My friend Stanley will march for me... Stanley Cup, that is

I won't be in Chicago on Sunday to watch the parade. I'm headed to Cleveland to do a show. And I'm not big on parades anyway. However, this year, Chicago sports outlets are doing their part to end gay locker room panic, and I find it inspiring.

The Chicago Cubs are sending a float down Halstead & Broadway, with baseball icon Ernie Banks waving to gay fans. But the current sports star of Chicago is the Stanley Cup. Hawks defenceman, Brent Sopel will be at the parade with his wife and kids, waving at gay hockey fans as well as other gay people who wonder why the fuck this family has a giant punch bowl with no margaritas in it. Sopel says he's marching to honor the memory of out hockey manager, Brendan Burke, who died in a car accident in February, two years after coming out to his dad, Toronto Maple Leafs manager, Brian Burke. Two days ago, however, the Hawks traded Sopel to the Atlanta Thrashers. Still, he'll be representing straight Chicago, and in a sense all professional sports in saying, "No big deal if you check our packages in the locker room." :-)

An open letter to Adam Bouska: NO H8, HOT D8, CAN'T W8 to get married

Dear Adam Bouska,

I think the best of you, and I am a fan of the NOH8 Campaign. The photos are stunning, and the message is great. Your pictures have appeared on FOX News, Bravo TV, and countless other media outlets. And still, the anti-prop 8 message is not reaching everyone.

I am a comedian, and it is my job to look at popular culture and comment on it. I created a satirical response to the NOH8 Camapaign. It's called the HOT D8 Campaign. Is it funny? I think so. But, comedy, like photography or any other form of expression, is subjective. Some people will think it is, and some people won't. I sincerely hope that you take it in good stride and know that we are completely on the same team in a fight against H8. That's why I'm donating a portion of my tour proceeds to Marriage Equality USA and I'm encouraging others to do so too.

My HOT D8 Campaign has been featured on some blogs, and I'm taking some serious abuse at the hands of armchair critics. The backstreets of Internetville, USA, are not safe. People have said some very personal, nasty things about me. As a fan of irony, I am a little tickled by the bashing I'm getting from people defending something called the NOH8 Campaign. We are merely having some fun with the striking images you've created.

For the record, I hope that our campaign and any attention we get from it only serves to further our mutual goal: marriage equality.

All of my love to you always and forever,
Ben Lerman

P.S. Will you marry me, Adam?