Gay Place

TRANSAMERICAN APPOINTEE Whatever you want to say about our man in the White House, things are happening on the LGBT front. Perhaps not swiftly or soon enough for most folk, but the news this week of Amanda Simpson (a transgender test pilot, y'all!) becoming a presidential appointee to a very high-viz post in the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security has got to warm some cockles and offer encouragement that transition is occurring (pun, yes, pun). And speaking of cockles, according to an interview with ABC News, Simpson says: "Being the first sucks. I'd rather not be the first but someone has to be first, or among the first. I think I'm experienced and very well qualified to deal with anything that might show up because I've broken barriers at lots of other places and I always win people over with who I am and what I can do." Personally, we say, "Go, Barry! Go, Barry! Go, Barry!"

TOP 9S: LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN I'll admit it. I was in a rush to get to the beach and futzed up a few Top 9 things last week (and yes, it was a blast, thanks for asking). First of all, when I typed DOMA, I meant ENDA. Secondly and more embarrassingly, I had tech difficulties the entire time on the coast and never got to launch anybody but poor little Lola Houston's toppers. So sorry! So we shall relaunch our Top 9 Gay ShizzleNizzle of 2009 this week in our blog. Go check it out. Stale things are often chewier! See www.austinchronicle.com/gayplaceblog.

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