Saturday, June 27, 2009

Empire State Building Goes Gay

As is tradition, this weekend the Empire State Building is illuminated in lavender to commemorate gay Pride.

Labels: , , ,


Bloggers On The March

If you attend NYC's Pride Parade, keep an eye out for the marching bloggers. We're in Section 8 (heh) right behind the float for Club Atlantis. That should be interesting. We step off at noon from West 54th Street & Fifth Avenue.

Labels: , , , ,


Slideshow: Blowoff Pride NYC

Labels: , , , , , , ,


The Foot Wore A Spiked Heel

It was June 28th, 1969.

The day that the fags, dykes, and queens of New York City finally said "Enough!" For some historical perspective, I'm posting the story that the New York Daily News ran that week about the Stonewall Riots. Note how the story drips with condescension and ridicule. We've come a long, long way in 40 years and we've still got some distance to cover, but today we should all offer up a shout, a snap, and a silent prayer of thanks to the people who started us down this road.

HOMO NEST RAIDED - QUEEN BEES ARE STINGING MAD

-by Jerry Lisker, New York Daily News, July 6th 1969

She sat there with her legs crossed, the lashes of her mascara-coated eyes beating like the wings of a hummingbird. She was angry. She was so upset she hadn't bothered to shave. A day old stubble was beginning to push through the pancake makeup. She was a he. A queen of Christopher Street.

Last weekend the queens had turned commandos and stood bra strap to bra strap against an invasion of the helmeted Tactical Patrol Force. The elite police squad had shut down one of their private gay clubs, the Stonewall Inn at 57 Christopher St., in the heart of a three-block homosexual community in Greenwich Village. Queen Power reared its bleached blonde head in revolt. New York City experienced its first homosexual riot. "We may have lost the battle, sweets, but the war is far from over," lisped an unofficial lady-in-waiting from the court of the Queens.

"We've had all we can take from the Gestapo," the spokesman, or spokeswoman, continued. "We're putting our foot down once and for all." The foot wore a spiked heel. According to reports, the Stonewall Inn, a two-story structure with a sand painted brick and opaque glass facade, was a mecca for the homosexual element in the village who wanted nothing but a private little place where they could congregate, drink, dance and do whatever little girls do when they get together.

The thick glass shut out the outside world of the street. Inside, the Stonewall bathed in wild, bright psychedelic lights, while the patrons writhed to the sounds of a juke box on a square dance floor surrounded by booths and tables. The bar did a good business and the waiters, or waitresses, were always kept busy, as they snaked their way around the dancing customers to the booths and tables. For nearly two years, peace and tranquility reigned supreme for the Alice in Wonderland clientele.

The Raid Last Friday

Last Friday the privacy of the Stonewall was invaded by police from the First Division. It was a raid. They had a warrant. After two years, police said they had been informed that liquor was being served on the premises. Since the Stonewall was without a license, the place was being closed. It was the law.

All hell broke loose when the police entered the Stonewall. The girls instinctively reached for each other. Others stood frozen, locked in an embrace of fear.

Only a handful of police were on hand for the initial landing in the homosexual beachhead. They ushered the patrons out onto Christopher Street, just off Sheridan Square. A crowd had formed in front of the Stonewall and the customers were greeted with cheers of encouragement from the gallery.

The whole proceeding took on the aura of a homosexual Academy Awards Night. The Queens pranced out to the street blowing kisses and waving to the crowd. A beauty of a specimen named Stella wailed uncontrollably while being led to the sidewalk in front of the Stonewall by a cop. She later confessed that she didn't protest the manhandling by the officer, it was just that her hair was in curlers and she was afraid her new beau might be in the crowd and spot her. She didn't want him to see her this way, she wept.

Queen Power

The crowd began to get out of hand, eye witnesses said. Then, without warning, Queen Power exploded with all the fury of a gay atomic bomb. Queens, princesses and ladies-in-waiting began hurling anything they could get their polished, manicured fingernails on. Bobby pins, compacts, curlers, lipstick tubes and other femme fatale missiles were flying in the direction of the cops. The war was on. The lilies of the valley had become carnivorous jungle plants.

Urged on by cries of "C'mon girls, lets go get'em," the defenders of Stonewall launched an attack. The cops called for assistance. To the rescue came the Tactical Patrol Force.

Flushed with the excitement of battle, a fellow called Gloria pranced around like Wonder Woman, while several Florence Nightingales administered first aid to the fallen warriors. There were some assorted scratches and bruises, but nothing serious was suffered by the honeys turned Madwoman of Chaillot.

Official reports listed four injured policemen with 13 arrests. The War of the Roses lasted about 2 hours from about midnight to 2 a.m. There was a return bout Wednesday night.

Two veterans recently recalled the battle and issued a warning to the cops. "If they close up all the gay joints in this area, there is going to be all out war."

Bruce and Nan

Both said they were refugees from Indiana and had come to New York where they could live together happily ever after. They were in their early 20's. They preferred to be called by their married names, Bruce and Nan.

"I don't like your paper," Nan lisped matter-of-factly. "It's anti-fag and pro-cop."

"I'll bet you didn't see what they did to the Stonewall. Did the pigs tell you that they smashed everything in sight? Did you ask them why they stole money out of the cash register and then smashed it with a sledge hammer? Did you ask them why it took them two years to discover that the Stonewall didn't have a liquor license."

Bruce nodded in agreement and reached over for Nan's trembling hands.

"Calm down, doll," he said. "Your face is getting all flushed."

Nan wiped her face with a tissue.

"This would have to happen right before the wedding. The reception was going to be held at the Stonewall, too," Nan said, tossing her ashen-tinted hair over her shoulder.

"What wedding?," the bystander asked.

Nan frowned with a how-could-anybody-be-so-stupid look. "Eric and Jack's wedding, of course. They're finally tying the knot. I thought they'd never get together."

Meet Shirley

"We'll have to find another place, that's all there is to it," Bruce sighed. "But every time we start a place, the cops break it up sooner or later."

"They let us operate just as long as the payoff is regular," Nan said bitterly. "I believe they closed up the Stonewall because there was some trouble with the payoff to the cops. I think that's the real reason. It's a shame. It was such a lovely place. We never bothered anybody. Why couldn't they leave us alone?"

Shirley Evans, a neighbor with two children, agrees that the Stonewall was not a rowdy place and the persons who frequented the club were never troublesome. She lives at 45 Christopher St.

"Up until the night of the police raid there was never any trouble there," she said. "The homosexuals minded their own business and never bothered a soul. There were never any fights or hollering, or anything like that. They just wanted to be left alone. I don't know what they did inside, but that's their business. I was never in there myself. It was just awful when the police came. It was like a swarm of hornets attacking a bunch of butterflies."

A reporter visited the now closed Stonewall and it indeed looked like a cyclone had struck the premises.

Police said there were over 200 people in the Stonewall when they entered with a warrant. The crowd outside was estimated at 500 to 1,000. According to police, the Stonewall had been under observation for some time. Being a private club, plain clothesmen were refused entrance to the inside when they periodically tried to check the place. "They had the tightest security in the Village," a First Division officer said, "We could never get near the place without a warrant."

Police Talk

The men of the First Division were unable to find any humor in the situation, despite the comical overtones of the raid.

"They were throwing more than lace hankies," one inspector said. "I was almost decapitated by a slab of thick glass. It was thrown like a discus and just missed my throat by inches. The beer can didn't miss, though, "it hit me right above the temple."

Police also believe the club was operated by Mafia connected owners. The police did confiscate the Stonewall's cash register as proceeds from an illegal operation. The receipts were counted and are on file at the division headquarters. The warrant was served and the establishment closed on the grounds it was an illegal membership club with no license, and no license to serve liquor.

The police are sure of one thing. They haven't heard the last from the Girls of Christopher Street.


They sure fucking haven't.

Labels: , , , ,


Friday, June 26, 2009

HIV Travel Ban To Be Lifted

It's looks like the Obama administration is finally going to implement a directive signed by Dubya almost a year ago.

The first step to ending the HIV travel ban in the United States has been taken by the Obama administration. The Office of Management and Budget posted a notice on its site Friday afternoon indicating that the department of Health and Human Services could move forward with steps to change a regulation that has restricted HIV-positive people from gaining entrance into the United States. The proposed change will likely have an impact on both travel and immigration to the United States. Under current regulations, non-U.S. citizens who are HIV-positive cannot travel to the United States unless they are granted a waiver by the Department of Homeland Security. Immigrants have also been required to be tested for HIV. The actual regulatory change, however, will not be available until next week and advocates are waiting to analyze the exact language.

If implemented, the repeal should be in place by this fall.

Labels: , , ,


At The DNC Fundraiser Protest

The Washington Blade reports on last night's action.

Labels: , , , , , ,


My Interview With Next Magazine

I guess it's JMG Magazine Week cuz there's an interview with me in the current issue of Next Magazine, in which they ask gay New Yorkers "of every generation" about their lives. Whee, I'm not the oldest one! Here's their set-up:
The 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots got us thinking about all the gay men who have come before us and what lessons we can learn from them. In response, for our annual issue of Pride profiles, we decided to look at gay men of different generations—in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s—and to see the difference between them. While some prefer Tennessee Williams to Madonna and some partied at Studio 54 while others live it up on the Lower East Side, we found that they also have plenty of common experiences and concerns, no matter what age they are. While we tried to choose “everyday” gay city dwellers, nothing about our subjects is ordinary. They all lead exciting and active lives that can teach us a lot about ourselves and gay life in New York in 2009.
The full interview is at the bottom of this page, right after Kevin Aviance. Hopefully I don't sound like too much of a tool.

(Via - Kenneth In The 212)

Labels: , , ,


Tomorrow: Bear Hill in Central Park

Every couple of Saturdays during warm weather, my crew gathers on Bear Hill in Central Park to kick back under the trees and enjoy the disco oldies from the roller rink below. Most days there's a dozen of so of us, but sometimes on special weekends such as Pride, our numbers swell greatly. So if you're in the neighborhood, feel free to join us. We get there about 2pm and the music runs until 5:30 or so. Most of us bring blankets or park chairs, but the grass is comfy too. Some of us bring refreshing beverages camouflaged in Sprite bottles. Bear Hill is due west of the Bandshell and southwest of the Bethesda Fountain. Following the thumping music or look for Skater's Way on this map.

Labels: , , , ,


Party Pooper

Press secretary Robert Gibbs says that there will be no new announcements of action on LGBT issues at Monday's gay cocktail party at the White House.

Labels: , , , , ,


Gay Exorcism Vids Hit CNN

Over three months ago I told you about the Connecticut church that was performing outrageous and abusive "exorcisms" on young gay men. For some reason this story has finally caught the attention of the MSM. Below CNN interviews the pastor of the church who lies that she has nothing against homosexuals. Yeah.

Labels: , , ,


Signorile Vs. Barney Frank

Surf over to Michelangelo Signorile's site and listen to him tangle with Rep. Barney Frank over the way gay activists have reacted to the Obama administration on LGBT rights. Things get quite heated. Signorile:
Barney became very unhappy with me and pretty heated when I played Howard Dean's comments on the DOMA brief, trying to stop me and saying he didn't come on for me to "play records." He defended the brief, defended the President on LGBT rights, defended Democrats in the House (though he said we need to take on Democrats in the Senate) and defended the DNC fundraiser. Barney and I have known each other for many years, agree on many things, disagree on others, and often when he comes on the show it can be a spirited discussion. This time I'd say he was a more angry about issues, particularly with how some of us who have criticized the Democrats and the White House.
The audio file is here.

Labels: , , , , ,


My Interview With Rachel Maddow

My cover story interview with Rachel Maddow in Pride09 Magazine is stacked ass-high right now in the homo hoods of NYC and SF and has been out elsewhere for a couple of weeks. Pick up a copy of Pride09 in your favorite club, bar, gym, restaurant, whatever....and enjoy some great editorial features, including an in-depth examination of the plight of gay Arabs in Iraq, the state of the vanishing gayborhood, and an evaluation of Obama's performance on LGBT rights by Karen Ocamb. (She gives him a "D".)

Other features include a profile of activist/author Vito Russo, a look at up and coming gay artists, and a great piece on queer cartoonists by Justin Hall. And in case you won't be in Gay Town this weekend, here's a nifty page-turner thingy for reading the entire mag online. Next week I'll pull out some of what Rachel had to say to me and post it here.

NOTE: Pride09 Magazine is published in agreement with InterPride, the national governing body of gay Pride committees, and covers LGBT stories from around the nation. Make sure you also pick up your local guide to gay Pride for important information about your city: parade routes, performers, grand marshals, etc.

Labels: , , , ,


What Would YOU Say To Obama?

National Gay & Lesbian Task Force executive director Rea Carey will be attending Monday's LGBT cocktail party at the White House and wants to know what you'd like her to tell the president.
I will be joining a group of LGBT leaders that President Obama has invited to a reception on Monday to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, the 1969 Greenwich Village demonstrations that gave birth to the modern LGBT rights movement. When I go to the White House, I want to take your voice with me. What would you say to the president? What would you ask? What story would you want told? Let me know by filling out the form below and I'll deliver your message.
Here is the form. Let us know your message.

Labels: , , , , ,


Remembering June 1969

Yesterday the cast of Hair, the chorus boys from West Side Story, and the vogueing houses slated to perform at tomorrow's Love Ball all gathered on the stairs of the new TKTS booth in Times Square to remember the night 40 years ago that sparked the Stonewall Rebellion. In the red headband behind the sailor is openly gay Hair star Gavin Creel. To the sailor's left is Mr. Broadway 2009 Anthony Hollock.

Labels: , , , , ,


Gibbs: No Stop Order On DADT

Yesterday White House press secretary said there will be no stop order on DADT because the administration wants a "durable legislative solution." Americablog points us to tomorrow's "March On The White House" by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Facebook page here.
Like those who drew a line in the sand 40 years ago at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, we're standing up to demand action. It's past time for these discriminatory discharges to end. After 16 years of this nonsensical law, it's critical that President Obama and Congress act to kill "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Together, marching, we have a real opportunity to deliver a powerful message to the White House, to Congress, and to the American people -- and to let our service members know they have not been forgotten. Please sign up now to join us on Saturday: http://www.sldn.org/265. We'll meet in Farragut Square (17th and K St. NW) at 2 p.m. and march from there. We hope to see you on Saturday!

Labels: , , , , ,


New MTA Rates Start Sunday

(Via - Gothamist)

Labels: , , , ,


Daily Grumble

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is the luckiest man in the world today, as we move into Michael Jackson's Continuing Death: Day 2.

Labels: , ,


Queens Internet Killer Confesses:
I Killed Him Over My Hooker Fee

Alexys Fermaintt, 30, yesterday confessed to the Queens stabbing death of Michael Pecora, 38, telling prosecutors that he acted in self-defense after Pecora attacked him with a knife in a dispute over Fermaintt's escort fee.

Fermaintt told authorities that he had met Pecora online and had agreed to have sex and spend the day with him for money. Fermaintt is charged with second-degree murder and may spend 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

Last week after I located Fermaintt's MySpace and YouTube accounts under the screen name Rican2Crave, blogger Rod McCullom uncovered an amateur sex video (NSFW) featuring Fermaintt and three other men in which he appears to be smoking crystal meth.

Labels: , , , , , , ,


Cooper: I Was At Studio 54 With Michael Jackson When I Was 10 Years Old

I guess Mother Vanderbilt had some pull with the doorman.

Labels: , , ,


Gays Orgs Reverse Course, Now Support Federal Marriage Suit

Earlier this month, a powerful coalition of LGBT and progressive groups issued a joint statement in opposition to the federal marriage lawsuit being brought by superstar lawyers Ted Olson and David Boies. Yesterday the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) announced that the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights had reversed course and filed an amicus brief in support of their suit. Law Dork breaks it down:

This is very big news. The initial response, across the board, was that the Olson/Boies suit was a poorly planned, hastily arranged lawsuit by people outside of the “gay establishment” — including the smart and successful lawsuits brought repeatedly by the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). The groups, which included all of these groups, the major political LGBT groups and Evan Wolfson’s Freedom to Marry, wrote:

The groups released a new publication, “Why the ballot box and not the courts should be the next step on marriage in California.” This publication discourages people from bringing premature lawsuits based on the federal Constitution because, without more groundwork, the U.S. Supreme Court likely is not yet ready to rule that same-sex couples cannot be barred from marriage.

Now, the three legal groups other than GLAD apparently have filed court briefs supporting the Olson/Boies suit. GLAD is notably absent, as is Freedom to Marry. Is this a sign of a break in Gay, Inc., on the Olson/Boies suit?

The question here, according to Law Dork, is whether the groups joining the suit have had a real change of mind or if they merely think the suit is unstoppable, so they may as well join in.

Labels: , , , , , , ,


Despite Protests, DNC's LGBT Fundraiser Yields Record $1M

Although protesters outside Washington DC's Mandarin Oriental shouted, "Shame, shame!" and "Don't go in!" last night's DNC fundraiser netted $1M in donations.
A long list of LGBT activists had also registered their discontent by simply declining to attend the dinner: activist David Mixner, former Clinton advisor Richard Socarides, millionaire Bruce Bastian, prominent Obama supporter Stampp Corbin, blogger Andy Towle, and the entire board of the Stonewall Democrats. Despite the controversy, about 180 people showed up to hear Vice President Joe Biden speak for a price tag of $1,000 to $30,400 per plate. The event brought in nearly $1 million, up from about $750,000 last year, according to a Democratic Party source.
But the scene was not one of total discord between inside and outside. Some DNC staffers working the event were also wearing red, white, and blue “265” buttons as a reminder of the number of gay and lesbian service members who have been discharged from the military since President Barack Obama took office. When Vice President Joe Biden took the stage, he told the crowd that he had specifically asked to speak at the event and that his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, had also requested to address a Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network event earlier this month. “I am not unaware of the controversies swirling around this dinner,” Biden said, “swirling around the speed -- or lack thereof -- that we’re moving on issues that are of great importance to you and, quite frankly, to me and to the President and to millions of Americans.”
(Via Kerry Eleveld @ The Advocate, Photo Credit: Bullneck @ Flickr)

Labels: , , , , , , ,


Michael Savage Threatens Watchdogs

Radio loon Michael Savage has threatened to post personal information about the folks at Media Matters on his website. Clearly, he's hoping for another Dr. Tiller.
Right wing talker Michael Savage vowed yesterday during his broadcast that he will retaliate against media watchdog Media Matters for America by posting pictures and “pertinent information” about the organization's staff on his website. He made the comment almost in passing during one of his infamous rants, but did not explain what he expected his followers known as the “Savage Nation” to do with the information.
So far he has posted nothing, but as you can see below, Media Matters remains uncowed.

Labels: , , , , , ,


Tonight: Blowoff At NYC's Highline

Bob Mould and Rich Morel's traveling bear circus returns to Manhattan tonight at the Highline Ballroom in Chelsea. Should be quite the out-of-towner fur fest as Gotham kicks off Pride weekend. Doors open 10pm. Tickets $25. Purchase advance tickets here. You can check out the set list from the last Blowoff here.

Blowoff around the nation: Atlanta, July 4th, at Vinyl. Provincetown Bear Week, July 14th, at the Boatslip. San Francisco, July 15th, at Slim's.

Labels: , , , , , , ,


Shepard Foundation Rejects Perez' $$$

Perez Hilton say he plans to file a civil lawsuit against the Black Eyed Peas and will donate any judgment he wins to the Shepard Foundation as penance for having used hate speech. But the Shepards want no part of it.
"We do not know the details of the lawsuit, whether it has been filed, the nature of his claims or the likely outcome," a statement from Judy Shepard reads. "But because the lawsuit presumably involves the physical attack prompted by Mr. Hilton's admitted use of an anti-gay slur, the Foundation will be unable to accept any funds obtained in such a manner."
Perfect response.

Labels: , , , ,


Thursday, June 25, 2009

His Most Famous Performance

The day after the Motown 25 special aired, Fred Astaire called Michael Jackson to marvel at his Moonwalk.

Labels: , , ,


Michael Jackson Dies Of Cardiac Arrest

Numerous television reports and gossip sites are reporting that Michael Jackson suffered "severe" cardiac arrest this afternoon and is critical condition in a Los Angeles hospital. He was administered CPR in the ambulance and is said to be in "really rough shape." His family is en route to the hospital.

UPDATE: TMZ is reporting that Jackson has died.
We've just learned Michael Jackson has died. He was 50. Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back. A source tells us Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived. LaToya ran in the hospital sobbing, after Jackson was pronounced dead. Michael is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II. Jackson had 13 number one hits during his solo career.
One of my earliest childhood memories is my parents exchanging looks as the Jackson 5's ABC played on the car radio and my dad saying, "Do you think he knows what he's singing about?" And me, in the backseat, the same age as Michael, wondering, "Well, what IS he singing about?"

All of my favorite MJ songs are pre-Thriller. Indulge me.

Labels: , , ,


The Shepards On The Hate Crimes Act


Today U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to move immediately on the hate crimes bill. The bill is reportedly going to be attached to a defense appropriations bill, a tactic which failed the last time it was attempted.

Labels: , , , , ,


Camille Paglia: Gay Activists Are Childish

Camille Paglia thinks gay activists shouldn't be bothering the president at a time when he so many others issues to deal with. She also announces the breakup of her relationship and says she questions whether lesbians are as capable as as gay men in maintaining long-term relationships. "I envy gay men. A fling for a lesbian couple is a betrayal." For gay men, it's a "random mischievous sex organ doing its thing."

Labels: , , , ,


Atheism Ad Campaign Hits NYC

The ad campaign promoting atheism has reached NYC.
The New York commercials were inspired by the first Atheist Bus Campaign in London last January. They were put on 800 buses in response to a campaign by a Christian group whose relatively innocuous messages contained a URL for a Web site that warned that nonbelievers would “spend all eternity in torment.” The New York messages are not in response to any such statements, but merely intended to build on what creators believe was the success of the London campaign. Mr. Bronstein said it was something of a challenge to draft a message that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York deemed acceptable. “I had to be very careful in what they would accept,” Mr. Bronstein said. It took time “to find a statement that we thought was positive, it wasn’t bashing religion and it wasn’t huge.”
A spokesperson for the New York Catholic Diocese said he has no problem with the campaign, citing free speech. The ads were paid for by an anonymous donor and will run on city buses for one month. Visit NYC Atheists for more information.

Labels: , , , ,


Protest New York's Senate Democrats Tonight At New York City Hall

The New York Senate Democratic Conference will be holding a "Hollywood & Broadway" party tonight at NYC Hall. You know, instead of doing any actual fucking work. An instant protest has sprung up:
With all the chaos that has been occurring in the Senate over the past several days and weeks, it's important that we show our elected officials that we won't stand for it. Join Civil Rights Front, Marriage Equality New York, and other LGBT organizations as we gather outside the gates of City Hall and DEMAND that those who support the Marriage Equality Bill, further show their support by making it their priority to have the bill added back to the Senate agenda during these extraordinary sessions.

For those that are able to arrive at 5:00, we will be handing out flyers to those attending the event as they walk through the gates. These flyers will be encouraging them to call their Senator and Governor and make sure that marriage is brought to a vote before the extraordinary sessions end. Please bring signs with a general message calling for them to "Act Now." As those in attendance exit the event, we want everyone to be holding signs so that the message is clear. We can't wait any longer. It's time to put the power back in the hands of the people!!!!

City Hall (260 Broadway). 5:00-6:30pm
Visit the Facebook action page for this event.

Labels: , , , , , ,


Farrah Fawcett Dies At Age 62

Television icon Farrah Fawcett died this morning at age 62 after a three year battle with anal cancer.
Fawcett first stepped into the spotlight playing Jill Munroe in the TV series "Charlie's Angels" in the 1970s. The series became a smash hit and Fawcett quickly became an iconic pin-up model for millions of men. She pioneered a feathered hairstyle dubbed the "Farrah Do" or "Farrah Hair" that remained in vogue throughout the decade. She later went on to earn one of three career Emmy Award nominations for her role as a battered wife in the acclaimed television movie "The Burning Bed." Fawcett stirred controversy when she posed nude in the December 1995 issue of Playboy, but buzz about the actress baring all only served to make the magazine fly off newsstands -- the issue was Playboy's most successful of the 1990s, with over 4 million copies sold worldwide.

Labels: , , , ,


Rosie Gets SiriusXM Show

Rosie O'Donnell, who has been largely out of the media spotlight for several years (other than last fall's appallingly bad variety special), is getting her own daily show on SiriusXM. Via press release:
Rosie Radio will launch this fall and air Monday through Friday from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET/7:00 – 9:00 am PT exclusively on SIRIUS XM Stars, SIRIUS channel 102 and XM channel 155. Rosie Radio will be a daily, two-hour talk show on which the multi-talented entertainer will blend her many passions and interests—an eclectic mix of humor, pop culture and serious conversation. “Rosie O’Donnell is a powerful, dynamic and entertaining voice and now you can only get her on SIRIUS XM,” said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SIRIUS XM Radio. “Rosie’s millions of fans will hear her as they never have before, and have the chance to call in and talk to her and her intriguing guests. Rosie Radio will entertain, inform, surprise and delight.”’
Rosie: "This is an exciting new adventure – two hours of talk show entertainment, without having to wear makeup. Perfection.”

Labels: , , , ,


Peter LaBarbera Lies For Jeebus. Again.

In a piece instantly lapped up by wingnut sites like World Net Daily and others, leather-fascinated closet case Peter LaBarbera has trained his beady pig-eyes for the first time on NYC's Folsom Street East. Sending an undercover cameraman into the paid-admission only event, Porno Pete has again published photos of unsuspecting fairgoers, making the ridiculous claim that "hundreds of fully nude men" roamed Chelsea's West 28th street engaging in "sadistic homosexual" acts in "violation of New York City's lewdness laws."

Reading LaBarbera's post, a friend of mine commented, "Wow, he makes it sound better than it was!"

Hundreds of naked men? Not hardly. I was there for five hours and saw maybe six nude guys out of about 10,000 attendees. (Six nude guys I could have done without, as these things always go. "The goggles! They do nothing!") There weren't even that many guys with their shirts off, thanks to the rain and chilly weather. Embiggen the photo below, taken at the height of the fair while Chi Chi LaRue was cracking up the crowd. Hundreds of naked men engaging in perverted sadomasochistic sex? NO. As always, Peter LaBarbera is a fucking liar for Christ.

Labels: , , , , , ,


Delaware Gets Gay Protections

After a ten year battle by gay activists, yesterday the Delaware legislature voted to add sexual orientation (but not gender identity) to its list of protected classes.
The House chamber erupted in applause, cheers and hugs when representatives passed the measure shortly after 8:30 p.m. An hour earlier, the Senate -- where previous versions of the legislation always were killed -- passed the same bill after a three-hour debate. The bill now goes to Gov. Jack Markell for his signature. Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, who helped push the bill through the House, said Markell has expressed support for it. "We made a big step forward tonight," said Drewry Fennell, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Delaware, which supported the bill. "It protects the most basic activities of human life -- moving about the world, earning a living, keeping a roof over your head," Fennell said. "Now the state has said you can't be discriminated against because of sexual orientation."
The bill covers discrimination in employment, housing, insurance, and public accommodations.

Labels: , , ,


HomoQuotable - Jennifer Chrisler

"Malpractice is defined as engaging in professional wrongdoing that will result in harm. As one of those many leaders across the country fighting for equality for LGBT families, failure to accept the President's invitation to meet with him at the White House this coming Monday would be committing "Movement malpractice."

"For more years than I care to remember we have bemoaned the lack of access and the lack of progress at the federal level for LGBT equal rights. It is no surprise then that after years of toiling to elect fair-minded leaders, and with the assumption that we now have that in the White House and the Congress, we want action and we want it swiftly. When we¹ve struggled as a community for more years than we care to count to achieve equality and we believe for the first time that it is now achievable, our hopes are incredibly high. The knife of disappointment cuts that much deeper and the wounds take much longer to heal. [snip]

"Yes, I will be at the White House this Monday. I will have one of the most important conversations we can have with one of the most important leaders in our nation's history. I will honor the bravery and vision of the LGBT families I work daily to support. I will share their stories with people in power and mince no words about what we want, when we want it and how. This is the oath of my office. Hold me to mine, as I work to hold the President to his." - Family Equality Council executive director Jennifer Chrisler, guest posting on Pam's House Blend.

Read her complete essay.

Labels: , , , , ,


Maddow RIPS Gov. Mark Sanford

Labels: , , , , ,


It'll Blow Your...Uh, What?

Burger King's ad for their "super seven incher" is being described by Entertainment Weekly as "the day that subtlety died."
As you can see here, the woman in said advertisement is about to go down on said Super Seven Incher with a suggestive tagline that uses the word "blow." Mmhmm, I think it's safe to assume that such humor will only be going over the head of those younger than, oh, about 13 years old. (Sorry, parents!) The "copy" at the bottom of the ad -- not sure that you can even seen it here -- takes the whole thing even further: "Fill your desire for something long, juicy and flame-grilled with the NEW BK SUPER SEVEN INCHER," it says.
Flame-broil scented body spray, the creepy King, Facebook apps, and now this. Somebody at BK's agency is doing a really good job of keeping them in the news. But they'll never, ever top Subservient Chicken.

Labels: , , ,


Feds Working On Trans Protection

The New York Times reports that lawyers for the Obama administration are "quietly" working on workplace guidelines banning discrimination against transgender federal employees.
The guidelines will be in an updated federal handbook for managers and supervisors to be distributed and posted online in the next couple of months, and they could also be included in other materials for managers. They will list transgender people — those who identify their gender differently from the information on their birth certificates — as among several groups protected by antidiscrimination laws. Though transgender men and women are not believed to make up more than a fraction of a percent of the federal work force, their inclusion in the discrimination guidelines is seen as a breakthrough by transgender and gay rights advocates. “The president is making a very clear statement that transgender people won’t be discriminated against,” said Mara Keisling, the executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, a group that has been talking with the White House about the new provisions.
Of course, we wouldn't need workplace "guidelines" if we had a little thing called ENDA.

Labels: , , , , ,


Quote Of The Day - John Kerry

“Too bad, if a governor had to go missing it couldn’t have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin.’’ - Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), speaking to a "Democrat-centric" group of business leaders in DC.

Oh my. This one is going to end up in Letterman territory.

Labels: , , , ,


Boomerang

JMG reader Willym sends in this anti-hate speech poster from his native Rome and provides this (loose) translation:
If you call me a dirty [n-word] or a disgusting lesbian, it offends me just as much as me calling you Mafioso because you're Italian. Racism (prejudice) is a boomerang. Sooner or later it comes back to you.

Labels: , , , , , ,


Aqua - Back To The 80's

The Barbie Girl people are back. I really really really shouldn't like this. Totally. Should. Not. Presses repeat. BTW, a dear friend of mine who is a grown-ass man, works out daily to the first Aqua album. For realz.

(Tipped by JMG reader Claire Bear)

Labels: , , , , ,


25 Most Dangerous U.S. Neighborhoods

A compiling of recent FBI and local law enforcement data on violent crimes per capita reveals that Chicago has five of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the nation. I'm kind of surprised to see Orlando on the list, although the cited neighborhood is so famously sketchy I was once told that the local ER had a special admitting stamp for that area only. (One of the tinier reasons my mother was so terrified of me hanging out at the Parliament House.) One NYC nabe on the list - Harlem. I would have guessed Bushwick.
  1. Cincinnati, Ohio (Central Pky./Liberty St.)
  2. Chicago (State St./Garfield Blvd.)
  3. Miami, Fla. (7th Ave./North River Dr.)
  4. Jacksonville, Fla. (Beaver St./Broad St.)
  5. Baltimore (North Ave./Belair Rd.)
  6. Kansas City, Mo. (Bales Ave./30th St.)
  7. Memphis, Tenn. (Warford St./Mount Olive Rd.)
  8. Kansas City, Mo. (Forest Ave./41st St.)
  9. Dallas, Texas (Route 352/Scyene Rd.)
  10. Richmond, Va. (Church Hill)
  11. Memphis, Tenn. (Bellevue Blvd./Lamar Ave.)
  12. Dallas, Texas (2nd Ave./Hatcher St.)
  13. Springfield, Ill. (Cook St./11th St.)
  14. St. Louis (14th St./Dr. Martin Luther King Dr.)
  15. Little Rock, Ark. (Roosevelt Rd./Bond St.)
  16. Philadelphia (Broad St./Dauphin St.)
  17. Tampa, Fla. (Amelia Ave./Tampa St.)
  18. New York City (St. Nicholas Ave./125th St.)
  19. Chicago (66th St./Yale Ave.)
  20. Baltimore (Orleans St./Front St.)
  21. Cleveland (Cedar Ave./55th St.)
  22. Orlando, Fla. (East-West Expy/Orange Blossom Trl.)
  23. Detroit (Mount Elliott St./Palmer Ave.)
  24. Chicago (Wallace St./58th St.)
  25. Chicago (Winchester, Ave./60th St.)

Labels: , , , , ,


On The GOP's "Moral Authority"

The GOP platform on morality is the "RIGHT platform for the country." Wait, what?

Labels: , , , ,


Open Thread Thursday

I went to this GLAAD function at an extremely loud Hell's Kitchen club last Friday and the little swag bag handed me upon departure included a bottle of fancy designer hair "paste." Paste? I shrugged and thought, "Oh, I'll just pass this off to somebody with, you know, hair." And then I realized how few of my inner circle (the type of friends you can gift toiletries to) had hair of any styleable length themselves.

So what's your hair situation? Bald? Shaven? Thinning? Giuliani circa 2001? Are you popping Propecia like Pez? Does your brand of mousse start with R and end in "ogaine"? If you are fully follicled, is Just For Men just for you? Do you use words like "product" and "zhuss"? Is there, gasp, a blow-dryer in your daily routine?

Labels: ,


Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Maria, Maria, The Guv Luuuvs Your Magnificent Boobies, Mariaaaa!!!

From an email from SC Gov. Mark Sanford to his Argentine mistress, Maria:
"You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of sophistication that so fitting with your beauty. I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificent gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curve of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of the night’s light."
This part reads best if done in a Barry White voice:
"Please sleep soundly knowing that despite the best efforts of my head my heart cries out for you, your voice, your body, the touch of your lips, the touch of your finger tips and an even deeper connection to your soul.”
Ooooh, SANG it me, Barry!

(Voice of announcer: Person in photo not Maria.)

Labels: , , , , , , ,


Flashback: Gov. Sanford On Gay Marriage


Dan Savage:
Sanford was more than five months into his affair when he gave this interview—and you gotta love Joe shoving his tongue up Sanford's ass at the end of the interview: "We all love you, Mark." Get in line, Joe. And Sanford—who ditched his four young kids on Father's Day in favor of his mistress—opposes civil unions for gay couples and adoptions by gay couples. Because every child deserves a mother and a father...

Labels: , , , , , , ,


NY Senate Adjourns After 5 Minutes, Will This Freak Show Continue Tomorrow?

Via Twitter, I'm hearing that the NY Senate adjourned today's session five minutes after it started. Five minutes is HARDLY enough time for the Senate's usual accusations, double-crossing, triple-crossing, secret deals, secret alliances, name calling, lock outs, and temper tantrums. What, oh what, could tomorrow possibly bring? We have NO GOVERNMENT in New York State.

UPDATE: Via Unite The Fight:


Empire State Pride Agenda:
“State Senators need to know that it is unacceptable to leave Albany without voting on and passing the marriage bill. Marriage equality is not a partisan issue and should never be used as a political football in the current situation that has caused complete gridlock in the state capitol. Thousands of New York families expect and need Senators to immediately figure out a way to work together and start doing the people’s business.

We expect that marriage will be at the top of the agenda when the stalemate is over and the Senate resumes its business, but only when we are certain that any such vote taken by the Senate is valid and not subject to legal challenge. The bill must be handled respectfully and given its due debate so that Senators can vote their conscience on this vitally important issue."

Labels: , , ,


Anti-Gay SC Gov. Mark "Defender Of Marriage" Sanford Busted For Infidelity

The interwebs has been buzzing for days over the mysterious disappearance of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who ditched his security detail and went missing for a week. After claims that he'd been out "hiking the Appalachian Trail" (snork!), the truth comes out. Sanford had been in Buenos Aires visiting his mistress.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says he’s been having an affair and will resign as head of the Republican Governor’s Association. The married father of four emotionally apologized to his wife, staff and others after returning today from a trip to Argentina that followed a days-long absence. His staff had said the Republican was hiking on the Appalachian Trail. He had been a rumored contender for the 2012 GOP ticket. A former congressman, he’s most recently snared headlines for his unsuccessful fight to turn aside federal stimulus cash for his state’s schools.
Sanford vigorously supported South Carolina's Defense Of Marriage Act. Bwa ha ha ha.

Labels: , , , , , ,


HomoQuotable - Rep. Jared Polis

"I’m a Democrat and a proud Democrat. Our party’s not perfect but certainly I will help the Democrats however I can. I did an event for Democrats for education reform Monday and if you figure our party has a ways to go on LGBT equality, we have even further to go on education reform where President Obama has been a great leader, but those are battles we fight every day. [snip]

"What a lot of the community is frustrated about -- and I share this frustration -- is the brief that defended [the Defense of Marriage Act]. President Obama ran on a platform of repealing DOMA in its entirety and certainly we can take him at his word on that. But filing a brief to defend it and using some of the citations that they did was rightfully offensive to our community and that’s why many donors have chosen to withhold their donations until they feel more comfortable with the Democratic Party." - Openly gay Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), who says he will attend tomorrow's LGBT DNC fundraiser, but says that it's "reasonable" for gays to donate to activist groups rather than the Democratic Party.

(Via Kerry Eleveld @ The Advocate)

Labels: , , ,


ENDA Introduced In U.S. House

Finally! HRC's press release:
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, hailed today the bipartisan reintroduction of an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would create federal protections against workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The lead sponsors of the measure are Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA), IIeana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jared Polis (D-CO), Michael Castle (R-DE), George Miller (D-CA), Mark Kirk (R-IL), John Conyers (D-MI), Todd Platts (R-PA), Rob Andrews (D-NJ), and Leonard Lance (R-NJ).

“Just like our friends, neighbors and coworkers, LGBT Americans work hard, provide for our families and contribute to our nation’s economy,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “We all share the challenges of today's economic downturn, but our community also faces arbitrary discrimination in the workplace, simply because of who we are and who we love. Congress must pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and ensure that all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, get a fair chance to succeed at work.”
Remember, this is a trans-inclusive version of ENDA, unlike the one that passed the House in 2007.

Labels: , , , ,


Howard Dean Drops Out Of DNC Event

Saying he has a "scheduling conflict," former DNC chairman Howard Dean has dropped out of tomorrow's LGBT fundraiser. The list is lengthening. John Aravois at Americablog reacts:
It's interesting that the very heterosexual Howard Dean is willing to take a stronger stand for civil rights than our own gay elected representatives, Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin, and Jared Polis. That Howard Dean is willing to take a stronger stand for the gay community than the following who are still attending, or have lent their name to the event:

Suze Orman
Elizabeth Birch
Virginia Governor / DNC Chair Tim Kaine
Chairman Barney Frank
Representatives Tammy Baldwin and Jared Polis
District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty
NBJC's Alexander Robinson (while NBJC has said that none of their board of directors will be attending, it's not clear what Robinson's current role is with the organization, nor whether he has yet decided whether to pull out or not)
GMHC's Marjorie Hill
Iraq Marine vet Brian Fricke (whom you may have seen on 60 Minutes)
Billy Bean
Former GLAAD head Joan Garry
Keith Boykin
Ray Buckley
Brian Johnson
Former SLDN head Dixon Osburn
Paul Smith
Krystal Ball

Labels: , , , , ,


PhoboQuotable - Sally Kern

"For the first time in America’s history, we have a president who has no understanding of the Biblical worldview and who has even less understanding of the truths of the Bible. This is evident when he says that support for homosexual “marriage” [unions] can be found in the Sermon on the Mount or that certain passages in Romans are just obscure passages. Whereas George Washington expelled from his military those who practiced sodomy, President Obama honors sodomites by proclaiming an entire month as Gay Pride Month, but he won’t acknowledge one day for our National Day of Prayer.

"We have a president who doesn’t know the difference between God-given rights and sinful, perverted behavior. The Biblical worldview teaches that all are created equal and worthy of respect but it also teaches that some behaviors, such as homosexuality, are wrong because they violate God’s moral law." - Oklahoma state Rep. Sally Kern, whom you may recall was twice caught bringing a loaded pistol into the OK State House.

Jump over to Pam's House Blend for Kern's latest diatribe, her own "Oklahoma Citizens Proclamation For Morality," in which she proclaims America to be a land for Christians and Christians ONLY.

Labels: , , , , ,


Traditional Value Coalition On Hate Crimes

God's gentle people at the Traditional Values Coalition have posted this strange bit of breakbeat-infused video mocking hate crimes against LGBT people.

Labels: , , , ,


Serenading The Hoff

America's Got Talent judge David Hasselhoff was "honored and humbled" when a male contestant sang a love song about him. Cute bit.

(Via - Towleroad)

Labels: , , , ,


Barclays Presents: The D Train

Ugh, ugh, ugh. NYC's cash-strapped MTA has sold the naming rights to downtown Brooklyn's massive subway station to Barclays Bank. It will now be known as Atlantic-Pacific-Flatbush-Barclays Station, which even more cumbersome than Atlantic-Pacific-Flatbush.
If a $4 million deal is approved on Wednesday, the nexus of subway stops at Atlantic Avenue, Pacific Street and Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn will add an additional name to its already lengthy title: Barclays. This may seem odd, since Barclays is a bank based in London with offices in Manhattan, and the only Barclay Street on the city map is not even in Brooklyn. (It’s in Manhattan, in the financial district.) There will, however, soon be a Barclays Center, the sports arena planned as the focal point of the Atlantic Yards project, and the developer, Forest City Ratner, has agreed to pay the transportation authority $200,000 a year for the next 20 years to rename one of the oldest and busiest stations in the borough.
I could possibly see selling the 59th & Lex station to Bloomingdales, since the station opens right into the store. But where does this end? Burger King Presents Times Square? One of the officials behind the Barclays sale says that considering the current fiscal condition of the MTA, he wouldn't object to Taco Bell's Grand Army Plaza. Yuck.

Labels: , , , , , ,


Queens Dem Senator May Flip To Yes

NY Daily News is reporting that Queens Democratic Sen. George Onorato may be ready to flip his vote on marriage equality to "yes." Onorato's Queens office has been the subject of a nightly vigil by equality activists.

But the same NYDN story also expresses doubt that anything will actually happen in the state Senate today.
Now the Senate Democrats are warring with Paterson over whether he sent yesterday's bills up to the chamber in a timely fashion and if those bills were legal. It's unclear if they'll even show up for today's extraordinary session, much less vote on anything. You've got to believe that Paterson knew darn well that trying to force the gay marriage issue would send Diaz Sr. over the edge; it's not as if the senator has been keeping his opposition to the measure a secret. So what the end game is here is something of a mystery. Does the governor really want a marriage vote? Or is he just trying to have it both ways - preserve the fragile 31-member Senate Democratic conference while also maintaining his relationship with deep-pocketed gay donors?
And round and round we go.

Labels: , , , ,


Ex-Gay Preacher Not So Ex-Gay

"Ex-gay" evangelist Matthew C. Manning claims that he was "rescued" from homosexuality in 1989 and that Jeebus cured his HIV in 1994. Despite his producing no proof that he ever had HIV, Pat Robertson hosted Manning on the 700 Club in 2002, where Manning recounted his tale of glorious redemption to a global audience. Since then he has appeared on numerous Christian shows and has launched Lighthouse World Evangelism, from whose site he sells a $30 DVD about his complete "recovery" from his gayness.

But when Ex-Gay Watch tried to find any evidence of of Manning's HIV claims, instead they found that he has been busted for public sex at least three times since 1998. The most recent incident, in 2005, appears to have resulted in Manning being banned from the 24 Hour Fitness in Santa Rosa, CA.

Everybody who is shocked, leave the room. Yeah, we're all still here, Matthew.

Kudos to Ex-Gay Watch for their excellent detective work. Below, watch Manning make his claim on a 2007 show co-hosted by Exodus International's still-completely-gay Alan Chambers.

(Via - Box Turtle Bulletin)

Labels: , , , , ,


NY Senate Live Stream

The New York Senate live stream is here. No word yet on when things start.

Labels: , , ,


Sen. Ruben Diaz Has TWO Gay Brothers (And Loves Liza Minnelli )

How have we missed knowing that NY Sen. Ruben Diaz has two gay brothers? New York Magazine also reports that Diaz is a huge fan of Liza Minnelli and got visibly choked up when she performed the classic paean to drag, What Makes a Man a Man?, while attending a show with "one of his closest friends," a co-founder of the Stonewall Democrats. Strange, strange, strange. Diaz: "I'm not homophobic. I have a problem with gay marriage. I have no problem with gays." It sure didn't fucking sound that way to ME when Diaz was leading 10,000 Hispanic evangelicals in chants against the evils of homosexuality.

Labels: , , , , ,