NY Times Rodeo Cowboy Video: Yee-Haw!

Rodeo men on the road, from the NY Times Magazine. Photos and video by Collier Schorr. The cowboy way looks pretty good indeed...

A quick Saturday morning post that I had to share... I was just perusing the New York Times site and came across a video feature (which is a sidebar to a style feature and  a gorgeous photo essay by Collier Schorr in tomorrow's Sunday Magazine) that chronicles the lives of young rodeo cowboys on the road.

Now, these fellas certainly seem straight, but you can't help but be charmed by their "aw shucks" demeanor, their scrappy good looks and sweet dispositions. And yes, they all share hotel beds, talk about bareback riding (ahem! it's actually almost jarring and refreshing to hear that term used in it's traditional sense), getting into "pickles," and living in a "world without women." And they sure like to show off their belt buckles.

Just watch the video "Cinderella Motel" and you'll see what I mean.

So, who wants to go to the rodeo with me?

Daily Buzz Bits: Naked Broadway Gods, Gay Gyms, Homo Husbands...

Broadway's gods and goddesses will bare their heavenly bodies -- all for charity!!! -- this Sunday in NYC. Hallelujah!

This Sunday night, the hottest men and women of Broadway dance around nearly naked for charity. Yep, it’s Broadway Bares time again. Here’s some nice eye candy (with commentary!).

AND...

This Rufus Wainwright vs. Anderson Cooper gymcentric slapfest has prompted a new debate: Which is the gayest gym in New York City? (Er, aren’t they all gay?)

Whoa... This whole “Eeek! Is my husband gay?” mania has gotten way out of control. (Thanks Mrs. McGreevey and Terry McMillan.) Even the Barnes & Noble in Chelsea is in on the act.

Paper Magazine’s Mr. Mickey is a smart chatty fellow. And now he offers sartorial (and lovelife) advice online! Tidbits: Straight frattish boys like lacey panties! And to be fabulous? Just be yourself.

The Village Voice’s Michael Musto serves gay dish on Lily Tomlin, Tom Cruise, Anne Heche... But, like, fun new stuff!

Ouch. Maybe tennis players should wear cups?

Look What Washed Ashore: Curl Girls!!!

Annette Funicello never looked like THIS... Meet Jessica, Melissa, Gingi, Erin, Michele and Vanessa of CURL GIRLS.

Hear the crash of the waves? Smell the cocoa butter? Getting a whiff of some soon-to-be-drama? What you're really hearing and smelling is savoring is what may just be the foxiest new show of the summer. Or at least the sunniest. It's the new lesbian surfer reality series, CURL GIRLS, which is coming in a couple of weeks, on Logo (starting Monday, June 18th at 10pm). (I'd link to the show's site, but it's not live yet. File it under "Coming Soon!" Like, tomorrow.) I'm hoping this series is gonna be hawt; as of yet I haven't seen any of it, but I did get to meet an couple of the women in April at the GLAAD awards and they were fun, and funny and friendly and wildly cool.

And it's soooo time for queer women to have a cool, foxy reality show on their own terms. And they look amazing in bikinis, but not the least bit airbrushed or boob-a-licious. They're just real and sporty and surfing and awesome-looking. What's not to love!????

More Curl Girls -- and VIDEO -- after the jump!

GLAAD Media Awards: Two Class Acts

The two classiest celebs of all on the stage during the GLAAD Awards in L.A. this past Saturday? Easily it was the pair of former pro athletes who've moved on to become powerful voices of gay activism in the sports world and far beyond.

John Amaechi talks the good talk onstage at GLAAD.

First up was recently out former-NBA star John Amaechi, who may just be the most well-spoken, elegant and kindest-seeming out celebrity fighting the fight today. Amaechi took the stage to announce that he'll be working with GLAAD on a new outreach program that the organization has planned to curb the rampant homophobia prevalent in the sports world. Amaechi's a natural speaker (sure, his dulcit British accent doesn't hurt either), and his moving message onstage becomes even more impressive when one learns that he wasn't reading from a schlocky teleprompter speech. He was speaking from the heart. You can see it when the GLAAD Awards airs on Logo this coming weekend... Anyway, what a guy!

And here's a shot of Amaechi at the post-awards party with his friend (boyfriend maybe?) Joey. The two were embracing outside while chatting with friends. (They opted for a more casual pose for this pic.) They were great looking together. Awwwww...

John & Joey, chillin' after the show.

The other legendary class act at GLAAD. Not surprisingly, Martina Navratilova, who's always been a valiant fighter for LGBT rights (since coming out waayyyyy back in 1981). She was funny and powerful and insistent on how gay rights are her personal passion. She may have retired from tennis but, when it comes to gay rights, Navratilova said "I will never retire until we have full equality." She was awarded the Stephen F. Kolzak award for her years of activism. Laughing about the video montage shown of her as part of the show, she cracked: "That video, those hairstyles! Sanjaya's got nothing on me... But at least I can play tennis." Ouch!

Martina, gracious onstage... And backstage, too!

Anyway, big props to these two athletes/gay legends. We're lucky to have them.

Breaking Underwear News! Rugby Dude Hawks 3-D Stretchy Briefs!

New Zealand rugby hottie Dan Carter wants to show off his new Jockey undies line. But he's too shy.

This just in from New Zealand... Dan Carter, star of the New Zealand rugby union team, the Canterbury Crusaders and for the All Blacks (I have no idea what those things mean), is quickly becoming the Southern Hemisphere’s answer to David Beckham. He’s hot, a superb sportsman, and he’s modeling undies. And, er... he’s hot!

Earlier today, Carter hosted a press conference unveiling his new line of sporty man panties for Jockey. Weirdly, he was too shy to undress and show off his skivvies at the press conference, but there are lots of pics online of him peddling his wares.

Carter up top. And all over.

And the underwear is apparently revolutionary, with “3D Innovation!” As the PR info sez: “What makes Jockey 3D innovation so exceptional is that it’s dimensionally engineered, so it exactly follows the shape of the body.” Evidently the Jockey folks anatomically researched 11,000 men to make sure the briefs would fit just so. And it’s got “8-way stretch design” (who knew your crotch and butt could stretch 8 ways?) which eliminates “twisting and bunching.”

Whoa. I think I need a shower.

Just go here and here to see Dan in his drawers. And check out this site where Dan does sit-ups for all enternity. Stretchy!

Sports Buzz Bits: Peyton Manning “Live”, Chanel Plays Ball, and Gay Jocks Score Ad $$$

Introducing starting quarterback, Karl Lagerfeld... (more on this below)

Hey sports fans! Here’s a run down of some athletically supportive headlines...

Peyton Manning’s hosting SNL next weekend (on March 24th). I think he’s kinda funny already... Carrie Underwood will be the musical guest that week. Which means the show will be very, very white.

Lots more after the jump...

Pro-Basketballer John Amaechi Comes Out!

Former NBA player John Amaechi is coming out! Welcome to openly gay-land, sir!

Okay, I should really say FORMER NBA player comes out, since John Amaechi retired from his last stint with the Utah Jazz in 2003 (he also played with the Orlando Magic and the Cleveland Cavaliers), but nonetheless, it’s kinda cool. He’s the first NBA player ever to come out as a gay. (Plus, he’s big, tall, good-looking and has a cool British accent. What’s not to love?)

Amaechi shoots for the English team at the Commonwealth Games a few years back.

Amaechi tells his story in Man in the Middle, to be published by ESPN books and which hits stores on February 13th (or on Feb. 20th; reports are conflicting). Turns out that the British b-baller is really frank about his life as a closeted pro athlete. And it’s cool to report that’s he’s very graceful, smart, self-deprecating and witty in how he tells his tale. Turns out that after his initital post-collegiate stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Amaechi spent three years playing basketball in Europe, where he dated and had a regular boyfriend in England for a while (awwwww...). He came back to the NBA in 1999, and remained celibate until he joined the Utah Jazz. Then, as Outsports writes:

His guaranteed contract with the Jazz set his mind at ease, and it was there that he began venturing out to gay establishments and building a mostly gay circle of friends (the first wide circle of friends of his life, according to the book).

"Those grumpy social conservatives who continue to insist that gay life is lonely and unhappy have obviously never met my friends," Amaechi wrote.


In fact, it turns out that Amaechi has been in touch with OutSports’ Cyd Zeigler for the past few months, and Zeigler even helped him hook up with publicist Howard Bragman, who also steered the coming out process for other pro jocks like WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes, NFL-er Esera Tuaolo and golfer Rosie Jones.



This is gonna hit bookstores in the next week or so. Get it!

You can hear more from Amaechi directly this weekend. He’ll be the subject of ESPN's weekly talk show "Outside the Lines" this Sunday, February 11th at 9:30 a.m. ET. The book will also be excerpted next week on ESPN.com and in the next issue of ESPN: The Magazine.

Does this mean we can expect bad puns on the term "swish"??? (Which usually references the sound a ball makes when it goes through the net...) Oooof.

Congrats, Amaechi!

Super Bowl Buzz Bits

Drenched Colt Dallas Clark beams after Indy's big rainy win at the Super Bowl last night.

Quick thoughts on watching the Super Bowl last night...

I was happy the Colts won. Yep, I too am a sucker for America’s Sweetheart, Peyton Manning, mainly because of those funny MasterCard commercials. (I loooove it when the kid shrieks when he gets spritzed in the face with the latte steam. Cracks me up every time. Durrrr...)

Peyton Manning and Colts coach Tony Dungy endure the throngs of media types and well-wishers following their big win.

But I also love the Bears running back, Thomas Jones. We both went to the same high school and college, and he’s a super-cool, classy athlete. Still, I was glad to see the Colts turn it out. (Maybe I just like blue-and-white more than black-and-orange?)



The Bears' Thomas Jones: All wet at the end of the big game.

Frankly, the highlight of the game for me was Prince’s halftime show. I thought it rocked, and I love seeing the androgynous superstar—who seemed to turn on his fey charms last night, bigtime—seizing the focus for a fun, splashy and sassy musical throwdown at this traditionally patriarchal sports-fest. Also, that back-up singer in white with the tamborine charging around the stage was fierce. As where the two long-haired back-up dancers. And the phallic guitar silouette moments were hilarious! Plus, the grand finale with “Purple Rain” served up all-anthemic like in a rainstorm, while marching bands wearing glow-in-the-dark piping on their uniforms strutted around was just killer. Go Prince! Best halftime show, ever!



Prince reigns in the rein last night during the Super Bowl's fiercest halftime show, like, ever.


Who doesn't love a big quasi-phallic Princely bit of shadow dancing during halftime, eh?

But what’s with that Snickers ad where the male mechanics accidentally kiss—then have to uncomfortably re-assert their “manly” status? I mean, it wasn’t unconscionably offensive, but it was uber-lame. And I always thought two guys kissing was twice as manly...

At first, I was surprised by this ad’s boldness—the two guys munching on the same candy bar was pretty suggestive... But then it wussed out and retreated to its weird version of quasi-homophobic immaturity. And if you go to the Snickers site, you see other possible endings, which are also kind of offensive. And the video of the players reacting to the ad is a weird little showcase of unpleasantness. And hello--I expect Snickers knew they'd get a bad reaction from the athletes, and still chose to run the clips of them being grossed out by two guys kissing. What's that about? As, Andy at Towleroad mentioned about all of this, no wonder pro athletes stay in the closet. Let me know what you think.

Also, not sure of any further reports about Colts’ coach Tony Dungy’s involvement in this Focus on the Family event. Sounds creepy.

Anyway... Here are some choice Super Bowl pics from last night... Including a shot of the always festive Johnny Knoxville hitting the Playboy Super Bowl party in Miami (with Alyssa Milano).

Johnny Knoxville and Alyssa Milano: Say cheese!

Happy Colts Dallas Clark and Robert Matthis get frisky with the big Vince Lombardi trophy after the Colts win the big Bowl game last night. Or maybe they're trying to re-create that Snickers ad?

Colts Reggie Wayne and Anthony McFarland also got all excited last night. Awwwwww...

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri beams in the locker-room post-game.

Towel-clad Colts players celebrate the post-game way in the locker room with their coach--and about a zillion reporters.

Meanwhile, a bummed-out Bear, Hunter Hillenmeyer, takes it all in as Chicago loses. Better luck next year, dude.

Harshing on Johnny Weir: Skaters—Don’t Be Haters!

Figure skating champ Johnny Weir. Sure, he's flamboyant. What's wrong with that? Read on...

So there’s a video clip from Nancy Kerrigan’s "World of Skating" show wherein Kerrigan and commentors Lou Tilley, and openly gay skating maven Mark Lund all have a snarky meow-fest tearing Johnny Weir a new one. Ouch!

Why they gotta be mean to a fun, flam-glam skating diva like Weir? It’s like kicking a My Little Pony!

First, they show a video clip interview of Weir, which is genius. Weir says he’s got a “stronger look” in mind these days, and that he’s planning a skating routine “loosley based on Jesus Christ” (!!!!) Sounds genius. It’s bound to be way more fun to watch than say, The Passion of the Christ, yo.



Mark Lund & Nancy Kerrigan: Gettin' together for a Johnny Weir-bashing party...

Then Mark Lund, who's credited as “Founder, International Figure Skating” (which is a magazine) then turns all skater-commentator-hater on Weir saying petulantly: “I’m sorry—I don’t think he’s representative of the community that I want to be a part of. And who designs these outfits?” Meow! Lund then goes on about Weir’s mention of Jesus: “You can not compare yourself to the Lord Savior as a figure skater! I mean... (gasp! fume!)”

The trio then gush about up-and-coming skater, Evan Lysacek, who may herald the next generation of skater. Which is cool. He’s way cute. But then Lund says that Lysacek has a “classic elegance and masculinity on the ice that we need to see in male figure skating. I’m sorry, I don’t need to see a prima ballerina on the ice.” Hmmmm, I’m not sure people look to figure skating as a bastion of aggressively butched-out athletics, but that’s just me.

And they still needn’t all gang up Mean Girls-style on Weir? What’s their damage? Are they jealous they didn’t get to walk the Heatherette runway like Weir? Or because Weir has the fiercest website, like, ever. (Go here and check out his faves. How can you hate on a guy who’s favorite show of 2006 is The Girls Next Door?)

C’mon, people. Can’t we all just skate and be friends?

New Singer Alert: Kelly Sweet

Kelly Sweet: 18, sings nicely, and not trashy. We like!

There are no shortage of eager, earnest young vocalists out there. But it’s rare that one kind of busts out in front of the crowd to make an impression. Or, at least an impression that’s not snared by screechy American Idol antics, or just skeezy behavior on reality TV.

So arriving to add a bit of class to the music world is newcomer Kelly Sweet. Yes, she’s 18 years old, but she’s got a worldly wise vibe to her. And while the Cape Cod native is poised to become the next adult-contemporary darling (her debut disc, We Are One, due in March 2007, is produced by folks who’ve cranked out hits for Josh Groban and Celine Dion), she’s got a sense of oomph to her work that lends it a bit more impact. She’s already gotten props in pubs like USA Today and Teen People; and she’s had her tunes played on the soaps “Passions” and “One Life to Live”—so yes, she’s starting to make the media rounds. Right now, she’s got a version “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” out which you can hear, too.

Sweet writes much of her own music, although she also turns out a pretty nice version of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” too. Basically, her stuff is smart and sensitive singer/songwriter pop music. Think of it as very Gilmore Girls-y.

Whoa. It looks windy out there in sensitive, wispy pop-music land!

The first single from Sweet is called “Raincoat,” which will hit radio stations in early January. And the titular ballad “We Are One” is going to have dance remixes, too.

Sweet’s even got nice, inspirational quotes posted on her blog section of her MySpace page. Here’s a part of one that she likes; it’s a quote from Martha Graham, writing to Agnes DeMille (wurk!):

“You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than others."

Yep, ya gotta love that queer, divine dissatisfaction.

The Gay Tailgating Continues: Making a Difference at BC

Go Eagles! These folks are among those making Boston College a better place for LGBT students. Cool, eh?

Todd Heustess over at OutSports (you know, the website for gay sports fans) is continuing his cross-country Tailgating Tour, and his most recent trip took him to the thriving tailgating scene at Boston College. And he had a great time.



Cookin' "out" at B.C. Get it? "OUT?"


But, what suprised Heustess this time around was the pioneering spirit, the courage and the energy of BC's young queer coeds, who are very actively working to change the way LGBT folks are perceived and treated at their school. Sure, Boston's a modern, hip city that's used to gay folks, but nonetheless, Heustess was astounded to find out that Boston College was recently ranked the "#3 Most Homophobic School in the Nation." Gulp!

Check up on his visit, and meet the very cool and impressive students working to make sure that their school is one that queer students can be proud of. Pretty cool stuff.

Go team!

Gay College Tailgating Parties!

Gay football fans (and tailgatin' party people) at Ohio State. Go Buckeyes!


I’m not the world’s most sporty person, but sometimes you can’t deny your roots. I was raised in a sports-loving family in Virginia (high school football, college football, baseball, golf, skiing, basketball—my brothers and I were all up in that), and so this past weekend when I headed south to Roanoke, Virginia to visit family, we made a trek to Charlottesville to attend the Virginia vs. Maryland football game. (I went to University of Virginia, so it’s a nice little time-warp trip for me to visit C’ville any old time. Check my grainy cell-phone pics below...) And yes, we tailgated, like one does. There were beverages (beer, wine, otherwise) ham and cheese biscuits, baked beans, fried chicken, cakes and everything else you could desire comfort-food-wise. What’s not to love?



Left, the UVA team charges the field (they're down there with the band, running through the big "V") in Charlottesville this past Saturday. And (right) a shot of the Rotunda from the university grounds.


Turns out, there are gay college football fans tailgating every weekend all over the U.S. Some do it with their friends and fans, others do it with official gay alumni organizations. Heck, maybe they even have a gay tailgating crew at your favorite school! (If you went to college, ask your alumni assocation or gay student group, if you can track them down.)

This just leads me to direct you to OutSports.com, the totally killer website clocking all things sporty and of interest to gay folks. And this fall, OutSports’ Todd Huestess is on his own Tailgating Tour (or would that be tail-“gay”-ting?), and so far he’s checked in with queer football fans whooping it up at the University of Texas, at the University of Arizona, and at Ohio State.



More gay Ohio State tailgaters!


Todd’s wrap-ups from games all over are a fun, social (and sporty!) snapshot of gay life integrated into mainstream (very mainstream) culture, and they’re fun to read. You’ll read about the “undercover lesbians” in Texas who attend the ball games thanks to the “hot chicks, big beers, and even bigger boobs.” And he hangs out with the official gay fraternity brothers in Tuscon, as well as a local gay bar owner who’s had the same choice tailgating/parking spot for years! Plus, a thriving gay alumni scene at Ohio State.

Here are some pics. And gay college football fans take note... Chances are, you could be tailgating with fellow homos somewhere this weekend. Go team!

Look! Ohio State's official LGBT group banner. Yay!



And yet MORE Ohio States fans queerin' it up.

Meanwhile, the gay folks at University of Arizona know how to throw a party, too.



You think these Arizona fans are painted all over?



These Arizona women are turnin' it out too, thanks.

And at University of Texas, it's all about longhorns and burnt orange...



...and suggestive corndog eating.



...and, duh--FOOTBALL!

See you at the game.

Buzz Bits: Sir Ian, Rosie and Gay (or not) Boy Bands

Four out of 5ive ain't bad. And they ain't gay, either.


OMG! The U.K. boy band 5ive are back together (sure, you’ve possibly never heard of them, but they’re big in Europe). And they all just totally came out as gay!!!! Oh wait, not really...

Dirty Sanchez isn’t just a band featuring gay performers Jackie Beat and Mario Diaz... Just ask Saved By the Bell’s “Screech,” who’s got a sex tape allegedly making the rounds. Yikes!

A British footballer is being called out for barking anti-gay slurs during a heated match last night. Paul Scholes shrieked “f***ing poof”—and the Brit gay activists aren’t having it.

Rosie: She is loved.


There are some fierce women on TV these days: Rosie, Sandra Oh, Tina Fey—and Tyra! Let AfterEllen clue you in.

Ashlee Simpson collapses onstage in London. But, hey... She meant to.

So the Scissor Sisters album is out now. But not if you shop at FYE or Wherehouse or Coconuts? Who knew record distributors were so sensitive?

Sir Ian: Lookin' (and talkin') sharp!


And you gotta love the articulate, self-deprecating, and supremely talented Sir Ian McKellen:

"It's not the greatest imposition in the world to say you cannot be a Hollywood romantic lead in his 20s if it's known you are gay. Get another job. Became a character actor like me. Become a director. Become a screenwriter. Become an agent. A designer. Become a producer. There are plenty of openly gay people in all of those jobs. What's so enduring about being the next Brad Pitt?"

Read the entire (it’s long!) and fabulous interview on AfterElton.

Gays Love Tennis: The U.S. Open Opens!

Can we call them "Leichen"? The boys hit the U.S. Open yesterday, just fyi...

Just in case you were wondering where Reichen and Lance were yesterday, why they were at the opening day festivities at the U. S. Open, naturally...


Meanwhile, today in Queens, the lovely, fab, and openly gay Wimbledon champ Amelie Mauresmo faces off against Kristina Barrios; and the second-ranked Maria Sharapova (love those “I Feel Pretty” Nike ads) will meet Michaella Krajicek. And among the men Rafael Nadal will battle Mark Philippoussis and James Blake (who enjoys an Evian bath center court) looks to splash around the court with Juan Monaco.

Andy Roddick defeated Florent Serra to advance yesterday. And he flashed that classic Roddick torso!

From the stands uber-legend Martina Navratilova gave a big “heyyyyy...” to the adoring crowds. But what's that woman's hand doing near her crotch?

And outside, more celeb types showed up, including another mega-legend, Billie Jean King. In fact, before the night session began, the entire U.S. Open tournament grounds were officially renamed the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. King is the only woman to win U.S. singles titles on all four surfaces. Work!

And here’s the rest of the Day One visitors.

Bebe Neuwirth's all like, "Er, I've got my ticket. Can I go watch tennis now?"

And Gayle King is totally not gay, and not Oprah's girlfriend, all right? She's just here to see some tennis, too. Yeesh!

And I'm not even gonna make a joke that goes like, "Hey--The Devil Wears a Cute Blood-Red Little Ensemble!" as Miss Wintour makes the scene. So don't even go there...

Cheers!

See Ya Gay Games!

Happy! This medalist's smile sums up the Gay Games big finish.

The Gay Games VII wrapped up in Chicago yesterday. Medalists, participants and supportive fans gave the Games one last hurrah in Wrigley Field at the splashy Closing Ceremonies. OutSports, 365Gay and CBS News on Logo all have reports from the finale. Props to all the inspiring athletes (from figure skaters to ballroom dancers, from wrestlers to rowers) who had the courage and enthusiasm to participate.

Now, sports fans… Catch your breath because the Montreal OutGames get underway later this week, with k.d. lang, Liza Minnelli, Deborah Cox, Martha Wash and Cirque du Soleil among those entertainers ready to welcome you during the OutGames Opening Ceremonies this Saturday, July 29th.

But first, here are some parting shots from the Gay Games Closing party. And yes, Cyndi Lauper just may be gaydom’s biggest supporter ever! A rainbow-hued Statue of Liberty? Why not???

The L Word's Pam Grier hit the stage for the Gay Games Closing shindig.

Outside, anti-gay protestors were met by these warm and fuzzy anti-anti-gay signwavers.

Some kind of onstage Brokeback tribute? Okay... Sure...

And as always, Cyndi Lauper shows her gay-loving "True Colors." Let freedom ring, y'all!

Gay Games: Diving, Sweating, Spiking and Sashaying

Keepin' cool at the Gay Games. Photo for Gay Games VII by Edith Sieg.

Despite the sweltering temps, the Gay Games keep charging along in Chicago. Cyd and the Outsports guys bring you pics and dish from the fields. And the CBS News on Logo folks (Jason Bellini, Chagmion Antoine and Itay Hod) are running all over Chicago chatting up atheletes and gamers galore.

Among the varied offerings on tap today, you can check out the Physique preliminaries (Strike a pose! Shows us your muscles!), a concert by the Gay Games VII Band, a “Big Gay Cruise” and a Pride Pool Party. So yes, the goings-on in Chicago haven’t been all about sports. Some guys from the West Hollywood water polo crew evidently entertained club-goers by dancing onstage Sunday night at the watering hole Spin, wearing little more than hand towels! Sporty, indeed.

And a quote from one amusingly frank tennis competitor (via Outsports): ““Being used to the heat isn’t much of an advantage. me. I need Tonya Harding to come and bash my opponents’ knees if I’m ever going to have a chance to win.”

And here are some more pics to put you in the spirit of things…



The men get their volleyball on at North Avenue Beach. Spike it! Photo by Betty Lark Ross for Gay Games VII.





Beach volleyball gets huggy. Photo by Betty Lark Ross for Gay Games VII.





Diving's a pretty good way to keep cool. Photo by Edith Sieg for Gay Games VII.





Gay divers, the "stars and stripes"... Now, that's America! Photo by Edith Sieg for Gay Games VII.





Even cooler than diving (temperature wise, anyway) would be hockey! Though gay hockey's kinda hot. Photo by Jon Peterson for Gay Games VII.





And a glimpse from the DanceSport activities in Chicago. Nice ballroom, eh? Photo by Beth Rooney for Gay Games VII.





Awww... Kinda sweet, right? Photo by Beth Rooney for Gay Games VII.





These women are serious dancers. And sassy! Photo by Beth Rooney for Gay Games VII.





Getting loose and ready backstage. Photo by Beth Rooney for Gay Games VII.





Awwww... Photo by Beth Rooney for Gay Games VII.

The Gay Games Heats Up!

Soldier Field gets rainbow-hued as the Gay Games opened with glitz, this past Saturday night. Photo by Judy Rolfe for Gay Games VII.


Things are sporty—and insanely hot—in Chicago as the Gay Games VII charge ahead full-throttle. Yes, temperatures may have topped 100 degrees as Sunday’s events officially got underway, but the Gay Games officials are already taking special precautionary measures, putting hydration and medical support teams on alert. Sounds like a good time to be competing in water sports!



A participant in Saturday's Rainbow Run at the Gay Games feels the heat.


Saturday’s opening ceremonies brought talented types such as Andy Bell, Margaret Cho, Megan Mullally introducing Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Jody Watley, Kate Clinton, Frankie Knuckles, and lots more, including former NFL-star Esera Tuaolo singing the Gay Games Anthem.

All week you can expect news from the games on 365Gay.com, and Outsports’ Cyd Zeigler and his team will be delivering photos, opinionated first-person coverage, and commentary galore. Andy at Towleroad also already has some fun reports, as well as links to lots of Flickr photos pages from the Games. Plus, the CBS News on Logo team will be filing reports from Chicago daily, full of saucy video footage.

And yes, there was a streaker at the Opening Ceremonies, prompting Margaret Cho to comment: “I was so glad I got to see the streaker up close. Sitting by the field, balls whizzing by my head, oh yes, this is the Gay Games.”

Play ball, folks! And stay cool. And check out the pics from Chicago below...



Opening Ceremonies: Soldier Field gets full of gays!



Megan Mullally and Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley head up to the stage to welcome all the Gay Gamers.



The cheerleading crews hit the field to rally the gay troops.



Maggie Cho loves the gays!



So does Jody Watley!



Andy Bell does, too. And he loves Madonna.



Olympic medalist Greg Louganis took the stage to give out the Tom Waddell award for outstanding service in athletics. Nice 'stache!


The athletes grouped up to hit the field during the Opening Ceremonies. Here's Taiwan...



And some of the Australian contingent.



And the happy Irish crew...



And Papua New Guinea gets some representation, too!



A solemn moment during the festivities...



And more fireworks! Yay!

And on Sunday, sports got underway...

There were swimming events...



More swimming as part of the triathlon...



Rubdowns and triage to keep the triathletes healthy and moving...



And then more running. Go, go, go!!!

Bastille, My Heart

Dancers turn out the Can-Can at the annual Bastille Day bash at Les Halles restaurant in New York City.




Bonjour Mes Amis…

Today is Bastille Day in France, that lovely day when the French gays and lesbians and bisexuals and transgender folks (and the rest of the country, too) celebrate their nation’s independence. Or something like that. (Or to quote Wikipedia: “Bastille Day commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the Fête de la Fédération was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern French "nation", and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution.”

Sacre bleu! Here in the U.S., it’s usually an excuse for French-themed parties and such.

Is there a hunchback in the house?

A vineyard in Burgundy. Yum!

I happen to be a huge fan of France. I love Paris, the wine country and just about every place I’ve been in France. And so now, I’ll just rattle off a few other things that are great about the land of vin, fromage and Catherine Deneuve. Celebrate wherever you are, if you’d like. Or (shameless plug alert) plan a trip to Paris and check out the info on French capital on LogoOnline’s new Trip.Out travel site.

French Gay Magazines

I love the French gay magazines Tetu and Pref because they feature frank, intelligent articles about serious issues affecting gays everywhere, cool cultural coverage, and yes because they also include sexy, artful photography. And, oui, they target gay men mainly (as you can tell from the skin on their covers), but their content is worthwhile reading (albeit in French) for any smart LGBT person.

Vote for one of these lads (or others) to be on the cover of Tetu. Photos by Steeve Beckouet for Tetu.


Right now, Tetu has a fun stunt going online where you can vote on who gets to be one of the magazine’s cover models. These guys above are among those in the running. Go here to vote for your favorite!

And if you just happen to be in New York City tonight, you can go to a Bastille Day party at Crobar celebrating designers Nico & Adrian and Pref Magazine and NYC’s own photographer Joe Oppedisano. It’s gonna be more stylish than a shopping spree at Colette (with more drinks)!

AMELIE

Not that cutesy movie with Audrey Tautou from a few years back. I’m talking about the French lesbian tennis player who triumphed at Wimbledon last week! Sure, the Frenchies blew their chances to win the World Cup, but Mademoiselle Mauresmo is a fabulously out athlete who’s at the top of her game, so the French sports world has nothing to sob about. Plus, she’s hot!

NOUVELLE VAGUE

I love this Paris-based confab, who’ve recently been crafting delicious covers of classic New Wave or punk tunes (like The Clash’s “Guns of Brixton” or “Love Will Tear Us Apart” for the past year or so. Their arrangements veer from Brazilian bossa nova, or plonky French cabaret to strummy, almost folky, eclectic carnival tunes. Their latest release, Bande A Part, comes out in August. It features fab takes on songs like “Heart of Glass,” “The Killing Moon” and “Dancing With Myself”—and they’re all delightfully off-kilter and yet spot-on. Sip a cool rose on a terrace as you spin around in circles in your espadrilles. C’est si bon!

Jason Schwartzman, Kirsten Dunst, director Sofia Coppola, her companion, Phoenix singer Thomas Mars, and British actor Steve Coogan hit the red carpet in Cannes for the Marie-Antoinette premiere.

MARIE-ANTOINETTE

Sofia Coppola’s latest film, starring Kirsten Dunst as the legendarily capricious French monarch, opened at Cannes in May. It didn’t win rave reviews, but I’m dying to see. I can’t quite get my head around Jason Schwartzman as Louis XVI, but the soundtrack features the likes of Adam Ant, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Bow Wow Wow (Yes, Marie-Antoinette wants candy!) The music was all overseen by My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields, who worked so successfully on Coppola’s Lost in Translation soundtrack, so I kinda wanna see it just to experience that. And it’s bound to look gorgeous, at least. Scenes were actually filmed at Versailles!

The film comes out in the U.S. in October.

And of course there are a zillion other reason to celebrate France. Les Nubians. Gay filmmaker Francois Ozon. Camembert. Jean-Paul Gaultier. Some of the world’s best wine. And for just being fussy, freaky, fancy, foppish and fabulous.

The openly gay mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, sez: Come visit France, gays!

Sunset over the Seine. C'est magnifique.


Happy Bastille Day!

Gay Games: Where the Women Are

Lesbians heading to the Gay Games are going to have a busy week ahead. Sure, there are all the mad sporting events to consume, artsy endeavors and pervasive camaraderie. And yes, there are parties! For example, Curve Magazine is hosting scads of shindigs targeting the female games-goers.

There’s a Welcome Reception honoring Lambda Legal hosted by Curve and ChixMix this evening (Friday, July 14th), and next Friday (July 21st) there’s a bash called Score!, which is a ChixMix circuit party to be held, aptly enough, at Circuit nightclub. But the most fun sounds like the saucily titled Black Bra Internationale (which you know is swanky, since it’s got the “e” on the end of “Internationale”). This throwdown is promised to be “Chicago's wildest and sexiest annual dance party with thousand of sexy women sporting black bras, dancing to wild beats and live DJs, and featuring exotic dancers.” Oh my… Sounds crazier than that L Word episode when they all went to Dinah Shore in Palm Springs! For comic relief, the zinger-slinging Suzanne Westenhoefer is gonna perform, too. The Black Bra bash is on Sunday, July 16th at Transit Nightclub.





And yes, there’s also big, week-ending blowout bash to celebrate the closing of the Games on Saturday, July 22nd. Curve Mag’s Official Gay Glames Closing Party, Adrenaline, will open a can of party madness at Metro/Smart Bar. On hand will be The L Word’s newest star, Janina Gavankar, as well as Iyari Limon (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), God-Des & She (also seen on The L Word, and atop Logo’s Click List music video charts), and singer/songwriter Doria Roberts (who’s been featured on this blog!).

Of course, these female-filled smackdowns are just the tip of the lesbian iceberg. Full more party options in the Windy City, head to the Gay Games pages. And for more about these events, head to Curvemag.com.



Photo by Leslie Hahn.

Enjoy yourselves, ladies.