A little Sunday fun: Ashton Kutcher Gets Waxed...Ouch!

Enough talk about hate crimes, human rights and religion. It's time for a little Sunday fun and who better to provide it than 31-year-old actor/former model Ashton Kutcher, who produced this video detailing his recent waxing. Kutcher had to remove various chest hair recently so he could resemble his smooth stunt double on a new action movie. For more on the European shoot, click here.

For those who love body hair, my apologies. Personally, my feelings on the subject can be summed up simply: "Less is more."

Ugandan propaganda horrifies...

I came across this story on a Ugandan "news" website today by accident. Needless to say, I was horrified by the ignorant display of yellow journalism. The article allegedly chronicles a born-again Christian who claims to have been "cured" of his homosexuality, who now says his fellow gays are "recruiting" children in schools. This article has every single negative stereotype anyone could possibly make up. Of course, it's about a fundamentalist Christian spouting more lies to promote a truly hateful agenda again.

As people who understand the truth know, homosexuals don't recruit kids in schools. It's the heterosexuals who do (remember senior prom?) There are too many young gay kids who need to be protected and allowed the chance to live happily on all continents, including Africa! Shame on this man and the movement that supports and promotes the lie he's leading.

It's amazing how far we've come in some parts of the world, but not in others...

*****UPDATE

Thanks to Bruce for illuminating on another aspect of this Christian extremist invasion of Uganda and parts of Africa...

What do 'Dr. Manhattan' and Paul Rudd have in common?

I saw the new feature film Watchmen the other night. Not being too familiar with the original graphic novel, I went in with an open mind and was mildly entertained (although the running time was about a half hour too long.) Overall, it was decent, but not as entertaining as The Dark Knight last year.

I'll admit that media reports about the character Dr. Manhattan (pictured above) intrigued me, particularly mentions of his frequent full frontal nudity. (The character was played in close-up by actor Billy Crudup, but his full-body shots were essentially computer-generated.) Coming from the same director, Zack Snyder, who gave us the highly homoerotic (some would say homophobic) 300 a couple years ago, I began to connect the dots.

Hollywood superhero movies traditionally objectify women, either in tight leather outfits or sometimes clothes-free (and there was some female nudity in Watchmen for sure). But for a film like Watchmen, opening on thousands of screens across North America, to show so much male frontal imagery, albeit computer generated, is got to be a cultural breakthrough. Deliberate or not, director Snyder has managed to inject an incredible amount of male beauty/homoeroticism into mainstream culture with his last two efforts. Click here to read more.

I've often thought that the dearth of male nudity in mainstream films helped to bolster a culture in North America where most straight men are generally uncomfortable with their own bodies, and definitely uncomfortable with other men's. On the other hand, the bountiful female nudity on display in mainstream culture has had a positive effect on most straight women. We've had to listen to such crud as, "the female form is simply more pleasing to the eye than the male" and "even objective commentators will agree that there is nothing beautiful about the male penis." All were arguments to maintain the sexist status quo in mainstream culture, in which women were frequently objectified and men had all the power.

Such times may indeed be over if Zack Snyder or Paul Rudd (pictured below) have anything to do about it.

Rudd's new film I Love You, Man is the latest in new comedies in which straight male characters get to explore their sweeter, more "gay" sides with possible "bromances." I definitely like this trend. Paul Rudd has been making a habit lately of exploring homoeroticism through comedy. In truth, he's probably just going for the laugh, but he's done it in a way that isn't insulting to gays (at least not in my opinion.)

Rudd recently told Entertainment Weekly: "I always thought I'd be a really good gay guy. I love American Idol. I watch Antiques Roadshow like crazy. Guys like Oscar Wilde, Stephen Fry, Elton John - they're all very bright, with a razor-sharp wit. David Sedaris - who's funnier than David Sedaris? The Saturday Night Live that I hosted was such a gay-heavy show. But it didn't even cross my mind until after. The family that kept kissing each other - I didn't even think of that as being gay... I remember doing interviews for The Object of My Affection, and people would say, 'What was it like to kiss a guy?' Like it was such a shocking thing. I said, How many times does anyone ask, 'You had to shoot somebody. Was that weird?' I love gay guys. I feel pretty gay. I'm certainly not the most macho guy in the room."


For more on Paul Rudd's flirtation with homosexuality, check this out.

The cultural significance of all this is obvious to me: these stories and images are contributing to the dismantling of long-standing sexism and homophobia in the mainstream culture by giving straight guys permission to look at a completely nude Adonis of a man and not feel uncomfortable about it. These filmmakers/artists are liberalizing what it means to be a straight man today. Maybe I'm optimistic, but compared to where we've come from, I do consider this progress.

I want to believe in God, just not their God...

I do want to believe in a higher power. I was raised Catholic and, although I've left that organized faith behind, much of (what I perceive to be) the loving message of Christ still informs my own life.

I do think that a healthy spirituality is essential, at least for me. But I also believe that all organized religion is inevitably corrupt and fallible. People (predominantly men) who seek power in such religious institutions are never to be trusted. Like all things touched by humans, organized religions can never be counted on to be perfect.

So I firmly believe that every person should decide for themselves what they believe and why. But no one should pretend that their faith is infallible and beyond question. You can believe something one day, but then after experiencing more of life you might find you believe quite the opposite. Personal faith should allow for such experience and education. In the end, every human is subjective.

The problem with organized religion is it shuts down individual thought and contemplation. It presents people desperate for answers with an entire menu of "This is what you believe so stop thinking about it and just believe!"

For me, there is too much about the world that is beautiful to believe it all simply came about through random coincidence. I may be a panentheist, but I need to do more research first before I put any label on my beliefs. I do believe that if there is a God, She lives and breathes through every one of us, we are a part of Him at all times. When we die, we unite with God completely. Do I have proof of this? Of course not, it's merely what I choose to believe at this moment. I could change my beliefs next year should I discover new information.

This week's kerfuffle over federal Science Minister Gary Goodyear's initial reluctance to confirm his belief in evolution is a tempest in a teapot. It's true that some commentators will use this to, once again, slam the Harper Conservatives for being too Creationist-heavy. The Tories will deserve such criticism because they aren't a diverse bunch. While most Canadians hold moderate, if any faith, the vast majority of Harper's caucus is still mostly made up of the same Reform Party-type fundamentalists who turned off so many Canadians in the 1990s (and still do today.)

There is nothing wrong with personal faith. It is healthy. But no one can ever forget that faith is fallible and should be amenable to change. But too often the conservative fundamentalists that David Asper defends (at least this year) are unwilling to show such intelligence with regard to religion. Too often they are willing, if they get the power, to abuse others who don't agree with them. Too often they are willing to blur the lines between church and state and implement their own fallible religion into public policy. Fearing such people in higher office is perfectly legitimate, Mr. Asper.

For a great read on this subject, check out John Moore's take in the National Post.

South African gangs use rape to "cure" lesbians

There are so many evil aspects to this disturbing story, it's difficult to list them: rape, violence against women, misogyny, sexism, lesbophobia, homophobia, gang violence, machismo gone mad...

It disturbs me to no end to think there are groups of despicable men - bolstered by odiously macho cultures and attitudes - going around South Africa or anyplace who believe this lie and act on it. I post it here to remind all of us how truly demented and terrible some men can often be. In some circles of the world, this kind of violent thinking is sadly "mainstream."

Enough is enough!

Vancouver Sun: Same-sex marriage no big deal

As Californians and other Americans continue to tie themselves in knots over the issue, the Vancouver Sun printed this article in yesterday's edition: "Same-sex marriage no big deal...Note to Americans: Canada resolved the contentious issue four years ago and the sky did not fall"

Word to the wise.

I see why they call him the "great Cleve Jones"

Here's a speech by gay rights activist Cleve Jones at the Eve of Justice candlelight march and rally in San Francisco on March 4, 2009, the evening before the court case to invalidate Proposition 8 began at the California Supreme Court. Thanks to Scott Dagostino for posting this speech on his Xtra.ca blog today. I thought it ought to be posted here as well.

Cleve Jones is the long-time activist and friend of Harvey Milk who has been an instrumental force in the fight for queer rights since the 1970s. He initiated the famous AIDS quilt. He greatly assisted Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black in lining up interviews with the various people who knew Harvey Milk well so he could write that great gay political rights movie.

Jones' words are inspiring and need to be heard. He's right: no oppressed group has ever achieved their rights without a great struggle and the fight for equality rights continues in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Plus, as Jones says, remember to boycott the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, whose owner Doug Manchester spent $125,000 to put Proposition 8 on the California ballot in the first place.

Marriage equality fight heads back to California Supreme Court

Read about it here and here and here. The issue centers around whether Proposition 8, passed last November by 52% of California voters, is an unjust deprivation of equality rights in that state's constitution.

"What Proposition 8 accomplishes, if it were upheld by this court, is to establish the constitutional principle that a majority can take away a fundamental right from a group defined as a suspect class" that has already suffered a history of discrimination, said Shannon P. Minter, lead counsel for those petitioning the state's high court to invalidate Proposition 8.

Such a profound change should've been approved by the state's legislature before proceeding to a vote, equality supporters argue.

I am so with them on this issue, as regular readers know. Any legal means to stop unjust, legalized discrimination must be taken. The Supreme Court will rule later on the issue.

In the mean time, supporters of equality have launched a campaign against lawyer Ken Starr, who's leading the anti-gay fight in California's court. Starr has said the marriage ban should stand because of the state's role in protecting the welfare of children. The Human Rights Campaign has said of Starr's arguments: "The hypocrisy of "protecting" children by divorcing their parents is unconscionable. Yet this is just one in a parade of outrageous lies by right-wing extremists."

So they've launched the following petition. Click here to sign it.

Gay Asian Oscar viewers outraged at telecast censorship

Towleroad's initial report about anti-gay censorship of recent Oscar re-broadcasts by Asian networks has been confirmed .

It's been reported by mainstream media that STAR, an Asian satellite TV service that says it reaches more than 300 million viewers in 53 countries, cut the sound during Oscar re-broadcasts when winners Dustin Lance Black (pictured) and Sean Penn mentioned "gay" or "lesbian" in their acceptance speeches. Their speeches were shown in full during live broadcasts of the Oscars that were screened across Asia on Monday morning.

The Associated Press story quotes Pang Khee Teik, a prominent Malaysian arts commentator, as saying: "As a gay man, I am truly offended...Stop censoring the words that describe who I am....[The censorship] sent a message...that gays and lesbians are still shameful things to be censored from the public's ears."

Jannie Poon, STAR's Hong Kong-based spokeswoman, stressed that the company had no intention of upsetting any viewers, but said it has "a responsibility to take the sensitivities and guidelines of all our markets into consideration."

What guidelines might those be, I wonder. This is such a shame.

Still, there's no doubt that the queer-positive messages from Black and Penn on Sunday have been heard around the world, as this article attests.

Review: "Crisis: Growing Up Gay In America"

With so much talk this week about Dustin Lance Black's amazing Oscar acceptance speech, in which the openly gay screenwriter briefly detailed his difficult upbringing in a conservative Mormon household in San Antonio, Texas, it's fitting that I share with you some thoughts about a book I recently enjoyed.

"Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing The Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America," edited by Mitchell Gold and released in 2008 by Greenleaf Book Group Press, illuminates the incredible struggles faced by 40 individuals - some well-known and some not so well-known - in accepting their queer identities.

The book contains short essays written by people like Bishop Gene Robinson (the first openly gay Episcopal bishop), Rev. Dr. Mel White, actor Richard Chamberlain, design guru Nate Berkus (of Oprah fame), lesbian activist Rev. Irene Monroe, Candace Gingrich, former New Jersey governor James McGreevey, and many others, with a foreword by tennis star Martina Navratilova.

Writes Navratilova: "As a professional tennis player, when I came out, my focus wasn't on things like losing endorsements or handling the press or even sacrificing personal privacy. The biggest thing on my mind was being true to myself: I realized that I couldn't go on being a champion on the court if I was leaving half of myself off the court. I know some people felt I could have reached my potential without it; but now, looking back, I know I couldn't have."

While some of the essays do tend to cover the same territory, the book itself is an incredible testament to the importance of coming out and learning to love oneself despite the lies constantly pushed by religious fundamentalists and others who claim their God disapproves of homosexuality.

Of particular interest to me was the essay by filmmaker Dan Karslake, who produced last year's documentary For the Bible Tells Me So: "[What] most conservative Christians don't know - or conveniently forget to tell you - is that the Bible says absolutely nothing about homosexuality as we know and understand it today. In fact, the word homosexual didn't even appear in any Bible in any language until 1946! And whether you think Jesus was the Son of God, just another prophet, or even simply a myth, the story of Christ is all about embracing outcasts, not creating them."

Writes Rev. Dr. Mel White: "I believe that the Protestant and Catholic leaders who condemn homosexuality are sincere, but they are sincerely wrong, and their antigay teachings have tragic consequences in the lives of my sisters and brothers. They are responsible for the deaths of many of my sisters and brothers, and they were almost responsible for my own death as well."

Together, the 40 essays convey one underlying message: the damage caused by close-minded, conservative religion in the lives of people must stop! We are lucky to have these 40 essays to read and to share with others. Anyone who is struggling in the closet at this moment would do very well to read this book. Those heterosexual friends and family members who wish to understand better the difficulties faced by those in the closet, Crisis will provide you with much insight, I assure you.

Writes Gene Robinson: "Not a day goes by that I don't think of some teenager fearful and terrified that his secret will lead to his betrayal by those closest to him. Despite all the progress we've made, it still happens today. Young people who do not yet know that God loves them beyond their wildest imaginings are hating themselves, ashamed for who they are. I long to tell them that it will be all right, that they are not an abomination, that they are gloriously made precisely as God wants them to be."

While I doubt this book will reach as wide an audience as did Lance Black on Sunday, Crisis does its part in giving voice to the struggle of coming out in an unenlightened world and how we are all better off being true to ourselves.

Is India censoring 'Milk' from Oscar re-broadcasts?

If this is true, it's outrageous!

Dustin Lance Black's moving Oscar Acceptance Speech last night

Okay it's official: I have a little crush on the very talented and attractive Lance Black, who won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar last night in Los Angeles for his script Milk.

Not only did this fellow screenwriter undertake years of research to write his spec script, without funding or any guarantee of payment, he managed to get the thing sold and produced into the major success that Milk has become. We have a new gay classic on our hands.

But Black's emotional words in his speech last night definitely struck a chord. Anytime words like these get broadcast to millions across the U.S. and the world, we take a collective step forward.

Bravo, Lance! We love you!