The Gays* Only Thread

[HunterGather]

[nosurprises12]

SHOCKING.

[Miroir Noir]

His public coming out email to Andrew Sullivan is worth reading:

Andrew, as you know, the issue you raise is one that I've thought about for years. Even though my job puts me in the public eye, I have tried to maintain some level of privacy in my life. Part of that has been for purely personal reasons. I think most people want some privacy for themselves and the people they are close to.

But I've also wanted to retain some privacy for professional reasons. Since I started as a reporter in war zones 20 years ago, I've often found myself in some very dangerous places. For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people’s stories, and not my own. I have found that sometimes the less an interview subject knows about me, the better I can safely and effectively do my job as a journalist.

I've always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love, should not be something they have to discuss publicly. As long as a journalist shows fairness and honesty in his or her work, their private life shouldn't matter. I’ve stuck to those principles for my entire professional career, even when I’ve been directly asked “the gay question,” which happens occasionally. I did not address my sexual orientation in the memoir I wrote several years ago because it was a book focused on war, disasters, loss and survival. I didn't set out to write about other aspects of my life.

Recently, however, I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. It’s become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something - something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true.

I’ve also been reminded recently that while as a society we are moving toward greater inclusion and equality for all people, the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible. There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand.

The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud.

I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues. In a perfect world, I don't think it's anyone else's business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted. I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don't give that up by being a journalist.

Since my early days as a reporter, I have worked hard to accurately and fairly portray gay and lesbian people in the media - and to fairly and accurately portray those who for whatever reason disapprove of them. It is not part of my job to push an agenda, but rather to be relentlessly honest in everything I see, say and do. I’ve never wanted to be any kind of reporter other than a good one, and I do not desire to promote any cause other than the truth.

Being a journalist, traveling to remote places, trying to understand people from all walks of life, telling their stories, has been the greatest joy of my professional career, and I hope to continue doing it for a long time to come. But while I feel very blessed to have had so many opportunities as a journalist, I am also blessed far beyond having a great career.

I love, and I am loved.

In my opinion, the ability to love another person is one of God’s greatest gifts, and I thank God every day for enabling me to give and share love with the people in my life. I appreciate your asking me to weigh in on this, and I would be happy for you to share my thoughts with your readers. I still consider myself a reserved person and I hope this doesn’t mean an end to a small amount of personal space. But I do think visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter’s shield of privacy.

[JorgeC]

well said Anderson. Glass closets are not cute. Understandable, but i really admire people that are open in all aspects of their life, especially professionally. His excuse worked when he was "just" a reporter, but when he did the talk show and starting becoming more of a "celebrity" it was really time to be open. Everyone has a timetable I guess.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

And now Frank Ocean has come out!

[nyarlathotoats]

And now Frank Ocean has come out!

Say what?! Surely your joking.....
































aren't you?

[hangthedj112]

Say what?! Surely your joking.....

http://pitchfork.com/news/47067-fran...his-sexuality/

[suprefan]

Say what?! Surely your joking.....
































aren't you?

If you want to sell your tickets to his show now, I'll take them off your hands.

[nyarlathotoats]

^thanks but no thanks. If anything, I refuse to miss his show!

[JorgeC]

I found it interesting that he never says "gay" or "bi". I don't know whether that's an age thing where young people don't like labels or a cultural thing where african-americans never acknowledge their gayness. I'm sure this type of repression occurs across all cultures and communities, but none of them ever had a term to go along with it.

I won't get into the "DL" thing, but I remember a joke that Katt Williams (?) said about gays in the black community. He said "black people won't admit to being gay or having gay children". A mom will be like "there's no gay people up in this house", then she'll scream out to her kid that's playing out on the street "BILLY, get yo ass in her, take off that dress and get washed up for dinner". anyways, it was funnier when he said it.

[nyarlathotoats]

I've read some articles already proclaiming that he is Bi, and not gay altogether. It might just not be that comfortable to say to himself altogether; I think it will take some time, as any of us on here can understand. Hell, I'm not even fully out yet myself. Only a close few know, but as each day passes I become more comfortable with myself.

[HunterGather]

This makes it look like he's a young gay with a vlog on youtube

[caeden]

a young gay with silver hair...

[HunterGather]

You have to disregard the fact that he's old...

[HunterGather]

[nyarlathotoats]

Wasn't it cher from clueless that said, "Anything that draws attention to your mouth is good."

[HunterGather]

[JorgeC]

Undertow (Peru)
Lovely little film from Peru about a fisherman leading a double life (aren't so many of these films about that?). After an accident, the forbidden romance turns into a ghost story. Quite unlike anything else I've seen.

I saw this last night, was just added to Netflix instant. Very well done, glad you put it on my radar.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

[HunterGather]

uh-mazing

[nyarlathotoats]

This needs to be made into a pilot episode! Fuckin love me some golden girls.

[HunterGather]

So how do we gays feel about Brad Pitts mother being a bigoted cunt?
I mean, she was probably always like that, but for some reason it's in the public eye now.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

We don't give a shit, Hunter, thanks for asking.


Did you guys see Frank Ocean on Fallon yesterday? Man, what a lovely song. This kid's a bit of an old soul. Bet that "unrequited love" is kicking himself now.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/378508


(edit: sorry, can't figure out how to embed from Hulu)

[gaypalmsprings]

Asteroid named for gay-rights pioneer Kameny

Jul. 10, 2012 12:56 PM
Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- A Canadian amateur astronomer has named an asteroid he discovered after U.S. gay rights pioneer Frank Kameny, who died last year in Washington.

Kameny, who earned a doctorate in astronomy at Harvard University, was an astronomer with the U.S. Army Map Service in the 1950s but was fired from his job for being gay. He contested the firing all the way to the Supreme Court and later organized the first gay rights protests outside the White House, the Pentagon and in Philadelphia in the 1960s.

Kameny died last year at age 86.

When astronomer Gary Billings read Kameny's obituary, he consulted with others in the astronomy world. They decided to submit a citation to the Paris-based International Astronomical Union and the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Mass., seeking to designate Minor Planet 40463 as Frankkameny.

It's located in the asteroid belt, orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. The Kameny asteroid is visible through a telescope and was first discovered in 1999 using long-exposure photography.

"Frank would show up as a little dot that moves between two points," Richard "Doc" Kinne, an astronomical technologist at the American Association of Variable Star Observers in Cambridge, Mass., said in an interview. He helped write the citation that would lead to the naming.

While comets are often named for their discoverers, those who discover asteroids have 10 years to suggest a name once the discovery is verified. The submission is subject to review by a 15-member international panel, said astronomy historian David DeVorkin at the National Air and Space Museum. Astronomers often use the names as an acknowledgement of someone's contributions to science or culture.

A published citation officially naming the asteroid on July 3 notes Kameny's history as a gay rights pioneer.

"Frank E. Kameny (1925-2011) trained as a variable star astronomer in the 1950s, but joined the Civil Rights struggle. His contributions included removing homosexuality from being termed a mental disorder in 1973 and shepherding passage of the District of Columbia marriage equality law in 2009," the citation reads in the Minor Planet Circular.

Kinne said he and Billings wanted to honor Kameny for his legacy, even though he was pushed out of the astronomy field.

After Billings read Kameny's obituary, he wrote to Kinne.

"Hey, I have a few asteroids I discovered that I haven't named yet," he said. "What do you say we name one after Frank?"

"I was utterly floored," Kinne said. "To me, this is a big deal."

Billings told Kinne he was moved by hearing the story of how he had met Kameny about three years ago in Washington and many passers-by stopped to thank him for his advocacy.

"I concluded he was a man I would have admired," Billings wrote to Kinne. "Add that to the fact that I have many friends and acquaintances who are members of the LGBT community, and I felt it was something I wanted to do to honour Dr. Kameny -- and my friends!"

Before Kameny died, Kinne and others had been working to present him with a certificate of recognition from the American Astronomical Society and perhaps create and fund an award in his honor. Kameny also received an official apology from President Barack Obama's administration for his firing years ago.

"He was an astronomer," Kinne said. "The culture of the time took that away from him, and now he's getting it back. He would have liked that."

Kinne and Billings submitted the citation for the asteroid late last year. By July, they hadn't heard whether it was approved and feared it had been rejected. On July 6, though, they got word that Kameny is an asteroid.

[SoulDischarge]

[HunterGather]

We don't give a shit, Hunter, thanks for asking.

Tell us how you really feel.

Did you guys see Frank Ocean on Fallon yesterday? Man, what a lovely song. This kid's a bit of an old soul. Bet that "unrequited love" is kicking himself now.

I felt like listening to Pyramids again (on YT) and ugh, the comments.
It's just a long back n forth of gay hate and people saying who cares if he's gay.

[Mr.Trent]

anyone here want to share some clingy/psycho dating stories?

In the past week I went out with a guy who I met in a gay club and in just 5 dates some serious red flags were raised.. during the first couple of nights out he stated that he really liked me a lot, multiple times, but I just felt flattered. Then the first time we were having some sexy time in my place he actually said he loved me.. he completely freaked out and apologized but it still felt too weird. But the thing he did that completely gave him out as a creeper was this: he had previously told me that he would be travelling out of town for one week with one of his straight friends as company for some business of his in another city and that he would be missing me, then I told him, look, you're really nice and handsome but I'm only going to say this once, don't try to force a serious relationship or that's it, he of course agreed and we carried on, but 3 days after he had left I get a message saying "guess what? I'm back! I was missing you so I came back, when can I see you?"

That day I was particularly busy with dissertation going on and being in the lab all day and also visiting one of my best friends who is hospitalized, I just didn't have time for this dude that day and I told him so, but no, he got all sad and had this victim attitude saying I didn't give him enough time and that he had nothing else to say. Well great! me neither!!
I then sent him a long email explaining all his wrong doings so that in the future someone might be able to appreciate and love him in the way everybody deserves.. but not me, I've been through some rough emotional shit in my life and I'm not going to take care of people with such low self-esteem, hopefully he can work that out himself.
He also lied about the fact that his friend had finished sooner than expected and had come back too, he left him just to come back and see me, of course, that never happened. Hope he learns a lesson, I told him I needed my space and that it was good he was spending a week with his friend, but no, he was too clingy for my taste.

It's sort of a cosmic joke since all the guys I like are not interested in me that way, and the few ones I've dated that seem interested in me I just find completely boring or psycho-ish.. gotta keep trying I guess.

[BlacEfron]

We don't give a shit, Hunter, thanks for asking.


Did you guys see Frank Ocean on Fallon yesterday? Man, what a lovely song. This kid's a bit of an old soul. Bet that "unrequited love" is kicking himself now.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/378508


(edit: sorry, can't figure out how to embed from Hulu)

i am positively in LOVE with frank ocean. i couldn't put my finger on why thinkin bout you put me in a serious mood a year ago but when he came out it all made sense. our stories parallel each other so much it's crazy, right down to being from the same city lol. bad religion, as well is like he just read my mind about a past relationship. this performance was an A+

[gaypalmsprings]

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Ha! I made the mistake of watching this at work. Wish my cubicle wasn't so exposed.

anyone here want to share some clingy/psycho dating stories?

Oh, Mr. Trent, that guy sounds so obnoxious. I've had my fair share of bad dates like the guy who "forgot" his wallet, ordered the most expensive things on the menu and took three calls from his mother during the date, but luckily I've managed to avoid the clingers.

i am positively in LOVE with frank ocean. i couldn't put my finger on why thinkin bout you put me in a serious mood a year ago but when he came out it all made sense. our stories parallel each other so much it's crazy, right down to being from the same city lol. bad religion, as well is like he just read my mind about a past relationship. this performance was an A+

If you don't mind me asking, how do your stories parallel each other? Yeah, that really was a fantastic tv debut. I think he should have ended the album on "Bad Religion". Definitely the strongest song on the album. I love how he describes unrequited love as being a one man cult.