A gay blog that recently caught my attention is lgbtSR: "Aged to Perfection". It is devoted to the interests, accomplishments and opinions of gay men and lesbians over the age of 50. LgbtSR resonated with me because my ZeitGAYst blog appeals to gay baby boomers as well, with posts about cultural and historical milestones they've likely witnessed. Now I have a site to go to for enhancing my life as I look to the future.
The focus of lgbtSr is health and wellness but it also touches upon relationships; food and travel; arts and entertainment; literature; and politics. Its content is a mix of original posts and lifts of relevant posts from other sources. The mission of publisher Mark McNease (pictured) is to provide a site that is more multi-dimensional than other sites targeting "mature" audiences which often offer little more than lists of resources with contact information.
In addition to its editorial content lgbtSr features an assortment of video clips as well. McNease also produces a weekly audio podcast in which he reviews relevant news of the week and conducts a live interview with a person he thinks will be of interest to his followers. (Yours truly was interviewed in mid-January).
So if trolling Silver Daddies isn't your thing, check out lgbtSr for another perspective on the vibrant gay senior market.
Just a week into President Clinton's first term he called his first press conference on January 29, 1993 to announce his plan to lift the U.S. military's longstanding policy banning gays from serving in the armed services. This created a firestorm of opposition from the military and conservatives who were dead set against this change in policy. They used all of the shoddy and innacurate ammuntion in their arsenal to prevent the president's plan from coming to fruition.
Integration of gays into society was anathema to conservatives, especially if it showed them in a patriotic light. Instead, they wished to perpetuate the stereotype of gay men as nothing more than silly drag queens at Gay Pride parades. Giving them the opportunity to be seen as defenders of the nation did not sit well with them.
Six months later, despite the president's good intentions, the infamous "don't ask, don't tell" directive was unveiled. It would be 18 years before this deeply flawed policy was repealed. During these intervening years 14,000 soldiers were investigated and expelled from the various branches of the military, wasting billions of taxpayer dollars. The closed mindedness of conservatives had trumped the nation's security.
Originally I was going to title this post "The Divas of Vogue" but I decided against it since the women I chose transcend divadom. Being selected to grace the cover of Vogue is testimony to a woman's elevated status - and signals to the world that the diva of all divas, Anna Wintour, approves. So, through the covers of the world's preeminent fashion magazine, here's a tribute to some of the most revered women in the eyes of gay men.
Let's start with the ladies with one name: Rihanna (April 2011), Beyonce (April 2009) and Cher (from 1972!)
Paying tribute to royalty, i.e. Princess Diana (Dec. 1991), Hillary Clinton (Dec. 1998) and Michelle Obama (March 2009)
In addition to the song Vogue, Madonna has graced the cover of the magazine three times (Oct. 1992, Oct. 1995 and May 1989).
Lady Gaga (March 2011), Jennifer Hudson (March 2007) and Sarah Jessica Parker (May 2010)
Curiously, while so many actresses and singers have appeared on the magazine's cover, for some reason Bette Midler has never had a Vogue cover. The closest she came was having her her name on the cover of the December 1991 issue. (She's also never been on the cover of Harper's Bazzar or Elle.)
Finally, here's a selection of classic covers chosen purely for aesthetic considerations.
Sigourney Weaver starred in the heartrending TV movie Prayers for Bobby which aired on the Lifetime cable network on January 24, 2009. It told the true story of Mary Griffith whose gay son Bobby committed suicide and how she channeled her deep regret at being unable to accept his orientation into something positive (she became a gay rights advocate). It was based on the 1996 book Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms with the Suicide of Her Son by openly gay journalist Leroy F. Abrams. (Abrams, founder of the Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association in 1990, died four years before the movie aired.)
When Prayers aired it had been six years since the last high-profile TV movie about gay issues aired (Angels in America on HBO). And since Prayers there have been no other such movies on network TV or cable. Weaver joined an illustrious roster of actors who've appeared in previous gay-themed movies:
Does a certain amount of time have to pass before an event or performance is given the designation of "camp". For example, when it was airing did we realize the camp factor of Eva Gabor in Green Acres, Phyllis Diller in The Pruitts of Southampton, or Peggy Lee's song Is That All There Is? The same holds true for the halftime show from 1982's Super Bowl in which the squeaky-clean youth organization known as "Up With People" performed. (Fun fact: Glenn Close was once a member.)
UWP also performed at Super Bowls in 1976, 1980 and 1986. However, to dissuade viewers from switching channels, halftime shows became slick productions featuring marquee celebs (remember Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake?). Compared to today's shows there's a charming quaintness to the simple "let's put on a show" quality from yesteryear - not too dissimilar from stage shows put on for vacationers on board cruise ships - or at Disneyland. (And with plenty of gay folk providing the entertainment.)
Female vocalists asked to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl have outnumbered male vocalists by 2:1. This select group of male singers includes Barry Manilow, who was given the honor in 1984 at Super Bowl XVIII - the same Super Bowl made memorable for airing Apple's famous "1984" TV commercial that introduced the company's new Macintosh computer. (Beyonce's singing of the Anthem in 2004 was similaly overshadowed - by the "Nipplegate" incident during halftime.)
In addition to Manilow other male singers who've sung the Star Spangled Banner include Neil Diamond; Billy Joel (twice); Aaron Neville (once solo, once w/Aretha Franklin); Harry Connick, Jr.; and Garth Brooks. Other divas have included Cher; Diana Ross; Whitney Houston; Mariah Carey; Jennifer Hudson - and Luther Vandross (in 1997).
Rudy Galindo won the men's figure skating title at the U.S. Championships on January 20, 1996. It was the eighth time he competed in the Nationals, a competition he previously had never placed higher than fifth in - until this year. Going into the "long program", Galindo dazzled the judges with his Swan Lake program (for added pressure, he skated last).
What made his title even sweeter was the fact that 1) the Nationals were held that year in his hometown of San Jose, CA and 2) he had publicly come out shortly before the competition. This gave him the distinction of being the first openly gay man to win a figure skating title. And fifteen years before Johnny Weir raised eyebrows with his flamboyant skating outfits, Galindo did the same.
Despite Galindo's success at the 1996 competition he never qualified for the Olympics. A number of years after his success he tested positive for HIV (a few years after a similar revelation by Olympic diver Greg Louganis in 1995). In 1999 he appeared on an episode of Will & Grace where he portrayed Will's ice skating coach (episode title: "Will on Ice"). He's now 42 and is a skating coach in San Jose, CA.
More recently figure skater Johnny Weir (near right) also came out. However, Olympic figure skating gold medal winners Brian Boitano (1988 Olympics, center photo) and Evan Lysacek (2010 Games) remain curiously reluctant to discuss their personal lives.
January and February are the prime months for figure skating competitions so it's fitting that Johnny Weir's new autobiography Welcome to My Worldwas published at this time. (Spoiler Alert: Johnny reveals that he's gay!) Weir is the Boy George and Lady Gaga of male figure skaters, i.e., as my mother would say, he's quite a handful. Interestingly, his signature flamboyant style is in sharp contrast to his upbringing in southeastern Pennsylvania's Amish country.
During his career the 26-year old Weir won 23 medals, including the gold at the U.S. Nationals three years in a row. However, he failed to medal in either the 2006 or 2010 Winter Olympics (placing sixth and fifth). His flamboyance and flouting of tradition is risky in a sport with a scoring system that depends largely on the subjectivity of its judges. It may have also cost him endorsement deals that more traditional skaters like Brian Boitano and Evan Lysacek (both Olympic gold medal winners) received. (The same probably holds true for another openly gay skater, before Weir's time, Rudy Galindo.)
Three years before Glee there was High School Musical, a wildly popular TV musical that aired on the Disney Channel on January 20, 2006. Instead of a glee club struggling with an inferiority complex, HSM revolved around a somewhat pretentious Musical Theater class. And although the subject was never broached it's all but certain that the student named Ryan (played by Lucas Grabeel, pictured with Ashley Tisdale) was gay since he had musical theater running through his veins. This "don't ask, don't tell" approach held sway for the next two HSM movies as well. Although a bit dim, Ryan was a good egg who had to put up with his diva twin sister Sharpay (pronounced like the breed of dog).
This being a candy coated Disney fantasy world filled with smiling and fresh-scrubbed faces, Ryan was never harrassed. In fact, every clique in school co-existed harmoniously. In keeping with this dream world, the most sensitive boy in school was also the most popular, basketball star Troy Bolton, played by Zac Efron (and at 5'10", probably the shortest basketball superstar in history).
I didn't catch the movie when it first aired but during the summer I rented it to see what the buzz was about - and I was captivated. I especially liked the number Stick to the Status Quo which charmingly depicted the turmoil created when kids like Troy don't follow their assigned role. Inspired by Troy's example, other kids reveal their secret passions, e.g. a jock interested in baking, the math whiz passionate for hip-hop. Ryan, however, was not part of these "outings".
In the sequel we'd discover that Ryan once played baseball and taught the jocks a thing or two (oh, I bet he did - wink, wink). The movie had lots of gay subtext ripe for exploitation (by Michael Lucas perhaps?). I think Ryan was used as a distraction to divert attention away from the bromance between Troy and his best bud Chad (pictured, left). In fact, whenever they bickered their faces would get so close it seemed that a passionate kiss was imminent. Sure, both had girlfriends, but ...
High School Musical was a smash hit as was its two sequels (the last one was a theatrical release). Besides "tween" girls it also had much to offer gay viewers (of all ages), i.e. musical numbers, intricate choreography, a host of cute boys, a kinda hot basketball coach (played by Bart Johnson, pictured), a diva and, of course, Ryan. HSM paved the way for Fox's introduction of Glee, a primetime series with musical numbers and a very out gay character. However, I was never a fan of the show (although I've purchased some of its music on iTunes) - too much angst and gay Kurt gave me the willies (as did the new female football coach).
On January 19, 1997 Madonna won a Golden Globe for Best Leading Actress in a Musical/Comedy for her portrayal of Eva Peron in the movie Evita. In a role she seemed born to play she beat out Barbra Streisand, Glenn Close, Debbie Reynolds and Frances McDormand. Looking quite chic, Ms. Ciccone was a study in quiet reserve as she gave her acceptance speech (after all, she was now a serious actress!).
Too often Madonna gets a bum rap for her acting ability (let's not forget that Meryl Streep was in She Devil), but she's given a number of good performances. For instance, I liked her in Desperately Seeking Susan;Dick Tracy (pictured, far left); A League of Their Own (near left); and the documentary Truth or Dare. Of course, she's also made her mark musically with hit songs such as Get Into the Groove; Crazy for You; and This Used to be My Playground. (And in 2012 she won her second Golden Globe for the song Masterpiece from the movie she directed WE). At the 1991 Oscars Madge performed Sooner or Later from Dick Tracy and it was notable for being one of the few times she displayed nervousness as her hands were visibly shaking during the peformance.
After her triumph at the Globes it was disappointing that Madonna failed to get an Oscar nomination. However, two months later the original song "You Must Love Me" from Evita won the Oscar for Best Song which she performed - with no shaking this time. So, don't cry for her ...
