Gay Man Now Boss of Happiest Place on Earth

UnicornBooty: In August 1971, George Kalogridis scored a job bussing tables at The Walt Disney Company’s new theme park, set to open that October. Now, as of Feb. 1, Kalogridis is Walt Disney World’s fifth president, taking over for Meg Crofton, who will fully assume her role as president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, U.S. and France.According to his official Walt Disney World bio, Kalogridis, 59, has been with the company for 41 years. He comes to his new role in Lake Buena Vista from Disneyland Resort, where he has served as president since 2009. Kalogridis’ job titles also include CEO for Disney Resort Paris, vice president of Travel Operations at Walt Disney World in Orlando, and vice president of Epcot.

One of the new perks of the job will be a permanent home in Disney’s Golden Oak development, located on property within the Magic Kingdom.

It really doesn’t feel like very long ago that Disney and subsidiary, ABC, were known for their anti-gay, “family values” policies. The times, they are a changing.

Gomer Pyle Is Gay And Married

DListed: Here I was thinking that Jim Nabors announced his undying love for peen on a “SHAZAM! I’M GAY!” cover of People Magazine in the 1970s, but I guess I was wrong. I guess Gomer Pyle never publicly slid down the rainbow while proudly waving a rainbow flag, but he is now. Gomer Pyle (which sorts of sounds like the name of a sex act you’d get into at a massive gay orgy) has married the man he’s been with for longer than some of us have been breathing air. Jim Nabors told Hawaii News Now (via Towleroad) that he married his partner of 38 years, Stan Cadwallader, on January 15th at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle.

“I’m 82 and he’s in his 60s and so we’ve been together for 38 years and I’m not ashamed of people knowing, it’s just that it was such a personal thing, I didn’t tell anybody. I’m very happy that I’ve had a partner of 38 years and I feel very blessed. And, what can I tell you, I’m just very happy.

“It’s pretty obvious that we had no rights as a couple, yet when you’ve been together 38 years, I think something’s got to happen there, you’ve got to solidify something. And at my age, it’s probably the best thing to do.”

Jim and Stan met in Honolulu in 1975 and they’ve been there ever since. I would say that this is Jim Nabors’ second marriage, but apparently that rumor that he married Rock Hudson in the early 70s is a lie and he’s denied it a million times.

Congratulations to Mr. and Mr. Gomer Pyle and congratulations to all the bitches at their wedding who shouted “Well, GAAAAWWWWW-LEEEEE” after the grooms kissed.

Take that, Honey Boo Boo Haters

DListed: On Wednesday night’s episode of Masterpiece Theater Presents The Diary of America’s Favorite Family, Sugar Bear’s brother Uncle Poodle, who’s got a little fruit in his tank (copyright: Mama June), came over to the house to work with Honey Boo Boo Chile on her pageant sway and to get into a grass fight with the other members of the Country Bear Jamboree.

Our nation’s sweetheart Honey Boo Boo calls her uncle Uncle Poodle, because she calls all gay dudes poodles. (For the record, I am so not a poodle. I’m more like a cockapoo who has to go to the vet every other week for raisin tongue because I won’t stop licking my own ass.) Honey Boo Boo took some time out from launching grass bombs at Uncle Poodle to share some words of wisdom on being gay and she did it without murdering gnats or snorting out nose jelly, so you know it’s important!

Happy Silver Fox Coming Out Day, Everyone!

DListed: The Daily Beast’s Andrew Sullivan asked Anderson Cooper about his thoughts on Entertainment Weekly’s story about famous gay people subtly coming out without a parade or a People magazine cover. The Silver Fox said the words “I’m gay” and explained why he hasn’t totally sashayed out of the glass closet before. I just want to let it be known that it’s really hard to type while a tidal wave of puckers takes over my body:

The fact is, I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud.

I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues. In a perfect world, I don’t think it’s anyone else’s business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted. I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don’t give that up by being a journalist.

Once and for all: Tinky Winky was not gay!

PinkNews: An actress who portrayed the Teletubby Laa-Laa has said the children’s programme did not contain gay undertones.

The show came in for long-running controversy over suggestions it was promoting homosexuality to children. through the purple character of Tinky Winky.

Nikky Smedley, who portrayed Laa-Laa in the show from 1997, said: “When the show was explained to me, I thought it was a work of genius.

“I thought it will be massive. It came from a place of love and engagement for young children.

“It is fantastic that somewhere in the world a child will be looking at Laa-Laa and laughing.”

But of questions over Tinky Winky’s sexuality, she told the Birmingham Mail: “I think it’s embarrassing for the people who said it.

“What kind of person can take the obvious innocence and turn it into something else? We were hardly sexual beings.”

The late US preacher Jerry Falwell prompted a worldwide debate over the sexuality of Tinky Winky in 1999.

He claimed that Tinky Winky must be gay because he was purple and had a triangle on his head; symbols of gay pride. A bag the character carried also prompted questions, perceived as it was to be a women’s accessory. The BBC said: “Tinky Winky is simply a sweet, technological baby with a magic bag.”

In 2007, Polish politician Eva Sowinska said she would ask psychologists to investigate whether the purse-carrying character was gay and promoted homosexuality to children. Her office later dropped the issue.