Pictured
Mayor Daley. Photo by Tracy Baim
'Today, Spanish society is responding to a group of people who for years have been humiliated, whose rights have been ignored, their dignity offended, their identity denied and their freedom restricted. Today Spanish society grants them the respect they deserve, recognizes their rights, restores their dignity, affirms their identity, and restores their liberty. ... We are not the first [ country to legalize same-sex marriage ] but I am sure we will not be the last. After us will come many other countries, driven, ladies and gentlemen, by two unstoppable forces: freedom and equality. [ This is ] a small change in wording that means an immense change in the lives of thousands of citizens. We are not legislating, ladies and gentlemen, for people who are far away and unknown to us. We are expanding opportunities for the happiness of our neighbors, our work colleagues, our friends, our relatives. ... It is true that [ gays ] are only a minority but their triumph is a triumph for everybody ... Their victory makes us all better, makes our society better.' — Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodíguez Zapatero addressing the Congress of Deputies which voted to legalize full same-sex marriage and gay adoption, June 30.
'Oh, but it will be fun to watch Spain and Canada burn in hell. I mean, we're right next door to Canada. We have the best possible view. It will be fun to watch their societies crumble, their moral fiber rend and shred, their sense of justice and humanity wither and die in the white-hot sun of sin and impudence and blasphemy, Canada's no-longer-manly hockey teams spontaneously combust into a billion meaty bloody God-splattered bits, Spanish children drop their jamon sandwiches in terror and scream and shriek and turn into instant puddles of fiery confused goo. Why all the vicious carnage? Why the reign of terror? Simple, silly: Canada and Spain have done the unthinkable, the unconscionable. They have legalized gay marriage, everywhere, in their respective countries. Oh my God, they are so going to burn.' — SFGate.com columnist Mark Morford, July 1.
'I don't like marriage. I am not going to get married. But it is important for this to be called marriage so people know that it is the same thing for everyone.' — Gay Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar to the Associated Press June 30 after Spain's Congress of Deputies legalized full same-sex marriage and gay adoption.
'Honey, at 61, if I ain't done the fish trip, I ain't doing it. Some of my friends are lesbians, I have a lot of gay friends, but I will never do a woman.' — Singer Patti LaBelle to Windy City Times, June 22.
'HIV transformed my life, made me a better and braver writer, prompted me to write the first big book pushing marriage rights, got me to take better care of my health, improved my sex life, and deepened my spirituality. I'm sorry. I'll try to do better. ... I'm almost as bad as those damn drug ads showing people with HIV triumphing over adversity.' — Writer Andrew Sullivan in The Advocate, July 5.
'Seriously, how much do you have to hate gay people to not want them to play softball.' — Kevin Boyer, a spokesman for the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago, in response to the American Family Association's call for Illinois-based Kraft Foods to withdraw its $25,000 sponsorship, to the Associated Press, June 24.
'I'm excited about it because they're great citizens.' — Chicago Mayor Richard Daley on the 2006 Gay Games, which will be held in The Windy City, to the Associated Press, June 24. The opening ceremony, July 15, will be at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, and the closing ceremonies, July 22, will be at the Chicago Cubs' Wrigley Field.
'Slap a rainbow flag on any bit of crap and we'll buy it, pin it to ourselves, put it on our heads or shove it up our arses. It's important you don't hide your pride.' — Matthew Todd writing in London's Pink Paper, June 16.
'As gay men grow more comfortable shrugging off gay-identified clothing and Schwarzeneggerian fitness standards, straight men are more at ease flaunting a degree of muscle tone seldom seen outside of a Men's Health cover shoot. And they are adopting looks—muscle shirts, fitted jeans, sandals and shoulder bags—that as recently as a year ago might have read as, well, gay. The result is a new gray area that is rendering gaydar—that totally unscientific sixth sense that many people rely on to tell if a man is gay or straight—as outmoded as Windows 2000.' — David Colman writing in The New York Times, June 19.
'It's easier [ now ] for gay men to come out of the closet as slobs, just as it's easier for straight men to be dandies. One of the things that's breaking down how gay guys are seen is that people know more kinds of men who are gay, nonstereotypical ones like soldiers and athletes rather than stylists and fashion designers and decorators.' — Out magazine editor Brendan Lemon to The New York Times, June 19.
'I think gay people spend so much time pretending and lying, it's a very good training for being an actor. Maybe that's why there's so many of us in the business!' — Actor Sir Ian McKellen to London's Pink Paper, June 16.
'While Pride is a great chance for those of us who have been out for ages to meet up with friends and reconfirm the fun of being with like-minded people, Pride is most important for the effect it has on those who haven't been doing it for years, especially gay people who aren't out.' — Actor Sir Ian McKellen to London's Pink Paper, June 16.
