A political cartoon from the Chicago Sun-Times (6-19): A poster of Uncle Sam saying ‘I want you,’ next to a poster of a Canadian mountie saying ‘We always get our man,’ both overlooking a newspaper machine headline ‘Canada to OK gay marriages.’
From the ‘Duh’ file: The NY Times (6-22) reports on a Northwestern University study showing that men and women have different sexual arousal patterns. Heterosexual and lesbian women were aroused by both male and female erotica. Men were much more limited, according to their sexuality. Straight men liked to watch women and gay men liked to watch men: Nothing was implied along the lines of ‘Is this why women are more psychologically stable than men?’
From the ‘Yet-Another-Sexual-Variety’ file: The NY Times (6-22) announces the Metrosexual, a sexually straight (more-or-less) male who enthusiastically embraces his femininity—getting pedicures, shopping for clothes, getting his hair done. ‘America may be on the verge of a metrosexual moment.’
Bravo is introducing a makeover show, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, which will transform a ‘style-deficient and culture deprived straight man from drab to fab.’ American marketeers are trying out terms like ‘PoMosexual,’ ‘just gay enough,’ and ‘flaming heterosexual.’ If nothing else it shows that homophobia is declining quickly among one segment of heterosexual men. The Atlantic Monthly (6-03) in its primary sources column says that the Air Force Reserves, until last year, were still asking applicants if they were homosexual or bisexual, a violation of the ‘Don’t Ask’ policy. The same column says that military chaplains are not to be trusted with gay confidentiality and that though the number of lesbian, gay and bisexual discharges is the lowest since 1996, it is still averaging three a day.
The BBC (6-17) has an item for our ‘Oh-Stop!’ file: Wrigley’s, the chewing gum company, has developed a viagra gum, but has no plans—ha—to market it yet. Go Bid Red!
In Korea, The NY Times (6-21) tells us the times-they-are-a-changing: Dr. Kim Seok Kwan has introduced sex-change surgery to this conservative country. Ha Ri Su, a sexy singer, actor, comedienne and model, was his first patient. She has encouraged the shadowy spectrum of underground Korean ‘trans’ to live more openly. Even Kim’s Presbyterian minister, initially opposed, has come to support him. Says Kim: ‘I’ve had other ministers and clergy approach me for the operation.’