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Contents:

• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY
• NFL ACH BE FIRST MALE ACH MAJOR U.S. MEN’S PRO SPORTS TO E OUT AS GAY
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY
• WHO IS JOSEPH ZIEGLER, THE GAY IRS WHISTLEBLOWER HUNTER BIN PROBE?
• FELLOW TRAVELERS: INSI MATT BOMER AND JONATHAN BAILEY’S EPIC, SEXY ROMANCETHE TWO ACTORS GIVE THEIR ALL TO THIS S-SPANNG LIMED SERI, WHICH EXPLOR A GAY LOVE STORY WH BOLD—AND EXPLIC—CEMATIC SWEEP.BY DAVID CANFIELDMAY 25, 2023BY BEN MARK HOLZBERG/SHOWTIME.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWHEN MATT BOMER AND JONATHAN BAILEY FIRST MET AT A FFEE SHOP ON CUMBERLAND STREET TORONTO, ON THE VERGE OF BEGNG SIX MONTHS OF FILMG FOR THEIR S-SPANNG LIMED SERI FELLOW TRAVELERS, THEY MA A PACT TO HAVE EACH OTHER’S BACKS. SOUNDS SIMPLE ENOUGH, GIVEN THAT THEY WERE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON SOME OF THE RICHT SCREEN WORK OF THEIR RPECTIVE REERS. BUT OVER ZOOM, BOTH ACTORS SPEAK OF THAT TRODUCTN NOW AS ALMOST SACRED. WATCH FELLOW TRAVELERS, AND YOU’LL UNRSTAND WHY. THE SHOWTIME EPIC PICTS AN EXTRAORDARY TIMACY BETWEEN S LEAD CHARACTERS, AND ASKS FOR TE VULNERABILY OM BOMER AND BAILEY, WHO LIVER WHOUT PROMISE.COURTY OF SHOWTIME.ADAPTED BY OSR NOMEE RON NYSWANER (PHILALPHIA) OM THOMAS MALLON’S 2007 NOVEL, FELLOW TRAVELERS (PREMIERG THIS FALL ON PARAMOUNT+ WH SHOWTIME) EXAM THE VOLATILE, PASSNATE, EPLY LOVG ROMANCE BETWEEN HAWKS FULLER (BOMER), A CHARISMATIC IF SOMEWHAT OPAQUE WAR HERO TURNED POLIL STAFFER, AND TIM LGHL (BAILEY), A RELIG IALIST LOOKG FOR HIS WAY TO THE DC GRD. THEY MEET AT THE DAWN OF THE EARLY-’50S LAVENR SRE, WHICH SENATOR JOSEPH MCCARTHY AND HIS CHIEF UNSEL ROY COHN PURGED WHOMEVER THEY EMED GAY OR LBIAN OM ERNMENT ROL—DUBBG THEM MUNIST SYMPATHIZERS—AND SPARKED A NATNAL MORAL PANIC AROUND HOMOSEXUALY. THE SERI THEN BUILDS TO A KD OF GRAND CHRONICLE OF QUEER AMERIN HISTORY, TRACG THE EVOLUTN OF HAWK AND TIM’S RELATNSHIP THROUGH VAR ERAS BEFORE CULMATG THE AIDS EPIMIC OF THE 1980S.A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWTHE PROJECT ME TO BAILEY AT A SERENDIPO MOMENT. FOR THE FIRST TIME HIS LIFE, THE BREAKOUT STAR OF BRIDGERTON WAS MAND AND BEG ASKED WHAT HE WANTED TO DO NEXT. “MY ANSWER WAS ALWAYS, ‘WELL, I’D LOVE TO DO A SWEEPG GAY LOVE STORY,’ BUT MY EXPERIENCE ACTUALLY WAS THAT I’D NEVER REALLY SEEN THEM,” BAILEY SAYS. “OR IF I HAD, I HADN’T SEEN ACTORS LIKE ME AND MATT PLAY THOSE ROL.” (BOTH BAILEY AND BOMER INTIFY AS GAY.) THAT DREAM OPPORTUNY ABPTLY PRENTED SELF FELLOW TRAVELERS, WHICH BAILEY JOED AFTER BOMER HAD ALREADY SIGNED ON AS BOTH STAR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER. “THE STORY HAD BEEN MARATG WH RON FOR A SOLID BEFORE I EVER ME ON BOARD,” BOMER SAYS. “RON HAD AN ALMOST RELIG ZEAL ABOUT THIS PROJECT, THIS WORLD, AND THE CHARACTERS THAT JT WASHED OVER EVERYONE VOLVED, AND MA THE PROFOUND EXPERIENCE THAT WAS.”BY BEN MARK HOLZBERG/SHOWTIME.NYSWANER HAD ALREADY DONE NSIRABLE REARCH ON FELLOW TRAVELERS, HAVG PREVLY PLANNED TO ADAPT THE BOOK AS A FILM. HE HAD MORE RECENTLY TABLISHED HIMSELF PRTIGE TV—WRG FOR SHOWTIME DRAMAS LIKE HOMELAND AND RAY DONOVAN—WHILE NTUG TO WORK MOVI. HIS SCRIPT FOR LAST YEAR’S AMAZON FEATURE MY POLICEMAN TRODUCED HIM TO PRODUCER ROBBIE ROGERS; NYSWANER SENT ROGERS THE FELLOW TRAVELERS NOVEL, WHICH SPARKED A NVERSATN ABOUT MAKG A LIMED SERI OUT OF . “THE AMBN OF GOG THROUGH THE DIFFERENT S AND FDG A REALLY PELLG STORY—NOTHG LIKE THAT HAD BEEN DONE, WHERE ’S AN EPIC GAY LOVE STORY THAT HAS THIS POLIL ELEMENT THAT’S WOVEN THROUGH ,” SAYS ROGERS. FELLOW TRAVELERS LEAV NO STONE UNTURNED, EXPANDG S WORLD BEYOND HAWK AND TIM TO FASHN AN EXPANSIVE HISTORIL TAPTRY. A RE PARALLEL STRAND OF THE DRAMA FOLLOWS JELANI ALLAD’S MARC HOOKS, A QUEER BLACK POLIL JOURNALIST FDG A NEW PARTNER OF HIS OWN (NOAH J. RICKETTS), WHILE NYSWANER’S EARLY EPISOS ALSO DIG TO THE VIC METHODS OF MCCARTHY (A TRANSFORMED CHRIS BER) AND THE APPALLG HYPOCRISY OF COHN (WILL BRILL). “SOMETHG LIKE AN TIMATED 10,000 PEOPLE LOST THEIR JOBS, AND A LOT OF FOLKS TOOK THEIR OWN LIV,” BOMER SAYS. “THAT’S THE LANDSPE THAT THE PEOPLE ARE ALG WH.”BY BEN MARK HOLZBERG/SHOWTIME.COURTY OF SHOWTIME.BUT HAWK AND TIM ARE OUR FLAWED, FASCATG HERO—WH FELLOW TRAVELERS CISIVELY SUATG THEIR TENSE CHEMISTRY WH A BROAR POLIL NTEXT. THE LH, SWEEPG, LIBERATELY OLD-FASHNED QUALY OF THE FILMMAKG, TEMPLATED BY EMMY-WNG DIRECTOR DANIEL MAHAN (AMERIN CRIME STORY), NTRASTS SHARPLY WH THE SHOW’S CREDIBLY SPECIFIC FOC ON ONE UPLE’S DYNAMIC. THAT TIMATE STORY IS LARGELY TOLD, WH A SURPRISG AND CCIAL BOLDNS, THROUGH SEX.“THE NUANCE OF A PLITED, VOLATILE QUEER RELATNSHIP IS THE POWER BALANCE—AND THAT IS WHAT IS AMAZG ABOUT TIM AND HAWK,” BAILEY SAYS. “EVERY SGLE SEX SCENE IS A METICULO EXAMATN OF POWER.” FELLOW TRAVELERS HEATS UP AS HAWK GETS TIM A JOB WORKG FOR MCCARTHY—AND TASKS HIM WH SPYG ON THE SENATOR FOR TEL ON HIS TACTICS, AND SIGHTS TO HIS WEAKNS. THIS GIVE-AND-TAKE EVABLY MOV TO THE BEDROOM, THE SPAC WHERE THE TWO MEN MT GRAPPLE WH NOT ONLY THEIR HIDN BLOSSOMG LOVE, BUT ALSO THE TRANSACTNAL QUALY OF THEIR BOND. “THERE’S A LEVEL OF TST AND TIMACY THAT’S EVEN MORE VALUABLE WHEN SOCIETY IS AGAST YOU,” BOMER SAYS. “YOU KEEP YOUR SECRETS TOGETHER.” COURTY OF SHOWTIME.THE RULTG SEX SCEN, PTURG A RANGE OF ROLE PLAYS, WILL RG AS HIGHLY THENTIC TO GAY MEN, AND MARK UNCHARTED TERRORY FOR MASTREAM DRAMATIC TV—EVEN ON A WORK LIKE SHOWTIME. “NOT THAT WILL BE SHOCKG TO PEOPLE, BUT I HOPE WHEN PEOPLE WATCH , THEY’RE LIKE, ‘OH, WOW. THEY REALLY WENT FOR ,’” ROGERS SAYS. THE PRODUCTN MA TIMACY ORDATORS AVAILABLE TO THE ST THROUGHOUT FILMG, AND BOMER AND BAILEY FELT AN TRSIC TST WH EACH OTHER, ROOTED THAT CUMBERLAND STREET PACT. “I WILL BE SO TERTED TO SEE HOW PEOPLE RPOND TO ,” BAILEY SAYS. “TO ME, BEG QUEER ALSO IS ABOUT, AS TWO MEN, HOW YOU NEGOTIATE YOUR GIVG OF YOUR BODY TO THE OTHER PERSON. THAT IS SOMETHG THAT I’VE ALWAYS YEARNED TO SEE PROPERLY DONE BEE I KNOW HOW EXTRAORDARY IS TO EXPERIENCE .” AT ONE POT, BAILEY SENT BOMER A VIO OF TORVILL AND DEAN’S LEGENDARY “BOLERO” ICE DANCE. “WE’RE TWO ICE SKATERS DANCG TOGETHER— SORT OF FELT LIKE THAT,” BAILEY SAYS WH A LGH. BOMER CHIM : “IT WAS REALLY TERTG TO FD THE DIFFERENT TYP OF EXPRSN OF THEIR LOVE AND TIMACY OVER THE DIFFERENT TIME PERDS,” HE SAYS. “IT WAS LIKE OPENG A CHRISTMAS PRENT EVERY TIME I WOULD SEE JONNY A NEW TIME PERD AND SEE WHAT HE WOULD BRG TO THE TABLE WH THIS NEW CHAPTER OF TIM’S LIFE.”BY BEN MARK HOLZBERG/SHOWTIME.THE SHOW BEGS BY SHIFTG BETWEEN THE ’50S AND ’80S, BUT S LATTER HALF SHAK UP THE FORMULA, HURTLG TO PERDS OF LIBERATN. IN HAWK, BOMER CHARTS THE EXPANSN OF A MAN WHO’S PARTMENTALIZED A VAL PART OF HIS BEG FOR MUCH OF HIS LIFE. “LOVE IS DANGERO—’S A THREAT TO HIS VERY EXISTENCE, AND TIM IS REALLY THE ONLY PERSON WHO N CHALLENGE THAT,” HE SAYS. OVER TIME, HE MARRI A CHILDHOOD IEND, LUCY SMH (ALLISON WILLIAMS), WHILE NTUG TO SEE TIM. THE SHOW DO NOT EVER ST TIM A PIABLE LIGHT, HOWEVER. “HE’S VERY PURE, EVEN THOUGH HE’S ALWAYS SEARCHG FOR ABSOLUTN AND TTH, AND HE IS FUNDAMENTALLY VERY CLEAR ON WHO HE IS,” BAILEY SAYS. “I ULD SEE WHO THAT WAS.” THE ’80S SEGMENT OF THE SHOW, GLIMPSED THROUGH TO THE FAL EPISO, OPENS WH THE CHARACTERS SEPARATED—WH THEIR TENSE, HEARTBREAKG RNN LEADG TO THE NARRATIVE’S NCLN. OVER EIGHT HOURS, THE SHOW AMBLY RECREAT EVERYTHG OM ’50S DC TO ’70S FIRE ISLAND TO ’80S BAY AREA—ALL TORONTO AND SOMEHOW, PER ROGERS, UNR BUDGET. THE FAL SCEN TAKE PLACE AT THE FAMED AIDS QUILT, WH THE PRODUCTN SIGNERS THOROUGHLY REIMAGG THE INIC NATNAL MALL SE. THEY HAD COHN’S ACTUAL SQUARE ON HAND, AND SIGNED SOME OTHERS OM SCRATCH. “WHEN YOU SEE , YOU WON’T BELIEVE ,” ROGERS TEAS. “YOU’LL BE LIKE, ‘OH, MY GOSH, THIS LOOKS LIKE THEY SHOT DC.’”COURTY OF SHOWTIME.COURTY OF SHOWTIME.BY THE TIME PRODUCTN WRAPPED, BAILEY AND BOMER FACED A FULFILLG—IF NOT EASY—GOODBYE. “JT GETTG TO PLAY THE CHARACTER OVER THE URSE OF 35 YEARS—SOME OF THE SCEN THAT TAKE PLACE THE LAST EPISO FOR ME WERE SUCH A RE OF PASSAGE TERMS OF SAYG GOODBYE TO THE CHARACTER,” BOMER SAYS. ADDS BAILEY, “IT’S BEEN JT THE MOST JOYO, EMOTNAL, AND ALSO RMATIVE EXPERIENCE I’VE HAD ON A JOB. I’VE NEVER GRIEVED A CHARACTER MORE.”WELL, KD OF. BAILEY ACTUALLY FILMED THE THIRD SEASON OF BRIDGERTON AT THE SAME TIME AS FELLOW TRAVELERS. “I HAD A REALLY WEIRD TIME,” HE SAYS. AT THE TIME, HE’D REGULARLY MUTE BETWEEN CANADA AND THE UK. AND FOR HIS LAST DAY MAKG FELLOW TRAVELERS, HE WORKED THROUGH AN EMOTNALLY DRAG 19-, MAYBE 20-HOUR SHOOT WH BOMER. THE WORK BLED TO THE WEEKEND. BAILEY FALLY LEFT THE SET FOR THE LAST TIME. AND BY MONDAY, HE WAS BACK REGENCY-ERA ENGLAND, TRANSPORTED 200 YEARS TO THE PAST, CHARACTER AS ANTHONY BRIDGERTON. “WHEN I SAY I GRIEVED , I DIDN’T ACTUALLY HAVE ANY SPACE TO,” BAILEY SAYS NOW OF FELLOW TRAVELERS. “BUT I STILL THK ABOUT TIM A LOT.” UNRSTANDABLY—THIS IS A LIFE STORY THAT’LL STAY WH YOU.LISTEN TO VANY FAIR’S LTLE GOLD MEN PODST NOW.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMCAN YOU NAME THE FILM THAT LNCHED BRIE LARSON, RAMI MALEK, AND MORE?THE ABSOLUTELY WILST DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S LATT INDICTMENT AGAST DONALD TMPIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI ETON COLLEGE, HARRY AND WILLIAM’S POSH ALMA MATERTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)DAVID CANFIELD
• KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT COACH KEV MAXEN MAK HISTORY AFTER COMG OUT AS GAY
• FOR GAY MEN, HAVG A BLOGIL CHILD N BE PLITED
• RUDY GAY EXPECTED TO DRAW TERT OM WARRRS, LAKERS, MAVERICKS, BULLS, PELINS

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

Kev Maxen has bee the first male ach a US men’s profsnal sports league to e out as gay. Per Outsports, as of September 2022, there have only ever been 16 players NFL history to publicly e out as gay or bisexual.

Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player league history to announce that he is gay 2021.

Per Outsports, Maxen is the “first publicly out male ach a major Amerin men’s pro sports league, ” wh WNBA ach Curt Miller, who publicly me out to the media as gay 2015, also a publicly out male ach an Amerin profsnal sports league. His sensibily as a gay artist has shaped and elevated the magaze’s athetic, but he has to keep his creativy check lt Mx be seen as a magaze for gay men. But fish strong, as the nflict over Richie’s bathhoe project grows and Mx has to nsir whether ’s too risky for the magaze to speak to gay men, or even gay moments like this, the historil fictn feels not entirely historil.

NFL ACH BE FIRST MALE ACH MAJOR U.S. MEN’S PRO SPORTS TO E OUT AS GAY

-- Jaguars assistant strength and ndng ach Kev Maxen has bee the first male ach major Amerin men's profsnal sports to publicly e out as gay, tellg he ma the cisn bee he didn't want to hi who he is any longer and to possibly spire others siar suatns.It's a cisn and move that drew praise and support om owner Shad Khan, who was a vol and emphatic supporter of a cy ordance that expand protectns on the grounds of sexual orientatn, genr inty and genr exprsn."I don't want to feel like I have to thk about anymore," Maxen said the piece published Thursday afternoon.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY

Outsi lebacker Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player to e out as gay and to play a game 2021.The Associated Prs ntributed to this report. Jacksonville Jaguars assistant strength and ndng ach Kev Maxen cid on Thursday to e out publicly as gay hop of livg his life whout fear and to spire others.

WHO IS JOSEPH ZIEGLER, THE GAY IRS WHISTLEBLOWER HUNTER BIN PROBE?

Before jog Jacksonville’s achg staff, he was a strength ach for the football teams at Baylor and Febary 2022, Maxen reached out to NFL player Carl Nassib, who me out as gay 2021, to seek advice. Some Republins once said Joseph Ziegler, the Internal Revenue Service agent who ttified before Congrs Wednday about possible terference the vtigatn of Hunter Bin, was biased Bin’s favor bee he’s a gay man and a Democrat. “People have said, bee I’m gay and that I am workg as the se agent on this vtigatn, that I mt be a far-left liberal, perfectly placed to f some agenda.

“One of them is a gay Democrat who’s married to a man. The report clud a photo of Joseph Ziegler and his hband, Newsweek not, pl the assertn that the hband was nnected “at least socially” to Demetre Daskalakis, a gay physician who has worked the New York Cy health partment and the Centers for Disease Control and Preventn, and later was appoted by Joe Bin as puty ordator of the rponse to the mpox outbreak.

They meet at the dawn of the early-’50s Lavenr Sre, which Senator Joseph McCarthy and his chief unsel Roy Cohn purged whomever they emed gay or lbian om ernment rol—dubbg them munist sympathizers—and sparked a natnal moral panic around homosexualy.

FELLOW TRAVELERS: INSI MATT BOMER AND JONATHAN BAILEY’S EPIC, SEXY ROMANCETHE TWO ACTORS GIVE THEIR ALL TO THIS S-SPANNG LIMED SERI, WHICH EXPLOR A GAY LOVE STORY WH BOLD—AND EXPLIC—CEMATIC SWEEP.BY DAVID CANFIELDMAY 25, 2023BY BEN MARK HOLZBERG/SHOWTIME.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWHEN MATT BOMER AND JONATHAN BAILEY FIRST MET AT A FFEE SHOP ON CUMBERLAND STREET TORONTO, ON THE VERGE OF BEGNG SIX MONTHS OF FILMG FOR THEIR S-SPANNG LIMED SERI FELLOW TRAVELERS, THEY MA A PACT TO HAVE EACH OTHER’S BACKS. SOUNDS SIMPLE ENOUGH, GIVEN THAT THEY WERE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON SOME OF THE RICHT SCREEN WORK OF THEIR RPECTIVE REERS. BUT OVER ZOOM, BOTH ACTORS SPEAK OF THAT TRODUCTN NOW AS ALMOST SACRED. WATCH FELLOW TRAVELERS, AND YOU’LL UNRSTAND WHY. THE SHOWTIME EPIC PICTS AN EXTRAORDARY TIMACY BETWEEN S LEAD CHARACTERS, AND ASKS FOR TE VULNERABILY OM BOMER AND BAILEY, WHO LIVER WHOUT PROMISE.COURTY OF SHOWTIME.ADAPTED BY OSR NOMEE RON NYSWANER (PHILALPHIA) OM THOMAS MALLON’S 2007 NOVEL, FELLOW TRAVELERS (PREMIERG THIS FALL ON PARAMOUNT+ WH SHOWTIME) EXAM THE VOLATILE, PASSNATE, EPLY LOVG ROMANCE BETWEEN HAWKS FULLER (BOMER), A CHARISMATIC IF SOMEWHAT OPAQUE WAR HERO TURNED POLIL STAFFER, AND TIM LGHL (BAILEY), A RELIG IALIST LOOKG FOR HIS WAY TO THE DC GRD. THEY MEET AT THE DAWN OF THE EARLY-’50S LAVENR SRE, WHICH SENATOR JOSEPH MCCARTHY AND HIS CHIEF UNSEL ROY COHN PURGED WHOMEVER THEY EMED GAY OR LBIAN OM ERNMENT ROL—DUBBG THEM MUNIST SYMPATHIZERS—AND SPARKED A NATNAL MORAL PANIC AROUND HOMOSEXUALY. THE SERI THEN BUILDS TO A KD OF GRAND CHRONICLE OF QUEER AMERIN HISTORY, TRACG THE EVOLUTN OF HAWK AND TIM’S RELATNSHIP THROUGH VAR ERAS BEFORE CULMATG THE AIDS EPIMIC OF THE 1980S.A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWTHE PROJECT ME TO BAILEY AT A SERENDIPO MOMENT. FOR THE FIRST TIME HIS LIFE, THE BREAKOUT STAR OF BRIDGERTON WAS MAND AND BEG ASKED WHAT HE WANTED TO DO NEXT. “MY ANSWER WAS ALWAYS, ‘WELL, I’D LOVE TO DO A SWEEPG GAY LOVE STORY,’ BUT MY EXPERIENCE ACTUALLY WAS THAT I’D NEVER REALLY SEEN THEM,” BAILEY SAYS. “OR IF I HAD, I HADN’T SEEN ACTORS LIKE ME AND MATT PLAY THOSE ROL.” (BOTH BAILEY AND BOMER INTIFY AS GAY.) THAT DREAM OPPORTUNY ABPTLY PRENTED SELF FELLOW TRAVELERS, WHICH BAILEY JOED AFTER BOMER HAD ALREADY SIGNED ON AS BOTH STAR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER. “THE STORY HAD BEEN MARATG WH RON FOR A SOLID BEFORE I EVER ME ON BOARD,” BOMER SAYS. “RON HAD AN ALMOST RELIG ZEAL ABOUT THIS PROJECT, THIS WORLD, AND THE CHARACTERS THAT JT WASHED OVER EVERYONE VOLVED, AND MA THE PROFOUND EXPERIENCE THAT WAS.”BY BEN MARK HOLZBERG/SHOWTIME.NYSWANER HAD ALREADY DONE NSIRABLE REARCH ON FELLOW TRAVELERS, HAVG PREVLY PLANNED TO ADAPT THE BOOK AS A FILM. HE HAD MORE RECENTLY TABLISHED HIMSELF PRTIGE TV—WRG FOR SHOWTIME DRAMAS LIKE HOMELAND AND RAY DONOVAN—WHILE NTUG TO WORK MOVI. HIS SCRIPT FOR LAST YEAR’S AMAZON FEATURE MY POLICEMAN TRODUCED HIM TO PRODUCER ROBBIE ROGERS; NYSWANER SENT ROGERS THE FELLOW TRAVELERS NOVEL, WHICH SPARKED A NVERSATN ABOUT MAKG A LIMED SERI OUT OF . “THE AMBN OF GOG THROUGH THE DIFFERENT S AND FDG A REALLY PELLG STORY—NOTHG LIKE THAT HAD BEEN DONE, WHERE ’S AN EPIC GAY LOVE STORY THAT HAS THIS POLIL ELEMENT THAT’S WOVEN THROUGH ,” SAYS ROGERS. FELLOW TRAVELERS LEAV NO STONE UNTURNED, EXPANDG S WORLD BEYOND HAWK AND TIM TO FASHN AN EXPANSIVE HISTORIL TAPTRY. A RE PARALLEL STRAND OF THE DRAMA FOLLOWS JELANI ALLAD’S MARC HOOKS, A QUEER BLACK POLIL JOURNALIST FDG A NEW PARTNER OF HIS OWN (NOAH J. RICKETTS), WHILE NYSWANER’S EARLY EPISOS ALSO DIG TO THE VIC METHODS OF MCCARTHY (A TRANSFORMED CHRIS BER) AND THE APPALLG HYPOCRISY OF COHN (WILL BRILL). “SOMETHG LIKE AN TIMATED 10,000 PEOPLE LOST THEIR JOBS, AND A LOT OF FOLKS TOOK THEIR OWN LIV,” BOMER SAYS. “THAT’S THE LANDSPE THAT THE PEOPLE ARE ALG WH.”BY BEN MARK HOLZBERG/SHOWTIME.COURTY OF SHOWTIME.BUT HAWK AND TIM ARE OUR FLAWED, FASCATG HERO—WH FELLOW TRAVELERS CISIVELY SUATG THEIR TENSE CHEMISTRY WH A BROAR POLIL NTEXT. THE LH, SWEEPG, LIBERATELY OLD-FASHNED QUALY OF THE FILMMAKG, TEMPLATED BY EMMY-WNG DIRECTOR DANIEL MAHAN (AMERIN CRIME STORY), NTRASTS SHARPLY WH THE SHOW’S CREDIBLY SPECIFIC FOC ON ONE UPLE’S DYNAMIC. THAT TIMATE STORY IS LARGELY TOLD, WH A SURPRISG AND CCIAL BOLDNS, THROUGH SEX.“THE NUANCE OF A PLITED, VOLATILE QUEER RELATNSHIP IS THE POWER BALANCE—AND THAT IS WHAT IS AMAZG ABOUT TIM AND HAWK,” BAILEY SAYS. “EVERY SGLE SEX SCENE IS A METICULO EXAMATN OF POWER.” FELLOW TRAVELERS HEATS UP AS HAWK GETS TIM A JOB WORKG FOR MCCARTHY—AND TASKS HIM WH SPYG ON THE SENATOR FOR TEL ON HIS TACTICS, AND SIGHTS TO HIS WEAKNS. THIS GIVE-AND-TAKE EVABLY MOV TO THE BEDROOM, THE SPAC WHERE THE TWO MEN MT GRAPPLE WH NOT ONLY THEIR HIDN BLOSSOMG LOVE, BUT ALSO THE TRANSACTNAL QUALY OF THEIR BOND. “THERE’S A LEVEL OF TST AND TIMACY THAT’S EVEN MORE VALUABLE WHEN SOCIETY IS AGAST YOU,” BOMER SAYS. “YOU KEEP YOUR SECRETS TOGETHER.” COURTY OF SHOWTIME.THE RULTG SEX SCEN, PTURG A RANGE OF ROLE PLAYS, WILL RG AS HIGHLY THENTIC TO GAY MEN, AND MARK UNCHARTED TERRORY FOR MASTREAM DRAMATIC TV—EVEN ON A WORK LIKE SHOWTIME. “NOT THAT WILL BE SHOCKG TO PEOPLE, BUT I HOPE WHEN PEOPLE WATCH , THEY’RE LIKE, ‘OH, WOW. THEY REALLY WENT FOR ,’” ROGERS SAYS. THE PRODUCTN MA TIMACY ORDATORS AVAILABLE TO THE ST THROUGHOUT FILMG, AND BOMER AND BAILEY FELT AN TRSIC TST WH EACH OTHER, ROOTED THAT CUMBERLAND STREET PACT. “I WILL BE SO TERTED TO SEE HOW PEOPLE RPOND TO ,” BAILEY SAYS. “TO ME, BEG QUEER ALSO IS ABOUT, AS TWO MEN, HOW YOU NEGOTIATE YOUR GIVG OF YOUR BODY TO THE OTHER PERSON. THAT IS SOMETHG THAT I’VE ALWAYS YEARNED TO SEE PROPERLY DONE BEE I KNOW HOW EXTRAORDARY IS TO EXPERIENCE .” AT ONE POT, BAILEY SENT BOMER A VIO OF TORVILL AND DEAN’S LEGENDARY “BOLERO” ICE DANCE. “WE’RE TWO ICE SKATERS DANCG TOGETHER— SORT OF FELT LIKE THAT,” BAILEY SAYS WH A LGH. BOMER CHIM : “IT WAS REALLY TERTG TO FD THE DIFFERENT TYP OF EXPRSN OF THEIR LOVE AND TIMACY OVER THE DIFFERENT TIME PERDS,” HE SAYS. “IT WAS LIKE OPENG A CHRISTMAS PRENT EVERY TIME I WOULD SEE JONNY A NEW TIME PERD AND SEE WHAT HE WOULD BRG TO THE TABLE WH THIS NEW CHAPTER OF TIM’S LIFE.”BY BEN MARK HOLZBERG/SHOWTIME.THE SHOW BEGS BY SHIFTG BETWEEN THE ’50S AND ’80S, BUT S LATTER HALF SHAK UP THE FORMULA, HURTLG TO PERDS OF LIBERATN. IN HAWK, BOMER CHARTS THE EXPANSN OF A MAN WHO’S PARTMENTALIZED A VAL PART OF HIS BEG FOR MUCH OF HIS LIFE. “LOVE IS DANGERO—’S A THREAT TO HIS VERY EXISTENCE, AND TIM IS REALLY THE ONLY PERSON WHO N CHALLENGE THAT,” HE SAYS. OVER TIME, HE MARRI A CHILDHOOD IEND, LUCY SMH (ALLISON WILLIAMS), WHILE NTUG TO SEE TIM. THE SHOW DO NOT EVER ST TIM A PIABLE LIGHT, HOWEVER. “HE’S VERY PURE, EVEN THOUGH HE’S ALWAYS SEARCHG FOR ABSOLUTN AND TTH, AND HE IS FUNDAMENTALLY VERY CLEAR ON WHO HE IS,” BAILEY SAYS. “I ULD SEE WHO THAT WAS.” THE ’80S SEGMENT OF THE SHOW, GLIMPSED THROUGH TO THE FAL EPISO, OPENS WH THE CHARACTERS SEPARATED—WH THEIR TENSE, HEARTBREAKG RNN LEADG TO THE NARRATIVE’S NCLN. OVER EIGHT HOURS, THE SHOW AMBLY RECREAT EVERYTHG OM ’50S DC TO ’70S FIRE ISLAND TO ’80S BAY AREA—ALL TORONTO AND SOMEHOW, PER ROGERS, UNR BUDGET. THE FAL SCEN TAKE PLACE AT THE FAMED AIDS QUILT, WH THE PRODUCTN SIGNERS THOROUGHLY REIMAGG THE INIC NATNAL MALL SE. THEY HAD COHN’S ACTUAL SQUARE ON HAND, AND SIGNED SOME OTHERS OM SCRATCH. “WHEN YOU SEE , YOU WON’T BELIEVE ,” ROGERS TEAS. “YOU’LL BE LIKE, ‘OH, MY GOSH, THIS LOOKS LIKE THEY SHOT DC.’”COURTY OF SHOWTIME.COURTY OF SHOWTIME.BY THE TIME PRODUCTN WRAPPED, BAILEY AND BOMER FACED A FULFILLG—IF NOT EASY—GOODBYE. “JT GETTG TO PLAY THE CHARACTER OVER THE URSE OF 35 YEARS—SOME OF THE SCEN THAT TAKE PLACE THE LAST EPISO FOR ME WERE SUCH A RE OF PASSAGE TERMS OF SAYG GOODBYE TO THE CHARACTER,” BOMER SAYS. ADDS BAILEY, “IT’S BEEN JT THE MOST JOYO, EMOTNAL, AND ALSO RMATIVE EXPERIENCE I’VE HAD ON A JOB. I’VE NEVER GRIEVED A CHARACTER MORE.”WELL, KD OF. BAILEY ACTUALLY FILMED THE THIRD SEASON OF BRIDGERTON AT THE SAME TIME AS FELLOW TRAVELERS. “I HAD A REALLY WEIRD TIME,” HE SAYS. AT THE TIME, HE’D REGULARLY MUTE BETWEEN CANADA AND THE UK. AND FOR HIS LAST DAY MAKG FELLOW TRAVELERS, HE WORKED THROUGH AN EMOTNALLY DRAG 19-, MAYBE 20-HOUR SHOOT WH BOMER. THE WORK BLED TO THE WEEKEND. BAILEY FALLY LEFT THE SET FOR THE LAST TIME. AND BY MONDAY, HE WAS BACK REGENCY-ERA ENGLAND, TRANSPORTED 200 YEARS TO THE PAST, CHARACTER AS ANTHONY BRIDGERTON. “WHEN I SAY I GRIEVED , I DIDN’T ACTUALLY HAVE ANY SPACE TO,” BAILEY SAYS NOW OF FELLOW TRAVELERS. “BUT I STILL THK ABOUT TIM A LOT.” UNRSTANDABLY—THIS IS A LIFE STORY THAT’LL STAY WH YOU.LISTEN TO VANY FAIR’S LTLE GOLD MEN PODST NOW.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMCAN YOU NAME THE FILM THAT LNCHED BRIE LARSON, RAMI MALEK, AND MORE?THE ABSOLUTELY WILST DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S LATT INDICTMENT AGAST DONALD TMPIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI ETON COLLEGE, HARRY AND WILLIAM’S POSH ALMA MATERTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)DAVID CANFIELD

“My answer was always, ‘Well, I’d love to do a sweepg gay love story, ’ but my experience actually was that I’d never really seen them, ” Bailey says.

” (Both Bailey and Bomer intify as gay. “The ambn of gog through the different s and fdg a really pellg story—nothg like that had been done, where ’s an epic gay love story that has this polil element that’s woven through , ” says Rogers.

” The rultg sex scen, pturg a range of role plays, will rg as highly thentic to gay men, and mark uncharted terrory for mastream dramatic TV—even on a work like Showtime. He’s Barbie’s gay bt iend. The film won’t say , but a post-creds punchle about Ken’s handwrg, plete wh hearts and stars surroundg his name, tells what we need to heavily implied nature of Ken’s gayns Toy Story 3 harkens back to Hollywood’s tradnal gay bt iend-type characters.

KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT

In the Hays Co era, explic referenc to homosexualy weren’t allowed, so characters like Van Buren (Frankl Pangborn) 1937’s Easy Livg, Kip (David Wayne) 1949’s Adam’s Rib, or Addison (Gee Sanrs) 1950’s All About Eve stead were imbued wh effemate characteristics, offerg a glimpse outsi of heteronormativy whout explicly beg of the characters were the same—some were tty, others sweet. But each of the gay bt iends was trsilly fed by their relatnships wh their straight iends. Des later, 2010, the gay bt iend was all the rage; Teen Vogue even went so far as to proclaim the GBF as the summer’s mt-have accsory.

But unlike the first half of the 20th century, today’s cema, the GBF is allowed to be openly gay.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT COACH KEV MAXEN MAK HISTORY AFTER COMG OUT AS GAY

In movi like Mean Girls (2004), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Easy A (2010), No Strgs Attached (2011), and Isn’t It Romantic (2019), gay iends exist entirely the orb of their female iends.

” But Barbie do, and for Ken, that’s are plenty of reasons why the film wouldn’t outrightly state that Ken is homosexual. ), and of urse, and earrg the “gay ear”. ) Earrg Magic Ken turned Barbie’s boyiend to an out-and-proud homosexual raver.

FOR GAY MEN, HAVG A BLOGIL CHILD N BE PLITED

Mattel, of urse, vehemently nied any claims that Ken was gay, let alone that he had somethg as prepostero as a ck rg around his neck. As a rult, gay men bought the doll drov, and spe Mattel ultimately rellg the doll and wipg away any trace of Earrg Magic Ken, was near-impossible to see Ken as anythg but the glor homosexual he was born to be om then on.

RUDY GAY EXPECTED TO DRAW TERT OM WARRRS, LAKERS, MAVERICKS, BULLS, PELINS

Though Mattel don’t seem to be willg to say Ken is actually gay, the Ken dolls of recent years seem to really lean to Ken’s queerns. While there is no way to “drs gay, ” there are several dolls that seem to suggt otherwise, such as:Fashnista Ken #193, who looks very exced to tell you about his new obssn, Troye Sivan;Travel Ken Doll, who has a satchel perfect for bathho and a purple overnight bag that lerally proclaims he’s “extra;”Ken Looks Doll, servg “I’m gonna give you a makeover”-type realns while sportg black pleather pants;This Ken, who wears the least heterosexual double nim I have a feelg the new Barbie movie will put the work to nvce that Ken is a hetero du who lov nothg life more than Barbie herself, the wrg’s already on the wall: Ken is, and always will be, Barbie’s gay bt obssg! Kev Maxen, an assistant ach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, ma sports history after publicly g out as gay.

Maxen’s disclosure is a historic one, makg him the first openly gay ach of a U. Maxen’s announcement two years after NFL star Carl Nassib beme the league’s first active openly gay player. “I jt wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay, ” the former Las Vegas Rairs player, 30, revealed a June 2021 Instagram vio.

The Gay Men of Color Fellowship is based on a strong social media-based mpaign rmed by s members. He was a member of Homoeroti, a group of LGBTQ+ wrers. In 2017, Bryan Ellitt was honored by Gay Cy News Impact Awards for his urageo work sug the New York Cy Parks Department for discrimatn agast Transgenr New Yorkers who wish to e public pools.