Oh,
and if you’re a wee-bit shaky on foreign affairs, Mr.
Luis Zapatero is the Prime Minister of Spain and is responsible
for his country’s recent extension of marriage rights
to same-sex couples. You know, as opposed to amending the
constitution to take those rights away.
TALK
ABOUT PLAYING AGAINST TYPE
Openly gay British comedian Graham Norton recently visited
the City of Angels to film his first Hollywood role, in Amy
Heckerling’s (Clueless) new movie, I Could
Never Be Your Woman. The movie, starring Michelle Pfeiffer
and Paul Rudd, is mostly set in London and had a part for
a “very gay man” for which Norton was cast. I
have no idea what Heckerling means by “very” gay,
but if the measure is one’s attraction to Paul Rudd,
then I am very, very gay. Incidentally, Norton is currently
starring in the Off Broadway production of Graham Norton:
Know All. Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com
and the show runs through Oct. 22nd. Did I mention that I’m
very, very gay?
IRA GLASS IS NOT GAY. BUT HE DOESN’T
CARE IF YOU THINK HE IS
In fact, Mr. Glass, host of NPR’s hugely successful
This American Life, has this to say about listeners
constantly assuming he’s gay: “It's a gay-friendly
show, with a huge gay presence. Whatever. I think gay men
think I'm just part of a really great club that I'm happy
to be part of, but just happen not to be." In the same
interview
with the Philadelphia Inquirer, he also added, “I
seem sensitive in the exact contours with which many gay men
are sensitive." Don’t you love it when straight
men talk that way?
I’ve been a huge fan of This American
Life for many a moon now and am eager to see how the
show translates to television. That’s right, This
American Life is coming to your boob tube. Maybe. Showtime
is looking at a possible ten episode run of the program, to
be co-produced by Christine Vachon (Boys Don’t Cry).
Come on Showtime, with a pedigree like that, you have to at
least give the show a chance. Besides, you owe us big after
making us sit through endless reruns of The Goonies.
WHAT! I'M NOT PEOPLE MAGAZINE'S SEXIEST
MAN ALIVE?
We’ve written
about People magazine’s pro-gay stance before
on AfterElton.com, but I want to mention them again because
I continue to be astounded by the magazine’s matter-of-fact
attitude toward gays. Case in point, the Oct 17th edition
introduces a new feature, The Man of the Week (as a lead-up
to the revelation of People’s 20th annual Sexiest
Man Alive Nov 18th). The first man of the week is Chris Beckman
and, oh, yeah, he’s gay. No big deal is made of the
fact, but mention is made that Chris likes lighting candles
for romantic evenings with his boyfriend of one year. The
same issue also sports a photo of Melissa Etheridge and partner
Tammy Lynn Michaels in an embrace. When was the last time
your local paper showed a gay couple hugging?
And
it’s not just an occasional thing. The previous week’s
issue had a story on Terry Ryan, whose memoir, The Prize
Winner of Defiance, Ohio, was turned into a movie starring
Julianne Moore. The article shares all aspects of Ms. Ryan’s
life, including the fact she has a same-sex partner of twenty-two
years. (Sadly, Ms. Ryan also has cancer.) I know People
magazine is hardly a bastion of great journalism, but it’s
in every grocery store across the country and is read by people
who would sooner pick up a snake than the New York Times.
I really don’t think the impact of People’s
pro-gay attitude can be overstated. (Oh, and my pick for the
Sexiest Man Alive? That prosecutor who is currently taking
down Karl Rove; I have no idea what he looks like, but anyone
who vanquishes Rove is sexy in my book.)
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