NEWSFLASH: HENRY ROLLINS IS NOT GAY
Here is a newsflash of my own: Who cares? Rollins made his sexual orientation clear in an interview with the Ohio Free Times. The indie rocker addressed old rumors he would come out by saying “I have nothing against an alternative lifestyle,” but that the idea he would “come out of the closet was hysterical.” Gee, thanks, Henry, though I’m not entirely sure why the idea you might be gay is hysterical. Almost as hysterical as the idea that I would care.

ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS TALK, TALK. STRAIGHT TALK, THAT IS.
Former homo Stephen Bennett and his wife, co-founders of Stephen Bennett Ministries, have announced plans to launch Straight Talk Radio so that they can have “their uncensored voice to proclaim the truth about homosexuality”. Which translates to “now we can spout all the homophobia we want without having an opposing point of view presented”. It’s so annoying when a reporter challenges your facts, isn’t it?

In case you don’t know, Mr. Bennett abandoned a long-term relationship with another man after he discovered Christianity in the early 90's. And now he heads SBC Ministries "to encourage men and women to successfully and permanently overcome their unwanted same-sex attraction (SSA.)" If I was Mr.Bennett's wife (shudder) I would be sure to keep Mr. Bennett on a very short leash. Those ex-homos have an alarming tendency to end up as ex ex-homos.

FROM GAY COWBOY TO CASANOVA
Recently I saw the trailer for Heath Ledger’s Brokeback Mountain followed by one for Casanova and I assumed it was no coincidence that Heath’s role as a gay cowboy is to be immediately followed by that of history’s most renowned heterosexual lover. And I wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Joshua Dugan writes a surprisingly insightful essay for the Cornell Sun about the juxtaposition. Mr. Dugan observes that as a society we have come so far in our acceptance of homosexuality that a star of Heath’s stature is willing to play such an overtly romantic gay role. Yet we have not come so far that Heath (or his managers) didn’t feel compelled to immediately find a way to proclaim the actor’s straightness. And it’s not just movie stars who feel that pressure.

Mr. Dugan, a young, straight, very gay-friendly man also recently found himself in a similar situation where he behaved in a homoerotic fashion. Of course, right away he felt he had to assert his heterosexuality. But you know what? The fact that we’ve arrived at a point where a young, straight man is even aware of behaving thus is even further down the road of acceptance than I expected to see so soon.

BTW, I'm in no way dissing Heath. He gets full marks for Brokeback Mountain and I understand the realities of being a leading man. If I'd landed the role of Casanova (damn you director, Lasse Hallstrom!), I would have been sure to star in The Oscar Wilde Story as soon as possible.

That's it for this week! Check back next Friday for a new installment of Best. Gay. Week. Ever., or read previous installments here.

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