"I can't imagine that Cher didn't know. To me, that is ridiculous. I've known Chastity since she was young, and this girl was a total tomboy. I just assumed she was gay from when she was 5. I can't imagine Cher could be in that kind of denial. But I guess she should talk to my dad."—Jason Gould from a 2001 interview with The Advocate when it was pointed out that Cher was as surprised about her daughter's orientation as Elliott Gould was about his son's.
Well, the election is over. The celebrations have finished. Now what? I'm always skeptical of campaign promises because I realize that it takes more than one man to make a difference. Or does it? Although I have strong opinions about things, it was recently brought to my attention that perhaps sometimes I should have an open mind. My views about GLAAD are relatively well-known with my readers. There was a time when I felt that the powers-that-be at GLAAD were abusing their funding and implied power. And, in the spirit of full disclosure, I tend to abhor any organization that claims to speak for people as a whole.
That said, I was recently at the home of former Logo head honcho Brian Graden for a swanky soirée honoring Wilson Cruz, who is the new strategic giving officer at GLAAD. There was no press at this gathering and I wasn't really invited—I was someone's plus-one. In this little microcosm we call a "community," Wilson is one of very few people I hold in high esteem—someone I respect and admire and who always seems to make decisions for the "right reasons." He spoke eloquently about the "new GLAAD" and how they've gotten back to their roots and have tried to revamp the entire organization from the ground up so that it truly represents our diverse community. I must confess that he touched me. ... I believe it was in the rotunda (always a lovely place to be touched). Seriously, I thought that if Wilson was this passionate about GLAAD, maybe I should re-evaluate my views. After all, any organization is only as good (or bad) as the people running it. GLAAD is awfully lucky to have such a talented and dashing person working so hard on their behalf. And if it is true that one person can make a difference, then maybe Wilson is that person. He's certainly made me consider giving GLAAD another chance.
It will take more than good intentions to help NYC's Ali Forney Center, the organization that provides housing to LGBT youth. The drop-in center was pretty much decimated by Hurricane Sandy, especially since it's about half a block from the Hudson River. Although not a housing location, this center provides food, showers, clothing, medical care, HIV testing and other medical services to these at-risk youths, and they need our help. If you'd like to contribute to a worthwhile community organization in dire straits, please go to www.AliForneyCenter.org .
Not many people have had so many various aspects of their lives documented as Chaz Bono. We've seen him as a precocious little girl, a tomboy teen, a lesbian, a transgender man. We've seen him dancing and singing, fat and thin. After several unsuccessful attempts to lose weight via Celebrity Fit Club (because he's so fit) and Dancing with the Stars, it was clear drastic measures were necessary. Chaz sat down with Dr. Travis Stork on The Doctors to discuss the problem and is now embarking on a medically supervised weight-loss program to try to lose 50-80 lbs. from his 250-lb. frame. (Bono is 5' 5".) "I hope the pressure of doing something publicly will give me more incentive to lose weight," Bono said. Good luck.
Anyone watching the first week of live X Factor shows might have noticed that Khloe Kardashian was a bit ... well, awful. In an effort to thwart speculation that she is completely untalented, word filtered out that there were problems with the TelePrompter. So why didn't it affect co-host Mario Lopez? He hosts Extra every day, so he can handle technical snafus. When Khloe froze, Mario simply jumped in, saying her lines and saved the day. Except that's not how Miss Kardashian saw it. She felt her "performance" (such as it was) was sabotaged and Mario's professionalism made her look bad. If his plan was to have the hosting gig all to himself, it may have worked. Rumor has it that Khloe may be delegated to interviewing contestants off-stage.
Our "Ask Billy" question comes from Howard in Las Vegas: "I really enjoyed Political Animals this summer. What do you know about Sebastian Stan, who plays the gay son? He looks so familiar."
Sebastian was born in Romania and you may recognize him from the short-lived series Kings, where he also played gay. But for me, he's etched in my mind from the homoerotic thriller The Covenant, which also featured Steven Strait, Taylor Kitsch and Toby Hemingway. He also got to work with his "Covenant" co-star Chace Crawford on several episodes of Gossip Girl. But you probably recognize him as the Mad Hatter/Jefferson on Once Upon a Time. In real life, he's been romantically linked to the series star, Jennifer Morrison, just as he was reported to have dated previous co-stars such as Leighton Meester and Dianna Agron. I loved Political Animals, which was created by our own Greg Berlanti, and enjoyed watching Sebastian in a number of compromising positions with some rather hot guys—including Congressman Sean Reeves (shades of Aaron Schrock and his abs), played by David Monahan. Alas, it was just announced that that the USA Network has cancelled the series. But I'll bring you some sexy clips of Sebastian on BillyMasters.com to help ease the pain.
When I'm sad to see ANYTHING political come to an end, it's definitely time to wrap up another column. With Political Animals cancelled, I'm kinda worried about my beloved Hillary making a comeback in 2016 (assuming there is a 2016). One thing you don't have to worry about is getting the latest gossip on www.BillyMasters.com, the site that will survive any disaster. If you've got a question for me, send it along to Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you before The X Factor co-host is billed as Khloe Kardashian-Charvet! Until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.
