Published over the weekend on a certain conservative gay blog:

Okay. So have you heard of this story where the high school girl who wanted to attend the prom with her “lesbian girlfriend” (I use the quotes because, really. Call me an old stick-in-the-mud*, but are high-schoolers self-aware enough to realize they’re lesbians already? And even if so, are we encouraging kids that young to identify themselves sexually? What ever happened to the innocence and beauty of youth? Ugh, but anyway.) was duped into arriving at some sham event while the actual prom was being held somewhere else? [GayPatriot]

Show of hands from the LGBT folks in the room: how many of you went through puberty without thinking sexy thoughts about someone of your own gender, or “experimenting” with someone of your own gender, or wondering, “Holy crap, am I gay?”, or maybe even thinking “Holy crap, I’m gay!”

I can’t actually see you, but as someone who became sexually active long before Algebra II, I’m guessing there aren’t many hands in the air.

Also: even if Constance McMillen does some soul-searching down the line and realizes that she’s actually bisexual or whatever, the fact of the matter is that she clearly has affection and feelings for another woman right now. So the author’s argument that McMillen may not be a “real” lesbian (whatever that is) is basically moot.

Also: this story broke back in, like, February or something, and dude is just getting around to it? Not that I’m all about the tick-tock, but, you know, way to blog, bitches.

And: the author goes on to claim that Constance was milking the story for attention and that the subsequent tales of her being duped by a fake prom were bogus. But honey, as a guy who also grew up gay in Mississippi, I can tell you: drawing loads of attention is not on any young, queer Mississippian’s to-do list. Especially in goddamned Tupelo, which is maybe the most conservative corner of the state. (Home of the AFA!)

And no, I’m not posting a link to the blog. First, those incendiary idiots don’t deserve the traffic. And second, given the nearly 100 comments on the post, I don’t want to encourage more fanning of the flames. Dude already has plenty of persecution complex to go around; let’s not fertilize it.

As a gay man and someone who was adopted, it’s annoying/frustrating/thoroughly enraging to hear people like Mike Huckabee compare adoption by LGBT couples to a science experiment. (“Children are not puppies”, said the ex-governor, has-been presidential candidate, and…well, nothing in particular at the moment.)

I’m not even remotely interested in adopting children, but for the many, many LGBT couples who are, the process is frustrating, and the rules vary from state to state. Here in Louisiana, we’ve followed Paula Abdul’s example, taking a few steps forward and quite a few back. But now, state representative Juan LaFonta is pushing things back in the direction of the 21st century:

Rep. Juan LaFonta, D-New Orleans, is proposing to expand Louisiana adoption laws with language to recognize as parents both persons in a gay couple.

But LaFonta is not going directly after the provision of Louisiana law that restricts adoption to married couples or single individuals but not unmarried couples. Instead, House Bill 738 would expand the list of eligible persons to petition for “intrafamily” adoptions, those that involve a second adult becoming a legal parent to a child who already has a legal parent in the same family or household….

As with the rest of Louisiana adoption law, the bill does not mention sexual orientation. Gay residents in Louisiana already adopt, but a gay couple — or an unmarried heterosexual couple — must choose just one of the pair to become the legal parent, with the second adult having no legal relationship with the child.

LaFonta added, though, that he does not want the debate to be solely about gay adoption, but instead about expanding opportunities for more children to have a chance at a stable, two-parent home. LaFonta said, “There are too many children who need homes. We’ve got to stop this narrow regulating of what is a family and what’s not.”

[NOLA.com]

So far, the comments on that article aren’t especially bad. But I suppose we should wait for everyone to have a second cup of coffee.

1. That pic above? Click it. It’s a condom ad. I can’t decide if it’s terrible because of its hard-to-read [ha!] storyline, or brilliant because of its suggestive storyline. Which probably means it’s brilliant, and definitely means it caught my attention, and also makes me wonder why the art director didn’t bother to find a more conventionally handsome cop. I mean, different strokes and all, but some bigass forearms would help sell it.

FYI: I believe the ad was made for the Swiss market. Crazy Swiss.

[via Copyranter]

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2. Speaking of ads: this spot for the Fowin “sexual efficiency ring” is not only a little vague, but also maybe offensive. In so far as raping your wife/girlfriend/mistress with fresh cucumbers is considered offensive in Thailand.

* * * * *

3. I have a new post at Lurid Digs, which is definitely, absolutely, positively not safe for work. But then, if you don’t know that, you probably shouldn’t click through, anyway.

* * * * *

4. A Canadian woman by the name of Lisa Murphy has written/sculpted a new book of pornography for the blind. I say “a new book”, but in fact, it may be “the first book of its kind”, so far as I know. It’s called Tactile Minds, and it looks like this:

Hmm. All that, and I’d still like to touch it. Which says less about the book than it says about me, perhaps.

[via Tyler]

1. This deadly virus is going to kill us!

2. Oh, no it’s not.

3. That’s my son!

4. Oh, no it’s not.

5. These crazed survivalists are going to kill us!

6. Oh, no they’re not.

7. This pseudo government is going to save us!

8. Oh, no it’s not.

9. This pseudo government is going to kill us!

10. Oh, no it’s not.

11. This newly re-engineered virus is going to kill us!

12. Oh, no it’s not.

13. “They” have ________! They’re going to kill him/her/them!

14. Oh, no they’re not.

15. Repeat steps 13 and 14 until series is renewed or canceled.

16. The end.

http://www.box.net//static/flash/box_explorer.swf?widget_hash=rk32fixleu&v=1&cl=0

Assuming that reflects my current state of mind, I’m kinda glad it’s the weekend.

For a few hot minutes in the early 1980s, four young women ruled the pages of TV Guide. Sadly, they’re not seen too often these days. (Kind of like TV Guide.)

Nancy McKeon occasionally pops up in Lifetime-y movies of the week. Kim Fields had a sitcom or two, then succumbed to a very bad weave and started doing cash advance commercials. Lisa Whelchel became very godly and fell in with the scrapbooking crowd. And Mindy Cohn? Well, we hadn’t heard much from Mindy at all.

Until now.

Apparently, Mindy is starring in a new indie film called Violet Tendencies. Basically, it’s a story about “the world’s oldest living fag hag” trying to find love. And to complicate matters, she wants someone who’ll not only wine, dine, and 69 her, but also someone who’ll provide as much entertainment value as her campy urban comrades.

At first glance, the movie looks pretty much like any other romantic comedy. We start with a central character who’s never found love because she’s too preoccupied. Subsequently, she finds it, questions it, loses it, and in the end (I’m guessing), totally gets it. And in between, there are lots of gay jokes. Pretty standard fare.

On the other hand, if we assume that trailers often feature the best clips of a movie, this one looks pretty damn good — at least better than, say, The Last Song. Which may not be saying much, but we’re talking about a summer film, and you know, I don’t really expect The Master and Margarita from a summer film.

Also appealing: the film has some personal resonance with me. Back in the day, I used to run with a fairly large gaggle of gays, and there were always a handful of women riding shotgun. Some came and went very casually, but a couple were die-hards. They were funny and pleasant, and they knew what they were getting into, but at the same time, I always felt a little embarrassed having them around. Guys would be making out on the sofa or talking about their giddy, new-found love, and…well, I was always taught that if you didn’t bring enough for everyone, you should leave it at home. Does that make sense?

Anyway, here’s the clip. Maybe the renovations to our downtown indie cinema will be completed by the time this one rolls into town.

When I first learned about my sister, she sent me links to her music clips and videos. I was terrified. What if I hated them? What would I tell her? How could I look her in the face? (Which was less of a concern, since she lives a full continent away, but still, you have to think about these things.)

Fortunately, I loved her stuff. She’s got a great ear for sound; a smoky, sexy voice (that sounds to me like Roisin Murphy after three scotch-and-sodas and half a pack of Marlboro Reds); and for the past several years, she’s been animating her own videos, which adds a little je ne sais quoi.

Anyway, she’s been on a bit of a hiatus, working on some other projects, but I’m happy to report that she’s back in the studio, and she’s just finished the first of seven (!!!) videos for her new band, Leather Tuscadero. The song is called “The Shakes”, and Tiff says “Musically, I was influenced by ‘Baby, Please Don’t Go’ meets ‘Caravan’, and visually I was going for 1950’s horror comic meets ‘The Sheik’.” I kinda think she nailed it:

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10840198&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1

Leather Tuscadero – The Shakes from CRAZYGIRL on Vimeo.

Richard Renaldi is one of my favorite photographers, and one day, I’ll probably take out a second mortgage so I can buy one of his larger-than-life prints. Unfortunately, I’ll probably have to take out a third mortgage so I can build a new wall on which to hang it.

Richard Renaldi is also one of Jonno‘s closest friends from his New York days. Every so often, he’ll swing through for a visit with his equally handsome, talented partner, Seth. Good people, those two.

Speaking of New York, if you’re there, or if you’re going to be there between now and May 28, stop by The Gallery at Hermès (yes: Hermès, bitches) to see his “Touching Strangers” series. Philadelphians, you can view the “Fall River Boys” series (from which the photo above was taken) until May 2 at Sol Mednick Gallery. And Venetians (ciao, ragazzi!) check out his work at the Galleria Contemporaneo through next week. There’s a full schedule and more on Richard’s personal blog.

This concludes Art Beefcake Wednesday.

Kind of like the photo of a dead girl — a dead girl you always considered the British equivalent of Macy Gray.

Yeah, the Jersey Shore kids are all pretty terrible, but still:

I mean, c’mon.