February 2012 Archives

William Frawley, Vivian Vance (aka Fred and Ethel Mertz) to be inducted into TV Academy Hall of Fame

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on February 29, 2012 1:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences loves Fred and Ethel Mertz.

William Frawley and Vivian Vance will be inducted posthumously into the Academy's Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Thursday at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

Lucille Ball was included in the first Hall of Fame class in 1984. Desi Arnaz was inducted posthumously in 1990.

Vance was the first actress to win an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Supporting Actress" in 1954 for her portrayal of Ethel Mertz. She also played Ball's sidekick for six years (1962-1968) in the follow-up series "The Lucy Show." Vance made six guest appearances from 1968 to 1972 on Ball's third Lucy-themed series "Here's Lucy."

Vance died from cancer in 1979 at the age of 70.

After "I Love Lucy," Frawley went on to star in the sitcom "My Three Sons" as the live-in grandfather-housekeeper, Bud O'Casey. His last TV appearance was a special guest role in 1965 on "The Lucy Show" as a horse trainer. He died the following year at the age of 79.

The others TV personalities to be inducted in the hall of fame are "The Jeffersons" and "Amen" star Sherman Hemsley, "Real World" creators Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray, former Walt Disney Co. CEO Michael Eisner, "Sábado Gigante" gameshow host Don Francisco, lighting designer Bill Klages and producer Chuck Lorre. Bunim died in 2004.

(Vivian Vance and William Frawley in a publicity photo from "I Love Lucy." Courtesy of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences)

'Lay off the prune juice, Long Beach Pride,' columnist says

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on February 29, 2012 12:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Is Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride a tired, archaic festival in need of a revitalization?

Brian Addison, a columnist at GetoutLB.com, thinks so.

On the website earlier this month, he wrote a column titled "Lay off the prune juice: How Long Beach Pride needs to grow young," Addison lamented a lack of change at organization, and encouraged the members to reform themselves and reach out to younger members in the gay community.

And by younger, Addison means anyone under the age of 30.

Addison makes some valid points. Having consecutively attended the festival the last five years, I can say it seems stale and redundant. Creativity is lacking in the entertainment acts - especially when you consider we are in the shadow of the entertainment industry.

Audiences should be seeing top-notch gay and lesbian bands, the best LA has to offer, but, alas, we don't. And the DJ tents are a train wreck of mismatched beats.

Continue reading 'Lay off the prune juice, Long Beach Pride,' columnist says.

Daniel Radcliffe reads gay 'Harry Potter' fan fiction

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on February 29, 2012 12:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley are secret lovers?

That was the storyline earlier this month when "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe appeared on Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live."

Radcliffe, 22, was on the program to promote his new film "The Woman in Black, and host Andy Cohen asked him to read an excerpt of gay Harry Potter fan fiction.

Radcliffe read about his character's gay feelings for his best friend: "When they were together like this, intimate as lovers, Harry felt alive...like nothing could stop him from cherishing Ron in this way."

Previous to Radcliffe's randy reading, Cohen rolls a clip of Ralph Fiennes' (aka Lord Voldemort), days earlier, doing a similar reading:

"Harry tried hard not to moan when Voldemort stroked him. How is it possible that the touch of this evil man could feel so wickedly good?"

Abracadabra!!!

Bradley Manning, U.S. soldier accused of leaking material to WikiLeaks, nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

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on February 28, 2012 1:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

From the Associated Press

OSLO, Norway - The Nobel Peace Prize jury says 231 nominations were submitted for this year's award, with publicly disclosed candidates including a former Ukrainian prime minister and the gay U.S. soldier accused of leaking classified material to WikiLeaks, a spokesman said.

The secretive committee doesn't reveal who has been nominated, but those with nomination rights sometimes announce their picks. They include Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army private charged with the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history, Russian human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina and former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Norwegian Nobel Committee secretary Geir Lundestad told the AP on Monday that "The list of nominees is a mixture of repeated nominations and some new names."

(Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, charged in the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history, was nominated for a Nobel Prize. AP Photo/Patrick Semans.)

Lily Tomlin cast as Reba McEntire's mom in ABC pilot

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on February 28, 2012 1:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Lily Tomlin is cast as Reba McEntire mother in the pilot for the ABC sitcom "Malibu Country," Deadline reports.

The pilot will focus on McEntire's character, Reba Gallagher, a divorcee who moves from Nashville to Malibu to restart her singing career. Tomlin will play "Shirley, Reba's classically Southern, warm and funny (not always intentionally) mother who joins the family in their move from Nashville to Malibu," Deadline reports.

Tomlin, 72, visited Long Beach last May and attended a special screening of the documentary "Teach Your Children Well, which explores the harassment, bullying and violence of LGBT students.

The documentary, which Tomlin narrates, was made by Long Beach-based movie makers Gary Takesian and Steven Roche.

(Lily Tomlin rides in a car during the 2011 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade on March 5, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Christopher Plummer wins Oscar for gay widower role

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on February 27, 2012 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

By Anthony McCartney, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES - Christopher Plummer may be the oldest Oscar winner ever, but he's not showing any signs of slowing down.

The 82-year-old came on stage Sunday night to accept his best supporting actor award for his role in "Beginners" as Hal Fields, a museum director who becomes openly gay after his wife of 44 years dies. His loving, final relationship becomes an inspiration for his son, who struggles with his father's death and how to find intimacy in a new relationship.

Plummer stared at the golden statuette before remarking on how great it looked.

"You're only two years older than me darling, where have you been all of my life?" Plummer asked.

At birth, he joked, "I was already rehearsing my academy acceptance speech, but it was so long ago mercifully for you I've forgotten it."

The humor and heartfelt one he delivered Sunday night wasn't that original version, he said, but, "I haven't forgotten who to thank."

(Christopher Plummer accepts the Oscar for best actor in a supporting role for Beginners during the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Continue reading Christopher Plummer wins Oscar for gay widower role.

Raging Stallion model Roman Ragazzi commits suicide

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on February 25, 2012 10:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Dror Barak, aka Raging Stallion model Roman Ragazzi, committed suicide Saturday in New York City, a coroner's spokeswoman said.

Barak, 38, died from an overdose of Zolpidem and insulin, said Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman with the New York City Medical Examiner's Office.

Barak appeared in the February issue of Out magazine in a fashion story titled "New York's Finest."

Barak was outed in 2007 by New York Post's Page Six while working at the Israeli consulate and making gay porn. He resigned from the Israeli consulate after the New York Post asked him if he was working with a gay porn site.

Raging Stallion head Chris Ward (who named Roman Ragazzi Raging Stallion's Man of the Year in 2008) said, "He was probably the hottest man I have ever filmed -- a massive man of pure beauty, intelligence and kindness," according to an article in Out.

(Photo by Marcelo Krasilcic from Out magazine)

Saturday vigil for Chapman University law professor who championed gay rights

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on February 24, 2012 1:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

A Chapman University law professor who championed marriage equality and gay rights committed suicide last Friday, the Orange County Register reports.

Mary Katherine Baird Darmer, 47, fell from a six-story parking structure in Irvine and was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, where she was pronounced dead.

The official cause of death was injuries suffered from the fall, which Investigator Kelly Keyes of the Orange County coroner's office said was a suicide, the Register reports.

A vigil is scheduled for Saturday in Newport Beach, according to the Orange County Equality Coalition.

Darmer was known as an advocate for marriage equality and an opponent of discrimination based on gender or orientation.

Darmer received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University with high honors, and her law degree from Columbia University, where she served as articles editor of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law.

She clerked on the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York before joining the New York law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell. She began teaching at Chapman in 2000, specializing in criminal law and constitutional law.

(Mary Katherine Baird Darmer was known as a champion of gay rights and marriage equality. Photo by Joshua Sudock, The Orange County Register)

Los Angeles billboard showing dog in Ellen DeGeneres costume is removed

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on February 24, 2012 1:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

An Ohio woman who hoped to get her pet dog on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" has been ordered to remove a Cahuenga Pass billboard that pictures her pooch in a blond wig with the message, "Ellen, Denali the Dog Wants to Meet You," the Los Angeles Times reports.

The offending promotion showed Denali wearing a white dress shirt and necktie, a plaid sports jacket with upturned collar, and a blond wig reminiscent of DeGeneres' own hairstyle.

(Denali the dog. Photo by Madalyn Ruggiero)

Rio de Janeiro's Carnival a big draw for gay tourists

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on February 24, 2012 12:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

From the Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO -- It took Dutch tourist Adriaan little time after landing in Rio to pick out his favorite spot during Carnival, the five-day party that officially ended Wednesday.

A 35-year-old graphic designer, he found his niche at the gay meeting point on Ipanema beach, where palm fronds and rainbow flags wave in the balmy ocean breeze, and tanned, well-muscled young men strut about in swim suits that reveal more than they conceal. Conversation failed to distract the tall, blond visitor from his careful perusal of the bathers rinsing off salt water at an open-air shower in a ritual that was equal parts bathing and public display of bodies toned to perfection.

"This is just beautiful," he said while sitting on the beach in the gayest neighborhood of a city routinely ranked as a top destination for gay tourists.

"We have a lot of gay people at home, it's very normal, no big deal. But it's not like this: so many people, in the sun, partying together. This is like a candy shop!"

(Drum queen Antonia Fontenelle, from Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel samba school, dances during carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 19, 2012. Photo: Silvia Izquierdo, Associated Press / AP)

Continue reading Rio de Janeiro's Carnival a big draw for gay tourists.

Long Beach lesbian boxer's Olympic bid ends

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on February 21, 2012 5:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

LONG BEACH - Patricia Manuel was almost an Olympic contender.

The 26-year-old Long Beach resident wanted to punch her way into history as one of the first women to represent the United States in boxing when the sport debuts in the 2012 Olympics in London.

It will be the first time women will enter the ring at the international event, competing in three weight categories. Last week, the 132-pound, 5-foot-6-inch Manuel traveled to Spokane, Wash., for the inaugural women's Olympic boxing trials where 24 women competed in three classes.

But Manuel lost her first fight when an old shoulder injury flared up, causing chronic pain whenever her shoulder was touched or she lifted it, she said.

As a result of her pain, Manuel's trainer, Roberto Luna, pulled her out of the five remaining fights she needed to win to qualify in her class for the World Amateur Boxing Championships in China, which take place May 9-20.

Continue reading Long Beach lesbian boxer's Olympic bid ends.

Kelly Rowland will perform at the Factory in West Hollywood on Sunday

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on February 17, 2012 7:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Kelly Rowland takes over The Factory in West Hollywood Sunday night.

The former Destiny's Child singer will be performing for Club Papi LA's 12th anniversary party.

Advance tickets are available.

Since leaving Destiny's Child, Rowland, 32, charted two hit dance songs, "When Love Takes Over" with DJ David Guetta and "Commander."

Apart from Rowland, the event features free vodka drinks 9-10 p.m. and a chance to win free tickets to Monica Naranjo.

The 21-and-over party goes from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

(Kelly Rowland arrives at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on Feb. 12. Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Black History Month: 11 living LGBT legends

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on February 17, 2012 5:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Author Leyla Farah ("Black, Gifted and Gay") writes a column on the Huffington Post lamenting the intentional omission of gay and lesbian black leaders from celebrations about Black History Month.

"Black, LGBT icons like Bayard Rustin, Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, and others are often either overlooked entirely or stripped of their sexuality when they're included in the canon of mainstream African-American history.

"Similarly, when today's leaders in the African-American community are acknowledged, the LGBT community is rarely represented."

But Farah takes lemons and turns them into lemonade - listing 11 living gay and lesbian black legends. Or, if these names aren't familiar to you, they should be. Get with the program.

Lee Daniels, Angela Davis, Alice Walker, Don Lemon and John Amaechi are saluted on her list.

Black, gay and proud.

(Activist Angela Davis attends Black Girls Rock! 2011 at the Paradise Theater in New York City on Oct. 15. Photo by John W. Ferguson/Getty Images)

'Glee''s Chris Colfer joins George Clooney in '8,' play about Prop. 8 gay marriage trial

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on February 15, 2012 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

"Glee" star Chris Colfer, Kevin Bacon and John C. Reilly joined the all-star cast of "8," organizers said.

Oscar winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black ("Milk") wrote the play, which is based on the transcripts of the 2010 Prop. 8 trial, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.

The one-night only performance will be directed by Rob Reiner and take place March 3 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.

George Clooney, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Lynch, Martin Sheen, Matt Bomer, Campbell Brown, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Cleve Jones, Christine Lahti, Matthew Morrison, Rory O'Malley, Yeardley Smith and George Takei also are in the cast.

Colfer, who won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Emmy for his performance as Kurt Hummel on Glee, joins other openly gay cast members Jane Lynch and Matt Bomer.

Colfer will portray Ryan Kendall who testified about his parents sending him to so-called "reparative therapy" as a teenager.

"People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter," Black told Gaystarnews. "I've built my career around exposing and uncovering 'the real story.'

"The goal of '8' is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right and that those who would deny this basic freedom from loving, committed couples have only vitriol and baseless hyperbole to fall back on," he said. "The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light. We are doing all we can to help speed that process along."

The play is being presented by American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact.

(George Clooney poses in the press room with the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama award for 'The Descendants' at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards. The event was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Long Beach filmmaker's 'LA Black Lesbians' to be screened Thursday night in Los Angeles

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on February 15, 2012 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Black religious institutions were indispensable during the Civil Rights Movement, but traditionally, the Black church does not welcome gays and lesbians - even though a significant number of the people attending Black churches are gay.

The documentary "LA Black Lesbians: The Black Church" (screening 8:20 p.m. Thursday as part of the Pan African Film and Arts Festival) examines how Black lesbians living in the Los Angeles metropolitan area perceive the church.

The women also discuss how they feel they are perceived by society, church leaders and their congregations.

The film is directed by Long Beach filmmaker Shea Harrison.

Jasmyne Cannick, Pat Munson, De'Mesha Spencer, TeRenna Rivera and Misty Bradley are interviewed in the film. A Q&A will follow the screening.

In other Pan African Film and Arts Festival news, festival organizers last Friday honored longtime LGBT and HIV/AIDS pioneer Jewel Thais-Williams with their Community Services Award.

Thais-Williams, founder of Jewel's Catch One in downtown Los Angeles, the longest-running Black gay disco in the world, also founded The Village Health Foundation, which runs an alternative health clinic for low-income people.

(One of the women interviewed in "LA Black Lesbians" discusses her life experiences.)

Long Beach boxer, who is out lesbian, fighting for Olympic glory

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on February 10, 2012 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Patricia Manuel hopes to punch her way into history.

The 26-year-old Long Beach resident is competing to be among the first women to represent the United States in boxing when the sport debuts in the 2012 Olympics in London.

It will be the first time women enter the ring at the international event, competing in three weight categories.

"Competing at the Olympics is the highest level of amateur sports and as a competitor," Manuel said recently, after four rounds of sparring at the Azteca Boxing Club in Bell.

"I want to achieve the greatest amount of success."

At a weight of 132 pounds, the 5-foot, 6-inch Manuel fights in the lightweight class - but her size can be deceiving, said her trainer, Roberto Luna.

She attacks quickly and has an aggressive style, he said.

"She used to be guided by her emotions, but now she has her emotions under control," he said.

With a 49-14 record, so far she has found success. She has won the three ranking national championships for amateur boxing: the Women's National Golden Gloves, the The United States National Boxing Championships, and the National Police Athletic League Championships.

(Long Beach boxer Patricia Manuel trains at the Azteca Boxing Club in Bell as she prepares for the upcoming U.S. Olympic boxing trials in Spokane, Wash. Manuel spars in the ring with fellow Olympic hopeful Tiffanie Ward. (Scott Varley / Staff Photographer)

Continue reading Long Beach boxer, who is out lesbian, fighting for Olympic glory.

Environmental photography exhibit on display at Hot Java

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on February 10, 2012 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

For Sophie L. Meunier, every drop counts.

As a budding photographer, Meunier believes if small intentions are combined, a huge difference is made.

The 30-year-old Long Beach resident puts that belief into practice with her debut photography exhibit, "Every. Drop. Counts.," which opens at Hot Java coffeehouse 6 tonight with an artist reception. It will be on display through March 5.

The show contains 18 pieces printed on metal in two series, "Every. Drop. Counts." and "The Artist, Ocean."

For the ocean series, Meunier, who was inspired by daily walks along the beach and beach clean-ups in Long Beach, wanted to show the ocean in a different way, she says.

"My goal was to get a different approach and not simply a shot of the beach, but the nuances of colors and reflections that take place in the ocean itself," Meunier says. "This is in a certain way, the ocean's own magic."

(The photograph "Lumière D'or" ("Light of Gold") is part of the series "The Artist, Ocean," by Sophie Meunier. Photo courtesy of Sophie L. Meunier.)

Continue reading Environmental photography exhibit on display at Hot Java.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts to play at Long Beach Grand Prix

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on February 10, 2012 12:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will provide the rock and the roar at this year's Tecate Light Rock-N-Roar Concert, part of the 38th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The race will take place April 13-15.

The concert will begin on the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center outdoor stage April 14, following racing activities, about 6:30 p.m. The concert is free to race ticket holders.

Jett, 53, a lesbian icon and leader of the hard-rocking Blackhearts, has released eight platinum and gold albums and nine Top 40 singles, including the classics "Bad Reputation," "I Love Rock 'N' Roll," "I Hate Myself for Loving You," "Do You Want to Touch," and "Crimson and Clover."

(Joan Jett and the Blackhearts perform the 18th Annual Race to Erase MS Gala at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel on April 29, 2011 in Century City. Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

'Gay Hist-Orgy' on stage at Long Beach Playhouse tonight, Saturday

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on February 10, 2012 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Ian MacKinnon says he has a lust for history.

His desire to learn about past events, and particularly people, is so strong it influenced his latest one-man show, "Ian MacKinnon's Gay Hist-Orgy!"

MacKinnon performs the piece 8 tonight and 8 p.m. Saturday at the Long Beach Playhouse. Tickets are $20 each.

In the show, MacKinnon, 35, wears a pair of time-traveling leather chaps and, with the assistance of a sexy genie, cruises a plethora of gay historical figures, including Plato, Rumi, Abraham Lincoln, Walt Whitman, Herman Melville, Fredrick the Great, Edward Carpenter, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Karl Ulrichs, Harry Hay and Allen Ginsberg.

MacKinnon hits on the historical men as their images are projected on multi-media video screens.

"I'm horny for history, and I'm looking for love as I cruise hot guys," MacKinnon says, chuckling.

But MacKinnon wants people to walk away from the performance with more than an appreciation for hot pants.

"I hope people walk away with a deeper appreciation for gay history and how it connects to our lives," he says. "I feel empowered when I relate to these gay icons, and I hope to pass that feeling along to the audience.

"I hope to spark their interest in learning more, and I hope to turn them on a bit too," MacKinnon says.

MacKinnon, who was born and raised in Madison, Wis., and resides in Studio City, first performed "Gay Hist-Orgy" about two years ago in West Hollywood.

"This is a history lesson veiled as performance art," he says.

(Ian MacKinnon, center, is surrounded by gay male icons (clockwise from left) James Baldwin, Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg.)

Black History Month: Bayard Rustin - the gay black man who mentored Martin Luther King, Jr.

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on February 9, 2012 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Bayard Rustin with Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1956.jpg

Bayard Rustin, a leader of the civil rights movement, mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. and chief organizer of the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, struggled much of his life against racism and homophobia.

Openly gay, he remained in the background for the sake of the movement, only to be sacrificed by its leaders as a political liability. Nevertheless, Rustin made crucial contributions to the civil rights movement and emerged as a gay rights activist.

Here is a copy of a 2003 article I wrote on Rustin. It was tied to the 40th anniversary of the March on Washington.

By Phillip Zonkel
Staff Writer

BAYARD RUSTIN had a dream.

As a tireless and pioneering crusader for civil rights, social justice and economic equality, his life rested on the bedrock conviction that ordinary people could change the world.

Rustin also practiced what he preached - He helped create the civil rights movement, mentored Martin Luther King, Jr. on the practice of nonviolent protest and was the architect of the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which took place 40 years ago today.

However, Rustin was openly gay and deemed a political liability. Many advisers in the civil rights movement told him to sit at the back of the bus.

"Rustin hardly appears in all the voluminous literature produced about the 1960s," says John D'Emilio, author of the book "Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin." "He's a man without a home in history."

Rustin has been lost in the shadows of history at least in part because he was a gay man in an era when the stigma attached to this was unrelieved."

Adds Angela Bowen, assistant professor of women's studies at Cal State Long Beach, "He was ostracized particularly by black leaders because they were homophobic. They said he would bring disgrace on them because he was gay.

"Bayard knew they were little minded, and he was ahead of his time," she says.

((Martin Luther King, Jr., left, walks with Bayard Rustin in this 1956 photo. Credit: Associated Press)

Continue reading Black History Month: Bayard Rustin - the gay black man who mentored Martin Luther King, Jr..

LGB2Network mixer Feb. 16 with Press-Telegram, Out in the 562 reporter Phillip Zonkel

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on February 8, 2012 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Yours truly will be the guest at LGB2Network's Thursday mixer at The Wine Down on Feb. 16.

The networking event takes place from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Wine Down is inside the Breakers Building, 210 E. Ocean Blvd.

I'll talk about Out in the 562, my work at the Press-Telegram and how business and organizations can get their stories in the newspaper and blog.

Admission is free and street parking is available.

It will be a fun evening. Come join us.

Long Beach gay community reacts to Prop. 8 decision

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on February 8, 2012 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

LONG BEACH - Charles Karel Bouley said it was a good day, but not a great day.

On Tuesday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals declared Proposition 8 unconstitutional, but gays and lesbians still are prohibited from receiving marriage licenses.

"I'm happy this is the second court that ruled Proposition 8 is unconstitutional, but they are still discriminating against gay people by not allowing marriages licenses to be issued," said the 49-year-old Long Beach resident and openly gay radio host.

"What we're really talking about is institutionalized bigotry, and the fact that we are having a debate about it is embarrassing," he said.

In the 2-1 decision, the federal appeals court struck down the voter-approved law that made same-sex marriage illegal in California.

"Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples," Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote in the decision.

The court concluded Proposition 8 violates the 14th Amendment rights of gay couples to equal protection under the law.

(Openly gay radio host and Long Beach resident Charles Karel Bouley said Tuesday was a "good day, but not a great day" following the Prop 8 decision. Photo: Charles Karel Bouley)

Continue reading Long Beach gay community reacts to Prop. 8 decision.

BREAKING: Ninth Circuit Court rules Prop 8 unconstitutional

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on February 7, 2012 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

By Howard Mintz

San Jose Mercury News

A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down Proposition 8, finding that California's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional because it deprives gay and lesbian couples of the equal right to wed.

With a decision that pushes the gay marriage issue a step closer to the U.S. Supreme Court, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld former San Francisco Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who invalidated Proposition 8 in 2010 after conducting an unprecedented trial.

Proposition 8 backers can now ask the 9th Circuit to rehear the case with an 11-judge panel, or proceed directly to the Supreme Court.

The appeals court also rejected the argument that Walker's ruling should be scrapped because he did not disclose he was in a long-term same-sex relationship while he was handling the case.

As a result of the continued legal wrangling, same-sex marriages are not expected to resume in California any time soon, with further appeals likely to stretch at least into next year.

The appeals court's ruling marks another setback for gay marriage opponents, who passed Proposition 8 in 2008 by a 52 to 48 percent margin. Proposition 8 restored California's gay marriage ban, trumping a state Supreme Court ruling earlier in 2008 that had invalidated California's prior laws forbidding same-sex nuptials.

(Prop 8 plaintiff same sex couple Jeffrey Zarrillo, left, and partner Paul Katami, right, arrive at a federal courthouse in San Francisco, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) ( Paul Sakuma )

Continue reading BREAKING: Ninth Circuit Court rules Prop 8 unconstitutional.

Second 'Absolutely Fabulous' episode airs tonight, movie on the horizon

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on February 6, 2012 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Pop open the bubbly and the prescription pills, sweetie darlings - the second of three new "Absolutely Fabulous" specials airs 10:30 tonight on Logo.

The episode, "Job," finds Edina struggling to make up for her new client's lack of talent with help from two other English singers.

Edina takes on a celebrity client who wants to sing, but when Edina discovers how awful her client's voice really is, she recruits some help from her other clients. Emma Bunton from the 'Spice Girls' and Lulu, help prepare the hideous client for her upcoming singing debut.

The three episodes commemorate the 20th anniversary of the British series about Edina Moonson (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley), two neurotic, self-indulgent souls who relish large amounts of alcohol and recreational drugs.

The third episode has an Olympic theme and is scheduled to air this summer. Logo has not a broadcast date yet.

In other fabulous news, Saunders, 53, tells New York magazine an "Absolutely Fabulous" movie is on the horizon.

Last year, Saunders said a little bit about the film's possible storyline.

"We thought it would be hilarious if (Edina and Patsy) went to a party on an oligarch's yacht, got drunk, fell asleep and woke up in the middle of the ocean," she said. "Everyone else has left, and the ship has been moved on."

(Edina Moonson (Jennifer Saunders), left, and Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley), are two neurotic, self-indulgent souls who relish large amounts of alcohol and recreational drugs in the British series "Absolutely Fabulous." Photo: Logo TV.)

Rapper Azealia Banks says she's bisexual

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on February 3, 2012 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

For anyone who listens to Azealia Banks music, this information isn't new, just a confirmation.

The 22-year-old hip-hopper tells the New York Times she is bisexual.

"I'm not trying to be, like, the bisexual, lesbian rapper," says Banks, who will play Coachella in April. "I've been out for three years. I've been around."

Banks sings about her love of the sugar walls on her hit "212." In the video, which fans viewed more than 3 million times on Youtube.com, Banks has pigtails and wears denim cutoffs and a vintage Mickey Mouse sweater.

But fans are really focusing on the naughty lyrics: "She know where I get mine from, end of season / Now she wanna lick my plum in the evening / And fit that ton-tongue d-deep in /I guess that cunt getting eaten."

In the last line, Banks repeats "cunt" five times, in case listeners missed it.

(Rapper Azealia Banks sings about loving the ladies in the video to "212.")

'Harry Potter' star Daniel Radcliffe talks body hair

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on February 3, 2012 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Daniel Radcliffe went from potions to poetry.

The 22-year-old Harry Potter star - who also is a huge supporter of the LGBT community - plays openly gay beat poet icon Allen Ginsberg in the upcoming film "Kill Your Darlings."

(Radcliffe's next film "The Woman in Black" opens today.)

Ginsberg was known to be nude a lot of the time, and Radcliffe will go au naturel for some scenes; however, the film's director told Radcliffe no manscaping, the British magazine Heat reports.

"I'm comfortable with my body," Radcliffe said of filming scenes in the buff. "I've just been having a discussion with the guy who's directing my new project.

"It might have a bit of nudity, and he said, Just to let you know, if you're getting naked, no landscaping of any kind. This is the 1940s."

Radcliffe's response to the director?

"I'm pretty much there anyway, mate! Not a huge amount of maintenance going on," Radcliffe said, chuckling. "I mean, there's a little bit, obviously, for courtesy."

(Daniel Radcliffe arrives at to the premiere of 'The Woman In Black' at Pacific Theaters at the Grove in Los Angeles on Feb. 2. Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Paintings of gay romantic couples - Daniel Radcliffe, Taylor Launter - on display at Long Beach gallery

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on February 1, 2012 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Daniel Radcliffe Taylor Lautner 12x10.jpg

In "Hollywood in Red," actor Thom Bierdz paints 28 straight men as 14 gay married couples.

"I wanted to show gay relationships are sweet, not scary," he said.

Here are a few of the happy couples, as described by Bierdz.

Daniel Radcliffe and Taylor Lautner. "I represented them as teenagers in love. Gay people go through the same first-love experiences as straight people."

James Dean and Elvis Presley. "Here are two gay guys supporting each other as they are going off to support their dreams."

('Daniel Radlciffe and Taylor Lautner" courtesy of Thom Bierdz)

Continue reading Paintings of gay romantic couples - Daniel Radcliffe, Taylor Launter - on display at Long Beach gallery.

Paintings by out TV actor of gay romantic couples on display at Long Beach gallery

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on February 1, 2012 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

In the painting "Chris Isaak and Barack Obama," the musician and the president are married and smile lovingly at each other as they hold hands and rub noses.

The piece is one of 14 similar works by actor Thom Bierdz - the first openly gay actor hired for a contract role on a daytime soap opera, according to IMDb.com. Bierdz, 49, plays Phillip Chancellor III on CBS' "The Young and the Restless."

The 14 paintings are part of the "Hollywood in Red" series on display at the Belsito-Roche Fine Art Gallery, 1734 E. Broadway, through Feb. 14.

In "Hollywood in Red," Bierdz has painted 28 straight icons as 14 married gay couples.

"I didn't want to out any movie stars, so I painted straight ones as if they were gay," Bierdz said in a telephone interview from his Lake Arrowhead residence. "I want to give people a visual of the inevitable future when gay movie stars or presidents can come out and get married. I want to show people gay relationships are sweet, not scary."

For the Obama and Isaak piece, Bierdz says he wanted to show the possibility of a married gay president. Bierdz selected Isaak because "he's someone who would give up center stage and be dignified. Someone opposing voters couldn't tear apart because of his reputation.

"I thought Isaak would make a good first husband," Bierdz said.

"Hollywood In Red" is the first time Bierdz, who has been painting professionally for eight years, has had a public show with a majority of gay content. The last time he exhibited gay-themed work was in 2004 at a Los Angeles-area charity event.

(Image courtesy of Thom Bierdz)

Continue reading Paintings by out TV actor of gay romantic couples on display at Long Beach gallery.

ABC orders Marc Cherry's next soap opera, 'Devious Maids'

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on February 1, 2012 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

ABC ordered an hour pilot for Marc Cherry's next prime-time soap opera, Deadline.com reports.

"Devious Maids," the latest drama from the out "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry, is adapted from the Mexican telenovela "The Disorderly Maids Of The Neighborhood."

The series will center on four Latina Beverly Hills maids, who work in a quiet residential condominium where nothing ever happens. Until, the residents became divided over a decision to build a swimming pool amidst a severe water shortage. One of tenants then mysteriously disappears, a suitcase full of money appears - along with a dead body at the bottom of the half-finished pool - and Silvia, Maribel, Adela, Carmela and Guillermina find themselves in the middle of it all.

Aye, aye, aye!!!

(The cast of "The Disorderly Maids of the Neighborhood" seen in a publicity still from the series)

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