Check out this great selection of laundry day photos over at Dude Flesh.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Where have all the drag queens gone?
"The campy spectacle has lost favor with a generation of young gay men. Can RuPaul's new reality show bring it back?
As a child of the '90s, I was taught by popular culture to expect several things from my future life as a gay man: shirtless dancing in large nightclubs, a disconcerting number of flamboyantly patterned shirts and, of course, drag queens. And by drag queens, I meant RuPaul.
During my early teens, RuPaul seemed to be everywhere. She had a hit single in 1993, "Supermodel (You Better Work)," her own VH1 talk show and, as the face of MAC Cosmetics, she popped up in ads everywhere. Her gentle brand of bitchiness and Caesar's Palace-meets-"Dallas" aesthetic helped turn drag into a mainstream pop cultural phenomenon.
By 1994, Terence Stamp was slipping on high heels for "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," followed one year later by Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo in "To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar." The same year, "Wigstock: The Movie" documented the popular New York drag festival of the same name, drag queens were a fixture on the daytime talk show circuit and, in 1996, Nathan Lane seduced a Republican senator in "The Birdcage" dressed as an uptight housewife.
But something funny happened on my way to the gay ghetto: The drag queen disappeared not only from mainstream popular culture, but also, to a large extent, from the gay culture of my generation." (Continue Reading-Source/Salon)
Drowned Hogs Take on Nantasket Beach
"In the bleak mid-winter hundreds of intrepid (insane) and be-costumed Bostonians (and those from the surrounding environs) gathered together on the chilly Nantasket Beach to prove a groundhog isn't the only one who can predict whether we'll have an extended winter.
With a rallying cry from the Head Hog perched high atop a lifeguard's chair, the 14th Annual Drowned Hogs Day kicked off with an icy plunge in the Atlantic Ocean." (Continue Reading-Source/Bostonist)
Obama promises lower mortgage costs, new loans
President Barack Obama on Saturday promised to lower mortgage costs, offer job-creating loans for small businesses, get credit flowing and rein in free-spending executives as he readies a new road map for spending billions from the second installment of the financial rescue plan.
The White House is deciding how to structure the remaining half of the $700 billion that Congress approved last year to save financial institutions and lenders. An announcement was possible as early as this coming week on an approach that would use a range of tools to unfreeze credit, helping families and businesses. (Continue Reading-Source/USAtoday)
GOP governors press Congress to pass stimulus
Most Republican governors have broken with their GOP colleagues in Congress and are pushing for passage of President Barack Obama's economic aid plan that would send billions to states for education, public works and health care.
Their state treasuries drained by the financial crisis, governors would welcome the money from Capitol Hill, where GOP lawmakers are more skeptical of Obama's spending priorities.
The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, planned to meet in Washington this weekend with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other senators to press for her state's share of the package. (Continue Reading-Source/USAToday)
Steele Elected RNC Chair
The Republican National Committee elected Michael Steele as its first African American chairman today in Washington, a decision that came after an excruciating series of ballots that displayed a level of drama rarely seen in national politics.
On the sixth and final ballot Steele bested South Carolina Republican party Chairman Katon Dawson 91 to 77.
Steele acknowledged that the GOP has an "image problem" but cast his election as a "new moment" for the Republican Party. (Continue Reading-Source)
Today in GLBT News....
| Uncontrolled federal debt, rising unemployment, skyrocketing inflation: Iceland’s economy has collapsed under the policies of a now-defunct conservative government. But a new leader has risen to offer the country hope--an open lesbian. |
| In Denver, gay activists map strategy Gay-rights activists meeting in Denver start the tough work today (Friday) of mapping out plans to see the new administration adopt policies they favor, while recounting what went wrong last year in failed attempts to defeat anti-gay ballot measures in California and other states. |
| Church protests Ohio’s gay marriage ban Clergy at a church are protesting Ohio’s ban on gay marriage by refusing to sign state marriage licenses for heterosexual couples. |
| NH Bishop to testify at gay marriage hearing The Rev. V. Gene Robinson will testify Thursday before the New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee on a bill to allow gay marriage in the Granite State. |
| The LGBT community lost one of its most powerful allies on Beacon Hill this week, as House Speaker Sal DiMasi bid farewell to his colleagues after a 30-year career in the legislature on Jan. 27. But despite the loss, advocates were heartened by the election the following day of House Ways and Means Chair Robert DeLeo to succeed DiMasi. |
| Members of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce joined other leading U.S. business executives and organizations to discuss Obama’s latest stimulus package. |
| Adopting American-style rhetoric, a group of conservative Catholics sought to "boycott" a school curriculum designed to educate Spanish students in diversity and science issues that some find objectionable. |
A Wall Street worker ran afoul of the finance world’s macho culture when he refused to eat meat with his co-workers, earning him the scorn of his boss, who allegedly called him a "homo vegetarian."
Friday, January 30, 2009
Quote of the Day :: Joan Rivers
"Without Botox I'd have more lines on my face than Amy Winehouse's coffee table."
400 richest Americans’ incomes doubled under Bush.
Bloomberg reports that, according to recently released IRS data, “the average tax rate paid by the richest 400 Americans fell by a third to 17.2 percent through the first six years of the Bush administration and their average income doubled to $263.3 million.” Much of their income came from capital gains resulting from the Bush tax cuts.
The Wonk Room has noted how “the conservative approach of putting big corporations and the very wealthy ahead of the middle class has failed to create prosperity that can be shared by all Americans.” (Source-ThinkProgress)
The Gay Man's Guide To Super Bowl XLIII
Gay football fans, get ready for Super Bowl Sunday. In this spotlight, I give you the low down on Super Bowl XLIII, including a preview from About.com Guide to Football James Alder. Also, for the beginner and fan of gay sports fans, don't live in the sports closet. There's tons of information for you about the basics of football. (Via Ramon-About.com) Photos via HunkDuJour
Round-the-World :: Walking Boston
A tangled web of history and cobblestone, Boston is also a city of distinctive neighborhoods that mix a dash of colonial history, a splash of Puritanism, a pinch of liberal academia, a heavy dose of Red Sox fever and pour it all over a very icy winter. Whether it’s cannolis in the North End, contemporary art on the Waterfront, brownstones and boutiques along Beacon Hill, fashion labels on Newbury Street, boys, boys and more boys in the South End or academia run amuck in Cambridge, bundle up and come along as EDGE Assistant Travel Editor and former Cambridgean Megan Smith strolls through her favorite Boston neighborhoods and the places that make them worth visiting. (Continue Reading-Source/Edge)
Facebook Can Be So Sordid...
I love Facebook and find it can be extremely addictive but what I really love is how many juicy tid bits you can pick up from simply reading the posts on peoples walls. Well, it is no surprise that I love the Del Shores/Jason Dottley creation Sordid Lives so I was very intrigued today when I did a search for "Jason Dottley" and landed on a discussion going on via Del Shores Facebook profile. It appears that Del and friends were talking about a show possibly titled "Addictions." It also seems that he met with Delta Burke...
Is this a new show from the creators of Sordid Lives? Is Delta Burke going to be on the cast of this new show or is she joining Sordid Lives...I have so many questions!!!
All I know is that Sordid Lives is clever and brilliantly done and I am on board for a new show written by the same creators. If anyone has any other details on this...please send me an e-mail....david@wickedgayblog.com
Screen shot below of what I saw: (Click to read the conversation!)
Massive Budget Cuts in Massachusetts
Gov. Deval Patrick released his Emergency Recovery Plan Jan. 28, including a new round of budget cuts for the current fiscal year and the budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10). As Bay Windows went to press advocates were still working to understand how the FY10 budget proposal would impact the state’s LGBT and HIV/AIDS programming.
Wicked Gay Blog: It is unfortunate that many great programs may get cut however it is necessary given the state of the the Massachusetts economy. In my opinion there should be cuts straight across the entire budget.
Iceland Also Gives Conservative's the Boot
Uncontrolled federal debt, rising unemployment, skyrocketing inflation: Iceland’s economy has collapsed under the policies of a now-defunct conservative government. But a new leader has risen to offer the country hope--an open lesbian!
Man (Not Gay) Claims Firing Was Due to Being a ’Homo Vegetarian’
A Wall Street worker ran afoul of the finance world’s macho culture when he refused to eat meat with his co-workers, earning him the scorn of his boss, who allegedly called him a "homo vegetarian."
Ryan Pacifico, a heterosexual Long Islander, has practiced vegetarianism for 15 years. His job with Calyon in the Americas, a branch of Credit Agricole, was going smoothly until he revealed his dietary preferences; that, his suit against his former employer alleges, is where his troubles began. (Continue Reading-Source/Edge)
Statue Erected in Bush's Honor
Considering all the bluster from the former administration about its success in Iraq, one might expect the Iraqis to unveil a statue of the American leader who "liberated" them.
Instead, a bronze statue of a shoe has been unveiled in the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit in honor of Muntazer al-Zaidi, the journalist currently imprisoned for throwing his footwear at George W. Bush. An inscription reads: "Muntazer: fasting until the sword breaks its fast with blood; silent until our mouths speak the truth." (Continue Reading-Source/Towleroad)
Today in GLBT News....
| After surviving Parris Island training, several years in the Marine reserves, and a tour of duty serving her nation in Iraq, Marine Julianne Sohn was thrown out of the Corps. This is one Marine’s experience with Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. |
| NH lawmaker says wait on civil union bill A New Hampshire lawmaker is holding off on a bill to add civil union partners to all state insurance laws. Democratic state Rep. Edward Butler, the bill’s sponsor, is vice-chair of the House commerce committee. He asked the committee Thursday to recommend that the full House kill the bill. He said lawmakers should resolve other civil union bills first. |
| A federal judge denied a request Thursday to keep secret the names of donors to California’s anti-gay marriage initiative, saying the public had a right to know who gave money to state ballot measures. |
| Faith leaders strategize for transgender rights at Newton forum The forum, held at Hebrew College in Newton, was the first major event organized by ICTE, which is part of a coalition advocating for the passage of legislation this session to add trans-inclusive language to the state’s non-discrimination and hate crimes laws. |
| News in Brief ACLU to hold panel on Prop 8 at Bay State conference, AntiViolence Project to launch survey on transgender hate crimes, GLAD announces new board officers and members, Meet the new Fenway Health |
| The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) has issued a new policy to facilitate the changing of gender markers on driver’s licenses and state-issued identification cards for people who have undergone a gender transition. |
| In Montana, a flier for a local White Supremacist group was left at an open and affirming church, and weeks later hate mail denouncing the church for its support of the GLBT community was received. |
An unexpectedly large--and early--volume of calls to a lesbian help line in the Indian city of Chennai indicates that there are many in urgent need of the counseling services offered by volunteers who staff the phone resource.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Obama Signs Equal Pay Bill
Barack Obama signed his first bill today. The act extends the statute of limitations for workers that want to sue their employers for unequal pay. (Continue Reading-Source/Joe.My.God)
Not so Absolutely Fabulous?
"As some of you know, Fox is going to fuck with the legendary TV experience that is Absoultely Fabulous. Why, you ask? Because that's what we do in America. We take TV shows from other countries and try to find ways to get them canceled in record time. Although, Kath & Kim is still breathing and I'm not sure why. I'll have to ask Satan that during our weekly conference call.
Variety says Kristen Johnston is in talks to play Edina Monsoon in the pilot. Kristen was at a table read with Fox HBICs last Friday. Kathryn Hahn was also in the table read, but it's not known what role she helped butcher. I'm guessing Patsy?
You know who should play Edina and Patsy? Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley!" (Continue Reading-Source/Dlisted)Wicked Gay Blog: I miss Ab Fab (Absolutely Fabulous) so much since it was my favorite show for many years, that I am willing to check out this new version. I have to agree with our friends at Dlisted...always sucks when we mess with a good thing...
Here is one of my favorite Ab Fab clips:
And another...
And one last short one...
Obama calls $18B in Wall Street bonuses shameful
President Barack Obama issued a withering critique Thursday of Wall Street corporate behavior, calling it "the height of irresponsibility" for Wall Street employees to be paid more than $18 billion in bonuses last year while their financial sector was crumbling.
"It is shameful," Obama said from the Oval Office. "And part of what we’re going to need is for the folks on Wall Street who are asking for help to show some restraint, and show some discipline, and show some sense of responsibility." (Continue Reading-Source/Edge)
Democrats near win on child health bill
Democrats are edging closer to giving President Barack Obama a big victory on health care.
The Senate was expected to vote Thursday on legislation that would spend $31.5 billion more on a children’s health insurance program over the next 4 1/2 years. The additional money would help about 4 million uninsured children get coverage and draw 2.4 million more kids into the program who otherwise could get private coverage.
"It’s a major step forward for our nation," said Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., in anticipation of the Senate’s action. "Many Americans face grave economic uncertainty, and it’s critical that we move quickly to pass this legislation and send it to President Obama for his signature." (Continue Reading-Source/Edge)
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