GAY TO Z. THIS MONTH, K.
KATH AND KIM…
Kath And Kim premiered in 2002, eviscerating suburban Australian life with the delicious malapropisms of Kath Day-Night and her status-seeking daughter Kim Craig (who “just wants to be effluent”). When Kath suspects her daughter is a lesbian she freaks out, but soon accepts that Kim has “thrown her handbag in the river” (she hasn’t). Later, Kath is horrified to learn her fiancée Kel had gay experiences in the navy but forgives him because he’s a “total hornbag” (he isn’t).
They appeared at the opening ceremony of The Gay Games in Sydney in 2002 and discussed kitchen renovations. “Brett and me have decided. We want solid monogamy,” said Kim. “Oh no,” replied Kath, “Monogamy’s very old fashioned. You just need a veneer of monogamy. That’s all people care about.”
And did we mention guest stars including Mark Trevorrow, Matt Lucas and…
… AND KYLIE
When Kylie announced her Disco album in August it was like a shiny beacon of hope in the gloom of 2020. Lead song Say Something even alludes to social distancing (“we’re a million miles apart in a thousand ways”). If anyone is going to save this dreadful year, it’s our Kylie.
She’s been gifting us with enduring pop music for years. From her ’90s Hi-NRG hits courtesy of Stock Aitken Waterman, to her Deconstruction Impossible Princess phase to her Light Years and beyond, Kylie has always been our disco queen (even though we have cheated on her with sister Dannii).
She’s dipped her tiny toes in film and fashion and, though she’s acquired the vowels of her adopted United Kingdom, has never abandoned her Aussie charm, remaining stylish but never aloof, cool but always smiling.
She’s even launched her own brand of rosé for all us thirsty gays. Chin-chin!
KEITH HARING
The son of an amateur cartoonist and a onetime teen Christian crusader, Keith Haring began his career graffitiing the New York City subways and ended it as a global art superstar.
His simple and vibrant cartoon figures were innocent and sexual, political and childlike and celebrated an overtly gay sexuality and the buzz of ’80s New York City. By 1988, Haring had been diagnosed HIV-positive but his work continued, used to promote safe sex and ACT-UP campaigns. A close pal of Basquiat, Grace Jones and Andy Warhol, it was his friendship with Madonna that raised his profile even further, with his death prompting a tribute at the 1990 Blond Ambition tour that was captured in the documentary Truth Or Dare.
KINK
Once upon a time, even the most vanilla gay sex was considered kinky simply because it wasn’t straight. Yet we’ve always loved a walk on the wild side, with gay leather bars emerging simultaneously beside regular gay bars, and Tom Of Finland immortalising leather-clad dude-gods since the 1950s.
Long before we were considered early adopters of fashion, we were leading the way in filth; embracing poppers, fuck buddies and cruising grounds way ahead of our straight friends. Leather bars may be on the wane, but kink lives on in the apps, with punters able to list an eye-watering range of fetish preferences. And what else is a kink but a quality that makes something bent?