”First of all, no one’s sexuality is anyone’s business. It is not even my mother’s business. I practice celibacy to give to my God.”
— Jesse Aaron Kern, son of Oklahoma state Rep. Sally Kern (R), on rumors that he is gay. His mother made headlines and sparked protests when a recording of a homophobic diatribe she gave to supporters was posted on the Web. (Tulsa World)
”There are some things I keep sacred. My middle name. Who I sleep with. And what kind of hand moisturizer I use.”
— U.S. figure skaterJohnny Weir, declining to answer a direct question about his sexual orientation. (New York Times)
”But I see now, of course that’s the case, of course that’s needed. I’d just never felt strongly enough about a particular relationship to say, ‘Yeah, he’s my boyfriend, that is what it is.’ Now I recognize that to have public figures be very open about their sexuality helps some kid somewhere out there.”
— R.E.M. singerMichael Stipeon why he didn’t come out earlier in his career. (Spin)
”Ultimately, it’s the people who must decide whether they want to add this [ban on gay marriage] language to the constitution. There will be plenty of time for the public to debate it.”
— Pennsylvania state Sen.John Gordner(R), on an effort to ban gay marriage and ”the functional equivalent” of marriage. Opponents claim supporters are rushing the effort. The sponsors hope to have the bill passed and ready to promote the public by fall — just before the general election. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
”The real goal of this bill is to move us closer to the day same-sex marriage is imposed on the state of Connecticut.”
— Peter Wolfgang, executive director of the Family Institute of Connecticut, on the state’s efforts to provide the legal benefits of marriage through civil unions. Wolfgang said, ”At this point, we ought to be wise to their piecemeal incrementationalism.” (Record-Journal)
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”Well, you know, if I was a girl and he was a girl, and I was a lesbian and he was a lesbian, I’d be all over him.”
— George Clooneyin Esquire on his Ocean’s 11, 12 and 13 co-star Brad Pitt. Clooney also responded to gay actor Rupert Everett’s derision of the Ocean’s films as ”a cancer to world culture,” saying, ”Dude, weren’t you in Dunston Checks In?” (Esquire)
”[A]ll I want from you today is to take the books off the shelves, so children can have a safe place to learn like I did years ago.”
— Nampa, Idaho, residentCharla Tedeskiin support of the local library’s decision to move The Joy of Sex and The Joy of Gay Sex from shelves — the books are now available only by request. According to the library, The Joy of Gay Sex has been checked out seven times in the past year. (KTVB News)
”Elton [John] has become a friend. I lost my son, and now I have these other friends. It seems wrong on some level. It’s very disconcerting.”
— Judy Shepard, speaking about the 10 years since her son Matthew’s murder, during which her anti-hate crimes activism has brought her into contact with the powerful and the famous. (USA Today)
”I’m not gay-bashing. But according to God’s word that is not the right kind of lifestyle.”
— Oklahoma state legislator Rep.Sally Kern (R), defending herself from charges of homophobia after the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund released an audio recording of her telling supporters that homosexuality is a greater threat to the nation than terrorism. (Dallas Morning News)
”If I return to Iran I will be arrested and executed.”
— Mehdi Kazemi, a 19-year-old Iranian who had applied for and was denied asylum in Britain, in a letter to the British government. Kazemi fled to the Netherlands, where a court ruled he must return to Britain under EU law. He now faces deportation to Iran, where Kazemi says his ex-boyfriend was executed by the government. (The Times, UK)
The Israeli city of Tel Aviv canceled its Pride festivities -- including the Pride parade -- that had been scheduled for the past weekend, citing concerns over potential retaliation against Israel for air strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets that began on June 13.
The air strikes, part of Operation Rising Lion, involved 200 Israeli fighter jets targeting nearly 100 locations across Iran, including nuclear enrichment facilities and the presumed hiding places of Iranian military leaders.
Brent Askari's Andy Warhol in Iran could shift some theatergoers' perspectives on a variety of complicated topics, from the junction of art and commerce, to Western interference in the affairs of modern Iran.
Making its D.C. premiere at Mosaic in a crisply-mounted production directed by Serge Seiden, the tidy two-hander takes on a world of troublesome issues without ever leaving a luxury hotel room in Tehran.
That's where the artist Andy Warhol (Alex Mills) is holed up, having been invited by the wife of the Shah, Empress Farah, to create pop-art portraits of her and the royal family.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
