Dan Savage's love

Dan Savage's hunk husband speaks.

Wedding bells for Dawn French!

An al-Qaeda terror attack is thwarted in Canada.

Paraguay's new prez has troglodytic views on gays.

Amazing Keith Haring video.

SATELLITE DISH: Gossip from MTV's earliest days.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev charged for using WMD by feds.

White House sticking to Constitution.

Gun Owners of America honcho: Liberals "pleased" with bombing.

Bette Midler "adored" the "terrifying" Sue Mengers.

Angelyne has a not-so-nice trip.

Who would Jesus abort?

Only 3 known SF earthquake (1906!) survivors.

Barbra regrets not doing Cabaret, Klute and Julia.

Michael Michaud dishes on the late Sal Mineo.

Sofia Vergara's "great time" as a transsexual.

Meet the Imam into gays and marriage equality.

Janice Dickinson broke? 

Brenda Dickson broke and homeless?

Roberto Bolle coming to NYC.

How to find sex...offline?

Folsom Street East is off.

Phyllis Diller's final TV gig: Dukes of Melrose.

Teamsters vs. Westboro: Guess who won?

Pop Tarts: Portraits of Women up for grabs.

CRAZY FOR IT: 'Mazing Madonna megamix.

Madonna's homeless brother injured during arrest.

How Mack Sennett created Studio City.

Pop-up exhibit of Madonna's iconic wardrobe at Macy's in L.A.

Dress her up

All shook up

25 lascivious "Harlem Shake" videos.

Gay-free prom sought because gays "have no purpose in life."

Madonna's hydrangea prankster sneaks into Grammys.

French Nat'l Assembly passes marriage equality.

Gay serial killer in NYC?

Facebook "Bareback" page has 20,209 likes.

"Does staring at men in the gym make me gay?"

Another "litany of left-wing proposals."

Senate passes Violence Against Women Act.

Marco Rubio supports violence against women?

AP: "Husband" and "wife" are restricted terms.

Puerto Rican Eagle Scouts return badges over anti-gay policy.

Your hunk of the day, Justice Joslin.

Do you seek Justice?

Janis Ian: Glad she didn't marry young and then retire...

Whenever I'm about to speak with a woman for this blog, I always have a minor panic attack wondering if I should assert that even though it's called "Boy Culture" I love women, too.

I definitely felt that way in light of this next interview subject, a woman of many accomplishments!

In honor of Janis Ian's nomination for a Grammy in the Best Spoken Word Album category—alongside fellow out lesbians Rachel Maddow and Ellen DeGeneres, not to mention Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama—I was lucky enough to get to interview the music legend whose 1975 single "At Seventeen" is still the ultimate coming-of-age song.

Boy Culture: Congratulations on your ninth Grammy nomination, this time for the audio version of your memoir Society's Child. Is it especially meaningful to be recognized for reading your book and to be in such esteemed company in the category?

Janis Ian: It's meaningful to be recognized for anything, all the more because I've been in the music industry since I was 12 or 13! The company for this nomination is astonishing, though. I keep thinking there's a joke in there somewhere—an ex-president, the First Lady and three lesbians walk into a bar...

La Lindz as La Liz swills Vodka-brand vodka

Charlie Sheen gave Lindsay Lohan $100K for taxes.

Angus T. Jones's mom: Religious rant shows he's being exploited.

Facebook policy-change hysteria.

Rob Johnson looks ah-mazing shirtless.

The Shining: The Musical exists.

Hipsters pre-date Christ?

Jenny Johnson wins Twitter feud with Chris Brown.

Rachel Maddow to Doonesbury.

Meet David Guetta in Ibiza, girl!

Gay dad makes electoral history.

Mug shot extortion could lead to more mug shots.

Ricky Martin: Adios to Evita.

Various bloggers (him & him) were wrong about "Elmo."

FOX News guest calls network "wing of the Republican Party."

Uganda to condemn its LGBT and LGBT-friendly citizens?

From the producers of Idi Amin...

Myanmar my gal

President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton go barefootin'.

Chile elects first (HOT) out politican.

Rachel Maddow: Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) is "incompetent."

Longest English word is not antidisestablishmentarianism.

Syracuse, New York, adapts gender non-discrimination.

Blacks support marriage equality more and more.

Texas may not swing for a while. If ever.

Gay families in Florida tell their stories.

Can you say "Detox Icunt" on TV?

You will Ru the day... 

Romney believed he was Mormonism's mane man!

Did shellshocked Romney believe he was Mormonism's "white horse?"

Gingrich was pretty surprised, too, though.

Obama won because he called Romney a "poopy head?"

"Boehner has got to understand—they lost."—Sanders

The last "unknown" soldier wasn't.

Activist Brandon Lacy Campos (pictured)  found dead.

Madonna returns to NYC—possibly set to DJ?

Marriage equality makes polling gains everywhere.

The Simpsons tweaks FOX & Karl Rove.

Justin Timberlake signed for gambling flick.

Cincinnati FOX anchor vs. Rachel Maddow.

Guess what hottie just posed for NOH8?

Mamet, LuPone and Winger? Whoa!

Judy's dress goes for $480K, Kate's cake is $7.5K/slice!

"For $480,000 I'll throw in a BJ from Toto!"

I bet Grenell thinks she's not pretty enough

Anyone who believes that Mitt Romney would be a moderate president needs to wake up and smell the heterosexuality. Even in cases where he may be inclined to be somewhat less than a frothy-mouthed rightie, he will never be allowed that wiggle room by the extreme element of those who vote him into office. Case in point, the sudden resignation of his spokesman and advisor Richard Grenell.

Prove it!

As of midnight last night, it was exactly six years since my first post. It's been a tough thing to keep up with a dayjob and outside activities, and just when I think I might walk away, a valuable connection or interesting opportunity or a kind word comes my way. Thank you all for reading me.

Of whom are you more jealous?

Here are my favorite 100+ posts out of nearly 11,000. Please take some time to read (or re-read!) a couple and tweet or Facebook any you like.

xoxo Matt

The pocket pool championships were intense this year

BOY CULTURE

Boy-crazy

FROM BOY TO MAN: BC B.C. (2007): The entire history of my novell and novel Boy Culture as well as the movie version; might be my ultimate post.

Jonathon Trent & Derek Magyar make an Allan Brocka sandwich

BOY ON FILM (2006): An account of the NYC launch party for Boy Culture as it played the TriBeCa Film Fest.

I was left "Reeling" by the experience

FRIENDS AND "FAMILY" (2006): The movie version of Boy Culture hits Chicago.

No one would've mistaken me for Taylor Lautner

RAPT PUPIL (2006): The final night of Outfest with Boy Culture; I was fat but on the other hand got to meet Bryan Singer.

 

MY ART

 

Construction worker (shot this week) vs. James Dean

GUYDAR (since at least January 17, 2008) & ENDS OF THE WORLD (since at least January 13, 2008): Attractive men of the world—I got your backs. Your fronts, too.

i-i-i (phone)

Not totally built

Unaltered iPhone image that still blows me away

"Your pictures suck" (2008): An art critic attacks me, but not without sustaining some hits in return.

Let's call it a draw

DRAWN TOGETHER (2008): How my desire to draw related to my secret desire. One of my absolute favorite posts.

The shirtless one

LOST ANGELES (2009): My favorite photographic travelogue of L.A.

Even then, New Yorkers feared 9/11 was the beginning of the end

ART IMITATES LIFE (2006): My 9/11 and my distaste for grief tourism.

ME

Death of the party—Jeff in high school, already halfway through his life

BURNING MAN (2007): Tribute to my late high school friend and first romance.

Signed, sealed (eventually) delivered

LOST BOY FOUND (2011): There is a book in here somewhere.

Be Italian

CIAO HOUNDS: OUR TRIP TO ITALY (2011): Finally got José to Europe.

Death becomes here

ILLINOIS DEATH TRIP (2007): Ruminations on death while revisiting a past home, and the past.

Life is short...and meaningful

PASSING BY (2008): Mourning the loss of a person I only met once.

Lots more...

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) is saying there are now at least 62 votes in the Senate to pass the stand-alone repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and gives credit to Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut) for rounding up the support. It's odd to be happy with Lieberman...it's been a long time!

Here's Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pennsylvania, pictured) speaking out on behalf of the repeal on the House floor. Great guy, and it's so sad he'll be gone in January:

I can't believe I'm going to say this but...an interesting interview with Meghan McCain by Rachel Maddow last night. McCain's getting scorched for coming out and saying what many in the Republican establishment are saying behind-the-scenes, namely that Christine O'Donnell is a "nutjob."

But what interests me is that she went on to talk a bit about President Obama and Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I give McCain credit for openly—and, clearly, sincerely—disagreeing with and being hurt by her father's homophobic stance on DADT (and all other gay issues). In the past, I've been unimpressed with her for focusing on what Obama hasn't done when her father—and her party—is actively, aggressively working against gay issues. But she doesn't harp on that here, instead saying politicians should be held responsible for their failings but admitting she really has no answers as to how. (She doesn't advocate not voting for them again, protesting or other measures suggested by Maddow.)

Also interesting is that Ms. McCain seems to think that Obama has been given a free pass for his gay-rights disappointments. I'm glad Maddow pointed out to her that many in the gay community have given him no such free pass (choice comment at Joe.My.God. yesterday: "Obama can't tell his black ass from his white elbow," and it goes downhill from there on a daily basis in the comments section), but I think the central question remains: What do we do about it?

I don't think there are easy answers. I know AmericaBlog and others have advocated not to give the Democrats money. Some have argued that they'd never vote for Obama again or that they wouldn't vote for any Democrats, or that they wouldn't vote at all. Dan Choi's sincerely, passionately applied tactic is to embarrass the president by turning up the heat via civil disobedience and high-profile demonstrations; these things have worked in the past in other areas.

I'm not attracted to any of these remedies, but like Meghan McCain—and unlike those who use the word "Obamabots" in every other sentence—I don't have all the answers and don't pretend to.