Somewhere Under the Rainbow
Created | Updated Sep 18, 2002
'I was 22 [when I arrived in Hollywood]. That was 1948. I had more
action than Mount Vesuvius. Men, women, children. Animals! I loved it, too. ... I participated
where I wanted to, and I didn't where I didn't. ... I've always been open about it. I
couldn't be any other way. I've never allowed that to inflict me, and I don't even like
movies that have homosexuality and heterosexuality as a theme. I don't feel it's necessary.
You tell the story as the story is. You don't have to inflict on it your opinions. You see, I
don't like to use the word 'gay' because gay is a word in the dictionary that means happy
and thoughtful, and I think we're using that word out of context, although it represents
what we feel like. But I still don't like to use that word in describing all of us. I want to be
very straight and honest with everybody. You know, I don't see any reason why not. Aren't
we allowed to have privilege of choice? '
-- Actor Tony Curtis
Gay turn off
The autumn schedules have been announced in the USA and the bad news is that the
presence of gay and bisexual characters has fallen.
Shows cancelled for this season include Spin City, Felicity and The Education of Max
Bickford all of which featured a gay character and That 80s Show which along with the
Education of Max Bickford also features a bi-sexual and transgender character
respectively. Only six shows this autumn will feature a regular lesbigay character on
network television Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dawson's Creek, E.R., NYPD Blue, Will and
Grace and the premiering MDs. After years of steady progress in gaining visibly
acceptance on mainstream TV and films the decision appears to be made that gay characters
are no longer needed in new shows.
The shows left only feature 7 lesbigay characters and all are white. Last year there
were 20 such characters on the networks. The figures of course do not include the cable
shows such as Queer as Folk, Six Feet Under and Sex and the City which remain popular
through other means with their diverse characters.
Numbers are not the issue the fact that for a number of years now gay characters have
been accepted as characters who happen to be gay has been great for the lesbigay
community. Hopefully in future years more will appear in other shows as a sign of how
acceptable all lifestyles have now become.
Gay Pride on Ice
So you’ve heard about Mardi Gras in Sydney, Gay Pride in New York and the Love
Parade in Berlin how about cooling it down a little ismarah
has written an article on Her Experience in the Reykjavik Gay
Pride 2002. So find out all about the Sister Act that was going on as the 20-25
floats celebrated being ‘Gay all Over’ in Iceland’s capital city.
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