Wonderful Dallas Voice Article: Gay & Lesbian Characters On Television Still Too White Lacking Racial Diversity.

 

Rainbow families in TV and film still lack color

Posted on 14 Sep 2012 at 1:10pm

 

NBC’s sitcom The New Normal breaks new ground this week as the first mainstream show starring same-sex parents — two gay dads. ABC’s Modern Family, which features two gay dads in its ensemble cast, won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series last year. Yet these shows, for all the tremendous good they are doing to raise the visibility of lesbian and gay parents and our children, follow a tradition of mainstream depictions of LGBT parents as upper middle class and white. When will we see LGBT parents of color, or LGBT families in lower income brackets?

Most of the best-known regular or semi-regular gay and lesbian parents on TV are white and at least reasonably well off. They include: Melanie and Lindsay of Showtime’s Queer as Folk, Michael and Ben of the same, Carol and Susan of Friends, Leslie and Maureen of Showtime’s Nurse Jackie, Abby and Kathy of ABC’s NYPD Blue, Laurie of Ellen (the ’90s ABC sitcom), Fran and Kal of the HBO movie If These Walls Could Talk II, Janine and Sandy of the Lifetime movie What Makes a Family, and Nora and Anne of ABC Family’s The Secret Life of the American Teenager, as well as Cam and Mitchell of Modern Family and Bryan and David of The New Normal.

The new lesbian mom on TV this fall, Anne of NBC’s Go On, is dealing with the death of herpartner — a fresh and worthy plotline. But she, too, adds no color to our palette.

We have seen just a few lesbian and gay parents who are people of color or multiracial. They, too, are always solidly middle class — and always one half of a couple with a white person: Sandy and Kerry of ER (Sandy is Latina; Kerry is white), Callie and Arizona of Grey’s Anatomy (Callie is Latina; Arizona is white), Keith and David of HBO’s Six Feet Under (Keith is black; David is white), Bette and Tina of The L Word (Bette has a white mother and a black father; Tina is white), and Hiram and LeRoy (Rachel’s dads) of Glee (Hiram is white; LeRoy’s race is never specified, but actor Brian Stokes Mitchell, who plays him, is African-American, German, Scottish and Native American).

Gay and lesbian parents in mainstream movies are also a white bunch. They include Nic and Jules of the Academy Award-nominated The Kids Are All Right (2010), Robert of The Next Best Thing (2000), Armand of The Birdcage (1996), Renato of La Cage aux Folles (1978), and Tick of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994). A rare exception is Wai-Tung of The Wedding Banquet (1993), who is Taiwanese (but whose partner, Simon, is white).

The only fictional same-sex parents on TV who are both people of color are Kima and Cheryl of HBO’s The Wire and Eddie and Chance of Noah’s Arc. Noah’s Arc did not run on a general-interest network, however. It was broadcast first on LGBT-focused network Logo and rebroadcast one summer on BET J, a spinoff of the Black Entertainment Network.

The truth is far different. Researchers at UCLA’s Williams Institute have found that black and Latino/a individuals in same-sex couples are roughly twice as likely to be raising children as white ones. (There is little data on transgender parents or single gay and lesbian parents.)

And children being raised by same-sex couples are twice as likely to live in poverty as children being raised by married, opposite-sex parents. We rarely see those aspects of our community on TV or film, however.

On a possibly promising note, though, singer and actor Jennifer Lopez is producing The Fosters, a pilot for ABC Family that features a lesbian couple with a “multi-ethnic mix” of four foster, adoptive and biological kids. It is unknown what race or ethnicity the parents are. Lopez, who is Latina, will not be one of them, but perhaps her influence will mean they show some variety. Deadline.com has also reported that one of the mothers is a cop, and the other is a private school teacher — moderate-paying jobs that could mean it is hard for them to support their large family.

The problem, of course, is not just with depictions of LGBT parents, but of LGBT people in general. But gay and lesbian parents are a hot item right now, as witnessed by the success of The Kids Are All Right and Modern Family, and the buzz about The New Normal and The Fosters. I hope their success leads to more new shows — shows that highlight even more facets of real LGBT families.

I welcome The New Normal and know it will help people continue to see lesbian and gay parents as part of the tapestry of American life. Such representation is vitally important. But until mainstream America can see LGBT people in all our diversity — and not simply as LGBT reflections of the White, upper-middle-class American ideal — we will not have made progress toward true equality for our whole community.

In fact, insofar as media images of LGBT parents continue to reinforce being white and upper-middle-class as the ideal, they may be hindering progress towards the broader goal of inclusion for all people.

The problem is not with any one show or film — but collectively, they create an image that is not that of our multiracial, multiethnic, economically varied America.

Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian (www.mombian.com), an award-winning blog and resource directory for LGBT parents.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 14, 2012.

Check This Out Christina Aguilera’s New Sexy Single Your Body!!!

Now Magazine Article: Toronto`s Mayor Rob Ford Is A Bully Yet Playing The Victim In Conflict Of Interest Trial.

By ENZO DI MATTEO

 

For anyone but political junkies and the City Hall press corps dressed in their Sunday best, the deliberations that got under way Wednesday, September 5, in courtroom 6-1 at 361 University to determine if Mayor Rob Ford broke conflict of interest rules must have seemed anticlimactic.

All the media hoopla about the possibility of his getting turfed from office for some curious financial dealings involving his charity football foundation raised expectations of high courtroom drama.

But along with the technical arguments led by his legal team, the sight of Ford taking the stand in his own defence in that sorry tie he often wears at stressful moments like these was more pitiable than great political theatre.

The mayor cut a sorry figure, at times barely audible in his responses, making some of us wonder if he’d reached into the medicine cabinet for the Rescue Remedy this morning to take the edge off. The bellicose bully was nowhere to be seen.

Whether that was by design, to win a little sympathy, I’ll leave for the judge to decide.

But the narrative of this latest controversy to swirl around the perpetually embattled mayor is more complicated than the one the Fordists have been spinning.

If there was a conflict, they say, it was inadvertent, and all for a good cause anyway – namely, to help disadvantaged kids by buying football equipment.

The big question on everyone’s mind: is Rob Ford toast? 

It doesn’t look good for Rofo. At least not on paper. The case against him, that he contravened the Municipal Conflict Of Interest Act by speaking to and then voting on a matter in council in which he had a financial interest – to wit, donations by lobbyists to his football foundation – is black-and-white.

Check the 147-page transcript of the deposition he gave a few months back in preparation for this trial. It’s so full of BS that a casual observer might think the mayor had Peter Gabriel playing on a loop in his head. (“I don’t remember, I don’t recall, I got no memory of anything at all.”)

Rob doesn’t have a legal leg to stand on. There was a direct financial interest involved: the $3,150 in donations to his foundation he was ordered to repay by the city’s integrity commissioner, but refused to come up with.

But it would take a very brave judge to impose the maximum penalty prescribed by law: removal from office and being barred from running for office for seven years. On the latter, the judge has discretion. So the mayor could conceivably get the axe but be allowed to run again in a by-election.

Lost in translation 

Just how egregious was Ford’s transgression? The official line that the conflict charges against the mayor are politically motivated, an evil plot concocted by the left to take the man of the people away from his people, has coloured most of the mainstream media coverage. The Sun ran a story Monday, September 3, suggesting that straws are being drawn and lefty Joe Mihevc is being touted as a possible replacement. News to Citizen Joe.

When Team Ford hasn’t been playing the left conspiracy theory angle, the message track has been that the mayor doesn’t benefit from donations made by lobbyists to his football foundation, so how could there be a conflict?

But whether the mayor benefited financially is not so clear cut. He definitely gains politically from his foundation, that’s for sure, and doesn’t that result in a personal advantage? In April, he attended a public presentation of a fat cheque from the foundation to buy football equipment for the kids at Mother Theresa High School.

Let’s look at the facts. The donations in question were – and here’s the really iffy issue – made by lobbyists. And not just any lobbyists, but people doing business with the city. The court could view their donations as attempts to curry favour and get Ford to reciprocate by supporting their pet projects at council. Where I come from, that’s called a shakedown. Ford doesn’t seem to get that, or is simply playing dumb on the point. He has his own definition of what constitutes a conflict, and that is anything that benefits the city. Yup. You’re reading that right.

Was the mayor selling votes? 

Ford apparently also solicited funds for his foundation from citizens vying for appointments to city agencies, boards and commissions. This is where the issue of his using city letterhead to cop said donations, which on its face might seem only a technical breach of the rules, becomes very problematic. His missives could be construed as intimidation – as in “If you don’t give, you won’t get Ford’s vote to sit on this or that board.” Those who complained to the integrity commissioner about receiving these letters reported feeling strong-armed.

What’s never been fully explained

Why has the entity that administers Ford’s foundation, the Toronto Community Foundation, accounted for only $37,294.68 in donations to the charity when the mayor has claimed more than $100,000 in donations on his website?

When asked about that during his deposition, Ford stammered, “That was inaccurate. I was probably saying it would be that much. It could total that much. It could in five or six… the years to come. I could easily fundraise that much money for it.”

More to the legal point

How could someone like Ford, who’s been in politics for more than a decade, pretend to be so ignorant of conflict rules? There’s a handbook. Councillors sign a declaration after they take office that they will “faithfully and impartially” exercise their duties and “disclose any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in accordance with the Municipal Conflict Of Interest Act.”

It’s not a formality. It’s a sworn statement, a promise to the public, signed in front of the city clerk. It’s the mayor’s duty to understand conflict guidelines.

Ford can’t argue that he didn’t understand the rules.

In the past, he’s excused himself from votes, declaring a conflict on some of the most mundane matters, including changes to parking times on the street where the family business in located.

The mayor received six letters from the integrity commissioner ordering him to pay back the money. He ignored every one of them.

Who wins? 

Certainly not council’s left if Ford gets the boot. The last thing progressive forces want is to go into an election defending what looks like an attempt by the left to hijack the democratic process. Ford has already begun playing the spunky victim card, saying that if he’s bounced he’ll run again.

Who loses? 

As attractive as the prospect of seeing Ford rousted from office may seem, a by-election to replace him would further divide a city whose council is just beginning to assert its authority despite constant distractions by the mayor.

Epilogue 

The audit of his campaign expenses, another court date awaiting the mayor, may prove more problematic politically.

But in terms of the conservative brand and those charged with protecting it, i.e., the power brokers behind the scenes with agendas bigger than Ford’s re-election, there’ll be much to think about. Like whether or not the mayor has become a serious embarrassment and if it’s time to back another horse.

The wider public that voted for Ford seems to be taking note, and some of his friends in the usually favourable media, too, have begun to openly address the possibility of an exit, however remote. Former Ford insiders are chatting up a storm behind the scenes that can only mean one thing: more negative publicity is in the offing.

Team Ford seems to be smelling a change in the air. Two years from the next election, the mayor’s peeps are already in re-election mode, trotting out the mayor in the company of his family at the Ex and on summer vacation in Edmonton. The polling to identify unfriendly councillors he can topple in 2014 has already begun. But there’ll be more storms to weather before then. And by that time there won’t be much left of his Teflon coating. 

Tennis Champion Serena Williams Interview With David Letterman She Talks About The US OPEN & Her Career.

Days Of Our Lives Short Clip: After The Olympics on NBC Will & Sonny Finally Kiss!!!!

Good news Days of our Lives Fans after a whole year of waiting and praying Will and Sonny are finally going to kiss! Check out this clip at the ten second mark Sonny makes a move on Will and kisses him. However, the kiss is kind of sad because it appears Will rejects Sonny. However, the more I think about it, it does appear the gay romance is finally going to happen!! Will and Sonny do need some angst before they become a couple. I just hope Sonny isn’t going to chase Will around Salem. Sonny’s too hot it isn’t believable that other men wouldn’t be interested in him. I hope, Brian or Tad or someone else makes a claim to Sonny and then Will gets jealous realizing Sonny is his true love.

Salon Article: Is It Time For Tom Cruise To Follow Anderson Cooper’s Example & Come Out Of The Closet?

BY GREG OLEAR,

This article originally appeared on The Weeklings.

Tom Cruise’s wife is leaving him.

A few days ago, Katie Holmes, the other half of TomKat, the mother of Tom’s only biological child, and the impetus of his notorious Oprah couch-jump, filed for divorce in New York. As Amy Argetsinger points out at the Washington Post, Holmes becomes the third Mrs. Cruise to jump ship at the age of 33 (which probably has some numerological-Scientological significance Beck would be able to explain).

About the only person surprised by this is Tom Cruise, who turns 50 today (he was born on the third of July).

Whatever went on behind closed doors, the Cruise-Holmes union seemed, to those of us following it obsessively at TMZ and Us Weekly, like a P.R. stunt. Holmes staggered through publicity appearances like a catatonic, while Cruise’s egregious and desperate determination to convince us that the relationship was legit comprised the worst performance of his acting career.

Let the record show that I’m a huge Tom Cruise fan. I love the guy. I became aware of him as an actor, as opposed to just a guy in the movies, when I went to see Interview with a Vampire. Anne Rice had been outspoken in her disappointment at the casting of Cruise as Lestat — and he wound up being the only thing in the movie worth watching. He killed in that flick. He kills in every flick. “Jerry Maguire,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Tropic Thunder,” “Magnolia,” “Collateral” — stand-out performances, all. Is he limited? Sure, but who isn’t? I may not like every movie he does (“Mission Impossible” is wretched, and “Vanilla Sky” is a train wreck), but I always like him. The guy is a movie star, plain and simple, and he’s been one for a staggeringly long period of time.

His personal life, however, is harder to get behind. It’s not so much what we know as what we don’t — or, rather, what we think we know. Yes, he’s a Scientologist … but what does that mean, exactly? Does he really believe all that stuff, or is Scientology just another high-profile acting job?

And then there’s the elephant in the room. The big, pink elephant.

The rumors have dogged him for decades now, since before he rocked out to Bob Seger in tighty-whities. That he wants to do it to for Johnny. That Mimi and Nicole and Katie were beautiful beards. That what he really desires is A Few Good Men.

If there is fire to be found in this great cloud of gay smoke, it would be remarkable. The guy’s been A-list famous since 1983, and there has been no public evidence at all, none, to support the rumors. Masseurs have not pressed charges against him; photographs of him kissing other men on the lips on a tarmac have not popped up on the Internet, unlike other movie-star Scientologists we can name. In this day and age, when so many celebrities rise and fall by virtue of a stray tweet, when everyone in greater Los Angeles has a camera phone and thus the capability to catch him in flagrante delicto, it’s almost inconceivable that he could be acting on these alleged homoerotic impulses. Either he’s straight, or he gives new meaning to the term Cruise control.

But if the rumors are true … if he does prefer the company of men … if his impossible mission is to be an openly gay action-movie star, his course of action now is clear: Tom Cruise needs to take a page from the Anderson Cooper playbook. He needs to come out, he needs to come out big-time, and when he gets hitched again, he should marry a guy.

It’s not like this sort of disclosure is unprecedented. Cary Grant confessed to bisexuality when he was an old man; so did Richard Burton. Why not Tom Cruise?

Yes, this would be incredibly brave — the sort of courage we come to expect from a man who so convincingly played Maverick and Ethan Hunt. It would also be admirable to the Nth degree. One press release would transform him from thrice-divorced Scientologist weirdo to civil rights hero and gay icon. He could live his life out in the open, and in so doing, make the world a better, more tolerant place. And instead of jumping on Oprah’s couch, he could jump on Ellen’s.

That’s if he’s gay. (Note to the attorneys for Mr. Cruise: I am merely repeating oft-repeated rumors, and this should not be read as an endorsement of them). If he’s not — if the real Tom Cruise is exactly what he’s shown us — then take note, Mila Kunis and Eliza Dushku and Amber Heard and every other hot Hollywood 20-something on the make: Mrs. Tom Cruise is a plum part, and auditions will be held soon.

Wonderful Video: A Female Fan States She Supports R&B Singer Frank Ocean’s Decision To Come Out The Closet!!!

LA Times Article: Frank Ocean’s Coming Out Could Be Watershed Moment In Black Music Views About Homosexuality.

Frank Ocean performs at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Related photos »

• Photos: Gay Celebrities: Who is out?
• Frank Ocean releases statement on his sexuality
• Live: Frank Ocean at the El Rey
• Frank Ocean album ‘Channel Orange’ due July 17

By Gerrick D. KennedyJuly 4, 2012, 11:45 a.m.

Frank Ocean’s Def Jam debut, “Channel Orange,” isn’t due for two weeks, but the album has had Twitter abuzz for days.

As the Odd Future crooner previewed the highly anticipated disc for press, attention shifted to his sexuality after one blogger’s brief mention that when he sings about love on a number of tracks he uses “him” as opposed to “her.”

It was that quick line that has dominated the blogosphere.

PHOTOS: Gay celebrities, who is out?

What was fascinating about the rampant speculation about Ocean isn’t that it spread so quickly (much of this week’s headlines have centered on Anderson Cooper confirming his sexual orientation), but rather how many blogs haphazardly drafted their own analysis, most of them without having heard the album.

Now we know for sure: Tuesday evening Ocean took to his Tumblr to address the spreading headlines. In a preface post, he wrote that he would be posting what was originally meant to appear in the liner notes for “Channel Orange.” He made clear that he lived the lyrics in his songs, which he sings with such an intense passion, urgency and plainness. This was his story.

“With all the rumors going round.. i figured it’d be good to clarify..,” he wrote.

In the letter – actually a screenshot of a note document – he describes the first time he fell in love with a man and how the relationship progressed. He bluntly stated, “I don’t know what happens now, and that’s alrite. I don’t have any secrets I need kept anymore.”

“4 summers ago, I met somebody. I was 19 years old. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. Everyday almost. And on the days we were together, time would glide,” Ocean wrote in part of the letter. “Most of the day I’d see him, and his smile. I’d hear his conversation and his silence … until it was time to sleep. Sleep I would often share with him. By the time I realized I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless…”

The straightforward letter – which can be read in its entirety here – is undoubtedly the glass ceiling moment for music. Especially black music, which has long been in desperate need of a voice like Ocean’s to break the layers of homophobia. There are plenty of reasons this moment has so much weight. Too many for any single article to explore.

Ocean has never talked at length about his personal life, leaving his music and its often-complex narratives to drive the conversation. But in a culture where the gossip increasingly and frustratingly outweighs the music, Ocean’s casual and candid approach to addressing his personal life, and revealing his personal truth of having loved a man, will be seen as groundbreaking.

There was no cover story, no anonymous sources or PR-orchestrated announcement (though this is not to demean those celebrities who have taken those approaches to this issue). Sure this will be seen as his “coming out” but it should be noted he doesn’t use the word “gay” or “bisexual,” and his letter isn’t about caving to the pressures of the labels we are so quick to pass out.

Ocean told his story on his terms and in his own words, something virtually unheard of in hip-hop and R&B — genres he has already pushed forward artistically with his work, and could push further.

Thursday, Ocean played the disc for a small group of music reporters at Los Angeles’ Capitol Records.

“This will take about an hour of your life,” he said before focusing on the control board and bobbing his head to the album, a stellar kaleidoscope of atmospheric beats, lush harmonies and those complex narratives he’s known for.

“It’s a bad religion, to be in love with someone who can never love you,” he muses over an organ on “Bad Religion,” one of the track’s catching attention along with the Andre 3000-assisted “Pink Matter” and the album’s wrenching closer “Forrest Gump,” where he sings of a boy he once knew.

“You’re running on my mind, boy,” he offers on the track.

The reaction to Ocean’s revelation is still uncertain –- although any negativity can be drowned out by the album’s raw beauty and masterful craftsmanship. The outpouring of tweets supporting Ocean has made it clear that he’s going to get a fair amount of love from fans and the industry, with some already touting him as a hero and a trailblazer. Being someone of his stature will place a heavy burden on his shoulders as being the “first,” but this moment was so very necessary.

Hopefully, in the wake of his letter, the urban community will fully embrace Ocean for his honesty and bravery. It’s impossible he’s alone.

Blind Gossip Katie Holmes Married Tom Cruise So He Could Stay In The Closet & Hide His Homosexuality!!!

She has Finally Pulled the Chip Out of Her Head

SOLVED!

BlindGossip – She has finally pulled the chip out of her head and is shedding her controlling hubby! And, boy, is he mad! Her attorneys are working on a “Dissolution of Contract,” not a “Dissolution of Marriage” – yet. That’s the next step. She will be asking for sole custody of the kid/s. She is not currently pregnant.

Her attorneys – especially one who worked with her predecessor –  think that they have been able to work around most of the restrictions in her original business agreement with her husband. She did not fulfill the terms of the contract that would maximize her payout, but she will receive a sizeable chunk of change to keep quiet about his personal life and his special relationship with another high-profile man.

You will still see them together, albeit much less frequently, and they will continue to be very civil towards each other. They will attend events and will travel as a family when one goes to work. They will both have smiles plastered on their faces, but you will know that hers is really just a smirk, and he is absolutely seething inside over having lost control of the situation.

In the past few weeks, she has left two events separately from her husband because she was so annoyed with his behavior. Each time, she met up with her ex for several hours. While she is spending time with her ex, we do not know if they are romantically involved again.

SOLVED!

It’s Katie Holmes! Source: BlindGossip.com

Katie really started getting irritated with Tom during the second year of marriage. It was fun at first, playing a role, being a mother, being so high-profile, but Tom’s controlling ways were wearing her down and she wanted out.

She didn’t think that she could last the entire five years. However, the contract was a long and elaborate one, and had conditions that she needed to fulfill in order to walk away without substantial personal and professional damage.

That’s when her team came up with the concept of trying to nullify parts of the contract. Long story short, it didn’t work and it put Kate in a bad position. Tom now knew that she wanted out of her contract, and he was really angry. There was no way he was going to allow this young girl to make him look like a fool.

She could have walked away at that point, but she would have almost certainly lost custody of Suri. It was too much of a risk for her, and she was unwilling to leave the child behind. So she stayed.

This was all taking place around the same time that there were rumors of Kate being pregnant with another baby. Those rumors were completely false. Kate was never going to have another baby where Tom would be named the father, no matter what the possible financial incentives might be.

The ex with whom she spent some time was Chris Klein. Chris was having personal issues of his own around this time, and was hardly in a position to offer her a healthy alternative to her arrangement with Tom.

As you now know, Kate stayed in the marriage, kept up the happy couple act (remember, she is an actress) and counted the weeks and months until the contract was over.

Grapejuice Music Article News: American R&B Singer Frank Ocean’s Debut Album Will Explore His Bisexuality!!!

Monday, July 2nd 2012

The last year has seen soulful crooner Frank Ocean make his foray from the Underground into the mainstream; a process which looks set to culminate with the release of his debut album ‘Channel Orange’ (due July 17th).

Today saw the LP receive its London press playback, and oh did it serve up more than expected. See what we mean via Max/BBC 1 Xtra‘s preview below…

Excerpt via This is Max:

“Frank has also opened up about his sexuality on the album, we think it’s brave and admire him for being so honest and sharing such a personal aspect of his life through his music. On the songs ‘Bad Religion’ ‘Pink Matter and ‘Forrest Gump’ you can hear him sing about being in love and their are quite obvious words used like ‘him’ and not ‘her’.

In the world we live in now we can’t see this being an issue or why it should be?? But we do commend him for not continuing a facade and conforming to what a Hip Hop so called rule book expects, we say live your life and be yourself.”

************

Intriguing – even more so when considering what this could mean for strides in the “Urban diaspora”. For, having earned accolades a plenty in his short time “on the scene”, it’ll be uber interesting to see the mass reaction to his apparent declaration.

Whatever it is, we can only hope it’s one that isn’t hypocritical. For, any sudden jolts or negative OMG’s would be silly given that the industry has a pronounced “pink” presence – whether folk know or like it. It simply is what it is. If anything, Ocean should garner praise for actually “going there” – given that so many of his contemporaries don’t. Yuuup.