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Macfarlane, Barrowman, Takei, Horta and more make the 2008 "Out 100"

Lyle Masaki

Luke Macfarlane for Out (Photo: Greg Lotus)

Out magazine has begin to tease this years Out 100, their annual list of "gay men and women who moved culture". Their first reveal includes out actors Luke Macfarlane, John Barrowman and Sir Ian McKellen, MSNBC rising star Rachel Maddow, actor Wilson Cruz, Ugly Betty producer Silvio Horta as well as newlyweds George Takei and Brad Altman.

Photo credit: Greg Lotus

Find out more about the early revelations along with a few reactions after the break.

Seeing Maddow and Takei on the list reminds me that despite the hurdles we've faced, there certainly have been a few silver linings for LGBT people this year. When Takei and Altman married this year, I was pleasantly surprised to notice how the biggest controversy focused on how Takei snubbed his Star Trek co-star William Shatner. As a kid who watched Star Trek after preschool, Takei was an early role model for me as an Asian-American in an iconic role and I can't help but get a little emotional when I see him as a man who shows the public what an openly gay man can be.

Rachel Maddow

Photo credit: Roger Erickson

I've been a fan of Rachel Maddow since she made her national radio debut four years ago, so it's been extremely gratifying to see her rise to prominence this year. She quickly charmed MSNBC viewers with her smarts and her good-natured sense of snark to the point that her new show was an instant hit. More importantly, the media has avoided trying to define her by her sexual orientation. Instead, she's been largely defined by what she brings to the political discussion and being gay is just simply a part of who she is.

The Out 100 preview also includes singer Missy Higgins, former National Gay and Lesbian Task Force director Matt Foreman, NPR correspondents Ari Shapiro and Diana Nyad, filmmakers Parvez Sharma and Tom Kalin as well as activist Evan Wolfson. It's a pretty inspiring list and one that'll probably get more so when the full list hits on November 14.

LyleMasaki's blog

Submitted by

Lyle Masaki

on Wed, 2008-11-05 09:23.

TAGS ::

You can't "define" the obvious. Especially when it's so powerful

Submitted by

David Ehrenstein (4403 points) (987 posts)

on Wed, 2008-11-05 10:30.

She's too damned smart and attractive to be destroyed by the usual monsters. And she's the best thing that's happened to lesbianism since Eva LeGallienne.

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hmmm..

Submitted by

Liz (4611 points) (951 posts)

on Wed, 2008-11-05 11:23.

I don't really like what Rachel said about looking like a man.

this is off topic a bit, but it's annoying when i hear "oh, lindsay lohan is with sam ronson because she looks like a man..." - - in my opinion, can we not focus or even talk about what we all look like? i don't care if someone is a man who wears a skirt or a woman who likes to dress somewhat masculine. i've even had people tell me "oh, you're a fan of ellen because she dresses like a man. you're not really gay liz." (hell, even my own sister thinks i want to BE A MAN because i hate skirts and dresses)

I am sure Rachel was poking fun at herself or something, which is fine...but i still cringed a bit, because i notice....(i hate the term 'butch' - - what word can i use?) well, i notice gay women who aren't the epitome of 'feminine' aren't really taken that seriously as women...because of the stupid "looks like a man" crap.

((sorry if i didn't make sense.))

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Rachel Said the Thing About Looking Like A Man

Submitted by

darcolover55 (1090 points) (280 posts)

on Wed, 2008-11-05 11:58.

To counteract her "butchness" being used against her by Rush Limbaugh (who used to make a point of it on his radio show INSESSENTLY when Rachel Maddow first got her solo radio show).

When she first started being asked to be a guest speaker, she told MSNBC makeup artists to make her up the same way they would a guy (which that COULD NOT wrap their heads around) and thus the strange girliness that she has don to do her show.

I'M NOT MAD AT HER. Whatever compromises she might have to make in order to do her MSNBC show and keep the mic in her hand, I'm all for.

I happen to be an very grrly grrl type of dyke (yes, grrl as in RIOT)

BUT I FOR ONE AM TOTALLY AGAINST THIS IDEA THAT ALL LESBIANS HAVE TO CONFORM TO SOME LIPSTICK/L-WORD DRAG IN ORDER TO NOT BE BASHED OR SEEN AS SEXY OR ATTRACTIVE.

Yes, Rachel's fabulously witty and smart and charming but she's also incredibly sexy and cute when she's not all dolled up in tv drag and it makes me sad that she can't do her show in a suit or a sweater or vest or more "Ellenish" attire and not be taken seriously. Dyke's like a little eye-candy too!

Yes there are loads of straight women who don't like makeup and dresses but there is a very really and specific and lovely and long-held and fought for dyke aesthetic that is overtly not feminine and should not be denied.

I've met her twice (on a long train ride to Rhode Island and when she MC'd for Seattle Pride) . She seemed a lot more comfortable in her skin in her "mannish" attire.

SORRY FOR THE LESBO SOAPBOX AFTER ELTON FELLAS, I KNOW THIS ISN'T AFTER ELLEN. ;)

TOMBOYS RULE!