A brief encounter with Matthew Rush

A ‘Brief Encounter’ with Matthew Rush
By Drew Wilson (MileHighGayGuy)

By my calculations, Matthew Rush is one of the ten greatest pornstars in the history of the world. Up there with guys like Jeff Stryker, Ryan Idol, and Joey Stefano. His boyish face and super-pumped, super-ripped body catapulted him to porn superstardom as a Falcon Studios exclusive.
Earlier this year, he ended his contract with Falcon Studios to pursue other projects, including his first post-Falcon Film ‘Brief Encounters’ (site NSFW).
I was lucky to be able to catch up with Matthew recently to discuss porn, underwear, PrideFest, and, last but not least, get a few workout tips.

Drew: So Matthew, ‘Brief Encounters’ is your first movie since leaving Falcon. Tell me why you decided to do a big old daddy movie first thing?
Matthew: I mostly just wanted to explore doing something that Falcon wouldn’t allow me to do. Well, not so much that I wasn’t allowed to do but something that was out of the norm for me. Not the typical Falcon movie.

You’re branching out.
Yeah, I wanted to branch out a little bit for the Matthew Rush character, which I felt, had become a little bit cookie-cutter. I just kept doing the same things over and over and over and I wanted to try different things.

So what is your vision for the character of Matthew Rush?
There’s another side to explore. Like a leather side, or a muscle worship side that I wasn't ever allowed to explore with Falcon. I just wanted to do some other things.

Find out what kinds of other things after the jump.


What kinds of projects are you working on now?
Most of the stuff right now since leaving Falcon has been all muscle worship and solo videos. Kind of where I got started, even before Matthew Rush came to be. I used to do Muscle East videos way back in the day and it’s kind of like coming full circle.


You’ve dabbled in mainstream movies like ‘Another Gay Movie’ – well, I guess that counts as mainstream. Any plans for more of that?
Yeah, if it ever comes up that would be great but I’m not actually pursuing it. My thing right now is to just kind of see what happens.

Underwear factors importantly in ‘Brief Encounters.’ I’m a fan of the classic tighty whitey myself even though they’ve been out of fashion for a while. What kind of underwear do you wear and what do you like on a guy.
Um, you know what? I’m very basic. I think tighty whiteys are really hot on the right person.

Ah, yes. The right person. You don’t want them hanging down loose in the back.
No, no, no! You can’t have that! They’re called tighty for a reason! They have to fit tight around the butt and if they don’t … (laughs)

If they don’t then perhaps one should look to another underwear style. Maybe something in a nice boxer short.
Yeah. I think that I’m definitely the classic nice round bubble ass in tighty whiteys. I just love pulling them off.

Tim Kelly requested to work with you specifically in ‘Brief Encounters.’ Is that how it’s done in the porn game?
Sometimes you just get thrown into a situation and that’s how it was in the beginning of my career. But then you pay your dues and after awhile you can pick and choose who you work with and it makes for a better scene.

Are you into muscle daddies in real life?
Well, in real life my boyfriend is big and beefy and that’s how I like ‘em. Big and beefy. Everybody has their type. Some people like twinks. I’m into big and beefy and nicely built.


Denver PrideFest is coming up in a couple of months. As someone who is known for his incredible physique, what would be your advice on a ‘Three Months to Pride’ workout?
That’s a great question. In all my years of interviews I don’t think anybody’s ever asked me that. I’m just very basic. I kept it simple. I don’t lift as heavy as possible but I make it count – I do 45 minutes to an hour four or five time a week and that’s it. And I watch my diet. It’s a 24/7 job and it’s crazy.

Have you ever wanted to just take a couple of months off and get fat?
You know, I would love that. I wish the Renaissance era or whatever would come back when you could just get fat and eat whatever you wanted to.

Throw the bones over your shoulder.
Exactly!

What message do you have for Colorado’s gay community and for readers of MileHighGayGuy.com?
Well, I’m hoping to come out for PrideFest this year. I really hope that happens. The last time I was out there I had so much fun. Hopefully I’ll see everybody out there for Pride.

Be sure to check out Matthew Rush in his new movie ‘Brief Encounters’ from Pantheon Productions. To find out more about Matthew Rush, check out his myspace at www.myspace.com/MatthewRush.

Matthew Rush photos courtesy of Patric Chemaly of PornForPatric.net (site NSFW).





Face, face, face. Bebe gives face. Beauty face.

World of Wonder has the scoop on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' winner Bebe Zahara Benet's cavalcade of prizes.

G-Force and Downtown Soccer Toronto neck-and-neck for "Best Gay Sports Team." Vote for Colorado's G-Force now!

Wow, it's neck-and-neck between our local boys G-Force and Downtown Soccer Toronto for Outsports.com's "Best Gay Sports Team."

Vote now at www.VoteGForce.com so we can bring the title home!

New '3 Dollar Bill' from Jonny McGovern: 'Good Cop/Gay Cop

Check out the latest episode of Jonny McGovern's web series '3 Dollar Bill.'

And, if you want a little more Jonny McGovern in your life, the newest podcast ep is available on iTunes right this very minute! I'm downloading as I post this!

Marine generals sound off on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway reportedly has set an April 10 deadline for the 82 generals under his command to indicate their views on whether their branch of the military should oppose the gay ban. A spokesman, saying the question was posed in a private e-mail between the Conway and his officers, declined further comment.

Read more at MarineCorpsTimes.com.

Colorado Avalanche package deals

Take advantage of these package deals to Colorado Avalanche games.

You might just win the jersey off of a player's back!

Prizes will be awarded to lucky fans throughout the game. The celebration culminates with “Jerseys Off Our Backs” when Avs players remove their game-worn jerseys, autograph them, and give them to randomly selected fans attending the game.

GLBT community organizers issue call for civil disobedience

In response to the growing equality movement in California and across the country, community organizers are issuing a call for the use of nonviolent civil disobedience to further the cause. This call comes at a time when the equality movement is energized surrounding the upcoming California Supreme Court decision on the validity of Proposition 8.

The call to action, led by national groups Soulforce and Join the Impact, states “We are tired of agonizing political setbacks, token change, defending ourselves against charges of moral inferiority, and being told to 'wait' in the land we love while liberation occurs in other countries.”

To assist in educating the public on nonviolent civil disobedience, the website www.nonviolence4equality.org has been created and is launching today. On the website, community members can learn about the history and philosophy of nonviolent civil disobedience, sign the call to action, and connect with others locally who are interested in organizing nonviolent civil disobedience.

“Today, we affirm that nonviolent strategies such as marches, vigils, demonstrations, public protests, and civil disobedience seek to create what Dr. King called 'healthy tension',” the call to action reads. The call has been signed already by several community leaders, including Cleve Jones, who is the founder of the NAMES/AIDS Memorial Quilt, and was a historical consultant on the Academy Award winning film 'MILK'.

The call specifically promotes nonviolent tactics. "As we resist injustice, we must avoid violence of the fist, tongue, and heart,” it reads. Community leaders are urged to sign the call to action at www.nonviolence4equality.org and to begin training in their own communities immediately. For questions pertaining to www.nonviolence4equality.org, please contact Christopher Hubble from Soulforce at N4E@soulforce.org or 303-800-5664.

David Copperfield returns to Denver

Imagine if you could win the lottery, travel to your perfect place in the blink of an eye, own your dream car, or turn back the hands of time. It all becomes a reality, every night in David Copperfield: AN INTIMATE EVENING OF GRAND ILLUSION, coming to the Buell Theatre May 8-10. Tickets go on sale Sunday, April 5.

True to its title, GRAND ILLUSION is the logical and incredible evolution of this conjurer’s art. Copperfield’s goal in GRAND ILLUSION is to take one’s dreams (and maybe a few nightmares) and make them become reality using his state of the art wizardry.

“For magic to be relevant,” explains Copperfield, “it has to evolve so it keeps up with, or even surpasses, the best film and theater. I want to base my work on what people really dream about. Most of us don’t dream of pulling a rabbit out of a hat. But what affects people is realizing personal dreams, dreams almost everyone shares, that they thought were impossible. In the cinema the audience watches the characters’ dreams come true.”


Read more after the jump.


Copperfield adds, “‘Grand Illusion’ was partly inspired by an unfulfilled wish of my grandfather’s that a lot of people share: winning the lottery and finally owning that one special thing you always dreamed of. We call it an ‘intimate’ evening of grand illusion partly because it’s interactive. In one of the pieces, for example, the audience discovers how to predict lottery numbers that will come up that night. They get to participate in illusions that blur the line between magic and reality.”

Copperfield delights audiences when he magically brings an ordinary necktie to life, only to find out the tie has a mind of its own. The show will also feature the spectacular and death defying feat of David attempting to walk through the rotating blades of a giant industrial fan – and live to tell the tale. The show is truly “Grand Illusion” on a massive scale. For more information, please visit www.dcopperfield.com.

Single tickets for AN EVENING OF GRAND ILLUSION start at just $20. To charge by phone, call Denver Center Ticket Services at 303.893.4100. TTY (for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons): 303.893.9582. Groups of 15 or more, please call 303.446.4829. Tickets may also be purchased at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located at the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex Lobby, or at TicketsWest outlets, located in all King Soopers stores. Buy and print online at www.denvercenter.org.






Last day to vote G-Force "Best Gay Sports Team in America"

Today is the last day to cast your vote for Colorado's own G-Force as Outsports.com's "Best Gay Sports Team in America." Our elite hockey players face stiff competition so head on over to www.votegforce.com and vote now.

Call for submissions from gay erotica writers

StickyPen.com, the gay erotic fiction archive, is running a cowboy-themed story contest in honor of Raging Stallion Studios' epic film, "To The Last Man."

Members of the site are encouraged to submit their steamiest piece featuring cowboys in order to be considered for the contest. Entries will be accepted from March 27th through May 4th, with the winner to be announced on the site May 5th, 2009. StickyPen, which will celebrate three years this summer, has yet to run an erotica contest, and the staff is pleased that they have begun on a high note.

"I am very excited about this contest and not just because I love cowboy love stories," says Clarke, the site's administrator. "’To The Last Man’ is a fantastic film that I'm sure will inspire many great stories from our talented authors. I can't wait to read them all!"

The winner, as chosen by the StickyPen staff, will be handsomely rewarded with an autographed copy of the movie's coffee table book. The 96-page photo book was shot during the filming by renowned photographer Bruno Gmunder and is a stunning companion piece for any fan. The winner must be over the age of 18 and able to supply proof of age before he or she can receive the prize.

Raging Stallion Studios' “To The Last Man” is a gripping tale of love and passion, ranch style. It features an all-star cast that includes Ricky Sinz, RJ Danvers, Scott Tanner and Logan McCree. The critically acclaimed feature was the 2009 XBIZ winner for Best Director and Best Picture and has garnered an impressive 17 GAYVN Award nominations.

For more details on the contest, visit StickyPen.com.

Out on DVD: 'Little Britain U.S.A' and 'Summer Heights High'

Whether it’s across the pond in Mary ol’ England or down under the covers with the boys from Oz, gay humor is often better executed with an accent.

HBO has been wise to the phenomenon for some time, but it was last year’s lineup that solidified its place in the world of gay comedy. Both 'Little Britain U.S.A.' and 'Summer Heights High' drew in appreciative audiences. The American version of the hit British comedy didn’t fare well with critics, but a few of the new Little Britain USA characters are outrageously funny, like the homo-erotic bodybuilders Mark and Tom (pictured). Still, openly-gay Matt Lucas and hetero-humorist David Williams make this little show a big hit.

But if you prefer going down under, the 'Summer Heights High' DVD might be more to your liking. Everything the last few Christopher Guest films haven’t been, the Australian series follows three characters (all played by Chris Lilley) in sidesplitting mockumentary form.

'Little Britain USA' and 'Summer Heights High' are both available now at the HBO store.

Transgender Day of Visibility

Today is Transgender Day of Visibility and John Corvino explains why it's important.

Beware the worm!

Windows users, make sure you have the latest security patches and an updated virus protection system, just in case this April 1 Internet worm is on your computer and proves to be a disaster.

Denver school educates students about sex and sexuality the right way

Cheers for Denver's Odyssey School for actually educating kids about GLBT people--especially in 7th grade, when kids are at their cruelest.

But Focus on the Family's "gender issues analyst," Jeff Johnston, thinks it's a bad idea, because it might steer someone toward homosexuality--like Mr. Johnston himself, who admits growing up with same-sex attractions.

No, Mr. Johnston, this will not steer kids toward homosexuality. It wouldn't have steered YOU toward homosexuality. You were already there. It's too bad you can't admit it now. Your life must be pretty unhappy.

It's ok to be gay.

Time to get tested!

April is STD Awareness Month, and CU Boulder is offering free HIV testing for students.

If you're not a student you can check out the Boulder County AIDS Project for testing options.

In Denver, check out Denver Public Health's Infectious Disease Clinic and Colorado AIDS Project.

It's so important to get tested regularly.

Mammoth Blackout Night this Friday

The biggest game in town is going dark on Friday, April 3rd - BLACKOUT NIGHT is back! Wear your black gear to Pepsi Center and watch as your Mammoth battles Rochester. April 3rd is also the final Party Pack Night of the season. For just $39, you get four seats, four Coors or Pepsis and four hot dogs.

Get tickets here.

Ask the Governor to sign HB 1260

HB 1260, the Designated Beneficiaries bill, has successfully passed through the Colorado legislature with bipartisan support and is on its way to Governor Bill Ritter's desk.

Governor Ritter needs to hear from you now. Ask him to please sign this important piece of legislation creating a low-cost and convenient estate planning tool for Coloradans to prepare for end-of-life decisions, inheritance, and other protections related to health care and medical emergencies.

Ways to contact Governor Ritter:
· Call his office at 303-866-2471
· Email him at governor.ritter@state.co.us

It's critical that the Governor hear from you NOW - we need him to sign HB 1260 for the good of all Coloradans.

This is the last step to get Designated Beneficiary Agreements in Colorado - be surecontact Governor Ritter and tell him that you support HB 1260

For more information on HB 1260 click here.

Brothas4Ever meets tonight

Brothas4Ever will be holding their 392nd meeting tonight at 7 .m. at "Reggie's Place" at It Takes A Village (1475 Lima St. just off E. Colfax Ave. between Havana & Peoria in Aurora).

They will be featuring a guest speaker from The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment - Solwazi Johnson - who will be discussing with the ongoing spread of syphilis and other STDs, especially relating to HIV.

Celia unfair to Tahlia, says Tyra

Rich's ANTM recap is up.

Martha Plimpton lookalike Celia made ANTM history for doing something no girl has ever done before.

She shouldn't oughta have done it.

She'll be going home this week, I betcha.

Vote G-Force today!

G-Force is still in the running to be named Outsports.com's Best Gay Sports Team in the World so be sure to head on over to www.votegforce.com today and cast your vote for Colorado's elite, world-class hockey team.

Only nine teams are left in the running and the final round of public voting ends tomorrow at midnight.

Four teams will survive this round and then it's up to a celebrity sports panel to pick the final winner.

Too gay for the MPAA?

Gawker is the go-to site for everything gay today - now they discuss why the new Sascha Baron Cohen movie 'Bruno' is getting a box-office poison rating of NC-17. Answer: gayness!

eBay's Meg Whitman has a big gay problem

Gawker explains how Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay, and her gubernatorial bid have a big gay problem.

Drink Pepsi! Watch 'Family Guy!'

The American Family Association is boycotting Pepsi because they sponsored the recent gay Family Guy episode. All the more reason for everyone to buy Pepsi. Drink up!

Series creator Seth McFarlane isn't worried about it though.

They were talking about this on the most recent episode of 'Gay Pimpin' with Jonny McGovern' and Jonny and the gang said McFarlane basically told the group to go suck a lemon.

College wrestler reinstated, undefeated after gay porn scandal

A University of Nebrask wrestler who was dismissed from his team after it was discovered he had filmed solo porn videos for a gay website has been reinstated by the college wrestling governing body and has since been undefeated.

Denver Center apprentices present 'Macbeth' and 'Cloud 9'

Seven MFA-degree candidates of the Denver-based National Theatre Conservatory (NTC) will present Macbeth and Cloud 9 — two diametrically different plays — in the annual NTC Rep, which runs April 8-25 in The Conservatory Theatre at 1101 13th Street. Familiar to local audiences from their work with alongside the veteran members of the Denver Center Theatre Company, these students are completing this three-year Master of Fine Arts degree program with two fully-produced plays.

Christian Haines, Rob Hille, Mat Hostetler, Kate Hurster, Leigh Miller, Melissa Ortiz and Kathleen Wallace have been seen this season in the Denver Center Theatre Company’s productions of The Miracle Worker, The Trip to Bountiful, Noises Off, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Christmas Carol, Dusty and the Big Bad World and Richard III. Additionally, several of these students have worked at area theatre companies including Curious Theatre Company and Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Joining the students will be local favorite Geoffrey Kent, actor and fight director with many leading companies throughout the area.

Read more after the jump.


NTC Chair of Acting Larry Hecht — known to audiences for his roles in the Denver Center Theatre Company’s productions of Glengarry Glen Ross, The Pillowman and A Skull in Connemara — will direct Cloud 9, a wickedly funny, take-no-prisoners, romp that challenges standard notions of gender. It is a whirlwind tour from 1880s Africa to 1979 London that lampoons colonial and sexual repression with a gender-bent cast of characters who traverse 100 years while aging only 25 years. Part farce, part musical, all comedy, this groundbreaking play jumps time, space and conventions.

Rick Barbour, new to the National Theatre Conservatory but a faculty member at University of Denver’s Department of Theatre, will direct Macbeth, Shakespeare’s dark, supernatural tale of ambition, murder, guilt and revenge. Three mysterious witches fan the flames of Macbeth and his wife’s ambition with promises of power. They kill the King of Scotland and win the throne only to find themselves falling deeper into a web of treachery and deceit that ultimately spells their doom. Producing Partners: Isabelle Clark and Mike & Diana Kinsey

Both plays will be performed in The Conservatory Theatre at 1101 13th Street in the Robert & Judi Newman Center for Theatre Education. Tickets are $18 and may be purchased at 303.893.4100 or denvercenter.org. Performance dates and times are:



Margaret Cho talks sexuality

Margaret Cho talks about being gay and married to a man.

All about altitude sickness

The Gay and Lesbian Sierrans and the Indian Peaks Group will be sponsoring an altitude sickness seminar on Tuesday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m.

Dr. Linda Keyes will speak on the types, treatment, and prevention of altitude sickness. As a Coloradan, you owe it to yourself to understand altitude sickness, and Dr. Keyes is expert at presenting the concepts clearly and concisely.

Dr. Keyes is a Yale Med School graduate and an emergency physician at Exempla Lutheran Medical Center and Exempla Good Samaritan Hospital . She has been involved in altitude-related medical research since she was a medical student, married a climber, and spends as much time as she can climbing, trekking, and generally having fun at high altitude.

She has extensive high altitude medical experience that includes working at the Himalaya Rescue Association Clinic at 14,000’ in Pheriche , Nepal , and as the expedition doctor on the Colorado Gangapurna expedition.

The presentation is at Sunrise Assisted Living, 3955 28th Street in north Boulder – a little south of Jay Road along 28th Street , and on the west side of 28th. Free – arrive early for best seating. For more information contact Dave Hawley at 303-443-2332.

Testicle festival!

Okay, I'm all for a testicle festival, but I have other ideas about what it should be like.

Dying to get married?

If you're dying to get married, check out this combination wedding chapel and funeral home in Thornton. Or maybe if you realize right away that you made a mistake, you can just step on over to the crematorium.

GLAAD Awards honor Tyra Banks, Suze Orman, and many others

Vanessa Williams, Stockard Channing, Cherry Jones, T.R. Knight, Keith Olbermann, Judith Light, Clay Aiken and S. Epatha Merkerson were among the celebrities who joined the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) as it honored Tyra Banks, Suze Orman, Phil Donahue and the best in film, television and journalism last night at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York.

GLAAD, the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, present the GLAAD Media Awards to recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives.

Lots more after the jump.


At the ceremony, singer Clay Aiken presented the Excellence in Media Award to Tyra Banks, who has shown a strong commitment to educating the public about the lives of gay and transgender people on her talk show, The Tyra Banks Show, and on her reality series, America's Next Top Model. The Excellence in Media Award is presented to individuals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community in the media.

"[The LGBT community] empowered me," Banks said in her acceptance speech. "And in turn, when I finally had a platform, and a power, and a voice – no longer just a face, but a voice – to get across the points and the messages that were important to me, I brought you along with me. Because you embraced me and now I embrace you in front of millions to show how beautiful you are, how absolutely amazing you are, how giving you are. And I will continue to do that as long as I have a platform. I will continue to get the message out about gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people."

Also at the event, actor T.R. Knight presented the Vito Russo Award to Suze Orman, personal finance expert and host of CNBC's The Suze Orman Show. The Vito Russo Award is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for the LGBT community.

"I want every single one of you in this room to take note of what corporations put their time and money behind gays, behind lesbians – behind you," Orman said accepting her award. "Do you want to continue to give your money to people in corporations that oppress us, that keep us down? Or do you want to give your money to the corporations who can help us rise and change what needs to be changed in the United States of America today." Orman continued, "I ask you to honor those corporations not only with your support but with your money as well. We can do this - and here's how you're going to do it. You are going to think about every single penny you spend from this day forward. And the only think I ask of you is to spend it and invest it in those companies that invest in you."

Actress Cherry Jones presented a Special Recognition Award to Phil Donahue, who was the honoree at the first GLAAD Media Awards in 1990.

"It's unbelievable to think about the power and the warp speed of this revolution," Donahue said during his acceptance. "Twenty years ago when I proudly accepted the first GLAAD Media Award...it was a very small crowd. There are more photographers here tonight than there were people then….And now, we look up in 2009, and [the LGBT community] is popular. The majority of the people in the nation agree with us. Our job now is to summon these people to stand up and say so out loud. To tell them to join us. To march the lavender line with us down Fifth Avenue, and to remind them, when they do join us, they're going to meet a lot of nice people."

Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom tied with Shelter for the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Limited Release. The awards were accepted by Patrik-Ian Polk, Jensen Atwood, and Darryl Stephens and Brad Rowe, Trevor Wright and Paul Colichman, respectively. Keith Olbermann accepted a GLAAD Media Award for the segment, "Special Comment: Gay Marriage is a Question of Love," which aired on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Producer Sandi DuBowski and director Parvez Sharma accepted the award for Outstanding Documentary for A Jihad for Love. ESPN journalist LZ Granderson was honored with the Outstanding Digital Journalism Article award for his piece, "Gay Athletes Are Making Their Mark." And People En Español was awarded Outstanding Spanish-Language Magazine Overall Coverage, accepted by Angel Linares, Judith Torrea and Ernesto Sanchez.

A Special Recognition Award was also presented to The Laramie Project, 10 Years Later – The Lasting Legacy of Matthew Shepard, a two-hour radio documentary which aired on Sirius XM Radio. The award was presented by actress Stockard Channing and was accepted by Romaine Patterson and Derek Hartley, hosts of The Derek and Romaine Show on Sirius XM Radio, with Katie Castellano who produced the documentary.

At the event, GLAAD also unveiled their new GLAAD Media Awards statuette. GLAAD worked with David Moritz at Society Awards to create the new trophy – the first time the organization has re-designed their statuette since the inception of the GLAAD Media Awards.

Comedian Kate Clinton hosted the show, and singer Jennifer Holliday performed for the capacity crowd. Other guests and presenters at the event included: Chris Noth; Ana Ortiz and Michael Urie (Ugly Betty); Jonathan Adler, Simon Doonan (Top Design); Daniel Sunjata; Heather Matarazzo; Tim Gunn, Christian Siriano (Project Runway); Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann (As the World Turns); Hannah Storm; Jane Velez-Mitchell; Jasika Nicole; Jay Manuel; Jenny Shimizu; Brad Boles; Jack Mackenroth; DeMarco Majors; Tarell Alvin McCraney; Joshua Cruz; Michelle Clunie; New York State Senator Eric Schneiderman; David Mixner; and former GLAAD Executive Director, Joan Garry. Guests at the after-party enjoyed the music of renowned DJ Junior Vasquez.

Following is a complete list of GLAAD Media Award recipients announced Saturday in New York. Additional awards will be presented in Los Angeles on April 18 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, and in San Francisco on May 9 at the Hilton San Francisco.

Excellence in Media Award: Tyra Banks (presented by Clay Aiken)
Vito Russo Award: Suze Orman (presented by T.R. Knight)
Special Recognition Award:Â Phil Donahue (presented by Cherry Jones)
Special Recognition Award: The Laramie Project, 10 Years Later - The Lasting Legacy of Matthew Shepard (presented by Stockard Channing)
Outstanding Film – Limited Release: TIE: Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom (Logo Features/New Open Door Productions) and Shelter (Regent Releasing)
Outstanding Documentary:Â A Jihad For Love (First Run Features)
Outstanding Daily Drama: As the World Turns (CBS)
Outstanding TV Journalism Segment:Â "Special Comment: Gay Marriage is a Question of Love" Countdown with Keith Olbermann (MSNBC)Â
Outstanding Newspaper Article: "Owning His Gay Identity – at 15 Years Old" by Theresa Vargas (The Washington Post)
Outstanding Newspaper Columnist: Leonard Pitts, Jr. (The Miami Herald)
Outstanding Newspaper Overall Coverage: The New York Times
Outstanding Magazine Article: "Let God Love Gene Robinson" by Andrew Corsello (GQ)
Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage: Newsweek
Outstanding Digital Journalism Article: "Gay Athletes Are Making Their Mark"Â by LZ Granderson (ESPN.com)
Outstanding Digital Journalism – Multimedia: "Is Gay the New Black?" by Jessica Bennett and Jennifer Molina (Newsweek.com)
Outstanding Music Artist: k.d. lang, Watershed
Outstanding Comic Book: Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Drew Goddard, Jeph Loeb and Joss Whedon (Dark Horse Comics)
Outstanding New York Theater: Broadway & Off-Broadway: Wig Out! by Tarell Alvin McCraney
Outstanding New York Theater: Off-Off Broadway: Arias with a Twist by Joey Arias and Basil Twist
SPANISH-LANGUAGE

Outstanding Novela: Alma de Hierro (Telefutura)
Outstanding Drama Series: Capadocia (HBO Latino)
Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without a regular LGBT character): "Duerme, mi bien" Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real (Univision)
Outstanding Daytime Talk Show Episode: "Juntos hasta el final" Caso Cerrado (Telemundo)
Outstanding Talk Show Interview: "La primera boda de pareja de transexuales" Don Francisco Presenta (Univision)
Outstanding Celebrity News Segment: "La Proposición 8" Paparazzi TV (Mega TV)
Outstanding TV Journalism Segment: "Drama de jóvenes hispanos gay: Rechazados por ser gay" Noticiero Telemundo (Telemundo)
Outstanding Newspaper Article: "Confesiones de padre: Hombres gay revelan su orientación a sus hijos" by Lucero Amador Miranda (La Opinión [Los Ángeles])
Outstanding Newspaper Columnist: Roberto Hernández (Alianza Metropolitan News [San Jos#233;, CA])
Outstanding Newspaper Overall Coverage: La Opinión [Los Ángeles]
Outstanding Magazine Article: "Contra viento y marea" by Isis Sauceda and Judith Torrea (People en Español)
Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage: People en EspañolÂ
Outstanding Digital Journalism Article: "Cuba discutirá derechos gay" by Fernando Ravsberg (BBCMundo.com)
Outstanding Music Artist: Giovanni Falchetti, Junto a tí
More than 100 corporate sponsors are showing their support, including National Presenting Partner IBM and Local Presenting Partners ABSOLUT® VODKA and Prudential. GLAAD is also grateful to the event's Platinum Underwriters Comcast, TimeWarner and University of Phoenix. AT&T, Allstate Insurance Company, American Airlines, Barefoot Wine, Disney/ABC Television Group, HMS Media, Herb Ritts Foundation, New York City Marriott & Renaissance Hotels, Renaissance New York Hotel, MillerCoors, NBC Universal, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Southwest Airlines, The Terry Watanabe Charitable Trust and Wyndham Hotel Group support the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards as Underwriter Partners.




MileHighHotGuy: Sarik aka Tiki

MileHighHotGuy Sarik aka Tiki was looking sexy and stylish last night at the premier of Drama Drag at Tracks.

Colorado Springs PrideFest is calling all vendors and parade marchers

Colorado Springs PrideFest 2009 will be here before you know it. If you want to march in the parade or be a vendor, be sure to enter before March 31st to receive awesome discounts. Get forms online at www.yourpridecenter.org/springspride.htm.

Above is video I took at last year's Colorado Springs PrideFest with Dykes on Bikes kicking off the whole shebang.

It was a great time.

MHGG's Worst of Denver: Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

'Westword's' Best Of issue is out now with the scoop on all that is right and good with Denver.

However, it got me thinking - Denver's got some bad stuff too.

And one of the worst things in Denver is right there in the video above. Watch for yourself.

I'm not talking about the store itself.

The store is fine. I've shopped there once or twice.

What makes Vitamin Cottage - or Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, whatever that's supposed to mean - Colorado's Worst is the series of pathetically wretched commercials they run.

I'm not gonna get down on their spokeswoman for obviously not being a professional actress or anything like that. Not everybody is good in front of a camera.

Maybe they wanted a relatable everywoman or maybe she's the owner of the company or something. Whatever. It's not working.

What bothers me so much about her is her intonation, cadence, and pronunciation.

Has this woman never even heard English spoken before?

If she learned her lines phonetically it still shouldn't be this bad.

She pauses when she shouldn't and doesn't when she should. It's a freakin' train wreck.

I'm told that "grow-shers" for "grocers" is an acceptable pronunciation in Colorado but the sound of it just makes my testicles crawl. Say "grow-cers." And she says "cot-eege" for "cottage." Why?

Worst of all is they play this crap nonstop on Saturday mornings when I'm trying to watch my "DeGrassi: The Next Generation" marathons.

The sad part is that they've been running these commercials for at least a couple of years now and she never gets any better.

Definitely ranks among the Worst of Denver.

Not taxation without representation, says Melissa Etheridge

Melissa Etheridge says she won't be paying her California state taxes due to the passage of Prop. 8. See what she has to say at The Daily Beast.

You go, Melissa!

Civil disobedience the way it is meant to be.

I love it.

And, if I was rich and famous, I'd do the same thing.

Lame bill put down in Kentucky

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, issued the following statement with regard to reports that Senate Bill 68, a bill that would prohibit adoption or foster parenting by any person “cohabiting with a sexual partner outside of a marriage that is valid in Kentucky,” has died in the Kentucky legislature. The Kentucky House of Representatives adjourned without voting on the legislation, which had been approved by a Senate committee and was pending in the Senate. Kentucky’s legislative session ends March 30.

“We’re glad to see that this dangerous bill did not advance. Very simply, very plainly, this legislation would have hurt children in Kentucky who are waiting for permanent homes with loving families,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “We congratulate the Fairness Campaign, Kentucky Fairness Alliance, Kentucky Equality Federation, Join the Impact, the ACLU of Kentucky and HRC members who made their voices heard in support of children.”

More after the jump.


"The fact that this attack on children was stopped at the Senate Committee level speaks volumes to the broad-based coalition support the Fairness Campaign was able to rally around this issue," said Chris Hartman, Director of the Louisville-based Fairness Campaign. "We hope this victory is a sign that discriminatory anti-adoption legislation will not be considered in the Commonwealth's future, and that if it is, the Fairness Campaign will gather and build upon our allies and mobilize them against this bill with even greater fervor."

Tennessee’s legislature is currently considering a similar bill that would ban adoption by any person “involved in a cohabitating sexual relationship outside of a marriage”. Four states, Florida, Mississippi, Utah, and Arkansas, currently have laws that prohibit adoption by gay or lesbian couples (Florida’s law additionally prohibits adoption by gay or lesbian individuals). For additional information about state adoption laws affecting gay and lesbian people and couples, please visit: www.hrc.org/state_laws.

Kentucky law prohibits gay or lesbian couples from marrying.



End the Lies

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, today added four new anti-gay voices to its interactive wall on EndtheLies.org, a website confronting lies and distortions repeatedly used to defeat LGBT equality measures. EndtheLies.org refutes these mistruths with respectful dialogue and grassroots action. The latest additions to the wall are right-wing groups America Forever and National Organization for Marriage, anti-gay activist Elaine Donnelly, and Hawaii State Representative Lynn Finnegan.

EndtheLies.org’s interactive wall features videos, audio, pictures, and quotes, calling out those who maliciously use lies and misinformation to interfere with the LGBT community’s path to equality. By clicking on the panels of the wall, users can access more information about those highlighted, watch videos, add comments on multimedia discussion boards, and learn how to take action to counteract their misdeeds.

“I can think of no person or group more worthy of inclusion in EndtheLies.org’s interactive wall than America Forever, the National Organization for Marriage, Elaine Donnelly and Hawaii State Representative Lynn Finnegan,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Again and again, opponents of equality have claimed one shallow victory after another by telling lies about who we are as individuals, as loving couples and as families. These lies must be called out for what they are every time the right-wing seeks to derail our progress by spreading distortions and inciting fear mongering.”

Read more after the jump.


America Forever, a Utah-based group, has been faxing hateful flyers denouncing marriage for lesbian and gay couples to businesses in Vermont, where marriage equality legislation is currently under consideration in the state legislature. The group claims that marriage for lesbian and gay couples would trample on the rights of children and that “HRC of the homosexuals is the most powerful lobbying group in the world.”

National Organization for Marriage (NOM) created an anti- marriage equality radio ad playing in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. NOM’s website falsely and outlandishly warns that “religious groups may be denied the use of parks and other public facilities, unless they endorse gay marriage.” The three targeted states are all considering pro-LGBT equality legislation.

Elaine Donnelly, President of the Center for Military Readiness, claims that allowing lesbians and gays to serve openly in the military will sanction “inappropriate passive/aggressive actions common in the homosexual community” and “the ensuing sexual tension will hurt discipline and morale.”

Hawaii State Minority Leader, Rep. Lynn Finnegan, voted against HB 444, a Hawaii civil unions bill. She said, “If we push to have government certify or make legal a union or marriage between the same sex, I believe that we push what is accepted to what will be promoted.”

The EndtheLies.org interactive wall includes videos, audio, pictures, and quotes from the anti-gay figures it highlights. By clicking on the panels of the wall, users can access more information about those on the wall, watch videos, add comments on multimedia discussion boards, and learn how to take action to counteract their misdeeds. Along with the four new additions, the wall currently features the American Family Association (AFA), the elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern, and Utah State Senator Chris Buttars, Proposition 8 lawyer Ken Starr, right-wing media personality Rush Limbaugh, and GOP Chairman Michael Steele. Users can also nominate their own candidates for inclusion on the wall.

“Tools like EndtheLies.org will be critical to our community’s upcoming legislative battles, including passage of the Matthew Shepard Act in 111th Congress,” continued Solmonese.



New Music: Black Eyed Peas, Yuksek, Keri Hilson

Mailbox music. Mailman just dropped off a pile of new music for me to enjoy as I watch the snow melt outside on this fine Friday afternoon.

I'm listening to 'Boom Boom Pow' which is the first single from the Black Eyed Peas new album 'The E.N.D.' and I'm digging it. It definitely sounds like what you expect from the Black Eyed Peas but at the same time, it's very of-the-moment.

Ah, and it's even available on www.dailymotion.com. Give it a listen:

Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
Uploaded by xXmatdu87Xx

Then we've got some electronic music from Yuksek with 'Tonight' - I'll be checking it out momentarily but it sounds like something I'd like.

Looks like it's been on YouTube awhile:

His music is described as mixing pop hooks with dancefloor devastation, post-punk riffs and acid loops, disco grooves, experimental arabesque flourishes, house beats and catchy melodies.


Then there's Keri Hilson's album 'In a Perfect World'. I've been hearing about this one for a long time so I'm looking forward to it. Hilson is apparently some kind of music biz wunderkind who writes, sings, produces, and starred in the video for Usher's 'Love in this Club."

Her embedding is disabled but you can check her out on YouTube. I've just listened to a few minutes of 'Turnin' Me On' and 'Knock You Down' and they both seem kind of unremarkable to me at first listen but I'll go back and give the CD my full attention shortly.

Pizza vending machine

Get a fresh-made pizza pie in two-and-a-half minutes for less than $5 at this new pizza vending machine. Only problem - it's only available in one city in Italy so far.

Are you middle class?

Are you middle class? Queercents helps define what "middle class" actually means in this recent article. But it seems like, more and more, there are two classes in this country--the wealthy elite, which makes up about 1 percent of the population, and the rest of us, which makes up about 99 percent of the population. The wealth disparity problem in America is getting out of hand, as the AIG debacle has proven. Now what are we going to do about it?

Why dogs are better than boyfriends

They know where the money is.

Crested Butte welcomes spring with Flauschink

The last weekend of ski and snowboard season isn’t a quiet occasion in “Colorado’s Last Great Ski Town,” Crested Butte, where the expected rarely happens. Locals and visitors will be flushing out winter and welcoming spring with the 41st annual Flauschink, April 2 - 5, 2008.

Pre-Flauschink festivities begin at Talk of the Town on Thursday, April 2 with a 7 p.m. slide show at the Talk of the Town by Dr. Duane Vandenbusche, a Western State College (WSC) history professor and authority on Gunnison County and Colorado history. A Flauschink tale also will be told by George Sibley, founder of Flauschink and a retired WSC professor. The cost is $4 with a Flauschink button and $7 without a button.

Flauschink officially kicks off with a coronation ball held on Friday, April 3 at 9 p.m. to crown the new king and queen of Flauschink and enjoy an evening of polka dancing with the Pete Dunda Polka Band at The Eldo. The cost is $5 with a button and $8 without a button. “To be a true Crested Buttian, you have to polka. Many people who have been to every Flauschink are there. It is a fun time for the community to get together and dance—something people in Crested Butte do best,” says festival organizer and 1996 Flauschink Queen Michelle English.

The king and queen of Flauschink typically have three things in common: they are involved in the community, enjoy longtime resident status, and are held in high esteem by other locals. A parade on Saturday, April 4, honors the king and queen as they proudly raise scepters made from toilet plungers, gives “Has-Been” royalty the chance to wear their crowns and ride on a float again, and provides a reason to rain down fun on Elk Avenue, Crested Butte’s historic business district. The parade will begin at 3 p.m.

On Sunday, April 5, the festival and ski season will draw to a fitting close with the Flauschink king and queen holding court on the slopes at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Skiers and snowboarders pass by Flauschink Hill, above Twister warming house deck, to toast royalty.

Flauschink buttons are sold for $3 at several businesses in Crested Butte to raise money for the festival and to provide discounts on slide show and coronation ball tickets. Also, don’t miss the Flauschink exhibit at the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum. For more information, call Michelle English at 970-349-7348.

I'd buy that for a dollar

Philadelphia Gay News reports on a gay-owned hotel that is offering rooms for only $1 a night.

DJ Mark Picchiotti puts some bass in Bebe Zahara Benet's walk

RuPaul's Drag Race Winner's Tour/Absolut "Real Fruit" Tour DJ Mark Picchiotti pumped out dance remixes for every diva on the pop charts, now international DJ Mark Picchiotti’s mixing live for the diva of them all, America’s Next Drag Superstar, Bebe Zahara Benet.

Find out more at Penetration.

Congrats to First Friday - Best Club Night in Denver

Congratulations to First Friday and Babes Around Denver for winning the "Readers Choice" Award for Best Club Night in the most recent Best Of issue of Westword.

'In the Moment' - an online soap opera from the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center

Just found out about 'In the Moment' - the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center's online soap opera over at Kenneth in the 212 and got all caught up checking out episodes for the better part of an hour.

Kudos to the L.A. Center for such a well-executed and novel way to reach people.

Junior Dobson goes into the 'Family' business

And make no mistake, these corporate, industrial "churches" like Focus on the Family make millions and millions of dollars by peddling fear and falsehoods. Anyway, sounds like Ryan Dobson will be taking over for his father, James Dobson and he insists that he really believes "all this (Christian) stuff." I guess we'll have to wait and see what that means. Focus has lost so much of its following, at least in Colorado, that it may be time for the organization to look into some changes.

What's on demand on here! tv?

Some mighty good television is coming your way from here!

* click to embiggen and read

Nina Flowers debuts Drama Drag tonight at Tracks

Miss Congeniality herself, Nina Flowers, debuts her fabulous new drag show - Drama Drag - tonight at Tracks. You should go, loca.

Pull Down Your Pants Day

Florida had "Pull Up Your Pants Day" today. MHGG is officially declaring today as "Pull Down Your Pants Day." And send photos.

The Legacy of Matthew Shepard

Judy Shepard and The Matthew Shepard Foundation present 'The Legacy of Matthew Shepard' in Denver at Regis University on April 19 at 4:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

* click to embiggen and read

Colorado Gold Rush 2009

Colorado Gold Rush is going on this weekend (hopefully anyone who was flying in today made it despite the storm) at the Renaissance Hotel.

Gold Rush is put on by the Gender Identity Center of Colorado. The GIC provides support to cross dressers, transsexuals, the transgender community, and anybody who is non-traditional in their gender identity.

Civil Unions bill killed in Hawaii State Senate

The Family Equality Coalition, a Hawaii-based organization dedicated to securing equal marriage rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their families, and the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization with more than 2,500 supporters in Hawaii, released a statement yesterday regarding the state Senate’s rejection of legislation that would have allowed civil unions for lesbian and gay couples statewide. The bill failed on the vote to pull the bill from committee by a margin of 18 to six.

“Today’s vote is a great disappointment for loving, committed Hawaiian lesbian and gay couples,” said Family Equality Coaltion Co-Chair Alan Spector. “We share the sadness of all who hoped this vote would go differently and that the state would take a step toward equality for all Hawaiians.”

More after the jump.


“Today’s vote helps no one in the state of Hawaii. It protects no one’s marriage. It grants dignity to no couple’s relationship. It does nothing to ensure that all families receive the equal rights and responsibilities they deserve. But no one is giving up,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “The Human Rights Campaign is proud to have partnered with the Family Equality Coalition on behalf of this critical legislation. It has been a long, hard struggle for couples and families in Hawaii who simply want equal rights, and this effort continues, as it does across the nation.”

The legislation, which previously passed the House of Representatives by a 33-17 vote, would have permitted gay and lesbian couples to enter into civil unions and receive the rights, benefits, and responsibilities under Hawaii law that are granted to spouses. Couples who enter into a civil union would not receive any rights, benefits, or responsibilities under federal law.

Hawaii does not permit gay or lesbian couples to marry. Hawaii law currently permits couples prohibited from marrying in the state to enter into reciprocal beneficiary relationships and receive limited rights and benefits, not all the rights and responsibilities provided to married couples under state law.

In addition to Hawaii, nine states plus Washington, D.C. have laws providing at least some form of state-level relationship recognition for gay and lesbian couples. Massachusetts and Connecticut recognize marriage for gay and lesbian couples under state law. Five other states—California, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, and Vermont—plus Washington, D.C. provide gay and lesbian couples with access to the state level benefits and responsibilities of marriage, through either civil unions or domestic partnerships.

Maine and Washington provide gay and lesbian couples with limited rights and benefits, not all the rights provided to married couples. New York recognizes marriages by gay and lesbian couples validly entered into outside of New York.




Frat boys versus Westboro Baptist Church. Frat boys win!

A fraternity in Chicago held a straight/gay Hug In to protest Westboro Baptist Church coming to their university earlier this month. They hang a sign that reads 'No tolerance for intolerance'.

Go straight boys!

- via Videogum

What Paris Hilton loves

- via FourFour

Save on spring travel with Hyatt

Hyatt is offering some special deals for springtime travel so check it out. - via Passport

Tickets still available for Elton John in Laramie, WY

The legendary Elton John will be performing solo at the Arena Auditorium on Friday, April 3 as the 2009 Tour: Rocket Man Number Ones comes to Laramie, WY.

"The University is thrilled to have legendary artist Elton John return to Laramie for a concert in the Arena Auditorium," says UW President Tom Buchanan. "Elton John has been a long time supporter of the Matthew Shepard Foundation and UW’s Matthew Shepard Symposium, and we are appreciative of his continued interest in both".

Sir Elton will be performing Friday, April 3, playing his greatest hits and more recent songs from his latest release, Rocket Man Number Ones. He has sold more than 200 million records and continues to add innovative work to his personal repertoire of 29 consecutive Top 40 hits, 35 gold and 25 platinum albums.

Rocket ManNumber Ones, released in March 2007, debuted in the top 10 and features newly compiled and digitally mastered greatest hits spanning the first three decades of the singer-songwriter’s career.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation was founded by Dennis and Judy Shepard in memory of their 21-year old son, Matthew, who was murdered in an anti-gay hate crime in Wyoming in October 1998. Created to honor Matthew in a manner that was appropriate to his dreams, beliefs and aspirations, the Foundation seeks to "Replace Hate with Understanding, Compassion & Acceptance" through its varied educational, outreach and advocacy programs and by continuing to tell Matthew's story. For more information about the Foundation and its programs, visit www.MatthewShepard.org.

"Ten years ago Sir Elton did a concert in Laramie to benefit the Foundation. It was wonderful beyond description. He is a gracious and generous human being. We are sincerely grateful for his continuing support," said Judy Shepard, Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation.