Gui to CLOSET, Gay Party Melbourne - atmosphere, dat and hours, ratg, map, directns and nearby LGBTQ+ iendly events
Contents:
- WHO ARE THE 10 CLOSETED GAY REPUBLINS CONGRS?
- ‘COULDN’T BELIEVE I WAS SEEG ’: HOME MOVI OFFER RARE GLIMPSE OF GAY LIFE ST. LOUIS 1945
- IS TUCKER THE NEW ‘LARRY CRAIG,’ A VOICE FOR THE CLOSETED ‘GAY OLD PARTY?’
- CLOSETED GAY MEN – WHY ARE THEY STILL THERE?
- TAB HUNTER’S LGBT LEGACY: HOLLYWOOD, IT’S TIME TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSETTRUTH1950S HEARTTHROB TAB HUNTER DIED SUNDAY. FOR MUCH OF HIS REER HE LIVED THE LIFE OF A CLOSETED HOLLYWOOD MOVIE STAR. HIS LEGACY SHOULD BE TO ENURAGE OTHER STARS TO E OUT.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUL. 10, 2018 4:08AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 10, 2018 12:52AM EDT OPNHERBERT DORFMAN/GETTYIN JEFEY SCHWARZ’S EXCELLENT 2015 DOCUMENTARY, TAB HUNTER CONFINTIAL (STREAMG ON NETFLIX), THE ACTOR TAB HUNTER REUNTED HIS EXPERIENCE ATTENDG A PRIVATE GAY AND LBIAN HOLLYWOOD PARTY 1950.HE RELLED A ROOM FULL OF SAME-SEX UPL DANCG AND HOW SUCH PARTI WERE ILLEGAL BACK THEN. THE PS BURST , AND ARRTED “THE BUNCH OF QUEERS” THERE.“THEY TOOK TO THE POLICE STATN,” HUNTER SAID. “I THOUGHT, ‘OH MY GOD THIS IS TERRIBLE.’ WHAT WOULD MY MOTHER THK OF MY BEG ARRTED?’”WOULD AFFECT HIS REER GETTG STARTED MOTN PICTUR, THE THEN-YOUNG ACTOR WONRED. HIS ATTORNEY TOLD HIM TO BE “SHARPER” IF HE WANTED TO BE AN ACTOR HOLLYWOOD. “SHARPER” WAS, OF URSE, A PHEMISM FOR REFUL WHICH WAS A PHEMISM FOR BEG CLOSETED; AND THAT WAS THE WAY HUNTER STAYED UNTIL HE FALLY ME OUT 2005 HIS TOBGRAPHY, UPON WHICH THE DOCUMENTARY WAS BASED.HUNTER’S ATH, AT 86, WAS ANNOUNCED MONDAY BY HIS PARTNER ALLAN GLASER. GLASER SAID HUNTER HAD DIED ON SUNDAY AS A RULT OF A BLOOD CLOT THAT ED RDIAC ARRT.“WE WERE WALKG HOME AND HE LLAPSED MY ARMS OUR ONT YARD,” GLASER SAID. “HE SAID HE ULDN’T BREATHE, SO I LLED 911, AND WE WENT TO THE HOSPAL.”“THIS WAS SUDN AND UNEXPECTED,” GLASER ADD. “HE WAS ATHLETIC, MORE LIKE A 60-YEAR-OLD NOT AN 86-YEAR-OLD.”GLASER IS THIRTY YEARS HUNTER’S JUNR, AND THE DOCUMENTARY SWEETLY DOCUMENTS THEIR URTSHIP WHICH BEGAN WHEN GLASER LEFT A LUCRATIVE STUD JOB TO PRODUCE LT THE DT (1985), ONE OF HUNTER’S FILMS HE DID OPPOSE DIVE (FOUR YEARS AFTER JOHN WATERS’ POLYTER).WATCHG THE DOCUMENTARY IS AN OBJECT LSON HOW THE HOLLYWOOD CLOSET OPERAT, WHICH HUNTER EMBRACED AND WAS SUFFOTED BY.THIS CLOSET, AS ACTORS LIKE NOAH WYLE AND PORTIA ROSSI MAKE CLEAR OTHER TERVIEWS THE DOCUMENTARY, IS STILL EXISTENCE. IT’S NOT 1950 ANY MORE, BUT MAY AS WELL BE; ’S JT THAT THE HIGH-PROFILE OUTGS OF STARS LIKE ELLEN DEGENER AND ZACHARY QUTO (SOON TO MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT HUNTER’S CLOSETED LOVE AFFAIR WH ANTHONY PERKS) FOOL WH A VENEER OF AN ENTERTAMENT DTRY THAT IS MORE OPEN AND ACCEPTG. GAB ARCHIVE FUNDAMENTALLY THOUGH, THE CLOSET THAT HOED TAB HUNTER STILL HO MAJOR MOVIE STARS TODAY. AND THIS CLOSET, IRONILLY, IS PRID OVER BY LGBT AND STRAIGHT HOLLYWOOD PRODUCERS AND PUBLICISTS 2018 WHO WOULD LIKELY SCRIBE THEMSELV AS LIBERAL, PRO-LGBT. THEIR DAY JOBS MAKE A WEIRD MOCKERY OF THIS. THEY WOULD PROFS THEMSELV TO BE HORRIFIED BY HOMOPHOBIA. BUT THEY ALL NSPIRE TO KEEP THEIR DREAM FACTORY PUMPG OUT IMAG OF IALIZED HETEROSEXUALY, ONTED BY CELEBRI THAT THEY REPRENT AND DIRECT AND PRODUCE LIVG PUBLIC LIV OF THE SAME.HUNTER’S STORY MAY LOOK VTAGE; REMAS PRSGLY CURRENT. IN ONE TERVIEW AFTER HE ME OUT, HUNTER MED THAT “THE BOY NEXT DOOR LABEL” HOLLYWOOD GAVE HIM, AS BUILT HIS IMAGE AS A CLASSIC FIFTI PRETTYBOY HEARTTHROB, WAS MERELY A SELLG LABEL: “THEY GRD OUT LIKE A SSAGE FACTORY.”HUNTER KNEW HE WAS A PRODUCT, JT AS THE ACTORS KNOW THEY ARE PRODUCTS. BEG OPENLY GAY TODAY MAY NOT GET YOU THROWN OFF THE PRODUCTN LE AS DID THE 1950S, BUT MAY NOT GET YOU THE BT WDOW DISPLAY.HUNTER WAS SO ANGUISHED ABOUT HIS LIFE OF ENFORCED SILENCE, AND BY BEG A NATURALLY PRIVATE PERSON—AND WHERE THOSE TWO THGS TERSECT IS A FASCATG HERLAND—THAT ’S PRETTY AMAZG HE DID E OUT. BUT, AS HE SAID, “HECK, I’M AN OLD MAN. THIS IS MY LIFE.”HE WAS RAISED, HE RELLED, A NOT-HAPPY HOME. HIS FATHER ABED HIS MOTHER. HIS MOTHER PREFERRED HIS BROTHER. HE WAS RAISED CATHOLIC. MOVI WERE HUNTER’S PISM, OR ART GELIEN’S PISM AS HE WAS THEN KNOWN. HE HEARD THE WORDS “FAIRY” AND “QUEER” AS SULTS. HE PHED WHAT HE WAS OM HIS MD; HE DIDN’T WANT TO BE DIFFERENT. HIS STORY ULD BE A STORY OF TODAY, THE STORY OF YOUNG GAY KID ETERNAL. HIS LOOKS ED SUCH A STIR AT SCHOOL WH GIRLS HE SOUGHT OUT EMPTY CLASSROOMS TO HI . HE REVEALED ALL AT NFSN, WAS TOLD HOW BAD BEG GAY WAS, AND FLED OM THE CHURCH.AN EARLY, PRE-HOLLYWOOD LOVE WAS HORS; THE SAME LOVE WOULD STA HUNTER LONG AFTER HOLLYWOOD’S LIGHTS HAD DIMMED. THERE, AT A STABL WHERE A YOUNG HUNTER WORKED, AN ACTOR NAMED DICK CLAYTON ME ONE DAY. HE NEVER MA A MOVE ON HUNTER, BUT HE LED HIM TO HOLLYWOOD. “ON TV SHOWS HUNTER WAS HAILED ‘HOLLYWOOD’S MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR.’ HUNTER, AS HE SAID YEARS LATER, WAS AN DTRY ‘WHERE YOU ARE REWARD FOR BEG SOMEONE YOU ARE NOT.’” ENTER HENRY WILLSON, THE AGENT WHO HAD ALL THE HUNKS ON HIS BOOKS AT THE TIME, CLUDG ROCK HUDSON. HE PUT HUNTER TO MOVI WHERE HIS CLOTH WERE EHER SWIMMG TNKS OR ARY DUDS. HE WAS A CLEAN-CUT HERO.OFF-SCREEN HUNTER FELL LOVE WH ICE SKATER RONNIE ROBERTSON; THE ICE-SKATG CHIEFS OF THE TIME WARNED ROBERTSON TO KEEP HUNTER AWAY OM WATCHG HIM PETE. ROBERTSON FIED THEM. BUT THEIR RELATNSHIP WAS NDUCTED SECRET. THIS WAS A TIME WHEN HOMOSEXUALY WAS NSIRED A MENTAL ILLNS, AND WHEN EXPOSURE FOR THEM WOULD HAVE MEANT PROFSNAL .ON TV SHOWS HUNTER WAS HAILED “HOLLYWOOD’S MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR.” HUNTER, AS HE SAID YEARS LATER, WAS AN DTRY “WHERE YOU ARE REWARD FOR BEG SOMEONE YOU ARE NOT.”EARLY ON, HUNTER SURVIVED A GAY SNDAL; WHEN HUNTER CHOSE TO BE REPRENTED BY CLAYTON, HE THOUGHT WILLSON HAD PASSED THE STORY OF HIS ARRT AT THE 1950 GAY PARTY TO GOSSIP RAG CONFINTIAL—BOTH AS REVENGE, AND AS A SACRIFICIAL LAMB (CONFINTIAL HAD BEEN PLANNG AN EXPOSé OF HUDSON). THE MAGAZE LLED THE 1950 GATHERG A “LIMP-WRISTED PAJAMA PARTY” (WHICH SOUNDS GREAT FUN TO ME), AND HUNTER WAS SURE HIS REER WAS OVER.IT WASN’T. HIS STUD BOSS JACK WARNER TOLD HIM “TODAY’S HEADL ARE TOMORROW’S TOILET PAPER.”HUNTER DID WHAT WAS REQUIRED. HE WENT ON DAT WH NATALIE WOOD AND OTHER ACTRS, DAT THAT WERE PHOTOGRAPHED. AS SOON AS THE MERAS STOPPED CLICKG, SHE WENT OFF TO SEE HER REAL DATE DENNIS HOPPER, AND HUNTER WENT OFF TO SEE ANTHONY PERKS WHO HE WAS DATG BACK THEN. ONE OF HIS GIRLIENDS, ETCHIKA CHOURE, RELLED THAT THEY REALLY LIKED EACH OTHER BUT THAT SHE DIDN’T WANT A SHOW MARRIAGE, AND NEHER DID HE. SILVER SCREEN COLLECTN/GETTY HUNTER SAID AT THE TIME, THAT HE FELT IF YOU WERE WH A MAN YOU’D BE SNG, IF YOU WERE WH A WOMAN YOU’D BE LYG.IT SOUNDS A GILD GE, AN ENFORCED HELL, AND AN EMBRACED AND ACMODATED HELL. HE WANTED FAME. THIS WAS THE PRICE. BUT EVEN IF YOU WEREN’T FAMO, THOSE DAYS, A SIAR SET OF CHOIC WERE ON OFFER.AS TURNED OUT, HUNTER OVERPLAYED HIS HAND, STOOD UP TO JACK WARNER, THEN REALIZED, TOO LATE, WAS “REER SUICI.” CHEY FILMS—TERRIBLE FILMS—FOLLOWED. HE BEME A JOKE, AND THEN HE PLAYED OFF THAT IMAGE POLYTER AND LT IN THE DT. HE FELL LOVE WH GLASER.STILL, HUNTER WOULDN’T E OUT, EVEN AS ELLEN, GEE MICHAEL AND OTHERS DID. IN THE DOCUMENTARY, PORTIA ROSSI SAYS HOW HARD TODAY IS FOR OUT ACTORS TO BE OUT, HOW NERVO SHE WAS TO DO . NOAH WYLE SAYS HE KNOWS SEVERAL STARS WHO WON’T E OUT. GLASER OFFERED HUNTER THE OPPORTUNY TO MEET THE PERSON HE WANTED TO SPEND THE RT OF HIS LIFE WH. GLASER NOTED THAT HUNTER WAS HAPPIT MUCKG OUT AND RIDG HIS BELOVED HORS. WHEN HIS OLD MOVI ME ON TV, SAID GLASER OF HIS PARTNER, HUNTER FLICKED THE CHANNEL AS IF SURFG PAST A DOG-FOOD MERCIAL.HUNTER RELLED SEEG ANTHONY PERKS YEARS LATER, MARRIED AND WH A FAY, BEFORE HE DIED OF AIDS. “HIS CHOICE WAS RIGHT FOR HIM,” SAYS HUNTER. “IT WAS WHO HE WAS, OR MAYBE WHO HE WANTED TO BE.”AND THAT TORTURED AND PERCEPTIVE NSTCTN, HUNTER H ON ALL THE WARPED MECHANICS OF HOW THE CLOSET WORKS AND OUT OF HOLLYWOOD.BUT WHAT IS HOLLYWOOD SRED OF? WHAT WON’T TT? WHAT SR AS MUCH 2018 AS DID 1950? IT’S SRED THAT THE FILM-GOG DIENCE WON’T BUY THEIR LEADG WOMAN OR MAN KISSG AN OPPOSE-SEX LOVE TERT IF THEY KNOW THAT LEADG ACTOR IS GAY OR LBIAN, OR TRANS.THAT LACK OF URAGE MEANS THAT DIENC REMA UNCHALLENGED. IT ALSO UNRTIMAT THEIR POWERS OF SPEND DISBELIEF, WHICH A CENT ACTOR IS SUPPOSED TO DRAW ON.IT ALSO MEANS THAT LS LGBT FILMS ARE MA BY MASTREAM HOLLYWOOD. EVEN MORE WARDICE, IGNORANCE AND A LACK OF URAGE. AND SURE, ACTORS WILL E OUT DRIBS AND DRABS, AND Y, LGBT MOVI WILL E OUT DRIBS AND DRABS, AND OTHER OPN PIEC WILL QUTN WHETHER A TURNG POT HAS BEEN REACHED, WHETHER WE ARE PROGRSG. WE AREN’T. HOLLYWOOD ISN’T, AND THE LGBT PEOPLE WORKG THERE AT CELEBRY AND NON-CELEBRY LEVELS ARE PLIC PERPETUATG THIS SHAMEFUL LACK OF PROGRS.THEY SHOULD ALL WATCH THE TAB HUNTER DOCUMENTARY, AND THEY SHOULD READ HIS WORDS. HE NEVER SOUGHT SYMPATHY FOR LIVG THE CLOSET, OR WHY HE LIVED THE CLOSET, OR WHAT S EFFECTS WERE. HE SEEMS A PRACTIL PERSON. DEBBIE REYNOLDS LLS HIM “GROUND,” AND HE DO SEEM PLA-SPEAKG, AND PLA-THKG.IN AN TERVIEW LAST YEAR, HUNTER SAID, “IF I HAD E OUT DURG MY ACTG REER THE 1950S, I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A REER. NOT MUCH HOLLYWOOD HAS CHANGED 60 YEARS. I REALLY DIDN’T TALK ABOUT MY SEXUALY UNTIL I WROTE MY TOBGRAPHY. “THERE STILL ISN’T A ROMANTIC LEAD FILMS WHO IS ACTIVELY WORKG WHO HAS E OUT AS GAY. FILM ACTORS TODAY STILL FEAR THAT G OUT WOULD DAMAGE THEIR REER.” “MY FILM REER HAD LONG SCE BEEN OVER BY THEN. I BELIEVE ONE’S SEXUALY IS ONE’S OWN BS. I REALLY DON’T GO AROUND DISCSG . CALL ME ‘OLD SCHOOL’ ON THAT TOPIC.”TAB HUNTER MA HIS CISNS, HE LIVED WH THE RULTS OF THEM, AND ULTIMATELY HE FOUND LOVE AND STENANCE WH ANOTHER MAN. AND HE ME OUT, JT AS SO MANY LGBT PEOPLE DO; JT AS HARVEY MILK RIGHTLY REMEND AS THE KEY ACT OF LGBT LIBERATN AND CLARATN. AND HUNTER WENT FURTHER: HE TOLD THE TTH NOT JT ABOUT HIMSELF, BUT ALSO ABOUT HOLLYWOOD.“THERE STILL ISN’T A ROMANTIC LEAD FILMS WHO IS ACTIVELY WORKG WHO HAS E OUT AS GAY,” HUNTER SAID THAT SAME 2017 TERVIEW. “PERHAPS THERE HAS BEEN ON TV, STAGE AND DIFFERENT ARENAS THE ENTERTAMENT BS, BUT NOT A MAJOR MOVIE STAR. FILM ACTORS TODAY STILL FEAR THAT G OUT WOULD DAMAGE THEIR REER.”Y, HUNTER IS RIGHT: THEY STILL FEAR THAT. WOULDN’T BE GRAND IF PART OF TAB HUNTER’S LEGACY WAS THE SHATTERG OF THE HOLLYWOOD CLOSET? HE DID AND FOUND OUT, THE BT WAY, THAT WAS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. TIM TEEMAN
- SEND HUNTER BIN IRS WHISTLEBLOWER INTIFIED AS GAY DEMOCRAT
- GAY PARTY IAS
- THE VATIN’S SECRET LIFEDPE HEADL ABOUT A POWERFUL “GAY LOBBY” WH THE VATIN, AND A NEW POPE PROMISG REFORM, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH’S GAY RDALS, MONKS, AND OTHER CLERGY HAB A HIDN HERWORLD. IN ROME, THE THOR LEARNS HOW THEY NAVIGATE THE DANGERO PARADOX OF THEIR LIV.BY MICHAEL JOSEPH GROSSNOVEMBER 15, 2013SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVENAKED BUT FOR THE TOWEL AROUND HIS WAIST, A MAN OF A CERTA AGE SAT BY HIMSELF, BENT SLIGHTLY FORWARD AS IF PRAYG, A RNER OF THE SNA AT A GYM CENTRAL ROME. I HAD NOT MET THIS MAN BEFORE, BUT AS I ENTERED THE SNA, I THOUGHT I REGNIZED HIM OM PHOTOGRAPHS. HE LOOKED LIKE A PRIT WH WHOM I’D RRPOND AFTER MUTUAL IENDS PUT TOUCH, A MAN I HAD WANTED TO NSULT ABOUT GAY CLERICS THE VATIN CURIA. MY IENDS TOLD ME THAT THIS PRIT WAS GAY, POLILLY SAVVY, AND WELL NNECTED TO THE GAY CHURCH HIERARCHY ROME.BUT THIS ULDN’T BE THAT PRIT. HE HAD TOLD ME THAT HE’D BE AWAY AND ULDN’T MEET. YET AS I LOOKED AT THE MAN MORE CLOSELY, I SAW THAT WAS FELY HIM. WHEN WE WERE ALONE, I SPOKE HIS NAME, TELLG HIM ME. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE OUT OF THE UNTRY,” I SAID. “HOW LUCKY FOR ME: YOU’RE HERE!” STARTLED, THE PRIT TALKED FAST. Y, HIS PLANS HAD CHANGED, HE SAID, BUT HE WAS LEAVG AGA THE NEXT DAY AND WOULD RETURN ONLY AFTER I WAS GONE.DURG THE PREV FEW DAYS, I HAD HEARD A LOT ABOUT THIS MAN. I HAD HEARD THAT HE IS A GOSSIP, A SOCIAL OPERATOR WHOSE LENDAR IS A BLUR OF DRKS AND DNERS WH RDALS AND ARCHBISHOPS, PRCIPSAS AND PERSONAL TRAERS. SUPPOSEDLY, HE LOV TO DISH MALE LLEAGU WH MPY FEMALE NICKNAM. BUT I WOULD NEVER HAVE THE EXPERIENCE FIRSTHAND. THE PRIT WAS EMBARRASSED: TO HAVE BEEN CHANCED UPON AT THIS PLACE; TO HAVE HAD HIS SMALL EVASNS REVEALED. THE ENUNTER WAS AWKWARD. NO, HE DID NOT WISH TO DISCS THE SUBJECT I WAS TERTED . NO, HE DID NOT THK THE SUBJECT WORTHWHILE. THE THGS HE MA CLEAR. WE LEFT THE SNA AND, AFTER FURTHER NVERSATN, CIVIL BUT STILTED, WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS.I ULD UNRSTAND HIS DISFORT. BUT ROME THE DAYS THE TOPIC OF GAY PRITS THE UPPER REACH OF THE HOLY SEE IS HARD TO AVOID. IN FEBARY OF THIS YEAR, NOT LONG BEFORE THE COLLEGE OF CARDALS GATHERED THE SISTE CHAPEL FOR THE NCLAVE TO CHOOSE THE 266TH POPE, THE LARGT ITALIAN DAILY NEWSPAPER, LA REPUBBLI, REPORTED THAT A “GAY LOBBY”—A MORE OR LS UNIFIED BAL OF HOMOSEXUAL POWER BROKERS—MIGHT BE OPERATG SI THE VATIN. ACRDG TO THE NEWSPAPER, THE POSSIBLE EXISTENCE OF THIS GAY LOBBY WAS AMONG THE MANY SECRETS SCRIBED A TWO-VOLUME, 300-PAGE REPORT BOUND RED AND PRENTED TO POPE BENEDICT XVI BY THREE RDALS HE HAD APPOTED TO VTIGATE THE AFFAIR KNOWN AS “VATILEAKS.” THAT SNDAL, WHICH RAISED H SPICNS OF ENMIC RPTN WH THE CURIA, HAD BROKEN THE PREV YEAR AFTER PAOLO GABRIELE, THE PAPAL BUTLER, MA OFF WH SOME OF BENEDICT’S PRIVATE PAPERS AND LEAKED THEM TO THE PRS.THE TERNAL VATILEAKS REPORT, ACRDG TO LA REPUBBLI, DITED THAT GAY CLERICS THE VATIN WERE BEG BLACKMAILED. THE REPORT WAS ALSO SAID TO DOCUMENT THE ALLEGED GAY LOBBY’S SOCIAL STCTURE AND CTOMS. YET TAILS NCERNG GAY PRITS’ GATHERGS ADD UP TO OLD NEWS: THE TAL HAD BEEN TOLD ARTICL PREVLY PUBLISHED BY LA REPUBBLI SELF. SENSATNALLY, THE NEWSPAPER SUGGTED THAT BENEDICT’S NCERN ABOUT THE ALLEGED GAY LOBBY WAS ONE REASON HE HAD SUDNLY RIGNED THE PAPACY.MONTHS LATER, ANOTHER LEAK OF NFINTIAL RMATN BROUGHT THE SUBJECT OF A GAY LOBBY BACK TO THE NEWS. SOMEONE TOOK NOT DURG WHAT WAS MEANT TO BE A PRIVATE MEETG BETWEEN LAT-AMERIN CHURCH LEARS AND THE NEW POPE, THE FORMER RDAL JE BERGOGL, ARCHBISHOP OF BUENOS AIR, NOW KNOWN AS FRANCIS. IN JUNE, THOSE NOT WERE PUBLISHED ON A PROGRSIVE CATHOLIC WEB SE. FRANCIS WAS QUOTED AS SAYG, “THE ‘GAY LOBBY’ IS MENTNED, AND IS TE, IS THERE … WE NEED TO SEE WHAT WE N DO.”A CLOSET WH NO DOORGAY LOBBY? IT PENDS ON WHAT YOU MEAN. THE TERM ULD REFER TO A SHADOWY GROUP LIKE THE ILLUMATI, WHOSE MEMBERS QUIETLY EXERCISE SUPREME POWER. THIS IS THE SORT OF IA THAT LIGHTS UP THE TIL HATS OF NSPIRACY THEORISTS, AND DON’T PTURE THE SLOW, FDAL, EFFICIENT WORKGS OF THE VATIN. “GAY LOBBY” IS REALLY SHORTHAND FOR SOMETHG ELSE. AT THE VATIN, A SIGNIFINT NUMBER OF GAY PRELAT AND OTHER GAY CLERICS ARE POSNS OF GREAT THORY. THEY MAY NOT ACT AS A LLECTIVE BUT ARE AWARE OF ONE ANOTHER’S EXISTENCE. AND THEY HAB A SECRETIVE HERWORLD, BEE HOMOSEXUALY IS OFFICIALLY NMNED. THOUGH THE NUMBER OF GAY PRITS GENERAL, AND SPECIFILLY AMONG THE CURIA ROME, IS UNKNOWN, THE PROPORTN IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE GENERAL POPULATN. BETWEEN 20 AND 60 PERCENT OF ALL CATHOLIC PRITS ARE GAY, ACRDG TO ONE TIMATE CED BY DONALD B. COZZENS HIS WELL-REGARD THE CHANGG FACE OF THE PRITHOOD. FOR GAY CLERICS AT THE VATIN, ONE FUNDAMENTAL NDN OF THEIR POWER, AND OF THEIR PRITHOOD, IS SILENCE, AT LEAST PUBLIC, ABOUT WHO THEY REALLY ARE.CLERICS HAB THIS SILENCE A VARIETY OF WAYS. A FEW KEEP THEIR SEXUALY ENTIRELY PRIVATE AND ADHERE TO THE VOW OF CELIBACY. MANY OTHERS QUIETLY LET THEMSELV BE KNOWN AS GAY TO A LIMED GREE, TO SOME LLEAGU, OR TO SOME LAYPEOPLE, OR BOTH; SOMETIM THEY REMA CELIBATE AND SOMETIM THEY DO NOT. A THIRD WAY, PERHAPS THE LEAST MON BUT CERTALY THE MOST VISIBLE, VOLV LIVG A DOUBLE LIFE. OCSNALLY SUCH CLERICS ARE UNMASKED, UALLY BY STORI THE ITALIAN PRS. IN 2010, FOR THE BETTER PART OF A MONTH, ONE STRAIGHT JOURNALIST PRETEND TO BE THE BOYIEND OF A GAY MAN WHO ACTED AS A “HONEYPOT” AND ENTRAPPED ACTUAL GAY PRITS VAR SEXUAL SUATNS. (THE RDAL VIR OF ROME WAS GIVEN THE TASK OF VTIGATG. THE PRITS’ FAT ARE UNKNOWN.)THERE ARE AT LEAST A FEW GAY RDALS, CLUDG ONE WHOSE LONG-TERM PARTNER IS A WELL-KNOWN MISTER A PROTTANT NOMATN. THERE IS THE NOTOR MONSIGNOR NICKNAMED “JSI,” WHO LIK TO VIS A PONTIFIL UNIVERSY AND PASS OUT HIS BS RD TO 25-YEAR-OLD NOVIC. (AMONG THE MONSIGNOR’S PICKUP L: “DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE BED OF JOHN XXIII?”) THERE’S THE SUPPOSEDLY STRAIGHT MAN WHO HAS A SECRET LIFE AS A GAY PROSTUTE ROME AND POSTS PHOTOGRAPHS ONLE OF THE NERMOST RRIDORS OF THE VATIN. WHETHER HE RECEIVED THIS PRIVILEGED ACCS OM SOME IEND OR FAY MEMBER, OR OM A CLIENT, IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY; TO SEE A KNOWN RENT BOY BLACK LEATHER ON A PRIVATE VATIN BALNY DO RAISE AN EYEBROW.THE VATIN HOLDS SECRETS SO TIGHTLY THAT N MAKE FORT MEA LOOK LIKE A SLOPPY DNK. YET DOZENS OF TERVIEWS WH CURRENT AND FORMER GAY PRITS, GAY MONKS, VETERAN VATIN JOURNALISTS, ITALIAN ARISTOCRATS, AND GAY MEN AT ROMAN GYMS, BARS, NIGHTCLUBS, SEX CLUBS, AND RTRANTS SUGGT THAT, RIVETG AS THE MORE GRAPHIC STORI ARE, THEY NVEY A LIMED PART OF THE REALY OF GAY CLERIL LIFE ROME. TO BE GAY THE VATIN IS NO GUARANTEE OF SUCCS, MARK OF BELONGG, OR SHORTCUT TO EROTIC TRIGUE. MOST BASILLY IS A SENTENCE OF ISOLATN. GAYS THE VATIN ARE CREATUR OF A CUTTHROAT BURECRACY WHOSE DOGMATIC WORLDVIEW NI OR NIGRAT THEIR OWN EXISTENCE. THEY LIVE A CLOSET THAT HAS NO DOOR. AMONG RECENT POP, BENEDICT MA THE MOST NCERTED EFFORT TO SHARPEN CHURCH DOCTRE ON HOMOSEXUALY, WHICH HE ONCE LLED “A MORE OR LS STRONG TENNCY ORRED TOWARD AN TRSIC MORAL EVIL.” HE TRIED TO CULL GAYS OM CLERIL RANKS, MOST NOTABLY 2005, WHEN MEN WH KNOWN “EP-SEATED HOMOSEXUAL TENNCI” WERE PROHIBED OM BEG ORDAED, EVEN IF THEY WERE CELIBATE.DENUNCIATN AND EXPOSURE HAVE MA GAY PRITS FIGUR OF FASCATN—THOUGH LS AS PEOPLE THAN AS SYMBOLS—PECIALLY TO THE SECULAR FAR LEFT AND THE RELIG FAR RIGHT. BOTH SIS FD THE CLERICS TO BE POLILLY EFUL. THE LEFT THEM TO LEVEL CHARG OF HYPOCRISY. THE RIGHT SE THEM AS A STA NEED OF REMOVAL. THEY ALL GOT A SHOCK LATE LAST JULY WHEN FRANCIS MA HIS FIRST DIRECT PUBLIC STATEMENT ABOUT GAY CLERICS SCE BEG POPE.DURG AN IMPROMPTU PRS NFERENCE ABOARD THE PAPAL JET, EN ROUTE OM R JANEIRO TO ROME AFTER HIS FIRST OVERSEAS TRIP, FRANCIS WAS ASKED ABOUT THE SO-LLED GAY LOBBY. HIS RPONSE, LIVERED WH SUAL HUMOR AND PUNCTUATED BY SHGS AND S, WAS AS FOLLOWS: “SO MUCH HAS BEEN WRTEN ABOUT THE GAY LOBBY. I STILL HAVEN’T N TO ANYONE THE VATIN WHO HAS SHOWN ME AN INTY RD WH ‘GAY’ ON .” HE PANTOMIMED HOLDG UP SUCH A RD HIS LEFT HAND AND THEN WENT ON: “WHEN YOU FD YOURSELF WH A PERSON LIKE THAT, YOU HAVE TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN THE FACT OF A PERSON BEG GAY AND THE FACT OF SOMEBODY FORMG A LOBBY. . . . IF A PERSON IS GAY AND IS SEARCHG FOR THE LORD AND HAS GOODWILL, WHO AM I TO JUDGE HIM?”MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZMEGHAN MARKLE WILL BE JOG PRCE HARRY GERMANY FOR THE INVICT GAMBY ER VANRHOOFTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALBY SAN CASEYHE SPOKE THE WORDS WH A PALPABLE WARMTH, UNLIKE THE EMBATTLED, WARY TONE THAT OTHER POP HAVE ADOPTED. THIS MAY WELL HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TIME HISTORY THAT A POPE HAS PUBLICLY UTTERED THE TERM “GAY”—THE WORD THAT MOST MEN WHO FEEL ROMANTIC LOVE FOR OTHER MEN E TO SCRIBE THEMSELV—STEAD OF THE PATHOLOGIZG 19TH-CENTURY MEDIL TERM “HOMOSEXUAL.” THEN, A LENGTHY TERVIEW WH A JU JOURNAL, THE POPE WENT FURTHER, STATG THAT THE CHURCH’S MISTRY SHOULD NOT BE “OBSSED” WH A FEW DIVISIVE MORAL ISSU SUCH AS ABORTN AND GAY MARRIAGE. “WHEN GOD LOOKS AT A GAY PERSON, DO HE ENDORSE THE EXISTENCE OF THIS PERSON WH LOVE, OR REJECT AND NMN THIS PERSON?” THE POPE ASKED RHETORILLY. “WE MT ALWAYS NSIR THE PERSON.”EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELFTAL OF GAYS THE VATIN HAVE BEEN TOLD FOR MORE THAN A THOAND YEARS. POPE JOHN XII, WHO REIGNED OM 955 TO 964, WAS ACCED OF HAVG SEX WH MEN AND BOYS AND TURNG THE PAPAL PALACE “TO A WHOREHOE.” WHILE TRYG TO PERSUA A BBLER’S APPRENTICE TO HAVE SEX WH HIM, POPE BONIFACE VIII, WHO REIGNED OM 1294 TO 1303, WAS SAID TO HAVE ASSURED THE BOY THAT TWO MEN HAVG SEX WAS “NO MORE A S THAN BBG YOUR HANDS TOGETHER.” AFTER PL II, WHO REIGNED OM 1464 TO 1471, DIED OF A HEART ATTACK—WHILE FLAGRANTE LICTO WH A PAGE, ACRDG TO ONE MOR—HE WAS SUCCEED BY SIXT IV, WHO KEPT A NEPHEW AS HIS LOVER (AND MA THE NEPHEW A RDAL AT AGE 17). SOME SUCH STORI ARE BETTER SUBSTANTIATED THAN OTHERS. EVEN WHILE THEIR RELIABILY IS QUTNABLE, THEY MONSTRATE THAT PLAYG THE GAY RD (EVEN IF YOU YOURSELF ARE GAY) IS AN ANCIENT CURIAL TACTIC. “THERE ARE CLOSETED GAY PRITS WHO ARE VIPERS,” OBSERV THE THEOLOGIAN MARK D. JORDAN, THE THOR OF THE SILENCE OF SODOM: HOMOSEXUALY MORN CATHOLICISM. “THEY ARE REALLY POISONO PEOPLE, AND THEY WORK OUT THEIR OWN NER MONOLOGY BY GETTG TO POSNS POWER AND EXERCISG ” AGAST OTHER GAY MEN, WOMEN, AND ANYONE WHOM THEY PERCEIVE TO BE A THREAT. “ALONGSI THAT ARE SUFFERG PRITS WHO SEEM SCERE ALL THE WAY DOWN, WHO ARE TRYG TO BE FAHFUL TO GOD, AND ALSO TO TAKE RE OF PEOPLE AND CHANGE THE STUTN. THEY ARE THE ON WHO ARE ALWAYS FOTTEN, AND READ OUT OF THE STORY OM BOTH SIS.”THE CATHOLIC PRITHOOD’S NTEMPORARY GAY CULTURAL MEMORY BEGS THE MIDDLE OF THE LAST CENTURY. WHEN PL VI ASSUMED THE THRONE, 1963, BY ONE ACUNT HE TOOK HIS PAPAL NAME NOT OM ANY PRECSOR BUT OM A FORMER LOVER, A FILM ACTOR. THAT AT LEAST WAS THE NTENTN OF THE PROVOTIVE GAY FRENCH WRER ROGER PEYREFTE, WHOSE 1976 ALLEGATNS ABOUT PL VI ED SUCH A STIR THAT PL TOOK TO THE BALNY OF ST. PETER’S TO NOUNCE THE “HORRIBLE AND SLANRO” ACCATNS. PL LOOKED A LGHGSTOCK, AND THE CURIA LEARNED A LSON: BETTER TO IGNORE SUCH CHARG THAN TO AMPLIFY THEM BY NIAL.MEANWHILE, SOME GAY CLERICS WERE OUTGROWG THE “PARTICULAR IENDSHIPS” THAT HAD LONG BEEN PART OF MONASTIC LIFE AND JOG THE SEXUAL REVOLUTN. BY THE 1970S, THE CENTER OF GAY LIFE ROME WAS A CISG AREA LLED MONTE CAPRO, ON THE CAPOLE HILL. AT A SMALL PARTY OF GAY MONKS AND THEIR IENDS ROME LAST SUMMER, NVERSATN TURNED TO RELLECTNS OF THAT PLACE. “IT WAS LIKE S OWN LTLE CY,” ONE MONK REMEMBERED, “WH HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE—EVERYONE OM SEMARIANS TO BISHOPS—AND THEN THERE WERE, NVENIENTLY, BH OFF TO THE SI.” THE FELLOW FEELG AT MONTE CAPRO WAS PROMISED BY THE AIR OF SECRECY AROUND THE PLACE. THE AREA WAS A TARGET FOR MUGGERS AND THIEV, WHO FIGURED RIGHTLY THAT CLERICS WOULD MAKE IAL VICTIMS BEE THEY HAD MUCH TO LOSE BY THE PUBLIC ACT OF PRSG CHARG. ONE GAY FORMER SEMARIAN RELLED A NIGHT WHEN THREE MEN BEAT HIM UP AND STOLE HIS WALLET WHILE NUMERO MEN THE CROWD PARK STOOD BY. LEFT BLOODIED BY THE THIEV, THE SEMARIAN HOLLERED AT THE BYSTANRS, “THERE’S THREE OF THEM AND 300 OF !”HE TOLD ME THIS STORY, WH S ECHO OF THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARAN— WHICH A TRAVELER IS ROBBED, BEATEN, AND LEFT BY THE SI OF THE ROAD, AND P MEN DO NOTHG TO HELP HIM—TO ILLTRATE THE EVERY-MAN-FOR-HIMSELF DYNAMIC OF ROME’S GAY CLERIL CULTURE. GAY CLERICS OFTEN FAIL TO HELP ONE ANOTHER, HE SAYS, FOR THE SAME REASON THAT NO ONE TRIED TO HELP HIM THE NIGHT THAT HE WAS ROBBED: SOLIDARY ENTAILS THE RISK OF BEG OUTED.“LA MALETTA”SELF-CENTEREDNS N BREED A SENSE OF ENTLEMENT. “A CERTA PART OF THE CLERGY FEELS THAT NO ONE WILL RE WHAT THEY DO IF THEY ARE DISCREET,” SAYS MAR POLI, A PROMENT ITALIAN JOURNALIST AND LONGTIME VATIN RRPONNT, AND THE THOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS ABOUT THE PAPACY AND THE CHURCH. IN 2000, POLI PUBLISHED A BOOK-LENGTH TERVIEW WH AN ANONYMO GAY PRIT, ENTLED LA CONFSNE, REPUBLISHED 2006 AS IO, PRETE GAY (I, GAY PRIT). “RUMORS ARE O.K., BUT NOT SNDAL,” POLI OBSERV.THERE HAS BEEN PLENTY OF SNDAL, THOUGH. IN 2007, MONSIGNOR TOMMASO STENI MET A YOUNG MAN AN ONLE CHAT ROOM AND VED HIM TO HIS VATIN OFFICE, WHERE THEIR NVERSATN— WHICH STENI NIED THAT GAY SEX WAS A S, TOUCHED THE MAN’S LEG, AND SAID, “YOU’RE SO HOT”—WAS SECRETLY VIOTAPED AND THEN BROADST ON ITALIAN TELEVISN. (STENI TRIED TO PERSUA ITALIAN NEWSPAPERS THAT HE’D JT BEEN PLAYG ALONG ORR “TO STUDY HOW PRITS ARE ENSNARED” TO GAY SEX AS PART OF “A DIABOLIL PLAN BY GROUPS OF SATANISTS.” HE WAS SPEND OM HIS VATIN POSN.) IN 2006 A PRIT THE VATIN’S SECRETARIAT OF STATE JURED POLICE OFFICERS AND SMASHED TO POLICE RS DURG A HIGH-SPEED CHASE THROUGH A DISTRICT ROME KNOWN FOR TRANSSEXUALS AND PROSTUT. (THE PRIT WAS ACQUTED ON ALL CHARG AFTER CLAIMG THAT HE FLED BEE HE FEARED HE WAS BEG KIDNAPPED.) IN A 2010 VTIGATN OF NTRACT FIXG FOR NSTCTN PROJECTS, ITALIAN POLICE WIRETAPS HAPPENED TO TCH A PAPAL HER AND GENTLEMAN OF HIS HOLS, ANGELO BALDUCCI, ALLEGEDLY HIRG MALE PROSTUT, SOME OF WHOM MAY HAVE BEEN SEMARIANS, THROUGH A NIGERIAN MEMBER OF A VATIN CHOIR. (THE CHOIR MEMBER WAS DISMISSED; BALDUCCI WAS NVICTED ON RPTN CHARG.)POPE BENEDICT WAS MORED TO HAVE ORRED THAT PRELAT WHO WERE LIVG DOUBLE LIV BE RETIRED OR REMOVED OM ROME. MAR POLI SPECULAT THAT PERHAPS AS MANY AS 30 WERE EASED OUT. THE MOST SENR PRELATE TO LOSE HIS JOB WAS CARDAL KEH O’BRIEN, THE ARCHBISHOP OF ST. ANDREWS AND EDBURGH. A STNCH OPPONENT OF GAY MARRIAGE WHO HAD PUBLICLY LLED HOMOSEXUALY A “MORAL GRADATN,” O’BRIEN WAS BROUGHT DOWN FEBARY BY THREE PRITS AND ONE EX-PRIT WHO ACCED HIM OF “APPROPRIATE NTACT” AND PREDATORY BEHAVR WHEN HE WAS THEIR BISHOP. THE EPISOS REUNTED BY THE FOUR MEN VOLVED SUCH NSISTENT PATTERNS OVER MORE THAN 30 YEARS THAT SOME OF O’BRIEN’S LLEAGU SURELY MT HAVE HAD THEIR SPICNS. WHEN I ASKED ONE ARCHBISHOP IF HE HAD KNOWN THAT O’BRIEN WAS GAY, HOWEVER, THE ARCHBISHOP SAID HE HAD NOT. WHEN I ASKED THE ARCHBISHOP WHO AMONG THE OTHER RDALS WERE O’BRIEN’S CLOST IENDS, HE LDLY ANSWERED, “I DON’T THK HE HAD ANY.” EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF, ED.EVEN BENEDICT HAS BEEN DOGGED BY MORS THAT HE IS GAY. THOUGH NO SOLID EVINCE HAS EVER EMERGED, IS TREATED AS MON KNOWLEDGE BY MANY ROME, WHO CE STEREOTYP GALORE, CLUDG HIS FSY FASHN SENSE (HIS BY-RED SLIPPERS, HIS “VALENTO RED” P); HIS CSA TO NAIL DOWN WHY “HOMOSEXUAL ACTNS” ARE “TRSILLY DISORRED” (MANY CLOSETED GAY MEN, OM ROY COHN TO CARDAL O’BRIEN, HAVE MA THE MOST EXTRAORDARY EFFORTS TO NMN HOMOSEXUALY); AND HIS BROMANCE WH ARCHBISHOP GE GäNSWE, HIS LONGTIME PERSONAL SECRETARY. (NICKNAMED BEL GRG, OR “GEO GEE,” THE GGED GäNSWE SKIS, PLAYS TENNIS, AND PILOTS AIRPLAN. HE SPIRED DONATELLA VERSACE’S WTER 2007 “CLERGYMAN LLECTN.”) PERHAPS THE MOST VIC OF BENEDICT’S NICKNAM IS “LA MALETTA.” THE WORD MEANS “CURSED” ITALIAN, BUT THE PUN RIV OM THE FACT THAT THE TERM MEANS THE EXACT OPPOSE OF BENEDICT’S OWN NAME ITALIAN, BENETTO, WHICH MEANS “BLSED”—WH A GENR CHANGE ACHIEVED THE PROCS.NEHER BENEDICT NOR GäNSWE HAS PUBLICLY RPOND TO ANY OF THIS. THE CHATTER’S MA NSEQUENCE HAS BEEN NOT TO HURT THEM PERSONALLY (THOUGH SURELY MT, AT LEAST A LTLE) BUT TO HELP LOCK DOWN GENUE NVERSATN ABOUT THE EVERYDAY LIV OF GAY PRITS, WHETHER CELIBATE OR NOT. IT IS MORE OR LS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GAY CLERICS TO ARTICULATE THEIR AFFECTNS ANY WAY THAT DO NOT AMOUNT TO WHAT AN ANGLO-SAXON MD MIGHT SEE AS HYPOCRISY. YET SUCH A DUALISTIC EXISTENCE IS VERY MUCH A PART OF CHURCH TRADN. “THIS IS ALMOST AN ASPECT OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGN SELF,” COLM TóIBíN HAS WRTEN AN SAY ON GAYS AND CATHOLICISM, “THIS BS OF KNOWG AND NOT KNOWG SOMETHG ALL AT THE SAME TIME, KEEPG AN ILLN SEPARATE OM THE TTH.” IT IS ALSO TYPIL OF ITALIAN SEXUALY GENERAL, AND ITALIAN HOMOSEXUALY PARTICULAR. THIS IS THE UNTRY THAT TOLERATED THE SEXUAL PAS AND SERIAL DS OF FORMER PRIME MISTER SILV BERLNI WH SRCELY A HT OF PROTT OM THE HIERARCHY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. THIS IS THE UNTRY WHERE UNTLS MARRIED WOMEN IGNORE THEIR HBANDS’ DALLIANC WH MEN.LA BELLA FIGURATHE CULTURE OF CEPTN OPERAT ACRDG TO SIGNALS AND NVENTNS BY WHICH GAY CLERICS NAVIGATE THEIR LIV. CAMP IS PERHAPS THE MOST POWERFUL AND PERVASIVE OF THE S, THOUGH N BE DIFFICULT TO FE. IRONIC, EFFEMATE SELF-MOCKERY—ALLOWG PRITS TO EXERCISE SOME LIMED REBELLN AGAST THEIR OWN ISOLATN AND VISIBILY—IS ONE FORM OF CLERIL MP. FOR FEAR OF LGHG OUT LOUD, PRITS SOMETIM TRY TO AVOID MAKG EYE NTACT WH ONE ANOTHER CHURCH WHEN HYMNS WH TL LIKE “HAIL, HOLY QUEEN” ARE SUNG. AFTER BERGOGL BEME POPE FRANCIS, YOUTUBE CLIPS OF A SEQUENCE OM FELLI’S ROMA WENT VIRAL AMONG GAY PRITS ROME. IT SHOWS A PLA-LOOKG RDAL WATCHG A NWAY SHOW OF OVER-THE-TOP CLERIL ATTIRE—WHICH ENDS WHEN THE PARTED POPE STEALS THE SHOW BY APPEARG THE GLOR GARB OF A SUN GOD.ONE GAY FORMER PRIT, WHO STILL LIV ROME, SCRIB CLERIL MP AS “A NATURAL WAY OF EXPRSG [GAY INTY] WHILE CELIBATE.” SOCIALLY, HE SAYS, IS “A KEY THAT UNLOCKS A FURTHER ELEMENT OF TST.” THERE’S NOTHG EARTH-SHATTERG ABOUT THIS—’S WHAT EVERY STUTN DO—BUT “THE CHURCH HAS A LOT MORE EXPERIENCE AND PRACTICE AT PROTECTG SELF. AS FAR AS THAT GO,” HE SAYS, WH A NOD TO COLE PORTER, “THEY’RE THE TOPS.”WHEN THIS FORMER PRIT BEGAN HIS TN ROME, A PROFSOR TOLD HIM, “THERE SHOULDN’T BE A SUBCULTURE. WE ARE ALL MALE HERE, SO ’S APPROPRIATE TO SAY ‘HER’ OR TO REFER TO OTHER MEN WH FEME PRONOUNS.” THE FORMER PRIT SAYS THAT “NONE OF THIS STCTN WAS ABOUT OUR BEHAVR. IT WAS ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD APPEAR.” HE BELIEV THAT SUCH STCTN ILLTRAT A LTLE-NOTED CHANGE OFFICIAL THKG ABOUT CATHOLIC INTY, AND WHAT SHOULD BE AT S CENTER. “THE SYMBOLS OF THE CHURCH SHOULD BE THE SACRAMENTS,” SUCH AS THE EUCHARIST, HE ARGU, BUT OVER TIME THE PEOPLE WHO ADMISTER THE SACRAMENTS HAVE E TO DISPLACE THEM PROMENCE. IN OTHER WORDS, “THE PRITS BEE THE SYMBOLS” THAT ARE EMED MOST IMPORTANT. WHICH TURN PUTS A PREMIUM ON OUTWARD APPEARANCE AND ENFORC NFORMY TO A CERTA OFFICIAL IAL. THE CHURCH, THEREFORE, IS CREASGLY PREOCCUPIED WH MAKG SURE S LEARS ARE GROOMED OM AMONG “BOYS WHO LOOK HOLY: PLAYG DRS-UP AT THE AMERIN COLLEGE AND GOG DOWN TO PIAZZA NAVONA AT NE P.M. TO SAY THEIR BREVIARI.” SACRAMENTS AND LURGY, THE FORMER PRIT SAYS, ARE “THE KERNEL OF WHAT MAK THE CHURCH IMPORTANT. THIS IS WHAT MAK POWERFUL. NOT THE PROTECTN OF MEDIEVAL STUTNS.”YET THE CHURCH, AS ITALIAN SOCIETY, ’S OFTEN THE SE THAT RIGHT APPEARANCE—LA BELLA FIGURA—IS ALL. IN EVERY TAIL, PARTI CELEBRATG APPOTMENT TO THE VATIN AND OTHER HIGH CHURCH OFFIC N BE LAVISH—“LIKE A POSH GIRL’S WEDDG”—WH MANY CLERICS ATTENDANCE BEG “GAY MEN WEARG EVERYTHG HANDMA, PERFECT, QUEER AS ,” OBSERV ONE PROMENT FIGURE THE ROMAN ART WORLD. BUT LA BELLA FIGURA MATTERS JT AS MUCH AT ORDARY MOMENTS. ESPECIALLY FOR CLERICS WHO BREAK THE VOW OF CELIBACY, IS CCIAL TO KEEP UP APPEARANC THE NORMAL URSE OF LIFE.GAY SNAS ARE GOOD PLAC TO MEET OTHER GAY PRITS AND MONKS. THE BT TIM TO FD CLERICS AT THE SNAS ARE LATE AFTERNOON OR EVENG ON THURSDAYS (WHEN PONTIFIL UNIVERSI HAVE NO CLASS) OR SUNDAYS (AFTER MASS). SOME GAY CELIBATE CLERICS E THE SNAS NOT FOR SEX BUT TO EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF FELLOWSHIP WH OTHERS LIKE THEMSELV. ONE LLS HIS SNA VISS “SOMETHG TO NFIRM MYSELF AS I AM.” (ROME HAS FEW GAY BARS, AND JOHN MOSS, THE AMERIN OWNER OF THE LARGT AND OLST ONE, THE HANGAR, SAYS THAT THE RISE OF INTER CISG, BED WH THE VATIN’S CRACKDOWN ON GAY PRITS, HAS CIMATED HIS GAY CLERIL CLIENTELE. “THERE ED TO BE SO MANY SEMARIANS—SUCH BETIFUL MEN—WHO ME TO THE BAR, AND WE WOULD EVEN GET HIRED TO TAKE PARTI TO THEM SOME OF THE RELIG HO. NOW THERE’S NOBODY.”)ONCE YOU MAKE A NNECTN, ’S POSSIBLE TO E YOUR MONASTERY CELL FOR SEXUAL ASSIGNATNS, AS LONG AS YOU DON’T MAKE MUCH NOISE. “YOU N SNEAK PEOPLE , NO PROBLEM,” ONE GAY MONK SAYS, “BUT TRY TO AVOID NSISTENT PATTERNS OF MOVEMENT.” IN OTHER WORDS, DON’T VE A GUY OVER ON THE SAME DAY OF THE WEEK, OR AT THE SAME TIME OF DAY, VERY OFTEN. THAT SAID, “NO ONE HAS SEX” WH OTHER RINTS OF HIS OWN MONASTERY, A FORMER MONK TOLD ME, “BEE IS LIKE A BIG BROTHER HOE. EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYTHG.”THE MORE SENR THE CLERIC, THE MORE LIKELY HE MAY BE TO PLAY LOOSE WH THE L. ONE LEADG VATIN REPORTER (WHO SAYS THAT, AMONG JOURNALISTS ON THE BEAT, THE TWO MOST MON TOPICS FOR GOSSIP ABOUT CHURCH OFFICIALS ARE “WHO’S GAY AND WHO’S ON THE TAKE”) SCRIB THE LOGIC OF SUCH BEHAVR. “EVERYTHG IS PERMTED BEE YOU ARE A PRCE OF THE URT,” HE SAYS. “IF YOU ARE TLY LOYAL AND ENTSTED WH THE HIGHT LEVEL OF RPONSIBILY, THERE HAS TO BE AN EXTRA LIBERTY ATTACHED ORR TO BE ABLE TO PULL OFF.”VOWS OF CELIBACY DON’T SAY ANYTHG ABOUT EYE NDY. SOME CURIA OFFICIALS ARE SAID TO HANDPICK EXTREMELY HANDSOME MEN FOR MENIAL JOBS ORR TO MAKE VATIN CY MORE SCENIC. A LAYMAN I KNOW WHOSE JOB REQUIR EQUENT TRIPS TO THE VATIN ED TO ENJOY FLIRTG WH A MCULAR GO-GO BOY WHO DANCED ON THE BAR AT A GAY NIGHTCLUB ROME. ONE DAY AT THE VATIN, THIS LAYMAN WAS AMAZED TO SEE THE DANCER OUT OF NTEXT, DRSED THE UNIFORM OF A SECURY GUARD. WHEN HE MA TO GREET THE MAN, THE GUARD SIGNALED HIM TO STAY BACK, RAISG A FGER TO HIS LIPS A QUIET “SHHHHH … ”WHERE SILENCE N’T STRICTLY BE KEPT, WORD GAM N PARTMENTALIZE THE TTH. IN THE VATIN OFFICE OF A MONSIGNOR WHO I’D BEEN TOLD MIGHT HAVE SOME FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE NCERNG RECENT GAY SNDALS THE CHURCH, I ASKED, POT-BLANK, “ARE YOU GAY?,” AND HE SERENELY ANSWERED, “NO.” I REPLIED, “I WONR, IF A PRIT IS HOMOSEXUAL—BUT DO NOT PARTICIPATE MASTREAM SECULAR GAY CULTURE—ULD HE SAY THAT HE IS NOT ‘GAY’ AND STILL THK HE’S TELLG THE TTH?” “WHAT AN TERTG QUTN,” THE MONSIGNOR SAID, IMMEDIATELY STANDG UP AND GTURG ME TO THE DOOR. “I’M AAID I DON’T HAVE ANY MORE TIME TO TALK.” HE SISTED ON PERSONALLY WALKG ME OUT OF THE BUILDG, AND AS WE PASSED ALONG A GRAND HALLWAY I REMARKED UPON S BETY. “I DON’T SEE ,” HE REPLIED ARCHLY. “TO ME, OTHER HALLWAYS ARE ‘BETIFUL.’ ” WAS THIS AN NOCENT REMARK, OR A D ANSWER TO MY QUTN? SOMETIM TALKG TO GAY PRITS FEELS LIKE READG STORI BY B.FOR THOSE WHO WANT , ANIZED WORKS N PROVI SOME GROUNDG. A FEW SMALL GROUPS OF GAY CATHOLICS ROME OPERATE PUBLICLY, BUT BEE ANYONE N E TO THEIR MEETGS, N BE RISKY FOR PRITS, PECIALLY VATIN OFFICIALS, TO BE PART OF THEM. ONE PRIVATE GROUP OF ABOUT 50 GAY PRITS AND LAYMEN MEETS ONCE A YEAR, FOR A KD OF RETREAT. A VATIN PRIT I MET WH—HE ACTUALLY VED ME TO STOP BY HIS OFFICE NEAR ST. PETER’S BEE HE SAID HE WANTED “TO SHOW THAT THIS IS NO SECRET,” THOUGH ’S SECRET ENOUGH THAT HE N’T BE NAMED—IS VOLVED WH THIS GROUP, AS PART OF AN UNOFFICIAL MISTRY ADDN TO HIS OFFICIAL DUTI. HE SAYS THAT HIS SUPERRS, CLUDG AT LEAST ONE VERY PROMENT VATIN OFFICIAL, HAVE LONG KNOWN HE IS GAY, AND HAVE EVEN PROMOTED HIM SCE LEARNG THAT FACT.YET GAYS THE VATIN, LIKE SPI TELLIGENCE SERVIC, HAB BOX WH BOX. THE PRIT WHO HELPS WH THE GROUP OF 50 RAISED HIS EYEBROWS WHEN I REPEATED TO HIM SOMETHG AN ARCHBISHOP HAD TOLD ME. “I KNOW A PRIT WHO MISTERS TO PEOPLE THE CURIA THAT SUATN,” THE ARCHBISHOP SAID, THOUGH “HE IS NOT ASSIGNED OFFICIALLY.”MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZMEGHAN MARKLE WILL BE JOG PRCE HARRY GERMANY FOR THE INVICT GAMBY ER VANRHOOFTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALBY SAN CASEY“THAT IS NOT ME,” THE PRIT SAID, AMAZED. “I WONR WHO ULD BE.”DON’T ASK, DON’T TELLAS YOU WOULD EXPECT, THE PRIT I MET THE SNA LOOKS RATHER DIFFERENT WH VTMENTS ON. WHEN I WALKED TO CHURCH A FEW DAYS LATER, FOR SUNDAY-MORNG MASS, HE WAS THE CELEBRANT—EVEN THOUGH, WHEN WE MET, HE HAD SAID HE WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE TOWN. MAYBE HIS PLANS HAD CHANGED AGA.HE WAS PREACHG A HOY ON THE GOSPEL READG, THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARAN. THE PRIT TOLD THE NGREGATN THAT THIS STORY WAS A CHALLENGE. A CHALLENGE TO ACCEPT “RISK FAVOR OF PASSN.” A CHALLENGE TO “LOOK MORE EPLY AT ‘WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?’ ” A CHALLENGE TO BE GENERO, UNLIKE “THE RELIG, SPIRUAL PERSON WHO DID NOTHG TO HELP.” LISTENG TO THE WORDS, I ULD NOT HELP BUT WONR: WHERE, THAT PARABLE, DO THIS PRIT SEE HIMSELF?FROM THE DAY AFTER THE NCLAVE END—WHEN FRANCIS WENT BACK TO HIS HOTEL AND PERSONALLY CHECKED OUT, PAID HIS BILL, AND PICKED UP HIS SUSE—THE NEW POPE HAS SURPRISED PEOPLE WH HIS ACTNS. DURG HOLY WEEK, HE WENT TO A JUVENILE PRISON AND WASHED THE FEET OF MAT, CLUDG TWO GIRLS AND TWO MLIMS. ONE MORNG, HE REPORTEDLY MA A SANDWICH FOR THE SWISS GUARD WHO HAD STOOD SENTEL OUTSI HIS ROOM ALL NIGHT. HE VED 200 HOMELS PEOPLE FOR DNER THE VATIN GARNS.FRANCIS HAS ALSO SAID SOME THGS THAT, OM A POPE’S MOUTH, SEEM EXTRAORDARY SIMPLY BEE THEY ARE SO DOWN TO EARTH—LIKE HIS CHOICE TO END ONE HOY WH THE UNTRADNAL EXHORTATN “HAVE A GOOD LUNCH!” YET THE FIRST TIME THIS POPE’S WORDS, RATHER THAN HIS ACTNS, MA SIGNIFINT HEADL WAS NNECTN WH HIS MENTS ABOUT THE “GAY LOBBY.”AS NOTED, THE PHRASE FIRST GAED CURRENCY BEFORE FRANCIS ME ON THE SCENE, BUT RETURNED TO PUBLIC DISCSN JT AS HE GOT SER ABOUT WHAT MAY BE A HALLMARK OF HIS PAPACY: A CLEANUP OF VATIN RPTN. THE SPE OF HIS NCERN ABOUT ABE OF POWER SEEMS TOTAL. HE IS REFORMG EVERYTHG OM THE VATIN BANK’S BOOKKEEPG TO THE NTENTS OF THE PAPAL WARDROBE.FOR A LONG TIME, GAY PRITS HAVE MA FOR NVENIENT SPEGOATS AND HANDY PAWNS CHURCH POWER GAM. ALL OF THEM, WHETHER ACTIVELY OR PASSIVELY, HAVE HELPED CREATE THE ROL FOR THEMSELV, AND THEY N HARDLY IMAGE A DIFFERENT REALY—UNLS THEY WERE TO EMERGE OM THE CLOSET AND GET THROWN OUT OF THE PRITHOOD. ONE MONK TOLD ME, “A LOT OF WILL NOT NMN. BUT NOT SPEAK OUT. WE’RE A SYSTEM THAT NTROLS . THE LONGER YOU’RE , THE MORE NTROLS, THE MORE YOU ASSUME THE CLERIL POSN.” THEY KEEP HOPE SMALL, OR SNUFF ENTIRELY. THEY BELIEVE THAT NOTHG AND NO ONE ULD MAKE THE CHURCH SAFE FOR THEM. MIGHT THIS CHANGE? “NOT MY LIFETIME,” THEY ALL SAY.YET, BEFORE HE BEME FRANCIS, JE BERGOGL WAS A JU. AS *NATNAL CATHOLIC REPORTER’*S JOHN ALLEN, THE AN OF THE AMERIN VATIN-WATCHERS, TOLD ME, “THERE’S A KD OF CATHOLIC VERSN OF ‘DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL’ THAT THE JUS WOULD BE PARTICULARLY NOTED FOR. THERE ARE GUYS THE JU WORLD THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS ARE GAY, BUT THEY DON’T GO AROUND MAKG A BIG AL OUT OF .” WHILE POPE BENEDICT’S VATIN ATTEMPTED TO MAKE SURE GAYS KNEW THEY WERE UNWELE THE PRITHOOD, THE JUS VELOPED A REPUTATN FOR TOLERATG AND EVEN PROTECTG THEIR GAY BRETHREN.IN THE LLEGIAL JU SPIR, FRANCIS APPOTED EIGHT RDALS TO SERVE AS HIS RE ADVISERS ON SIGNIFINT ISSU, AND THE G YEARS, THIS GROUP MAY HAVE AS MUCH FLUENCE ON THE SUATN OF GAYS THE PRITHOOD AS FRANCIS HIMSELF. WHEN I ASKED AN ARCHBISHOP HOW HE THKS THE RDALS’ NVERSATN ABOUT THEIR GAY BROTHERS WILL GO, HE ANSWERED WH REFERENCE NOT TO THE HOLY SPIR BUT TO THE GOD OF FORTUNE. “RIGHT NOW THE SURT THG I N SAY IS THAT THERE’S CHANGE THE AIR,” HE SAID. “IF YOU ULD SAY WHAT WILL HAPPEN, YOU ULD SAY WHO’D W THE LOTTERY.”THE NEXT TIME I HEARD MENTN OF A LOTTERY WAS A FEW DAYS LATER, AT DNER WH A GAY MONK WHO TOLD ME THAT HE HAD RECENTLY FALLEN LOVE FOR THE FIRST TIME, WH A MAN. “AM I A CLERIL HYPOCRE? I GUS ONE WAY I AM,” HE SAID, THE MIDDLE OF A LONG AND EMOTNAL NARRATIVE, BEFORE BRGG THE NVERSATN TO BEDROCK REALY. “BUT I’M OVER 60. I HAVE NOTHG FANCIALLY. I N’T LEAVE.” AND THEN HE SAID, “IF I WON THE POWERBALL LOTTO, I WOULD LEAVE.”NOTE: AN ALTERATN WAS MA THE PASSAGE ABOUT MAR POLI’S LA CONFSNE, REPUBLISHED AS IO, PRETE GAY, ORR TO GIVE A MORE ACCURATE SCRIPTN OF THE BOOK.MICHAEL JOSEPH GROSS
WHO ARE THE 10 CLOSETED GAY REPUBLINS CONGRS?
Howie Kle: Openly gay Democratic Congrsman Barney Frank has said there are ten closeted nservative gays Congrs. He's outed a few, but who are the remag hypocr? * closet gay party *
Funny and erotic, Benjam tells a memorable story on a mimal budget—one which will feel very te to life to many gay viewers. We want to give a special shout-out to The Capote Tap, director Ebs Burnough’s documentary about Tman Capote’s lost fal novel; The Obuary of Tun Johnson, the story of an Ain-Amerin gay man relivg his own ath over and over; Breakg Fast, the Haaz Sleiman-led queer romantic edy (which jt picked up the prtig Audience Award at aGLIFF, no ls), and Cured, a fascatg new documentary about the queer activists who lobbied the APA to classify homosexualy as an illns. County Library's thor's seri, ALOUD, to hear Daniel Hurewz, who wrote Bohemian Los Angel and the Makg of Morn Polics and Stuart Timmons, who wrote Gay L.
‘COULDN’T BELIEVE I WAS SEEG ’: HOME MOVI OFFER RARE GLIMPSE OF GAY LIFE ST. LOUIS 1945
Dozens of gay men gather for a pool party a seclud spot Hillsboro, Missouri. Home movi pture their easy affectn and reee dancg. But… * closet gay party *
Loose on the 'til then unmolted gay muny, the first time-- though not the last-- they would be spegoated by an amb and crooked headg over to the Library I saw a New York Tim story about a ls socially divisive reactn to gay people, not California, where we are currently burned by a rpt and Neanrthal Republin ernor, but om Massachetts, where the state legislature stck down attempts by right-wg loons driven sane by hollow terpretatns of Bronze Age superstns, to outlaw same-sex marriage. I gus isn't a cince that Massachetts also boasts one of only two openly gay members of Congrs, Barney Frank (whose district, by the way, has a smaller percentage of gay people than the state general) their May issue OUT Magaze featured "The Power 50" (they're obssed wh ane lists) and as part of that they terviewed Barney: "Out On The Hill-- Comg Out Didn't Stop Barney Frank From Beg One of Ameri's Most Powerful Policians. Mike's web se, blogActive, mak a hab of exposg the worst of the hypocr, the on wh the nsistently homophobic votg rerds who also participate closeted gay sex, the only kd Republins approve is ultra ut.
He wants multiple sworn statements om participants and clear pictur before he'll out anyone, no matter how vicly anti-gay they are. You probably know what means to “e out” as gay. In my 2020 book“Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are, ”, I explore the history of this term, om the earlit days of the gay rights movement, to today, when has been adopted by other movements.
IS TUCKER THE NEW ‘LARRY CRAIG,’ A VOICE FOR THE CLOSETED ‘GAY OLD PARTY?’
GAY FUN TIME. THE ACT OF CLOSETED HUMANS PARTYING WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF A CLOSET. FORCED TO COME OUT INTO HOMOPHOBIC WORLD DUE TO CLAUSTROPHOBIA.. ALL GAYS ARE CLAUSTROPHOBIC ITS A TRUE FACT M8..." name="Dcriptn" property="og:scriptn * closet gay party *
In the late 19th and early 20th century, gay subculture thrived many large Amerin ci. Gay men spoke of “g out” to gay society – borrowg the term om butante society, where ele young women me out to high society. A 1931 news article the Baltimore Ao-Amerin referred to “the g out of new butant to homosexual society.
The 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s wnsed a growg backlash agast this visible gay world. In rponse, gay life beme more secretive.
CLOSETED GAY MEN – WHY ARE THEY STILL THERE?
* closet gay party *
The Mattache Society, the earlit important anizatn of what was known as the homophile movement – a precursor of the gay rights movement – took s name om myster medieval figur masks. In this ntext, g out meant acknowledgg one’s sexual orientatn to onelf and to other gay people.
Kg” or “gay” – that uld be ed mixed pany to signate someone as homosexual. The term “gay” was origally borrowed om the slang of women prostut, when they ed the word to refer to women their profsn.
TAB HUNTER’S LGBT LEGACY: HOLLYWOOD, IT’S TIME TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSETTRUTH1950S HEARTTHROB TAB HUNTER DIED SUNDAY. FOR MUCH OF HIS REER HE LIVED THE LIFE OF A CLOSETED HOLLYWOOD MOVIE STAR. HIS LEGACY SHOULD BE TO ENURAGE OTHER STARS TO E OUT.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUL. 10, 2018 4:08AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 10, 2018 12:52AM EDT OPNHERBERT DORFMAN/GETTYIN JEFEY SCHWARZ’S EXCELLENT 2015 DOCUMENTARY, TAB HUNTER CONFINTIAL (STREAMG ON NETFLIX), THE ACTOR TAB HUNTER REUNTED HIS EXPERIENCE ATTENDG A PRIVATE GAY AND LBIAN HOLLYWOOD PARTY 1950.HE RELLED A ROOM FULL OF SAME-SEX UPL DANCG AND HOW SUCH PARTI WERE ILLEGAL BACK THEN. THE PS BURST , AND ARRTED “THE BUNCH OF QUEERS” THERE.“THEY TOOK TO THE POLICE STATN,” HUNTER SAID. “I THOUGHT, ‘OH MY GOD THIS IS TERRIBLE.’ WHAT WOULD MY MOTHER THK OF MY BEG ARRTED?’”WOULD AFFECT HIS REER GETTG STARTED MOTN PICTUR, THE THEN-YOUNG ACTOR WONRED. HIS ATTORNEY TOLD HIM TO BE “SHARPER” IF HE WANTED TO BE AN ACTOR HOLLYWOOD. “SHARPER” WAS, OF URSE, A PHEMISM FOR REFUL WHICH WAS A PHEMISM FOR BEG CLOSETED; AND THAT WAS THE WAY HUNTER STAYED UNTIL HE FALLY ME OUT 2005 HIS TOBGRAPHY, UPON WHICH THE DOCUMENTARY WAS BASED.HUNTER’S ATH, AT 86, WAS ANNOUNCED MONDAY BY HIS PARTNER ALLAN GLASER. GLASER SAID HUNTER HAD DIED ON SUNDAY AS A RULT OF A BLOOD CLOT THAT ED RDIAC ARRT.“WE WERE WALKG HOME AND HE LLAPSED MY ARMS OUR ONT YARD,” GLASER SAID. “HE SAID HE ULDN’T BREATHE, SO I LLED 911, AND WE WENT TO THE HOSPAL.”“THIS WAS SUDN AND UNEXPECTED,” GLASER ADD. “HE WAS ATHLETIC, MORE LIKE A 60-YEAR-OLD NOT AN 86-YEAR-OLD.”GLASER IS THIRTY YEARS HUNTER’S JUNR, AND THE DOCUMENTARY SWEETLY DOCUMENTS THEIR URTSHIP WHICH BEGAN WHEN GLASER LEFT A LUCRATIVE STUD JOB TO PRODUCE LT THE DT (1985), ONE OF HUNTER’S FILMS HE DID OPPOSE DIVE (FOUR YEARS AFTER JOHN WATERS’ POLYTER).WATCHG THE DOCUMENTARY IS AN OBJECT LSON HOW THE HOLLYWOOD CLOSET OPERAT, WHICH HUNTER EMBRACED AND WAS SUFFOTED BY.THIS CLOSET, AS ACTORS LIKE NOAH WYLE AND PORTIA ROSSI MAKE CLEAR OTHER TERVIEWS THE DOCUMENTARY, IS STILL EXISTENCE. IT’S NOT 1950 ANY MORE, BUT MAY AS WELL BE; ’S JT THAT THE HIGH-PROFILE OUTGS OF STARS LIKE ELLEN DEGENER AND ZACHARY QUTO (SOON TO MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT HUNTER’S CLOSETED LOVE AFFAIR WH ANTHONY PERKS) FOOL WH A VENEER OF AN ENTERTAMENT DTRY THAT IS MORE OPEN AND ACCEPTG. GAB ARCHIVE FUNDAMENTALLY THOUGH, THE CLOSET THAT HOED TAB HUNTER STILL HO MAJOR MOVIE STARS TODAY. AND THIS CLOSET, IRONILLY, IS PRID OVER BY LGBT AND STRAIGHT HOLLYWOOD PRODUCERS AND PUBLICISTS 2018 WHO WOULD LIKELY SCRIBE THEMSELV AS LIBERAL, PRO-LGBT. THEIR DAY JOBS MAKE A WEIRD MOCKERY OF THIS. THEY WOULD PROFS THEMSELV TO BE HORRIFIED BY HOMOPHOBIA. BUT THEY ALL NSPIRE TO KEEP THEIR DREAM FACTORY PUMPG OUT IMAG OF IALIZED HETEROSEXUALY, ONTED BY CELEBRI THAT THEY REPRENT AND DIRECT AND PRODUCE LIVG PUBLIC LIV OF THE SAME.HUNTER’S STORY MAY LOOK VTAGE; REMAS PRSGLY CURRENT. IN ONE TERVIEW AFTER HE ME OUT, HUNTER MED THAT “THE BOY NEXT DOOR LABEL” HOLLYWOOD GAVE HIM, AS BUILT HIS IMAGE AS A CLASSIC FIFTI PRETTYBOY HEARTTHROB, WAS MERELY A SELLG LABEL: “THEY GRD OUT LIKE A SSAGE FACTORY.”HUNTER KNEW HE WAS A PRODUCT, JT AS THE ACTORS KNOW THEY ARE PRODUCTS. BEG OPENLY GAY TODAY MAY NOT GET YOU THROWN OFF THE PRODUCTN LE AS DID THE 1950S, BUT MAY NOT GET YOU THE BT WDOW DISPLAY.HUNTER WAS SO ANGUISHED ABOUT HIS LIFE OF ENFORCED SILENCE, AND BY BEG A NATURALLY PRIVATE PERSON—AND WHERE THOSE TWO THGS TERSECT IS A FASCATG HERLAND—THAT ’S PRETTY AMAZG HE DID E OUT. BUT, AS HE SAID, “HECK, I’M AN OLD MAN. THIS IS MY LIFE.”HE WAS RAISED, HE RELLED, A NOT-HAPPY HOME. HIS FATHER ABED HIS MOTHER. HIS MOTHER PREFERRED HIS BROTHER. HE WAS RAISED CATHOLIC. MOVI WERE HUNTER’S PISM, OR ART GELIEN’S PISM AS HE WAS THEN KNOWN. HE HEARD THE WORDS “FAIRY” AND “QUEER” AS SULTS. HE PHED WHAT HE WAS OM HIS MD; HE DIDN’T WANT TO BE DIFFERENT. HIS STORY ULD BE A STORY OF TODAY, THE STORY OF YOUNG GAY KID ETERNAL. HIS LOOKS ED SUCH A STIR AT SCHOOL WH GIRLS HE SOUGHT OUT EMPTY CLASSROOMS TO HI . HE REVEALED ALL AT NFSN, WAS TOLD HOW BAD BEG GAY WAS, AND FLED OM THE CHURCH.AN EARLY, PRE-HOLLYWOOD LOVE WAS HORS; THE SAME LOVE WOULD STA HUNTER LONG AFTER HOLLYWOOD’S LIGHTS HAD DIMMED. THERE, AT A STABL WHERE A YOUNG HUNTER WORKED, AN ACTOR NAMED DICK CLAYTON ME ONE DAY. HE NEVER MA A MOVE ON HUNTER, BUT HE LED HIM TO HOLLYWOOD. “ON TV SHOWS HUNTER WAS HAILED ‘HOLLYWOOD’S MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR.’ HUNTER, AS HE SAID YEARS LATER, WAS AN DTRY ‘WHERE YOU ARE REWARD FOR BEG SOMEONE YOU ARE NOT.’” ENTER HENRY WILLSON, THE AGENT WHO HAD ALL THE HUNKS ON HIS BOOKS AT THE TIME, CLUDG ROCK HUDSON. HE PUT HUNTER TO MOVI WHERE HIS CLOTH WERE EHER SWIMMG TNKS OR ARY DUDS. HE WAS A CLEAN-CUT HERO.OFF-SCREEN HUNTER FELL LOVE WH ICE SKATER RONNIE ROBERTSON; THE ICE-SKATG CHIEFS OF THE TIME WARNED ROBERTSON TO KEEP HUNTER AWAY OM WATCHG HIM PETE. ROBERTSON FIED THEM. BUT THEIR RELATNSHIP WAS NDUCTED SECRET. THIS WAS A TIME WHEN HOMOSEXUALY WAS NSIRED A MENTAL ILLNS, AND WHEN EXPOSURE FOR THEM WOULD HAVE MEANT PROFSNAL .ON TV SHOWS HUNTER WAS HAILED “HOLLYWOOD’S MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR.” HUNTER, AS HE SAID YEARS LATER, WAS AN DTRY “WHERE YOU ARE REWARD FOR BEG SOMEONE YOU ARE NOT.”EARLY ON, HUNTER SURVIVED A GAY SNDAL; WHEN HUNTER CHOSE TO BE REPRENTED BY CLAYTON, HE THOUGHT WILLSON HAD PASSED THE STORY OF HIS ARRT AT THE 1950 GAY PARTY TO GOSSIP RAG CONFINTIAL—BOTH AS REVENGE, AND AS A SACRIFICIAL LAMB (CONFINTIAL HAD BEEN PLANNG AN EXPOSé OF HUDSON). THE MAGAZE LLED THE 1950 GATHERG A “LIMP-WRISTED PAJAMA PARTY” (WHICH SOUNDS GREAT FUN TO ME), AND HUNTER WAS SURE HIS REER WAS OVER.IT WASN’T. HIS STUD BOSS JACK WARNER TOLD HIM “TODAY’S HEADL ARE TOMORROW’S TOILET PAPER.”HUNTER DID WHAT WAS REQUIRED. HE WENT ON DAT WH NATALIE WOOD AND OTHER ACTRS, DAT THAT WERE PHOTOGRAPHED. AS SOON AS THE MERAS STOPPED CLICKG, SHE WENT OFF TO SEE HER REAL DATE DENNIS HOPPER, AND HUNTER WENT OFF TO SEE ANTHONY PERKS WHO HE WAS DATG BACK THEN. ONE OF HIS GIRLIENDS, ETCHIKA CHOURE, RELLED THAT THEY REALLY LIKED EACH OTHER BUT THAT SHE DIDN’T WANT A SHOW MARRIAGE, AND NEHER DID HE. SILVER SCREEN COLLECTN/GETTY HUNTER SAID AT THE TIME, THAT HE FELT IF YOU WERE WH A MAN YOU’D BE SNG, IF YOU WERE WH A WOMAN YOU’D BE LYG.IT SOUNDS A GILD GE, AN ENFORCED HELL, AND AN EMBRACED AND ACMODATED HELL. HE WANTED FAME. THIS WAS THE PRICE. BUT EVEN IF YOU WEREN’T FAMO, THOSE DAYS, A SIAR SET OF CHOIC WERE ON OFFER.AS TURNED OUT, HUNTER OVERPLAYED HIS HAND, STOOD UP TO JACK WARNER, THEN REALIZED, TOO LATE, WAS “REER SUICI.” CHEY FILMS—TERRIBLE FILMS—FOLLOWED. HE BEME A JOKE, AND THEN HE PLAYED OFF THAT IMAGE POLYTER AND LT IN THE DT. HE FELL LOVE WH GLASER.STILL, HUNTER WOULDN’T E OUT, EVEN AS ELLEN, GEE MICHAEL AND OTHERS DID. IN THE DOCUMENTARY, PORTIA ROSSI SAYS HOW HARD TODAY IS FOR OUT ACTORS TO BE OUT, HOW NERVO SHE WAS TO DO . NOAH WYLE SAYS HE KNOWS SEVERAL STARS WHO WON’T E OUT. GLASER OFFERED HUNTER THE OPPORTUNY TO MEET THE PERSON HE WANTED TO SPEND THE RT OF HIS LIFE WH. GLASER NOTED THAT HUNTER WAS HAPPIT MUCKG OUT AND RIDG HIS BELOVED HORS. WHEN HIS OLD MOVI ME ON TV, SAID GLASER OF HIS PARTNER, HUNTER FLICKED THE CHANNEL AS IF SURFG PAST A DOG-FOOD MERCIAL.HUNTER RELLED SEEG ANTHONY PERKS YEARS LATER, MARRIED AND WH A FAY, BEFORE HE DIED OF AIDS. “HIS CHOICE WAS RIGHT FOR HIM,” SAYS HUNTER. “IT WAS WHO HE WAS, OR MAYBE WHO HE WANTED TO BE.”AND THAT TORTURED AND PERCEPTIVE NSTCTN, HUNTER H ON ALL THE WARPED MECHANICS OF HOW THE CLOSET WORKS AND OUT OF HOLLYWOOD.BUT WHAT IS HOLLYWOOD SRED OF? WHAT WON’T TT? WHAT SR AS MUCH 2018 AS DID 1950? IT’S SRED THAT THE FILM-GOG DIENCE WON’T BUY THEIR LEADG WOMAN OR MAN KISSG AN OPPOSE-SEX LOVE TERT IF THEY KNOW THAT LEADG ACTOR IS GAY OR LBIAN, OR TRANS.THAT LACK OF URAGE MEANS THAT DIENC REMA UNCHALLENGED. IT ALSO UNRTIMAT THEIR POWERS OF SPEND DISBELIEF, WHICH A CENT ACTOR IS SUPPOSED TO DRAW ON.IT ALSO MEANS THAT LS LGBT FILMS ARE MA BY MASTREAM HOLLYWOOD. EVEN MORE WARDICE, IGNORANCE AND A LACK OF URAGE. AND SURE, ACTORS WILL E OUT DRIBS AND DRABS, AND Y, LGBT MOVI WILL E OUT DRIBS AND DRABS, AND OTHER OPN PIEC WILL QUTN WHETHER A TURNG POT HAS BEEN REACHED, WHETHER WE ARE PROGRSG. WE AREN’T. HOLLYWOOD ISN’T, AND THE LGBT PEOPLE WORKG THERE AT CELEBRY AND NON-CELEBRY LEVELS ARE PLIC PERPETUATG THIS SHAMEFUL LACK OF PROGRS.THEY SHOULD ALL WATCH THE TAB HUNTER DOCUMENTARY, AND THEY SHOULD READ HIS WORDS. HE NEVER SOUGHT SYMPATHY FOR LIVG THE CLOSET, OR WHY HE LIVED THE CLOSET, OR WHAT S EFFECTS WERE. HE SEEMS A PRACTIL PERSON. DEBBIE REYNOLDS LLS HIM “GROUND,” AND HE DO SEEM PLA-SPEAKG, AND PLA-THKG.IN AN TERVIEW LAST YEAR, HUNTER SAID, “IF I HAD E OUT DURG MY ACTG REER THE 1950S, I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A REER. NOT MUCH HOLLYWOOD HAS CHANGED 60 YEARS. I REALLY DIDN’T TALK ABOUT MY SEXUALY UNTIL I WROTE MY TOBGRAPHY. “THERE STILL ISN’T A ROMANTIC LEAD FILMS WHO IS ACTIVELY WORKG WHO HAS E OUT AS GAY. FILM ACTORS TODAY STILL FEAR THAT G OUT WOULD DAMAGE THEIR REER.” “MY FILM REER HAD LONG SCE BEEN OVER BY THEN. I BELIEVE ONE’S SEXUALY IS ONE’S OWN BS. I REALLY DON’T GO AROUND DISCSG . CALL ME ‘OLD SCHOOL’ ON THAT TOPIC.”TAB HUNTER MA HIS CISNS, HE LIVED WH THE RULTS OF THEM, AND ULTIMATELY HE FOUND LOVE AND STENANCE WH ANOTHER MAN. AND HE ME OUT, JT AS SO MANY LGBT PEOPLE DO; JT AS HARVEY MILK RIGHTLY REMEND AS THE KEY ACT OF LGBT LIBERATN AND CLARATN. AND HUNTER WENT FURTHER: HE TOLD THE TTH NOT JT ABOUT HIMSELF, BUT ALSO ABOUT HOLLYWOOD.“THERE STILL ISN’T A ROMANTIC LEAD FILMS WHO IS ACTIVELY WORKG WHO HAS E OUT AS GAY,” HUNTER SAID THAT SAME 2017 TERVIEW. “PERHAPS THERE HAS BEEN ON TV, STAGE AND DIFFERENT ARENAS THE ENTERTAMENT BS, BUT NOT A MAJOR MOVIE STAR. FILM ACTORS TODAY STILL FEAR THAT G OUT WOULD DAMAGE THEIR REER.”Y, HUNTER IS RIGHT: THEY STILL FEAR THAT. WOULDN’T BE GRAND IF PART OF TAB HUNTER’S LEGACY WAS THE SHATTERG OF THE HOLLYWOOD CLOSET? HE DID AND FOUND OUT, THE BT WAY, THAT WAS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. TIM TEEMAN
Contug our discsn about the closet let's look at closeted gay men. Why we hi the closet and what to do about . * closet gay party *
Of urse, “gay” was ultimately “outed” when the gay rights movement adopted followg the Stonewall Rebelln 1969. It was subsequently memorated an annual march known today as “gay pri. At the first Gay Liberatn March New York Cy June 1970, one of the anizers stated that “we’ll never have the eedom and civil rights we serve as human begs unls we stop hidg closets and the shelter of anonymy.
By the end of the 1960s, queer people who pretend to be heterosexual were said to be “ the closet” or labeled a “closet se” or, the se of gay men, “closet queens. For stance, 1978, his mpaign to feat a California iative that would have banned gay teachers om workg state public schools, openly gay elected ernment official Harvey Milk urged people to “Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are. Milk gambled that if queer people told their iends they were gay, Californians would realize that they had iends, workers and fay members who were gay and – out of solidary – would oppose the proposn.
SEND HUNTER BIN IRS WHISTLEBLOWER INTIFIED AS GAY DEMOCRAT
A prevly anonymo IRS whistleblower ttifyg about an vtigatn to Hunter Bin me forward Wednday, intifyg as a gay Democrat. * closet gay party *
In the 1980s, the gay and lbian rights movement radilized rponse to the Christian right and AIDS epimic.
Activists ed the mantra “Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are” to mand that people clare their homosexualy. The g out narrative beme a re of passage, somethg to be shared wh others, and the centerpiece of gay liberatn movements. Its members wore T-shirts Day-Glo lors wh slogans such as “PROMOTE HOMOSEXUALITY.
GAY PARTY IAS
Beg the closet jt isn't style the days. Wh gay and lbian celebri livg open liv, many policians supportg gay rights (and even beg open about their own sexualy) and the rabow flag flyg om San Fran to New York, 's a fabulo time to be out and open. * closet gay party *
As ttimony of this shift, today, marriage equaly is the law of the land, the popular TV edy “Morn Fay” featur a gay uple and one of the leadg ndidat for the Democratic printial ticket, Pete Buttigieg, is a gay man. To be sure, homophobia and transphobia are still alive and well. By g the term “g out, ” she impli that beg fat is like beg gay – and that, jt as homophobia is morally wrong, so too is “fatphobia.
Dozens of gay men gather for a pool party a seclud spot Hillsboro, Missouri.
Louis filmmaker Geoff Story has begun weavg the films to a documentary, “Gay Home Movie. ” It offers a rare glimpse to a largely visible world, a time when same-sex relatnships were not only looked at as immoral — they were a gay man, Story is fascated by the brtle, flickerg scen that clu a uniformed World War II soldier kissg another man. Louis’ ‘hairdrser to the stars’Watch a clip om the 1945 home movi of gay men at a pool stumbled upon the films the mid-1990s, a half century after the pool party, at an tate sale.
THE VATIN’S SECRET LIFEDPE HEADL ABOUT A POWERFUL “GAY LOBBY” WH THE VATIN, AND A NEW POPE PROMISG REFORM, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH’S GAY RDALS, MONKS, AND OTHER CLERGY HAB A HIDN HERWORLD. IN ROME, THE THOR LEARNS HOW THEY NAVIGATE THE DANGERO PARADOX OF THEIR LIV.BY MICHAEL JOSEPH GROSSNOVEMBER 15, 2013SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVENAKED BUT FOR THE TOWEL AROUND HIS WAIST, A MAN OF A CERTA AGE SAT BY HIMSELF, BENT SLIGHTLY FORWARD AS IF PRAYG, A RNER OF THE SNA AT A GYM CENTRAL ROME. I HAD NOT MET THIS MAN BEFORE, BUT AS I ENTERED THE SNA, I THOUGHT I REGNIZED HIM OM PHOTOGRAPHS. HE LOOKED LIKE A PRIT WH WHOM I’D RRPOND AFTER MUTUAL IENDS PUT TOUCH, A MAN I HAD WANTED TO NSULT ABOUT GAY CLERICS THE VATIN CURIA. MY IENDS TOLD ME THAT THIS PRIT WAS GAY, POLILLY SAVVY, AND WELL NNECTED TO THE GAY CHURCH HIERARCHY ROME.BUT THIS ULDN’T BE THAT PRIT. HE HAD TOLD ME THAT HE’D BE AWAY AND ULDN’T MEET. YET AS I LOOKED AT THE MAN MORE CLOSELY, I SAW THAT WAS FELY HIM. WHEN WE WERE ALONE, I SPOKE HIS NAME, TELLG HIM ME. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE OUT OF THE UNTRY,” I SAID. “HOW LUCKY FOR ME: YOU’RE HERE!” STARTLED, THE PRIT TALKED FAST. Y, HIS PLANS HAD CHANGED, HE SAID, BUT HE WAS LEAVG AGA THE NEXT DAY AND WOULD RETURN ONLY AFTER I WAS GONE.DURG THE PREV FEW DAYS, I HAD HEARD A LOT ABOUT THIS MAN. I HAD HEARD THAT HE IS A GOSSIP, A SOCIAL OPERATOR WHOSE LENDAR IS A BLUR OF DRKS AND DNERS WH RDALS AND ARCHBISHOPS, PRCIPSAS AND PERSONAL TRAERS. SUPPOSEDLY, HE LOV TO DISH MALE LLEAGU WH MPY FEMALE NICKNAM. BUT I WOULD NEVER HAVE THE EXPERIENCE FIRSTHAND. THE PRIT WAS EMBARRASSED: TO HAVE BEEN CHANCED UPON AT THIS PLACE; TO HAVE HAD HIS SMALL EVASNS REVEALED. THE ENUNTER WAS AWKWARD. NO, HE DID NOT WISH TO DISCS THE SUBJECT I WAS TERTED . NO, HE DID NOT THK THE SUBJECT WORTHWHILE. THE THGS HE MA CLEAR. WE LEFT THE SNA AND, AFTER FURTHER NVERSATN, CIVIL BUT STILTED, WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS.I ULD UNRSTAND HIS DISFORT. BUT ROME THE DAYS THE TOPIC OF GAY PRITS THE UPPER REACH OF THE HOLY SEE IS HARD TO AVOID. IN FEBARY OF THIS YEAR, NOT LONG BEFORE THE COLLEGE OF CARDALS GATHERED THE SISTE CHAPEL FOR THE NCLAVE TO CHOOSE THE 266TH POPE, THE LARGT ITALIAN DAILY NEWSPAPER, LA REPUBBLI, REPORTED THAT A “GAY LOBBY”—A MORE OR LS UNIFIED BAL OF HOMOSEXUAL POWER BROKERS—MIGHT BE OPERATG SI THE VATIN. ACRDG TO THE NEWSPAPER, THE POSSIBLE EXISTENCE OF THIS GAY LOBBY WAS AMONG THE MANY SECRETS SCRIBED A TWO-VOLUME, 300-PAGE REPORT BOUND RED AND PRENTED TO POPE BENEDICT XVI BY THREE RDALS HE HAD APPOTED TO VTIGATE THE AFFAIR KNOWN AS “VATILEAKS.” THAT SNDAL, WHICH RAISED H SPICNS OF ENMIC RPTN WH THE CURIA, HAD BROKEN THE PREV YEAR AFTER PAOLO GABRIELE, THE PAPAL BUTLER, MA OFF WH SOME OF BENEDICT’S PRIVATE PAPERS AND LEAKED THEM TO THE PRS.THE TERNAL VATILEAKS REPORT, ACRDG TO LA REPUBBLI, DITED THAT GAY CLERICS THE VATIN WERE BEG BLACKMAILED. THE REPORT WAS ALSO SAID TO DOCUMENT THE ALLEGED GAY LOBBY’S SOCIAL STCTURE AND CTOMS. YET TAILS NCERNG GAY PRITS’ GATHERGS ADD UP TO OLD NEWS: THE TAL HAD BEEN TOLD ARTICL PREVLY PUBLISHED BY LA REPUBBLI SELF. SENSATNALLY, THE NEWSPAPER SUGGTED THAT BENEDICT’S NCERN ABOUT THE ALLEGED GAY LOBBY WAS ONE REASON HE HAD SUDNLY RIGNED THE PAPACY.MONTHS LATER, ANOTHER LEAK OF NFINTIAL RMATN BROUGHT THE SUBJECT OF A GAY LOBBY BACK TO THE NEWS. SOMEONE TOOK NOT DURG WHAT WAS MEANT TO BE A PRIVATE MEETG BETWEEN LAT-AMERIN CHURCH LEARS AND THE NEW POPE, THE FORMER RDAL JE BERGOGL, ARCHBISHOP OF BUENOS AIR, NOW KNOWN AS FRANCIS. IN JUNE, THOSE NOT WERE PUBLISHED ON A PROGRSIVE CATHOLIC WEB SE. FRANCIS WAS QUOTED AS SAYG, “THE ‘GAY LOBBY’ IS MENTNED, AND IS TE, IS THERE … WE NEED TO SEE WHAT WE N DO.”A CLOSET WH NO DOORGAY LOBBY? IT PENDS ON WHAT YOU MEAN. THE TERM ULD REFER TO A SHADOWY GROUP LIKE THE ILLUMATI, WHOSE MEMBERS QUIETLY EXERCISE SUPREME POWER. THIS IS THE SORT OF IA THAT LIGHTS UP THE TIL HATS OF NSPIRACY THEORISTS, AND DON’T PTURE THE SLOW, FDAL, EFFICIENT WORKGS OF THE VATIN. “GAY LOBBY” IS REALLY SHORTHAND FOR SOMETHG ELSE. AT THE VATIN, A SIGNIFINT NUMBER OF GAY PRELAT AND OTHER GAY CLERICS ARE POSNS OF GREAT THORY. THEY MAY NOT ACT AS A LLECTIVE BUT ARE AWARE OF ONE ANOTHER’S EXISTENCE. AND THEY HAB A SECRETIVE HERWORLD, BEE HOMOSEXUALY IS OFFICIALLY NMNED. THOUGH THE NUMBER OF GAY PRITS GENERAL, AND SPECIFILLY AMONG THE CURIA ROME, IS UNKNOWN, THE PROPORTN IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE GENERAL POPULATN. BETWEEN 20 AND 60 PERCENT OF ALL CATHOLIC PRITS ARE GAY, ACRDG TO ONE TIMATE CED BY DONALD B. COZZENS HIS WELL-REGARD THE CHANGG FACE OF THE PRITHOOD. FOR GAY CLERICS AT THE VATIN, ONE FUNDAMENTAL NDN OF THEIR POWER, AND OF THEIR PRITHOOD, IS SILENCE, AT LEAST PUBLIC, ABOUT WHO THEY REALLY ARE.CLERICS HAB THIS SILENCE A VARIETY OF WAYS. A FEW KEEP THEIR SEXUALY ENTIRELY PRIVATE AND ADHERE TO THE VOW OF CELIBACY. MANY OTHERS QUIETLY LET THEMSELV BE KNOWN AS GAY TO A LIMED GREE, TO SOME LLEAGU, OR TO SOME LAYPEOPLE, OR BOTH; SOMETIM THEY REMA CELIBATE AND SOMETIM THEY DO NOT. A THIRD WAY, PERHAPS THE LEAST MON BUT CERTALY THE MOST VISIBLE, VOLV LIVG A DOUBLE LIFE. OCSNALLY SUCH CLERICS ARE UNMASKED, UALLY BY STORI THE ITALIAN PRS. IN 2010, FOR THE BETTER PART OF A MONTH, ONE STRAIGHT JOURNALIST PRETEND TO BE THE BOYIEND OF A GAY MAN WHO ACTED AS A “HONEYPOT” AND ENTRAPPED ACTUAL GAY PRITS VAR SEXUAL SUATNS. (THE RDAL VIR OF ROME WAS GIVEN THE TASK OF VTIGATG. THE PRITS’ FAT ARE UNKNOWN.)THERE ARE AT LEAST A FEW GAY RDALS, CLUDG ONE WHOSE LONG-TERM PARTNER IS A WELL-KNOWN MISTER A PROTTANT NOMATN. THERE IS THE NOTOR MONSIGNOR NICKNAMED “JSI,” WHO LIK TO VIS A PONTIFIL UNIVERSY AND PASS OUT HIS BS RD TO 25-YEAR-OLD NOVIC. (AMONG THE MONSIGNOR’S PICKUP L: “DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE BED OF JOHN XXIII?”) THERE’S THE SUPPOSEDLY STRAIGHT MAN WHO HAS A SECRET LIFE AS A GAY PROSTUTE ROME AND POSTS PHOTOGRAPHS ONLE OF THE NERMOST RRIDORS OF THE VATIN. WHETHER HE RECEIVED THIS PRIVILEGED ACCS OM SOME IEND OR FAY MEMBER, OR OM A CLIENT, IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY; TO SEE A KNOWN RENT BOY BLACK LEATHER ON A PRIVATE VATIN BALNY DO RAISE AN EYEBROW.THE VATIN HOLDS SECRETS SO TIGHTLY THAT N MAKE FORT MEA LOOK LIKE A SLOPPY DNK. YET DOZENS OF TERVIEWS WH CURRENT AND FORMER GAY PRITS, GAY MONKS, VETERAN VATIN JOURNALISTS, ITALIAN ARISTOCRATS, AND GAY MEN AT ROMAN GYMS, BARS, NIGHTCLUBS, SEX CLUBS, AND RTRANTS SUGGT THAT, RIVETG AS THE MORE GRAPHIC STORI ARE, THEY NVEY A LIMED PART OF THE REALY OF GAY CLERIL LIFE ROME. TO BE GAY THE VATIN IS NO GUARANTEE OF SUCCS, MARK OF BELONGG, OR SHORTCUT TO EROTIC TRIGUE. MOST BASILLY IS A SENTENCE OF ISOLATN. GAYS THE VATIN ARE CREATUR OF A CUTTHROAT BURECRACY WHOSE DOGMATIC WORLDVIEW NI OR NIGRAT THEIR OWN EXISTENCE. THEY LIVE A CLOSET THAT HAS NO DOOR. AMONG RECENT POP, BENEDICT MA THE MOST NCERTED EFFORT TO SHARPEN CHURCH DOCTRE ON HOMOSEXUALY, WHICH HE ONCE LLED “A MORE OR LS STRONG TENNCY ORRED TOWARD AN TRSIC MORAL EVIL.” HE TRIED TO CULL GAYS OM CLERIL RANKS, MOST NOTABLY 2005, WHEN MEN WH KNOWN “EP-SEATED HOMOSEXUAL TENNCI” WERE PROHIBED OM BEG ORDAED, EVEN IF THEY WERE CELIBATE.DENUNCIATN AND EXPOSURE HAVE MA GAY PRITS FIGUR OF FASCATN—THOUGH LS AS PEOPLE THAN AS SYMBOLS—PECIALLY TO THE SECULAR FAR LEFT AND THE RELIG FAR RIGHT. BOTH SIS FD THE CLERICS TO BE POLILLY EFUL. THE LEFT THEM TO LEVEL CHARG OF HYPOCRISY. THE RIGHT SE THEM AS A STA NEED OF REMOVAL. THEY ALL GOT A SHOCK LATE LAST JULY WHEN FRANCIS MA HIS FIRST DIRECT PUBLIC STATEMENT ABOUT GAY CLERICS SCE BEG POPE.DURG AN IMPROMPTU PRS NFERENCE ABOARD THE PAPAL JET, EN ROUTE OM R JANEIRO TO ROME AFTER HIS FIRST OVERSEAS TRIP, FRANCIS WAS ASKED ABOUT THE SO-LLED GAY LOBBY. HIS RPONSE, LIVERED WH SUAL HUMOR AND PUNCTUATED BY SHGS AND S, WAS AS FOLLOWS: “SO MUCH HAS BEEN WRTEN ABOUT THE GAY LOBBY. I STILL HAVEN’T N TO ANYONE THE VATIN WHO HAS SHOWN ME AN INTY RD WH ‘GAY’ ON .” HE PANTOMIMED HOLDG UP SUCH A RD HIS LEFT HAND AND THEN WENT ON: “WHEN YOU FD YOURSELF WH A PERSON LIKE THAT, YOU HAVE TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN THE FACT OF A PERSON BEG GAY AND THE FACT OF SOMEBODY FORMG A LOBBY. . . . IF A PERSON IS GAY AND IS SEARCHG FOR THE LORD AND HAS GOODWILL, WHO AM I TO JUDGE HIM?”MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZMEGHAN MARKLE WILL BE JOG PRCE HARRY GERMANY FOR THE INVICT GAMBY ER VANRHOOFTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALBY SAN CASEYHE SPOKE THE WORDS WH A PALPABLE WARMTH, UNLIKE THE EMBATTLED, WARY TONE THAT OTHER POP HAVE ADOPTED. THIS MAY WELL HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TIME HISTORY THAT A POPE HAS PUBLICLY UTTERED THE TERM “GAY”—THE WORD THAT MOST MEN WHO FEEL ROMANTIC LOVE FOR OTHER MEN E TO SCRIBE THEMSELV—STEAD OF THE PATHOLOGIZG 19TH-CENTURY MEDIL TERM “HOMOSEXUAL.” THEN, A LENGTHY TERVIEW WH A JU JOURNAL, THE POPE WENT FURTHER, STATG THAT THE CHURCH’S MISTRY SHOULD NOT BE “OBSSED” WH A FEW DIVISIVE MORAL ISSU SUCH AS ABORTN AND GAY MARRIAGE. “WHEN GOD LOOKS AT A GAY PERSON, DO HE ENDORSE THE EXISTENCE OF THIS PERSON WH LOVE, OR REJECT AND NMN THIS PERSON?” THE POPE ASKED RHETORILLY. “WE MT ALWAYS NSIR THE PERSON.”EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELFTAL OF GAYS THE VATIN HAVE BEEN TOLD FOR MORE THAN A THOAND YEARS. POPE JOHN XII, WHO REIGNED OM 955 TO 964, WAS ACCED OF HAVG SEX WH MEN AND BOYS AND TURNG THE PAPAL PALACE “TO A WHOREHOE.” WHILE TRYG TO PERSUA A BBLER’S APPRENTICE TO HAVE SEX WH HIM, POPE BONIFACE VIII, WHO REIGNED OM 1294 TO 1303, WAS SAID TO HAVE ASSURED THE BOY THAT TWO MEN HAVG SEX WAS “NO MORE A S THAN BBG YOUR HANDS TOGETHER.” AFTER PL II, WHO REIGNED OM 1464 TO 1471, DIED OF A HEART ATTACK—WHILE FLAGRANTE LICTO WH A PAGE, ACRDG TO ONE MOR—HE WAS SUCCEED BY SIXT IV, WHO KEPT A NEPHEW AS HIS LOVER (AND MA THE NEPHEW A RDAL AT AGE 17). SOME SUCH STORI ARE BETTER SUBSTANTIATED THAN OTHERS. EVEN WHILE THEIR RELIABILY IS QUTNABLE, THEY MONSTRATE THAT PLAYG THE GAY RD (EVEN IF YOU YOURSELF ARE GAY) IS AN ANCIENT CURIAL TACTIC. “THERE ARE CLOSETED GAY PRITS WHO ARE VIPERS,” OBSERV THE THEOLOGIAN MARK D. JORDAN, THE THOR OF THE SILENCE OF SODOM: HOMOSEXUALY MORN CATHOLICISM. “THEY ARE REALLY POISONO PEOPLE, AND THEY WORK OUT THEIR OWN NER MONOLOGY BY GETTG TO POSNS POWER AND EXERCISG ” AGAST OTHER GAY MEN, WOMEN, AND ANYONE WHOM THEY PERCEIVE TO BE A THREAT. “ALONGSI THAT ARE SUFFERG PRITS WHO SEEM SCERE ALL THE WAY DOWN, WHO ARE TRYG TO BE FAHFUL TO GOD, AND ALSO TO TAKE RE OF PEOPLE AND CHANGE THE STUTN. THEY ARE THE ON WHO ARE ALWAYS FOTTEN, AND READ OUT OF THE STORY OM BOTH SIS.”THE CATHOLIC PRITHOOD’S NTEMPORARY GAY CULTURAL MEMORY BEGS THE MIDDLE OF THE LAST CENTURY. WHEN PL VI ASSUMED THE THRONE, 1963, BY ONE ACUNT HE TOOK HIS PAPAL NAME NOT OM ANY PRECSOR BUT OM A FORMER LOVER, A FILM ACTOR. THAT AT LEAST WAS THE NTENTN OF THE PROVOTIVE GAY FRENCH WRER ROGER PEYREFTE, WHOSE 1976 ALLEGATNS ABOUT PL VI ED SUCH A STIR THAT PL TOOK TO THE BALNY OF ST. PETER’S TO NOUNCE THE “HORRIBLE AND SLANRO” ACCATNS. PL LOOKED A LGHGSTOCK, AND THE CURIA LEARNED A LSON: BETTER TO IGNORE SUCH CHARG THAN TO AMPLIFY THEM BY NIAL.MEANWHILE, SOME GAY CLERICS WERE OUTGROWG THE “PARTICULAR IENDSHIPS” THAT HAD LONG BEEN PART OF MONASTIC LIFE AND JOG THE SEXUAL REVOLUTN. BY THE 1970S, THE CENTER OF GAY LIFE ROME WAS A CISG AREA LLED MONTE CAPRO, ON THE CAPOLE HILL. AT A SMALL PARTY OF GAY MONKS AND THEIR IENDS ROME LAST SUMMER, NVERSATN TURNED TO RELLECTNS OF THAT PLACE. “IT WAS LIKE S OWN LTLE CY,” ONE MONK REMEMBERED, “WH HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE—EVERYONE OM SEMARIANS TO BISHOPS—AND THEN THERE WERE, NVENIENTLY, BH OFF TO THE SI.” THE FELLOW FEELG AT MONTE CAPRO WAS PROMISED BY THE AIR OF SECRECY AROUND THE PLACE. THE AREA WAS A TARGET FOR MUGGERS AND THIEV, WHO FIGURED RIGHTLY THAT CLERICS WOULD MAKE IAL VICTIMS BEE THEY HAD MUCH TO LOSE BY THE PUBLIC ACT OF PRSG CHARG. ONE GAY FORMER SEMARIAN RELLED A NIGHT WHEN THREE MEN BEAT HIM UP AND STOLE HIS WALLET WHILE NUMERO MEN THE CROWD PARK STOOD BY. LEFT BLOODIED BY THE THIEV, THE SEMARIAN HOLLERED AT THE BYSTANRS, “THERE’S THREE OF THEM AND 300 OF !”HE TOLD ME THIS STORY, WH S ECHO OF THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARAN— WHICH A TRAVELER IS ROBBED, BEATEN, AND LEFT BY THE SI OF THE ROAD, AND P MEN DO NOTHG TO HELP HIM—TO ILLTRATE THE EVERY-MAN-FOR-HIMSELF DYNAMIC OF ROME’S GAY CLERIL CULTURE. GAY CLERICS OFTEN FAIL TO HELP ONE ANOTHER, HE SAYS, FOR THE SAME REASON THAT NO ONE TRIED TO HELP HIM THE NIGHT THAT HE WAS ROBBED: SOLIDARY ENTAILS THE RISK OF BEG OUTED.“LA MALETTA”SELF-CENTEREDNS N BREED A SENSE OF ENTLEMENT. “A CERTA PART OF THE CLERGY FEELS THAT NO ONE WILL RE WHAT THEY DO IF THEY ARE DISCREET,” SAYS MAR POLI, A PROMENT ITALIAN JOURNALIST AND LONGTIME VATIN RRPONNT, AND THE THOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS ABOUT THE PAPACY AND THE CHURCH. IN 2000, POLI PUBLISHED A BOOK-LENGTH TERVIEW WH AN ANONYMO GAY PRIT, ENTLED LA CONFSNE, REPUBLISHED 2006 AS IO, PRETE GAY (I, GAY PRIT). “RUMORS ARE O.K., BUT NOT SNDAL,” POLI OBSERV.THERE HAS BEEN PLENTY OF SNDAL, THOUGH. IN 2007, MONSIGNOR TOMMASO STENI MET A YOUNG MAN AN ONLE CHAT ROOM AND VED HIM TO HIS VATIN OFFICE, WHERE THEIR NVERSATN— WHICH STENI NIED THAT GAY SEX WAS A S, TOUCHED THE MAN’S LEG, AND SAID, “YOU’RE SO HOT”—WAS SECRETLY VIOTAPED AND THEN BROADST ON ITALIAN TELEVISN. (STENI TRIED TO PERSUA ITALIAN NEWSPAPERS THAT HE’D JT BEEN PLAYG ALONG ORR “TO STUDY HOW PRITS ARE ENSNARED” TO GAY SEX AS PART OF “A DIABOLIL PLAN BY GROUPS OF SATANISTS.” HE WAS SPEND OM HIS VATIN POSN.) IN 2006 A PRIT THE VATIN’S SECRETARIAT OF STATE JURED POLICE OFFICERS AND SMASHED TO POLICE RS DURG A HIGH-SPEED CHASE THROUGH A DISTRICT ROME KNOWN FOR TRANSSEXUALS AND PROSTUT. (THE PRIT WAS ACQUTED ON ALL CHARG AFTER CLAIMG THAT HE FLED BEE HE FEARED HE WAS BEG KIDNAPPED.) IN A 2010 VTIGATN OF NTRACT FIXG FOR NSTCTN PROJECTS, ITALIAN POLICE WIRETAPS HAPPENED TO TCH A PAPAL HER AND GENTLEMAN OF HIS HOLS, ANGELO BALDUCCI, ALLEGEDLY HIRG MALE PROSTUT, SOME OF WHOM MAY HAVE BEEN SEMARIANS, THROUGH A NIGERIAN MEMBER OF A VATIN CHOIR. (THE CHOIR MEMBER WAS DISMISSED; BALDUCCI WAS NVICTED ON RPTN CHARG.)POPE BENEDICT WAS MORED TO HAVE ORRED THAT PRELAT WHO WERE LIVG DOUBLE LIV BE RETIRED OR REMOVED OM ROME. MAR POLI SPECULAT THAT PERHAPS AS MANY AS 30 WERE EASED OUT. THE MOST SENR PRELATE TO LOSE HIS JOB WAS CARDAL KEH O’BRIEN, THE ARCHBISHOP OF ST. ANDREWS AND EDBURGH. A STNCH OPPONENT OF GAY MARRIAGE WHO HAD PUBLICLY LLED HOMOSEXUALY A “MORAL GRADATN,” O’BRIEN WAS BROUGHT DOWN FEBARY BY THREE PRITS AND ONE EX-PRIT WHO ACCED HIM OF “APPROPRIATE NTACT” AND PREDATORY BEHAVR WHEN HE WAS THEIR BISHOP. THE EPISOS REUNTED BY THE FOUR MEN VOLVED SUCH NSISTENT PATTERNS OVER MORE THAN 30 YEARS THAT SOME OF O’BRIEN’S LLEAGU SURELY MT HAVE HAD THEIR SPICNS. WHEN I ASKED ONE ARCHBISHOP IF HE HAD KNOWN THAT O’BRIEN WAS GAY, HOWEVER, THE ARCHBISHOP SAID HE HAD NOT. WHEN I ASKED THE ARCHBISHOP WHO AMONG THE OTHER RDALS WERE O’BRIEN’S CLOST IENDS, HE LDLY ANSWERED, “I DON’T THK HE HAD ANY.” EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF, ED.EVEN BENEDICT HAS BEEN DOGGED BY MORS THAT HE IS GAY. THOUGH NO SOLID EVINCE HAS EVER EMERGED, IS TREATED AS MON KNOWLEDGE BY MANY ROME, WHO CE STEREOTYP GALORE, CLUDG HIS FSY FASHN SENSE (HIS BY-RED SLIPPERS, HIS “VALENTO RED” P); HIS CSA TO NAIL DOWN WHY “HOMOSEXUAL ACTNS” ARE “TRSILLY DISORRED” (MANY CLOSETED GAY MEN, OM ROY COHN TO CARDAL O’BRIEN, HAVE MA THE MOST EXTRAORDARY EFFORTS TO NMN HOMOSEXUALY); AND HIS BROMANCE WH ARCHBISHOP GE GäNSWE, HIS LONGTIME PERSONAL SECRETARY. (NICKNAMED BEL GRG, OR “GEO GEE,” THE GGED GäNSWE SKIS, PLAYS TENNIS, AND PILOTS AIRPLAN. HE SPIRED DONATELLA VERSACE’S WTER 2007 “CLERGYMAN LLECTN.”) PERHAPS THE MOST VIC OF BENEDICT’S NICKNAM IS “LA MALETTA.” THE WORD MEANS “CURSED” ITALIAN, BUT THE PUN RIV OM THE FACT THAT THE TERM MEANS THE EXACT OPPOSE OF BENEDICT’S OWN NAME ITALIAN, BENETTO, WHICH MEANS “BLSED”—WH A GENR CHANGE ACHIEVED THE PROCS.NEHER BENEDICT NOR GäNSWE HAS PUBLICLY RPOND TO ANY OF THIS. THE CHATTER’S MA NSEQUENCE HAS BEEN NOT TO HURT THEM PERSONALLY (THOUGH SURELY MT, AT LEAST A LTLE) BUT TO HELP LOCK DOWN GENUE NVERSATN ABOUT THE EVERYDAY LIV OF GAY PRITS, WHETHER CELIBATE OR NOT. IT IS MORE OR LS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GAY CLERICS TO ARTICULATE THEIR AFFECTNS ANY WAY THAT DO NOT AMOUNT TO WHAT AN ANGLO-SAXON MD MIGHT SEE AS HYPOCRISY. YET SUCH A DUALISTIC EXISTENCE IS VERY MUCH A PART OF CHURCH TRADN. “THIS IS ALMOST AN ASPECT OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGN SELF,” COLM TóIBíN HAS WRTEN AN SAY ON GAYS AND CATHOLICISM, “THIS BS OF KNOWG AND NOT KNOWG SOMETHG ALL AT THE SAME TIME, KEEPG AN ILLN SEPARATE OM THE TTH.” IT IS ALSO TYPIL OF ITALIAN SEXUALY GENERAL, AND ITALIAN HOMOSEXUALY PARTICULAR. THIS IS THE UNTRY THAT TOLERATED THE SEXUAL PAS AND SERIAL DS OF FORMER PRIME MISTER SILV BERLNI WH SRCELY A HT OF PROTT OM THE HIERARCHY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. THIS IS THE UNTRY WHERE UNTLS MARRIED WOMEN IGNORE THEIR HBANDS’ DALLIANC WH MEN.LA BELLA FIGURATHE CULTURE OF CEPTN OPERAT ACRDG TO SIGNALS AND NVENTNS BY WHICH GAY CLERICS NAVIGATE THEIR LIV. CAMP IS PERHAPS THE MOST POWERFUL AND PERVASIVE OF THE S, THOUGH N BE DIFFICULT TO FE. IRONIC, EFFEMATE SELF-MOCKERY—ALLOWG PRITS TO EXERCISE SOME LIMED REBELLN AGAST THEIR OWN ISOLATN AND VISIBILY—IS ONE FORM OF CLERIL MP. FOR FEAR OF LGHG OUT LOUD, PRITS SOMETIM TRY TO AVOID MAKG EYE NTACT WH ONE ANOTHER CHURCH WHEN HYMNS WH TL LIKE “HAIL, HOLY QUEEN” ARE SUNG. AFTER BERGOGL BEME POPE FRANCIS, YOUTUBE CLIPS OF A SEQUENCE OM FELLI’S ROMA WENT VIRAL AMONG GAY PRITS ROME. IT SHOWS A PLA-LOOKG RDAL WATCHG A NWAY SHOW OF OVER-THE-TOP CLERIL ATTIRE—WHICH ENDS WHEN THE PARTED POPE STEALS THE SHOW BY APPEARG THE GLOR GARB OF A SUN GOD.ONE GAY FORMER PRIT, WHO STILL LIV ROME, SCRIB CLERIL MP AS “A NATURAL WAY OF EXPRSG [GAY INTY] WHILE CELIBATE.” SOCIALLY, HE SAYS, IS “A KEY THAT UNLOCKS A FURTHER ELEMENT OF TST.” THERE’S NOTHG EARTH-SHATTERG ABOUT THIS—’S WHAT EVERY STUTN DO—BUT “THE CHURCH HAS A LOT MORE EXPERIENCE AND PRACTICE AT PROTECTG SELF. AS FAR AS THAT GO,” HE SAYS, WH A NOD TO COLE PORTER, “THEY’RE THE TOPS.”WHEN THIS FORMER PRIT BEGAN HIS TN ROME, A PROFSOR TOLD HIM, “THERE SHOULDN’T BE A SUBCULTURE. WE ARE ALL MALE HERE, SO ’S APPROPRIATE TO SAY ‘HER’ OR TO REFER TO OTHER MEN WH FEME PRONOUNS.” THE FORMER PRIT SAYS THAT “NONE OF THIS STCTN WAS ABOUT OUR BEHAVR. IT WAS ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD APPEAR.” HE BELIEV THAT SUCH STCTN ILLTRAT A LTLE-NOTED CHANGE OFFICIAL THKG ABOUT CATHOLIC INTY, AND WHAT SHOULD BE AT S CENTER. “THE SYMBOLS OF THE CHURCH SHOULD BE THE SACRAMENTS,” SUCH AS THE EUCHARIST, HE ARGU, BUT OVER TIME THE PEOPLE WHO ADMISTER THE SACRAMENTS HAVE E TO DISPLACE THEM PROMENCE. IN OTHER WORDS, “THE PRITS BEE THE SYMBOLS” THAT ARE EMED MOST IMPORTANT. WHICH TURN PUTS A PREMIUM ON OUTWARD APPEARANCE AND ENFORC NFORMY TO A CERTA OFFICIAL IAL. THE CHURCH, THEREFORE, IS CREASGLY PREOCCUPIED WH MAKG SURE S LEARS ARE GROOMED OM AMONG “BOYS WHO LOOK HOLY: PLAYG DRS-UP AT THE AMERIN COLLEGE AND GOG DOWN TO PIAZZA NAVONA AT NE P.M. TO SAY THEIR BREVIARI.” SACRAMENTS AND LURGY, THE FORMER PRIT SAYS, ARE “THE KERNEL OF WHAT MAK THE CHURCH IMPORTANT. THIS IS WHAT MAK POWERFUL. NOT THE PROTECTN OF MEDIEVAL STUTNS.”YET THE CHURCH, AS ITALIAN SOCIETY, ’S OFTEN THE SE THAT RIGHT APPEARANCE—LA BELLA FIGURA—IS ALL. IN EVERY TAIL, PARTI CELEBRATG APPOTMENT TO THE VATIN AND OTHER HIGH CHURCH OFFIC N BE LAVISH—“LIKE A POSH GIRL’S WEDDG”—WH MANY CLERICS ATTENDANCE BEG “GAY MEN WEARG EVERYTHG HANDMA, PERFECT, QUEER AS ,” OBSERV ONE PROMENT FIGURE THE ROMAN ART WORLD. BUT LA BELLA FIGURA MATTERS JT AS MUCH AT ORDARY MOMENTS. ESPECIALLY FOR CLERICS WHO BREAK THE VOW OF CELIBACY, IS CCIAL TO KEEP UP APPEARANC THE NORMAL URSE OF LIFE.GAY SNAS ARE GOOD PLAC TO MEET OTHER GAY PRITS AND MONKS. THE BT TIM TO FD CLERICS AT THE SNAS ARE LATE AFTERNOON OR EVENG ON THURSDAYS (WHEN PONTIFIL UNIVERSI HAVE NO CLASS) OR SUNDAYS (AFTER MASS). SOME GAY CELIBATE CLERICS E THE SNAS NOT FOR SEX BUT TO EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF FELLOWSHIP WH OTHERS LIKE THEMSELV. ONE LLS HIS SNA VISS “SOMETHG TO NFIRM MYSELF AS I AM.” (ROME HAS FEW GAY BARS, AND JOHN MOSS, THE AMERIN OWNER OF THE LARGT AND OLST ONE, THE HANGAR, SAYS THAT THE RISE OF INTER CISG, BED WH THE VATIN’S CRACKDOWN ON GAY PRITS, HAS CIMATED HIS GAY CLERIL CLIENTELE. “THERE ED TO BE SO MANY SEMARIANS—SUCH BETIFUL MEN—WHO ME TO THE BAR, AND WE WOULD EVEN GET HIRED TO TAKE PARTI TO THEM SOME OF THE RELIG HO. NOW THERE’S NOBODY.”)ONCE YOU MAKE A NNECTN, ’S POSSIBLE TO E YOUR MONASTERY CELL FOR SEXUAL ASSIGNATNS, AS LONG AS YOU DON’T MAKE MUCH NOISE. “YOU N SNEAK PEOPLE , NO PROBLEM,” ONE GAY MONK SAYS, “BUT TRY TO AVOID NSISTENT PATTERNS OF MOVEMENT.” IN OTHER WORDS, DON’T VE A GUY OVER ON THE SAME DAY OF THE WEEK, OR AT THE SAME TIME OF DAY, VERY OFTEN. THAT SAID, “NO ONE HAS SEX” WH OTHER RINTS OF HIS OWN MONASTERY, A FORMER MONK TOLD ME, “BEE IS LIKE A BIG BROTHER HOE. EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYTHG.”THE MORE SENR THE CLERIC, THE MORE LIKELY HE MAY BE TO PLAY LOOSE WH THE L. ONE LEADG VATIN REPORTER (WHO SAYS THAT, AMONG JOURNALISTS ON THE BEAT, THE TWO MOST MON TOPICS FOR GOSSIP ABOUT CHURCH OFFICIALS ARE “WHO’S GAY AND WHO’S ON THE TAKE”) SCRIB THE LOGIC OF SUCH BEHAVR. “EVERYTHG IS PERMTED BEE YOU ARE A PRCE OF THE URT,” HE SAYS. “IF YOU ARE TLY LOYAL AND ENTSTED WH THE HIGHT LEVEL OF RPONSIBILY, THERE HAS TO BE AN EXTRA LIBERTY ATTACHED ORR TO BE ABLE TO PULL OFF.”VOWS OF CELIBACY DON’T SAY ANYTHG ABOUT EYE NDY. SOME CURIA OFFICIALS ARE SAID TO HANDPICK EXTREMELY HANDSOME MEN FOR MENIAL JOBS ORR TO MAKE VATIN CY MORE SCENIC. A LAYMAN I KNOW WHOSE JOB REQUIR EQUENT TRIPS TO THE VATIN ED TO ENJOY FLIRTG WH A MCULAR GO-GO BOY WHO DANCED ON THE BAR AT A GAY NIGHTCLUB ROME. ONE DAY AT THE VATIN, THIS LAYMAN WAS AMAZED TO SEE THE DANCER OUT OF NTEXT, DRSED THE UNIFORM OF A SECURY GUARD. WHEN HE MA TO GREET THE MAN, THE GUARD SIGNALED HIM TO STAY BACK, RAISG A FGER TO HIS LIPS A QUIET “SHHHHH … ”WHERE SILENCE N’T STRICTLY BE KEPT, WORD GAM N PARTMENTALIZE THE TTH. IN THE VATIN OFFICE OF A MONSIGNOR WHO I’D BEEN TOLD MIGHT HAVE SOME FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE NCERNG RECENT GAY SNDALS THE CHURCH, I ASKED, POT-BLANK, “ARE YOU GAY?,” AND HE SERENELY ANSWERED, “NO.” I REPLIED, “I WONR, IF A PRIT IS HOMOSEXUAL—BUT DO NOT PARTICIPATE MASTREAM SECULAR GAY CULTURE—ULD HE SAY THAT HE IS NOT ‘GAY’ AND STILL THK HE’S TELLG THE TTH?” “WHAT AN TERTG QUTN,” THE MONSIGNOR SAID, IMMEDIATELY STANDG UP AND GTURG ME TO THE DOOR. “I’M AAID I DON’T HAVE ANY MORE TIME TO TALK.” HE SISTED ON PERSONALLY WALKG ME OUT OF THE BUILDG, AND AS WE PASSED ALONG A GRAND HALLWAY I REMARKED UPON S BETY. “I DON’T SEE ,” HE REPLIED ARCHLY. “TO ME, OTHER HALLWAYS ARE ‘BETIFUL.’ ” WAS THIS AN NOCENT REMARK, OR A D ANSWER TO MY QUTN? SOMETIM TALKG TO GAY PRITS FEELS LIKE READG STORI BY B.FOR THOSE WHO WANT , ANIZED WORKS N PROVI SOME GROUNDG. A FEW SMALL GROUPS OF GAY CATHOLICS ROME OPERATE PUBLICLY, BUT BEE ANYONE N E TO THEIR MEETGS, N BE RISKY FOR PRITS, PECIALLY VATIN OFFICIALS, TO BE PART OF THEM. ONE PRIVATE GROUP OF ABOUT 50 GAY PRITS AND LAYMEN MEETS ONCE A YEAR, FOR A KD OF RETREAT. A VATIN PRIT I MET WH—HE ACTUALLY VED ME TO STOP BY HIS OFFICE NEAR ST. PETER’S BEE HE SAID HE WANTED “TO SHOW THAT THIS IS NO SECRET,” THOUGH ’S SECRET ENOUGH THAT HE N’T BE NAMED—IS VOLVED WH THIS GROUP, AS PART OF AN UNOFFICIAL MISTRY ADDN TO HIS OFFICIAL DUTI. HE SAYS THAT HIS SUPERRS, CLUDG AT LEAST ONE VERY PROMENT VATIN OFFICIAL, HAVE LONG KNOWN HE IS GAY, AND HAVE EVEN PROMOTED HIM SCE LEARNG THAT FACT.YET GAYS THE VATIN, LIKE SPI TELLIGENCE SERVIC, HAB BOX WH BOX. THE PRIT WHO HELPS WH THE GROUP OF 50 RAISED HIS EYEBROWS WHEN I REPEATED TO HIM SOMETHG AN ARCHBISHOP HAD TOLD ME. “I KNOW A PRIT WHO MISTERS TO PEOPLE THE CURIA THAT SUATN,” THE ARCHBISHOP SAID, THOUGH “HE IS NOT ASSIGNED OFFICIALLY.”MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZMEGHAN MARKLE WILL BE JOG PRCE HARRY GERMANY FOR THE INVICT GAMBY ER VANRHOOFTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALBY SAN CASEY“THAT IS NOT ME,” THE PRIT SAID, AMAZED. “I WONR WHO ULD BE.”DON’T ASK, DON’T TELLAS YOU WOULD EXPECT, THE PRIT I MET THE SNA LOOKS RATHER DIFFERENT WH VTMENTS ON. WHEN I WALKED TO CHURCH A FEW DAYS LATER, FOR SUNDAY-MORNG MASS, HE WAS THE CELEBRANT—EVEN THOUGH, WHEN WE MET, HE HAD SAID HE WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE TOWN. MAYBE HIS PLANS HAD CHANGED AGA.HE WAS PREACHG A HOY ON THE GOSPEL READG, THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARAN. THE PRIT TOLD THE NGREGATN THAT THIS STORY WAS A CHALLENGE. A CHALLENGE TO ACCEPT “RISK FAVOR OF PASSN.” A CHALLENGE TO “LOOK MORE EPLY AT ‘WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?’ ” A CHALLENGE TO BE GENERO, UNLIKE “THE RELIG, SPIRUAL PERSON WHO DID NOTHG TO HELP.” LISTENG TO THE WORDS, I ULD NOT HELP BUT WONR: WHERE, THAT PARABLE, DO THIS PRIT SEE HIMSELF?FROM THE DAY AFTER THE NCLAVE END—WHEN FRANCIS WENT BACK TO HIS HOTEL AND PERSONALLY CHECKED OUT, PAID HIS BILL, AND PICKED UP HIS SUSE—THE NEW POPE HAS SURPRISED PEOPLE WH HIS ACTNS. DURG HOLY WEEK, HE WENT TO A JUVENILE PRISON AND WASHED THE FEET OF MAT, CLUDG TWO GIRLS AND TWO MLIMS. ONE MORNG, HE REPORTEDLY MA A SANDWICH FOR THE SWISS GUARD WHO HAD STOOD SENTEL OUTSI HIS ROOM ALL NIGHT. HE VED 200 HOMELS PEOPLE FOR DNER THE VATIN GARNS.FRANCIS HAS ALSO SAID SOME THGS THAT, OM A POPE’S MOUTH, SEEM EXTRAORDARY SIMPLY BEE THEY ARE SO DOWN TO EARTH—LIKE HIS CHOICE TO END ONE HOY WH THE UNTRADNAL EXHORTATN “HAVE A GOOD LUNCH!” YET THE FIRST TIME THIS POPE’S WORDS, RATHER THAN HIS ACTNS, MA SIGNIFINT HEADL WAS NNECTN WH HIS MENTS ABOUT THE “GAY LOBBY.”AS NOTED, THE PHRASE FIRST GAED CURRENCY BEFORE FRANCIS ME ON THE SCENE, BUT RETURNED TO PUBLIC DISCSN JT AS HE GOT SER ABOUT WHAT MAY BE A HALLMARK OF HIS PAPACY: A CLEANUP OF VATIN RPTN. THE SPE OF HIS NCERN ABOUT ABE OF POWER SEEMS TOTAL. HE IS REFORMG EVERYTHG OM THE VATIN BANK’S BOOKKEEPG TO THE NTENTS OF THE PAPAL WARDROBE.FOR A LONG TIME, GAY PRITS HAVE MA FOR NVENIENT SPEGOATS AND HANDY PAWNS CHURCH POWER GAM. ALL OF THEM, WHETHER ACTIVELY OR PASSIVELY, HAVE HELPED CREATE THE ROL FOR THEMSELV, AND THEY N HARDLY IMAGE A DIFFERENT REALY—UNLS THEY WERE TO EMERGE OM THE CLOSET AND GET THROWN OUT OF THE PRITHOOD. ONE MONK TOLD ME, “A LOT OF WILL NOT NMN. BUT NOT SPEAK OUT. WE’RE A SYSTEM THAT NTROLS . THE LONGER YOU’RE , THE MORE NTROLS, THE MORE YOU ASSUME THE CLERIL POSN.” THEY KEEP HOPE SMALL, OR SNUFF ENTIRELY. THEY BELIEVE THAT NOTHG AND NO ONE ULD MAKE THE CHURCH SAFE FOR THEM. MIGHT THIS CHANGE? “NOT MY LIFETIME,” THEY ALL SAY.YET, BEFORE HE BEME FRANCIS, JE BERGOGL WAS A JU. AS *NATNAL CATHOLIC REPORTER’*S JOHN ALLEN, THE AN OF THE AMERIN VATIN-WATCHERS, TOLD ME, “THERE’S A KD OF CATHOLIC VERSN OF ‘DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL’ THAT THE JUS WOULD BE PARTICULARLY NOTED FOR. THERE ARE GUYS THE JU WORLD THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS ARE GAY, BUT THEY DON’T GO AROUND MAKG A BIG AL OUT OF .” WHILE POPE BENEDICT’S VATIN ATTEMPTED TO MAKE SURE GAYS KNEW THEY WERE UNWELE THE PRITHOOD, THE JUS VELOPED A REPUTATN FOR TOLERATG AND EVEN PROTECTG THEIR GAY BRETHREN.IN THE LLEGIAL JU SPIR, FRANCIS APPOTED EIGHT RDALS TO SERVE AS HIS RE ADVISERS ON SIGNIFINT ISSU, AND THE G YEARS, THIS GROUP MAY HAVE AS MUCH FLUENCE ON THE SUATN OF GAYS THE PRITHOOD AS FRANCIS HIMSELF. WHEN I ASKED AN ARCHBISHOP HOW HE THKS THE RDALS’ NVERSATN ABOUT THEIR GAY BROTHERS WILL GO, HE ANSWERED WH REFERENCE NOT TO THE HOLY SPIR BUT TO THE GOD OF FORTUNE. “RIGHT NOW THE SURT THG I N SAY IS THAT THERE’S CHANGE THE AIR,” HE SAID. “IF YOU ULD SAY WHAT WILL HAPPEN, YOU ULD SAY WHO’D W THE LOTTERY.”THE NEXT TIME I HEARD MENTN OF A LOTTERY WAS A FEW DAYS LATER, AT DNER WH A GAY MONK WHO TOLD ME THAT HE HAD RECENTLY FALLEN LOVE FOR THE FIRST TIME, WH A MAN. “AM I A CLERIL HYPOCRE? I GUS ONE WAY I AM,” HE SAID, THE MIDDLE OF A LONG AND EMOTNAL NARRATIVE, BEFORE BRGG THE NVERSATN TO BEDROCK REALY. “BUT I’M OVER 60. I HAVE NOTHG FANCIALLY. I N’T LEAVE.” AND THEN HE SAID, “IF I WON THE POWERBALL LOTTO, I WOULD LEAVE.”NOTE: AN ALTERATN WAS MA THE PASSAGE ABOUT MAR POLI’S LA CONFSNE, REPUBLISHED AS IO, PRETE GAY, ORR TO GIVE A MORE ACCURATE SCRIPTN OF THE BOOK.MICHAEL JOSEPH GROSS
”‘I kept my inty separate’Richard Eaton talks about beg a gay man mid-century St.
Several people who aren’t the home movi n ttify to what was like to be gay mid-century St.