Photo by Henry Hargreaves

Recently The New York Times interviewed Simon Doonan, a major player in the fashion industry, about his new book Gay Men Don’t Get Fat. In the book, Doonan, a gay man, uses humor to talk about sexual orientation and food. In Doonan’s world, there are two clear categories of food: straight and gay. This idea made his interview over lunch with a New York Times writer very funny.

Doonan was critical of his interviewer for getting a panini loaded with meat and cheese, because this kind of food is typical of the way Doonan says heterosexual men eat. Doonan’s humorous play on stereotypes about sexual orientation included remarking that a baby arugula salad is a gay dish, while the meatloaf on the menu is “the Burt Reynolds of foods.” Doonan enjoys poking fun at both the heterosexual and gay and says that “bisexual eating” is the best way to “stay svelte” or thin.

Sadly his fashion industry mentality shows itself in his humor when he repeatedly remarks that “heterosexual foods” are the cause for the hefty nature of many of his heterosexual friends. Doonan’s fear of fatty foods isn’t so much about health as it is about looks. This is a dangerous line of thinking because it places too much emphasis on being thin and what you look like. Sure plenty of foods out there are unhealthy, but you should be wary of these foods because of your health, not the size of your clothing. Had Doonan emphasized that healthy foods were good for the heart, then his message would have been worthwhile. It’s important to remember that not everyone has the genes to look slim. What is important is to keep our bodies healthy.

In the end, I think Doonan’s humor far outweighed his unhealthy ideas about body image. And in spite of his obsession with being thin (what else would we expect from someone who works in the fashion industry?), I found the interview to be a delightfully funny read.

—Sam Dercon, 18, Staff Writer

May 22nd is Harvey Milk Day—a day when we pause to remember the first openly gay man elected to public office. This really got me thinking about the possibility of one day having a gay president. Check out this excerpt from a speech Harvey Milk gave shortly before his assassination in 1978.

The sexual orientation of a president would not affect his or her judgment and ability to lead a country. Although I feel very optimistic about a gay president’s ability to lead, this doesn’t change the fact that many people feel like we could never have a gay president. Being gay is still kept secret within politics. Politicians understandably worry that prejudice and homophobia among voters will hurt them at election time.

While a gay politician might have a difficult time getting elected, what if it actually happened? Would we be prepared to have a gay or lesbian president living in the White House with his or her partner?

A few months ago, I read a story in The New York Times by Maureen Dowd called, “A Gay Commander in Chief: Ready or Not?” Dowd points out that the Defense of Marriage Act does not recognize same-sex marriages as legal, so it’s quite possible federal funds could not be used on a gay president’s partner. It’s possible the president’s partner might not be able to live in the White House or even be protected by the Secret Service. The potential for this kind of unfair treatment of someone holding the highest political office in our country surprised me.

Having the first African American president in office makes me hopeful that someone who is gay or lesbian will one day be able to hold the office of president of the United States of America. I know we are still a long way from this, but we can hope.

—Sam Woods-Corr, 16, Staff Writer

TGIF! It’s finally Friday morning. You’ve just sat down in first period English, and you can’t wait to talk all about your upcoming plans for the weekend. Grinning, you tap your best friend on the shoulder, eager to share the news. After five minutes of non-stop chatter, you stop and take a breath.

“So, what do you think?”

As you stare expectantly at your friend, you can’t help but notice that she has been oddly quiet the whole time. In fact, as you take a quick glance around the room, you realize that the entire class has been strangely silent this morning. With the exception of a few people, everyone else is either gesturing or passing notes. True, it is first period, but it has never been this quiet before. What is going on?!

You must have a confused look on your face, because your friend pulls out a small card. You quickly skim over it, catching bits and pieces of the message: “Not speaking today. Bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Building awareness.” Suddenly, it hits you.

This Friday, April 15th, is the National Day of Silence. On this day, students and teachers all over the nation will “take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools,” according to the Day of Silence Web site.

Sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), this event raises awareness about the harassment LGBT students often face by showing teenagers how it feels to be silenced by bullying. Visit DayofSilence.org for event information, posters, stickers and speaking cards to help spread the word at your school.

Take this day to make a statement and make a difference. Silence, after all, is golden.

—Cynthia Lam, 17, Staff Writer

Can you imagine being in a place where it’s normal to be a gender-nonconformist pansexual? Or where it’s only natural to see a trans lesbian with a masculine gender expression? At this year’s True Colors conference at the University of Connecticut such a vision was possible.

In the heterocentric world that queers—people who affirm their sexual orientation or gender expression as outside the norm—live in, the idea that you’re the only one often haunts many of us. I’m proud to say that this was not the case at the True Colors conference. Every possible sexual orientation and gender expression was represented at this two-day conference, which was held on March 11th and 12th. In fact, I think we even defined a few new ones while there. The annual True Colors conference is about giving everyone a chance to express themselves the way they want to express themselves, without worry of persecution.

The conference included lots of different workshops. Some of my favorite workshops were on being black and lesbian, drag king/queens and raising transgender youth. Workshops aside, the people that attended the conference truly made the program special. Everyone—students, teachers and professionals—was ready to accept every individual with open arms regardless of how “out of the box” the person was. Even Connecticut’s governor spoke on accepting the queer community.

I can only describe the event as fabulous. I encourage anyone who has an interest in sexual orientation and gender expression who is queer, questioning or an ally—student or teacher—to keep an eye on the True Colors Web site, which will post the dates for next year’s conference! You’ll have a great time and find a welcoming, supportive community.

—Derek Demeri, 18, Staff Writer

Entertainment Weekly recently featured an article on how gay teens are suddenly “popping up” in major roles on national television. From Degrassi’s Riley to Glee’s dream partnership, Kurt and Blaine, many shows have included openly gay characters holding hands, hugging and kissing. TV shows portraying openly gay characters may seem controversial to some people, but Sex, Etc. is more interested in whether teens in high-profile television roles will have any impact on gay teens’ experiences in school.

Do these shows accurately portray what it’s really like being a gay teen in high school? How does the spotlight on gay teens in these shows affect teens? Will gay teens be more accepted in their schools? Will seeing gay teens on TV eventually reduce homophobic bullying?

Tell us what you think, and share how or if these shows have affected your high school experience.

—Luke Morgan, 18, Staff Writer