Exciting News

So, having last directed Top Girls for Shakespeare '70 and Die Mommie Die! for the JTMF almost 5 years ago, I am about to take up the mantle again with a sort of unusual production of Jonathan Harvey's groundbreaking 1993 play Beautiful Thing. 

I say unusual not meaning the production itself will be (though that may well prove false, as well), but unusual in the way in which the show came about. 

So, I've talked about my friend Matty, who is a very talented actor and writer. Well, it seems Matty is just a few credits shy of receiving his degree from The College of New Jersey. While a full time student there, Matty and his friend Steve caused a bit of a media storm by attempting to not only break the Guinness record for the Longest Continuous Kiss, but to also be the first same-sex male couple to do so. Matty and Steve's story inspired novelist David Levithan to write the 2014 Lambda Literary and Stonewall Honor Book Awards-winning novel "Two Boys Kissing." David has since become another of Matty's mentors and they came up with a way for Matty to earn his degree with performance credits.

So, when Matty asked if I would direct, I couldn't refuse. I have so far been able to cast both of the remaining male roles with actors I know and love and trust (my own dear David - not to be confused with Dear D - and my Hairspray and Jeffrey cast mate Chris) and am currently looking for the two women I need. I'm hoping to have our first read-through next week, as the show goes up the third weekend of March! 

Because the JTMF was such an important part of his non-academic theatre education, he insisted that ticket sales be donated to our favorite LGBTQ causes.

I'll be sure to keep you all up to date. I'm very excited to stretch my creative muscles again!

The play was adapted into a rather excellent film in 1996:



More, anon.
Prospero

Dear Leelah

Leelah Alcorn

Dear Leelah;

Why didn't you ask for help? Why didn't you seek out those who understand? Why were you afraid?

The answer is simple: Superstition.

My heart is broken, once again. I cannot understand a parent who does not truly unconditionally love their children (or those who do not truly grasp the definition of that word).

We've all experienced emotional pain in our lives. Uncle P has seen his own struggles with it and I can remember more than one time when I registered higher than a 7 on the Suicide Scale. But I recognized the need for help and sought it. Even now, I have to say that counseled therapy was the best thing I ever did for myself. Of course, I was well above the 'Age of Consent' when I did so. Still - there can be no justification for anyone taking their own lives because their religion or their families tell them that they are somehow defective, wrong and/or evil just because of who they are.

Leelah was just 17 when she took her life by stepping into traffic on an Ohio highway. last month. She was still considered a minor and by Ohio was bound to follow her religious parents rules and preconceptions. Her parents, while still claiming to have loved her 'unconditionally' have still refused to acknowledge Leelah's own gender identity.

Reach out. Offer an ear or a save haven. Make sure that those who need help, get it! STOP this horrific epidemic!

Share anti-suicide information. Support The Trevor Project; The Tyler Clementi Foundation and/or your local anti-suicide charity. Too many lives have been wasted, Too much potential has been lost.
 


I can't wait until I never have to make this rant again.

More, anon,
Prospero

National Coming Out Day

So today was National Coming Out Day.  I hope lots of folks did and are the happier for it, as am I. And while it's all well and good that we have an official "Coming Out Day," for many of us, coming out isn't or wasn't a one day deal. 

For Uncle P, the process started with a few High School Theatre girl friends, claiming then (and through much of college) that I was Bisexual, knowing full well that wasn't true in the least. Of course, Uncle P came of age at the beginning of the AIDS crisis, adding additional stigma to being a young gay man. And while all through my 20's and early 30's I had my fun, it wasn't until I went into therapy that I was able to not just come out to myself, but to to my immediate family. I was going to tell my mother on "Come Out with Ellen" day, but chose to do so a week before, steeling myself with a drink or three, first. She cried, not because I was gay, but because I had been afraid to tell her. Eventually, I started expressing to her which men I found attractive on the TV shows we both watched and we would have small conversations about why and whether or not we found the same guys attractive. She loved my long ago ex, Ric and encouraged me to find someone right up until she went into the hospital for the last time. 

I told my sister that same year, on the last night of my once-annual October trip to Florida. She was neither shocked nor upset, though embarrassed at having used the "F" word, earlier in the day (something that almost stopped me from telling her). To this day, she continues to not only be my BFF (I love you K & Q, but you know...) and a staunch supporter of LGBT rights, including Marriage Equality. I feel so lucky to have her on my side, especially given the stories we all know about families abandoning their LGBT members. And while there are still a few elderly family members (my Aunt and Mom's Aunt and Uncle, among them) who don't know - and as far as I am concerned, don't need to know - most of my cousins and few aunts and uncles know. And that's fine. They are all mostly liberal and accepting. And if not, the hell with them. I have reached the age where I truly don't give a rat's ass what you think about me.

For me, coming out was a long, drawn-out process which took many years. As I am sure it was and will continue to be for many gay people. But as more and more of us make ourselves visible, it will be easier and easier for those who come after us. Eventually (hopefully), 'coming out' won't be something anyone needs to worry about. Am I too optimistic about a Roddenberryesque Utopia where the whole word gets it? How  I would love a peek into the future a hundred or so years from now. I can only hope the smart folks win.

In celebration of Coming Out, here's the trailer for my favorite gay rom-com and sweet coming out story, Big Eden:

And here's a very affirming music video about Coming Out:



Own yourself. Love yourself. Be yourself!

Sending you love and support! Come out, come out, whoever you are! Know that there are many people who love and support you! I'm here if you need an ear.

More, anon.
Prospero

New 80's Music; Lip Dubs & Other Gayest Things You'll See This Week

Uncle P Was Here

So far, this weekend has been really excellent and this year's fourth quarter seems to be (finally) starting out to be better than last year's. After a terrifically fun & funny dinner and drinks with five other close co-workers (the official closed Facebook invite was called "Drink and Bitch") I came home on Friday, not quite ready to call it a night. So I hopped in the shower, changed and headed toward Southeastern PA's gay Mecca, New Hope and had a very fun evening which included getting to see my favorite comedian/bartender Adrian Colon (among other things; wink-wink, nudge-nudge). 

Today, Uncle P got to spend time with some dear young theatre friends at the Philadelphia Fall Festival (photo above), held in Center City's 'Gayborhood.' Tons of amazing food, cocktails and craft beers (I had a particularly delicious raspberry ale that was amazingly subtle and not sweet at all) as well as vendors and artists and tons of live entertainment from all over the region. We left around 3:30 (taking an hilariously unnecessary route back to the garage where we'd parked, but encountering a very cool, functional R2D2 because of it) and the increasing crowd was already becoming increasingly inebriated. I think we got out while the gettin' was good. Oddly, for what was promoted as an LGBT event, there very few LGBT-related booths or activities. After coming home, I ran some errands, defrosted the meats for tomorrow's Meatloaf Florentine and caught up on "Gray's Anatomy" (shut it!). After checking Facebook, I went to visit a few of my usual cyber-haunts, where I found a few music videos which I just had to share, because I loved them (and you should too).

First up (via) is The Department, with their decidedly 80's sounding and looking "As If Transformed." Electronica Lives!

Wow! That takes me back! 

Next (also via) is proof that artists and art everywhere. This weird, wonderful and super-fun single-take lip dub of Kiesza's "Hideaway" is just amazing and deserves to go viral.

Of course, Kiesza's original single-take video is pretty amazing, too.

Last, though hardly least (and to keep 'The Gayest Thing' tag relevant), the very adorable Berkshire Boys are back with their lip-dub of Demi Lovato's over-played "Really Don't Care." They're so cute, you can forgive one more listen!

All this and I still have a Sunday evening first date to look forward to. Whee! Yes, I still have my moments, but after Bluebird and these past few weekends, I'm finally starting to really feel like myself, again. And while I am always loathe to quote a criminal One Percenter, "That's a good thing." 

More, anon.
Prospero

The Gayest Trailer You'll See This Week. (Up Dated)

Sorry for the very generic graphic there on the left. The short documentary I am about to talk about doesn't have any logo or poster on line, that I could find. 

This is actually a very overdue post about a stand-up comic I met at the end of May. I had a date in New Hope and thought I'd been stood up (I wasn't, and it's too long a story to go into, now). The bartender, Adrian and I struck up a conversation and discovered we knew many of the same people who were working out of the theatre which JMTF had used. He also told me he was moving to L.A. soon, because he had a short documentary about to hit the festival circuit. We exchanged emails and I honestly didn't expect to hear from him, but he has kept in touch and the film, The Joke's On You has apparently already won an award. Now living in L.A., Adrian is posting lots of fun stuff on Facebook and it looks like his career is moving the way he wants.

Anyway, here is the teaser trailer for The Joke's On You, about and starring Trenton-born gay comedian Adrian Colon:

I don't know about all the hyperbolic 'trailer' language, but I do know and like Adrian (a genuine, sweet, funny and fierce cutie-pie with a good ear and the right things to say) and I want to support him and hope he succeeds. So if The Joke's On You is playing at your local LGBT film festival this summer, check it out!

More, anon
Prospero

Adrian sent me the poster:

P.

The Gayest Progress You'll See this Week (45 Years On)

Eep! I can't believe I've been away almost an entire month without posting. Of course, it's been a very busy month which included my 35th High School Reunion (yes, as I've repeatedly pointed out - I am old) and a long-planned garage sale in my continuing quest to purge my house of 50 years' worth of accumulated junk. It was successful enough to pay for the new bannister I need before I can move in my impending boarder and replace the sonic toothbrush that gave up the ghost last week. But enough about me.

I couldn't let June go without a post about Pride and the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising that inspired it. On June 28th, 1969, NYPD Vice raided the Stonewall Inn, a mafia-owned gay club in Greenwich Village. Apocryphal accounts say that many were gathered at the Stonewall that night to mourn the passing of gay icon Judy Garland. Others say it was just a regular Saturday night, where gay men and drag queens had come to be themselves, away from prying eyes in the windowless club. Whatever the reason, the police choose that night to raid and tired of the abuse, the Stonewall's patrons finally fought back and inspired three nights of demonstrations, riots and protests against those who still held that homosexuality was a mental disorder with sexually deviant practices that were illegal at the time. That weekend sissy boys; drag queens; bull dykes and leather daddies stood shoulder to shoulder in defiance of police and others who labeled them 'perverts' to say they weren't going to take it anymore. 

In the 45 years since, the LGBT Community has seen many advances in our civil rights struggle. 1973 saw the American Psychiatric Association remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders, adding it to the spectrum (thanks in part to Dr. Robert Kinsey, Dr. Judd Marmor and Dr. Robert Spitzer) of normal sexual behavior. 1977 saw virulent homophobe (and former Miss America) Anita Bryant get pied by a gay activist (she responded "At least it was fruit pie"). 1977 also saw the election of Harvey Milk to the San Francisco City Council, making him the first openly gay man to hold elected office in the U.S. Milk was assassinated (along with S.F. Mayor George Moscone) a year later by Dan White, who claimed junk food made him crazy (the infamous "Twinkie Defense"). Not long after, horror was visited upon on us in the form of a virus which was first described as a "Gay Cancer." HIV/AIDS ravaged the community in the 1980's. President Reagan (a former film actor with many gay friends, including Rock Hudson) didn't utter the word "AIDS" until near the end of his second term in 1987, after millions had already perished. Over the next twenty years, more and more of us made our voices heard and acceptance slowly took hold across the nation and the world.

After many lawsuits, it wasn't until 2001 that The Netherlands became the first country to allow and recognize same-sex marriages. Belgium passed Marriage Equality in 2002, followed by Canada and Spain in 2005. Since then, South Africa;Sweden; Iceland; Argentina; Denmark; France and Brazil and five other countries have all made Marriage Equality law. Currently, 20 U.S. States have Marriage Equality on their books, including my own Pennsylvania (which happily took effect long before Uncle P thought it would). The remaining 30 states all have either had their anti-gay marriage laws challenged in court, or have been struck down pending appeal. Finally, I and most American LGBT advocates actually can envision Marriage Equality across the U.S. by 2016. 

Still, our fight for Equality is far from over. Many third-world countries have virulent anti-LGBT laws (particularly in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, as well as the current Russian regime) and many still view LGBT people as sick and/or perverted, along with many right-winged religious and political factions in the U.S. But for every Fred Phelps or Rick Santorum, there are dozens of right-thinking young people who know that gay folks are far from the evil, perverse child-molesters that Conservatives would have you believe us to be.

Of course, this is hardly a definitive or fully inclusive detail of the struggle for for LGBT rights, but I am so happy that the very closeted 1970's teenager I used to be has become an Out and Proud 2014 gay middle-ager with hope for the future of our younger LGBTs. Visibility is the key. The more Str8 folks realize they know and love queer friends and family members (as well as celebrities and sports figures), the better off we are. I truly hope that some day, Pride events will no longer be necessary and sexual orientation is no longer an issue. Of course, given the state of racism in the modern South, that probably won't happen in my lifetime. 

Never forget the events of June 28th, 1969. Let them (and the others since) guide us to full Equality in the near future. Celebrate and support the LGBT people in your life. There are probably more of us, than you realize.

More, anon.
Prospero

A Sad Waste of Life

Glad I'm Not the First to Make this Comparison

So, on the day of the 2014 vernal equinox, the Reverend Fred Phelps (one of, if not THE most hated men in America) kicked the bucket. Bought the farm. Expired. Became an ex-human. Oh, wait -- maybe not that last one. Seems like he'd already done that to himself a long time ago.

Westboro Baptist started in 1955 as a branch of a small church in Topeka, where Fred Phelps was the assistant pastor. After his promotion to pastor of the new church on the other side of town, Phelps soon cut off all relations with the founding group. In 1964, Phelps earned his Juris Doctorate at Washburn and became a civil rights activist, defeating Jim Crow laws in Kansas. Somewhere along the way, Phelps lost his mind and became a religious fanatic, forcing his views on his family with threats and beatings (according to many who have since left the WBC, including Phelps' son Nate, now an LGBT rights activist in Canada). Disbarred in Kansas in 1979 and in Federal Court ten years later, Phelps and his followers (now mostly just members of his family) began their infamous picketing in 1991. By 2001, everyone knew the Westboro Baptist Church and their message of "God's" hatred of homosexuality. Phelps infamously told talk-show host (and original Tracy Turnblad) Ricki Lake the he "...worshiped her rectum..." after appearing on her show in 1994. Lake reportedly had Phelps forcibly removed from the studio.

But then a wonderful thing happened along the way... people started to hear and see Phelps' message for the lies and hate it was. A spotlight was shone on their bigotry and people took notice and started to rethink their own thoughts on LGBT people. So that was good, I suppose. 

Last year, a sort of coup was staged at WBC. Phelps, ailing and possibly softening his views, was excommunicated and the church elected a group of 8 Elders while ousting Shirley Phelps-Roper as WBC's official spokesperson. These details are just coming to light after it was announced earlier this week that Phelps was near death.

And while some might rejoice at the news of Phelps' death, I can't help but think of the sad waste of time and energy that was his life. If he and his congregation had spent just a tenth of that time and energy helping those in need as they did spreading hatred, the world would be a much better place.  Meanwhile, the WBC (having learned nothing) has announced that it's business and picketing* as usual for the SPLC-identified hate group. And of course, this could be the next step toward drinking the Kool-Aid -- and how sad would that be? There are still children there, being indoctrinated in hatred by fear. So, very sad...

Still, I can't imagine anyone wants to leave this world known for their hateful, hurtful actions, even if they are insane enough to truly believe they are doing the opposite. I'd like to believe that maybe Fred did soften near the end. maybe even felt bad about he'd done, or at least how he'd done it. I'd like to, but I don't. 

Here's what TMZ had to say:

*On a side note - in a purely self-serving move to generate publicity for JTMF's production of The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, we tried desperately to get WBC to come protest. Sadly, their protest calendar was already full that summer. 

More, anon.
Prospero

Get a Kluwe

A Man Whose Hand I'd Like to Shake - Chris Kluwe

One of my personal sports heroes has struck again. Writing for The Guardian, former NFL Kicker and staunch LGBT ally Chris Kluwe implores Olympians attending the 2014 Winter Games to be outspoken advocates for civil rights. 

Personally, I'd like to say that I agree with Mr. Kluwe. "We're Here! We're Queer! Get Used to Us!" has just as much meaning today as it has throughout the LGBT Rights movement. And while the fact that straight athletes like Kluwe; Brendon Ayanbedejo and Ben Cohen have lent their voices to the cause does a world of good, there are still so many unenlightened and superstitious asshats out there. Yes, the ignorant and therefore, scared seem to be slowly but surely dying out. Straight people my age (my friends already agree and my regular readers have figured that out, long ago) and younger, know how ridiculous it is to be so stupid and backward. Of course, lots of people my parents' ages have long ago agreed, but weren't able to do so publicly, until recent events have proven them to be on the right side of history.

Still... were I a gay athlete participating in the Sochi Olympics or a gay friend and/or family member of a gay and/or straight Olympian, I would completely understand your reluctance to speak out. I may not like it (visibility is our strongest asset), but I would respect your decision to remain silent. 

You can read Kluwe's piece here (via).

And just to keep things weird, here's some Olympic Nonsense:

Zombie-lympics?



It's somehow comforting to know that Rednecks are Universal:



Hmmmm... Does that make Yakov Smirnoff the Russian Jeff Foxworthy? The mind boggles.

More, anon.
Prospero

Chris Kluwe; Keith Olbermann; Civil Rights & Tolkien?

Is Kluwe really Thranduil?

Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe is an undeniably valuable straight ally in the continuing fight for LGBT Civil Rights. He and former Ravens' player Brendon Ayanbedjo have almost certainly lost lucrative sports careers over their stances in support of LGBT rights. 

Both Kluwe and Ayanbejo are young, attractive and athletic. Both of them came of age in a very different era than Uncle P and both of them (because of their celebrity) are able to make their opinions available to the public at large in venues that are widely accessible to just about the entire world. Both of them have also had Major League sports careers which will allow them to support themselves for the foreseeable future. Kluwe has even managed to write a book from which he will see residuals for quite some time. 

All of that is fine and well, and even commendable. I will never knock or abrade anyone who understands that being gay is not a choice (as do every one of my friends and most of my family). 

Still... I can't help but note that no matter how much these two support our community, neither of them will ever really know the kind of discrimination, hate and abuse the LGBT community experiences on a daily basis.  Both are attractive and fit and both have very public forums in which to express their views. But both of them are straight and neither of them can truly know the kind of hatred expressed solely because of their innate sexuality (despite the by now far-more accepted bi-racial status of Ayanbedjo). 

Hear me out - No one can know anyone (you should excuse the old adage) until they have walked in another's shoes. Straight supporters or LGBT civil rights are all well and good (and more important to our cause than most of us realize) but they will never really know the kind of hatred directed at the people they support. 

Okay - LGBT Rights rant over, for now. 

On a much sillier note, look at Kluwe's ears in the interview below with long-time LGBT advocate Keith Olbermann. Is it me, or do his ears appear to be nothing less than Elvin? I think JRR would agree...

Yes, Uncle P knows his view of the world is slightly askew, but would you have it any other way? I should hope not. Why else would you be reading my nonsense?

More, anon.
Prospero

Sex, Lies and Pat Roberston

Pants on Fire

Pat Robertson continues to be one of the worst human beings alive. I'm not saying this because I'm gay. I'm saying this because I am a rational human being. 

Listen, I have no problem admitting I am a Secular Humanist. I also have no problem with people who are religious. I have a dear friend of over 35 years who is an Episcopal priest. My own sister is a devout Christian. Neither of them have condemned me to hell because of my innate sexuality. They take the New Testament at it's word: "Love thy neighbor as thou wouldst love thyself." They also know that many of the things in the Old Testament were written before the rise of Science and Reason.

But there are plenty of uninformed, frightened and honestly ignorant 'Christians' who fall for the kind of fear-mongering their religious leaders use to keep them in line (i.e. 'donating'). These preachers continue to use and abuse the Bible to further their own agendas, threatening their followers with eternal damnation if they don't agree with their vitriol. Among the worst offenders is Pat Robertson, who hosts the "700 Club" (founded by the very publicly disgraced Jim Bakker). Robertson's obviously loony claims include telling a woman whose husband had cheated on her that she should make a home so nice he wouldn't want to stray. But earlier this week, Robertson made what is probably his most insane claim, ever:

"The Stuff" to which Robertson refers is HIV/AIDS. And while there are admittedly a very few equally insane people who do want to infect others and even fewer and even more insane folks who actually seek out infection (more on that in another post, someday), Robertson's story about HIV+ people in San Francisco using special rings to infect innocent people with AIDS is probably the singularly most preposterous statement I've ever heard. And I'm not the only one to think so:

Thankfully, the folks at CBN (The Christian Broadcasting Network) recognized Robertson's ramblings as false and didn't air that particular segment, but that didn't stop his hateful claim from being posted online for everyone to see.

Personally, I don't understand how any educated person in the 21st Century still believes that homosexuality is a product of demonic possession; the result of sexual abuse; influenced by other gay people or a deliberate choice. Having never been possessed, abused, influenced nor having deliberately chosen my sexuality (as has no one else, ever) I find myself both alternately wanting to punch Robertson in his nose, asking him when he 'chose' to be straight and sitting down with him and explaining just how wrong he is.

Here's the thing: As long as there are superstitious, uneducated people, Robertson and his ilk will continue to influence their opinions. Using fear; threats; misinformation and outright lies to propagate prejudice, people like Robertson, Vladimir Putin, the most recent former Pope; the head of the ROC; Robert Mugabe and various Hindu and Muslim leaders will do everything they can to keep their followers from recognizing Truth.

Ignorance is not bliss, folks. It is death. Thankfully, the tide seems to be turning and with the recent SCOTUS rulings, the U.S. is well on the way toward joining the 21st Century in recognizing that LGBT people are deserving the same Human Rights as our straight counterparts. For the first time in my lifetime, I have hope that I will not die a second-class citizen, something I honestly never thought I'd live to see. The times are indeed, a-changing. 

I just hope that those who refuse to accept reality will eventually realize that if they don't grow, learn and accept the truth, they will leave a legacy of ignorance and hate for future generations to scorn and ridicule.

More, anon.

Prospero

The Most 80's Gaga You'll See This Week

Gaga Gives Good ____?

I'm not ashamed to admit to being a fan of Lady Gaga, though I would never count myself among her "Little Monsters." I'll probably never see her live, but I certainly won't change the channel should one of her songs come on the radio (on the rare occasion I have it on). And I guess it doesn't hurt that she's a very vocal and passionate straight ally to the LGBT Community at large. And while I am peripherally aware of the latest 'feud' between Lady G and the even weirder blogger Perez Hilton (why is his head so BIG?!?!), I am far more interested in Gaga as a provocatrix.

My humor, my style, my tastes and my sensibilities have always tended toward the dark. Friends on Facebook are often confounded and disturbed by the pictures, articles and links I post there. And they aren't afraid to tell when they are confused and/or disturbed by something I've posted. My response to their discomfort continues to be this: "If you are moved and/or disturbed by something I have posted, then my point has been made. I am and always have been a provocateur. It is my intention to disturb and/or move you." Neither of those are bad things. We all need to be shocked out of complacency now and then. And Uncle P is more than happy to do that for you. 

Gaga wants to do the same and the new video for her latest single, "Applause" does just that. Combining 80's techno beats from the likes of Devo and Gary Numan with modern club sounds; her trademark surrealist images and a song that speaks to everyone who has ever performed for an audience, the video is nothing short of fascinating to watch, especially on Full Screen (for the best effect):

Go ahead and hate me. I don't care. I'm a Gaga fan. What are you gonna do about? That's right. Nothing! Punk! Get the hell off my lawn, you damn kids! Uh... I uh... I mean, er... Yeah? You and what army? So there!

See? I can be tough and butch and so gay I fart rainbows, all at the same time. What?!?!

More, anon.
Prospero

Tipping the Scales

No One Knew? Seriously?

WWE wrestler Darren Young (quite a fine specimen of Homo-Sapien, as you can see in the figuratively flaming photo to your immediate right) today became one of the growing number of celebrities to come out as gay very casually. Last week, former child star Raven Symone came out casually on Twitter: "I can finally get married! Yay government! So proud of you!" 

My sister used to watch wrestling because she thought it was funny. She was watching ironically long before any Brooklyn Hipster d-bag was self-aware). I'm not sure if she still does. 

Anyway, neither myself nor WWE "Superstar/Hot-Slab-O-Beefcake" John Cena (whom you'll  see in the video below) think of Professional Wrestling as a sport. It's entertainment and the starting grounds for many action and comedy movie stars. Dwight "The Rock" Johnson has proven the most bankable of those who came out of the ring and onto the soundstage. Are professional wrestlers athletes? For the most part, I'd say yes. Ever see a stuntperson's body? Or a male dancer's body?

Oh, who the hell am I kidding? Most of my readers are gay men and straight women. Of course you have! And you get what I'm talking about. If you are one of my straight readers who has no actual gay friends, ask me to explain it to you later.

Young's public announcement for a TMZ reporter (who randomly got the story of his career) continues to add the kind of visibility, volume and tone we need to communicate and educate folks who are still on the fence about LGBT rights. Besides, long-time readers know just how Uncle P feels about wrestling (link may be NSFW).

Here's the thing: As I have repeatedly said: Visibility is our strength; Invisibility our weakness. I like the new casual way of coming out. Gone are the days when Ellen Degeneres; Neil Patrick Harris and Lance Bass got magazine covers for coming out. Coming out no longer has the stigma it once did. More and more str8 folks are finding out we're really not the dirty perverts the superstitious would have you believe. Still, in thousands of homes across America, there are young wrestling fans who are struggling with their sexuality. Darren Young gave those kids a voice today. He gave them hope and strength. More importantly, Young broke down yet another  barrier towards understanding and acceptance. And it helps that this was the response to the news from Cena (via):

  John Cena -- Proud of Darren Young ... Congrats on Being 1st Gay WWE Star
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Thanks for being open and happy, Darren.. And know that you most certainly saved lives today.

Now, about John Cena's brother... anyone know how I can get his number?

More, anon.
Prospero

Dogs' Best Friends Step Up for Equality

Just One More Reason to Love Boxers?

Uncle P's Mother is a fan of televised dog shows. Personally, I cannot watch them without thinking about Christopher Guest's hilarious, ad-libbed spoof Best in Show. Guest and company's followup to Waiting for Guffman (probably the funniest movie about Community Theatre ever made) is exactly how I always pictured the folks who enter, judge and attend such events. It's also the first time I really took notice of then up and coming lesbian star Jane Lynch.

Now don't me wrong. I may hate dog shows, but I love dogs! My last dog, a Golden Retriever/Cocker Spaniel mix named Brandy (I gave in on that argument) was a fiercely loyal and protective dog who passed away the night before she was scheduled to be put down (all this while I was unemployed and had to inform my friends I wouldn't be participating in Christmas that year). I found her at the foot of the stairs to my bedroom, her chin and one paw on the bottom step. That's completely true and I'm crying again just thinking about, so don't worry if you're crying, too.

My first dog was an AKC Registered Schnauzer bitch, officially named "Brian's Heidi." My maternal grandmother bought her for me and my father hated her and she spent her entire life chained to the kitchen table or on a short leash in the side yard (the dog, not my grandmother). No dog should have lived that kind of life and I feel guilty that Heidi didn't have the life Brandy had (and before you ask, yes I'll talk about the cats someday, too - just not tonight).

Anyway... what this is all leading up to is an official letter from the AKC (American Kennel Club) to the FCI (aka World Canine Federation), urging them to move the 2016 World Dog Show from Russia in light of recent anti-LGBT laws and events there. The letter is below (Via):

Dear Rafael,

One of the most compelling aspects of the human-canine bond – cherished internationally more than ever before – is the fact that our dogs love us unconditionally. Dogs do not discriminate. Gender, race, sexual orientation and other status do not enter the equation of responsible pet ownership.  That is why the American Kennel Club and our constituency are puzzled and disappointed by the decision to allow Russia to host the 2016 World Dog Show.  The proliferation of anti-gay and lesbian laws in Russia today is both disturbing and shocking to our community.  The choice of this country as a venue for such a prestigious dog show flies in the face of the ideals of the human-canine bond.

On behalf of the American Kennel Club, our member clubs, and the American purebred dog fancy, we urge you to move the 2016 World Dog Show from Russia to a nation that respects and upholds human rights for all its citizens.  The international dog community deserves to enjoy the World Dog Show in a place that stands for freedom and equal rights for all.  AKC cannot and will not support participation in the 2016 World Dog Show if it is held in Russia.

As exhibitors, breeders, handlers and trainers, we teach our dogs many things.  But there is no denying, they teach us too.  Our bond with dogs is not defined by the type of person who holds the leash.  We cannot support competition in an environment where tolerance does not exist.

Yours respectfully,

 It was signed by the AKC's Chairman of the Board, Alan T. Kalter and the President & CEO, Dennis B. Sprung. 

 Can there be any better proof that animal lovers are better Human Beings? I think not! Here's to the AKC for stepping up!

If I ever get another dog, it will be a boxer named "Tyson." Why? So when people say "Really? A boxer named after Mike Tyson?" I can say "No. He's named after Tyson Beckford, a-hole!"

More, anon.
Prospero

The Gayest Videos You'll See This WeeK

Mr. Gay World 2013, Chris Olwage of New Zealand

Generally, I hate beauty pageants. That's right - I despise something a lot of gay men adore. Miss America; Miss USA; Miss World; Miss Universe... all of them are rubbish, as far as I'm concerned. They not only bore me to death, but promote sexist stereotypes and reduce their contestants to far less than the sum of their parts. 

I particularly hate children's pageants. You know that pedophiles are regularly masturbating to episodes of 'Toddlers in Tiaras," right? Ugh! The sexualization of children in such events sickens me to no end. Images of the late Jon Benet Ramsey literally turn my stomach. And don't even get me started on Honey Boo-Boo and 'Dance Moms.' I'll cut a bitch! Beauty pageants exemplify everything that's wrong with modern societal values. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for physical beauty. But there's got to be more. As the saying goes, "Beauty is only skin deep." And really... if you're pretty, we better be able to have an intelligent conversation afterwards.

This past weekend saw the 'Mr. Gay World Pageant,' in which gay men from around the globe competed for the 'coveted' title. Needless to say, there wasn't a Bear among the contestants. Every one of them was young, trim and fit. It may has well have been the 'Mr. Ambercrombie and Fitch World Pageant.' 

This year's winner, a Kiwi by the name of Chris Olwage (who's 'five-head' is even worse than Josh Duhamel's) won. His talent? Dancing en pointe, something exceedingly rare among male dancers. That's not to say I have anything against men dancing en pointe. Far from it (though I can't help but compare my own feet - ruined by years of dancing in musical theatre - to the feet of ballerinas I met while working for the NYC Ballet... ick!). And while Olwage has an amazing body, give me a fuzzy, beefy Bear over a skinny dancer any day. Below (via) is Olwage's talent entry in the contest:

And speaking of fuzzy, beefy Bears, Mumford and Sons (who had a very LGBT friendly hit not too long ago) are back with a new video for their latest single, "Hopeless Wanderer," which features former SNL hotties Jason Sudekis and Will Forte along with Jason Bateman and Ed Helms. Sudeikis and Forte (wearing a rather unflattering yak hair beard) appear to swap some spit (something they've done many times in skits on SNL), though the catchy new song has only the vaguest connections to the LGBT community. Watch it below (also via):

Personally, I'm waiting for Ricky Martin, Neil Patrick Harris and Cheyenne Jackson to collaborate on the ultimate gay song/video, written by Elton John and Matt Zarley. If you see it before I do, let me know ASAP.

More, anon.
Prospero

Orson Scott Card's Game

Homophobic Propaganda

In college, I took an English elective called 'Science Fiction.' It was a fun and easy class, though there was lots of reading. We had to read 4 novels and dozens of short stories. Not that I minded. I was always a big reader and Sci-Fi was my second favorite genre. 

One of the books we read was Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Like many novels and movies in the genre, it was about a young warrior who had the potential to save Humanity from the aliens who were threatening our existence. And I really enjoyed it. It wasn't until many years later that I learned more about Card and his homophobic agenda. 

Card, a terrified Mormon who in 2008 wrote: "Regardless of law, marriage has only one definition, and any government that attempts to change it is my mortal enemy. I will act to destroy that government and bring it down…," he later went on to become a board member of the anti-equality hate group NOM in 2009. The subsequent anti-gay subtext of his works since Ender's Game suggests that gay men, specifically, are unnatural and deserve whatever pain and suffering they get, often equating us with pederasts.

Ender's Game (whose evil, invading aliens are called 'Buggers' - so subtle) is about to hit the big screen this fall with a cast of very talented people who should have known better. Hugo's Asa Butterfield; True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld; Ben (Gandhi) Kingsley; Abigail Breslan and Han Solo/Indiana Jones himself, Harrison Ford, are all in the film. And they have all tried to defend it by saying we should judge the art, but not the artist. Really? Isn't the point of art to depict the artist's point of view? Throughout my training as a performing artist, it was always stressed that a work of art was meant to depict the artist's true intent, regardless of how the viewer interprets it.

This past May, Salon.com published an article detailing Card's most heinous remarks, while pointing out the homophobia inherent in his works. Recently, Geeks OUT, an LGBT Sci-Fi fan group, has called for a boycott of the film. It doesn't matter to them (or me) that Card has already made millions from the novel and the movie rights. It doesn't matter that the filmmakers and stars are trying to distance the movie from it's source. What matters is pointing out that Card is a viciously antagonistic homophobe who needs a reality check. 

After the recent SCOTUS decision regarding DOMA, Card tried to do some damage control, saying:

 

"Ender’s Game is set more than a century in the future and has nothing to do with political issues that did not exist when the book was written in 1984.

"With the recent Supreme Court ruling, the gay marriage issue becomes moot. The Full Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution will, sooner or later, give legal force in every state to any marriage contract recognized by any other state.

"Now it will be interesting to see whether the victorious proponents of gay marriage will show tolerance toward those who disagreed with them when the issue was still in dispute."

Tolerance? Seriously? F*CK YOU, Orson! F*ck you so hard you bleed! F*ck you so hard you cry for your Mommy! F*ck you so hard that you finally learn what it means to be bullied and hated just for being yourself! Of course, you won't learn that lesson because your hatred, fear and ignorance have been ingrained in you by a cult founded by an illiterate farmer who convinced a bunch of equally ignorant Rubes that he could decipher a previously unknown ancient language which was revealed to him by an angel on 'golden plates' which he could never, ever show to anyone else.

Wow, that was uncharacteristically mean-spirited on my part. But I'm not sorry.

Here's the thing: If you're going to spend the majority of your life hating a group of people just for being who they are (and declaring war on your government for recognizing that group's inherent Human Rights), you have absolutely no business asking for that group to be tolerant of your hatred or the art you create which reflects it.

Despite liking the book and loving the cast of the movie, I will not be seeing Ender's Game, in any way, shape or form. And I encourage you to not see it, as well. And while I would normally post a trailer or video at this point in my rant, I simply cannot bring myself to do anything which might promote this movie. 

Please don't see this movie. Let it die the death it deserves. Let Card know we will not tolerate his intolerance. Skip Ender's Game and hold out for J.J. Abrams' Star Wars movies, instead. Hell, wait for the inevitably awful Avatar sequels. Whatever you do, let Card and his ilk know that they are dinosaurs living in the past, with little-to-no relevance to modern reality. And while I freely admit that most boycotts don't work, this one may actually send a message to the gayest (and most homophobic) industry in the U.S. Come on... You know Brokeback Mountain should have won Best Picture.

More, anon.
Prospero

The Most Positive Gay Things You'll See This Week

Pope Francis I

I'm torn. Do I write about the story that impacts LGBTQ people here in the U.S. or the the story that impacts LGBTQ people all over the world? I guess I have to talk about both, if I'm going to write about either. Let's start with the whole world, shall we? (Hey - go big or go home, right?)

On his flight back to Rome from Brazil, Pope Francis I gave an impromptu, jovial, no-holds-barred press conference for the reporters on board. And in answering one question, he moved the HRC (no, not the HRC) into the 21st Century. When a reporter asked what he would do if he found out a priest was gay, he responded "Who am I to judge a gay person of goodwill who seeks the Lord? You can't marginalize these people." Of course, this is no way means that Francis thinks gay sex (the biggest hang-up most religious folks seem to have about gay people) is okay, but his answer to that question is probably the most progressive statement ever made by any Pope, ever. Historically, there have been married Popes; adulterous Popes; sadistic Popes and (in 2000-odd years), undoubtedly at least one gay Pope. I mean, come on. 265 men (and possibly 1 woman) have held the title. Statistically, at least one or more of them had to be gay.

Francis is proving himself to be even more "The People's Pope" than the much-beloved (and on the track to Sainthood) John Paul II. Smart, modern and accessible, Francis knows the Church is hurting. In South America, Catholics have been leaving the Church for evangelical congregations, while in the U.S. and Europe, they have been leaving because the Church has refused to evolve on issues like homosexuality, women's rights and birth control. Of course, Uncle P still views all religion as detrimental to progress and an affront to science, but that doesn't mean I hate religious people. I just wish they would wake up and smell reality. Francis seems to at least caught a whiff and that's terrific.

Tim Hardaway

And the other big LGBTQ news comes from retired NBA star Tim Hardaway, who in a 2007 interview said "I hate gay people... I'm homophobic." After spending time at Miami's YES Institute and seeing the way LGBTQ people have been abused, bullied and vilified, Hardaway had an epiphany of sorts. Earlier this month, he was the first person to sign a petition challenging Florida's marriage laws. 

"With what I said, people could think it's OK to throw rocks at them or bully them... I just wanted to make people understand that what I said wasn't cool. I wanted to make amends for it.'' Hardaway says he hasn't become a voice for Equality because he wants publicity (he rarely gives interviews). As a young man growing up in Chicago, he had a gay relative to whom he was apparently close. He says now that his comments were 'thoughtless.'

Wow! A little education goes a long way. And while my faith in Humanity hasn't been fully restored (at least while Vladimir Putin and Robert Mugabe are still spewing ignorance and hate), it has been elevated by the words and actions of two very influential people who have had a change of heart and mind. I still have issues with Pat Robertson, who yesterday said that Trans people aren't sinners, but gay people are (don't get me started about that old fossil), but it is amazing to see the tide turning so quickly and so dramatically. 

We still have a long way to go. Next month, 13 U.S. States will officially recognize same-sex marriage (Yay, Minnesota!). I suspect that Illinois; Pennsylvania; New Jersey; Hawaii and Virginia will be next with Colorado; New Mexico; Nevada and Ohio to follow.From there, it's just a matter of time before America finally embraces everything for which our Constitution stands.

Last week, Queen Elizabeth II signed her approval of Marriage Equality in the UK. New Zealand is likely to be the next country which fully embraces Equality, with Australia probably soon to follow. I now have real hope that before I leave this world, it will be changed for the better in so many ways.

The Roger Waters' song embedded below may be about the end of the Cold War, but I can't help but think it applies here (and the animation by my favorite artist certainly doesn't hurt):

More, anon.

Prospero

The Gayest New Music You'll Hear This Week

Pet Shop Boys

As obsessed with film scores as I am, I am very surprised by my recent rash of new music posts. 

Uncle P came of musical age in the 80's when I discovered so many musicians; bands; performance artists and singers from every era and genre. For the most part, the music with I most connect the beginning of my musical awakening is the often bizarre dance music to which my college friends and I spent many a Thursdays (with Jon Stewart tending bar) dancing at 90 Cent Dance Night Thursday at the notorious City Gardens in Trenton, NJ.  90 Cents to get in and 90 Cents for a watered down well drink. We'd get a pitcher of Kamikazes to start the night and then move on to the cheap stuff, dancing so much that we never really got all that drunk. One of the era's few surviving groups, Pet Shop Boys have a new single out called "Vocal." The song and the video (via) are everything I have always loved about the eccentric gay (not a couple) duo. Enjoy:

Then there's the heavily 80's influenced George Alley and his latest single, "Smoke." Alley channels The Smiths, The Cure and Pet Shop Boys, while infusing his own sense of weirdness (via). Alley is entertaining, but an acquired taste:

Next, Autoheart takes a stab at Russian homophobia with their single, "Moscow" (also via):

And finally, a dance track from self-described "small town Wisconsin boy" Garek, coming out (in every sense) with his debut single "Save the Queen"(also via):

While none of the videos posted tonight are NSFW, the "(via)" links to their source sites may be very NSFW.

There seems to be a wonderful musical explosion among openly gay singer/songwriters and LGBT-Friendly bands. I'm so excited to live in a time when no one needs to hide anymore.

More, anon.
Prospero

The Newest Gayest Music Videos You'll See This Week

Eli Lieb

There seems to have been an absolute explosion of gay recording artists releasing new songs and videos this month. 

On the heels of Steve Grand's viral hit "All-American Boy" (already touted earlier this month) comes Tom Goss' "Bears" and now (via) comes the adorable Eli Lieb with "Young Love." 

At Uncle P's age, it amazes me that so many young artists are producing fearless and truthful works about who they are. While these days I'm out to just about everybody (with the exception of a few very elderly and very Catholic aunts and uncles who just don't need to know, though I'm sure they must suspect by now), when I was Grand, Goss and Lieb's age, I was still very much closeted to all but my closest friends.

Openly gay artists like the three gentlemen cited above (along with folks like Chely Wright; Adam Lambert and Drake Jensen) give me hope that future generations of LGBT people will eventually be fully recognized as equals and celebrated for their talents and not just their sexuality. 

"If music be the food of love, play on." 

More, anon.
Prospero

The Gayest New Music and Hottest Boys You'll See This 1st Gay 4th of July

Happy Gay Independence Day!

This Independence Day has new meaning to millions of LGBTQ people all over our country, who are celebrating the deaths of DOMA and Proposition 8. For the first time in my life, our government no longer considers us "Less Than." We are closer and closer to joining the 13 (and soon to be fifteen with Uruguay and New Zealand's Marriage Equality laws taking effect next month) countries who have come into the 21st Century and recognized that there is nothing wrong, unnatural, perverse or sinful in love. When we're long gone, I hope someone finds and reads all our archived blogs and says the same thing we now say about "Whites Only" fountains and entrances and theater seating. 'Equality under the law.' Finally.

And apropos of both the First Gay Independence Day and my recent new music tear, I have discovered a second country artist I actually like (I'll talk about big ole Country Bear Drake Jensen and his anti-bullying anthem "Scars" in another post, soon). Today is all about gorgeous and so very hot Steve Grand and his debut single "All-American Boy." Those who've known Uncle P since the late 80's will understand why this song and video mean so much to me. And after you watch it, I'll tell you why. Here (via) is "All-American Boy":

So, there are three major differences in Steve's story and mine. First, my All-American Boy already knew I was in love with him because everyone I told and asked not to tell him, told him anyway. Second, we didn't end in an awkward attempt at a kiss, but rather a very difficult (but ultimately cathartic and beneficial) conversation during a long drive in the country, necessitated by the fact that I was about to direct him in one of the greatest romances of all time and facilitated beforehand by a wonderful and more-than competent therapist (thanks, Jim, wherever you are!). And third, I am not nor have I have been anywhere near as hot as young Mr. Grand. So now you know a little bit about me that you didn't know before.

I hope my U.S. readers have the same 4-day weekend I have. And thank you to all the police; firefighters; EMTs; doctors; nurses; technicians; pharmacists and other service workers who don't. I hope you're getting lots of OT or DT in exchange. You deserve it. Have a safe and happy holiday, America. I can't remember a happier one for me, even with that nostalgically bittersweet video (of course, Steve and his co-star help make it a little sweeter). Grand's website is under construction, so there's nothing to really link to him yet, but I'll be looking out for him and will surely post about him again. Like Father Tiger, if he keeps putting out great music like this, I'm sure he'll be around a while.

For the first time in a long time, I'm starting to (just a little bit) regain my faith in Humanity.

I'll be posting at least once or twice more before celebrating the Caliban's Revenge 5th Anniversary Super Post on July 9th. I hope I'm able to live up to the hype!

More, anon.
Prospero