Planet Homo

She's Baaack

"She is attacked viciously for having the courage to speak up for her truth and her values. But Carrie's courage inspired a whole nation and a whole generation of young people because she chose to risk the Miss USA crown rather than be silent about her deepest moral values." The ad will call out "gay marriage advocates to account for their unwillingness to debate the real issue: gay marriage has consequences." So says The National Organization for Marriage as Miss California Carrie Prejean basks in the spotlight because our own Perez Hilton just had to be rude.

Outrage Trailer

Plot: From Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Kirby Dick (This Film Is Not Yet Rated) comes OUTRAGE, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians with appalling gay rights voting records who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. Boldly revealing the hidden lives of some of the United States most powerful policymakers, OUTRAGE takes a comprehensive look at the harm theyve inflicted on millions of Americans, and examines the medias complicity in keeping their secrets. With analysis from prominent members of the gay community such as Congressman Barney Frank, former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey, activist Larry Kramer, radio personality Michelangelo Signorile, and openly gay congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (Representative, Wisconsin 2nd district), OUTRAGE probes deeply into the psychology of this double lifestyle, the ethics of outing closeted politicians, the double standards that the media upholds in its coverage of the sex lives of gay public figures, and much more.

Final Exit: Bea Arthur

Beatrice Arthur, best known as the acerbic Maude Findlay on Norman Lear's sitcom "Maude" and as the strong-willed Dorothy Zbornak on the long-running "The Golden Girls," died Saturday. She was 86.
While often rumored to be a lesbian, Bea was actually married twice and to Gene Saks for 25 years.
What she was in fact, was funny. A dead-pan kind of humor that tended to stall the moment with laughter, Arthur was primarily a stage actress when Norman Lear spotted her in an off Broadway musical, "The Shoestring Revue" in 1971 singing "Garbage". Lear brought her to Hollywood where she had a guest role on "All in the Family" as Maude, a loud-mouth cousin to Edith Bunker. She soon had her own show, "Maude" which ran for six years. In 1985, she returned as Dorothy on "The Golden Girls", which ran from 1985 to 1992, twice winning the Emmy for best comedy.

Sean Hannity Agrees to be Waterboarded (for Charity)

Weathering the Storm

Why We Love Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle on Britain Got Talent
Uploaded by dwarthy

This is what they usually makes movies about (and surely they will); the unexpected moment that lifts us from our cranky cynicism to a tearful embrace of humanity and singer Susan Boyle surely does this. "Don't judge a book by its cover" would be the moral here, but it's more than that—for people of certain age it suggests that despite a culture vapidly youth-centric, there is talent and talent-in-waiting for many of us. American Idol (as opposed the British, which seems more democratic) has always had that wrong putting an age restriction on its contestants. It's hard to imagine what the prize is in displaying snotty, arrogant young people making a go at their dreams when dreams unrealized is by far the more compelling story—it may not be as pretty, but like Susan Boyle it touches in ways that are far more human and noble.

Event to Remember

This is actually my sixth invitation I have designed for the Lambda Literary Foundation.

The Airbrushing of Reality

Fashion photographer Johnny Lopera is a digital photographer, which means most of the work happens in post-production. The effect of this post-production is an airbrushed, blemish-free, wrinkle-free image that has enough reality to be exciting and enough fantasy to to be compelling. Of course, he has many underwear clients. For more Johnny visit his site.

School for Scandal

Let it be a warning: everything will come back to haunt you. Take of the case of deceased actor Marlon Brando, who is currently enjoying some scandal over at L.A. Rag Mag. They are in possession of a photo, supposedly showing Marlon sucking the cock of friend aptly named Wally Cox: "The picture is said to be Marlon Brando giving oral sex to Wally Cox his lifetime friend and partner who was know for his ….big talent. Legend says it was part of Brando’s private collection the photo was burried for years during his marriage and his fathering of many children. Even though he allegedly continued to wrestle on the side with such boy toys as Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, Stewart Granger, Montgomery Clift, John Gielgud and James Dean."
Now, about the photo which can be seen here. First, the extremely tiresome trend of adding your logo to everything really needs to stop—especially on a penis. Secondly, ah, gee, that photo could be anyone? The reality is this photo showed up years ago in Hustler magazine and has been seen on many web pages since. So, it really isn't news, but if you package it like news, maybe it can become news, again.

Adam Lambert is gay, so what?

"Let’s imagine, then, that among the assorted warblers and strummers and leather-lunged divas that have made up the renewable cast of hopefuls on the country’s No. 1 television show, you appear not as some talented hopeful with a shady back story but as a theatrical creation with a message to sell beyond the usual will to prevail. You are swivel hipped and pillow lipped. You have an outsize talent and a fondness for Cher. You have blond hair dyed black and styled in an asymmetrical shag. At some long-ago moment, you gave in to your inner Maybelline girl.

You are Adam Lambert, the contestant widely tipped as a favorite to be the next winner of “American Idol.” And the only thing standing between you and riches and the chance to play arenas may be a question currently burning up the Internet: Can a gay contestant win?"

So asks the New York Times writer Guy Trebay. It is easy to forget that it is 2009 when such questions are asked. We are reminded of Clay Aiken, who only in 2008, finally quelled the flurry of suspicions and came out. It begs the real question: why is this important in a singing competition? While Trebay harkens back to Rock Hudson and Liberace, it is David Ehrenstein's remarkable revelation that “I see us as living in the post-Neil Patrick Harris era." Or PNPHE, for short.  The apparently quite historic Neil Patrick Harris outed himself in 2006 in the face of being publicly outed by People magazine. The fact that his career has survived is the apparent historically remarkable thing.

There is no mention of last years NAMBLA entry,  the seraphic David  Archuleta, who has been in the cross-hairs of gay suspicious agents everywhere—more out of desire, one suspects than curiosity.

What seems to be lost in the all cultural cross referencing is that Adam Lambert is an astonishing talent and it shouldn't matter. His performance on last weeks show conjured up a young Michael Jackson in the 1983 Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special: a singular performance that catapults your career. His version of Roland Orzabal's Mad World, though reinvented by singer Gary Jules, was nonetheless a hypnotic rendering both visually and in voice. It  was so much so that the perpetually sitting Simon Cowles even rose to the occasion giving him a standing ovation. Deservedly so.

That should have been enough. The discussion should have ended there. As one cultural critic recently commented: "it shouldn't matter but controversies have become a blurred commodity in the time of Obama."

The Other John Weir

Jack Wrangler Dead at 62

With piercing blue eyes, unruly blond hair, a chiseled physique and cocky swagger, Jack Wrangler was the king of ‘70s gay porn. Forging a gay sexual revolution, he wasn’t the typical object of homoerotic desire but an intelligent, full-bodied, self-confident male. Exulted for his 80-plus adult films, the openly gay superstar even conquered the straight adult world and legitimate theater.  Mr. Wrangler eventually married pop vocalist Margaret Whiting and their relationship would last for the rest of his life.

The documentary Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon, recently won the 2009 GayVN Award for Best Alternative release.
"Making this film was a great opportunity to pay tribute to a man who lives his life with grace, humor and confidence, and was a role model for an entire generation of men," said director Jeffrey Schwarz. "Jack and the filmmakers he worked with were truly pioneers in the industry, and I hope this film can remind us that porn can be revolutionary, inspirational, and just plain fun."

“Jack was one of the earlier pioneers in helping to bring awareness to the gay community by being open about who he was and about following his dreams,” said Lewis Tice, Director of Publicity and Marketing for TLA Releasing. “We are deeply saddened as he is an essential part of our gay history. Our sympathies go out to his family.”

Memorial and funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized, and Jack Wrangler's family is expected to make a statement soon.

More Matt Drudge

Yes, we are fascinated with the outing of Matt Drudge as he comes in #6 on Out magazine's list of The 50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America. Here’s some background:
In 2003, Drudge faced criticism for describing ABC reporter Jeffrey Kofman as "openly gay" in the headline "ABC News Reporter Who Filed Troops Complaint Story — Openly Gay Canadian" after Kofman interviewed anti-war soldiers in Iraq. Drudge's critics, like gay American writer and national talk radio host Michelangelo Signorile, point to the allegations of homosexuality levelled at Drudge him and by columnist Jeannette Walls in her book Dish. Walls wrote that Drudge had a long homosexual relationship with Washington D.C. landscaper, David Cohen. Cohen confirmed the relationship to the New York Daily News. Drudge denied that he is gay, telling the Miami New Times in 2001 that "I go to straight bars, I go to gay bars. [Walls] never said there was sex; she said there was dating. She never had enough to go that far.
In 2002, Drudge discussed suing actor Alec Baldwin with his lawyer, after Baldwin claimed, during a Howard Stern interview, that Drudge had propositioned him. In March 2008, Baldwin repeated the story to the LGBT magazine The Advocate, saying that there was "a kind of creepy quality" to Drudge's sexual advances, and that he was surprised Drudge was so "uptight about being gay".
In 2005, Drudge told The Sunday Times "No, I’m not gay. I was nearly married a few years ago." He has also said: "How can I be gay when I'm dating a woman with boobs and rollers?"

There's more to this story here.

Out(ing) Matt Drudge

Yes, it's that time year again...the annual Power 50 as seen by the editors of Out magazine. Topping this years list is Congressman Barney Frank. A surprise among this years list is Matt Drudge, "the owner of the right-wing news-aggregating site Drudge Report. Although he has not publicly acknowledged his sexuality, the 42-year old journalist has enjoyed a long-term relationship with a male landscape gardener."
Who knew?
 As usual, I have issues with some of the choices: GQ editor Jim Nelson (#48); Jann Wenner (#17), Barry Diller (#8), but then again, they are talking power. To see the complete list here.