Gaywheels

On this night, 83 years ago, the world focused its attention on the death of one of the 20th century’s most important artists, dancer Isadora Duncan. Also in the spotlight: the car that brought about her demise: an Amilcar. Long story short: Duncan was famous for her dramatic clothing, especially her long, flowing scarves. On the night of September 14, 1927, Duncan hopped in her convertible, and as the driver took off, her silk scarf became wrapped in the spokes of the rear wheel. Within seconds, she was lifted from her seat and hurled to the cobblestones, dragged for some distance before the driver fully realized what had happened. At just 50 years old, she was pronounced dead at the scene. [...]

We have a confession to make. As most of you know, Gaywheels had a bit of a transition earlier this year when founder Joe LaMuraglia stepped down and handed the editorial reins to Joe Tralongo. Thanks to Joe’s L’s planning and Joe T’s smarts, the transition went pretty smoothly. Except for one small detail: we’ve been neglecting to post one of your favorite things, the Most-Researched Vehicle reports. [...]

Twitter is a great tool for communication. (You follow us, don’t you?) Sure, some folks have criticized it for being just another way to broadcast your choice of oatmeal — and it is. But it’s also a lightning-fast way to share information, as we saw during last year’s protests in Iran, or in the case of a kidnapping that took place earlier this week, when the victim tweeted his location with his captor’s mobile phone. Unfortunately, Twitter is so easy to use that people often do so without really considering what they’re saying. This week’s cautionary example: Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice, who dropped the f-bomb after a rugby match. I believe her exact words were, “suck on that, faggots”. [...]

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation may not have any awards in its gift bag for automakers this year, but the Point Foundation certainly does — at least for one forward-thinking German brand. The nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBT students of merit will honor Audi with its Point Inspiration Award at a gala event later this month. According to the Foundation’s press release: The Point Inspiration Award recognizes a corporation that champions respect and inclusion of the LGBT community, and operates with the vision that the success achieved by talented young people is limited only by the resources and opportunities they are given to help them fulfill their potential. [...]

Last week, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation published its list of nominees for the organization’s second annual Media Awards in Advertising. According to the official press release, the awards are meant to “elevate and promote individuals and projects in the advertising and marketing industries for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their lives.” Which is quite a mouthful, but at heart, it means that GLAAD wants to recognize those companies that give visibility to our community. [...]