Gay In America by Scott Pasfield
The product of a three-year journey around the country, Scott Pasfield’s book Gay in America features portraits of gay men from all 50 states that represent a range of social, professional, ethnic, socio-economic and religious experiences.
“I wish there was a book like this when I was growing up and that is why I did it, really,” Pasfield said. “I wanted to know that I could live wherever I chose, in any place, in any state, in any situation, in any city, in any town, and do whatever I wanted.”
Joe Manganiello talks about “Magic Mike” movie
Did you have any hesitations about the role? It is sort of pegged as the “hot guys getting naked” movie.
Well, I get labeled that on True Blood! I mean, when Steven Soderbergh wants you to do his movie, you say yes. Plus, the cast is the greatest group of dudes ever. It is epic. Epic! We have had so much fun.
Okay Joe, let’s get down to it. How much are we going to be seeing of you?
You are going to see a surprising amount. Shocking amount, actually.
Shocking as in… full frontal?
You are going to see… I mean…. No, no full frontal! But his name is Big Dick Richie for a reason [laughs].
Girls everywhere are fainting right now! So how did Channing help you prep for the role?
It’s based on a character that Channing knew who was named Big Dick Charlie. So we talked about him a lot. I also talked to a group of male strippers from Dallas in the ’90s.
What did they tell you?
They told me it’s sex, drugs, rock and roll. The guy I talked to was ‘the fireman’ in the ’90s so I am going to be doing a fireman routine in the film. Suspenders, hat, I get the axe going — the whole deal!
We’re assuming there are some good dance numbers with all you guys?
Oh you have no idea! It’s been so fun.
Who is the best dancer?
The man to beat is Channing.
More at Celebuzz.com
Muammar Gaddafi killed in Sirte
Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, the most wanted man in the world, has been killed, the country’s rebel government claimed today.
The flamboyant tyrant who terrorized his country and much of the world during his 42 years of despotic rule was cornered by insurgents in the town of Sirte, where Gadhafi had been born and a stronghold of his supporters.
Occupy Wall Street commercial
Now does any of that sound unreasonable?
Tweet of the day: Maroon 5’s Adam Levine
Joe Manganiello goes Hawaiian
Joe Manganiello – on the beach in Hawaii.
Need I say more?
TX Gov. Rick Perry proposes a “flat tax”
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday that he wants to scrap America’s current tax laws and impose a flat tax.
He called the plan “an economic growth package that will create jobs, create growth and create investor confidence in America again.”
“It starts with scrapping the three million words of the current tax code, and starting over with something much simpler: a flat tax,” Perry said.
A flat tax applies the same tax rate to income at every level. The current tax code is progressive, taxing higher incomes at higher rates and lower incomes at lower rates.
Many conservatives argue a flat tax would be simpler and fairer because everyone would be taxed at the same rate.
Liberals and many moderates say a flat tax would make the tax system more regressive, giving big tax breaks to the wealthy while making low- and middle-income families pay more.
In his book, “Fed Up!” Perry suggests the flat tax as a possible policy prescription:
“One option would be to totally scrap the current tax code in favor of a flat tax, and thereby make taxation much simpler, easier to follow and harder to manipulate,” Perry writes in his book. “Another option would be to repeal the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution (which authorizes the taxation of income) altogether, and then pursue an alternative model of taxation such as a national sales tax or the Fair Tax.”
(via the AP)
Rick Santorum pledges to defund all contraception
Former Sen. Rick Santorum, currently running in the bottom tier of candidates for the GOP nomination, has pledged that he will end all public funds for contraception:
“One of the things I will talk about, that no president has talked about before, is I think the dangers of contraception in this country,” the former Pennsylvania senator explained. “It’s not okay. It’s a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be. [Sex] is supposed to be within marriage. It’s supposed to be for purposes that are yes, conjugal… but also procreative. That’s the perfect way that a sexual union should happen… This is special and it needs to be seen as special.”
Almost all women age 15-44 have used some form of contraception to avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Without funding from Medicaid and Title X, “abortions occurring in the United States would be nearly two-thirds higher among women overall and among teens; the number of unintended pregnancies among poor women would nearly double.”
More at ThinkProgress.
Mayor Cory Booker for HRC’s Americans for Marriage Equality
Based on the campaign that was successful in moving marriage equality forward in NY state, the Human Rights Campaign has begun a national version of the “I support marriage equality” videos. Here is Newark Mayor Cory Booker.
Americans for Marriage Equality is a public engagement campaign featuring prominent Americans who support committed gay and lesbian couples getting married. The campaign will draw from a cadre of supportive professional athletes, film and music celebrities, political and civil rights leaders.