Gay: The best (and worst) of 2008

LILO & SAM Lindsay Lohan (right) nudged open the closet door when she finally admitted she’d been going out with gal pal Samantha Ronson “a very long time.” Shocking.

Photograph: Dez Mighty / Retna Ltd.

THE BEST

..drag-queen names
[title of show] took the long road to Broadway, but when Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen’s crazy metamusical finally made it there this summer, the world got to hear dozens of their ideas for drag-queen names fired off in a game of wit (e.g., Lady Footlocker, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Tulita Pepsi). Have any been snatched up yet?

...place to honeymoon
Who knew Connecticut was more than a land of SUV-driving soccer moms and rich old WASPs? As of October, it also happens to be the nearest place we can say our vows and then nest in a pretty B&B—if that’s your thing.

...place to return to after you’ve tied the knot in Connecticut
Thanks to Governor David Paterson’s directive in June that New York will honor out-of-state marriages, those who drive north for their nuptials can come home and still be married. Now, if only we could get married without leaving the state in the first place....

...revelations
In one week in September, we welcomed Clay Aiken and Lindsay Lohan out of the closet. Not that either admission came as much of a surprise, but hey, the more the merrier.

...venue for checking out gay artists
Joey Arias is king—er, queen—of performance art this year by a landslide, after extending his sensational musical mindfuck Arias with a Twist into a six-month run at HERE Arts Center. But HERE has also brought us two shows in repertory by the dazzling Taylor Mac, and a new work by choreographer Faye Driscoll. Coming up in ’09: Corey Dargel and lots more Taylor.

THE WORST

..affront to equal rights
Duh, it’s the passage of Prop 8. But ever a resilient bunch, LGBTs and allies are taking up the fight in greater numbers than ever. In New York, thousands came out in protest at two rallies shortly after Election Day. If there is a bright side, it’s this: Inequality is no longer an option.

...closing of a landmark
The iconic Meatpacking District diner Florent closed its doors on June 29—Pride Day—and with it, an era of all-night noshing alongside trannie prostitutes, drag waitresses, celebs and laborers came to an end. How we miss the days of topless mac and cheese.

...loss of a local gay rights leader
Former City Councilman Philip Reed was a tireless advocate for the causes of black, gay and HIV-positive New Yorkers—the kind of New Yorker that he was. This November, the pioneer passed away at 59.

...reappropriation of a perfectly good song title
Gays are fawning over Katy Perry, despite the fact that the pop singer has done irreparable harm to the image of bi-curious women as more than just drunken club girls looking to swap spit. Besides, Jill Sobule named a song “I Kissed a Girl” first, and it was much lovelier.

Report card

Of all of our gains, Lindsay Lohan was the biggest, and that’s saying a lot. Regarding marriage, we got Connecticut, but lost California, and New York is still on hold. Local arts were strong, but so were local losses. Overall, it’s been a so-so year.

FINAL GRADE: C

BEST (AND WORST) OF 2008: