Bobservations

And it’s a two-fer!

Well, of course we went to see Downton Abbey. And, as we do at the movies, we get there early and sit in the last row because it’s better for Carlos to see. So, we get a seat and then I go back to the lobby for snacks; this time it was popcorn and Spicy Ginger Ale—flavored with chipotle peppers, I believe—and then back to our seats. Carlos held the popcorn while I sat down and then we settled in for the movie … which was just like the TV show on a much grander screen, which enabled me to see some of the more dreamy men even clearer—more on that later.

The next day while joke-spatting with Carlos I reminded him that I had taken him to the movies the day before, and bought him popcorn and a beverage. He joked-spat back:

“That ginger ale was terrible! It was too spicy. And I only had one kernel of popcorn because it fell out of the bag and landed on my shirt.”

Show of hands: who believes for a nanosecond that Carlos, or anyone else for that matter, could eat just one kernel of popcorn?

Uh huh.

This week we had an appointment with a surgeon here in town about Carlos’ hernia operation. One of the friends who’d recommended the doctor told me that the surgeon and his wife are devout Christians, and often give their patients Bibles. Now, I am not an organized religious person, but I knew I would simply take the Bible, say Thank you, and then drop it off at a local church as a donation on the way home. But when I told Carlos about it, he instantly began fuming and saying he would tell the doctor in no uncertain terms that he neither wanted nor needed such a book.

Then I reminded Carlos that this man would be cutting him open in a few weeks and he found himself more amenable to simply taking the book and the donating it later.

I wonder why …

I read a story this week about Channing Smith, a Tennessee high school student who was bullied into suicide after explicit text messages from him to another boy were shared around the school, and I thought, ‘Well, it’s Tennessee …’

But so is this … this year White Station High School in Memphis, Tennessee introduced a gender neutral Homecoming court, dropping the titles of King and Queen in favor of Homecoming Royal.

But 17-year-old Brandon Allen, who identifies as gay, still dressed like a fierce queen when he was crowned during the Homecoming football game.

Congratulations queen!

In other good news for the LGBTQ community, transgender boxer Patricio Manuel has been named the new face of international boxing and fitness brand Everlast, a position previously held by boxing legends Jack Dempsey, Sugar Ray Robinson and Canelo Álvarez.

Manuel, who began his boxing career as a female competitor in the early ’00s, told CNBC that he realized he was living a lie:

“Once I realized that I was trans, I knew that I needed to live my life being seen as a man. I was juggling back and forth for a while. … I realized that I needed to go all-in and risk it all. … We only have one life to live. As cliché as that sounds, I really try to live my life having the least amount of regrets as possible.”

And last December, Manuel became the world’s first transgender boxer to compete in a professional fight.

And he won.

The Rice University marching band, the Marching Owl Band, gave a performance to be proud of when they performed at the halftime of a game between Rice and Baylor University, a Baptist school with anti-LGBTQ policies.

The Marching Owls played the Village People's "YMCA" and waved dozens of Pride flags during the halftime show and joined in a formation to spell "Pride" on the field.

During planning, word of the musical activism reached other students and alumni, who donated over 70 rainbow, transgender, pansexual, asexual, intersex, and bisexual Pride flags to the cause. They ran onto the field waving the banners for a dance party after the halftime show.

The Pride-themed show reportedly sparked applause on both sides of the field, with a few boos from Baylor as well. 

Go figure.

It appears that in the midst of his latest scandal, _____ met with Wayne LaPierre, chief executive of the National Rifle Association, to discuss how the NRA might provide financial support for the president’s defense as he faces impeachment.

And, naturally, in return for NRA support, LaPierre asked that the White House “stop the games” over gun control legislation.

He’s smearing the dead to save himself. So presidential ….

Meanwhile, back at Downton Abbey ….a few Good, Hot men.

Up top there is actor James Cartwright who played repairman Tony Sellick. Tony was at Downton to fix the boiler and I repeatedly said to Carlos, “My boiler is overheating, too.”

And then, on the bottom left, we have actor Max Brown, who saved butler Thomas Barrow from jail for being found in a make-shift gay bar, and then revealed to Barrow that he, too, was a gay man. They shared a tender kiss near the end.

Lastly, bottom right, is the unbelievably dreamy—especially on the big screen—Allen Leech, who played former chauffeur turned member of the family, Tom Branson, who married Lady Sybil on the television show. He’s cute on TV but gorgeous thirty feet tall.

Just sayin’.