The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine) articles from February 2003

The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine) archives from February 2003

Justin, hot and cool. (reader forum).
February 4, 2003... Your interview with Justin Timberlake in The Advocate's Coolest Straight People of 2002 [December 24] was a breath of fresh air. As a gay male psychotherapist who counsels gay and lesbian clients, I know firsthand how hateful words and...

Star sheriffs. (reader forum).
February 4, 2003... Thank you for interviewing newly elected sheriff Sheila Prue of Windham County, Vt. [Behind the Headlines, December 24]. Indeed, Prue's victory is newsworthy and historically significant--especially since gays and lesbians hold just 237 of the...

Courage under fire. (reader forum).
February 4, 2003... In your interview with Salma Hayek ["The Velocity of Salma," December 10], she says, "I know I'm not gay. It's clear to me. If I was, I wouldn't hide it." She also criticizes many gays "because they are afraid to be who they are and be judged...

Reader comments from www.advocate.com. (reader forum).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... * "Yes. The experience was horrible. The lawsuit that resulted was tossed because the state of Utah decided that same-sex sexual harassment can't possibly exist." * "I work for a high-end Internet manufacturer, where (1) harassment isn't...

My Kentucky home. (reader forum).
February 4, 2003... I cannot tell you how moved I was to read about the students at Kentucky's Boyd County High School who started a gay-straight alliance [At Issue, December 10]. There are two reasons I'm particularly moved: The first is that I too attended...

Therapist conversion. (reader forum).
February 4, 2003... I applaud Michelangelo Signorile on another informative article ["Sick Again," December 10]. As a gay psychologist I am embarrassed that there are still a few therapists, usually fundamentalist Christians, who actually believe that so-called...

The challenge of loss. (my perspective).(Obituary)
February 4, 2003... My father, Stan, was an artist and professor who first discovered his voice in 1960s San Francisco. He became an award-winning poet in the brief span of time just after the beatniks started to lose ground and the hippies were gathering numbers....

rants & raves.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... "You kiss an actor, and you don't know what they are going to smell like. But you kiss a girl, and She is going to smell good. And she's very soft. They're soft, and they Smell nice. Guys don't." --Juulianne Moore, on kissing Toni toilette...

From zero to hero? New majority leader Bill Frist has cast zero pro-gay votes, but his gestures toward inclusion give some activists hope. (Senate).
February 4, 2003... As Senate majority leader, Bill Frist of Tennessee certainly seems more moderate than his predecessor, Trent Lott. While Lott had a reputation for being abrasive and inflexible, Frist is admired for his laid-back demeanor and inclusive tone....

Equal rights, at long last. (New York).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... After 31 years of bouncing around the senate, and eleventh-hour infighting between gay rights and transgender activists, a bill was passed by New York State lawmakers December 17 to add the words sexual orientation to the state's existing human...

Honoring a legend. (History).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... The openly gay architect of the 1963 civil rights march on Washington will be honored by his hometown of West Chester, Pa., when the city's new $67 million high school opens in 2005 bearing Bayard Rustin's name. But the months of acrimonious...

Send in the clones. (Science).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... If reports from a company claiming to be the first to successfully clone humans are true, at least two same-sex couples will be among the first to have cloned babies. Clonaid, a Las Vegas-based company affiliated with the Raelian religious...

Gay alderman blows Windy City. (People).(Chicago)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... A restaurateur whose Swedish restaurants are known for decadent cinnamon rolls is expected to be the first openly gay alderman on the Chicago city council. Mayor Richard Daley nominated Tom Tunney, owner of Ann Sather restaurants, on...

Across the Nation. (The Advocate Report).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... Anchorage, Alaska The Alaska supreme court on December 16 began hearing arguments about whether the state, which bans gay marriage, must extend benefits to the partners of gay and lesbian employees. Suisun City, Calif. Ron...

Gay OK, Thais say. (Thailand).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... After years of pressure from gay rights groups led by Anjaree, Thailand's leading lesbian organization, the Thai government on December 27 declared that homosexuality was neither a mental problem nor a disease. The declaration puts the country...

Smallpox vaccine and HIV: a deadly combination. (Science).
February 4, 2003... With soldiers and health care workers receiving smallpox inoculations under President Bush's bioterror prevention program, many Americans are considering whether to receive vaccinations if they become more widely available. But people with...

Who's the real bully? (Education).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... An antibullying program designed for West Virginia public schools will no longer include references to gay people or antigay hate crimes after conservative groups led by the American Family Association complained that it promoted homosexuality....

Transitions. (The Advocate Report).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... DIED: Richard Fasenmeyer, gay activist and philanthropist, of undisclosed causes, in the Las Olas Isles section of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., December 26. He was 55. Fasenmyer established a foundation in Cleveland to support local health clinics...

Getting hitched in Buenos Aires: members of Argentina's foremost gay rights group discuss how they made Buenos Aires the first South American city to recognize civil unions. (Behind the Headlines).(Cesar Cigliutti and Marcelo Sunthein of Comunidad Homosexual Argentina)(Interview)
February 4, 2003... On December 13, in the midst of a massive social justice movement, Buenos Aires became the first city in Latin America to declare civil union rights for gay and lesbian couples. The 18-year-old activist group Comunidad Homosexual Argentina led...

This week on Advocate.com. (On the Web).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... BREAKING NEWS: Visit www.advocate.com for the latest news, entertainment, and health headlines, updated twice daily. TV PREVIEW AbFab bites the Apple It's time for another shot of Patsy and Edina, in the new Comedy Central special...

Virtually gay: the Sims is the first online game to allow gay characters. (On the Web).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... The wildly popular computer game The Sims is a favorite among cyber-gaming enthusiasts for allowing users to create simulated worlds populated with all kinds of people--including gay people. Now, with the December release of The Sims Online,...

The gay dance legacy: July 24, 1980. (From the Advocate Archives).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... As celebrated dancer Marcelo Gomes formally comes out in this issue, The Advocate looks back 22 years to a special dance issue that featured two out gay dancers and a history of one of dance's most influential gay impresarios, Sergey Pavlovich...

The Wilde West. (the Buzz).(gay comic book hero)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... Gay cowboys may be nothing new to the members of the International Gay Rodeo Association, but outing the 48-year-old Marvel Comics character the Rawhide Kid has (pardon the pun) spurred public interest. Debuting in March 1955, the Rawhide...

Vulcan AIDS? (the Buzz).(television series "Enterprise" portrays AIDS-like disease)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... Paramount's Star Trek franchise is going boldly into the AIDS pandemic, as first officer T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) faces an incurable Vulcan disease on the February 5 episode of the UPN series Enterprise. Called Pa'nar Syndrome, the illness...

Cracker Barrel buckles: the family restaurant's change of heart provides a prime example for activists committed to reforming other antigay corporations. (Business).
February 4, 2003... Cheryl Summerville still remembers the day in 1991 when Cracker Barrel Old Country Store fired her for being gay. She had worked as a backup cook at a Douglasville, Ga., Cracker Barrel restaurant for nearly three years. And though she says she...

In Matt's memory: a new book from the Matthew Shepard Foundation aims to show youth the real faces of gay men and lesbians. (Books).(Book Review)
February 4, 2003... One of the biggest deterrents to coming out of the closet for gay and lesbian youth has to be the paucity of out role models. If young men and women don't identify with any of the characters from Will & Grace--as worthy as they sometimes are as...

Better dating through circuitry: Gay singles looking for relationships rather than just sex are finding success via the Internet. (Love & Sex On The Internet).
February 4, 2003... As recently as four months ago, Amy Pridgen, a lifelong Texan, had no plans to ring in the New Year 1,500 miles away, much less to navigate her way through Pennsylvania snowstorms to move into a new home in Pittsburgh. But love can bring lots...

Five great dating sites: if you're looking for a relationship or for a friend, these non-sexually explicit Web sites are a great place to start. (Love & Sex On The Internet).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2003... Gaydatecam.com If you prefer to see what someone looks like before you ask them out, this site is for you. Members can post up to six pictures of themselves with their profile (at least one is required) and can participate in streaming...

Addicted to dot-com sex: with sex options on the Net almost as plentiful as bauds per second, many gay men are finding that online life has had a chilling effect on their mental and physical health. (Love & Sex On The Internet).
February 4, 2003... Michael, a 32-year-old grant administrator living in New York City, got his first taste of the Internet in 1996 through an America Online account at work. (His last name has been withheld to protect his anonymity.) Though the online service...

Two different worlds: when it comes to hooking up online, lesbians are from Venus and gay men from Mars. (Love & Sex On The Internet).
February 4, 2003... That the Internet continues to revolutionize dating for gays at a faster pace than for heterosexuals is no surprise. "Gay people are just early adopters of new technology in general, especially when that technology allows them to connect with...

Tough guys do dance: when American Ballet Theatre's powerful Brazilian star, Marcelo Gomes, takes on the role of Romeo, audiences learn why it's hot to be out. (Cover Story).(Cover Story)
February 4, 2003... Alto, bronzeado, e bonitao. That's Portuguese for "tall, dark, and handsome," only three of the attractive qualities apparent in American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Marcelo Gomes. Even in a company studded with event, he is striking. At 6...

Fare thee well. (frames of mind).
February 4, 2003... When I first started writing this column 5 1/2 years ago, my goal was modest: to provide quarterly evidence that a lesbian sense of humor truly existed. I feared that my tribe had acquired an unsavory reputation for victimhood,...

Three women: the hours shines on-screen, borne on the shoulders of Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, and Meryl Streep.(Movie Review)
February 4, 2003... The Hours * Written by David Hare, from the novel by Michael Cunningham * Directed by Stephen Daldry * Starring Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep * Paramount/Miramax Currently in theaters, Adaptation is all about writer Charlie...

Masters of disaster: creative and life partners Louis Pepe and Keith Fulton talk about Lost in La Mancha, their fab documentary about a film gone horribly wrong. (film).
February 4, 2003... If your significant other is also your filmmaking partner, how do you separate labor and love? It's tricky, say Louis Pepe and Keith Fulton, whose feature-length documentary Lost in La Mancha--about director Terry Gilliam's unraveling attempt...

Once more, with music: what do Lost in La Mancha, Licensed to Kill, and Scout's Honor have in common? Powerful scores by out composer Miriam Cutler. (arts & entertainment).
February 4, 2003... For film composer Miriam Cutler, the decision to score Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe's Lost in La Mancha was a no-brainer. Cutler, a member of the quirky new wave band later known as Oingo Boingo (which also launched film composer Danny Elfman),...

To Hellman and back: screen legend Shirley MacLaine talks to gay indie icon Craig Chester about her work in Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour, new to DVD. (video).(Interview)
February 4, 2003... The first time I met Shirley MacLaine, she was Mary Kay Ash. While visiting my friend Parker Posey in Winnipeg, Canada, for the shoot of the CBS movie Hell on Heels: The Battle of Mary Kay, I had been forewarned. "Shirley is so cool," Parker...

Fresh stage directions: a new year brings a wealth of new theater choices of special interest to lesbian and gay audiences coast-to-coast. (theater preview).(Calendar)
February 4, 2003... Hollywood releases its most unwatchable movies early in the year; TV is a disarray of re-runs and mid-season misses--it's the perfect time to check out live theater. This winter and early spring, drama kings and queens will find noteworthy...

His big fat Canadian hit: Montreal writer Steve Galluccio's gay family comedy Mambo Italiano is a runaway success onstage--and the movie version is due out soon. (theater).(Interview)
February 4, 2003... Urban gay audiences may find comfort in the familiarity of the story line of Steve Galluccio's coming-out comedy Mambo Italiano. After all, its central character faces much the same dilemma Harvey Fierstein did 20 years ago in his...

She's got the beat: for Jennifer Yakes of the band Leah Stargazing, it's her drumming and not her sexuality that's a big deal. (music).(Interview)
February 4, 2003... When Jennifer Yakes joined pop-punk outfit Leah Stargazing, she was less concerned about coming out to her male band mates than she was about being a more experienced musician than the rest of the group. "I've reached a point in my life where...

Herb Ritts: a life in focus: the celebrities he photographed so flawlessly remember the warmth of the friend they knew. (culture).(Obituary)
February 4, 2003... "I think the fact that I was comfortable and happy and enjoyed what I was doing in my personal life encouraged me," said openly gay Los Angeles-based photographer Herb Ritts in his 1996 Advocate cover story interview. The wildly successful and...

Gay back when: the spellbinding new English novel As Meat Loves Salt is a sprawling tale of a 17th-century soldier who discovers his love for men.(Book Review)
February 4, 2003... As Meat Loves Salt * Maria McCann * Harcourt * $15 Jacob Cullen, the unforgettable narrator in Maria McCann's riveting, fiercely intelligent, and brutal first novel, is a strapping mercenary soldier in 17th-century England's civil war. He's...

Higher artist: Jon Planas makes art with, a pop sensibility, but he's got deeper things on his mind. (art).
February 4, 2003... At first glance, the work of out Los Angeles-based artist Jon Planas seems like pure candy-colored fun. But it actually reflects his spiritual touchstones. Consider these seemingly random facts: Planas, who has two concurrent shows in New York...

Do you believe in fairies? (last word).(discrimination and gender stereotypes)(Column)
February 4, 2003... I was recently speaking with a power couple from Los Angeles who I was hoping would donate to Gender-PAC. Neither was saying very much, and I finished with the distinct impression I had blown it. I was disappointed, as these are two men whose...

Everything's Rosie. (reader forum).(Letter to the Editor)
February 18, 2003... Thank you for your selection of Rosie O'Donnell as The Advocate's Person of the Year ["The Real Rosie," January 21]. I have respected and admired this wonderful humanitarian for many years. Her personal contributions to gay rights are really...

American gay idol. (reader forum).(Letter to the Editor)
February 18, 2003... You did a great job on "A Teen Idol's Dreams" [January 21]. I was particularly moved by Jim Verraros's account of the torment and ridicule he endured in junior high for being gay. His story is an important one to tell. In my opinion, the...

The Advocate poll. (reader forum).(readers comment on how gay rape case such as the one in Britain would play out in United States)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... Reader comments from www.advocate.com * "Although the British tabloids constantly throw out breathless stories at the merest hint of gayness, I think the British people are less horrified by the idea than the right-wing fundamentalist...

A bumpy ride. (reader forum).(Letter to the Editor)
February 18, 2003... I was saddened to open your yearend issue to find yet more sniping at Dan Pallotta ["Building a Better Ride," January 21]. I dated Dan for a few months in 1983. I was a senior at Tufts University; Dan had recently graduated from Harvard....

The last picture show? (reader forum).(Letter to the Editor)
February 18, 2003... Mike Goodridge seemed to miss the big picture in his story "Does MPAA = Most Parents Are Antigay?" [January 21]. Yes, it is unfair that gay content can up a film's ratings. But ratings are not censorship. What disturbs me but seems to be...

A little romance. (my perspective).(author reflects on long term relationship, romance, sex)(Column)
February 18, 2003... There I sat on a rainy afternoon with a gorgeous man named Daniel in a Jacuzzi in San Francisco's plush Hotel Palomar. As popera diva Emma Shapplin's latest CD played and jasmine candles scented the air, Daniel and I sipped pinot grigio and...

Rants & raves.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... "I'll get a few drag queens to be behind me, and I'll be very happy." --Catherine Zeta-Jones, talking about the possibility of doing a Vegas-style show, on NBC's Today show, January 6 "Of course he'll date. [Charlie Lawrence's personal...

Fireworks over pride: is the proposal to move San Francisco pride to July 4 a gutsy political statement or just a bad idea? (Society).(Gay Pride Day)
February 18, 2003... A proposal to move San Francisco's gay pride celebration from its traditional end-of-June date to Independence Day has ignited a debate in the city almost as lively as Fourth of July fireworks. But the sparks are not only coming from straight...

Judging Bush's latest nominee. (Courts).(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... Charles Pickering, President Bush's nominee for the fifth U.S. circuit court of appeals, has attracted a lot of negative attention for what opponents say are his racist stands. And now some activists are drawing attention to antigay sentiments...

The power of persuasion. (Business).(gay activist group Equality Project works to end workplace discrimination)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... When it comes to initiating social change in the business world, the Equality Project, a gay-focused shareholder activism group, is quite a powerhouse, known for convincing more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies to expand their...

BYU bumps broadcast. (Far Right).(Brigham Young University)(broadcast of conversion therapy for gay men)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... A minor decision at Brigham A Young University's TV stations is a major coup for gay men and lesbians in Utah. Just days after announcing that they would broadcast a lecture advocating conversion therapy for gay men, officials at the Mormon-run...

Committed to print. (Media).(Freedom Communications enacts policy of including gay and lesbian marriage announcements in newspapers)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... Gay couples in small to medium-size cities around the country now have an advantage some of their bigger-city counterparts are still going without: guaranteed placement of their commitment ceremony announcement in the local newspaper. In...

San Francisco, Calif. (Across the Nation).(statue of Harvey Milk)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... City officials launched a fund-raising drive in January in an effort to commission a bust of slain gay leader Harvey Milk to be placed in city hall.

Springfield, Ill. (Across the Nation).(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... The city council on January 7 passed an ordinance banning antigay discrimination in such matters as housing, credit, and employment.

Atlanta, Ga. (Across the Nation).(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... Hate-crime charges were filed January 9 against ex-Morehouse College student Aaron Price, who has been charged with attacking another male student who looked at him in the shower.

Key West, Fla. (Across the Nation).(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... On January 10 the city passed an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity.

Set straight on Cruise. (People).(Tom Cruise wins in defamation case)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... Although many Hollywood actors have been called "gay for pay," megastar Tom Cruise might be better described as "not gay, so pay." The 40-year-old Cruise has won a $10 million defamation judgment against porn actor Chad Slater. Slater, whose...

Business schools make the grade. (Education).(Aplomb Consulting reports on gay-positiveness at business schools)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... The nation's leading business schools are learning that inclusion is good business. In its second survey rating the gay-friendliness of 21 business schools, gay marketing and research company Aplomb Consulting reported that 52% of the colleges...

Satellite radio beams at gays. (Media).(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... Gay men and lesbians are about to get a national 24-hour radio station that is on their wavelength. Sirius Satellite Radio announced January 8 that it plans to launch an as-yet unnamed gay news and talk station within the next three months. ...

Conservative Jews at a crossroads. (Judaism).(conservative jews consider allowing same-sex marriages)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... Leaders of America's second-largest branch of Judaism are set to consider a potentially contentious issue within the movement: whether gay sex breaks Jewish law. Conservative Judaism welcomes gay congregants but does not allow gay people to be...

Transitions.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... DIED: Joe Carroccio, 45, cofounder of the Cleveland chapter of ACT UP, of cirrhosis and hepatitis, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, January 3. DIED: Eugene M. Harrington, 62, law professor and gay activist, of complications from AIDS, in...

Do draft, do tell: sociologist Charles Moskos, architect of "don't ask, don't tell," says the policy should be abandoned if the draft is reinstated. (Behind the Headlines).
February 18, 2003... As the United States and Iraq inch ever closer to a second Gulf War, members of Congress have raised the possibility of reinstating a military draft. Sociologist Charles Moskos, the prime architect of the Clinton administration's "don't ask,...

This week on Advocate.com. (On the Web).(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... BREAKING NEWS: Visit www.advocate.com for the latest news, entertainment, and health headlines, updated twice a day. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Gay movies 101 Need a refresher course in gay icons? Find out how Bette Davis, Joan...

Men seeking meth: a gay personals ad on the net leads to a drug bust in San Francisco. (On the Web).(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... Police say two men who posted a gay personal ad on the community-oriented Web site Craigslist.com weren't looking for a romantic or friendship connection but rather a hookup of a different kind. Buck Cody Davis, 25, of Phoenix, and Adolf...

December 27, 1994 Saint Savant? (From the Advocate Archives).(actor Doug Savant comments on his role in Melrose Place)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... In this issue's interview with Dan Futterman, Will & Grace producers talk about Will's impending romantic relationship and the possibility it will come with on-screen kissing. Eight years ago, however, such a thing was out of the question....

Christina knows what boys want. (the Buzz).(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... "I LIKE CONTROVERSY," ACTOR JORDAN SHANNON tells The Buzz. Maybe that's why the 22-year-old was happy to appear in Christina Aguilera's latest music video, "Beautiful," in a hot-and-heavy make-out session--complete with tongue--with his friend...

Hedwig and the full monty. (the Buzz).(John Cameron Mitchell to film porn movie)
February 18, 2003... "FUCK PORN," says John Cameron Mitchell, creator of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. "It's as prepackaged as any Hollywood film. The actors aren't doing what they would normally do sexually, and it teaches you that everyone has sex in exactly the...

Suicidal gender divide: an Internet survey suggests that lesbians and bisexual women engage in riskier behaviors than their male counterparts--but is it bad science? (Society).
February 18, 2003... The dangers faced by America's gay and lesbian youth--such as unsafe sex practices, rampant drug use, and suicidal tendencies--have been copiously documented in countless studies since 1989, when the Department of Health and Human Services...

Small business, big dreams: as the nation copes with an ever-tightening economy and the highest unemployment rate in a decade, many gay and lesbian entrepreneurs are finding happiness--and financial security--by going into business for themselves. (Gay-Owned Businesses).
February 18, 2003... BRAINWORKS Decorative painting and studio backdrops Proprietor Erin Adams Location Los Angeles Established 1988 Like the human mind, Erin Adams's design company, Brainworks, has two halves that work together to form a...

The end of an era: after 35 years in business in New York City, the nation's oldest gay and lesbian bookshop closes its doors for good. (Gay-Owned Business).(New York City's Oscar Wilde Bookshop)
February 18, 2003... The telephone has been ringing off the hook on Christopher Street at New York City's Oscar Wilde Bookshop ever since its owner announced in early January that the 35-year-old store would be closing its doors. "It's nice to hear from people who...

Boyfriend in training: five seasons in, everyone's itching to give Will & Grace's Will Truman a steady boyfriend. Will Dan Futterman be the lucky guy?(Cover Story)
February 18, 2003... Say a little prayer for actor Dan Futterman--he could be the one to ring the bell of the eternally single Will on Will & Grace. In a current three-episode are titled "Fagmalion," the Emmy-winning NBC sitcom sends Will (Eric McCormack) on a...

Gay-acting straight man: with Angels in America, Urbania, and now Will & Grace, playing gay just comes naturally to Dan Futterman. (Cover Story).
February 18, 2003... Advocate: I want to make sure we have your whole gay career here. You've got your side career, your gay-for-pay career-- Futterman: That's not the side--that's the bulk of my real career! That's right. What was the first gay role? ...

So happy together: for gay and lesbian characters, finding love and a happy ending is a fairly recent phenomenon. Here are some of our favorites.(gay milestones in television, movies, theater)(Cover Story)
February 18, 2003... Being queer in the movies, on TV, and in plays doesn't mean misery and woe anymore. Witness these happy gay milestones--the pop-culture events in which the boy gets the boy, the girl gets the girl, and no one has to die at the end. Here's...

It's not easy playing gay. (notes from a blond).
February 18, 2003... My friend the openly gay actor was bitching over his sugar-free, fat-free, flour-free, and flavor-flee chocolate mousse: "I've played so many gay parts, people are beginning to think I'm straight." Well, that is a hazard of the profession. A...

Prisoners of love: the men behind HBO's gritty, sexy Oz talk about the controversial show as it plows through its final season. (television).
February 18, 2003... The gates are finally closing on Oz. HBO's mesmerizing, no-holds-barred dramatic series about an experimental men's prison block, well into its sixth season, runs through February 23, when the show caps off with a 100-minute finale. Gays have...

Inside the Emerald City: if you're catching Oz for the first time on HBO (or on the season 1 and 2 DVDs), here's a useful guide to who's who--and who's gay. (arts & entertainment).
February 18, 2003... A Tobias Beecher (played by Lee Tergesen): A lawyer jailed for killing a girl while driving drunk, Beecher has been with us since the show's beginning. At first, Schillinger turned him into his "prag" (bitch)--branding a swastika on his ass,...

Two for the road: a new DVD release revisits Thelma & Louise, which starving queer audiences embraced as their own in 1991.
February 18, 2003... Thelma & Louise (special edition DVD) * Written by Callie Khouri * Directed by Ridley Scott * Starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis * MGM Home Entertainment * $24.98 When Thelma & Louise was released on May 24, 1991, it connected with...

Belgian Narcissus: Campfire director Bavo Defurne talks about the beauty of his films--and his actors. (video).(Interview)
February 18, 2003... Watching the short films of Belgian film director Bavo Defurne, four of which have recently been released on DVD under the title Campfire (Strand Video), can be both an aesthetically pleasing and an emotionally bittersweet experience. Defurne,...

Desert hearts: like his earlier My Own Private Idaho, Gus Van Sant's Gerry invites us to watch hunky young stars do mystifying things.(Movie Review)
February 18, 2003... Gerry * Written by Casey Affleck, Matt Damon, and Gus Van Sant * Directed by Gus Van Sant * Starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck * ThinkFilm The traffic toward the exit doors was brisk and bumptious throughout the premiere of Gerry at...

Mapa on the spot: as they rehearse their latest stage collaboration, director Chay Yew gives comedian Alec Mapa a gay grilling. (theater).(Interview)
February 18, 2003... Alec Mapa has lent his talents to art (Broadway's M. Butterfly) and commerce (CBS's short-lived sitcom Some of My Best Friends), but he shines most brightly in his hilarious one-man shows, such as I Remember Mapa and Drama! He is performing...

Championship season: playwright Richard Greenberg talks about bringing his hot-button gay baseball play, Take Me Out, to Broadway. (theater).(Interview)
February 18, 2003... How does it feel to have written the gay play of the year? Richard Greenberg seems genuinely taken aback by the question. "Have I?" asks the author of such witty and articulate theatrical experiences as Eastern, Standard and Three Days of Rain....