Travolta's Tasty Take-off Kiss

Originally printed in the National Enquirer: "John steals a smooch from an unidentified friend before the pair boarded Travolta`s personal 707 airplane together, in Hamilton, Ontario."

Travolta's in Toronto working on his Hairspray role as Edna Turnblad. Perhaps it's just the motherly role rubbing off on him. It's a photo that doesn't prove anything except that John Travolta knows how real men say good-bye.

(source)

Sphere: Related Content

News: Giuliani Murder, Diana Death, Little Britain

Detectives have arrested a homeless drug addict in the slaying of gay former aide to Rudy Giuliani, Martin Barreto. Barreto's body was discovered on August 21st in his apartment, and an autopsy later determined "asphyxia due to compression of the neck" to be the cause of death.

Brokeback Mountain author Annie Proulx selling her Wyoming cowboy outpost: "The 3,500-square foot 'Aspen Country Retreat' sits on a 2-acre lot and has three bedrooms and three baths..."

Filmmaker plans controversial film on last hour of Princess Diana: "In London, we will have to work secretly because Diana is sacrosanct - and everybody goes jittery the minute you just mention her name. It can probably never be exactly clarified what happened in that hour of her death. Art has the freedom to interpret this".

John Blankenstein, Dutch official who was first openly gay referee in football, dies of kidney disease at 57.

Little Britain to get American remake: "Matt Lucas and David Walliams are to adapt their outrageous comic creations for American viewers under a deal with the cable channel behind the award-winning The Sopranos and Sex and the City. The search is on to find the urban American equivalent of the schoolgirl nightmare Vicky Pollard and a suitable deep South locale for the only gay in the village. The duo will work with American writers and Simon Fuller, the British entrepreneur behind Pop Idol, will oversee the show."

Philip Slater on homophobes: "Men and women who are comfortably heterosexual aren't obsessed with stamping out homosexuality. Normal, non-neurotic people don't care what other people do in the privacy of their own homes. Normal heterosexual men don't spend their Saturday nights hanging around gay bars to beat up gays--they're out with women."

Sphere: Related Content

Spain's Summer Tomato Warriors

Spaniards love group activities and gay marriage so it seems entirely reasonable that the "warriors" attending the annual La Tomatina would have no problem getting nearly naked and wrestling around in the end-of-summer pulpfest with forty-thousand of their closest friends.

"'Throwing tomatoes is 'wonderful for getting rid of stress,' said Pilar Garrigues, culture councillor in the eastern town of Bunol, where the festival known as La Tomatina started spontaneously six decades ago. Five lorries dumped more than 110 tons of mushy tomatoes in the town centre. By the time the one-hour battle was over, the streets were filled with tomato-covered participants ankle-deep in tomatoes between splattered houses. Partipants rushed to use the 500 showers prepared for the purpose.."

Forty thousand Spaniards attend giant tomato fight [monsters and critics]

Sphere: Related Content

Underwear Party Saves Puppet Theater

Puppeteer Tim Young found an innovative way to save the theater he runs which performs educational programs for underprivileged gay youth — he created a weekly underwear party for gay men to fund it:

"And although Young can sound a bit defensive—'If someone says, ‘You’re throwing a party for gay men in their underwear!’ I say, ‘Well, I don’t see you paying my rent or giving me money to buy glitter’'—the guests approve. 'You come here for the social atmosphere, but you’re also helping kids,' said Mike, 34, a burly lawyer, as he retrieved a plastic bag filled with his clothes. 'I’m all for that.'

Let's just hope the two events stay mutually exclusive.

Taking It Off for the Kids [new york magazine]

Sphere: Related Content

A-Rod Adjusts a Rod

As Ozzie Guillen imagines where he might put it...

(via deadspin)

Sphere: Related Content

Neighbor of Stonewall Bar Speaks Up

Last week I posted about the closing of the historic Stonewall Bar in New York's West Village and noted that the New York Observer article painted its neighbors as less than thrilled about the crowd it had been attracting.

One of those quoted in the article, Bill Morgan, the owner of the Duplex bar down the street, wrote in to Towleroad, saying that he felt his remarks to the Observer were both inaccurate and fabricated.

His remarks can be found in the comments section of the original post and after the jump:

Comments to Towleroad from Bill Morgan, owner of the Duplex:

"I just wanted to set the record straight regarding the Stonewall Bar. I am in no way thrilled at the prospect of losing such an incredible landmark for both the West Village and the gay community. I have nothing but empathy for any fellow businesses especially one of Stonewall's stature. And losing Stonewall would not enhance my business it would hurt it as Stonewall brings people to the neighborhood. The 'reporter' from the Observer not only paraphrased my sentiments from the 20 minute telephone interview he edited them together in a way that has very little in common with what I actually said. It's as if he had a bias in mind for the article and decided to tailor or fabricate statements to bolster his case. When he asked why I thought the Stonewall was failing I stated that I felt the owners had forsaken the history of the place and the hardcore regular clientele by bringing in the 18-20 year olds for the 'detention parties' and the like. I did say that the crowds can be disruptive late at night as once they leave the Stonewall they have no other bar to go to because they are underage. So they hang out and make noise. That's the nature of 18 year olds. I never said that the kids were "the wrong element" and I never said anything even remotely close to being happy at the prospect of losing such a historical establishment. The article this person wrote is not only misrepresentative of me but of the attitude of the community toward Stonewall. I hope Stonewall survives and prospers for years to come. As far as the Duplex is concerned - We are very proud of the diversity of our patrons and the diversity of our staff as well. As you may imagine I am sickened by the bigoted quotes that were attributed to me. I have written the reporter from the Observer, pointed out the inaccuracy of his article and requested that he set the record straight on his end. I am grateful that I have this opportunity to speak for myself."

You may have missed...
New York's Stonewall Bar to Shut; Neighbors Glad [tr]

Sphere: Related Content