Recently in Out Personalities Category

The first time I met Judge David Young, he was kind of a good luck charm. He was presiding over a lunchtime drawing at the National Gay & Lesbian Journalists Assn. convention in San Diego and pulled me name out of a hat and I won some DVDs!

The judge and I were face-to-face again on the red carpet of the Daytime Emmy Awards recently. He was up for an award and was there with his partner, Judge Scott Bernstein.

"Judge David Young" premiered last September and made Young the first openly gay TV judge. He presides over small claims court cases on the show, far different from the
America West Flight 556 case - in which two America West Airlines pilots were convicted of trying to fly a plane while drunk - which he presided over while still oin the bench.

Does being gay make a difference when you're a judge? "I dress better than most," he joked. "No. When you decide cases, you decide cases on law, based upon fact."

His thoughts on the recent gay marriage ruling by the California Supreme Court: "Marriage is the last bastion of discrimination that we have in this country and it's time that the walls come knocking down and I'm very happy with what happened in California."

The judge said that when gay marriage is legalized in his home state of Florida, he and Bernstein will get married.

How did they meet?"We met at a law firm Christmas party," he said. "We've been together 13 years."

Here's a another picture of Lance Bass and Kathy Griffin from earlier this week. I didn't realize Lance was still dropping his pants for girls! He's so cute.

Reichen Lemkuhl and Ryan Berry were the picture of bliss the other night at The Abbey during the Love and Pride Commitment Ceremony. The two best looking guys in the room were both wearing white but they aren't getting married anytime soon. "That's the question of the day," Ryan remarked to me after the umpteenth time he was asked about it.

The couple had a widely-publicized falling out a few months ago but have clearly patched things up. Reichen told me: "We're doing OK. We're happy to be here. We're not getting married today but we're really happy for those that can."

Ryan added: "I say ditto."

Even though he and Ryan and not ready to take the marital plunge, I wanted to get Reichen's thoughts on same-sex marriage becoming legal in California: "I thought, 'Finally. It's about time.' It just makes sense. It's a situation where you really weigh the constitutionality of taking away someone's rights. It just doesn't work in this country."

It had slipped Reichen's mind that season three of "Dante's Cove" was released on Tuesday but he was happy to talk about the show that has given him his most substantial acting role to date. He more than held his own among the more experienced cast and will be back for the fourth season as Trevor.

"He had a little bit of actiivity last season when he was new to Dante's Cove but rumor has it that he's coming back with a vengeance this season so I'm excited about that. We were going to start production this summer but the scare of an actors strike has sort of halted everything. So we're waiting to hear when it makes more sense to go ahead and start production because we';ll be shooting either in Hawaii or New Zealand. You don't want to get all your stuff out there if everyone's on strike. But it is going to happen, it's just a matter of when."

Ryan is busy too these days and on Thursday hosted a LA Gay Pride Kick-off bash held by Armani and Out Magazine benefitting the Young Professional's Council: "I support anything that helps people come out and being true to themselves and shaking off that double life," he said.

If you are a "Sex and the City" fan then ya gotta go out and buy the new issue of "Entertainment Weekly." It's got 63 pages of "Sex" including a recap and grade for every single episode of the show's six-year run.

I'll be puling stuff from it all week is my guess and will start by sharing some of Mario Cantone's short interview. He, of course, started as Charlotte's (Kristin Davis) wedding planner on the show and evolved into her personal stylist and more.

On hitting the big screen: "I did 10 days on it and have lots of chunks of funniness throughout it. It was a blast. It happened very quickly. I was just glad to be a part of it."

On strange fan encounters: "The men are always like, 'My girlfriend loves you.' And I'm like, 'And you? And what about you?'"

On our "Sex"-crazed culture: You go to Italy and people are talking to you in Italian and pantomining a TV box and pointing at you. It's so weird."

...oh heck, it looks like he's probably just with a trainer but, MADE YA LOOK! Lance is seen here coming out of the Equinox gym in South Beach...Happy Friday!

It is so fun to see all the attention Rami Kashou got and continues to get after his top-four finish on "Project Runway." I've known Rami socially for 3-4 years and from the very beginning, was so impressed with his drive and his passion. He's also a fantastic cook!

We did our first on-the-record chat at the GLAAD Media Awards a few weeks ago that I want to share but first some bio from Rami's MySpace page: Known for his dramatic red carpet gowns, Rami Kashou has draped the silhouettes of celebrities and trendsetters such as ,Jessica Alba, Jennifer Lopez, Portia De Rossi, Fergie, Amy Smart, Lucy Lui, Tracee Ellis Ross, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Penelope Cruz and Shiva Rose to name a few. His designs have been seen on the pages of In Style, Flaunt, Vogue, Lucky, Elle, Angelino, Interview, People and Us Weekly. Kashou was also commissioned to design the costumes for the March 2005 America's Next Top Model ad campaign that resided on billboards across the nation.

Greg: This is Rami who I knew way back when. So how is this whole fame thing working out for you?
Rami: You know, I see it as recognition, like being recognized for what it is that I do. So in a way, it's great. I don't view it so much as fame. People like my work and my product and being recognized for that is such an honor.

Greg: How has business changed for you? (I remember when Rami worked out of his apartment!)
Rami: A lot of things are happening fast. Working with new celebrities. One new client who I love is Heidi Klum which is amazing. I just designed something for her. I dressed for a the Hot Hollywood Party."

Rami told me he will appear on HSN on May 15 with Scoop Boutique where he will be selling one of his exclusive designs. He was set to meet with Becki Newton of "Ugly Betty" last week and just dressed Kelly Ripa.

"There's been all these wonderful things," Rami said. "And other things are in the making."

At this point, a handler grabs Rami and drags him to the Bravo interviewer so we agree to do another on-the-record chat soon. Meanwhile, here is a clip of Rami's appearance on "The Tyra Banks Show" where "young designers to watch" were profiled:

The very animated and enthusiastic Ross Mathews - best known as Ross the intern from "The Tonight Show" - called me Wednesday morning just moments after making his first appearance on "Good Day LA."

"I had co-hosted 'The View' and couldn't for the life of me get booked on 'Good Day LA,'" he said as he was being driven home from the studio (yes, they send a driver). "When I moved out to LA all by myself, they were like the first thing that felt familiar."

Ross didn't have to worry about the camera adding 10 pounds. It's been more than a year since he finished shedding a whopping 70 pounds by participating on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club."

"To maintain it, I have to eat healthy," he said. "One Cheeto and I'd plump right back up."

Ross, 28, ate a lot of his meals at a Koo Koo Roo restaurant where he was particularly fond of the squash. He was horrified to go in one day and discover they had taken it off the menu! He blogged out it and the chain was flooded with feedback.
"I thought they were going to call their lawyers but instead, they told me they were bringing it back, calling it "Ross Squash," and wanted me to be their spokesman," Ross
squealed. "Right now, I'm on 40 busses throughout LA. I feel like I'm president of the company, I want it to go nationwide!"

He still has his day job on Jay Leno's show though. He was an intern while in college and at the last minute was sent to cover the premiere of "Ocean's 11" where his giggly persona was a hit with viewers and with Jay.

It changed his life. He's gone shopping with Gwyneth Paltrow in London, interviewed Elizabeth Taylor, gone skydiving and on May 14, guest stars on the NBC soap "Days of Our Lives." His dream is to be a talk show host but acting is also a lot of fun.

"I always say every Oprah has their 'Color Purple,'" he said. "They wrote the part for me and 'Days' shoots right down the street from my office so I told them, 'Any time you want me I'll just pop on down.' I have no shame!"

Ross thinks he knows why that first appearance on Leno's show has stretched into a years-long gig. He also produces and hosts a web-show on nbc.com with Tonight Show announcer John Melendez called "The John & Ross Show."

"I honestly think it's about the fact that I'm always honest and I'm sort of like the underdog, not the norm," he said. "I'm here in this city which can be hard for people, I've
somehow made my way in. I'm honest about feeling like I don't belong sometimes."

So I'm listening to the tape of my conversation with designer Tom Ford from the GLAAD Awards and all I can say is that you have to do so many back-to-back-to-back interviews on the red carpet that sometimes you just blurt things out. That's my excuse for the following exchange and I'm sticking to it.

Greg: "Here's Tom Ford, THE Tom Ford. Oh, you really are this handsome.
Tom: Awe...you're a FLIRT! Good! Go ahead! Flirt away!

I quickly regain my professional composure and we start to chat about his being at the awards to present an award to the late photographer Herb Ritts which was accepted by his friend, Cindy Crawford. Tom himself was honored by GLAAD last year.

I had to know, "Tom, are you glad there's GLAAD?"
Tom: "GLAAD is a great organization. GLAAD helps promote a fair view of a broad range of people with different lives, different personalities - gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender. It helps breaks down stereotype, it helps break down prejudice through promoting the fair depiction of people who might be, you know, different from one another. All of us in our culture and in our society deserve to be who we are and that's key."

I remarked on how visible Tom has been lately, appearing on the cover of Vanity Fair and the cover of OUT. Is he enjoying the higher profile?
Tom: "Before, I was working for another company and now I have my own brand and my own company and I am in a certain sense the face of my brand. I'm also the spirit of my brand. It's my company! Of course it's fun. I love my job, I love what I do but I'm not taken in or fooled by it. What I love doing is designing beautiful things, I love working, I love building things, I love making things. The rest of it is a kind of benefit. But it's not something that drives me. I'm not driven to see my face on the cover of a magazine."

Greg: But we like it there!

Good God! Yes, I said that. Real cool huh? They are gonna start keeping me away from celebs, I'm starting to act like Lucy Ricardo when she met William Holden!

This is so nice to hear. Sam Harris, the mega-talented singer and actor, has been attracting quite a following with a series of video blog appearances which has him sharing bits of his life and interviewing famous friends like Rosie O'Donnell. He announces in the above video that this has led to a talk show with Lifetime!

I'm a big fan of Sam's and in watching the above video, it's so nice to see a man so happy. He and partner Danny also recently adopted a baby boy named Cooper and Sam has a new album on tap: "My life is in check, my priorities are in check, I'm very, very blessed," he said. "My life could not be any fuller or any richer."

This week's episode of "How I Met Your Mother" featured Emmy-nominated Neil Patrick Harris shirtless! We don't often get to see how hunky he is! He's so smart, talented and witty that I don't think we objectify him enough! It's been a heady weeks for NHP with his "Harold and Kumar" sequel doing better-than-expected business at the box office.

Here is a clip from NPH's recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel:

There has been some serious problems with the blog system today so my posts are taking a long time to publish - if they do at all. I'm trying tho!

Today is the Day of Silence which takes on a lot more meaning because of the horrible death of teenager Lawrence King who was allegedly shot in the head by a classmate he apparently had a crush on.

TR,Knight, speaking with students at Miguel Contreras Learning Complex's School of Social Justice, said "straight guys feel so threatened by us - look at me, I'm not going to hurt you!"

He said crushes are completely natural and while they may be a nuisance for the object of affection, they are most certainly not a license to kill.

I watched a screener of Robert Gant's new flick "Kiss Me Deadly" in preparation of our interview next week. It was great to see him in a lead role like this as an ex-spy turned photographer who is dragged back into his old life. He is strong and sexy and in just about every scene! Robert dons his best James Bond tux for Instinct's May cover to promote the upcoming spy flick which debuts next week on here! Networks and co-stars Shannen Doherty. "Our movie shows that the gay guy can kick ass," he tells Instinct, "that the gay guy can be the hero."

Here is some video from his cover shoot:

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VIDEO BONUS: I came across this episode of "Nip/Tuck" on which Robert guest stars. It's so bizarre and the woman who plays his horny elderly wife is an absolute hoot!

FROM DOOGIE TO KUMAR: Neil Patrick Harris and his boyfriend, actor David Burtka, are pictured here at the premiere of "Harold and Kumar go to Guantanamo Bay," a sequel that features NPH as an exaggerated version of himself. Very exaggerated...

KISSING THE GROOM: Here is actor Philipp Karner at last week's premiere of his new film "Kiss the Bride." He plays the high school best friend - and former lover - of the groom who shakes things up when he returns home for the wedding.

As part of this year's Day of Silence (April 25) commemorating those lost to anti-gay violence, Lance Bass has taped a message speaking out against homophobia.
Former boy bander and forever homosexual Lance Bass came out against homophobia for this year's Day of Silence, which commemorates those lost to anti-gay violence. This year, the day honors Lawrence King, the 15-year-old high school student who was shot by a classmate (allegedly at this point) on whom he apparently had a crush.

Says Bass: "I heard about Lawrence on the news, and it was just incredible to me that kids that age that would have such an issue ... with the subject of being gay."

With his leading man looks and overwhelming talent, it was only a matter of time before Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson hit the big screen. The star of "Xanadu" has just signed on to appear in director Chuck Griffith's highly anticipated, New York-inspired film, "Shifting the Canvas."

The film that tells the story about a group of artists living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn who struggle to maintain a rather dysfunctional family of friends in a post-9/11 world challenged by gentrification, deception and sterilization. The openly gay actor will be playing Jens, a straight Ivy League type who works on Wall Street with Denton, a young gay character recently relocated to New York from the South, who is trying to reconcile his newfound sexuality and relationship with everybody around him.

The film will also star Scott Thompson (Kids in the Hall), John Paul Pitoc (Trick), Gedde Watanabe (Sixteen Candles), Matthew Montgomery (Long-Term Relationship) and various cameo appearances by New York nightlife icons.

After undergoing a lumpectomy and radiation in 2006,Cynthia Nixon has gone public with her battle against breast cancer. It is so nice to see a big star who is so articulate and who can make a real difference in raising awareness and stressing the importance of mamograms.

Hooray!

We have another successful TV actor who has publicly come out. Luke MacFarlane, who plays Scotty on "Brothers and Sisters," gave an interview to Canada's Globe & Mail and publicly acknowledged that he is a gay man. This comes as no surprise given that he had been linked to TR Knight and there was much Internet speculation over his friendship with "Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller. But it is a wonderful thing and, I think, will make him more high-profile than ever. Look what it has done for TR and for Neil Patrick Harris.

Here is an excerpt from the article: "Though no secret to his family and close friends, Macfarlane has, until now, been guarded about his personal life as a gay man. Over lunch in Los Angeles, where he lives, he initially insists that he has no concerns about his public revelation - but a few seconds later he is shifting nervously in his chair, and concedes that he is 'terrified.' ... 'I don't know what will happen professionally ... that is the fear, but I guess I can't really be concerned about what will happen, because it's my truth. There is this desire in L.A. to wonder who you are and what's been blaring for me for the last three years is how can I be most authentic to myself - so this is the first time I am speaking about it in this way.'"

He also talked about future plotlines on "Brothers and Sisters" that, I believe, have him and Kevin (Matthew Rhys) getting hitched. Here's what he says about it: "From a standing outside perspective, and also as someone who is gay, I think that it's a very exciting time. How exciting that we're saying, 'This can be part of the cultural fabric, now,' because it is two series regulars, two people that you invite into your home and you see every week. It's telling of the beginning of more waves and I'm very proud of that...Most importantly, in portraying gay people, the more we realize it's just like portraying anybody else and, gay marriage, it's not about two people being gay, it's about two people who love each other and who have decided to commit to each other for the exact same reasons any other couple would get married. Hopefully, the more that becomes part of the cultural awareness it won't be...(he pauses and says, employing a mock, exaggerated voice of a television announcer)...a spectacular Sunday episode."

The bad news: country music is really not George Takei's strong point. The good news: the show he sang on, "Secret Talents of the Stars," was cancelled after one episode! I love George and one of the judges, Debbie Reynolds, but let's bring back scripted television!

Sam Harris, the extraordinary singer and Broadway star who I loved as Perry Pearl on "The Class," has just posted a video blog with some extraordinary news: he and partner Danny Jacobson have adopted a little boy. The baby arrived at their home on Monday and Sam says his name is Cooper Atticus Harris-Jacobson.

"He is beautiful and he is perfect...he's here and he's ours," an emotional but composed Sam says.

See Sam's message for yourself but don't expect to see any footage of little Cooper just yet: "Danny and I have decided not to show you Cooper ... Certainly in awhile we will....I know you understand that."

Congratulations to the sensational Sam and to Danny on their bundle of joy. This was such a happy story that I'm late to a dinner because I had to post it right now!

Kevin Spacey just leaves me cold. That's probably why I find this item sp much fun to share: It seems that Spacey, whose new film "21" is currently nimber one at the box office, has dismissed the UK reality show "I'll Do Anything" as nothing more than a plug for Andrew Lloyd Webber.

John Barrowman, a judge on the show had this to say to Spacey during an interview on Capital Radio: "You know what, shut up! It's promoting theatre. Maybe he's a bit upset because his plays just aren't hits."

Ouch!!!

It's always so great to see an actual gay person on the cover of The Advocate instead of just a gay-friendly one or someone who plays gay. That's what makes the cover story on Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson (in "Xanadu" through July) all the more exciting.

Here are some excerpts:

"The first time that I knew I was gay -- I think I was, like, 7 -- I was watching this Valentine's Day Popeye cartoon episode that would play every year. There was this scene where Popeye was captured by Brutus, tied up with no shoes or socks on, and Brutus starts tickling his feet. I remember getting a little boner, and I didn't know what it was about that scene that was creating that, but I knew that it was something naughty that I couldn't tell anybody, and I definitely knew it was something that made me different. But every year, I couldn't wait for that episode."

On coming out publicly: "It wasn't something I planned on doing," he recalls, "but I've been out to my family since I'm 19. The interviewer kind of said, 'And you're gay, right?' I didn't even think about it and said, 'Yeah.' I could've, in a frenzy, had people call him to retract it, but I thought, Let's see what happens. People worry about someone who's an up-and-comer and so open about it, but I feel like if I don't make it an issue, it's not going to be an issue. ... To be frank," he says, "I think I've missed out on big parts because I'm open. I've screen-tested on some really big projects, and you can't tell me that behind closed doors big execs aren't like, 'We have Dean Cain or this gay guy who played Elvis on Broadway.' I'm not that naive to think that that doesn't play into it."

On his relationship with the gay media: "Look, I'm not somebody that marches in the front of a gay pride parade, but if I wanted to, I would. I'm not a self-loathing gay; I just feel like being gay is the least interesting thing about me. But I also understand that people want to be represented, and I'm happy to be that for them--to a point."

On coming out to his family: "We called a family meeting," he recalls, "and I said, 'Well, I think families should be close and know everything about each other, so it's time that you knew I was gay.' " Met with both shocked silence and sobbing, his brother began reading a letter Jackson had written detailing his journey and first memories -- "but not the Popeye memory," he adds. After his bomb's fallout dissipated, he and his family didn't discuss the topic for about two years. "I just separated myself from them. I realized that they had to mourn their ideas of what they thought my life would be. I wasn't going to be the first to have kids, which they'd always thought, because I was a Sunday School teacher and the only guy on the block that babysat. So I had to give them time."

On his brother, a regular preacher on The 700 Club: "He thinks that being gay is something that can be prayed away, or that maybe you didn't have strong male influences growing up -- which couldn't be further from the truth for me, because my father is a Native American Vietnam vet, and we were very close. I love my brother dearly, but it's come to a point where we just don't talk about religion or politics. It's the only way that our relationship can work."

To read the entire article, gfo to Advocate.com