by hilzoy
Via Andrew Sullivan, a link to Mr. Gay International, with representatives from all over the world, including, ta-dum:
Mr. Gay Vatican City!
I mean, who knew there was someone who actually held that title? I would have thought that while a gay man in the Vatican City might be quite popular, discretion would be the name of the game.
If it turns out that there is a Ms. Lesbian Vatican City, however, I will be speechless with amazement. (Googling "lesbian Vatican City" just pulls up one lonely porn portal, which is about what I would have expected.)
Runaway ITALICS! HIDE!
Posted by: Slartibartfast | July 24, 2006 at 12:32 PM
That's only a local solution, Slart. Sure you didn't leave a backdoor open?
Posted by: rilkefan | July 24, 2006 at 12:45 PM
Yeah, I know. But it did relieve the pain for a while.
Um...backdoor? I'm afraid to ask.
Posted by: Slartibartfast | July 24, 2006 at 12:58 PM
I mean, who knew there was someone who actually held that title?
Credo!
Posted by: liberal japonicus | July 24, 2006 at 01:11 PM
You're probably happier not knowing, Slart.
Posted by: Prodigal | July 24, 2006 at 01:53 PM
Wow, he's hot. Totally has that clean-cut Roman thing going for him.
I have some risque stuff on my resume, but nothing nearly as cool as that.
Posted by: Catsy | July 24, 2006 at 02:03 PM
"I mean, who knew there was someone who actually held that title? "
One of the Swiss Guards, maybe? The rank pyramid is pretty flat, so a Guard might not have much of a career to worry about - more of a resume builder for private security than a career.
"If it turns out that there is a Ms. Lesbian Vatican City, however, I will be speechless with amazement."
Back in the day when prelates used to have enough money to make the job of mistress lucrative, there must have been lesbians in the mix.
Posted by: Jim | July 24, 2006 at 03:13 PM
Ms. Lesbian Vatican City?
eh, that's nothing. They allow women into the territory.
But I will be genuinely impressed if there's a Ms. Lesbian Mt. Athos.
Not only do the exclude women, they exclude (to the best of thei ability) female animals.
Now that's obsessive!
Posted by: porthos | July 24, 2006 at 04:38 PM
Is the existence of this guy a lot more stunning than the existence of Mr. Gay Lebanon or Mr. Gay Iraq?
Posted by: Slartibartfast | July 25, 2006 at 01:10 AM
Hmm while I wouldn't say no if they begged they aren't really my type, but I will note that Mr. Israel and Mr. Lebanon would look cute together. :)
Posted by: Sebastian Holsclaw | July 25, 2006 at 01:38 AM
I can't tell what's going on here, at present, frankly.
Maybe that's just me.
Apologies if I've lost the story.
I said this in another thread:
Oh, and something else: I'm one of the greatest fans of Katherine ever.
But the way her series methodically shoves away open threads, with no participation by her, I don't appreciate.
I desperately want Katherine to keep posting here.
But I also very much don't want a long series of posts to shove away the necessary outlet that are open threads.
Open threads are necessary to the health of the nation, that is, this blog.
Please don't let them be shoved away by anything.
A simple solution would be to uplift or upgrade them when a series gets blogged.
I could make other suggestions.
This is important, I suggest.
Responses?
Open thread, please?
And many thanks to Katherine.
Posted by: Gary Farber | July 25, 2006 at 02:16 AM
Perhaps a consistently applied category, like this?
Or you could start a blog of your own ;-)
Posted by: Vance Maverick | July 25, 2006 at 03:46 AM
Right. A whole town full of dudes running around in dresses and funny hats, and you're shocked that there's a Mr. Gay Vatican City? Someone needs to get out more.
Posted by: DaveL | July 25, 2006 at 03:56 AM
Lebanon does have a gay rights organization (whose volutneers apparently has been doing some good work distributing relief aid & working in refugee shelters), and Beirut is (was, and almost certainly will be once the current unpleasantness dies down somewhat) the destination of choice for out gay Arabs who don't want to go all the way to the West.
(Apparently, if you're willing to stay closeted, Saudi Arabia is somewhat">http://www.outuk.com/content/features/saudiarabia/">somewhat friendlier to gay relationships than to ex-marriage straight ones.)
see also.
Posted by: Tom Scudder | July 25, 2006 at 04:46 AM
I can stick up open threads. I can also put most of the new posts after the jump.
The pace of that series is going to slow way down anyway, now that I've run through the legal mumbo jumbo. The original reporting stuff like the post on the Hazara guy takes an incredible amount of time, what with all the documents being in 200-page PDFs that freeze my computer. And the next post involves, like, 7 of those.
I have the impression that people are too burned out on this stuff to even read these, let alone comment, but writing it helps me organize my thoughts for other projects that are likely to have more effect.
Posted by: Katherine | July 25, 2006 at 06:40 AM
I have the impression that people are too burned out on this stuff to even read these, let alone comment, but writing it helps me organize my thoughts for other projects that are likely to have more effect.
I read, all of it! I just don't know what to say afterwards. Or not in civil words anyway.
Posted by: dutchmarbel | July 25, 2006 at 08:53 AM
I have the impression that people are too burned out on this stuff to even read these, let alone comment, but writing it helps me organize my thoughts for other projects that are likely to have more effect.
I've read all of it as well, and I am very thankful to you for the job you've done. I am frankly appalled by the relative lack of attention that these stories have received in the MSM, and I am very lucky that you are keeping me informed. Like dutchmarbel, I simply have very little to say in response. (Mostly, I have not so civil questions for Republican supporters and ticking-bomb-problem enthusiasts, but I think asking them would get me close to violating this wonderful blog's posting rules, and at any rate would not be very productive.)
Posted by: pedro | July 25, 2006 at 09:09 AM
I read it, but I'm never certain what to say. As Dutch says, it's difficult to express oneself civilly after reading that kind of thing.
Posted by: Andrew | July 25, 2006 at 09:10 AM
Me too, Katherine. There is nothing to dispute, and even those who might troll ObWi have enough sense not to take a shot there.
Posted by: liberal japonicus | July 25, 2006 at 09:29 AM
I have the impression that people are too burned out on this stuff to even read these
I'm reading them, Katherine, and I urge you to continue.
I rather flamboyantly claimed I was swearing off this blog after the little "kill Jane Fonda" contretemps, but your contributions are too valuable to ignore. It's much more sensible to just ignore anything posted by CB.
OK, back to lurking...
Posted by: Uncle Kvetch | July 25, 2006 at 09:30 AM
I have the impression that people are too burned out on this stuff to even read these,
No. (Too heatwaved to say anything much, yes.) Please carry on posting them.
Posted by: jayann | July 25, 2006 at 01:17 PM