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Thom Cardwell
James Duggan

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James Duggan

Editor-at-Large
Thom Cardwell

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On Wednesday, September 23, 2009, the board members of the Jewish Publishing Group (JPG), publishers of the Jewish Exponent, voted unanimously to reverse its long-standing (and outdated) policy banning the publishing of marriage and civil union announcements for same-sex couples. QUEERtimes politely but cautiously applauds the action of the Jewish Publishing Group.

While this is not an earth-shattering announcement, it does stand as an example of what we queers continue to face as we seek full equality with our heterosexual counterparts. This issue can be found among newspapers nationwide. Believe or not, it's ongoing issue of concern around the country and still not acceptable in many leading publications in major cities and states. Mind you, JPG did not make this change on its own volition.  It was only after a lot of community pressure, and then an aggressive and intense grassroots letter writing campaign that the JPG Board had to consider the merits of its policy, face up to the facts, and make a decision.

Lee Rosenfield, who according to epgn.com, has been pushing for this policy change for more than a decade, recently launched a letter-writing campaign that drew support from nearly 100 local rabbis and dozens of queer community members and leaders.  He was elated when he learned of the vote.

"After a 13-year struggle, I am very pleased that the Exponent has finally come to fully embrace the GLBT community," he said. "This is long overdue, but I want to focus on the positive. It was a gutsy move and they stood up and rose to the occasion."

Epgn.com reports that Jewish Publishing Group chairperson Bennett Aaron said the vote reflects the "evolutionary process" the publication has undergone in regard to its queer policies.

"Evolutionary process," is a term whose truth rings loudly when it is applied to the concept of full equality for queer people.  For over a decade, JPG knew of the concerns expressed over their policies towards our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. It simply took them more time than others to overcome their prejudices and to grow in their sensitivity, understanding and appreciation of our community. Happily, they got to their senses and evolved into their new position.

Our path to full equality has clearly been an evolutionary process of thought over the millennia; a path that has been marked by great achievements and devastating setbacks.  While it is true that over the last few generations we have made major strides in our civil rights fight, it is still undeniably clear that there are many who have yet to evolve in their understanding as they continue to seek our repression and work against our calls for equality and decency of justice and peace.

People must remain conscientious of the fact that from the simplest act of refusing to publish a marriage or civil union announcement for same-sex couples to the passage of the federal Defense of Marriage Act these are all attempts to repress our right to full equality, full citizenship.

We must remain vigilant against any such attempts.  We should be mindful of the 13-year effort by Rosenfield against the non-inclusive policies of The Jewish Exponent and take it as an example of how we too must be willing to persistently call out this repression, this injustice, where ever it is, so that we can move the "evolutionary process" along to where our equality is a fact and not just a longing.

We applaud the tenacity and diligence and dedication of someone like Rosenfield. We congratulate The Jewish Exponent for finally coming to their senses. We celebrate the fact that one person can still make a difference in 2009.

It was bound to happen, Bravo's queer senior vice president of original programming and development, Andy Cohan, finally made the cover story of The Advocate (October 2009). The "I couldn't be gayer" St. Louis born and bred native already has seven Emmy nominations to his credit for overseeing and producing Top Chef, The Rachel Zoe Project, Project Runway, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and, of course, the entire "franchise" of The Real Housewives. (Cohen must know a "guilty pleasure" when he sees one because even I, non-television viewer, relishes, for some unexplained, to myself, reason, my joy in watching The Real Housewives from Orange County, and, even my repulsion at, The Real Housewives of New York City. go figure?) Far from competitors with MTV Networks' Logo or here!TV, owned by Here Media, the same owners of The Advocate, who identify themselves clearly as queer networks, Cohen prefers to call Bravo, the "bi" channel. To them, he claims, it doesn't matter "who their series 'ho home with.'"  "I feel like we're gay in 2009 in a way that so many people are gay in 2009, which is that we happen to be gay. We're not hitting you over the head with people's sexuality. Millions of women and their husbands are huge fans of "Flipping Out" or "Work Out" and they're saying, 'Wow, you know, these people happen to be gay.' Brad Goreski on 'The Rachel Zoe Project' happens to be gay, but the show isn't about him dating men. That is such a powerful way to present gay people in 2009."

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And, I guess, too, that it was bound to happen that actor Neil Patrick Harris ended up gracing the cover of New York (September 21, 2009) as "Hollywood's First (Openly) Gay Breakthrough Star." Harris said that "coming out is its own kind of theatrical performance. It's a reveal."  He did his way, too. "I wasn't thought of in a sexual way, which is easy when you have big ears and are called Doggie all the time." Of Harris, Emily Nussbaum writes, "Harris was violated all these expectations. He staged his own revelation beautifully, with a clear and upbeat statement for 'People' magazine in 2006, an interview with 'OUT', and a good-sport appearance on 'Howard Stern,' in which he shot back, 'whatever you please, man' when asked whether he was a top or a bottom. The idea all along has been to acknowledge the fact of his sexuality, then change the subject to his talent." Now these days, he seems to have it all, hosting an awards show, playing a womanizer, walking the red carpet with his boyfriend, David Burtka. His magic continues on.

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Seventy-one year old actor Elliott Gould may have done it all or only seemed to have done it all. During his long and continuing career in Hollywood, he's worked with, lived with, loved with, the who's who, everyone from his first and long ago ex-wife Barbra Streisand to his best friend Groucho Marx. He talked in a recent interview with Ryan D'Agostino on Esquire (October, 2009) about his life, his likes, his fears. Not surprisingly he's both a funnyman and a practical man, quick-witted and profound. And, delightfully, he's full of stories!  "The Ocean's movies were fun, but it's still business and work," he explained. "My first wife, Barbra, mentioned the Dala Lama to me once, and I'm not a wiseguy, nut I went to Nate 'n Ale's delicatessen and I sent her some corned beef, some pastrami, pickles, coleslaw, rye bread, mustard, and I signed it, "From the Deli Lama." Now it turns out that he's great. I love him. We haven't met, but he's a great friend." His best friend nowadays? "Its not a who, it's a what." he quipped, "Calm is a good friend of mine." His current romantic status?  "I live alone, and that simplifies a lot."