Remains of the Day (07/31)

Boystack: Gaiety legend Rocky looks back on a wild New York life filled with sex, drugs, the mob, Madonna, money and fame

People: Heartbroken to learn that my girl Carly Simon has been living with Parkinson's disease in recent years. Her first original album in 18 years is about to come out, which proves she's not taking it lying down.

Advocate: The deadly terrorist attack on Berlin Pride left one person dead and dozens injured. Now, one survivor warns against allowing the tragedy to be exploited for political gain instead of confronting both anti-LGBTQ hatred and extremism.

NYT: Celebrity memoirs have become my go-to reading lately, and this look at why so many stars are turning their life stories into must-listen audiobooks makes a compelling case for pressing play.

Saturday 'Stache: Did someone say thick 'n' blond ... and thicc? 

WTT: Like it or not, World Team Tennis is back with new city-based teams in New York, Toronto and Miami -- and yet another format

Dallas Voice: Why some men in Texas are choosing commitment over apps

NYT: Was thoroughly charmed by writer-director Nicholas Colia's "Griffin in Summer," which I watched on an ex's recommendation. While by no means a masterpiece, this coming-of-age film captures a gay archetype so perfectly that my face hurt by the end!

People: What my husband would give to be married to Joel McHale for a night, much less 10,950

Speedo Sunday: Big Italian vs. small swimsuit

MetroWeekly: Falcon launches gay romance publishing house

Out: Take a gay tour of LACMA's David Geffen Galleries through 20 works that reveal LGBTQ history and hidden stories in one of America's premier art museums

Men's Health: 10 of the fittest celebrities over 70

Alex Averbuch: If gay Ukrainians are willing to die for their country, then they deserve equal recognition under the law

NYP: A Manhattan couple has sued to stop their Sutton Place co-op from evicting their 57-year-old son after a long-running dispute with a doorman escalated into a viral confrontation, arrests and allegations of antisemitic abuse, racial slurs and retaliation

Hot Cat of the Day: Happiness is a warm dad

Love Plus Memoir: Cannot wait to get my hands on this!

Stripped Down: Actor Jason Caceres opens up about becoming the go-to guy for nude roles, his latest projects and the surreal experience of being stalked by AI

On the Mend

Thanks to everyone for their well wishes on my recent shoulder surgery. It's Friday now and my recovery is going smoothly. Still a lot of pain if I put my range of motion to the test. But I started physical therapy yesterday -- and am even working -- so everything is looking good. Here's hoping I am new and improved soon!

P.S. What more could I ask for? 

On the Rag, Vol. 918

This week's rag 'n' mag roundup features Harry Jowsey, Michael Scanlon, Judy Gold, Lenny Kravitz, Alan Ritchson, the "best buns" of Playgirl and more BELOW.

Tennis Tuesday

If Stefan Latinovic isn't enough to get me to Serbia, I don't know what would. More to lust BELOW.

Heads (and Shoulder) Up

So it's the crack of dawn here in Manhattan, and I am in a car headed to a surgery center on the Upper East Side to have my right shoulder operated on -- more specifically, a right shoulder arthroscopy with debridement, distal clavicle excision and subacromial decompression.

I've been experiencing pain for months now -- the exact same discomfort I felt in my left shoulder that was fixed with surgery back in 1999 -- so had a hunch what needed to be done.

After going through the motions of cortisone shots and physical therapy, my doctor finally agreed with me, so I'm actually quite excited to get this done so I can move on with my life.

Blogging may slow down for a week or so, but just wanted to let you know what's the latest -- and that I'll be back in business soon enough. 

VIDEO: I asked the surgeon to make me look like this when he's done. Fingers crossed! 

Weekend Tennis Roundup

 

Titles for Quentin Halys, Luca Van Assche, Lilli Tagger and Tamara Korpatsch. Full report plus all the ATP beef that's fit to post BELOW.

#FlashbackFriday

 

Forty years ago, pretending to work at Record Outlet in Detroit the summer Madonna's "True Blue" came out. 

WARNING: I've found a bunch of old photos recently! 

Nadya Ginsburg Brings 'Feral Fatale' to NYC, With Special Guests Madonna and Cher

Well, I'm not sure how that could have been any more fun.

Last night at the Cutting Room, Nadya Ginsburg delivered an affectionate skewering of two gay icons -- Cher and Madonna, who are both such caricatures of themselves these days that you really just have to be a decent impressionist to be hilarious. Thankfully, Nadya's a brilliant one! 

She then stepped into the role of herself, by far the evening's most touching performance.

Like most gay men, I discovered Nadya via her hilarious video sendups of Cher, Madonna and Winona Ryder, who was a no-show last night. 

Perhaps her best moment came when she teamed up with (the similarly underappreciated by Hollywood) Dennis Hensley for a short film, "If We Took a Holiday," about a struggling actress (Ginsburg) whose Madonna-obsessed gay BFF (Hensley) just got dumped so she tries to make his birthday special by imitating the Material Girl all day long. (The film was a sensation when it premiered at Outfest in 2014.) 

And then this past March, Damian and I had the pleasure of seeing Nadya as Cher in Dennis's fund-raising "Mismatch Game" at Los Angeles LGBT Center, where she was the undisputed star of our post-show photo session!

Watch HERE.

Afterward, I met David Ilku (of Unitard fame) and Craig Chester, both of whom I've admired and "known" online forever but never in the flesh, before spending time with my favorite Jewtalian American Princess ... catch this one if you can!

A big thank-you to Chip for the invite. xo

On the Rag, Vol. 917

 

This week's rag 'n' mag roundup features Alex Espenshade, Belmont Cameli, Darren Criss, Lucas Oakley, Matt Damon, Fabien Franke, Playgirl's 1988 centerfold and more BELOW.

Warning

 

Reminder: You can find me giving it away on Instagram, Threads and Facebook.

Remains of the Day (07/22)

Variety: An unlikely friendship between a lonely young gay man (Austin P. McKenzie) and a spirited woman in her 70s (Didi Conn) takes center stage in the indie dramedy "Actual Nobodies," now set for an early 2027 release

Washington Blade: Was there a bit of an Up Stairs Lounge situation last week in Asheville?

Boystack: Bryan Safi shines in "Mad About the Boy," a bittersweet drama about a grieving father whose life is transformed by an unexpected friendship with a spirited drag performer

Attitude: Martina Navratilova backs WTA’s new sex testing policy for women’s tennis

Wrestle Wednesday: Denny Hastert couldn't have done it better

Instinct: Benito Skinner really wants you to watch season 2 of "Overcompensating"

MetroWeekly: A Colorado man who admitted shooting his gay neighbor after hurling anti-gay slurs has been sentenced to seven years in prison, leaving the victim permanently paralyzed

Advocate: Florida Republican lawmaker found liable for sexually harassing male staffers, faces resignation calls

Out: 21 celebrities who came out later in life and 18 old Hollywood stars you probably didn't know were gay

Broadway World: Nice to see my pal James W. Sapp (aka Jameson Currier) being remembered

West Side Rag: New emojis for my fellow Upper West Siders

Jack Greiner: Madison Square Garden’s weak lawsuit against Wired over an alleged database of LGBTQ celebrities raises bigger questions about privacy, surveillance and who controls personal data

BAR: A federal lawsuit brought by a gay former FBI employee who says he was fired for displaying a Pride flag at work is moving into the discovery phase as he seeks reinstatement and back pay

PinkNews: A look at Andy Burnham’s record on LGBTQ issues as he becomes new U.K. prime minister

ICYMI: Australian tennis star Daria Kasatkina weds Natalia Zabiiako in Greece

Hot Cat of the Day: When you AND your dad are a 10 out of 10

Femme Pride: Good for any gay man who wants to embrace his feminine side. I grew up thinking pop culture got it all wrong about my brethren -- Jodie Dallas desperately wanted to have a "sex change" on "Soap"(!), Mr. Roper constantly thought Jack "Tinkerbell" Tripper was most comfortable in women's clothing(!), and Mariel Hemingway was mortified that her mom explained to her that homosexuals were men who wanted to be women(!) -- when really the main difference is whom we're sexually attracted to. But as I have gotten older, I'm realizing there are way more of us who want to lean into their femininity (in addition to those who ultimately transition and live as women) than I ever would have imagined -- and I'm not just talking about acting "queeny." (Have you been on Grindr lately?) My apologies to Hollywood in the 1970s ... and you go, gurls! 

FWIW: Someone close to me disagrees, saying the uptick isn't about queers being more comfortable expressing themselves, but rather the result of average and unattractive guys jumping on a bandwagon in an attempt to get attention. (Ouch.)  One thing's for sure, though: We've come a long gay, baby.

Tennis Tuesday: The Best Men of Tommy Paul's Weekend Wedding

 Tommy Paul broke all our hearts this weekend when he got hitched. (Suddenly his "Gone Fishin'" bumper sticker doesn't seem so bad.) While he looked like a million bucks in his custom double-breasted Burberry suit -- and even better half out of it during the reception -- the ATP heartthrob wasn't the only one who cleaned up nicely for the event. Full report including a lovelorn Taylor Fritz, a mustache contest and a Mamdami lookalike BELOW.

'Swan' Start

Last week I saw my first ballet -- and how fortunate am I that it was performed by the legendary American Ballet Theatre, just a stone's throw from our apartment on the Upper West Side. 

It was also a reminder of how lucky New Yorkers are to have not only one of the world's great ballet companies performing every summer at Lincoln Center, but also the finest opera, orchestras and theater right in our own backyard.

I saw "Swan Lake" at the Metropolitan Opera House, where ABT presented the classic full-length production during its June and July season. Set to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's celebrated score, the ballet features lavish sets and costumes and includes some of the art form's most famous moments, including the Black Swan's dazzling 32 fouettés.

(Swoon.)

More photos including one of me in one of the remaining phone booths in Manhattan BELOW.

Schmear Campaign

Guilty as charged! And don't even get me started on kugel kick.

Weekend Tennis Roundup

Titles for Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Daniel Merida, Barbora Krejcikova and Mayar Sherif. Full report plus all the ATP beef that's fit to post BELOW.

A Mighty Wind

Just minding my own business watching the replay of Casper Ruud versus Juan Manuel Cerundolo in Gstaad and suddenly I had to do an emergency blog post. It's so good you don't even have time to dwell on his silly modified mullet.

Remains of the Day (07/17)

Out: Baseball pitcher and batter make out at "Heated Rivalry" night in Portland

76Crimes: As anti-LGBTQ crackdowns spread across much of Africa, Cabo Verde stands apart as a rare haven of legal protections and growing acceptance

Washington Blade: India's Supreme Court is expected to issue a closely watched ruling that could influence future LGBTQ rights cases by addressing whether constitutional morality should take precedence over popular opinion, tradition or majoritarian morality

GCN: Man sentenced to 20 years for killing O’Shae Sibley in homophobic gas station attack, but deserved so much more

Saturday 'Stache: I'll bet it would be "nice" to do his laundry

DM: Connecticut dental student, 24, died in hospital after nurses relied on tele-health doctor giving them CPR instructions from a screen, lawsuit alleges

PinkNews: A gay roundup of the 2026 World Cup, from Pride games to boycotts

Instinct: Barracks Phoenix wins liquor license after 8-hour debate on gay cruising

76Crimes: As Russia's anti-LGBTQ crackdown intensifies, a new report finds many gay people are retreating from public life, self-censoring and living in fear of arrest or violence

Speedo Sunday: Striped and raring to go

Instinct: Haters rejoice -- three gay celebrity couples break up!

Attitude: Madison Square Garden is suing Wired over claims it kept database of gay celebrities

EW: 15 essential songs to celebrate Linda Ronstadt's 80th(!) birthday

LGBTQ Nation: A pioneering LGBTQ history paper helped lay the groundwork for a museum exhibit celebrating the people and stories that shaped gay life in St. Louis

Out: Feast your ojos on Kevin Carrera, the sexpot winner of Mr. Gay Spain

Hot Cat of the Day: Someone turned 4 today! 

RIP: Hal Williams, veteran actor and star of "227," dies at 91. Read tributes from Jackee Harry and Marla Gibbs.

Brenda Fricker, the Oscar-winning Irish actress who gave unforgettable performances in "My Left Foot," has died at 81

Lenny Bruised: It's moments like producer Patrick Leonard's responding to this thread about Madonna's "Love Makes the World Go Round" that keep social media from becoming completely worthless. 🤣

My reply☝