'American Horror Story: Freak Show' Season Finale Recap: The Freaks Shall Inherit The Earth
*** WARNING: Contains spoilers! Please do not read on unless you’ve seen the season finale of “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” titled “Curtain Call.” Or if you don’t mind spoilers, go right ahead! ***

The curtain finally went down on the insane eye candy that was “American Horror Story: Freak Show.”

Dandy meets his maker in the form of the freaks he so adored throughout the season, but not before he assassinates the majority of the one-off characters. You name it: Seal Boy, The Strongwoman, Meryl Streep Jr., our beloved Toulouse. All murdered unceremoniously by Dandy’s golden revolver. It felt a bit cheap watching him wander through the show grounds, picking them off one by one, and yet, at the same time, there was suspense that someone might be able to get away. I was rooting for the torso woman to escape somehow, but alas, the only one who survives is Desiree. So all the characters we grew to know and love are offed in about two minutes. Such cruelty.

Jimmy and his wooden claws return to the campground to find the pile of freak bodies in the main tent (yes, another “Nooooooo!!” from Peters. That must be some kind of record). He and Desiree, along with Bette and Dot, band together to take down Dandy in the only way that feels right: torture. His constant lust for attention does him in, and this time the freaks get to watch him suffer instead of the other way around. Letting the serial killer drown in Houdini’s tank is appropriate, but some might say that’s not enough, considering all he’s done. I fall into the latter category; surely Dandy deserved more than that five-minute sendoff. Oh well, at least he ended up in a jar like the other freak specimens. The ultimate freak, the worst of them all.

But if we’re going to be real, this fourth season was all about Jessica Lange’s Elsa, who at the beginning of “Freak Show” had the classic redemption-story plotline: woman brutally wounded, rebounds with the help of mysterious stranger Massimo (Danny Huston), finds a home with a group of people who need a leader, then lives out her days providing a life for said people … but it doesn’t turn out that way. Elsa’s need for fame, like Dandy except minus the outright insanity, drives her away from her one true desire — love. And since Massimo has no soul/no capacity to love, plus a recent cancer diagnosis, she can’t find it with him. Hollywood rejects her just as her beloved freaks did. So, what else does an ex-freak do? Sacrifice yourself to a two-faced Wes Bentley, of course!

Elsa’s ending, though poetic on some level, also felt cheap. In many ways, Elsa is responsible for the deaths of several of her “children.” In some cases, she’s directly responsible (i.e. – she murdered Ethel). If I learned anything tonight, it’s that if you face that spirit ready to take you to Hades, and you tell him to “take you now,” he’ll sympathize with you and send you to a wonderful version of Hell where everyone treats you like gold, you can once again perform your David Bowie song as many times as you want (I never want to hear “Heroes” or “Life On Mars” again), and none of the people you harmed/killed/tortured/belittled/treated like garbage seems to mind that you’re there, getting off scot-free. Why does Elsa deserve to be vindicated? I kept hoping for a crazy surprise twist, but nothing came.

A microcosm of the season, the “Freak Show” finale is disjointed and all over the place, scrambling to find a cohesive, sensical ending. While all of the storylines were closed off (except for Stanley, where did he end up? And Chester. I guess he’s rotting in jail for life), at this endpoint the story has been cut up and re-sewn so many times it’s missing its main thread. There is nothing connecting the premiere with the finale except for Elsa. We had a focus at the start with Twisty terrorizing the town, but once he was killed the direction of the season was lost. Even Dandy, who made for a terrific Twisty replacement, was all but gone from the show for several episodes in a row.

With Elsa as the connection, “Freak Show” had no choice but to focus on her at the end. Sure, we see that Desiree and Malcolm-Jamal Warner hook up (aside: what, exactly, was the point of his character?), and Bette & Dot and Jimmy are pregnant (called it last week!), but that’s all that happens outside the Elsa sphere. This is Jessica Lange’s last “AHS” season, so maybe Murphy et. al. were trying to give her a proper send-off in the spotlight.

In a way, it would have worked better to say farewell to Lange’s excellent work on this show by killing her off in a disgusting, horrible, memorable way. Instead we’ll remember her last moments on the show with her eyes caked in blue eyeshadow, singing to a crowd of people in the afterlife.

I’m not sure if I’d ever buy a ticket for a repeat performance of this particular show. Now a spinoff, featuring Seal Boy and Meryl Streep Jr.? That I’m interested in.

Freak Of The Week: Dandy. Even though you knew he was going to die tonight, part of you still kind of wanted him to live. Finn Wittrock has been a pleasure this season, and I’d be surprised if we didn’t see more of him.

Random Thoughts:

• “I’m going to be a bizarre footnote in Hollywood history!” says Elsa. She could also be describing “AHS: Freak Show.”
• The names of Elsa’s two dogs — Showbiz and Box Office — are amazing.
• Dandy: “I’ve always found babies to be boring … but FREAK babies!”
• Angela Bassett eats popcorn like a pro. I would love a GIF of her eating it while watching Dandy perish.
• All of those characters dead by minute 15. Then the last 15 minutes felt completely disconnected from the rest of the finale. It should have ended with Dandy floating in that tank.
• I know some of you loved my recaps, and a lot of you hated them. Sorry, opinion can be dividing. But thank you to those who stayed with me and sent me supportive, positive emails and tweets. Perhaps I’ll see you next time around, wherever Murphy may take us.

“American Horror Story: Freak Show” airs on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. EST on FX and FX Canada.

Episode 12 Recap
Episode 11 Recap
Episode 10 Recap
Episode 9 Recap
Episode 7 Recap
Episode 6 Recap
Episode 5 Recap
Episode 4 Recap
Episode 3 Recap
Episode 2 Recap
Premiere Recap

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/22/american-horror-story-freak-show-season-finale-recap_n_6520044.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Queer Chicano Culture And The Reclamation Of 'Maricón'

Christian Walters

www.towleroad.com/2015/01/queer-chicano-culture-and-the-reclamation-of-maric%C3%B3n.html

Biblical Case for Inclusion
The Idaho House this week approved introducing a piece of legislation to add the words “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” to the Human Rights Codes. This means we will, after 9 years, finally get a hearing. This will allow people to share stories with legislators about the vital need to include these protections in the Idaho Civil Rights Codes.

Yesterday, I had the privilege to meet with Representative Brent Crane from Nampa. He’s the Assistant Majority leader in the House and was the one “no” vote to print the legislation and send it to committee. It was a good meeting. He gave us well over an hour of his time, and I really appreciated hearing his viewpoint. I also felt listened to.

He has said (and reiterated in our meeting) that he will not vote to Add the Words. Partly because he told his voters he wouldn’t support it and for him integrity means not changing his mind. Partly because he supports “traditional marriage” and partly because, as a business owner, he doesn’t want to be sued for not wanting to employ someone who doesn’t line up with his values. (He said it nicer than that. Sort of).

I’ve been thinking of our conversation. And I recognized how sincere his “deeply held religious beliefs” were. But it left me wondering how a large section of American Christianity has put people like Rep. Crane in the untenable situation of being unable to vote for justice and equality for all Idahoans just because of their sexual orientation.

I recognize he and the conservative, evangelical, and fundamental branches of Christianity see same gender relationships as “sinful”. (I don’t agree with them, but that’s a post for a different day.)

How did we get to a place where it is THE sin? Why are they behaving as if it is the only ‘sinful’ behavior against which we need to stand?

They think a business owner should be free not to serve LGBTQ people if it is opposed to their “deeply held religious belief”. Wouldn’t a business owner with such strong convictions also refuse to serve people who have been divorced (Matt 19:1-12)?

Wouldn’t a “bible-believing” business owner also refuse to serve adulterers (Exodus 20:14)?

Wouldn’t a Christian business owner also refuse to serve people who have murdered, lied, cheated, stolen, given false testimony, withheld aid from the poor, and not honored the Sabbath?

Here’s the Biblical reason to Add the Words:

Jesus never excluded anyone from social interaction because they were gay or trans. Nor did he tell his followers to do so. He ate with tax collectors (Mark 2, Matthew 9). He touched the unclean (Matt 8, Mark 1, Luke 8). He welcomed sinners. He spoke to women, he even requested water from a woman who had had 5 husbands (John 4).

If people want to continue to believe that gender identity and sexual orientation are sinful, then it seems perfectly reasonable (if damaging to their LGBTQ loved ones) to continue to not take part in those behaviors they feel are sinful.

But there is no biblical mandate to deny LGBTQ Idahoans equality under the law. Adding the Words will not require religious organizations to change their theology or practice. It will prevent people from denying housing, employment, or services to people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Jesus also never “ranked” sins. He also never tolerated the religious leaders who tried to do so. The biblical witness is clear that God wants us to feed the poor, take care of widows and orphans love one another, and welcome people in his name.

It is time to Add the Words and to stop using the Bible as the excuse for why we can’t.

www.huffingtonpost.com/marci-auld-glass/biblical-case-for-inclusion_b_6492502.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Rob Fusari's 'Cary NoKey' Opening For RuPaul's Drag Race's 'Battle Of The Seasons' 2015 Condragulations Tour: VIDEO

Anthony Costello

www.towleroad.com/2015/01/rob-fusaris-cary-nokey-opening-for-rupauls-drag-races-battle-of-the-seasons-tour.html

WATCH: Marriage Equality Backlash Has Only Just Begun

Minor inconveniences like an uncooperative bakery or an incorrect driver’s license could turn into far worse discrimination if homophobes get their way.

read more

Matt Baume

www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2015/01/21/watch-marriage-equality-backlash-has-only-just-begun

While Waiting for a Leader Like Dr. King, I'm Learning to Use My Own Voice
It’s no mere coincidence that the U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear endgame freedom-to-marry cases on the eve of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. I take the synchronicity as a sign that hope for equality is alive and well in America. It bolsters my confidence that all people will soon have the freedom to marry whom they love. And secretly, it helps me believe we’re still getting help from the spirit of Dr. King to move us forward.

That may sound a little supernatural, but the truth is that I need Dr. King’s leadership in 2015. I long for his strength, his resolve, his command, and the safe harbor of his dream. Most of all, I long for his magnificent voice — a voice that people trusted when they were scared and a voice that transformed fear to inspire millions of people into civic action.

With a turn of phrase, elongation of a syllable, or elevation of tone that could scale mountains, King moved audiences to vote, protest in the streets, serve the poor, and love one another. His voice oriented a generation moving through a dark night of America’s soul. It’s not just his message that resonates more than 50 years later, it’s the southern preacher’s God-filled voice that echoes through time.

On Friday, after the Supreme Court announcement was made, I had an opportunity to offer my reaction to the local Nashville news. Rushing to the interview, my mind raced with all the things I wished to say. Even though I’ve been somewhat embarrassed that Tennessee is a domino yet to fall toward social justice, I wanted to express pride that my home state is now helping to accelerate marriage equality across the land. I wanted to discuss the many protections that legal marriage will offer lgbt families, especially those with children.

And I wanted to share my excitement that I, too, will finally have the option to marry. That’s a big deal considering that I had long written off the prospect of finding someone with whom to share my life. Recently, I’ve been dating a man who’s causing me to re-evaluate plans. Marriage equality’s not just theoretical for me anymore; it’s suddenly very personal.

Once the camera started rolling, though, my chest was jumbled full of words and emotion, and I couldn’t squeeze anything meaningful from my mouth. When the reporter asked a question, I stammered and lost my verve. After four takes, I was able to string along a few sentences, letting viewers know they were were witnessing “the beginning of the end of inequality in America.” That’s the sound byte that made it on air. Good enough.

I spent part of MLK Day reflecting on the experience and once again listened to Dr. King’s voice as a guide. I was reminded of these words he offered in a 1957 speech: “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”

A leader of King’s caliber has yet to emerge and inspire lgbt people in this new era of civil rights battles. On Friday, in want of such a leader, I was asked to use my own voice. While it was as shaky as the leg of a newborn calf, I did it.

On behalf of lgbt youth and adults who feel they have no voice at all, I’m willing to keep stammering and crawling… until I fully find my own voice and learn how to fly.

Maybe I can learn to be the leader I’m longing for.

www.huffingtonpost.com/del-ray-zimmerman/while-waiting-for-a-leade_b_6505228.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices