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06/18/2009
Richard Socarides and Dustin Lance Black on Obama and Gays
Attorney and former Clinton adviser Richard Socarides and Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black joined Anderson Cooper to talk about his extension of benefits to same-sex couples of federal employees and whether it is enough. Both agree it's not.
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...
Posted 6:55 AM EST by Andy Towle in Anderson Cooper, Barack Obama, Gay Rights, Lance Black, News | Permalink
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what, no pictures from the DLB sex tape? rats!
Posted by: eric | Jun 18, 2009 8:04:32 AM
much more impressive than baldwin and solomonese
Posted by: Rick | Jun 18, 2009 8:21:49 AM
how long before the comments on whether DLB had sex with Coop and why isn't Andy covering it?
Posted by: Paul R | Jun 18, 2009 8:28:17 AM
Dustin Lance Bareblack doesn't hold the same stature in eyes. Sad.
Posted by: Mike | Jun 18, 2009 8:37:44 AM
P.S. DLB is a great speaker, with the intelligence, conviction, and cheekbones to convey messages to a lot of Americans. I wonder if he'll be compelled to perform penance for a while, or if he (like nearly any other sex shot/victimized celebrity) will find a way to make it work for him.
Posted by: Paul R | Jun 18, 2009 8:38:37 AM
Oh Dustin has nothing to be ashamed of ... he has a nice butt and it looked good filled with fat porn star penis.
Good for him.
And he has an Oscar and is not staying home hiding. We all have sex (hopefully).
So what did he have to say in the interview folks?
Posted by: RJP3 | Jun 18, 2009 8:55:23 AM
I'm glad Black is such an articulate champion of equality. I admire him unreservedly. I am also glad that Cooper continually focuses on equality on his show. We are lucky to have them.
Posted by: Elcamino | Jun 18, 2009 9:02:30 AM
Who cares if DLB had unprotected sex with his boyfriend? Many, many gay guys do the same thing all the time. It's not like he was fucking some guy bareback in a bathhouse for pete's sake.
I do think it's funny that there's been nary a mention of the tape here on Towleroad, though.
Posted by: Joel | Jun 18, 2009 9:18:33 AM
I love the hypocrisy rampant with the DLB supporters/Obama Bashers - as if speaking up and to "kids" which he is so passionate about while doing something exactly and diametrically opposed to their health & welfare was laudable. So when it is a white entitled male doing it (and doesn't have the mantle of being the leader of the free world & the weight of having to do things in the framework of politics) it is just fighting the war of public opinion - somehow he is a champion? Seems very unlikely to me, and honestly a skewed set of morals.
DLB is not a champion or even a very effective voice for the cause. In fact he has made himself a liability by his rather bad decisions in trusting a hustler/pornsite owner (who I hardly think was his boyfriend, but am glad the velvet mafia keeps us thinking that) and the monumental stupidity of recording it. I'm sure they both used those photos on their barebacking website profiles - and recordered their relationship status as married - that was a real stride for my civil rights. How droll.
I will be there to protest his appearance at NYC pride and in October on the Mall to PROTEST (not "meet) him.
Posted by: Dak | Jun 18, 2009 9:20:37 AM
See you at the March on Washington this October, Dustin.
You did a great job in the interview. I was surprisingly impressed. You take a much harder stand than our other established leaders like Joe from HRC or Tammy from the House of Congress. You understand the real goal of the movement, which is demand your full equal civil rights, and you also understand how important our LGBT children are to our future of full equality.
I really hope more people can see this interview - Dustin is a good voice for us, folks.
Posted by: SFNative | Jun 18, 2009 9:25:30 AM
I find it interesting that there has been no mention whatsoever on Towleroad concerning Mr. Black's unfortunate exposure courtesy of an unscrupulous ex. The Advocate's web site has been all over the story, yet nothing here. Odd, that... Surely this is as newsworthy as all the Republican foibles that are reported here on a regular basis?
Posted by: John S. Hall | Jun 18, 2009 9:38:58 AM
Ok I now feel the need to comment as well.
With as many celebrity scandals covered here on Towleroad, it seems very strange and rather calculated that the DLB barebacking sex tape has received nary a mention here at all. And stranger still, Andy has not even offered a single comment as to why.
Yes, who know it's your blog and the content featured is 110% your choice but don't you think your credibility as a well respected blogger is being called into question for blatantly ignoring such a story?
What gives, what is the reason?
Posted by: Derek | Jun 18, 2009 9:56:00 AM
I don't understand all of the vitriol about DLB barebacking. Yes barebacking is dangerous and is a serious problem in our community amid riding HIV and STD rates.
However, believing anyone has a perfect past with no mistakes and lapses in judgement is foolish. No one is perfect and somehow expecting anyone who is in the public eye to have lived a life of perfection is setting yourself up for disappointment.
DLB is not the messiah without any faults but a average and typical gay guy who has lived life, made mistakes, has regrets and probably has things in his past he would do differently if he had a chance.
He has spoken honestly about his lapse in judgment on the video and barebacking The fact that despite the personal embarrassment he is still willing to set foot in the public eye and advocate for our rights endears him further to me. It takes courage to admit your human and face a world that expects perfection.
To those that say he has lost stature or is now disappointing, I ask this question: if tomorrow you were suddenly to become famous or a "celebrity" is there anything in your past that you regret becoming public knowledge or have you yourself lived a perfect life without regret. If you have no skeletons, feel free to cast the first stone.
Posted by: Ed | Jun 18, 2009 10:02:04 AM
Well said Ed.
Posted by: Todd | Jun 18, 2009 10:33:32 AM
Bareback with a porn star.....Yeah, great role model....
Posted by: NewEng | Jun 18, 2009 10:44:54 AM
oh stfu, DAK. he didn't make the tape with the intent of distributing it to gay youth as a primer to unsafe sex. get a grip, stupid. who among us has not fucked up at least once. in the end if there is a just god, he will weigh JLB's good works against the (perceived) bad, and he will pass. you, on the other hand, hmmmmm?
Posted by: nic | Jun 18, 2009 10:51:20 AM
Dustin Lance Black is a well spoken advocate.
Who cares if he had bareback with an amateur porn star/escort while doing drugs and filming the whole thing?
Posted by: JC | Jun 18, 2009 10:51:27 AM
People! I cannot understand posters who gripe about the blogs they are on. We are all guests on Andy's Blog. And what he posts is up to him. It does not affect his "credibility" as a blogger if an issue we care about is there or not. If anyone does not like the content, they are perfectly free to go elsewhere and find other blogs that are more attuned to their likes/dislikes. We are guests on Andy's blog. Let us not spit on the floor in the house of our host. Don't attack Andy! He is our host.
Posted by: Reggie | Jun 18, 2009 10:55:12 AM
Hmmm....now that's a hot threesome!!!!(joking, wink wink)
Posted by: nikko | Jun 18, 2009 11:33:52 AM
Reggie, please, we are not guests on this blog. We are paying customers. Andy gave up any rights to not hear us complain the minute he started putting up ads and making money off of our hits. I come here because I think Andy does do a decent job of covering topics I am interested in.
OTOH, I also find it strange that Andy has not covered the DLB photos.
Andy, protecting your friends? Nice to know you are no different from the corporate media-types in the end.
Posted by: Will | Jun 18, 2009 12:01:23 PM
will - grow a pair and quit reading this site. it's a personal blog at the end of the day. you have choices. and no - you haven't paid for it (are you a customer by walking down the street and seeing ads?) its insipid and another example of solipsistic entitlement to think you're "owed" something by this site or the world at large.
jesus, queen. go read Perez Hilton if you want the type of celebrity twaddle you're barking about here.
Posted by: brian | Jun 18, 2009 12:23:32 PM
Brian, I think you are a bit over-reacting. I like this blog, and so long as there are ads, I will not just simply say, "it is his blog" and go on my way. I will give my opinion, like everyone else does.
And, yes, believe it or not, I am a paying customer, just like when I log on to the NY Times website. Clicking is the currency. I suggest you wake up to the way the internet works. Andy could provide this content free of ads, but he does not. I have no problem with this, in fact I think its great for Andy.
What I have a problem with is people telling me to go away. (BTW, just WHO the fuck are you anyway?) Andy has every right to publish what he wants to publish and not publish what he doesn't want. And I, along with everyone else, has the right to call him out on it when we disagree.
Regarding celebrity twaddle, Andy has posted plenty, so that defense is a bit weak.
Posted by: Will | Jun 18, 2009 12:34:11 PM
re-read the masthead, fellas... TR has reverted back to being "a site with homosexual tendencies".
Posted by: my2cents | Jun 18, 2009 12:45:47 PM
Whether or not one "approves" of what DLB did or did not do with a porn star/huslter/boyfriend...
...it is worth talking about, and it's really SAD that Towleroad isn't at the forefront of that discussion. But then Jinx/Cohen would be so angry with Andy.
But think about it. There's lots of fascinating issues it brings up, like:
1) What are the ramifications of a new generation documenting their every move?
2) Will this force future "straight" Hollywood actors out of the closet when their photos/tapes appear?
3) Will gay celeb sex tapes hurt or help gay rights?
4) Will gay celeb sex tapes blow over as easily as straight gay celeb tapes? Or help create a gay Paris Hilton?
I'm sure everyone has their own thoughts and questions.
But again, it's SAD that Towleroad remains entirely mute.
Oh, well. Jump the shark, I guess.
Posted by: sean | Jun 18, 2009 1:53:43 PM
Yeah- some publicist has Andy Towle by the balls. Don't do a Dustin Lance Bareblack story and we'll give you an exclusive with Sanjaya.
Posted by: dc8stretch | Jun 18, 2009 2:03:14 PM