By Jeff Walsh

During his senior year, Adam Colton wanted to change his high school. The week classes began last year, he came out to faculty, board members and students attending an in-service. Colton had previously mentioned a diversity program with school administrators and now he was pushing for a gay-straight alliance.

First-time Director Jim Fall brings gay romance to the screen with "Trick"

By Jeff Walsh

The best movie I saw this summer was "Trick," a story about a nervous composer whose one-night stand with a go-go boy is never consummated. In what could have been very cliché and poorly executed, Trick rises above the fold due to its amazing performances and direction by first-time movie director Jim Fall.

By Jeff Walsh

When you think of puppets, images of Kermit the Frog and Howdy Doody spring to mind, but Basil Twist is leading a new wave of puppeteers changing the way people think of the art form.

Twist, 30, is the creator of Symphonie Fantastique, an abstract underwater puppet show which just closed its run in San Francisco, although its original production is still running off-Broadway. Twist's creation takes place in a 1,000 gallon custom-built aquarium and lasts shortly over an hour. He and four other puppeteers visually interpret Hector Berlioz's symphony of the same name, which was inspired by his love for a woman named Harriet.

By Jeff Walsh

Let's face it. We all know people who define themselves by their relationships. One moment they are joyful, love-struck and married, and the next moment worthless, single and bitter. They represent the extremes, but to some degree we all do this.

Brad Gooch, the successful (not to mention attractive) writer of books such as The Golden Age of Promiscuity and the biography of poet Frank O'Hara, was at a party at a friend's house in New York, and ran into an agent from Los Angeles and the agent's boyfriend.

By Jeff Walsh

Larry Kramer has been a lightning rod for controversy since his fist novel Faggots blazed into bookstores and parodied the way gay men were living their lives. The novel ended up being far too prescient, and a few years after its release the AIDS crisis would begin.

The crisis changed Larry Kramer's main role from writer to activist. He founded the Gay Men's Health Crisis, the first agency to help gay men deal with the AIDS crisis in its infancy, and also founded The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (better known as ACT UP), which would become the height of gay activism in the 1980s, with its theatrical demonstrations underscoring the plight of a dying community.

By Jeff Walsh

Great writers spoil readers, because they raise your expectations for all other books. When I read "The Front Runner" by Patricia Nell Warren and "A Man in Full" by Tom Wolfe over the past year, I was immediately pulled in by how well these writers knew their characters -- the spare details brilliantly illuminating and exposing each character without running down their descriptions like a personal ad. Once you start getting hooked on writers who wear their characters like a second skin, it's hard to go back to the majority of books in the bookstore.

By Jeff Walsh

Seth Watkins is constantly on the move. His picture appears in San Francisco gay publications with the same frequency as the picture of the escorts for hire. Only Watkins keeps getting written up because of his work as a queer youth activist.

Within the past month, Watkins protested against insane homophobic minister Fred Phelps at a mass same-sex marriage ceremony, organized a hate crimes rally after hearing of Billy Jack Gaither's murder, led groups of queer youth to speak to representatives at California's Queer Youth Lobby Day, helped plan the local Equality Begins At Home events... and I'm sure there are far more events I'm leaving out.

By Jeff Walsh

For many gay liberals, the mere words "Andrew Sullivan" make them tense up. He is roundly criticized for his conservative, Christian views, and seems to be a lightning rod for controversy. Sullivan can be seen everywhere when a national gay story breaks, from Politically Incorrect to Nightline, and whether you agree with him or not, his views are always well thought-out and thought-provoking.

By Jeff Walsh

Betty DeGeneres was retired and golfing before her life changed. After her daughter, Ellen, came out on national television on her ABC sitcom, Betty's life moved in a new, unexpected direction.

Betty is now the first non-gay spokesperson for National Coming Out Day, which is celebrated every year in October. And next month, Betty DeGeneres will add another title to her resume: author.

By Jeff Walsh

A year before Ellen told a crowded airport of people that she was gay on her hit TV series, Patrick Bristow was out in real life and as Ellen's friend Peter on the show. His character even exchanged wedding vows with his same-sex partner long before Ellen would merit a parental advisory for merely having a girlfriend.

[Ed. Note: Fraternity life for queer students is something rarely addressed in Oasis. A new book, "Out on Fraternity Row" from Alyson Publications sheds light on how gay and bisexual men cope with their sexuality in the seemingly-hetero world of fraternities. While there is currently a gay fraternity, there are still major issues for people who are queer and are fraternity members. Unlike a traditional profile in Oasis, where we would normally interview one of the people who contributed to the book, this month we feature an exclusive excerpt from the book courtesy of Alyson Publications and the book's editor Shane Windmeyer.]

By Jeff Walsh

Andrew Tobias is one of the leading financial writers of our day. Many of his books, such as "The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need" and "My Vast Fortune" have been praised by critics for both their insight into investing and finance as well as their writing style, which is conversational and fun.

By Jeff Walsh

While the senseless death of Matthew Shepard has touched millions of people, none were hit harder than his family and those who knew him. Alex Trout was Matt's closest friend in Laramie, although Alex has since moved to Kansas City after Matt's death. Within days of his friend being beaten and murdered, Alex found himself in Washington D.C., speaking to thousands of people at a rally while trying to process his grief.

[Ed. note: When this column was named "Profiles in Courage" three years ago, the point was clear that we wanted to focus on young people who were out and making a difference in the world. All of profiles to date have been people who have been advancing the gay rights debate forward by being out, filing lawsuits and sharing their stories. This month, we are faced with a new challenge, a profile of a young gay man who opposes hate crimes legislation, gay marriage, workplace rights and gays in the military. While many people will not agree with these opinions, it still takes courage to go against the grain and speak your mind. Oasis has prided itself on our inclusiveness, which we will now extend to this month's profile.]

By Jeff Walsh

Gay adolescence has never been more beautifully captured on film than in Beautiful Thing. The 1995 British film about gay teens Jamie and Ste has given a new generation of queer teens a mushy boy-boy romance with a lush soundtrack and (gasp!) a happy ending.

Oddly enough, the play may have never been written if Beautiful Thing playwright Jonathan Harvey didn't have acne as a teenager.