Photo: The photo is in the public domain, and no, that’s not the book review team from Dearauthor.com on the way to BEA. It’s a still with Debbie Reynolds from the film, The Affairs of Dobie Gillis.
Marriage Update
There’s so much going on right now I think these abbreviated stories that link to longer pieces help people keep up with what’s going on with issues like gay marriage. Behind the scenes, there are people working hard in all states to push this forward so all gay couples in all states can achieve equality. In some cases, others are rushing to keep gay couples from becoming equal.
In Oregon, a gay judge said no to The National Organization of Marriage (NOM) so they can’t intervene in defense of Oregon’s same sex marriage ban.
McShane, who is openly gay, held a hearing on two consolidated lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the ban.
Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/#ixzz31nBjy6nU
NOM is going to appeal.
They’ve been busy in Idaho, too.
Idaho Governor Butch Otter is also on his way to the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Otter is appealing the decision Wednesday by Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale to deny his request that she stay her decision striking the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.
Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/#ixzz31nCV64Y5
And in Arkansas, the state Supreme Court turned down the Attorney General’s request for a stay on a ruling that two state laws on same sex marriage are unconstitutional.
The high court said that, for procedural reasons, the supreme court does not yet have jurisdiction. Responding to the attorney general’s argument that county clerks around the state are uncertain as to whether they should issues licenses or wait for the results of an appeal, the supreme court noted that Judge Chris Piazza’s ruling said nothing about a separate Arkansas law “and its prohibitions against circuit and county clerks issuing same-sex marriage licenses.”
Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/#ixzz31nDUXlna
In Los Angeles, the executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Center spoke about ENDA and religion.
“Religious freedom does not include the freedom to oppress other people. These kinds of fundamentalist forces are behind efforts to gut what laws we do have in this country that protect LGBT people from discrimination….Even our own Employment Non-Discrimination Act—the only federal law currently being proposed to protect LGBT people—includes a broad religious exemption. It was put into ENDA eight years ago, expressly to weaken it. It does not belong there today.” Former NGLTF Executive Director Matt Foreman said Monday he thinks LGBT leaders should “pull the plug” on the current version of ENDA, saying it is “essentially a lifeless corpse.”
Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/#ixzz31nF4dmqr
And this piece about South Carolina is very interesting. Evidently, funding was cut for books at two public universities that show positive gay images, in the amount of $70,000. But that funding was recently restored with the stipulation that the money go toward teaching about the constitution and “founding documents.”
I actually don’t totally disagree with that one. One, I’m not sure exactly what they consider positive gay images and I might no agree with what they do consider positive. That’s highly relative. Two, I personally think there are too many fools in colleges won’t don’t know enough about the constitution or anything related to American History. If they knew a little more than maybe they’d vote a little wiser.
Frankly, I would be happy just to see no books with negative gay images.
Thin Matt Bomer
In more news about the upcoming HBO film, The Normal Heart, Ryan Murphy claims he was upset when he saw how thin Matt Bomer got for his role in the film. The Normal Heart is a play about AIDS by Larry Kramer.
‘I would say,”Please get your blood checked! … I was nervous,’ Murphy admitted in an interview this week on HuffPost Live.
Murphy arrived on the set the first day back after the break and saw an emaciated Bomer getting a haircut.
‘When I saw him, I was emotional. I was very upset,’ he said. ‘We were all concerned. We would check on him every five minutes. Matt was just so physically weak. Je had to sit in the same place between lighting set-ups just so that his energy could be brought out in the performance. It was a very moving thing to witness.’
I’m not sure how emotional I would get if I saw any actor lose extra weight, especially one who is getting paid very well. A few good meals and he’ll pack those pounds back on soon enough. But maybe that’s because I’ve witnessed, first hand and up close, the fresh hells of people in full blown AIDS, with PCP, IRIS, and all those other AIDS complications that have nothing to do with going on a diet to lose weight to get paid huge money to play AIDS.
Sorry, I take that topic very seriously. And I don’t like it when Hollywood blows smoke up my butt. Bomer will be just fine. Ryan Murphy should have given him a Lorna Doone.
There are better ways to show that Matt Bomer was doing an excellent job acting in that role and playing a person with AIDS.
Debbie Reynolds Loves Gays
And blood is red.
‘I have always since 1948 hired dancers and creative people who were gay,’ says the 82-year-old icon. ‘They are like my children.’
‘I didn’t know anything about why it had to be why we are different. I was probably like everyone else, no knowledge about we are born this way. I had to learn and I have learned. You have to want to learn to get rid of your prejudices. You can’t want to stay that way.’
I don’t mean to sound cynical. I understand Reynolds comes from a generation where gays were not discussed openly, and I also respect her for all the things she’s done and been through in her life. I actually read her autobiography a while back and I think it was one of the best, most honest, non-fic books I’ve ever read. She’s far more than what you would expect, and she’s no one’s fool.
I just hope she still loves me when I eventually write my m/m erotic romance movie tie-in novel titled, Banging in the Rain.
You can read more here.
