Gay Commercial: Boy Toy from Hyundai

One of our favorite gay videos comes again from France. It's a commercial for Hyundai, aptly titled "Boy Toy." In it, a middle-aged woman is driving around with her obvioulsly much younger boyfriend. As she's pulling up to stop at a light, she recognizes her husband's car. Pulling the passenger seat lever to hide her boyfriend, she pulls up next to her husband, shows him that she's picked up his shirts at the cleaners, and drives off, using the lever to once again bring her cuttie into view.

However, the video then switches to the car of the husband, where we see his hand reaching for his passenger seat's lever, only to raise his own "boy toy" up and into view. Of course the commercial wasn't allowed to air in the U.S., but received acclaim in the European countries in which it was shown...enjoy!

Gay World News Roundup

A lot has happened this week on the world-wide political scene, and for those who've missed them, here's what happened, with critique and comment by My Small Gay World:

U.K. - Tony Blair Resigns
Announced a few months ago that after ten years as Prime Minister, Tony Blair officially stepped down this week. What's really queer is that despite being best buds with gay-hating president Bush, Tony-baby has been very supportive of gays in England, and in March he became the first British Prime Minister to address an LGBT civil rights group, telling Stonewall that the partnership law gave him "real joy". He said when the first set of ceremonies took place he did "a little skip" in celebration." Skip on, Tony, we'll miss you!

Russia - Gay Hating Mayor Yuri Luzhkov Re-Elected
Luzhkov-the-Terrible was re-elected to his fifth term as mayor of Moscow, just as police dispersed a small group of LGBT activists protesting against Luzhkov in front of the European Union office in Moscow. About two dozen gays were demanding that the EU impose a visa ban on the mayor over his opposition to LGBT rights. Luzhkov's re-election does not bode well for our gay brothers and sisters in Moscow. Hang in their you guys of All of Russia, we're rooting for you!

USA - Bush Plans to Veto Washington DC Budget Due to DP Registry
President Bush says he'll veto budget appropriations for the District of Columbia unless the measure contains language barring the district from using any of the money for its domestic partner registry. For those who may not be aware, the USA's Capital is listed as a "state," but as the seat of the Federal Government, is really a "Federal District," and lacks many of the autonomies and privileges that the States have, and many of its laws and budgets are at the discretion of Congress and the President.

Well, because of this, Bush can use his veto power over the Democratically passed D.C. budget, which included monies for Washington's Domestic Partner Registry, citing that "under Federal law, legal marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Federal tax dollars are not used to extend employment benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees, and D.C. should not enjoy an exception to this rule." Domestic Partnerships are not marriage, but it would take a president with an actual IQ to be able to figure that out. Gosh, 2008 can't come soon enough!

Canadian Anglicans Back-Track on Blessing Same Sex Marriages/Unions
We were all holding our breaths, but The Anglican Church of Canada let us down, and delegates voting Sunday at the General Synod rejected the idea of letting individual dioceses decide whether their priests could perform blessing ceremonies for same sex couples who were married in civil ceremonies.

However, the General Synod did agree that same sex blessings do not conflict with its core doctrine, a decision that paves the way for the practice. Two steps forward, one step back.

Gay Art: Colourist Jean-Marc Plassard

Jean-Marc Plassard was born in Saint Etienne en Bresse, a small village in central France, in March 1961. The youngest of three boys, he grew up in this region and from an early age showed a keen aptitude for art-related work.

Jean-Marc classifies himself as a colourist and describes his artistic motivations as 'Desire, Love & Sensuality '. Generally his paintings depict sensual pleasures of the male physique. A provocative and sensitive view of the male form. Specifically, they are an oeuvre in a modern, figurative style, using light, colour and contrast to create atmosphere and texture.






Jean-Marc's use of color and subject has an almost Warhol feel, that translates wonderfully to his canvas. For more information on the wonderful work of Plassard, check out his website by Clicking Here!
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Pride Month: The Shot Heard Round the World

June 27, 1969 - Gay customers fight back during police raid on Greenwich Village gay bar called Stonewall Inn. It turns into a riot and marks the beginning of the contemporary gay liberation movement. Yep, tonight is historically the evening that set all of this in motion, when a bunch of queens at the Stonewall Inn gay bar threw down the gauntlet after repeated raids on the bar, and said they were'nt going to take police abuse any more. It created a riot, as other gays, bohemains, and other sympathizers joined the riot, which lasted the next few days.

Take a moment to think about these brave souls, whose actions launched a movement that has, to this day, brought us many good things.

Rumors Abound: Wentworth's Dating Luke

Okay, guys, you know we here at My Small Gay World would walk on our lips before gossiping...oh, who the hell are we kidding!

According to King of Gossips, Perez Hilton blog, hottie Wentworth Miller of Fox's Prison Break fame is dating just-as-cute actor Luke McFarlane.

From Perez Hilton's Blog:

Quote: Wentworth and Luke have been secretly dating for almost six months now,” says an impeccable source close to the pair. “They’ve been very quiet about their relationship, obviously, as Wentworth is not out of the closet.”

Things between the pair are so serious that the couple are talking about moving in together, we hear.

“They spend a lot of time at each other’s houses,” says our mole. “Wentworth has been pretty reclusive since he’s become famous and he’s been even more of a shut-in since he started dating Luke.” End Quote!

We've been hot and drooling over Wentworth for two seasons now, and it would be a coup were he to come out of the closet. Hey, isn't Fox that conservative, right-wing station? Nah, couldn't be!

Gay History: Today's Birthday - Larry Kramer

Sitting on the messy floor of my den is a book whose cover shouts loud and clear "Faggots!" I've only been given it recently, and that's why it remains unread, but I promise to read it, for the shear historic and sarcastic content, context, and most importantly, it's author, who celebrates his birthday today. It is, of course, none other than Larry Kramer.

Kramer was born in 1935 to a professional family in Bridgeport, Connecticut. After receiving his B.A. from Yale in 1957, he joined the Army for a year. When he got out of the military, he entered the entertainment industry, working first for the William Morris Agency and then for Columbia Pictures. His love of words led him to his first screenplay for the 1969 movie adaptation of D. H. Lawrence's Women in Love, for which he also co-produced, and received an Academy Award nomination.

According to Gregory Bredbeck, Associate Professor of English at the University of California, Riverside, "Kramer gained prominence in the world of gay writing in 1978, when his novel Faggots was published. A scathing satire of the gay circuit in Manhattan and on Fire Island, the novel traces the life and neuroses of Fred Lemish, a middle-aged Jewish gay man looking for love in a world that only wants to have sex. The world of fast-lane gay New York becomes the real subject of the book, and Kramer's narrative focuses on the drug and alcohol abuse, the sado-masochism and the promiscuity that he sees as both typical and reprehensible."

Spurned on by the fact that the media and government* were paying little attention to the "Gay Cancer" that was beginning to plague gay men, and which would later be known as AIDS, Kramer co-founded the Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York in 1981. As Bredbeck notes, "Disenchanted with what he perceived to be the lethal dangers of an uncontrollable AIDS bureaucracy, he founded AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) in 1988." Though non-violent, the organization led very provocative protests, doing anything to draw attention to the scurge. Their tactics were seen as distasteful by many, including within the gay community, but their loud voices could not be ignored, and through their efforts, attention started to be paid. Kramer was there, in the front lines, leading the way.

Larry Kramer, it is said, will be best remembered as the man who almost single-handedly began the gay political response to AIDS in America, launching a political activism within the gay community that to this day is reflected in other organizations like the Gay and Lesbian Task Force, HRC, LAMBDA Legal, and many others.

Happy Birthday, Larry!!!

*By the time President Reagan even mentioned AIDS, 36,058 Americans had been diagnosed with the disease and 20,849 had already died.

I Am What I Am...GAY!

I am what I am

And what I am needs no excuses
I deal my own deck
Sometimes the aces sometimes the deuces
It's one life and there's no return and no deposit
One life so it's time to open up your closet
Life's not worth a dam till you can shout out
I am what I am

I am up early this morning, desperately, carefully, attentively selecting what I'll wear today, and going through a number of boxes looking for my chain of rainbow rings, which I think will look nice against my black muscle tee. These are not my only preparations, and I feel comforted that I am not alone, as an estimated 1.2 million GLBT folk in the New York City area are doing the same this morning. Today is Gay Pride in NYC, and we'll once again turn the place into one big party!

I like to correct my friends who call it a parade. I can understand their belief it's a parade, with floats, all the colorful people, and the celebration of all that we've gained in our fight for equal treatment, rights, and respect. However, it was started, and continues to be, a march for the rights and respect we must still fight for.

There are many forces working against us, and we must never forget their dark, mean-spirited presence. However, today is a day we can let go, and celebrate who we are, how we are, and what we are, individually and collectively.

One of my friends assigns various ring-tones to each of his friends, and has mine set to the tune "I am What I Am," originally from musical hit La Cage aux Folles, and made popular by Gloria Gaynor's dance remix of the same. Who couldn't love this piece, especially on Pride Sunday, where each of us can celebrate and say, I am what I am.

Greek Gods, Twinks, and This Bud's for You

Okay, guys, maybe you don't yet know the Greek myth of Ganymede, but we'll briefly go over it.

Ganymede was this young twink way back in those "Grecian" times. He was unbelievably beautiful, with a nice body and bubble-butt to boot.

Ganymede's beauty was such that one day, Zeus noticed it, and instantly fell in love with the young man. Zeus wooed and flirted, and tried every line in the book, but Ganymede wasn't biting (holding out for the Rolex, no doubt). Well, it came to the point that Zeus had enough playing around, he was a god after all, and so swept down in the form of an eagle, and snatched the lad up, brought him back to Mt. Olympus, and made him water bearer to the gods; read poolboy.

How homoerotic can you get, right? Well, not enough for Anheuser-Busch, it would seem. In the early years of the last century, the beer company used the story of Ganymede and Zeus to market Budweiser beer. If you look at the ad above, you'll see that Ganymede is holding a nice cold bottle of Budweiser! As the Anheuser-Busch logo is that of an eagle, it's no surprise they'd use the story, but the fact that it's based on the homoerotic story of a male god falling in love with a male human, that does come as a surprise.

As a side note, and not to give A-B a free plug, but if you look at most LGBT events throughout the US, you'll see Bud Light as a sponsor, so maybe they've always been after the gay market, even way back when.

Early Acceptance of African Americans to Gays

“To compare civil rights with gay rights is to compare my skin with their sin." Dwight McKissic, President of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s Pastors’ Conference.

"I'm offended that they're comparing (gay rights) to civil rights. Marriage is not a civil right, and the struggle of gay and lesbian people cannot be compared to the struggle of blacks." Reverend Jeffrey Brown, a Baptist minister from Massachusetts .

Any attempt to parallel the gay marriage movement with the African-American struggle is "offensive," declares Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson, the civil rights movement is "not about sex."

These words are most offensive, and we have seen many quotes by African Americans declaring their disgust that equal rights for gays is oftentimes compared to the equal rights of African Americans in the United States.

However, keep in mind these words come from so-called men of the cloth, and that there are many, many African Americans who support equal rights for gays. Gay African Americans are working hard to convince their straight counterparts that the similarities for the struggle for equal rights are strong, though their detractors are holding strong.

However, there was a time when blacks and gays (of both races), looked forward to mixing, dancing, and partying. At the height of the Harlem Renaissance during the 1920s and 1930s, African Americans in Harlem not only tolerated gays, but accepted and welcomed them into bars and clubs.Of course, many of these African Americans were gay themselves, like eminent poet Langston Huges, as well as many of the top performers of the day who performed in these speakeasies like Gladys Bently, but the majority were straight, albeit progressive.

Further, there's a strong connection between African Americans' early acceptance of gays, and their own continued struggle for equality, and this connection is reflected in a gay black man named Bayard Rustin. Rustin came of age during the Harlem Renaissance, and lived openly gay throughout his life.

Rustin became so politically active on behalf of the push for civil rights for blacks, that Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. put him in charge of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington (where King gave his famed "I Have A Dream" speech). The early acceptance of gays by African Americans gave Rustin the strength and acceptance of himself to push for equality.
Now, it is true that on a societal level, we can say that this inter-mingling and support was a paradigm of the time. After all, it took place in New York, and a few other major cities , but it is clearly indicative of a support and acceptance of gays by African Americans.

So, the next time we hear African American leaders denouncing the comparison of gay civil rights to the struggle for the civil rights of blacks, let's recall that there is still strong support for gays among African Americans today, and that support goes back well over 80 years.

Log Cabin Republicans: Victory in New York

Yes, another post about Gay Marriage...this one I couldn't pass up, because as you readers well know, My Small Gay World isn't really supportive of the Log Cabin Republicans, and so this is more about them, than gay marriage.

Yesterday the New York State Legislature assembly passed a bill that would make same-sex marriage possible. Of course, a lot of this was voted on party lines, with most Republicans voting against it. However, with a heavy lobbying effort on the part of Log Cabin Republicans, they were able to get four Republicans to vote for the bill. No easy task, but it did make New York the first state to pass a same-sex marriage act with bipartisan support. Although California's assembly and senate have both voted for gay marriage (later to be vetoed by Arnold), not a single Republican in California voted for the measures.

So, although we're still a bit leery about the efficacy of the Log Cabin Republicans, in this case they've proved themselves well, and we wish them tons of luck working with the NY Senate's Republicans...they'll need it!

Same Sex Marriage, Massacusetts, and Straight Supporters

"The people of the United States don’t want same-sex marriage. Whether this is true or not doesn’t matter; on civil rights issues, what the people want is irrelevant. Opponents of gay marriage attack the Massachusetts SJC decision as judicial activism, but name me one significant civil rights victory in the last century that wasn’t the result of judicial activism. We celebrate the anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, not the anniversary of Congress or the people of Kansas voting to end segregation. The Supreme Court of the United States didn’t leave the question of segregation up to the people; it decided for itself that it was unconstitutional and had to be abolished. Thirteen years later it was another Supreme Court decision, Loving vs. Virginia, which outlawed anti-miscegenation laws, finally guaranteeing the right to interracial marriage. Does this mean the courts always ought to overrule the people? Of course not. But in matters of civil rights, when the legislature or the people are clearly unwilling to take on the work of reform themselves, the court must act."

This is from essayist Steve Shives, who modestly claims not to be "especially intelligent or eloquent." Steve's a handsome, straight, baseball-loving bearded dude who is, in fact, very intelligent and eloquent, and writes about a whole slew of topics. This was from an article posted on his website just this afternoon, and already picked up by American Chronicle. You can read the rest of Steve's article (and we suggest you do), by going to Steve's website, wonderfully named, Steve Likes to Curse.

Thanks, Steve! And although you're playing for the other team, it's good to know we have you rooting for us!

Male Model: Nick Auger

When searching for the Hottie of the Day, we came across this amazingly hot guy. Fitness model Nick Auger, now 25, is seen on blogs, YouTube, and other websites. A lot of the information across the internet repeats the same information, though, and seems dated back to 2004 when Auger appeared on cover of The Fitness RX. Rumor has it he's still modeling in NYC, but one would think that his agent and promoters would get the guy a dedicated website.

If you have the latest scoop on Nick, post a message, we're all wondering what he's up to!

Mitt Romney: Queer and Present Danger

In the movie, Latter Days, as lead character Aaron Davis is about to be excommunicated by his Mormon leader dad for being gay, the following dialogue takes place, which we've seen powerfully quoted on other blogs, websites, etc.:

"This isn't easy for me Aaron. But in light of your abnormal and abominable state, and your refusal to see that you've been duped into some hogwash alternative lifestyle. I wish my shame was enough for the both of us. Not to mention the shame you've brought to our church, our family, our ancestors... "

"Wait a minute, our ancestors? Dad, your grandfather had at least a half dozen wives, and that goes for every single person in this room. I've say we're the original definition of 'alternative lifestyle.'"

A devout Mormon, Mitt Romney is dead-set against same-sex marriage, and a Romney administration would see little difference from that of the Bush administration on any gay-related matters.

As governor of Massachusetts, Romney did everything he could to circumvent gay marriage, and luckily enough for the gays of Mass, his circumventions were quite unsuccessful. However, he's been outspending the likes of opponent Giuliani on pre-primary spending, and is one of the front-runners for the presidential nomination. Here are just a few quotes from Romney, with comments from My Small Gay World (naturally):

"America cannot continue to lead the family of nations around the world if we suffer the collapse of the family here at home." So, with straights divorcing at 51%, families breaking up because of infidelity, and the continued escalation of children born out of wedlock, it makes perfect sense that gay marriage is the culprit...yeah, right!

"I feel very deeply about the need to respect and tolerate people of different social - or sexual orientation. But at the same time, I believe marriage should be preserved as an institution for one man and one woman." Mitt, baby, you've already shown that you don't respect us, because you don't respect our relationships. Further, don't insult us by saying you'll "tolerate" us, we're fighting for nothing short of acceptance.

"Like me, the great majority of Americans wish both to preserve the traditional definition of marriage and to oppose bias and intolerance directed towards gays and lesbians." Okay, we don't know which of Romney's speechwriters wrote this crap, but the word oxyMORONIC, certainly comes to mind.

Keep in mind this guy could be the next president. From what we've seen so far, as gay citizens, we are up against a mitt-igating danger.

Happy Father's Day

Whether through surrogate, adoption, or the old fashion way, here's to all you gay dads!

Gay Art: Steve Walker - Just Guys

Artist Steve Walker's paintings are stirring, emotionally charged, and gentle. "As a homosexual I have been moved, educated, and inspired by works that deal with a heterosexual context," says Walker. "Why would I assume that a heterosexual would be incapable of appreciating work that speaks to common themes in life, as seen through my eyes as a gay man. If the heterosexual population is unable to do this, then the loss is theirs, not mine." It would be hard to imagine anyone, straight or gay, who wouldn't be moved by Walker's treatment of male couples.

If Walker were an abstract painter or a landscape artist, he says his sexual orientation wouldn't matter. But since his paintings are about gay life, his sexual orientation becomes more important than his cultural background, age, or nationality. Lucky for us!








For more of Steve Walker's wonderful imagery, check out his website by Clicking Here.

Gay Marriage: Now on to New York!

Okay, we've won in Massachusetts, but what many folk don't realize is that within the next week and a half, it's possible that a marriage bill will be voted on in the New York Assembly. Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell (D-Manhattan, and yes, Rosie's out and proud gay brother) is spearheading the bill in the Assembly, which was initially introduced by Assemblymember Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) who has championed it since 2002.

Says Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle, “Each day that our families are without the hundreds of protections and responsibilities that the state provides through marriage is another day our families remain vulnerable. Passing this bill in the Assembly this year will continue the momentum that has already begun to put an end to the discriminatory denial of marriage to the hundreds of thousands of same-sex couples and their families who live in New York State.”

If you're in New York, and want to let your assemblymember know you want them to co-sponsor, or at least vote affirmatively, to this legislation, the Empire State Pride Agenda's website has an easy-to-use, pre-scripted email form you can send to your assemblymember, just Click Here. You don't even have to look up who your assembly member is, it's done automatically using your zip code.

Gay marriage is happening, it's coming, and our opponents are frightened, and it's causing them to be even more active, we need to be just as active.

Note: Okay, guys, because we've been a bit on the political side yesterday and today, here's a New York hottie for you, he needs your support, so if you're a NY resident, go to the Empire State Pride Agenda's website by clicking the hottie.

Eventful Day for Gay Marriage in Massachusetts

Keep your fingers crossed, guys, as the Massachusetts State Legislature votes today on putting forth an amendment doing away with gay marriage. It must first be approved by 25% of the legislators, and then next year it would go to the voters.

What's wrong here, democratically speaking, is that one of the tenets of most constitutions, regardless of what country or state you're in, is the protection of a minority from the wills, prejudices, and follies of a majority. Certainly what we have in the case of putting the "gay marriage" question to voters is placing the right to the pursuit of happiness of a minority in the hands of the majority. It's just wrong.

We'll report to you later, when we here how the vote went. Until then, keep you fingers crossed that the bill fails.

News Flash!
An amazing change in expected votes from Massachusetts has squelched the anti-gay move to bring the issue to the voters. Even down to the last hour, nobody knew which way the vote would go. What was needed by our adversaries was only 50 votes, but they failed by five. Unless there is some legal ground for opposing organizations to use, the process to try againmeans it couldn't get to voters (even if it passed) until 2012.

Congratulations you gays of Mass, you've worked hard to divert this attack, and you won!!! Happy Pride!

Gay Bomb: Make the Enemy Play

You gotta hand it to those crazy guys within the US Military. It's now been proven that they had requested over 7 million dollars in research funding for a pheromone bomb that would make opposing forces turn gay and screw each other silly and, well, how to put this succinctly, thus opening themselves wide for US Forces penetration.

Pentagon officials on Friday confirmed to CBS station KPIX-TV in San Francisco that military leaders had considered, albeit for a short time, building the so-called gay bomb. This all came about when Edward Hammond of Berkeley's Sunshine Project, a group dedicated to routing waste in government spending, used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain a copy of the proposal from the Air Force's Wright Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio.

The proposal suggested, "One distasteful but completely non-lethal example would be strong aphrodisiacs, especially if the chemical also caused homosexual behavior," and suggested asking for $7.5 million to develop such a chemical weapon. Okay, did they really have to use the word "distasteful?"

Frankly, a "gay bomb" attack on an opposing force that included enough "friendly fire" on our own guys could end war forever!

Gay Haters are Angry

Oh, the gay-haters at Americans for Truth are really pissed off, and a tad afraid, because gays have enough power to prevent a gay-hating Surgeon General from being appointed! Here are some quotes from Americans for Truth's gay-hating president, Peter LaBarbera:

"Folks, anti-Christian homosexual activists and their liberal allies are out again in force to take down another good man — Dr. James Holsinger, Jr., President Bush's nominee for U.S. Surgeon General — who happens to agree with the ancient Judeo-Christian moral understanding of homosexual practice as unnatural, unhealthy and wrong."

When mentioning that gay-hating Surgeon General nominee Holsinger also believes homosexuality can be "cured," LaBarbera, ever the "expert" on things gay, says...

"The fact is, thousands of men's and women's lives have been changed through ex-"gay" ministries and church outreaches to bringing healing to people with unwanted homosexual attractions. So the Left is now calling for “investigations” into Christian nominees’ churches?"

You'll also note that LaBarbera always uses quotes around the word "gay," because it's the "gay-haters" way.

So, guys, if you're reading this in the good ole USA, and want to further piss off the likes of LaBarbera, then send an easy pre-written email to your senators, courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign, telling them you think gay-hating Dr. James Holsinger shouldn't be the next Surgeon General:

Click Here to piss off the "Christian" fanatics!

Thank you for your activism!

Gay Politicians

Pride continues here at My Small Gay World during June, and today we're talking gay politics. This past weekend I was at a Pride event where I had the pleasure of running into a key staffer at the Log Cabin Republicans, himself a politician, and we discussed a number of things that I'll probably go into in another post, but for this more liberal leaning blogger, it was a very agreeable discussion (we also learned we live in the same village...and I thought I knew all the gays in town!). However, it got me thinking about gay politicians, and how bold one must be to be an openly gay politician in the world today.

For instance, the mayors of both Berlin and Paris are gay, and the next in line for the mayoral position in New York is lesbian Christine Quinn. But, that's only three, there are many out, gay politicians around the world, like Spain's Pedro Zerolo, or maybe Volker Beck of Germany, or even Israel's Uzi Even. The list is very impressive, and we should be proud that in many countries we are well represented by our gay brethren in congresses, parliaments, and caucuses around this Small Gay World.

For a list of openly gay politicians and their backgrounds and rise to power, Click Here!

When You Care Enough to Send the Very Offensive

You're in a Hallmark store, browsing for a Father's Day card. You find one that features a photo of an idyllic, upscale picnic spread: plaid blanket, wicker basket, a bottle of wine and two glasses, a round of bread, a fruit plate. Above the photo, the card read, "Dad, how about a Father's Day picnic?" The punch line inside: "Too queer? Yeah, I thought so too."

Well, it happened to one person, who then reported the card to The Advocate, who called Hallmark on the offensive card. According to Hallmark’s media liaison, Deidre Parkes, the company would pull the cards from shelves immediately. Parkes told the Advocate, “[Hallmark’s business unit] reviewed it today and did all agree that it was in poor judgment to include the card in the line,” Parkes said in an e-mail Thursday. “We are stopping the shipping of the card, and we will not produce it again. Hallmark's intent is never to offend, and we're truly sorry if that is the case here.”

That's all well and good, but the question remains, how in hell did a card like this get past editors, reviewers, and "business units" to even be on store shelves in the first place?

Gay Art: Johan Ekkel - Dutch Treat

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Art and Design in Den Bosch in the Netherlands, Johan Ekkel has worked as an illustrator for advertising agencies and book and magazine publishers for well over 20 years. After an early retirement, he went back to his true love, painting naked men.

Ekkel's almost painterly quality, mixed with a fantasised reality, yields images that are provoking and emotional.

For more information on Ekkel, his work, and the opportunity to purchase Ekkel's art, Click Here!