TV Abbreviations For $200

None of the contestants got it right.

RuPaul's Drag Race: Dear Mary Cheney

NOM: We're Super-Boycotting Starbucks

"The pro-same-sex marriage corporate behemoth Starbucks has taken its ideologically-driven LGBT agenda to a new level with a new ad featuring two reality TV star drag queens. The ad feature Bianca Del Rio and Adore Delano, two drag queens from a reality TV show on the LGBT network, OUTtv. Thus Starbucks continues to serve up a healthy dose of ideology added in with the cream and sugar in its cups of coffee. It's as good a reason as ever to Dump Starbucks if you haven't made the commitment to do so already." - From an unsigned post on NOM's blog. The post links to their boycott page, which after three years shows a measly 70K signatures, which is about as many Starbucks customers served every single day just in the company's hometown of Seattle. (Each Starbucks serves about 500 customers a day and there are currently about 140 stores in Seattle.)

New Starbucks Commercial Features Queens From RuPaul's Drag Race

Via TIME Magazine:

Everybody loves coffee and its healing powers — especially drag queens, as we now know from Starbuck’s latest ad. It features Bianca Del Rio and Adore Delano, fan favorites from the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race who are both very cranky and under-caffeinated while waiting in a long Starbucks line. They begin to argue and trade insults, but then the smiley barista hands them both their steaming beverages — and boom! Friendship repaired.

We look forward to NOM's reaction with glee!

Courtney Act - Mean Gays

Logo Pulls Episode Of RuPaul's Drag Race After "She-Male" Complaints By Activists

Logo today announced that it has pulled an episode of RuPaul's Drag Race after transgender activists complained about a skit in which contestants were asked to view photos and declare whether the images were of "females or she-males." The issue has been a hot topic on some activist sites since the show first aired. From Logo's statement:

We wanted to thank the community for sharing their concerns around a recent segment and the use of the term 'she-mail' on Drag Race. Logo has pulled the episode from all of our platforms and that challenge will not appear again. Furthermore, we are removing the 'You've got she-mail' intro from new episodes of the series. We did not intend to cause any offense, but in retrospect we realize that it was insensitive. We sincerely apologize.

"She-male" is widely used in porn and is considered among the most pejorative anti-trans expressions by many activists. Two years ago a similar flap erupted over the word "tranny" and RuPaul commented on the issue in an interview with Michelangelo Signorile:

"In the ACT UP age we called ourselves queers because we earned the right, we took the word back. But in reality, once you go even deeper, you know, you have to come from intent. And black folks call themselves the n-word all the time. It's because the intent is coming from a place of love. If the intent is coming from a place of hatred, that's different. But you can't legislate intent. You can't -- there's no way to do it. So, the truth is, you have to fix that individually on a one by one basis. If somebody calls you a green martian, would you be offended by it? No, you wouldn't be. Why? Because you know you're not a green martian. But if you're offended by someone calling you a "tranny," it was only because you believe you are a "tranny!" [laughter.] So then, the solution is: Change your mind about yourself being a "tranny."

SAN DIEGO: Red-Caped Catholic Loons Launch Campaign Against Drag Show

The red-caped Catholic loons of Tradition, Family, & Property are rilly rilly upset about a drag show  scheduled to take place at the University of San Diego. Via press release:

The Drag Show will be emceed by Manila Luzon, a professional Drag Queen, openly homosexual man, who advocates same-sex "marriage." Students opposing this years cross-dressing Drag Show will hold a prayer vigil on-campus at Plaza Menor on Thursday starting at 6:30pm. In addition, members of the Catholic community will protest at the main entrances to the Catholic University.

4200 USD supporters have signed a petition opposing the Drag Show - this figure has grown by over 1000 signatures since yesterday. "This event affects all of us here on this campus. It misleads the participants, students, society and the Body of Christ by telling us that cross-dressing and acting upon disordered sexual preference are in line with Catholic social teaching. That is not the truth," said Ailsa Tirado, Sophomore at University of San Diego.

Here's their petition.

Reality Stars - We Ruined The World

The only one I recognize is Shangela from RuPaul's Drag Race.

(Via Boy Culture)

MNDR - Feed Me Diamonds

Featuring Raven from RuPaul's Drag Race.

Xelle - Queen

Quite the production and pretty catchy as well.

Sharon Needles For PETA

Sahara Davenport Dead At Age 27

RuPaul's Drag Race contestant, pop singer, and actor Sahara Davenport has apparently died at the age of 27. Nothing is yet known about the circumstances, but condolences are flooding Twitter from her former castmates.  I interviewed Davenport during that season's finals and came away quite charmed.  Davenport was romantically involved with RuPaul's Drag Race castmate Manila Luzon.

Every Day Is Halloween

RuPaul's Drag Race winner Sharon Needles has her own Halloween mask. Oom bop, bop bop. (Via Queerty)

Ultimate Drag Race Recap

Head over to Boy Culture where my pal Matt Rettenmund has posted photos and video interviews with all the contestants from Monday's Drag Race finale.

SPOILER: RuPaul's Drag Race Finale

Stay out of the comments if you've not yet seen who was crowned last night. Otherwise dive in and dish.

Manila Luzon - Hot Couture

Sahara Davenport - Go Off

RuPaul's Drag Race Finale Spoiler

This afternoon my loyal photographer Dr. Jeff and I attended a press event for tonight's finale of RuPaul's Drag Race, where the contestants posed for photos and sat down for brief one-on-one chats. Check this post shortly for many more photos and some video shoutouts. In the meantime, stay out of the comments if you're not watching tonight's show.

VIDEO: Finalist Raja shouts out to JMG.


SLIDESHOW: Full screen versions here.

The Night Of 1000 Gowns

Last night I attended the Imperial Court of New York's 25th annual Night Of 1000 Gowns, which this year benefited the Ali Forney Center and the Trevor Project. Swirling amidst all of the winking pomp and circumstance were empresses, emperors, duchesses, dukes, viscountesses, dowager empresses, and probably a dozen other royalty titles unknown to me. Also in the room were 100% of all the rhinestones and tiaras to be found in North America.

Among the bold-face names in attendance were the evening's honoree, longtime activist David Mixner, the cast of Logo's A-List, the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race, director Chi Chi LaRue, "JMG addict" Wilson Cruz, and actress Ally Sheedy, who cracked up when I asked her to say "No disassemble!" Miss New York 2010 Claire Buffie spoke eloquently about her LGBT rights platform during the Miss America pageant, gay pop star Ari Gold arrived with two slave boys on leashes, Dan Choi walked in on the arm of a statuesque attendee he "met on the escalator," and My Princess Boy author Cheryl Kilodavis worked the room with a handsome man in one hand and a stack of her books in the other.

This was my first Imperial Court event and I found the entire evening simultaneously spectacular and spectacularly silly. But one got the distinct impression that everybody there was totally in on the joke and folks, this group has raised buckets and buckets of money for LGBT causes over the decades. Check out the slideshow at the bottom of this post for many, many photos of the glamor, plus lots of celebs not mentioned above. Full-screen versions of the photos can be found here. You'll also enjoy Matthew Rettenmund's coverage at Boy Culture, where you'll find many red carpet video interviews.

RuPaul's Drag Race - QNN News

Stay out of the comments if you haven't seen last night's news show themed episode. Otherwise jump in and dish the challenge and the elimination.