Marc Shaiman to Host Late-Night Variety Show

The Tony-winning Hairspray composer will entertain with the help of his famous friends.

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Brandon Voss

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/theater/2014/10/10/marc-shaiman-host-late-night-variety-show

Note In Clinton Doc Gives Grim Look At How Unthinkable Coming Out In The Military Used To Be
WASHINGTON — In 1993, the head of the U.S. Marine Corps — known for his outspoken opposition to allowing gays to serve in the military — told President Bill Clinton that coming out as gay was the same as coming out as a member of the KKK, a Nazi or a rapist, according to notes released on Friday.

In a meeting of Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and other White House officials shortly after Clinton took office, Gen. Carl E. Mundy Jr. expressed his opposition to allowing gays to serve in the military in pretty stark terms.

See the note below:

The note reads:

Need to proclaim: I’m gay —
same as — I’m KKK,
Nazi, rapist
Fractures teamwork
“I commit act” Amer. doesn’t accept

The Clinton administration, of course, would soon implement the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which banned openly gay individuals from serving in the military until it was repealed in 2010.

The document was one of almost 10,000 pages of records from Clinton’s time in the White House that were released by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library on Friday, the last in a series of document dumps that comes as Hillary Clinton is laying the groundwork for a potential 2016 presidential campaign.

Later notes indicate that “VP” — Vice President Al Gore — thought Mundy was “borderline” in his presentation but that “PC” — President Clinton — thought the meeting with military officials went well.

Army Gen. Colin L. Powell, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and is now retired, also pops up in the notes, where he expressed his opposition to allowing gays to serve, a position he would reverse in 2010. The notes also indicate that Gore questioned Powell on whether he believed being gay was a choice, and Powell said he didn’t know but that it didn’t really matter to his argument. Gore reportedly replied that it made a big difference to him and that he believed the majority of gays were born with a predisposition.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/10/clinton-documents-military-gay_n_5967140.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

National Coming Out Day: Jaila Simms on the Liberating Power of Coming Out

Jaila became a public voice for an underrepresented community as the first transgender woman to win a reality show.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/national-coming-out-day-jaila-simms-on-the-liberating-power-of-coming-out?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Seven Totally Insane Celebrity Six Packs

The secret to getting six pack abs is actually not a secret at all, but that doesn’t make the process of getting them the old-fashioned way any easier.

The perfect set of abs are attainable for just about anyone. There are literally thousands of professionals giving step-by-step ab instructions online, and there are entire magazines devoted to coaxing the details out of celebrities ab-splitting workouts. So why don’t we all have them?

Blame it on genes, carbs, lack of discipline or free time; then head directly to Dr. Steinbrech at Male Plastic Surgery New York for ab resculpting. (No joke — high-def ab re-tooling is an actual thing, and all the rage–and creating a set of “boot camp-quality” abs worthy of a gladiator is one of Dr. Steinbrech’s most frequent requests from men).

Check out some of the greatest and most chiseled celebrity abs below, and rest easy knowing you actually don’t need good genes or a gym membership to get your dream physique:

Zac Efron

Summer 2014 will forever be remembered as the summer of Zac Efron’s abs. They invoked a standing ovation at the MTV Movie Awards, they went on an adventure with Bear Grylls, they hit the beach, they vacationed in Italy — what did Zac Efron’s abs not do this summer?

Zac’s stomach is probably largely influenced by his genes; he has the kind of impossible stone-cutting abs that make grooves, ditches, and you-know-whats when he lies down. But if you’re willing to try, you can read about his trainer-required workouts and incredibly strict diet plan at Men’s Health.

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds movies typically make a lot of money at the box office because they prominently feature Ryan Reynolds’ abs. They became a pop culture topic in 2005 with the release of The Amityville Horror, and in 2010’s Buried, they managed to make an appearance even though the entire movie was filmed inside a coffin.

In 2010, Ryan told Men’s Health that his glorious physique was a result of excellent nutrition. No carbs, no sugar, and plenty of “L-glutamine, conjugated linoleum acid 9 (CLA), whey, and a multivitamin.” Piece of cake!

Usher

Usher has consistently stayed on top of the music industry since the beginning of his career, and luckily for us, his abs have remained just as consistent. Don’t act like you don’t remember his oft-shirtless performances during the late 90s, or any one of the videos he’s gone shirtless for since.

Usher revealed a detailed breakdown of his intense circuit training back in 2012, but he’s taken up boxing more recently, posting photos of his training sessions often on Instagram.

Chris Pratt

The most amazing thing about Chris Pratt’s abs are how quickly they spawned out of thin air (just kidding, we’re sure he worked very hard for those things).

The 34-year-old Guardians of the Galaxy star transformed from his adorably dorky Parks & Rec character into a massive, heaving muscle man this year and capturing our hearts in the process. In July, he told Men’s Health he dropped 60 pounds in six months by eating right, lifting heavy, and skipping the beer.

Aaron Schock

You can discuss your disapproval of Illinois state Representative Aaron Schock’s anti-gay political history and whether he’s as gay as the New York Times says he is until you’re blue in the face, but there’s no denying the incredible eight pack on this young Republican is something to be admired. We’d call it the greatest set of abs to ever hold public office.

Some could even say it was Shock’s incredible six pack that started the incessant gay rumors that still haunt him. He’s had a hard time claiming his heterosexuality since they appeared on the cover of Men’s Health, all over Instagram, and most recently, deep in a pool with some male West Point cadets.

Tom Daley

It would almost be sacrilegious to create a list of incredible abs and snub ab king Tom Daley. Sure, the 20-year-old Olympic diver may have had a lot of help crafting his perfectly flat stomach throughout the years, but there’s no doubt he’s got one of the finest set of abs around. Tom’s abs are so famous, their mere mention depresses roughly 80% of people commenting on any Queerty post about Tom Daley’s abs.

We’re sure that he’s got a very sound workout routine, not that he’d ever share that with us common folk. We’re afraid if you want abs like Tom Daley, you’d simply have to be Tom Daley.

Mehcad Brooks

It’s strange that Mehcad Brooks doesn’t have a more successful acting career, because if there’s one thing we’ve learned from this list, it’s that six pack abs are usually a one-way ticket to superstardom. This man’s torso is so physically flawless, we’re not surprised he began his showbiz career as a Calvin Klein underwear model.

In 2013, he dished to paparazzi about what makes his body so perfect. The secret, apparently, is proper nutrition and healthy eating. We’re starting to notice a pattern here…

Matthew Tharrett

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/2vM6Qi3pXSg/seven-totally-insane-celebrity-six-packs-20141010

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt Asks State Supreme Court to Halt Gay Marriages

Kyler Geoffroy

www.towleroad.com/2014/10/kansas-attorney-general-derek-schmidt-asks-state-supreme-court-to-halt-gay-marriages.html

LGBT and other bigotries.
I know its everybodies favorite, where I speak whats on my mind in the car. I actually wish this one would have come out more clear, ‘cuz it is something that the religious, the right-wingers,…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB0elsh6uU4&feature=youtube_gdata

"Mom, What's a Lockdown Drill?"
Something very disturbing happened today. My daughter, who is 11 and in 6th grade, participated in a lockdown drill at her school. I got an automated call from the school this morning to let me know that the drill would take place. I appreciated that call because it is the kind of thing that I would like to know. Kids sometimes worry about things. Especially things that they don’t understand – or maybe they do understand, but cannot accept.

I remember distinctly being horrified and disgusted as a child by the awful murder of a woman in the middle of the street while a variety of people looked on yet did nothing. This was the first time in my life that I was confronted with the facts that there was evil in the world; the world is not in fact fair; and sometimes people can be disgusting and repulsive (and I don’t mean the killer). I had nightmares for days. I am sure that my mother could add a lot more detail here, but the bottom line is some of my innocence was destroyed by the crime. I was simply not able to reconcile my understanding of the world so beautiful, filled with Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Strawberry Shortcake dolls, people who loved and cared for me, and this true horror.

Worrying how she would internalize the drill, I made a note to discuss it with my daughter tonight. And, I did just that. The perfect opportunity presented itself: my son was at baseball practice, and I had time with my daughter after karate.

“Tell me about your day, honey,” I prompted. We played our usual high-medium-low game (which allows me to learn at least 3 things that happened in my children’s days) and she added, “We had a lockdown drill today.”

“Yes, I know. How did it go?” She explained that the alarm went off, the teacher locked the door, turned out the lights, and all of the children got down on the floor. They were to be quiet. My daughter commented that if it was real, they would have all been in trouble because no one was quiet.

I asked her if they explained the reason for the drill. She said it would happen when someone they don’t know walks onto campus. As we began the discussion of what would cause someone to come onto a campus full of children to hurt them, I started to feel sick to my stomach. And ill-prepared.

My son came home during the conversation, and though he is much younger, I couldn’t exclude him. We broadened the discussion to include him. “What is a lockdown, Mom?”

“Why would anyone want to hurt a bunch of kids?”

“What would make someone do that?”

I said something about how I had no idea. About how the people who do such things are hurting terribly and they want the world to hurt with them. About how people who are unstable can be thrown over the edge by the death of someone they love, the loss of their own children, etc. I struggled for explanations.

We talked about why they aren’t supposed to just run. We talked about the fact that the law enforcement experts have decided our best chance is to lock ourselves in and wait – and pray if that’s your thing. We talked about the guidance my daughter got today that if you can’t get inside and you see the killer, you should run as fast as you can. That the killer is trying to hurt as many people as quickly as possible and might not care to chase you.

What? Why is this a conversation that I must have with my kids? How do I balance this with the philosophy that I have that the world is a beautiful place? That people are inherently good? That you will receive from the world what you put into it, but that you must keep giving even on bad and unfair days? That though the world might not operate fairly, you still should?

We talked about the fact that this happens sometimes in schools, post offices, work places. Evil walks among us – though I didn’t say that.

“It won’t happen to us, right Mom?”

Right, baby. It won’t. I think we’d have a better chance of winning the lottery, or dying by shark attack. But, we practice a little just so that you are ready. Like we are ready for earthquakes and how we have a disaster plan, and a backpack.

I explained that we can put as much love into the world as possible. People who do these kinds of things seem to be loners, people who are made fun of. We talked about how many criminals were miserable kids, teased by kids or beaten by parents. I reiterated that the two of them should never be kids who tease others. They are the kids who are kind to all – especially the kids sitting alone. You never know when your kindness to someone might help.

The conversation morphed into a discussion of being teased – which I will talk about later. I moved us on to funny things, and positive life stuff. Like Santa and the Tooth Fairy. I hugged my daughter very tightly, and tickled my son so hard that he farted. Massive giggling ensued. Peace was restored. At least, I hope so. For their sakes.

After they were sound asleep, I slumped into my chair. What the hell? Why is this our conversation? How is it fair that a 7 and 11 year old have to practice what to do if a gunman comes onto their campus to shoot as many children as possible? Why are we having these conversations? Why, in America, are we standing for one second longer the free-for-all access to guns designed for massive-instantaneous killing?

I’ve not been very political as far as guns – besides a few tweets about how people keep misreading the Second Amendment – but tonight’s dialogue about massacres of children has left me sick and repulsed. After Sandy Hook there was a public outcry – a hope that we might capitalize on the public outrage and do something to curb the reprehensible availability of automatic weapons. But, nothing has happened.

There have been more killings. According to ABC recently, more than 50 attacks or plots since Columbine. And still, nothing has happened. It’s time. No more parents should have these conversations. No more children should have to introduce mass shootings into their Santa-Barbie-Minecraft-Lego filled worlds.

It’s Butch to stand up for what’s right, even when it is controversial. Be Butch.

www.huffingtonpost.com/tristan-higgins/mom-whats-a-lockdown-dril_b_5962664.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

LGBT History Month: The 1950s and the Roots of LGBT Politics

By the time LGBT bar patrons fought back against a police raid of the Stonewall Inn on a hot summer night in 1969, LGBT people had been making themselves visible and organizing politically for nearly two decades.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/lgbt-history-month-the-1950s-and-the-roots-of-lgbt-politics?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Fem Guys Treated “Like Royalty” And Other Shocking Revelations From A Gay Inmate

A few weeks ago, we got a crash course in gay prison sex. Not the porn version (save that for a rainy day) or what you see in movies and TV, but the real, gritty day-to-day behaviors of men in lockdown.

You can read that account here. But as thorough as it is, the author writes from his experience as a straight inmate, and we were curious to hear the perspective of an openly gay prisoner.

Luckily you can find just about anything on the internet. YouTuber Jacob Kohinoor has a six-part interview series with gay former inmate Devin about his experiences in the slammer. Since we’re guessing you don’t have the hour or so it would take to actually watch them all, we broke it down into some educational tid-bits.

These are his first hand account:

• “In prison, you have all levels of homosexuality…whether you’re open with it, or you’re on the down low, or you’re discreet,” but basically don’t think you’re going to hide anything from anyone, because being surrounded by long-term inmates and other gay prisoners, the truth is going to come out, and quickly.
• “If I’m a girl — and yes they call us girls in there…in prison, we are their wives…This is what they get, this is all they have. You know you have a lot of them who lie and say they have sex with the female guards, but not all of them can do that. You have more homosexuality than what you probably believe.”

How are gay guys treated in jail?

• “Open homosexuals are treated with respect. We run the prison. You can come to me in prison and tell me I’m gay, I’m a sissy, I’m a faggot. I would have you murdered that same hour. You have men in there who are never going to see home, never going to go back to women…Out in the real world you can get away with calling me a fag…In prison we are their wives. We are what they want.”
• Also, trans women are called “titty girls” (even RuPaul won’t go near that word). “They’ve had operations, they’ve been taking hormones, so they have big booties…They’re treated like royalty.”
• Guys think that if they aren’t bottoming, it’s not really “gay.”
• Rape occurs, but not as often as it used to. Or it’s used as currency. If someone owes you something and can’t pay it back, you can “take their ass as payment.” (Yikes.)

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/m00-_oJBw9I/fem-guys-treated-like-royalty-and-other-shocking-revelations-from-a-gay-inmate-20141010

Pat Buchanan and Linda Harvey Call for 'Civil Disobedience' In the Fight Against Gay Marriage: AUDIO

Kyler Geoffroy

www.towleroad.com/2014/10/pat-buchanan-and-linda-harvey-call-for-civil-disobedience-in-the-fight-against-gay-marriage-audio-2.html