R.I.P. AfterElton.

[Source]

R.I.P. AfterElton. And What the Hell is "The Backlot"?

Posted by Dennis Ayers, Editor on January 31, 2013

You may be wondering why there's a bright blue box and new graphics on the AfterElton homepage called TheBacklot. Glad you asked! We wanted to introduce you to the phrase and premise because come April, 2013 AfterElton.com will be changing its name.

That's right, TheBacklot is what comes after AfterElton.

Oh, I know, it seems like the end of an era. But honestly, the name "AfterElton" never quite worked as well as our sister site's moniker. AfterEllen was so named to commemorate that watershed moment when Ellen DeGeneres and her TV character came out on national television.

AfterElton was chosen mostly because it sounded similar.

We aren't really AfterEllen's little brother site any more. Our readership has expanded dramatically since we launched in 2005, our content mix has evolved. And frankly, we got tired of having to explain to people what "AfterElton" meant.

No knock on Elton John, we love the guy – it's just that our site never had anything to do with that music legend or any watershed cultural moment that sprang from his storied career. (And it even got a little awkward that time he played Rush Limbaugh's wedding!)

Truth is, we've been tossing around possible new site names for over a year now. AfterAfter? FopCulture? Or Louis' suggestion, BeforeLautner.
Kidding!

In the end we settled on TheBacklot.com. It's easy to remember, indicates our focus on Hollywood and the film and television industry, and we think it has a great ring to it.

To go along with our new name we're also going to launch a completely redesigned site. Right now the whole thing sits on a content management system called Drupal. In April we're moving everything over to WordPress. This will put us on the same platform as most of Viacom Media Networks' websites and will make it possible for us to borrow cool site features from our colleagues at MTV.com, LogoTV.com and the like.

Our new website design will also be "responsive"– a popular buzzword these days. Meaning it will adjust and optimize the display no matter how you come to us (PC, smartphone, tablet, etc.)

We're bracing for some technical bumps along the way, that's inevitable, but we're also really excited about the redesign and the opportunities it will offer. And we think you're going to like the new look! More details as we get closer to the April re-launch.

Now, some of you may be asking: "Will TheBacklot still be a 'gay' site?"

Rest assured, the name change and site redesign won't mean the end of what you know and love (and yes, possibly sometimes hate) about AfterElton. Our DNA stays the same, gay as it ever was. We are thrilled with our brilliant stable of contributors and quite pleased with our current content mix. The Backlot will still feature Ed Kennedy's Morning Meme, Brian Juergens' incisive film reviews and TV recaps, snicks' Daily Briefs and Days of Our Lives liveblogs, Jim Halterman's exclusive interviews with hot Hollywood talent, and Louis Virtel's witty pop culture commentary and wicked weekly Weeklings! rantings. Plus, all the other great writers and features you visit us for...

Glee and Teen Wolf recaps from Heather Hogan
Langford on Soaps
The Shipping News
Lyle Masaki's TV on Tap
Best. Movie. Ever.
Our Annual Hot 100

…and much much more!

Change is never easy, but the whole gang here at AfterElton is excited and ready to take the leap. We hope our regular readers take it with us!

 Sincerely,

Dennis Ayers, Editor
AfterElton/TheBacklot

Matt Bomer on Rachael Ray

Clip: Tara Tchalabi

Matt Bomer Suits Up For a Good Cause

[Source]

Matt Bomer Suits Up For a Good Cause

1.19.2013
By Julien Sauvalle

The actor curates a line of bespoke suits and accessories with Gilt and Alton Lane

Matt Bomer's recent filmography got us used to seeing him wearing close to nothing rather than sharply tailored ensembles (evidence here and here).
Not that we were complaining, but it's a nice change to see the openly-gay actor suitting up to introduce a special sale in favor a non-profit, with the help of clothiers Alton Lane and online retailer Gilt.com.

Oxford Union ‘gay parenting’ debate: The winning speech

[Source]

Oxford Union ‘gay parenting’ debate: The winning speech

by Benjamin Cohen
18 January 2013, 2:09pm

In an Oxford Union debate on Thursday evening about gay parenting, a motion in support of the principle was passed by a large majority. Here is the winning speech, delivered to the packed house.

Arguing for the motion, the winning team of the debate, was PinkNews.co.uk and Out4Marriage founder, Benjamin Cohen, gay rights activist, Richard Fairbass of the band Right Said Fred, and Phyll Opoku-Gyimah of Black Pride UK.

Debating against the motion was Peter D Williams of Catholic Voices, anti-abortion activist Anthony McCarthy and anti-equality activist, Lynette Burrows.

The motion was carried with 345 votes to 21.

Scott Lively, a staunch anti-gay evangelical Christian, was scheduled to speak at the debate, but was unable to attend. He was replaced on the ‘against’ panel by George Hargreaves, the leader of the Christian Party.

This winning speech, delivered by Out4Marriage and PinkNews.co.uk founder, Benjamin Cohen, on the topic “this house would be glad to have gay parents”, said the following:

;

This house would be glad to have gay parents”, is a motion I’m incredibly glad to propose. As you might have guessed, I am in a same-sex relationship – there’s my boyfriend Anthony over there. But what you might not have guessed is that both of us are very happy to have gay parents too. We’re in Oxford, so I had a look at the Oxford Dictionary on the way here and it says gay means “light-hearted and carefree”. Both of us had light-hearted and carefree childhoods, brought up in happy, secure and nurturing environments – one that had so many of the vestiges of a traditional, idyllic childhood that you could find in an Enid Bylton novel (books that use the word gay quite a lot) by two people who were in love. Yes, in our case our parents happened to be heterosexual but they certainly fulfilled the original definition of the word gay.

I’m not just referring to this old fashioned use of the word gay in jest but because I actually think that the word gay in the way it’s used in the wording of this debate will start to eventually seem as old fashioned as an old Enid Blyton novel that describes a happy, care-free boy as “gay”. Why am I saying this?

I’m one of the people who helped start the debate that will eventually lead to people like myself and Anthony being able to get married if and when the time is right. But it might surprise you to know that I oppose gay marriage. I oppose it because I support marriage and when I get married, if that’s what we decide to do, I don’t want to have a gay wedding, I just want to have a wedding, the same sort of wedding that my parents or grandparents enjoyed. I don’t want to be labeled as being in a gay relationship and if I eventually have children, I don’t want to be known as a gay Dad, I just want to be a Dad.

You might think that this is a pipe dream, but I believe that it will be a reality. Things are changing so very quickly. David Cameron who once said that he supports “gay marriage” not in spite of being a conservative but because he is a conservative now just refers to “marriage equality”. And I think that this has an important relevance when it comes to the context of this debate. The intention is that same-sex couples will be treated no differently in the law, and eventually in society, than opposite sex couples, and regardless of what those who oppose equality and freedom think or believe, this country will have marriage equality on the statute book within a year.

One of the reasons that I’ve campaigned for same-sex marriage to be legal is that I hope to eventually have children and I would prefer to bring up children with a partner that I’m married to – not really any different from most couples, opposite sex or same-sex, I think. But if me and my partner wanted to have children one day, it’s not going to be as easy as for an opposite sex couple. Neither my boyfriend or I can get pregnant by accident. We’ve tried and tried and tried but it’s never happened yet!

For a male couple, it would mean either adopting or finding a surrogate mother. The latter is stressful and expensive and would result in one of the couple not being the biological parent of the child. If adopting, it’s a long, drawn out process that requires time, commitment and the awesome responsibility to bring up someone else’s biological child and give them a strong, stable and loving upbringing yourself, without the support of the state.

Bringing up a child is not therefore as some might have you believe a fashion accessory, it’s a big commitment and one that all same-sex couples take over a longer, extended period of planning for than an opposite sex couple. Right now there are thousands of children being conceived every year by accident, often resulting in the child having one parent. Surely no one can seriously believe that having two parents, who just happen to be of the same sex would be a bad thing.

It’s not a decision that is taken lightly and the evidence is that same-sex couples make for good parents. Anyone who is LGBT goes through a process of self discovery and questioning that ultimately leads to the pretty stressful act of declaring who you really are to the people closest in your life.

There are some studies that have actually found that same sex parents can bring up children better than opposite sex couples. Other studies around the world from as far back as 1978 (it is clearly not a new issue in some parts of the world) have found that the outcomes for children being brought up by two men or two women are comparable to those brought up by opposite sex couples. And why wouldn’t they? Having two parents who love you and have fought hard to be able to bring you into their lives must be an amazing feeling for any child.

Yes I know that right now there are not huge numbers of people that have been brought up by same sex couples but there have been many people brought up by people who are gay – and I mean gay in the homosexual sense now. People like my brother in law who’s mother came out when he was a teenager – sure I suppose that he was upset that his parents got divorced, but he doesn’t begrudge or is unhappy that his mother happens to be a lesbian. It certainly hasn’t made him gay either

That brings me to another claim often brought up by those who oppose same sex parents – that children brought up by them will risk being gay themselves. Well having straight parents didn’t make me attracted to women. Having same sex attractions isn’t a choice – I certainly wouldn’t have chosen to have them, and when I was younger and when I’ve been single I know that if there was a tablet to have turned me straight, I would have taken it. No one choses to live a life where in the past, you faced discrimination by the state because of the gender of the person you are attracted to and no one choses to live a life where this sort of ludicrous debate would even happen. There wouldn’t for example be a debate, “this house would be happy to have black parents” it would be distasteful.

So what are the other objections? Perhaps they are religious? Well not all religions oppose same-sex parents and there isn’t just one route to the divine. As a theology graduate I can tell you that while there is a theoretical prohibition on same-sex relationships in both the Torah and the New Testament, although it’s not found in the Gospel. The issue of children isn’t raised and not all strands of Judaism or Christianity for example have the same view.

Many of my friends are lesbian or gay and they are also Jewish, some of them very religious. One couple in particular, my friends Natalie and Sam are treated by their Conservative synagogue as if they were a normal Jewish couple with two lovely children who happen to have one mummy and one Imma (Mum in Hebrew). Their children have a happy life and are happy to have the love of two wonderful parents. Another couple I’m friends with, a male couple have adopted a son, who came from a pretty bad background. He replaced a neglectful mother with two devoted, hard working and professional dads and he’s not found that his friends treat him any differently because his parents are a married same-sex couple (they married in Canada where it is already legal).

So returning to the title of the debate, I need to ask you why you wouldn’t be happy to have two loving parents, two parents who are not wicked people, two parents who have sacrificed a lot to bring you into their lives, two people who will dedicate their lives to making you happy, but two people who happen to be of the same sex?

Ask yourself, why wouldn’t you be happy?

Victor Garber Reveals He's Gay and Dating Artist Rainer Andreesen

[Source]

Victor Garber Reveals He's Gay and Dating Artist Rainer Andreesen

Celebrity News January 15, 2013 AT 9:30AM By Zach Johnson

Victor Garber and Rainer Andreesen attend The American Fertility Association's Illuminations NYC
2012 on December 3, 2012 in New York City.
Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

While Jodie Foster made her sexual orientation a public spectacle at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills Jan. 13, Titanic actor Victor Garber quietly confirmed that he's gay in an interview with Greg in Hollywood blogger Greg Hernandez.

Garber -- best known for his roles in the movies Argo, Legally Blonde, Milk, The First Wives Club and Sleepless in Seattle -- addressed his homosexuality during the TV Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif. in early January.

PHOTOS: Out and proud stars

Hernandez asked Garber about a Wikipedia entry that claimed he lives in New York City with artist and model Rainer Andreesen. "I don't really talk about it but everybody knows," the 63-year-old actor said of his relationship with Andreesen, a fellow Canadian. "He's going to be out here with me for the SAG Awards."

PHOTOS: Celebrity LGBT allies

Garber -- who has been nominated for six Emmy Awards since entering show business -- first spoke about his longtime love in an April 2012 interview with Canada's Forever Young.

"My companion Rainer Andreesen and I have been together almost 13 years in Greenwich Village," he said. "We both love New York."

PHOTOS: TV's best gay and lesbian couples

In addition to his film career, Garber has also appeared on the small screen in Alias, 30 Rock, Frasier, Ugly Betty, Web Therapy, The Big C, Damages, Deception, Eli Stone, Nurse Jackie and Glee.

Victor Garber's gay, he confirms

[Source]

Victor Garber's gay, he confirms — but didn't you know already?

Victor Garber at a panel discussion about NBC's "Deception" during a critics' tour event this month in Pasadena. (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images / January 6, 2013)

By Christie D'Zurilla | January 15, 2013, 11:42 a.m.

Actor Victor Garber confirmed Monday that he's gay -- though he did it in a didn't-everyone-know-already way.

"I don’t really talk about it but everybody knows," Garber told the Greg in Hollywood blog about living with his same-sex partner, Rainer Andreesen, for more than a decade. "He’s going to be out here with me for the SAG Awards."

E! News confirmed the info, while People linked to an April 2012 interview in Canadian magazine FYI in which the "Alias" and "Titanic" actor had mentioned his relationship with Andreesen, noting it as one of his proudest achievements.

"My companion Rainer Andreesen and I have been together almost 13 years in Greenwich Village. We both love New York."

Andreesen was reportedly Garber's date to the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, where "Argo," in which the 63-year-old actor appeared, took home best picture and best director.

Garber can be seen in NBC's series "Deception."

Victor Garber Comes Out

[Source]

'Titanic' Star Victor Garber Comes Out As Gay

Posted: 15/01/2013 11:17 GMT  |  Updated: 15/01/2013 11:17 GMT

Victor Garber, the US actor who has starred in the likes of 'Titanic', 'Legally Blonde', 'Argo' and the hit TV series 'Alias' has come out as gay - just a day after Jodie Foster did the same at the Golden Globes.

The star confirmed he was living with his male partner during an interview with Greg In Hollywood.

When he was asked about an entry on his Wikipedia page that states he lives with his partner Rainer Andreesen in New York, he said: "I don't really talk about it, but everybody knows. He's going to be out here with me for the SAG Awards."

Victor Garber

Despite having a relatively low profile, Garber has had a hugely successful career on both the big and small screens.

He can currently be seen in Ben Affleck's Golden Globe-winning 'Argo' as well as on the small screen playing corporate executive and family patriarch Robert Bowers in 'Deception'.

Could this be the start of a 'coming out' trend in Hollywood? We hope so - and can't help but wonder who'll be next?

Victor Garber: 'Everybody knows' I'm gay

[Source]

Victor Garber: 'Everybody knows' I'm gay

Ann Oldenburg, USA TODAY | 2:46p.m. EST January 15, 2013

The actor, 63, is confirming that he has been quietly living with his longtime partner in New York.

(Photo: Jason Kempin, Getty Images)

Did you know Victor Garber is gay?

You do now.

Garber, 63, didn't exactly go the Jodie Foster route, but the actor is acknowledging something that people close to him have obviously known for years.

During last week's Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, Calif., blogger Greg Hernandez was determined to publicly confirm that Garber is gay after reading on Wikipedia that the actor has been quiety living with longtime partner/artist Rainer Andreesen in New York.

Hernandez says he finally was able to corner the Argo actor in a hotel lobby.

"Wikipedia lists Rainer Andreesen as your partner. I wondered if that's something that's public, that you've confirmed," Hernandez said.

Garber seemed surprised by the question and said: "I don't really talk about it, but everybody knows."

Garber added: "He's going to be out here with me for the SAG Awards."

The two have been together for 14 years. And now the attention is turning to Andreesen, a portrait artist and model born in 1963 in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, being described by Gawker as "the hottest guy in the world."

Victor Garber confirms he is gay

[Source]

Victor Garber confirms he is gay and in longterm relationship with artist Rainer Andreesen

By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED:17:27 GMT, 15 January 2013 | UPDATED:23:48 GMT, 15 January 2013

Coming out: Victor Garber, pictured here
at the Golden Globes on Sunday, has
confirmed he is gay

Victor Garber has confirmed he is gay.

The Argo actor has never publicly addressed his sexuality, but said he is planning to attend the screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards later this month with long-term partner Rainer Andreesen.

Asked about an entry on his Wikipedia page - which is not official and open to editing by users - that says he lives in New York City with the artist-and-model, the 63-year-old actor told blog Greg in Hollywood: 'I don't really talk about it but everybody knows.

'He's going to be out here with me for the SAG Awards.'

Six-time Emmy nominated Garber first acknowledged Andreesen in an April 2012 interview with Canada's Forever Young.

He said: 'My companion Rainer Andreesen and I have been together almost 13 years in Greenwich Village. We both love New York.'

The former Alias actor can next be seen in NBC drama series Deception and says the drama series is like 'dessert' because it is everything he everwanted.

He said: 'I'm a lucky actor, I work. But this is the first series that's come along since Eli Stone, three years ago, that I really wanted to do.

'Everybody knows': Victor with longterm partner Rainer Andreesen who he lives
with in New York, pictured here in December

'It was smart, it was interesting, it was dynamic and it wasn't like the show was going to rest on me.

'I thought this was the perfect thing at this point in my life. It had everything I like, the complexity of the character, the family drama, all of the duplicity.

'For an actor, it's like getting a dessert - like getting what you hope for and rarely get.

'I love to work and I love the idea of going to work every day and also the fact that I get to do it in New York. It's like a gift. I feel like Iwon the lottery.'

Movie star: Garber in a scene from Argo with Ben Affleck

The son of Joe and Hope Garber, his mother was a popular TV and stage personality in his native Canada with her own show called At Home With Hope Garber.

Victor began acting at the age of nine, and he took acting lessons at the University of Toronto's Hart House at age 16.

He started his career as a folk singer and in 1967 formed The Sugar Shoppe with Peter Mann, Laurie Hood and Lee Harris.

They enjoyed moderate success having four top 40 hits in Canada and performed on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson before breaking up.

Titanic role: Victor developed a flawless Northern Irish accent to play shipbuilder
Thomas Andrews in the 1997 smash

Plum role: Victor also starred with Jennifer Garner in 2000s TV series Alias

After his big break playing Jesus in 1971 musical Godspell, and the subsequent 1973 film adaptation, he has featured in a slew of high profile films.

His best known role may be in 1997's Oscar sensation Titanic, in which he mastered a flawless Northern Irish accent to play shipbuilder Thomas Andrews.

Other well-known appearances include Sleepless in Seattle, Annie, Legally Blonde, and Tuck Everlasting.

Jet set lifestyle: Victor's success as an actor has allowed him to fly around the
globe on promotional tours

San Francisco plans to rename airport after Harvey Milk

[Source]

San Francisco plans to rename airport after gay rights hero Harvey Milk

by Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
15 January, 12:20pm

David Campos of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has announced plans for a charter amendment to rename the city’s largest airport in honour of the late gay rights activist Harvey Milk.

The amendment to rename San Francisco International Airport to Harvey Milk-San Francisco International Airport requires the support of five further members of the Board in order to be put to a public ballot in November.

Stuart Milk, co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation and nephew to Harvey Milk, said that if the amendment succeeds the airport would become the first in the world to be named after an openly gay person.

Mr Milk stated that the airport would be an important symbol to the countries it serves, particularly the 68 which criminalise homosexuality.

“For young gay people in an illegal place looking up at a monitor and being able to point to this international airport named after an LGBT advocate, it gives them the green light to authenticity,” Mr Milk said. “It’s a major representation that (they) are being celebrated somewhere in the world in a high-level way.”

Mr Campos said of his plans for the amendment, “The idea that millions of people can learn about Harvey Milk and what he represented is very moving”.

“That no airport in this country has been named for an openly LGBT person is something I hope would be remedied, and what a better place than San Francisco for something like that to happen, and what better person than Harvey Milk.”

Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, winning a post on the Board of Supervisors as a result of changes in the social makeup of San Francisco after three unsuccessful attempts to gain office.

Having finally been elected in 1977, Milk only held his position for 11 months before being assassinated by Dan White, a former colleague who had lost his position in city administration.

Milk has been described as a martyr for gay rights and a visionary. A 2008 biographical film of his life received two academy awards.

In December last year, a middle school teacher in Mexico was fired after screening the film to her class.

During 2009, the former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger established 22 May as Harvey Milk Day.

In 2012, a street in San Diego was named Harvey Milk Street to celebrate his 82nd birthday.

Actor Victor Garber Confirms

[Source]

Actor Victor Garber Confirms: Yep, He's Gay

The well-regarded actor, currently on the big screen in Argo and the small one in Deception, says yes, his life partner is a man.

BY Trudy Ring January 14 2013 7:27 PM ET

Victor Garber

While everyone is debating the merits of Jodie Foster’s Golden Globes speech, another distinguished performer, albeit one with a lower profile, has quietly confirmed that he’s gay: character actor Victor Garber.

Garber, perhaps best known for Titanic and the TV series Alias, and currently on-screen in Argo, confirmed the information to Greg in Hollywood blogger Greg Hernandez in a recent interview.

In a post published today, Hernandez writes that he met Garber last week at the TV Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif. He asked Garber about a Wikipedia entry that said he is partnered with a man, Rainer Andreesen, with whom he lives in New York. “I wondered if that’s something public, that you’ve confirmed,” Hernandez said to Garber.

“He seemed surprised by the question but said: ‘I don’t really talk about it but everybody knows,’” Hernandez writes. “Garber then added: ‘He’s going to be out here with me for the SAG Awards.’”

The Argo ensemble, which includes Garber as Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor, is nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Garber also noted to Hernandez that he’s friendly with Argo star and director Ben Affleck and Affleck’s wife, actress Jennifer Garner; he played her father in the espionage drama Alias. He also appeared, uncredited, in Affleck’s film The Town. Of Argo, he told Hernandez, “It’s such a gratification because of my relationship with Ben and Jennifer to see him emerge now as one of the great directors which I’ve always felt since Gone Baby Gone. To be a part of it is like the icing on the cake. It’s incredibly thrilling for me. And the fact that people love the movie so much means the world.”

Garber also currently appears in the TV series Deception, playing corporate executive and family patriarch Robert Bowers. His notable film roles include shipbuilder Thomas Andrews in Titanic and San Francisco mayor George Moscone in Milk. He has appeared frequently on Broadway and has four Tony Award nominations, along with six Emmy nominations for his TV work — including one for a 2004 guest shot on Will & Grace.

Greg interviewd Victor Garber

[Source]

How my interview w/Victor Garber got interesting

By Greg Hernandez on Jan 14, 2013 2:02 pm

I didn’t plan on asking Victor Garber about his private life.

Last week during the TV Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, the actor was onstage with the cast of the new NBC drama Deception and I knew that I’d want to chat with him one-on-one after the panel.

So I quickly looked at his Wikipedia page and there it was: ‘He lives in New York with his companion of 13 years, Rainer Andreesen.’ I then found all kinds of photos of this most handsome couple together.

I wondered, ‘Did he come out publicly and I missed it?’

After the panel, I still had that question in mind as I talked to Garber about the new series, his role in Argo and whether or not he was going to do a guest spot on Smash which was also stated on Wikipedia.

“Wikipedia is bullshit,’ Garber said in telling me he was not doing Smash.

We were being rushed off the stage so the next panel could be set up so I thanked him and we parted ways. I sat down but couldn’t help wondering: “Did he come out and I missed it?”

So I got up, walked into the lobby of the Langham Huntington Hotel and found Garber. I just decided to ask him: “Wikipedia lists Rainer Andreesen as your partner. I wondered if that’s something that’s public, that you’ve confirmed.”

He seemed surprised by the question but said: ‘I don’t really talk about it but everybody knows.”

Garber then added: “He’s going to be out here with me for the SAG Awards.”

So in the end, our chat ended up being a bit more interesting than I thought it would be!

Here is some of what else he had to say:

On his new series, NBC’s Deception: “I’m a lucky actor, I work. But this is the first series that’s come along since Eli Stone, three years ago, that I really wanted to do. It was smart, it was interesting, it was dynamic and it wasn’t like the show was going to rest on me. I thought this was the perfect thing at this point in my life. It had everything I like: the complexity of the character, the family drama, all of the duplicity. For an actor, it’s like getting a dessert – like getting what you hope for and rarely get. I love to work and I love the idea of going to work every day and also the fact that I get to do it in New York. ‘It’s like a gift. I feel like I won the lottery.’

On being in the cast of Argo: ‘It’s such a gratification because of my relationship with Ben (Affleck) and Jennifer (Garner) to see him emerge now as one of the great directors which I’ve always felt since Gone Baby Gone. To be a part of it is like the icing on the cake. It’s incredibly thrilling for me. And the fact that people love the movie so much means the world.’

Jodie Foster's Golden Globes speech: What people are saying

[Source]

CBS/AP/ January 14, 2013, 11:16 AM

Jodie Foster's Golden Globes speech: What people are saying

Actress Jodie Foster accepts the Cecil B. Demille Award on stage during the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel International Ballroom, January 13, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif. / Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. | On a night of surprises and laughs, the 70th annual Golden Globe Awards may be most memorable for a moving speech by actress Jodie Foster, who spoke emotionally of love, loyalty and career.

Accepting the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award, Foster spoke obliquely about her relationship with Cydney Bernard, her former partner of 20 years with whom she has two sons. Foster called her "my heroic co-parent, my ex-partner in love but righteous soul sister in life, my confessor, ski buddy, consiglieri, [and] most beloved BFF of 20 years.

"I am so proud of our modern family," she added," as her two boys in the audience smiled.

The 50-year-old Academy Award-winner (for "The Silence of the Lambs" and "The Accused") has always been protective of her private life, and though she has not hidden her relationship with Bernard or her sexual orientation, she has not allowed it to be fodder for interviews.

Backstage, Foster explained why she had opened up: "The speech kind of speaks for itself. ... It's a big moment. I wanted to say what's most in my heart."

• Jodie Foster at 2013 Golden Globes: I came out "a thousand years ago"
• Ben Affleck wins best director Golden Globe following Oscar "snub"
• Golden Globes fashion hits and misses

Foster had coyly opened up her remarks with, "I'm just going to put it out there, loud and proud. I am, uh, . . . single."

The audience laughter was followed with her alluding to her coming out: "I already did my coming out a thousand years ago, in the Stone Age," she said. "Those very quaint days when a fragile young girl would open up to trusted friends and family and co-workers and then gradually to everyone that knew her, everyone she actually met. But now apparently I'm told that every celebrity is expected to honor the details of their private life with a press conference, a fragrance, and a primetime reality show.

"You guys might be surprised but I am not Honey Boo Boo child. No, I'm sorry. That's just not me. It never was and it never will be. But please don't cry, because my reality show would so boring."

She added, "If you had been a public figure from the time that you were a toddler, if you had to fight for a life that felt real and honest and normal against all odds, then maybe then you, too, might value privacy above all else. Privacy.

"I have given everything up there from the time that I was three years old -- that's reality show enough, don't you think?

"There are a few secrets to keeping your psyche intact over such a long career. The first, love people and stay beside them." She gave a shout-out to her acting agent of 38 years.

Foster also paid tribute to her 84-year-old mother, who suffers from dementia. "Mom, I know you are inside those blue eyes somewhere," she said, "and that there are so many things that you won't understand tonight, but this is the only important one to take in: I love you, I love you, I love you. And I hope that if I say this three times, it will magically and perfectly enter into your soul, fill you with grace and the joy of knowing that you did good in this life, you're a great mom. Please take that with you when you're finally okay to go."

"This feels like the end of one era and the beginning of something else," she said in conclusion. Though Foster did not mention retirement, she alluded to a change in her career in which she "may be holding a different talking stick.

"Maybe it won't be as sparkly, maybe it won't open on 3,000 screens, maybe it will be so quiet and delicate that only dogs can hear it whistle," Foster said, "But it will be my writing on the wall. 'Jodie Foster was here.' I still am. And I want to be seen, to be understood deeply, and to be not so very lonely."

Backstage, Foster reaffirmed that her career announcement did not mean retirement. "Oh no, I could never stop acting. You would have to drag me behind a team of horses."

Lena Dunham, who won the Best Actress in a TV Comedy Award for her HBO series "Girls," said, "I think that one of the most wonderful things about the speech that Miss Foster just gave was that it was really a complex, interesting assessment of what it's like to have a creative career over a long period of time. She wasn't trying to hand you one moral."

Jessica Chastain (who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress/Drama Award for the film 'Zero Dark Thirty"), told the Los Angeles Times, "I can tell you what I took from the speech, as an actress I struggle with the idea of privacy. ...The actors who I respect are the ones who try hard to keep their privacy, like Jodie Foster -- I think when an actor is able to do that the audience is better able to accept them in different roles."

Jane Fonda praised Foster's speech, calling it "mysterious" and "profound." "It was my favorite part of the evening," she told The Associated Press.

Mel Gibson, who was directed by Foster in the 2011 film "The Beaver," said his friend's appearance was typical of her: "Priceless and classy."

Bill Murray said the speech focused on love but also seemed to indicate a change ahead for Foster. "I back Jodie wherever she's going with this," he said.

And Amy Poehler, who co-hosted the Golden Globes with longtime friend and fellow comedian Tina Fey, cracked as she was signing off for the night: "We're going home with Jodie Foster!"

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“Girls” star Andrew Rannells: “I’m purebred” gay

[Source]

Thursday, Jan 10, 2013 10:00 PM UTC

“Girls” star Andrew Rannells: “I’m purebred” gay

Unlike the character he plays, the actor says he's never been tempted to have sex with a woman

By Prachi Gupta

(Credit: Nick Step/Flickr)

(Warning: mild spoiler alert ahead!) If you’ve watched Season 1 of “Girls,” you know that Elijah Krantz, Hannah’s ex-boyfriend from college, reenters her life as a gay man. But Season 2 reveals that Elijah, played by Andrew Rannells, isn’t done questioning his sexuality. There’s a moment when Elijah gets tempted by one of the women on the show, thinking he might be bisexual.

But Rannells, also gay, can’t quite identify with his character’s confusion. He revealed to Vulture last night that “I personally have never had sex with a woman,” explaining that there is a term for gay men like him: “I’m more of what you call gold-star gay. I’m purebred.”

But he adds that even if you are a gay man who has sex with women, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re confused:

Although, I have a lot of friends who, actually, after they’ve realized they’re gay, they feel empowered in a way that they do some things that they didn’t think they would do, like explore some things because they’re a little more comfortable with who they are. That’s why in my head it wasn’t such a far leap as to why Elijah would [do what he does], because he’s feeling … confident. He’s feeling secure.

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Matt Dallas Comes Out

[Source]

Did Newly Engaged Matt Dallas Just Quietly Come Out?

Posted by Dennis Ayers, Editor on January 7, 2013

 Okay, we've had our eyes on the adorable Matt Dallas ever since the former male model landed the navelless lead role on ABC Family's Kyle XY. We've always wondered a bit about his personal life (and he was infamously cyber-bullied by Perez Hilton) but official details were scant and he wasn't particularly forthcoming about his love life in interviews. That might be changing. Matt tweeted this this morning...

We doublechecked and "Blue Hamilton" doesn't refer to the dog in this picture. Blue Hamilton is an L.A. musician who has been previously described as Matt's "bestie".

 Blue Hamilton

 (source)

Here's a music video from Hamilton. These two guys look an awful lot alike!

Big congratulations to Dallas and fiancé Hamilton. Assuming this is legit, it's a very low key but pretty classy way to come out.


Update 9:44am EST: Dallas' announcement was re-tweeted by Blue Hamilton's official account @BlueJamesMusic, so this does appear to be a legitimate engagement announcement:

“@themattdallas: 'Starting off the year with a new fiancé @BlueJamesMusic A great way to kick off 2013! pic.twitter.com/yNSPINno' yo best mean me."

Matt Dallas comes out

[Source]

Matt Dallas comes out: ‘Kyle XY’ star announces his engagement to musician Blue Hamilton via Twitter

The 30 year-old TV star tweeted the happy news early this morning, along with a snapshot of his fiancé and adorable pup.

By Chiderah Monde/ NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Monday, January 7, 2013, 5:44 PM

John Shearer/WireImage

Actor Matt Dallas has come out as gay, announcing his engagement to musician Blue Hamilton on Twitter

Matt Dallas, the actor most famous for his lead role on the hit ABC Family series "Kyle XY," has officially come out as a gay man, announcing that he is engaged to musician Blue Hamilton.

The 30 year-old TV star tweeted the happy news early this morning, along with a snapshot of his fiancé and adorable pup.

Matt Dallas tweeted a photo of fiance Blue Hamilton and his dog

"Starting off the year with a new fiancé, @bluehamilton," he wrote. "A great way to kick off 2013!"

Hamilton is a 25 year-old indie record producer who has worked with Justin Bieber, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

RELATED: CELEBS COME OUT

The pair has reportedly been dating since 2009, but this seems to be the first public acknowledgement of Dallas's sexuality.

Former "Kyle XY" co-star and close friend April Matson tweeted, "congrats my love!!" in response earlier today.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Though the striking blue-eyed actor has starred in relatively minor roles since the end of ‘Kyle XY,’ Dallas is rumored to have a role on the upcoming ABC Family comedy series "Baby Daddy."

Matt Dallas Comes Out, Announces Engagement

[Source]

Matt Dallas Gay: 'Kyle XY' Actor Comes Out, Announces Engagement

The Huffington Post | By Cavan Sieczkowski Posted: 01/07/2013 11:28 am EST

ABC Family actor Matt Dallas decided to make a big announcement for the New Year -- he is gay, and he is engaged!

Dallas came out as gay with a simple tweet on Sunday night. The former "Kyle XY" actor revealed he is happily engaged to his boyfriend, musician Blue Hamilton, according to
Towleroad.

The 26-year-old Dallas had not publicly come out as gay until Sunday, but there had been speculation about his sexuality for years. In early 2009, he was linked to "Mean Girls" actor Jonathan Bennett, from whom he reportedly split that same year. In September 2009, Dallas and Hamilton were spotted together grabbing food in West Hollywood.

Dallas' coming-out is in line with what appears to be a trend of celebrities addressing their sexuality in remarkably subtle ways -- really, nothing more than "I've never been in."

"White Collar" hunk Matt Bomer came out while accepting an award last February. "Star Trek" actor Zachary Quinto revealed he is gay during a profile with New York Mag in October 2011.

"Gone are the days of the 'Yep, I'm Gay' magazine covers," notes HuffPost Gay Voices Editor-at-Large and SiriusXM host Michelangelo Signorile, "with celebrities making a spectacle of coming out, and thus focusing on the fact that they were in the humiliating and painful gay closet... The closet isn't going away any time soon. But one step toward dismantling it among public figures it to make it a difficult and embarrassing place to be. From the looks of the latest celebrity self-outings, that's perhaps starting to take hold."

Matt Dallas: I'm gay and engaged to my beau Blue!

[Source]

Matt Dallas: I'm gay and engaged to my beau Blue!
Jan 07, 2013 2:30 PM by Sara McGinnis

---

Kyle XY Star Matt Dallas Outed By Perez Hilton?
Matt Dallas has a big year ahead of him. Not only has the Kyle XY actor officially come out as gay, he's planning on getting married!

Yes, Matt Dallas is gay, and yes — he's taken! The Kyle XY star announced Sunday that he and boyfriend Blue Hamilton are getting married.

Sharing the happy news on Twitter, Matt Dallas wrote, "Starting off the year with a new fiancé, @bluehamilton. A great way to kick off 2013!"

Along with the announcement, which confirmed long-running speculation the 30-year-old is gay, he tweeted a sweet photo of his 25-year-old musician beau snuggled up with a dog.

Although this is the first time Matt Dallas has chosen to publicly address his sexuality, gay news blog After Elton asserts the actor was "infamously cyber-bullied by Perez Hilton.

Ellen Page and the karma of outing gay Hollywood >>

Celebrity news site WWTDD wrote in 2010, "Perez delights in calling him a fag anyway, and even nicknamed him 'Kyle KY.'"

Citing two examples of the controversial blogger's jabs at Matt Dallas, they point to a photo of the actor that Perez captioned, "celebrating his birthday in fagulous style." In a second place the outspoken blogger wrote, "The fagulous Kyle KY star debuted his new 'do at the Family TV Awards in LA on Thursday night."

Reporting news of Dallas' engagement, Perez Hilton wrote Monday, "The dark and handsome actor has been dating the LA-based musician since 2009, and obviously the pair feel strongly enough about each other to commit to that forever (or until divorce) love!"
More celebrity engagement news from SheKnows >>

According to reports, Matt Dallas and Blue Hamilton (birth name Brandon Blue Hamilton) have been quietly dating since 2009. The music producer from Atlanta has worked with Justin Bieber on a pair of tracks, while it was recently announced his husband-to-be has joined the cast of ABC Family's Baby Daddy.

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Matt Dallas Engaged to Blue Hamilton!

[Source]

Matt Dallas, Kyle XY Star, Announces He's Gay -- and Engaged to Blue Hamilton!

Celebrity News January 7, 2013 AT 10:45AM By Zach Johnson

Matt DallasCredit:
Jesse Grant/Getty
Matt Dallas has met his match!

Matt DallasCredit: Jesse Grant/Getty
Matt Dallas has met his match!

The former star of ABC Family's Kyle XY announced his engagement to musician Blue Hamilton via Twitter Jan. 6. "Starting off the year with a new fiance," the actor, 30, wrote. "A great way to kick off 2013!"

PHOTOS: Best celebrity engagement rings of all time

This is the first time Dallas has mentioned his homosexuality publicly.

PHOTOS: Out and proud stars

Hamilton is a California-based singer-songwriter. The two have been quietly dating since 2009.

Matt Dallas
Credit: Twitter.com

Dallas recently starred in the Hallmark Channel holiday movie Naughty or Nice. His other notable film and TV credits include Beauty & the Briefcase, Eastwick and You, Me & The Circus.

PHOTOS: TV's best gay and lesbian couples

The Arizona-born actor has also appeared in music videos for Katy Perry and James Blunt.

Ryan Murphy to direct Matt Bomer in HBO's 'The Normal Heart'

[Source]

Ryan Murphy to direct Julia Roberts, Matt Bomer in HBO's 'The Normal Heart'

January 4, 2013 By: Lori Melton

"American Horror Story" co-creator Ryan Murphy will direct Julia Roberts in "The Normal Heart" for HBO.
Credits: Robin Marchant Getty Images

“American Horror Story” co-creator Ryan Murphy is set to direct Julia Roberts, Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer (“White Collar”), Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”), and Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory") in an HBO film adaptation of Larry Kramer’s play, “The Normal Heart,” according to an “EW” report posted earlier today, Jan. 4.

The film adaptation will be penned by playwright Larry Kramer and is produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Pitt. Roberts’ husband, Daniel Moder, is slated for cinematography.

The Tony Award winning play premiered in 1985 and was revived to run off-Broadway in 2011. The revival starred one of Murphy’s lead cast members from “The New Normal,” Ellen Barkin, along with Luke Macfarlane (“Brothers and Sisters”) and Jim Parsons.

"The Normal Heart" synopsis reads as follows on the play’s official website:

“The story of a city in denial, 'The Normal Heart' unfolds like a real-life political thriller—as a tight-knit group of friends refuses to let doctors, politicians and the press bury the truth of an unspoken epidemic behind a wall of silence.”

The film examines the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 80s and Roberts will play paraplegic physician Dr. Emma Brookner who treats some of the earliest victims.

Ruffalo will play Ned Weeks, a gay activist who tries to raise awareness of the unknown disease that seems to be largely killing off gay men in New York. Bomer will play “NY Times” reporter, Felix Turner, who becomes Ned’s boyfriend and contracts the disease. Baldwin will play Ben Weeks, Ned’s homophobic brother who is also a lawyer. Parsons will portray his Broadway role, Tommy Boatwright, in the film.

Bomer has guested on Murphy's hit series "Glee" and is slated to appear in an upcoming episode of "The New Normal."

Murphy previously directed Julia Roberts in the 2010 film adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, “Eat, Pray, Love.” Murphy and his “American Horror Story: Asylum” co-executive producer/writer Jennifer Salt also penned the screenplay for which Gilbert shares writing credit.

Roberts' niece, actress Emma Roberts, is reportedly dating Murphy's "American Horror Story" star Evan Peters (Kit Walker/Tate Langdon).

“The Normal Heart” film will air on HBO in 2014.

“American Horror Story: Asylum” airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EST on FX Network.

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John Partridge talks to the Sun

[Source]

We need a lot more queens in the Vic...

Actor's soap gays plea

Pink flag ... John Partridge
BBC

By NADIA BROOKS Last Updated: 02nd January 2013

EX-EASTENDERS star John Partridge wants soap bosses to bring more “hot new gays” to fly the pink flag in his absence.

John played gay personal trainer Christian Clarke for nearly five years on the BBC show until November last year.

But he quit when Marc Elliott, who played his Muslim lover Syed Masood, left.

And now John wants their popularity to convince bosses to bring in more homosexual characters.

John, who had a successful career in musical theatre before joining the soap, said: “We only ever had a positive response from people.

“It became a love story and the fact that it was two men became immaterial.

“It really became something that was quite beautiful as opposed to sensational.”

Lancashire-born John, who married Canadian actor Jon Tsouras in a civil ceremony last year, added that he hoped he had blazed a trail on EastEnders.

He said: “Bring in hot new gays, that’s what I say. Everyone needs to be represented — so somebody’s got to come flying that pink flag.”

He said he loved his time on the soap after getting his screen breakthrough in the musical Cats.

He said: “I developed a different skill because acting on television is far different from acting in theatre. There’s a different subtlety required. It’s a completely different medium and it was great to pick up another skill at that time in my life.

“My mail bag was always filled with letters and people saying thank you for either helping or encouraging or just having somebody there that we can relate to.

“But that being said, it was time for me to move on. I did feel in my heart it was time to move on and to flex my muscles elsewhere.”

Over Christmas John has been playing Prince Charming in Cinderella at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal.

This year he’s starring in a revival of West End musical A Chorus Line and will perform his own one-man show Dames ’n’ Dudes in London in April.

He said: “After doing pantomime, I’m going straight into A Chorus Line at the London Palladium. It’s great to go back into musical theatre. I play Zach — which is the Michael Douglas role — so I’m the only person who doesn’t sing or dance.”

He added: “I’m so excited about new things to come. What with A Chorus Line, my own show and everything else, leaving EastEnders proved to be the right decision.”

John will also appear alongside former EastEnders co-star Nina Wadia in the new series of Channel 5 show Celebrity Wedding Planner, which begins on Friday.