From the ‘Hooray-for-Bollywood’ file, the Los Angeles Times (Nov. 19) reports that two of the biggest straight male hunks (and, yes, they are) in Indian cinema, Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham (think: equivalent of, say, Brad Pitt and Colin Farrell) are starring in Dostana, a flick with a faux-gay plot line. The two characters play gay to move in with a sexy woman editor, to save rent, you know. It might be ‘… a candy-floss take on homosexuality’ but India is ‘… a country where homosexuality is a criminal offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison’ so this cutting edge. You can’t kiss in Indian flicks but the guys are shown ‘… flirting with each other, holding hands and even doing a simmering tango.’
Zay Smith, the QT columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times (Oct. 19) tells us that Thesaurus.com needs to take a look at its first ‘thesaurus suggestion’ for the word ‘pederast.’ Ima do the work for ya: the answer is ‘priest’ but Zay, even funnier is its query ‘Did you mean’ which is ‘peter out.’
From the ‘Listen-to-Papa’ file, an op-ed piece in the New York Times (Nov. 13) about how the English conservative party reformed and saved itself has a very useful tidbit for our GOP—the new head of their party ‘… signaled comfort with gay rights, ditching the party’s previous support for laws restricting sexual equality.’
From the ‘Islamic-Catch-22′ file, the Economist (Nov. 8-14) details how Turkish cross-dressers, transvestites and gays are banned from the army tho’ same-sex relations are not banned in Turkish society. BUT you have to prove you are gay or a transvestite or a cross-dresser for exemption from the army (where you’d more than likely be mistreated). BUT if you try to do that, you may be sexually abused or forced into severe psychiatric treatment. ‘Turkey is said to have more transvestites per head than anywhere bar Brazil. Fascination with cross-dressing dates back to Ottoman times, when winsome boys dressed as girls would belly-dance for the sultan.’
From the ‘New-Meaning-for-Greek-Week’ file, the Chicago Sun-Times (Nov. 17) reports on the growing phenomenon of gay fraternities and sororities. DePaul (which, Good God Gertie, is Catholic!) University hosted a gathering of reps from gay fraternities and sororities from around the country. DePaul’s president, the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, attended a session entitled ‘Out at a Catholic University.’
From the ‘Move-Next-to-One’ file, the New Republic (Dec. 3) reviews Richard Florida’s new book, Who’s Your City: How the Creative Economy Is Making Where You Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life. Florida writes that cities where the ‘creative class’—artists, inventors, investers, etc.—live are where people like to, and ought to, live in. And check this out: Florida has invented a tool to figure out these places, called the ‘Gay Index.’ That’s right—’where there were gays, and the acceptance of gays, there one found the creative class.’