MAIN COVER IMAGE Stephen Leonard. Photo by Kirk. Pride flag courtesy of Gay Mart
BOTTOM LEFT Photo by Jackie Weinberg. BOTTOM RIGHT. Photo by Pierre Cameron
Hooray! It's Pride time once again and the gays are getting ready to show off their best and brightest to the world. Is your best bright enough? Is your brightest good enough? The answer to both, not surprisingly, is yes. So let's see 'em!
First of all this week I would like to address a piece that went along with an ad that ran in the May 26, 2010 issue of Nightspots. The piece had to do with the oil spill in the Gulf and Arizona's supposed "unique solution" to the problem. The piece suggested that Arizona might be in favor of using undocumented immigrants to plug up the hole. The sheer absurdity of the ad was meant to skewer the wrongheadedness of Arizona's harsh new immigration law. It was my opinion that this was clear through context and whereas I stand by my decision to run it ( and my reasoning behind that decision ) , I apologize if anyone mistook the intention of the ad. Let me go on record as saying that Nightspots Magazine does not, in any way, advocate stuffing immigrantsor anyone, for that matterinto a gushing oil hole. If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would have had to make that statement, I would've looked at you funny. But, here we are...
I have a new voodoo priestess friend whom you may know as TV's Ms. Cleo. I know her as such as well. She helped me judge the fiercely competitive final round of this year's Windy City Gay Idol at Sidetrack. I decided before I met her that I would not stoop so low as to suggest that she would know the winner even before the contest ( as I'm sure no one has ever made THAT crack before ) . Even though I remain a fierce skeptic in most realms spiritual, it's good to know that I've got Cleo on my side, ready and willing to give someone hemorrhoids on my behalf, should the situation warrant.
Also at Sidetrack, I met an adorable young man with the unlikely name of Kirk Panik. You may not know this, but when you have a name which is both unusual and quite similar to a far more popular name, you establish an immediate bond when you meet someone of that same name. It's like when Milhouse met Shelbyville's Milhouse. "So this is what it feels like... when doves cry."
So how's this week's cover for super sexiness, huh? One of the perks of my big-time editorship is that I can get a weird idea and within a few hours, I can pick up a Pride flag from Gay Mart ( Thanks, Shelley!!! ) and have one of Chicago's hottest young gay musicians mostly naked and sprawled on my living room floor. Strictly professional, I assure you. Read page 55 for more of Stephen's oeuvre.
A very special hello to Merry Mary, whom I caught enjoying the piano stylings of Rudy DeLaMor at 3160. She was surprised that I remembered her. She was so sweet and smiley, I could never forget. Thanks for all your kind words as always, Mary!
And speaking of Mary, I stopped down to Midsommarfest for a hot minute to catch the aforementioned Stephen Leonard play with Kat Fitzgerald. Thank God Mary's was open as a rainy refuge. I haven't seen that many wet gays since the video for "Telephone" debuted.
kirk@windycitymediagroup.com