From the 'Just-Wait-There'll-Be-a-Monument-to-Everything' file, the Chicago Sun-Times ( June 24 ) reports a fact that may be of interest to a certain segment of the gay community. A new tourist attraction is available to them in Zheleznovdsk, Russia: It is an ' ... 800-pound bronze syringe bulb held aloft by angels.' The putti ( baby angels ) and the bulb celebrate, yes, the enema.
From the 'One-Up-One-Down' file, the Chicago Tribune ( June 27 ) tells us the Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem went well, with, apparently, the previously violent ultra-Orthodox Jews restraining their usual hissy fits. However, the previous day the Trib said that Cuba's first Gay Pride parade was scrapped, possibly because that parade's organizers had not sought permission from Mariela Castro ( yes, His daughter ) , who runs Cuba's National Center for Sex Education.
From the 'Because-He's-No-Doubt-a-Terrorist' file, The New York Times ( June 25 ) says that Boy George has been denied a U.S. visa for a tour. B.G. wanted especially to show up for New York's annual family day in August for its Department of Sanitation. No, really. ( Boy George cleaned the streets for five days in 2006 as court-ordered community service for falsely reporting a break-in in his New York home. ) Now, George O'Dowd ( his real name ) is facing a trial in London for impersonating a man. Oops, that's 'imprisoning a man.'
From the 'Vicky-Gene-to-the-Rescue' file: Jimmy Doyle, in an essay in Newsweek ( June 23 ) , reports that converting ( 'taking the soup,' e.g. becoming a Protestant ) from Catholicism to Anglicanism ( the Episcopal Church in America ) has allowed him, a gay man, to remain Christian. This is the flip side of the upcoming Anglican split fueled by African homophobes who are making many, many un-Christian remarks about liberal Episcopalians' refusal to toss out gay congregants. Those 'phobes are particularly incensed by openly gay bishop Gene Robinson ( whose real first name truly is 'Vicky' and, no, it has nothing to do with his gayness ) who attended Doyle's church-reception ceremony.
From the 'Dying-Breed' file, The New York Times ( June 25 ) reports there are only 40 'sworn virgins' left in Albania. These are women who, because of the murder or death of all the older men in their families, swear to live as men to take care of the families. Everyone knows and everyone accepts them—they hunt, vote, join the army or police, or work as laborers—and kill people in family feuds. Pashe Keqi, 78, ordered her nephew to kill her father's 80-year-old murderer, and he did. Most of the virgins agree that women have it better now but they'd still rather be men. And, however they started, they are all definately butch now.
R.I.P. Big Bird's daddy—The New York Times ( June 24 ) and the Chicago Tribune ( June 25 ) have obits on Kermit Love, the maker ( of body and personality, but not script ) of Sesame Street's Big Bird and Mr Snuffleupagus. He also helped design Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster. Mr. Love was 91 and is survived by his partner of 50 years, Christopher Lyall. This last fact was NOT mentioned by the Trib.
