The cover of Rolling Stone’s Yearbook 2007 (Dec. 27-Jan. 10) says it all: ‘Hot Republican Gay Sex!’ Besides Idaho Sen. Larry Craig (The Story That Refuses To Die) and his washroom escapades, R.S. tells us of State Rep. Bob Allen of Florida (caught in a washroom doing Larry Craig-type things) ; State Rep. Richard Curtis of Washington (allegedly refused to pay a male prostitute who, thereupon, stole his wallet, whereupon, the rep called the cops who arrested … you get the drift) ; Donald Fleischman, GOP county chair in Green Bay, Wis. (caught with an underwear-clad 16-year-old boy hiding in Fleischman’s closet) ; and Glenn Murphy, Jr., the national chair of the Young Republicans who had voluntary, coerced or drunk oral sex with a fellow Young Republican. If you want a good time dial 467-7825. (Oh, you can figure it out.)
From the ‘Purty-Boys-On-View’ file: The New York Times (Jan. 9) splashes a blue-eyed, tattooed, double-nipple-ringed hottie at you to illustrate … an article on beer brewing. The Chicago Tribune (Jan. 11) flashes a male Mormon missionary (well, they all are) from a new calendar of Mormon men titled Mormons Exposed. Bit of a controversy there: The guys had to remove their sacred underwear to be photographed. No, I’m not making that up.
From the ‘Strange-Movie-Reviews’ file, The New York Times (Dec. 21) sort of slams Hilary Swank in P.S. I Love You because she plays a credible pretty girl: She is a ‘square-jawed beauty, at once angular and bosomy, vaguely masculine and unequivocally feminine,’ ‘She wooed another woman beautifully in ‘Boys Don’t Cry” and ‘She filled out her character’s snug gown as a drag queen would.’ The reviewer seems to think Swank should only do sexually ambiguous parts. Aren’t we getting a little too preciously precise here?
From the ‘Muslim/Gay-Love/Hate’ file, we can check out the Economist (Jan. 12-18) to hear that Turkey, easily the most secular liberal Muslim country, has banned cross-dressing on TV. (Milton Berle will hear of this!) A 76-year-old star, Huy-suz Virjin (the Petulant Virgin), who has been doing Mae West-ish comedy for more than 30 years, has been ordered to cease and desist. Also, the Chicago Tribune (Jan. 15) reports on the state of male belly dancing in Egypt. This art is centuries old—a line of men dancing with sashes knotted on their left hips, just like today, can be seen on a pharaoh-era tomb near Cairo. These dancers are often employees of clubs who pretend to be enthusiastic customers (but who can say they’re amateurs if the morals police intrude?). You can see these fellows cavorting on YouTube under ‘Male Belly Dancers,’ but be warned—buff is not in for belly boys. Butch, either.