(MATT BAUME) Milk: Turning Anger into Action!

Can anger make the world a better place? We usually think of anger as destructive, but if you can harness it, you can turn it into a constructive force for good -- as Harvey Milk discovered, both in real life and in the movie Milk.

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(MATT BAUME WEEKEND) Feedback Time! Showgirls, Ellen, Matt Damon, and Stonewall

Just how many comings-out did Ellen trigger? Also, Q from Star Trek is totally gay, right? Plus: I've been livestreaming some games, and can you help me find some good Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilly clips? Let's dive into the mailbag to check out the feedback on this week's videos!

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(MATT BAUME) Showgirls: Why do Gays Love Nomi Malone?

NOW ON EVERYDAY!  
 

They tried to make a film that makes straight men horny, but instead made a film that makes gay men laugh. But why do so many gays love this movie and Nomi Malone? I think it's because even though Nomi has problems (lots and lots of problems) she has three qualities that gay men actually envy.

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(MATT BAUME) Ellen Gives America a Crash Course in Coming Out!

The world record for fastest coming out goes to Ellen DeGeneres! Her 1997 special managed to run through every step of the coming out process in exactly four days. The two-parter hits so many milestones it's like sprinting a marathon. So take a deep breath, limber up, and get ready to race.

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(MATT BAUME) Should Gay Actors Keep their Sexuality Secret?

NOW ON EVERYDAY!

 

Oof. Matt Damon told an interviewer this week that actors should keep their sexuality secret whether straight or gay, which is a little hypocritical considering he's an open book when it comes to his heterosexuality. I don't think he's a homophobe, but imposing a double standard on gay actors is just wrong.

(MATT BAUME) Gay Shower Simulator Crosses Over Into Real Life BDSM

"Rinse & Repeat," a new game from Robert Yang, has the player scrubbing the body of a gym hunk in the shower. But there's a catch: you can only catch him at certain times of day, which means you have to rearrange your real-life schedule if you want to play. At least, until you reach the surprise ending.

(MATT BAUME WEEKEND) Feedback Time! Star Trek Gays, "Straight Acting," & Gay Films for Moms!

Can you recommend some lighthearted mom-friendly gay comedies? Viewer David is looking for movies he can show his mom. Plus: the queer(ish) characters from Star Trek that I forgot all about, and the one case where it's OK to say "straight acting." Let's dive into the mailbag to check out the feedback on this week's videos.

(MATT BAUME) Why "Straight Acting" Insults the Memory of Stonewall!

NOW ON EVERYDAY!

I'm absolutely furious that "Stonewall" director Roland Emmerich would have the gall to use the term "straight acting" to describe the hero of his new film. In so doing, he's guilty of the exact type of oppression that the real-life rioters were fighting. The Stonewall Riots were a lot of things, but "straight acting" was never one of them.

(MATT BAUME) Who's the Real Villain of The Birdcage?

Yeah, yeah, the conservative senator is scary and mean. But he's not nearly as cruel, selfish, and destructive as Val, the son of the two gay dads who insists that everyone upend themselves for a homophobic lie. Here's why he's the true villain of the film.

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(MATT BAUME) The Lost Gay Episode of Star Trek!

NOW ON EVERYDAY! 

Apparently there's one place where the Enterprise wasn't quite bold enough to go: anyplace gay. Trek writer David Gerrold had plans to introduce gay characters on The Next Generation, but homophobic forces behind the scenes prevented it. Fortunately, his script was eventually produced by fans. Here's the backstory you may have never heard.

(MATT BAUME) Debunking Transphobic Bathroom Panic!

NOW ON EVERYDAY!

Who's at risk if trans people have equal access to restroom facilities? In Houston and across the country, Mike Huckabee and friends love to claim that nondiscrimination bills mean that "men could use the women's bathroom," which simply isn't true. Here's how to push back against the transphobic lie that men are sneaking into women's rooms -- and how to call out offensive jokes from Huckabee-types who think it's funny to abuse nondiscrimination laws and assault women.

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(MATT BAUME) Arguing About Kim Davis at the GOP Debate!

Naturally, Kim Davis came up at the second GOP debate, but the candidates' sound bites were fumbling, contradictory, and just outright gibberish. Here's what a few of the presidential hopefuls had to say about LGBTs, and how they got it wrong.

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(MATT BAUME WEEKEND) Feedback Time! Star Wars, Zork, & Steven Universe!

Steven Universe is a teaching tool! Plus: Korrasami, queer Star Wars characters (or lack thereof), and the vicious old men of Vicious. Let's dive into the mailbag to check out the feedback on this week's videos.

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(MATT BAUME) The Golden Girls Meet a Lesbian Girl!

What happens when a lesbian comes to visit on the Golden Girls? Everyone learns a valuable lesson, of course, and Sophia listens at the door. This was an insanely progressive approach to LGBTs for the time (1986!) and a fascinating time capsule.

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(MATT BAUME WEEKEND) Viewer Feedback: Kim Davis = Dolores Umbridge, and more!

Maude's vests! Lauren Bacall in a gay bar! Genitals wildly spinning out of control! Let's dive into the mailbag to check out the feedback on this week's videos.

(DEFINING MARRIAGE) Can Clerks Refuse to Marry Couples They Disapprove Of?

What happens if a clerk doesn't approve of a couple that wants to get married? Can a clerk keep their job AND follow their conscience?

(MATT BAUME) Longtime Companion: Surviving HIV in the 80s!

Back in the 80s, "longtime companion" was the code that newspapers used to describe the partners of people who died of AIDS. And it's the title of one of the first films to talk about epidemic. I watched the movie last night and I've only just now stopped crying and hugging my partner long enough to make this video.

(MATT BAUME) The Horrible History of Ex-Gay Cures!

Did you know people have tried to cure homosexuality with forced cuddling, horse stroking, and monkey testicles? Let's take a disturbing tour of the last hundred years of insane ex-gay cures, some of which are still being practiced by quacks to this day.

(MATT BAUME) Do All Kids Need a Mother and Father?

You hear the claim all the time from anti-gay groups: children deserve a mom and a dad. But is it true? What does the science ACTUALLY say about same-sex parents? How do they compare to straight parents? And are they as statistically likely to have embarrassing taste in music?

(MATT BAUME) How Sitcoms Handled Homos in the 70s and 80s!

When did TV first permit joking while gay? I've been combing through sitcoms of the 70s and 80s to figure out when queers stopped being a scary threat, and were allowed to be real people with love lives and funny punch lines. Here are just a few of my favorite early gay characters on sitcoms.