My Favorite Gay Moments of 2007

Entertainment blogs everywhere lit up in '06 in anticipation of the release of Dreamgirls. Most mos expected a rock out performance by fav Beyonce. We loved her, but Jennifer Hudson stole the cameras and in 2007 was awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. You know how us gays love a diva in pain and JHud quenched our thirst with every tragic love-gone-wrong scene after heartbreak scene. Lets not forget her contribution to drag shows everywhere. It seemed like every drag queen in America impersonated "Jenny from the Idol" at some point last Spring.

Out gay musician Billy Strayhorn was a close friend of Duke Ellington and the mastermind behind timeless jazz standards like, "Take the A Train," "Something to Live For" and the ultimate lounge ballad, "Lush Life." In 2007 PBS outed the gay impact on jazz in its special Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life, about legend Billy Strayhorn.

I was raised on the streets, son. Well, not really; but I shouldn't have to be to appreciate a little hip hop. What I don't appreciate (besides the commercial hooks) is the homophobia in a lot of hip hop lyrics. Our out boy Deadlee is leading a pack of new openly gay hip hop artists, but other Billboard toppers continue to spit the gay equals weak myth. Last September, Princeton religion professor Cornel West took back the streets (of responsibility) with the release of his own collaborative hip hop CD Never Forget: A Journey of Revelation, that spins a pro-gay message and proves that intellectuals can have street cred.

China's first internet show, Tongxing Xianglian, about gay life in China made its debut in April of 2007. I'm sure Chinese gays were all over the show's host cute Didier Zheng. It's rumored that the Chinese government was all over the show's content, though.

I love a good warm and feathery story; even when it's just about animals. And we were in dire need of a good zoo love tale, especially since one of our famed gay Central Park Zoo penguins left not only his partner female, but also their adopted chick... Birds! 2007 made up for this eggtime tragedy with another queer animal heart warmer. After years of trying to steal other flamingos' chicks, six year gay flamingo couple Carlos and Fernando adopted an abandoned chick. Now, if the birds could only share their secret for maintaining a six-year relationship with other gays.

49-year-old Mike Penner, a long time sports columnist with the Los Angeles Times, went on a leave of absence and returned as Christine Daniels. It took Chrisine "40 years, a million tears and hundreds of hours of soul-wrenching therapy" to come out in her column and announce her transition. Talk about making the most of a vacation.

Let's see: His gowns were always the most elaborate and colorful; his beard was always perfectly groomed and low hanging; he had great accessories like that pet pheonix; and he could sense drama and shade before it even started. Was it a surprise that JK Rowling's Potter master Dumbledore is gay? Fictional or not, kids have another gay hero to look up to.

Bobby Kennedy joked that he didn't know Lem Billings wasn't one of his brothers until he was about age 9. That's how close Lem was to late pres John F. Kennedy, Jr. In fact, they were best friends from their teens up until JFK's assassination. In his 2007 book, Jack and Lem: The Untold Story of an Extraordinary Friendship, author David Pitts reveals gay Lem Billings's and JFK close inseparable friendship.

We weren't exactly shocked when actor Neil Patrick Harris came out in People. We were more than thrilled, however, to see Harris and boyfriend David Burtka walk the red carpet at the 2007 Emmy's. Doogie is finally out and still gracing the stage—a good inspiration for all gay entertainers.

Frank Kameny is considered one of the fathers of the gay rights movement for his efforts in the 1960s gay rights protests and for founding the Washington D.C. chapter of the Mattachine Society. In September, signs from Kameny's protests in the 60s were exhibited at The Smithsonian Institution. With the display, gay history once again entered the national spotlight.

D&G's hot gay commercials prove to be very effective advertising. They made me want to go out and chase my cute Dolce & Gabbana tuxed boyfriend around New York City. I also wanted to go buy a junker car just so some cute man could help me fix it. Kudos to Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana for exposing my gay fantasies on the Primetime tube.