"I just want to say it's great to be back in California. I feel safe here now that you've gotten rid of Proposition 8. I'm looking for a husband."—Sir Ian McKellen greets the crowd at Comic-Con ... all the while looking directly at Michael Fassbender, whom we all saw naked in Shame. I think someone may be barking up the wrong tree—although it is understandable why he'd mistake Fassbender's penis for a tree trunk.
Although we've made enormous strides in gay marriage, there's still a long way to go. This point was driven home by John, a 65-year-old gay man in Pennsylvania who recently adopted Gregory (not his real name), his 73-year-old lover of 44 years: "If we just live together and Gregory willed me his assets and property and anything else, I would be liable for a 15-percent tax on the value of the estate. By adoption, that decreases to 4 percent It's a huge difference."
This legal loophole has been used by gay people for eons. In fact, famed director Franco Zeffirelli (age 90) recently adopted two adult males for the same reason. I couldn't help wondering why the younger Pennsylvania man adopted the older one. Turns out the older man's birth father is still alive! The judge signed the adoption papers, but pointed out that adoption is forever; therefore the couple could never legally marry. After signing the order, the judge turned to John and said, "Congratulations, it's a boy."
Meanwhile, several other couples made their union legal by getting married. Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson wed his longtime beau Justin Mikita. Justin tweeted, "Husband. Not partner. We've worked hard to call each other husband ... so let's start using it." Presumably they've been using it for a while. Their NYC nuptials had more than 200 guests, including Jesse's co-stars Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet, along with Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romijn, Isaac Mizrahi, Nigel Barker, Mary Murphy, Zachary Quinto and others. Tony Kushner officiated the ceremony.
In the play The Normal Heart, Ned Weeks marries his partner, Felix, in a hospital. In a case of life imitating art, playwright Larry Kramer married his partner David Webster in the ICU unit of the Langone Medical Center at NYU. The couple had planned to wed on the terrace of their apartment. But when Kramer was rushed to the hospital for surgery on a bowel obstruction (how romantic), they decided to arrange a small ceremony in his room. Their marriage was witnessed by two dozen close friends—which is certainly more guests than are usually allowed in ICU at one time!
A gay-marriage proposal took place on Bravo last week. During an episode of Below Deck, David Bradberry was proposed to by his beau, the very sexy gay porn star Trevor Knight. The twosome plan to wed later this year.
Perhaps the most public proposal took place in Las Vegas during the show "Divas Las Vegas" at The Quad. Famed Joan Rivers impersonator and Vegas headliner Frank Marino was surprised onstage by his partner of 20 years, Alex Schechter. Alex dropped to his knee—not an unusual event on a Vegas stage—and proposed. Ever the comedienne, Marino quipped, "You're asking me to marry you? Do you get 50 percent if I say yes?" Schechter replied, "Seventy!" Sounds like a match made in heaven.
Last summer, Liza Minnelli and Alan Cumming gave a joint concert on Fire Island. It was such a smash that producers have been talking to the duo about bringing the show to Broadway. We hear that the logistics have been sorted out for Minnelli and Cumming to do a 12-performance run at the Marquis Theatre in December. This sounds similar to the 20-performance run of "Minnelli on Minnelli" concerts Liza did at the Palace Theatre in December of 1999. We'll show you a clip from the Fire Island show on BillyMasters.com .
In November 2011, "Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway" played the Broadhurst Theatre for 61 shows. While there were hopes that he'd tour with the show, he's pretty busy making films. However, he's going to do a special one-night-only concert Oct. 12 at the Dolby Theatre (home of the Academy Awards) in Hollywood. The concert, which will have several surprise guests, is a benefit for the Motion Picture & Television Fund, a non-profit group that provides various types of assistance (specifically health care) to members of the entertainment industry. You can get more information about the concert and the cause at MPTF.com .
Remember Dustin Zito from MTV's The Real World: Las Vegas? Or perhaps VH1's Couples Therapy? Wait, I've got it—you surely remember him from his gay porn past as "Spencer" on Fratmen.tv . No? Well, you should check him out. Not only is he hot, but for a straight gay, he bottoms quite convincingly. Last week, he was arrested in Lafayette, La. Apparently he was in a bar when, without consent, he allegedly reached under a woman's dress and grabbed her genitals. The straights can have him—I'll stick with the video on BillyMasters.com .
Our "Ask Billy" question kinda sounds like a summer rerun. Dennis in Cyberspace writes: "I LOVE Steve Sandvoss from Latter Days!! From the research I have done, I cannot determine if he is straight or gay. Can you shed some light on his sexual orientation?"
This question comes up every once in a while. The first time was back in 2004, shortly after Latter Days was released on DVD. While most people were enamored with the hunky actor, they were perplexed when he said that he didn't see the character as gay. On the DVD extras, he actually said, "I wouldn't play a gay character. I never have and I never will." Not surprisingly, Steve's life quickly took a different path. Now known as Max Sandvoss, he and his brother Trystan (who once went by the name Peter) own and operate a goat farm. Yes, a goat farm. The First Light Farm and Creamery in East Bethany, N.Y., produces cheese, yogurt and milk. For those of you who wish to remember him as he was, you can check out BillyMasters.com .
When people would rather milk goats than other men, it's definitely time to end yet another column. Well, there's an image you won't be able to get out of your head. But if you'd like to try, there are some mighty hot ones on www.BillyMasters.com, the site that is lactose intolerant. If you've got a question for me, send it along to Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you before Sir Ian McKellen convinces Michael Fassbender to adopt him! So, until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.
