Michelle DuBarry, the oldest of Toronto legendary drag queens, celebrated her 80th birthday Wednesday, the milestone marked with a gala and tribute show, naturally. Born Russell Alldread, The National Post presents a portfolio of her life.
An update on an Australian rugby star and gay ally, The Sydney Morning Herald reporting that although politicians are about to debate same sex marriage, David Pocock has already made up his mind. Pocock captained the Wallabies for the first time yesterday, in a Test match against the British Barbarians at Twickenham in London. So strongly does he support the right of all people to marry, he and partner Emma Palandri have refused to seal their relationship legally until their gay friends can do the same. ''More than 60-percent of Australians are in favour of same-sex marriage, so it just doesn't make sense to stop it from happening,'' Pocock says in an interview in today's Extra. ''For a lot of Christians, it's a big issue and I know there's a lot of people who don't share the same opinion as me. It comes down to equal love. I don't think it's the government's role to tell people that their love is right or wrong.'' The couple had a wedding ceremony late last year and describe themselves as married. But in solidarity with those excluded from marriage, they opted not to sign the documents confirming their union. Their stance echoes that of high-profile US actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who said they would not marry until all US citizens were granted the same right. Last week, Pocock was named Western Australia's Young Australian of the Year for his humanitarian and philanthropic work, particularly in helping his former countrymen in Zimbabwe. Pocock's family fled Zimbabwe a decade ago when their farm was confiscated during Robert Mugabe's violent land redistribution program. ''If you're working for the freedom of a certain group of people, you've got to work for the freedom of all people,'' he says. Prime Minister Julia Gillard has made it clear she wants a robust, noisy national Labor Party conference next weekend. On that at least, she is sure to get her way. On Saturday, the 400 delegates who shape the party's policies for the next three years will discuss asylum seekers and same sex marriage. The Left will continue to push for a change in the Labor platform to recognise gay marriage, a position that has been articulately prosecuted by the Finance Minister, Penny Wong, who is a lesbian. But it is expected Ms Gillard will get her way and there will instead be a conscience vote in Parliament.
Singer George Michael has cancelled the rest of his European tour as he recovers from a bout with pneumonia at an Austrian hospital, his publicist and website announced Friday. His representative, Connie Filippello, had told CNN on Thursday that the singer was "on the mend" and "receiving medication." Michael's website then indicated that he could not, or had not been able to, perform in four shows on his Symphonica tour because of his condition. Friday's announcement detailed the postponement of 14 shows total, all of them in Great Britain. A press release Friday from a public relations firm representing Michael dismissed "speculation regarding his illness (as) unfounded and untrue," adding that, "He is receiving excellent medical care. He is responding to treatment and slowly improving." The press release quoted two of Michael's doctors -- Christoph Zielinski and Thomas Staudinger, both at the Medical University of Vienna -- as saying Michael "has severe community acquired pneumonia and is being treated as an inpatient,” adding, "From the current point of view, the time until recovery cannot be estimated. But he will not be able to perform the rest of the tour. Besides medical treatment, complete rest and peace and quiet are mandatory." Michael previously had postponed shows scheduled for this weekend in Cardiff, Wales, after putting off shows earlier this week in Vienna, Austria, and Strasbourg, France. He was also a no-show for a London concert scheduled for October 26. That concert is now scheduled for May 2, his website says. Michael said at the time he had thrown his back out. Including the kick-off show in August in Prague in the Czech Republic, the singer has performed 45 shows in 35 cities over the course of his European orchestral tour. Friday's announcement urged fans to hold onto tickets for Michael's postponed shows, adding that "discussions and preparations are underway to (reschedule) dates."
20 years ago Thursday, the great Freddie Mercury died, succumbing to complications from AIDS-related bronchopneumonia. He was 45. He had been battling the disease for four years, and only announced he had AIDS November, 23, 1991, one day before dying. The Hollywood Reporter chronicles seven iconic moments, while an essay in The Guardian suggests that Mercury “successfully evaded the rock world’s gaydar,” which seems a rather far-fetched theory.
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