Ask the Flying Monkey: Could a Gay English Prince Marry a Man?

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Q: So Lance Loud was the first openly gay person on reality television, on An American Family in 1973. I assume The Real World’s Pedro Zamora was the second. So who was the third? – Martin, Philadelphia, PA

A: Norman Korpi (who is gay, but was portrayed as bisexual on the show), appeared on the first season of The Real World in 1992 and actually preceded Zamora, who didn’t appear until the third season, in 1994.

In the U.S., the first non-Real World reality show participant was Survivor’s Richard Hatch in 2000.

Since then, there have literally been hundreds. It’s surprising how far we’ve come so quickly, isn’t it?

Q: With the royal wedding fever gripping England two weeks ago, a question struck me, in terms of gay rights. Britain is very progressive. If let's say Prince Harry turned out to be gay and wanted to marry his partner, would the monarch endorse/recognize such a union? – James, OR

A: It’s a fascinating question.

The fact is, England has had many (allegedly) gay kings: Richard II, Edward II, Richard the Lionheart, and William Rufus – and even more gay royals. Rumors have swirled for years that Elizabeth’s son Edward (now married to Sophie Countess of Wessex) is gay and closeted.

Civil partnerships (but not actual same-sex marriage) are now legal in the UK, and in the English monarchy, a hereditary title, has only two restrictions: the king or queen must be Protestant and can’t be married to a Catholic.

But since the monarchy is as much about tradition as it is about actual legal law, I suspect a royal gay partnership being recognized would depend entirely on the royal involved, the reaction of the British public, and, since most kings and queens these days marry before being crowned, the reigning monarch at the time of the marriage, who would necessarily be the parent of the royal in question.

And keep in mind that one of the “jobs” of the king or queen is to produce an heir, which might be complicated with a gay monarch.

My guess? A same-sex partnership for Prince Harry would go over far better with the British public than one for Prince William, the future king, though I suspect it would be extremely controversial regardless. As with America’s first black president, while the novelty might wear off fast, I suspect dead-enders would make subtle appeals to bigotry for years to come.

Would Queen Elizabeth endorse such a partnership in one of her sons? She’s known for being a stickler to tradition, and there’s a fair amount of evidence that she’s personally socially conservative.

Still, as she proved with the death of Princess Diana, she’s capable of changing with the times, especially if the British public demands it.

Q: Is Barbra Streisand’s son, Jason Gould, HIV-positive? -- M.L., Chicago, IL

A: Neither Gould nor Streisand have ever publicly discussed this rumor, which dates to a 2003 article in the National Enquirer – though Barbra has hinted at least once that it may not be true.

Last year, AIDS activist and gay gadfly Larry Kramer called Streisand a hypocrite on HIV/AIDS issues (mostly, it seems, because she wasn’t able to make a movie version of his play The Normal Heart, which she had once optioned). And in a moment of supreme tackiness, Kramer also outed Gould as HIV-positive saying, “As the mother of a son who is not only gay but HIV-positive, she should be ashamed of herself.”

But whether Kramer was speaking with inside information or was merely stupidly shooting his mouth off, it’s not known. Knowing Kramer, I vote for the latter.

Update: Both Kramer and Streisand have since spoken out on their feud, but the issue of Gould's HIV status has not come up. Since AfterElton.com considers this a personal matter, we did not attempt to reach Gould for a response.

Q: What is it with these EOE questionnaires on employment applications? They ask for voluntary gender, race, disabled, and veteran statuses, but give no mention of sexual preference. If they are really taking a minority poll, why not mention gay/straight/bi/trans/whatever else there is to ask? I just feel so left out, being that I'm a (standard) white male and non-disabled/veteran -- and I don't want yet another reminder that I'm "Mr. Wonderbread" White Boy and that my ethnic origins are mostly Northern European and therefore not exotic, pertinent, or worth mentioning. At least if there were a gay option, I'd feel like I'm not just clicking the boring options all the time.

Is it silly that I want to feel special on a voluntary questionnaire? I bet that most gays probably would prefer to blend in, but this is one moment where I'd like to stand apart, especially since they're asking so politely. -- Daniel, Vacaville, California

A: Being similarly white-bread, I feel your pain. But there’s actually a better reason to be upset about these equal Equal Opportunity Employment questionnaires: the wording is a direct result of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 (that outlaws discrimination against women and different races), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (that outlaws age discrimination), Vietnam Era Veteran’s Readjustment Assistance Act of 1973 (that outlaws discrimination against veterans), and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (that outlaws discrimination against the disabled).

What’s missing? The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. This is not yet federal law, and it has no chance of passing the current Republican House. So the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which oversees the above laws, does not monitor gay employment practices, leaving the issue up to those states and cities where anti-gay discrimination is prohibited by local law.

As with last year’s brouhaha over the census attempting to count same-sex couples, the conservative lawmakers who oppose ENDA would prefer that the country not have any statistics about anti-GLBT employment and discrimination, so they can continue to keep their heads lodged firmly up their butts.

Have a question about gay male entertainment?  Contact me here. (And be sure and include your city and state and/or country!)