Attention Gleeks! (and non-Gleeks),
Looks like this week's Entertainment Weekly is worth a gander. Here is how the EW staff describes the cover story:
Gay teens are suddenly popping up in major roles all over television, with Glee’s popular pairing of Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Blaine (Darren Criss) leading the way. How did gay teens go from marginalized outcasts and goofy sidekicks to some of the highest profile — and most beloved — characters on the likes of 90210, Pretty Little Liars, and Skins? And more importantly, how is this affecting real-life teens still facing the daily high-school realities of bullying, discrimination, and ignorance? The new issue of Entertainment Weekly investigates the history of gay teens on TV — from the angsty Rickie on My So-Called Life to sensitive-soul Jack on Dawson’s Creek to the slew of groundbreaking characters on Degrassi. We talk to the producers who fought for such progress, the actors who held the career-defining roles, and the activists who cheer recent advances — but are still pushing for more.
Check it out, and report back with your thoughts!
Wow, it started as a monthly "magazine" style site, is now a community site, and at some point in 2011 should morph into a full-blown social network, but on December 1, Oasis turns 15 years old.
I launched the site in 1995 and am amazed by what it has become, as the site has always been driven, created, and supported by the people who share their lives here.
Some of our biggest assets were accidents that I now take credit for, such as not creating a girls forum and a boys forum, which has led to people realizing the problems are universal and the support is welcome from everyone willing to help. This is also useful more recently as our trans membership increases, saving my inbox from messages about reinforcing gender binaries, etc., etc.
I've been a bit absent lately as I've been at a the tail end of one job that was sort of spiraling out of control, and instead of the unemployment I expected, I actually have a 3-day weekend right into a new job with an even longer commute. The upside is that I will be earning enough now to hire a developer and get this site (and my vegan social network) developed in parallel.
So, thanks to everyone who comes here to share their lives, welcome others, and let people who need compassion and concern feel virtually what they might not feel in their offline lives.
I may have created this thing, but everyone reading this is the reason it has become such a special place online.
By Jeff Walsh
Andy South was the youngest gay contestant on Project Runway this season, and made it into the final three contestants who got to show an entire collection at Fashion Week. He may look familiar on the site because he wrote an article for Oasis about his thoughts on fellow contestant Mondo Guerra revealing he was HIV-positive on the show a few weeks back.
Sadly, Andy didn't end up winning the show, but he seems very aware that Project Runway is an opportunity to build on, and from now, it is up to him to succeed.
We spoke last weekend, two days after the finale aired, and the first day he remembers sleeping in for a very long time, as he transitions from being a reality show contestant back to being a full-time fashion designer.
Here's what we said:
Well today at work, has prooved an interesting and frustrateing day. A co-worker thought it would funny to mess with my systems. needless to say, she did just this... My whole work station is fried, nothing works, i now have to sit at one of the "spares" bland and plain staions. I am mad. She thinks its funny.
I said when I sat down at the "Spare" I need an Ativan. the girl next to me opened up a pill bottle and handed me one.
Well, the weekend was marvelous once again, as my weekends are all apt to being (give or take 3 fabulocity points).
Friday involved a big beat-em-up evening with my friends, with me finding my legs in marvel vs capcom , and mortal kombat 2. Switched over to Snow Brothers and Dungeons & Dragons : Shadows over Mystara later in the night though.
There's something oddly attractive about people who look like they could be either male or female. Last night at work there was this guy, who at first, I thought was a girl. It took me about five minutes of sneaking glances across the room at him before I was sure he was a he.
i'm sorry if i let you down,
i guess i'm just as clumsy as you said.
you're in denial of the truths i read,
i'm sorry if i let you down.
we were a two-for-one deal,
the perfect kinda combo
two halves of the very same coin,
now we have been split in two.
I think tattoos are very very gross and pernament. While you can take your rings out and let your skin close. Although, theres this little thing I want out of a tattoo, is a small rainbow butterfly, dolphin or somthing on my pubes. Thats all I want and no more. Any suggestions what I should get tattooed with a rainbow? Let me know!
Two lovers on the net, (one in Maryland and one in California) want to meet each other, but one is a young teen and the other is a young adult. Their parents are very particular about net safety and it's not an easy task buying a ticket and flying all the way across. Any good ideas as to how these two people could meet?