For some reason, this system is supressing the most important post I wrote about Chip & Reichen or gay marriage.

Censorship!

Short of a vast homophobic conspiracy from the machines, I'm sure I'm doing something stupid, but I just can't figure out what the hell it is.

So the post, called "Not Yet! We just met Chip & Reichen" is here.

All the rest of my recent posts on Chip & Reichen are here.

Everything on gay marriage is here.

And I just created a special site devoted to the struggle to end the marriage ban, costarring our heroes Chip and Reichen. You may have noticed the new icon/copy there in the left column, under Special Features. You can click on the romantic picture of our boys any time to get to it directly. (And don't tell anyone, but there's also a wedding photo there.)

This just in, and only a month old--but still news to most of us, I'll wager:

Our buddy Reichen made a speech at an SLDN fundraiser last month. (That's Servicemember's Legal Defense Network, and it's the major advocacy group for gays in the military. They publish a report every year called Conduct Unbecoming that the Pentagon quotes, because SLDN has a better read on gays on the inside than they do. They also have a team of lawyers that defend soldiers, sailors and airmen under the gun. Great group. They helped me a lot with my Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Fall in Love series for Salon.)

Interesting to hear Reichen speaking so aggressively on the issue--I wasn't sure he would be so outspoken, given his rather reserved demeanor on the show. But the best part is the dirt on his adventures at the Academy. He rented an illegal apartment off campus with his boyfriend. Worse, he kept a plant in his room at the Academy.

Excerpt from Gay and Lesbian Times story:

"This is not about a celebrity coming here to visit us today," Reichen Lehmkuhl, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate who spent five years on active duty, reminded the audience. "This is about officers and enlisted people and everyone else who is dealing with a policy that is absolutely disgraceful, and it has to end. We're here giving our money and time and networking and meeting people who can stop this."

Lehmkuhl went on to talk about his experience at the Air Force Academy, and his service in the military. He highlighted some of the other rules he broke while attending the academy which included watching TV, having a plant in his room and haveing an off-campus apartment (which, he pointed out, he shared with his boyfriend). Lehmkuhl went on to serve his five years of required service and left the Air Force shortly thereafter.

"When we lift this ban, and we will," Lehmkuhl concluded, "we're not just lifting the ban on homosexuals in the military, we're going to be lifting the ban everywhere else because the military is the leader in so many different things. It's going to affect so many parts of this country and . . . the world, and we are going to set an example."

All my recent Reichen & Chip posts here.

Lots and lots of great Reichen photos, in much larger sizes posted on this discussion board (see warning below before you go). And some of them even include Chip.

A sample. Aren't they just adorable? Hard not to love that pair. I sure hope they stay together. (I'm going to put together a Chip and Reichen photo page over at my other site later in the week, once I get my story finished. It will be at http://www.davecullen.com/gayheroes.htm -- but don't go there yet. I'll tell you when. (Adorable? Did I just say adorable? I feel a little weird using that word, but they are adorable there, aren't they? Especially Chip. Really nice shot of Chip. I actually like Chip a lot better, but Reichen is sure something to look at. Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

WARNING: The site linked here is for an online gay video store, which also runs discussion boards. When you pull it up, you'll see ads for gay porn videos. It looks like the shots are all PG-13, meaning no exposed body parts below the waist. But there are suggestive shots of groups of guys, men grimacing, etc. If this is likely to offend you, DON'T GO!) The discussion there is titled, "The Amazing Race -- The Queers Made It!!!"