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:
Today I joined a yahoo group for self-injurers. I'm hoping it will help me quit cutting myself. I'm also going my site, with my Wiccan name, Raven. I'm still pissed over yesterday. Kevin had no right to come and say that shit to me. "Joey's just going to go out with you for you to give him head" Well, Joey ignored me, so I'm not going to break up with Trevor for him. Trevor hasn't called me though.

No, not the Zone diet, that doesn't work. Instead, I'm about to enter the writing zone again.
Not sure I've got time to sit and work out the ins and outs of the new system, so this'll have to do for now!
Things are so confusing right now. Those of you who used to read my column "Piccolo.Oasismag" will know that I've been seeing a therapist, but my GP and I talked, and I admitted that I wasn't sure that it was helping. Soooooo, I have to go see a psychiatrist, which is pretty damn scary!
I wrote a little thing about seing my name on the side under "new users" and thinking, "hey, I'm not a new user! I've been around forever..."
But then it disappeared... obviously, despite extensive LJing, I haven't got this blog thing down... oh well.
The new site looks fantabulous, thanks to all the people who put it up, esp. Mama Jeff and Adrian. Much queer love to everyone.
here i am having this sore throat...............went shopping today.....umm, i really need a pair of jeans...can't find a watch i like.......and i'm still coughing from i dunno what
maybe i should turn in early, afterall i promised to have breakfast wif some frens.....then again, when have i ever been on time, lol.
anyway, dun trust mp3 editing programmes. they almost never work....