Kathryn Joosten, star of The West Wing and Desperate Housewives, has died.

Researchers Joshua A. Tabak and Vivian Zayas explain "the science of gaydar":

... our finding clarifies how people distinguish between gay and straight faces. Research by Professor Rule and his colleagues has implicated certain areas of the face (like the mouth area) in gaydar judgments. Our discovery — that accuracy was substantially greater for right side up faces than for upside-down faces — indicates that configural face processing contributes to gaydar accuracy. Specific facial features will not tell the whole story. Differences in spatial relationships among facial features matter, too.

Consider, for example, facial width-to-height ratio. This is a configural physical feature that differs between men and women (men have a larger ratio) and reflects testosterone release during adolescence in males. Given that stereotypes of gender atypicality — gay men as relatively feminine and gay women as relatively masculine — play a role in how people judge others’ sexual orientation, our finding suggests that cues like facial width-to-height ratio may contribute to gaydar judgments ...

Chris Mooney explains the science behind the the media giving his book the shaft.

Bryan Fischer explains why discrimination's great.

Victory: The Triumphant Gay Revolution -- was it misnamed?

The Pope says some nonsense about the beauty of priestly celibacy:

“The shining light of pastoral charity and a unified heart is sacerdotal celibacy and enshrined virginity,” Pope Benedict XVI told hundreds of clergy members in Milan Cathedral during the 7th World Meeting of Families.

“Without a doubt, Jesus’ love is for all Christians but takes on particular significance for the celibate priest and for those who take up the vocation of a life of devotion,” he said on the second day of his visit to Milan.

This psychiatrist feels the need to explain that there won't be a zombie apocalypse.

Newt Gingrich isn't a very good Romney surrogate:

“[F]rankly, the Romney people did the only thing they could [against my campaign]. They used their strengths — which were money and the super PAC and a willingness to go after me very aggressively — to offset my strength, which was an ability to define a larger, better future,” Gingrich said. “It’s not bad to say [Romney] has proven he will do what it takes to beat Obama. It’s the nature of our current political culture that cynicism trumps idealism,” the former speaker added, coming very close to calling Romney cynical.

GOP congressional spokesman Jay Townsend thinks acid-attacks are hilarious.

Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312 sounds pretty amazing:

A very few writers can at length sustain both the nothingness where characters, where lives, happen and also the tech and thrill where adventure occurs. Iain M. Banks, yes, almost always. And then there's Kim Stanley Robinson, whose new novel, 2312, is his boldest trip into all of the marvelous SF genres—ethnography, future shock, screed against capitalism, road to earth—and all of the ways to thrill and be thrilled. It's a future history that's so secure and comprehensive that it reads as an account of the past—a trick of craft that belongs almost exclusively to the supreme SF task force of Le Guin and Margaret Atwood.

A few years ago, quacks liked to give autistic kids a castration drug to "cure" their condition. It didn't work. Now the quacks have moved on to bleach enemas.

BY NATHANIEL ROGERS

YOUR FEATURE PRESENTATION

"Fairy tale revisionism" has been rapidly climbing the Hollywood Idea Chart. In the past few years we've seen Alice in Wonderland, Rapunzel in Tangled, Red Riding Hood, and Snow White in Mirror Mirror (reviewed here).  There are several more on the way including Angelina Jolie as Maleficent terrorizing Sleeping Beauty Elle Fanning. This weekend Snow White returned to theaters for the second time in three months. Her timing is apt since the apple-munching princess is celebrating her 75th big screen anniversary (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in 1937). Why so many fairy tales? Modern Hollywood thrives on branding so the more familiar the movie before it arrives the better. And what's more familiar than fairy tales?

Tale as old as time. 
True as it can be…  ♫

Oops wrong fairy tale. Regret to inform that SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN does not have a theme song sung by Angela Lansbury but let's borrow that song anyway since its such an earworm. This new Snow White movie does have a theme song but it's a less catchy dirge-like ballad. One of the seven dwarves coughs it out at a funeral until Florence and the Machine take over on the soundtrack as the heroes rise up against evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) in montage. 

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. 

If you can suspend your disbelief that Kristen Stewart is "the fairest of all them all" in a beauty contest with Charlize Theron, READ ON AFTER THE JUMP...

Wow. Surprised you're still here!  Charlize wins all beauty contests. Don't you have eyes?

The movie insists that Ravenna's beauty is the product of dark magic but if movies are elaborate magic tricks than it’s definitely Kristen Stewart as Snow White that's benefiting from studio sorcery. The gifted new cinematographer Grieg Frasier (Bright Star, Let Me In) carefully shoots Kristen Stewart with warm magic hour light so that even when she's wet, beaten and terrified, her dark locks frame her half lit porcelain face just so; she’s never looked better.

Barely even friends. Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly

To be fair to the film and the ladies in question, the screenplay muddies the water a bit with what the "fairest of them all?" question means. The question is about physical beauty until it's not; Snow White's innocence, purity and kindness are eventually directly equated with her "fairness". It’s almost as if the Magic Mirror is guiding the story and changing the rules, sabotaging the Queen. This makes one of the film’s last images, Snow White reflected in the evil artifact, a curious winner. 

The rivalry between stepdaughter and stepmother is handled with more ambiguity than we usually get in these circumstances with a fair bit of sympathy for the devil. Snow implicitly senses Ravenna’s tragic backstory even though it’s only the Queen and her Lurch like brother (Sam Spruell) and the audience (via flashback) who know it. Otherwise though this princess's love stories are a touch too ambiguous. Does she love the Huntsman or her childhood Duke Charming (Sam Claflin)? The movie plays coy here, which adds a bit of intrigue to the “love’s first kiss” business but has an unfortunate effect on the movie’s heart, deromanticizing the iconic fairytale. Kisses are usually heroic in fairytales but any and all sexuality, even the purest kind, is as poisonous at that infamous apple this time around.

Just a little change. Small, to say the least
Both a little scared. Neither one prepared
Beauty and the Beast ♩

Point being: Snow White and The Huntsman is handsomely made and even pleasantly if unsuccessfully ambitious. This makes it the best of the recent live action fairy tales though that's not a tough bar to clear. The fairest of them all is the excellent costume design work on Theron’s mesmerizing Queen Ravenna (courtesy of three-time Oscar winner Colleen Atwood). But it takes more than costumes and one major diva actress to sell a movie. Especially when they’re sidelined from the main action.

Theron tries hard (too hard?) to revive the movie’s frequently failing heart with much needed shots of adrenaline but the movie’s relentless sobriety brings too many unintentional laughs. Most classic dramas aren’t shy about having a healthy sense of humor but when genre films want to be taken seriously they tend to err in the opposite direction. First time director Rupert Sanders uses Ravenna quite oddly reducing her to a walking visual effects ad to liven things up (briefly) during commercial breaks from the duller Snow White adventure. The storytelling gets as muddied as Snow White after escaping the castle through its sewers. Worst of all are the overhead aerial shots of the heroes recall The Lord of the Rings to such an absurd extent that it almost feels like stock footage with beefy Chris Hemsworth CGI'ed over Aragorn and new Dwarf faces superimposed over The Hobbits. 

Ever just the same. Ever a surprise
Ever as before. Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise ♫

All in all this familiar but interestingly reworked fairy tale movie will play better on DVD where its choppiness will feel more organic to the viewing. There’s a lot of Beauty here and four actual beauties (Theron, Hemsworth, Stewart, and Claflin) but revising fairytales is a Beastly task. Queen Ravenna is right in her own sick way. It takes a strong beating heart for any story to achieve immortality. Snow White and the Huntsman’s heart beats faintly and arrhythmically, even when its body is shouting, fighting and otherwise magically engaged.  

Nathaniel Rogers would live in the movie theater but for the poor internet reception. He blogs daily at the Film Experience. Follow him on Twitter @nathanielr.

... Homophile strategists are very adept at manipulating public opinion with an arsenal of six tactics that are based upon deceptions and half‑truths:

• Exploit the “victim” status;
• Use the sympathetic media;
• Confuse and neutralize the churches;
• Slander and stereotype Christians;
• Bait and switch (hide their true nature); and
• Intimidation.

... Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen clearly laid out this agenda in the marching orders of the movement, After the Ball:  How America Will Conquer Its Fear & Hatred of Gays in the 90s.[1] This volume is an absolute treasure chest of information for those pro-family stalwarts who are actively engaged against the homosexual rights agenda.

By far the most popular homophile tactic is the claim to victim status, which is a very powerful, almost paralyzing, weapon that gives them a distinct advantage in the public square ...

Just for the record: I have never read After The Ball, and I've never heard it discussed by actual gay people. Only by gay-obsessed bigots like Brian Clowes.

Meanwhile, I wonder if Clowes is sufficiently self-aware to note the irony in accusing LGBTfolk of claiming "hiding their true nature," claiming "victim status," and especially of "slandering and stereotyping Christians." Virtually every piece of anti-gay legislation to be passed in the United States in the last decade has squeaked through the polls by "hiding its true nature" beneath tricky legalese. And if that's a stretch, Clowes should at least realize that his entire career, at this point, consists of pleading special "victim" status for conservative religionists, and of "slandering and stereotyping" gay people. Why, in this very piece Clowes writes:

[Homosexual activists] have lulled people into thinking that the wider society will not be adversely affected by their radical social agenda. Homosexual strategists have, in many cases, toned down their extreme rhetoric and have cloaked their agenda in soothing language.

... engaging, in other words, in a massive conspiracy. Apparently, Clowes doesn't object to stereotype and slander in general, but only to stereotyping and slander against those with whom he happens to agree. 

The story Andrew linked to didn't go into detail on the ruling -- who had been accused of what, when, or why. But it turns out Towleroad has covered this before.

The situation was this: Four years ago, Jean Mincolla of upstate New York falsely accused told Mark Yonaty of being a closeted gay man. She said this, it seems, because she wanted Yonaty's girlfriend to break up with him -- possibly because Mincolla wanted Mr. Yonaty for herself. Ms. Mincolla told her lie to Ruthanne Kaufman, who repeated it to the mother of Yonaty's girlfriend, who then broke up with Mr. Yonaty, just as Ms. Mincolla had hoped.

This probably doesn't say much for the integrity of Mr. Yonaty's relationship, but never mind -- Mr. Yonaty was aggrieved, and sued Ms. Mincolla. A judge decided the case in 2009, and another reaffirmed it in 2011, when Andy first reported the story. Mark Yonaty had indeed been slandered.

As Andrew explained Thursday, a "mid-level appeals court" has now reversed that decision, citing shifting public perceptions of gayness. It now seems Mr. Yonaty was not slandered by Ms. Mincolla, because slander requires defamation, and calling someone gay isn't defamatory. From the New York Daily News:

“These [previous] appellate division decisions are inconsistent with current public policy and should no longer be followed,” stated the unanimous decision written by Justice Thomas Mercure of the Appellate Division’s Third Department based in Albany. While the decision sets new case law in New York now, it could still go to a definitive ruling by the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals.

... With Thursday’s decision and similar ones in several other states, calling someone gay is eliminated as defamation, just as being called black is no longer grounds for slander, said Jonathan L. Entin, law and political science professor at Case Western Reserve University Law School in Ohio.

“It doesn’t mean this is the universal view of the country,” he said. “The traditional view of being called gay was like being called an evil person. The state of public opinion has changed, but there are still people who feel that way.”

Nice as it is that courts no longer think being called "gay" is so awful, it still seems that Mr. Yonaty was treated poorly. So far as I've seen, media aren't reporting why, in this case, the "gay" allegation doesn't count as "defamation per se," which traditionally includes charges of "unchastity." Insinuating that someone in a heterosexual, monogamous relationship is gaying it up on the DL would seem to apply. Anybody have any insight?

Gallup conducted the poll with a random sample of 1,012 Americans. The demographic breakdown for responders was neatly summarized at CNN.com:

Nearly 70% of respondents who attend church every week said that God created humans in their present form, compared with 25% of people who seldom or never attend church.

Among the seldom church-goers, 38% believe that humans evolved with no guidance from God.

The numbers also showed a tendency to follow party lines, with nearly 60% of Republicans identifying as creationists, while 41% of Democrats hold the same beliefs.

Republicans also seem to be more black-and-white about their beliefs, with only 5% responding that humans evolved with some help from God. That number is much lower than the 19% of both independents and Democrats.

Over at Gallup, a helpful chart shows the evolution of Americans' opinions on evolution over the last 30 years. It's not pretty. Very little has changed since 1982, when 44% of Americans were creationists, 38% believed in "intelligent design," and 9% came out for natural selection.

Lest you think the Gallup results are mistaken, take a quick peek at the comments section over at CNN's coverage of the poll. It's a proud and appalling parade of ignorance.

From Entertainment Weekly:

“That definitely wasn’t the case,” she tells EW. “I’ve never dealt with the question of my personal life in public. It’s just not gonna happen.”

Although she insists she hasn't and won't come out, Latifah did refer to the assembled LGBTfolk in Long Beach as "her people." She also said, presumably of performing at a pride celebration, "I've been waiting to do this a long time."

Though Long Beach was Queen Latifah's first pride event, she's performed for all-gay audiences before. In EW, she shares this anecdote: 

“My first show that paid more than $10,000 was in a gay club on New Year’s Eve in San Francisco. Tupac happened to be in town, so he came to kick it with me. This was the early ’90s. And the boys were like, ‘Take your shirt off, Tupac!’  He wasn’t doing that. But we had a blast in there.”

A recap, from CBCNews:

The Chinese consulate in Montreal said Jun Lin was from the city of Wuhan, in central China, and arrived in Montreal in July 2011 to study.

According to people who knew him in Montreal, Lin used Justin as a given name, and Patrick on his Facebook profile.

He was registered as an undergraduate student in engineering and computer science at Concordia University.

Lin had moved into a new Griffintown-area apartment with a roommate, on May 1.

He kept to himself and acted as any "nice guy" would, according to his superintendent, Fred Hedriana, who said "he looked like a gentleman."

His neighbour Tyson James told CBC that Lin played his music "pretty loud," but that, "It hasn't been happening in the last few days."

Lin was last seen by friends on May 24 and according to police was killed on May 24 or 25.

Lin's disappearance was reported to the Chinese consulate on the 29th, and the consulate in turn reported it to the police. That was the same day the grisly parcels were discovered en route to the Liberal Party, and a human torso was found in a trashheap in Montreal. After a "grisly" crime scene was discovered in Magnotta's apartment, police initiated a country-wide search for him.

But it seems Magnotta had already left the country by then, and now a "senior French police official" says he's "sure" Magnotta's hiding out in France. From CBCNews:

Interpol posted a picture and information on Montreal resident Magnotta on its website Thursday among a group of many international suspects wanted for crimes including homicide, kidnapping and organized crime.

Interpol's involvement came after Montreal police issued a worldwide warrant for first-degree murder.

Clues at the Montreal crime scene led police to expand their search abroad, police said on Wednesday.

"We found some evidence," said Lafrenière. "We found, also, a letter that was posted on a website making us believe he might be gone out of the country."

He said they were working with airport officials in Montreal as well, but wouldn't disclose any information they had provided.

"There is no country in the world that is not talking about him," Lafrenière said. "There’s a lot of heat on him. There’s a lot of pressure on him, so we believe that it’s going to be hard for him.”

First Lady Michelle Obama answers a series of questions submitted via Twitter in a new video released by the White House. The last questioner in the series asks her about marriage equality.

"Please tell us about your family discussions about marriage equality and thank President Obama for his support!"

Says Obama in the clip:

"This is an important issue for millions of Americans, and for Barack and me, it really comes down to the values of fairness and equality that we want to pass on to our girls. These are basic values that kids learn at a very young age and that we encourage them to apply in all areas of their lives. And in a country where we teach our children that everyone is equal under the law, discriminating against same-sex couples just isn’t right. So it’s as simple as that."

Watch (final question), AFTER THE JUMP...

President Obama's LGBT Pride Month proclamation, just in from the White House:

A PROCLAMATION

From generation to generation, ordinary Americans have led a proud and inexorable march toward freedom, fairness, and full equality under the law -- not just for some, but for all. Ours is a heritage forged by those who organized, agitated, and advocated for change; who wielded love stronger than hate and hope more powerful than insult or injury; who fought to build for themselves and their families a Nation where no one is a second-class citizen, no one is denied basic rights, and all of us are free to live and love as we see fit.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)community has written a proud chapter in this fundamentally American story. From brave men and women who came out and spokeout, to union and faith leaders who rallied for equality, toactivists and advocates who challenged unjust laws and marched on Washington, LGBT Americans and allies have achieved what once seemed inconceivable. This month, we reflect on their enduring legacy, celebrate the movement that has made progress possible, and recommit to securing the fullest blessings of freedom for all Americans.

Since I took office, my Administration has worked to broaden opportunity, advance equality, and level the playing field for LGBT people and communities. We have fought to secure justice for all under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr.,Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and we have taken action to end housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We expanded hospital visitation rights for LGBT patients and their loved ones, and under the Affordable Care Act, we ensured that insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage to someone just because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Because we understand that LGBT rights are human rights, we continue to engage with the international community in promoting and protecting the rights of LGBT persons around the world. Because we repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans can serve their country openly, honestly, and without fear of losing their jobs because of whom they love. And because we must treat others the way we want to be treated, I personally believe in marriage equality for same-sex couples.

More remains to be done to ensure every single American is treated equally, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Moving forward, my Administration will continue its work to advance the rights of LGBT Americans. This month, as we reflect on how far we have come and how far we have yet to go, let us recall that the progress we have made is built on the words and deeds of ordinary Americans. Let us pay tribute to those who came before us, and those who continue their work today; and let us rededicate ourselves to a task that is unending -- the pursuit of a Nation where all are equal, and all have the full and unfettered opportunity to pursue happiness and live openly and freely.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2012 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.

I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

As it did last year, the hateful Florida Family Association is flying planes over Disney World warning visitors about gay people visiting the park for the annual Gay Days, tomorrow (photo is from last year).

The group writes:

Florida Family Association has received many, many letters and emails from people across the country who patronized Disney World in Orlando to find themselves in the middle of one of the annual Gay Days at Disney.  The most recent letter we received was from Willis in Sarasota who wrote “Just a note to let you know that about 18 years ago my wife and I and our 2 year old granddaughter were at Disney World when it was ‘Gay Day.’  It was the most deplorable sight that we ever saw.  I thank you so much for the vision of the airplane banner warning people.”

We want to warn families before they expose their children to Gay Day’s same-sex revelry, before they pay money to Disney for parking, admission, novelties and food.  We also want to send a message that Gay Day’s public promotion of homosexuality to a captured audience inside the park is wrong.

OrlandoGayTravel.com had been planning an opposing banner. It's unclear whether that was funded or not.

HIT & MISS: Chloe Sevigny stars in new thriller as a transgender contract killer.

ACADEMY OF VILLAINS: Body Rock 2012.

HOMOPHOBES ARE FULL OF S**T: A gross-out video from FCKH8.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

Signorile: Do all Evangelical leaders believe gays should be put to death?

Socarides on the recent DOMA ruling:  "It now looks like it will be this case, rather than the more famous Perry case being litigated by Ted Olson and David Boies, that will reach the Supreme Court first."

Photo proof of how the sun ages you: "This man is 69 years old. He drove a truck for 28 years. The premature aging from sun damage to the left side of his face is extensive enough to warrant a feature in the New England Journal of Medicine."

Justin Bieber walks into glass wall at concert, suffers mild concussion.

David Mixner on the evangelical call to kill gays: "The temptation, of course, is for thinking people to cross these preachers of hate off as right wing religious crazies. Their attempt to be the moral police of America is more like the Taliban than a thoughtful discussion taking place in a democratic setting. Not taking them seriously, however, would be a mistake."

Sotheby's to auction rare working Apple I computer.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney addresses ExxonMobil's rejection of protections for LGBT employees: "Under questioning from the Washington Blade, Carney said the White House would continue to pursue legislation — the Employment Non-Discrimination Act — to institute non-discrimination protections for LGBT workers as opposed to issuing an executive order that changes policies at U.S. contractors like ExxonMobil."

Hunger Games hunk Alexander Ludwig, is looking, uh, different for his new movie.

Armie Hammer the favorite for Catching Fire?

Adorable photos of David Beckham with his gran.

Nike hosts first-ever LGBT sports summit: "The goal of this ground-breaking event is to create a team game plan for ending homophobia and transphobia in sport that takes advantage of the best thinking and strengths of each organization. The aim is to increase our ability to collaborate on bringing about the change we all are committed to. For the better part of three days, summit participants will identify and commit to completing specific action plans toward ending anti-LGBT discrimination in sports. They’ll also forge inter-group relationships to carry out these action plans."

Henry Copeland, the founder of Blogads, talks about blog advertising 10 years on. Towleroad joined the network near its inception.

Sandra Bernhard joins cast of in-development series DTLA.

Tom Hardy and Logan Marshall Green: Separated at birth?

Pastor Leatherman walks back remarks that his "flesh kind of likes the idea" of killing all gay people.

L.A.'s Abbey Bar to open Chicago outpost? "Long an eyesore in the middle of Boystown, the former auto repair shop at 3532 N. Halsted Street, used mostly for parking cars during Cubs games, could be transformed into the newest outpost of The Abbey as soon as December if all goes according to plan."

Jake Shears flaunts his derriere (work-unfriendly).

Serpent-handling evangelical pastor dies from rattlesnake bite: "Mack Wolford, a flamboyant Pentecostal pastor from West Virginia whose serpent-handling talents were profiled last November in The Washington Post Magazine , hoped the outdoor service he had planned for Sunday at an isolated state park would be a 'homecoming like the old days,' full of folks speaking in tongues, handling snakes and having a 'great time.' But it was not the sort of homecoming he foresaw. Instead, Wolford, who turned 44 the previous day, was bitten by a rattlesnake he owned for years. He died late Sunday."

Cowardly American Family Association subgroup One Million Moms is looking more toothless by the day.

The New Civil Rights Movement reports that a Facebook warning the group issued today about DC Comics Green Lantern coming out of the closet was removed after at least 83 pro-gay comments flooded the page.

Check out the 4-page preview of Green Lantern's coming out issue HERE.

GLAAD tells TMZ: "The idea that a comic book character will make young people gay is as outlandish as saying it will give them a green power ring and the ability to fly. Even more outlandish is the idea that there are 'one million moms' who believe this hate group's anti-gay nonsense. From Christian churches to sports fields, to now even fictional comic book worlds, our culture overwhelmingly supports gay and lesbian Americans and that's what anti-gay groups like this are working against."

The Manitoba legislature is joining in Winnipeg Pride celebrations:

“This is one of the most significant things we are doing to celebrate the occasion of our 25th anniversary,” said Barb Burkowski, Chair, Pride Winnipeg. “What really started the Pride movement in Winnipeg was the passing of a piece of legislation that included protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation in Manitoba’s Human Rights Code – so what better way to symbolically mark the occasion than by lighting up the building where these protections were drafted and became law.”

(photo via Scott Carman - Twitter)

BY OCCUPY THE DISCO / TADEU MAGALHÃES

The OXD Mirror is a weekly music column brought to you by the boys of OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD), a New York City based movement created by three music lovers, Ru Bhatt, Josh Appelbaum, and Tadeu Magalhães who want to share their love for disco, house and dance music with the world.

OXD curates and recommends music events to the gay community in NYC—in an effort to move the focus of the nightlife scene beyond the promoter and venue and to the music itself. OXD's goal is to educate, entertain, engage and empower the gay audience to reclaim their ability to question and experience the unknown. The OXD Mirror will serve to showcase tunes that are definitely off-the-beaten-path but rightfully deserve the attention of the gay ear. It's music that will make you dance, dream, and most importantly, love.

The KDMS - "Wonderman"

When Kathy Diamond and Maximillian Skiba decided to promote their new project, The KDMS, they figured there was no better way to generate buzz than by creating an 80s disco-funk version of Madonna’s ‘Gimme All Your Luvin.’ This resulted in instant praise, (after all, it's arguably better than Madge's original) and quickly whet appetites for more music from the KDMS. Shortly after, the British disco-diva and Polish producer graced us with a true disco gem titled ‘Wonderman.’ This track harkens back to the disco divas that once ruled the airwaves resulting in a song which is, for lack of a better word, wonderful . 'Wonderman' is available now in The KMDS' debut album Kinky Dramas and Magic Stories among other fun disco-flavored tracks.

Sébastien Tellier - "Cochon Ville"

After the successful collaboration with Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo on his third album (released in 2008), French singer/Jesus-look-a-like/American Apparel collaborator Sébastien Tellier is back, this time commanding an extremely NSFW dancefloor orgy—with his own soundtrack, of course. One of the highlight tracks of this year, 'Cochon Ville', appears to be inspired by Isaac Hayes' theme song for Shaft, but cleverly revamped for the current times. Rêve!

MORE MUSIC, AFTER THE JUMP...

Charlotte Gainsbourg - "Paradisco (Joakim's Paradisco Garage Remix)"

Charlotte Gainsbourg, the love child of legendary couple Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, released her fourth studio album, Stage Whisper, this past year. The album is a collection of sweet pop songs that mix both electronic and acoustic elements. The second track, 'Paradisco,' includes a more upbeat direction than her usual efforts, and after being filtered by French producer Joakim, it truly embodies the essence of a modern disco track. According to Joakim, this is a remix in tribute of Paradise Garage's mastermind Larry Levan; cues that are hard to miss on this edit.

Chris Malinchak - "Razor 2.0"

NYC-based Chris Malinchak has just released his third EP, Ironbound, including 'Razor 2.0,' which quickly made its way into our list of this year's favorites. With beats and synths that resemble the old days of house music, it's hard not to think of the iconic Inner City anthem, 'Big Fun,' a dance hit in it's own right.

Only Children - "Down Fever"

Little is known about Only Children, except that they claim to be “a Chicago artist, DJ and production collective,” according to their SoundCloud page. What we do know though is that we love their new heavily disco influenced gem that surprisingly samples vocals from one of the late legends of pop music. Listen and you'll instantly recognize a gay dance mega hit that is taken in a new, refreshing, direction.

Find previous editions of The OXD Mirror here: 5.25.12.

This week's post was written and curated by Tadeu Magalhães.

For more information on OXD, check out our website and accompanying blog at www.occupythedisco.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter: @OccupyTheDisco.