'Same-sexuality, once marginalized, is now part of the mainstream. And it's this mainstreamizing that the radical right longs to reverse -- hoping against hope that a federal gay-marriage ban will be a 'They Shall Not Pass,' leading to a complete socio-sexual 180. The trouble for them is not only that a gay-marriage ban would be shutting the barn door long after the horse has fled -- but that the horse in fact has won the Kentucky Derby. When Ian McKellen can blithely bring a boy toy with him to the Oscars, Rosie O'Donnell be afforded a place of honor on 'The View,' and Anne Heche lose cred for re-embracing heterosexuality, it's pretty clear that, in the immortal words of Judy Garland, 'I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.'' — David Ehrenstein writing in the Los Angeles Times, Aug. 8.
' [ I ] t might be good for gays to start seeing their depiction as mindless cruisers and promiscuity poodles the way Black people look upon minstrel comedy featuring blackface and banjos. Time for progress, fellas.' — San Diego Union-Tribune film critic David Elliott reviewing 'Another Gay Movie,' Aug. 10.
'If you haven't followed the evolution of gay cinema in the past 20 years, 'Another Gay Movie' is the absolute worst place to start. This flaming projectile is aimed at a tiny subset of the gay audience—those who have seen the landmark movies on the long road to respectability and think it's safe to revert to the crudest stereotypes. And not just gay stereotypes. This crass comedy borrows the storyline—and the sex-with-pastries gag—of the hetero hit 'American Pie.'' — St. Louis Post-Dispatch film critic Joe Williams, Aug. 11.
'Jamaica is not against gay people. Gay means consented sex. What we have in Jamaica is not what it is in England where two men live together. That's not it in Jamaica and these people [ gay activists who protest my music ] fail to understand that. In Jamaica, gay is rape. It's a big man with their money going into the ghetto and picking these little youth who ain't got nothing. And then give them money and then involving them. There were 550 youths who got raped inna Jamaica you know? And nobody seems to speak of that. Nobody sees the youth get raped and throat cut because the man who raped him, he knows him, and he doesn't want him to go back and say he did it. And these things still happening.' — Famous Jamaican dancehall reggae singer Beenie Man ( Moses Davis ) to London's The Independent, Aug. 11. The lyrics targeted by gay activists include, 'Well I'm think of a new Jamaica, me come to execute all of the gays.'
'If Karr is a pedophile who likes little girls, why would he want a sex-change operation? Does he want to be a lesbian who likes little girls? What's this all about?' — From an Aug. 23 column by Chicago Sun-Times gossip columnist Michael Sneed, questioning the motives of JonBenet Ramsey murder suspect John Mark Karr.
'This might not be a major issue for those who live inside the Beltway, but for my neighbors in Salt Lake City, my constituents throughout Utah, and good, decent, clean Americans across the country, this is a critical issue.' — U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, during Senate debate on the failed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, June 6.
'According to polls, 51 percent of Americans do not approve of gay marriage, but 70 percent ... do not approve of President Bush. So gay marriage is actually more popular than he is.' — Jay Leno on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as quoted by the Charlotte Observer, June 12.
'Years ago there was an advertising campaign on television that used the phrase 'Black Is Beautiful.' They showed accomplished Black people doing what they do in their life, helping people and helping each other and making other human beings' lives better, and it was a campaign that lasted over considerable time. That worked back then and it is what we [ gays ] need now. I guess what I am saying is once you get to know one of us, it's really hard to dislike us. We need to get that word out.' — 1960s pop star Lesley Gore ( famous for the song It's My Party ) to Los Angeles' Lesbian News, July issue.
'We should have the choice [ of getting married ] ; I'm very adamant about it. You want the same legal rights and to announce your love publicly. We absolutely deserve it.' — Lesbian tennis legend Billie Jean King to InsideSoCal.com, July 19.
'Although my colleagues and the fans knew, the difference [ since I came out publicly ] is now I get to address issues much more openly. And the [ Star Trek ] conventions give me the opportunity to use Star Trek as a platform for LGBT issues.' — Actor George Takei ( Lt. Sulu on the first Star Trek series ) to InsideSoCal.com, July 12.
'There are times when you feel like it's OK and you can just be so out and politically everybody's on your side and the industry, too. And then there are other times where you just feel like it's a right-wing backlash, and you feel you're struggling against a straight, white patriarchal system that's very corporate.' — Amy Ray of the lesbian folk duo Indigo Girls to the Michigan gay newspaper Between The Lines, July 13.
'Slowly over time, our gay audience grew to be really, really big. And in times when we're not getting much radio play or getting our work out there, the queer part of our audience is still really loyal and just really sticks by us.' — Amy Ray of the lesbian folk duo Indigo Girls to the Michigan gay newspaper Between The Lines, July 13.
' [ T ] hroughout the 1990s, the gay establishment fought marriage rights passionately and treated marriage advocates as cranks. HRC did all it could to prevent this issue from dominating the discourse. They did the polling, like all principled Democrats, and wanted to play to their strengths. No gay group agreed to take the first real marriage suit in Hawaii. It took a straight guy from the ACLU to handle it. The Human Rights Campaign's leadership refused to speak of the matter for years, and only included the m-word in their literature in the last few years. Major Democratic donors also refused—and Bill Clinton talked them out of it, when necessary.' — Journalist and blogger Andrew Sullivan at Time Blogs' The Daily Dish, July 16 ( time.blogs.com/daily_dish/ ) .
