Planet Homo

Paving Paradise: John Kelly

John Kelly returned to Los Angeles tonight at the Hammer Museum with "Paved Paradise Redux: The Songs of Joni Mitchell." Elegantly tall and wearing a velvet gown he sang much of the Mitchell catalog with a voice that is assuredly early Joni, as she herself can no longer hit the high notes. Initially one thinks he is making is fun of the songwriter/poet/goddess, but it quickly becomes clear that this is a labor of love. Between songs his banter is composed of explanations and negotiations that sound remarkably like what Joni might have said herself, but it is the music itself, the faithful renditions of chordal exchanges and vocal interpretations that make one believe. For the last few songs, washed in amber headlights, Kelly assumes his own persona, finally apparent as he emerges as John Kelly, the man. It’s a revelation and epiphany as he continues to enact Joni Mitchell though it becomes a scenario of one man and guitar, singing the celebrated songs of an artist whom he clearly admires and loves. And that may be the essence of seeing John Kelly: this is a man who has learned to play the dulcimer, the erratic chord progressions and the vocal stylings of someone who he pays tribute to with nothing less than genius. And in the course of this event, you are reminded of the depth of Mitchell's lyrics, the sad introspection of very personal music, and the beauty of song.

Gay Ink

From New York Magazine this report: These are downsizing, belt-tightening times for much of the media industry. But somewhat incongruously, New York–based gay magazines are thriving. “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” says AA Bronson, director of Printed Matter and co-editor of Queer Zines, an encyclopedic history of the genre released this fall. “The seventies saw the first rise in ’zine culture, and then again in the mid-eighties, when the plain-paper copier made life easier. But the last few years have definitely been a new phenomenon.” Bronson credits Butt magazine, founded in Amsterdam and now edited in New York, with influencing a new generation of titles that are at once arty and dirty. “They hit on the right formula at the right moment, which was to deal with the gay world as if it were just part of the world at large, with its own heroes in every field—from porn stars to authors to artists.” And despite the economy, sales at Printed Matter are strong. “They’re something you don’t buy and read and throw away,” says Bronson. “You end up keeping them in plastic envelopes, even though they’re kind of cheap.” Above, a selection, most available at Printed Matter (195 Tenth Ave.).

1. Butt (founded in 2001)
Originated in Amsterdam and now edited by Michael Bullock, Felix Burrichter, and Adam Baran in New York, it intersperses smart interviews with smutty photography. The January 2009 issue, pictured above, features intern Juan Jose Quiceno on the cover.

2. K48 (1999)
Mostly visual work by gay artists, curated by Scott Hug. Issue 7 comes with a CD.

3. Shoot (2001)
A photocopied ’zine of portraiture, all photographed by editor Paul Mpagi Sepuya. Issue 5, above, features all self-portraits.

4. Artfancy (2007)
A collection of art and critical text, not overtly homoerotic, edited by Joshua Thorson.

5. Girls Like Us (2005)
An influential “lesbian quarterly” edited in Amsterdam and published in New York by Sophie Mörner.

6. FashionFashion (2003)
A “non-commercial fashion magazine” by artist K8 Hardy.

7. Pinups (2007)
Photo-portraits featuring friends of editor Christopher Schulz. Each issue unfolds into an oversize poster.

8. Pin-Up (2006)
An architecture magazine partial to nude photo shoots, edited by Felix Burrichter.

9. R.O.M.E. (unknown)
Edited by Vanity Fair columnist George Wayne, it is famously distributed only in-house at Condé Nast.

10. Straight to Hell (1971)
Currently in its third incarnation and now edited by Billy Miller, it has published 64 issues of iconic covers and dirty stories.

11. When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again (2007)
Also edited by Billy Miller, an art project featuring contributions from Bruce LaBruce, Brian Kenny, and Scott Treleaven.

12. They Shoot Homos Don’t They? (2005)
A glossy mix of art, photography, and interviews edited by Shannon Michael Cane, who recently moved from Australia to New York.

13. Ridykeulous (2006)
Edited by A. L. Steiner and Nicole Eisenman as part of a larger art project.

14. Spank (2007)
The magazine offshoot of the Spank Party, a roving loft party organized by Sean Bumgarner, Jason Roe, and William Lynn.

15. BTFA (2008)
An anonymously published new queer sex ’zine.

Bob Barr Changes His Mind

The author of the federal Defense of Marriage Act now thinks it's time for his law to get the boot — but for political reasons, not in support of gays.
"Even more so now than in 1996, I believe we need to reduce federal power over the lives of the citizenry and over the prerogatives of the states. It truly is time to get the federal government out of the marriage business. In law and policy, such decisions should be left to the people themselves."
Read story here.

Exit: 2008

If Valentine's Day were an occasion where one was allowed to be as romantic as possible then surely New Year's is the day when we can unabashedly get sentimental. We look back through that human veil of tears as the calendar pages turn in cinematic splendor as if out of a Douglas Sirk movie.
It was a bipolar year to be sure. We endured a long political campaign that was a nail-bitter until the end. And despite the fact that as the country woke up, finally woke up and did the right thing, we were also reminded that as gay people, as fabulous as we often are, we sit just outside the welcoming table. America is a religious country, a country of full of Joe the Plumbers. Essentially good people, they are gripped by fear of things being different and they have a belief, a mistaken moral belief that we are country ruled under God, and the word from those ancient fictions is that gay is immoral, or at the least the "act" of doing something homosexual.
We have come a long way. The abuse by police throughout this country as depicted in the historical footage in the film, "Milk" shows what once was. And despite the fact that we have gained enormous economic and social power, we still do not have the basic rights afforded every heterosexual in this country, especially the right to marry. We all know that it is simply a matter of time. what the film and the documentary about the life of Harvey Milk clearly showed us is that we need leaders, people who can motivate, articulate and finally produce the desired political gains. The failure of Prop. 8 was as much about the lack of vision on the part of the people producing the commercials and providing the strategy to persuade people as it was the imminent success of the people on the other side of the issue.
For now, we celebrate the mere fact of being alive and living in such interesting times.
Happy New Year.

New Years Scene

Death by Denial: The Curious Case of Christine Maggiore

What if you happen to die of the thing that you spent your life denying? In the case of Christine Maggiore that is exactly what happened. She died Saturday at the age of 52 of AIDS-related causes, a disease she vehemently denied even exists. Christine Maggiore was HIV+ and wrote a book called What if Everything You Thought You Knew About AIDS Was Wrong.  She spent her life convincing HIV+ people not to take their medication, to live life as if they didn’t have the disease and to deny that HIV causes AIDS. Maggiore refused to take drugs when she was pregnant with her daughter and she breast-fed her, despite her disease.  Her daughter died at the age of three from pneumonia exacerbated by untreated AIDS. Her website, aliveandwell.org is a treasure-trove of mysterious explanations as to the causes of AIDS and among the more curious explanations is: "A profound fear of AIDS is enough to cause even people who repeatedly test HIV negative to develop physical symptoms of AIDS. Termed "AIDS-phobia," this condition is characterized by weight loss, wasting, reduced T cell counts and other signs considered indicative of AIDS, and typically follows intimate contact with people who sufferers believe may be HIV positive." And as for AIDS in Africa? Aliveandwell insists that AIDS is not that big of a problem in Africa and most of the diagnosed victims are either lying or deceived by inaccurate tests. It goes on and on with a simplistic and yet extremely harmful approach to disease. At best, this was denial: to have your daughter die of a disease that you willingly ignored must have been difficult. Human remedies are not just curious, they can also be wrong.

Documentary Available for Viewing

http://www.hulu.com/watch/49577/the-times-of-harvey-milk

Prayers for Bobby to Air

In "Prayers for Bobby," Mary Griffith is a devout Christian who raises her children with the conservative teachings of the Presbyterian Church. However, when her son Bobby confides to his older brother he may be gay, life changes for the entire family after Mary learns about his secret. While Bobby's father and siblings slowly come to terms with his homosexuality, Mary believes God can cure him of what she considers his 'sin' and persuades Bobby to pray harder and seek solace in church activities in hopes of changing him. Desperate for his mother's approval, Bobby does what is asked of him, but through it all, the church's apparent disapproval of homosexuality causes him to grow increasingly withdrawn and depressed. Guilty over the pain he is causing Mary, Bobby moves away, yet hopes that some day his mother will accept him. His subsequent depression and self-loathing intensifies as he blames himself for not being the 'perfect' son and is driven to suicide. Faced with their tragedy, Mary begins to question her faith when she receives no answers from her pastor concerning her devastating loss. Through her long and emotional journey, Mary slowly reaches out to the gay community and discovers unexpected support from a very unlikely source. The film is based on the 1995 Leroy Aarons book of the same name.The drama will air on Lifetime on January 24th at 9pm EST.

It's a Wonderful Life!