August 2006 Archives

We just read about Eric McCormack's concerns about being typecast as a gay man after his eight years as fussy Will Truman on "Will & Grace." He should be heartened by the fact that two other talented actors who played gay on a series for several years are now the straight leads on new drama series that premiered on Fox in the last two weeks.

Kerr Smith, who played gay high school then college student Jack McPhee on "Dawson's Creek" for five seasons and averaged about one same-sex smooch per season. He is now playing passionate and cocky defense attorney Tom Nicholson on "Justice." I watched last night because the current issue of TV Guide actually singles Smith out and gives him one of their "Jeers" for what they say is bad acting. I disagree with them completely! He was just fine in the role although it is tough for anyone to play opposite a sensational Victor Garber who has found the role of a lifetime as an arrogant media-savvy law firm head.

Smith has never stopped working since "Dawson's" went off the air in 2003 as one of the lead's in last season's NBC drama "E-Ring" and also had a recurring role on "Charmed."

Meanwhile, "Queer as Folk" standout Gale Harold is playing FBI agent Graham Kelton on Fox's "Vanished" and his character is worlds away from Brian Kinney on "Q as F." On that racy Showtime series that ended its five-year run last year, Harold had about one sex scene per episode with his Brian Kinney being something of the town stud. Seeing him in such a different kind of role on "Vanished" shows me just how good an actor he is.

I think both shows are worth checking out and I am impressed by these straight actors who took on gay roles, played them for all they were worth, and now have moved on to other roles.

So much for being typecast!

Somebody stop those overzealous photo shoppers at the networks! First they trim down Katie Couric in a publicity still - as if she needs it - and now Rosie O'Donnell, who is clearly a bit wider than her co-hosts on "The View."

On her blog, Rosie.com, she wrote:
"i saw the view black suit photo on drudge and i vote yes it was photo-shopped. look at the amount of white space
between my arm and body barbara and elisabeth seem to vanish there in my underarm thinnest. yes i say
photoshop."

"the suit i wore that day is a size 16. it was very expensive which means it is really more like an 18."

"they retouched katie …yea….and they airbrush everyone in everything we see on tv or in print
EVERYTHING"

Good news for fans of "Melrose Place." The 1990s hit soap featured a hot cast including Heather Locklear, Rob Estes, Lisa Rinna, Grant Show, Jack Wagner, Andrew Shue, Kristen Davis, Counrtney Thorne-Smith and "Desperate Housewives" stars Marcia Cross and Doug Savant.

Savant, who is Felicity Huffman's very heterosexual husband on "Housewives," was the most highly-visible gay character on television during the show's run and was the only character on this show about a horny group of 20-somethings who didn't have a sex life, not even a kiss. But gay fans like me kept watching, kept waiting.

But Locklear was a hoot as was Marcia Cross and the eye candy was plentiful. I developed a crush on Estes that remains and it baffles me why he hasn't landed on another hit show.

The first seasons of both "Melrose" and the show is spun off from, "Beverly Hills 90210," will hit stores on Nov. 7. The "Melrose" boxed set will include 32 episodes since the show was launched in the summer to give it a jump-start, a move that later worked for "The OC." The "Melrose" set will include a handful of featurettes but no commentaries. The first season includes Vanessa Williams (not the former Miss America) and Amy Locane.

With the U.S. Open underway, I just gotta write a bit about a player I think the world of: Amelie Mauresmo. She is not only the number one player in the world and the reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open champion, she has been openly gay since she joined the women's tour in the late 1990s. She was never a player anyone had to wonder about or gossip about, she owned who she is right from the beginning.

While I know it was far tougher on Martina Navratilova to be an out-and-proud lesbian when she ruled the sport in the 1980s, Mauresmo took some garbage for it as well. When, at the age of 19, she upset Lindsay Davenport and a host of others to reach the final of the 1999 Australian Open, then top-ranked Martina Hingis said to the press that Mauresmo was like "half a man" because of her muscular body and because she brought her girlfriend Down Under with her. Amelie lost that final to Hingis, unfortunately, but it was Hingis' last major title to date.

That was pretty crummy but Mauresmo didn't make a big deal out of it, she just played. As the top player in France, she often crumbled under the pressure of a nation's fervent hopes but she has been in the top five most of the last six or seven years, winning many titles including the prestigious year-end championships last November at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Lucky me was in the third row for her semifinal match and I could just watch that beauitful backhand and graceful game all day.

In closing, I am thrilled to have a lesbian as the number one player again and even more proud that it's someone who is well-spoken, thoughtful and articulate in interviews and also a terrific sportswoman. She won her first round match at the Open on Wednesday in straight sets and it would be wonderful to see her hoist the winners trophy less than two weeks from now.

Good luck Amelie!!!

With those DVD boxed sets of "Queer as Folk" still costing a pretty penny, here is some good news: Logo will begin airing all five seasons of the Showtime series which ended earlier this year.

Every Thursday at 10 p.m., starting on Sept. 21, the ups and downs of Michael, Brian, Melanie, Justin, Lindsay, Emmet, Ted and all the rest can be seen from the very beginning. Logo will air back-to-back episodes. Remember the first episode when Brian met Justin? What about when Debbie (Sharon Gless) flipped her wig? When Emmet hooked up with the football stud? When Ted OD'd? It's all here, all 84 episodes. But, they are in edited form since some of the steamier scenes that were just fine on pay cable won't make the cut on basic cable.

Oh well, use your imagination.

This is something I'm more than glad to pass along: The Legacy Project, founded by Outfest and the UCLA Film & Television Archive, has announced the first two LGBT feature films they will restore: “Parting Glances� (1986) starring Steve Buscemi and the groundbreaking “Word is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives� (1978).

While mainstream films are both collected by nonprofit archives and cared for by the commercial film industry itself, independent films are largely overlooked.  LGBT independent films—including significant titles from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s—are in particular peril because of a perceived lack of commercial value by the industry and/or the filmmakers’ inability to maintain their work themselves. Because the components of many notable LGBT titles are degraded, altered or missing, the Legacy Project is working to raise funds to restore these films to their initial release forms.

Says Outfest Executive Director Stephen Gutwillig: “What if we were unable to share these life-altering images with future generations? These moving images represent a profoundly important record of our struggles and joys—a record of where we come from as LGBT people.  We cannot and must not be complicit in the erasure of our lives and our history.�

"Parting Glances" is a frank portrait of a Greenwich Village gay man dealing with both his partner’s imminent departure and his friend’s struggle with AIDS, “Parting Glances� was groundbreaking in itsrealistic and sympathetic treatment of the disease.  “Parting Glances� also features the first starring roles of Steve Buscemi and Kathy Kinney (“The Drew Carey Show�) and is the only film director Bill Sherwood made before AIDS claimed his life.

“Word is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives� is a landmark stereotype-crushing film presents interviews with people from around the U.S. discussing their diverse experiences as gay men and women.  Considered the first feature-length documentary about LGBT identity made by gay filmmakers, this film had a huge impact on gays and lesbians when it was released almost 30 years ago.

 

My gay card would be revoked if I let the day go by without posting some thoughts on the appearance of Diana Ross during last night's ceremony honoring Billie Jean King at the U.S. Open. The supreme star, wig hair big as ever, sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" before introducing BJK. It was vintage Diana Ross, whose records with the Supremes my older sister played non-stop in our house growing up. So, her voice is on the soundtrack of my life in a big way.

I saw her perform live in 1989, 1991 and 1995 then finally met Miss Ross last fall at a big party for the DVD release of "Lady Sings the Blues." She looked great that night and as she worked the press along the "blue carpet," I asked her when she was going to make another movie or even a record. She gave one of her vague answers. "Yes! Bring it all on!" Huh?

That night on the Paramount Pictures lot, Smokey Robinson had the invited crowd in the palm of his hand singing some classic Motown tunes and Billy Dee Williams, Berry Gordy and others worked the crowd with gusto. Diana remained in a roped-off area, danced a little to Smokey, but didn't sing a note. She had done the press line, sat through the film and was ready to get the heck out of there with Jon Voight and at least four of her kids.

Before the film began, I was walking out of the men's room just as she was entering the theater and I overheard her say to her handlers, "No more talking, RIGHT?" She did not want to go on stage. But she did stand at her seat to bask in the applause.

Her attitude just seemed wrong because so many people were there that night just wanting to appreciate her and this great movie she made more than 30 years earlier and got nominated for an Academy Award.

That was the night that, as a fan, she kind of lost me. And she had me for a long time. I just found her to be not that interesting anymore and after watching her perform Monday night, that feeling was magnified. Nothing new going on there as a singer, same "If you need me call me" stuff.

Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

Sorry for the tardy weekend numbers. Between the Emmys, Billie Jean King being fetted at the US Open and writing Tom Cruise stories, it's been a busy week...and it's only Tuesday!

But here is how some of the films with gay characters did over the weekend, according to final box office figures released Monday:
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby: The Will Ferrell comedy featuring Ali G as a gay French racing champion remained in second place adding $8.1 million in ticket sales. It has grossed a superb $127.8 million in four weeks and seems to have plenty of gas left in its tank.

Little Miss Sunshine: My favorite movie all summer is NUMBER THREE WITH A BULLET! This gem expanded to more than 1,400 theaters and took in $7.4 million, a 31 percent increase over the weekend prior. The film, which features a wonderful portrayal by Steve Carell of a depressed gay man on a road trip with his dysfunctional family, has grossed $28.9 million to date and I think will be around a few more months. See it!

The Devil Wears Prada: My second favorite movie of the year is winding down its stellar run as it dropped to 20th place taking in $880,462. The film featuring Meryl Streep in a tremendous performance as an icy fashion editor and Stanley Tucci as one of her gay designers, has grossed $120.6 million in all.

Quincieanera: The Sundance Film Festival winner is now in just under 100 theaters and is doing steady business for an art film in limited release. It features several gay characters as part of the drama going on in an Echo Park neighborhood. The film took 33rd place with a weekend gross of $216,973 for a total of $1.7 million to date.

The Night Listener: This film that has Robin Williams as a gay talk radio host and Bobby Cannavale as his ex-lover is now in just under 500 theaters and continues to fade fast. It fell to 44th place (from 26th last weekend) with $76,640 in ticket sales. It has grossed $7.8 million to date.

Another Gay Movie stayed in 54th place playing in just 14 locations. The raunchy gay comedy in the vein of "American Pie" earned $45258 for a one-month total of $363,986.

New release "Queens" about a bunch of gay couples being married in a mass ceremony in Spain with their mothers complicating EVERYTHING, opened in five locations and took in $16,494.

"The Groomsman," which features John Leguiizamo as a man who comes out to his high school buddies at a wedding, added eight theaters to its run resulting in 650 percent increase in ticket sales from last week! The sweet Ed Burns-directed flick took in $11,062 and has grossed $118,582 to date.

"The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green" fell out of the top 100 as it played in only one theater over the weekend where it earned $2,533. The film grossed $145,354 overall.

Oh no, here we go. Erik McCormack is saying that he's become typecast after playing a gay man on "Will & Grace" for eight years. He tells the British newspaper The Observer: 'I have this big pink cross to bear,' he said while attending the International Television Festival. 'I absolutely loved playing Will. There was nothing hard about it. It was wonderful. But the only downside is the aftermath. I meet all these film executives who tell me how much they loved Will and Grace and say they never missed an episode. Then they say, "so what can we do for you?" What they could do for me is hire me to play someone else."

I'm not too concerned about this dude. First of all, he got to kiss guys like Taye Diggs (pictured, right) and Bobby Cannavale and even went steady for three episodes with Patrick Dempsey (they just hugged, never kissed). Besides, he's extremely talented, can sing and dance on Broadway, and is industrious enough to create his own thing like the current "Lovespring International," a show airing on Lifetime about a fictional dating service which McCormack exec-produces. The show has a few gay characters too!

The thing is, he wants to move into films. Since he wasn't a big film star before his sitcom, he shouldn't expect too much. I just hope he doesn't end up sounding like Harry Hamlin who played gay in 1982's "Making Love," like his second lead role in a film, then complained that he never got a lead in a major studio movie again. And now he's on "Dancing with the Stars." But he forgets, there was that whole "LA Law" thing and being named People's "Sexiest Man Alive" that could have brought him back to leading man status.

Back to McCormack, a married father of a four-year-old son. He is just going to take a break from acting.

'People think of me as the character and while I loved playing Will, I need to give myself and the audience a break,' he said. "I really want to branch out. I'd love to do a film. But it's not easy. I need to find a way in, probably an independent film. I just need to find that one film that will change people's minds about me.'

God I love tennis, especially on nights like tonight when it pays well-deserved attention to its rich history and to its true heroes. The United States Tennis Association dedicated the National Tennis Center in New York to tennis legend and equal rights trailblazer Billie Jean King.
"So rarely are women thought of this way, to get something named after them in sports," King, 62, said. "For that I'm so thrilled. You have no idea because this is for all the world. Women, people of color, people with disabilities. I hope it will have an echoing effect. It's tangible, there's a focus, a beacon of hope, a new beginning. I hope people see this and dream big and truly go for it."

The openly-gay Billie Jean paid tribute to her life partner, former tennis pro Ilana Kloss, with whom she has shared her life for more than 20 years. She called Kloss "the wind beneath my wings." Note to USA Network: It was CRIMINAL to not cut to a shot of Kloss at this moment, CRIMINAL. She was featured prominently in the HBO special and I could only imagine how many times a straight, male athlete's wife would have been cut to on an ocassion like this. I want to find out what the heck this was all about.

Anyway, that aside, it really was lovely, especially the shots of Billie Jean's tearful 84-year-old mother, Betty Moffit, whose daughter turned to in the car on the way home from her first tennis lesson about 50 years ago and said: "I'm going to be the number one tennis player in the world!" BJK's dad, Bill Moffit, died less than two weeks ago and she paid tribute to the man she who said "was such a great daddy" who'd play catch "hourly" with her and brother, former Major League pitcher Randy Moffitt

A nice film highlighting King's amazing life summed it all up nicely and that is no easy task: the 20 Wimbledon titles; founding the women's pro tour; establishing a women's tennis union; fighting a battle for equal prize money at the major tournaments where the men are playing too; creating World Team Tennis and the Women's Tennis Association. And oh yeah, there was that Bobby Riggs match. .

My whole life has been about equal opportunities for girls and boys," Billie Jean said. "That's what it's been about."

At times giddy, BJK said, "It's going to be the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis National Center. I still cannot believe it!" But, as a kid from Long Beach, CA., who grew up playing in the public parks instead of country clubs, King reminded the capacity crowd that the tennis center is only for the pros during the two weeks of the US Open. The rest of the time, it is open to the public. "Mi Casa es Su Casa! This is your house!"

"
During an interview with Billie Jean King last month for a magazine profile, we were talking about the HBO special on her life that has been airing this summer. I asked if she felt like people wre finally recognizing all she had done for not only tennis, but for society. She just said, "Hardly anybody gets HBO." This was before she knew that the United States Tennis Association was going to name the National Tennis Center in Flushing N.Y., after her. On Monday, the first day of the U.S. Open, Billie Jean really got her due as former number one players past U.S. Open champions Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Venus Williams (16 Open singles trophies between them) took the court before BJK to honor the living legend who won the U.S. Open four times in singles.

Here are some of the highlights from each of their terrific tributes:
Connors called BJK "the first lady of tennis, the first lady of sport in my opinion. She's the one who made it all possible. It's her attitude and her heart that really sucked me in. No one gave it more than Billie Jean King...she took the hard knocks. She's loyal, she's fun, and she knows what she wants."

Chrissie, looking amazing at 51, said of her close friend: "She's been the single-biggest influence on me outside my family. She's my mentor. She even gave me advice on my love life when i broke up with Jimmy Connors (huge laugh, camera cuts to a grinning Connors, Evert's one-time fiancee). (Billie Jean) sees beyond the box and I was very lucky to come in right behind her. She is the greatest ambassador that American tennis has."

McEnroe: I was a 14-year-old chauvenist little kid hoping Bobby Riggs would kick Billie Jean's ass. But now that I am a father of four little girls, I have to say for the record I'm glad Billie Jean King won (the famous 1973 Battle of the Sexes match). I loved her (designer) Teddy Tinling dress that she wore over the years and she had more hairstyles than Andre Agassi and myself combined."
More seriously, he added: "She's the single most important person in the history of women's sports and I'm proud to be out here as her friend."

VenusWilliams, who pulled out of the tournament due to a wrist injury, made the trip anyway to be there for her former Fed Cup and Olympics coach: "I don't think anyone loves tennis as much as Billie Jean King. Her enthusiasm and love for the game and for life is so infectious. I would not be playing on the (women's tennis) tour without her."

I felt like I was cheating on "Out In Hollywood" but I was blogging for another Daily News site last night at the Emmy Awards: "On the Red Carpet." So check out some of my catty comments about Joan Collins, Barry Manilow and the queen of stupid questions, Nancy O'Dell of "Access Hollywood." Please forgive the typos, I was going a mile a minute. Here is the link to On the Red Carpet.

I'll just add this: I thought Mariska Hargitay looked gorgeous and was the happiest winner backstage. She just had her first baby at 42 and now has her first Emmy. I profiled her for a magazine piece earlier this year and she's one of the most down-to-earth actresses in television. Also, Kiefer Sutherland was very humble and handsome. He just gets better and better. The award for most boooooring backstage interview went ot Jeremy Irons who lamented that there were 90 channels on his TV at the hotel and he couldn't find anything to watch. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Now I can say I've completed the awards cycle for 2006. Worked the Emmy Awards Sunday night in a year that also included either red carpet or backstage stints at the Oscars, Golden Globes, People's Choice, SAG Awards, MTV Movie Awards, GLAAD Awards, the AFI Awards, and the non-televised but star-studded WGA, PGA and DGA awards. It's been a blast!

Let's face it, whatever else happened on last night's Emmy's show, gay men everywhere died and went to heaven when Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Farrah Fawcett came walking onto that stage, holding hands, to pay tribute to Aaron Spelling. First of all, did they look great or WHAT? Good God!

Kate was stoic and spoke beautifully while neither Farrah or Jaclyn could get through their remarks without tears. I noticed that when the three angels were on stage, the audience was focused completely on them, none of this looking around or looking bored. It was a big deal and it rescued a tribute that had been caught up in the Tori vs. Candy feud.

Only Jaclyn Smith came backstage to greet the press but she was indeed enough, so classy, so gorgeous. She told us about being with the girls again:

"It's flattering that the show is still talked about 30 years later and I think Aaron Spelling is responsible for that. We do see each other from time to time. It was fun to hold hands and walk out on that stage as though time had stopped. It's 30 years (since the show premierd) so it's kind of awesome...We were sort of like rock stars overnight. There were just the three major networks, no cable, so the show went into so many homes. It was fun to share it with the other girls, that's why Charlie's Angels was a success: the comraderie of the girls. It was about friendship."

The second season of the gothic gay soap "Dante's Cove" will premiere on here! Networks on Sept. 1. There's all kinds of action: addiction, insanity, love, infidelity, coming out and breaking up. I'm already hooked after seeing the first two episodes. Now I'm not going to give away any of the details but I think viewers will be pleased to see that William Gregory Lee (Ambrosius) has a cool new haircut that updates his look (well, he WAS under a spell and locked in a dungeon for 200 years and got a little shaggy) so he's even hotter than in season one.

The returning residents of Hotel Dante, most of them sexy gay men and lesbians, will be joined by some newcomers this season. New characters as well as Jon Fleming taking over the role of Adam (replacing Steven Arnell). Adam was straight last season but this season, all bets are off. Stay tuned.

One of my favorite characters is Van, wonderfully played by Nadine Heiman, is learning more about how to use her supernatural powers sharing terrific scenes with Tracy Scoggins (Grace), Thea Gill (Diana) and, of course, the soulful Charlie David (Toby) who is her best friend on the show.

“Dante’s Cove: Season Two,� was the first original series renewed by the here! Networks for a second season. The complete first season of the show is now available on DVD.

The show’s new website,www.dantescove.com , will feature cast bios and photos, a series history, and video clips so it's a good way to catch up if you're a new viewer.

When whiny Marcellas, the only openly-gay housegust on "Big Brother 7," was voted out of the house last week, I thought that would be the last of him. WRONG!!! I forgot the remaining contestants voted out will be sequestered in a jury house located at an exotic oceanfront location.

So there's a bitchy Marcellas, the most annoying member of this or any season, griping as he arrives. He feels like he's in banishment and he is enduring the worst experience of his life. Gee, he must have had a pretty cake life if staying at a beautiful oceanfront pad is such torture.

He talks to the camera and vows to spend his first week along trying to regroup so he can be pleasant to the next person voted off. But when it turns out to be goofy Howie, he cannot contain his disgust. Marcellas is downstairs playing solitaire when Howie arrives and startles him. Marcellas shouts out "Nooooooooooooooo! No No No!" He later says he if he could swim back to the U.S., he’d brave the shark infested water to do it.

Howie is annoying but Marcellas has only himself to blame. He was a floater who didn't strategize one bit. He left it to others to determine his fate and got what he deserved.

There is a bright spot arriving soon though: hunky (and straight) James was voted off Thursday night and will arrive at the jury house next. Unlike the unbearable Marcellas, James was philosophical about it and left the house with his head up and wits about him.

Actor Van Hansis plays daytime television's most visible gay teen, Luke Grimaldi, who is figuring prominently in the current storyline on "As the World Turns." His character and the return of Erica Kane's lesbian daughter, Bianca, on "All My Children" more than makes up for the fizzle of the gay teen storyline on "General Hospital" that seemed to go nowhere.
"I remember when I was sixteen years old. And no matter whether you're straight or gay—you're trying to figure the world out," Hansis, 24, told AfterElton.com this week. "You have so many things pulling on you—popularity, pleasing your parents, hanging out with the cool kids, growing up and being your own man. Luke's experience is definitely very heightened, but I try to get myself into his head. "

While Luke's coming out has been filled with melodrama but the storyline has been getting kudos in general with Luke considered a believable and realistic gay character. CBS also teamed with GLAAD to create a Public Service Announcement to encourage viewers “to be an ally and a friend� to gay people.

Here are a few excerpts from Hansis' chat with AfterElton.com:

AE: How has the role of Luke Grimaldi affected your life?
VH: Well, being on a TV show, more than playing a gay character, has really changed my life. You get recognized, and all of a sudden you're put in a public medium you've never been in before. So that's been very interesting. As far as playing a gay character, it's nothing that I've ever had any negative feelings about. I love my character. In the end, I'm really glad they made my character gay. I'm able to do so much more than the average soap guy gets to do.

AE: Have you had a lot of reaction from gay teenagers?
VH: Yeah, I have. It's actually been very good to hear from people—teenagers, and even older men and women who are gay—who say I wish I had this storyline when I was a teenager. And I hear from teenagers who say they come back right after school because they have it DVR'ed.

AE: I can see that happening a lot.
VH: It's very flattering. The other thing that is really cool is that I've got a lot of mail from straight people, and also people who thought they wouldn't like the storyline because of whatever prejudices they held."

If you want some laughs, there's a terrific Spanish comedy (screened at Outfest) that is opening in a limited number of theaters in New York and Los Angeles today. "Reinas," ("Queens" in Spanish) tells the fictional story of the first 10 gay couples to be legally wed in Spain, in a spectacle broadcast live on TV.

Of course, nothing goes smoothly, nothing. There are crazy mix-ups and non-stop laughs. Although the guys are charming and sexy it is the actresses who portray their mothers who steal the show with their considerable comic chops, beauty and vitality.

Spain legalized same-sex marriage while "Reinas" was in production in 2005.

It's been 11 years since "Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story" aired on NBC and, finally, the movie starring Glenn Close and produced by Barbra Streisand, debuts on DVD Sept. 12. The movie won Close an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Col. Margarethe Cammermeyer, the highest-ranking officer ever to be discharged from the U.S. Military for being gay.

Co-star Judy Davis also won an Emmy Award for her performance and the film won a Peabody Award and a GLAAD Media Award as well . DVD extras include interviews with Streisand, Cammermeyer and Close, as well as footage of the 1996 GLAAD Media Awards.

The movie seems just as relevant today if you look at figures released in May by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network: 742 lesbian, gay and bisexual service members were discharged by the Defense Department in 2005, a 11% increase from 2004.

Col. Cammermeyer had a long and distinguished career as a military nurse but was dismissed in 1992 after revealing she was gay during a security clearance interview. She fought a two-year court battle and won and was able to resume her position as Chief Nurse of the Washington State National Guard, retiring in 1997 after 31 years of service.

Tom Cruise and Paramount Pictures have parted ways and are now engaging in a War of the Words (You're fired! I Quit!). Read all about it in today's Daily News.

It all got me thinking back to this great night at UCLA less than two years ago when I met Cruise face-to-face. I was with a friend and we were among the thousands waiting to get into an auditorium on campus where Cruise was going to do an AFI sponsored Q&A following a restrospective of his films. He was working the crowd and shaking hands. I snaked my way to the front to get a glimpse of the guy and suddenly yelled out: "Hey Tom! Help me, help you!" He was on his way in but stopped, turned around and came over to shake my hand. "That was pretty good," he said with that mega-watt smile. I just thought, wow, this guy is the perfect movie star.

This was October 2004, post-Nicole and pre-Katie. I remember thinking about the first time I saw Cruise on screen in 1983 in "Risky Business." A star had been born. (I hadn't seen "Taps" or his other real early work) After that, I pretty much wanted to see every Tom Cruise film released and usually was rewarded with a good moviegoing experience. From "Top Gun," "Rainman" and "Born on the Fourth of July," in the 80s to "A Few Good Men," "The Firm," "Interview with a Vampire" and, most of all, "Jerry Maguire" in the 90s, to "Magnolia," "Collateral," and "Mission Impossible 3" in the current decade.

That's an amazing body of work and Cruise is to be admired for his energetic promotion of any film he is associated with. But it was about six months after the night at UCLA when it all seemed to start to unravel. Jumping on a couch on Oprah over Katie Holmes was one thing but those interviews criticizing a post-partum depression-plagued Brooke Shields for taking anti-depressants was nightmare PR. Even though "War of the Worlds" was a huge hit last summer, it seemed that Cruise's negatives were sky high. Now there are all the headlines are about "Where is Suri?" which I think are silly but indicative with his current image problem.

It seems like when Cruise focuses on his movies when he's in the public arena, he fares best. I hope we will see him in some good movies in the years to come and he'll talk about them with the passion that he did that night at UCLA. He may no longer be the perfect movie star, but he is still a terrific actor.

...in Pine Valley. Actress Eden Riegel will reprise her role as the lesbian daughter of Erica Kane on "All My Children" after more than a year away from the soap. Reigel will make her first appearance on the show's Oct. 11 episodes. In an interview in this week's "TV Guide," Riegel didn't reveal whether her character would still be romantically involved with Maggie, played by Elizabeth Hendrickson. Bianca and her former love, Lena, had one of the most-publicized kisses in the history of daytime television. (thanks to the alert reader who pointed out it was Lena, not Maggie, who Bianca had that smooch with.
Riegel did say "It's the kind of story I'm very excited about. Bianca has some challenges, heartache and new beginnings."

For those who are addicted to "The Real World," the latest cast, including gay member Tyler (left), will get together for a one-hour special on MTV at 10 p.m. tonight. The show, "Fun, Sun & Totally Done: The Real World Key West Reunion" brings together Tyler, Svetlana, Paula, Janelle, John, Zack and Jose to relive the show's more memorable moments.

Tonight's reunion made me think about how much "The Real World," by consistently including at least one gay cast member almost every season, has done to help foster understanding and love. When I think back to more than a decade ago when Pedro Zamora was on the San Francisco season, what I remember most other than his eloquence about having AIDS and his falling in love with partner Sean, was the rock-solid friendship he had with Judd and Pam (now married). They loved him like family, better than a lot of families, and it showed. Pedro died not long after that season aired, but it was a gift that he lived long enough to be on it and to impact so many lives.

The show's very first (and many say still the best) season was in New York and included a gay housemate: Norm. In the following 17 seasons, there have been many gays and lesbians. Since I haven't watched the show regularly in several years (I have other addictions now), I can only mention the houseguests I remember well: Miami had Dan Renzi who has stayed on the radar as a reality star, then there was Danny Roberts from the New Orleans season whose boyfriend was in the military but still had the guts to visit him with cameras rolling (face blurred though).

My favorite season was with gay man Chris and outrageous lesbian Aneesa in Chicago. While Chris got all the attention with his model good looks, it was Aneesa who was one of the most memorable characters ever. Her emotional conversations with her mother, the fights with girlfriends, her walking around naked and just her general outspokeness. Aneesa (pictured below) was a hoot but balanced it out well with how articulate and thoughtful she was in the diary room sessions. Somehow, the seasons I watched without a gay or lesbian cast member aren't as memorable to me, like London and Las Vegas.

Anyway, I hope the show lasts forever and always includes a diverse cast. I believe it has made a huge difference in people's lives and their attitudes.

We know there won't be very many gay characters on any of the broadcast network shows this fall so over the next few weeks, we'll spotlight the few that there are. First up: Sean Maguire, who plays gay 20-something Kyle Lando on the CBS sitcom "The Class" about a group of third-grade classmates who reunite years later.

"All the other characters are in a state of crisis," Maguire says in the current issue of "Out" magazine. "Me and my boyfriend have a happy, solid relationship. That's what I think is cool because it's a more honext portrayal of the gay fans I have."

Maguire, straight off-screen, is from a London suburb and racked up several acting credits including a part of the classic British show "EastEnders." Of his on-screen boyfriend, portrayed by Cristian de la Fuente, Maguire said: "(He) is really handsome. So by comparison, I decided I'm just going to be the quirky, funny one."

The show was created by real-life partners David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik who said of Maguire: "It was important to us that Kyle be this endearing, funny guy who anyone would want to spend time with. We totally found that in Sean."

How great is this? The wonderful Leslie Jordan, best known for his role in the film and stage versions of "Sordid Lives" won an Emmy over the weekend for his hilarious portrayal of Beverley Leslie on "Will & Grace." His flithy rich, bitchy and once comically closeted character graced 12 episodes of the series and is most noteable for his running fued with boozy, pill-popping Karen Walker (Megan Mullally). Unfortunately, in the series finale, the 4-foot, 11-inch Jordan literally blew out of a window to his demise just as he had found happiness with Jack (Sean Hayes).

After receiving the Emmy Jordan said: "I loved working with on "Will & Grace," they trotted me out like an aging show pony."

As the winner of "Guest Actor in a Comedy Series," the openly-gay Jordan will be a presenter, along with "Guest Actress" winner Cloris Leachman, at Sunday night's Emmy telecast. I'll be on the red carpet and hope to flag him down for a quick hello. This time, I won't make the same mistake as at last year's GLAAD Awards when I said, "Of all your roles, I loved the one you did on "Designing Women" as Suzanne's (Delta Burke) crooked accountant, Reggie Mac Dawson." Insert foot in mouth: Jordan didn't play that role, Danny Thomason did.

But he had a great sense of humor about it, said it happened to him all the time. BTW, he and the great Delta Burke, who appeared together this year in LA productions of "Sordid Lives" and "Southern Baptist Sissies," are now touring with "Sissies" through the fall.

My favorite movie of the summer, "Little Miss Sunshine," broke into the top 10 over the weekend! The film's terrific ensemble cast includes Steve Carell as a gay academic who goes on a road trip with his dysfunctional family as he recovers from a suicide attempt. His boyfriend left him for his arch-rival who is now topping the best sellers list.

'Sunshiine" took seventh place after adding 538 theaters (691 total) and grossed $5.6 million. The Fox
Searchlight release has taken in $12.7 million to date and expands into more than 1,400 theaters on Friday. "The regional openings were very strong throughout the weekend," said Searchlight Chief Operating Officer Steve Gilula. "The momentum continues."

Another film with a prominent gay character, "Talldega Nights: the Ballad of Ricky Bobby" finished in second place after two weekends on top. The Will Ferrell NASCAR comedy, which features Ali G as an openly gay French racing champion, took in $13.75 million, crossing the $100 million mark on Thursday. The film, released by Sony Pictures entertainment, has grossed $114.3 million in three weeks. "It’s a picture that appeals to the whole country," said Rory Bruer, Sony’s president of domestic distribution. "It’s attracted everybody."

"The Devil Wears Prada," which features Stanley Tucci as a magazine executive working for Meryl Streep, dropped to 15th place after two months in theaters but continues to earn money. "Prada" added $1.3 million to its total which has now reached an impressive $118.9 million.

Business went from bad to worse for "The Night Listener," the suspense thriller that star Robin Williams as a gay radio host and Bobby Cannavale as his ex-boyfriend. Business for "Listener" plummeted by more than 75 percent as it steadily loses theaters. It took in $384,000 over the weekend and $7.5 million overall.

The critically-acclaimed "Qunicearnera," winner of the top prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, saw its grosses keep growing as it continues to roll out into more theaters each week. The film with several gay characters took in $170,000 over the weekend and has grossed $516,000 overall.

"Another Gay Movie" played in 14 locations (three less than last week) but dropped in business by only 23 percent. The comedy earned $54,452 over the three days for a total of $292,911 to date.

The political family drama "Poster Boy" expanded to four theaters and took in $8,484 for a two week totl of $20,772.

And finally, "The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green" is now playing in only one theater and added $4,184 to its total which now stands at $25,469.

For a full box office report, see my story in today's Daily News.

After listing the top 10 female movie kisses as chosen by AfterEllen.com, thought it would be a lot of fun to compile a list of the "Out In Hollywood" top 10 male movie kisses (That's Colin Farrell, right). The main criteria: choosing kisses that really looked like how men kiss! That eliminated such well-known scenes as Kevin Kline and Tom Selleck in "In & Out" (Grandpa and Grandma Walton generated more heat, Val Kilmer (still the best lips in Hollywood) and Robert Downey Jr. in "Kiss, Kiss Bang Bang"
and even Harry Hamlin and Michael Ontkean in "Making Love." They looked like two straight men kissing in this breakthrough film. Surprisingly, so did Craig Chester and Malcom Gets in "Adam & Steve" which is disappointing since both actors are gay! And while Seann William Scott and Jason Biggs won the "best on-screen kiss" prize at the 2002 MTV Movie Awards for their kiss in "American Pie 2," kisses performed on a dare just do not cut it. But read on, the studly Seann William Scott does make the list in the end.

So, here are the picks:

1. Thomas Jane and Vincent D'Onofrio in "The Velocity of Gary." This is a little seen film and may not be for all tastes but there is no denying that the first hungry, passionate kiss between the two leading men is a scorcher. They go for it and it is a beautiful cinematic thing. There is a video link to this kiss at the bottom of this post.

2. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in "Brokeback Mountain" Their technique doesn't come close to D'Onofrio and Jane, but they more than make up for it in passion and heart. When the two cowboy lovers see each other for the first time in several years, they kiss so intensely, they aren't even aware that the wife of Ledger's character (Michelle Williams) is watching. A well-deserved winner of the 2006 MTV Movie Award for best on-screen kiss.

3. Rupert Graves and James Wilby in "Maurice" (left) After Graves' character is emotionally-tortured for so long by his repressed and closeted love (Hugh Grant), he falls for the gardener on Grant's family estate and they kiss with reckless abandon and even end up together in the end!

4. Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna in "Y Tu Mama Tambien." This movie is so sexy anyway including sexy three-way dancing between the two teenaged guys and an older woman. At the end, she leads them to a night of passion where they finally express their attraction to each other.

5. Brad Hallowell and Gregory J. Lucas in "Vacationland" (below, right) Not seen much outside the festival curcuit, this gem will be on DVD this fall. The first kiss is during a daydream Halloway has an it is very sensual but a later one, after the high school football game, all their feelings go into it. There are many make-out scenes between the two so you have your pick of best kiss. As a bonus, Hallowell shares a real scorcher with his French teacher (Nathan Johnson).

6. Steve Sandvoss and Wes Ramsey in "Latter Days" The forbidden kiss is always appealing so the first one between the Morman missionary and the party boy is nice. But things kick in to an other gear entirely later on when Sandvoss' closeted character throws caution to the wind.

7. Daniel Day-Lewis and Gordon Warneke in "My Beautiful Launderette." Late in the film, after they prepare the launderette for its grand opening, these two secret lovers have some champagne in the back room and share some very romantic kisses which includes Warneke pouring champagne down Day-Lewis' throat.

8. Ben Silverstone and Brad Gorton in "Get Real" (pictured, left) It is so heartbreaking when Gorton's character, the closeted high school jock, shows up at his not-so-closeted classmate's house drunk after the high school dance where they stared at each other, longingly, on the dance floor as they dance with their female dates. Gorton is tortured about it but less so after that first kiss.

9. Colin Farrell and Dallas Roberts in "a Home at the End of the World" (pictured at top of page) We all would have liked to see how Farrell and Jared Leto would have done locking lips in "Alexander" but as with everything else about that movie, we were sorely disappointed. But Farrell doesn't disappoint in "Home" where he has more than one kiss with Roberts. But my favorite is after they dance on the porch of their house, they lovingly kiss.

10. Seann William Scott and Ashton Kutcher in "Dude, Where My Car?" Who woulda thunk it? These two guys, playing girl crazy slackers, unexpectedly give moviegoers one of the best on-screen kisses between two men ever. They end up at a red light next to Fabio and his hot girlfriend and begin a game of one-upmanship. Fabio revves his car, Kutcher revves their car. Fabio puts his arm around the girl, Kutcher puts his arm around Scott. Fabio makes out with the girl, Kutcher makes out with Scott!

Some of these guy-guy kisses are featured on this terrific video I found on UTube that I suggest you all check out. It's heavy on the kissing scene from "Velocity" and you will see for youself why it ranked number one!

If you want to see gay characters on television this fall, you better turn to cable.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) released its annual study today, “Where We Are On TV,� reported exclusively in my story in today's Daily News.
If not for scheming teen Andrew Van De Camp (pictured above with boyfriend) on ABC’s megahit “Desperate Housewives� and Dr. Kerry Weaver on the long-running “ER� on NBC, the only regular gay or lesbian character on a returning broadcast network show this fall would be a closeted accountant named Oscar on NBC’s “The Office.�

Of all the series regulars on the networks’ 2006-07 prime-time schedules, there are only the returning three as well as six on new shows - all in supporting roles. That makes for only 1.3 percent of all the regular characters on
scripted network shows during a year when portrayals of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered characters have gotten unprecedented exposure in such films as “Brokeback Mountain,� “Capote,� and “Transamerica.�

GLAAD analyzed the 95 comedies and dramas announced for the new season by CBS, ABC, FOX, NBC, The CW and MyNetworkTV. Of the 679 lead or supporting characters on those shows, there are eight gay male characters and one lesbian. There are an additional five semi-regular gay or lesbian characters but no bisexual or transgendered characters on any of the shows.

Of the new network shows set to bow in the coming months, the ABC drama “Brothers & Sisters� features a gay man as a supporting character, the CBS comedy “The Class� has one of the only gay leading
characters on any show, the ABC comedy “Help Me Help You� (pictured, right) features a closeted gay man, and MyNetworkTV’s “Fashion House� has two gay supporting characters.�

Last fall, the networks had 10 regulars including Andrew, representing 1.4 percent of all characters on television as well as six recurring characters. The end of the eight-year run of “Will & Grace� meant the elimination of two of broadcast television’s highest-profile gay men: Will Truman (Eric McCormack) and Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes).

Cable is a different story completely with 25 series regulars gay or lesbian in addition to many recurring characters on such shows as “The Sopranos,� “The L Word,� “The Wire,� “South of Nowhere,� “Degrassi: The Next Generation� and “Rescue Me.� The addition of MTV’s Logo channel and its drama “Noah’s Arc� has helped numbers with a cast exclusively featuring gay African-American characters while the LGBT digital cable channel here! TV has the soap opera “Dante’s Cove� that centers around gay and lesbian relationships.

Cliick HERE to read the entire GLAAD study!
Click HERE for a list of LGBT characters in broadcast networks!
Click HERE for a list of LGBT characters on cable!

I know the opening weekend numbers were low, but when I went to see "Snakes on a Plane" at The Grove this afternoon, I was still surprised to see the auditorium only about three-quarters full. It's just as well, more room to spread out.

I wanted to hear Samuel L. Jackson say "I've had it with these motha@#*& snakes on this motha@#%* plane!" I also was curious about the male flight attendant whose sexuality, I had read, was ambigious. So there he was, played by Bruce James, seemingly gay based on various stereotypical traits etc. But in the end, SPOILER ALERT, his hot blonde girlfriend, Kitty, jumps into his arms after landing. Passengers and flight crew alike had been sure he was in deep denial and had made her up.
I don't really see what's so funny about having a character like this in the film but, whatever.

The actor spoke about his not-so-gay role with AfterElton.com last week. Here are a few excerpts:

"When the bodyguard gets bit in the ass, what happens in the script is that right away they need to suck out the poison, but no one will do it. So he [Ken] says right away “I'll do it�. So it's things like that made people think he's gay. The same thing when one of the snakes dies and they're trying to figure out what color the snake is and Ken pops up and says “That's teal.�
AE: Does Ken have heroic moments in the movie?
BJ: Yeah, he does. I push someone out of the way of beverage cart racing down the aisle. I also have a moment with a snake in the galley. People are stuck in the galley, and I come in and push them out of the way and there is a snake on the floor. I pick it up and nuke it in the oven. That was a scene they added after they tested it [the movie], and apparently I tested really well, and they just wanted to add a little more stuff for me. It's a fun scene too because Ken sees the snake on the floor, and since they changed the movie to an R, I get to swear a little bit. I see the snake and say, “Oh, f*** me� which is totally something Ken would say.

AE: You seem pretty aware of the issues involved with this character. What accounts for that? Is that part of being a Canadian? Or just you?
BJ: I think for me personally it just has to do with experiences I had growing up. A good friend of mine in high school was gay and came out. Then I was also a resident advisor at Simon Fraser University and we did a lot of training involving a lot of different types of people. And you learn to have an open mind about things. That's one of the greatest jobs I've ever had. But I've always been open and fine, and I know that I'm not the most masculine person in the world. I'm not the most feminine either, but I'm to a point where I'm comfortable with who I am and I know who I am and those traits that I have.

There are few people in the public eye who I admire more than the great tennis legend Martina Navratilova who will be retiring for the second time from pro tennis at the U.S. Open next month at the age of 49! Over the weekend, Martina Navratilova won her 175th doubles title at the Canadian Open. It was a fifth doubles win for Navratilova at the Canadian event, each with a different partner. She also won in 1981, 1982, 1985 and 2004.
There are those who consider Martina the greatest female tennis player of all time based on the record number of singles and doubles titles won. But to me, Martina is "the greatest" because she came out back in the early 1980s when it was an incredibly brave thing to do and when virtually no pro athlete had done it before. She lost endorsements, got heckled by crowds and faced some really insulting questions in press conferences. But this champion on the court and in life pressed on and won everything in sight, multiple times, including nine Wimbledon singles crowns.

So who better than the marvelous Martina, outspoken from the very beginning, to advise Lance Bass on being out in the public eye. She took the time to write a letter to "People" magazine in support of Bass, who came out with a splash on the magazine's cover last month. She wrote that Bass "is a courageous young man."
"Coming out to your family and friends is hard enough; to do so to the world is a lot harder. I know, as I took this step more than 25 years ago And while a lot has changed in 25 years, we in the gay community have a long way to go before we achieve equal rights and equal protection under the law."

Bass had said in his people interview that he didn't to just be associated with gay issues or be seen as a role model. But Martina, one of the best role models and spokespeople for the LGBT movement, encouraged him to become involved. "As far as being an activist is concerned, one does not really look for the fight, the fight simply finds you...As our fight for equality continues, I will not be surprised to one day see Lance Bass marching with the rest of us, right there in the front row."
And maybe he will. Bass attended a ceremony at the California State Legislature recently where his boyfriend, Reinchen, was honored as a role model for LGBT people and the pair made an appearance this week in Malibu at a camp for kids with AIDS (pictured below):

I think this item will be of particular interest to the Lesbian readers but also might get me a few more straight male readers as well. After all, we know how they love to see two women lockin' lips! I was glad to see my all-time favorite such scene included: Susan Sarandon and Catherine Denueve in "The Hunger."

AfterEllen.com has compiled a dandy top 10 list of the best lesbian kisses in film history topped off by Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon's sexy smooches (pictured,right) in 1996's "Bound." In the opening scene, Violet (Tilly) openly cruises Corky (Gershon) while riding in an elevator with her oblivious mafia boyfriend and a cat-and-mouse seduction ensues.

Rounding out the top five are: 2. Naomi Watts and Laura Harring in "Mulholland Dr.; 3. Ellen Degeneres and Sharon Stone in " If These Walls Could Talk 2" 4. Joan Chen and Anne Heche (pre-Ellen days) in "Wild Side" and 5. Ali Sheedy and Radha Mitchell in "High Art."

Maria de Medeiros and Uma Thurman's kiss in "Henry and June" was number six while Sarandon and Denueve only ranked seventh (Maybe I'll have more to say if I do an male kiss list). Rounding out the top 10:
8. Michelle Williams and Chloe Sevigny in "If These Walls Could Talk 2," 9. Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau in " Desert Hearts" and 10. Debra Winger and Glenn Headly (below) in "Eulogy."

I don't really get Justin Timberlake.

Just a few weeks ago, he said some supportive things about his former 'N Sync bandmate, Lance Bass, coming out of the closet. But in an interview with Fashion Rocks magazine, the 29-year-old singer and aspiring actor doesn't sound so enlightened when discussing American Idol champ Taylor Hicks:

"If he has skeletons in his closet whatsoever; if, God forbid, he's gay; and all these people in Mississippi who voted for him are like, 'Oh, my God. I voted for a queer!' It's just too much pressure."

Huh?

The magazine also quotes Timberlake as saying that Hicks "...can't carry a tune in a bucket."

Timberlake's reps were saying Friday that the performers' comments "were taken completely out of context."

...and he wore some fake afro hair for the big occasion. The final was was 6-0 to eliminate Marcellas Reynolds from the Big Brother 7 house on Thursday night. I went to The Abbey with a friend for dinner and stayed later than planned, missing the whole darn thing. But, have savored the Internet accounts of the eviction.

And not only did Marcellas, the only openly gay houseguest this season, get voted off, he was also voted "biggest whiner" by viewers! Ouch!

Sorry pal, but it was real hard to root for ya this time around. I hope you treat your friends better than you did your housemates!

As long as I have already confessed being hooked on this silly show, I am just going to let it all out now: I hope Will and Mike Boogie make it to the final four but not to the end because they are sooooooo smug; I'd like to see Janelle stick around for a few more episodes before getting the heave-ho; I want James to stay in as long as possible because he's just plain hot; and I want to see Danielle win the whole shebang!

p.s. This will be my last Big Brother 7 post. This is embarassing!

No one can tell Darryl Stephens that portraying a gay man in movies and on television is professionally limiting. The actor, the title character in the hit Logo series "Noah's Arc," is not only beginning his second season on the show (the first came out on DVD this month), but he's also one of the main stars of film festival hit "Boy Culture" which will hit theaters this fall and appears in the current theatrical comedy "Another Gay Movie."

But in an interview posted today on AfterElton.com, Stephens is modest about his current hot streak.

"The only reason I'm in "Boy Culture" is that the director of "Noah's Arc" [Patrik-Ian Polk] knows Q. Allan Brocka," he said. "Allan was trying to cast that role black and couldn't find anyone. He mentioned that to Patrik, who said that he thought he had someone who would be really good, [although] Patrik was a little hesitant to hand me over. It just so happened that the line producer on "Boy Culture" was co-producing "Another Gay Movie," and she called me about an assistant director that she was interested in hiring that I worked with on the pilot. In our conversation she asked me if I had been in to read for Todd [Stephens, director of Another Gay Movie], and I said, “Who's Todd? I don't know anything about this.� She said, “Come in and read for this role.� It was completely about who I knew and who happened to mention me in conversation."

On being a gay, African-American performer: "I don't discuss my sexuality with the press. For me, it's a matter of you can see the work and make your own assumptions. But because of the stage I'm at in my career, I don't see any relevance in talking about my personal life."

On being considered a rising star:"It's almost surreal. [Laughs.] I drive a beat-up car in L.A. I'm not living a glamorous life at all. I've got my friends who I am very close to. In Los Angeles, Logo isn't that big — all the cable companies aren't carrying it yet. I feel like in Los Angeles, I still have some degree of anonymity. When I come to places like Philly or New York, where people are a lot more hip to the show, I feel like, “Wow! I am actually making an impact.�

I'm thrilled that a lot of the reality shows include openly gay cast members and nobody has consistently done this better than MTV's "The Real World," in my opinion. The reason for that is because "Real World" has usually selected interesting and appealing gay men or lesbians and even had one of each during its Chicago season!

That brings us to "Big Brother 7" the "All-Stars" edition. I'm not into keeping secrets about my life but one I have been keeping is my absolute addiction to the show this summer. It's happened in a few past years (Seasons 2, 3 and 6) but I was trying to avoid it this time around. Too late. Hooked. And tonight, the only gay houseguest, Marcellas Reynolds, is up for eviction. And all I gotta say is "DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YA!"

Marcellas has been a backstabbing and ineffective player this season and I'm kinda sick of hearing him prattle on about how bad buxom Janelle is a two-faced beeeyotch when he is more than ready to give her the boot.

I vote to evict....MARCELLAS.

Ashley and Mary-Kate they ain't. In fact, television has never seen twins like Jacob and Joshua Miller, two identical twin brothers from Montana who make up the pop/rock group Nemesis. On the new Logo reality series "Jacob & Joshua: Nemesis Rising" premiering Oct. 16, the twins will not only chronicle their move to Los Angeles for the launch their music careers but will also follow their lives as they come out publicly as gay artists.

Joshua is described as a free spirit, a party boy and exceedingly single while Jacob is focused, driven and involved in a long-term relationship.  As singers the duo harmonize perfectly with Jacob leaning more toward pop and Joshua a little more toward rock n’ roll. The series opens with the twins at a crossroads. They need a hit record or they face being dropped from their label. Breaking new ground in the pop music world, the twins will be marketed as openly gay artists necessitating their “coming out� to their family, friends and fans.

Friends and fans are one thing, family is another. The brothers were raised as Jehovah’s Witnesses and coming out would mean the church will instruct their parents never speak with their sons again. Complicating matters further is that while Jacob is extremely confident about the decision to come out personally and professionally, Joshua vacillates, worried about the potential damage to their career and the potential loss of their family.

Complementing the series will be significant digital, wireless and online features, including episode availability on download-to-own services and interviews, diaries and other behind-the-scenes videos at LOGOonline.com.

Logo President Brian Graden said the show will "prove living a dream and being true to one's self are not mutually exclusive.�

I recently attented a birthday party at iCandy in West Hollywood for a friend of mine, known around the Web as Boi From Troy, who is gay and is a Republican! So, I met lots of other gay Republicans and it was interesting to talk to many of them about their politics and how their party platform squared with their personal lives. It made for a very interesting evening!

So, I'm very interested in checking out the documentary "The Elephant in the Room" which airs on MTV's Logo channel on Sunday, Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m. and again on Wednesday, Aug. 23 at 8:30 p.m.

"Elephant" follows three gay Republicanswho are all very different from each other and explores how their political beliefs inform their lives. They are: Ellen, a gun-shooting sugar farmer who wants to help Katrina survivors; Ted, a Log Cabin Republican who works with Democrats to block a gay marriage ban in Texas; and Greg (pictured with Pres. Bush), who has trouble finding a date to a gay wedding in Hawaii because he is a Republican.

The terrific Web site AfterElton.com has a cool Q&A today with "Project Runway" designers Kayne Gillapsie, 27, and Robert Best, 37. I don't watch the show regularly but thought some of their answers were good in this interview.

Here are some excerpts:

AE: You've both been pretty honest about your sexuality on the show. Do you think it's important for gays and lesbians to be open when they're on reality shows like Project Runway?
RB: I think the important thing is to just represent themselves. If that's not something you want to represent, then that's a personal choice. I can respect and understand that, because people have different reasons for putting themselves out there in the public eye. I think, for me, I just consider it a facet of my life like any other facet, like I have salt-and-pepper hair. I'm not going to make it an issue, and I'm not going to deny it. It's part of who I am, and I'm just like, “This is me. This is all of me. Take it or leave it. I don't really care.�

AE: There's been a lot of talk recently about gay role models, with George Michael claiming to be one and Lance Bass saying he didn't want the job. Do you see yourselves as role models?
RB: If that's what people want to perceive it as, I have no problem with that. I'm proud of who I am. I think I'm an accomplished, intelligent human being, and if people want to see me as a gay role model, I'm comfortable with that. I'm sure there are people who I don't represent. I can't speak for everyone. At the same time, I'm happy for someone to look up to me or whatever.

AE: Do you think there's any truth to the stereotype that most male fashion designers are gay?
RB: Yeah. I would argue it, but it seems to be true for the most part.
KG: You'll find a lot, just like with hairdressers and makeup people, anything that's creative or has to do with glamour or fabulousness, it's just something that we tend to excel at. I think the numbers are definitely higher. I haven't done any studies, but from what I've experienced, there're a lot more homosexuals in fashion design, than say, farming. [Laughs.]

If some of the LGBT films of this summer have been a little too limited in their theatrical releases, many are coming to DVD within the next three months. The terrific comedy "The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green" (above) will go on sale on Oct. 10. If you haven't been able to catch "Ethan" in theaters, you will want to get the DVD. It is one of the superior gay comedies I've seen in recent years. When I caught it at the Regent on LaBrea in June, the house was fairly full for a Saturday afternoon and the audience was genuinely laughing. Look for Meredeth Baxter in a really wacky and hilarious role playing the mother of the title character. She does things and says things she NEVER would have said to Alex P. Keaton on "Family Ties."

"Ethan" will be followed three weeks later (Oct. 31) by the touching drama "Vacationland," which I fell in love with at Outfest and I hope will be more widely seen because it really moved me and featured good actors. Then just a week later comes "Poster Boy," (below) the political drama starring Matt Newton that is finally seeing the inside of theaters after waiting two long years for distribution.

"Queer as Folk" alum Peter Paige wrote and directed the sweet but odd drama "Say Uncle" that screened at Outfest in 2005 and is currently in theatrical release in selected theaters. The film shows how good intentions can be misunderstood and how neighborhood hysteria can really catch fire. "Uncle" goes on sale Sept. 5. That same day, a wonderful German-language film, "Summer Storm" goes on sale. "Summer" was one of the showcase screenings of Outfest 2005 and got a very positive reaction. It is beautifully filmed and well-acted, a coming out story taking place on a beautiful lake.

Other intriguing titles coming along are "Cold Shower" (Aug. 31) and "The Lady in Question is Charles Busch" (Sept. 26).

OK, so it's not as big a deal as replacing Darrin on "Bewitched," Becky on "Roseanne," both Fallon and Steven on "Dynasty" or even Miss Ellie for a season on "Dallas." But Here! TV's supernatural sudser "Dante's Cove" will have a new actor in the role of Adam, the "straight" high school friend of Charlie David's character.

Here! CEO Paul Colichman says the actor who originated the role, Steven Arnell (right), wasn't comfortable with the gay turn his character takes in season two which required man-to-man love scenes. And if you've seen "Dante," you know those scenes are steamy. Amell had appeared as a spin instructor on three episodes of "Queer as Folk" and was a regular on the now-canceled ABC Family series "Beautiful People."

His departure gives Jon Fleming (left), a juicy role in the hot soap. Fleming appeared in four episodes of "Will & Grace" a few years back but most of his other screen roles have been pretty generic: man in speedo on "Mad TV," mystery man in an episode of "Days of Our Lives," pool boy on "Passions" and jogger on "Desperate Housewives."

Had a hilarious and informative breakfast last week with the charismatic Paul Colichman. He is the driving force behind the Here! TV channel and Regent Entertainment which has released "Poster Boy," "The Mostly Unfabulous Life of Ethan Green" and "Shock to the System" among others. I was late to our meeting at Hotel Bel Air because I misread the Mapquest page and drove in circles for awhile. Paul lives just a few blocks away so was patiently having coffee with two of his associates when I arrived, all dishoveled and out of sorts.

I had just seen all of "Dante's Cove" season one and blabbed on about how enjoyable it was even before our eggs were delivered. Paul told me season two will be even hotter, especially the shows airing after relatively tame first two episodes of the second season that were sent to critics. I dunno, the first two were pretty smokin. Will the rest even be LEGAL?

I asked Paul why everyone on the show is so darn beautifiul. I wonder why he doesn't throw in a homely face here and there, someone with a gut or even knobby knees. He was blunt in his reply: "It's TV! Everyone's gotta be pretty, everyone's gotta be gorgeous!"

Gee, ya think?

Colichman says he wants Here!Tv, available to 50 million digital homes, to be considered "the gay HBO. We're trying to do an entertainment service that is something straight people have always had."

As the producer of the acclaimed "Gods and Monsters" and other films, Colichman knows how to make quality projects on a tight budget. He built Here! nearly three years ago with the knowledge that to do the edgy LGBT entertainment he wanted to create, he would have to on his own since advertisers would want to have some say over content.

"all of the shows, all of the movies make money," Colichman says. "We don't do vanity projects. I want to make sure everything we do makes a profit. The ideal time for this is now."

In the weeks since singer Lance Bass publicly came out of the closet and went public about his relationship with reality TV star Reichen Lehmkuhl, Internet rumors has the two on the rocks. Reichen, winner of "Amazing Race" with his ex-partner, has a book coming out this fall about his experiences being gay in the military and some say he is milking the publicity from his relationship with Bass to fuel interest in the book.

Reichen has been bothered enough about some of these rumors that he posted on his MySpace blog over the weekend a long note taking aim at the nasty talk. Of the book, he says: I've wanted to write this book for 10 years. I started writing it 2 years ago and have had a book deal with Avalon Publishing since way before I even knew the people in my life who are very much in the public eye. My book was scheduled long ago to come out in Fall of 06. This book is all me, by me, and to fight for a cause that I've believed in forever...ending the ban on gay people from serving in the U.S. Armed Forces."

As for Bass, his coming out landed him a People magazine cover last month and he talked to the magazine again over the weekend at an LA party he attended with Reichen.

"We are very happy. It's nice to be able to go out and be yourself," Bass said."We're always out. It's just now people are paying attention, I guess. It's funny."

Said Reichen: "We love to keep it mellow. It's really nice right now to enjoy private time together. We're just normal like anybody else, (going to) the beach, movies, the pool."

Of his partner's decision to come out, Reichen said: "I'm just really proud of Lance and the decision he made. He did it all on his own and I just stood by and supported him. It's just been great."

"Out In Hollywood" has been tracking the box office performance of Fox Searchlight's "Little Miss Sunshine" during its first weeks in limited release because among the movie's characters is a suicidal gay man played by Steve Carell. It's a wonderful performance in a wonderful film. Check out my story in today's Daily News detailing how this little movie could end up being one of the biggest hits of the summer.

Writing about Ellen DeGeneres and the success of her daytime show earlier today led me to wonder how that force of nature, Rosie O'Donnell, will fare when she joins the women of "The View" this fall. Will the liberal Rosie and the conversative Elizabeth Hasellbeck be able to get through "hot topics" without killing each other? Will Rosie and Joy Behar be knocking each other down for laughs? Will Barbara Walters wish she'd have hired Hugh Downs instead?

Tune in this fall!

Seriously, it is fantastic to have two of the world's most high-profile lesbians hosting shows in daytime. The world, and Rosie, have changed a lot since she debuted 10 years ago as "The Queen of Nice" on her own show which had a successful six year run. Since she pulled the plug on the show in 2002, Rosie has become very public about her private life, a life she shares with her partner Kelli O'Donnell and their children. The couple flew from the East Coast to get married in San Francisco in 2004 when the city was briefly granting licences to same-sex couples. They also recently made the documentary "All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise" on the maiden cruise of R Family Vacations, a travel company the couple founded.

I think it will be GREAT to have Rosie back in our lives on a daily basis. I have a feeling her thoughts will make headlines and will often find themselves posted on "Out In Hollywood."

Of the four "Golden Girls," most of the gay men I know liked Blanche (the slut) best because she was played with so much zest by Rue Mclanahan, who won a well-deserved Emmy for the role. There was a "Golden Girls" reunion two years ago that I was lucky enough to be invited to and Rue, sharing the stage with Betty White and Bea Arthur, stole the show with her fuinny answers and remembrances.

Rue has been keeping busy on the Broadway stage and TV guest spots in recent years but she is returning to television on a regular basis next year on the new here!TV series "Ryan's Life," a light-hearted, semi autobiographical story of a teenager coming of age and coming out.

Rather than tell his friends or family, Ryan starts keeping a video journal to help figure things out and is aided by the "guardian angels" in his own eccentric and wise grandma,played by McClanahan. He then begins a hilarious, awkward, touching and ultimately inspiring journey toward accepting who he is, and having the courage to share it with the people he loves.

Belated kudos for Ellen DeGeneres whose popular daytime show has been guaranteed a run through the 2009-10 season on NBC-owned stations in 10 major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. The show is currently renewed in 90 percent of the country through 2008-09, and 70 percent through the following year which assures us of many more afternoons with Ellen.

Warner Bros. executives described DeGeneres, one of the highest-profile lesbians in the country, as a host who "connects with the upscale, suburban soccer-moms that advertisers pay a premium to reach."

Who would have thought that Ellen, who has won multiple Emmys for her current show, would be such a commodity in mainstream America? Especially since her ABC sitcom was dumped from the airwaves not long after her landmark coming out episode? Her follow up CBS sitcom, "The Ellen Show," lasted less than a season in 2003.

But now, the dancing, funny and charming Ellen is the toast of daytime television. It seems, that in the long run, it pays to be authentic!

It was another very gay weekend at the movies with the number one movie, "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," featuring a gay race car driver played by Ali G. The movie took in an estimated $22 million in week two and should cross the $100 million mark by the end of the week.

Another big success is "Little Miss Sunshine" featuring Steve Carell as a gay man who recovers from a broken heart (and suicide attempt) by going on a road trip with his dysfunctional family. Still in limited release, the comedy had the highest per-screen average of any film in the top 12 at a whopping $16,993.

"Sunshine" played in 153 theaters, 95 up from last weekend, and earned $2.9 million for a cumulative total of $5.6 million. The Fox Searchlight release expands to 600 theaters on Friday then 1,500 locations the following weekend. This platforming strategy is designed to give the film momentum through good word of mouth and is so far working like a charm.

"The Devil Wears Prada," which co-stars Stanley Tucci as a gay magazine executive and Meryl Streep as a bitch for the ages, added $1.95 million to its total as it begins to wind down a sensational summer run. It has a total gross of $116.6 million to date.

Meanwhile, "The Night Listener" which stars Robin Williams as a gay radio host and Bobby Cannavale as his ex-lover, took a free-fall at the box office in its second weekend with a drop in business of 59.5 percent. The film took in $1.4 million for a two-week take of $6.3 million.

Here is a link to my full box office report in today's Daily News.

Here are some results for some indiie films still in limited release:

- "Another Gay Movie": This tasteless comedy in the tradition of the "American Pie" movies took in $68,302 in 17 theaters, that's a 36.4 percent jump in business from last weekend. It's overall gross to date is $195,990.

- "The Groomsman" written and directed by Ed Burns is about a group of life-long friends who reunited for a wedding. One of the friends comes out to the group after staying away for 10 years. The film took in just $8,233, a 45.7 percent drop in business from last weekend. It's grossed just $100,096 so far.

- "The Mostly Unfabulous Life of Ethan Green" took in $7,366 over the weekend, up 46.9 percent from last weekend. The film has earned $134,586 since its debut.

- "Poster Boy," which has been waiting two years for release, played in two theaters and earned $3,806 in its LA debut.

It's not for nothing that the Lifetime channel has long been dubbed "television for women...AND GAY MEN." The last three words aren't a part of the official tagline but it may as well be with gay men lapping up all those melodramatic television movies starring Tracy Gold, Melissa Gilbert or Jaclyn Smith and endless reruns of "The Golden Girls" and (my favorite) 'Designing Women."

Now Lifetime is really embracing the gays with "Lovespring International," a largely improvised show centered around a fictional dating service with clients both gay and straight, undecided or just confused. The show, executive produced by Erik McCormack ("Will & Grace"), airs Monday nights at 11 p.m. on Lifetime.

The cast includes three openly gay performers: Jack Plotnick, Sam Pancake, and Jane Lynch although none of their characters are openly gay. But Pancake's character, Burke Christopher, clearly falls into the "confused" category. He's married to a woman but he is a barely closeted gay man.

AfterElton.com says in its review of the show: "It's a thin charade: the gay man playing a straight husband. In real life you can expect tears and unhappiness, but in the Lovespring world, with the characters taken to their exaggerated extremes, you can see it in a funhouse mirror. Yet there's a kernel of truth behind every joke."

The review also says the show "has well-written characters performed expertly by a talented comedic cast. The situations are campy and fun, with a bit of twisted naughtiness thrown in. There is no laugh track, and since much of the show is improvised, many of the lines are fluid and overlapping. Expect a bit of Christopher Guest-style realism and dry humor—just the sort of gaiety to make you forget the scorching heat and unbearable humidity of summer."

Sounds like this is a show worth checking out!

She was the lovely lesbian Lindsay for five seasons on "Queer as Folk" and now the beautiful actress Thea Gill has a new gay gig: a lovely lesbian witch on the supernatural soap 'Dante's Cove," set to begin its second season in early September on here!TV.

Gill, straight in real life, isn't as sweet on "Dante's" as she was on "Q a F" (although she did cheat on Melanie with a MAN, I think in season four). She will play Diana Childs, a mysterious newcomer to "Dante's Cove" who will tangle with Grace (Tracy Scoggins) as revelations of their secret past threaten to change Dante's Cove forever. This is a busy time for the actress who is currently filming the dark romantic comedy "Mulligans" andn has been cast in the indioe film "Seed."

Last March, Gill got a pretty terrific honor when she received 2006 PFLAG Spotlight Award in Washington D.C.which celebrates outstanding contribution by a straight ally towards ending discrimination towards gays and lesbians, helping change perceptions, and helping keep families together.

Was meeting a friend for coffee this afternoon and brought along a screener of "Boy Culture," the movie we were supposed to see last month on Outfest Awards night. A bad back (now much improved) sidelined me for a few days then and I still felt bad that he hadn't seen this well-done movie directed by Q. Allan Brocka who wrote and directed "Eating Out."

Well now, you won't need a friend with a screener to see "Boy Culture" because it was reported later Friday on Advocate.com that TLA Releasing has acquired all North American, United Kingdom, Australian, and New Zealand theatrical and home entertainment distribution rights to the movie! So it will be hitting the big screen then be released on DVD for all to see. No specific release dates yet.

Raymond Murray, president of TLA Releasing, called the film "a fresh, playful film brimming with strong performances, a charismatic cast, and a witty, incisive voice.� TLA has also released such films as "Latter Days" and "Another Gay Movie," among many others.

Based on novel by Matthew Rettenmund and adapted to film by Brocka and Philip Pierce, "Boy Culture" centers on a male escort named “X� (Derek Magyar), who gets romantically entangled with his two roommates, Joey (Jonathon Trent) and Andrew (Darryl Stephens of "Noah’s Arc" and "Another Gay Movie"), and a reclusive, elderly client, Gregory (Patrick Bauchau of"Panic Room").

"Boy Culture" won the Jury Award for Best Feature at the 2006 Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and the Jury Award for Best Screenplay at 2006 Outfest in Los Angeles. It is a terrific movie and will be well worth watching whenever it comes your way. In the meantime, here are a few images from the movie:

MTV's Logo Network asked its viewers to vote for their favorite lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered films and compiled a terrific list of the 50 Greatest Films with handy links making it easy to buy them on DVD.

"Brokeback Mountain" was the big winner coming in at number one! The rest of the top 10 was 2. "Latter Days," 3. "Beautiful Thing," 4. "Trick," 5. "Bound," 6. 'Angels in America," 7. "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," 8. "Desert Hearts," 9. "Tripping the Velvet," 10. "Big Eden."

Some of my favorites that also made the list were 16. "Maurice," 22. "Get Real," 27. "Broken Hearts Club," and 28. "The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love."

While the first season of "American Idol" is mostly remembered for the discovery of Kelly Clarkson, another one of that season's top 10 finalists has been steadily carving out a career for himself and is doing so as an openly-gay singer and actor.

His name is Jim Verraros, a 23 year old who boldy came out after his stint on the show. Fans will be able to see Verraros (who finished ninth), Clarkson and the rest all over again when Fox begins re-airing the first season of this pop culture phenomenon this fall.

"They want to show how it all started," Verraros told me recently. "I hope I get to rekindle old friendships with a lot of the cast while I'm doing publicity for it."

Verraros didn't run his plans to come out by "American Idol" producers but reports "they were pretty good about it. It wasn't their decision, I didn't clear it with them. But I was openly gay with the staff and crew since day one."

"I came out in January 2003 in "The Advocate" after touring with the other contestants.I wasn't thinking long-term or whether this would hurt my career. I was 19 and I did it because I felt like it was the right thing to do. Not enough people kind of step up. I think we are coming out younger and younger. You do it to be true to yourself."

Verarros released his first CD, "Rollercoaster" after his season on "American Idol" which he said has gotten great support from gay fans. But he wants his next recording to "have a more controlled sound, edgy and sexy. On the first CD, I was trying to find myself and wanted to do it all."

Verraros, who lives in Chicago and has a boyfriend, is also star of the a funny comedy with an awful name; 'Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds" which is being billed as the first gay comedy sequel...ever! The first movie, a big hit on DVD, also starred Verraros but mostly got attention because of cast member Ryan Carnes who went on to play the boyfriend of Bree's sociopathic son on "Desperate Housewives."

"We have a strong cast and a strong script and we are in great position to launch off the success of the first movie. Ryan Carnes is not back but the movie's phenomenal," Verraros says of the sequel which screened at Outfest last month but does not yet have a distribution date. "We see in independent films how degraded we can be as a community, a lot of negative aspects of how difficult it is, the feelings of isolation. But we also want to show how great we are as a community and that shows through comedy."

He said he "hopes to have the kind of career" that Chad Allen has carved out for himself. Allen, now one of the most well-known and respected openly-gay actors, was outed by a tabloid when he was just a teenager on the CBS series "Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman."
"I can't imagine how tough it was to be on 'Dr. Quinn' and to have this awful secret. He's made a 180 degree turn and used it to his advantage."

Walking out of the 3rd and Fairfax Whole Foods market this morning, I spotted an abandoned copy of The National Enquirer on a table with the big headline: "Who's Gay and Who's Not!" Scooped it up to read later. I now see the issue is from Dec. 12 so it's old news to some. It speculates on the usual like Ryan Seacrest and Al Reynolds (both have publicly stated that they are straight).

Ironically, just a few days ago, The New York Times ran a story about straight stars like Brandon Routh, Marcia Cross and Oprah Winfrey having to publicly state that they are not gay. "Brokeback Mountain" star Jake Gyllenhaal has been the target of speculation for playing gay on-screen and riding bikes with hunky Matthew McConaughey this summer. But the Oscar nominee has had a thoughtful answer to the speculation: "I can honestly say I've never been attracted to a man sexually, but I don't think I'd be afraid of it if it happened."

So here are my thoughts on all this speculation and gossip about a famous person's sexuality: WHO CARES!

I admit, I have been as guilty as anyone in speculating privately about these things but much less so in recent years because my perspective is changing on the whole thing. If a star is gay and wants to keep their private life private, that is their choice. And even those who create a false life for publicity purposes, I have some compassion for them since many non-famous gays have done the same thing with their families and communities. It's not an easy decision for anyone to come out, especially with the world watching.

What is great though is that in the past 10 years or so, we have had so many famous gay people come out, owning who they are and putting an end to the gossip and speculation. Let's talk about THEM, not about who might be, who was spotted at a gay bar etc.

Lance Bass is the latest example but others in an even brighter spotlight preceded him including the incredible Ellen DeGeneres, the outspoken Rosie O'Donnell, Oscar nominee Ian McKellen, Emmy and Tony winner Cynthia Nixon, superstar Elton John, rocker Mellissa Etheridge, Tony winner Nathan Lane, singer-actor John Barrowman, country crooner K.D. Lang, actor Rupert Everett, actress Portia de Rossi (pictured w/girlfriend DeGeneres) , comedianne Sandra Bernard, author Chastity Bono, and the terrific young actors Chad Allen, Charlie David, Robert Gant (pictured right), Wilson Cruz, Randy Harrison and Peter Paige.

It should be noted that the careers of most of the above-mentioned people are absolutely thriving. Their appeal, I believe, has only increased since coming out because their authenticity is now shining through.

So we will not be speculating about "Who's Gay and Who's Not!" on this blog. Instead, we will celebrate those who have the courage to come out and be who they are under the immense pressure of the spotlight.

Bumped into the talented young actor Matt Newton last night at a bingo fundraiser in West Hollywood. We had spoken two summers ago when his political drama "Poster Boy" was screening at Outfest 2004. As it so happens, the movie is FINALLY getting its theatrical release this Friday after two years in purgatory. Locally, it will play at the Regent Showcase on LaBrea.

Newton plays the closeted son of a conservative U.S. Senator. He meets a guy (Jack Noseworthy) who helps him to put a shocking gay spin in his father's reelection campaign.

"This has been one of the most exciting weeks of my life," Newton said. "I've heard from people I haven't talked to in years who have seen the posters on LaBrea."

As the completed film sat on the shelf waiting for a distributor, Newton put it in the back of his mind and got on with acting. He had a starring role in the indie film "Dahmer" and did guest spots on such shows as "JAG," "Criminal Minds" and "Judging Amy." His most recent job was a recurring role in the Nickelodeon series 'Drake & Josh"

He realizes now that "Poster Boy" could have a better chance finding an audience in 2006 than it would have in 2004.

"There's the obvious similarity to Mary Cheney," he said. "And it is just as timely now with the November mid-term elections coming up."

Newton, 29, is straight and single but in the film finds an awfully cute boy to hook up with, much to the chagrin of his conservative parents played by Michael Lerner (Oscar-nominated for "Barton Fink") and Karen Allen of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" fame. The young actor is especially effusive about working with the two old pros who he calls "acting legends."

"Poster Boy" bows in New York and in eight other cities on Aug. 18 then will be released on DVD in early November, just before the elections.

Now that I have your attention, wanted to share with you my impressions of the two star-crossed lovers from the first season of "Dante's Cove" played by straight actor Gregory Michael (the blonde) and openly gay actor Charles David (the brunette).

Met Gregory Michael, just last month at the Outfest opening night VIP party. At that point, I had not seen a single second of "Dante's Cove" since I (gasp!) had not ordered Here! TV. But I figured he was an actor because at a party filled with 10s, he was like a 12 (judge for yourself, see the picture at right). I told hom about this new blog and we had a little chat.

"It's an amazing opportunity," Gregory said of being cast on the show, a gothic gay soap. " I think it's really great to see a show like this actually on a gay and lesbian channel."

I asked him for a preview of season two.

"Something is always happening on 'Dante's Cove.'" he said. " Do you want to know who I'm going to do this time?"

Um, sure.

"I have a boyfriend on the show, Charlie David plays my boyfriend, and this year you're going to see us get involved in some fiascos. Who's going to cheat on who and who reaps the benefits of cheating? That's what I want to know?"

Hmmmmm. Sounds intriguing. So what's it like for a straight man to play a gay man - especially a gay man who gets as much action as your character does? Gregory admitted that he was a little afraid to take such a sexual role on because, frankly, he didn't really know how to do convincing love scenes with another man.

" I'm a straight man. But Charlie's gay and I think if he weren't gay, it would be two straight guys who are kind of lost. Especially on the sex things, he can kind of teach me the right way. We work it out," he said.

That brings me to the terrific Charlie David who is the real heart and soul of Dante's Cove. I met almost a year ago in Chicago where he was promoting the show at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Convention. We were at a huge club in Boys Town and he was being introduced around. Somehow, Charlie and I ended up having this maybe 30 minute conversation about relationships, about choosing to be out in your professional life, and, of course, a bit about "Dante's Cove."

This guy is a class act. Since I wasn;t taking notes duing our conversation in Chicago (this was pre-blog days), here are some comments he makes on a documentary included in the DVD of Dante's Cove: "I've decided to be out because that's important to me as a person regardless of my career. Regardless if I was an actor or a basketball player or a dentist or a librarian."
He adds: "Although I've taken into consideration the effects, positive or negative, that it might have on my career, that's the not ultimate deciding factor...I would not be a happy person to be living in the closet."

Check out a clip of Charlie and Greg in action on Dante's Cove!

Finished watching "Dante's Cove" late last night in order to post a review this afternoon since the Here! TV series is out on DVD today (Aug. 8). So, it's with great relief that I am able to give a rave to this show described by its cast members as "a blend of "Sex in the City" meets "Dark Shadows" meets "Beverly Hills 90210" meets "The OC" meets "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" with a little bit of "Melrose Place" stirred in there with a small dose of "Queer as Folk."

While the show aired on the pay channel Here! TV in episodic form, the DVD plays like a lengthy two-part movie about five hours long. It's engrossing, sexy, smart and aims high. The cast (led by openly-gay actor Charlie David) is physically beautiful but the difference here is that they can act! All of them. And what a delight it is to see Tracy Scoggins, who we haven;t seen much of since the "Dynasty" sequel "The Colbys," back on screen in a juicy role of a witch who she describes as "The Joan Collins of our series."

In addition toi Scoggins, there are plenty of beautiful other women on the showq, both gay and straight, and they, like the guys, appear on various stages of dress and undress.

In a documentary included in the DVD, I especially like what director Sam Irvin had to say about his goals in making such a show: "As an openly gay director, I've been waiting years and years and years for a time when there was going to be movies that had gay characters where it was matter of fact - where the story wasn't about coming out or about dealing with gay issues. It was more like where we just do a mystery-suspense-thriller where the characters happen to be gay. 'Dante's Cove' is one of those projects."

So, check this out! Amazon is selling it for less than $20!

For anyone who didn't see "The Matador" in theaters, I recommend checking it out on DVD. It provides Pierce Bronsan with a terrific part as a hitman that is far different from the suave James Bond and even earned him a Golden Glove Award nomination for best actor in a comedy. Brosnan gets to be fun and homicidal and crazy and even kinda sweet.

But one thing he doesn't get to be, according to an article I came across this morning on AfterElton.com, is bisexual, something the character was in the original script. It's hinted at in the movie but, as Meryl Streep would say in "Devil Wears Prada," that's all.

"I don't regret it, not at all - even with Brokeback's success," Brosnan is quoted as telling reporters about the deleted same-sex content. "The original problem was the director [Richard Shepard] threw everything at it, including the kitchen sink. It was too much. It came on full tilt. I felt the bisexual references took away from the ambiguity of his [Julian Noble's] sexuality. I just got it toned down."

Explains Shepard: "In the original script it went further, where we saw Julian (having sex with) men." It was this material, Shepard explains, along with some over-the-top, lewd humor that Brosnan wanted toned down, and cuts along these lines were made to the script before filming."

The DVD doesn't include any deleted same-sex love scenes or anything, at most there is an extra scene of Brosnan's character ogeling a cute waiter. Anyway, the film is still terrific and Greg Kinnear turns in another solid performance. Also good is Hope Davis as Kinnear's wife.

Updated from Sunday:

In my previous post "The Gayest Weekend Ever At The Movies," I left out a movie that just happened to go on to to earn $47 million in its opening weekend and achieve the third biggest August opening in history! That movie, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," stars, of course, Will Ferrell as the title character but is also a mainstream film that features a gay villain who isn't tragic. He is an arrogant gay French race car driver and powerful champion named Jean Girard portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen (better known as Ali G). The racing nemesis of Ferrell's characfer does not fall into any limp-wristed stereotypes, is not de-sexualized, nor is he assaulted or ridiculed in any way.

Jean is brought in to dethrone the "All-American" and unbeatable Ricky Bobby. In his first scene, the sophisticated and wealthy racer boldly displays his sexuality in a beer bar by introducing his "husband" (Andy Richter) to the other racers and crew members. He then gives hubby a big smooch for all to see followed by a little squeeze of his man's rear end.

I missed the screening of "Talladega" but will catch up with it soon. Did manage to take in "The Night Listener" in Palm Springs this weekend and thought Robin Williams and Bobby Cannavale played a very believable and complicated gay couple in the film. I thought the performances were solid (including the amazing Toni Collette) but left the theater feeling a bit dissatisfied, like "So what?" I didn't really care of the kid existed or not.

At any rate, "Night Listener" did manage to debut in the top 10 despite playing in only 1,367 theaters. It grossed an estimated $3.55 million. Meanwhile, the Sony Pictures Classic title "Quinceanera," opened in just eight locations and earned $96,900. That movie, the winner of the top prize at the Sundance Film Festival this year, features Jesse Garcia as a tough young cholo kicked out of his parents' home because he is gay. He is taken in by his great-uncle and becomes involved with his gay landlords.

Drawing an astounding per-screen average ($25,169 - higher than any film in release) was the sensational "Little Miss Sunshine." This gem from Fox Searchlight expanded from seven to 58 theaters in its second weekend and grosses and will go into wide release Aug. 18. "Sunshine," featuring Steve Carell as a gay academic recovering from a suicide attempt, has grossed $2.2 million to date.

Here are the box office results of other gay themed movies in the marketplace last weekend that were reported Monday: the outrageous comedy "Another Gay Movie" did quite well in limited release with a weekend gross of $50,069. Playing in five theaters, "Gay Movie" had a hefty per-screen average of $10,013 and has grossed $101,016 to date.
"Shock to the System," starring Chad Allen, did not make much of an impact in the two theaters it played in with a total gross of just $2,750. The film simulteously debuted on the Here! TV pay channel so should get plenty of sampling that way.

And finally, "The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life Of Ethan Green," a very fuinny movie that I thought was a cut above a lot of the gay comedies out there, is fading fast. Down to just four theaters, "Ethan" took in just $5,016 for a total gross to date of $124,826.

The friend who was with me at the Abbey the night we found ourselves at the bar next to "Vacationland" star Gregory J. Lucas last month sent me an email a few days ago to tell me that the actor's picture was on the front of the NY Times features section! I thought, cool! This little movie is getting some well-deserved attention!

The WRONG kind of attention as far as I'm concerned! The reviewer, Nathan Lee, was NOT impressed. His review starts like this: Too bad the title "Another Gay Movie" is already in use; it would have worked nicely for "Vacationland," a generic coming of age movie whose arrival on the scene suggests that the audience for gay indie clunkers is inexhaustible.

Ouch! I disagree. I've seen more than my share of those "gay indie clunkers" Lee writes of and "Vacationland" isn't one of them.

So, I'm standing by this movie that so wonderfully captures the blossoming love between two high school best friends (Lucas and Brad Hallowell) who give up any pretense of being straight at some point and just go with their feelings. There's no agonizing about it, they just become romantically involved, the way every gay high school kid wishes it could be. I loved the film for that. Sure, I didn't love the creepy subplot involving a child molester who resurfaces in the life of Hallowell's character but, for me, there was enough in this movie to make it very worthwhile.

So far, "Vacationland" has played at various festivals including the Berlin Internaitonal Film Festival and at Outfest in Los Angeles. It opened in New York City last week but no Los Angeles release date yet.

Maybe it's because I've been blogging on them for the past five weeks but it seems to me that this is the gayest weekend ever at the movies! Gay or straight, I suggest everyone check one of these movies out if you can: "Quniceanera" "The Night Listener" "Little Miss Sunshine," "The Groomsmen" or "Shock to the System (pictured at right)."

Here is a link to my Daily News story which ran Thursday on the current commercial state of queer film in the post "Brokeback Mountain" era.

This news absolutely makes my day: Billie Jean King's name will be added to the National Tennis Center during an opening-night ceremony at the U.S. Open. King is a four-time winner of the tournament and won a record 20 Wimbledon titles in singles and doubles.

But BJK (pictured Thursday at a press conference) was an even bigger force off the court where she fought for equal prize money for women athletes, was instrumental in launching the women's professional tennis tour (when the men tried to exclude the female players), and led the fight for equal funding for female sport programs in schools (Title IX). She also founded the Women’s Tennis Association in 1973 and the Women’s Sports Foundation in 1974 in addition to being the co-founder of World TeamTennis. For her many achievements, King was named by Life magazine one of the “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century,� and placed No. 5 on Sports Illustrated’s “Top 40 Athletes.�

“This obviously is a great honor for me," said King, who came out as a lesbian in the 1980s. "This outstanding facility is a public park, a place where everyone can come and enjoy our wonderful sport. It is truly humbling that this will link me with Arthur Ashe with whom I celebrated many experiences and shared dreams of the future for this great sport. I know this will continue to be a place where present and future generations of players come out, pick up a racquet, learn a sport and dare to dream big and go for it."

Franklin Johnson, Chairman of the Board and President of the USTA said Thursday: “Billie Jean King is one of tennis’ greatest heroes. Much like Arthur Ashe, for whom our showcase stadium is named, Billie Jean is a champion not only of sport, but a champion of those causes in which she so strongly believes. Her accomplishments have benefited all women in sports, as well as countless women in any number of career fields."

The name change which will take effect Aug. 28, the start of the U.S. Open. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, on hand for the announcement Thursday, said: “Billie Jean King is a legend among legends and we honor her groundbreaking achievements by renaming the USTA National Tennis Center in her honor. She set an exceptionally high standard not only for athletic achievement, but for dignity and perseverance in the pursuit of justice. Billie Jean King is an inspiration to all budding tennis players and all Americans. And as a New Yorker of 30 years, she is the perfect person to receive this well-deserved honor.�

For more about BJK, check out my interview with the tennis legend last month to discuss the current HBO special about her epic life.

The last time funnyman Robin Williams played a gay role, he struck box office gold with "The Birdcage" a decade ago. He and Nathan Lane were a hoot in this comedy that was non-threatening enough to be accepted by the mainstream.

Now Williams, an Oscar winner for the drama "Good Will Hunting," tackles a serious gay role in the psychological thriller The Night Listener which opens Friday. It is based on the novel by the openly gay Armistead Maupin (Tales of the City).

Williams plays a gay radio host who begins speaking to a young boywith AIDS on the telephone who is supposedly his biggest fans. But questions arise about the boy's identity and the life of Williams' character is thrown into chaos. This is based on a real-life experience of Maupin, who has known Williams for 30 years.

Bobby Cannavale, who played Will's boyfriend (once he FINALLY got one!) in "Will & Grace" plays gay again as the ex-boyfriend of Williams' character who he just painfully split with after a 10 year relationship. Toni Collette and Sandra Oh also star.

Director Patrick Stettner told AfterElton.com: “The thing about Bobby [Cannavale] and Robin [Williams] is that they are both open souls. There's a lot of warmth there and there's something very real about their screen relationship.�

Stettner says he knew the two stars were up to the challenge of playing gay lovers in a serious and honest way. “Cannavale has played a lot of gay men before,� he says, “so I don't think it was an issue for him. Robin understood from the big get-go that this was not 'The Birdcage.' This was different—very matter-of-fact—and we're all very proud of that.�

Now, I know there is a way to write this post without admitting that I was once a regular viewer of "Saved By The Bell" but I have Mel Gibson fatigue and don't quite have my wits about me. Obviously, I wasn't watching the silly show for Screech or even the adorable Elizabeth Berkley, Lark Voorhies and Tiffani Theissan. It was all about Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zach) and Mario Lopez (Slater).

And they both have grown up so well. Gosselaar has gone on to well-deserved adult stardom in "NYPD Blue" and "Commander in Chief" with Mario Lopez finding many different ways to stay in the show business spotlight. Lopez played openly gay Olympic swimmer Greg Louganis in the television movie "Breaking the Surace" but has rarely had the chance to shine in such a great role since. Instead, he's become a popular host on such shows as "The Other Half," "America's Most Talented Kid," "Miss Teen USA" and "Pet Star" and even spent a year hosting a Los Angeles morning radio show.

But, clearly, Lopez has a face, and body, for television - not radio.

And both will be on display in the third episode of "Nip/Tuck" when it begins its fourth season on F/X. Lopez has been cast as an "infuriatingly fit" plastic surgeon who meets Julian McMahon's character at the gym. They then have what has been described by TV Guide as "a homoerotic encounter." I'm not sure what's in store but one thing I do know: we're not at Bayside High School anymore!

Between Ellen DeGeneres' landmark ABC sitcom "Ellen" (on which her coming out was something of a national event) and her current Emmy-winning daytime talk show, DeGeneres starred for less than a season on a little-seen CBS sitcom "The Ellen Show."

Recently released on DVD, I watched a number of the 18 episodes that were produced and was struck by several things: the first of which was that in the very first episode, Ellen's character is just casually out as a lesbian, not a big deal. No "Yep, I'm Gay" Time Magazine cover or guest spots by Laura Dern and Oprah Winfey or tabloid stories about Anne Heche! On the 2001 series, Ellen is just a gay dot.com exec who ditches the rat race to work as a high school guidance counselor in her hometown.

The DeGeneres timing is impeccable but I was also struck by the fact that it just wasn't all that funny. It was one of those shows that is amusing and clever and might elicit several chuckles, but not big laughs or momenjts that stay with you. Still, I gotta say, the talented Cloris Leachman (Oscar winner, multiple Emmy winner) is terrific as Ellen's kooky mom. There's also a wonderful reunion in one of the later episodes between Leachman and Mary Tyler Moore who co-starred as Mary and Phylls in that classic 70s sitcom. And in that episode, look for a brief cameo from Ed Asner (Lou Grant).

MTM is a big fan of Ellen's and vice-versa with Moore also doing a guest stint on "Ellen" during its four year run on ABC. Speaking of that show, the fourth seasonof "Ellen" (coming out episode included) is out on DVD Aug. 8.

Mel Gibson's way with words have him in some seriously hot water. But his anti-Semitic outburst during his drunk driving arrest in Malibu last Friday was not the first time the "The Passion of the Christ" director has made seriously disparaging remarks about his fellow human beings.

Back in 1992, Gibson caused an uproar among gays when during an interview with a Spanish newspaper, he made a graphic remark about anal sex as he complains about being "labeled" as gay because he's an actor. He then goes on to label every gay with these remarks: "But with this look, who's going to think that I'm gay? It would be hard to take me for someone like that. Do I sound like a homosexual? Do I talk like them? Do I move like them? What happens is when you're an actor, they stuck that label on you."

He no doubt lost many gay fans at that point but things got worse when Gibson was asked in a 1995 Playboy interview about prostests made by GLAAD over his disparaging statements three years earlier: "I'll apologize when hell freezes over.

When Gibson starred in and directed 1993's "The Man Without a Face," the film heterosexualized the gay leading character of the novel on which it was based. Then in his Oscar-winning "Braveheart," Gibson drew fire for including one of the negative gay portrayals in recent film history in scenes with Great Britain's Edward II whose lover is casually pushed out a window to his death.

It seemed that Gibson was offering an olive branch of sorts when he conducted a seminar in 1997 for a group of lesbian and gay filmmakers. But he was unrepentent about any of his remarks or filmmaking decisions that gays had found so offensive.

With his looks and talent, Gibson obviously had many gay fans early in his career but he lost many of them in the 90s. It's hard to beieve that this is the same guy, who in one of his first films, "Summer City," playfully kissed one of his friends on the mouth in the back seat of a car as they were on their way to the beach. It was Gibson's first onscreen kiss!

Lasrt year, Gibson spoke out about the kiss he shared with actor Steve Bisley (who later appeared with Gibson in the first "Mad Max" movie pictured below) saying he was "ashamed" of the smooch.

"It was a cheap, nasty movie that was cranked out in three weeks on a tiny budget," Gibson said.

He won the role during his graduation year at Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art and complained that he never received the $450 he was promised for performing in the film.