Loud and Queer

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Reggae was once associated with politically conscious lyrics, Rastafarians and wacked-out super-stoned white middle class kids. Right?  I mean, I always get a craving for a big doobie when I hear Bob Marley.  (I crave a big water bong when I hear Ziggy Marley.) Sadly, those sweet songs from the islands are NOT always about peace, love and the pipe. some of reggae’s biggest acts are just as likely to be advocating the killing of homosexuals in their music.

All this hate has advocates like Britain’s leading gay rights activist Peter Tatchell ready to make a ch-ch-ch-change…  Along with Jamaican groups, Tatchell launched the Stop Murder Music campaign, aimed at bringing hate tunes to an end. Since 2004, Tatchell has protested against eight reggae singers who have put out songs encouraging and glorifying the murder of LGBTQ people.  Tatchell has recently succeeded in convincing some of the most notoriously homophobic figures in  music to stop singing violently anti-gay lyrics .

Buju Banton — whose smash hit from the 1990s “Boom Bye Bye” also advocates the shooting and burning of gay men — last week signed the “reggae compassionate act” after a three-year campaign by Stop Murder Music. Banton, a Grammy-nominated artist who broke Bob Marley’s record of most number one singles in a year on the Jamaican charts, pledged to “respect” the rights of gays to live without fear of violence.

The culmination of all this love and equality has hit a Jamaican reggae singer Mista Majah P has released the world’s first pro-gay reggae album. Called Tolerance and featuring rainbow stripes on the cover, the album includes 11 songs, variously in support of same-sex marriage and adoption by gay couples, as well as attacks on homophobic bullying and the US military policy, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. The tracks also feature swipes at the anti-gay prejudices of ‘murder music’ reggae singer Beenie Man and of the Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

Although Mista Majah P is not gay, he supports the LGBT communities and gay equality. Explaining why he created the album, Mista Majah P said:

“I want to counter the myths that all Jamaicans are homophobic and that all reggae music is violent and anti-gay. I’m seeking to challenge ignorance and reach out to gay people.  My hope is that this cd will break down the homophobic stance that certain reggae artists  have taken towards the LGBTQ community. Because of the hateful songs that some performers have been singing, gay people have been threatened and harmed.My music is about tolerance. It shows that reggae music can respect gay and lesbian people. Reggae music used to be about love, peace and unity. Now it is too often about bigotry and violence. I want to bring the music back to its progressive roots.”

This hasn’t been a fun and glam publicity stunt either!  Mista Majah P isn’t just doing this to cash into the lucrative gay dollar!

“Since releasing the album, Mista Majah P has received numerous death threats and has been warned to not return to Jamaica. He’s undeterred and defiant, stating that ‘murder music’ has given reggae a negative image, which is bad for the music industry and for all reggae artists,” noted Mr Tatchell.

Listen to samples of all 11 tracks on the Tolerance album HERE !

Read more HERE!

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English synth-pop legends Erasure will be launching the first leg of their Tomorrow’s World tour in the U.S. on August 31st with Frankmusik, the British remix master whose own full-length album Do It in the AM (Cherrytree/Interscope) will be released on September  27th. Frankmusik also produced Erasure’s October disc Tomorrow’s World, the band’s first album in four years, and Erasure’s 14th studio set and first release since their remastered version of 1988’s classic The Innocents was released in 2009.

This electro-dynamic pairing will sweep through the States on a 27-date trek that includes two gigs at New York’s Terminal 5, a pair of shows at Chicago’s Congress Theater, and one huge night at the Hollywood Palladium.  If I hadn’t used all my USAIRways miles to follow my summer Eurotrash boyfriend around the globe, I’d be following along on this tour.

Frankmusik, a.k.a. 25-year-old Vincent Frank, made his name churning out killer remixes for Lady Gaga and the Pet Shop Boys and helping launch the career of Cherrytree/Interscope label-mate Ellie Goulding.

After becoming a well-known musician on the London scene, Frankmusik relocated to Los Angeles in November 2009 in an effort to shock himself into taking new risks and hit paydirt teaming up with chart superstars Far East Movement for his first solo single, “Do It in the AM.” The throbby banger’s ‘uh, what the hell happened last night?’ video concept racked up over 1 million views in one week and was featured as one of NME’s must hear songs.  In turn, Frankmusik was featured on Far East Movement’s song “Fighting for Air” and together they played to hundreds of thousands of fans on TV and on the road performing  Far East Movement’s hit “Rocketeer.”

For more about Frankmusik, please go HERE!

TOUR DATES
August 31                     Tampa, FL                   The Ritz Ybor
September 2                 Orlando, FL                 House of Blues
September 3                 Atlanta, GA                  Center Stage
September 4                 Asheville, NC               The Orange Peel
September 6                 Washington, DC           9:30 Club
September 7                 Washington, DC           9:30 Club
September 8                 Philadelphia, PA           Theatre of the Living Arts
September 10               Boston, MA                 House of Blues
September 11               Toronto, ON                Sound Academy
September 13               New York, NY            Terminal 5
September 14               New York, NY            Terminal 5
September 16               Chicago, IL                  Congress Theater
September 17               Chicago, IL                  Congress Theater
September 18               Milwaukee, WI            Pabst Theater
September 20               Indianapolis, IN            The Vogue Theatre
September 21               St. Louis, MO              The Pageant
September 23               Austin, TX                    Austin City Limits Live
September 24               Houston, TX                Verizon Wireless Theatre
September 25               Dallas, TX                    House of Blues
September 27               Denver, CO                 Ogden Theatre
September 28               Salt Lake City, UT       Kingsbury Hall
September 30               Las Vegas, NV            The Palms Concert Theater
October 1                    Hollywood, CA            Hollywood Palladium
October 2                    San Diego, CA             House of Blues
October 4                    Oakland, CA                Fox Theater
October 5                    Portland, OR                Crystal Ballroom
October 6                    Seattle, WA                  Neptune

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Before their was Madonna, before their was Lady Gaga and way before Glee, their was the amazing and incredible Cyndi Lauper.  She loved the gays first baby!

Lauper will release the live concert DVD: To Memphis, With Love on Megaforce Records on October 25th. To Memphis, With Love, taped earlier this year at The Warehouse in Memphis and featuring special guests including Allen Toussaint, Tracy Nelson and Jonny Lang, serves as Lauper’s love letter to the blues and the city that she has fallen in love with.

To Memphis, With Love will feature special, live concert performances of songs from Lauper’s latest album, 2010’s Grammy-nominated, best-selling blues album of 2010, Memphis Blues, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Blues Albums Chart and held the top spot for 14 weeks.  Buy it homos! Buy it now!  Aren’t you sick of that techno drivel you are listening to? Jesus knows I am!

“If there’s been a better blues album this year, it’s a well-kept secret,” remarked Newsweek Magazine, “It takes guts for a singer to walk onto territory once owned by Memphis Minnie, but Lauper pulls it off like a woman who knows everything there is to know about having fun with the blues.”

Lauper’s blues-focused live performances have won over audiences, critics and dozens of Gen X-ers who grew up dancing to the Goonies soundtrack. The New York Post raved, “She belted blues classics like she was born on the Delta rather than in Queens. With grit in her voice and swagger in her stage presence… Lauper’s set never faltered and she didn’t lack for classic material. She was killer.”

Lauper will embark on a tour with legendary Dr. John, titled “Cyndi Lauper & Dr. John: From Memphis to Mardi Gras.” The 14-city tour will kick off October 7th at the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida and wrap up in Aurora, Illinois.

To Memphis, With Love Track Listing
1.                  Shattered Dreams
2.                  I’m Just Your Fool
3.                  Early In The Morning
4.                  Romance In The Dark
5.                  How Blue Can You Get
6.                  Down Don’t Bother Me
7.                  Down So Long
8.                  Crossroads
9.                  I Will Follow
10.              Don’t Cry No More
11.              She Bop
12.              Mother Earth
13.              Change Of Heart
14.              Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Cyndi Lauper & Dr. John: From Memphis to Mardi Gras Tour Dates
10/7     Orlando, FL                 House of Blues
10/9     Birmingham, AL           Alys Robinson Stephens PAC
10/11   Greenville, SC              Peace Concert Hall
10/12   Atlanta, GA                  Cobb Energy PAC
10/14   Montclair, NJ             Wellmont Theatre
10/15   Englewood, NJ             Bergen PAC
10/18   Washington, DC         9:30 Club
10/19   Westbury, NY              Theatre at Westbury
10/21   Glenside, PA               Keswick Theater
10/22   Reading, PA                Sovereign PAC
10/23   Boston, MA                House of Blues
10/25   Buffalo, NY                Kleinhans Music Hall
10/27   Carmel, IN                  The Palladium
10/28   Aurora, IL                   Paramount Theatre

For more information or to purchase tickets visit:  cyndilauper.com

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Meet gay-friendly rugby player Nick Youngquest. I am sure you will be seeing a lot of him in your wet dreams. I do!

Handsome, rugged, tattooed, athletic and with piercing blue eyes, the player for the Australian National Rugby League is also known for dropping his panties for a good cause.  He first posed in the Naked Rugby League calendar in 2006 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation of Australia.  It sold gaggles. I covered my college dorm room with it.

In his profile in OUT (August 2011), he admitted enjoying the attention and adulation he receives from his gay male fans.

“If they like what they see, it’s all good,” he said. Well Nick, we don’t like it. We love it. Adore it. We want it in our mouths.

And that cheeky Nick does love to give it to us…Draped in scandal, Youngquest was considerate enough to pose in the buff for DNA Magazine.  Try to ge a handle on those pics kids, you’ll wank your penis into oblivion. Holy Hannah are they hot!

Even while helping gay men across the world get erections,  Youngquest didn’t become aware of the issues of gay rights and homophobia in sports until he was befriended by out-and-queer rugby teammate, Gareth Thomas.  Youngquest and Thomas became pals when they both play for the Wales-based club, the Crusaders Rugby League. While he supports gay marriage and ALL equality issues, and he’s very adamant that rugby “is ready for more openly gay players.”

He claims: “Anyone in our sport who came out would be accepted. The next day would be much like every other day. It wouldn’t change that much.”

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Prohibition, in the fabulous Resorts Casino Hotel, is the first nightclub in Atlantic City to cater to the LGBTQ  community. That Atlantic City, always chasing after any buck they can!  That dump has been trying to suck some milk out of the tourism tit for a while…And they finally figured out – lets go after the gays! So, ta-da, Prohibition!

Hot new gay club!

But it’s also finding fans among straight women tired of dealing with the usual nightclub scene.  You heard it boys, straight women are fleeing the greedy groping hands of Guidos, and finding shelter in our clubs!

“They always have good music. It’s a good atmosphere. You are not harassed when you are in a committed relationship,” said some pretty home-coming queen type from Bergen County. “I think it’s great. ”

Women flock to gay clubs for several, age old, reasons…

• • To enjoy hearing the hot dance remixes of  Katy Perry, Ke$ha and others.
  • To oggle, grind with, and salivate over hot men who make their husbands/boyfriends look like dogmeat.
  • To receive compliments and be treated with respect.
  • To indulge in the tons of super heavy-on-the-alcohol drinkies…

“We feel comfortable here. It’s much better music, great atmosphere, great energy,” said some drunk chick from out of town., who also has visited gay clubs in South Carolina, New York. “We are very supportive of the community.”

Prohibition has also become a very popular stop for bachelorette paries.  Bridal parties normal agendas in Atlantic City usually include spending the weekend on the beach and catching the female impersonator show “Believe“  – oh, plus ample amounts of boozing and gambling. Now, the cherry on the sundae is some hot-and-juicy gay dancing!

Peter Frycki, the publisher of Out In Jersey magazine, said straight women visiting gay nightclubs is nothing new, but he didn’t have any theories as to why they came to the clubs.  (Really Peter?  Are you a freaking idiot?  See above….

Now while some gay men might have a problem with the chicks, I love them. I am a huge fan of breasts, love sweet smelling girls, and have no problem with pussy! Bring it!  I also love what happens when their are a LOT of straight women in one place. What you ask? The straight men show up! Since straight women will patronize gay nightclubs, EVERYONE knows straight guys  will enter gay clubs to pick up women.

Come and get it boys!

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Gay ally and former college wrestler Hudson Taylor is on a mission!  A mission of love and respect!

Taylor came to be a popular LGBTQ hero when he proudly sported a an equality sticker from the Human Rights Campaign on his wrestling headgear. The college kid faced backlash from his peers, but gained attention from the media.  Soon, he was not only being turned to by in-the-closet peers and friends, but receiving an out-pouring of e-mails from around the world and country.  The reactions Taylor got, galvanized his goals.

In a recent profile in OUT (August 2011), the former superstar of the University of Maryland’s wrestling team discusses his feelings about homophobia and intolerance in college sports.  Taylor’s family history is pretty loving – the Taylor’s have been Christian missionaries (the GOOD kind) for several decades, and while Taylor now identifies himself as an agnostic – he really has found a strong sense of love, respect and tolerance from his upbringing.  Yes kids, some Christians can love the GAYS!

But, back to Taylor… This queer-friendly hottie is bouncing off the wrestling mat and standing on the soapbox to battle the demons of negative language in athletics.

“There are a lot of ways you can be an ally but for what I’m aiming at in sports, it’s a pretty simple equation making the sports community more respectful simply be being conscious of your words

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,” Taylor stated.

Going beyond talk, Taylor recently founded “Athlete Ally,” a nonprofit that encourages “high school and college athletes, coaches and athletic departments to pledge to fight homophobia.”

Now, before you hungry-hungry homos get your best bonnet out and start to chase after this hot man, CALM DOWN!  Taylor is a straight-ally.  Yes, a hot straight-ally, but he is totally straight.  I know, I know, I burst into tears too.

Taylor is actually getting married soon, to a lovely young LADY (with real lady parts) who is very supportive of all his good work for the gays! In fact,Taylor is super-fine with people thinking of him as queer:

“That was one of the major obstacles that I had to overcome. If somebody thinks I’m gay, and it’s a negative thing to them, how is that enough of a fear when you could potentially save somebody’s life or make someone feel comfortable joining an athletic team? I’m OK with people thinking I’m gay, because I know I’m doing the right thing,“

You know those entertainment stars! Always claiming they aren’t gay! Liberace, Rock Hudson, Tom Cruise…All those old queens trying to fool America into thinking they aren’t light in the loafers… Now, the latest in denials:  “Sesame Street” co-stars Bert and Ernie are just good friends.

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We know this thanks to a carefully worded statement from the show, which said the pair “do not have a sexual orientation.”   So, not only are they NOT gay, but they aren’t straight either!  Good God, well then what are they? Bi?

“Sesame Street”  was responding to online petitions calling on Bert and Ernie to marry.  While other male “Sesame Street” characters have been linked to female Muppets in the past, Bert and Ernie  seem to prefer the company of each other;  the duo have been roommates for 40 years.

“Bert and Ernie are best friends,” the statement said. “They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves. Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics (as most ‘Sesame Street’ Muppets do), they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation.”

As a gay man, I am totally fine with this. In fact, I would have been fine with the gang on the Street saying, “Look homosexuals! We love you, but Bert and Ernie are not gay! Not everyone is gay!  Calm down!”

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Time to update your iPod ladies!  I have got some new tunes for yah!

For your audio happiness, meet my new boyfriend – queer singer and songwriter Jake Walden.

He’s dreamy. He’s soulful. He’s super talented!

Jake has followed his dreams in a career that is skyrocketing from his first album, “Alive and Screaming,” to the featuring of his music on “Cougar town,” “The Real World,” and the revitalized “Beavis and Butt-Head.”

On the eve of the release of his second album, “Same Something Different,” Walden talked to Instinct Magazine about his personal growth and development in his journey of self-discovery as self-taught musician and a queer man:  “I learned to use all the different colors of my voice after the first album. ‘Alive and Screaming’ was all about my gut; it was a heartbreak record. It’s still me, but it’s much more about living in the light and exploring all the different areas that make me.”

And this hunky little tasty is a dreamer! A dreamy dreamboat dreamer!  Walden explains his  philosophy: “I’ve always been a dreamer. Early in my life, I had these big dreams. But what I have realized is being a dreamer really meant the small things. It just means that you are present in your life and that you believe in yourself enough to want the best for yourself.”

Walden is now teaming up with legendary producer Christopher Thorn of Blind Melon fame, and you can expect to see him in the near future on his first national tour “out of the cafes and into the arenas.”

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Not since the invention of the Uzi has Israel produced such a hot export!

Born and raised in Israel, Meital (pronounced “Mey-tall”) is no stranger to the spotlight. She is already an award-winning actress in theater, film, and television, and the author of a number of successful plays and the book “Love and Other Bad Habits.“  US audiences may know her from her role as Yael Hoffman on Showtime’s Weeds and the critically acclaimed indie film Monogamy, co-starring Rashida Jones.

Now Meital is turning up the volume on her music career with the release of single “Yummy Boyz,” a sexy, sassy electro-pop romp that takes no prisoners.  Check out the outrageous new video to get a feel for Meital’s unique mix of humor and heat.   It’s the next gay anthem! I swear! Have I been wrong before? Nope!

“Yummy Boyz” is available now on iTunes, while her full-length debut album I’m In Hate With Love is due out later this year!

Check her website out and also follow all the fabulous tweets and wowwzie videos!

Preview remixes by Chew Fu, Dark Intensity, Electrolightz, Hector Fonseca and Danny Verde

http://soundcloud.com/meital-dohan/sets/yummy-boyz-re-mixes/s-BJX38

Check out my latest celebrity crush…Thomas Dekker!

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Isn’t he MARVY?  I adore him.  Most of you will recognize his handsome mug from his roles as John Connor in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Zach on Heroes. But now, Dekker is slicking up the sliver screen! This rising indie film star, musician, and general hottie is delightfully queer-friendly.  In face, he recently told Advocate.com and other media outlets that he wouldn’t rule the possibility of having sexual relationships with men if the occasion would “come-up.” Good God Thomas, we applaud you for your honesty – but you are going to be fending off desperate queens from here to Altoona now! Everyone is going to want to take a shot at you!

A few weeks later, the editors of Interview (April 2011) caught up with him to discuss his “almost two decades building fascinatingly varied body of work.” The prolific, multi-talented actor is turning director his first feature film, “The Wall of Fame,” produced by fabulous lesbian producer, Christine Vachon. Alternative actors, much like Dekker himself, Nico Tortorella and Shiloh Fernandez head the cast and much of the primary shooting has been finished. Look for me to be the first in line for this flick!

Dekker began his career by pushing Huggies Pull-Ups in television commercials at the age of 5. By 6 he’s graduated to the big screen, landing a part in John Carpenter’s “Village of the Damned” (1995), remember that piece-of-shit?  (Stinking pile of crap, and boy did if ever make me hate blonde kids.) A later career highlight includes playing Satan in “Touched by an Angel.” “I got to throw Roma Downey down the stairs and then I turned into a lion.”

Dekker really bounced onto the gay radar when his last year’s role in queer renegade director Gregg Araki‘s “Kaboom,” lead Dekker to be part of the first-ever Queer Palm Award at Cannes. He followed that with a star-making turn as queer Lance Loud in HBO’s “Cinema Verite,” a film about “An American Family,” the PBS series of 1973 considered to be the first Reality TV show.

For all this, and more, I am making Dekker my new IT Boy!  What do you think?