Speaking of Jake…

JAKE AND I ASK THAT YOU RESPECT OUR PRIVACY DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME
Longtime readers know Jake and I have been an item for quite some time now. I'm sorry to report that is no longer the case. Everyone realizes that relationships are difficult things under the best of times, but when one of you is a high-powered superstar and the other has to live in the shadows, it can be especially trying. I implore everyone not to blame Jake for our break-up. It's been hard for him to stand by and watch my ascendancy as the editor of AfterElton. Everyone secretly wants to be a superstar editor, but only a very few ever make it, and some have to settle for acting. I vow that Jake and I shall remain friends, and I shall never speak ill of him.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOAD OF MOYLE TO ME
365gay.com reported this week that BBC's Board of Governors ruled that using “gay” on air to mean “lame” or “rubbish” is perfectly acceptable. The issue arose when radio DJ Chris Moyles used “gay” to describe a cell phone tone he didn't like. I'm all for free speech, but I'm also for a corporation setting their own standards. For the BBC to say that gay is equivalent to garbage is garbage. Every gay kid in America (and apparently Britain) knows how often gay is used as a pejorative and the BBC should be ashamed for condoning it.

THE FUNDIES CAN'T BE HAPPY ABOUT THIS
CBS' As The World Turns has continued to keep their gay teen storyline front and center. Best of all, the story hasn't been Luke (Van Hansis) struggling to accept himself, but the difficulties his mother, Lily, has had doing so. And even she isn't a Bible-thumping homophobe, just a mother fearful for her son's future. I've especially appreciated the fact that Luke's dad, Holden, and his grandmother have been terrifically supportive, basically telling Lily to get over it and that Luke can't be changed or cured because there is nothing wrong with him. So where does Luke's storyline go now?

SPOILER ALERT
Luke's birth father (don't ask--it's a long story) recently reappeared, and next week will try to send Luke to an ex-gay camp. Given how pro-gay the show has been, I suspect that ATWT will somehow make it clear how awful those places are, whether or not Luke actually goes to one. Best of all, the fan forums on ATWT have been full of righteous indignation that Luke might be sent to such a place. Viewers have really taken to Luke and want his mother to accept him as is.

I read posts from teenagers, straight women, and mothers, all saying how ticked they would be if the writers actually did something so barbaric. AfterElton has written about the importance of soap operas to gay issues before, but I'll say it again: These shows are watched by a lot of folks in the red states, and being exposed to Luke's story is a great thing for them—and us.

(Thanks to Joseph for the tip!)

MY BOOKS SELL BETTER THAN MARY CHENEY'S
Bookscan released sales figures for Mary Cheney's memoir and the grand total is--drumroll, please!--4,091. So let's get this straight: I, a writer of historical fiction who never appeared on Larry King Live, Prime Time Live, or in pretty much every newspaper in the country, still managed to sell more copies of my books than did Miss Cheney. No, I won't gloat about that. That would be bad form after all. Must...not...gloat! Actually, it's not that hard because I sure as heck didn't get a million dollar advance either. On the other hand, half the queers in America don't hiss when they hear my name. They don't, do they?

Page 1 / 2 / 3 - Next