Neverland was an interesting choice of name for Michael Jackson's ranch, as J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, was thought to have been a pedophile himself.
I've always thought the story of Peter Pan to be suspect; it's about a boy who refuses to grow up and lures children from their bedrooms into a fantasy world; this is after we tell our children not to talk to strangers.
J.M. Barrie, who was described as asexual, was known to hang around parks in London, making friends with small children. One young boy he befriended was Peter Llewellyn Davies, who inspired the famous story.
Llewellyn Davies was teased all his life for being the inspiration for Peter Pan and, at the age of 63, he threw himself under a train at London's Sloane Square station. He called Peter Pan 'that terrible masterpiece.'
Who knows whether Michael Jackson is innocent or guilty of the alleged crimes? I don't have enough faith in the justice system to get to the truth either.
I do know that he brought this unwanted attention on himself with his eccentric behavior. What a shame in these sordid times of war that this rather sad clown is going to grab the headlines for months to come.
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The Virginia Gazette reports that John Callaghan, 77, could receive a $1,000 fine for tearing the cover off The Advocate at the Williamsburg Library. The cover depicted two bare-chested men, one Black, one white, about to lock lips. Callaghan thought the cover was bad for impressionable teenagers, and so he tore it off and took it home. Yep, you read that right, he didn't throw it in the trash, he took it home … are you thinking what I'm thinking?
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The Queen of England, or Betty Windsor as she is sometimes affectionately known, is due to give her annual speech to Parliament.This year, according to gay.com UK, Betty will announce that gay and lesbian couples who register their partnership will receive the same rights as straight married couples … well, almost.
If you've never seen the Queen speaking to her 'subjects,' it's entertaining for all the wrong reasons. She stares at the camera and talks about what Parliament hopes to achieve in the upcoming year, and all in that Queen voice of hers that sounds like she's talking with a mouthful of testicles. And she does it deadpan; no expression on her face whatsoever.
I
'm just intrigued to know whether she will say 'gay and lesbian' or whether she will stick to the more traditional 'homosexuals.' I don't know for sure, never having tried it out for myself, but I suspect that 'gay and lesbian' is easier to say with a mouthful of testicles than the word 'homosexuals.' I suggest the rest of us lesser Queens try it out with our lovers tonight …
You can tell me all about it at sukie@windycitymediagroup.com .
U.S.: Ellen and her mother, Betty DeGeneres, both speak at an Accent sponsored event in Gainsville, Fla. Betty is a spokeswoman for the Human Rights Campaign. * The NGLTF Policy Institute releases a new study called The Myth of Affluence Among Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Americans. * At their quarterly meeting in Washington, D.C., the American Psychiatric Association strongly condemns the practice of 'reparative therapy' on homosexuals. * Rev. James Callan, a New York priest, is suspended by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, Matthew Clark, for conducting same-sex weddings. * India: Hundreds of female Hindu zealots storm 12 movie theaters and close down the lesbian-themed film Fire.
1993
U.S.: The U.S. Postal Service issues an AIDS Awareness stamp, designed by Wisconsin nurse Jean Anne Hlavecek. * Homophobe Fred Phelps writes to The Advocate: 'Kissy-poo fag preachers telling you it's OK to play with gerbils and worship the rectum will send you to hell, and Fred Phelps is the best friend you fags have got in this world.' * Andrew Sullivan, editor of the New Republic, tells The Advocate: 'If the first wave of gay liberation was merely about unleashing sexual energy, the second wave is about marriage and family life. We are entering the second wave.' * Out There, the first all-queer comedy special, airs on Comedy Central. * In Jonesboro, Ga., Clayton County public schools ban Vox, an Atlanta-area newspaper by and for teenagers, because it contains an article about gays and lesbians. Candie Styles, a reporter for the paper, responds: 'Why don't they just cut out our tongues. I guess they just want to put teenagers in a hole so when we get (to be) 50 and our ideas have developed into what they think they should be, then they can let us out into the world again.' * Deb Price, the only syndicated gay columnist for the mainstream press, is profiled in People. She is pictured with her spouse Joyce Murdoch. * Britain: Colin Ireland, a man who confessed to murdering five gay men in London, is sentenced to life in prison. * Japan: Token of Love, a short film by Chicago filmmaker H.D. Motyl, is banned by Japanese custom officials for showing seven seconds of male nudity. The film was scheduled to be shown at the Tokyo Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.
1988
U.S.: The 1st World AIDS Day takes place. * A four-alarm fire causes serious damage when it blazes through San Francisco's famous Castro Street, with the Elephant Walk receiving extensive water damage. * In Hartford, Conn., 200 gay-rights supporters attend a candlelight vigil to remember victims of anti-gay violence. * Richard Failla, New York State's first openly gay elected judge, is sworn in as a New York State Supreme Court Justice. * James Michael Pittman, a 26-year-old man from Charleston, S.C., is ordered to perform 500 hours of public service and is placed on five years probation for knowingly exposing a sex partner to HIV.
1983
U.S.: National Gay Task Force Executive Director Victoria Apuzzo, the playwright and actor Harvey Fierstein, and the Body Politic collective in Canada, are among those honored by the Gay Academic Union at its annual banquet in San Diego. * The New York Times makes a significant change in the way it reports on lesbians and gay men. Reporting the death of novelist Mary Renault, the Times noted that she was survived by 'the writer's companion of the last 50 years, Julie Mullard.' And in the obituary of Tony Award-winning actor David Rounds, they mention 'his companion, David Seidman.'
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