PR7EP7: Ready To Wear, Hard To Wear

Well, this week was the "Make Fashion Out Of The Unusual" episode. In years past, we've done The Drug Store, and The Grocery Store; this season was The Hardware Store, aka The Hard To Wear Store. For some reason they had Michael Kors tell the designtestants of the challenge and the twist, which baffled me; I don't think Kors has ever been to a hardware store unless it was an underground club with slings and buttless chaps.
But I digress.
The designtestants were to make an outfit out of supplies from the hardware store, and also to design an accessory out of those same supplies.
There were some colossal failures, and some really stunning looks.
Let's rip:

SethAaron had immunity this week, and I say, "Good thing." For this Judy Jetson Easy Bake Oven Knockoff was a D-I-saster. I mean, it looked like I scraped the tin foil off the bottom of the baking dish after my Thanksgiving turkey was done, and then decided to make a dress. No, because that would have looked better than this concoction, this clinking clanking clacking collection of caliginous junk*.

Jonathan's dress was kinda cool. It didn't reek of metal and copper and hammer and nails. It looked like fabric and it actually moved when the model walked. I don't know what made the judges put him in Safe Mode--I use Safe Mode as a reference to the computer troubles I had this morning and how I started the comp in Safe Mode so I could fix the problem. And, by "fix the problem" I mean curse and stomp my feet until it fixed itself.
Again, I digress.
His accessory, the purse, was a cool looking item and totally matched his hard wear. I think I'm becoming attached to Jonathan, because he's funny: "Ladies and Gentleman, direct from it's appearance on the Periodic Table....Copper!!!"
Jonathan was safe.

Ben Who came up with this Mars Probe costume of Copper Window shades. I mean, doesn't it look like one of those things you stretch across the car windshield on a hot day? And it didn't move; it literally hung off her shoulders like a copper sheet metal sheath dress. Ben was coming along; I'd almost remembered him from last week, and then he gives us this out-of-this-world-and-not-in-a-good-way mess.

Still his spacey suit was safe.

And Amy? What happened to her? This looks Top Three to me. The woman used SANDPAPER to make a dress. Sand. Paper. Dress. It was fun and flirty and could be used to sand down a nasty splinter on a park bench if needed. How much more fashion-functional-forward can you freaking get? You could look cute and give yourself a manicure at the same time. Put on a great GaGa tune and whirl around the house and you've prepped your walls for paint. I mean, it works, and it works for you.

Still, Amy was merely safe.

Poor Anthony. he kept talking the Big Gay Game that he was doing something innovative, and he came up with this frocking mess. The only thing hardware is that strapping metal belt; big whoop. Anthony is turning into a one-trick gay pony. He does cute and pretty and frilly and girly, but he doesn't seem to realize, IT ISN'T ABOUT HIM!!!

Still, cute got a Bottom Three Pass. Or was it a Cute Bottom Pass?

And of course Anthony got a pass, especially going up against Emilio's Valley Of The Dolls Bolt Bikini. I usually like Emilio's stuff, but this String Art Gone Wrong was just plain bad. I mean, my cat Tuxedo does more interesting things with string, and he has no front claws! But Emilio drank the Whine: I don't have enough bolts! I need more string!

Well, Emilio, I need the three minutes I spent looking at this mess back, but we don't always get what we want. And while I like Emilio, this really should have gone home.

Instead, Jesse was told to pack his hammer and go. Probably because Emilio has shown promise, and Jesse really hasn't. And this Jiffy-Pop-Meets-Hersheys-Kiss-Meets-Balloon-Boy-Meets-Vacuum-Bag couldn't save him. The idea was sweet; ballerina meets air conditioner. But it didn't come together. He bought what he thought was netting and it turned out to be sheet-rolls of drywall mesh tape. Oy! If I had a nickel for every time that happened to me! And his accessory wasn't much better; it looked like a metal square stapled to the poor model's head.

No one....NO ONE....liked Jesse's dress and he was Auf'd.

I'll miss you Jesse, but, like every fickle gay man, I've already moved on to Jonathan.

Mila, the Color Blockhead, drew the same formula from her bag of one-tricks. She used paint tray liners to create yet another one of her "mod" concoctions. And it was all right. It moved, though it also clicked and clacked; and it looked flirty, though, wear it to the club and the DJ will ask you to leave because your dress is louder than the music. That said, that one white tray liner in the middle looked at first like the model's ribcage and it a'scurred me. And, as for her accessory, well, she used a plastic label from the paint tray liners plastic bag as a cuff. Seriously. So, this morning, I took a box of Quaker Oatmeal and made myself a top hat. I got lots of stares on the streets of Smallville; people are so jealous. Right?

Mila gets Top Three; not Top Two!!!!

Top Two went to Mila's sister-daughter-clone Maya. And it was a well-deserved Top Two. In fact, I'd picked it as the winner--shows you how much i know! But I loved her twine-stick-tweed-reed-see-through jacket and Elizabethan collar. The dress was a throwaway; not much going on, but the whole look worked. Plus, her accessory was a Key-Screen-Dog-Collar necklace and it was fabulous! I mean, this girl could work valet at any trendy party, and walk your dog while she's at it.

Top Two!! Top Two!!

And that leaved us with Jay Nicholas as the winner of the Ready-To-Hard-Wear Challenge. Jay took trash bags and created something that looked nothing like trash bags; and we've seen trash bags in years past that look only like trash bags. His looked like leather...........Leather Tuscadero from an old 1980s episode of Happy Days. I get it; he reworked the Hefty. Props to him. But the outfit looks like something Linda Blair might have worn in a really bad TV movie. Really. Bad. Something with roller skates and disco music, and gangsters who want to shut down the club where the kids skate. Seriously.

But, the judges liked that he refashioned the Glad Bag into Glad Rags, and so Jay gets his second win.

And that was PR7Ep7. Hardware ready-to-wear. Hammered haute coute. Copper collections. Bolt-kinis and Trash Bagged Babes. Plastic Prêt-à-Porter. Sandpaper sundresses.

I'll stop.

Until next week.....Fashion Assassin. Out.

* "clinking clanking clacking collection of caliginous junk" was blatantly stolen from The Wizard Of Oz.

Jim Tressel, Football Coach And LGBT Friend

There really aren't many out gay athletes. I mean, we've seen divers come out, ice skaters come out; a soccer player, or the occasional basketball player; rarely, though, a foot ball player. Sports are exactly conducive to being out, or even being gay friendly.

But still, we've had some athletes come out, so to speak, as LGBT allies, like wrestler Hudson Tayor [HERE], or football players Brendon Ayanbadejo and Scott Fujita [HERE].

And now we have college football coach, Jim Tressel, who has given what many are calling the first Division I NCAA head football coach one-on-one interview with an LGBT publication OutSports. One of the most interesting passages in the article [HERE] is how Tressel says he would handle it if one of his players comes out as gay.

“We strive to teach and model appreciation for everyone. One, we are a family. If you haven’t learned from your family at home that people have differences and those strengthen the whole, then you are hopefully going to learn it as part of the Ohio State football family.

“Two, every part of our team is important and every role has value – no job is too small and no person is irrelevant – that’s a great lesson that transcends into society. When I think of the diversity we’ve had on our team the past few years, it goes way beyond just a racial, sexual or ethnic mix.

"We’ve had players who had different religions, players who came from different economic backgrounds, players who are parents, who are spouses, who are caring for ailing parents, who are wheelchair bound, who are battling cancer, and on and on.

"Whatever a young man feels called to express, I hope we will help him do it in a supportive environment. Everybody is important, and maturity is learning to find and appreciate those differences in others. If we appreciate each other, then we have a chance for something great.”

Smart man.

I Didn't Say This, Either

Neil Patrick Harris, to a fan who follows him on Twitter, asking for advice on "coming out as gay”:
“Stand tall. Be proud of who you are. Don’t break promises. Want to learn. Represent well. But more than anything, be safe.”

Susan "Cindy Brady" Olsen on the reported feud between TV sisters Eve "Jan Brady" Plumb and Maureen "Marcia Marcia Marcia Brady" McCormick after McCormick hinted at a lesbian relationship between the two of them in her autobiography Here's The Story:

"I don't like there to be a rift in the family. I love them both and this means whenever we get together for any project there will only be one or the other. But I do understand Eve's point of view. She got tired of Maureen gaining attention for herself by regurgitating the tiresome and false insinuations that they had a lesbian affair."

TV Judge Greg Mathis on a case recently televised between two men that dealt with one of them possibly being in the closet:

"If you are [gay] I think you should be up front about it. So many young men and women try to stay in the closet because their family and friends might be biased, or what have you. Forget about them. Be who you are."

Lady GaGa, on an ex-boyfriend:
"I had a boyfriend who told me I'd never succeed, never be nominated for a Grammy, never have a hit song, and that he hoped I'd fail. I said to him, 'Someday when we're not together, you won't be able to order a cup of coffee at the fucking deli without hearing or seeing me'."

Kate Winslet, aka the British Meryl Streep, on why she keeps her Oscar in the loo:

“Because basically everybody wants to touch it, everybody wants to hold it and go ‘Oh, my gosh,’ and ‘How heavy is it?’ So I figured if I put it [in the bathroom], then people can avoid the whole, ‘Where’s your Oscar?’ thing.”

Senator John "Dammit! It was my turn to be President!" McCain on why Admiral Mullen's statements aren't enough to satisfy his 2006 statement that if military leaders say the policy should be changed, that's what should happen:

"As I said back then, we need to have a careful examination. And Admiral Mullen was, as quote, speaking personally. Just this week the commandant of the Marine Corps said that he did not want DADT repealed. There are many in the military who do not want to. We are going to go through, hopefully, a year-long study that will, hopefully, also, have the feelings of the men and women who are serving."

Daniel Radcliffe on the LGBT community:
"I grew up knowing a lot of gay men and it was never something that I even thought twice about -- that some men were gay and some weren't. And then I went to school and (for) the first time ... I came across homophobia. I had never encountered it before. It shocked me. I have always hated anybody who is not tolerant of gay men or lesbians or bisexuals. Now I am in the very fortunate position where I can actually help or do something about it."

Howard Stern on Ellen Degeneres, and American Idol:

"Ellen has said she won't work with me, but quite frankly, after watching her on the stupid show, I gotta tell ya, I won't work with Ellen. She's out if I come in."

Doug Spearman on being an out actor and Black history Month:

"What Black History Month invited me to do, encouraged me to do, and still makes me strive to do is reach way beyond the late-twentieth century comfort zone I was raised in and do something. SOMETHING. Something that matters. Something that makes a difference. Something that helps. The people I learned to honor, revere, and respect were all doers. They changed the world for the better. And every February I think about my frosty teacher and her clipped Yankee voice and I thank her for warming my mind and spirit to possibility. To what I could and would do with my life. To making some humble contribution to Black History.It’s why as an actor, I chose to be an out, gay Black actor. Doing that, I took a risk; I made a decision that for years people in the entertainment industry considered career suicide. To be black and an actor is hard enough, but to call yourself gay on top of that? Screwed from the gate. But I also realized that nothing changes if nothing changes....So, I came out. And I’ve managed to have a bit of a career, too. It might be bigger if I’d chosen to be closeted, but then again, it might not."

Joan Rivers On Victoria Beckham:

"Victoria Beckham is so nasty. Why doesn't she just go home? Her dresses are beautiful, but I don't care what she does. She's mean to all the people around her. She's too short to be a diva. We all use the same hairdressers, make-up artists, limo-drivers and greeters at the airports in LA and nobody has anything nice to say about her. They say she's rude. She can't always just be having a bad day. ....You want to say: Calm down, you were a Spice Girl. The arrogance when she walks into a room is astonishing."

John McCain Is A Big Fat Liar

John McCain doesn't want gays in the military.

John McCain doesn't want gays to marry.

John McCain doesn't want gays, it then seems to follow.

So, is he doing anything and everything to shore up his opposition to the repeal--and, believe me a repeal is going to happen--of Don't Ask, Don't Tell?

Of course, he is.

Supporters of DADT have often cited a letter as evidence of military support for keeping the law on the books, and Grampa McCain even held up said letter during the Senate hearings last month. The letter contains the names of many high-ranking military officers, and yet there is some controversy surrounding the names and how they got there.

Many of those who "signed" the letter were involved in career-ending scandals; others have said the letter doesn't represent their views. And even worse, some of the names on the letter haven't served in the military under the current DADT policy; even fewer have performed military service in the last ten years.

This letter, that John McCain and others hold up as an example that the military is not ready , willing, or able, to work under a repeal of DADT, offers the signatures of men whose average age is 78; the oldest signer is nearly 100. In addition, many of those whose names still appear on the letter have died since the document was introduced, so there is doubt whether they actually signed the letter or not, or if their views have changed.

At least one signer, General Louis Menetrey, was deceased when the letter was published and didn’t even sign the document himself. According to a footnote on the letter, his wife signed the document for him after his death using power of attorney--six years after Alzheimer’s disease robbed him of the ability to communicate.

Other signers have asked to be removed from the list, though their names still appear. Some say they never agreed to sign the letter at all. And one general, who actually did sign the letter, now believes that gays should be allowed to serve in the armed forces so long as they adhere to the code of conduct.

So, this is how John McCain works. When he's against something, he's against it for life; there is no hope for change. When he said he'd change his mind if those in charge changed their minds, he wasn't being truthful. And now, he holds up a letter full of lies, with the names of dead soldiers who no longer speak for themselves; with the names of men who haven't been in the armed forces for decades.

John McCain will do anything to keep the LGBT community from being equal in the land of the free.

Showed His Face At Faces

I used to live in Sacramento. In fact, the house I lived in was just a few blocks from Faces, the gay nightclub in question here. Faces, while a gay bar, also has a diverse clientele; many straight people ::::gasp:::: go there for the music and the dancing, but let's not forget, it's a gay bar in the middle of a neighborhood affectionately known as "Lavender Heights.".

People often wondered why.

Not wondering, however, is one of California's most anti-gay Republicans, Senator Roy Ashburn, who was arrested for allegedly driving drunk after leaving Faces. A California Highway Patrol [CHP] officer noticed a black Chevy Tahoe swerving through the downtown streets, and when the officer stopped the state-issued vehicle, the driver identified himself as Senator Ashburn. He was arrested without incident and charged with two misdemeanors: driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol level higher than .08% or higher.

Interestingly enough, Ashburn was leaving Faces with an unidentified male passenger, who was not detained. Ashburn was booked into the Sacramento County Jail and released on $1,400 bond.

Roy Ashburn, quite well known for a long history of opposing gay rights, and a father of four--he divorced his wife in 2003--released the obligatory statement after his post-gay nightclub arrest:

"I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did. I am also truly sorry for the impact this incident will have on those who support and trust me – my family, my constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate."

Effin' self-loathing closet case. Ashburn voted against a Senate resolution declaring Prop H8 unconstitutional; voted three times to oppose the creation of Harvey Milk Day; voted against California recognizing out-of-state same-sex marriages; voted to oppose an expansion of California's insurance laws to include sexual orientation as a protected class.

Once again. Effing.Self-loathing.Closet case.

Filed Under: Bad Idea

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a terrible idea..................

It appears that the seven castaways of Gilligan's Island have found a new home at Warner Bros. and Atlas Entertainment, who have teamed up to develop a feature film based on the forty-something-year-old TV show.

Really? I have two words for you Warner Bros.: Be.Witched.

Two more: Won't. Work.

They've actually, though, lined up producers for this shipwreck, as well as a screenwriter, and even original show producer, Sherwood Schwartz, plans to be the executive producer of this three-hour failure.

The producers and writer are planning to update the story for the movies. Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't we seen an updated version of the old marooned on a desert island theme.

Lost, anyone?

Stand Up And Be Counted

When LGBT Americans receive their Census forms this month, we will have an historic opportunity to smash stereotypes, even though the form ignores a large portion of the LGBT population. We have the chance to finally be counted; to finally count.

“Without data, you have no community portrait, and without a portrait, you have no needs, you have no identity, you have no funding; the census has always had a civil rights component to it,” says Jaime Grant, the director of the Policy Institute at The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force [NGLTF].

The Census, a once-a-decade snapshot of the U.S. population, determines the number of seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives, and census data guides the distribution of $400 billion in federal funding for schools, hospitals and public safety.

For minority groups like LGBT Americans, the census is even more important. Census data can be used to counter stereotypes, win court cases and break legal barriers. “The more invisible we are, the more powerless we are, the less represented and the less understood,” Grant says.

The history of LGBT Americans and the census is mixed. For the first 200 years of the census, LGBT people were ignored, but in 1990, when the federal government began counting unmarried, heterosexual couples, lesbians and gays could finally make their presence known by checking the box on the census form for “unmarried partners,” and then answering the question about their gender.

That first time we were counted, about 190,000 same-sex couples revealed themselves on the census, but by the next census, in 2000, about 600,000 same-sex couples came out on their census forms.

The findings were startling, particularly for those who thought gays were all childless, white yuppies. Same-sex couples were discovered to be of all races, and to live in every state and nearly every county, including the most rural and conservative.

For the first time, we were like the American Express card: we were everywhere we wanted to be.

And this year’s census will be the most pro-LGBT in history. For the first time, same-sex couples who refer to themselves as husband and wife will be counted, and the results will be reported separately from heterosexual couples. The number of same-sex couples that identify as unmarried partners will also be counted and reported.

But there will be some problems, too. While the census counts same-sex couples, it does not identify those who are widowed, divorced or single as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. And transgendered people will be counted as the gender with which they identify, but will not be identified as transgendered. The form does not include a question about sexual orientation or gender identity.

Still, it's a step. It's a chance to be officially counted and have our numbers known. It will show those who think we are nothing more than a dangerous, sanctity-defying minority, that we are here, we are queer, and to get used to counting us in.

Head over HERE to get a Queer The Census sticker to close your Census envelope before sending it back.

The Gayest Oscar Show EVER!!!!!!

I love me some Oscar.

I'm a big gay Oscar show queen; it's like my Superbowl, so cut me some slack.

I love the wacky fashion and the inane rambling thank-you speeches; the things that happen that shouldn't; the things that should happen but don't.

And, well, it's just so gay.

And this year proves to be the gayest Oscars ever. With lots of man candy and gay heartthrobs on a show produced by a gay man, Adam Shankman.

It don't get much gayer, unless it's the Tony's.

Here are just some of my :::::Hot Flashes::::: for Sunday night:

Chris Pine

Bradley Cooper

Jake Gyllenhaal

Tom Ford

Keanu Reeves

Gerard Butler

Ryan Reynolds

Sam Worthington

Channing Tatum

And, for the younger gays, or the gays who like their mens younger, but legal:

Zac Efron

Taylor Lautner

Protection To A 'T'

While we watch states like Virginia work overtime to remove the LGBT community from laws against discrimination, up in New York state they are focusing on protecting the T in LGBT.

The New York State assembly passed a bill yesterday that would protect transgender people under the state's Human Rights Law. The 91-40 vote on the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act [GENDA] actually came into being with bipartisan support.

Hmmm, maybe they could teach that to US Congress.

Now, this is the third time GENDA has passed in the assembly though it has yet to pass in the Senate, and embattled Governor David Paterson recently issued an executive order to ban discrimination based on gender identity and expression for state employees.

Currently, there are only 13 states and Washington, D.C. that have laws to protect transgender people from employment, financial, public accommodation, and housing discrimination.

But we could all take a page from the New York assembly's book.

You Can't Unring My Beeeeeeeelllllll, Unring My Bell....Ding-Ding....Ding-A-Ling-A-Ling

It looks like Bill Brady will be the GOP candidate for Governor of Illinois. It seems like a lock. So, what does he do to ensure his victory in the primary? Like any good Republican lap-dog, he changes his views on a couple of key issues hoping to cash in with the Moderates, the Independents, and some disillusioned Democrats.

It's called pandering, people, and don't fall for it.

For the record, Bill Brady sponsored, SPONSORED, a bill that would re-legalize mass euthanasia of dogs and cats by gas chambers. He wanted it; he crafted it; he put his name on it. But, after receiving a lot of criticism for it, he removed his name from the bill.

It's kinda like unringing a bell, Bill; it can't be done.

But then he did it again.

Bill Brady authored, AUTHORED, a bill that would allow discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in the state. He didn't just like it; he didn't just sponsor it. He.Wrote.It.

And now he wants to unring that bell, too.

Don't fall for it, Illinois.

Note To GaGaWannabes....

...........this is not how it's done.

And, yes, that is, or was, Courtney Love.

But, if Courtney was going to audition for the Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? remake, then she's right on target.

Virginia Is For Asshats

Yesterday, up in the Virginia statehouse, a delegate subcommittee, killed legislation aimed at banning job discrimination against gay state employees. See, those asshats that the asshats of Virginia elected to represent their asshat state in its asshattedness, want to discriminate against gay people; they want it.

The nondiscrimination bill, sponsored, of course, by a Democratic senator, Donald McEachin, was proposed after new asshat Republican governor Bob McDonnell issued an executive order than banned job discrimination based on a variety of characteristics.

Except sexual orientation.

McDonnell believes you can't discriminate against people for their race, gender, age, religion, shoe size, IQ, lack of fashion sense, height, weight, hair color, but you can discriminate against people because of who they love. McDonnell said that was a matter for the legislature, even though the two previous administrations had protected gays against bias in state employment.

So, he changed the rules, because he's a Republican, a wingnut, a conservative and an asshat.

And while the senate had passed the all-inclusive non-discrimination bill, the house subcommittee rejected it in an unrecorded show-of-hands vote.

Unrecorded. That way they can keep their hate for the gay community hidden. It's like wearing a white hood; they hate, but you can't see their faces.

Virginia? Eff off.

God Bless The Catholic Church

I'm a huge fan of the Catholic Church.

Huge.

See, every time they profess to be doing the work of the Lord, you realize they are nothing more than bigoted self-loathing closet cases who punish the Innocent while working over-time to keep the LGBT community down. They don't believe that condoms are protection from HIV; they spend millions of dollars fighting gay marriage when there are people starving all over the planet; they apparently condone child molestation because their answer to the problem is to move pedophiles from one parish to another; they are not longer in the adoption business in Washington DC, because they might have to allow a ::::gasp:::: homosexual couple the rights to adopt, or even foster parent a child.

I mean, seriously. What's not to love?

Well, let's toss this on the heap and see what it smells like.

Employees at Catholic Charities were told this week that the social services organization will be changing its health coverage so they can avoid offering benefits to same-sex partners of its workers.

Indeed. The "church" doing God's work is out to punish innocent people rather than allowing gay couples the same benefits they offer their opposite-sex couples.

How fucking Christlike.

Starting yesterday, Catholic Charities will no longer offer benefits to spouses of new employees or to spouses of current employees who are not already enrolled in the plan. It's that preexisting condition called homosexuality that's at the root of the change.

The charity's president, and goosestepping asshat, one Edward J. Orzechowski, said, with a straight face no less, "We looked at all the options and implications. This allows us to continue providing services, comply with the city's new requirements and remain faithful to the church's teaching."

Oh, the teachings of the church about punishing Innocent people rather than follow the laws of the land. Those teachings.

God is watching you, Catholic Church, and she is not amused.

And The Bloggie Goes To........................

Howard from Soundtrack To My Day.

He was just awarded the coveted Bloggie for Best Music Blog.

It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy or a better blog.

Now, get on over THERE and Congratulate Howard.

And listen to some good, and some great, music.

Once again, Howard, from Smallville:

A big Woo Hoo!

The Past Comes Back To Haunt Him

Ray Fetcho is a Licensed Practical Nurse, and has been working as a nurse for the last forty years. Ray Fetcho is, or was, also known as Tiny Tina, a drag queen who entertained the folks in and around Florida for many many years. But, in 1976, while hosting a ‘Wet Jockey Shorts Night’ he was arrested for promoting a lewd act; you know, wet undies on men. And now, that 34-year-old arrest has come back on him.

The state has told him he can no longer be a nurse because of the conviction.

Since 1995, Ray Fetcho has been a valued and honored employee at Victoria Villa, an assisted living facility in Davie, Florida,recognized for his “compassionate service to the elderly.” But last week, Ray Fetcho was fired from that job when the Agency for Health Care Administration determined he could not work as a nurse “because of the lewd act conviction” from the 1970s.

When Tiny Tina performed at The Copa, in the 70s and *0s, it was the hottest spot north of Havana, or at least in South Florida. It was an internationally known, and served as a kind of 'coming out’ venue for the local gay boys.

John Castelli, and his partner, the late Bill Bastiansen, owned the Copa, and today, he is a respected broker of Castelli and Associates in Wilton Manors. After being told of Fetcho’s predicament, Castelli said: "Oh my God! What century are we living in? It was such an innocent situation. The boys always wore briefs. No one was exposed. That was during the Anita Bryant era, a lifetime ago.”

Castelli and his partner were the ones who bailed Fetcho out of jail that night.

And now, his act, as Tiny Tina, and his actions that night, might forever cost him his nurse's license, unless he petitions and receives an exemption for his past misconduct. Without that, the Department of Health can stop him from working anywhere in the state as an LPN.

For his part, Fetcho, who has retained Fort Lau­derdale constitutional rights attorney Norm Kent, is upset and concerned about his future. “I love being a nurse and I love my job and I can’t believe this is coming back to haunt me 30 years later. It was stupid then. It is ridiculous now. I should be working up to my retirement in five years, not looking back at something from the past. I never mixed my two careers together. One was show business, one was real. I had the best of both possible worlds but if I have to fight today to help some other nurse tomorrow, they are going to have to fight ‘The Queen’ in her court.”

God Save The Queen.

He Flip-Flopped. Again!

Harold Ford will not be running for office in New York, and here's why:

"I've examined this race in every possible way, and I keep returning to the same fundamental conclusion: If I run, the likely result would be a brutal and highly negative Democratic primary — a primary where the winner emerges weakened and the Republican strengthened. I refuse to do anything that would help Republicans win a Senate seat in New York, and give the Senate majority to the Republicans. I realize this announcement will surprise many people who assumed I was running. I reached this decision only in the last few days — as I considered what a primary campaign, even with the victory I saw as fully achievable, would have done to the Democratic Party. I am a Democrat. But I am an independent Democrat. I am not going to stop speaking out on behalf of policies that I think are right — regardless of ideology, party or political expediency."

I think what he means by all his wordiness is that people don't like him and they wouldn't vote for him. At least, that's what I get out of it.

Sidenote: when I lived in California, there was a very prominent Ford dealership called Harrold Ford, and every time I hear about Harold Ford, politician, I think Harold Ford used car salesman.

It isn't a big stretch.

Larry King Asks Johnny Weir About The F Word

Now, whats makes this truly funny, and not just kinda freaky, is that the last time Larry King used the word 'fierce' was the day he was chased home from Bedrock Elementary by a baby mastodon.

It's been that long.

He's Baaaaaaack

Looks like California Attorney General Jerry Brown is going to formally announce today that he is running for governor of the state, again; he first held that job some 30 years ago. I remember, as a young gay lad, hearing about Brown's refusal to live in the governor's extrava-mansion--one that was built for Ronald Reagan but not completed while he was in office. Instead of living in the mansion, which wasn't even in Sacramento, but rather a suburb, Brown chose to rent an apartment near the Capitol so he could walk to work.

i was impressed by him then, and remain so to this day.

Brown doesn't seem to have any real competition, and is eligible to run for Governor again because today's term limits were not in effect when he first occupied the office. Brown, whose father, Pat, was a two-term California governor, has had a varied and successful, and sometimes unsuccessful, political career. After leaving the Governor's office, he was California Secretary of State, mayor of Oakland, and Attorney General; he made to failed runs at the presidency and anther for the Senate.

He has apparently been planning his run for a couple of years, and looks like he will face either former EBay chief, and anti-gay marriage proponent, Meg Whitman, or Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, both of whom have substantial personal wealth to fund their campaigns.

So, Californians, it's your choice: two folks who want to "buy" a political post, or one who has served your state in many capacities, nearly always successfully, for thirty-plus years.

I know who I'd vote for if I was still a Californian.

Sign Up

This morning nearly half-a-million signatures protesting Uganda's "Kill The Gays" legislation were delivered to that country's parliament. The online petition was organized by a group called Avaaz [HERE] whose mission statement is "to close the gap between the world we have, and the world most people everywhere want."

The petition was delivered to Uganda’s parliament in Kampala this morning by a delegation led by Anglican priest Canon Gideon Byamugisha. It was accompanied by a letter asking parliament to reject the controversial bill and instead pass legislation to protect gay people. Speaker of Parliament Edward Sekandi promised the delegation he would refer the petition to a committee for scrutiny.

Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill, if passed, would impose the death penalty on anyone who has homosexual sex with a minor or disabled person while infected with AIDS. The death penalty would also be imposed on repeat offenders, while others convicted for having gay sex would be jailed for life. In addition, those who fail to report homosexual activity, such as relatives, teachers, landlords or health workers, would also face prison sentences.

Avaaz hopes to have over a million signatures soon, adding to the pressure put on the Ugandan government by leaders from around the world, including President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Sign the petition HERE

Contrary To Popular....

...rumor, Lady GaGa will not be joining the cast of Broadway's The Little Mermaid. She will, however, be opening a series of Red Lobsters around the USA.
I kid.
Or...........................do I?

It's Communion, Bitch

At first it looked like a Crazy Britney Convention, what with all the pink wigs and such, but it turned out to be something much more meaningful and powerful.

Hundreds of Dutch activists walked out of a Mass in protest at the Roman Catholic policy of denying communion to "practicing" homosexuals. The church, in 's-Hertogenbosch, had already decided not to serve communion, so the protesters, wearing pink wigs and clothing, left, shouting and singing.

The dispute began last month when a priest in a nearby town refused to give communion to an openly gay man. The refusal offended many in the local community. The Netherlands was the first country to introduce gay marriage in 2001, and most Dutch people support gay rights, but the Roman Catholic Church teaches that homosexual activity is sinful.

The man at the center of all the fuss has said he just wants equal treatment; and if he is denied communion because he is considered a sinner, then he wants the priest to refuse communion to all other sinners too.

Only fair. But then the Catholic Church is not known for fairness.

Meredith Baxter At HRC in North Carolina

She starts out with some cute jokes about coming out then gets right down to passionately speaking about bullying, DOMA and DADT. She even uses my old mantra " Gays and lesbians are less than."

Toy Soldiers

Next door--and by next door, I mean North Carolina--Republican Representative Sue Myrick is one of those dyed-in-the-wool war hawks. Nothing wrong with that; we need a good strong military.

But for all her posturing and posing and proclaiming of "military readiness," Myrick is also one of those dyed-in-the-wool Republicans who think Don't Ask, Don't Tell is a good policy, and worth keeping.

Worth keeping a policy that may actually impede our "military readiness"?

Well, the Charlotte Rainbow Action Network for Equality [CARNE] doesn't think Ms. Myrick knows whereof she speaks. And so, to prove their point, and the point that DADT is a discriminatory policy that does not help the military, but rather hurts it, and us, CARNE will deliver 13,500 toy soldiers to Myrick’s office, symbolizing all of the men and women discharged from the military as a result of DADT.

According to a CRANE news release, “On April Fool’s Day, these 13,500 soldiers will march on Myrick as we personally deliver them to her Charlotte office. Our message is clear: Only a fool would stand in the way of supporting our troops, military readiness and national security.”

Maybe with 13,500 soldiers in her office, she'll see the error of her ways.