George Takei On New York Marriage

"I am confident that Proposition 8 will be gone by the end of the year and we'll have marriage equality again in California too."

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the publisher, today's Swag Tuesday prize is the new autobiography from punk pioneer turned openly gay nightlife kingpin, Bob Mould. See A Little Light: The Trail Of Rage And Melody is available nationwide now on multiple formats.

From the start, Mould wanted to make Hüsker Dü the greatest band in the world - faster and louder than the hardcore standard, but with melody and emotional depth. In SEE A LITTLE LIGHT, Mould finally tells the story of how the anger and passion of the early hardcore scene blended with his own formidable musicianship and irrepressible drive to produce some of the most important and influential music of the late 20th century. For the first time, Mould tells his dramatic story, opening up to describe life inside that furnace and beyond. Revealing the struggles with his own homosexuality, the complexities of his intimate relationships, as well as his own drug and alcohol addiction, Mould takes us on a whirlwind ride through achieving sobriety, his acclaimed solo career, creating the hit band Sugar, a surprising detour into the world of pro wrestling, and most of all, finally finding his place in the world. A classic story of individualism and persistence, Mould's autobiography is an open account of the rich history of one of the most revered figures of punk, whose driving force altered the shape of American music.

Enter to win a copy of See A Little Light by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave your email address in the text of your entry. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

RELATED: This Thursday, Bob Mould will appear at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan for special combined evening of readings from his book and performances from his lengthy catalog.

Erasure Announces U.S. Tour

Erasure will launch a U.S. tour this fall in support of their coming 14th full-length studio album, Tomorrow's World. Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

August 31st Tampa, FL The Ritz Ybor
September 2nd Orlando, FL House of Blues
September 3rd Atlanta, GA Center Stage
September 4th Asheville, NC Orange Peel
September 6th Washington, DC 9:30 Club
September 7th Washington, DC 9:30 Club
September 8th Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
September 10th Boston, MA House of Blues
September 11th Toronto, ON Sound Academy
September 13th New York, NY Terminal 5
September 14th New York, NY Terminal 5
September 16th Chicago, IL Congress Theatre
September 17th Chicago, IL Congress Theatre
September 18th Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
September 20th Indianapolis, IN The Vogue Theatre
September 21st St. Louis, MO The Pageant

Above is the first half of the tour, hit the top link for the full list of concert dates.

Andy Bell Competes On Opera Show

From the British show Popstar To Opera Star.

(Via - Pop In Stereo)

Ari Gold & Sarah Dash - Sparkle

Dildorado - I'm Lovin' It

Boy meets pervy clown. Probably NSFW.

(Tipped by JMG reader Reid)

Stonewall Veteran Doric Wilson Dies At 72

Stonewall veteran and noted playwright Doric Wilson died this weekend at the age of 72. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Playbill notes his passing:

Doric Wilson was present on June 28, 1969, when riots broke out at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village. The rebellion of the bar's gay denizens against harassing police is generally recognized as having signaled the beginning of the gay rights movement. Mr. Wilson had already been an active participant in the anti-war and civil rights fights of the 1960s. Following the riot, he became active in Gay Activist Alliance and, as a "star" bartender, helped open post-Stonewall gay bars like The Spike, TY's and Brothers & Sisters Cabaret. In 1974, Doric Wilson, along with Billy Blackwell, Peter del Valle and John McSpadden, formed TOSOS (The Other Side of Silence), the first professional theatre company to deal openly and honestly with the gay experience. "I was involved with Circle Rep at the time," he later recalled, "when it suddenly occurred to me that I could use the Cino experience to combine my talents with my politics. I could focus my life and abilities to promote a theatre dedicated 'to an honest and open exploration of the GLBT life experience and cultural sensibility.'”

Here's an interview with Wilson from earlier this year.

NOTE: Doric Wilson was an occasional news tipper to JMG. We'll miss his emails.

Jonny McGovern - Take To Me St. Olaf

Not the usual McGovern fare.

Pet Shop Boys Score New Ballet

Six-time Grammy winning Pet Shop Boys have scored a film, written a musical, and sold over 100 million records. Now they've written the music to a new ballet.

George Michael - True Faith

I like George Michael. I like New Order. I do not like this.

(Via - Pop In Stereo)

Chris Colfer's Backstage Interview

Chris Colfer Wins Golden Globe

And reads bullies in his acceptance speech.

Casey Spooner - Spanish Teenager

Featuring Jake Shears. Video possibly NSFW.

HomoQuotable - Jane Lynch

"I don’t know when or if that will ever happen. I think because since most of the world is straight — and maybe we'll get to a place where this will happen — most of the world is straight and we want the audience to project their hopes and dreams for love and romance onto those actors. And if it’s not in some way possible, maybe never probably, in their mind that it could never happen, then they're not going to do it. You know, most people are straight, and I think that’s probably why."- Glee star Jane Lynch, telling After Elton why she thinks openly gay actors are rarely cast in leading roles.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of Fly Life Inc, today's Swag Tuesday booty is Faith Remastered, a special new deluxe remixed double CD of the classic 1987 George Michael album. Faith Remastered will be available on the artist's website beginning February 1st.

Of the many events that truly define the evolution of global pop at the end of the 20th century, the release of George Michael’s debut solo album, Faith, in November 1987, occupies a special place in music history. Spending 87 weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart (including 12 weeks at #1 in 1988), a rare RIAA diamond certification (for U.S. sales in excess of 10 million units, the biggest selling album of 1988, by far), and the Grammy Award as Album Of The Year – are just the tip of the Faith iceberg. Added to it are the album’s six top-charted singles: “I Want Your Sex,” “Faith,” “Father Figure,” “One More Try,”“Monkey” and “Kissing A Fool..” Together, they maintained George Michael’s presence on the Hot 100 for a cumulative 85+ weeks, from 1987 to 1989. Written, produced and arranged entirely by George, Faith was a singular achievement that placed him at a level of royal stardom in the ’80s alongside Michael Jackson, Elton John, Paul McCartney and Madonna.

We have five copies of Faith Remastered to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave your email address in the text of your comment. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

JMG BONUS: If you purchase Faith Remastered in advance of the February 1st release date, you'll receive an immediate free download of the Freemasons' remix of I Want Your Sex.

Ricky Martin - The Best Thing About Me

His first single since coming out.

HomoQuotable - Chely Wright

"It didn’t help my career. My record sales went directly in half. If it appears from the outside in that it’s helped my career, it could be because I haven’t talked about the negative. You won’t hear me bitching and moaning on my Facebook about the hate mail I’ve gotten. My life has been threatened. I get nasty letters every day, 'I’m through with you Chely Wright, you’re going to hell.' There’s a big difference between press and advocacy and…. sometimes people forget that people who sing or make movies, this isn’t just a hobby for us. This is how I pay my bills. In coming out I had a feeling that it would diminish my wage earning, and that feeling was correct. And, I am fine with that." - Country singer Chely Wright, speaking with the lesbian news and entertainment site, Autostraddle.

Michael Hartney For AT&T

JMG reader and stand-up comedian Michael Hartney stars in the latest commercial for AT&T. Hartney's laugh in the clip has already been remixed.

Paul Lekakis - I Need A Hit

Former model, sex worker, and openly HIV positive pop singer Paul Lekakis is back with this collaboration with producers Massi & De Leon. You may recall Lekakis' last big hit, 1987's Boom, Boom, Boom (Let's Go Back To My Room).

(Via - Pop In Stereo)

Scissor Sisters Year In Review With Chris Colfer, Katy Perry, & Adam Lambert