Miss and Mr. Gay ISU

Walter Beck goes on the road with a journal in hand to cover Miss and Mr. Gay pageant at the Indiana State University.

“That’s not to say they weren’t loud and outrageous in their own ways. Eve came strutting down that stage looking like the strange bastard offspring of the patron saint of drag, Divine.

X Possibilities

Two testimonies by gay men who grew up reading the X-Men give a taste of the breadth of resonances that the mutants of X-Men have had in real gay lives.

“Their very personal identifications with characters, one male and one very gender-fluid, give just a taste of the breadth of resonances that the mutants of X-Men have had in real gay lives.”

Polari August Bona-nza: I Want to be a Porn Star!

What is it about the lure of exhibitionism? An anonymous writer explores the lure of wanting to be in a porn film.

“Yes, I want to be in porn. I would like to give it a go, but not necessarily make it a career path. I am long past being awkward about my body, and terrified of my own sexuality. “

Polari August Bona-nza: The Sound of Porn.

How do you get the right soundtrack to a porn film? Marcus Reeves writes about how he scored an Ashley Ryder film, and found a new direction for his own music.

“Writing the music itself was fairly difficult, as it had to be rhythmic and repetitive without being too distracting – writing catchy melodies is great for pop songs but most people aren’t watching porn to be left with a song to hum along to in the shower.”

Polari August Bona-nza: Comic Possibilities.

Grae Hancock writes about how comic books offered role models, challenges and windows into alternative lives as she came to terms with her sexuality.

“It is possible to become a fan of a much-loved series or discover a new indie writer on your own and slowly but surely LGBT voices are making themselves heard and hopefully creating new communities to support those discovering their sexuality.”

Rocky Horror.

The pleasures of Rocky Horror audience participation are many, and Walter Beck has enjoyed them, from being in the audience to playing as part of the screenings’ shadow cast.

“I marched the Indianapolis Pride Parade as part of Transylvanian Lip Treatment, getting many hoots, hollers, and flat strange looks from the crowd. And as tends to happen with me, photos were taken that proved to be controversial later on.”

A Queer Family of Characters.

Andi Fraggs recalls watching his first Divine film, Hairspray, and how it started a lifelong fascination with “the most beautiful woman in the world”.

“My mother had some bright pink sequined outfits in the cupboard from the ’80s and I told her, ‘You should wear them now! -You would look like Divine’, which I truly meant as a compliment.”

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As the Boy Scouts of America leadership prepares to vote on overturning its ban on GBT scouts, Walter Beck recalls how he was banned for the political views he had aired online.

“I had been a camp counselor for nine years and had more than a bit of a reputation as a rabble-rouser, an unapologetic freak who took the Scout Oath and Law beyond the rote meanings laid down by National Council.”

The Strange Story of What Happened When Sullivan County, IN Ended Up in the National Headlines.

Walter Beck writes about what happened the Christians of Sullivan County wanted to ban gays from the prom in the name of Jesus. Supposedly.

“The Westboro folk made their grand entrance to the fine city of Terre Haute with the heiress herself, Shirley Phelps-Roper taking center stage, with four signs in her hands and a couple of inverted flags tied around her waist (the American flag, Rainbow Flag and I do believe I saw the Vatican flag as well).”

Holy Hate-Roller!

A (Sort Of) Satirical Review of the Westboro Baptist Church’s 2010 I-70 God Smack Tour, as seen by Walter Beck.

“The Westboro folk made their grand entrance to the fine city of Terre Haute with the heiress herself, Shirley Phelps-Roper taking center stage, with four signs in her hands and a couple of inverted flags tied around her waist (the American flag, Rainbow Flag and I do believe I saw the Vatican flag as well).”