Can't decide what I like about a Madison Keys match more: Her explosive groundstrokes or the sight of her conditioning coach cheering her on from the players' box. More to lust HERE.
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Monday, June 29, 2026
Remains of the Day (06/29)
New Times: Tickled to see this 1989 photo of BS West in a roundup of the history of Phoenix gay bars, which I've also added to my list of firsts HERE.
NBA: Detroit Pistons continue support of LGBTQ community during Pride Month: "We take it seriously"; I'm guessing queer activist think we should protest again the team for being inclusive "only in June."
Observer: Came across my place card from a dinner I was invited to in 1999 at the home of a gay investment banker, where I made tablemate Jane Pauley laugh, chatted with Tina Brown and met a newly out Michael Huffington with a twink on his arm. I remember thinking there was something icky about the whole thing -- and sure enough, I was right. Read HERE.
Greg in Hollywood: Stop the presses -- Claybourne Elder in leather pants!
People: A gay man’s emotional HIV journey is inspiring thousands -- and helping others feel less alone
Hot Cat of the Day: Jan-Michael Gambill conveys what all tabby owners will tell ya!
Saturday, June 27, 2026
Weekend Tennis Roundup
Titles for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Zizou Bergs, Madison Keys and Karolina Muchova. Full report plus all the ATP beef that's fit to post on Wimbledon Eve BELOW.
Friday, June 26, 2026
Remains of the Day (06/26)
The Randy Report: Imagine being this hot ... and this dumb
Saturday 'Stache: Bachelor No. 1, 2 or 3?
The Standard: I think we all want to get in touch with this man
Speedo Sunday: Is he too "fat" to pull this off?
QHH: Sorry to hear about the passing of Victoria Cruz. a transgender activist who spent decades fighting for New York's LGBTQ community, from Stonewall to the Anti-Violence Project. The octogenarian may very well have become known to a much wider audience had the fantastic documentary she starred in not been wrongly vilified during a hiccup in the Great Awokening. May she rest in peace.
Matthew's Island: Shoot that poison arrow ... wherever you like
Hot Cat of the Day: If you think you were stressed out during the NBA Playoffs, try being Chris Stein's kitty!
Still Fighting: Heartbroken to hear that Chris Evert's ovarian cancer has returned for a third time. While we root for her to make a full recovery, do yourself a favor and watch Rebecca Gitlitz's flawless new documentary, "Chris and Martina: The Final Set," which premieres on Netflix today. There will never be another rivalry as compelling as this one, and the director deserves an Oscar nod for figuring out how to frame this story so astutely.
Thursday, June 25, 2026
On the Rag, Vol. 913
This week's rag 'n' mag roundup features Michael Alago, Hector Mesa, Madonna, Austin Dornay, John Early, Kate Berlant and more BELOW.
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Remains of the Day (06/24)
Greg in Hollywood: ABC News hunk James Longman adjusts wardrobe as he reports during London heatwave
Wrestle Wednesday: Imagine your Grindr hookup opening the door dressed like this
Mdotsparks: The new Fire Island playset looks so fun!
Washington Blade: LGBTQ political candidates see surge in threats, harassment
The Advocate: Revisiting the New York Mattachine Newsletter's 1969 article about the Stonewall Riots
Hot Cat of the Day: Woof!
Finding the Divine: The Lockerroom NYC's group exhibition "Little Birds and Our Daily Prayers" explores how LGBTQ life, art and spirituality can transform the everyday into something extraordinary. Details HERE.
Better Read Than Never
Hello, page slaves!
It's been a few weeks since I updated you on what I've been reading, so I decided now's the time.
First off, I should probably mention that part of this exercise is being driven by my desire to have finally read all of the titles on my bookshelves, including numerous titles that were gifts -- you may recall that I got "Dreams That Money Can Buy: The Tragic Life of Libby Holman" for my birthday in 1985!
I can now also check off Peter Bodo's "The Courts of Babylon," which my brother Bill got me for Christmas back in godknowswhen. Once again, I was left asking myself what the hell was wrong with me for waiting this long -- I loved every second of it.
In addition to all the fascinating insights -- I had no idea how corrupt the tour once was even since I started following it in 1977 (read the Italian Open chapter!) -- the book brought back a memory of meeting Bodo with my friend Greg at a Davis Cup tie in Birmingham, Alabama, where I managed to stump him with a question about the unsolved 1982 murder of a black female player, a case he knew nothing about. (I was heartened to discover that a recent podcast was devoted to Andrea Buchanan's homicide; god knows her family deserves some answers.)
In keeping with the theme, I then tackled Michael Mewshaw's "Ladies of the Court: Grace and Disgrace on the Women's Tennis Tour," which provided an at times disturbing inside look at the 1991 season.
I also polished off "I, Tina," which I mostly read when it came out in 1986 but felt entirely new; and Mindy Kaling's "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns)," which had some good parts but way too much filler (and I can't imagine those "jokes" about black and Jewish people, "trannies," etc., would be welcomed these days).
Right now I'm knee-deep in "Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live" (2002) by James Andrew Miller and the late Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales. This too was a gift from Bill ages ago, but I kind of forgot about it.
I wasn't sure what to expect reading it now -- I've wasn't born with the "fascinated by Lorne Michaels" gene that everyone else seems to possess -- but I'd forgotten how huge the show was for my brothers and me when we were kids. A lot of that was because of Bill, who filled me in on the early seasons so I could act like I'd been allowed to stay up and watch them.
As a result, I'm really enjoying the book. (I've made no secret of how I felt about Gilda!) Plus, Jane was the only sane one, so it's fun to hear her perspective, and they talk to absolutely everyone associated with the show. (It also inspired me to watch the Chevy Chase documentary -- so good -- and now I need to see that "Saturday Night" movie about the first episode.)
Once I finish that, here's a sampling of some other titles collecting dust on my bookshelves -- that meme about buying books and reading books being two entirely different hobbies definitely strikes a chord! -- which can be broken into three categories:
Books I Bought:
"The Berlin Stories" by Christopher Isherwood
"Tasteful Nudes: ... and Other Misguided Attempts at Personal Growth and Validation" by Dave Hill
Books That Were Gifts:
"Wonder Bread and Ecstasy: The Life and Death of Joey Stefano" by Charles Isherwood"Truman Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career," which is right up my alley given that it's an oral biography edited by George Plimpton (a la "Edie")
"Fool's Errand" by my actual friend Lou Bayard; I have read "Endangered Species," both of which were gifts from Bill, who was tennis pals with Lou in Washington
"Serious Pleasures: The Life of Stephen Tennant" by Philip Hoare
"Story of My Life" by Jay McInerney
"I Look Divine" by Christopher Coe
"The First Man-Made Man: The Story of Two Sex Changes, One Love Affair, and a Twentieth-Century Medical Revolution" by Pagan Kennedy
Books That Were Review Copies:
"Dreadful: The Short Life and Gay Times of John Horne Burns" by David Margolick
"Dangerous When Wet" by Jamie Brickhouse (whom I just met at a memorial and is hilarious!)
"Eating My Feelings: Tales of Overeating, Underperforming and Coping With My Crazy Family" by Mark Rosenberg, with whom I'm Facebook friends and now seems to be a personal trainer
Eyeballing this list I would probably put the Truman Capote at the top.
Point me in the right direction in the comments -- and also tell me what you're reading!
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Monday, June 22, 2026
Remains of the Day (06/22)
The Caftan Chronicles: How Robin Byrd became a late-night New York institution
US Weekly: Did someone say "girth check"?
Washington Blade: U.S. no longer refuge for LGBTQ refugees
Hot Cat of the Day: Yesterday we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our adoption of Harvey, seen here exploring his new home for the first time in June 2016. That month, I was reeling from the death of my cat Larry and the unfathomable news that my brother Bill had just months to live when Damian found a stunningly handsome gray kitty who needed a home. (We spent just five minutes with Mr. Half-Stached Tuxedo and knew he was ours.) To say that this special critter rescued me from the most unimaginable grief I have ever known barely scratches the surface. xo
Pride 2026: 40 defining moments in LGBTQ pop culture history, including the groundbreaking 1973 PBS series "An American Family," which followed the Loud family and captured eldest son Lance's coming out as gay
Weekend Tennis Roundup
Titles for Francisco Cerundolo, Frances Tiafoe, Linda Noskova and Marie Bouzkova. Full report plus all the ATP beef that's fit to post BELOW.
Friday, June 19, 2026
Thursday, June 18, 2026
On the Rag, Vol. 912
This week's rag 'n' mag roundup features Hunter Doohan, Flavio Cobolli, Tommy Bracco, Lorenzo Musetti, Peppermint, Finn Bennett, Billy Keogh, what I really think about the "model cult" and more BELOW.
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
New York Philharmonic Celebrates Pride
I can't say enough about the Pride concert staged by the New York Philharmonic yesterday at Lincoln Center. I purchased tickets on a bit of a lark -- we typically kick off the limp-wristed season with the Queerty party, but alas, no invitation arrived, so I bought this instead -- and didn't really pay too much attention to the details. And what details they were!
In addition to the acclaimed orchestra -- one of the Big Five -- the program featured Tony-nominated vocalist Jenn Colella; Noah J. Ricketts, whom we loved as Frankie Hines, the drag queen love interest of Marcus (Jelani Alladin); and the New York City Gay Men's Chorus.
While it would be safe to assume anything this lineup performed would be wonderful, it was made that much sweeter by a special set list of works by gay composers and lyricists with a NYC twist, curated for the night by conductor Ted Sperling's husband.
Highlights included Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man"; Leonard Bernstein's "Times Square"; Cole Porter's "I Happen to Like New York" (exuberantly performed by Colella); "Everybody Says Don't" (gender-flipped by Ricketts); "Don't Rain on My Parade" (basically gender-flipped by Colella); Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's "I Wish I Were in Love Again" (another Colella showstopper); Tchaikovsky's "Valse"; as well as some more modern numbers -- a Laura Nyro composition, a song from "Hairspray" and Alicia Bridges's "I Love the Nightlife," which the choir boys completely ran away with.
In addition to the world-class performances, the night was made even more special by the warm and caring leadership of Sperling, who struck the perfect tone for where we are, embracing the celebration of Pride while also encouraging the audience to let the arts act as a salve for these troubled times.
MatÃas Tarnopolsky, Philharmonic president and CEO, gave a moving opening statement, during which we learned that "Celebrate Pride!" has officially been renewed, with hopes of its becoming a longtime NYC Pride tradition.
Following the show, everyone was invited to an after-party on the terrace -- the weather was as gay-friendly as the music -- where we had a great time catching up with some old friends and making a few new ones.
Since moving a stone's throw from the city's preeminent performing arts center, I have been trying to determine exactly what kind of related "queen" I am.. While it's no secret that I'm no theater queen, my nascent status as an opera queen may have to step aside for the orchestra queen growing inside me!
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