From the "Good Lord! Who?" department: One of the Chicago Tribune's right-wing columnists ( 6/29 ) in a virtual Jeremiad against those world leaders dragging their feet against AIDS relief in Africa, says this, "... some Muslim spokesmen argued against giving explicit aid to homosexuals ... as though their immorality erased their common humanity with us." She also criticizes the prospective appointment of John M. Klink to the head of the U.S. Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration because he represented the Vatican at the UN and agrees with its anti-abortion, anti-birth control stance. A final quote from the lady: "AIDS is hardly an enemy that we should choose to live with when it is one that so clearly can be defeated."
The New Yorker, so well known for its cartoon collections "Dogs," "Cats," etc. may have to start a new collection—"Gays." July 2 issue: an individual saying to a therapist "What I was wondering is, Doctor, can you make me straight during the week and gay on the weekends?"
The New York Times ( 6/24 ) reviews three French movies with gay themes. The essay concerns why the French are reluctant to call them "gay" movies. France has held a live-and-let-live attitude. "Le Coming Out" has become just as French as "Le marketing" and "Le Big Mac," but coming out is not especially important in these three new movies, "Come Undone" ( first love, at the beach ) ; "Adventures of Felix" ( a gay Arab youth on a road trip ) ; and "The Closet" ( straight pretends to be gay to keep condom factory job ) .
Talking to a friend about his latest craze, films of Turkish wrestlers, there was an article in The New York Times ( 6/24 ) about the 640-year-old sport in which sometimes hunky, sometimes chunky but always interesting Turkish men smear themselves with olive oil and grapple away in leather capri pants. "The sport is said to have developed a gay following in recent years." By the way, I'm told by my friend that while it is a competition, it's a whole different culture—the whole affair starts with hugs and kisses among the contestants. Ends that way too!
One of the Chicago Sun-Times writers ( 6/24 ) , one Mark Steyn, has made another homophobic remark accusing President Bush of not being conservative enough and that Dubya ought to "Lay off the homoerotic stuff about soulmates!" ( with Russian President Vladimir Putin ) . Steyn made some cracks about lesbians several weeks ago.
Let's see how this little contest comes out. USA Weekend ( 6/22-24 ) , the Sunday Magazine insert in many papers, is running an internet event designed to pick the sexiest man in the movies. James Dean is in the lead. As anyone who has done the least bit of scholarly research about Dean will tell you, he was not straight, he wasn't even bi-sexual, he was flat-out boy-chasing hedonistically gay. Who's going to win?
The Chicago Tribune ( 6/24 ) ran a major article on the subject of gay athletes. Authors of books on the subject ( Dan Woog "Jocks: True Stories of America's Gay Male Athletes" ) and athletes who came out after they retired ( Dave Kopay, Billy Bean ) were surveyed. A major difference was noted between athletes in team sports and athletes in individual sports ( of which a fair number are openly gay ) . The issue was sparked by Out's editor, Brendan Lemon, who wrote of his relationship with a closeted professional baseball player.
The NY Times ( 6/24 ) had an obit for Police Sgt. Erin O'Reilly, survived by her companion Andrea Aburzzo. She became noted by being the first to break up narcotic gangs using anti-conspiracy laws.
