The New York Times Book Review (6/28) —in its look at the new bio, Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How to Love by Thomas Mair—mentions the gaffe of their “… dubious research on ‘gay conversion.’
” But neither the book (apparently) nor the review mentions exactly what the gaffe was. Towleroad (a blog), 4/23, lays it out plain: fraud. Much quoted by, among others, the Catholic Church Masters mostly fabricated his so-called conversion (from gay to straight) studies and refused to submit his “findings” to peer review thus causing 30 years of misinformation and homophobia to fester.
Neil Steinberg, the columnist in the Chicago Sun-Times (8/7) sends another arrow thru the heart of hypocrisy (and slaps gay prejudice on the way) : In the mish-ma-hah this summer re the lyrics of the rap artist Jeremih, hired to tout school for the Chicago Board of Ed, Steinberg agrees that the rapper’s words are “saucy,” but what about older songs? Is Judy Garland’s “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby” platonic? And what about old (curriculum approved) Walt Whitman? His Leaves of Grass is ” [a] n explicit sperm-spattered gay romp through 1850s America.” Steinberg says “Anyone who thinks that kids take their sex tips from the CPS administration needs a reality check.”
Tidbits from all over:
—The Chicago Sun-Times (7/22) reports actor Michael Gambon AKA Professor Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films was more than surprised when author J.K. Rowling on a visit to the set announced that his character was gay. Well, she oughta know.
—The New York Times travel section (8/02) tells us that Beirut has re-emerged as the party capitol of the Arab world especially for gays & lesbians. Although people visit from everywhere, the city is the only place Arab gays can openly enjoy a social life.
—The New York Times (8/19) interviews Franco Zeffirelli at his villa (bought for him by Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi). Still having a good time the 86 year-old director (“Romeo and Juliet”, “The Taming of the Shrew”, “Hamlet”) who calls himself homosexual but not gay has had affairs with lots of folks, including Luchino Visconti (but not the P.M.). We think.
—From DVDland: The New York Times (6/28) recommends the 1957 flick The Strange One. Ben Gazzara smolders as Jocko de Paris, a southern military cadet, who lounges around in silk dressing gowns,and an Audrey Hepburn cigarette holder persuading other cadets to paddle one another. Hmm.
—The Chicago Sun-Times (8/26), in a throwaway item—no explanation—says a study indicates that circumcision doesn’t cut AIDS in gay men in the states although it works on heterosexual men in Africa.