KNOW THY GAY SELF

Queer Window If it's cool and cultural, it's probably queer. That's the gist of Mondo Homo (Alyson, 208 pages, $17.95), a camped-up compendium of gayness edited by freelance writer Richard Andreoli, who talked wit ... More

Wednesday, September 7, 2005 Byron Beck

HALF-LIFE

In defense of feeling like a 43-year-old gay fuck-up.

Queer Window Scientists can determine how long an organism has been dead by the process of radio-carbon dating. That's where you count the number of beta radiations given off per minute per gram of material.For th ... More

Wednesday, August 31, 2005 Byron Beck

BITE ME

The art of being eaten alive by your critics.

Queer Window Watching a drag queen eat my internal organs was, well, an experience.This little moment of cannibalism occurred late last Wednesday night on stage at Holocene. Actually, it happened not to me but to ... More

Wednesday, August 24, 2005 Byron Beck

THE DIVA HAS LANDED

RuPaul is one soulful sista. Who knew?

Queer Window Divas: demanding, entertaining, talented "ladies" who provide much-needed distraction in our troubled world. They are also, usually, total bitches.That wasn't the case with the delicious diva known as ... More

Wednesday, August 17, 2005 Byron Beck

IN THE STARS, NOT THE BARS

Astrologer doesn't endorse labels-or today's gay lifestyles.

Queer Window Don't call Alan Oken an astrologist. "There's no such thing," he says. And he should know: The 61-year-old has been in the field for almost four decades.Oken is the author of several-hundred astrology ... More

Wednesday, August 10, 2005 Byron Beck

STRAIGHT SHOOTER

Petite gay photographer goes for godlike Goliaths.

Queer Window For nearly two decades, Michael Alago was a music producer for such diverse acts as White Zombie, Nina Simone and Metallica. But now the 5-foot, 4-inch, 140-pound, 45-year-old Latino from New York Cit ... More

Wednesday, August 3, 2005 Byron Beck

SEMPER FAG

A Bible-thumpin' gay Marine porn star reveals more about himself than you might expect.

Queer Window When Rich Merritt comes to Portland, the 37-year-old Atlanta resident will promote his new memoir, Secrets of A Gay Marine Porn Star (Kensington, 468 pages, $15). But the real reason he's in town is m ... More

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 Byron Beck

BOYS WILL BE SISSYBOYS

Sissyboys are the toughest queer dudes in town.

Queer Window Sissyboy scares me.Less than a year ago, this queer drag collective was started by "Zebra," a 27-year-old Whole Foods operative looking to get laid. And although it still has yet to embark into its te ... More

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 Byron Beck

CHEERS FOR THE QUEERS

The "All-American City" has an all-American queer bar.

Queer Window Every small town in America needs at least one gay bar to call its own.I came to this epiphany the night I was a judge for Vancouver's first-ever gay pride pageant at the Northbank Tavern, the only qu ... More

Wednesday, July 13, 2005 Byron Beck

Jesus Christ, It's Mandonna!

All-male Madonna tribute band justifies its love for the Material One.

Queer Window It's been two decades since the greatest pop diva of all time graced us with Her musical presence. The year: 1985. The place: Paramount (now the Schnitz). The opening band: The hallowed disciples of ' ... More

Wednesday, July 6, 2005 Byron Beck