Openly Gay & Latin Poet Richard Blanco Reads Inaugural Poem

Jodie Foster Comes Out At The Golden Globes

From Mediaite writer Matt Wilstein:

Jodie Foster had the Golden Globes audience on the edge of their seats as she accepted the special Cecil B. DeMille Award. She began by thanking Robert Downey, Jr., who presented the award to her, but quickly went off in a more personal direction, hinting that she was about to announce something big. “So while I’m here being all confessional, I guess I just have a sudden urge to say something that I’ve never really been able to air in public… a declaration that I’m a little nervous about… but I’m just going to put it out there, loud and proud. And I’m going to need your support on this. I am, uh… single.” After the laughter and whistling died down, Foster sort-of clarified her intentions, saying “I’m not going to do a big coming out speech tonight. Because I already did my coming out speech about a thousand years ago, back in the stone age.”

Ke$ha Comes Out As Bisexual

The Irish Examiner reports:

The ‘Die Young’ singer Kesha - who once claimed she had a sexual encounter with a ghost - has said she is bisexual, saying she doesn’t care about gender and loves women as much as men.

The 25-year-old star told the February issue of Seventeen magazine: “I don’t love just men. I love people. It’s not about a gender. It’s just about the spirit that exudes from that other person you’re with.”

The blonde beauty admitted she wanted to speak out about her sexuality to stand up for others who are bullied because of their sexual orientation, as well as for her brother, who is bullied in school for having a speech impediment.

She said: “I’m all about standing up to gay/lesbian/transgender bullying, but it’s also about my little brother. He’s 13 and he gets made fun of because he has a stutter. I just have zero tolerance for people making fun of others.”

Kesha previously revealed her new track ‘Supernatural’ was inspired by an erotic paranormal experience.

She said: “I also have this song called ‘Supernatural’. It’s about experiences with the supernatural … but in a sexy way … I had a couple experiences with the supernatural … I don’t know his name! He was a ghost! I’m very open to it.”

Creation Of Neil Patrick Harris

You can actually buy this.

Click here to embiggen.

Song Of The Day: Anthony Antoine - Secret Lover

Ricky Martin Marks World AIDS Day,  Talks Obama Support & Life After Coming Out

The Huffington Post reports:

His sizzling turn in Broadway’s “Evita” may earn him a nightly standing ovation, but as he enters his dressing room at New York’s Marquis Theater, Ricky Martin is the casual antithesis of the bon-bon-shaking superstar who sang about “livin’ la vida loca.”Despite his calm demeanor less than two hours before hitting the stage, Martin is now working at a pace that recalls his late 1990s heyday, and anyone concerned that the Latin crooner would regret declaring himself a “fortunate homosexual man” in 2010 would be happy to know that the risk appears to have paid off.

Though he’ll depart “Evita” in January, Martin is set to mentor a new generation of hopeful stars on the Australian version of “The Voice” early next year, and recently inked a deal with NBC to develop his own television series, which he simply describes as a “dramedy.”“If I knew how good it would feel, I would have done it a long time ago,” Martin recalls of his coming out experience. “Sometimes I’m like, ‘Can I come out again?’ because it really felt amazing…I had no idea what the reaction was going to be; I just did it because I needed to feel free and happy. It’s been beautiful.”

But Martin’s passions have always extended beyond performance art, and as the current spokesperson for Viva Glam, he’s helping to raise millions for the MAC AIDS Fund through sales of his MAC Cosmetics lip conditioner line. On the eve of World AIDS Day, Martin says he considers global prevention of HIV/AIDS a responsibility that he takes very seriously.“It’s really sad when people say, ‘Yeah, that’s an issue for gays,’ because it’s not only the gay community that’s struggling with AIDS — it’s [heterosexual] men, women and children, too,” he says. Describing his earlier philanthropic work in preventing human trafficking as being very much interconnected to HIV/AIDS awareness, he added, “For many years I did it quietly, because I had this conception people might think I was doing it for recognition, until I talked to real activists who told me, ‘Dude, you need to talk about this, because people listen.’”If the framed photograph of him with President Barack Obama that rests on his dressing room table is any indication, Martin is certainly pleased with the U.S. election results.“The re-election of our president was, for me, nothing but light,” Martin, who hosted an Obama fundraiser in May and stood beside first lady Michelle Obama at a Florida rally in November, explains. “If we went the other way, it was going to be like going back in time. As a Latino Puerto Rican U.S. citizen that can vote for the president, it was very beautiful to see minorities getting together for democracy, for freedom, for civil rights.”He then concluded, “What he’s done for the LGBT community…really is beautiful. It’s historical to have a president saying, ‘Marriage equality…let’s move this forward!”

On Dec. 1, MAC Cosmetics will mark World AIDS Day by doubling its donations to the MAC AIDS Fund by matching the sale of Viva Glam products including Ricky’s lip conditioner. For more information, click here. 

Kevin Clash, Elmo’s Puppeteer, Resigns From Sesame Street

The New York Times reports:

Kevin Clash, the longtime voice and puppeteer behind Sesame Street’s Elmo character, has resigned in the aftermath of allegations — which Sesame Workshop had previously said were unfounded — that he had an underage sexual relationship. In a statement released Tuesday, Sesame Workshop said:
Sesame Workshop’s mission is to harness the educational power of media to help all children the world over reach their highest potential. Kevin Clash has helped us achieve that mission for 28 years, and none of us, especially Kevin, want anything to divert our attention from our focus on serving as a leading educational organization. Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding Kevin’s personal life has become a distraction that none of us want, and he has concluded that he can no longer be effective in his job and has resigned from Sesame Street. This is a sad day for Sesame Street.
Mr. Clash has played Elmo on “Sesame Street” for decades. He was profiled in a documentary last year, “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey.”
The sexual accusations were made public last Monday, then later recanted by a 24-year-old man who has remained anonymous. The episode led to Mr. Clash coming out as a gay man, something he had not previously discussed in public. “I have never been ashamed of this or tried to hide it, but felt it was a personal and private matter,” he said in the statement last week.
Production of “Sesame Street” was unaffected by Mr. Clash’s leave of absence and presumably will not be affected by his resignation, either. Mr. Clash had been helping to identify other puppeteers who could play Elmo for some time, and they filled in for him while he was away from work, a Sesame Workshop executive said last week.

Trailer: Struck By Lightning (Starring Chris Colfer)

Obama Pride: LGBT Celebrities For Obama

Jane Lynch Joins Amway Boycott After President’s Anti-Gay Donations Are Revealed

The Huffington Post reports:

“Glee” star Jane Lynch has joined the ongoing boycott against Amway after the Michigan-based direct selling company’s president was revealed to have made a personal donation to an anti-gay marriage group.
Lynch, who is openly gay and married to clinical psychologist Lara Embry, “grabbed the pen out of my hand and signed away,” according to former Republican presidential candidate and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocate Fred Karger, who asked for the actress’s support of the boycott he launched in August, according to Michigan Live.
The postcard bearing Lynch’s signature has reportedly since been sent to Amway president and owner Doug DeVos. Other high-profile names attached to the boycott include reality TV star Reichen Lehmkuhl, who is also openly gay.
Karger, who serves as president of the LGBT advocacy group Rights Equal Rights foundation, says his boycott extends to Amway’s parent company and all all other businesses affiliated with DeVos’ family business, including the Orlando Magic basketball team.
Tax records obtained by Karger indicated that DeVos donated $500,000 to the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) Education Fund through his Douglas & Maria DeVos Foundation in 2009. NOM was formed in 2007 to pass Proposition 8, California’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage.
“I imagine NOM leaders Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown thought that no one would uncover the huge Amway contribution, which appears to be the largest family donation to NOM in its history,” Karger is quoted by Raw Story as saying in August. He has also launched the website BoycottAmway.com, which includes a full list of all Amway affiliates, a Change.org petition and a phone number to call DeVos.
Meanwhile, Amway officials responded to the controversy in a statement, noting that although the DeVos family believes that one of “the highest callings of any individual is to express their own personal beliefs as a participant in the democratic process,” the company’s employees and distributors “come from all walks of life and represent an incredibly diverse set of backgrounds.”
“The Amway opportunity is open to everyone,” the statement concluded.

Song Of The Day: Barbra Streisand & Jason Gould - How Deep Is The Ocean

He’s really good.

Matt Bomer Talks Growing Up Gay When Accepting GLSEN Award

The Huffington Post reports:

Matt Bomer says he had to “cover his tracks” in order to survive high school as a gay teenager.
Honored with an “Inspiration Award” alongside partner Simon Halls at the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) Respect Awards, the “White Collar” hunk told the crowd, “When I was in high school, there was no safe haven, there was no outlet for you to speak your mind. So I did what any self-preserving 14-year-old would do—I signed up for the school play and also the football team to cover my tracks.”
As E Online is reporting, the 34-year-old actor — who was praised by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocates for subtly acknowledging his sexuality in February — went on to note, “When that happens, when you aren’t allowed to speak about who you are, one of the most authentic parts of who you are, which is who you love or who you’re attracted to, feels invisible. GLSEN gives visibility and authenticity to kids all across the country.”
Pink News reports that Joe Manganiello presented his “Magic Mike” co-star with the award. “You are the example that the rest of our country needs to wake up and see in terms of equality and putting an end to the bullying epidemic and making sure that every family is respected in our schools and our society,” Manganiello, who also reportedly attended college with Bomer, is quoted as saying.
Perez Hilton notes that Halls also chimed in, noting, “Having kids teaches you so many things, and one of the things we both have learned in our parenting journey is how loving and accepting and open children’s minds and hearts are.”
Not everyone has been so supportive of Bomer’s career. In August, “American Psycho” scribe Bret Easton Ellis slammed the possible casting of Bomer as Christian Grey in the highly-anticipated movie version of “Fifty Shades of Grey” as “absolutely ludicrous” because the actor is openly gay.
“I am NOT discriminating against Matt Bomer,” Ellis tweeted. “Fifty Shades of Grey demands an actor who is genuinely into women.”

Song Of The Day: Jason Gould - Morning Prayer

He’s Barbra Streisand’s openly gay son, and this is his debut EP. He’ll be touring with his mother and will be making his live stage debut with Babs tonight at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Stadium.

Click over to Stargayzing for David Munk’s candid and frank interview with Gould.

He’s cute, isn’t he?

MARYLAND: Adam Lambert Speaks About Question 6, Performs “Outlaws Of Love”