Loud and Queer

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Well kids, this is going to be my last blog post.

Not forever, but maybe for a while…

After several years reporting on gay rights, gossiping about pop stars, and lusting after the likes of Kellan Lutz and Zac Efron, I am giving up the old blog and actually getting a real job. I’m going to be a go-go boy in the East Village!  Dreams do come true.

I couldn’t ask for a better audience. For those loyal readers out there (and I think there are 17 of you!), your devotion to this blog was endearing, delightful, and often sometimes more then a little bit depraved.  We had some good times didn’t we? Saw a lot of dick, too.

And my bosses – the gang here at Gay Live Network – who could ask for better people signing your paycheck. This team really let me do ANYTHING. The editorial oversight boiled down to: “Have fun and be funny.”  I did the first, I hope I did the second. I will let you all be the judge of that…

So lets NOT say goodbye…Hell, I hate goodbyes! I am a sneaky old slut and I’ve spent my years avoiding any goodbyes. Let’s keep this as a slight “see you later…”   While you might not have this blog to read everyday, you still can find plenty of gay giggles at some other blogs.  Check out Queerty and Dlisted. They will keep you in stitches.

Remember my sweets, keep being loud, proud, and keep checking in here at Gay Live Network! You never know what could happen….

After selling-out in 24 hours on Amazon,  “The DivaGirl’s Guide to Style and Self-Respect” is becoming the “50 Shades of Grey” of 2013. This book MIGHT have been written for one niche market – but buddy, EVERY GAY MAN needs to own it!

Author Cheryl Ann Wadlington has written a 272-page paperback that will help all of us get some DAMN RESPECT! Don’t beleive me? Well, the tome has quickly becoming a critical favorite for its wisdom, frank language, humor, celebrity quotes and anecdotes. San Francisco Book Reviewer Hubert O’Hearn raved: “DivaGirl’s Guide” was “the best self-help book I’ve ever read…Buy it, read it, lend it, give it. Five stars out of five. Easily.”

Accomplished writer, television personality and popular motivational speaker  Wadlington is a staple in the “Mercedes Benz Fashion Week” press corps.  With former In Style magazine editor Sonya Beard, Wadlington opens with, “Working in fashion is all that.” Then she takes readers through a host of issues-self-identity, appropriate attire for occasions and body shapes, choosing friends and romantic relationships, career ambitions and self-confidence, verbal and body language, on-line and on-the-street behavior, health and nutrition and of course, beauty.”

Chock-full of expert advice from an all-star panel that includes former Miss USA Kenya Moore (that super-crazy bitch from Real Housewives of Atlanta), Dr. Joycelyn Elders (former U.S. Surgeon General), Monica (Grammy Award-winning singer and actress) and many more.

“The DivaGirl’s Guide to Style and Self-Respect” (The Elevator Group, $15.95) by Cheryl Ann Wadlington with Sonya Beard is on sale at Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com.

Channing Tatum has been named by People Magazine as the “Sexiest Man Alive” – and regular readers of this blog know, that we couldn’t agree more!

To celebrate this wonderful moment, we’ve composed a great series of our favorite Channing bites!

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See this fellow right here?  That’s my friend Charlie.

Charlie is a great guy.  He’s bartender, model, student, bon vivant kinda guy who lives in the fabulous gay ghetto of Chelsea, in New York, New York!

Charlie has been “homeless” for several days. His cute little 4th-floor walk-up has had no power. Zilch. Con Ed-less.

During last weeks Sandy deluge, water levels in Battery Park rose to nearly 14 feet! Cars were completely submerged on 23rd Street! About 90% of Long Island was without electricity! Trees were being uprooted!  Subways were flooded! Power went out!

And for several thousand of our nations finest and hottest homosexuals, the world was powerless, showerless, and very very scary.  Charlie couldn’t text his fuck-buddy, couldn’t get to Jamba Juice for a smoothie, and was forced to couch-surf with people he’d rather have not made-out with…

This kind of disaster is a real tragedy.  When the gays of New York are displaced and discomforted, Lord – we HAVE to do something.  That kind of “ink” on Charlie’s chest doesn’t come for free! No siree! Bodywork like this don’t come cheap.

Okay, I am JOKING…  Sort of…

The truth of the matter is that many members of the Gay Live Network family HAVE suffered.  New York and New Jersey both were rocked by tremendous winds and rains.  Check out the news from Tom’s River and Seaside NJ are going to have months of repairing and rebuilding.

We here at Loud & Queer and at the extended Gay Live Network encourage all our fans and friends to consider making a donation to the American Red Cross. They are on the front lines – making things better for people – like Charlie!

HOTTIE!

The creators of the groundbreaking television sitcom, Will and Grace, real-life besties and writing partners, David Kohan (straight and sporty) and queer Max Mutchnick (queer, fashion and design) are back in the sitcom storm!

This dynamic duo is now show-running Partners, a “spiritual” follow-up to their last bit of Must See TV.

“Partners depicts the dynamics of three relationships.  Not just between architectural/design firm partners Louis  (Michael Urie)  & Joe (David Krumholtz), but also those of Louis and his nurse boyfriend Wyatt (Brandon Routh) and of Joe and his fiancée Ali (Sophia Bush). It shows how the couplings both cross-pollinate and complicate,” explained the scribes to Watch Magazine (October).

Much of the inspiration for Partners evidently is autobiographical: “I get to be Matt Mutchnick. “ said Urie.

“And that comes with a lot of inspiration, because these two guys, in their real-life dynamic together, are so entertaining.”

Krumholz agrees, “It’ll be interesting to mine their relationship further as the show goes forward, because they put on a show. Max and David don’t know it-or maybe they do-but their working relationship is very out there for everyone to see, and it’s hilarious. It’s really just a matter of capturing it on paper, and there’s a lot more there.”

I haven’t seen the show – but it is stacking up on my DVR. I’ll watch it. I would watch anything with Brandown Routh in it. And Routh playing a homosexual? I’m tuning in!

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On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal  published a sad tale about two University of Texas at Austin students (I’m not going to give Google anohter notch at their name, although if you need to know it is in the original article) who were outed  to their fundamentalist fathers as a result of a privacy boo-boo on Facebook.  (I don’t normally read the WSJ – but the current boyfriend is a SMARTY!)

Both students had joined UT’s Queer Chorus, and the chorus president added them to a Facebook discussion group. The prez didn’t know that it would bypass their individual privacy settings and share the information with their parents. Whoops!

The disclosure prompted one of the student’s fathers to call her, threatening to stop paying her car insurance and demanding that she go on Facebook and renounce both the chorus and homosexuality.

“To all you queers. Go back to your holes and wait for GOD,” the girl’s father wrote on his own Facebook page. “Hell awaits you pervert. Good luck singing there.”

The father of the other student (pictured), didn’t talk to him for weeks. And his mother — who knew he was gay —  is worried about how the disclosure might affect her business selling insurance.

“Every kid in this town now knows,” the mother told The WSJ. “I am sure that I have lost clients, but they are not going to tell you why. That is living in a small town.”

Don’t let my flip tone fool you. I have nothing but sympathy, empathy, and concern for these kids. Honestly, if they need a place to crash – come visit me. I will shelter you.  This kind of family homophobia is awful.  I feel your pain.

But, let this be a cautionary tale to all of us. Don’t fuck with FACEBOOK! Don’t blame them either! Be careful what you do, say, and post! And get those privacy thing-a-mabobs working!  Seriously.

We only have a few more weeks till Halloween.  This year, I’m sure all the good lil gays will be partying HARD.  Halloween falls on a Wednesday, which gives us a Saturday before AND after to rip it up!  I am going to be in Chicago for the first Saturday, then in New York for the second!  Good times, good times!

Because of this cross-country party schedule, I am going to need MULTIPLE costumes.  I’ve got several different parties with several different themes to swing thru, so I’m going to need more looks then a Club Kid.  While I’ve been kicking around ideas, I started to wonder how many of YOU are in the same boat?

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The costume is pretty simple. White pants. White hat. Then a ton of blue body paint! (Of course, I’m not covering the months and months of upper-body work-outs that are required to make that shirtless chest REALLY pop….)

Now, I can verify this costume is an attention getter! Especially if you were tight white jeans.  TIGHT.  But, I do have some tips for you…

• Smurfs always say “Smurf” when they talk. Ex: “That’s SMURFIN’ awesome!” So feel free to replace some words with “smurf”. But don’t overdo it or it’ll be annoying.
• If you want to go as a certain smurf, (Papa Smurf, Vanity Smurf, etc.) look up pictures of them and add the accessories you desire. Example: Vanity Smurf carries a mirror around; Handy Smurf has a pencil behind his ear. I usually do Brainy. You just put on glasses.
• Wanna make a scene at the corner fag bar? Get a whole group of people to dress up as Smurfs. You can even get everyone in your group to be a certain character.
• If you don’t want to paint your legs blue wear blue leggings.
• You don’t have to paint or dye your whole body blue, just do the places like your arms, legs, face, and feet.

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I know its early for my annual Gay Gift Bag ideas – we are months and months away from the holidays shopping. But, I found something you should keep on your radar as a delightful little stocking stuffer! Who doesn’t love porn? Who doesn’t love cleaners? Who doesn’t love the two together?

The Senior Men’s rowing team at Warwick University have stripped off for their latest annual naked calendar, which helps to raise money for their equipment, outfits, and – hopefully – late night snuggle sessions. The 2012 is STILL available, and the 2013 is heading your way!

While the world is eagerly awaiting the 2013 Men’s naked calendar, their is also the exciting news: the arrival of the first WOMEN’S NAKED CALENDAR! I am sure this is an exciting day for str8 men and lesbians everywhere! Welcome to soft-core porn masked as fundraising ladies!

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Dear Chris Kluwe

I am not one of those gays who likes football.

Sure, I go to Superbowl parties, I date boys who love football, and during one ill-advised month I even attempted to be the star player of a gay flag football team.  But, I’m not a football fan.

So, I had never heard of you, or Brendon Ayanbadejo.  Until yesterday.

I read your amazing, thought-provoking, hysterical, and extremely well-written (Big words and swearing, always a touchdown!) letter to that moron from Maryland, Emmett C. Burns (I refuse to use his honorific title.) Your defense of marriage equality, pro-LGBTQ stance, and serious devotion to freedom of speech, brought tears to my eyes. And, due to several botched plastic surgeries, I rarely cry.

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I then Googled you to high hell. I watched videos, followed you on Twitter, liked you on Facebook, and did the best I could to completely get inside your helmet.  I even debated looking for your band’s licks on iTunes. (I’ll do that tomorrow.)

Like many other gay men, I’ve never thought of the NFL as a bastion of tolerance or understanding. I – incorrectly – assumed that most jocks were stupid neanderthals. You and Brendon Ayanbadejo‘s courageous stance has made me think differently about footballers. Hopefully, your words have also helped people thing differently about me.

I am sure in the days and weeks ahead, you might get some flack from haters. Some of them might be on your team, in your family, or just bozos on the street. That sucks. Still, it wouldn’t be exaggeration to say you brought a lot of joy to people, made your wife and daughters proud, and earned the respect of millions of Americans.  I’d even dare say, that you might have saved a few lives.

And don’t forget Mr. Kluwe – us gays never forget our friends. We are like the Jews. You might not be a “cockmonster“, but all of us “cockmonsters” will be looking out for you for the rest of your life. Ever thirsty? Walk into a gay bar. Ever need some extra cash for a new swimming pool? Publish a shirtless calendar. (In fact, why wait on that?)

Thanks again!

Dick

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So as you might know – I kinda travel a lot during, Pride Month. Global slut, that is me! And I just found a delicious new super-gay service that is going to help me get around!  Ladies and ladies, meet Fagabond!  A site that gives the on-the-go LGBT community reason to celebrate.

The new travel-planning website features a booking widget powered by Travelocity and gives the LGBT-focused lowdown, including destination descriptions, nightlife picks, must-try restaurants, fabulous events and more, for 20 of the country’s top LGBT cities. Users can also find travel deals and sign up for the e-newsletter.  What more can you ask for?
“Fagabond is five years in the making, and we’re thrilled with the final product,” said Fagabond co-owner Mike Sheridan. “While the descriptions and headlines are tongue-in-cheek— we want people to actually enjoy the planning stage—the content is informational, accurate, and compelling for a gay person mapping out their next getaway.”
Fagabond’s other co-owner (and, our insiders whisper Mike’s LOVER), Jim Werner, added, “Our goal for users is in the tagline: ‘Same Sex. Different Travel.’ It’s where the gay community can find the information that will help them choose their destinations, plan their trips, and book their stays—all for gays, all by gays, and all in one place.”
Both boys agree that what sets their LGBT travel website apart from others is the booking capability provided by Travelocity. Who doesn’t love that damn gnome! Users can reserve their hotels, flights, cars, and attraction tickets—all without leaving Fagabond. In the coming months, the website will continue to grow, with LGBT news, events, and more city profiles, plus upcoming partnerships.
And tell everyone you heard it here… An Exclusive Deal:

Now through July 31, travelers who book their trips on Fagabond will receive $25 off their total. This exclusive deal is available only to those who use the Travelocity widget on Fagabond to reserve their hotels. To qualify, the stays must take place by December 31, 2012.

The Featured Destinations:
•    Asbury Park •    Austin •    Boston •    Chicago •    Fort Lauderdale •    Key West •    Las Vegas •    Los Angeles •    Miami •    New Hope •    New Orleans •    New York •    Ogunquit •    Palm Springs •    Philadelphia •    Providence •    Provincetown •    Rehoboth Beach •    San Francisco •    Washington, DC

So go over and check out the fagalicious fun fun fun at Fagabond.com!