"I'd shoot myself in the head!"
--Dennis Leary's response when asked which man he'd sleep with if he had to. Nothing like kicking off Gay Pride month with a nice, positive message.

This is Gay Pride Month, and it should be a joyous and uplifting occasion. But that's not the case in Billy's native Boston. To commemorate the event, the department store Macy's designed a window at its Downtown Crossing location around a schedule of Gay Pride activities. Included in the display were two buff male mannequins—both in tight T-shirts and one wearing a gay pride flag around his waist. The conservative watchdog group MassResistance objected to the display and asked supporters to call Macy's and complain. Within a day, the mannequins were gone— although the schedule remained. Macy's spokeswoman Elina Kazan felt this was an acceptable compromise and stated, "[The display] did offend a few of our customers, and we had to re-examine it." The more things change...

Who would think that the MTV Movie Awards would not only condone a gay kiss but give it an award? Yes, Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger's lip-lock in Brokeback Mountain won best kiss, beating out couples from Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Hustle & Flow, Just Friends, and Sin City. All right, so they didn't have much competition. But still... Heath wasn't there, but Justin Timberlake seemed to enjoy presenting the award to a solo Jake, who said, "This is a real honor. Not just for me and Heath, but for all of you who picked this movie and this kiss over all the other ones." Sadly, Justin didn't volunteer to do a dramatic re-enactment.

I recently hosted "Cocktails with the Stars" at Micky's, where I was paid to publicly probe Ryan Idol in depth—and probe I did. There have really been only three gay porn superstars—Rex Chandler, Jeff Stryker, and Ryan Idol. Nowadays, any gay boy with a webcam can do porn, but he sure ain't no superstar. Ryan and I literally have a two-decade history complete with highs and lows. But we genuinely like each other and share a mutual respect. The crowd at Micky's was thrilled to see him looking so gorgeous, and he could not have been more of a gentleman. I honestly cannot say a bad thing about him. In the midst of my second cocktail, I noticed that I was drinking alone. When I brought it up to Ryan, he said, "I have to stay on my toes around you." Perhaps I came on too strong when I started the evening by asking what floor the window he jumped from was on! His latest project is a solo theater vehicle entitled My Messy Bedroom (being written by a close mutual friend). He has no plans to return to gay porn, unless someone coughs up a million bucks—so, yes, he's retired! And he's involved in a new business venture on the cutting edge of technology—voice over IP phone service. You can get more information at his Web site, www.RyanIdol.com—and maybe even get the legend to make a house call! Since so many of you have asked, I'll post some photos from the event on my Web site.

By the time this column breaks, the Las Vegas production of Hairspray will be history. In a 180-degree turnaround from last month's announcement that the show was not losing money, the producers gathered the cast minutes before the June 5 performance and told them they'd all be out of work in five days! This won't come as a shock to people who read this column—I reported the show was on borrowed time weeks ago!  Although there are many reasons why Hairspray didn't work in Vegas, don't believe the rumors that Harvey Fierstein's salary for the first three months was the culprit—he made significantly less than has been reported. The truth of the matter is that tourists visiting Sin City simply didn't care enough about the show for it to be profitable.

Last week, I went to the Brentwood Playhouse to witness two of my favorite ladies on stage together. Renée Taylor and Lainie Kazan star alongside Renée's hubby, Joe Bologna, in Bermuda Avenue Triangle, and what a thrill it is! Lainie is finally playing the role Renée and Joe wrote for her (she was unavailable when the show was originally produced in 1995—Bea Arthur did the premiere, and Nanette Fabray took over off-Broadway). Now, a decade later, the team is even more ideal for these roles. There is something riveting about pros operating at the peak of their game, and fans of an era quickly fading away won't want to miss this production—particularly if it makes it to Broadway (or Atlantic City, which Joe tells me might be in the cards). Some of the stars of yesteryear on hand to applaud these vets were Carl Reiner, Dom DeLuise, Marion Ross, Stephanie Powers, and Barbara Eden.

Days later, I was again with Joe and Renée at the birthday party of the legendary Skip E. Lowe. While many of you may not know his name, you undoubtedly have heard of Jiminy Glick—the character Martin Short based on him. Skip is someone who brings out an eclectic group of people. While I was dining with Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels, an endless parade of Fellini-esque characters shuffled by to pay their respects. I think the photo I snapped of timeless beauties Elke Sommer and Fabio pretty much says it all! Happy birthday, Skip!

Celebrity couples seem to be splitting up left and right. Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz have called it quits, as have Ryan Reynolds and Alanis Morissette. And prodigious pornographer Kristen Bjorn and his lover, Antonio Armani (aka Luis Celoz and Antonio Fargo), are kaput. That's four more guys on the market for me!

Could it be that a certain swinger is impressing some theatergoers on stage and off? So say our sources in the Big Apple, who tell me that the crooner, known for his body of work, is indulging in a bit too much partying in gay clubs. That's certainly no crime, but I'm told the more he indulges, the less clothing he wears. And the less clothing he wears, the more he enjoys being publicly idolized—by as many men as possible. Of course, the more he partakes, the less he remembers the next day. I bet some risqué photos being circulated could jog his memory.

When Penelope's single—and possibly cruising Pride festivals for her next boyfriend—it's definitely time to end yet another column. Since this weekend is Los Angeles Gay Pride, I'm sure I will have lots to tell you next week—including some backstage dirt from hosting the Pride Festival. This is a perfect opportunity to remind readers in the NYC area that "Broadway Bares" will take place on June 18. This annual event not only raises thousands of dollars for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, but also gives those more exhibitionistic performers a chance to show quite a bit of skin. For additional information, head to www.BroadwayBares.com. While you're on the Web, you can keep up with the hottest dish at www.BillyMasters.com. If you have a question, drop a note to me at Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you before I bring up Elke Sommer again (and this is the first time in 10 years). Until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.