Check out the October 2002 issue of Genre for a not-so-exciting interview/conversation with Madonna and her less-than-exciting brother, Christopher Ciccone. It says "there's plenty to talk about when your sister is Madonna" but Ciccone doesn't touch on any of those things. However, the topics include Kabbalah, Guy, being "pseudo" English, pheasant hunting, the Bond movie, and her new movie and album. Madonna is hot but this interview is NOT! However, the cover shot is worth the $4.95.
"Whenever I'm talking about this stuff, I always feel a little strange because I'm not actually gay. But I've had this [ coming-out ] experience that feels very real to me in a lot of ways." ... Laura Innes ( Dr. Kerry Weaver of ER ) to Advocate's Dominick Guillemot about her character's two-year exploration as a lesbian. Oct. 1 issue.
"OBviously, the political and legal aspects, protection of rights...all that is essential but the subtle ways that people disconnect [ from gay people ] sometimes feels more hurtful. These little ways of shutting down around somebody, shutting down around the subject." ... Innes about her encounters with the show's fans who don't approve of her character being a lesbian.
"It's great that there are gay and lesbian characters on shows like Six Feet Under and Queer as Folk, but there's nothing that compares to this battleship that is ER in terms of the mainstream nature of it, how many people it reaches." ... Innes about the impact ER has had over the years both to straight and gay fans. Advocate Oct. 1.
"I care about how people perceive not only the disease, but the gay community. Not that it's like my Big Cause but I feel like there is a lot of misunderstanding and that people automatically assume that AIDS is some sort of punishment. I've heard that spoken before and it just seems so unreal that one could think that." ... Pro-skateboarder Tony Hawk about his fight to continue the fight against HIV to A&U [ Arts & Understanding, a magazine about AIDS and culture ] , September 2002 issue.
"Teens, like the type of kids who are skateboarding, are exploring their sexuality and they don't realize what kind of risk they're running if they're out having unprotected sex. There was a huge support for victims of September 11, yet there are still kids who are sick with HIV and AIDS. The events of September 11 don't stop ( the spread of ) AIDS, and it doesn't mean we need to shift charities all of a sudden. The AIDS epidemic affects everyone, and it definitely could happen to you...that bothers me." ... Hawk about the need to continue to educate today's youth about HIV and AIDS.
"There are a lot of gays among the women surfers. We share rental cars, hotel rooms, dinner out. It makes us open with each other. You wake up in the morning and hear toe rings clicking from two girls in the next bed." ... Surfer Holly Beck, as quoted in the August 26 issue of Sports Illustrated and then featured in "Rants and Raves" in The Advocates' Oct. 1 issue.
"This'll sound wrong, but I feel like I did my time. I tried to be what everybody [ expected ] . I lived 'the straight life.'" ... CSI writer and executive-producer Ann Donahue about being openly gay to Advocate, Oct. 1.
"People do a lot of pronoun stuff. 'Are you bringing someone to the barbeque? Are they coming?' And you'd realize they don't want to insult you. And I'd say 'Yeah, I think I'll bring my girlfriend.' At one point I asked somebody, a girl writer: 'You guys know I'm gay, right? I'm just curious.' And she goes, 'Oh, yeah! Everyone knows you're a gay woman in the business.' It was this great phrase...'You're a gay woman in the business.'" ... Ann Donahue to the Advocate.
"Men are men. Men generally do not want to wait to have sex. It's not like with women. It's a lot easier for gay men to have sex. Gay men are very fortunate in that respect." ... Las Vegas Real Worlder Steven who is straight but worked as a bartender at a Texas gay men's dance club prior to his stint on Real World. Advocate, Oct. 1.
"Not every gay or lesbian kid between 18 and 24 is ready to go onto national television and be open about their sexuality." ... MTV's Real World co-creator, Jonathan Murray noting that only 1-2% of the 45,000 applicants are gay vying for 7 spots and perhaps that's why the Las Vegas cast does not contain any gay or lesbian characters. Advocate Oct. 1.
"When networks think gay, they think of urban and single. I don't think they think suburban and domestic. If you do a show about three couples, why can't one be gay? We haven't come far enough where they think that gay couples are the norm. I still believe it all comes down to economics. They're trying to boost their ratings and make money." ... Stephen Tropiano, author of The Prime Time Closet, on this season's inclusion ( or exclusion ) of gay characters on television series. Advocate Oct. 1.
"It hasn't come up too much on Oprah, but gays and lesbians face the same issues everyone else does and hopefully, they'll be a part of the show in general. I fully expect and intend for that to happen." ... Dr. Phil McGraw on whether gays and lesbians will be visible on his new daytime-TV show. Advocate Oct. 1.
"I THINK there is still a lot of education that needs to be done with this generation and previous generations about the gay orientation. A lot of people still believe it's a choice." ... Dr. Phil to The Advocate.
"If I were Britney Spears, it probably would have been made years ago, but, unfortunately, I'm not. Well, thankfully. Although, imagine, I'd have gotten to screw Justin Timberlake. That would be worth it." ... Boy George commenting on the long-awaited production of a movie based on his autobiography, Take It Like a Man, to The Advocate Oct. 1.