Best. Gay. Week. Ever. (November 20, 2009)

SO THERE HASN'T BEEN MUCH TO WRITE ABOUT LATELY! HA!
I can't remember a string of weeks quite so memorable for having news or a hot topic every week as the run we've had recently. Back in mid-October there was the tragic death of Stephen Gately (and the idiotic comments by U.K. tabloid writer Jan Moir). The next week we had our latest article on Torchwood, then the week after that the topic was Matthew Bomer and then it was discussion about whether or not another actor had gone back in the closet or not. And that was followed by the whole Newsweek/Ramin Setoodeh fiasco (more on that later). 

So surely this week would finally be quiet, no? Not after Aaron Hicklin issued his broadside against Adam Lambert and his management.

My point? I think we need a breather! So this week's BGWE is going to focus on some slight lighter topics such as this hilarious version of Single Ladies by John Barrowman. It's short so go check it out and come back. I'll wait. Is he adorable or what?

Actually before I get to the light stuff I promised, I am curious about the group's reaction to the Out/Adam Lambert controversy now that we've all had a couple of days to think about it. The comments were all over the place so I thought this would be a good time to take a quick poll to see what folks are thinking now. 

Now on to the (mostly) light and happier stuff!

Thanks to AE reader Mekka we learned that this week Swedish Olympian Peter Häggström came out . Yay, Peter!

Peter then and now.

The article is in Swedish, but Mekka was kind enough to translate and in in a nuthsell the 33-year-old Häggström, a longjumper who won six National Championship Medals and competed in the Sydney Olympics, says coming out was harder than qualifying for the Olympics, he wants to be a role model, and has found a guy who makes him happy. Awww....  

In other overseas news that makes us happy, concert organizers in New Zealand dumped notorious homophobe Beenie Man from their line-up. Awww....

Alas, not all the overseas news is great this week as Thailand recently banned the gay film Quarantine by Thunska Pansittivorakul. On the upside, the movie wasn't banned for its gay content which features two gay men — one Buddhist, one Muslim — falling in love . Rather the government cited the movie's inclusion of footage a government crackdown on Muslim's in 2204. On the downside, the movie is still banned.

Several readers wrote in to tell me about a gay-friendly commercial for Levi's Jeans they spotted while at the movies. I'd seen it as well and thought I'd caught something, but without being able to hit pause, I wasn't sure. Well, I found it and we were right. Look for it at about the half-way mark as two guys embrace and kiss. AE reader Thomasina C just wrote me and pointed out the poem being read is "Pioneers! O Pioneers!" by Walt Whitman and is read by Will Geer who played Grandpa Walton on The Waltons and was gay himself.

The latest edition of the U.K.'s I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here not only features lesbian Sam Fox, but married gay couple and interior designers Colin McAllister and Just Ryan who are Scottish interior designers. Hmm, I wonder how they are going to do roughing it! (Thanks to Jamesy for the tip!)

They're Scottish, so I have no idea why they are holding Canadian flags

See! Wasn't that better than getting all hot and bothered! Of course, the next page does have the Asshat voting...

Next page! It hardly seems possible, but these Asshats might be the worst of all! (Or or just go here instead if you must...)