On the Rag, Vol. 244

A weekly look at what's making news in the free gay rags:

Next features Michael Ure on its cover: His big CBS sitcom may have bitten the dust, but Michael Urie won’t be deterred. He’s moving to New York for good this time with a new play and a few films up his sleeve. Read HERE.

Inside, this week's issue explores the ins and outs of New York’s gay sex culture in 2013. Read HERE. 

Metro Weekly: Mika has taken inspiration from the Catholic Church, Cole Porter and being gay in developing his unique style of pop music / Read HERE.

Rage's other Jaymes Vaughan cover is nice, too. Online edition HERE.

Because print is slowly dying, many of the weekly gay rags I used to feature are no longer coming out weekly. As a I result, I'm looking for additional titles to feature. After adding the Detroit rag Flame a few weeks ago, which appears to be a monthly -- this week I am adding my other home town's, Echo. This one's been around for a while as I can remember it from my youth. To view Echo's pride preview edition online, click HERE. Echo's site has the latest on the so-called "bathroom bill" targeting the transgender community, which advanced this week in a partyline vote in the Arizona Legislature. Read HERE.

On the Rag, Vol. 240

A weekly look at what's making news in the free gay rags:

Frontiers catches up with Dr. Greg Cason, star of Bravo's new "L.A. Shrinks." Read HERE.

Get Out! explores gay college night HERE.

Next features an official Liza Minnelli and Alan Cumming illustration by Robert Richards. Read an exclusive interview HERE.

Metro Weekly: Sandra Bernhard is keeping it raw and real, entertaining and ironic, and she's eager as ever to critique the status quo. Read HERE.

Rage features Jaymes Vaughan on "life and ... the White Party." See the alternate cover photo HERE.

Jaymes Vaughan Covers INSTINCT

  Learn more about Chippendale's dancer, "Amazing Race" contestant, friend of KIT212 and INSTINCT cover man Jaymes Vaughan HERE.

Jaymes Vaughan: Love at First Bite

I met singer and Chippendales performer Jaymes Vaughan at Instinct's Leading Men of 2011 party last month. Now you can meet his debut single, "Vampire," currently available on iTunes HERE.

Instinct Honors Its Leading Men of 2011

Michael and I attended Instinct's swanky party at District 36 this week honoring the magazine's Leading Men of 2011. Notable recipients included Daniel Hernandez ("The Guardian Intern," who helped save Rep. Gabby Giffords), Carl Siciliano ("The Father Figure," of Ali Forney Center fame), and Adam Price ("The High School Hero," who overcame numerous obstacles in setting up a gay-straight alliance in Redlands, Calif.) -- and the evening was capped with a performance by "urban acrobatic" performers Traces (very fun!). With an open bar of Belvedere vodka and a raffle benefiting AIDS/LifeCycle, plus a bunch of familiar faces in the crowd -- and some new ones, like singer Jaymes Vaughan (above), who replaced Jeff Timmons in the Vegas Chippendales revue and just released a new single, "Vampire" -- everyone had a great night!

Craig Bentley and Frank Anthony Polito, and Jeff Katz of Instinct

With Michael

Peter, Frank and Andrew

A leading witness

Leading man Carl Siciliano and Mike Wood, Instinct editor in chief (photo by HeyMrJason)

Showtime (photo by HeyMrJason)

Traces