Ellen and Portia’s wedding made the pages of people. Too bad it’s void since Prop 8.The queer year in review continues with 2008’s top international stories. Not much can top a pregnant man but the world can try.
5 – Gay-motivated church shooting
In the heat of summer a gunman opened fire during services at a Unitarian Church in Tennessee. Jim D. Adkisson cited liberal views as well as gays for his motive. Heart-wrenching anecdotes about adults jumping to shield children didn’t make the day any less sad.
4 – Clay Aiken comes out of the closet
In the biggest “Duh” news of the year new dad and former ‘American Idol’ star Clay Aiken finally revealed that he is gay. He also got half a mil to spill his guts to People. Out gays across America collectively gag.
3 – Matthew Mitcham takes a diving gold
Matthew MitchamThe only out gay man at this year’s Beijing Olympics started off slow but then blew the competition out of the water in the 10 meter platform dive. The Australians hadn’t won since 1924 and the humble Mitcham represented his country admirably, not to mention adorably as he bit his medal in pictures. So why did NBC gloss over his sexuality and not even mention his partner, so inspirational to his performance?
2 – President-elect Obama invites Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration
After the elation following his election the LGBTQ community felt blindsided by Obama’s choice of the extremely homophobic pastor to usher him into the presidency. The Prez-to-be managed to put a decent spin on the choice but gay Americans will continue to hold onto their skepticism until Obama really shows us he’s got our backs.
1 – Californians get the right to marry, and then get it taken away
Home of Hollywood, and arguably the gayest state in the union, our neighbor to the south has really been put through the ringer this year. The spring was a happy time when businesses readied for the flood of queer starlets marrying, and everyone went crazy about the pictures of Ellen and Portia. But when the hangover from election night was gone, we were hit with the realization that all the joy was nullified when Californians passed Prop 8, effectively banning gay marriage in the state. In a move that benefits no one, from small business to gays to evangelicals themselves, Hollywood says it best with a superb Funny or Die video called Prop 8: The Musical.
