Keeping with the theme of my previous post, I figured I’d add another number from last year’s Drag! Camp as Christmas show that I saw at the Sydney Opera House. Feel free to load in HD as the resolution is a bit better and it only takes a minute and of course enjoy the creative interpretation of the Donna Summer classic, Hot Stuff.
This week I’ve been revisiting / reposting entries from my trip to Australia last year at this time. I’d be remiss if I did not end my tribute to the men who caught my eye. The handsome profiles were in many cases complimented by a friendly and fun loving personality that endeared me to nearly all Australians. If you or your partner are contemplating a trip to Australia, I would highly recommend visiting. The country and the people do not disapoint. To give you a flavor of the fun natured personality of the people I met while there I’ve included a post from Brenton over at Aussielicious. The flashmob dancing to a Kylie & Dannii Minogue medley on the steps of the opera house, perfectly exemplifies what I was referring to above when I described Australians as friendly and fun loving.
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Anyone who happens to read this blog and either lives in or may be visiting Sydney in early December should consider attending the annual Christmas show, Drag! at the Sydney Opera House. I posted a couple of clips from one of the numbers from last year’s show here.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay, Travel
Earlier this month Howell High School economics teacher Jay McDowell was reprimanded for addressing a student for making gay slurs in class. The school suspended McDowell without pay for 14 days for his actions and was mandated to take training on First Ammendment rights.
The video below is from Graeme Taylor. Watch how he calmly invokes the words of Dr. Martin Luther King as asks the Howell school board to reconsider their disciplinary actions. http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1
If the gay movement can come to expect more young men and women like Graeme in the next generation to step forward than the future for GLBT Americans is definitely a bright one.
You can read the full story about the incident here.
Thank you to the blog, Maybe its just me for sharing and bringing this to my attention.
Please consider spreading the word and posting if you have a blog.
If you watch Glee, you’ve been talking to friends about Kurt’s potential love interest played by, Darren Criss. He sang his way into my heart on Tuesday when he appeared on this week’s episode of Glee, breathing life into what has otherwise been a ho-hum season.
According to IMDB, Criss grew up in San Francisco and graduated from University of Michigan in 2009. Although this last bit of information was not on IMDB, from what I’ve read online, Darren is not gay. However, he is exceedingly easy on the eyes so I’ve shamelessly pulled down some photos to include him here on my blog. You can also check out Darren serenading Kurt with a fantastic rendition of Perry’s, Teenage Dream by linking here.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay, Pop Culture
Last night I was at the bachelor auction at Club Cafe to raise money for the Boston FLAG football league and the Harbor to the Bay Ride. This video was played later in the night and it made me think about the last time I heard this song which I’ll blog about next week.
Enjoy the campy video interpretation of the Whitney Houston song.
The wonderful weather that Boston enjoyed almost without exception May through September is gone. Lately it has been rather unpleasant so this is for anyone who reads my blog and is suffering the summer blues.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay
Watching Glee makes me wish I could be a teenager all over again. Its hard for me to imagine having TV shows w/ characters like Kurt on air. I grew up thinking I was mentally ill and only sexually depraved individuals were attracted to the same sex.
Its quite hard to articulate the impact that had but many of my contemporaries and certainly men older than me understand. I suppose that is partly why I can watch clips like this serenading of Kurt over and over again. Its hard for me to fathom that pop culture has moved so far in such a short period. Fear not, political changes are inevitable when clips like this play in middle America and ratings place Glee as one of the most popular shows in prime time.
Teammates from the gay, Boston flag football league around this time last year tried to get Ellen DeGeneres’ attention by courting her with this cute video. They also taped a second video of them dancing all around Boston Logan Airport which you can view here.
I don’t believe they ever made it to the Ellen show, but kudos to them for trying. Enjoy the video, which runs about 90-seconds.
As my previous post indicates, I’m not at the top of my game right now but the recent rant from Clint McCance, School Board Member from a small town in Northern Arkansas, on his Facebook page shook the haze from my head and had me seeing red earlier today.
In response to the October 20th Spirit Day, conceived on Facebook to show GLBT youth they are not alone and should not feel isolated by encouraging people to wear purple, Clint McCance had this to say on his Facebook page.
“Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers killed themselves. The only way im wearing it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed thereselves because of their sin. REALLY PEOPLE.”
Want to express your outrage? Friend, the “Fire Clint McCance” page on Facebook. But really the best thing you can do is spread the word. Use this as an opportunity to have a rational conversation with others. Mr. McCance will not change his views (although he may learn to keep his mouth shut) and he will have plenty of sympathizers who will see the movement on Facebook as part of a Liberal conspiracy. Too often this kind of news also flies under the radar of people not glued to a 24-hour news network so spread the word.
For those who may not know, the image above was used in the 80s by ACT UP, an AIDS activist group. However, recent discourse from men like Clint McCance, Carl Paladino, Andrew Shirvell, and Tom Demint, make it important we all start speaking up and saying enough.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay, Politics
Thanks David over at WGB for bringing this to my attention. Again, here is another example of only one party talking to the GLBT community. Is it any wonder I’m a stalwart of the party?
If McCain / Palin were in office what do you think might have been their message? Am I being unfair raising speculation that there would not have been a response? History leads me to believe not.
In response to the recent rash of gay teen suicides, The Boston Globe has prominently displayed “Growing up gay” on Boston.com. The article includes personal stories of Bostonians who open up about the homophobia, fear, and isolation they endured as teens — and how they made it through.
This is just one example of why I moved and stayed in Boston some 13+ years ago. How many cities and parts of the country have so directly and compassionately addressed this issue? Certainly many sympathize privately with this situation, but the key to addressing this issue is publicly proclaiming your frustration and saying “life gets better.” This is not an issue to be meek or shy about if you hope to make a difference so I wanted to thank my hometown paper, The Boston Globe, for taking on this issue and sharing so many stories with its readers. I’m sure somewhere there are teens reading these stories, nodding their heads identifying with those same issues – even here in liberal MA.
The Globe cautions that some of these stories contain homophobic epithets but you can check out The Boston Globe article here.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, Gay, The Boston Globe
Anyone going to this party?
Tickets can be purchased at Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project.
Shoot me an e-mail at BosGuyMail@gmail.com if you plan to go.
Tomorrow, Wednesday October 20th has been designated as “Spirit Day” to acknowledge the recent rash of LGBTQ youth who have committed suicide and to reaffirm to those youth who feel alone and isolated that they are not and to paraphrase an often used phrase now, it gets better.
Why purple? According to the GLAAD website, purple symbolizes ‘spirit’ on the rainbow flag. Although there is no meeting place or rally planned – this is a national event that you can help to raise the visibility of if you are a blogger by promoting and everyone can contribute to by wearing something purple.
GLAAD has more information about Spirit Day, check it out here.
Sometimes the strongest statements are our actions.
Will you help make a statement on October 20th?
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay, Politics
Its upsetting but worth the watch… If you’re moved and want to do something, take the pledge and share your story It Gets Better Project.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay
So many horrible things have been said by Republican candidates or elected officials with nobody from that party stepping forward and saying “Enough” or “Shut up” it makes me ill.
Considering how many kids have committed suicide from gay bullying – why aren’t parents speaking up? Why is there not a single elected Republican telling these people, “Shut up!” Obviously the hate-laced speech from these people are somehow telling bullies that what they are doing is okay and nobody in the Republican party thinks its worth addressing. That tells me where I (and anyone like me) stands. Hello Mr. “Dick” Cheney who supposedly loves his lesbian daughter – Mary – why haven’t you spoken up? You’re such an obnoxious loud mouth on so many other topics. Hello Gov. Shwarzenegger (and wife Maria), care to say something and call these people out for their hateful speech? Apparently not…
The latest example:
“I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family, and I don’t want them brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option – it isn’t.”
-Carl Paladino, Republican hopeful for NY governor.
You would expect this sort of thing coming from someone running for office in the southeast – not NY. And this coming on the heels of Rutgers freshman, Tyler Clementi, jumping off the George Washington Bridge in NYC after being outed in a most base and horrifying way. For the record if the same thing happened to me – I’m pretty sure I would have done the same thing. The only difference would have been the bridge I jumped from.
How sad that nearly every day of the year, I could identify a different Republican elected official or candidate saying something equally hurtful / hateful without a single leader from their party deploring the hateful speech. Is it any wonder that the GLBT community runs with fear from nearly any candidate with the letter (R) next to their name? Even if they bear the gay community no ill will – what would be your reaction to a powerful political party that has no history of doing anything but causing you pain and wishing you ill?
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay, Politics
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