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Sports | Politics

Matthew Mitcham, the SX interview

In August, diver Matthew Mitcham will become the first openly-gay Australian to compete in an Olympic Games. A casual remark to a journalist during an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald led to a flurry of international publicity (see previous post). Speaking to Australian gay magazine SX during a break from training at the Sydney Aquatic Centre in Homebush, Matthew Mitcham is nonplussed by all the fuss. "It’s not really a big deal," he says. "It’s not like I’m a different person. It’s not like I was straight before. So nothing really has changed." In fact, Mitcham doesn’t even agree that he "came out" last month. "I came out years ago. All that happened recently was that I was doing an interview with the Herald and there was a pretty innocuous question, 'Who do I live with?' and I just said 'my partner Lachlan'. Mitcham is aware that other people do see it as "a big deal" and he’s happy to wear the mantle of "role model" for young gay guys.

When asked for his view on same-sex marriage, he has no compunction slamming Prime Minister Kevin Rudd: "I’m not happy with Kevin Rudd," he says, bluntly. "Kevin Rudd’s opinion of marriage as something that’s only between a man and a woman is quite narrow-minded. During the election campaign he was all about appearing young and cool, but his views on gay marriage make him look quite old-fashioned." But of course, gay politics is not Mitcham’s primary focus right now. "All my energy is focused on Beijing right now," says a tenacious Mitcham. "I’ve been diving since I was eleven, so it’s been nine years of work leading up to this." Read the full interview here.

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Gay Marriage | Sports | Politics

Sports | People | Fashion | Ads

David Beckham for Emporio Armani

Giorgio Armani has unveiled a giant mural featuring an image starring David Beckham from the new Emporio Armani Underwear advertising campaign for Autumn/Winter 2008-09 at Macy’s in San Francisco. The new advertising campaign was shot on Malibu beach in California, once again by renowned fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott (pictures above & below).

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Sports | People | Fashion | Ads

Sports | Society

Australian diver Mitcham proud to be Gay

Australian diver Matthew Mitcham proud to be Gay

Australian diver Matthew Mitcham, 20, revealed his sexuality in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald. When Mitcham balances on the Beijing diving tower this August, like all Australian Olympians, he will be hoping the ones he loves will be there to watch him. The gold medal hopeful's journey has not been easy. Those close to him have seen Mitcham, battle depression, retire in his teenage years after physical and emotional burn-out, then nine months later resume his sport and build himself into the champion he is today. One person who has been by his side for the entire tumultuous journey is his partner, Lachlan. Months out from the Games, Mitcham has taken the courageous step of revealing his sexuality to the media for the first time, in an exclusive interview with the Herald. "It was a break for me to explore myself and get familiar with who I really was and to be happy with who I really was. Just being a happier person really radiates into other areas of your life," he said. He has also applied for a grant through a Johnson & Johnson Athlete Family Support Program to have Lachlan near him in Beijing. "We can't afford for Lachlan to go at the moment," Mitcham said. "But Johnson & Johnson offer grants to go to Beijing and I've nominated Lachlan as the support person I want to go.

Source Sydney Morning Herald

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Sports | Society

Sports | Music | Events

NewCastle by Dan Castle at Inside Out

Openly gay director and screenwriter Dan Castle’s feature debut is a coming-of-age story that centres on three brothers who share little except for their fraternal bond and the weight of expectation. Seventeen-year-old Jesse (Lachlan Buchanan, pictures below) is a naturally gifted athlete with a dream of winning the Junior Surf Pro championships but he lives in the shadow of his older half-brother Victor’s (Reshad Strik) failure to become surfing’s Next Big Thing. Meanwhile, Jesse’s geeky fraternal twin brother Fergus (Xavier Samuel) just wants to fit in. He is a social outcast with dyed hair, an all-black wardrobe and an aversion to the sun and surf. When Fergus spies Jesse’s surfing buddy, Andy (Kirk Jenkins), outside their house, Fergus suddenly develops an interest in surfing. In order to be allowed to stay away from home overnight, Jesse invites his brother to join him and his friends on a surf weekend up the coast. The opportunity to spend time with Andy is too good for Fergus to pass up. While everyone initially continues to mock him, Fergus stands his ground and starts to earn the group’s respect. He also begins to develop a closeness with Andy that perfectly captures the youthful feeling of attraction - when you aren’t sure whether the other person feels the same way, but your desire to find out makes you fearless.

NewCastle, starring Lachlan Buchanan, Xavier Samuel, Kirk Jenkins, Reshad Strik, Anthony Hayes, Joy Smithers, written and directed by Dan Castle screens at Inside Out, Toronto Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, Tuesday May 20 at 9:45pm. Watch a trailer...

Source Inside Out & Newcastle

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Sports | Music | Events

TV | Sports

Shad Smith, Gay Ultimate Fighter

The New York Times published a Paul Wachter's portrait of Shad Smith, 35, an openly gay mixed martial arts ultimate fighter and ex-con. When asked by the writer why he spent so much of his youth looking for trouble he answered: "You know, bro, the sexual-preference thing... I was always scared that my mom and dad would find out and wouldn’t like me, and my brothers wouldn’t like me... I was petrified, because I didn’t want anyone to find out. And I would try to be the toughest person around. That way, no one would suspect, no one would ever say it, no one would think it." But in prison, out on the yard one day, he came out to a friend, who said, “What you do with sex, that’s your business — just don’t try to kiss me or nothing.” After that, Smith said, he didn’t care who knew it, and it changed him as a fighter. Smith said fans occasionally taunt him during his fights for being gay, but the other fighters never do. “It’s like a fraternity,” he said, and you’re treated well “once these guys see you in the cage, as long you don’t make a fool out of yourself.” Read full article here...

Source The New York Times

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TV | Sports

Sports

Gay hockey fans & anti-Gay chants

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is hopeful that she and a group of gay Rangers fans will be able to meet with the team within the next few weeks to discuss ways to prevent anti-gay epithets from being used in Madison Square Garden during games. A New York Times story published Friday detailed the displeasure of a small but loyal group of fans who have become disgusted with the increase in the use of anti-gay language toward players as well as a chant directed at a fan, Larry Goodman, who calls himself "Dancin' Larry" and dances during play stoppages on occasion. Quinn said she had not heard from any Garden or Rangers officials Friday after the story appeared but hoped to push forward a meeting soon. "I think it's good that they've taken steps, but the problem is such that the Garden and the Rangers need to do more," Quinn said.

Source NewsDay.com

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Homophobia | Sports

Sports | Society

Not Proud to be a Gay Surfer...

In an Advocate's article, Dennis Hensley is wondering why no openly gay surfers compete on the professional tour while several out lesbians do. Maybe because despite its easygoing, enlightened vibe, surfing has a long history of homophobia. When a 1988 magazine article implied that Aussie surf star Cheyne Horan was gay, he lost endorsement deals and friends. A decade later, former top-5 pro Robbins Thompson left the sport in disgust after his sexuality became known and he started hearing taunts in the water and having the word "fag" painted on his car. In 1996, teen surfer Shane Dorian listed "dykes and fags" along with "diseases, the Devil, and flat spells" as things he'd like to rid the world of in Surfer magazine. And just last year, when a statue of a surfer went up in Cardiff near San Diego, surfers criticized it for not looking butch enough and dubbed it "Fairy Mary." "The gay guys I know who surf tend to try and keep their sexuality and their surfing separate," says Leslie Smith, a part-time surf enthusiast who works for a nonprofit organization in Manhattan. "They’re not closeted, but they’re not going to necessarily wear freedom rings on the beach." Read the Advocate's full article here...

Source The Advocate

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Homophobia | Sports | Society

Sports | Society

HotScots, only Scottish Gay football team

HotScots, the only Scottish Gay Football Team

Scotland's gay football team thumped their English counterparts this week end at the Jack Kane Centre in Edinburgh - and are now eyeing the World Cup. HotScots FC's 4-1 win over London Leftfooters was their first ever victory - a year to the day from when they first advertised for players. But chairman Kevin Rowe, 35, hopes the victory will help raise the profile of the Edinburgh side and encourage more gay men to play football: "The most important thing is trying to break down barriers and getting guys who wouldn't normally feel comfortable playing football out on to the pitch... Sport should be able to be enjoyed by anyone, irrespective of sexual orientation." HotScots FC, the only Scottish LGBT football team was founded in February 2007 with the aim of organising football games and provide a social outlet for LGBT people who wish to watch and participate in football with other like-minded people.
While being aimed at the gay and lesbian community, London 2008 IGLFA World Championship will welcome all players, regardless of age, gender, ability, race or sexual orientation. The tournament will be held from 24 August to 30 August 2008 in London.

Source Daily Record

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Sports | Society

Sports | People

Beckham loves being a Gay Icon

Answering questions from BBC Radio 2 Lines Of Enquiry's listeners on Christmas Day, David Beckham hinted he had metrosexual tastes long before Victoria came into his life. The footballer also confessed that his wife likes to dress him, while he loves being a gay icon. The 32-year-old former England captain said: "Without a doubt Victoria has a huge part in the way I look these days... I'm very honoured to have the tag of gay icon... Maybe it's things like (the fact) I like to look after myself, I like to look smart and presentable most of the time... I always liked to look good, even when I was a little kid."

Source The Daily Mail

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Sports | Photography | Health

Down Under Hotties Naked For A Cause

Naked for a Cause is an ongoing charity initiative which create sexy, high quality products to raise funds for great causes. This year the 2008/9 Australian Footballers calendar features twenty-six NRL and AFL players who kindly donated their time to support The McGrath Foundation breast cancer charity. Thirty pages of Australia’s hottest players from rugby league and Australian rules football in a special, limited-edition 19 month charity calendar photographed by Pedro Virgil (left picture above: William Zillman from Canberra Raiders). Calendar runs from October 2007 to April 2009. Watch a making of video...