From the ‘Are-We-Surprised?’ file, the Chicago Tribune (2-1) reports that the Vatican has banned transsexuals from the clergy. Transsexuals suffer from ‘mental pathologies,’ cannot be admitted to Roman Catholic religious orders and should be tossed out if they have managed to sneak into the religious life. Unmentioned is whether the Vatican is speaking of male-to-female or female-to-male transsexuals.
The Chicago Tribune (1-26) reports that a Detroit suburb is trying to lure gays and lesbians into that city by advertising in gay publications. Ferndale, Michigan’s manager Tom Barwin says a community has ‘… got to have diversity and embrace all types of people … . [It] can’t afford to be homophobic.’ Nearby Detroit is paying attention and its mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, has stopped making anti-gay noises and is courting lesbigays. Baltimore is also marketing itself to gays and Chicago has already done so.
From the ‘High-Culture-And-High-Notes’ file, the Chicago Tribune (1-30) writes of David Daniels, the openly gay (and totally hunky) counter-tenor who was in Chicago to sing in Handel’s ‘Partenope.’ Counter-tenors sing in the range of female mezzo and contraltos and are re-viving all the castrato roles that have segued into ‘pants’ roles (women singing men’s parts) since clipping little boys to keep them soprano is no longer (uncross your legs, guys) done. Daniels and
other modern counter-tenors (many of whom are gay) have all their equipment, thank you.