Black and White Ball

He's a bust! ...in the Hall of Fame

Harvey Milk finally got busted at City Hall.
This is after years of work by the committee of folks who fundraised and organized and found ways around municipal bureaucracy.

At the unveiling ceremony, the rotunda was packed with every notable LGB and T in town. All the elected officials, the hunky Mayor, gleaming from his proven-right decision to preempt legality and grant gay marriages back in 2004.

A duet with lyrics from one of Harvey's speeches, "Give 'Em Hope" composed by pal Adam Sandel, the SF Gay Men's Chorus, a parade of local drag and leather folk, gay poetess Jewelle Gomez and Cecilaa Chung (one of the suing couples in the CA Supreme Court decision), and many more. Examiner story here. BAR article about Harvey's columns here.

SF Weekly, which previously ran an article trashing the costs of the memorial bust, and ran a blathering un-edited feature on what a nice misunderstood guy Dan White was -published while the Milk movie was filming in SF- got (sloppy) pics on their blog, as well as a pic of the totally annoying stoned queen down front who kept flapping a pair of costume wings.

Sometimes it is a bit like Oz here in SF, or perhaps just Munchkinland. Connie Champagne did sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Joey Cain's self-reference as the "Wicked Witch of the West" and calling Dan Nicoletta "Glinda" were perhaps not exact. I mean, Joey had presidented Pride for years, and without an army of flying monkeys. And Danny doesn't exactly ride around in a bubble, but he is sweet.

But people from all ends of Oz came to honor Harvey, from his nephew to Harvey's lover's mom -88 years old!- to all his surviving friends, even Milk screenwriter Shane Black.

It was a pity the inane drunken queens in the hallway couldn't even shut up during the tape of Harvey's last speech. Some queens have no clue.

Otherwise, a fine evening, even if I did miss the Ugly Betty season finale.

Wed Ed

Pushing aside the sad news of Ted Kennedy's tumor, and other bad news, here's more Cali Gay Marriage stuff:

California gay-marriage fight could propel issue to U.S. Supreme Court
t was 1964. Conservative groups across California, angered by a new law aimed at discriminatory housing practices, mobilized to wipe the law off the books by amending the state constitution.

The initiative was a hit at the ballot box. Two-thirds of the state's voters approved the change in the constitution. But the new law didn't stick - both the California Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down, finding that it violated federal equal protection rights.

More than four decades later, that scenario could unfold again in California. This time, however, the issue is gay marriage, and California - because of its situation - may end up being the battleground that ultimately propels this modern day civil rights battle into the U.S. Supreme Court.

With social and religious conservatives moving to erase Thursday's California Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage with a fall ballot initiative, California is in a unique position. While dozens of states have enacted gay-marriage bans, none has done so after a state Supreme Court found a legal right for gay couples to wed.

"We'd be in uncharted legal territory," said Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, a lead attorney in challenging the gay-marriage ban.

The 4-3 state Supreme Court ruling found the state's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, and declared that gay couples have the same legal right to marry as heterosexual couples.


LA County Staff Ready For June 16 Rush In Wake Of Marriage Ruling
- Los Angeles County will be ready to meet the increased demand for civil marriage ceremonies and license applications on June 16, when the recent state Supreme Court ruling overturning a same-sex marriage ban will take effect, acting County Clerk Dean Logan said Tuesday.

"Our staff is busy going about the process of preparing to implement the court's decision in concert with all the other services we provide, and we believe that we will be able to do that in a timely and efficient manner," Logan said.

I don't know if this is bad or just superfluous:
Cranky Old Drag Queen Ex-Nazi Hates Gay Marriage
Pope Benedict yesterday restated the view of the Catholic Church that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. Despite not referring to the ruling of the Californian Supreme Court in favour of gay marriage, Vatican City watchers believe the restating of the Church's position was a reaction the ruling.

"The union of love, based on matrimony between a man and a woman, which makes up the family, represents a good for all society that can not be substituted by, confused with, or compared to other types of unions," he said.

(Says the unmarried man in a dress who helped cover up the largest child molestation conspiracy in world history.)

And the bottom line for Republicans, Money!
"“I’m wishing everyone good luck with their marriages and I hope that California’s economy is booming because everyone is going to come here and get married.” - CA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Bay to Breakers 2008

aka the Drunk Straight Pride March

Big Wheels

...keep on turning.

I just formatted my paper's gay marriage ruling news article. Wait, four more articles. Go to the front page. Good news. California's Supreme Court rules in favor of gay marriage. Bad news: I don't have a husband to celebrate with.

Good news: It's hot. Bad news. People in China and Myanmar are dying by the thousands.

Good news: Edwards endorses Obama. Bad news: McCain may pair up with tent-revivalist Huckabee.

Ridiculous news: Chimpoleon said he gave up golf for "the war effort." Predictable follow-up: he lied.

Good news: It's Bike to Work Day. Bad News: Car congestion is worse than ever.



Go to the Bike After Work party.

I'm going to see Ilkhom Theatre at YBCA.

Bike Art

Robert Rauschenberg died Monday at 82.

Everything is a collage.

Scott's Hot

Unlike certain other celebs who showed off their cycling as a PR stunt, the irrepressibly normal Scott Speedman not only rides around Los Angeles (okay, maybe that's not normal), but he does it in normal (i.e. non-spandex) clothes.

In a perfect world, he'd be my perfectly normal gay boyfriend who's also a movie actor.
--


SCENE: Int. Kitchen, afternoon, LA home, sparsely furnished yet elegant.

ME: Hi, honey. (smooch). How was your bike ride from the studio?

SCOTT: Fine. They actually have some new bike lanes on Melrose.

ME: That's cool (Smooch again). So, how did the meeting go?

SCOTT: That depends. (Peels off sweaty normal bike clothes) Do you want us to have a lot more money and do you want me to be a vampire-werewolf again?

ME: Yes and yes.

SCOTT: Well then, get ready for a trip to Romania, because I'm doing Underworld III.

ME: Hooray! (more smooches, followed by a mad love scene in the shower.)

--

Gay's Anatomy

or, "I Love My Dead Gay Soldier," part XVII.



In which, in between Ugly Betty and Lost, that other show Grey's Anatomy, featured a gay kiss between soldiers, played by hunkalacious Benny Ciaramello (Friday Night Lights' Santiago) and MTV Road Rules' alum David Giuntoli.

I watch Grey's Anatomy regularly, just because it's in between my other two favorite shows (not because I think the cast is cute or that I have any preference for self-absorbed heterosexual characters who obsess about each other on the job 24/7, especially while operating on people; no wonder so many characters die on that show! "Like a Virgin, hey! touched for the very first time...")



Anywhose, so the gay soldier (one with a brain tumor; how romantic) pops up, and from the first shot of the guy, I thought "Don't Ask Don't Tell" subplot! Whoo Hoo!

And wouldn't you know it, the doe-eyed love interest in uniform enters the doe-eyed tumor hunk's hospital room. Grey, our trusty unreliable narrator, voyeurs up their liplock, and blam, here comes another GLAAD nomination.

Or something. I went on a rant trying to find the names of the familiar hunky actors, because I do that sort of thing, and after even finding a link of the entire episode online with the opening cast credits (Ha! the hunks are both Italian; knew it), I see that both Logo's NowNextNew, excuse me, NewNowNext had the guys mentioned in an advance; that the ubiquitous Towleroad also had it. If you look under his Military category, you'll also find a lengthy interview with the gay Navy guy (who doesn't die tragically) from the compelling PBS documentary series Carrier.

And today, JoeMyGod's got a clip, and the internets are short-term cwazy about the latest on-TV-Screen liplock between hunky actors who are comfy playing gay, because we mo's go all atwitter over such scenes. And we Download Them, too!

Well, we do.

Here's an edited version of just the soldiers' scenes:

Reichen, Rights and Rightwingers

Once upon a time -I dunno, last year, maybe- the Human Rights Campaign gave Reichen Lehmkuhl an award for being Role Model of the Year or something like that.

I understand why HRC gave Reichen an award. Fundraisers with $300 and up tickets need cute celebrities to attract people with money.

But exactly did he win this award for? Being cute after having his ears tucked? Being in the Air Force? Authoring a self-aggrandizing memoir? Winning a reality show contest? Showing his butt in Dante's Cove?


After breaking up with his Amazing Race costar Whatshisname (excuse me, Chip Arndt! See comments for the indignant and lengthy trumpet-blaring explanation of the Famous Activist!), Reichen recently dated Lance Bass in a highly publicized, and inevitably short-lived relationship. Then Reichen started dating some other less famous guy, underwear model Ryan Barry.

Then, according to Pink is the New Blog, Reichen allegedly posted a list of statements on his MySpace profile, all about what not to do when you're an ambitious Hollywood celebrity who dates other ambitious celebrities and/or underwear models. Then he apologized and deleted it.



Thanks, man. Can it now finally be said that this guy is no role model? He jumps from one arriviste celebutante to another, declaring his love via publicists, and the gay media jumps on board, lapping up his every move.

As for HRC, not only have they incensed thousands of gay activists for their role in dumping transgenders from the ENDA bill. They just endorsed a Republican candidate. HRC chose to endorse incumbent Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins over challenger Tom Allen, a six-term Democrat serving in the House.

They're refusing to endorse an openly gay Democratic Senate candidate in North Carolina, Jim Neal. The Democratic Party's also balking. Why? HRC head Joe Solomese makes his excuses in the Bay Area Reporter.

Oh, and they also sponsor Log Cabin Republican events. You know Log Cabinites. They claim so many members, yet have to use stock imagery on their website because their members are mostly in the closet.

Is HRC doing anything to counter the rightwing effort to retain the Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban? Nope. That's the job of the Servicemen's Legal Defense Network. I wouldn't be surprised if their Rethug HRC fave supports the ban.


I'd like to abridge Reichen's list, in light of HRC's recent idiotic tactics.

"Never believe them when they say they're fighting for you.

Never believe them when they tell you where their money is going.

Never believe them when they say they're only going to work with you, especially when there is a social climbing opportunity in front of them.

Never underestimate their need for celebrity, money, and fame.

Never believe you can fix it by puttng little Equal stickers on your car bumper.

Never EVER believe civil rights are more important to them than anything that's a crass political move.

Don't date in Washington. Realize that for them, it's all BUSINESS."

And one addendum:

An underwear model is not a role model for anyone but other underwear models.