Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Billy Masters
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Billy Masters
2013-12-31

This article shared 4203 times since Tue Dec 31, 2013
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


"I have been more right than wrong. If ever there was a time to be grateful and relieved for being mistaken, this is that time. Only God is right all the time."—Psychic Sylvia Browne responds to criticism in May that she wrongly predicted the death of kidnap victim Amanda Barry in 2004. When Louwana Miller asked if her daughter was still alive, Sylvia quickly said, "She's not alive, honey." Browne herself died in November—something else she was wrong about. She predicted she'd die at 88—she was only off by 11 years.

Traditions are a funny thing. You don't think you've started one until you find yourself doing the same thing years later. So since it's the end of 2013, it's time for your beloved Billy to reflect on the most important stories of the year. Normally, that phrase would make me chuckle: "important stories of the year." As if I'm covering the Olympics or reporting near the Afghan front. The closest I got to either of those is bringing home a hot shot putter I met at the Olympic trials, and the two of us waking up under an afghan crocheted by my grandmother. Jealous?

The biggest story of the year was the Supreme Court striking down Prop 8 and California resuming gay marriages. Making the situation even more historic, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the first Supreme Court justice to officiate a gay wedding. While all of that was monumental, more far-reaching was the court's ruling that the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional. This led the way for many states to legalize same-sex marriage. To date, 18 states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage. If I may be so bold as to make a prediction, I believe gay marriage will be legalized on a federal level within five years—perhaps as soon as Obama's last months in office.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Meredith Baxter ( Birney ), TR Knight and Greg Louganis are some of the many celebrities who took advantage of the changing laws and tied the knot in 2013. Others have announced their engagements, like Nate Berkus, Lance Bass, Neil Patrick Harris, Melissa Etheridge, Matt Dallas and Greg Rikaart.

As the year drew to a close, Dot-Marie Jones from Glee surprised guests at her Christmas party by announcing that they were really there to witness her marriage to girlfriend Bridgett Casteen. The two got engaged in October while visiting Disneyland during the annual Gay Days Anaheim celebrations.

Last year, another Glee castmate got married—Jane Lynch married girlfriend Lara Embry. This year, that couple split up. Rumors of Lynch's desire for a quickie divorce were thwarted when Lara filed for $93,809 per month in spousal support. Since the twosome didn't have a pre-nup and married in California, this is a sticky situation.

Speaking of sticky situations, Cheyenne Jackson found himself in one this past year. In 2012, he married longtime beau Monte Lapka. This year, they divorced. Shortly thereafter, a video of Jackson "pleasuring himself" to completion was...um, leaked ( and can be seen on BillyMasters.com ). Reportedly, the dashing singer was sending the video out to a West Coast paramour. Next time, might I suggest Skype? And some Handi Wipes?

Scandal plagued quite a few celebs this past year. Topping the list are the numerous men suing John Travolta for sexual harassment. Most of these men are masseurs ( or presumed masseurs ) who claim Travolta wanted even more than a happy ending. Most of those suits are pending. It probably didn't help his legal position after Johnny was outed by Margaret Cho! The comedienne talked about working with Travolta on the film Face/Off when she made the following comments: "I'm going to get in trouble but I'll just tell you. He's not just gay. He doesn't just like men. He is like Oscar Wilde gay. Like Lord Byron gay. That kind of crazy, incredibly flamboyant gay."

There have been other celebrities who have found themselves suddenly single. Zachary Quinto and Jonathan Groff split. David Tutera and his beau broke up while awaiting the birth of their children. Marc Jacobs and porn pup Harry Louis are kaput. Even Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs are separated—admittedly, not a gay story ... but who knows? Of course, the big split was between Ryan Seacrest, Julianne Hough and Derek Hough. I guess Ryan will have to watch his balls drop all by himself this New Year's Eve!

This year, viewers of British television were treated to a new sitcom about a bitchy pair of aging gay men. They are played, with great aplomb, by a pair of sirs—Ian McKellan and Derek Jacobi. Vicious is the brainchild of the lovely and talented Gary Janetti ( producer and writer of Will & Grace and spousal-equivalent to Brad Goreski ). Happily, the show will turn up stateside on PBS in 2014. But to tide you over, we'll run the brand-spanking-new Christmas special on BillyMasters.com .

One of my favorite stories of 2013 was about Jack Andraka. He is the 16-year-old scientist who discovered a way to detect various cancers within five minutes with a test that costs about three cents. And he's gay! "Being an LGBT teen in science right now is kinda lonely," he said. "Looking around at scientists it's, like, 'Wow, there are no other gay people.' And I'm, like, 'Come on, guys—science. We can go outside of like fashion design and stuff. It doesn't matter who you like, what gender you are, where you come from, none of that matters. It's just your ideas that should count.'" It almost gives one hope for the next generation.

Just a few months back, a reader asked me if Brian Boitano really thought anyone believed he was straight. At the time, I said that having a series on the Food Network, making a cameo in Blades of Glory, and doing a television special called Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular with Barry Manilow was tantamount to coming out. And now he's actually done so. Shortly after President Obama appointed Boitano as a delegate to the Sochi Olympics, Brian issued the following statement, "I am many things: a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend, an athlete, a cook, an author, and being gay is just one part of who I am." One small step for man...

When Brian Boitano being gay is news, we've definitely come to the end of yet another year. And what fun we've had. We even threw in some celebrity penises. I didn't get a chance to mention the numerous selfies of Scott Evans, Dylan Sprouse and oodles of others, but you can research them to your heart's content at www.BillyMasters.com, the site that never skimps on skin. Since this is a year wrap-up, I didn't specifically answer an "Ask Billy" question. But I'm always available if you need my assistance. Just write to Billy@BillyMasters.com and I'll get back to you before Margaret Cho takes the stand in the John Travolta sexual assault trial! Until next year, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.


This article shared 4203 times since Tue Dec 31, 2013
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Theater Review: Billy Elliot, The Musical
2024-02-19
Book and Lyrics: Lee Hall; Music: Elton John. At: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora Tickets: 630-896-6666 or Paramountaurora.com; $28-$79. Runs through March 24 Billy Elliot: The Musical may nearly be two decades old, but ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Kelly Clarkson, Billy Porter and Luke Evans, 'All of Us,' 'Book of Mormon'
2024-01-05
Video below - At Kelly Clarkson's "Chemistry: An Intimate Evening" residency show in Las Vegas, two men got married with the help of the singer/talk-show host as a witness, EW.com noted. In an audience video from the show, fans ...


Gay News

Billy Masters: The tea that got spilled in 2023
2023-12-26
"No offense, but you look like Billy Masters." —I don't know which part of this quip from a stranger insulted me more—that he didn't realize I am Billy Masters, or he thought someone would take offense ...


Gay News

MOVIES Bill Oliver reflects on a queer couple's custody fight in 'Our Son'
2023-12-21
In the compelling, intimate movie Our Son (in theaters and available via streaming), Luke Evans and Billy Porter portray a married couple in which one of them decides to file for divorce. However, this is no ...


Gay News

Billy Masters: Barry Manilow really was just interested in the articles
2023-12-19
"I wouldn't be in it now if they gave me a million dollars. I'm never going to change my mind. They can just go you-know-what themselves." —Cher tells Kelly Clarkson her thoughts on being snubbed by ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ baseball executives announce cancer battles
2023-12-13
Openly gay Major League Baseball (MLB) executive Billy Bean announced he has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and that he needs a donor for a bone-marrow transplant, Gay City News noted. USA Today initially reported ...


Gay News

Billy Masters: Fun messiness from the Ladies of the '80s
2023-12-12
"Everybody wants a bf like Timothée Chalamet...until it's time to change a tire." —Meghan McCain. OK, so she only retweeted it. But I'm filled with the spirit of giving. Alas, I suspect Timmy could only ...


Gay News

Billy Masters: The icing on the cake at a gender-reveal party
2023-12-05
"To hell with this place!"—George Santos's parting comments after being ejected from Congress. He also said that Congress "is full of felons galore." At least, that's what I think he said. With his lisp, it sounded ...


Gay News

Billy Masters: The Dolly Cowboy Cheerleaders
2023-11-28
Whoever intended to dumb down the citizens of America have done a FANTASTIC job. We are dumb as shit!"—Patti LuPone in an interview with broadcaster Tom Power prior to her touring show Don't Monkey with Broadway ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Billy Porter, queer novel, 'Tammy Faye,' queer DJ, Bella Ramsey
2023-11-24
Billy Porter released his long-awaited new album, Black Mona Lisa, via Island Records UK/Republic Records, and it's executive-produced by Justin Tranter, a press release noted. Porter said, "So many of the songs on my album have ...


Gay News

Billy Masters: Was Kim Kardashian officiating your wedding worth it?
2023-11-20
I'd hoped to never again type the word "Jada" again. But this week, it's inevitable. It is being alleged that actor Duane Martin (don't feel bad—I had to look him up as well) slept with Will ...


Gay News

Billy Masters: The times Streisand failed to make a splash
2023-11-13
"Fame is a hollow trophy. No matter who you are, you can only eat one pastrami sandwich at a time."—Wise words from Barbra Streisand. You all know that Barbra Streisand's book is out. And I ...


Gay News

Billy Masters: Barbra's bio hits stores...but don't rain on Cher's parade either
2023-11-07
"I will be forced to be in a position where I will have to openly say how I feel about the film and go against you, my mother and this film publicly."—Lisa Marie Presley's e-mail to director Sofia Coppola after reading ...


Gay News

Billy Masters: Britney spills the tea
2023-10-31
"Brad Pitt, I think, in 'Troy'. That's a beautiful man. There's no denying it."—Jacob Elordi tells Jimmy Fallon his first celebrity crush. (If you can't place Jacob, you'll soon see him playing Elvis Presley in Sofia ...


Gay News

Billy Masters: Madonna sets her watch to Diva Time
2023-10-23
"It is truly obscene what they're charging for tickets to 'Merrily We Roll Along' on Broadway. $500 to $800. PLUS—$40 a ticket 'handling charge.'"—Kevin Chamberlin voices his outrage at the price of Broadway tickets. Imag ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.