Anything But Straight
There are days when I am infatuated with Obama’s very existence. These moments usually coincide with vivid reminders of our previous president. For example, GQ magazine revealed recently that Donald Rumsfeld’s presidential defense briefings began with warrior Bible verses. Here is a sample: “Therefore, put on the full armor of [...]
In an online discussion forum, a respected activist recently lamented the decentralization of gay community advocacy. He made a powerful case that we would be better off if our efforts were more regimented and unified. “Our communal problem is that the LGBT community is so fragmented that we are constantly [...]
The latest alleged anti-gay terrorism in Iraq is gluing shut the anuses of homosexuals, while forcing the victims to ingest a form of Ex-Lax. The special glue can only be removed by surgery — thus often leading to a painful death. It is challenging to know if such information is [...]
Only 10 years ago, it looked like gay people would not be able to marry until the cows came home. With an Iowa Supreme Court victory and the state legislature approving marriage in Vermont, gay couples will soon be coming home to their cows — with marriage licenses in hand. [...]
George W. Bush longed to escape his daddy’s shadow, while Barack Obama has turned to shadowy preachers in his long search for a father figure. His filial approach to faith began with Rev. Jeremiah Wright and has now taken a sharp turn right. The New York Times reports that the [...]
In pandering to the fanatical and the fearful — both religion and Republicanism may have compromised their future. First, the Republican Party seems in an awfully big rush to implode with Rush Limbaugh as its mercurial mouthpiece. The GOP’s other savior, Michael Steele, is just a big mouth who seems [...]
It is an odd time to be gay in America. Whether you are celebrated or despised depends on where you stand at any given moment. The most dramatic example of this dichotomy occurred on Sunday, Feb. 22 at the Academy Awards. To attend the glamorous event, one had to drive [...]
It would be wrong to say that the majority of Republicans are racist. But, it is fair to say that racists have comfortably nested in the GOP for quite some time. Since President Richard Nixon employed his infamous “Southern Strategy,” bigots, xenophobes and homophobes have been sought-after Republican constituencies. Beginning [...]
Portland’s openly gay mayor, Sam Adams, correctly decided to remain in office after acknowledging that three years ago he had a brief affair with an 18-year-old man. Calls for his resignation were politically motivated, homophobic and cheap shots dressed in the guise of morality. Sadly, many gay and lesbian leaders [...]
[Ed. Note —After a lengthy hiatus, Q-Notes resumes publication of Wayne Besen’s column with this issue.] The gay Log Cabin Republicans are broke and their party is seriously broken. The group’s $100,000 debt comes at a time when the GOP is indebted more than ever to extremists. Instead of learning [...]
Until now, I have always thought there was a place for the Log Cabin Republicans within the LGBT movement. There was a need for a group that could advocate from inside the belly of the beast and do the dirty work that few intellectually honest people wanted to do. The [...]
The first thing that struck me about the Republican National Convention in St. Paul was the stunning lack of diversity. Only the GOP is capable of making Minnesota whiter. Into this cocoon of caucasians stepped the ultra-pale John McCain and his moose-whacking VP, Sarah Palin, who together could have billed [...]
Is ManHunt, the wildly popular online cruising site with the slogan “get on, get off,” a blessing or a curse for gay men? This is the question Out magazine writer Joseph Gross posed in one of the most provocative articles of the year. The Out commentary points to the benefits [...]
For a brief moment, it looked as if the LGBT community might escape gratuitous gay baiting in the 2008 presidential campaign. Unlike the past few election cycles where the strategy was to secure the base at all costs, McCain and Obama were vigorously vying for moderate and Independent swing voters. [...]
