09/30/2009
News: Mormons, Liz Taylor, Football, Jane Lynch, Nero, Frat Boys
Where Did 'We' Go? Thomas Friedman pens a frightening op-ed about assassination and the current political climate in the U.S. "The American political system was, as the saying goes, 'designed by
geniuses so it could be run by idiots.' But a cocktail of political and
technological trends have converged in the last decade that are making
it possible for the idiots of all political stripes to overwhelm and
paralyze the genius of our system."
NYT on Hair's decision to go dark and perform at the National Equality March: "That unusual — and expensive — decision to skip a popular weekend performance at the beginning of the theater season originated with the show’s star, Gavin Creel. 'I said, ‘My God, we have to go, we have to go,’' Mr. Creel recalled when he first heard about the rally late last spring."
For Elizabeth Taylor, too much Kathy Ireland is never enough.
NFL players Brendon Ayanbadejo and Scott Fujita speak out for gay rights. Ayanbadejo: "I think we will look back in 10, 20, 30 years and be amazed that gays and lesbians did not have the same rights as every one else. How did this ever happen in the land of the free and the home of the brave? Are we really free?"
VIDEO: Adam Lambert thanks fans for raising $229,000 for public school art programs.
University of Alaska allows "ex-gay" speaker Edward Delgado: "Jim Minnery, president of the Alaska Family Council, said Chancellor Brian Rogers refused to bar Delgado from the campus, adding he wants a 'welcoming and inclusive university.'"
First look: T.R. Knight in Parade.
A sneak peek at Kylie Minogue's tour.
Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City installs sign to prevent future instances of man-on-man kissing on LDS property.
New Barney Frank bio ignores his personal life: "Those of you seeking an in-depth study of a fascinating and very, very funny political creature midcareer should buy it. Cokie Roberts and Nancy Pelosi blurbed it nicely. Anyone looking for full insights into the private man might want to wait."
Archaeologists uncover Roman Emperor Nero's rotating dining room. "The mechanism was a feat of Roman engineering, and moved thanks to the spheres beneath the wooden floor of the room, kept in constant movement by water being forced against them. Quite how this worked is still being researched."
AfterElton interviews Jane Lynch, Glee's Sue Sylvester.
Brazilian beauties decorate Junior.
Eddie Cibrian gives fans what they want on CSI.
Gay man's attacker gets 4 1/2 years in the UK: "Andrew Harris, aged 21, launched the violent attack upon a gay man after agreeing to go home with him following a night out drinking in Northampton town centre. Despite flirting with his victim and going into his bedroom, Harris suddenly turned violent, shouting 'I'm not gay'."
Friday Night Lights returning with some fresh meat.
English cricketer Kevin Pietersen signs on as Brylcreem Boy.
Frat brothers at George Washington University are trying to take the homophobia out of Greek life: "GW’s fraternity brothers are the nation’s future congressmen, investment bankers, and CEOs. They won’t reach those positions if their Google profiles turn up associations with homophobic and misogynistic fraternities. So GW’s frat boys—and don’t call them that!—are straining to undo the legacy of 'aggressive heterosexuality' and gay-bashing forged by their predecessors. It’s an effort that involves a good deal of re-education, some new alliances, and a compensatory vice or two."
Posted 2:58 PM EST by Andy Towle in "Ex-Gays", Adam Lambert, Adult, Alaska, Barack Obama, Barney Frank, Books, Brazil, Eddie Cibrian, Elizabeth Taylor, Football (American), Gavin Creel, Great Britain, Kylie Minogue, Mormon, National Equality March, News, Salt Lake City, T.R. Knight, Television, Theatre | Permalink
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I know this is Andrew Towle's personal blog, but if he has to provide a link to the story about NFL players supporting same-sex marriage, I wish it could be to one other than that man-hating pig Melissa McEwen talking about it.
Posted by: JT | Sep 30, 2009 3:35:20 PM
Finally, there’s a digital radio stream made just for us. I’m glad to say that I have found an online radio channel that streams all of the latest and greatest hits. This app on Facebook http://apps.facebook.com/prideradio/ allows us to listen to our kind of music and if u don’t have Facebook , you can just press “Get & Share” and add to any social network you’d like. This made my day and I’m sure it”ll make yours 2.
Posted by: John | Sep 30, 2009 4:20:59 PM
Huh, that's odd, I thought frats were where most young men explored their homo-erotic fantasies, deny ever doing so, and later in life get married but do it all over again on the DL.
Posted by: johnny | Sep 30, 2009 5:30:12 PM
Gavin Creel has a "sophomore" album in waiting; I shall buy it.
Posted by: KJ | Sep 30, 2009 6:37:49 PM
Interesting about Nero's dining room table (at least for a classics geek like me).
Since legend has it that the Flavian Amphitheater (aka the Colosseum) was built over the Golden Palace (or a portion of it), I am wondering if some form of the mechanism used to rotate the table was also used for gladitorial games for things like flooding the Colosseum or maybe even to rotate the floor of the Colosseum itself.
Posted by: Chitown Kev | Sep 30, 2009 7:32:17 PM
One more thing.
Even though I kinda sorta agree with JT, that story about Brendon Ayanbadejo and Scott Fujita was pretty widely reported elsewhere. Considering that you rarely report on a black man (much less an athlete) saying anything as positive as Ayanbadejo, that did kind of deserve a story of it's own, Andy.
Guess that a straight black male athlete saying something affirmative about marriage equality just doesn't bring in the hits and the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, does it? :(
Posted by: Chitown Kev | Sep 30, 2009 9:18:28 PM
Chitown : Nero's dining room is a good reminder that the most godawful people can also be the most creative. lol
Posted by: JT | Oct 1, 2009 12:13:37 AM
@JT
Look.
At least Nero was able to get gay married.
In fact he got gay married twice. Once he was the husband (Sporus) and on one occasion he was the wife (Dorphyus?)
Actually, I think the Emperor Nero is fascinating. I don't care who plays him (from Peter Ustinov to the actor that played him in that godawful NBC miniseries AD?).
But Nero was an actor himself so...
Posted by: Chitown Kev | Oct 1, 2009 11:29:57 AM
Right, on all that. (I forgot about that series "A.D.". That was Anthony Andrews).
Posted by: JT | Oct 1, 2009 12:51:32 PM