BAMMER.CO: Mike Balaban has been regaling readers with stories about recent gay history for years. Best of all, he likes to tell fully illustrated stories, and always seemed to have his camera handy. That led to a wealth — an archive, truly — of sexy and touching images showing men at play in the ‘70s and ‘80s and beyond.
The beauty of his images — aside from the beauty! — is that he was self-taught, so his eye is unique and naive, but I must say that what for most people might have ended up as a stash of snapshots instead look like what they are: art.
He’s got 35,000 Instagram followers and has been featured in exhibitions in Palm Springs and San Diego. He’s one of the friendliest guys you’d ever want to meet.
Now, Mike is selling his beautiful photography right here. Best of all, it’s uncensored — Meta be damned!
Check it out and tell him Matthew sent you.
THE NEW YORK HISTORICAL: The New York Historical has on view (through June 20, 2027) Queer Joy, Gay Power, which shows off some of the outstanding items from the recently acquired Fred W. McDarrah archive. There are also pieces from the Frank Kameny archive donated by furniture designer Mitchell Gold. Generous gift! The Kameny materials represent 154 containers, 150 linear feet.
PHILADEPHIA GAY NEWS: The legacy of queer activist Bill Way will be explored at an upcoming forum:
“The forum coincides with the 50th anniversary of William Way LGBT Community Center — which was named after Way beginning in 1997. It will feature short talks, a presentation on redevelopment by University of Delaware professor Dr. Davy Knittle, a film by artist Rami George and an opportunity to view 10 scrapbooks Way assembled during his lifetime.”
PHOENIX NEW TIMES: Ugh. Kelli Anderson is a school board candidate in Arizona whose son, 18-year-old Shane Anderson, has come forth to accuse her of abandoning him when he came out as gay, calling him a “faggot” and “pedophile.” And she wants to continue overseeing other people’s children.
PEOPLE: Gay actor and playwright Michael Kearns’s cause of death has been confirmed as cardiopulmonary arrest.
THE TELEGRAPH: The Season 6 finale of Slow Horses opted for a gay joke.
GRINDR: Grindr hosted its annual Halloween bash in NYC, this one hosted by ballroom legend Dashaun Wesley.
The Pleasure Ball’s theme “FUTURE LOVERS” attracted Adam Lambert, Christian Siriano, Susanne Bartsch and more, and included a performance by Meg Stalter.
The evening was in support of Grindr for Equality, a social-impact initiative that aims to connect 10M+ LGBTQ+ people with HIV prevention by 2028.
AARON RUPAR: Old Man Trump, losing his marbles by the minute, tells a rally crowd they’re invited to Mar-a-Lago … only to immediately realize it’s way out of their price range. And he tells them that!
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: Gay immigrant sitcom One Baby, Please! is coming to OUTtv in November.
PEOPLE: Noah Wyle has been crowned People’s Sexiest Man Alive.
HUFFINGTON POST: Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has just endorsed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for governor of her state.
FACEBOOK: Model Jonas Kautenberger works out in his Intense Power Motion Boxer Briefs by Calvin Klein.
PAGE SIX: MAGAt Savannah Chrisley just gushingly announced she’s pregnant and engaged without IDing the dad, just saying he’s way older. Turns out the guy is Jason Galanis, a convicted fraudster who served prison time alongside her father, is around his age (27 years her senior) and was pardoned by Trump. So much to unpack. By the way, she said she’d rather have 20 good years with the love of her life than 50 meh years, so she expects her 57-year-old husband to be dead by 77.
BOY CULTURE: Andrew Scott sat for a Q&A with Andrew Rannells after a special screening of his (flawless) film Elsinore at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Robin Williams Center in NYC held on Monday in NYC.
NEWFEST: Director Lukas Dhont stayed for a Q&A following a NewFest38 screening of his film Coward that took place at SVA in NYC on October 24.
Above, in case you missed it yesterday, my own footage of his October 26 Q&A. Review of the film is to come!
CBC: The magazine BASTE is said to be “undressing the idea of content masquerading as art.” Also, it can easily pass for smut.
THE CAFTAN CHRONICLES: John Cameron Mitchell opens up about sex, family and art.