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:
What a weekend... well, Ilana and I aren't dating anymore. I can't stand the long distance, this is for good. There is no going back now. 6 months and some odd days... I'll never forget that time, and we are still going to be very good friends. ((Rachelle... you are going to hurt me...:)))
Let's see, how do I say this. First of all I can't identify as lesbian anymore... all because of Zach.
Ladies and Gentlemen, your advice please.... *drum role, please*... we have three choices.... three choices to help moi on my quest to rejoin the civilized world. Read on (n.b. free food:))
So for the first time in a long time today, I was really depressed. It's almost always been an issue, but today it was so much worse than usual. I guess it started when I woke up late today so I could finish up a paper for english. Which ended up being a 3.5 page paper (go me :)), but I missed my favorite period, ceramics. Well, I went to school and shit, got through the day (it wasnt so bad) but then I had to go to the bank after school to cash my pay-check.
How can I express my love to you?
I love you in a way few can even fathom.
I had the weirdest dream ever while napping! But that shall come later. I had an unusual day! First of all, it is the most Februaryish day that ever Februaryed in the long prominent history of Februarying. In other words, it looked like a cold London day, with a constant misty rain falling, and no light at all. It was slippery, and I almost died several times going to school. Then a friend was angry at me, but it was something that wasn't my fault, so no drama ensued, unfortunatly. I was also in the newspaper for some article my friend wrote, which was neat! But I hadn't read it until just now. It was really good!
First it was him
And then it was me
And now its you
It spread like a disease
and now it effects us all
We all were looking for a way out
Or maybe we were jealous of the attention he got
He was the weirdest of us all
His pain was noticed and we still blended in with the rest
Then we each had cuts to match
A cut for each ounce of self-hatred
A cut to numb
A cut to show the world what we experienced