KS Back In San Francisco

Horrible news of out San Francisco.

San Francisco doctors have reported a cluster among gay men of unusual cases of Kaposi's sarcoma, the cancer-like skin disease whose disfiguring purple lesions were a terrifying signature of a bygone era of the AIDS epidemic.

All 15 patients under treatment for the condition are long-term survivors of HIV whose infections are firmly under control with antiviral drugs. So far, none of them appears to be in any danger.

The new cases of Kaposi's sarcoma have not been aggressive, invasive or lethal - the way the disease behaved in patients with uncontrolled HIV during the 1980s.

Still, the lesions are unsightly, difficult to treat and raise uncomfortable questions about what weaknesses might lurk in the immune systems of thousands of aging survivors of the epidemic.

The re-emergence of this classic AIDS illness in these outwardly healthy patients is an unsettling echo from the past and a warning that this 26-year-old plague still has the capacity to surprise.

"This could either be the canary in the coal mine, or it could just be a collection of rare events that will continue to occur when people are given what appears to be effective treatment," said Dr. Jeffrey Martin, a San Francisco General Hospital epidemiologist and Kaposi's sarcoma expert.

Anybody who was around in the early plague years remembers the incredible stigma of KS, "the purple mark of death," as so gruesomely depicted in the movie Philadelphia. Perhaps more than lymphoma or pneumocystis, the appearance of KS would cause some gay men to plummet emotionally, often prompting suicide. I had several friends die from complications of KS, although anybody who made it to the advent of the cocktail in '96 saw their lesions fade. Even if this resurgence proves to be relatively benign, and we can only hope desperately that it will be, this news is a horrible blow.
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HomoQuotable - Randi Weingarten

"When we make a public declaration of our sexual orientation — when we say that we are proud members of this community, mountains move. Just that simple act helps create hope, opportunity and voice for the thousands of brothers and sisters who still think they must hide." - Randi Weingarten, head of NYC's powerful United Federation of Teachers, in a coming out speech to the Empire State Pride Agenda yesterday (on National Coming Out Day.)

Weingarten has long been out to friends and co-workers, but not publicly. Weingarten: "I had never acknowledged my sexuality in such a big setting, although it had never been hidden from anybody.” She says she was moved in part to come out after reading Tuesday's NY Times article about the plight of gay seniors. The UFT is affliated with the AFL-CIO and the American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest education labor union in the United States. Weingarten has been president of the UFT since 1997.

PlanetOut Unloads RSVP Cruises

Continuing to shed lackluster properties, PlanetOut has sold their RSVP cruise business to main rival Atlantis Events for an undisclosed amount. The sale will not affect RSVP's scheduled itinerary or passengers already booked. According to reports, Atlantis plans on maintaining the RSVP brand.

In June this year, PlanetOut sold SpecPub, their adult magazine division. CEO Karen Magee says the latest move is a continuation of the company's new focus on advertising-driven revenues. Fresh from a Corp-O-Speak conference, Magee said, "From a corporate perspective, we believe this transaction demonstrates to our shareholders that we are continuing to deliver on our commitment to leverage our strengths by simplifying our business model and emphasizing our core competencies."

Caption This

Broadway Friday

-Tony winner Christine Ebersole has been added to the cast of Rockers On Broadway: Salutes Motown, a benefit for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, which takes place on October 22th at B.B. Kings in Times Square. Others appearing include: Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard, and J. Robert Spencer, along with Darlene Love, Mickey Dolenz, Deborah Gibson, Will Chase, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Tevin Campbell. Legendary Motown songwriters Holland/Dozier/Holland will also be there. The show will be hosted by Caroline Rhea.

-The possiblity of the work stoppage by the stagehands union remains unresolved, with negotiations at a standstill after the producers "final" offer was rejected. On Sunday, Broadway's musicians were told to begin taking their instruments home, in the event of a lock-out. As Broadway provides NYC with an estimated $5B in annual revenue, Mayor Bloomberg has offered to step into the negotiations, as he did in 2003 during the last strike.

-The film version of the long-running Off-Broadway musical Naked Boys Singing! opens today at the Quad Cinema in New York City, with upcoming engagements set for Los Angeles (October 19), Tempe, Arizona (November 9), Chicago (November 16), and Fort Lauderdale, Florida (November 23).

-The revival of Cyrano de Bergerac, starring Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner, begins previews today at the Richard Rodgers theatre.

Larry Craig Meets The Village People

JMG reader Dick Zinya sent along this gem, just in case you really haven't had enough of the Larry Craig story.

Hate Crime Conviction In Sandy Case

Yesterday a Brooklyn jury convicted Anthony Fortunado in the death of Michael Sandy (left), who was lured to a local park last year after meeting Fortunado online. At the park, Fortunado, with three accomplices, attempted to rob Sandy, who was killed by a car as he attempted to escape. Fortunado was convicted of manslaughter as a hate crime and attempted petit larceny.

Despite the verdict, jurors interviewed afterwards say that they did not believe the attack was a hate crime. One said, "By the letter of the law Fortunato was guilty, but no one felt he had any hatred or animosity toward homosexuals." Another member of the jury argued for acquittal right up until yesterday. The jury also said that they believed Fortunado's statement that he is gay himself. Manslaughter bears a penalty of 8-25 years and Fortunado could be eligible for parole in as little as seven years. He will be sentenced on October 24th.

On October 5th, one accomplice received the same verdict as Fortunado. Another man turned state's evidence and the fourth is yet to be tried.

Read Duncan Osbourne's complete story on Gay City News.

Al Gore: Oscar, Emmy, Nobel Peace Prize

By now you probably know that Al Gore has been awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for global warming work. Gore joins Americans such as Jimmy Carter and Martin Luther King. Now we can only hope that the Draft Gore movement gains more steam and convinces him to enter the 2008 presidential race. I like Hillary Clinton, but not wholeheartedly. Gore, however, is a man I can support without much reservation.

Jones On Craig

Here's a portion of the email Mike Jones sent me regarding his motivation for making it known that Sen. Larry Craig was his escorting client and how he feels about the reaction so far.

As far as trying to make money of these situations as I am being accused of, please consider this information:

I did not attempt blackmail on Ted Haggard. I actually could be on the Church payroll if I blackmailed him and still have my private life intact. Of course if I had done that, he still would be condemning gays and the evangelical voting block would still be as powerful as always and I would have money in the bank instead of the $500 I have now. Remember, Harpers magazine stated that no pastor held more political sway than Haggard.

Did I attempt to blackmail Craig? No. I could have though but I thought it was more important to keep him to his word of resigning instead of me making money. I had and have nothing to gain from this situation. I have learned that there are others that have had dealings with Craig. But they do not want to come forward. I seem to be the only one who has the guts to do it and tell the truth, for which I am condemned for.

Here is a detailed account of my situation regarding the Craig story. First I would like to thank the people that can really see what it is and supported me from Haggard to this. But mostly this is a response to the people who are so quick to judge. Here is a big piece of the story that people do not know and who are accusing me of riding the wave for attention.

First of all I did not have a long term situation with Craig. I only saw him one time. I did not know who he was until his recent story broke. When I saw him on the news, I said to myself, “I cannot believe this hypocrite, he came to see me.” There are a couple of things that made him stand out to me for me to remember like, “Do you follow politics Mike? Then when I said yes he quickly changed the subject. Right then I said to myself, this guy is a politician. Certainly not my first. But his question was a give away. Through sources that I gave for a time frame that I say he saw me, it was verified that he did travel to Colorado during that time. So you see, that was my verification to myself that that was him. You might say coincidence but really, I remember him and how would I guess the date from several years ago?

Several news organizations have had my story for six weeks at least. I was in constant communication with them. I told them I did not want my story out unless Craig reversed his promise to resign. The story would have probably run but I told them to hold off. And if I was doing it for publicity I would have run with it immediately. And by the way all the major news organizations wanted me on TV with this story. But did you see me on FOX or CNN regarding this? NO. I did not make this about me. I made it about being honest and holding people to their promises. Once again the word is hypocrisy. And remember which Senator voted against the Hate Crimes Bill! Sorry, I need to stand up and speak!

When we judge so quickly we in a sense are no better than the religious right. We hate it when they judge because of dislikes, but many people have done the same to me. If you dislike me because of jealously, or lack of information and knowledge, then I cannot change that. I am not perfect and have never claimed to be, but I, Mike Jones, have no regrets for who I am.

Incidentally, Mike Jones tells me he considers himself "set-up" by the Palm Springs radio station to whom he make his revelation, adding that the host of the show even left him a voicemail apologizing for the "Gotcha!" interview. Jones had not planned on making the story known that day.

Sized To Fit

At an international convention of condom manufacturers, industry leaders are discussing the problem of poor-fitting rubbers, which can result in unwanted pregnancies or disease transmission. The old one-size-fits-all standard of the past has been increasingly dismissed, with several larger sizes available for years, although little attention has been paid to men who need a smaller fit.

In 2003, TheyFit Condoms debuted a custom-fit line in 55 sizes in the United States, although the line was withdrawn last year as the company prepares to upgrade to 95 sizes. The goal of this year's conference is to set international standards, rather than seeking approval in each country.

HomoQuotable - Daniel Anders

"Though lots of people know I'm gay, the coming-out process really doesn't end. It's important to be who you are and to be happy with yourself. Many other courageous people came out before me. Being gay doesn't define who I am or impact my job in any tangible way, but maybe I can be a role model for some gay kid or inspire someone to get involved in politics." - Daniel Anders, who took the oath today as the first openly gay man to become a judge in Philadelphia. The very positive story in the Philadelphia Inquirer ends with, "Wonder Woman and her lasso of truth have arrived. All rise."

Filthy, Filthy, Filthy

Last night's Reading For Filth show at Rapture was a lot of fun, the house was packed. Xavier led off with a reading from Dean Johnson's blog, followed by Eric Leven (left), who read a hilarious original story about a Craigslist spawned Daddy vs. boy encounter that didn't turn out quite as expected. It was Eric's first public reading of his work and he did a great job.

I was up next but was interrupted by the audience singing "Happy Birthday" to me, led my usual cotillion of JMG groupies (Damian, Dr. Jeff, Father Tony, Chris, Craig) whom I thank for faithfully attending my shows, even though they always seem to be on school nights. I gave a brief remembrance of a Dean Johnson party from two years ago, then read an early (but filthy, in keeping with the theme) story from JMG, The Fisting Watch, followed by an updated version of Manhunt Spellchecker.

Next up, dragstress Miss Understood read a filthily funny piece from Charles Pierce's biography, but she was almost upstaged by a toddler who happily pushed his scooter right up to the lip of the stage during the dirtiest part of her bit. Who brings 2 year-olds to a gay erotica reading? Shades of Folsom, eh? Reading from his iPhone, Scisssor Sisters lead singer Jake Shears finished off the evening with a couple of filthy/gorgeous stories he found on one of those slash fiction sites, including a hot bit about Matt Lauer. I got to chat with Jake for awhile, the guy is completely sweet and non-rockstarish.

Big thanks to everybody who came last night. I met lots of JMG readers, all of whom were hot. As are all of you, of course. It was a great birthday. The Reading For Filth series continues next week with Adam Dugas, Wayne Hoffman, and Murray Hill.

Wearing History

As today is National Coming Out Day, let's do a special Swag Thursday giveaway with Steve Goula's Wearing History: T-Shirts From The Gay Rights Movement. T-shirt activism has long been one of the most visible means of letting the world know who we are and Goula's book covers the history of T-shirt activism from Stonewall to ACT-UP to today.

The T-shirt is a part of Americana, and nowhere is this reflected more than in the gay and lesbian community's struggle for civil rights. Through imagination, wit, and a passion for equality, the activists who wrote, designed-and more importantly-wore the shirts helped define a movement. From the sad to the troubling, the poignant to the humorous, this is the definitive pop culture chronicler of our lives.

Wearing History is available on paperback now via Amazon. To win your copy, comment on this post. Only your first comment counts and please remember to leave your email address. Publicists: if you'd like to take part in giveaways on JMG, please email me.

Open Thread Thursday

What was your last musical purchase? Do you still buy CDs or are you strictly digital these days?
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Butch Lesbian Sues For Restroom Ejection

Khadijah Farmer, the butch lesbian who was thrown out of Caliente Cab Company, a West Village restaurant, when she was mistaken for a man in the ladies restroom, is now suing the restaurant. Although Farmer is not transgender, the suit was filed on her behalf by the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, who contend Farmer is the victim of gender discrimination.

On a related note, the above-linked Times article mentions a gender-neutral restrooms advocacy group called People In Search Of Safe and Accessible Restrooms. Yup, PISSAR.

Good Work Wednesday

NYC: The Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project will stage their 2007 Courage Awards at Gotham Hall on November 19th, hosted by B.D. Wong. This year's honorees: New York State Assembly Member Daniel J. O'Donnell, Ms. Verna Eggleston of the Bloomberg Family Foundation, and Sundance Channel.

LOS ANGELES: The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network's Respect Awards on Oct. 12th will honor individuals and corporations who have helped move the work of GLSEN foward. This year's honorees: Dr. Neal Baer, Greg Berlanti, James C. Hormel, Sheila Kuehl.

NYC: Empire State Pride Agenda holds their Fall Dinner on Octobert 11th at Sheraton Hotel & Towers. Keynote speaker: David Mixner. Special guests include Christopher Meloni, Mary Lousie Parker, Alan Cumming. Tickets here.

Orange County/CA: ECCO, a political action group for Orange County, California, holds its 2007 Awards Dinner at the Disneyland Hotel on October 13th. Honorees: Alicia Berhow, Lighthouse at Southern California Edison, California Teachers Association, Peg Corley, Ivy Bottini.

Tonight:: Reading For Filth

I'll be reading tonight at Rapture in the East Village with Eric Leven (pictured), Miss Understood, Jake Shears, and Michael Cunningham. I hope to see some of you there.

RELATED: Pop over to Bloggernista for a great interview with Eric Leven. The interview is cross-posted on The Bilerico Project.
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Friendly Voices: Dear Abby

Jeanne Phillips, author of advice column Dear Abby, is being honored this week by PFLAG for coming out in support of same-sex marriage. Phillips' mother, the original Abby, first brought PFLAG into the national consciousness in a 1984 column. PFLAG is giving Phillips their first ever "Straight For Equality" award.

Phillips took over for her mother five years ago when the now 89 year-old writer was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Last year she wrote, "Accepting the status quo is not always the best thing to do," she wrote. "Women were once considered chattel, and slavery was regarded as sanctioned in the Bible. However, western society grew to recognize that neither was just. Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain have recognized gay marriage, and one day, perhaps, our country will too."

Morning View - Pride Inside

Pride Of New York is just an industry group that promotes locally grown agriculture, but it seems to me that "pride" is one of those words have taken on a specifically gay connotation when used as the name of an organization. Rainbow, too.

How To Win Customers

Growing Movement For Gay Seniors

A front-page story in today's NY Times discusses the growing support movement for elderly LGBT Americans.

Even now, at 81 and with her memory beginning to fade, Gloria Donadello recalls her painful brush with bigotry at an assisted-living center in Santa Fe, N.M. Sitting with those she considered friends, “people were laughing and making certain kinds of comments, and I told them, ‘Please don’t do that, because I’m gay.’”

Jalna Perry of Boston said her guard was always up in nursing homes. The result of her outspokenness, Ms. Donadello said, was swift and merciless. “Everyone looked horrified,” she said. No longer included in conversation or welcome at meals, she plunged into depression. Medication did not help. With her emotional health deteriorating, Ms. Donadello moved into an adult community nearby that caters to gay men and lesbians.

“I felt like I was a pariah,” she said, settled in her new home. “For me, it was a choice between life and death.”

There are an estimated 2.4 million elderly LGBT people in America, most of whom are forced back into the closet when they enter nursing care, living the last days of their lives in unimaginable loneliness. The Times article goes on to discuss the isolation and dangers that elderly gays face, but speaks optimistically about the gay-specific nursing home/assisted care facilities that are opening around the country. One of the programs mentioned was created by SAGE, Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders. Visit the SAGE site to learn more.

Let California Ring

Here's the moving video from the Equality California Institute, which is working for marriage equality in the Golden State. The clip, part of a new multi-million dollar education campaign called "Let California Ring", was created by the Seattle office of DDB Worldwide.

Gays Advance In China

Astounding foreign observers, China's state-run newspaper, the China News, has published a story in which academics call for the legalization of gay marriage. Since decriminalizing homosexuality in 1997, China has been reverting to its traditional non-judgemental stance towards gays. Buddhism and Taoism do not consider homosexuality a sin and generally promote diversity.

Last year China permitted the formation of its first gay organization, Happy Together, which counts students and professors as members. A professor quoted in the story says the gay marriage would "lead to more stable same-sex relationships" and "help better protect the legitimate rights of same-sex lovers." Supporters also claim that gay marriage would help slow the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Britain Considers Gay Hate Speech Act

Britain will consider making it illegal to incite violence against gays. Gay hate speech is already outlawed in Canada and France. American Christianists have been using examples of hate speech prosecutions in those countries to mobilize their side against all LGBT rights advancements in the U.S., claiming that soon Christians in the U.S. could be sent to jail for condemning homosexuality.

The British version of the bill, which will reach the House of Commons this session, would outlaw violent hate speech in all forms: spoken, print, and broadcast. Justice Secretary Jack Straw: "It is a measure of how far we have come as a society in the last 10 years that we are now appalled by hatred and invective directed at people on the basis of their sexuality. It is time for the law to recognize this." Those convicted will face up to seven years in prison.

Morning View - Raging Swirl Of Pink

Somehow I don't think the word "raging" should ever be used when marketing air travel, but whatevs, the sign is cute.

Barney Frank Audio

Here's the audio from Rep. Barney Frank's appearance on the Michelangelo Signorile show on Friday. Frank's position on ENDA marks the only time in recent memory that I've seriously disagreed with him. This issue notwithstanding, my respect for Frank remains deep.

Download. Stream.
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Sweden Close On Gay Marriage

Sweden's three opposition parties have formed a coalition and given Parliament a proposal to approve to gay marriage. With the ruliing party's slim majority, activists are confident that the measure will pass. Sweden would join Holland, Spain, and Belgium as the fourth European nation to legalize same-sex marriage.

HomoQuotable - Rex Wockner

"I agree that Larry Craig was, at minimum, enticed. It takes two to tango. If the cop hadn't been sitting there peering back and playing footsie, Craig probably wouldn't have made the come-hither finger gesture. Instead, he likely would have left frustrated, caught his next flight and returned to the Senate to continue his 100 percent anti-gay voting record.

In the wake of Craig's inane drama, it seems obvious we should urge police departments to find better ways to spend our money. The era of what the British call "pretty policemen" entrapping horny men in toilets is long gone in Western Europe, and it should be relegated to the history books here too. Tearoom hanky-panky is a victimless "crime" that is only visible to those who are looking to find it." - Rex Wockner, in his Chicago Tribune debut.

Morning View - Gay Cleaning

I'll have to remember to stop in here before I leave town. I wonder if they do detailing?

A Good Day For A Fair-y

A cloudless sky and temps in the 80s brought a horde of happy homos to the Castro Street Fair today. Ah, San Francisco summer. I've run into tons of people I knew when I lived here, some of which only remembered me by my old Manhunt screenname. I love my people.

Down in the Sugar Valley section of the fair, where you could whack-a-mole celebrity Scientologists and perform other pop culture-related antics, I ran into drag superstar Peaches Christ, whose name still makes me laugh all these years later.

Morning View - Market Street

The sun is shining and it looks like it will be a shorts day for the fair, which you can being set up here.