Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Note-Worthy

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Worry

Supervisor John Avalos Claims He Talked to Harvey Milk's Ghost

Have you ever wondered exactly how our government leaders make some of the decisions they do? Like many of you, we also assume enough city decisions are made through back room deals and a lot of back stabbing. And then there's Supervisor John Avalos' refreshing governing style. We were shocked, ente ... More >>

Ouija Board: John Avalos Claims He Was Joking About Contacting Harvey Milk's Spirit

The subset of the population convinced that San Francisco is a government of the lunatics, by the lunatics, and for the lunatics was handed a cookie today. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that, in deciding how to vote on a resolution urging the christening of a Navy ship after slain Supervisor ... More >>

An Open Letter to Lady Gaga About Gay Rights, Bullying, and Generally Being a Badass

​Dear Lady Gaga, We heard you were at the White House yesterday, meeting with one of Barack Obama's senior political advisers, to talk about bullying prevention. We think that's really cool. We're pretty sure you're the only woman on Earth who's ever been invited to the President's house after app ... More >>

The Strange History of Don't Ask, Don't Tell: A Talk with the Directors

​Documentary filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato are lucky -- and they know who to thank. First, they acknowledge the sheer power of Sheila Nevins, HBO's documentary czar, who nudged them to look at the controversial Don't Ask, Don't Tell law. More importantly, they acknowledge the luck th ... More >>

Arthouse Movie Listings September 14-20

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" HBO Documentary: Free Premiere Tonight

​Next Tuesday is a big day for gay and lesbian members of the armed forces. But HBO documentary filmmakers Randy Barbato and Fenton Baily want to celebrate a little early -- with the world premiere of their documentary, The Strange History of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, tonight at the Castro Theatre a ... More >>

Celebrating Pride with Ice Cream

Three Twins​Three Twins Ice Cream Celebrates Pride Where: Three Twins Ice Cream, 254 Fillmore (at Haight) When: Fri., June 24 - Sun., June 26 Cost: The price of a scoop (or two, or three) The rundown: For its second year, Bay Area-based Three Twins Ice Cream is celebrating Pride with scoo ... More >>

Pelosi Edits Her Own Honorary Resolution, Says It Didn't Honor Her Enough

Needs more attention​Here's some fodder for Republicans who believe Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi's arrogance knows no bounds. The Democratic National Committee kindly wanted to honor Nancy Pelosi for all of her hard work as the former Speaker of the House. But apparently, their praise didn't go far ... More >>

Week in Gay: Ted Haggard is Bisexual and Anderson Cooper has a 'Companion'

Coming after cousin Geri​This edition of The Week in Gay is a potpourri (either a miscellaneous collection of stories or a mixture of dried flowers and spices) of four categories - plus an extra special bonus!Included are updates on the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, the latest stories from San F ... More >>

State of the Union for Gays: Cannon Fodder Only!

Obama speaks from the heart, but what about the gays?​President Obama has a very special message for LGBT Americans: Sign up for military service. That is all.Actually, that message comes with a few asterisks. First, don't go to the recruitment office just yet. Don't Ask Don't Tell was repea ... More >>

New Year Brings Us The Same Ol' Gay Hot Potato: Marriage

Bring In The Gays​Where did we leave off?  In December, a (sort of) repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell was passed by the Senate and signed by the President. I predicted a long, slow and agonizing death of the policy while John McCain lamented the end of DADT saying that soldiers will lose their l ... More >>

U.S.S. Iowa's Final Battle Pits Vallejo vs. L.A.

If only someone would tow this thing to Des Moines​By Jan. 18, Vallejo must submit a plan for slithering out of bankruptcy. Former banker Merylin Wong, the head of a maritime enthusiast's group there, has a plan for keeping the city on firm financial footing henceforth: Pay millions of dollars yea ... More >>

DADT Is Dead! Long Live DADT!

​On Saturday, following months of gyrations, the U.S. Senate repealed the military ban on open service by gays and lesbians known as Don't Ask Don't Tell.Sort of.This policy has been under heavy scrutiny since the end of President George W. Bush's second term, and promises to repeal DADT were made ... More >>

The Year in Gay, 2010 Edition

What a year it was​Who Will Be The Uppity Fag Of The Year?Let's face it -- this was a messy, messy year for the gays. Much of the news was good, ultimately, but shit dragged on! There were three major federal trials (four, technically -- but two were sorta merged in Massachusetts), promises ... More >>

Brandon Lee Starred in Gay Porn While Serving in Navy

All hands on deck!​A Pentagon study released last month urged repealing the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, revealing that a majority of servicemen and women had no problems working alongside people who are openly gay. Just ask porn star Brandon Lee. He says he served in the Navy from 19 ... More >>

DADT Repeal: With All Deliberate Speed -- Or None At All?

​The Week in GayThe repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell is fucking mess, but I think there might be a way to fix things. If we act quickly. This is a real longshot -- and it's not guaranteed to work -- but we need get our hands on some mercury. Lots of it. A flock of Ibises in Florida has been rendered ... More >>

Democratic Excuse: Blame the Gays!

​If this election goes as poorly for the Democrats as everyone says it's going to you can lay odds that there is one population that will be blamed for the defeat: the GAYS.  Yep, that's right. The gays are gonna screw this up for everyone -- again. The target on the gays was drawn thi ... More >>

A Kinder, Gentler - and Still Unconstitutional - DADT

​The developments in the ongoing saga that is Don't Ask Don't Tell - the ban on gays in the military - occurred faster than the depletion of Meg Whitman's bank balance this week.On Monday, Judge Virginia Philips heard from both sides on her decision from a week ago that DADT was unconstitutional ... More >>

Obama to DADT: Please Don't Go!

​The Week in GayThe week started with a federal judge in California pulling the plug on "Don't Ask Don't Tell" -- the military policy that bans open service by gay. It ended with the Obama administration asking for a stay on the decision.Let me repeat that summary: President Barack Obama -- who sa ... More >>

San Francisco Gays on Fire on YouTube

​The Week In GayWho says creativity has died in the city that brought us the beat generation (as a matter of fact, Howl -- a story about Allen Ginsburg falling in love -- opens today in San Francisco) and the flower children? Don't forget who built this damn city, people! Two of San Francisco's bl ... More >>

Thanks, John McCain -- Military Now 100 Percent Straight

What's Sen. McCain thinking? Don't ask. ​The Senate was unable to stop Sen. John McCain's filibuster of the military authorization bill on Tuesday, which means that -- among other things -- the greatest democracy in the world is unwilling to stop the military from discharging LGBT personnel. Not t ... More >>

Lady Gaga Destroys DADT -- While Wearing Meat

Can Lady Gaga do away with DADT before this dress goes bad? ​In the last episode of the Week in Gay, a federal judge ruled that the military ban on gays serving in the military (Don't Ask Don't Tell) was unconstitutional. Since then, Lady Gaga won 101 Video Music Awards on MTV and then kicked some ... More >>

Appeal the Prop. 8 Decision!

It'd be a shame if the reversal of Prop. 8 didn't have national implications...​There was talk on Monday that a "group of conservative leaders" were chasing around Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, begging him to file an appeal on the Proposition 8 decision, since he was acting as governor while ... More >>

Lady Gaga Dons Meat Dress for The Gays

Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty ImagesDon't ask: Gaga said she did it to protest military policy.​We already guessed that Lady Gaga loved meat after her recent reported visit to the Mission's Rosamunde sausage emporium. Eating meat is one thing for a best-selling singer to do. Wearing an outfit that lo ... More >>

Don't Ask Don't Tell Told Off

​The Week In GayLate yesterday, another radical hippie judge in California ruled that queers are protected by the U.S. Constitution. A lawsuit against the military ban on gay service members, Don't Ask Don't Tell, was ruled to be a violation of the First Amendment rights of gay people. The suit wa ... More >>

"Don't Ask" takes a long, leering look at gays in the military

What a Week in Gay it Was!

Photo illustration | Audrey FukumanJudge Vaughn Walker gave Prop. 8 the pimp slap​Seriously, this was one mother fu**ing gay week! Can I hear a what what?You may have heard that Vaughn Walker, the gayest judge in the world -- even gayer than Supreme Court's new softball coach, Justice Elena Ka ... More >>

Dan Choi Proposes to Harry Reid: The Week in Gay

Romance blooms in the desert -- betwen Dan Choi and Harry Reid. Uh-huh. ​The Netroots Nation annual conference took place last week in Las Vegas. What is the Netroots Nation annual conference? It is a gathering of progressive bloggers who seek to learn from each other about strategies to influence ... More >>

The Week in Gay: Argentina! Clay Aiken! Toilet Water!

In Argentina, homosexuals can now tango and marry​This week Argentina's senate voted 33 to 27 in support of marriage equality and now it's legal down there. Frankly, I don't know a lot about Argentina. Apparently, it's winter there now. Isn't that fascinating?

The Week in Gay: Defense of Marriage Act Indefensible

Judge Joseph Tauro​The story of the week: A federal judge in Massachusetts declared that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) - passed by Congress in 1996 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton - violates the U.S. Constitution. In his decision, Judge Joseph Tauro (A fiery young radical aged ... More >>

SF Weekly Letters

The Week in Gay - Vaughn Walker returns! Obama serves cocktails! Elton rims Rush!

Lennon then Limbaugh -- why not?​ OK ok ok ok...Elton John didn't really perform anal-lingus on Rush Limbaugh - technically - but he was paid $1 million to sing at Limbaugh's 4th (FOURTH) wedding last weekend and as far as I'm concerned Elton's breath will always smell like Rush's ass from now o ... More >>

The Week in Gay: Dan Choi Eats!

Well, the good news is, Lt. Dan Choi can probably fit back in his old uniform now...​Lt. Dan Choi chose life this week by putting an end to his "dignity fast." Choi explains that his fast was a success because people were educated about the political history of hunger strikes. But, I think his ... More >>

The Week in Gay: You Call *That* a Repeal of 'Don't Ask Don't Tell'?

You'll still have to stay in the closet for now, sailor​Thursday night the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that claims to repeal the ban on gays serving in the military (Don't Ask Don't Tell). But the details of the bill reveal that the policy is not really repealed and it won't be unt ... More >>

Obama Rakes in $1.7 Million in San Francisco, Takes On Heckler

Jason KinneyHeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey, Barack! How's my second-favorite Democratic presidential candidate? ​Nice work if you can get it: President Barack Obama hit up San Franciscans yesterday to the tune of $1.7 million. Sen. Barbara Boxer's vulnerable re-election campaign will benefit to the tune of $60 ... More >>

Nancy Pelosi Pledges Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell by Christmas. Hmmm.

I can't wait for Christmas. The holiday means nothing to me ordinarily, but this year I'm going to put my stockings on the mantle early. Does anyone know where I can get a blue spruce in May? Speaker Nancy Pelosi was the headlining act last Friday night at the Equality California fund raising e ... More >>

The Week in Gay: Celebrate Milk Day By Giving Money to Do-Nothing Politicians

Which ineffective politician would Harvey donate money to? ​Everybody knows what today is, right? Harvey Milk Day Eve!! Get ready to have trouble falling asleep tonight and prepare for visions of trod-upon dog poop (Harvey's legislative legacy) to be dancing in your head. Speaking of Milk and hi ... More >>

The Week in Gay: George Rekers, Another Secretly Queer Homophobe

Rekers: I hired him to carry my luggage, not be my man-whore!​ Unbelievable! Dr. George Rekers, a guy whose entire career was based on the notion that gay people don't have to be gay, is a closeted gay snorkeler. Surprise! With each passing day the story continued to grow increasingly so ... More >>

The Week in Gay: Anti-Immigration Laws Bad, Anti-Gay Laws Good

Your future drinking accomodations. ​ I'm just going to say this once - up front - and then I'm going to move on: The furor raised over the Arizona illegal immigrant law is interesting to watch from my queer perch. I understand the outrage. The nerve of one state threatening to restrict the ... More >>

The Week in Gay: We're Fucked!

What happens in the Navy, stays in the Navy...​This has been a long ass week and I'm drowning in mucous and overmedicated and there is a shit-storm of stories to cover this week and frankly all I can say is that the gays are fucked. Let's begin with some statistics released on Thursday. Se ... More >>

Are Gays Losing Patience With Obama? Don't Ask.

Has Barack Obama enacted all the sweet talk he directed toward the gay community? Well...​Some people are so desperate for leadership that they will cling to anyone that gives them the time of day - even when they know the heart-shaped boxes they are given are always empty. If certain gay Demo ... More >>

The Week in Gay: New Trend in 2010 -- Same-Sex Bedpans!

Uppity Fag has his eye on the one on the bottom left...​Late yesterday afternoon President Barack Obama signed a mandate that extends hospital visitation rights to same-sex couples in hospitals throughout the country. Whatever. While some may hail this as a victory for gay rights, the bot ... More >>

The Week in Gay: The Ricky Martin's Bon-Bon Edition

Ah, fond memories of prom...​Don't Ask Don't Tell doesn't apply to Ricky Martin -- but we'll get to that in good time. No, "DADT" is the law that supposedly keeps the gays out of the military -- continued to take up headspace this week. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice, acting on behalf ... More >>

The Week in Gay: Don't Ask, Shut the Fuck Up

At ease, soldier​On Thursday, the U.S. military announced that it plans to be less dickish about enforcing the Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) policy that prohibits gay people from serving in the armed forces. I'm not sure why this new plan is supposed to be exciting. The gist of it seems to say, "He ... More >>

The Week in Gay -- A Nation of Uppity Fags

​ A blogswarm was launched on March 18 to encourage the community to contact Nancy Pelosi's offices about her lack of effort behind the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). In addition to the pressure on the phone lines, her offices in D.C. and San Francisco were visited by ... More >>

Newsom's Twitter Silence Reaches 13 Days -- Odd *and* Unlucky, But Not Unprecedented

​Gavin Milhous Newsom's Nixon-like treatment of the San Francisco press reached 10 days yesterday. The Chron noted earlier that the man once given the sobriquet Mayor Twitter has even sworn off the service; Newsom last tweeted on Oct. 28. For the past two weeks, Newsom may as well have been Amish ... More >>

Bay Links: Obama-rama, More Muni Fight & Michael Pollan

​Do ask, do tell: San Franciscans on Obama's promise to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." [Mission Loc@l]Crescent City man accused of threatening Obama via email. [SFist]Missed your stop? Blame Obama. [Richmond Blog]An interview with the woman who intervened in last week's Muni fight. [Muni Diaries]Pic ... More >>