate features a joint column by HRC head Joe Solmonese and activist Judy Shepard calling for immediate action on a national hate crimes law, as this may be the best year to get such a bill passed.

Fear of violence remains a horrible reality for millions of GLBT Americans—even in places that many consider “tolerant” or “progressive.” Every act of violence is tragic and harmful in its consequences, but not all crime is based on hate. A bias-motivated crime affects not only the victim and his or her family but an entire community or category of people and their families.

The current federal hate-crimes law, enacted nearly 40 years ago, covers only bias attacks based on race, ethnicity, national origin, and religion. In the case of a hate crime based on sexual orientation or gender identity, our government’s hands are tied: It doesn’t have the authority to go after perpetrators of anti-LGBT violent crime. It’s time to update the law to protect everyone.

Recent high profile anti-gay hate crimes have dramatized the need for a national hate crimes law that includes crimes against LGBT people. Read the Solmonese/Shepard Advocate column here.
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Open Thread Thursday

Who would you switch for? I've always had a thing for butch rocker chicks, so I'm thinking Joan Jett.
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Matt Sanchez Responds, Sort Of

NEW VISITORS: The first Matt Sanchez post is here.

Yesterday, I emailed Matt Sanchez nine questions. This morning he gave me a very brief response to some of the questions, to which I asked for clarification and elaboration. As of 5pm, I haven't heard back. The last three questions were sent to Matt in a second email yesterday, which he asked that I resend this morning. Those remain unanswered. As I'm sure most of you will be, I'm somewhat disappointed with a few of the answers. I've waited all day, hoping for some elaboration on the responses, but rather than continue to make you folks wait any longer, here they are.

UPDATE: Sanchez has emailed me elaboration on some of the first questions and has answered the final three. I've added the new responses below.

JMG: Thanks for agreeing to the interview, Matt. First of all, can we get some background on your life leading up to joining the Marines and being accepted at Columbia?

SANCHEZ: Tons of stuff, where to begin?

JMG: Why did you leave the porn industry, where you were so successful?

SANCHEZ: Give me a break Joe, we both know that industry is poisonous. The sad part of this whole controversy, is that if your readers had heard that I had died of a drug overdose or some STD, they probably would have written a lot of nice comments, but no one would have been surprised.

JMG: Do you consider yourself gay?

SANCHEZ: Boyfriends: 0 Fiance: 2 Wife: 1. I'd say I'm pretty bad at being gay.

JMG: What do you think of Ann Coulter, especially regarding her "faggot" remark at CPAC? What did Ann say to you?

SANCHEZ: I, personally wouldn't have used the word faggot in public like that. That said, Ann made a joke and that's just what she does. I wouldn't want her right to speak breeched in any way. The complaints from all these pissed off people is hilarious. I know Ann gets a kick out of being a provocateur, and these hissyfits will probably figure in her next article.

JMG: What do you think will be the fallout from this revelation about your past?

SANCHEZ: I'll be relieved. I've moved forward a lot and this past stuff is not something I want to drag into my future. I'll be able to address these issues seriously and with some authority. All in all, it will be positive. MORE: I'm certain I'll take my lumps for a while. It's been a great distraction, as I'm currently studying for midterms, but I believe in the end I'll be just fine. Most of the responses I've seen on your site have been fairly crude and stereotypically radical. But in my reality, the people around me including the many conservatives I've met this weekend have been extremely kind and supportive. They want me to get my word out right away and not let the "other side" frame the conversation. I've also been contacted with people who have similar episodes in their life. People like Rich Merritt a have been extremely helpful.

JMG: Tell me about your forthcoming book.

SANCHEZ: Not yet. MORE: I've got to keep that one under wraps for the moment. You know how it is, you're writing a book. I just don't want to emotionally charge my project with all this melodrama. I want a well thought-out and well crafted piece I won't be embarrassed to show, because the Kristen Bjorn stuff is embarrassing enough.

As noted above, the next 3 questions were in a second email which Sanchez asked me to resend this morning. No response, as yet.

JMG: Do you know Jeff Gannon? Have you ever worked together or socialized at political functions? As escorts?

SANCHEZ: Nope, nope, and nope. I did get an e-mail from Jeff Gannon and I constantly hear the comparison between him and myself. Frankly, I don't think it's the same. I would be more like Rich Merritt, although, from what I understand, he's a flaming liberal. It's funny you ask this question. There's something about the beleaguered gay psyche that wants to prove to the world that everyone is just as messed up as they are. So, they start off with the term hypocrite and work their way backwards looking for signs of deviant behavior in hopes of discovering some type of bastard kinship. That's why I've had the term self-loathing thrown at me so often. The gay community eats its own in a frenzied hope of self-serving fulfillment.

JMG: Are you a registered Republican? Have you donated time or money to the GOP or any Republican candidate?

SANCHEZ: I'm a registered Republican, although I will admit that I voted for Hilary the first time around at Senate, following 9/11. I have donated money and time. There's a Ric Santorum pic running around somewhere, I'm sure your little elves will find it at some point.

JMG: Have you ever visited The White House?

SANCHEZ: No, I have never visited the White House, although I've seen it from the outside. Does that count? Weren't there escorts there during the Clinton administration?

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UPDATE: I've been contacted by an MSNBC segment producer for Countdown w/ Keith Olbermann, who will be covering the Matt Sanchez story tonight at 8PM.
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HomoQuotable - Boy George

"I do think it's shocking that somebody who has made so much money out of gay people is now part of an organisation which is anti-gay." - Boy George, speaking against Madonna and her relationship with Kabbalah, about which he says, "I have investigated it and they are homophobic." (YouTube.) In the past, George has called Madonna "a vile, hideous, horrible human being with no redeeming qualities".

A-list Prada Bears

Above:This was sent to me by Jimbo in DC, who thinks it sums up the NYC bear scene. Seems about right.
Below: A-list NYC bear Gayest Neil slaps back.

Tech Question

In order to a do an occasional short audio post, I'm looking for a decent microphone and audio editing program. All I've got is the lame mic that came with my laptop, plus whatever recorder came packaged with WinXP. Advice? I don't need anything fancy, just something that a luddite like myself can operate. Is there anything out there that can make me more sound like Vin Diesel and less like Meg Tilly? Cuz that would be cool.

Kryptonite For DADT

Jockohomo tipped me to this story about an Army drill sergeant charged with sex crimes for forcing a male private to dress in a Superman costume and have sex, under the guise of "helping" the soldier with his depression. This is more bad news for the DADT-repeal movement, as surely the fundies will jump all over this, as they did with last week's conviction of an Air Force officer for drugging and raping four servicemen.

Coulter Dropped By Tennessee Paper

The Mountain Press has issued a statement announcing that they will no longer run Ann Coulter's column.

"When we agree to buy a syndicated column we expect the writer to offer responsible, reasoned opinion on national and international issues," Editor Stan Voit said. "Ms. Coulter's column drew an unusual amount of criticism from our readers when we first started running it, but we felt she was a nationally known writer offering her opinions in her own style. However we will not continue to publish the columns of someone who uses people as a punch line to get a cheap laugh and who so freely uses an offensive term to describe another human being."

Good for them. Coulter has also lost advertisers from her website, including Verizon, Sallie Mae, and Netbank.

UPDATE: The Oakland Press and the Lancaster New Era have also dropped Coulter.

Libby Libby Libby On The Label Label Label

With all the local drama yesterday, I didn't get a chance to comment on the Libby verdict. So much has been said, all I can add is this: I am dancing. In my underwear. Right now. For real. They hate when I do that at the office. Also, shall we begin a countdown until Dubya grants a pardon?

Trans Fat Ban Takes Toll (Cookies)

NYC bakers, forced to stop using butter due to the city's ban on trans fats, now use delicious palm oil and margarine in cookies and muffins. Mmm, mmm. Palm oil. Now that's how you make a cookie. Everybody happy now? CORRECTION: Only some of the bakers are avoiding butter, in order to satisfy commercial customers such as Starbucks who want to be able to use the label "trans fat free". Butter is still legal. Thanks to Toby and Gabriel for the correction. Natural trans fat is still legal. Now I'm off to enjoy a Starbucks palm oil muffin.

Sanchez & Gingrich

[Image removed at request of photographer.]

From an anonymous emailer: Matt Sanchez meeting with possible 2008 presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. No further details available.

Morning View - Bethesda Terrace Arcade

Near the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, we found the restoration of the Bethesda Terrace Arcade Minton Tile ceiling complete, arriving the day after the grand re-opening. The 15,976 encaustic ceramic tiles, weighing a total of 49 tons, had been undergoing an extensive and labor intensive restoration for years. About 25% of the tiles were found unsalvageable, and the Farmboyz were rather disappointed that the new tiles did not precisely match the old colors. Still, the archway was full of delighted fans taking many pictures. Blind item: Yes, the archway would make a lovely place for a wedding. Trivia: The U.S. Capitol floors are paved with Minton Tiles. (Photo: Gothamist.)

Set Your Phasers On "Hurl"

No, really. The Navy, in partnership with a company called Invocan, is trying to develop a sound weapon that will use radio waves that cause the enemy to get disoriented, pass out, or vomit. Invocan describes the weapon as a "Star Trek hand-held Phaser Weapon set on 'Stun'." Since Paramount probably owns the trademark on "phaser", I suggest Retch Ray. Or Boot Beam. Hey, how about Spew Gun? If the police used it to raid a frat party, would anybody be able to tell?

Jeff Gannon Redux

If you are familiar with Cpl. Matt Sanchez, you probably know him as the handsome 36-year old Columbia University junior and USMC reservist who recently made the rounds of right-wing talk shows like O'Reilly Factor and Hannity & Colmes, where he received praise for coming forward and complaining about his treatment at the hands of Columbia's "radical anti-military students" who called him names and mocked his military service. Sanchez was then feted at the CPAC conference where Ann Coulter made her "faggot" remark. Sanchez wrote an op-ed piece on the Columbia experience for the NY Post and began a blog and MySpace page chronicling his media exposure.

Now, if you're like me, you might think, "Hmm, 36 years old and he's a junior in college and only a corporal in the Marines?" Odd, but not totally implausible. But Sanchez' face tinkled a few gay bells out there in fairyland, and last night I began to get emails letting me know that his rather late appearance on the Ivy League scene was because Sanchez has had a lengthy career in gay porn, working under the names Rod Majors (NSFW) and Pierre LaBranche, starring in such art films as Jawbreaker, Donkey Dick, and Glory Holes Of Fame 3, where his "11-inch uncut monster cock" earned him a devoted following.

Now, porn stars are entitled to enter the miliary, although Sanchez obviously had to do it on the downlow. Porn stars are entitled to have a right-wing ideology, even though the very people he supports would love to see gay porn stars strung up by the nuts. (Wait, have I seen that movie?) But, Oh.The.Irony. of Sanchez appearing with Bill O'Reilly who only a couple of days went apoplectic over San Francisco's "Colt Studio Day." And OH, the irony of Ann "Faggot" Coulter happily posing with Sanchez for a photo-op. The right-wing has gobbled this porn hunk up with a spoon, never knowing that tons of men have gobbled up his monster cock ON FILM. I love it, I love it, I love it.

Thanks to those that tipped me to this story. In particular, please visit the blog of Tom Bacchus, who has written a thoroughly hilarious post on Matt Sanchez/Rod Majors/Pierre LaBranche, with many totally NSFW photos. Now let's all watch how Coulter, Malkin, O'Reilly, etc try and spin THIS one. This is gonna be good.

UPDATE: Sanchez also writes Amazon reviews under his own name, where he plugs a book called Facercise, which he credits for changing his appearance. Here's a 1998 interview he did for porn studio Kristen Bjorn.

UPDATE II: Sanchez appears to have commented on this post, below. I emailed him an interview request and he's agreed. Stand by.

UPDATE III: I just had a 35-minute phone call with Matt Sanchez, in which he was very candid and friendly. We spoke about a wide-range of topics: freedom of speech at Columbia, the Marine Corps, the gay porn industry, Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Chi Chi Larue, his upcoming book and the CPAC conference. Matt has promised to respond via email to the set of questions that I sent him, and I will post his responses unedited tomorrow. If his responses are as candid and thought-provoking as our conversation, it should prove fascinating. Sanchez is no dumb bunny.

UPDATE IV: Email from Sanchez @ 4:21pm: "Wow, who knew a little award and a couple of pictures would get me all this attention? Death threats, hate mail and plenty of strangers who want to be my "friend"--and it's not even 4 pm!!! I'm going to be writing a piece and posting it on this site by tomorrow. You'll forgive me for the delay, but between this week's midterms, my full-time job and working out at the gym, there's just not enough time in the day." Same message on his blog, Cpl. Matt Sanchez, plus a pic of Coulter.

UPDATE V: I have interviewed Matt Sanchez here.

Bloggers reacting to this post: Advocate, Bay Area Reporter, Gay.com, AMERICAblog, Think Progress, Max Blumenthal, FireDogLake, Post Modern Barney, Mixter's Mix, Pam's House Blend, Balls And Walnuts, World-O-Crap, Buzz Flash, Unscrewing, Gay Patriot, AlterNet, Democratic Underground, Shakespeare's Sister, Salon, Huffington Post, This Modern World, Atrios, Michelle Malkin Is An Idiot, Michelle Malkin, Citizen Crain, Say Anything, Towleroad, Gawker, Queerty, Daily Kos, Fleshbot (NSFW) , Jockohomo, Mercury Rising, Liberaltopia, Emboldened, All Spin Zone, The Right's Field, Queer Sighted, Boy Culture, Stranger Slog, Michael Petrelis, Pink Dome, Gay.com....and many more.

Neat!

Jeff found this sketch of me on the Flickr account of a cute Canadian cub who goes by Fuzzbelly. (Blog.) I like it, I look like a bruiser! Nice job, Fuzzbelly!

Hillary Wants The Gays

On Friday, Hillary Clinton made a keynote speech to the Human Rights Campaign, telling them that she wanted a "partnership" with gays in her presidential campaign. What she did not do, however, was publicize the speech via either her Senate office or her campaign office. Clinton's spokeman said the event was not publicized because the HRC board meeting is closed to the press. Sounds to me like an evasion (and late-Friday announcements are the hallmark of somebody wishing to avoid heavy news coverage), but the HRC did an end-run by posting her speech on YouTube. HRC Vice President David Smith said the HRC has not endorsed any candidate and has no plan to make an endorsement "anytime soon".

HomoQuotable - Steve Koval

"(Anderson) Cooper refuses to say which team he plays for even though he sees no problem with asking others the same question. I'm sure Cooper has developed some exquisitely fabulous rationalizations for letting all of us lesser gay mortals do the heavy lifting in our fight for equality. But the truth is very simple: Anderson Cooper is a coward." - NY Blade writer Steve Koval, in a March 1st post on NYBlade Blog.
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Virtual Fireplace

The wind chill in NYC will be -5 degrees tonight, but warm yourselves up on this panoramic photo of yesterday's Winter Party, sent in by the South Beach Bum. Embiggen makey toasty. Thanks, Gary!

St. Patrick's Gay

NYC's second-in-command, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is flying to Ireland next week to march in Dublin's St. Patrick's Day parade, in protest of the continuing ban on gays from New York's parade. The NYC parade is the world's largest, with 150,000 marchers and millions of viewers.

The parade's organizers, the Catholic Church-run Ancient Order of Hibernians, successfully went to federal court a decade ago in order to protect their ban on green homos. Officially, gays are welcome to march as individuals....as long as nobody can tell they're gay. That means no rainbow flags, no pink shamrocks, no excellent haircuts, etc.

In 1994, Quinn was one of over 100 gay protesters arrested for civil disobedience at the parade. This year's parade is on a Saturday and if ILGO (the Irish Lesbian And Gay Organization) is planning a protest, I'll be there.

Showbiz Round-Up

Last week I had dinner with Queer Of The Year 2006, Mike Jones, musical superstars Steve Schalchlin and Jim Brochu, and theatrical producer Jerry Wade. Mike had just arrived from a taping of the Montell Williams show, where he tangled with loony Exodus front man Alan Chambers. I'll let you know when the show airs. Mike is also about to put his infamous massage table up on eBay, to benefit Denver's Project Angel Heart, which delivers free meals to people with HIV/AIDS. I'll post the auction when it goes up. Anybody wanna own a real piece of American political history? Will Haggard's DNA be included?

Steve and Jim have cast replacements for themselves in their off-Broadway hit The Big Voice: God Or Merman?, and will be leaving the show March 11th to begin touring their Ovation-winning Zero Hour, a one-Brochu show about theatre legend Zero Mostel. And Jerry Wade hipped me to a couple of his projects: the monthly George Bernard Shaw series, Project Shaw at The Players Theatre, and Spaulding Gray: Stories Left To Tell, at the Minetta Lane Theatre, featuring a five-person ensemble reading Gray's stories. I was always fascinated with Gray, even his Staten Island Ferry suicide was theatrical.

UPDATE: Mike's Montell episode airs Monday, March 12th.
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No More "Porn Days" For SF

SF Mayor Gavin Newsom can't stay out of the news these days. Marital infidelity, a gay stalker, and now the right-wing is coming after him for designating last Friday "Colt Studios Day", in honor of the 40th anniversary of the legendary SF-based porn studio. Rev. Louis Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition says, "San Francisco has proven yet again why they remain the mocked city of the country." Newsom's office is claiming that proclamations such as "Colt Studios Day" are routinely granted without the mayor's personal involvement and that such declarations will be more closely evaluated going forward. Damn, personally I was looking forward to "Titan Media Day".

Better The Drag Queen You Know

Is nobody else terrified by the concept of 250 marching Kylie Minogue-impersonating drag queens? Can somebody please send me a picture of this? I want to file it in my ever-burgeoning Signs Of The End Times folder. Similar to my feelings on Madonna, I'm not a Kylie fan, but I'm not not a fan. Got that? Never having attended Sydney's Mardi Gras is perhaps my greatest failing as a professional homosexual. Sigh.

Morning View - Central Park

Aaron took this shot from the top of Belvedere Castle on Saturday, as we had a nice afternoon strolling through Central Park with the Farmboyz. That's Turtle Pond on the lower right, with the Delacorte Theatre just above, home of the Public Theatre's annual production of Shakespeare In The Park. In the distance is Emery Roth's masterpiece, The Beresford, one of the most magnificent residential buildings in the world.

HomoQuotable - Andrew Sullivan

"When you see her in such a context, you realize that she truly represents the heart and soul of contemporary conservative activism, especially among the young. The standing ovation for Romney was nothing like the eruption of enthusiasm that greeted her. . . . She is the new Republicanism. The sooner people recognize this, the better. - Andrew Sullivan, speaking about Coulter's reception at CPAC.
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