Shock Horror!! Actor Sean Hayes Announces He’s Gay is a post from: Queeried

Now you’re probably going to want to sit down to read this, and if you are then you’ll probably going to want to hold onto something, because we have some shocking news for you. Sean Hayes, aka Jack McFarland in Will and Grace, has announced to The Advocate that he is gay.

So okay it’s not the most surprising news you’ve probably ever heard so why has Hayes chosen to confirm what has been an open secret in Hollywood for years?

From the interview it seems that Sean it is just the right point in his life that he actually spoke about it, though this isn’t to mean that he feels he has ever denied his sexuality, in fact Hayes insists:

“I am who I am. I was never in, as they say. Never,”

The article also hints at the reason why Hayes has kept so quiet is down to him being a much more private person than his old alter ego Jack McFarland as he discusses how quiet a life he leads saying,

“I don’t need events. I don’t do a lot. I live my life like an 85-year-old man. I’m just quiet. It’s fantastic.”

and this is reinforced again in Hayes talks about how he felt that he has never owed it to the wider public to have to say anything

“Nobody owes anything to anybody. You are your authentic self to whom and when you choose to be, and if you don’t know somebody, then why would you explain to them how you live your life?”

This doesn’t however mean that Sean believes he has had no impact on gay rights issues though. In fact he believes quite the opposite is true and was at pains to let The Advocate, who under a previous editor had previously ran an article ridiculing Hayes for pretending no one was aware he was gay, by stating:

“I feel like I’ve contributed monumentally to the success of the gay movement in America, and if anyone wants to argue that, I’m open to it. You’re welcome, Advocate.”

“Why would you go down that path with somebody who’s done so much to contribute to the gay community?” he asks. “That was my beef about it. What more do you want me to do? Do you want me to stand on a float? And then what? It’s never enough.

“That’s the thing about celebrity: It sets you up to fail because the expectation is so high of what’s needed, what’s wanted from you that the second you don’t [meet it], you disappoint people.”

Aussiebum Gets Even More Sexy And Comfy With The New ComfyFit Range (And Hot Model) is a post from: Queeried

There are some companies out there that are just cool, funky and sexy without even trying and Aussiebum is definitely one such company. Fun, modern and stylish, this designer underwear brand makes you fall in love with it without it having to try, and we have to say it doesn’t hurt  that it’s also acompany full of some of the most gorgeous men on Earth!

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any sexier along came Matthew Wilson. Winner of Australia’s Hottest Tradie Competition, Matthew is not just a stunner ,but also good with his hands too….because he’s a carpenter (well what did you think we’re going to say…), and has become the face of the new ComfyFit range.

Designed to feel super comfy on, these might sound like they’re going to be boring undies but you know that Aussiebum won’t ever let that happen as these rather tasty shots of both the boxer briefs and briefs available in the collection show.

The new ComfyFit underwear range will be able to order online direct from Aussiebum.

5 Mens Fashion Rings That Guarantee You’ll Have The Best Dressed Hands In Town is a post from: Queeried

Once upon a time if you wanted a mens ring your choice consists of a simple Silver band, a simple Gold band or… well actually that was it. These days luckily things have got a whole lot better with the range of styles now including everything from two tone mens rings, mens squares, black rings and turquoise rings to name a few, and just to prove we’re not telling fibs we headed over to Forzieri, the designer online jeweller and have bought five back to virtually show you.

1. Zoppini Carbon Fiber & Stainless Steel Band Ring

So we admit it, it’s not the catchiest name on the planet, but the good news is this ring definitely makes up for it in look. Designed from straight edged stainless steel, this ring has a gorgeously masculine, yet stylish feel about it and is definitely one to get all the guys checking out your hands thanks to an intriguing additon of a carbon fiber band running through through the central channel.

Available for $75.00 at Forzieri.

2. Tonino Lamborghini Brown Braided Leather Sterling Silver Band Ring

Seriously trying to remember some of the names of  these rings is as hard as trying to remember the coffee order for the office… Proving that the central channel is something of a trend in the fashion world, this Tonino Lamborghini ring, which is styled out of sterling silver, comes with a band of brown leather branding running through the middle and the letter L engraved into a central section for a gorgeous rugged look.

Available for $146.00 at Forzieri.

3. Zable Cubic Zirconia Stainless Steel Band Ring

Not into the central channel thing? Well don’t worry it’s nothing to be ashamed of. There’s a whole range of other looks to choose range, including this very industrial looking ring from Zable. Designed out of stainless steel with industrially styled screws paired with white cubic zirconia, this ring has the perfect balance of bling and utilitarian styling that we know you’re going to love.

Available for $68.00 at Forzieri.

4. Torrini 18K Yellow Gold Band Ring

After a simple mens gold ring but don’t want to be TOO simple? The Torrini Stripes ring could be the one you’re after. Designed out of 18K yellow gold, this slim band ring may look understated on first glance bur take a close look and you’ll discover the industrial chic that makes up the ring in the form deep handcrafted notched for a cog style effect.

Available for $1069.00 at Forzieri.

5. Forzieri Exclusives Vintage Setter Sterling Silver Ring

Styled in a vintage style, this Setter Sterling Silver Ring from Forzieri features a setter design and red garnet eyes that are sure to catch the light and the eye of the guys around you. Made in Italy, this is a gorgeous bit of design that’s definitely a million miles away from those simple bands you once had to choose between.

Available for $265.00 at Forzieri.

Green Party Promises To Challenge Homophobia In Australia In New Election Pledge is a post from: Queeried

The three  main political parties in Australia have shown how far they’ve progressed in the last four years concerning LGBT rights their new election pledges. Marking a big step forward for a country that has seen it’s government do little to combat homophobia, the three parties have all put forward very different policies.

For the Labor party the issue is gay adoption with the party promising to reopen the debate via a Parliamentary inquiry, for the Liberals it’s about improving the treatment of transgender inmates in prison., whilst the Green’s policy sees a promise of spending $300,000 on anti-homophobia campaigns in state schools.

Speaking about the announcement of these policies, Rodney Croome who is the spokeman for the Gay and Lesbian Rights Group in Tasmania said the group would never act to endorse one party, but that the announcement has shown

“…is that all three parties have moved forward in their policies and their objectives and their programs from where they were in 2006.”

Whilst these announcements are positive, it is important to recognise that many election pledges make it to reality, something that really need to happen in Australia, particularly concerning homophobia with Croome indicating that recent surveys showed Tasmania is still the most homophobic Australian state.

Why It Is Important Gay Marriage In DC Doesn’t Just Become Just Another Milestone is a post from: Queeried

Last week saw gay couples in DC be able to apply for marriage licenses for the first time, and now today a real milestone has been reached – the first of these couple have now got married. Making DC the sixth state to allow gay marriage in the United States, many are believing the move to allow it in the nation’s capital is a turning point for marriage equality across the whole country, with Freedom to Marry, the organisation pushing for gay marriage nationwide, being one such group to hold that view.

Believing a steady growth in the number of states allowing gay marriage can only act to challenge and disprove those who believe it can bring harm, Evan Wolfson, the executive director of Freedom to Marry, in writing for the The Huffington Post also highlights the political impact that it will have because:

” The more states we win, the closer America comes to the climate that will enable a federal victory in Congress or the Supreme Court, bringing national resolution.”

Wolfson is correct, there is no doubt that is a moment in time to be cherished and remembered, however it is important it doesn’t become another pin in a map, another date on a calendar. We need to take the momentum that has been created by this, along with the publicity and news coverage that these first DC gay marriages are getting, and act to make this a point on a journey. A journey where we don’t stop talking about what happened in DC and move onto something else, but where we talk and explain to everyone what this will continue to mean for the LGBT community in DC, what it doesn’t mean for those who were so fearful of this change, and how replicating the same in other states will again do nothing but put one section of society in a more equal position, without negatively impacting on any other section.

And that doesn’t just mean talking to lawmakers, the way to really change the perception of people isn’t by bypassing them and making it that the only person they get their information from is a person they have no real connection to. It is all about talking to everyone. It’s about talking to your neighbour, who will then talk to her nieces and nephews, who will then talk about the issue with friends at school. It’s about talking to your parents who will talk to their friends who will then speak to their work colleagues..

If we are truly to succeed and make gay marriage legal across the US, gay marriage in DC can’t be seen as huge victory that sees us stake a rainbow flag and move onto the next challenge, it has to seen as another, albeit very important, step in a journey where it is not about the big victories but more about gathering people to walk with us and support us as we walk towards the much bigger goal of marriage equality for all across the country.

Senator Roy Ashburn Reveals The Truth: I AM Gay is a post from: Queeried

Senator Roy Ashburn who was last week caught drink driving after leaving a gay bar has told the radio station AM1180 KERN that he is in fact gay.

Saying that he felt compelled to address the rumours, Ashburn said:

“I am gay. And so, those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long,”

The revelation is likely to come as a surprise to many due to Ashburn’s long history of voting against gay rights legislation,  but the Senator said he felt it must reveal the truth because:

“Through my own actions, I have made my personal life public,”

When asked what he wanted from people after making the revelation, Ashburn said:

“I would ask people to pray for me.”

Saying that the arrest marked him crossing the line and breaking the law, the 55-year-old father of four said he owned the public the truth and that he believed his votes on gay issues indicated how constituents in his district wanted him to vote, and that his sexuality was a personal issue, justifying it by saying:

“I felt with my heart that being gay would not affect how I do my job.

I felt my duty was to represent my constituents. That system of government provides for representatives elected by the people to go to legislative bodies and cast votes on behalf of the people… not my own point of view.”

Via NBC Los Angeles

Is The Outing Of Gay Sportsmen And Women Via Gutter Gossip Journalism Really What We Want? is a post from: Queeried

Dan Le Batard has today written a piece for The Sacramento Bee on how the gossip world of journalism that has made it’s home in the entertainment world has now started to make it’s dark and dirty way into the sports world.

Using the case of how Alex Rodriguez being caught in a lift with a blonde who wasn’t his wife back in 2007 made mainstream news Le Batard talks about how this resulted in

“…hundreds of Red Sox fans behind home plate taunted Rodriguez as he walked to the batter’s box by wearing blond-haired masks. It felt, all at once, creepy and voyeuristic and funny and unfair.

We didn’t quite climb into Rodriguez’s bed, but we were giggling outside with our ears pressed to the wall. “None of our business” had rather literally become our business. Rodriguez eventually divorced.”

Going on to say he could “sort of/maybe/kind of understand” the media attention if it was concerning politicians or people of real power, Le Batard suggests that it shouldn’t be something that should be happening in the sports world, believing the behaviour is seen and judged differently if it is part of the sporting world or entertainment world, citing Tiger Wood’s 13 minute confessional to the US nation compared to Charlie Sheen not having to do a thing after holding a knife to the throat of his wife.

It is obvious from the article that Le Batard is unhappy with the way sports journalism is heading feeling that it is selling it’s soul and principles to draw the readers in and in turn make a profit, and the reality is with TMZ Sports on the horizon he’s probably right, not only in the way that sports journalism is heading, but also that it’s very likely that one of the first moves by TMZ Sports is going to be to out a gay male athlete.

The question is is it fair for them to do it? Entertainment sites like TMZ are more than happy to tell the world they believe someone is gay and the result tends to be the person in question will say no, we’ll all start gossiping but then we’ll forget about it. If TMZ Sports does the same thing is Le Batard right in his prediction that the result will be much harsher and more damaging to the athlete in question?

If the example of Irish hurling star Donal Og Cusack who came out last year is anything to go by then the answer would be yes. Speaking about the reaction to his sexuality from spectators, Og Cusack spoke of how whilst there had been a positive reception off the pitch, it is was quite a different story on with his mother would now no longer attend the matches because of the abusive and homophobic chants heard from the terraces. Would this happen to an actor performing on stage in a theatre? Would crowds gather outside awards ceremony just to direct homophobic slurs at them? Maybe in small numbers but not in the way you see from sporting spectators.

The sad thing is that this does look like what the future of sporting journalism is going to be. On the positive side it may lead to more sportsmen and women being as brave as Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas and Donal Og Cusack to come out of the closet before they pushed out which could make the sports world a less homophobic place but for it to have to happen via journalism that breeds in the gutters does indicate a rather sorry state of affairs.

Leader Of Opposition Tony Abbott Adds To Issue Of Homophobia In Australia is a post from: Queeried

Tony Abbott, the current Leader Of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and potential prime minister has done nothing to help the issue of homophobia in Australia by responding to questions about homosexuality in an interview with Australia’s Channel 9’s 60 Minutes program that:

“I probably feel a bit threatened, as so many people do. It’s a fact of life. I try to treat people as people and not put them in pigeonholes.”

Leading him to face angry protests from the LGBT community in Australia who see his views as being dangerous, one gay rights campaigner, Gary Burns, went as far to say that the politician was acting like an “imbecile” and that “I think poor old Tony thinks it’s 1956…. “This is the 21st century.” Going on to further criticise Abbott’s choice of words Burns questioned:

“Why is he using such dangerous words? How could he feel threatened? You know what I’m frightened by? Funnel-web spiders and crocodiles.”

Whilst fierce in his criticism Burns however said he would happily spend time with Abbott to show him that members of the LGBT community were hard working Australians and nothing to be scared of.

The convener of the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights, Anthony Bendall, has also added his voice to the criticism directed at Tony Abbott saying he should have kept his personal views to himself as they weren’t useful to teens struggling with their sexuality, stating:

“It certainly isn’t a very helpful comment in terms of trying to eliminate discrimination and homophobia,”

Sandra Bullock Give Emotional Oscars Acceptance Speech Promoting Equality For All is a post from: Queeried

The ever gorgeous Sandra Bullock won best actress for her role in the film Blind Side at the Oscars last night, and used her speech to not display her gorgeous sense of humor and graciously praise the talents of the fellow nominees, but also to pay tribute to the mothers

“…who take care of the children no matter where they come from. Those moms and parents never get thanked.”

Going on to pay tribute to her own mother for making her the woman she is today, Bullock emotionally spoke of how:

“I, in particular, failed to thank one… so if I can take this moment to thank Helga B for not letting me ride in cars with boys till I was 18 because she was right I would have done what she said I was going to do… for making me practise every day when I got home – piano, ballet whatever it is I wanted to be. She said to be an artist you had to every day, and for remind her daughters that there’s no race, no religion, no class system, no colour, nothing, no sexual orientation that makes us better than one another.”

Undoubtedly one of the best speeches of the evening, just like Bullock’s own mother acted to inspire her, Sandra’s own words are already starting to have a similar impact with the social networking site Twitter filled with praise for the actress:

“Loved the Academy awards. I must see some of the movies honored. Glad Sandra Bullock won best actress. Her acceptance speech was awesome.” – @Piphay

“Sandra Bullock’s acceptance speech at the Oscars was probably the best I’ve ever heard…what a class act” – @Stewartwife

“Would like to thank Sandra Bullock for her shout out to the gays in her speech. This gay boy appreciated it!” – @Johnnie_cakes

“Sandra Bullock: There’s “no sexual orientation that makes us better than anyone else.” Thanks Sandy! #Oscars #lgbt” – @chrisgeidner

Undoubtedly a hugely important moment in her life, Bullock has managed an unusual double this week, not only winning the best actress award for The Blind Side at the Academy Awards, but also the Razzie the day before for worst actress in the comedy All About Steve.

Bring An End To Disappearing Eye Make Up With The New Benefit Stay Don’t Stray Eye Primer is a post from: Queeried

Ladies (and also gents who like to wear eye makeup), don’t you just hate how you put on your eye make-up beautifully first thing in the morning then by the time you make coffee halfway through the morning it looks like you didn’t put any on at all? Annoying doesn’t even describe half how irritating it is right?

Well there’s some good news on the horizon and it comes in the form of “Stay Don’t Stray” from Benefit.

Sounding a bit like a safety warning, this new make up product is actually the answer to all your eye make up disappearing problems, because this rather clever powder primer has been formulated to make sure your eyeshadow not only stays put, but also stay vibrant, and it doesn’t just end with your eye makeup. Fed up with your concealer not concealing for more than nanosecond? Now it’s going to stay put all day long.

So how does it work?

Well it’s actually reaalllllly simple. You just pop your Stay Don’t Stray on your lids and under your eyes, let it set then get on with your normal make-uping duty, with the only difference now being instead of it looking like you never bothered to put on any make-up people will no be wondering how you keep managing to top up your make-up without having ever left your desk!

Sound like the heavenly make up solution you’ve been searching for? There’s no better time to buy than now because the lovely people at Benefit have given us a code to share with you that’ll get you yours with FREE shipping within the US, and all you need to do is enter the discount code STAYPUT9 when you order.

Not based in the US? Well whilst we can’t offer you the same offer we can offer you FREE international shipping when you spend over $85 (believe us that’s not hard at Benefit!), and all you need to do is enter the discount code CONCEAL9.

Both codes are valid until 11.59PM (PST) on 9th March 2010.

Click here now to order your Stay Don’t Stray Eye Primer from Benefit.