Rainbow Detective Agency Box Set; The State of Marriage Provincetown Film Festival; John Barrowman Attacked For "Tranny" Word

Rainbow Detective Agency Box Set

This is the first box set of a series I've done for digital only books. I did it because I had a few requests from readers, and it does save people money. Instead of paying 2.99 for each book, the box set is 5.99.

In any event, the Rainbow Detective series is m/m romance, with a backdrop of mystery/suspense. I also hope the series is funny for some. I do try to parody a few things when they happen, most of which people probably won't even realize while they are reading it.

In any event, here's the box set description:

The Rainbow Detective Agency box set is a perfect combination of erotic romance, humor, mystery, and suspense.

Proctor Gamble is a world famous male model in his mid-thirties when he discovers his business manager has run off with all his money. He's getting too old to model and all he has left are a few bad investments, one of which is a detective agency in Los Angeles that's run by a slick-talking hipster type named Blair Huntingdon. With nowhere else to turn, Proctor decides turn the detective agency into a profitable venture and he renames it The Rainbow Detective Agency.

While focusing on the unusual clients that seem drawn to The Rainbow Detective Agency, Proctor winds up falling in love with Blair in spite of Blair's lack of discipline and his questionable work ethic. Even though they're great as lovers, they clash constantly as business associates and the conflict never ends. Will the passion and great sex they share be enough to keep them together? Or will the tension from the business leave them lost and alone again? But more important, will Proctor ever see Blair for the man that he is instead of the man he wants him to be?

You can check it all out here, on Amazon. I'm pretty certain I'm doing an exclusive this time, only Kindle.

The State of Marriage Provincetown Film Festival

Here's another article about the Provincetown Film Festival being held this week up in Cape Cod. I'm posting about this one a lot because I'm in one of the documentaries...The State of Marriage. 

"The independent filmmaking community continues to produce remarkably high quality work, here and abroad, and our feature lineup is a testament to that!" said Connie White, artistic director of PIFF. "We are thrilled to welcome these new films and filmmakers to Provincetown in June, and we know that filmgoers will be engaged and entertained by these adventurous, thought-provoking and accomplished films."

You can read more here, where there is a trailer for The State of Marriage, plus several more excellent LGBT films.

Unfortunately, I won't be there for the screening. I wish there had been more time to prepare, but I just couldn't get out of other commitments this week.

John Barrowman Attacked for the "Tranny" Word

I find this interesting, personally, because when I came out everyone used the word "tranny" and no one took offense to it...well at least I don't think anyone did. I could be wrong about that, which is why I do find it interesting. And, I never made a habit of using the word myself, not even back then. I'm not even sure why. In the 90's no one cared about being too PC. I just never felt comfortable using that kind of low end slang. I went to 12 years of private Catholic school. We were taught that the expression "shut up" was offensive.  

Now John Barrowman is taking heat for using the "tranny" word and he's arguing back.

The argument which exploded today first started back in October 2014, when the Scottish-American entertainer posted a video online in which he used the word 'tranny-tastic'. 

It exploded back then, with people writing comment pieces and blogs about how the slur was offensive and as a gay man he should know better not to use it.

He responded in a Q&A video, in which he defended the term, made jokes and called the complainents 'haters'.

You can read the rest here, where it devolves even more for Barrowman.

But what is even more fascinating is that in the comments...and from what I've seen personally...those who are LGB, but not T, tend to defend Barrowman and they think transgender people are wrong for being offended.

I still won't use the word.  

Gender Politics In Gay Romance; Channing Tatum Split His Pants; New York Gay Bar Closes; Rapper Mykki Blanco on HIV

 Gender Politics In Gay Romance

The topic of gender politics in gay romance came up once again this week and it's not the first time I've seen it. It usually goes this way: a woman writing gay romance will claim there is no gender politics in gay romance, and then another woman who reads gay romance will argue that there is gender politics in gay romance...and she has the research to prove it.

I'm not linking to anything. I don't have to. This is my personal opinion, as an openly gay man who has been married for 23 years...legally not even two...but you get my point. I'm not talking about inconclusive studies, text books, or research.

There is some gender politics in any gay relationship, but not as much as there is with straight couples. And here's why. Gay men are men, not women. They think like men, they process like men, and they react like men. I'm not sure that makes writing gay romance any easier. In fact, in some cases I think it's harder because a good deal of the conflict that exists between straight women and straight men is not there with gay couples. However, all you have to know is that there is far less gender politics in a gay marriage than there is in a straight marriage.

I'm sure there are extremes where the gender politics in some gay relationships/marriages is more evident. But it hasn't been like that for me or for the hundreds of other gay couples I know.

Now, if you're writing gay fiction and you're creating characters that are larger than life, I do think adding some gender politics to a storyline not only creates more conflict, but also a little humor and excitement.

Bottom line: if you are a woman writing gay fiction and you read something online from a nasty blogger who thinks she knows it all about gender politics and gay relationships, don't pay that much attention to it. The odds are she's getting her research from limited sources. And those sources are limited because most gay men in relationships like me haven't even begun to speak up yet.

Channing Tatum Split His Pants

Channing Tatum has been making headlines for joining Matt Bomer at LA Pride in WeHo, on a float. It's a big deal...and it really is...because Tatum is straight and Bomer is openly gay, married, and has kids. You wouldn't have seen this happen twenty years ago.

When I see gay public figures out there like Bomer, and straight public figures supporting them openly, I find that remarkable and I hope younger gay people don't take this all for granted.

In any event,

Reports also claim that Tatum split his pants open during the event — we’d love to hear from people who were up front for that action.

Speaking to ET, Tatum said: “Sincerely, I only judge people on the way they are in their heart and that’s all.”

I find it amazing there are so many other straight public figures like Tatum who do support gay men this way without a hint of awkwardness. Trevor Donovan is another straight male actor who always makes supportive comments and never backs away from supporting gay issues.

You can check out the rest here, with photos of Tatum and Matt Bomer. I have to admit LA Pride is one event I would love to attend next year.

New York Gay Bar Closes

Here's another one. A gay bar on the Upper West Side of Manhattan that's been there for 50 years is now closing its doors. The trend continues.

It’s the end of an era. On June 22, the Upper West Side’s Candle Bar will be serving its very last vodka cran. The roomy dive, located on Amsterdam Avenue near the corner of West 75th Street, is a popular destination for legions of locals, many of whom are older gay men who’ve been haunting the spot since it opened in the mid-1960s. The regulars are “family to each other,” says manager Amonte Demarko, 37. “It’s like a gay Cheers. Where will they go?”

This seems to be almost expected now, and like brick and mortar bookshops closing we can blame some of it on the Internet. But not all.   

The rest is here. 

Rapper Mykki Blanco on HIV

Transgender rapper, Mykki Blanco, has opened up about his HIV status.

I’ve been HIV-positive since 2011, my entire career. Fuck stigma and hiding in the dark, this is my real life. I’m healthy I’ve toured the world 3 times but I’ve been living in the dark, it’s time to actually be as punk as I say I am.”

You can see that here.

This was a huge thing for Blanco to do. Huge. I know gay men who've been HIV positive for years and they won't even discuss it intimately. I hope more start to open up about it. This is the only way we'll get rid of the stigma.

The Rainbow Detective Agency: On Fleek

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History Channel's Texas Rising: Review; Jerry Seinfeld's Gay Joke and PC Comments; Matt Bomer and Channing Tatum At LA Pride Parade;

History Channel's Texas Rising: Review

I'm not much for reviewing films or TV shows because I always feel so presumptuous doing it...out of my element...but since I posted so much about the History Channel's mini-series, Texas Rising, I figured I would link to a review with which I support. It's short and simple, well edited, and what I believe the most professional reviews should be like.  

This one is from The New York Daily News. Here's an excerpt:

Once you sort out who’s on first, “Texas Rising” gives you a mighty fine ride.

This five-night miniseries aims to rekindle the excitement of History’s “Hatfields and McCoys,” another sprawling, brawling tale from America’s wild-child past.

“Texas Rising” retraces the path by which Texas first declared itself an independent republic and then, in 1845, accepted annexation into the United States.

You can read the rest here. The only thing I can add is that Texas Rising is a pure dramatization, with plenty of action, and a romantic POV that for me was pure escapism. I get a slap in the face almost daily and I liked the entertainment this show provided me. I'm loving it, especially the performances and the all star cast.

You can check out my previous posts here for dates and times. I would imagine it will be on demand, if it already isn't.

Jerry Seinfeld's Gay Joke and PC Comments

I almost hate to comment on this one because I do think we often go overboard with what is and isn't politically correct. I self-censor daily in order to avoid aggravation. But I will comment below, because I don't agree with Seinfeld completely on this one.

In short, Seinfeld made a gay joke that tanked. It tanked BIG time. It tanked so badly they were holding back tomatoes. Instead of dropping the mic and leaving quietly, Seinfeld's been complaining that we're all too PC now...kind of like that way you blame auto-correct when you're texting and something doesn't come out right.
 
'I did this line recently in front of an audience ... and they thought, "What are you talking about gay?" "What do you mean gay?" And I thought, "Are you kidding me?' Seinfeld told Seth Meyers on NBC's Late Night this week.

'Comedy's where you can like feel an opinion,' he said. 'I can imagine a time when people say "Well that's offensive to suggest that a gay person moves their hand in a flourishing motion and you now need to apologize." There's a creepy PC thing out there that really bothers me.'

The biggest problem with this is that not everyone is familiar with old gay stereotypes and hand gestures, especially not younger gay...or straight...people. I've said this before with other old comedians who think "that's so gay is funny." Comedy, like everything else, evolves with time. What was funny in 1910 was not funny in 1950, and what was funny in 1980 is not always funny now. Jewish humor doesn't go over much anymore, just like gay stereotypes and gay humor that once got more than an awkward chuckle. In this case I don't think it's a matter of being too PC. I think it's a matter of how people feel and comprehend various types of comedy...and how it's communicated. I also think Seinfeld should keep up with the times.

You can read the rest here. The comments are interesting.

With that said, I don't think Seinfeld is guilty of anything other than telling a painfully bad joke that bombed. In fact, a lot of people didn't even get the joke, that is how much it bombed. I don't think he intended to insult anyone. If I were him I would smile, bow, and show myself out.   

Matt Bomer and Channing Tatum At LA Pride Parade

I have to admit that I'm never tempted to travel to places like Florida or Los Angeles this time of year, however, it's actually killing me that I didn't get a chance to see what's been going on in WeHo for LA Pride. Just the tweets alone from people I follow in WeHo have been tempting.

Channing Tatum and Matt Bomer surprised crowds at Sunday's Los Angeles Pride Parade in West Hollywood when they danced their way down Santa Monica Boulevard on a Magic Mike XXL float.

The participation of the two heartthrobs as well as co-star Adam Rodriguez had not been advertised but once parade goers realized who was on the float, they could barely contain themselves.

The rest is here, with a photo of Bomer and Tatum.

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It's Not Significant "Other";Pastor Hates On Caitlyn Jenner; Police Censor Gay Slurs; Penn State Frat Pledge Raped

It's Not Significant "Other"

This weekend Tony and I went to a graduation party somewhere out in Pennsylvania that isn't as progressive as New Hope, New York, or Philadelphia. And I ran into people I haven't seen in a long time. While we were there, this happened:

A Family member introducing Tony to someone: This is Tony, Ryan's "significant other." 

Tony: No, I'm not his "significant other," I'm his husband. We were legally married after 23 years in January 2014. 

If Tony hadn't jumped in and said that, I was ready to do that for him. I understand that many people don't know how to deal with gay married couples yet. I get that. However, to call someone a "significant other" after they've been legally married and been together for over 23 years is not only an insult it shows you still see shame in gay marriage.

We laughed it off, in that uncomfortable way gay people have been laughing these things off for years. But we did the get the point across in a polite way, too. And it's not that we were painfully offended. We understand the person who did this didn't mean any harm. They just don't get it.

However, to other gay couples that experience this, don't let people do that to you. You deserve better.

Pastor Hates On Caitlyn Jenner

Sometimes I post things like this just for personal blogging purposes. In other words, someday I might want to go back and revisit topics like this, or reference them...to see what life was like in 2015.

In this case, I'm talking about Steven Anderson,  pastor of the Faithful World Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona. This is still going on in 2015.

First, Anderson called Jenner “wicked” and a “trans freak” who is being “crammed down the throat” of “literally hundreds of millions of people” and who therefore deserves to “die.”

Lovely Christian sentiment.

Then he said: “This person is just the evangelist of sodomy and filth to the world. And then people are like, ‘Oh, we need to pray that he finds Jesus.’ I’m going to pray that he dies and goes to hell!”

To make sure he drove his point home, Anderson continued: “I hate him with a perfect hatred. I have no love, no love for this Bruce freak. I hope he dies today. I hope he dies and goes to hell. He’s disgusting! He’s filthy! He’s reprobate! … I pray that his heart would explode right now!”

The rest of his vicious words are here. 

Police Censor Gay Slurs

It's being alleged by a gay man who was violently attacked near an Alabama bar that the police left significant parts of his story out of the police report.

According to Bravo, however, police neglected to include the hate inspired language in the report on the incident.

“You’re an officer of the law,” Bravo scolded. “You should not object to putting something in a report. Everything should be taken down. It should not be ignored just because I’m a gay man and you don’t want to hear it.”

Darryl Lawson of Huntsville PD denied the details were left out because Bravo is gay, saying the department doesn’t include “he said this, she said that” narratives in reports.

You can read the rest here. The comments pretty much agree on all points. If this is true, it's not the first time I've seen this kind of self-censorship happen in order to cover up something that's hate crime related.

Penn State Frat Pledge Raped

This time a man named Reginald Stewart alleges that a man named Charles Gibson raped him while he was intoxicated during a rush party where Stewart was hoping to get into a fraternity.

According to court documents, Stewart was escorted back to his dorm by Gibson and another frat brother. When he regained consciousness, Gibson was penetrating him anally without his consent, but he was too drunk to fight off the attack.

And it gets worse.

Stewart claims he contracted HPV and had to undergo reconstructive surgery to repair damage to his rectum.

Gibson is claiming that the sex they shared was consensual. The rest is here. I hope they follow up on this. I'm interested in seeing how it turns out.

Coming Soon

The Rainbow Detective Agency Box Set Series 

 

 

Adam Lambert on Hedwig and His Music; Mati Weiderpass Kicked Out of Fire Island Bar; Nick Jonas Saves Pittsburgh Pride

Adam Lambert On Hedwig and His Music

Here's an in-depth interview with Adam Lambert about his music, why he turned down a role in Hedwig, and what his plans are.

You’re considered one of the truly nice guys in show business. How do you stay so grounded?
 

The big thing is keeping the right people around you. I’ve met a lot of people and my old friends from way back when are still my friends. Perspective is everything. I’m not afraid to make new friends. I like people and I’m open.

You can check out the rest here, where there's a video. 

Buy his music. It's excellent. You'll like it.

Mati Weiderpass Kicked Out of Fire Island Bar

Mati Weiderpass was also involved in the Ian Reisner/Ted Cruz dinner event fiasco that's been making so much news that I think we're all getting a little sick of it. 

Here's what happened when Weiderpass went to a gay bar in Fire Island and the gay people in the bar found out a Republican sympathizer was there. Yes, it happened. I swear I'm not making this up.

Weiderpass (pictured here with the awful GOP presidential candidate) was kicked out of a Fire Island gay bar after his mere presence got on everyone’s nerves.

The disgraced hotelier was sitting with some friends at Sip-n-Twirl on Sunday.

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“One guy got up and asked him what the rationale was to have dinner with Cruz,” bar patron Evan Lobel tells Page Six. “They got kind of heated and before you knew it, there was a lot of people yelling.” Not the kind of thing that usually happens in a gay bar, safe to say.

That’s when owner P.J. McAteer approached the table. He told Weiderpass to leave or he would call the police.

“Upon their departure, the crowd cheered,” Lobel said.

You can read the rest here. I hate to comment on things like this because I'm not a fan of Ted Cruz either. Ted Cruz would be the last person I'd give money to. But you have to admit this was a bit of a seventh grade mean girl tactic to pull, especially for a room full of grown men. It wasn't their most dignified moment and I'd like to let anyone reading this who isn't gay know that we are not all like those gay bar people in Fire Island. Most of us know the meaning of decorum.

Nick Jonas Saves Pittsburgh Pride

Even though I don't always get Nick Jonas, I have to admit what he did recently really changed my impression of him a lot.

After Iggy Azalea backed out of Pittsburgh Pride, watch what happened:

But have no fear, Nick Jonas is here. He heard about the Iggy drama and contacted the festival, offering to step in last-minute and fill the slot. We’d say there are a few other slots we wouldn’t mind him filling, be we wouldn’t do that. Would we?

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“When I heard about the difficult position Pittsburgh Pride was in just days before their event, I knew I had to find a way to help,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

“I’m excited to do what I can to support the LGBT community in Pittsburgh, and I look forward to seeing you this Saturday as we celebrate together.”

 Well done!!

The rest is here. 

Coming Soon

The Rainbow Detective Agency Box Set Series

 

Same Sex Marriage In Scotland; James Franco On Playing Ex-Gay Activist; David Baker Removed From School For Questioning His Sexuality

Same Sex Marriage In Scotland

These statistics allegedly come from the Scottish government, not a study or research. And please keep in mind that not everyone in Scotland is out of the closet, so I would expect this to go even higher in the next ten years.

Of the 3,889 unions recorded since same-sex marriage came into effect in December 2014, 462 of them were between people of the same sex. 

Meanwhile, the total number of marriages - gay or straight - was 340 more than in the same period of last year - that's a rise of 9.6%.

You can read the rest here. There's an interesting comment about the opponents of same sex marriage.

James Franco On Playing Ex-Gay Activist

Our almost gay bud, James Franco, hasn't been making much news lately so when I spotted this I figured I'd link to it. I'm not totally sure why he's so interested in gay subject matter and I don't think anyone can speculate on that. But when I post about cultural appropriation like this I'm usually more focused on the straight privilege with respect to gay content. In other words, I know many gay artists out there who would love a chance to get recognized with gay content like Franco's, but the straight white man coming from a place of privilege still trumps the gay artist...even when the subject matter is gay.

If you don't get that, you can read more about black people and cultural appropriation here. 

James Franco has said he was not out to vilify the 'ex-gay' activist he plays in his new film I Am Michael.

He plays Michael Glatze, the man who went from gay, proud and founder of a gay twink magazine to become a pastor and the poster boy for the ‘ex-gay’ movement.

Now I think I'll write a script about someone white and straight who was an activist. But first I'll have to use a pen name and go back into the closet with that pen name. That's called privilege.

You can check the rest out here. 

David Baker Removed From School For Questioning His Sexuality

This is important because it breaks the stereotypes, and it shows more courage than the likes of James Franco will ever know.  My ultimate hope is that voices of young men like Baker will overpower the voices of appropriation that have given men like Franco so much attention. David Baker is a bright, attractive young gay man who also happens to be a Republican active in politics. He's written a short but fascinating piece about what inspires him to remain out in his world.

The three taboo topics in America are sex, religion, and politics. As a gay Mormon working in Republican politics, I have spent my career pushing against these taboos, sometimes by merely continuing to breathe.

However, I am only able to continue pushing for equality because I stand on the shoulders of LGBT giants who came out in an era where it was even more difficult to be gay.

I grew up in religiously conservative Utah and attended Brigham Young University, a private university owned by the Mormon Church. When, as a student, I started to question my sexuality I was removed from school.

The rest is here, where he goes into more detail about his experience, and he talks about the John Browne book he's promoting that seems to be about coming out. As a gay man who was raised in a strict Catholic setting I can both understand and sympathize with him on every count. The only difference is that I do think it's easier now than twenty years ago.

The comments are unusual with this one, mainly because some LGBT people don't understand being gay, Mormon, and conservative. I get that they don't understand. It's not always easy for me either. It is a new concept. However, I do think we'll be seeing more young men and women like Baker getting voices, and they are voices that deserve to be heard, too.

The Rainbow Detective Agency: On Fleek

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Bob Costas, Caitlyn Jenner, Arthur Ashe Award; Hairdresser Bans Homophobes; Gay Happily-Ever-After

Bob Costas, Caitlyn Jenner, Arthur Ashe Award

The elderly sportscaster, Bob Costas, recently commented about Caitlyn Jenner, transgender woman formerly known as Bruce Jenner who won an Olympic Gold Medal in 1978, getting the Arthur Ashe Award. Costas seems to think that someone other than Jenner is probably more deserving of the award...and, he thinks this is all about exploitation. I'm going to post a few quotes and comment. This is an excellent example of a straight person coming from a place of privilege not getting the point.  And this has nothing to do with being politically correct. This is about understanding what Jenner experienced.

This is what the Arthur Ashe award is about:

The award is part of the annual ESPN sports awards show and is given to someone who shows ‘strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost.’

Costas said this:

I’m pretty sure they could have found someone who was much closer to actively involved in sports, who would have been deserving of what that award represents,' said Costas.

Think about that for a moment, and then read what the award is all about again. And then think about the fact that Jenner spent 65 years living as a man when he secretly identified as a woman. During this time, he won an Olympic gold medal, one of the highest sports achievements on the planet.

Then Costas said this:

Costas thinks Jenner was chosen for one simple reason: 'I think this is a play to pump up audience the way lots of things are put on television, to attract eyeballs, not because of the validity, but because of whatever the kind of gawker factor is.'

This is where the straight man of privilege just doesn't get it. He will never know what it takes to come out as L, G, B, or T. He will never know what it's like to live with the secret, the shame, the self-loathing, and the ridicule. Will Jenner attract "eyeballs?" Of course he will, and that's partly because he had the courage to come out in such a public way. Sometimes there's a huge difference between exploitation and something that is so attention-worthy it's hard to ignore. Unfortunately, I'm sure Costas is not the only one who feels this way, and I'm certain he'll just never get it.

You can read the rest here. The comments tend to vary, but most support Jenner and one even mentions Arthur Ashe and HIV.  

Hairdresser Bans Homophobes

Aside from the fact that I rarely hear anyone refer to a stylist as a hairdresser anymore, this is an interesting article about turning the tables around.

The sign in the window of Russell Hughes’ hair salon in Prestatyn, North Wales, reads: “If you are racist, sexist, homophobic or an a**hole… don’t come in.”

Hughes posted it there earlier this week after a father, who has evidently never stepped foot in a hair salon, was shocked to learn that the well-dressed man about to cut his son’s hair… was gay!

Yesterday I posted about the homophobia I see on Twitter all the time, which usually comes in the form of using the word "gay" as a pejorative. There's now a hashtag that says, #thatssostraight, to show how gay people can turn things around, too, with straight people.


You can read the rest here. I'm not normally a fan of an eye for an eye, however, I can't fault someone for being hurt and fed up with discrimination.

Gay Happily-Ever-After 

I don't think I've ever written a novel that didn't have a happy ending...or happy for now. So I'm thrilled to see that we now have a fairytale that's gay with a happily-ever-after trope.

How often in fairy tales does the brave knight rescue the princess and they live happily ever after? Well, Daniel Errico’s added a bit of a twist to that old story with The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived, which just premiered on Hulu.

“LGBT relationships are typically avoided in children’s media or labeled age-inappropriate, putting kids at a disadvantage towards understanding later on in life,” Errico told The Huffington Post about putting the fairy back in fairy tale. “It’s important for kids’ movies and TV to introduce the world in a nurturing and positive way, which means creating multi-dimensional LGBT main characters.”

The rest can be read here, you'll love it. If you don't like happily-ever-after, think about the significance of this...and the fact that it took Hulu to do it. What is even more interesting is that there's strong chance that Mary Poppins was written as a lesbian, by PL Travers, and you'll rarely ever see that come up anywhere in heteronormative circles. I'm sure Bob Costas wouldn't get this one either. 

The Rainbow Detective Agency: On Fleek

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