The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine) articles from June 2008

The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine) archives from June 2008

The New Century.(THEATER)(Quotation)
June 17, 2008... "Paul Rudnick's plays are like deluxe snack food. You don't expect a substantial meal, you're always left a little undernourished, the shelf life is way limited--but while they're happening you can't get enough," writes Don Shewey of Rudnick's...

Bulletin.(PRIDE 2008)
June 17, 2008... From Olivia Newton-John to Dykes on Bikes, we'll be bringing you all the pride that's fit to print, Check back with Advocate.com regularly for news and enter tanning coverage as we celebrate pride around the world.

Scripting Savage Grace.(FILM)(Howard A. Rodman writes for Savage Grace)(Brief article)
June 17, 2008... You may fondly remember Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon's sexy vampire love in The Hunger, but you'll never forget Julianne Moore and Eddie Redmayne's snacking mother-son incest in the new film Savage Grace. Screenwriter Howard A. Rodman...

Advocate.com top 10.
June 17, 2008... This year, more than ever, you've come to us for breaking news and smart entertainment. Here are our 10 most clicked-on stories 1. Labor of Love The story that captivated the world tops our chart. Trans man Thomas Beatie shared his...

Meet the Brave Ones: our Pride issue celebrates an extraordinary group of LGBT people whose courage is changing the world.(FROM THE EDITOR)(Editorial)
June 17, 2008... As we edit and lay out the stories on these pages, we always absorb a little of the spirit of the people we write about. In our office we've been calling this issue "The Brave Ones." I won't belabor the reference, but you get it. Making the...

Rufus's world.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
June 17, 2008... When your May 6 issue arrived I was thinking that I really needed to opt out of the plastic coven But then I had the most delicious experience of slowly undressing your gorgeous Rufus Wainwright cover ["Rufus to the Rescue"]. Mein Gott! That...

The Advocate poll: who is most responsible for cleaning up the planet?(Brief article)
June 17, 2008... "One can't just say that government is responsible or business is responsible or individuals are responsible... we all have to be responsible." "I think it involves all the parties listed, but it must start with the individual. Recycling,...

Green Issues.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
June 17, 2008... The Green Issue was informative [May 6], but I was surprised that nowhere did you mention the incredible impact a vegetarian diet can have on the earth and its resources. Raising animals for food takes a heavy toll on our planet and is an...

The real meaning of green.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
June 17, 2008... I'll be the first to admit, I wasn't thrilled when I opened up my mailbox and found yet another magazine cover touting "The Green Issue" [May 6]. However, after reading through it like the curious intellectual I am, I wanted to applaud Fred...

Correction.(FEEDBACK)(Correction notice)
June 17, 2008... Correction: In our May 6 story "All the President's Men and Women," Mark Walsh was incorrectly identified. He co-owns, with partner Bryan Rafanelli, Rafanelli Events, an event design and production company based in Boston and Palm Beach, Fla.

Out on the street.(FEEDBACK)(Brief article)
June 17, 2008... We asked a sampling of LGBTs in Stockholm: "Sweden is such a pro-gay country. Are there any concerns that remain?" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jessica Sandberg, 30 project manager "The main problem is it's not OK for us to be...

Pride down under.(CELEBRATIONS)(Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade)(Brief article)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With its gorgeous harbor setting, beautiful people, progressive politics, and great weather, Sydney is a kind of heaven on earth for many--not least its LGBT citizens. Their abundant pride in themselves and their...

L.A. schools add queer cinema to curricula.(Forward)(E.O. Green Junior High School among the schools that will screen Tru Loved)(Los Angeles Unified School District )
June 17, 2008... The administrators of E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, Calif., have taken a lot of flak lately. Their school was where 15-year-old Lawrence King was shot to death in February by his classmate Brandon McInerney, allegedly because King...

We're in the money.(Forward)(LGBT organization's finance)(Brief article)
June 17, 2008... A $50 check to the HRC or GLAAD seems like a pittance compared to former Microsoft employee Ric Weiland giving $65 million posthumously to several queer organizations, but every donation adds up to what has become an unprecedented record for...

Boom over Miami: Sunny Miami is home to pristine beaches, dynamic nightlife, and the nation's most glutted condo market. What's a local gay real estate agent to do? We asked 38-year-old Bryan Halda.(DOSSIER)(Interview)
June 17, 2008... With about 25,000 condo units for sale and counting, as another 25,000 are under construction, South Florida has seen real estate prices sink and foreclosures swell. The rampant flipping that took place a few years back only made the current...

Richard Quest.(ARRESTED)(Brief article)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Richard Quest, 46, the British CNN correspondent, on charges of possessing crystal meth and loitering, April 18, in New York City. Police stopped the famously high-energy journalist in Central Park in the wee hours...

Scott E. Graham.(DIED)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 17, 2008... Scott E. Graham, 54, an interior designer and gay activist, in what police are calling a homicide, April 16, in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was found dead at his home, with the garage door open and the front door unlocked; at press time no suspect...

Stewart Kessler.(DIED)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 17, 2008... Stewart Kessler, 54, a gay rights and AIDS activist, of a stroke, April 8, in New York City. A speech pathologist by profession, he was one of the founding directors of the AIDS Center of Queens County, which became the largest nonprofit...

Randal Forrester.(DIED)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 17, 2008... Randal Forrester, 60, a leading gay rights activist, of cancer, April 23, in Pittsburgh. Forrester founded Western Pennsylvania Mattachine and cofounded the Persad Center, an LGBT counseling center.

Rants & raves.(Forward)
June 17, 2008... "I'm-a make you straight / Make you sweat / Just to see how funky you can get." --Shemar Moore of CBS's Criminal Minds, rapping to Ellen DeGeneres on her show, April 15 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "While I recognize that marriage...

Datebook 05.20-06.17.(Forward)
June 17, 2008... MAY 31 Cyndi Lauper's second True Colors tour is the gay Lollapalooza. But because the queer and queer-friendly acts--like Regina Spektor, Lauper herself, and Wanda Sykes (pictured, from left) as well as Tegan and Sara and the B-52s--are...

Cat scratch fever: London's calling with the sultry, tech-loving 2009 Jaguar XF.(FAST LANE: AUTOS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2009 JAGUAR XF BASE LUXURY MODEL RETAIL PRICE (MSRP) $49,975 STANDARD ENGINE 4.2 V8 HORSEPOWER 300 @ 6,000 RPM TORQUE (LB-FT) 310 @ 4,100 RPM FUEL ECONOMY, CITY (MEG) 16 HIGHWAY (MPG) 24...

BBQ season: it's time to spark up the grill.(FAST LANE)(Buyers guide)
June 17, 2008... IF YOU'RE THE KIND OF GUY who's passionate about meat (and we know you are), then you already know there's more to barbecuing than pig, slaw, and sauce. Barbecuing is an art form, but you don't need to invest in a sacred fire pit to achieve...

Unconditional love: the host of a popular Christian TV show comes out of the closet and finds his calling in the process.(FIRST PERSON)(The Remix)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE FIRST TIME that someone called me "gay," I was in kindergarten. I was at a young, impressionable age, and I was new to being around strangers. One morning I woke up to go to school, and I remember that everything...

It's a bird, it's a plane ... no, it's Super Queer! The alter ego of one Ohio student prefers activism dressed in a rainbow cape and Rollerblades.(GEN Q)(Jennifer Dietsch)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A SMALL MIDWESTERN college town like Bowling Green, Ohio, is the last place you might expect to find a gay superhero in Rollerblades decked out in a rainbow shirt with a long rainbow cape billowing in the air behind....

A bakery grows in Detroit: when a lesbian couple opened a bakery in a blighted Motor City neighborhood 11 years ago, they prospered--and so did their customers, employees, and the local economy.(COMMUNITY)(Jackie Victor and Ann Perrault of Avalon International Breads )(Company overview)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] JACKIE VICTOR REMEMBERS the first two customers to show up when she and her business and life partner, Ann Perrault, opened their Avalon International Breads shop 11 years ago in Detroit: Thomas Gumbleton, a...

Sally Kern: a star is boring: what happened when this antigay wingnut was exposed on YouTube? She saw it as her big break.(COLUMN: MOUTH OF THE SOUTH)(Column)
June 17, 2008... THANKS TO YOUTUBE, anyone anywhere who does something idiotic can become famous whether they deserve it or not. Behold the Miss Teen USA contestant who mangled a question about maps; Chris "Leave Britney Alone!" Crocker; or hapless beauty queen...

Patrick Dempsey.(BIG GAY FOLLOWING)(Interview)
June 17, 2008... It's somehow fitting that his new wedding-themed romantic comedy is titled Made of Honor, because during a heated argument on the set of ABC's hit series Grey's Anatomy in 2006, Golden Globe--nominated star Patrick Dempsey reportedly defended...

An archbishop for all: Desmond Tutu sees gay and lesbian rights as part of the larger struggle in the fight for freedom and dignity for all.(NEWS)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It looked like bad math: four reporters and five cameramen wedged into a small conference room with one renowned South African Anglican archbishop and only 15 minutes for questions. Desmond Tutu was at Grace...

The believers: three years after the furor over a teenage boy who was forcibly sent to one of its camps, the ex-gay movement may be losing steam. Meanwhile, ex-gay survivors are gaining strength. But are the two groups really that different?(NEWS)(Zach Stark sent to Exodus International camp)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FEW WHO FOLLOW THE CULTURE WARS WILL FORGET the summer of Zach. In 2005 the parents of Zach Stark, a 16-year-old Tennessean, forced him to go to Refuge--a two-week day camp run by the Christian group Love in Action,...

The insider is out: in 2006 a blog announced to the world that Thomas Roberts is gay, and the then CNN anchor instantly became the poster boy for a very rare breed: the out news anchor. But as Sean Kennedy reports, the success of Roberts and other out anchors and on-air talent may finally shatter their industry's glass ceiling for gays--and usher in the future of broadcast news.(BROADCAST NEWS)(Interview)(Cover story)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The peaceful tableau is a good match for the calm, confident demeanor of Roberts, a major talent who's weathered some career turbulence of late. It started in 2006, when his appearance on a panel of gay broadcast...

Patricia Cornwell: the famed crime novelist has kept us spellbound with her fiction. Now she's telling her truth--as a happily married lesbian who's speaking out for equal rights.(PROFILE)(Interview)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING," says Patricia Cornwell, fixing me with her Carolina-blue eyes. We're sitting in the living room of a bird's-eye suite on the 53rd floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel in...

Don Bachardy: with two recent gallery shows and a new film about his life with Christopher Isherwood, the artist enjoys the rewards of a gay life well lived.(PROFILE)(Interview)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] DON BACHARDY, one of America's most respected portraitists, has captured the likes of Robert Mapplethorpe, Natalie Wood, and Bette Davis on paper and canvas. Yet Bachardy's most persistent identification remains his...

Class of 2008: most likely to succeed: The Advocate honors two students graduating this spring who are making a solid mark in the gay rights movement locally, nationally, worldwide.(YOUTH)(Samantha Cannon and Ryan Tauriainen)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] SAMANTHA CANNON, 18, ROBERT D. EDGREN HIGH SCHOOL, MISAWA CITY, JAPAN With both parents employed by the U.S. Department of Defense, Samantha Cannon spent high school on the Misawa Air Base in Misawa City,...

They're here, they're queer, and they don't need us ... or do they?(YOUTH)
June 17, 2008... THE NEW GAY TEENAGER THE WARP SPEED AT WHICH GAY RIGHTS has moved in this country has left me--along with many LGBT adults--feeling hopelessly out of touch with LGBT youths. Two years ago I returned to my high school to speak about gay...

The man who freed Wall Street.(WORK)(Walter Schubert)(Interview)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN 1994, WALTER SCHUBERT CAME OUT to become the first openly gay member of the then--notoriously straight white male New York Stock Exchange trading floor. It may not seem terribly long ago, but it was a time when...

Second nature: does the gay community have a one-track mind? Three activists move beyond sexual identity and find their greater selves in nongay causes.(ACTIVISM)(Dan Mathews, Anthony Romero, and Connie Wolf)(Interview)
June 17, 2008... WHEN WE FIRST COME OUT, MANY OF US ARE INCLINED TOWARD ALL THINGS GAY: gay friends, gay rights, gay pride. Like adolescents who have just discovered sex, we giddily cling to the culture--becoming schooled in the merits of circuit parties or...

Global pride warriors: in the spirit of widespread change, meet four international gay rights activists from Nepal, Russia, Nigeria, and Chile.(WORLD)(Sunil Pant, Nikolai Alekseev, Sewedo Joseph Akoro and Andres Ignacio Rivera Duarte )
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SUNIL PANT PRESIDENT OF THE BLUE DIAMOND SOCIETY When Nepal's supreme court ruled last year that the government had no right to legally discriminate against gays and lesbians, Sunil Pant, president of the...

Let's get spiritual: deemed sinners or simply made invisible by their childhood religions, many gays and lesbians are embracing alternative faiths that unabashedly embrace them. Here are three people proving God and gay aren't mutually exclusive.(RELIGION)
June 17, 2008... "HOMOSEXUALITY IS WRONG." For many gay people, the first time they heard their sexuality condemned was as kids in their houses of worship, and it instilled a deep sense of shame that took a lifetime to undo. It's no surprise then that members...

2008 pride guide: your definitive list of this year's celebrations. We've also chosen four not-so-expected destinations overseas and told you just how to create your own exotic pride. Enjoy!(CELEBRATIONS)(Calendar)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] LAS VEGAS MAY 2-3 LasVegasPride.org TULSA, OKLA. MAY 24-JUNE 15 TulsaPride.org Highlights: Eric Himan LONG BEACH, CALIF. MAY 17-18 LongBeachPride.com Highlights: Sheena...

Moment of truth: you may remember coming out, but how much do you think about the moment you realized you were gay? A new HBO documentary lets real people tell their stories of when they knew.(FILM)(When I Knew)
June 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EVEN THOUGH HE SPENT nearly two years adapting it from Robert Trachtenberg's book, Randy Barbato still can't quite believe he's made the heartwarming documentary When I Knew, airing on Cinemax June 25. "I have to...

Sticks and stones: when this lesbian comic uses the f word, friends know she's speaking with love. But what about her son?(GUEST OPINION)(fags)
June 17, 2008... WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I was in the marching band and a bit of a nerd, so was considered a "band fag." I always embraced the term as if it were one of endearment--like I was a member of a secret club. To me, the words "fag" and "queer" just...