Reasons for Pride in 2012, Part 2

Because everything old (Hollywood) is new again

As Full Service, the best-selling memoir by 88-year-old Scotty Bowers proves, we’re still fascinated by the secret sex lives of classic Hollywood stars. With a testimonial about his veracity from none other than Gore Vidal, Bowers details a type of prostitution ring he ran in mid-20th-century Hollywood, providing same-sex liaisons for some celebrities long rumored to be secretly gay or bisexual — and some confirmed to be — including actors Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Rock Hudson, and Katharine Hepburn. While some take issue with posthumous outings (all the celebrities in the book are deceased), Bowers disagrees. “What I’m saying is not bad or nasty,” he tells The Advocate. “But I would not have told it when everyone was living. That wouldn’t have been a nice thing to do.” Bowers also has tales about noted personalities who are still with us, and let’s hope he lives to tell. Fans of bygone LGBT celebrities will also rejoice at two new projects. Sal, a James Franco–directed look at the final day of murdered gay actor Sal Mineo that features a torrid performance by Val Lauren and is expected to be released in August. And on the festival circuit this summer is Joshua Tree 1951: A Portrait of James Dean (pictured), the stylish first feature from director Matthew Mishory, which looks at the pre-fame years of the iconic star, during which he benefited from the generosity of older gay men.