03/01/2007
News: Walter Reed, McConaughey, Lunar Eclipse, Gay Sauna
How did Paris Hilton escape unscathed after GLAAD demanded she apologize for using the F and N words? "You'd think she'd have some 'splainin' to do—Hilton served as grand marshal of the 2005 Los Angeles gay pride parade. Presumably [handler Elliot] Mintz knows his charge is just too valuable to the media for them to call her on her hypocrisy and hatred."
Total lunar eclipse to turn moon red this Saturday: "Star gazers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa will have a front-and-center view of the eclipse in a late-night sky, with the zenith occurring at 23:21 GMT. On the east coast of North America, the Moon will already be eclipsed when it rises at around sunset, while in Asia early risers will get a glimpse of the lunar blackout as the Moon sets."
Largest gay sauna in Latin America to open in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Argentina moves toward same-sex civil unions: "The national civil unions bill would give same-sex couples all of the rights of marriage without the name. It was written with the support of the country's largest LGBT civil rights group, the Argentinean Homosexual Community."
Men's Fitness magazine blasted by industry watchdog for false claims, including "alcohol plus a steak dinner works like lighter fluid on your metabolism."
Historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. dies of heart attack at 89 in Manhattan.
Matthew McConaughey and a bevy of wet pecs.
Brothers & Sisters executive producer Greg Berlanti: Younger studio execs are driving gay TV visibility. "I think because the people who were assistants 10 years ago have become executives now, they are less afraid of what people are going to say because they've seen now that it's not such a big deal. Whereas the last batch of execs was maybe living with their fears of 10, 15 years ago. A large part of it though is cultural. The culture at ABC is just, I think, very supportive, and just maybe they have their finger a little bit more on the pulse. Certainly no one has an agenda of 'well, let's see as much man-on-man action as possible.' The agenda instead is: 'Hey, we want the story lines for all of our characters to be as interesting and as thoughtful and mature and real as they can possibly be.'"
John Edwards strategist says Barack Obama lost in the Clinton-Obama-Geffen feud: "They made it a five-day story, and it knocked Barack off his pedestal. They shouldn't have answered back. It would have gone away. I think Barack definitely lost that round."
Walter Reed hospital soldiers told to keep quiet to the media about conditions there: "Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Medical Hold Unit say they have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to the media. 'Some soldiers believe this is a form of punishment for the trouble soldiers caused by talking to the media,' one Medical Hold Unit soldier said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. It is unusual for soldiers to have daily inspections after Basic Training."
Posted 12:14 PM EST by Andy Towle in Argentina, Barack Obama, Brazil, David Geffen, Election 2008, Gay Slurs, GLAAD, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Magazines, Matthew McConaughey, Nature, News, Paris Hilton, Space, Television | Permalink
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PARIS HILTON: Who?
LARGEST GAY BATH HOUSE: This is how we gain equal status and show those naysayers who claim that gay men are perverts, opening the worlds largest gay sauna. Yeah, that's it (and I'm certain I will be flamed for that).
MEN'S FITNESS: ROFL LMAO That is rich.
ABC: If they are such purveyors in diversity and homosexual visibility in primetime television, why is Isaiah Washington still on their payroll? (you know, the "What have you heard about me? - I never called T. R. Knight a faggot" Isaiah Washington).
WALTER REED HOSPITALS: This comes as a surprise? After the Bush Administration took pains in silencing global climate scientists (among many other things I am certain), this should be no surprise to any one. In fact, I'd be more surprised if they DIDN'T shut them up. Great country, America.
Posted by: Cory | Mar 1, 2007 12:35:55 PM
I feel for you, Cory. Those PNP guys are going to scratch at you for that comment.
Posted by: Gary | Mar 1, 2007 12:57:21 PM
A fairer question might be how GLAAD escaped unscathed after making such a pathetic choice for grand marshall? Maybe she wasn't known at the time to be a bigot, but she was certainly known to be a generally poor reflection on the human race.
Posted by: Davey | Mar 1, 2007 1:19:43 PM
I agree with Cory about the gay sauna in Brazil, though more because it's likely to be the largest petri dish in Latin America. In many ways, the country has been seen as an international model for how to educate about AIDS prevention, and the overall rate of infection and the rate among gay men is far lower than predicted. Numerically, more heterosexuals have HIV/AIDS than gays, but the rate among gays is still disproportionately higher. Places like this could perforate, if you will, their magnificent condom/safer sex campaigns.
Don't mourn Arthur Schlesinger who once wrote in "The New York Times," "Gay used to be one of the most agreeable words in the language. Its appropriation by a notably morose group is an act of piracy."
Luv Greg Berlanti, but, in addition to the continued employment of Isaiah Washington and the Pontius Pilate excuses of Grey creator Rhimes, ABC has never apologized for the shameful smear of Matthew Shepard by Esleazebeth Vargas on "20/20/" and she's back in the cunt seat on the show. Hopefully, the out gay producer of the Shepard outrage is gone.
Posted by: Leland | Mar 1, 2007 1:45:24 PM
Good luck to Argentinean gays. Argentina and Brazil are lightyears ahead of the US on civil rights issues regarding LGBT people.
Things are getting better at ABC and across TV, slowly.
The problem I have with Gay Pride parades is that year after year they have straight people as grand marshalls. I very much appreciate straight allies and what they do. But it's not like being openly gay everyday and paying the consequences. Those people are the REAL HEROS and deserve to get their due from the gay community. They are the ones that are making a real impact on people.
I also think the behavior at these parades are embarrassing. IT'S ABOUT GAY PRIDE NOT GAY EXHIBITIONISM!
Posted by: Jack! | Mar 1, 2007 2:18:27 PM
ABC/Disney the pipe organ for Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and almost all of the hate talk radio; all leaders in hate fags speak, not to mention Elizabeth Vargas on 20/20 blaming Matthew Shepard for his own murder. Yeah ABC is real supportive to gays.
Posted by: ggreen | Mar 1, 2007 2:48:34 PM
Woohoo!! @ Argentina is joigning the ranks of countries recognizing the rights of LGBT to marry!!
*does a little dance*
*...and another*
Posted by: Da | Mar 1, 2007 3:38:18 PM
I also think the behavior at these parades are embarrassing. IT'S ABOUT GAY PRIDE NOT GAY EXHIBITIONISM!
Posted by: Jack! | Mar 1, 2007 2:18:27 PM
I second that
Posted by: Cory | Mar 1, 2007 3:46:54 PM
Don't forget though, even if you're completely monogamous, modest, dowdy, and meek, they'll still hate you and consider you a sinner and a second-class citizen.
Posted by: John T | Mar 1, 2007 3:53:19 PM
On Mens Fitness: The group issuing the report is the American Council on Science and Health, a front group for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, dedicated to debunking claims of dangers from environmental exposures to toxic chemicals, among other things. They hired C. Everett Koop for a while to give them credibility, but they always seem to have an agenda, mostly to make those industries look good. I wouldn't walk across the road to defend Mens Fitness, but I wouldn't believe ACSH either.
Posted by: Tom | Mar 1, 2007 4:09:30 PM
"The problem I have with Gay Pride parades is that year after year they have straight people as grand marshalls. I very much appreciate straight allies and what they do. But it's not like being openly gay everyday and paying the consequences.I also think the behavior at these parades are embarrassing. IT'S ABOUT GAY PRIDE NOT GAY EXHIBITIONISM!"
OK, so you don't like the straight allies as marshalls... but you do like people who are "openly gay" -- provided they look just like the straight allies?
Posted by: Kevinvt | Mar 1, 2007 5:05:53 PM
KevinVT, I don't want gay men in only g-strings, lesbians with only bikini bottoms on, or leather men with assless chaps and whips marching in a Gay Pride parade. It is embarassing and projects the image that LGBT are only that way because of the sex. I know the parades are in the summer and it's hot and a lot of people have great bodies but please save it for the beach. Have some respect. Put on a pink tank top and khakis or jeans. Or raindow color t-shirt. Carry a rainbow flag, wear a rainbow hat, etc.
Posted by: Jack! | Mar 1, 2007 6:00:19 PM
I love gay parades, and can't really see what's wrong with them?
Of course it's about celebration & challenging perceptions, so they're not going to present the usual gender stereotypes with a nice little line drawn in the middle (duh).
But really check out these galleries of gay & lesbian prides and tell me if it's not the cutest thing ever!!
http://gayprideboyz.com
ps yes you'll find some of the Laguna Beach party pics to be on the racy and saucy side, but it's nothing above what you'll find at Spring Break or Mardi Gras.
Posted by: Da | Mar 1, 2007 6:12:47 PM
Right on, John T.
Posted by: Je | Mar 1, 2007 6:55:12 PM
I can understand that Pride Parades were started in the 60's and 70's, after Stonewall and in times when being in the publics face were paramount. Drag queens, the leather scene, and all the other extreme homosexual groups were thrown in the back of the bus so to speak and needed to say "Hey, we're here, we're queer, get over it". However, times have changed. I have read a few intelligently posted columns and articles over the years that made an interesting point. The in your face segments of the gay population that were once the most vilified and intolerated have now taken the front seat and pushed the "normal Joe" gay segment to the back of the bus. Where are the average homosexuals? By average they meant the non-drag peformers, leather daddies, porn stars, etc. The majority of the gay population does not consist of what the Gay Pride Parades represent, and the times have changed, so why aren't they being represented on a grand scale just as the extreme segments? Some interesting points...
Posted by: Rob | Mar 1, 2007 7:37:28 PM
I'm sorry but I do not find assless chaps and porn stars to be "the cutest thing ever!!"
Posted by: Casey | Mar 1, 2007 7:39:39 PM
This is not really the time to be discussing pride parades: it's only February! But these arguments have been going on for half a century now, even before the first parades, which were not, in fact in the 60s -- parades, or rather marches commemorating Stonewall, didn't start until the following year, which would be 1970.
Sometimes I wonder if people have seen a pride parade themselves or if they've just heard about them and seen photographs. The "normal Joes" are hardly at the back of the bus (interesting metaphor), but rather they are the overwhelming majority at any of these events. But they're not really as interesting photographically, so you don't notice them in the press coverage.
Posted by: KevinVT | Mar 1, 2007 8:47:18 PM
KEVINVT: I have been to many pride parades in NYC, and in 2004 I was on the HX float (we had to wear fig leaves as clothing as it was a Garden of Eden theme and I stood - or rather hid - in the middle next to porn star Michael Lucas lol). I can say for certain that the over sensationalized drag queens, leather scene and muscle boys take center stage, and most of the "normal joes" fall to the way side.
Posted by: Cory | Mar 1, 2007 8:52:52 PM
Rob, have they pushed the "normal Joe" gay segment to the back of the bus, or the normal jokes chosing not to sit in the front? and I suppose you mean the men in suits, the frats, the politicans, the sportmen, the teachers etc?
But it's to note that these days most parades have evolved to reflect the changes of the gay community you're refering to..ie you'll have lesbian mothers and gay fathers marching, PFLAG (parents, families and friends of lesbians and gay), gay policemen etc etc..and with the inclusion of sponsors and advertisers there's been a major push to turn gay parades into "family friendly" events to sell it to the maximum. - It's to the point that I've read arguments from the other side saying that that the parades have become so very mainstream that there's no more reason to even have them..
So which one is it?
Anyway, I don't doubt there are issues with gay parades, but the the question is: do we want to fix those issues or do we want to do off with them altogether?? if it's the latter, we'll have to think about "replacing" it with something else...because it's not guaranteed that the community is going to come out to represent itself or protest when governments are threatening to pass amendements to deny us some rights for instance.
Posted by: Da | Mar 1, 2007 10:14:08 PM
Face it: in terms of media representation and therefore general perception, gay pride parades, portrayed in its extremities, do far more HARM than GOOD.
This is especially so, if your cause is to get 90% of the population to accept you as part of the mainstream society and therefore equally entitled to marriage and adoption.
Historical context is everything, and we are now at the point where, more than ever, it's to our advantage to be perceived as "normal" in order to further our socio-political goals.
Posted by: just sayin' | Mar 2, 2007 1:58:27 AM
couldn't agree more, just sayin'
Posted by: yougotit | Mar 2, 2007 11:21:43 AM
Kirk & Madsen's After the Ball, anyone? If we really do follow that strategy, the right wing homophobes will only get madder, because it's part of the gay agenda.
There is a difference between a parade, which is a carnivalesque celebration of our difference (and not our sameness) and a demonstration for equal rights at the statehouse. Parades are not about being discreet. I grew up in New Orleans. If Mardi Gras prohibited parade-goers from wearing wild costumes, would anyone be interested in watching or attending? It's not a time to be imposing our dress codes on anyone else.
It's amazing to me that the hegemonic power of straight propriety makes us police our own to enforce "respect." Not all social change happens by sitting at the back of the bus (to bring that metaphor back) and politely asking for our rights. Who knows where we would be if the really transgressive and out-there (and in your face) drag queens hadn't been the first to stand up back in the 60s and 70s. They were already marginalized and had less to lose than the "average Joes," who at the time were in the closet and wanted everyone else to stay there. But it's the transgressive pioneers I'd respect at a pride parade, not the middle class family from Des Moines.
Posted by: Kevinvt | Mar 2, 2007 11:42:22 AM