Pride & Opinions

So now that he’s a daddy himself, now that five years of speculation have been swept under the rug, now that he’s had a successful reprisal of his role as Sir Robin in Monty Python’s Spamalot, now that his musical career has accomplished nothing…

Clay Aiken is coming out.

When the article comes out in People Magazine later this week I am pretty sure that there will be someone somewhere who is actually surprised by this revelation, but anyone who has actually heard the guy talk, walk or sing always knew.

Even before the photos of him trolling around on gay sex web sites surfaced, we knew and yet Aiken denied it all.

He denied it as he professed his devout Christianity, he denied it as he released an album called "Measure of a Man" (which some of us knew had more to do with a ruler than the content of anyone’s character), and now that he has fathered a child out of wedlock with a woman named Jaymes (I can’t make this stuff up, folks) he is ready to come out and say "I’m here, I’m queer."

Guess what, Gaykin?  We know.  And at least a few of us wish you would go back into the closet and weld the damned door shut.

I know this sounds unusually harsh.  I know I should be supportive of anyone who wants to admit to their sexual identity.  The fact is that I am sick and tired of people riding their popularity for every cent they can get until it is financially advantageous for them to tell everyone they’re a flamer.

So Clay Aiken is gay.  I think I might sleep better tonight, but I’ll probably just take an Ambien just to be sure.

You read the headline right.  Movie superstar heartthrob and Angelina Jolie baby daddy Brad Pitt is not only easy on the eyes and a pretty darned good actor, he also has a special place in his heart for the homos and the lesbos.

According to the Associated Press, The masculine half of Brangelina who is currently starring in the film Burn After Reading, has donated an impressive $100,000 to support the right of gays and lesbians to marry.  Pitt donated to fight Proposition 8, which is an initiative in California to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same sex marriage in the state by a vote on the November ballot.

Brad spoke out as well, putting his mouth where his money is, saying that no one should be able to deny someone else the right to live their life as they choose, so long as it doesn’t harm anyone else. "…because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8"

The couple is well known for being outspoken on a variety of issues and on behalf of many causes.  Just a few days prior, Brad and Angelina jointly donated two million dollars to help in the fight against HIV / AIDS and tuberculosis in Ethiopia. 

For their seemingly endless efforts to help others in all corners of the world - including the gay and lesbian community - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie receive the coveted Pride and Opinions Halo Award.

I saw this today and couldn’t resist sharing it.  I know I’ve been neglecting you, my pretties and I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my Sex on the Beach. Maybe this makes it up a little bit…

Actor Eric McCormack who played Will on the popular NBC television series Will & Grace is a big believer in giving back.

According to a statement released recently, McCormack put his prized Porsche - the one given to him while he starred in the hit sitcom - up for auction.  True to fashion, Eric did all of this for one fantastic cause.  According to People Magazine, the silver Porsche was auctioned to benefit a meal delivering charity that serves people with AIDS and other similarly debilitating illnesses. 

The auction of the silver 1999 Porsche Boxster that had a starting bid of $23,100 and ended at $24,600 – will benefit Project Angel Food, a meal-delivery charity serving people with AIDS and other debilitating illnesses.  Eric McCormack even filled the glove box with Will & Grace DVDs and promised to write a personalized greeting to the winning bidder.

In case you were wondering, he’s not gay… he just played one on TV.  He is however, a staunch supporter of causes near and dear to the hearts of the glbt community.

In case you wanted to see the auction page itself at Ebay, click here to have a look.  My personal favorite line from the description was:

Like Will, the car has been pampered, looks fabulous for its age, and swears it never had any work done.

Indeed, Eric looks great and having done something so selfless, I can’t help but to believe that he must feel great too.

For this celebrity auction, Eric McCormack wins a Pride and Opinions Halo Award.

How’s this for shameless self-promotion?

I am hereby announcing the first-ever link contest here at Pride and Opinions!

As we all know, web sites only grow when people know about them and I want this site to grow bigger, longer and harder… oh wait, I got a little bit sidetracked there for a minute.

Here is how Michael’s Big Gay Link Contest works:

1. You must have a web site to enter.
   Your site can be a personal blog, MySpace or Facebook profile, a journal or whatever else you might have on the world wide web.
2. You must link to Pride and Opinions from your web site.
   Your link can be as simple as a text link or as elaborate as a flashy graphic - so long as it is a valid HTML link from your web site to this one.
3. You man link to any page on this site.
   You are not limited to linking to the main page of the site.  If you have a favorite blog post, feel free to write about it and link to the post directly.  Each page has a different web address, so you can just copy and paste it from the browser window.
4. You may include the Pride and Opinions Blidget on your web site.
   In fact, if you do you will get an extra entry into the Big Gay Link Contest.
5. You must inform me of the link location by leaving a comment to this blog entry, including the link there.  By the way, this will give you a little extra traffic too.

What’s in it for you?

It is just like you to wonder what the heck is in this for you, but I’ve got you covered there too.

Every person who links to this site will receive an entry into the contest.  As I mentioned before, those who include the Blidget (see my previous post) will receive two entries.  The link must remain in place for at least the duration of this contest, but you really should just leave it up so everyone knows how cool you are.

At the end of the contest, all of the entries will be entered into a random drawing for a chance to win some big gay prizes from yours truly and Pride and Opinions!  The contest ends on September 30, 2008 at midnight CST, and it is open to anyone, anywhere because I’m all-inclusive like that.

What are you waiting for?  Get to linking!

I know your type.

You’re the early adopter, techno-geek who probably sat in line for three days to get the new iPhone 3G.

Well now you’ve got something new to add to your web arsenal, in the form of the Pride and Opinions Blidget!

What is a Blidget you ask?  Why, it is just the coolest way to add Pride and Opinions to your web site or social networking site (MySpace, Facebook, etc).  This widget will keep you and your readers up to date on all the coolest stuff that appears daily here at P&O, and it makes it a lot easier for you to see the content and links you directly to the new pages so you can visit the latest and greatest with a simple mouse click. 

Plus, it looks really great and everyone will want to know how you got so cool all of a sudden.

This snazzy little number can be added anywhere you have a page and it is available in several sizes to fit into even the tightest of spaces (no, don’t get me started on that double entendre, okay?  It’s just too damned easy.)  This is just the latest in a series of ways that you will be able to share Pride and Opinions with your friends all while making it easier for you to see what is going on here.  Cool, huh?  And you didn’t even have to stand in line next to a guy named Z wearing a Transformers t shirt who hasn’t showered in recent times and keeps talking to you in yoda speak.

Just click the "Get Widget" button down there and set yours up today!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sudbury, ON - September 1, 2008 - The Northern Ontario Conference of Kink (NOCK) will be held on November 8, 2008, from noon to midnight, in Chelmsford, ON, 25 minutes north east of Sudbury.

NOCK is a one-day educational and social conference with the goal of educating people in the safe and responsible practice of bondage, percussive play, submission, and other alternative sexual practices.

NOCK has programming geared for people at all levels of experience, including those who are just curious. People of all genders and sexual orientations are welcome. Scheduled events include workshops, a social area, a vendor’s marketplace, and a play party for exploring in a safe environment. There will also be hands on experiences for those who wish.

The cost of the event is $50, which includes snacks throughout the day and a buffet dinner. Advance registration is required, as tickets will not be sold at the door. Tickets will be available starting September 12th, and can be purchased online at www.nock.ca, or in person at various locations that will be listed on the web site at that time.

This is an alcohol-free event, and participants must be over 18. Government-issued ID will be checked at the door. This is an accessible venue.
NOCK is sponsored by Access Aids Network, BDSM Sudbury, Sudbury & Northern Ontario Bears, the Plaza Hall Theatre, and the Rock City Rollers.
Proceeds from fundraising at the event will go to the Health and Safety Outreach Program through the Access Aids Committee of Sudbury.

For more information, see the web site at http://www.nock.ca or email Nate at info.nock@gmail.com

The current issue of OUT Magazine contains a cover piece touting the "100 Gayest Albums of All Time", so I thought I would take a look at some of what I consider to be the gayest of them all.

1. Faith, George Michael

Now could I really have a post about gay music without mentioning the uber-gay sex symbol of the eighties, George Michael?  He oozed sex and on his first solo album packed it full of sexual overtones from top to bottom (*wink wink, nudge nudge*).  Who could ever forget the up-in-arms drama caused by the groundbreaking "I Want Your Sex", not to mention the video?

In reality though, this remains Michael’s best work (outside of a public restroom, that is) to date, including the vapid earworms of his days with WHAM!

2.  Kissing To Be Clever, Culture Club

The success of a tranny broke new ground in the eighties with the introduction of Boy George to the world.  By the time the band’s third single "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" went number one in sixteen countries (but only #2 in the U.S., alas), Boy George and the rest of the Club had already taken on thousands of adoring (and appearance mimicking) fans.

Too bad the heroin got the best of good ol’ George O’Dowd; he really was a musical genius back in the day.

3.  The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, David Bowie 

Did you really think I could make even one post about gay albums and not mention the androgynous Ziggy Stardust?  As if!  This album may have been released a few months before I was born but it remains a mainstay and benchmark of concept albums to this day.  David Bowie was never in better form (or using better drugs) than during his tenure as Ziggy, but he definitely took a step up when he met and married the ultra-fab Iman.

Does Bowie really play both sides of the fence and are the rumors about his relationship with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger true?  Who cares?

What albums do you think should be in this ever-growing list of mine here at P&O?  Leave me a comment and tell the world what you think!

And for more great musical blogs, visit the 451Press Music Page!