08/27/2008
News: Pioneer Passes, Bear Sightings, Bulges, Catty Cher?
Lesbian rights pioneer Del Martin died Wednesday. She was 87. A longtime activist, you may remember her last public political act, on June 16, 2008, was to marry Phyllis Lyon, her partner of 55 years. They were the first couple to wed in San Francisco after the California Supreme Court recognized that marriage for same-sex couples is a fundamental right in a case brought by plaintiffs including Martin and Lyon. WATCH Towleroad's exclusive interview with Gavin Newsom on the passing of Del Martin here.
New York City -- it's definitely not for everyone.
Making It Legal: Same-sex couples in legally bound relationships appear to stay in their relationships longer than those who are not legally recognized, according to a new study published in Developmental Psychology. The study is a five-year project that began in 2002, the year same-sex civil unions were legalized in Vermont.
Back-flip: Gary Zenkel, president, NBC Olympics, issues an apology concerning his network's coverage of Matthew Mitcham's gold medal upset during the diving competition at the Beijing Olympics.
Newsweek: No one wants to talk about gays in Iraq, much less who is killing them.
Over the Borderline: The New York Times editorial page calls out Madonna on her "sophomoric insults."
Some Hallmark stores are refusing to sell the company's own same-sex wedding cards.
Are the Dems being forced to play up Hillary Clinton's barrier-breaking near-miss, while sweeping Barack Obama's arguably bigger breakthrough?
The Washington Post profiles openly gay journalist Rachel Maddow, MSNBC's newest primetime host.
A man accused of beating to death a transgender woman faces a preliminary hearing in September, where the prosecution's case against him will be mapped out.
Chuck Todd smells political motivation behind Charlie Crist's engagement -- to a woman. Then again, who doesn't?
Is Denver big enough for Sean Penn and Obama Girl?
George Clooney and Brad Pitt bring The Ridiculously Hot Show to Venice to promote their new film, "Burn After Reading."
And you thought America was bad, a new Dutch reality show called "Prisoner of Love" sets women up on blind dates with newly released criminals and makes them guess what crime they were jailed for. Can't wait for the rape episode during sweeps week.
One Arrest at a Time: Mackenzie Phillips was busted at LAX for possession of heroin and cocaine.
Matthew McConaughey's mom is so "Body of Evidence" Madonna!
Holy Gay Icons -- Cher to play Catwoman?
Hot Daddy Alert: Ben Affleck sighting -- the beard is totally working for him!
Attention all Chelsea Boys: steroids can really f**k up your (hot) body.
Footballer Stevie Gerrard's bulge never disappoints. The rear ain't bad either. 
Style Council: The 50 New Yorkers who make the fashion industry tick.
Paul Reubens, aka Pee-Wee Herman, turns 56 today.
RIP: Jerry Ford, who with his wife, Eileen, established one of the most recognizable modeling agencies in the world, turning a profession regarded as practically a hobby in the 1940s into one dominated by well-paid supermodels in the 1980s, died on Sunday in Morristown, N.J.. He was 83 and lived in Oldwick, N.J.
RIP: Dave Freeman, co-author of “100 Things to Do Before You Die,” a travel guide and ode to odd adventures that inspired readers and imitators, died on Aug. 17 after a fall at his home in the Venice section of Los Angeles. He was 47.
Posted 7:22 PM EST by Kenneth Walsh | Permalink
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This week marks the 16th anniversary of my moving to New York City. That Times piece brought up a lot of memories. Boy has this city done a number on me! And I'll do it again in a heartbeat.
Posted by: Alex | Aug 27, 2008 5:07:38 PM
FYI, Vermont's Civil Unions were first available on July 1, 2000 [not 2002 as quoted above from the (incorrect) article].
I know because I have one; we later opted for full equality with a legal marriage when it became available in Mass in 2004. But we still have the CU. :-)
Posted by: tjc | Aug 27, 2008 5:14:35 PM
rip miss del, you are truly one of the legendary dykes of all time -- you and del will always be remembered.... not surprised she kicked the bucket, she didn't look too good last time i saw her... condolences to phyllis, must be hell without del by her side... and now for dave freeman's 100 things that everybody should do before they kick the bucket may i add cocksucking and taking it up the ass... oh and how can i forget, definitely tossing salad is de riguer (extra dressing please if it's a hunky mexican stud)... we can start these out with the gay version of 100 things everybody should do before they croak...
Posted by: the queen | Aug 27, 2008 5:16:00 PM
I'm still frustrated by the uproar from the gay community over NBC failing to mention his gayness (like a gay diver is shocking anyway).
I'm sure that Matthew Mitcham would much rather the network have spent more time covering how he was the only non-Chinese diver to win gold in Beijing, that his final dive was the highest scored dive in the competition, or that when the pressure was on, he delivered on his sport's biggest stage - rather than talk about his personal life.
I think it is extremely self-serving that so many gays have caused this stir, and I would have issued a half-hearted apology just like Gary Zenkel did.
Posted by: Dan B | Aug 27, 2008 5:28:24 PM
Boy, 10,000 things to commment on...(already mentioned love for Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin below...)
A quick note on the Dems, Hillary, Obama, etc. The media (and some delegates) are trying very hard to turn this into a women VS. black issue, as if only one group of people can succeed and bask in the glory at a time. Nonsense! Hillary was smart as hell referencing Harriet Tubman in her speech, as well as the feminist convention that nominated Frederick Douglass as its VP. The point is, we ALL rise together, and every victory by someone outside of the dominant paradigm (white, male, monied, etc.) is a victory for us all! Do these people think that McCain's appointees are going to be as representative of the rich, diverse tapestry of America as Obama's would be? Do people think that an Obama Supreme Court nominee is going to see the Constitution as a "fossilized" document designed to favor the powerful? Do they think McCain understands racism, homnophobia, poverty, economic justice? Dems, liberals, etc. need to STOP THIS PETTY BICKERING--for God's sake, "P.C.U." satrized this brilliantly! ("I'm more oppressed than you are!...") Ben Franklin said it: We all hang together, or well all hang separately.
And on unrelated notes: Cher would be a great Catwoman, I love New York, Affleck's looking hot, and Gerrard's ass is amazing. Thank you, and good night!
Posted by: Dback | Aug 27, 2008 5:30:28 PM
Sadly, in its efforts to appear moderne, the NY Times keeps hiring a large stable of hack asshats based soley on their gender, race, or youth, and Alessandra Stanley—the author of the absurd and willfully distored article about poor shat upon Barack that you unfortunately chose to plug—is one of the worst mooing cows.
Her Clinton Hatred goes way back, having defended her claim that President Clinton was too distracted with L'Affaire Lewinsky to catch Bin Laden by citing the 9/11 Commission. Bad for the bitch that the Commission had actually concluded that the scandal did NOT distract the Clinton administration from the terrorist threat forcing the Times to issue a correction. Of course, they have a history of keeping the bad apples in their barrel and she's still there, this time painting the convention as whitewashing Barack in more ways than one and ignoring his history-making achievement as a black man. Strange, I guess she's not seeing the same convention I am. Perhaps she needs to replace the aluminum foil in her triangle chapeau.
Enough with those who would bring down the Party by perpetuating and exaggerating any kind of difference!
Obama 2008!!!!
Posted by: Leland Frances | Aug 27, 2008 5:36:55 PM
So what's with the posting of some self-patronizing article about living in New York City? Oh yeah that's right if you don't live on the east coast or the west coast directly there's nothing else in between...what a bunch of self serving drivel. All the news going on out there and the paper publishes this shit?
Guess what NYC ain't the center of the universe and for that matter neither is LA!
Posted by: Las Vegas | Aug 27, 2008 5:37:48 PM
Sad about Del. One of the sweetest things I saw was a picture frame with their wedding pic. the frame was engraved with: i finally made a honest woman out of her!
Posted by: Lito S. | Aug 27, 2008 5:41:05 PM
LAS VEGAS,
are you very angry that you live in a shithole? In a city that, without the strip, is no more interesting than Topeka? A city with cratering home prices? A city that will one day cease to exist simply because it very existence is completely against nature? A city that, indeed, would not even exist were it not for an actual socialist enterprise that brought it water? Are you very angry about all that?
Posted by: Jason | Aug 27, 2008 6:07:37 PM
HA! LAS VEGAS doesn't even live in Las Vegas, but Henderson. LOLWTF!
Posted by: Nick | Aug 27, 2008 6:09:30 PM
@jason
You calling someone out as angry in an even angrier rant is not helping your (inaccurate) argument any....
(been offered two jobs in NYC - turned em both down - just like living in a space larger than 10 square feet that doesn't cost me 2/3rds of my paycheck)
Posted by: yoshi | Aug 27, 2008 6:35:14 PM
I realize it's Convention time, but I hope mashing 25 different items into one post doesn't become the norm here. It's a bunch of interesting stuff, but thrown in a blender and served cold.
Posted by: Deschanel | Aug 27, 2008 6:35:23 PM
GO HILLARY, GO MADONNA...these news were boring...can someone remind me who is posting these "things" ...andy? isn't he at the DNC?
Posted by: Bosie | Aug 27, 2008 6:42:31 PM
Bless you Andy for continuing to balance all the serious political news and reports of homophobia with snipets and photos about footballers and rugby players...these make me smile every time. Mr. Gerrard's ass(ets) are quite something:)
Posted by: joeinsf | Aug 27, 2008 7:28:51 PM
NBC's apology - about not mentioning diver Matthew Mitcham's boyfriend at the Olympics - should be classified as what it is: garbage. NBC knew about Matthew, his sexual orientation already having been mentioned in the NBC Olympics website. If NBC was really about telling us extraordinary stories about personal lives, then they flunked it when it came to Matthew.
NBC can fuck off. I'm not watching any of their new shows this year.
Posted by: mark | Aug 27, 2008 7:39:38 PM
stop complaining you fagits, whoever is posting while andy is away is doing a great job so show some gratitude or are you the kind of fag that doesn't say thank you after a good blow job?
Posted by: the queen | Aug 27, 2008 7:57:42 PM
I often wonder about "falls at home" stories, particularly when the victim is young. I hope there is a complete autopsy performed. And, is Freeman's death ironic or not? I'm leaning towards "not".
Posted by: anon | Aug 27, 2008 8:01:02 PM
Jennifer Connelly is Ben Affleck's beard?! I knew it!!
Posted by: Coolbear | Aug 27, 2008 8:07:38 PM
RIP, Del. Thank you for a life well lived. You and Phyllis will remain in our hearts as inspiration that will strengthen the LGBT community to endure until we are treated as no less than full, equal citizens of the world.
Posted by: JerzeeMike | Aug 27, 2008 10:00:17 PM
I'm really digging the bearded guys for the last couple of years. ¡Muy macho!
What's not so hot are the guys still rocking the goatee from the late 90's. Those look nice with mullets and Zubaz pants though. To some people.
Posted by: paul | Aug 27, 2008 10:07:49 PM
Since I am not a resident of NYC, my perspective may be different -- but compared to all the large cities I have been in, NYC has always been the friendliest.
Posted by: k | Aug 28, 2008 12:38:06 AM
Las Vegas,
The NY piece ran in the local section of the Times. There have been things wrong with the Times over the last few years, but this piece isn't one of them. Sometimes when it feels like the City's about to eat you up and spit you out, it's nice to read a piece like this. NYC may not be for everyone, but many of its residents (like myself) love living here. For me it was a dream I had since I was a kid and I work very hard to make sure I can afford to stay here because A) it's where I can make theater and B) it's a city full of culture of all kinds.
Posted by: Alex | Aug 28, 2008 10:36:19 AM
I saw the Madonna show in Cardiff. She does NOT directly compare McCain to Hitler. I'm surprised the NYT (fading paper as it is) would jump on the Madonna bashing bandwagon, especially when McCain used the Hitler comparison with Ron Paul last year. Double sta
Posted by: JD | Aug 28, 2008 1:31:42 PM
New Yorkers are the most self obsessed people in the world. I don't think its that they love their city which they should because it is a great city. It's the fact that they think their a superior race because they live their and everyone else is below them.
Get over yourselves.
Posted by: cbc | Aug 28, 2008 6:12:33 PM
Zenkel's apology rings hollow because he called the omission "unintentional". It was totally an intentional network decision to not show Matthew kissing his boyfriend after winning the gold. He should be apologizing for treating gay athletes differently than they treat straight athletes.
Posted by: Gary | Aug 28, 2008 8:11:49 PM