Rugby Player Keegan Hirst Comes Out

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Mirror, Batley Rugby League player Keegan Hirsh "came out" and becomes the first British openly gay Rugby League player.

In the interview citing his wife blaming herself for the couple's seperation he explained to her why they were no longer meant to be together to show it was not her fault for the breakup.

His wife, family, teammates and other rugby players have been nothing but supportive. As far as opposition fans and players who may now target him with "homosexual" taunts the 27 year-old says he can handle any abuse, "I'm comfortable in my own skin, probably for the first time ever". Welcome Home Keegan Hirsh.

I AM CAIT .. I'm pleasantly surprised

To be very honest when I first heard about the upcoming program about Caitlyn Jenner I wasn't going to watch. I'm not into all those silly celeb "reality" shows which are enough to nauseate anyone except those who like to stand and watch the remnants of  a motor vehicle accident. But this being Monday evening and nothing else on I figured I'd give it a go and most likely change the channel in 10 minutes as all it's going to be is one big poof (no pun intended) piece about Jenner deciding what wardrobe to wear on any given day.

I didn't watch the Diane Sawyer interview at all nor Jenner receiving the ESPY award on ESPN until after it was aired. Well  I Am Cait was one of the most enjoyable programs I've watched.

Behold The Champion Caitlyn Jenner

In 10 minutes Caitlyn Jenner has done more for persons of transgender than has ever been done in all these many years I've been writing about LGBTs.

She used her spotlight on ESPN's The ESPYS to bring hope and understanding to countless many, young and old, who identify as T.

She got applause in all the right places and a standing ovation at the end. Tears in the eyes of some and near tears in others. I was struck by the expression of Kiefer Sutherland when the camera happened to be on him in what can be best described as taking it all in and truly understanding that what Jenner and others go through to be who they are is not an easy road to hoe.

There was much speculation and criticism that this would be one big publicity stunt on the behalf of Jenner what with a new reality show upcoming and ABC/ESPN as a ratings pusher. And well it could have turned out that way but the winner in all this is the community of the T.

Minds will not be changed overnight, some will never change, but a more graceful champion of transgenders has not been seen before. No brow beating, no chest beating, no controversy for "the cause". Just an eloquent display of humanity, from one person to another person.

Anita Bryant Galvanized A Movement

There she was in all her bible thumping glory in the late 70's fighting against homosexuality using every venue at her disposal to show the Evil of de gay.

Anita Bryant though unwittingly became the "best friend" we as a community could have had.

To say that her resounding anti-gay bigotry backfired on her is certainly an understatement.

Once the Queen of orange juice and a popular singer all came crashing down in flames when she lost everything except her contemptible hated filled stance on gays.

There have been many incidents and people against LGBTs who have brought a call to action to protect this community but none more significant in her time than Anita Bryant.

For that we owe her thanks and gratitude in showing how the haters won't defeat us .. ever. 

Marriage Equality 101 For de Straights

For those who have not been following Marriage Equality all these years and who may believe that this somehow infringes on you let me explain it all in as a short and concise way as I can.

It goes far beyond marrying the one of your loving and for the "sake of" Equality. Prior to Friday not being able to get married brings a host of problems for gays and lesbians. Tax benefits (both filing and receiving) .. in some cases not be able to visit or making decisions on behalf of an ill partner .. are just a couple of things. You who are straight look at all things your marriage affords you, that's all gays and lesbians are looking for with Marriage Equality.

Despite what the anti-gay muck rakers have and will say it's not about forcing a particular church or synagogue or mosque to perform a ceremony of joining two people which goes against the "spiritual" beliefs of the "host" of a particular place of worship. There will be more willing than unwilling to perform the ceremony.

This will not make your marriage any less valuable than it was on Thursday nor will it make it more superior. It will however afford many who until Friday could not have the same "spiritial", legal and economics rights as you have had for so long. More importantly with Marriage Equality those rights which you so enjoy and probably don't even give a second thought to will now no longer end at the "state-line".

This isn't the second coming of Black Rights, the defeat of miscegenation nor Rowe v Wade. This is a wholly seperate circumstance of rights for citizens of the United States to be equal not only in the eyes of God but by the very Country they live in where now no one individual nor state can say otherwise.

June 26 2015 Marriage Equality For All

Boston PD Has Gotten A Bit Prouder

In this day and age of finding fault with police officers, granted rightfully so in some cases, how refreshing to come across this story from Boston.

James Moccia and Shawn Maclver graduated from the Boston Police Academy on June 17.

The two friends met five years ago while both were working security at a bar. Moccia who has a degree in fashion told WBZ-TV in Boston that even though he and Maclver had dreamed of joining the police department Moccia said he put it on the back burner until he was in his 30's and until the time was right for a career given the obstacles for some.

At the graduation ceremony Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said "there's a seat for everyone at the table ... the more diverse we are the stronger we can be". Why would Evans make such remarks you may ask.

Did I mention Moccia and Maclver are more than friends, they are an openly gay couple and Boston Proud.

Game Over For Michael Sam Perhaps

"If he doesn't come back, I would think football's over for him" says Jim Popp the General Manager of the CFL's Alouettes in an interview with the Montreal Gazette after Sam left training camp on Friday June 12.

According to the interview Sam asked permission to return home for "personal reasons'. Sam's agent Joe Barkett so far is providing no insight nor does Sam's Twitter account at the time of this writing as to what exactly is going on.

Sam of course became a sensation as an OUT football player giving great hope for many to put a face on sports players who are LGB but otherwise for various reasons need to stay in the closet.

But with that fame comes a confluence of unwanted spotlight for the teams involved. There was much consternation when Sam was to be interviewed by Oprah and then his participation on the ABC-TV show Dancing With The Stars.

It's been said that Sam wants to play football, well if that is true he needs to do so full-time as a player and not get into other distractions of hoofing around a TV studio and sitting down for one of those "The Interview". There will be plenty of time for that later after a career in football.

What he needs to do while he is away from camp is have some deep down soul-searching and ask himself "do I want to play football" or "live off my gay celebrity". Obviously he can't do both at the same time nor should he at the expense of which ever team he plays for.

UPDATE - it is game over Sam decides to give up football .. story from CBS Sports

COLE TUCKER SUCCUMBS TO AIDS

Cole Tucker a gay-porn actor died earlier this month from "AIDS related illness" at the age of 61 according to the website Queerty.

This may not be "need to know" news for many however in this day and age when young gay men are still performing unprotected sex and there is still a culture of "bug chasers" Tucker's passing deserves more than a footnote on some gay-porn blog.

There is still no magic bullet and ask those who now may live longer than those decades ago if they had the option of being disease free or have to live a life of taking meds to delay the inevitable which they would chose.

It's still important to put a face on AIDS all these years after it began regardless how the person became infected.

Caitlyn Jenner Welcome To The "T"

The accolades flowed when the long awaited first look of Bruce Jenner transcending to Caitlyn Jenner came to view. But as she soon found out the accolades of congratulations can quickly turn to mean spirited comments from none other than the "T" which on many occasions devour their own.

One has to wonder if there is a "T" God or Goddess one has to bow to before "coming out" and in the case of Jenner in all her makeup and airbrushed glory.

If history has shown us .. the collective LGB  us .. while there are a great many in the world of "T" who are supportive of each other, there are those and usually the ones who are lucky to pass as ugly men in drag, it is the latter which have the highest degree of nastiness against their own.

To wit I say to Caitlyn when being assailed by them ... fuck 'em ! ... and enjoy your life from this moment forward with nary a look back. And if you can make a buck or two along the way hats off to you.

With your fame both now and pre-Caitlyn comes responsibility as your "reality show" can open many an eye and at the same time offer hope to those who are in need.

You've come a long way baby ... now go for the gusto which your life now offers.

Vanity Does In Luka Magnotta GUILTY

Accused murderer Luka Magnotta may have been caught in Berlin Germany because of his own vanity.

Arrested in an internet cafe Monday afternoon it's been reported Magnotta may have been surfing the net looking for news and articles on websites and blogs about his alleged hienous crime of killing and dismembering Jun Lin a purported cross-dressing lover of Magnotta.

An international manhunt for Magnotta had been underway since May 26 when it was reported Magnotta flew out of Montreal to Paris. At the time it was thought because of his previous travel history and familiarity with Europe he could be hiding and "blending in" anywhere and using aliases as he has done in the past.

This narcissistic sociopath has been caught before he could kill again but will more bodies turn up as his past is investigated is the question to be asked.

Was a murderer caught before he could become a serial killer or is the death of Jun Lin only the tip of the iceberg, only time will tell.

The above was originally posted 6/4/12 and today 12/23/14 justice for Jun Lin was served with Magnotta found guilty of his murder as reported by Reuters.

American Horror Story's Special Lady

Well I guess it takes a pretty woman to bring me out of blogging retirement and introduce to you, if you haven't already met one of the "stars" of the new season of American Horror Story.

In the new run of AHS titled Freak Show there is this rather tall gal who towers over everyone in the cast and whose rather homely look hides more than the real beauty beneath but also her very nature of being a woman.

Erika Ervin also know as Amazon Eve in the modeling world stands well over 6 feet tall and has in this writer's opinion legs which just never stop.

Ervin who is also a fitness trainer began life in Turlock, CA as William and transitioned from male to female in 2004. She appeared in the TV show Funny or Die in 2011, Family Tools in 2013 and the Netflix series Hemlock Grove also in 2013. Now she plays one of a group of performers with special attributes in AHS because of her "less than natural" height.

It's not often a trans person has been cast in film or TV and it's refreshing to see that FX and the producers of AHS are "pushing the envelope" by casting Ervin. It will be interesting to see what the overall public reaction will be as folks find out that this gorgeous she was once a he. Hopefully we have come along far enough to see an actress other than what those with narrow minds would call "a freak".

Ian Thorpe Has Come OUT of The Pool

Unless you've been living under a rock this past weekend you know in an exclusive Aussie TV interview Olympic Gold Medalist Ian Thorpe came out.

Praise and niceties were the word of the day in congratulating Thorpe but that didn't last long as now of course as always there are those who fault him for staying in the closet in the first place or taking so long to exit.

How many times (too many for me to remember) in the many years I have written on this blog in its various forms and in my way of being a "protector", that those who find fault need to shut up and understand the old saying "walk a mile in my shoes".

No one is required to be on someone else's time frame as to when and if they come out particularly when one in the public eye.

I've oft said it's not what one needs to fear from straight folk in their opine but those within the LGB community and that is the shame of it.

So Ian I say this ... screw what everyone else thinks and has to say ... be happy and Welcome Home Ian Thorpe ... Welcome Home.

#POTUS Pimps Out Mrs. For Gay $$$

For $1,250 to $32,400 you'll get to spend part of this evening with Mrs. POTUS as the LGBT Elite of New York City gather on hotey-totey Park Ave for a National Democratic Committee fundraiser.

Not to many years ago the LGBTs were screaming that the Gay ATM was closed as they threw their idol Barack Obama under the bus for not acting quickly enough, or not at all on LGBT issues.

My my how quickly they forget.

Well of course all is forgiven what with upending DADT and POTUS coming out in support of gay marriage.

Amazing how the LGBT Elite can be as fickle about throwing their money around as they are in selecting which color tie to wear.

If You're Celibate You Can Donate

Two years ago when I had my second operation to repair my severely damaged hip due to a car accident not only did the surgery go unexpectedly long but I loss a considerable amount of blood.

That afternoon/night back in my room I was given two units of blood.

Not once did I think or worry about the blood what with the testing for a variety of things including HIV.

In the US gay men are still barred from donating blood.

But Canada has just lifted its ban but with a catch.

You need to have not had sex with another man for five years.

Now how they will enforce this rule is beyond me.

Will Big Brother now monitor gays through all seeing eyes and keep tabs on their sex lives ?

And what about women ?

They can contract AIDS/HIV as easily as men can but no one talks about banning them from donating blood.

Gay and bisexual men continue to be the scapegoats in polluting the much needed donated blood supply.

As I wrote I didn't give it a thought when I needed the blood, nor would I have if gay and bisexual men were allowed to donate. Obviously I needed the blood .... end of conversation.

When You Think It's Getting Better ...

Things seemed to being going along pretty good.

Same-Sex Marriage passing here and there.

An NBA player coming out, more and more in support and acceptance of LGBTs and then the curtain is pulled back to show that homophobia is still with us and becoming more brutal and deadly.

Trans being killed in Brazil, two incidents of gay bashing in New York City and the brutal murder of a gay man in Russia.

Just when we were kidding ourselves into a comfort zone of acceptability the stark reality of what still is smacks us aside the head and we realize there is still danger in being who and what we are.

Should we retreat back into the closet, of course not we have come to far for that.

But we need to be made more aware and that is where the LGBT press needs to stand up and take accountability. We need more coverage of hate crimes, not less. Bloggers and the LGBT press instead of covering over and over ad nauseum what politicos and the likes of NOM are saying needs to be replaced with bringing to the forefront the crimes against us. The Gay Mafia needs to go after and press authorities to bring justice for those who have been affected rather than silly campaigns against media for the improper use of descriptions or a tongue-in-cheek slight.

It's fine to have these "feel good" stories on websites but it's more important to report, or at the very least, cut/paste articles of violence against LGBTs both here and around the world.

To not do so lulls us into a venerable comfort zone instead of reporting the shocking truth no matter how scarce in this day and age. But then it may not be as scarce as the LGBT press would have us believe with their tinsel choice of articles.

You want to be labeled as "press" then do your job. Report the ugly truth not just the tantalizing body shots to get reader counts and ad clicks up.

You have accepted the job of being journalists, then do it, and not just by cut/paste. Make phone calls, get out on the streets and get answers to questions. Anyone can sit anywhere as this blogger does and highlight a news event. But I'm not paid to do so as I'm a casual writer of opinion.

If you are not up to the task then fold your tents and shutdown your websites.

"Your Husband Wants To Be A Girl"

I haven't watched Cheers since it went off the air.

Watching it once was enough for me so no constant watching reruns as I do other TV shows.

Needless to say it's been a long time since I've listened to the complete Cheers song until this afternoon when I posted it in a comment on a fellow FBer ... and aghast what did I hear which I had forgotten all these years.

"and your husband wants to be a girl".

WHAT !?! OMFG !! GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY !! and let me clutch my low hanging pearls .. and they do too thank you very large.

I know I'm sometimes slow on the uptake but I don't ever remember the TGers nor GLAAD raise a stink (as in bullshit) over that line in the song even though it wasn't part of the intro to the show.

Of course if the show were trying to get on the air today there would be all kinds of uproar and outrage.

Perhaps one of you readers should notify them about this affront to all ladies with a bit more between their legs and the Gay Mafia so they can do one of their silly protests.

After all the show is in syndication and don't forget about de homo episode where Norm gets lip assaulted by two queers.

Ah the good old days of TV ... when nary a peep was raised and no one clutched their pearls when things were done in good fun ... and most people had a sense of humor very much unlike today.

If the show was filmed today the set would have to include a gender neutral restroom.

Jason Collins Has Opened The Door

Jason Collins wrote in an essay published today at the Sports Illustrated website and in the May 6 print edition that he is a gay man.

This is the big news in the world of sports today.

It is also playing high in the ranking of news events for general news media deciding what to cover and highlight in today's news cycle.

Why and what's the big deal in this day and age of greater acceptance of LG&Bs ?

After all there have been other athletes who have come out over the past number of years.

The difference is active pro male athletes who have come out are from other countries, those who have come out in US professional sports did so after retirement.

Today Collins did what many have been waiting for, an active player in the NFL, NHL, NBA or MLB to announce who and what they are in regards to sexuality.

Talking heads both in sports broadcasting and general news media have said this afternoon "because the (social) climate is right".

More importantly it is the right time for Jason Collins.

While Collins no doubt will receive some resistance from homophobes, the ignorant and those who really don't know their Bible, Kuran or Torah and how those books relay peace and love toward their fellow man, the outpouring this afternoon has been primarily of support and indeed praise, not just from LG&Bs which one would expect but also from the world of the hetero and the world of sports including those Collins plays with and the institution he is a part of.

The accolades will continue for several days, Oprah will now be seeking an "exclusive" interview for her not so watched cable channel, after all May sweeps are a mere couple of weeks away, and unfortunately Collins, who is the same man he was before everyone found out today, will now be seen as a gay athlete rather than just an athlete.

But then that is the price and image one must pay for being "the first".

As time goes on and more come out of the now open gay and bi male pro athlete door, the headline will last for just a news cycle or two. After which as when celebs, news reporters and anchors, and politicians first come out the pre-fix with the word gay will not be included except of course in the LGBT press and blogs.

Jason Collins came out today.

The world has not ended, the stock market did not fall and life goes on.

As I've done the past four plus years publishing Focus On the Rainbow I'll close with this.

Welcome home Jason, welcome home.

Spinning The News For de Gayness

Well they did it again this time outdoing themselves to find a way, any way to put a gay spin on current news events.

After the horrific and senseless bombings in Boston during last Monday's Patriot's Day Boston Marathon the gay press found a way to put a gay spin on the news.

They promoted and salivated in delight over a cover photo taken in the aftermath of the bombing of three police officers giving aid to a fallen Marathon participant.

One of the police officers in the photo according to the gay press is an out and open gay man.

This appears to be the only reason the gay press even mentioned the bombing on their assorted blogs and websites because that officer who appeared in the photo is gay.

Had he not been gay the photo would have been a blip on their radar screen of ever needing to find de gay in everything whether newsworthy or not.

The last and least important thing about the police officer is the fact he is openly gay.

The most important thing is that he and many others including regular folks assisted others at a time of mayhem and chaos not knowing if there would be more explosions or assaults of one kind or another against  those in attendance at the Marathon.

To highlight and profile the police officer only because he is gay is not only an insult to him but to all those who happen not to be gay but were all heroes on that fateful spring day in 2013 but not worth getting a keystroke.

The gay press just doesn't get it and unfortunately never will as they need to spin the news with a Rainbow flavor or if they can't, they find the news not worth reporting and appearing in the content of their media.

Sixteen Years After Ellen Comes Out

Sixteen years ago I was in my 40's and in the closet as a bi-guy when something extraordinary happened.

Comic and TV sitcom star Ellen DeGeneres came out, loud and clear that she was a lesbian.

It was still a time when those words dare not be spoken by many much less in homophobic Hollywood where for decades the LG&B kept the closet door locked not only by themselves but by agents, studios and PR departments.

Careers were on the line with the fear of the public finding out the true sexual identity of their favorite stars.

Many said at the time Ellen had just taken a poison pill in regards to her professional career as a comic and actor. That the life of celebrity which she so enjoyed was over.

But as they say the rest is history.

Perhaps it was the right time for the right person to declare who they are.

Perhaps we as a Country were, although still infants in understanding, able to accept that, yes there are queers that we know, even ones we invite into our home once a week.

Fast forward to today where this writer is five months away from turning 60, is no longer in the closet about being bi, albeit I don't wear it on my sleeve, and Ellen well she's doing just fine thank you very much.

I've seen much over these decades of my life, more than I could ever hope for being LGBT, while we of course still have some miles to go as far as total Equality in regards to law and religion plus total acceptance by the still closed minded.

While laws can be changed, religion and closed minds are another thing, venues of which after awhile it makes no sense to continue to seek change when change in those respects are futile and it makes more sense to change what and who can be.

You can't change the spots of a leopard, to continue to try is a waste of time and energy.

Over the past couple of months I conducted my own "social experiment" by inviting folks I work with to "friend" me on Facebook ... most would probably LMAO at now finding they have been part of an experiment. That experiment has proved one thing which I have written about several times over these past six years of writing.

I'm the same person you knew before you found out.

All, some probably twenty or so by now, have not changed their outward ways to me at work, and more importantly none have "unfriended" me on Facebook.

It could be said it's because of my age, the fact many are from a younger generation who are more "accepting" or it could just be that perhaps finally in the grand scheme of things, who cares.

As the old cigarette slogan went, for Ellen, myself and countless others, "you've come a long way baby".