Carrier: An Interview with Quartermaster Brian Downey

On Friday, I posted an interview with Jeff Dupre, a producer on the PBS special documentary mini-series Carrier. Carrier is a character-driven total immersion in the high-stakes world of a nuclear air craft carrier. A team of 17 filmmakers spent 6 months on the USS Nimitz on a full deployment to the Persian Gulf. The 10-hour documentary began airing last night and continues on through Thursday on PBS from 9-11pm ET (check local listings).

One of the hours tonight is called "Super Secrets" and details some of the more hush-hush goings-on aboard the Nimitz, including several interviews with gay and lesbian servicemembers. While those who are currently serving are pixellated in their interviews, one soldier you'll be able to see quite clearly is Brian Downey, who served as a quartermaster third class petty officer in the navigation department of the Nimitz.

Downey served four years in the Navy and is currently living in San Diego, working at a bar, and enrolling in school to be a medical assistant. Downey grew up on a Navajo reservation in the four corners area where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado come together.

I had the opportunity to ask Downey a few questions about his service and life aboard the Nimitz.

Did you anticipate any particular challenges coming aboard the Nimitz as a gay man?

I never saw anything as a real challenge. We all have our little jokes about our backgrounds just like anybody does. Nothing was ever really an issue. It was never really a struggle or anything. You kind of have to get along. You're gonna work with each other, you're gonna see each other.

Why did you decide to enlist in the Navy?

I wanted to enlist for one, to serve my country. I knew I would have to put a lot of things aside. I understood that I had to make a sacrifice and I feel like more of an enriched person because of it. I wanted to get out there, I wanted to learn what people were like. Everybody wants to see the world, you know, but I feel like being in this country and to have the freedoms that we have...I wanted to feel like I worked at least for what I have, or at least understood the reasons why I have it. Why do we do what we do? What's the price for freedom? It wasnt anything else. In all honesty I think it would be a great thing for a lot of people to do. I'm not an advocate of [telling people] 'hey you should be in the military,' or for the draft, or anything like that. [But the military] helps you understand more who we are as a people. That's the reason I did it.

What were your duties aboard the ship and did you know what you wanted to do before you enlisted?

The first day when I sat down and took a test, all these jobs came up. One thing that really caught my attention was 'aviation anti-submarine warfare systems operator (AW)'.'What they do are search and rescue missions. There's also an acoustic version of the job using radar. I just knew I wanted to get into search and rescue. It was very dynamic job. I ended up being part of one of the smallest departments on the ship but we had the huge responsibility of [ensuring the] overall safe navigation of the ship, making sure it goes where it needs to go and gets there safely. We're the primary assistants in the pilot house. That was my overall responsibility. I was also the logistics supplier for my department. For a brief time I was involved with charts but that's a huge responsibility that takes up all of your time.

Would you do it again?

I was in all four years. Did my duty. In all honesty it wouldn't bother me to go back if I ever got called back to serve as part of a war. But right now I'm enjoying my civilian life.

One of your other jobs, as we see in Carrier, was the raising and lowering of the flag?

Every day it comes down at sunset and goes up at sunrise. While we're in ports you put it up and there's a ceremony for it. And you treat it with respect while you're doing it. In ports, you're seen more often. It doesn't matter where you are, you treat it with respect. It was one part of my duties.

How was it serving under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'?

Interview continued, AFTER THE JUMP...

How was it serving under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'?

It wasn't really much of an issue for anybody. I can't speak for everybody, but for me it wasn't an issue. At the time I didn't have a problem with it. Before, when I said I had to make sacrifices, [I meant that] quite honestly there were far more things bigger than myself. I'm [not] there to make a statement, I'm there to do my job.

Did anybody who found out about your sexuality give you a hard time?

Nobody really. It's not like I said 'hey this, hey that, blah blah blah.' It's not like I advertised it. I wasn't a big queen running down the passageways and stuff. There were people that knew. And if they knew, they knew. If they didnt they didnt, big deal.

Did you feel like there was homophobia aboard the ship and how did you deal with it?

You always feel like you want to change somebody's mind. You can't do that for somebody but you can definitely help turn their mind in a different direction. You always want to help somebody try to understand better. In a lot of people's minds I'm gonna walk around with a limp wrist, and have a switch in my walk, and I'm gonna lisp up and down all day, you know?

I had a friend on the ship - he was an awesome guy, masculine as they come - we used to be workout buddies. He'd always spot me, I'd always spot him. I never thought of anything really and when he found out he was like 'dude we work out together' and [I said to him] 'I'm not gonna invade your privacy and your space and on top of that you're not my type anyway, so why would I?' And he's like, 'Why not? I don't think I'm a bad looking guy.' I said, 'No you're not. You're a good looking guy but I'm just not gonna go there.' And it really made him understand a little more that people out there who are gay [can be] very mellow and kick back, and just normal.

People would joke with me because they noticed I took care of myself in a way that most of the guys didn't. I made sure I was clean shaven. I made sure my hair was regulation but still stylish (laughs) but not too much. I got along with a lot of guys there. One guy would call me 'Princess' every now and then because I spent more time getting ready. I was always ironing my uniform. You could always wear your coveralls as long as they were clean and pressed. I was always in my utilities, I always kind of presented myself very well, and he was like, 'Why do you always wear that?' And I said, 'Because I take pride in what I'm doing.' Once he found out (I was gay) he was just kind of like 'Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I hope you werent offended.' He was always ragging on me for being who I was.

There were people that I'm sure felt uneasy but it's not like I bothered them or wanted to be close buddies or anything. There were a lot of guys I knew who had mixed feelings about it. When I first came in somebody wanted to fight me because they thought I was a certain some way or another and then one night he came back on the ship drunk off his ass one night and I kind of put him in his place about it.

How do you feel about the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy in general?

Iin this day and age and the way things are changing, if they drop it I don't see that it would be a big deal for anybody. People know each other on the ship. And that's just in the little community itself. If they were to drop the policy I'm sure it wouldn't cause much of a security risk for anybody. It's always been around — there have always been people in the military that have served that are gay. And people that have been in great positions — people that are in very high positions — and if it were dropped I'm sure it wouldn't be a big deal. We're not here to freak you out, we're here to try to do something with you - we need to do our job and do it well. We just happen to be a little different — just like blacks were different, just like women were different. Well before those times there were gays in the military. I think it would be a very big social uplifting, an awakening for people.

The 10-hour documentary series continues tonight through Thursday on PBS from 9-11pm ET (check local listings).

PreviouslyCarrier: Jeff Dupre Talks About Life Aboard the USS Nimitz [tr]

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Christopher Rice on Death Threats and His New Thriller Blind Fall

I'm proud to bring you our very first edition of Towleroad TV! This is a special feature we'll be presenting from time to time featuring various personalities and topics.

In the first edition, put together by our correspondents Josh Koll and Josh Helmin, Christopher Rice talks about his new thriller Blind Fall, as well as how he researched the novel and early reactions to it, some of which came in the form of death threats.

Says Rice: "Blind Fall is a thriller. It addresses the issue of gays in the military. It does kind of show you the sacrifices that gay Marines have to make to be Marines. And so that's the political component of the book...I did a YouTube video where I basically talked about...my disdain for the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy which is currently in effect in our nation's military. And so the video went up and maybe within a day there was a storm of comments calling basically for my death — that I disgraced the Marine Corps, that I should be shot between the eyes, everyone like me should be shot between the eyes — and I thought maybe I was overreacting, so I emailed a very good friend of mine who's sort of a gay activist with a long history of working in the community, and I said 'Are these death threats?' And he said 'mmm-hmmm. Yeah. They are.'"

Blind Fall [amazon]

Josh Koll and Josh Helmin write their own blog, Josh & Josh are Rich and Famous.

And the YouTube video to which Rice refers in our segment, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Inside Scoop: Tom Dolby Dishes About His New Book, The Sixth Form

This week Towleroad correspondents Josh and Josh caught up with noted author Tom Dolby as he began the book tour for his second novel, The Sixth Form. Already a successful author after his debut novel, 2005’s The Trouble Boy, which focused on the coming of age of a twenty-something gay man in Manhattan, Dolby’s second book follows the story of two friends, Ethan and Todd—one straight and the other discovering he may be gay—as the duo navigates the halls and traditions of their final year of boarding school. But all bets are off when Hannah, an alluring and mysterious teacher, is thrown into the mix.

Todd and Ethan have quite a few adventures while at Berkley School. Were your years at Hotchkiss as adventurous as theirs?

Some of the stuff that happens in the book is inspired by [my years at boarding school], in terms of rituals and rhythms of what happens in the course of a school year, like the carnations at Valentine’s Day, dances, and the importance of long winter weekends. I definitely had intense crushes, too, but I never acted on any of them.

And, of course, the student-teacher relationship is fictional, but that kind of thing does happen. It’s pretty rare, but it happens. You have these schools out in the middle of nowhere and sometimes there’s not a big age difference between a teacher and the kids, who are sometimes sexually precocious. A good teacher will set boundaries—but Hannah is an example of a teacher who is not setting boundaries.

The Sixth Form has a darker tone and plot than The Trouble Boy. Are we going to be seeing a darker Tom Dolby in the future?

After I finished The Sixth Form I realized, “Wow, I’ve written a pretty dark book” and I wanted to write something that was maybe dark, but funny dark. There’s unexpected humor in The Sixth Form, but it does have its dark and serious moments.

The book I’m working on now is much lighter and funnier. It’s set in California and focuses on a family. There has been this tangential theme in my past books with characters going home to visit their families and I realized I really liked writing those scenes. There is a lot of humor to be mined from those situations. I’m still very much in the beginning stages of that project—maybe on page 100 at this point.

We noted that The Sixth Form is dedicated to Drew. Who’s Drew?

Drew is my boyfriend. This summer, as the deadline was approaching to submit the final draft [of The Sixth Form], I made some drastic revisions and he was just amazing—I think he read four different drafts in a week. And of course that’s not the only reason it’s dedicated to him, but it absolutely would not have been the same book without his help. When doing book tours you’re surrounded by people, but they’re strangers, and so it’s nice to have someone at the end of the evening to ask how it went. It’s really nice to do [a book tour] with a boyfriend or partner.

See Tom Dolby read from The Sixth Form at 7 p.m. on Monday, February 11, at Barnes & Noble Chelsea, 675 Sixth Avenue, New York.

Want to win an autographed copy of The Sixth Form? Correctly answer the trivia question after the jump and it could be yours!

TRIVIA QUESTION

Tom Dolby’s first book, The Trouble Boy, featured a scene after a party in which an up-and-coming public relations girl hits a pedestrian with her SUV. Some media outlets have speculated that this character was based on publicist Lizzie Grubman, whom authors Candace Bushnell and Melissa de la Cruz have also renamed and cast in their novels. What is the name of Tom Dolby’s public relations character, the girl with the “straightened hair and obvious nose job” who has problems with running over unsuspecting passersby?

Be the first to answer the question correctly in this post’s comments section and the book is yours! Be sure to include your e-mail address when you submit your answer so Towleroad can get in touch with you if you win.

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Music News: Exclusive Darren Hayes Podcast Interview

Please welcome Robbie Daw, who will be penning occasional music posts for us here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own pop music site called Chart Rigger.

This week we've got something a bit different for you, in that I had the opportunity to interview Darren Hayes over the weekend exclusively for Towleroad readers. But rather than type the whole thing out, Andy and I decided it might be a bit more fun to stream the conversation as a podcast.

Darren Hayes, who between his years as both the singer for successful Australian duo Savage Garden and then as a solo artist, has sold over 30 million records. A year ago he married his partner, Richard Cullen, in London, and last month he put out the two-disc This Delicate Thing We've Made worldwide on his own label, Powdered Sugar.

Ironically, the same day of his album's release, news of allegations against him -- revolving around a racial slur he allegedly made in a London restaurant -- broke out. In the interview, Hayes talks about all these things, as well as the artists who have influenced him like Annie Lennox and Prince, and how growing up with an alcoholic father made him the artist he is today.

He also tells some great anecdotes about working with Janice Dickinson on his latest video ("We loved having her on set. I did have to run around making her cups of tea.") and getting to sing with Luciano Pavarotti.

Play the podcasts below as you would a video.

PART ONE: "Madonna is about to leave Warners and perhaps forge a relationship with a promoter. I've found myself at the forefront of this movement away from the major label system."

PART TWO: "I couldn't even think, let alone utter, a racist remark. But there's an investigation and I totally support that."

NEWS BITES: Madonna buys a sex toy.

Kanye West promises to boycott MTV.

Kid Rock could face jail time after his VMAs brawl with Tommy Lee.

Pet Shop Boys cancel their September 27 gig at the Hollywood Bowl.

Kaiser Chiefs ditch their American tour to "concentrate on recording new material."

It's down to the wire for Phil Spector.

YESTERDAY'S NEW RELEASES:

After weeks of the rappers' hype and posturing, 50 Cent's Curtis and Kanye West's Graduation officially began their chart showdown yesterday. However, if country music by a singer who is most certainly not gay is your thing, Kenny Chesney's Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates is also out.

Other albums dropping yesterday included alt rock act Hot Hot Heat's Happiness LTD., Scottish DJ Calvin Harris' I Created Disco and Rogue Wave's Asleep At Heaven's Gate.

iTunes also has up new singles by Alicia Keys' ("No One") and Backstreet Boys ("Inconsolable"), and a remix EP for Gwen Stefani's "Now That You Got It."

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Daytime's New Decider: An Interview with Gay Judge David Young

In mid-August I posted a clip of Judge David Young, whose new daytime court show premieres next week, on Monday, September 10. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Judge Young, about being out on the bench and his new show.

Young was born and raised in Miami (and lives there currently with his partner), served as assistant state attorney in Miami-Dade County under Janet Reno, and was re-elected twice as a Circuit Court judge there before leaving to hit the national airwaves. Among his more well-known cases is one in which he sent two America West pilots to jail in 2005 for attempting to operate a commercial airliner while intoxicated. He is also known for a quirky collection of items he keeps in his home (get your mind out of the gutter).

I'll touch on that later in this interview. One additional note. For those of you in New York, Young will be appearing this Monday, September 10 at a free event at The Lesbian, Gay Bisexual & Transgender Community Center at 208 W. 13th street at 7 pm with a reception at 6 pm.

I've watched judge shows in the past, but you're definitely something different.

That's what my mother says.

What made you decide that you wanted to leave the conventional courtroom and become a TV judge?

It happened out of the blue. I got an email from Sony Entertainment asking me if I'd be interested. And I've got to admit that every time I would see these judge shows, I would think to myself, "God, I'm better than this one," or "I'm better than that one," or "God, was there an opportunity that was missed." And this gave me an opportunity to blend two of my passions, entertainment and law.

Had you done entertainment or performed before?

Oh, no. I wish. Every time I would see a Broadway show, I'd think, "God, I'd love to be up there entertaining." Or at concerts..."God, I'd love that to be me."

So, had you sort of had it in the back of your head that maybe someday this was something that you wanted to do, or did it just come along and you took it?

I had it in the back of my mind as something I've always wanted to do but never knew how to go about doing it. And I also had in the back of my mind that I want to be a coach of the Miami Dolphin football team, but that'll never happen.

What possessed you to become a judge in the first place?

Interesting. I always thought of myself as having a career in politics, because I love politics. And I ran for the state senate in Florida, in Miami, back in 1988, and was defeated by the incumbent in a very interesting race. And it was 1990 when there was a really big scandal here in Miami called Operation Courtroom, where judges were getting money to fix cases and given money to leak the names of confidential informants, which was basically a death sentence to those confidential informants. And there was a whole lot of arrests. And I was walking around in a funk, thinking, "What can I do?" I needed to do something.

Oh, a little background. Dad was the first Jewish president of the Florida Bar, and he's a very accomplished lawyer nationally. And I've always been brought up on the law and to love and respect the law, so that's really been a passion since growing up as a child. My dad has a record that I did on his little Dictaphone, when I was three sitting on his lap, that "I want to be a lawyer like my daddy." So when I saw these people who were friends of mine, who I knew for years, selling out their judicial offices for lucres, I said to myself, "No, this is not right," and I needed to do something. And that's when I decided to run for judge.

And you've been a judge for how long?

14 and a half years.

Wow. So this must be a big change.

It's a wonderful change, actually.

What challenges have you experienced in the TV courtroom that are unique to that, as opposed to a conventional one?

I suspect that, as a judge, in real court, you don't have to tell a story. The story is told upon you or told to the jury, and you then make a decision or the jury makes a decision. Here, I have to tell the story. I've got to make the case interesting to the viewers. And then you rule. It's also a different animal in TV court, where I can say whatever I want to say without any restrictions. In regular court, I'm governed by a certain judicial code of ethics, and I've got to behave myself or else I'm going to get brought up for charges. And here I can just be free, let it all hang out, which is very liberating.

So, the people who are coming into the courtroom are aware that it's sort of a different situation than they would experience in a normal one.

Yes and no. Although they're aware of that, it's still a courtroom; it's still a judge making a decision. The only thing that's different is when they have redos. You don't do redos in my old courtroom. It's television, so if something doesn't come out the way that you want it to come out, you can redo it.

So, if it sort of has the same legal weight, why is it that you don't have to obey this code of ethics in the TV courtroom?

I'm not governed by any code of ethics. The only thing I'm governed by is the FCC. I mean, I'm not allowed to use some of the George Carlin words. But a real judge would never call someone stupid...Would not belittle them, would not put themselves as being the advocate. In TV court, you are the advocate. You are the person who does the questioning. You're the prosecutor. You're the defense lawyer. In real court, judges are the umpire: you call balls and strikes.

Did you have to teach yourself to be on camera? And how long did that take? What was that process like?

I think it's a never-ending process, actually. I was working with some people at Sony, to help with the transition... And it's funny, when I cut the pilot for this, several of the people in the audience, the support staff, said, "David, you are an animal! You're a natural at this. You're like a trial animal. It's unbelievable!" I said, "You think so?" They said, "This was made for you." So I guess I had more experience, maybe because I did the America West Airline pilots--two guys that were drunk flying an airplane--and I was on TV every day for three weeks. And I've had other cases where I've been on camera a lot, so the camera doesn't intimidate me. Now, do I like the fact that the camera puts on 10 pounds? No, that's why I'm on Weight Watchers.

But you're conveying a message. And I use my philosophy that I took with me when I did the America West case, and the same philosophy I took when I became a judge is that I want to do what needs to be done so people will feel good about the justice system.

And I think the justice system's integrity, perception, comes from the judges. And we've seen, throughout our history, judges who have completely eroded the public confidence--i.e. Lance Ito and others.

And that wasn't going to happen in my courtroom. I was going to run a very strict courtroom where things were going to be done my way. I'm the judge. I'm in control. And I'm going to show people that the system works. They may not like the verdict, but that's not my problem. My problem is making sure the system is working appropriately.

And I've done that through several different mechanisms. One) by being open; two) by listening more than I speak; and three) by inserting humor and -- in this new job, Broadway show tunes -- when it's appropriate.

Now, I didn't see much of that in the clip that we posted. How often do you use show tunes?

Not often, but if something calls for it. It goes to the premise that you get more bees with honey than you do with vinegar. And a lot of the judges yell at people. Yell, yell, yell, yell, yell. You don't learn from yelling. When somebody yells at me, I just turn them off. I don't even listen to them, because it's not getting through. My whole idea of what a good judge does, and what I've been doing throughout my entire judicial career, is trying to help people. If you are an addict, come to deal with the fact that you have an addiction and get help for the addiction.

In my courtroom, I've had so many people that I helped get off of drugs, that have visited me once a month for 18 months, who are now leading really full lives because they're drug-free. I went to some birthday parties at AA meetings, birthday parties a year sober. And that's just an amazing thing, to see someone who was absolutely one step away from living in a gutter, seeing them get their family back, get their life back together and just leading productive lives.

And that's one of the reasons I took this job, is because I believe that through my personality and temperament, I'll be able to help people. And I want people to stop me on the street and say, "You know, I watched your show the other day and you really taught me something." Or, "Like you, I have an addiction with food and I'm going to Weight Watchers. Or "I'm controlling what I'm doing." Or, "My cousin had an addiction to drugs and because of what you said I got my cousin to 10 AA meetings." Or to rehab or something. That to me is a wonderful, wonderful, that they've admitted... It's a mitzvah to do that.

How do you feel that being gay helps you on the bench?

I think it keeps me more... I'm more sensitive to the issue of discrimination. And we had a case involving a bi-racial lesbian couple, and it was clear to me from the get-go that the landlord was constructively evicting them because he didn't of a) their sexual orientation and b) that they were a bi-racial couple.

And I finally got out of him, when I questioned him on it, he said, "Oh, some of my best friends are black." And then immediately, every hair on the back of my head stood up. And I tried to explain, I guess I reamed him out, but did it in such a way to point out that racism is not appropriate, and ignorant. And we have to go beyond what people's skin colors are or what their orientation is.

We have to go, it's what's inside a person's heart that is the determining factor as to whether they're a good person or a bad person.

Right. Have you ever had a professional situation where your sexuality became an issue, or you were confronted somehow because of it?

Once, actually. There was a case involving a gay bashing, and we didn't have hate crimes legislation back in the mid-1990s. And the public defender came up to me and said, "Judge Young, I feel really uncomfortable about this."

And I said, "Well, you shouldn't feel uncomfortable talking to me about anything. What's the problem?" "Well, this occurred outside of Twist and I want to know if you could be fair." Twist is a gay bar in Miami.

And I said, "Let me ask you a question. If I was an African-American and this was a case involving an African-American, would you ask me the question? Or if I was a woman and this was a rape case, would you ask me the question? Or if I'm Jewish and this is a hate crime against Jews, would you ask me the question?"

And I said, "If your answer is not to all those, then you should not even theoretically ask me that question, don't you think?" And he apologized and he just went right on.

Have you always been out professionally?

No, I haven't. I came out a year after I was elected.

A year after you were elected to...

The county court. I came out in 1994.

And was that a difficult transition for you to make in the court system?

Not at all. It was incredibly easy. And it was funny, because many of my colleagues, all the women on my floor, when I told them they said, "We've known for years. It's about time you came out." And all of them wanted to perform the wedding. And I said, "Well, you have to get it legalized first to do a wedding. But otherwise, we can talk about it then."

What court case or decision are you most proud of?

I've never been asked that question. Hmm. Probably... I can't mention one. I'm proud of the hundreds of people that I've seen turn their lives around. I had a young man who's gay, and he was a complete and total addict. He was a mess.

His boyfriend was very, very supportive. And he was at his wit's end also. And through communication and talking to him, I got him in rehab and got him help. And, yeah, he slipped up once and I took him into custody for a day or so, and came back. And when I left the bench -- and I collect penguins -- he brought me a boy penguin and a girl penguin because "no penguin should be alone." And he also brought me some other things to, which was kind of nice.

And he was on television, because he and his boyfriend do some catering on one of the local TV shows, and he said, "This is for my judge, David Young." So that was wonderful.

And I also had one woman who was in the early stages of drug abuse, and through my intervention... She ended up deferring her -- she was a high school student -- ended up deferring her freshman year in college. And she ended up going back to college and she came to me and she showed me her diploma and she said it's all due to me. And the college she went to is Princeton.

Wow.

Stories like that, those have to be my proudest moments. When someone conquers an addiction.

What's been your favorite show so far?

Probably a case involving some young people, some kids, who were involved in a little horseplay. And I had one of the kids break down and tell me the truth about what really happened. And the mother was shocked that I could get the child...That I could communicate effectively with children enough to do it. And that was a wonderful child. He told the truth. And I don't know if I ended up hugging from the bench, but I know I hugged him afterwards. And it ended up from a sad situation to a really good situation between all the parties involved.

Who's your favorite television judge? And how would you characterize your style as opposed to the other TV judges who are out there? You know, Judge Judy, Judge Mathis, etcetera.

Oh, Judge Judy has to be the favorite of everyone, because of her longevity and her tenacity. But I think every one of the other judges contributes positively to the administration of justice and makes a difference to those that they appear in front of them.

Yes, it's entertainment, but there's sincerity that goes along with it. If you watch all the judge shows, you see that they are really sincere in dealing with every case. So, I think I take away a little bit of all that.

What makes my show different is me. I watch them all and none of them have half the personality that I have. And you'll find you'll learn, as a I said before, you'll learn from my show. Learning is fun. And if learning is fun then you'll absorb. And after watching the show, you're going to absorb something. You're going to take something away that you didn't have when you began watching the show.

And it's funny, because I have some studio audience members who've been in the audience several times, and they've come up to me and they say, "You know, Judge Young, I entered into a contract and I read the contract, and if it wasn't for you I would never have read the contract."

Or, "When I take my dog on a walk, I make sure that I'm looking around, and the dog's on a leash, " and whatever. And so the message is getting through: personal responsibility. And it's that type of thing that I hope that'll portray me differently than the other judges on television. And the fact that I really care is going to show up too.

Do you feel like you get a different response to your court room manner from straight people than you do from gay people?

I think there's a sense of pride when a gay person knows I'm on television. Because they see that anything is possible. They see through hard work and the fact that can-do, can-do, can-do. So that I would feel good about, that I can be a role model. As far as any tangible difference between a straight person? No, none. None at all.

I was just sort of looking at some of the comments that people had left in the post that I put your clip up on, and some people were saying, "Oh, Judge Young, he's just one of these loud queens." You know, "Justice with a snap." "Why do we need another flamboyant gay man on TV?" How do you respond when people say things like that?

Well, I tell them, as gay people we tend to make snap judgments, don't we? watch the show. When they watch the show they're going to see. They're not going to see some flamboyant queen wearing with his ass sticking out with a bow around his neck. They're going to see a real judge litigating difficult issues, dealing with personalities, and coming up with a decision. There may be some camp at times, if it's appropriate and it will make the point. But as far as being a broadcast at a tea dance at P-town, that's not going to happen. That's not what you're going to see. A real judge show with a real judge.

How do you feel about President Bush and accusations by some Republicans that activist judges in the country are pushing forward a pro-gay agenda?

That's a lot of horse crap.

This is an interesting story. We had, in Florida, what's called the Judicial Qualifications Network. Commission, I'm sorry. The Judicial Qualifications Commission. It's a commission which governs the standards of judges. And when you get in trouble, you write a letter to the JQC and then they investigate. And you have two county court judges -- which is the lower trial court -- and two circuit judges, which is the highest trial court. Two appellate judges and then the governor appoints some and the Florida Bar appoints some.

And there was an opening and I ran for it, within the circuit judges. And the wife, I believe, of my opponent -- I'm not certain but I'm pretty sure it was her -- said to one of these new women judges, "I've never seen you before." And the judge said, "Well, I just got appointed by the governor."

She goes, "Oh, you're a Bush appointee. I guess I can tell you a secret." And she said, "What's the secret?" And she said, "Well you know the race that's going on between Don Rand and David Young, well, David Young's a homosexual."

And what she didn't know is that this judge was a good friend of mine. And this judge said, "Well, of course everyone knows David is gay. That's not a secret. Is he good or bad?" And I got elected. By a pretty good margin. I got the entire state. Every circuit judge from Key West to Pensacola. They all vote on it. And they voted for the openly gay guy.

Do you believe there is such a thing as an activist judge?

Sure. I mean, every judge is an activist judge. Every time you make a decision it's a sense of activism. I mean, the Supreme Court was activist when they gave him the White House.

In order to make a decision, you have to be an activist. And if you're a pacifist you don't belong on the bench because you're not making decisions. But it's the activism that suits them. And if you're with them then you're not an activist. If you're against them then you are an activist.

And I don't think activist is a bad thing at all. Yeah, I wonder if the senator from...Iowa is it?

Idaho.

Idaho. I wonder if he's an activist. Hmm.

Yeah, an activist for something. How do you feel about decisions regarding issues like gay marriage being made in the courts rather than the legislature? Because I know that there's a lot of debate that goes on about that as well.

Well, if it wasn't for the courts, we'd never have civil rights. The courts acted way before Congress acted. And we have three branches of government. If one branch of government is falling down on the job and not protecting the rights of its citizens, then another branch has the right to move in as long as it doesn't exceed the Constitutional requirements and the Constitutional limitations. And if it happens in the court, so be it. If Congress gets around to it later, that's their problem. If it was up to Congress, blacks wouldn't have the right to vote, women wouldn't have the right to vote. It was the courts that made all those things possible.

It mentioned in your biography that you're partner is also a judge.

That's correct.

How does that affect your home life? You've been together for how many, 12 years?

12 1/2. It's going to be 13 in January.

That's excellent. How does that affect your home life, that you're both judges? And how does he affect what your style is and the decisions that you make?

Scott and I have a true partnership. It's a 50-50 partnership. Actually, it's kind of like 90-10: I do whatever he wants. I'm kidding. The best two words to keep a relationship, whether gay or straight, is "Yes, dear." Knowing what we have to go through makes it so much easier. You hear about spouses in the judiciary breaking up all the time, divorces. And I expect that's because the spouse doesn't understand the restraints that come with the job and the limitations that come with the job.

And when Scott ran for judge back in 1998, I couldn't even have a bumper sticker on my car, or we couldn't put a sign up at the house, because I lived at that house. It's like I'm endorsing him, you know? We can share a bed together, but I can't endorse him. So it's kind of silly. But that's part of the rules and regulation that we agreed to abide by. It's a 50-50 relationship. We accept everything together. I constantly go to him for advice, he constantly comes to me for advice. There's no jealousy whatsoever. Our styles are so different. Scott is very, very bright. He's such an intellect. And I'm much more fun at a party. So it works, it really does.

I was the first openly gay man on the bench in Miami. In South Florida. Probably in the state of Florida. And Scott was the first openly gay man to run for office in the state of Florida and get elected.

How does he feel about your new TV role?

He could not be more supportive. He loves me. That's never been a goal of his, television or entertainment. Being the intellectual that he is, he's much more into the books and the research and the theories and all the other things that go to being a thoughtful, thoughtful judge and a thoughtful person.

And it's so great when I have a question about a case, I can go to Scott and get a legalese and non-legalese professional wonderful answer from him, because he's so bright and he's so well-read. So it really is a really good combination we have. And yet I still take out the garbage, because he doesn't. And I still take care of the dog, because the dog likes me better.

What qualities were you looking for in a bailiff, and how do you feel that Tawya adds to the mix?

I was hoping the bailiff and I would click. Somebody who was fun, who was irreverent, who had some facial expressions, who would speak her mind and not be quiet and subdued. Pretty sassy. And Tawya's all that. She's wonderful. She doesn't take crap from anybody. She's just with it. She understands it. She understands the human element that goes with working with people. And that is so important.

It seems like you have a good chemistry.

We really do.

On another note entirely, tell me about your penguin collection. How did that start?

It started with The Penguin from "Batman." I love Burgess Meredith.

Now, is it a collection of Burgess Meredith Penguins or a collection of penguin penguins.

Penguins. I just love The Penguin on "Batman." Men in tuxedos, I don't know. But whatever it is, it stemmed from that. And I had a couple penguins, and people...I went to somebody's house. This is a true story. I went to somebody's house and they were collecting penguins. And I thought, "My god, I love penguins. I love The Penguin from 'Batman.' Let me do that too." And I collected a few, and then people saw that I collected them so they started giving me gifts. And all of the sudden, it just doubled and doubled and doubled. Now I've got a rookery in my house.

Aside from fulfilling your entertainment fantasies, what do you hope to accomplish with your new show?

One of the things that I really, really want to stress is that I want to be a spokesperson. I want to be a role model for those young men and women who are going through this identity crisis in terms of. : "I can't be gay, because if I am gay, that means that I can't be president of the United States. I can't be head of an international corporation. I just can't do it." And go to be every night praying and praying to be straight.

I want to be a voice of hope. I want to be a person of hope. I want to be someone who they can look at and say, "Hey, look at David Young. David Young did it. I can do it." Anybody can do it with hard work and determination. We don't let our sexual orientation act as an impediment to achieving whatever goal we have set for our lives.

Conversely, I want to be a conduit to the parents of those young men and women who are just coming out. To say, "You need to love your children unconditionally. Gay, straight, bi, transgendered, whatever they are, they are part of you. And as a family member, you must love them. And you can't reject them. You should never want to reject your child."

And I don't think most people want to reject their child. But I think through ignorance and bigotry and being unsure, they do. Because they see these gay stereotypes and they think, "I don't want my child to be some freak that we see in the gay pride parade that's broadcast all over the..."

That's all they see.

That's all they see. And not that there's anything wrong with that. Believe me, without those individuals in our community, we wouldn't be where we are today. Because they were the foundation. The drag queens were the foundation of the gay rights movement back in Stonewall.

So, I hope to be that voice and that role model, and speak to organizations. Gay, straight, I don't care. I'll speak to anyone who'll give me an audience to talk about compassion and talk about passion in everything, in all of our passions. I mean, let's go for it.

Judge David Young premieres on Monday, September 10. Check the website for stations in your area.

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An Interview with Chris Garneau, Indie Music's New Gay Star

Chris Garneau photographed by Josh Koll in New York City

Last week Towleroad correspondents Josh Helmin and Josh Koll sat down with twenty-four-year-old singer and songwriter Chris Garneau to talk about his debut album, Music for Tourists. The indie record, with Garneau's softly sung vocals and heartrending lyrics, has garnered praise from mainstream media including The Advocate and National Public Radio, with word also spreading like wildfire throughout the blogosphere. Originally from Boston, and raised for a few years in Paris during his childhood, Garneau has settled into the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, where he's at work on a follow-up album and preparing for a nationwide tour that begins on May 12.

How did your debut album, "Music For Tourists," come about?

Duncan Sheik produced it. I was in the first workshops of Spring Awakening [for which Duncan wrote the music] when it was being written. I was 16 when they first started it. I did numerous productions of it with the same team that is still working on it now. They were like, "Just sing this song, and that song, but don't say a word." I was so awkward and I hated acting. Anyway, that's how I met Duncan. I did these silly recordings in high school at a studio and I gave them to Duncan, and he said, "I'm going to produce your record some day." When I moved back to New York five years ago, we started working on it at his studio. It was a long process. He's a really busy guy, so there was a lot of down time. We started when I was about 21, three years ago.

Originally it was going to be really big and really produced, but the longer the process went on, the more eager I was to complete it, and we didn't really have any money going into it. We were recording everything on our own time, and he was engineering it at the studio in Tribeca. I had the studio to myself for a month, so I would just go in and set up, which I had no idea how to do. I was recording by myself. Four of the songs are just one take.

Do you read your reviews?

I do. I read all of them. I should probably stop. [laughter] It's really hard in the beginning to not do that. I don't know who would do that with their first album, to just be like, "I don't read them." I have to remember half the time that there are people writing to make a point, or to have people just read their reviews. There are writers who sometimes write really drastic reviews, really good or really bad, so it sticks out and people notice it. I understand that that's a factor. I also try and consider that there are writers who truly care about music and really know music, probably a lot more than I know, and there are things I can learn from some reviews. It's a first record, and I was young when I wrote the songs. I don't expect everyone to love it.

While you were recording the album were you thinking about if you were going to be an openly gay artist?

Absolutely Kosher [the record company] asked me "How do you want to deal with press and publicity for being gay? Do you want it to be not mentioned at all, do you want to be out if people ask, do you want to be really forthright?" At that point I wasn't exactly sure. My feeling then was that I didn't want to be the gay piano-playing "fagitor" from Williamsburg who has a new album, "Music for Tourists." If anybody asks, or if gay press wants to run this feature or that, I thought, "Let's do it." I don't feel terribly political. I'm making music and I happen to be gay, and that's what's happening. If you want to hear about it, fine, and if you don't, that's fine, too.

So everybody's going to want to know: Are you single?

Why does everybody ask me that? That's so weird. [laughing, looking embarrassed] My feeling would be like, if I saw someone cute in a magazine or wherever, I wouldn't even care if they were single or not. I'd just be like, "How can I interfere? Who are they in a relationship with, and how can I fuck it up?" [laughter, then a pause] I am dating someone right now. He's a photographer. He just gave me a Polaroid camera -- he mainly does Polaroids -- and he's teaching me how to use it. It has a real lens so you can focus. It's a for real camera, not just a twenty dollar one you can get at a pharmacy.

Did you always know you wanted to be a musician?

When I was really young, and started playing piano, I thought I would want to play music, but I didn't know in what form. When I was in high school I started thinking about what I wanted to do, and it was music. As soon as I started writing music, that's what I knew I wanted to do.

How's the second album coming?

It's pretty much all tracked. There are a lot of big vocals. There's a big choir on one song. There are a lot of big string arrangements, percussion, and horn arrangements. There are a lot of things taken from "Tourists" stylistically, but almost simplified in a way. It's just smarter. It's better. I'm older.

For more about Chris Garneau and his touring schedule, or to listen to tracks from his new album, check out his website and MySpace profile.

Music for Tourists [iTunes]

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Rising Pop Star Mika Talks About Life in Cartoon Motion

[by Arjan Writes, guest blogger] Mika is just everywhere these days. People are raving about this new pop sensation whose debut album Life In Cartoon Motion debuted at #1 in the U.K. a few weeks ago. His single “Grace Kelly” also shot to the top of the British pop charts and held the coveted position for more than four weeks.

The Lebanese crooner who lives in London is now ready to conquer North America. He has been playing showcases in the U.S. to promote the U.S. release of his album next week.

Turned off by mediocre television singing contests and inspired by great songwriters of the ‘70s, Mika’s infectious brand of flamboyant pop has struck a cord with a broad audience, including gays. One of his standout tracks is “Billy Brown”, which describes the journey of a married man who discovers that he’s attracted to men.

Much has been written about the way you got your record deal. How did it exactly come about?
It is quite a story. I was studying classical music in London until a year ago. I always knew I wanted to do pop music. So I was sort of living a double life. Studying classical music during the day and writing pop songs in the evening. I sent out a lot of demos but nobody really got into what I wanted to do. The commercial people rejected me and the indie crowd did not accept me either because I was too melody-based. So I continued doing the same thing. I got in touch with some people who were associated with a big label and they wanted me to become somebody I was not. I refused to do that. I ended up going to Miami on a regular basis to work there independently on my music. With borrowed studio time and musicians doing stuff for free, I ended up with a solid demo. In the meantime, the record company that initially dismissed me had completely changed their tone and wanted to sign me.

Is it true you wrote “Grace Kelly” as a response to those label heads that wanted to change you?
Yes. I wrote “Grace Kelly” as a screw-you song to those label people that wanted me to be somebody I was not. But ironically, one year later, it was the song that got me signed!

For people not familiar with your music, how would you describe your sound?
Hyper-real pop.  It has this hyper-reality to it, hence the cartoon title.

Pop has become such a dirty word. How do you do pop differently?
I’m trying to reclaim pop. Television singing contests, like X Factor or American Idol, have introduced a bad side of pop music. Especially in the U.K., pop music has lost its face and the artistry has been forgotten about.

Do you think bands like Scissor Sisters have laid a foundation for you?
I wonder about that. I am a fan of Scissor Sisters and part of what we do comes from the same place. But it is different because I’m a solo artist.

Blogs in particular have championed you in the U.S.. How do you feel about that?
There is no real agenda with online press so blogs tend to be brutally honest. So to get positive reactions from blogs really means a lot to me.

How did the song “Billy Brown” about a gay affair come about?
I was reading about a similar situation in a paper in London. It seemed to have a lot relevance to people and I thought it would make a good theme for a pop song. As soon as I started to play it, people were saying 'oh this happened to a friend of mine, or this happened to so and so.' I was surprised nobody had written about it before.

Rumors have been circulating about your own sexuality. Are you gay?
I don’t' really discuss that. I don’t feel I really need to. My music speaks for itself. I have total freedom with what I do musically and the way that I live my life. And I feel really comfortable with that.

Are you ready to conquer America?
Breaking into the U.S. market as one lump is a little scary, but nowadays it is not necessary as much because you can do a lot of online stuff.

Do you ever pinch yourself?  It is pretty amazing what’s happening to you.
Totally. It feels like I’m living one of my pop songs. It is like a hyper-reality. [Laughs]

What is your live show like?
We’ve been able to re-create the energy from the record. It is just a little bit louder and more aggressive.

Time for some fun questions. Do you prefer Kylie or Madonna?
Kylie at the moment. She’s gone through some amazing few months. She’s a magnet.

Do you have any guilty pleasures?
[Laughs]  Where do I start? My music collection from complete trashy pop, the most ridiculous collection of novelty records from Japanese pop to French baby pop. 

What can we wake you up for in the middle of the night?
I tend to be a little grumpy if you wake me up when I’m sleeping. There’s not much that will get me up. [Laughs]

Arjan is the author of the music blog Arjan Writes, where you can find new music, free downloads, album reviews, and more artist interviews. Life in Cartoon Motion has its official U.S. release on March 25.

You may have missed...
Cracking Mika's Enigma Code [tr]
Pop Phenom Mika Takes Manhattan in Candy-Coated Showcase [tr]

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Interview: Kevin Sessums on his New Memoir, Mississippi Sissy

Many of you have probably read a celebrity profile in the pages of Vanity Fair, or perhaps Allure, penned by Kevin Sessums. The broad range of high-profile stars whose lives Sessums plumbed in the pages of VF provided me for many years with an essential page-turning beach read just when I needed it.

Sessums, whom I've since come to know as a friend, has just hit the bookstores with something completely different, yet no less a page-turner than his interviews. Mississippi Sissy is a memoir of his childhood — growing up gay in the deep south in the 60's in an America churning with civil rights strife and the assassination of a president. Sessums was orphaned with two siblings at the age of eight and his memoir chronicles that loss, along with the awkward journey of a young gay adolescent that might seem achingly familiar to many reading this blog. Yet Sessums' experience is framed by a disarming wit and the lush and racially-charged backdrop of Forest, Mississippi, where cocktail parties with elder homosexual literati and brief encounters with Eudora Welty provide the route for a young gay man searching for a way out.

Kevin is currently on a book tour. The clip he has been reading, in which his trip to a Halloween party dressed in a witch costume goes terribly wrong, is a vivid firecracker of heartbreaking loneliness and spirited defiance, much like the rest of the book. He agreed to answer a few questions for me, and I urge you to head out and hear him read if you're on his schedule.

Most people know you from your celebrity interviews with Vanity Fair, and now Allure. What were the challenges in digging in to your own life rather than someone else's? 

Well, I had to push my own buttons instead of someone else's. Usually when I interview someone I can tell them my deepest, darkest secrets in the hopes it will ignite something within them, inspire them to reveal a bit more about themselves. I can then edit out my own secrets. I couldn't edit them out when I was telling my own story - and there are some pretty deep and dark secrets I reveal in the book. But I decided when I started writing it that I would be honest and as open as I could be in the hopes that if young gay and lesbian kids out there happened to pick it up they could see that they are not alone in feeling freaked out and freaky - that you can survive those feelings, indeed you can revel in them and turn them into strengths. But I don't want people to only think of this book as a gay coming of age story; it's about many things. It's about race in this country. It's about maternal love. It's about all forms of otherness.

MUCH MORE AFTER THE JUMP...

You faced certain unique challenges growing up in the South in the early 60's. Do you think much has changed? Do you spend much time going back there? Has it changed much for gays in the rural south? 

I'm not sure how much it has changed - though my sister, who is a lesbian, and her lover of the last 20 years have a wondeful, full life down there. But an example: I was invited to read at a book store within a department store, Reed's, in Tupelo, Mississippi. When the owner of the store read the book he had the manager of his book store disinvite me, saying he refused to have me set foot in his establishment.

One of the stories I tell in the narrative is my affair with an all-American African American football player at Mississippi State University when I was 17. He was, in fact, the first black player ever to play at Mississippi State and, according to the owner of the store, a friend of his in high school. It was my portrayal of this player - who ulitmately died of AIDS - that prompted the man to disinvite me and ban me in Tupelo. The only reason he could have been upset is that the one sex scene in the book - there are other scenes of molestation but that is not sex, that is a physical act that is a perversion of trust, not sex - is between the player and me. It broke my heart he had that reaction because I think the portrait of the football player is dignified and loving. But some people in Mississippi - even in the 21st Century - can't put the words "dignity" and "love" in the same sentence as "homosexual." I plan to have a t-shirt printed up with BANNED IN TUPELO on it and wear it around the state when I head down there for my readings and signings next week. You can read about my tour schedule on my blog: mississippisissy.com.

Has the book inspired any reaction from folks back in Forest, Mississippi? 

Not yet. At least none that I've heard about. But people are seeming to react to the book very strongly - either negatively or positively. More of the latter, thank God. But I've always had my detractors. I think anyone who dares to have a distinctive voice has those. Thankfully they seem to be in the minority. But I think one needs to have a few virulent detractors as proof you're doing something right, or at least are edgy and controversial and .... well ... worthy on some level.

I think a lot of gay men find that they're coming out is often facilitated by an older mentor. Journalist Frank Hains, who was murdered, seems to have served that purpose for you. How do you feel that having that mentor helped shape you and how do you think you'd be different now had you not had him in your life? 

Frank and his literate, dryly witted coterie in Jackson in the mid 1970s - which included the great American writer Eudora Welty - accepted me into their sphere and proved to me that even if one had the soul of an outsider there are other souls out there who feel the same way - and when a group of talented outsiders get together they usually form the "in crowd." It was a wondrous social cunundrum I was grateful to learn and served me well when I moved to New York when I was 19.

Sissy is a term that that you were taught to flip around and embrace by your late mother. Today's derogatory gay currency seems to be mostly centered around the word "faggot". Do you feel like it's possible for a similar appropriation to be made with that word? 

My mother turned the word "SISSY" around for me by making me write it out for her. She pointed at each letter and said, "See those muscles on those s's. See the arms on that Y raised in victory. Look at how proud that I is to stand there in front of you. Never let anyone dictate the language of your own life. Be your own word." It's a lesson I've taken with me throughout my life. But "faggot"? When spouted by someone like Coulter with such spite and venom and condescension, it makes me think that one is hard to appropriate.

I do think maybe all minorities - whatever the degree of their oppression - need a word for them that is unsayable in polite company as a badge of honor. But "sissy" is such an old-fashioned word. There were people who warned me not to put it in my title because so many people would never read - for reasons good and bad and all their own - a book with that word in its title. And maybe it will make it more difficult to sell. But I had to be true to the story I had to tell. Plus, a boy or a man can be a "sissy" and not be gay. There are sissy heterosexuals out there.

The memoir really captures the sort of "otherness" that a gay kid can feel, knowing that somehow, something's different. What advice might you offer a young gay kid in your situation today - what might the tips be in a Kevin Sessums survival guide? Because the book is very much about survival. 

Well, in keeping with the southern tone of my book and speaking figuratively: summon your inner Scarlett O'Hara. Stare at those ugly drapes in your mama's windows. Tear'em down. Whip yourself up a gown. And go out into the world with your head held high. It's the only way the Rhetts of the world will give you any respect. They WILL give a damn about you if you are not ashamed to be exactly who you are. Use your otherness to stand out but don't preen: BE. I went to listen to a lecture by Toni Morrison the other night at the Alliance Francais based on the multidisciplinary art installation she recently curated at the Louvre. The lecture was titled "Art is Otherwise." She said in the lecture that all the best works of art were about the stranger - that it could be the stranger. It could acknowledge the stranger. It could fear the stranger. When I heard her say that, I thought: that's sort of what my book is about. My book is about the stranger within us. If you re-order what Morrison said I think the process of gay boys and lesbian girls is that we first fear the stranger within. We then acknowledge that stranger at some point. And then, when we're strong enough, we can be that stranger, fully and happily and, yes, daringly.

Now that you've written the memoir, which ends at your departure from Mississippi, is there any desire to pick up another one where that left off, or write a novel of some sort? And if so, what would it be about? 

Well, this memoir leaves off my first afternoon in New York City when I was 19. I'm now 51. Does that mean I can finally have enough distance to write the sequel when I'm 102? Right now I've written the first pages of a novel set in Provincetown. It's a heterosexual, middle-aged love story.

One aspect of the book I've also been curious about is its cover. It's a great shot. Can you tell me the story behind it? 

That photo is a cropped portrait of my little brother and me - the publishing house cut him out. I fought to keep him in but they thought a single image was stronger for a memoir. We were at a baseball game watching our father play and afterwards he took that picture of us. Is there any doubt I had to have the word "sissy" in the title when you look at that hand-on-my-hip stance and my little cocked leg there on the pitcher's mound. You can tell that boy just might want to be a catcher as well. And can't wait to find out what it's like to stop posing.

Mississippi Sissy [official site]

Mississippi Sissy [amazon]

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