01/05/2007
News: Nate Berkus, David Mixner, Paris on Ice, Betty Ford
Human rights activist and political strategist David Mixner (a Clinton insider who publicly criticized his friend's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy) now has a blog. His first entries detail Betty Ford's early work on behalf of people with HIV/AIDS and a scorecard of politicians and their positions on the war in Iraq.
Boston newscaster Randy Price marries his partner Mark Steffen on Massachusetts State House steps one day after advance of gay marriage ban proposal. Price told the Boston Herald's Inside Track: "I’m not that [political] really, but in our personal lives we all become a bit political. We’re certainly not defiant people, but we believe that we should have the right to marry like anyone else. Right now, it’s right for us. And we’ve got as good a track record with vows and commitment as anyone else."
Lane Hudson: According to Terry McAuliffe, Hillary's ready to go.
OutZoneTV's sexiest gay celebrity: Nate Berkus.
Patricia Nell Warren, author of the classic gay novel The Front Runner, is running for a seat on the West Hollywood City Council. I have a feeling she's the front runner now.
A Paris Hilton cocktail? Mix ten parts heiress with one part ice.
Anti-gay marriage group in Massachusetts withdraws $5 million lawsuit against legislature because they got their vote: "The lawsuit, filed earlier this month in U.S. District Court by VoteOnMarriage.org, argued the 109 lawmakers who voted to recess a joint constitutional convention violated the supporters' rights to free speech, to petition the government and due process under the law.
The lawsuit sought $500,000 from the lawmakers for the cost of the group's legal battles and another $5 million in punitive damages."
Trikkx, one of St. Paul, Minnesota's gay nightclubs, is closing.
A character on the FOX sitcom The War at Home has come out of the closet: "Dave’s son Larry (Kyle Sullivan) is a bit eccentric, and both he and his friend Kenny have come under frequent scrutiny for their gay-seeming behavior (Larry likes figure skating, etc. etc.). But last night the cards were laid out on the table: Kenny is gay, Larry is not, and Kenny has a still-secret crush on his best friend." FOX preceded the episode with a "Viewer Discretion is Advised" warning. It's unclear whether that's a weekly message or one specifically for this gay-themed episode.
Posted 1:40 PM EST by Andy Towle in Boston, David Mixner, Democratic Party, Gay Marriage, Hillary Clinton, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nate Berkus, News, Paris Hilton, Patricia Nell Warren, St. Paul, Television | Permalink
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"Viewer Discretion is Advised" airs every week as anyone finishing up watching The Simpsons knows... TWaH is the worst show on TV.
Posted by: Scott | Jan 5, 2007 1:48:10 PM
Agreed--I can't believe anyone's actually still watching that show. I figured they'd offended every single possible demographic group by now.
Posted by: Joel | Jan 5, 2007 2:02:09 PM
Where do we send our congratulations to Mr. Price-Steffen?
Until we find a more personal address, you can send your congratulations here:
viewer_news@whdh.com
Posted by: Tread | Jan 5, 2007 2:06:22 PM
The OutZoneTV "Sexeist Gay Celebrity" headline reads "Out, Proud and changing our world".
I'm sorry but I don't understand how that has ANYTHING to do with Nate Berkus or half of the other celebrities on the list who were drug out of the closet kicking and screaming or those who avoid discussing their sexuality like the plague. For God sake, Nate Berkus lost his life partner in the southeast Asia tsunami and bent over backwards to avoid letting people know that he was anything more than an acquaintance that he was traveling with. NOT SEXY in my book.
Honestly, is this the best we have to offer as those we look up to as "out, proud and changing our world"?
Where are the kids that started Gay/Straight clubs in rural America in extremely unfriendly and threatening environments?
Where are the people who have dedicated their every waking hour to the fight for equality?
Where are the gay and lesbian heroes that have challenged bigotry and discrimination in their churches, communities and/or places of employment?
Nate Berkus, Neil Patrick Harris, Reichen Lemkuhl and Lance Bass: Sexy? Perhaps, to some; Out, proud and changing our world? I just don’t see it and frankly, in my opinion, that makes them very unsexy.
I find genuine self confidence sexy. I find people with guts sexy. I find people with a sense of community and the courage to stand up for themselves, and others within (and outside of) their community, sexy.
Melissa Ethreridge, Rufus Wainwright, Ellen DeGeneres; sexy, I agree.
Former CNN Anchor Thomas Roberts, David Barrowman (Dr. Who/Torchwood) and the newsman mentioned above, Randy Price, DAMN SEXY, but somehow these actual “out and proud” gay celebrities didn’t make the list.
I guess most people have a different concept of “sexy” than I do.
Posted by: Zeke | Jan 5, 2007 2:33:43 PM
"... both he and his friend Kenny have come under frequent scrutiny for their gay-seeming behavior (Larry likes figure skating, etc. etc.)"
It's interesting that Hollywood continues to foreshadow homosexuality through feminine stereotypes. ("Let's have the kid interested in clothes, figure skating and Madonna, and then viewers will begin to get the picture.") I look forward to the day when no one "seems gay" based on interests traditionally attributed to women.
Posted by: Steve | Jan 5, 2007 2:39:50 PM
thought technically not a nightclub (but more of a bar)the townhouse in saint paul is still open. it's the oldest gay bar in saint paul (and now the only).
Posted by: J | Jan 5, 2007 2:48:09 PM
Zeke, I agree with you..but I approve of them making that list anyway! :)) especially because they listed Rufus Wainwright who is greatly overlooked as a cutie. He cracks me up in his interviews as well.
I think I may email OutZone and give them props for that inclusion heh.
Posted by: Da | Jan 5, 2007 2:51:45 PM
@ Steve:
The best portrayal of a gay teen was Heroes' Zach, played by Thomas Dekker. That is, until NBC decided the character was suddenly "not gay".
@ Zeke:
I whole-heartedly agree. BTW, what ever happened with Berkus's partner? Did they find the body? I never heard a resolution to that and it has been bothering me.
Posted by: Tread | Jan 5, 2007 2:52:00 PM
They indeed do run that disclaimer every week before "The War At Home," and also "Family Guy" and "American Dad," so it wasn't just because of Kenny's coming out.
I watch this show regularly, and I loved the way they handled this.
Also, they did a PSA for The Trevor Project after the episode with actors from the show, including Michael Rappaport.
I was very impressed.
Posted by: Joe Bua | Jan 5, 2007 2:55:56 PM
@ Zeke
Hey buddy! Happy New Year.
As usual, I agree with you whole-heartedly. Take a look at the "winners" for Gay of the Year. The whole thing is People magazine meets HX/Next. Puh-leeze!
Posted by: soulbrotha | Jan 5, 2007 3:08:19 PM
I watched The War at Home for the first time last night, and actually liked the way they handled Kenny's coming out--sure, they played on stereotypes, but it was surprisingly clever (and very funny) how they established that homosexuality is they way we are created.
Posted by: Joseph | Jan 5, 2007 6:18:50 PM
Zeke, it's John Barrowman, not David.
And I believe Thomas Roberts is still a news anchor for CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/roberts.thomas.html
Posted by: RJ | Jan 5, 2007 10:17:28 PM
I have to agree with Zeke, I can't understand why some of those celebrites made the list?? I am a fan of Randy Price, I live in Boston and have been watching him for years, Congratulations to him!
Posted by: theo | Jan 6, 2007 12:08:39 PM
Does anyone know when the gay-themed ep of Cold Case will be repeated?? I missed it the first time.
Posted by: Anon | Jan 6, 2007 1:56:03 PM
Sorry 'bout that.
Thanks for the correction RJ.
Posted by: Zeke | Jan 6, 2007 7:05:54 PM
I am glad that Nate Berkus has won the "Sexist Gay Celebrity, but I was wondering why T.R. Knight from "Greys Anatomy" wasn't on that list of Sexy Celebrities?? Of all the celebrities that have come out sine June 2006, he's the one that's least read about. I think that he's totally hott & would love to hear more about him. Thank You!!
Posted by: Keith Persons | Jan 7, 2007 8:03:14 AM
Dudes and dudettes. The lists of sexiest are only 10 people long. What did you want them to do...include every homo on the planet? 10. It's not very many.
And really, T.R. KNight is dorky-cute, but not sexy. Almodovar is brainy-sexy, but not attractive.
it's all a crapshoot.
Let's be glad there were enough to leave OFF the list. NO?
Posted by: SteveLA | Jan 8, 2007 10:58:59 AM
I wasn't really sure who Nate Berkus is, but as far as I'm concerned, it has Tim Gunn, Neil Patrick Harris, Rufus Wainwright, Jake Shears and Pedro Almodovar--it's a pretty good list.
The "Gay of the Year" thing though--what the hell is that?
Posted by: Brucie | Jan 8, 2007 3:57:15 PM