Three Friday Rants

Ah, yet another busy week! So that I have at least some content to offer, here’s links to three pieces I found worthwhile.

Anthony Callea: “Young Boys not My Weakness”

Scene: The Logies After-Party. Kate Ceberano starts singing. Anthony Callea, who recently “revealed” he was gay, shyly declines to join her in a rendition of Young Boys Are My Weakness. And fair enough. Everyone knows that Anthony’s real weakness is stocky, heavily-tattooed Latvian leather daddies. Actually I just made that up. But it’ll be interesting to see how far the rumour spreads. [Update: And if you read the comments, you’ll see that’s not the only part which was “made up”.]

The Rowdy Boys Incident

Photo of a complimentary drinks voucher from Arq nightclub’Pong and I are standing on the balcony at Sydney nightclub Arq, looking down at the continuing awards ceremony. Nearby someone asks whether the women currently on stage are “the lesbian singers” he’s seen before.

“What’s a lesbian singer?” I ponder aloud in a stage whisper. “Is that like a horse whisperer?”

’Pong glares, unimpressed. His energy levels are low, he’s not in the mood. My friend Nate, not exactly what you’d call the shy retiring type, has encouraged my heckling of the drag queens hosting the event, and ’Pong and Nate’s boyfriend Chris have both been uncomfortable.

Then another loud stage whisper emerges from a leather-clad bear standing on the other side. “No,” he says, “That would be a fish whisperer.”

The bear’s boyfriend’s eyes catch ’Pong and Chris, “Oh no, here we go again,” they seem to say. Strangers bond, wishing they could disown their partners.

Later, ’Pong takes me aside to explain that he’s exhausted, that he’s having trouble focussing on what he needs to do tonight. He’s trying to make a good impression on important people, and my rowdy mood isn’t appreciated.

And just as he finishes that speech, Nate bounces up my side, eyes wide with child-like excitement, proudly brandishing a bunch of green tickets. “Look! More free drink vouchers!”

Royal Navy’s first ever gay sex

According to that ever-reliable journal, The Sun, fitness instructor Sam Connell is the Royal Navy‘s first ever male trainer to be accused of a sexual liaison with a male recruit. That’s right, the very first. Ever.

Now it just so happens that Mr Connell is a finalist in Mr Gay UK. And while the prize money is only £5000, it strikes me that having his photo in The Sun won’t harm his post-RN career path. A hunky “I was a sailor” fitness instructor should do quite nicely.

And thank you to Richard Watts for keeping his eye on the tabloids. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.