The image was startling: Lt. Dan Choi, in uniform, handcuffed Christ-like to the White House fence alongside former Capt. Jim Pietrangelo to protest the US military’s antigay Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. They were arrested for failure to disobey a lawful order as protesters chanted nearby.

The terrible irony is that it’s not just the military but society at large – perpetuated by our education system – that mandates our very existence as LGBT people be construed under a similar, if less visible system of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

In the federal scheme of things, LGBT people are officially second-class citizens, unequal to straights, not free to fully explore or enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as the Declaration of Independence declares is our right as American citizens. Instead, we pay our taxes, we obey the rules – for the most part – and yet we are still automatically out-laws, the Other of whom straights must be afraid.

And how do we respond? We hide behind our closet doors; we come out and hope straights will “tolerate” us; we work hard for straight “acceptance.” Or we revolt, embrace our difference and defy easy assimilation. And sometimes that defiance – that stand for authenticity – is unacceptable to “the powers that be,” some of whom are now even our own people.  That’s what happened to Joe Mannetti who was “fired” from his volunteer job as a youth outreach speaker….but more on Joe later.

As California marches toward the first statewide Harvey Milk Day, it is imperative that we stop for a moment and consider who is teaching what to whom about Milk and LGBT people?

In an interview with Newsweek’s Eve Conant posted Monday, Lt. Dan Choi said about being taken to court in chains:

“Being in chains, for me, matched what was in my heart the whole time I was serving and was closeted. Harriet Tubman once said she had freed 1,000 slaves but could have freed so many more if they only knew that they were slaves. People don’t always know that they are in fetters. Even my feet were shackled so I could only take small steps forward. To me that symbolizes what it is to live under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the only law that enforces shame. Those chains symbolized how my country is trying to restrict my movement, how we are only allowed incremental, tiny steps.

[Cut]

Within the gay community so many leaders want acceptance from polite society. I think there’s been a betrayal of what is down inside of us in order to achieve what looks popular, what looks enviable. The movement seems to be centered around how to become an elite. There is a deep schism [in the gay-rights movement], everyone knows this. But this shouldn’t be about which group has better branding. There is a tremor right now in every gay and transgender youth that these groups are not grasping. I would say to them—you do not represent us if all you are looking for is a ladder in to elite society.”

Choi’s arrest occurred March 18, thrilling LGBT activists and politicos frustrated by the glacier movement on repealing the discriminatory policy and anxious to jump-start direction action activism. Most had no idea that a similar scene was played out 17 years earlier on July 31, 1993 after President Bill Clinton forged the DADT “compromise” with the military and Congress. Then Clinton’s gay friend David Mixner marched to the White House with politico Diane Abbitt, Religious Right-fighter Rev. Mel White, National Organization for Women President Patricia Ireland and attorneys John Duran and Alan Friel and they, too, protested outside the White House over DADT until they were arrested.

Mixner felt betrayed by his friend, by his President and by his country. Here’s an excerpt from a speech Mixner gave to a Metropolitan Community Church Conference in Phoenix in 1993:

“The White House officials acted as if they were the victim on this issue. That they just had to get it behind them so that they could get on with the ‘real’ business of government. Well, let us be real clear: Mr. President, the freedom of millions of Americans from the tyranny of decades of oppression, decades of persecution and decades of witch hunts is the real business of America.”

There are serious consequences for Choi and Pietrangelo. Choi, for instance, is facing discharge under DADT but is still on active duty with the National Guard. His protest in uniform outside the White House could result in a Court Martial and/or military imprisonment.  According to Newsweek, both Choi and Pietrangelo declined their lawyers’ advice to pay a $100 fine and walk away, pleading not guilty and facing a trial in court instead.  From the interview:

“So what is next for you? When I was handcuffed to the gate someone else asked me what’s next. I’m standing there with hands lifted skyward and I just told him, ‘This is.’ I have fully committed my life and all the sacrifices necessary to manifest equality and America’s promises. Like I said at court, ‘I’m not guilty, I’m not ashamed, and I’m not finished.’”

But just as Mixner’s arrest was a big deal in 1993 and is now all but forgotten – will anyone remember Choi’s courage and sacrifice or will this moment be relegated to the memories of those whose consciousness is being shaped right now?

After almost 35 years together, you might think there was nothing left to know about U2. Well, think again. Because the makers of a new film about the band claim to have unearthed what some might consider the holy grail of rock: an unreleased song, recorded before they had even chosen the name that would make them the biggest act in the world.

Ciaran Gribbin, music producer on upcoming movie ‘Killing Bono', today revealed that the Irish rock legends have agreed to allow him to feature a track called ‘Street Mission'. He says it was originally laid down in the early days of the group, when they were called The Hype, and "before U2 ever existed".

"They were probably 16 or 17, it's one of their first ever songs. You can hear where they were going with it though. It has that early punk angst that you would find in a teen band - but there are hints of where they were going with ‘October' in there also," said Gribbin.

He describes U2's decision to give them the go-ahead to use the 30-year-old song as a "dream come true". ‘Street Mission' has been reworked for the film and will be heard in a brand new incarnation, as Gribbin, who is also a singer, explained: "Hopefully everyone will be really happy with it."

"There's a strong U2 connection with the team actually making the film. One of the producers was U2's agent when they first got signed, so they obviously know and trust him," he continued. There are high hopes for ‘Killing Bono', which has been picked up by Paramount Pictures and is set for release by the end of 2010.

But what does ‘Street Mission' actually sound like? Well, despite the fact that it was never released, the track entered U2 folklore long ago, helped in part by the band's performance of it on Irish TV for a show called ‘Youngline' in March 1978, when they all looked about 12 years old, as this fascinating (and hilarious) footage shows.

The shoes are reportedly for sale, but how about that dude in the kennel? I've never been into fashion, but that was before fashion magazines stopped featuring clothes.

And when there are clothes, these days it's only in combination with hot new accessories like boners, under-the-stall-action and pain sub twinks. Even the supermodels are going to jail for trying to suck cop cock.

This latest photo shoot, "Battle of the Giants," was featured in FHM Collections, via Homotgraphy, and shot by Matthias Vriens. I've been looking at the first shot for a while now. The ass is talking to me, I think.







 

 

Bel Ami penetrated the Guiness Book of Whored Records this week after wrapping its $400,000, 3-week-long, 27-model-strong porn shoot in South Africa. Gay porn orgy scientists have confirmed that it's the biggest gay porn orgy in history.

Beginning with the necessary disclaimer -- "Hm...okay...I kinda hate myself" -- Gay Sex Blog actually did the math:

I just went back and counted and Falcon's Taking Flight had 24 models. Arabesque from Raging Stallion had 18, as did The Missing from Hot House... Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita had 25 cast members, but 7 parts were non-sexual, leaving 17 guys (and one gal) to do the porny stuff.

And Queer Me Now recalls the 21 man orgy that Leo Ford received as a birthday present in Catalina's Class Reunion. So yay for Bel Ami, breaking records when most of the industry is down-sizing.

The production gets released in May. Now excuse me while I go stalk the production office for some BTS footage.

Tthe porn star Ricky Sinz blogged about his bar brawl with a naughty twink who punched him in the balls. Today he posted the video. It's amazing.

Ricky Sinz cannot scratch his back because his shoulders are too big. Ricky Sinz has killed people. Ricky Sinz has killed a dog. The Sword's advice would be not to punch him in the balls.

My favorite part of the video is right at the beginning, when the dumbass in the black tank top gathers up his courage with a dainty, pouty sip of his vodka cran.

For too long, Adam Bouska's NOH8 campaign has allowed famewhores in need of new high-contrast Facebook pictures to pretend they're activists without doing jack shit. And speaking of shit, meet our newest favorite campaign: DEFEC8.

Steven Paul is the mastermind behind DEFEC8, and he would like you to stop trying to pass off your stupid lemming glamour shots as activism.

One day last week I was on Facebook and I came across another fucking (NOH8) picture and I’m like, ‘Ahhhhh! I’m sick of seeing it. I get it guys, I get it. I wanted to come up with something that was a slap in the face to this fucking campaign.

Who would have thought that an Alaskan hockey player with a large black bodyguard would make for the perfect gay porn parody? Here's Jet Set Men's long-awaited trailer.

Three melancholy twink sluts seek refuge in a cam-house. What follows includes a neighborly lawsuit, broken glass, fist fights, ass-sniffing and typing in the hot tub (isn't that dangerous?).

With the Taliban out of power, an ancient Afghani tradition has reemerged. It's called Bacha Bazi, or "boy play," and it would be hot if the boys weren't as young as 11 and routinely bought, sold and murdered.
This clip is from a new PBS series called The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan, which you can watch in full here. In the clip below, a young fella is "borrowed from his owner" and hired to dance in private for a few lucky daddies.

The boy is one of hundreds of castaways who are "bought from poor families by former warlords and powerful businessmen, are dressed in woman's clothes, taught to sing and dance for the entertainment of male audiences, and then sold to the highest bidder or traded among the men for sex."