Village Voice columnist Michael Musto. Wockner News photo by Andrés Duque
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'Merv Griffin was an example of how dangerous the closet can be—and how the closet and power are a combustible combination that adversely affects so many other lives. We should point to his life for GLBT youth and say, 'Don't let this happen to you. Don't let your closet compromise you to the point where you are actively harming your own people, even though you have the power to do so much good.'' — Author and Sirius Satellite Radio host Michelangelo Signorile in an Aug. 12 syndicated column. Griffin died Aug. 12 at age 82, of prostate cancer. He hosted a TV talk show from 1965 to 1986, created the game shows Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, and was a singer whose biggest hit was I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts.
'I have never hidden my bisexuality. But since I've been with Brad [ Pitt ] , I abandoned women. Now there is no room for that or S&M in my life.' — Actress Angelina Jolie to France's Public magazine, according to the Aug. 13 edition of The Australian daily newspaper.
'It is no longer enough for Democrats to be better on our issues than Republicans. Democrats must be better Democrats. [ R ] ecycled talking points on marriage are no longer acceptable.' — The National Stonewall Democrats in response to the Aug. 9 Democratic presidential candidates' forum on GLBT issues, which was hosted by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and the gay cable channel Logo, which broadcast it live.
'Clinton is solid, Edwards is slick, and Obama is nervous at presidential forum' — Headline on Brent Hartinger's AfterElton.com blog entry on the HRC/Logo Democratic presidential candidates' forum on GLBT issues, Aug. 10.
'You can find our issues explicitly referenced on only three [ presidential ] candidates' [ Web ] sites ( Kucinich, Richardson and Gravel ) . Frontrunners Clinton, Obama and Edwards carefully parse their support of our people into specific reforms. We find no evidence that the Democratic frontrunners counter Republicans' anti-LGBT speech with routine and positive inclusion of LGBT people in their visions for a whole and healthy society. It's déjà vu all over again—the GOP often slyly and sometimes audaciously whips us for political gain. The Democrats include us—sorta—but only in response to a direct question and typically in the language of careful legislative reform. This must change, starting now. ... We deserve and we must demand from the Democratic 2008 presidential candidates the simple and straightforward statement that our humanity requires full respect and fair treatment by all. ... This needs to be said in front of all audiences—not just in front of us.' — National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman in a July 31 statement.
'Half my conversation would be gone.' — Gay Village Voice columnist Michael Musto to The New York Times on Aug. 7 in response to a proposed City Council resolution opposing use of the words 'bitch' and 'ho' in New York City. In February, the council resolved to oppose 'nigger.'
' [ W ] hen you're single and you've finally made it past the age when you've felt both love's deepest tongue probings and also its most random horror-flick slashings, past the age when getting moronically drunk every weekend and hooking up is the ultimate goal and you've had enough sex to fill a thousand porn movies and everyone around you is no longer on some sort of giddy, wide-eyed first-adult-relationship must-get-married must-have-babies track of impossibly optimistic utopian desire, what it means, at least for me, is that you get to become this odd sort of sounding board—a blank slate of love's warped potential, a reason for others to extrapolate on the nature of love and life and sex and how goddamn difficult/wonderful/impossible it all really is.' — Straight San Francisco Chronicle columnist Mark Morford, who frequently writes about gay stuff, in his July 25 column.
'I dedicated my life to entertaining gay men. I always try to justify what I did because I feel like I'm doing a public service in this day of AIDS and sexual disease because I can give somebody an alternative to going out and having unsafe sex. And if I save one life, hey, it's worth it. That's the way I've always looked at it.' — Gay porn legend Jeff Stryker to Boston's In Newsweekly, July 4.
—Assistance: Bill Kelley
