A Gossip Guy Finally Gets His Big Gay Kiss

Before smirking, "Do you really think I've never kissed a guy before?" Chuck Bass kissed a boy.

And we liked it. We liked it.

Previously > DWTS: The Nyquil Edition

Chatter: Ming-Na

"I've never played a gay character, and for me that was such an incredible challenge. And I said, "As long as you write her with absolute depth and she's well rounded, and there's no stereotypes, and she's a real person — then yes, let's go for it." Being an Asian woman in this business, I have had to deal with a lot of adversities...So I relate a lot to Camille's character, because I think being a woman who's also gay in an environment where she has to be the head of a department -- she's an IOA officer, head of the human resources department, and she is in charge in a man's world. So it's a really great challenge."

-- Actress Ming-Na on news that she will play Stargate Universe's first openly gay character, Camille.

Previously > Chatter: Lady Gaga

Chatter: Mika Comes Out!

"I've never ever labeled myself. But having said that, I've never limited my life. I've never limited who I sleep with… Call me whatever you want. Call me bisexual, if you need a term for me."

-- Singer Mika finally, officially coming out -- after years of remaining mum on his sexuality -- in Dutch magazine Gay and Night.

Chatter: Seth MacFarlane

"Ultimately, Stewie will be gay or a very unhappy repressed heterosexual. It also explains why he’s so hellbent on killing [his mother, Lois] and taking over the world: He has a lot of aggression, which comes from confusion and uncertainty about his orientation."

-- Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane outing the 1-year-old cartoon character Stewie last week. The brilliant Hadley Freeman responds to the new wave of conservatism rearing its ugly head on Family Guy in a column appearing on The Guardian's website today.

Chatter: Gerard Bulter

"I have been in relationships with women. And men. That doesn’t make me gay. That doesn’t make me straight."

-- Actor Gerard Butler -- star of 300 and The Ugly Truth -- mincing words about his sexuality in a five-year-old interview recently uncovered by Towleroad.

Gene Simmons: Closeting Crusader

Kiss frontman Gene Simmons, in an interview with AOL, recently had this to say about American Idol's Adam Lambert: "If only the world was not homophobic, but it is. I would be the first one to vote for equal rights for gay women and men, and get the church and the state to stop telling everybody how to lead their lives, but do I think he's killed his career? Oh, in an instant. I hope I'm completely wrong. I hope he becomes the next Beatles and proves me wrong."

Simmons started his rounds of staying-in-the-closet promotion a few days earlier with the interview in the video above where he claimed Adam "should shut up about his sexual preferences." Lambert, who snagged the runner-up spot on the latest season of reality singing competition, stayed in the closet throughout the season, finally announcing his sexuality on the cover of Rolling Stone two weeks ago.

Clearly washed up rockers with reality shows on A&E are the authority on all matters of success, but we think Simmons may be a little misguided on this one. Most stars that have come out in recent years (at least the truly talented ones) have found little trouble continuing their careers -- does Ellen DeGeneres ring a bell? Welcome to 2009, Gene. They gays are here, and they're not about to "shut the f*** up."

-- GREGORY MILLER

Previously > Why Adam Lambert Won't Call Us Back

Love Ball: Bringing Gay (back?) To Broadway

In the words of draq queen extraordinaire Chandelier, "There is nothing that makes me want to commit a hate crime more than a million gays on the street. So thank god they are in here." 

On Saturday June 27th, Nokia Theater in Times Square hosted the largest (and most gorgeous) freak show on earth, Love Ball (produced by The Saint At Large). From vogueing reality TV stars to porn legends who recently debuted in the music scene, the all-night affair was a feast for young twinks and elderly bears alike. Though the evening began with an empty dance floor and a full bar, by the midnight hour one could barely navigate the crowd. In one room: Michael Jackson. In the other: remixed Lady Gaga. No matter age, sexual fetishes (which were made known via free hankies handed out by Manhunt.net), or fashion aesthetic, Love Ball burst with positive energy. 

However, the real star of the event were the drag queens. I am not talking about the glamour queens who leave events with smeared lipstick, a broken heel and a cracked voice. These drag queens were the creme de la creme of the ostentatious. When approached, the conversations became more about ice cream than Pride, as many were a little too tired and a little too hungry. Acid Betty swears by "Key Lime Pie by Ciao Bella," while another ranted about her obsession with "Daiquiri Ice" by Baskin Robbins.

Though many mics experienced technical difficulty and some of the men were surprised by the bald scene, Love Ball was an oddly placed event (whoever thought they'd head to Times Square to party? -- besides tourists) complimented by good booze, good jams, and good stories. As T-Rex swooned, "The back room is filled with preps, ladies, birds and queens and of course they all have dicks. Love Ball is nothing short of another queer magazine, but this is ours."

-- COURTNEY NICHOLS

Previously > Out's Guide to Essential Pride Albums

Ricky Martin (sort of) comes out

Photo: Getty Images

Unlike Anderson Cooper, whom everyone knows is gay but we're still dying to hear his hot, breathy confession trip off his gorgeous Vanderbilt lips, no one is waiting for Latin pop superstar of yore, Ricky Martin, to come out.

Not only has he dropped off any kind of radar of relevant pop culture personalities (adopting babies, while fun fodder for Access Hollywood, does not remake or sustain a celebrity career), I think we all just knew there was never really any question about him playing for our team and so his admission is kind of beside the point. Still, whether or not we want (or need) him to come out, he did so in recently interview with the magazine TV Aqui. Martin told the magazine, his heart "could belong to a woman or a man."

We love our bisexual compatriots, and maybe he really does swing both ways, but let's just say we won't be shocked if the slippery sexuality slope has him sliding into full on gay territory at some point in the future. Regardless, Ricky -- if you want to talk it over with someone (or just make out), I'm around.

-- NOAH MICHELSON

Previously > Ferras talks about Adam Lambert's upcoming album