Happy New Year!

As we ring out 2009 (good riddance) and welcome 2010 (a great year for Gay Love Stories), I wish all of you a happy, healthy, and prosperious new year.  Stay safe tonight.  Remember, the only people on the road on New Year's Eve are police and drunks and you don't want to encounter either one.  Be sure and eat some Hoppin' John tomorrow (I think one of you will get that).

UPDATE:  I came across this picture of Alexander Skarsgard on Girl Boner Party (my favorite blog name after Not In The Face).   Don't get out of control like that tonight.  Happy New Year!  

Stay Away From the Light, Zelda

I'm sad to report that actress Zelda Rubenstein has been taken off life support.  She's best known for playing Tangina in all three Poltergeist movies.  What isn't so well known is her AIDS activism.  In 1984 she lent her face to one of the first safe-sex campaigns directed at gay men.  She did this at a time when gay men felt horribly isolated and forgotten and she paid a big career price.  May she go to her reward peacefully.

Belk's Sexy Santa

Growing up in South Carolina, Belk's (nobody ever called it "Belk") was the work-a-day department store for Haggar slacks, Scout uniforms, and husky boys clothes (don't ask).  Every mall built in the Southeast in the 70s seemed to have Belk's on one end and Sears on the other.  There was nothing sexy about it.  Times have changed:    



Easily the dreamiest Santa I've ever seen.

via Hunk du Jour.

Gays Destroy Karl Rove's Marriage

Karl Rove has been granted a divorce from his wife of 24 years, Darby Rove.  This is his second divorce.  Despite the Roves' best efforts to maintain the sanctity of their union, it couldn't possibly withstand gays marrying in several states and foreign countries.  They rallied briefly when marriage equality was defeated in Maine and New York, but then came DC and those guys in Argentina and the marriage was doomed.  Another innocent heterosexual victim of the gay agenda.

Speaking of gay agendas, Karl is now single.

Lieberman: Attach Yemen Now

Sen. Joe Lieberman who chairs the important Homeland Security Committee, went on Fox News to call for a war on Yemen.  What we really need right now is a third war.  

Kisses for Christmas

My new favorite video, courtesy of Andrew Sullivan:

Tyra Ends Tyra

Tyra Banks has announced that she is ending her talk show this spring, which will be the end of its fifth season. How will we get through our afternoons without moments like this?



She's not exactly retiring, though. She will be launching Bankable Studios, a film production company with the mission to bring “positive images of women to the big screen.” America's Next Top Model will continue. Thank God.

Monday's Man: Jason Statham

My sister always sends DVDs for Christmas and this year one of the titles was The Bank Job with Jason Statham. I watched it thinking he would take his shirt off at some point. Naturally, she picked the one Statham movie where he had to prove he could act instead of just strip down and get butch.

He stayed fully clothed until the very last scene when there was just the briefest glimpse of his deliciously hairy chest. It was worth the wait.

It actually wasn't a bad movie. It wasn't anything like his typical nonsensical action flicks. Recommended for a rainy afternoon.

Isn't that right, Jason?

It's a White Christmas in Dallas!

Al Gore was right! This is the first white Christmas in Dallas since the National Weather Service started keeping records. Meanwhile, the presents have been opened, Wes is in a post-Cinnamon roll sugar haze and Dad is trying to figure out if any Republican traitors voted for health care reform. Oh yeah, the turkey's still frozen. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Darlings

It's Christmas Eve already and the greeting cards have all been sent, but I have a special wish for you, Lazy Circle Readers. Thank you so much for visiting my little blog and reading all the strange stuff that pops into my head. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, or if you don't celebrate Christmas, have a terrific day off courtesy of Ulysses S. Grant.

I would love to give you a clip of Karen Carpenter singing one of my favorite Christmas songs, but for some reason, Blogger won't let me embed. I just adore Blogger. So, click here and enjoy.

War on Christmas Turns into War on Easter

Yes, that's right. It's a crucifix with branches. Just in case that nativity scene isn't enough to keep the Christ in Christmas, you can buy a tree with an ancient execution device rammed into it. I suppose it's not as bizarre as last year's burning cross, but it's close. Seriously folks, aren't we supposed to mark the death of Christ at Easter? Why are they combining to two? It's a war on Easter!

Brittany Murphy: 1977-2009

Actress Brittany Murphy has died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 32. Her first big role was in the hit Clueless as Tai, the awkward girl Cher takes under her wing. She followed that with numerous films including 8 Mile, Don't Say a Word, and Girl, Interrupted. In her best work, she played edgy, often disturbed characters. Then Hollywood tried to turn her into the next Sandra Bullock or Meg Ryan in Little Black Book and her career practically stalled. She will appear in the Stallone film The Expendables next year.

Monday's Man: Adrian Fenty

In honor of Marriage Equality in the Nation's capitol I present the mayor of Washington, DC, Adrian Fenty. This man is a civil rights hero. If I can be shallow for a moment, he's also incredibly handsome. Seriously guys, have you ever seen a hotter politician? Including Gavin Newsome? Maybe I've just got a thing for sexy bald guys.


Crotch shot. So many phones, so cute! No doubt about his heterosexuality with those pleated khakis. Naturally he has a gorgeous wife and adorable kids. With those genes, those boys couldn't be anything but cute. Mrs. Fenty looks like a supermodel. That's a lot of perfection in one household.

Texas Literacy Update

Laredo is about to become the biggest city in the United States without a single bookstore. Laredans (?) will have to drive 150 miles to find a copy of Tinsel or the Augusten Burroughs Christmas stories (both of which you should totally read).

Don't get too worked up, though. I'm sure they have several Wal Marts with the Left Behind series and Going Rogue.

Saab Dies, Gays Seek New Convertible

GM has announced that talks to sell Saab have broken down for the final time and the brand will be shuttered. In Gay Land, all those guys who couldn't quite afford the Audi convertible are are weeping over the prospect of a forced downgrade back to the Miata of their 20s.

Equality in DC!

Mayor Adrian Fenty has signed the DC marriage equality bill into law. He did it in a church! The ceremony took place at All Souls Unitarian Church, one of many in the District that support gay equality. There is a manditory 30-day Congressional period, but the legislation is expected to stand. After that, Washingtonions can marry the men and women they love.

I love the symbolism of a church. The radical right haters have co-opted Christianity for themselves and given it a bad name. In reality many Christians fully support gay equality and there is a great deal of theology to support it.

Clueless in America

Timothy Egan has a good article in today's New York Times about East Coast Americans' geographical illiteracy about the American West. He cites national broadcasters who can't pronounce Oregon and New Mexicans who are told to go through their own embassy when trying to order Olympic tickets from the US Olympic Committee. Good stuff, but as someone from the Southeast who moved west, I can tell you that geographical illiteracy works both ways.

Texans are Texas-centric and if you doubt it, just ask one about your distant home state. When I have told people I grew up in South Carolina, I have gotten "Hey, I was in South Carolina once, I went on a business trip to Raleigh;" or "You must be really proud of that Charlotte airport;" or "It must be really cold there." Cold? Really? Our state tree is a type of palm.

Then there's "I bet you're glad the Jesse Helms era is over." Yes I am, and the Strom Thurmond era too. My favorite Geographically illiterate response (and I've gotten this more than once) is "Do you consider South Carolina part of the South?" Um, yeah. You might want to read your history books about a little something called the Civil War. It started there. Check it out.

Fishers of Men

Since I posted something so serious earlier today, I felt compelled to post something totally frivolous. I found this on Towleroad and blatantly stole it. Enjoy:


EMBED-Insane Canadian Fisherman - Watch more free videos

Let's Find a Cure for Huntington's

You may or may not have noticed that my blogging has been light lately. I haven't even mentioned the Globes nominations! How can that be? Well, my life has been really full. My partner, Wes, has been diagnosed with Huntington's Disease, also known as Huntington's Chorea. Huntington's is a degenerative neurological disease for which there is no cure and little treatment. It's genetic and typically manifests itself in middle age.

Not that Wes is middle aged, mind you (I have to find the humor. You should have heard my response when the doctor said he wanted to send Wes for a swallow study. The nurses are still scandalized).

All kidding aside, Huntington's is pretty horrific. It causes a great deal of involuntary movement, similar to MS, and cognitive abilities are severely degraded. He has a hard time figuring out simple tasks. He has difficulty swallowing, he chokes often, he falls and hurts himself and breaks things. We're currently trying to get in-home help because he's at the point that he can't be left alone while I'm at work. The heartbreaking part is, it's only going to get worse and there's little doctors can do about it. One, count 'em, one med has been approved for treatment of Huntington's. Wes recently started taking it, so we'll see if it helps.

So, if you're looking for the perfect Christmas/Hanukkah/ Kwanzaa/Solstice/New Year's gift for that person who has everything, consider a donation to the Huntington's Disease Society of America. The money goes to research, and HDSA needs every dime it can get. Huntington's is little known and gets a fraction of the research money that big hitters like The Cancer Society and the Heart Fund take in. Those are worthy causes but so is Huntington's, so please give. Thank you.

Equality in DC!

The nation's capitol became the latest part of America to recognize the value of all its citizens and approve marriage equality. The city counsel voted in favor of a marriage bill 11-2. Convicted felon and former crack addict Marion Berry was one of the 2 no votes. The bill now goes to the mayor who has vowed to sign it. Congress can still step in, though, but that appears unlikely.

Gays Win Right to be Whores in Nevada

Actually, not just gays but all men can stand up and be counted as prostitutes. The Nevada Board of Health, which regulates legal brothels in the state, has made a regulatory change that will allow dudes to legally sell ass. The old regulation required a cervical exam of all prostitutes. I know some guys who act like they have a cervix, but none of us actually do, so that effectively kept legalized prostitution for the ladies. No more. Now working folks must get either a cervical or urethral exam annually, opening the doors of opportunity for mankind.

We lost the right to marry in New York but we won the right to be whores in Nevada.

Thanks to LC NY Bureau Chief Doug for allowing me to steal a great line.

Monday's Man: Adam Rodriguez

I know I've posted about the CSI Miami stud before, but he just recently popped up on Ugly Betty. I bet a few of my readers popped up too.

He's apparently impregnated Hilda and she's not happy about it. Who wants to line up to have his babies?

Those lips were made for something unmentionable on this family blog.

Annise Parker Elected Mayor of Houston

Annise Parker became the first openly gay mayor of a major American city today. She was elected mayor of Houston by a substantial margin.

Don't even think about commenting about that guy in Portland. Houston has suburbs bigger than Portland and besides, Annise Parker is seriously unlikely to have an affair with a teenager, so let's just put that to rest right now. Plus, this happened in Texas people! Annise survived a particularly ugly anti-gay campaign by fake "Christian" Pharasees who have no real understanding of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Somewhere, Rick Perry is freaking out. The times they are a changing.

Rebecca Tigert Hawk: December 11, 1930 - December 25, 2008

Today would have been my mother's 79th birthday. When she died suddenly last Christmas, I wrote up a little article and The Edgefield Advertiser was kind enough to print it. Looking back on it almost a year later, it's obvious that it was thrown together quickly to meet their publication deadline, but I've decided to resist the urge to re-write it. Here it is:


Becky Hawk, A Life of Style


My mother’s obituary was printed in this paper on December 31, and it covered the basics- education, survivors, funeral arrangements- but it could not possibly capture the essence of a woman who lived her life with intelligence, wit, and style. I flatter myself to think I could do so either, but I have enough of my mother in me to give it a shot.
Rebecca Tigert was born in Greer and raised mostly in Greenville, one of two daughters of a prominent lawyer and state legislator. At an early age, she was taught the value of giving back to the community and this was a lesson that guided her life. She always found time to volunteer, in whatever capacity she was needed, whether it was knitting baby blankets for disadvantaged infants, honoring veterans or beautifying her town. When the old North Augusta City Hall was built, she saw how barren it was and took the initiative to plant azaleas. Initiative was one of Becky Hawk’s defining characteristics. She didn’t wait to be told what to do; she planned, executed and led. These qualities were put to good use by the Edgefield County Hospital Auxiliary, the ECW, and garden clubs, including the state garden council which she served in various capacities. Becky Hawk could always be counted on to follow through.
She and my dad met at, of all romantic places, a rabies clinic. She was living in Beaufort, South Carolina, and took her sister’s fluffy white cat to get a shot. She was quite a looker, and her sweater was covered in fur. It took all of dad’s will power not to help her clean it off. He had no idea who she was but couldn’t get her out of his mind. Eventually, he found her and they were married in Savannah in December, 1953. They celebrated their 55th anniversary in 2008.
She was a true southern lady who could shoot straight and entertain with elegance. In fact, shooting skeet across Port Royal Sound was one of her passions. She loved the coast, and was one of the great sun-worshippers. Some of my greatest memories are of endless hours walking down the beach with mom as she identified plants and birds and collected shells. She was also a fashion plate who was naturally chic. She had a good eye and an unerring sense of what worked for her and she always looked fabulous.
I would like to think I inherited some of these qualities. I know my sister Jane has. This past week, I have had the privilege of talking with many people whose lives she touched. This is her legacy.

Uganda Drops Death to Gays

The Ugandan parliament has dropped the death penalty and life imprisonment for gays in their proposed bill to further criminalize homosexuality. Good news, right? At least people won't be executed (officially) for being who God made them. The bill is still Draconian, though. The newly revised bill favors a "more refined set of punishments" including stiff jail sentences and forced Cohen-style snake oil.

"More refined set of punishments" could have come out of the mouth of Mengele. As Joe.My.God said, we must continue to expose the American so-called religious leaders and politicians who caused this monstrosity in the first place.

Rachel Maddow Is My Hero

Self-styled "ex-gay" "therapist" and all-around media whore Richard Cohen went on Rachel Maddow last night to try to explain away his role in the pending gay genocide law in Uganda. Rachel absolutely destroyed him using his own words. Watch it:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Purpose Driven Genocide

You have probably heard about the pending law in Uganda that would mandate the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality." This include any mixing of alcohol and gay sex. In other words, buy a guy a drink in a bar and take him home, and you've committed a capitol offense. Seriously. The law also includes life imprisonment for "promoting homosexuality," speaking out in favor of gay rights, or just having gay sex once. There are also jail terms for those who fail to turn in a gay person, like a mother or father.

Guess who's involved in this up to his eyeballs? None other than Pastor Rick Warren. You know Rick, he's the guy who lied that he wasn't involved in the Prop 8 fight when he actually fought hard to strip gay Californians of rights he enjoys. He's the guy who said he's not homophobic because he loves Melissa Etheridge music. He's the guy who was hand-picked by President Obama to give the invocation at the inauguration. You can read about his deep involvement in murdering gays in Uganda here.

UPDATE: Warren has made a video condemning the proposed law and denying any involvement in it. The pressure must be working.

Monday's Man: Richard Burgi

I can't believe I haven't written about veteran actor Richard Burgi before. He's moved up from recurring character to regular on this year's Desperate Housewives due to this torrid affair with Bree. Who can blame her?

As good as he looks in clothes, he looks a heck of a lot better out of them, even goofy board shorts.

Hook me up baby. Can you believe he has this body at 51? That's even older than I am and I didn't have that body at 21. If you saw last night's episode, (Spoiler alert!) you know that it may be his last. I'm not worried. I think the only one to bite the dust will be the chubby nurse who was trying to blackmail that gal from The Sopranos. We'll see.

Jenny Sanford: Gays Wrecked My Marriage!

South Carolina First Lady Jenny Sanford has discovered the real reason for the destruction of her solid, Christian marriage - teh gays:

“Of course I’m not saying that Mark is gay,” Sanford said, “but he may as well be. The moral decay in this country has claimed another victim and this time it was my family. Our marriage was perfect until these laws started passing around the country. Clearly the slow dissolution of the sanctity of marriage in America seeped into Mark’s psyche until he no longer felt compelled to abide by our vows.”

Of course, Rush Limbaugh was quick to jump on this new "proof" that marriage equality for gays destroys heterosexual marriage:

“America, I’ve been warning you for years that gay marriage would destroy the American family and look… there they are, a husband, wife, and four children — destroyed. When is this going to stop America? When will the liberals be satisfied? When all the marriages break up? This wasn’t Mark Sanford’s fault, this was Ted Kennedy’s fault. Sanford didn’t cheapen the value of marriage, he was victimized by the cheapening of marriage.”

In case you haven't figured it out yet, this entire thing is a joke from a terrific site that Lazy Circles NY Bureau Chief Doug turned me on to. It's called The diSCust. Think The Onion but focused on the Palmetto State. Talk about a fertile field for satire. Check it out.

NY Vote: This Ain't Over

For you New Yorkers out there (or anyone else), here is a list of the Democrats who voted against marriage equality yesterday (via Towleroad):

53% Aubertine (Upstate) - aubertin@senate.state.ny.us
53% Stachowski (Upstate) - stachows@senate.state.ny.us
58% Addabbo (Queens) - addabbo@senate.state.ny.us
81% Onorato (Queens) - onorato@senate.state.ny.us
93% Diaz (Bronx) - diaz@senate.state.ny.us
93% Kruger (Queens) - kruger@senate.state.ny.us
100% Huntley (Queens) - shuntley@senate.state.ny.us
100% Monserrate (Queens) - monserra@senate.state.ny.us

What's up with Queens?

According to Towleroad, Senator Addabbo of Queens received the maximum amount of $9,500 from gay software entrepreneur Tim Gill who funds gay PACs. He also got a great deal of money from the Democratic State Senate Campaign Committee which is funded in a significant way by gay campaign contributors. In other words, people, there's a way to make this vote hurt Senator Addabackstabber.

There was a rally in Times Square last night and another is planned for tonight. Pictured above is Joe.My.God himself holding up a picture of Sen. Hiram Monserratte who voted no and who was recently accused of slashing the face of his girlfriend with broken glass.

Equality Loses in New York

The New York state Senate has voted down a marriage equality bill, 38-24. Not even close.

Obama Ecstasy

A police stop in Palmview, TX has yielded a stash of illegal drugs including heroin, marijuana, and ecstasy pills shaped like Homer Simpson, the Smurfs and President Obama. Is this health care reform we can believe in?

Bridget Loves Nancy

We have another gay celebrity in our midst. Meredith Baxter came out on the Today show this morning and you can watch it below. She came out to family and friends about seven years ago and has been in a relationship with 54 year old contractor Nancy Locke for four years.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

She also gave an interview to The Advocate and here's a choice quote:

In your personal life with the people you've told, has it been a cakewalk?
"Maybe a cakewalk on their side. It was absolute fucking agony for me, only in the respect that I was so fearful."

She also talked about it to Frank DeCaro on Sirius OutQ yesterday.

Congratulations Meredith!

h/t LC NY Bureau Chief Doug

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day and the White House has marked the occasion. There are events going on around the world and you can click here to find one near you.

Here is the President's proclamation.