The queer love story on One Life to Live has been nothing less than spectacular since we found out about Kyle and Fish’s secret past during their college days of “exploration”. The story has been organic and the writers have played every beat from Fish dating hot ass Layla to prove to his police force co-workers how manly he was, to Fish then coming to terms with his sexuality and coming out to his family and friends. From there Fish dealt with initial rejection, support from friends and Kyle proclaiming his feelings for Fish which lead to our first juicy Kishtastic kiss! The writers kept it real for “Kish”, and added soapy twists to our burgeoning supercouple. When Fish seemed ready to explore a relationship with Kyle, he had already started dating gay rights activist Nick. Although Kyle still had feelings for Fish, he agreed to marry Nick (as part of a political campaign orchestrated by suddenly “lesbian” mayoral canidate Dorian). In classic soap fashion, Fish reluctantly attended the wedding to support them. In the final hour though, Kyle stopped the wedding and confessed he was still in love with Fish. Nick left the wedding in tears and “Kish” reunited with a big gay kiss celebration! Finally happy and together the writers then created scenes that had “Kish” engage in some hot queer sex, while at the same time, in another part of town, Nick was getting violently attacked by gay bashers. If it couldn’t get any dramatically soapier, Kyle rushed to Nick’s bedside as Fish investigated the hate crime and while reeling from the realitys of homophobia ended up breaking down and stating, “I don’t think it will ever change. I should have come out a long time ago.” A queer super couple involved in classic soapy drama with a twist of social consciousness! Bravo to One Life to Live! Can’t wait to see what’s next for Kish!
I’m really liking what Amos Mac and Rocco Kayiatos are doing with their extra-special print zine, Original Plumbing. If you don’t have Issue #1, I think there might be some reprints still available, but if you slept on it, don’t blame me. These two trans business men have embarked on a venture that really understands the market. They’ve identified a lack of product in a certain demographic, defined a clear brand, created a high-quality collectible magazine by/for trans masculine folks, and since its launch, have maintained a steady stream of promotional efforts. Release parties and signings, as well as stickers and T-shirts AND NOW a preview for a video-podcast companion??!! Shit man, that’s A LOT of work and it’s fierce that they are doing it. Important to mention is that this kind of NEW MEDIA product-transparency is what connects people to the stuff they follow, it’s really of the times. The Spanish word dichosos applies here, as Mac and Kayiatos are clearly knee-deep in a labor of love, we should all be so lucky to trail blaze an iconic cultural moment within our own communities. Congrats guys! I’m on the edge of my seat here…
The twilight of the soaps continues! After 54 years CBS has cancelled As the World Turns. This will mean the end of Nuke, and will leave daytime with one less queer couple. As groundbreaking as the story of Nuke was in its early stages, the powers that be were just not invested enough to sustain the new and old fans that tuned in. Which is not to say that Nuke’s lack of character-driven story was the sole culprit in ATWT’s demise, but had ATWT capitalized on the non-soap fans that were tuning in for Nuke then perhaps (and that’s a BIG perhaps) that would’ve given ATWT higher ratings and bought them some more time. Instead the show had Nuke battling incestuous siblings and wasting the potential of a hot triangle when Noah’s gay professor took a special interest in him. With six months left (The show ends production in June but airs till September) ATWT still has the opportunity to give Nuke fans some classic soap story for a supercouple that just happens to be gay. Let’s hope they get it together because at this point ATWT have nothing to lose, except for Nuke’s already dwindling fanbase.
I can’t say for sure what exactly is going on, but I’d bet some tail that the City of Mayor Daley is making the Chicago Eagle shell out lubricated dollar bills in pansy permits in order to reopen. A sex bar can’t be easy to get down on paper – can you imagine the blue prints with all the extra bathrooms and closets? “Storage. BROOMSTICKS.” Anyway, it’s been closed WAY over a year (contrary to the letter I just got, see below). I hope they serve leather-flavored coffee at this thing; if this is a business move, $$ from the coffee shop will go to pay for the future Eagle.
When the Chicago Eagle closed its doors over a year ago, we never imagined all the problems that awaited us. Enough of that. Hopefully soon enough the Eagle will fly again. Until then, we’ll drink coffee. What was going to be the Chicago Eagle is now the home of Winston’s Internet Café. We hope that you will come out and show your support. We are open 7:00am – 10:30pm and the address is 5001 N. Clark St. This Saturday December 12 we’ll be closing at 7:00pm for a private party. Beginning December 15th we’ll be open 24/7. If you have a FaceBook account, join us there.
The above youtube will probably get taken down soon, but you can get the link to the entire video segment below. It’s the clip from the Rachel Maddow show where she lays into the ex-gay Richard Cohen about his book being cited as justification for hate-killings of homosexuals in Uganda. He acts a fool, and if you don’t think the Ex-Gay Movement is STILL one of the major threats to our civil rights, you’re not paying attention outside of your queer bubble. The facebook thread below could just be an innocuous exchange between buddies, but it’s not. It’s an example of the thoughtless things people say to one another, and how they are directly related to violence and discrimination. If someone “knows” what gay people act like, then they think they can identify them by casual observation. Doing so won’t always translate to hate, but it does contribute to alienation, and thereby chip away at inter-demographic COMMUNITY. Even if Richard Cohen is no longer engaging in sodomy, HE IS STILL A HOMOSEXUAL BIG DUH LOOK AT HIS EARS. To have him preaching to people in small towns who (think they) have never met a gay person is not only physically dangerous, it also reinforces the notion that (public) behavior and identity are confined to an exclusive, static relationship. That rigidness only serves to hinder our progress in legislation and common understanding. Thankfully, we’ve got Maddow on our side. Happily, I have smart and fabulous friends that I can leach blog posts off of.
Status Update: wrist flipping rage will ensue next time someone says to me: “well, you don’t act that gay”… SHESUS, really? what are you, new?
Comment 1: I think you’re hella gay presh.
Author: i mean really, am i supposed to find that flattering?
Comment 2: it’s ridiculously offensive. try replacing “gay” with something else, like “african american” or something… hell, ANYTHING.
Author: it’s reassuring to know I’m not being hyper-sensitive or something…I just want to be like “oh thank you so much, it’s so relieving to be less visibly gay, all my life i have wanted nothing more than to be read as straight as possible, thanks you so much for going out of your way to comfort me in my struggle.” ugh. F!
Comment 3: total flagrant douchebaggery
Author: i’ve got your flagrant right here
Comment 4: people are stupid. i like comebacks such as “really? You’re straight, you don’t act that straight.”
Author: that’s a keeper, thanks!
Comment 5: I think you act hot.
Comment 6: umm…I think you at too gay.
Comment 7: i think sum1 shud buy u a leopard print snuggie to wipe ur worries away! ull always b straight to me!
Comment 8: that’s the most ridiculous statement I’ve EVER HEARD.
Comment 9: Well, everyone is guilty of it. How many personal ads have you ever seen from gay guys that said “straight acting”? How straight acting is groping and making out with another guy?!?
Comment 10: FUCK THAT. YOU ARE FAGADELIC / THEY ARE BULLSHIT.
Comment 11: well you certainly don’t act like a lumberjack. unless there are pole smoking lumberjacks i havent heard from, and will want to know the whereabouts of.
It’s true. A little while ago, they put a call out for writers, and I snapped that up like it was BOGO dress shirts from Express (I don’t have lofty fashion goals…not YET, anyway). For my first contribution, I interviewed Marc Ruvolo, a sweet sweet honey bear that has a tribute to Klaus Nomi call Aspic Tines. The interview went well and I hope to do more for the BUTT Blog. Head over to the post and won’t you leave a comment? PREESH.
I’ve stalked David Mason in person and online for a little while now, and his porny blog (NSFW) House of Vader always perks me up. Muscles, vintage choreography from large scale foreign stage shows, fetish, commentary, gear, fashion, rare animals, general rants LOVE IT. Here is a recent gem:
Ugh if I see another ART BEAR pretending like his beard isnt the TRIBAL TATTOO of the 2000s I will READ HER HARD. I understand if you had one BEFORE 2009 its cool but if you didnt BITCH YOU HAVE A “FAUXHAWK” from 2004 on your FACE! I want them to NEVER BE ABLE TO SHAVE IT either because theyre so damn pious about them too as if theyve been working a beard for EONS! Art bears need to take their BUTT MAGAZINE they bought at AMERICAN APPAREL and look in the mirror and say “Damn it Im a clone thats no different then the circuit queens of the 90s” then cry because theyre a SHAM and the OPPOSITE of creative or alternative as they claim… Sorry to rant but if they didnt have this attitude like they WERENT clones I wouldnt have a problem and in the beginning I didnt as a beard often looks good but now that every gay in brooklyn has one it needs to be addressed… CHARLATANS!
Greg Goldberg’s approach to making music feels like trying to date a totally eligible, totally aloof bachelor. I want more but he rarely sends me anything. He and his band, The Ballet are all busy people – Phd’s, new families and living the Brooklyn life have prevented them from touring outside of NYC with any regularity, but two albums in they make some of the best indie pop this side of McCarren Pool. The latest, Bear Life, gets a boost in production, replaces their past string arrangements with synth lines and boldly blasts out of the lo-fi charm of their first, Mattachine! That one sounded like the best possible outcome of inviting your music school friends to play cello in your folk band, and the results were like DIY interpretations of If You’re Feeling Sinister. For Bear Life, keyboards have inherited that riff-making responsibility, and thankfully the transition is seemless. If continuity is the intention, and it certainly sounds like it is, it might be the precision in orchestral detail that makes the 2nd outing sound a lot like the first. For instance, you can easily swap out the keyboard melodies for their previous organic sounds, however, a timid step forward is still exciting when you are looking for something real, no? Song effects and layers push the chords into solid “arrangement” territory and the change is satisfying. Single-worthy entries like “House on Fire” and “Chinatown” carry a pop torch handed down from OMD and Stephen Merritt alike, even if they don’t stray too far from their favorite minor keys. Greg’s bedroom croon hasn’t gotten out of bed yet, either–his sexy, sleepy rasp makes the most of his limited range and each listen reveals a more confident take on his personal growth and intimacy. Unfortunately, the biggest chance taken on Bear Life doesn’t reap the rewards. “Personal Transformation” features Scott Matthew on vocals–he sang the entrancing folk songs in John Cameron Mitchell’s Short Bus- but this Ballet track buries his subtle, Antony-like inflections enough to warrant a subdued retake. That said, the misstep is entirely forgiven; the nerdy head-bobbing going on a date with The Ballet gets you is the stuff you make personals ads for. This being their second record in almost four years, who knows when you’ll see them again, soak it up now.
You can download the first single, House on Fire over at The Pirate Ship, Bear Life is available for mail order and itunesing as well.
Since its founding in 2005, Chances Dances has sought to create a safe space for all gender expressions by bringing together the varied LGBTIQ communities of Chicago. The creation of the Critical Fierceness grant expands upon this goal by offering a unique opportunity for queer artistic expression. Chicago-based individuals or groups who wish to utilize the Critical Fierceness Grant for artistic purposes and who identify themselves or their work as queer are encouraged to apply. Critical Fierceness supports queer artists with financial assistance of up to $500. Chances Dances is proud to provide the Critical Fierceness Grant as an opportunity for personal exploration, community development and radical change through art.
The application is available for download at http://chancesdances.org/projects. Deadline DECEMBER 31st.
Email chances.dances[at]gmail[dot]com for more information.
ALSO: You can RSVP and/or invite folks to the Facebook event !
Although we are open to any and all media and encourage submissions for a diverse range of projects, feel free to check out the previous Critical Fierceness winners for ideas and inspiration:
Otalia fans can rejoice as Crystal Chappell’s (ex-Olivia, Guiding Light) webseries Venice will debut this week at www.venicetheseries.com! There will be a number of familiar daytime faces donating their talents to the web series, including sizzling hot sexpot Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe, DAYS). Nadia will play Lara who will be giving Crystal a run for her money as they both vie for the attention of Jessica Leccia’s (ex-Natalia, Guiding Light) character, Ani. The preview for Venice is back up on Youtube (below) after being mysteriously pulled off for a few weeks, and if the series can produce the same quality that is present in the preview than we have good things to look forward to. With their limited budget and the cheesey potential at an ultra high, Venice could easily turn out to be a queer bust. Luckily, with Ms. Chappell’s resourcefulness and attention to her fanbase it seems Otalia fans are in for a treat and Venice may well be paving the way for new and innovative approaches to keep the soap opera genre alive! Kudos to Soap Opera Digest for showing their support for Venice as they featured an inside scoop on the series this week, and voted Otalia as best couple in their annual Best and Worst issue! Show some love this week and take a trip to Venice!
