The Last Days of Gay Dis - The Village Voice

Contents:

• GLORIA GAYNOR LEAV HER GAY FOLLOWG SCRATCHG THEIR {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}NEWSBY LYLE MASAKIJULY 13, 2007/4:57 PMBY LYLE MASAKIJULY 13, 2007 / 4:57 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"GLORIA GAYNOR LEAV HER GAY FOLLOWG SCRATCHG THEIR HEADS","DATEPUBLISHED":"2007-07-13T20:57:59.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2007-07-13T20:57:59.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"LYLE MASAKI","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"NEWS"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DIS DIVA GLORIA GAYNOR HAS SOME OF HER GAY FANS WORRIED WH AFTER A RECENT STATEMENT SHE MA A BBC RAD TERVIEW. WHEN JANE LTLE ASKED HER ABOUT BEG A GAY IN, SHE ANSWERED:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"I FEEL GOOD ABOUT BEE I FEEL IS A PLATFORM FOR MY PURPOSE, WHICH IS TO BRG THE LOVE OF CHRIST TO ALL OF MY FANS. "BEE THEY TST ME, I THK."MS LTLE ASKED: "SO YOU SEE AS AN EVANGELISTIC THG. DO YOU HAVE A RELIG OPPOSN TO HOMOSEXUALY?"GG: "I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO CHRIST AND WHAT HE HAS FOR THEM. I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO HIM, I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO TTH."JL: "DO YOU SEE HOMOSEXUALY AS SOMETHG SFUL?"GG: "I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO CHRIST, SIMPLY, AND WHATEVER HE HAS FOR THEM."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GAYNOR'S MENTS ARE DRAWG SOME PLATS OM PEOPLE WHO FOUND THEM TO BE HOMOPHOBIC. I'M HAVG A HARD TIME AGREEG WH ANY SENSE OF CERTATY. GAYNOR KEEPS HER STATEMENTS BRIEF, REFG TO NNECT HER RELIGN WH ANTI-GAY POSNS. SHE DON'T NY SUCH A NNECTN, EHER. (THE ARTICLE LKS TO D OF THE TERVIEW, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ACCS ; THE FILE MAY BE BLOCKED TO ERS BROWSG OM THE UNED STAT.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LOOKG AROUND A LTLE, I FOUND ANOTHER TERVIEW WHERE GAYNOR WAS ASKED ABOUT HER RELIG BELIEFS AND HER GAY FANBASE. IN 1997, GAYNOR TALKED WH CHIGO OUTL' OWEN KEEHNEN:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;} OK: YOU HAVE SUCH A LARGE GAY FOLLOWG. HAS THAT EVER E NFLICT WH YOUR BELIEFS AS A CHRISTIAN? GG: {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GAYNOR WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST DIS DIVA TO N TO TROUBLE WH GAY FANS. BACK THE 80'S THERE WERE MORS THAT DONNA SUMMER HAD MA ANTI-GAY REMARKS, A MOR THAT ED A BACKLASH THAT ED SUMMER TO STRONGLY NY THE MORS AND BEE AN ACTIVE FUND RAISER FOR AIDS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MORE RECENTLY, AMERIN IDOL NTTANT MANDISA WAS VOTED OFF THE SGG PETN WHEN HER NNECTN TO AN ANTI-GAY WRER WAS NOTICED. THERE'S REASON FOR A DIS DIVA TO HI ANY ANTI-GAY SENTIMENTS SHE MAY HOLD, BUT WOULDN'T ANYONE SMART ENOUGH TO NOTICE THAT DANGER ALSO KNOW ENOUGH TO AVOID THE TOPIC ENTIRELY?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
• THE LAST DAYS OF GAY DIS
• GAY NOR, DIS DIVA WHO RERD I WILL SURVIVE CROSSWORD CLUE
• GAY PRI DIS MASS: NEW YORK CY'S ST. MARK'S CHURCH IN THE BOWERY BRGS IN THE DIVAS FOR CELEBRATN AND PRAISE

GLORIA GAYNOR LEAV HER GAY FOLLOWG SCRATCHG THEIR {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}NEWSBY LYLE MASAKIJULY 13, 2007/4:57 PMBY LYLE MASAKIJULY 13, 2007 / 4:57 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"GLORIA GAYNOR LEAV HER GAY FOLLOWG SCRATCHG THEIR HEADS","DATEPUBLISHED":"2007-07-13T20:57:59.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2007-07-13T20:57:59.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"LYLE MASAKI","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"NEWS"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DIS DIVA GLORIA GAYNOR HAS SOME OF HER GAY FANS WORRIED WH AFTER A RECENT STATEMENT SHE MA A BBC RAD TERVIEW. WHEN JANE LTLE ASKED HER ABOUT BEG A GAY IN, SHE ANSWERED:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"I FEEL GOOD ABOUT BEE I FEEL IS A PLATFORM FOR MY PURPOSE, WHICH IS TO BRG THE LOVE OF CHRIST TO ALL OF MY FANS. "BEE THEY TST ME, I THK."MS LTLE ASKED: "SO YOU SEE AS AN EVANGELISTIC THG. DO YOU HAVE A RELIG OPPOSN TO HOMOSEXUALY?"GG: "I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO CHRIST AND WHAT HE HAS FOR THEM. I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO HIM, I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO TTH."JL: "DO YOU SEE HOMOSEXUALY AS SOMETHG SFUL?"GG: "I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO CHRIST, SIMPLY, AND WHATEVER HE HAS FOR THEM."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GAYNOR'S MENTS ARE DRAWG SOME PLATS OM PEOPLE WHO FOUND THEM TO BE HOMOPHOBIC. I'M HAVG A HARD TIME AGREEG WH ANY SENSE OF CERTATY. GAYNOR KEEPS HER STATEMENTS BRIEF, REFG TO NNECT HER RELIGN WH ANTI-GAY POSNS. SHE DON'T NY SUCH A NNECTN, EHER. (THE ARTICLE LKS TO D OF THE TERVIEW, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ACCS ; THE FILE MAY BE BLOCKED TO ERS BROWSG OM THE UNED STAT.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LOOKG AROUND A LTLE, I FOUND ANOTHER TERVIEW WHERE GAYNOR WAS ASKED ABOUT HER RELIG BELIEFS AND HER GAY FANBASE. IN 1997, GAYNOR TALKED WH CHIGO OUTL' OWEN KEEHNEN:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;} OK: YOU HAVE SUCH A LARGE GAY FOLLOWG. HAS THAT EVER E NFLICT WH YOUR BELIEFS AS A CHRISTIAN? GG: {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GAYNOR WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST DIS DIVA TO N TO TROUBLE WH GAY FANS. BACK THE 80'S THERE WERE MORS THAT DONNA SUMMER HAD MA ANTI-GAY REMARKS, A MOR THAT ED A BACKLASH THAT ED SUMMER TO STRONGLY NY THE MORS AND BEE AN ACTIVE FUND RAISER FOR AIDS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MORE RECENTLY, AMERIN IDOL NTTANT MANDISA WAS VOTED OFF THE SGG PETN WHEN HER NNECTN TO AN ANTI-GAY WRER WAS NOTICED. THERE'S REASON FOR A DIS DIVA TO HI ANY ANTI-GAY SENTIMENTS SHE MAY HOLD, BUT WOULDN'T ANYONE SMART ENOUGH TO NOTICE THAT DANGER ALSO KNOW ENOUGH TO AVOID THE TOPIC ENTIRELY?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

So many elements of dis me om New York's gay nightlife scene of the '70s, and few dis acts reprented that subculture more outwardly than the Village People. At the time, wasn't a topic that was wily discsed, and so rerd buyers, rad listeners, and dis dancers maybe didn't fully grasp that many of the Village People's hs were anthems of gay pri and paeans for acceptance and livg te to one's own self. Dis diva Gloria Gaynor has some of her gay fans worried wh after a recent statement she ma a BBC rad terview.

When Jane Ltle asked her about beg a gay in, she answered:"I feel good about bee I feel is a platform for my purpose, which is to brg the love of Christ to all of my fans. )Lookg around a ltle, I found another terview where Gaynor was asked about her relig beliefs and her gay fanbase. Back the 80's there were mors that Donna Summer had ma anti-gay remarks, a mor that ed a backlash that ed Summer to strongly ny the mors and bee an active fund raiser for AIDS recently, Amerin Idol nttant Mandisa was voted off the sgg petn when her nnectn to an anti-gay wrer was noticed.

There's reason for a dis diva to hi any anti-gay sentiments she may hold, but wouldn't anyone smart enough to notice that danger also know enough to avoid the topic entirely?

THE LAST DAYS OF GAY DIS

Fans may openly embrace a gay Elton John, Melissa Etheridge or Ricky Mart now, but over the past 50 years or more ’s been a stggle for most queer artists to live their liv openly and whout shame and persecutn.

His theatril scream-sgg, macho stage prence, and all-around badassery (bt showsed on inic rerds like 1980’s Brish Steel and 1982’s Screamg for Vengeance) prompted many fans to ll him “Metal God:” a tradnally mascule trope Halford boldly upend Febary 1998, when he me out as gay an MTV News terview. As the earlit show of queer solidary om a proment metal mician, Halford’s admissn proved val rhapg the public perceptn of heavy metal, repostg an earspltg, heteronormative boys’ club as a safe space where headbangers of all typ uld be themselv, sheltered the flailg arms of not jt a benevolent (and openly gay) God, but the scene wr large.

” The fact that he did all while beg pletely open about his sexualy – llg himself “rock’s tt fairy” – is astoundg and, for a brief, shg moment 1974, Jobriath beme the most visible gay man popular mic.

GAY NOR, DIS DIVA WHO RERD I WILL SURVIVE CROSSWORD CLUE

While the “Queen of Dis” is a tle most monly btowed upon Donna Summer, also appli to Sylvter, who was a fixture of the dis scene and an in of the gay liberatn movement that spawned out of San Francis. It wasn’t until after hostg var episos of the show for a uple years – which all centered on LGBT issu – that she spoke openly about her partner of over two s and the stggl of beg gay the mic dtry.

“I thk the rerd dtry – by and large what’s left of – is still totally homophobic, ” she said, notg that she me out her twenti and never went to “lengths” to nceal . Brish punk rocker Tom Robson achieved chart succs wh h songs “2-4-6-8 Motorway”, “Up Agast the Wall” and “Don’t Take No for an Answer, ” but he’ll always be immortalized for his sgalong prott anthem, “Glad to be Gay.

” Origally wrten for a 1976 London gay pri march, the song was nearly banned by the BBC 1978 – although DJ John Peel fied the stricture. Swappg out punk moralist clichés for LGBT issu, the them unrlg the group’s mic give voice to both fury and hope for gay punks. Source:Getty Gloria Gaynor — born Gloria Fowl on September 7, 1949 — gave the women of the 1970s their anthem, “I Will Survive.

GAY PRI DIS MASS: NEW YORK CY'S ST. MARK'S CHURCH IN THE BOWERY BRGS IN THE DIVAS FOR CELEBRATN AND PRAISE

” But even though Gaynor is bt known for that 1979 #1 pop h, she was actually one of the first dis artists, havg rema “Never Can Say Goodbye” to a dance floor smash 1974. Her work wh uber-producer Grg Moror was geo, symphonic, novative, and liberatg, and vibrated to the very re of queer people and people of lor as they retreated to the saft of spac: the dance Summer alienated much of her dience when, after beg a born-aga Christian, she allegedly referred to AIDS as a punishment for homosexualy.