Tag Archives: gay

July 17, 2011 · 6:17 pm

Marilyn Monroe Sculpture Drawing Controversy On Mag Mile

I’ve always loved Chicago and now there’s another reason to do so!

A 26 foot Sculpture of Marilyn Monroe with her skirt blowing up as in “The Seven Year Itch.”

And people are freaking out….

I love it!

It’s so tacky I can’t believe it’s not being displayed somewhere in the South or California…

I guess it’s too risque for the South and too tame for California…

Like I said, I love Chicago!

 

 

From Chicago local News on Yahoo.com:

The long-awaited 26-foot sculpture of Marilyn Monroe was unveiled on the Magnificent Mile Friday morning, amid controversy about its risqué appearance.

The three-part piece sculpture by artist Seward Johnson was unveiled in Pioneer Court alongside Tribune Tower at 6:15 a.m. Friday.

It depicts Monroe as she appeared in an iconic scene in the 1955 movie “The Seven Year Itch,” where her dress goes flying up as she stands over a New York subway grate, leaving her underwear exposed.

The sculpture was built in a studio in New Jersey and brought to Chicago. Pioneer Court has previously hosted sculptures depicting Shakespeare’s “King Lear” Grant Wood’s “American Gothic.”

Melissa Farrell of Zeller Realty Group told WBBM Newsradio 780 earlier this week that the 26-foot sculpture will be quite the attraction.

“We are installing a large scale public artwork. It’s very visible to the public and it becomes a tourist attraction. People come to Chicago to see it,” Farrell said.

In his Perspective Thursday night, CBS 2’s Walter Jacobson said the sculpture will be a welcome addition to the Mag Mile.

“So we did not get the Olympics, but we have Ms. Monroe, keeping us on top of the outdoor world, and just when we need it, a smile on that mile,” he said.

But Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich gave the sculpture a scathing review. She called it “as tawdry as a peep show,” and complained about the men walking by who were seen “shooting photos of her crotch while one stuck out his tongue to mime a lick.”

“The original image (from ‘The Seven Year Itch’) is coy,” Schmich wrote. “Marilyn on the Mag Mile is crude.”

CBS 2 viewers weighed in on the new sculpture on Susan Carlson’s Facebook page. Many said the problem lay not with the sculpture, but with people who chose to take prurient photos next to it.

“The statue is beautiful. Nothing like a bunch of idiots who would prefer to make it something that it’s not,” wrote Linda Findlay Love. “Too bad.”

“I think the statue of Marilyn Monroe is beautiful and is an iconic Hollywood scene that created a buzz around the world,” added Robbie Attebery. “People taking photos under the dress need to mature up. Quit being a pig.”

“That’s why it’s causing such a controversy. Men and their perverted thoughts,” wrote Joy L. Potthoff.

But fans and foes alike will have to get used to the sculpture. It will be towering over Michigan Avenue through next spring.

via Marilyn Monroe Sculpture Drawing Controversy On Mag Mile | The Chicago Local – Yahoo! News.

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July 17, 2011 · 10:25 am

Vatican Reverses Stance On Gay Marriage After Meeting Tony And Craig- “The Onion”

From the “if only” file….

Very amusing excerpt from a great satirical article from “The Onion” with a link to the full article below:

In a stunning and unexpected reversal of long-standing doctrine, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed the Roman Catholic Church’s unequivocal support for gay marriage Tuesday, just hours after meeting Stonington, CT couple Tony Ruggiero and Craig Housinger.

Tony and Craig, whom Vatican officials called “a truly great match.”

The papal decree—which authorizes priests to administer the sacrament of holy matrimony to same-sex partners and explicitly states that “homosexual relations between two consenting adults is not, and never has been, a sin”—was reportedly a direct result of the pope sharing an afternoon of engaging conversation and hearty laughter with the gay couple.

“Not only are Tony and Craig complete sweethearts, but anyone who spends more than two minutes with them can see they’re clearly perfect for each other,” said Benedict, who in the past has described homosexual behavior as a grave disease that threatens all of humanity. “They’re fun, gracious, and simply wonderful company. And you can tell they have something special just by the way they look at each other.”

“They’re soulmates, really,” added the pope, smiling. “Allowing them to formalize their union in the Church is the least we could do for them.”

Vatican officials said the vacationing couple and the Supreme Pontiff met during a routine papal audience at St. Peter’s Basilica, and “really hit it off” after discovering shared interests in photography, the piano, and Spanish cuisine.

via Vatican Reverses Stance On Gay Marriage After Meeting Tony And Craig | The Onion – America’s Finest News Source.

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June 26, 2011 · 11:09 am

The Road to Gay Marriage in New York

This is a fascinating front page story in today’s New York Times about the behind-the-scenes political machinations that pushed through Gay Marriage in New York.

I encourage those of you who are interested to read the entire article.  It really shows how politics work-when it works-in America.

It’s also interesting in that the Wall Street guys had more clout than the Religious Right.

Money always wins in America….

 

The story of how same-sex marriage became legal in New York is about shifting public sentiment and individual lawmakers moved by emotional appeals from gay couples who wish to be wed.

But, behind the scenes, it was really about a Republican Party reckoning with a profoundly changing power dynamic, where Wall Street donors and gay-rights advocates demonstrated more might and muscle than a Roman Catholic hierarchy and an ineffective opposition.

And it was about a Democratic governor, himself a Catholic, who used the force of his personality and relentlessly strategic mind to persuade conflicted lawmakers to take a historic leap.

“I can help you,” Mr. Cuomo assured them in dozens of telephone calls and meetings, at times pledging to deploy his record-high popularity across the state to protect them in their districts. “I am more of an asset than the vote will be a liability.”

Over the last several weeks, dozens of lawmakers, strategists and advocates described the closed-door meetings and tactical decisions that led to approval of same-sex marriage in New York, about two years after it was rejected by the Legislature. This account is based on those interviews, most of which were granted on the condition of anonymity to describe conversations that were intended to be confidential.

via The Road to Gay Marriage in New York – NYTimes.com.

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June 25, 2011 · 12:47 pm

The Scary Faces of Gay Marriage

Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka To Marry: Gay Marriage Passage Enables Stars To Wed

Good for them!

Is this what the conservatives are so scared of????

From The Huffington Post:

As Americans of all stripes celebrated the passage of marriage equality in the New York State Senate, gay New Yorker couples affirmed their commitments to one another and began the 30-day countdown until they could finally say “I Do.” Amongst them, one of New York’s most famous gay couples jubilantly announced that they were getting married.

Neil Patrick Harris, the “How I Met Your Mother” star and Tonys host, became engaged late Friday night to his longtime partner, actor/chef David Burtka. Earlier in the night, Harris tweeted words of encouragement to the State Senate and said he’d “sure love to get married,” and following the law’s passage, Burtka took to Twitter and announced that the two were getting hitched.

“I’d sure love to get married. Please, NY Senate, vote in favor of marriage equality today. My family would really appreciate it,” Harris wrote before the vote; once it was passed, he tweeted his excitement, saying, “It PASSED! Marriage equality in NY!! Yes!! Progress!! Thank you everyone who worked so hard on this!! A historic night!”

Burtka then gave the big news in a tweet to a fan. “I’ve already purposed, he said yes! Thank god!” he wrote, before adding, “he proposed to me as well. I said yes! Thank god!”

Of course, it only makes sense that the pair should be allowed to marry; together for at least five years, the pair are fathers to fraternal twins, Gideon Scott and Harper Grace, born via surrogate in October 2010.

Congratulations to the happy couple, and all the other loving pairs finally granted equal rights in New York State.

via Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka To Marry: Gay Marriage Passage Enables Stars To Wed.

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June 24, 2011 · 11:38 pm

Gay Marriage Legal in New York State

Thank you , New York!

As Kander and Ebb wrote:  “If you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere.  It’s up to you, New York, New York.”

I’m no big believer in marriage- gay or straight.  I’ve often said, my parents had a marriage that made George and Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” look like amateurs.

To me, it’s all about legality.  We need to be able to recognize gay relationships and apply the same legal protections that straight marriage automatically provides.  I want Steve to be able to be by my side if I have to go to the hospital and make my medical decisions if I’m incapacitated. I want Steve to inherit my estate- and vice versa- on the same legal grounds as a married couple.  Without having to present some form…

We have been together almost 15 years.  We are totally financially intertwined as far as property and mutual responsibility is concerned.  The laws need to recognize that….

Screw the Church ceremonies and gift registries -although there is a lot of money to be made there….That should be enough alone for America to embrace Gay Marriage.

Just think how much money the Gay community would spend on weddings…

We would probably just call our friend Vanita over to say a few words in the living room with a few close friends.  Then give one hell of a party!

We already have 6 sets of dishes and that is quite enough.

We just need to have our relationship recognized as legally binding so we are protected if and when one of us gets sick or- god forbid- passes on.

I dare anyone to say our 15 years together doesn’t deserve some sort of legal recognition- without having to pay an attorney thousands of dollars to protect the rights straight peope get with one marriage license.

I don’t want to be “married” as much as I want to be legally recognized and protected.  And New York has realized that point.

Call it what you will…Marriage is a legal condition, not a religious one….

This has nothing to do with Religion and everything to do with fairness and equality.

ALBANY – New York made history last night as the State Senate voted “aye” on gay marriage.

Senators passed the bill 33 to 29 as the normally somnolent chambers erupted in a raucous chant of “USA! USA!”

“As I have said many times, this is a very difficult issue and it will be a vote of conscience for every member of the Senate,” said GOP Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Nassau).

New York joined Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Iowa and Washington, D.C., in legally recognizing gay marriage.

“I’m verklempt,” said a nervously optimistic Assemblyman Matthew Titone (D-S.I), one of five openly gay state lawmakers prior to the vote. “I’m still in a state of disbelief.”

The Assembly passed the bill last week for the fourth time since 2007.

It was only two years ago that gay marriage was easily defeated in the then Democrat-controlled Senate. Now, the rush to the altar could begin 30 days after Gov. Cuomo, who made gay marriage a priority, signs the bill.

For gay couples, marriage means more than just swapping rings.

For the first time they qualify for the same 1,324 state marriage benefits afforded to straight couples.

via Gay marriage legal in New York State after Senate passes historic bill 33-29.

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June 24, 2011 · 8:51 pm

Chapter 56: Integration-Part 2: Negroes, Lesbians and Yankees, Oh My! | My Southern Gothic Life

New Post up on my other Blog…

Here is a brief excerpt and a link to the full post:

Once integration happened, it was really no big deal to most of us.  Some of our parents, however, never recovered.

The South in those days, at least in small towns like ours, was built a lot of unbendable, undefinable, unpublished, unspoken but completely understood rules.  The two biggest one were as follows:

Thou shalt only consort with people just like you.

Never offend the neighbors.

My parents swore by those rules.  My father’s main concern was not pissing off anybody for business reasons.  He really didn’t give a damn about anything else.

My Mother lived for The Rules and to judge others by them.  In her mind, if she had not known someone and their entire family for her entire life- and preferably their family background for several preceding generations-they really weren’t worth knowing.

She also assumed everyone else played by the same rules.  Therefore, she assumed all Black people knew each other and later, all Gay people knew each other.  I’ll never forget the time she said to me:  ”I hope you are running around in public with that Harvey Fierstein person.  I saw him on television and he’s just awful.  I really don’t want to have to try to explain that to my friends.”  It took me a while to figure that out, but then I realized she assumed, just because we were both Gay, we had to know each other and be fast friends.  I wish…I have been in the same New York bar as Harvey, but that was many years later and does not prove her point…

Anyway…

MORE:  Chapter 56: Integration-Part 2: Negroes, Lesbians and Yankees, Oh My! | My Southern Gothic Life.

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June 23, 2011 · 9:03 pm

Cooking with the Chippendales?

How did I miss this back in the 1980’s?

Jaye P Morgan, singer and Match Game regular, apparently hosted this “cooking” show….

More like a campfest…

More than one person in the comments at the original site has referred to this as “Cooking with Blanche Devereux”….

Hat tip to Dlisted where I first saw this:

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June 22, 2011 · 8:17 pm

Rick Perry Gay Rumors: Governor’s Aides Prepared To Tackle Allegations

This was quite the buzz a few years ago in Texas and on the internet…

I truly hope it’s not true.  I don’t want him in my Club….

From The Huffington Post:

Texas Governor Rick Perry’s camp is prepared to tackle unfounded rumors dating back to as early as 2004 about the Lone Star State Republican’s personal life should he run for president and the allegations resurface, according to Politico.

Roughly seven years ago, Perry himself addressed the unsubstantiated buzz that he and his wife planned to divorce and that he was gay. He denied the rumors and told the Austin American-Statesman at the time that he was the victim of a “smear campaign” being conducted by his political enemies. The AP reported in March of 2004:

Perry said the rumors “are not correct in any shape, form or fashion. These are irresponsible. They’re salacious. They’re hurtful to my family.”

…

“I don’t think a rumor can just get to critical mass by itself,” Perry said. “I think you have to have a well thought-out, organized effort to disseminate that kind of information and keep it going day after day after day after day.”

According to Politico:

The crusted-over rumors were in the ether among some attendees at a dinner hosted last week by the Manhattan County GOP, where Perry gave the keynote speech.

…

But Team Perry, asked about how it’s prepared to handle them when they emerge if he runs, said it remains “false and misleading.”

It remains to be seen whether Perry will jump into the race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. After previously denying he had any intention of entering the primary election contest, the Texas Governor recently signaled interest in pursuing a campaign for the White House.

via Rick Perry Gay Rumors: Governor’s Aides Prepared To Tackle Allegations Should They Resurface: Report.

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June 21, 2011 · 7:58 pm

Do You Deserve a Gay Card? How Gay Are You?

I found this fun little site from a reference at Towleroad.com…

I only scored a 76, or “acceptably gay”…

See if you deserve a Gay Card:  http://getyourgaycard.com/

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June 15, 2011 · 10:18 pm

Michele Bachmann’s Irrational Fears: Lesbians, Her Constituents, Former Nuns and, Perhaps, Her Sister…

I really hope people realize this woman is a nut case….

But I don’t take anything for granted anymore.

I seriously have to question her mental stability if she behaves like this with her constituents…

Can you imagine if, horror of horrors, she actually was President and had to deal with difficult or complex matters on the World Stage?

In comparison, she almost makes Sarah Palin look sane.

Almost….

Sarah Palin may be a tacky, money-mad, egomaniacal opportunist, but she’s merely ignorant and power crazy, not certifiably crazy…

What is the world coming to when I have to consider the faint possibility that either of these two might be the nominee of a major political party for the job of President of the United States?

Or,  god forbid, President…

I’m glad I started drinking again….

From Michelle Goldberg at TheDailyBeast.com:

In April 2005, Pamela Arnold wanted to talk to her state senator, Michele Bachmann, who was then running for Congress. A 46-year-old who worked at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Arnold lived with her partner, the famed Arctic explorer Ann Bancroft, on a farm in Scandia, Minnesota. Bachmann was then leading the fight against gay marriage in the state. She’d recently been in the news for hiding in the bushes to observe a gay-rights rally at the Capitol. So when members of the Scandia gay community decided to attend one of Bachmann’s constituent forums, Arnold, wanting to make herself visible to her representative, joined them.

A few dozen people showed up at the town hall for the April 9 event, and Bachmann greeted them warmly. But when, during the question and answer session, the topic turned to same-sex marriage, Bachmann ended the meeting 20 minutes early and rushed to the bathroom. Hoping to speak to her, Arnold and another middle-aged woman, a former nun, followed her. As Bachmann washed her hands and Arnold looked on, the ex-nun tried to talk to her about theology. Suddenly, after less than a minute, Bachmann let out a shriek. “Help!” she screamed. “Help! I’m being held against my will!”

Arnold, who is just over 5 feet tall, was stunned, and hurried to open the door. Bachmann bolted out and fled, crying, to an SUV outside. Then she called the police, saying, according to the police report, that she was “absolutely terrified and has never been that terrorized before as she had no idea what those two women were going to do to her.” The Washington County attorney, however, declined to press charges, writing in a memo, “It seems clear from the statements given by both women that they simply wanted to discuss certain issues further with Ms. Bachmann.”

Lots of politicians talk about a sinister homosexual agenda. Bachmann, who has made opposition to gay rights a cornerstone of her career, seems genuinely to believe in one. Her conviction trumps even her once close relationship with her lesbian stepsister. “What an amazing imagination,” marvels Arnold. “Her ideology is so powerful that she can construct a reality just on a moment’s notice.”

via Michele Bachmann’s Unrivaled Extremism: Gay Rights to Religion – The Daily Beast.

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