02/15/2008
News: Spy Satellite, John Rechy, Noah's Arc, Kalamazoo
Spy satellite shootdown may endanger International Space Station, will also reveal military's ability to target China's strategic anti-satellite weapons.
Huckaboo: Rock group Boston orders Mike Huckabee to stop using their song. "Boston has never endorsed a political candidate, and with all due respect, would not start by endorsing a candidate who is the polar opposite of most everything Boston stands for. In fact, although I'm impressed you learned my bass guitar part on 'More Than a Feeling,' I am an Obama supporter."
Biologist laments that after 20 years of research they're no closer to developing an AIDS vaccine: "Our lack of success may be understandable but it is not acceptable. Some years ago I came to the conclusion that our community had to seriously undertake new approaches or we might find ourselves with a worldwide epidemic and no effective response. "That is just where we are today."
Project Runway designers head for Bryant Park.
Yesterday I posted a performance by David Archuleta, but here are the rest of the top 12 guys who have made it into American Idol this year.
Noah's Arc to hit the big screen.
Bono RED art auction for AIDS takes in $42 million.
CNN profiles straight couple who stayed together even after the husband revealed he was gay: "'Neither one of us had a clue -- he didn't know what being gay meant for him. ... He needed to figure that out,' recalls Anna Marie Will, of Sacramento, California. 'I needed to figure out what his being gay meant for me, and whether I could incorporate that into my life and my marriage.' What they did know was that they believed in their marriage and wanted to make it work. Jim Will's revelation in 2001 began a three-year process during which they sorted out their feelings for each other. Ultimately, the couple, whose daughter turns 15 in March, decided to stay together. 'He had to learn to talk to me -- he had spent so many years not saying what was really on his mind, and not dealing with his true feelings,' says Anna Marie Will, now 39, a worker's compensation program administrator. 'We found out once we got past all that, our marriage was so much better. We still loved each other as people and partners.'"
Revealed: the Manhattan phone book's gayest page.
Bravo announces big gay dance show.
City of Night author John Rechy releases memoir: "Rechy’s book covers, in large part, the poverty and racist climate he endured growing up in the ’40s and ’50s, the son of Mexican immigrants living on this side of the border separating El Paso, Tex., and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He lived in a house with broken windowpanes. 'We patched them with cardboard from boxes gathered outside grocery stores,' he writes. 'When the cardboard on the windows was new, I would paint pictures on it, birds, flowers. The rain would eventually streak them into colored tears.'"
TVLand censors "OhMiGod" after pressure from American Family Association.
Jake Gyllenhaal does Italian Vanity Fair.
Death sentence stands for Gary Ray Bowles, Florida serial killer of gay men.
Impromptu group forms in Kalamazoo, Michigan to stand up to Westboro Baptist Church: "The Stop the Hate in Kalamazoo Coalition formed last week after Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., said it would show up to picket the first performance of 'The Laramie Project' at Kalamazoo Central High School, the Kalamazoo Gazette reported Thursday. The play, which opens Feb. 22, is based on the 1998 killing of Matthew Shepard, who was the victim of a homophobic hate crime which ended with him being beaten to death. 'If you rebel against the standards of God and live like Matthew Shepard, you will join him in hell for eternity,' a member of the Kansas church said, the newspaper reported."
Posted 1:15 PM EST by Andy in AIDS/HIV, American Idol, Crime, Florida, Michigan, Mike Huckabee, Military, New York, News, Project Runway, Reality TV, Space | Permalink
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That Jake spread is old, or those photos were used somewhere else. I have had those saved on my computer for personal reasons for months now.
Posted by: BANNE | Feb 15, 2008 1:28:15 PM
About the couple who stayed together after he came out, I say 'to each his own' but I hope they both seriously considered what it is they want out of life and aren't staying together because it's easy.
No one wants to go to those dinner parties. "How are you?" "He's gay." "Well, how are you then?" "I'm desperate. More brie."
Posted by: junior | Feb 15, 2008 1:41:52 PM
Yes, they used an old shoot. Why, I don't know.
Posted by: andy | Feb 15, 2008 1:42:37 PM
All right Michael Bedwell & David Erhenstein: where does John Rechy stand as an important figure in gay culture? "City of Night" is the only one of his books that I've read. The pre-Stonewall gay/homosexual world(s) fascinates me. Some ask me, "why do you want to read/hear about a time of great repression for both gays and blacks." Because it was also a time of great creative production. Also, people seemed nicer to each other...or something. I'm sorry, but for me, being gay hasn't been interesting since Sylvester died. Used to be a time when I was happy to see/be around other gay people. Now, if it weren't for these blogs I'd go whole seasons without socializing with gay folks. I see one on the street and I say, "whatever." Maybe I just need a larger toy.
Posted by: Derrick from Phlly | Feb 15, 2008 2:18:41 PM
"Now, if it weren't for these blogs I'd go whole seasons without socializing with gay folks. I see one on the street and I say, "whatever." Maybe I just need a larger toy."
Derrick, I couldn't agree more. Off topic, but I believe a lot of our disinterest in the fellow gay community comes from another topic discussed on Towleroad: mean spiritedness in the gay community. Now, before you jump on me, I'll explain. When we discuss the times of Sylvester and such, back when homosexuals were trying to establish a voice to be heard, homosexuals longed for a place to feel welcome. This early community was a shelter from the storm of their tortured, closeted lives. Now it seems (generally speaking) cutting each other down, hookups and sex are the major motivations for community interaction. The longing and pain that resulted in joyous gatherings of early years spurred the creative juices of their time. It seems the reason people go out to mingle aren't the same as they used to be (which is a natural evolution I suppose), and the inclusive gay community has been replaced with mean spirited high school antics.
Posted by: Cory | Feb 15, 2008 2:34:12 PM
John Rechy is an important touchstone for gay culture, even though many things have changed radically since "City of Night" burst upon the scene. Among his other books I highly reccomend "The Sexual Outlaw" and "Our Lady of Babylon." The new one sounds teriffic.
And on a personal level he's an extremely nice man.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Feb 15, 2008 2:43:23 PM
I was going to mention Sexual Outlaw as well, a great historic snapshot of the post-Stonewall, pre-Aids era in Los Angeles. Also a fine polemic against the police homophobia of the time.
Posted by: John C | Feb 15, 2008 2:53:34 PM
If the American Family Assoc. has nothing better to do than call for a censor of the word(s) "OhMiGod!" in a promo for 80s TV show then they must have a lot of time on their hands.
Posted by: FernLaPlante | Feb 15, 2008 3:06:30 PM
DERRICK and CORY,
i suggest we start a club called the wwwq (wise world-weary queers). people could connect with us via www.wwwq.org (fats, femmes, drinkers, smokers, tokers, normals welcome. race not an issue). whatcha think?
seriously, something has gone wrong with the fellowship we had in the great times and the scary times. excuse me while i wax nostalgic, but it seems that nowadays we are all at each other's throats. that is not good.
Posted by: nic | Feb 15, 2008 3:34:11 PM
I completely agree with my dear friend DERRICK’s and CORY’s frustration with the current negativity and mean-spirited infighting displayed in and among our community. It does seem that we used to be kinder to each other and treated each other better. Perhaps I'm looking back with rose colored glasses but I don't think so. Regardless, I think we need to realize that the "gay community" is a relative concept and is EXACTLY what we as individuals make of it; nothing more and nothing less. If a person, gay or straight, surrounds himself with petty, bitchy, mean spirited people, then that will be his perception of the community even if it doesn't represent the greater community at all. Additionally, the more time he spends with such people the more likely he will be to become as petty, bitchy and mean-spirited as those around him. Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas. Unfortunately this ugliness seems to be spreading through the community like a contagious disease.
I've personally made a conscious effort to purge such poison people from my life and to not let any more of them into my inner circle. That includes friends AND family. My life has been all the better for it. That’s not to say that I surround myself exclusively with people who think, believe and act like me. I don’t. It also doesn't mean that I have no gay people in my inner circle of friends. I have MANY gay and straight friends and family members with whom I have religious, political and philosophical disagreements but we get along just fine as long as we are kind, polite and respectful of and to each other. It really is possible.
You can't control what other people do but you certainly can (and I would say MUST) control what YOU do. You can control how much you interact with petty, bitchy, mean-spirited people who make you unhappy AND you can control how much you reach out to kind, compassionate, uplifting people who bring joy and contentment to your life.
Buddhism 101.
Back on topic, how funny is it that Boston smacked down Huckabee for using their songs. This comes on the heels of John Mellancamp telling John McCain to stop using his "Ain't that America" and "Small Town" in his campaign appearances. That's got to be embarrassing.
Posted by: ZEKE | Feb 15, 2008 3:40:55 PM
Looking at that photo of John Rechy, I now know what Derrick means by trade. Me likee.
Posted by: davefromtampa | Feb 15, 2008 4:02:15 PM
I'm sure Rechy's memoir would be a good read. I finally read "City of Night" a few years ago--and wrote an article on him--and was surprised that it held up as well as it did. Definitely belongs in the gay canon. And he's certainly had a colorful life to draw on for a memoir.
Posted by: Ernie | Feb 15, 2008 5:03:59 PM
Zeke, Cory, NIC:
One thing we should always remember (I try to) is the affect of the epidemic. We lost so many good friends, and many of us who were left behind were changed forever...still no exuse for being mean, distrustful, overly self-protective. What the hell are we trying to protect anyway?
I want to be more sociable, and I admire & appreciate those gay folks who continue to try to get us together--to get us to know each other so we don't feel isolated. They do an important job in cities & towns all over this world. Hey, that's what Andy does!
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Feb 15, 2008 5:24:26 PM
good on you DERRICK.
good on "Boston" for putting the kibosh on Huckabee's use (abuse?) of their song. i think Huckabee is well intentioned, but....
Posted by: nic | Feb 15, 2008 6:31:08 PM
Derrick, I am in and out of Philly all the time. I would love to get together and chit-chat! Cory can join us!
Posted by: soulbrotha | Feb 15, 2008 9:16:53 PM
First, the reason you're bored with gay people is because you live in a big city. If you lived in a town (like I do) where there is no visable gay people outside of the bars (after living in a big city for ten years) then you'd feel differently and appreciate the queers around you.
Second, regarding the M/F couple who stayed together after he came out. Did anyone see the pic of the two of them? No wonder she stayed, she's a diesel dyke. It's a match made in heaven:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/02/15/gay.spouse/
Posted by: Erik | Feb 15, 2008 9:59:28 PM
'I completely agree with my dear friend DERRICK’s and CORY’s frustration with the current negativity and mean-spirited infighting displayed in and among our community. It does seem that we used to be kinder to each other and treated each other better. Perhaps I'm looking back with rose colored glasses but I don't think so. Regardless, I think we need to realize that the "gay community" is a relative concept and is EXACTLY what we as individuals make of it; nothing more and nothing less. If a person, gay or straight, surrounds himself with petty, bitchy, mean spirited people, then that will be his perception of the community even if it doesn't represent the greater community at all.' Posted by: ZEKE
The fact that many are talking about this is what I love about blogs like Andy's. We all come to the table with a different agenda, experience, issues and history.
Those of us who did come out Pre-AIDS have a major difference from people today. But to say we were kinder and less bitter is looking through rose colored classes, or cocktail glasses, to bring back some of the old bitter.
I met my second roommate in NYC in '83, I was 23 he was 40. We lived together for 5 years and remained friends until he died from AIDS in 98. I loved Barry, he taught me so much, but he was also one of the most bitter, closeted, misogynistic,cutting, lesbophobic(I know that's not a real word but Colbert gets to do it) men I ever met.
I knew the best way to get him to change was by showing another way. I signed up as a volunteer for GMHC that year, I was one of the first Buddies, people who looked after PWA's who had no one to care for them. Next I signed up to work on the NGTLF crisis line.
Barry came to me and said "You're doing so much, I just don't know what I can do" I told him do what you do best, as a player in the fashion world he started AMFAR.
I saw him for the first time working with people who he looked down on, looking at things not in a sour this world sucks kind of way, but a I can make a change way.
As Zeke put so well it is not a gay or straight thing, but what we bring to it. Gay kids today have it both better, in us not seeming to be alone, and worse, with the frightening rate of new HIV infection.
Whatever your spin gents, thanks for your feed back, Towleroad is my third hit of the day after the NY Times and Wash Post. I always feel I get a sense of what some of my Gay peeps are thinking.
Have a great weekend.
Posted by: patrick nyc | Feb 16, 2008 8:21:53 AM
I agree with everyone about the mean-spiritedness of 'the gay community' lately but, as someone who was very involved in the activism (and fun) of the NYC 1970s scene I can tell you we used to lament about how most gay men did not look past their own good times in the bars. Remember marching down Christopher St and chanting "Out of the Bars and Into the Streets"? Remember how many queens would heckle us to get a life? Yes, it was a wonderful time where everything seemed possible and the ethos of gay liberation (as opposed to gay rights) still lived. Easy to get misty-eyed about it -but the reality back then was much less rosy- except for the fact that respectable queers hadn't gotten the courage yet to come out and change the agenda of the gay movement to one that fit in well with other anti-defamation groups and mainstream civil rights agenda. It was great having a small community of gay liberationists who had dreams of accomplishing much more than 'winning rights' - who were fighting for something more than the right to ape heteros. But it was a frustrating fight for the same reason guys mention nowadays.
Posted by: LittleBearNYC | Feb 16, 2008 2:24:34 PM