‘Barbie’: Ken Has Never Been Barbie’s Boyiend. He’s Her Gay BFF.

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• KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT
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• THE CHILLG CONFSNS OF A COP TURNED SERIAL KILLER OF GAY MENTHE FACE OF EVILHARRY DEMPSTER/DAILY EXPRS/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTYTHE NETFLIX DOC “MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP” NTAS CREEPY TERVIEWS WH DENNIS NILSEN, A MADMAN WHO ADMTED TO KILLG 15 RENT BOYS OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERD.NICK SCHAGERENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED AUG. 17, 2021 5:42AM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 17, 2021 5:01AM EDT KILLERS DON’T LIKE TO GET UGHT, BUT ONCE CTODY, THEY SURE DO LIKE TO TALK, AS EVINCED BY A RAFT OF TE-CRIME EFFORTS—CONVERSATNS WH A KILLER: THE TED BUNDY TAP, CONONTG A SERIAL KILLER, THE CONFSN KILLER, THE SONS OF SAM: A DCENT INTO DARKNS AND ELIZE MATSUNAGA: ONCE UPON A CRIME, AMONG OTHERS—CENTERED AROUND TAPED NVERSATNS WH NOTOR FIENDS. TO THAT LIST ONE N NOW ADD MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP, A NON-FICTN FILM WHOSE PRIMARY DRAW IS A RAFT OF PERSONAL RERDGS MA BY DENNIS NILSEN, THE STTISH MADMAN WHO TERRORIZED LONDON DURG THE 1980S, AND WHOSE KILLG SPREE, AND ATTEMPT TO AVOID RCERATN, WAS RECENTLY IMMORTALIZED BY A SUNDANCE NOW DRAMATIC SERI STARRG DAVID TENNANT.HELMED BY FIRST-TIME DIRECTOR MICHAEL HARTE, WHO’S PREVLY EDED DON’T F**K WH CATS: HUNTG AN INTER KILLER AS WELL AS THREE INTIL STRANGERS, MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP (AUG. 18, ON NETFLIX) BEGS WH NILSEN SLAMMG THE NOTN THAT HE LIBERATELY SOUGHT IMMORTALY, AS WAS CLAIMED BY A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE THAT SURMISED HE HAD A HUNGER FOR THE SPOTLIGHT OM THE HANNIBAL LECTER POSTER HANGG HIS JAIL CELL. NILSEN’S PROTTS, HOWEVER, DON’T JIBE WH THE MANY D TAP HE MA WHILE PRISON. INTEND TO FORM THE FOUNDATN OF HIS TOBGRAPHY (SELF AN ATTENTN-URTG VANY PROJECT), THE RERDGS FD THE MURRER EXPOUNDG ON HIS LIFE AND CIRCUMSTANC WH AN ELOQUENCE THAT REEKS OF AFFECTED SMUGNS—A QUALY THAT’S ALSO TE OF HIS EVERYMAN SCHTICK, AS IF ANYONE WOULD BUY FOR A SEND THAT, BEE OF HIS ORDARY APPEARANCE AND MEANOR, HE WASN’T A DANGERO PREDATOR. THERE’S NO NYG THAT NILSEN’S NONSCRIPT EXTERR—LANKY AME, GLASS, SCHOOLBOY HAIRCUT—WAS PART OF WHAT MA HIM SUCH A MABRE SPECTACLE. LIKE TED BUNDY BEFORE HIM AND JEFEY DAHMER AFTER, NILSEN DIDN’T F THE TYPIL HOMICIDAL-MANIAC PROFILE (HE HAD EVEN SERVED, FOR A TIME, AS A POLICE OFFICER). NOHELS, HE WAS AS LD-BLOOD AS THEY E, A RAGG SOCPATH WHO ADMTED TO KILLG 15 MEN DURG A FIVE-YEAR SPAN OM 1978-1983, AND WHO WAS ONLY UGHT WHEN AN ENGEER WAS LLED TO FIX A CLOGGED DRA AT HIS CRANLEY GARNS APARTMENT PLEX NORTH LONDON, AND DISVERED THAT THE E OF THE BACK-UP WAS AN ENORMO AMOUNT OF HUMAN FLH AND BONE. NEIGHBORS CLAIMED THAT THEY’D SEEN NILSEN NEAR THAT DRA AROUND MIDNIGHT THE PREV EVENG, AND WHEN HE RETURNED HOME OM HIS JOB AT THE LOL JOB CENTRE, HE LED VTIGATORS TO HIS FLAT, WHERE THE STENCH WAS FETID THANKS TO TWO GIANT GARBAGE BAGS THAT, HE NFSED, NTAED THE REMAS OF NUMERO VICTIMS.THE TAILS THAT SOON EMERGED WERE GRISLY. NILSEN’S MOD OPERANDI VOLVED PICKG UP MALE DRIFTERS AND “RENT BOYS” AND BRGG THEM BACK TO HIS HOME, WHERE HE’D KILL THEM. AT CRANLEY GARNS, THE DRA PIPE WAS A CENTRAL MEANS OF BODY DISPOSAL, WHEREAS AT HIS PRR RINCE AT 195 MELROSE AVENUE HE’D STASHED RPS BENEATH THE FLOORBOARDS—AND BURNED THEIR BODI BONFIR A REAR GARN—UNTIL HE RAN OUT OF SPACE AND HAD TO MOVE. THIS RMATN, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT NILSEN WAS GAY AND OFTEN PREYED UPON HOMOSEXUAL MEN, BEME PRIME FODR FOR THE MEDIA, AND BBC RRPONNT BILL HATON IS ONE OF MULTIPLE TERVIEWE TO STATE, MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP, THAT HE GOT A SENSATNALISTIC THRILL OUT OF LEARNG ABOUT NILSEN’S HORRIFIC CRIM. NILSEN DON’T REALLY DISCS THE PARTICULARS OF HIS GOME PASTIME; HIS THOUGHTS ON THAT SUBJECT ARE NVEYED BY DIRECTOR HARTE VIA TRANSCRIBED MENTARY, AND POLICE AND URT RERDS PRENTED AS TYPEWRER TEXT. WH REGARD TO HIS NOTORIETY, HOWEVER, HE DO STATE THAT “A CLEARLY PREJUDICED PICTURE HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO FORM THE PUBLIC’S MD, EVEN BEFORE I WAS CHARGED WH ANY FENSE, GIVG THE MEDIA FULL LATU TO K THEIR PROPERTY. THIS ALLOWED THE IMAGE OF MONSTROSY TO TAKE FULL FLIGHT, TO WHET THE PROFABLE PUBLIC IMAGATN.” HE’S TECHNILLY RRECT THIS ASSSMENT. YET MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP MAK CLEAR THAT HIS FAMO REPUTATN WAS WELL-EARNED, AND LISTENG TO HIM ARROGANTLY PRATTLE ON THIS WAY PROV LS UNNERVG THAN SIMPLY FURIATG.NILSEN’S SIRE TO P THE BLAME FOR HIS NDUCT ON AN UNRG MOTHER AND A PEDOPHILIC GRANDFATHER MIGHT BE MORE CREDIBLE IF NOT FOR HIS WHOLALE DUPLICY AND UNTSTWORTHS, AND MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP WISELY DON’T BUY EVERYTHG THE KILLER PEDDL. THROUGH TERVIEWS WH VTIGATORS, JOURNALISTS, FAY MEMBERS OF HIS VICTIMS AND ONE MAN, MARTYN, WHO NARROWLY PED HIS CLUTCH, EXPLAS HOW NILSEN EXPLOED 1980S LONDON’S RAMPANT HOMOPHOBIA ORR TO GET AWAY WH HIS HEO CRIM. REGNIZG THAT NO ONE WOULD MISS HIS YOUTHFUL DOWN-AND-OUT TARGETS, AND THAT HOMOSEXUAL MEN PARTICULAR WOULD BE APT TO STAY SILENT OUT OF FEAR OF PUBLIC REPRISALS FOR THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN, NILSEN LIBERATELY WENT AFTER SOCIETY’S MOST HELPLS AND MARGALIZED, AND HIS ABILY TO REMA UNTECTED FOR AS LONG AS HE DID IS A POWERFUL DICTMENT OF THE CLIMATE OF THE ERA. “NILSEN LIBERATELY WENT AFTER SOCIETY’S MOST HELPLS AND MARGALIZED, AND HIS ABILY TO REMA UNTECTED FOR AS LONG AS HE DID IS A POWERFUL DICTMENT OF THE CLIMATE OF THE ERA.” DIRECTOR HARTE SKIMS OVER SOME OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF NILSEN’S SAGA, AND HE MOSTLY KEEPS NILSEN’S FACE OFF-SCREEN DURG MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP. THANKFULLY, THE LONGER HIS DOCUMENTARY PROCEEDS, THE LS ONE ALSO HAS TO HEAR OM THE KILLER. COMPRISED OF THE UAL ARRAY OF ARCHIVAL TV NEWS BROADSTS, TEXTUAL GRAPHICS, IMAG OF D TAP, AND TALKG-HEAD TERVIEWS—WHICH ARE NDUCTED DIMLY-L ROOMS WHERE THE PAT IS OFTEN PEELG OFF THE WALL, FOR CREEPY ATMOSPHERIC EFFECT—THE FILM ISN’T TERTED BREAKG NEW FORMAL GROUND. STILL, AS WH SO MANY OF S STREAMG-SERVICE TE-CRIME BRETHREN, S NVENTNAL ATHETIC APPROACH ALLOWS TO ACHIEVE S FUNCTNAL ENDS.BETTER IS THAT DIRECTOR HARTE GIV VOICE TO THOSE WHO WERE VICTIMIZED, BOTH DIRECTLY BY NILSEN AND DIRECTLY BY A BRISH CULTURE THAT TOLD THEM THEY HAD NO WORTH, THAT THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEIR HERENT NATURE, AND THAT THEY EHER WEREN’T VICTIMS AT ALL OR GOT WHAT THEY SERVED. IN THOSE PASSAG, MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP BE A PORTRA OF AN EVIL DIVIDUAL AND A CRIQUE OF THE LARGER ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWED HIM TO FLOURISH. NICK SCHAGER
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KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT

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

Outsi lebacker Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player to e out as gay and to play a game 2021.The Associated Prs ntributed to this report.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ACH OUT AS GAY

"Ted Lasso, an Apple TV+ show centerg around the tular character (Jason Suikis), an Amerin llege football ach who is hired to ach an English Premier League soccer team, AFC Richmond, even though he has no experience, has jt troduced s first gay until now, this progrsive seri has yet to feature an out character. Their openns has also been met wh overwhelmg support and celebratn, for the most UK not that there are around 550 active players the Premier League, which mak statistilly likely that at least one player is gay.

Although England as a whole has changed support of gay rights, the Ted Lasso storyle uld be settg up an openly gay footballer the fictnal Premier League to hopefully fluence the real episos of Ted Lasso stream on Apple TV+ every Lasso — Season 3 Official Trailer | Apple TV+All roads have led to this.

Per Outsports, as of September 2022, there have only ever been 16 players NFL history to publicly e out as gay or bisexual. Per Outsports, Maxen is the “first publicly out male ach a major Amerin men’s pro sports league,” wh WNBA ach Curt Miller, who publicly me out to the media as gay 2015, also a publicly out male ach an Amerin profsnal sports league. Bravo's origal Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was a groundbreakg realy seri for Amerin first eratn of Queer Eye premiered July 2003 and featured five gay men who were experts their given fields.

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

The origal st nsisted of Carson Krsley (the "fashn savant"), Jai Rodriguez (the "culture vulture"), Kyan Douglas (the "the groomg gu"), Ted Allen (the "food and we nnoissr"), and Thom Filicia (the "sign doctor") many ways, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was one of the first popular realy seri to troduce several different typ of gay men to mastream dienc.

For a untry that still wrtled wh acceptg LGBTQ+ people, the OG Queer Eye for the Straight Guy show proved that hetero guys had no reason to feel threatened if they hung out wh gay men — and they may even be able to learn a thg or two om 2018, Netflix rebooted the show wh a slightly tweaked tle, Queer Eye. " In this humoro talk, Lloyd explor the trici of social "verg" as a gay man, fdg muny and the importance of inty owners...

THE CHILLG CONFSNS OF A COP TURNED SERIAL KILLER OF GAY MENTHE FACE OF EVILHARRY DEMPSTER/DAILY EXPRS/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTYTHE NETFLIX DOC “MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP” NTAS CREEPY TERVIEWS WH DENNIS NILSEN, A MADMAN WHO ADMTED TO KILLG 15 RENT BOYS OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERD.NICK SCHAGERENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED AUG. 17, 2021 5:42AM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 17, 2021 5:01AM EDT KILLERS DON’T LIKE TO GET UGHT, BUT ONCE CTODY, THEY SURE DO LIKE TO TALK, AS EVINCED BY A RAFT OF TE-CRIME EFFORTS—CONVERSATNS WH A KILLER: THE TED BUNDY TAP, CONONTG A SERIAL KILLER, THE CONFSN KILLER, THE SONS OF SAM: A DCENT INTO DARKNS AND ELIZE MATSUNAGA: ONCE UPON A CRIME, AMONG OTHERS—CENTERED AROUND TAPED NVERSATNS WH NOTOR FIENDS. TO THAT LIST ONE N NOW ADD MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP, A NON-FICTN FILM WHOSE PRIMARY DRAW IS A RAFT OF PERSONAL RERDGS MA BY DENNIS NILSEN, THE STTISH MADMAN WHO TERRORIZED LONDON DURG THE 1980S, AND WHOSE KILLG SPREE, AND ATTEMPT TO AVOID RCERATN, WAS RECENTLY IMMORTALIZED BY A SUNDANCE NOW DRAMATIC SERI STARRG DAVID TENNANT.HELMED BY FIRST-TIME DIRECTOR MICHAEL HARTE, WHO’S PREVLY EDED DON’T F**K WH CATS: HUNTG AN INTER KILLER AS WELL AS THREE INTIL STRANGERS, MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP (AUG. 18, ON NETFLIX) BEGS WH NILSEN SLAMMG THE NOTN THAT HE LIBERATELY SOUGHT IMMORTALY, AS WAS CLAIMED BY A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE THAT SURMISED HE HAD A HUNGER FOR THE SPOTLIGHT OM THE HANNIBAL LECTER POSTER HANGG HIS JAIL CELL. NILSEN’S PROTTS, HOWEVER, DON’T JIBE WH THE MANY D TAP HE MA WHILE PRISON. INTEND TO FORM THE FOUNDATN OF HIS TOBGRAPHY (SELF AN ATTENTN-URTG VANY PROJECT), THE RERDGS FD THE MURRER EXPOUNDG ON HIS LIFE AND CIRCUMSTANC WH AN ELOQUENCE THAT REEKS OF AFFECTED SMUGNS—A QUALY THAT’S ALSO TE OF HIS EVERYMAN SCHTICK, AS IF ANYONE WOULD BUY FOR A SEND THAT, BEE OF HIS ORDARY APPEARANCE AND MEANOR, HE WASN’T A DANGERO PREDATOR. THERE’S NO NYG THAT NILSEN’S NONSCRIPT EXTERR—LANKY AME, GLASS, SCHOOLBOY HAIRCUT—WAS PART OF WHAT MA HIM SUCH A MABRE SPECTACLE. LIKE TED BUNDY BEFORE HIM AND JEFEY DAHMER AFTER, NILSEN DIDN’T F THE TYPIL HOMICIDAL-MANIAC PROFILE (HE HAD EVEN SERVED, FOR A TIME, AS A POLICE OFFICER). NOHELS, HE WAS AS LD-BLOOD AS THEY E, A RAGG SOCPATH WHO ADMTED TO KILLG 15 MEN DURG A FIVE-YEAR SPAN OM 1978-1983, AND WHO WAS ONLY UGHT WHEN AN ENGEER WAS LLED TO FIX A CLOGGED DRA AT HIS CRANLEY GARNS APARTMENT PLEX NORTH LONDON, AND DISVERED THAT THE E OF THE BACK-UP WAS AN ENORMO AMOUNT OF HUMAN FLH AND BONE. NEIGHBORS CLAIMED THAT THEY’D SEEN NILSEN NEAR THAT DRA AROUND MIDNIGHT THE PREV EVENG, AND WHEN HE RETURNED HOME OM HIS JOB AT THE LOL JOB CENTRE, HE LED VTIGATORS TO HIS FLAT, WHERE THE STENCH WAS FETID THANKS TO TWO GIANT GARBAGE BAGS THAT, HE NFSED, NTAED THE REMAS OF NUMERO VICTIMS.THE TAILS THAT SOON EMERGED WERE GRISLY. NILSEN’S MOD OPERANDI VOLVED PICKG UP MALE DRIFTERS AND “RENT BOYS” AND BRGG THEM BACK TO HIS HOME, WHERE HE’D KILL THEM. AT CRANLEY GARNS, THE DRA PIPE WAS A CENTRAL MEANS OF BODY DISPOSAL, WHEREAS AT HIS PRR RINCE AT 195 MELROSE AVENUE HE’D STASHED RPS BENEATH THE FLOORBOARDS—AND BURNED THEIR BODI BONFIR A REAR GARN—UNTIL HE RAN OUT OF SPACE AND HAD TO MOVE. THIS RMATN, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT NILSEN WAS GAY AND OFTEN PREYED UPON HOMOSEXUAL MEN, BEME PRIME FODR FOR THE MEDIA, AND BBC RRPONNT BILL HATON IS ONE OF MULTIPLE TERVIEWE TO STATE, MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP, THAT HE GOT A SENSATNALISTIC THRILL OUT OF LEARNG ABOUT NILSEN’S HORRIFIC CRIM. NILSEN DON’T REALLY DISCS THE PARTICULARS OF HIS GOME PASTIME; HIS THOUGHTS ON THAT SUBJECT ARE NVEYED BY DIRECTOR HARTE VIA TRANSCRIBED MENTARY, AND POLICE AND URT RERDS PRENTED AS TYPEWRER TEXT. WH REGARD TO HIS NOTORIETY, HOWEVER, HE DO STATE THAT “A CLEARLY PREJUDICED PICTURE HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO FORM THE PUBLIC’S MD, EVEN BEFORE I WAS CHARGED WH ANY FENSE, GIVG THE MEDIA FULL LATU TO K THEIR PROPERTY. THIS ALLOWED THE IMAGE OF MONSTROSY TO TAKE FULL FLIGHT, TO WHET THE PROFABLE PUBLIC IMAGATN.” HE’S TECHNILLY RRECT THIS ASSSMENT. YET MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP MAK CLEAR THAT HIS FAMO REPUTATN WAS WELL-EARNED, AND LISTENG TO HIM ARROGANTLY PRATTLE ON THIS WAY PROV LS UNNERVG THAN SIMPLY FURIATG.NILSEN’S SIRE TO P THE BLAME FOR HIS NDUCT ON AN UNRG MOTHER AND A PEDOPHILIC GRANDFATHER MIGHT BE MORE CREDIBLE IF NOT FOR HIS WHOLALE DUPLICY AND UNTSTWORTHS, AND MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP WISELY DON’T BUY EVERYTHG THE KILLER PEDDL. THROUGH TERVIEWS WH VTIGATORS, JOURNALISTS, FAY MEMBERS OF HIS VICTIMS AND ONE MAN, MARTYN, WHO NARROWLY PED HIS CLUTCH, EXPLAS HOW NILSEN EXPLOED 1980S LONDON’S RAMPANT HOMOPHOBIA ORR TO GET AWAY WH HIS HEO CRIM. REGNIZG THAT NO ONE WOULD MISS HIS YOUTHFUL DOWN-AND-OUT TARGETS, AND THAT HOMOSEXUAL MEN PARTICULAR WOULD BE APT TO STAY SILENT OUT OF FEAR OF PUBLIC REPRISALS FOR THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN, NILSEN LIBERATELY WENT AFTER SOCIETY’S MOST HELPLS AND MARGALIZED, AND HIS ABILY TO REMA UNTECTED FOR AS LONG AS HE DID IS A POWERFUL DICTMENT OF THE CLIMATE OF THE ERA. “NILSEN LIBERATELY WENT AFTER SOCIETY’S MOST HELPLS AND MARGALIZED, AND HIS ABILY TO REMA UNTECTED FOR AS LONG AS HE DID IS A POWERFUL DICTMENT OF THE CLIMATE OF THE ERA.” DIRECTOR HARTE SKIMS OVER SOME OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF NILSEN’S SAGA, AND HE MOSTLY KEEPS NILSEN’S FACE OFF-SCREEN DURG MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP. THANKFULLY, THE LONGER HIS DOCUMENTARY PROCEEDS, THE LS ONE ALSO HAS TO HEAR OM THE KILLER. COMPRISED OF THE UAL ARRAY OF ARCHIVAL TV NEWS BROADSTS, TEXTUAL GRAPHICS, IMAG OF D TAP, AND TALKG-HEAD TERVIEWS—WHICH ARE NDUCTED DIMLY-L ROOMS WHERE THE PAT IS OFTEN PEELG OFF THE WALL, FOR CREEPY ATMOSPHERIC EFFECT—THE FILM ISN’T TERTED BREAKG NEW FORMAL GROUND. STILL, AS WH SO MANY OF S STREAMG-SERVICE TE-CRIME BRETHREN, S NVENTNAL ATHETIC APPROACH ALLOWS TO ACHIEVE S FUNCTNAL ENDS.BETTER IS THAT DIRECTOR HARTE GIV VOICE TO THOSE WHO WERE VICTIMIZED, BOTH DIRECTLY BY NILSEN AND DIRECTLY BY A BRISH CULTURE THAT TOLD THEM THEY HAD NO WORTH, THAT THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEIR HERENT NATURE, AND THAT THEY EHER WEREN’T VICTIMS AT ALL OR GOT WHAT THEY SERVED. IN THOSE PASSAG, MEMORI OF A MURRER: THE NILSEN TAP BE A PORTRA OF AN EVIL DIVIDUAL AND A CRIQUE OF THE LARGER ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWED HIM TO FLOURISH. NICK SCHAGER

iO Tillett Wright has photographed 2, 000 people who nsir themselv somewhere on the LGBTQ spectm -- and asked many of them: Can you assign a percentage to how gay or straight you are? As a gay uple San Francis, Jenni Chang and Lisa Dazols had a relatively easy time livg the way they wanted.

They set off on a world tour search of "Supergays, " LGBT people who were dog somethg extraordary the world.

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

When wrer Roxane Gay dubbed herself a "bad femist, " she was makg a joke, acknowledgg that she uldn't possibly live up to the mands for perfectn of the femist movement. As a member of both the Ain Amerin and LGBT muni, filmmaker Yoba Richen is fascated wh the overlaps and tensns between the gay rights and the civil rights movements.

TED CZ IS GUT OF TWO GAY BSMEN

Bisexual men are perceived to sound more mascule than men who are straight, acrdg to a study of Atralian subjects.Amics at the Universy of Sydney pared the voic of gay, straight and bisexual men a study volvg 160 people.In the rearch led by clil psychologist Jam Morandi, people were reced to analyse the voic of 60 men, 20 of whom were gay, 20 straight and 20 bisexual.

They were then asked to rate the men on their sexual orientatn g a sle om zero (exclively heterosexual) to 10 (exclively homosexual).Listeners were also asked to rate each man’s perceived level of femy or masculy the voic on a siar sle.The men volved the study were asked to rerd themselv on a smartphone recg the first two l of the Atralian natnal anthem.Voice sampl were then modified to remove any background noise while volume levels were ma the same to ensure nsistency.Rults om the study showed listeners uld distguish between gay and straight men’s voic wh an accuracy of 62 per cent, apparently nsistent wh prev rearch.However, the study participants uld not terme any differenc between bisexual and straight men’s voic wh any gree of accuracy. The thors said their rearch showed bisexual men’s voic were perceived as beg more exclively attracted to women pared wh both gay and straight men’s voic.Bisexual men’s voic were rated as more mascule than both gay and straight men’s voic.Rearchers claimed the abily to intify a man’s bisexual inty om his voice alone uld have cril social implitns such as helpg to rce feelgs of alienatn.‘Voice may unter visibily many bisexuals feel’An abstract of the study, tled Can listeners tect if a man is bisexual om his voice alone, reads: “The prent study examed whether bisexual men n be intified om their voic ak to how gay men n be intified on their voice alone.“If this is the se, voice may be an important target of discrimatn on the one hand but may also unter the visibily many bisexuals feel (if their bisexual inti n be apprehend by their voice alone, whout explic disclosure required).“The fdgs may also she light on whether bisexual male voic, like gay male voic, differ om straight voic terms of their genr non-nformy – a qutn that to date has not been examed.”But amics noted the rearch was limed on the grounds all men who participated the study are Atralian, which may not be reflected among wir cultur.And the thors nced the study did not ntrol for the rerdg environment or microphone-to-mouth distance, which uld have affected the qualy of the voice sampl.The thors said the fdgs suggted that while the voic of bisexual men the sample were perceived as more mascule and attracted to femal, listeners did not associate this imprsn wh bisexualy.As a rult, while bisexual men may appear to be at lower risk of facg voice-based intifitn and discrimatn than gay men, they may often be mistaken as beg straight.The study was published the Journal of Sex Rearch.

He was at the event he had helped to anise, the UK’s first official Gay Pri, which more than 2, 000 people marched through the pal before holdg a mass kiss-. Organised by the UK branch of the Gay Liberatn Front (GLF), the London march followed the Stonewall rts and first Pri para the US. ”Brown (left) wh Peter Tatchell (right) at the end of Pri March Hy Park, nascent gay liberatn movement was trsilly tertwed wh the civil rights movement for racial jtice, Brown says.

’” Brown was ially stunned at his mother receivg the news wh nothg but love and ncern, but she told him about hearg the speech of the gay civil rights activist Bayard Rt, scribg the civil rights movement as a aln that advoted the liberatn of gays and women, long afterwards, on 22 November 1965, Brown’s mother died. “I was lookg at om the pot of view of when I’m 25, when I’m 30, if I don’t meet anybody, or my younger brother and sister fd out I’m a homosexual, I’ll be alone.

It was 1969 and he still knew no one who was openly gay, but he me across a news report on the Stonewall rts.