Category Archives: Recommended Reads
Taschen Books As Investments
“TASCHEN books are almost designed to be collectible.
It’s very common for a TASCHEN book to gain value almost instantly.”
Since the TASCHEN adventure began in 1980, it has been our goal to make
the greatest books in the world. Whatever the subject and whatever the
retail price—from $10 to $10,000—we strive to produce, design, and
package each of our books beautifully, with a great deal of care and
attention to detail. The collectors who buy a limited edition book early
on will have, in addition to a rare and exceptional book, the added
benefit of seeing their asset appreciate; our collector’s editions have
been known to have their value multiply, in some cases reaching ten
times their original price.
book. Of course, it was just a regular edition. Nothing super collectible. But I loved the titles and topics they published.
Lovers of beautiful books adore Taschen. A publisher of art books, Taschen
was created by Benedikt Taschen in 1980 in Cologne, Germany. It was
originally centered on comics only, when the then-18-year-old Taschen
found himself with an enormous collection of new, rare and collectible
comics, and decided to set up a (25 meters square) shop to display and
sell them. It went so well that by the end of the 1980s, Taschen titles
could be found in multiple languages at prices reasonable enough to make
art more accessible to everyone.
Now, 39 years after its inception, the company’s mission has long
been to publish innovative, beautifully designed art books at prices
that don’t alienate or limit the audience, and they have seven offices
employing over 150 staff. Taschen is well known for its abundant,
gorgeous coffee-table art books, its impressive selection of comics and
graphic novels, and for never shying away from potentially controversial
subject matter, sexuality in particular. While many of their
publications run to design, décor and artist profiles, many taboo or
underground artistic subjects like sexual fetishism and erotica have
been brought more into mainstream notice and availability thanks to
Taschen.
INNdulge Palm Springs
Naked Men in the Desert
7 Year Old Gay Boy in Love with Glee’s Blaine
I just came across a posting from Huffington Post, that done in Feb. Ameila writes, “When Your 7-Year Old Son Announces I’M GAY”.
Considering that my son has a longstanding crush on Glee‘s
Blaine and regularly refers to him as “my boyfriend,” I thought there
was a fair chance that he would someday say, “I’m gay.” But my kid is
only 7 years old. I figured I had a few years before we crossed that
threshold (if we ever did), probably when he was 14 or 15. I never
thought it would happen this soon.
Six months ago “gay” wasn’t even a word in my son’s vocabulary. He
has always known that some of our male friends are married to men and
some of our female friends to women, and it is such a normal part of his
life that he never needed a special word to describe them. When he did
notice the word and asked what it meant, I told him that when boys want
to marry boys and girls want to marry girls, we call that “gay.” He
didn’t seem very interested and quickly went off to do something else
more exciting than a vocabulary lesson with his mom.
This is a great READ! At Huffington Post.
Hot Male Models Eye Candy – From France ACDG.fr
My new FAVORITE site for Male Eye Candy!
From France, ACDG.fr aka Acausedesgarcons.com/
bonbons pour les yeux!
They have been blogging and posting for 5 years and their site is delicious!
More Candy, please.
Chicago’s Hermene Hartman – The Barack Obama Book
Fund this new book, The Barack Book, for a $25 pledge, and you get a copy of the book, when it comes in November!
Getting
books published or movies made is a tough business these days. Artists
and writers are taking it upon themselves, to get their own seed money,
to bring their products to the marketplace.
In
2012 many books will be published on President Obama as he comes up for
reelection. But Chicago’s Hermene
Hartman, Bob Starks, and Derrick Baker have a unique perspective on the
man. They were there from the beginning.
And Barack is their friend.
As
the long-time publisher of N’DIGO, a weekly targeted at Chicago’s black
middle class, Hartman was the first to cover the young, black Chicagoan
rising in the political ranks. First he was her friend, then he became
an Illinois senator, and then the President Obama we all know today.
Hartman and colleagues Starks and Baker recognized the political
potential of Mr. Obama early on and since 2003 have covered him from a
unique black Chicago perspective.
If
you have supported Obama from the beginning, now is your chance to
remain involved in spreading the man’s worldwide significance via The Barack Book.
This trio of writers are using Kickstarter to fund the creation of The Barack Book
and need your involvement to help cement President Obama’s legacy.
They have less than 3 weeks to raise the $15,000 needed to get this
project off this ground. And if you pledge $25 – you will get a copy of
the hardcover book, when it comes out this November. If you can pledge
more, there are even more incentives!
Please help fund this very important book from Chicago, on Barack Obama.
Barbra Streisand…A Retrospective Book
A lavish tribute to perhaps the world’s most beloved and enduring star:
the incomparable actress, director, and diva, Barbra Streisand.
Streisand is a record-breaking global phenomenon who has won virtually
every award the entertainment industry has to bestow: Oscars®, Emmys®,
Grammys®, Tonys®, a Peabody, and more.
This large-format, fully
illustrated book celebrates her uniquely brilliant career with hundreds
of rarely published photographs, album artwork, memorabilia, annotated
lists, and special in-depth features on everything from her
trend-setting style to her transcendent voice. Streisand’s millions of
fans will delight in the treasures they’ll discover inside, as they
follow Barbra from her Brooklyn childhood to her nightclub appearances,
emergence as a Broadway star, rise to Hollywood legend…and beyond.
2-7-2012 $20 at AMAZON!
Barbra: A Retrospective
Globetrotting Around the World with Jesse Archer and His Recent Interview with Adaumbelles Quest
JESSE is working his ass off these days! He now lives in Sydney with his partner, but he recently traveled back to the US for series of projects.
Early April he was in Los Angeles – “I had a great time with the talented cast & crew of Eating Out 4, now shooting concurrently with its 5th installment in Los Angeles.
Nobody can accuse me of not being a versatile…actor. For Eating Out 4, I did it in the shower! Phillip J. Bartell and director Allan Brocka wrote a hilarious script and I am thrilled to be a part of it. All I’m going to say is *spoiler alert* that I get to have sex in the shower with a much younger man and then get stabbed to death while coming. It’s very postmodern Janet Leigh. In other words, dream role!
Got to have some wet fun with sexy star Chris Salvatore.”
Read more about Eating Out 4 on Jesse’s site.
Then our bi-coastal Jesse showed up in New York with his boyfriend – and also with actor/director Casper Andreas – doing some promotions for the upcoming release of Violet Tendencies DVD. (Available on dvd May 24th). It’s Caspers and Jesses third film together – and along with Mindy Cohn (Facts of Life) she plays
a woman tries to distance herself from her gay friends in an effort to land a straight boyfriend.
Jesse attended the “wedding” of some dear friends, while in NYC – THEN Jesse met with his team in New York to do some post-production of his upcoming comedy about Fire Island called HALF SHARE.
THEN, I don’t know how he found the time, he chatted with our New York Blogging Buddy Adam of Adaumbelles Quest. Jesse talks about “a few of my favorite things including travel, movies, Angelina Jolie and Smurfette. Not in that order!” – “Travel keeps you young. You’re always discovering new things, like a child, and are able to incorporate these experiences into your life. As a writer, it’s excellent to absorb new influences and inspiration to keep you fresh.” –
Read the Interview at Adaumbelle’s Quest!
Best Gay News
The Complete Wendel by Howard Cruse Coming April 5th
Howard Cruse is an American alternative cartoonist known for the exploration of gay themes in his comics.
Wendel is probably his most famous. It was the first successful, long-lived gay comic strip, run in the Advocate in the years 1983 to 1985 and, after a year’s hiatus, 1986 to 1989.
Wendel Trupstock, the hero, was initially fresh out of college and lookin’ for love in a mid-sized city cosmopolitan enough to have an arts and theater community and, more important, a gay and lesbian community. Every young boys dream, right?!
Wendel met Ollie Chalmers, an aspiring actor. The two became lovers, and the strip thereafter dealt with their relationship, their friends and families, their gay community, and their interactions with Ollie’s ex-wife and small son.
Cruse’s superb comedic sense made “Wendel” funnier than nearly every other gay strip (then and since) and most nongay strips with continuing characters and situations.
Wendel was funny, topical and a heartfelt chronicle of one gay man’s journey through the often-rocky Reagan-Bush years. Cruse covered gay liberation, and he brought AIDS forthrightly into the strip, but his humor and style prevented “Wendel” from being sententious, self-righteous, or maudlin. And one of the strip’s greatest accomplishments was to portray sex as just another component in the lives of characters who do all the other things “regular” people do, albeit more hilariously.
Its influence was such that Tony Kushner wrote, “Wendel unfolds with the narrative complexity, nuance, detail, and honesty of a great satirical novel.” It’s an important piece of our history.
Every episode of the Wendel comic strip series, which was regularly featured in The Advocate, will be waiting to be savored (or re-savored) in The Complete Wendel, along with a new introduction by Alison Bechdel and a newly-drawn orgy of cartooned speculation, “Where Are They Now?”
APRIL 5th, 2011 is the official release date – but you can pre-order now at AMAZON!
The complete collection of the entire groundbreaking gay comic strip series.
288 pages By Universe / Rizzoli publishing.
One Gay Guys Journey…12 Goals in 12 Months
I met an author at a blogging conference a couple years ago named Donna Cutting. Donna wrote a great book called The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets to Delivering Red Carpet Customer Service.
She sent me a note about her cousin who embarked on a cool journey this year. At 34 and gay and living in Los Angeles, he is examining his life. “Turning 34 has got me to think about what more I want from life and how I can go about getting it. I’m taking control and trying to shake up my simple routine. For the next 12 months, I will be trying to accomplish 12 carefully selected goals that will fulfill lifelong dreams, overcome fears, improve my quality of life or give me memorable experiences I never thought possible.”
His name is Liam Gillen and he lives in Los Angeles. “My life’s defining moment came 8 years ago when I took a vacation to LA to see a live taping of Will & Grace. When I got to the studio and was escorted into the audience seating area, I was in awe at the sight of Will Truman’s living room only twenty feet away. It’s difficult to explain, but right then and there I made the decision to move to LA. I understood that moving just for the sake of living where television is made was drastic. Six years later, I am still living like a LA tourist and wondering what else life has in store for me!”
He set up the site and decided to blog about his journey as a way to help keep himself on track. Knowing that friends, family and even complete strangers are holding him accountable, will force him to stay motivated.
It’s a great idea! Some of the goals are very targeted, like becoming more financially responsible. And some could be a bit of a challenge perhaps to reach. Like becoming a member of the Los Angeles Gay Mens Chorus .
“One of the first things I did after coming out to my parents (besides trying to erase the memory of my mother asking me if I’ve ever had “the anal sex”) was seeing the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus perform. This was an especially great concert because Nell Carter was a guest soloist and it was the first time I could participate in gay things openly.
After the concert, I was determined to try out. Auditions came and auditions went yet I still couldn’t bring myself to go for it. I was too terrified at the thought of singing in front of people. No one was pushing me to do it so it was easy for me to put it off and say “I’ll try out next year”. Ten years later, I’m living in a new city but still saying, “I’ll try out next year”. “
Another goal is having dinner with Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper! Liam is a clever and witty writer and on a great journey. I wanted to share his site with all of you and perhaps you will check it out.
12 Goals 12 Months
And Kathy, if you are reading this, he is waiting for your call!
Best Gay News Magazine.com
Davey Waveys Life in a Day…at Sundance
under rock the last 5 years,
you should know
who DAVEY WAVEY is.
The pre-Scott Herman fitness hottie who is more delicious than Mom’s Apple Pie! And his blog Break The Illusion is uber popular.
The 27 year old says, “I assumed this physical form to embark on a journey of peace and love.
Though I’m a bit of a nomad, traveling the world from city to city and town to town, my current location is Rhode Island, USA. For a career, I’m a certified personal trainer and have a fitness blog, Davey Wavey Fitness .
My life’s mission is to 1.) share my love with the world 2.) teach others about the pervasive oneness of this perfect universe and 3.) learn, grow and develop from all my experiences and all my teachers.
Though this blog started as a personal diary, it has grown into a vehicle for achieving this mission. It has become a gathering point for people from all over the world to share ideas and connect in a safe, loving space. I’m honored to be the moderator of this community, and I invite you to join in the adventure of self-discovery and exploration unfolding in these pages.”
It is his Videos which are getting international attention now. And I predict, this attention could bring him much deserved fame. You have to love the whole Web 2.0 movement. When I grew up, and I am dating myself (gasp!) we didn’t have YouTube, Twitter or even the Internet! The world is an oyster now. Anyone can be their own PR agent and get seen by millions. Bloggers and Vloggers are becoming the stars of today.
YouTube invited Davey to Park City Utah for the week, for the Sundance Film Festival, because one of his video clips is being used in Kevin MacDonald and Ridley Scott’s documentary, Life in a Day .
Life in a Day is the result of director Kevin MacDonald’s plea to the YouTube community to record one day of their lives – July 24th, 2010 – with the ultimate aim of patching them all together. The call was heard, and 80,000 videos were submitted for selection, totalling 4,500 hours of raw footage.
Produced by Ridley Scott, the footage was eventually cut down to the 90 minute feature that is garnering raves from reviewers and audiences for it’s moving and poignant scenes harnessed from everyday life, by everyday people. Encompassing the most mundane daily activities to the most exhilarating and saddest experiences, the film operates with a kind of rhythm that can change mood on a dime, and can elicit a broad smile as quickly as it can have the viewer choking back the tears .
The movie premiered at Sundance this past week and streamed live on YouTube. And you can watch his MEET THE FILM MAKER interview . The actual film will be released sometime in 2011.
Congratulations Davey!!
Davey on YouTube Davey on Facebook
Best Gay News
Randy Rainbow Continues His Quest for Stardom…on American Idol!
Unless you have been under a rock the past year, Randy Rainbow has become “the one to watch” over the past 6 months. He posted his breakout video, “Randy Rainbow is Dating Mel Gibson ,” in July, 2010. It received more than 60,000 views in one week. Since then his videos have become somewhat famous!
Subsequent videos include “Randy Rainbow Calls Lindsay Lohan,” “Randy Rainbow Calls Dr. Laura,” “The Morning After Chelsea’s Wedding,” “Randy Rainbow Gets a Job (from Rachel Zoe?),” “Randy Rainbow Kicks It with Kanye West,” and “Randy Rainbow Spends Christmas with Mel Gibson.” Porn star Brent Corrigan appeared as himself in “Randy Rainbow Makes a Sex Tape (w/Mel Gibson).” Randy’s cat, Mushi Rainbow, also plays a prominent role in his videos.
Now, he does American Idol ! This is the BEST video yet! This guy is so clever! And so funny!
Randy Rainbow is a blogger and quite the Internet celebrity these days, and based in New York. Rainbow created his blog, The Randy Rainbow Bloggity BLAHg-BLAHg , to document his theatrical experiences and “kvetch about my day-to-day as a single homo in the city.”
The BLAHg
YouTube Channel
Find out what you have been missing!
Find out what you have been missing!
HARVARD Says Urine on Gay Books Was an Accident
The texts apparently had urine poured over them and police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.
According to student newspaper The Harvard Crimson, an empty bottle was found next to the ruined books in Lamont Library.
The vandalism happened on November 24th and library staff apparently delayed reporting the incident because they wanted to assess the value of the books, which was estimated at several thousand dollars.
All had to be thrown away.
OOOPS!
NOW Harvard College library says it was not a hate crime after all, but a simple accident caused by a staffer who spilled a bottle of liquid waste on 36 tomes.
Why a bottle of urine was sitting on a library shelf in the first place has yet to be explained.
“This incident was initially reported as vandalism and characterized as a hate crime,” Evelynn Hammonds, dean of Harvard College, wrote Monday on the university’s website. “We have learned this morning that the books, while indeed damaged, were damaged by our own library personnel accidentally spilling a bottle of what was reported to be urine that had been left on the shelf.”
WTF?
First, how big was this bottle that it spilled and soaked some 30 books?
WHY was the bottle in the library, in the gay section?
AND HOW do you just “accidentally” knock it over and spill it? There was no lid??
Best Gay News
We Live In A Straight World – By Edward A. Palmer
I was assigned to cover the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference; (MBLGTACC). Having never heard of such a gathering, especially one with an excessively long title, I was completely unaware of what my day had in store. I arrived with no preconceived notions; I was a clean slate, open for any sort of knowledge that was going to be thrown my way. With this conference I found that there is so much more that I need to learn not only about my community, but most importantly, myself.
It was held at Indiana University, bringing gay folks from all around the Midwest. Chicago and Indianapolis seemed to be that largest represented cites. Gays and lesbians, who had traveled hundreds of miles, from the smallest of towns, simply wanted a sense of solidarity. They wanted to know they weren’t alone. Loneliness and isolation is something that plagues us as a people. I thought my generation had somehow eradicated that, apparently I’ve been incredibly naïve.
The workshops were an important part of the weekend; they ranged from global activism to learning how to relate to other gay people. Everyone that I spoke with said networking was the most important concept. We as gay people still don’t know how to deal with one another. We’re not taught about our sexuality, it’s always been learned through trial an error. Most of these young college students were oblivious to the idea of what it means to be gay. These workshops hopefully fill the gaps. Mandy Greene, a sophomore from Wisconsin, said that straight people can turn on any television show and learn how the sexes relate.
This struck me as incredibly funny and sad; we travel hundreds of miles just to learn how to speak to one another.
To take the edge off, there was entertainment. A hilarious drag quartet named “The Kinsey Sicks” were present. There were also stand up comedians such as Marga Gomez and Jason Stuart. Creator of The L Word: , Rose Troche was a keynote speaker, and vital part of the conference. The Valentine’s Day dance was aptly named The Black and White Affair. Although it was nice too see people take control of their lives, it was refreshing to have fun and enjoy the unity. Surprisingly people from South Dakota can dance.
My final destination was the Kinsey Institute . For those of you who have been under a rock, Alfred Kinsey did ground breaking work with sexuality in the 1940’s, resulting in the controversial publication, “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male”. He invented what is known as the Kinsey scale. 0 is deemed completely heterosexual, while 6 is considered completely homosexual. Most human beings are somewhere in the middle.
My amazing tour guide Garry Milius showed me the pre- stonewall exhibit. Seeing the art showed me how far we have come. When this art was being created it was a crime to be gay. You could be incarcerated on suspicion, which lead to police being paid off. We were forced to become an “underground scene”. This “art” became the manifestation of our revolution.
The photographs, paintings and sculptures were so raw. Large erect penises seemed to be the favorite muse of those days. Kinsey made it clear that when something is made taboo it can become a fetish. As a lover of old photography this was turning out to be my favorite event of the day.
With all this diverse information I was wondering how I was going to present this. Honestly I was scared. On the ride home with my favorite photographer, we discussed the whole event and how it probably meant so many different things to many different people. The one thing we could agree upon is that equality has always been a struggle in America. Although there is an incredibly sad history and a dismal present, we as a people are resilient, like every other minority, we will survive.
With this wonderful event, it’s been proven that we are poets, actors, writers, soldiers, activist; we are everything you can put your mind to. We now have to learn from our history to know where we are going. Never forget those who have gotten us to where we are today. Have successful relationships, families and even children. Things change slowly, but they always change. Conferences are a need even in these times, not only for the knowledge and solidarity, but because we live in a straight world.
Edward Palmer palmer5716 (at) sbcglobal.net
Updated Book With DVD Available about The Double Assassination of George Moscone and Harvey Milk
After assassinating
San Francisco Mayor George Moscone
and Supervisor Harvey Milk,
killer Dan White was given only a
mild sentence for manslaughter.
This true crime thriller explains why White killed the two politicians, and how he got away with murder. This new expanded edition reveals for the first time how after his release from prison White confessed his true murderous intent and his secret plan to kill two more politicians. A companion DVD provides unseen television interviews and the never-before-available recording of White’s gut-wrenching confession.
Double Play: The Hidden Passions Behind the Double Assassination of George Moscone and Harvey Milk
“What really made Dan White assassinate San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone?” asks reporter Mike Weiss. “You might think you know, but the real truth will surprise you.”
Many secrets about Harvey Milk’s life and murder not available from any other source are revealed in Weiss’ updated edition of Double Play: The Hidden Passions Behind the Double Assassination of George Moscone and Harvey Milk, available with a companion 2 HOUR DVD December 1 , 2010.
In addition to providing more insights than any other source on the relationship between Harvey Milk and his assassin Dan White, this new edition of Double Play also includes the first detailed account of White’s suicide and the reasons for it. The book features exclusive information about the first year Harvey Milk spent in California with his lover Scott Smith, more stories than any other source about Milk’s political activities as supervisor, and details unavailable elsewhere about Milk’s last day.
Dozens of previously unpublished photos and illustrations in Double Play include the coroner’s diagram of the Milk murder scene and a police sketch of his body.
“The controversial nature of this book lies not only in the subject matter but also in Weiss’ decision to delve into the real story behind the killings—the nasty mass of innuendo and sordid truth,” wrote Francis J. Moriarty in the San Diego Union. “Double Play will stand as our record, not only of what happened, but why.”
PRE-ORDER TODAY!
Double Play: The Hidden Passions Behind the Double Assassination of George Moscone and Harvey Milk
Best Gay News
CELEBRITY DONKEY PUNCH! Gay Pimp Jonny McGovern Takes on Taylor Lautner! Britney Spears! The Situation! John Travolta! Oprah! and MORE!
As you probably know by now,
Comedian Jonny McGovern
moved from New York City
to the glittering Hollywood.
In case you have been under a rock, (or a cock) His PodCast continues FREE on iTunes ! (YEAH!) Every Tuesday, Jonny (pop superstar, TV personality, and nightlife legend) serves it up!
He’ll also be filming new episodes for The Big Gay Sketch Comedy Show soon PLUS , he just unvieled CELEBRITY DONKEY PUNCH on YouTube, a warped look at America’s Finest Journalistic Efforts…CELEBRITY MAGAZINES!
In This Episode : Taylor Lautner Never Wears Underwear! Britney Spears Gets Naked! John Travolta Gay Sex Tape! Oprah’s Employees Tell ALL! Kim VS Khloe! Featuring Nadya Ginsburg!
I love “Oh NO, SHE DIDN’T!” And he reports on all the HARD news, with his “The Bulge Report”! FYI, The Situation is NOT hung, and hottie twink Taylor Lautner never wears underwear to the gym! Hola!
Subscribe Now and don’t miss a scandalous episode ! More New Episodes coming soon!
(PS – Jonny told me he is also busy work on his new music AND NEW MUSIC VIDEOS!
Best Gay News
DOT429…LinkedIn meets Facebook – but GAY!
dot429 ushers in the next generation of business networking. Specifically targeted to LGBTA lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender professionals, dot429 provides a unique on and offline platform for the LGBT business community and its supporters to connect and expand their business network, further their careers and stay current with the business world.
Online members communicate through profile pages, updates, messaging and online introductions. Articles written by industry-leaders keep dot429 members on the leading edge. Job postings and an executive mentoring program create career growth. Art, leisure, travel, health, entertainment, politics and more.
Along with this powerful online networking, dot429 will also host monthly live social events across the country and internationally.
dot429 already has more than 10,000 members from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York’s LGBT business leaders. By Q4 2010 dot429 is expected to reach over 100,000 members nationally.
Profiles and sign-ups are FREE! What are you waiting for?!
Best Gay News
Barbra Streisands New Book is Taking Pre-Orders and You Can Save BIG
For nearly five decades Barbra Streisand has been one of the singular figures in American entertainment. From the cabaret to the Broadway stage, from television and film stardom to her acclaimed work as a director, from the recording studio to the concert hall, she has demonstrated that the extraordinary voice that launched her career was only one of her remarkable gifts.
Now, in her first book, Barbra Streisand reveals another aspect of her talent: the taste and style that have inspired her beautiful homes and collections.
My Passion for Design focuses on the architecture and construction of her newest homes, the dream refuge that she has longed for since the days when she shared a small Brooklyn apartment with her mother, brother, and grandparents.
A culmination and reflection of Streisand’s love of American architecture and design between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries, the book contains many of her own photographs of the rooms she has decorated, the furniture and art she has collected, and the ravishing gardens she has planted on her land on the California coast.
In addition to glimpses of her homes, Barbra shares memories of her childhood, the development of her sense of style, and what collecting has come to mean to her. My Passion for Design is a rare and intimate private tour into the world of one of our most beloved stars. It will be welcomed by her many fans and all lovers of the great achievements of American design.
TWO WAYS TO SAVE RIGHT NOW!
The $60 book My Passion for Design is now $38!
or if YOU REALLY LOVE BABS, A Special Deluxe $500 My Passion for Design Deluxe Limited Edition is avialable, through this site for $355. The special deluxe edition is a limited print run of 500 copies. Each numbered and signed copy of this illustrated personal tour of the great star’s homes and collections comes individually boxed and with a beautiful DVD, making My Passion for Design Special Edition the ultimate collector’s item for the true Streisand fan.
Best Gay News
Give a Damn Campaign Focuses on LGBT Discrimination
30 years ago,
when she was singing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, who would have thought, Cyndi Lauper would become an LGBT spokesperson for us?!
A couple years ago, Cyndi launched the True Colors Fund .
On the recent Celebrity Apprentice season, Cyndi was the only contestant who played to raise money for LGBT issues!
Now, Lauper has launched the Give a Damn campaign to bring a wider awareness of discrimination of the GLBT community as part of her True Colors Fund. The campaign is to bring straight people to stand up with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered community and stop the discrimination.
Other names included in the campaign are Whoopi Goldberg, Jason Mraz, Elton John, Judith Light, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Kardashian, Clay Aiken, Sharon Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne. Anna Paquin is also part of the campaign and came out as bisexual.
The Give a Damn Campaign releases its latest video which highlights that, in more than half the states in this country, a person can be fired for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Whoopi Goldberg, Piper Perabo and Brad Goreski take part in this newest video in the campaign’s ongoing monthly series.
Despite the strides that have been made in this country to try to ensure equal opportunities, equal treatment and equal pay for all, “all” doesn’t necessarily somebody who is gay or transgender. Only 21 states and the District of Columbia prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. Of those, only 12 also protect employees from discrimination based on gender identity.
“Every day, people go to work afraid that they will lose their jobs because they are gay or transgender,” said Gregory Lewis, Executive Director of the True Colors Fund. “This is unacceptable in any country, but especially in the United States of America. No one should ever have to face this fear. It is time for things to change. We urge everyone to share this video, especially with the straight people in their lives, to help educate them about this issue and encourage them to get involved in ending this form of discrimination.”
SIGN UP TODAY AND GIVE A DAMN !
Best Gay News
Why Am I Gay ? By Matthew Richardson
Why Am I Gay?
is a new comprehensive guide book designed to help you better understand Gay Sexuality and how to move towards becoming Spiritually Gay. Giving you insights into what makes a person gay, as well as pages of understanding and support for both gay and straight individuals.
This book covers the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of a gay individual. It also includes answers to: – Why am I Gay? – How does Gay Sexuality occur? How Past Lives, The Mind and Mental Energy affect Gay Sexuality. – Understanding Gay Spirituality. – Advice for parents and gay youth. – The importance of dreams and meditation.
Gay Spirit: Why Am I Gay? Understanding Gay Sexuality (Volume 1)
Written by Matthew Richardson, A gay English author who has recently moved to Latina, Madrid, and who writes to help both gay and straight minded people to better understand themselves.
Barbra Streisand Talks With the Matthew Shepard Foundation
In the fight for equality, sometimes we can get so wrapped up in the present
that we forget that this struggle has been going on for decades — and that
those who have been speaking out on our behalf for many years have made possible
the current level of societal acceptance of LGBT people.
There are few other individuals who have been such unabashed
advocates for equality as Ms. Barbra Streisand, who has been at the forefront of
the fight for her entire career.
Recently Ms. Streisand was gracious enough to
give a bit of her time to answer some questions for MatthewsPlace.com . We send
her our sincere thanks for her compassion, generosity and candor.
The world is a
safer place because of her voice.
Gay Blogger Nathan Manske Launches 50 State LGBT Stories Tour
New Yorker Nathan Manske,
creator of
Im From Driftwood.com
and one of The Advocate’s Forty Under 40,
recently announced a 50-state “Story Tour” to collect, publish and broadcast true LGBT stories from across the country.
The IFD team will set out in September on a 4-month tour of the U.S. with the goal of bringing IFD off the computer screen and into America. Along the way, they will meet the many faces of LGBT America, bringing their stories to the world through videos, audio stories and written word.
IFD is an award-winning website that collects true LGBT stories from all over the world–from the smallest towns to the biggest cities–to help gay youth feel not so alone.
Throughout the 50-state tour, IFD will have readings at cafes, bookstores, bars, community centers, college campuses and other venues where they will share stories from IFD and talk about the site and its purpose. Along the way, they will be filming and recording video and audio stories from LGBT people they meet across the country.
Throughout the journey, IFD will have a regular blog page chronicling their adventures. Marquise Lee, IFD’s Video Editor and founder of Crush Deviant Productions will film the journey and make short YouTube videos about their progress. As the Story Tour progresses, they will publish regular video webisodes as well as written updates about their journey.
But first…they need your help.
In order to fund the story tour, IFD has launched a fundraising campaign, where they hope to raise $15,000 through small donations and fun incentives (check out their KickStarter page for more details). That won’t be enough money for the entire 4-month Tour but it will be enough to get started. They’re also hoping to make the entire experience as interactive as possible. The IFD team is taking requests of where to visit and even asking people to open up their guestroom or couches.
IFD knows LGBT people are everywhere.
You know LGBT are everywhere.
After this Road Trip, LGBT youth will know it, too.
Nathan Manske is the creator and editor of the gay, true-stories website I’m From Driftwood. He was recently named one of The Advocate’s Forty Under 40 in 2010 for his work on the groundbreaking blog. Nathan is indeed from Driftwood, Texas, but has lived in Brooklyn, New York since 2003. Before creating I’m From Driftwood, he spent 4 years as a full-time copywriter, working first at Hanft Raboy & Partners, then Berlin Cameron & Partners, and has fortunately been able to combine his personal passions with his profession.
His Chemistry.com television commercials raised awareness as well as eyebrows by taking on eHarmony’s discriminatory policies towards gays and lesbians. eHarmony has since changed their policies. He also found a way to actually get paid for being a geek by writing the third X-Men film’s interactive website for 20th Century Fox.
Gay Marriage News Watch from Around The World
Our LGBT travel partners at Purple Roofs , have now launched GAY MARRIAGE WATCH blog, where they cover up-to-date news on the progress of Gay Marriage around the world.
You can easily sign up for updates on the site, so that you get the news as it breaks. They also have a sister site called Purple Unions , a fantastic and in-depth lesbian and gay wedding directory. You can find LGBT wedding planners, photographers, event locations, honeymoon ideas, Officiants, jewelers, caterers – everything you could possibly need for your perfect day.
Their site also has a cool section called 7000 STRONG . Stories of couples at the forefront of the struggle for gay and lesbian marriage.
7,000 strong is a reference to the first 7,000+ gay & lesbian couples who received marriage licenses (and their supporters) in the United States in 2004, before Massachusetts became the first state to make gay marriage legal statewide.
Did you know….Since then, close to 30,000 couples have married legally in Massachusetts, California, and now Connecticut..
Here, some of them tell their individual stories !
We Heart Gay Fashion Designer Chris March – Fabulous, Over The Top, and Larger Than Life
Chris March
is “Project Runway’s”
fashionably outrageous costume
designer from Season 4 of the show.
(He was robbed! He should have won!).
We have been following him on his Project Runway blog with commentary that has been over-the-top and equally hilarious.
He also started his own blog last month, Chris March Explains It All For You . “Somebody already took the title I wanted for my Blog… “Eat a Kitten”….who would take such a name? Here is why I wanted it: My friend Gordon and I used to joke about which one of us was more bitter about life.
One day in our garage, he said, “If I want something warm and fuzzy, I’ll eat a kitten.” This line has been re-quoted between the two of us for years. My personal favorite is, “You haven’t tasted bitter until you’ve bitten into me.” So, the gist of this blog will be bitter, sarcastic, funny, and maybe a little warm and fuzzy.”
March is originally from San Francisco, California, where he worked as a costume designer for the long-running musical revue, Beach Blanket Babylon. His client list includes Madonna, Cirque du Soleil, Prince, Beyoncé Knowles, Thierry Mugler and Meryl Streep. He designed Streep’s dress for the 2010 Academy Awards. He now resides in New York City and in January released a softcover coffee-table book which showcases his many, many fabulous creations over the years.
I HEART CHRIS MARCH is photographic proof of the insane career and creativity of Chris March. Giant wigs, skyscraping headpieces, outlandish costumes, and crazy couture come to life in this full color celebration of Chris’ creations of the last 25 years. From childhood Halloween photos to Bryant Park, this book is chock full of never before seen images. Buy one for your friends and one for yourself–you can finally have Chris March on your coffee table.
“it’s a picture book photographic memoir of 25 years of designing costumes. I have collected so many pictures over the years. I have every costume photographed because most of the costumes are just TOO BIG to keep, so I end up throwing them away and keeping all the photos!”
Last week Chris announced his new greeting card line! “I am so excited to be made into a line of greeting cards! What crazy people would do such a thing? The nice folks at NobleWorks approached me about the whole idea–and voila, you can see (and buy!) them for yourself at Noble Works Cards .
They took some of the images from my book (which by the way, you can also purchase on my website ) photoshopped them, cropped them, gave them funny headlines, and now you can insult your friends with a Chris March original! They will soon be for sale across the country, damaging the minds of people everywhere!!
I will be making an appearance at the National Stationery Show here in NYC in May (the 16th and 17th at the Javits Center from 1 to 4pm) to launch the new line, and meet people to sign cards and my book.
Who would have thought that breaking my neck in those headpieces would pay off one day?!!”
Keep up with Chris on his BLOG Chris March Explains It All or at his design website .
And BUY THE BOOK Damn it!
