Why Photography of Twin Brothers Nude?

[Some pictures removed because of copyright]

I tried hard not to show actual full-frontal nudity. I noticed something through the years about modeling (which my close friend calls models 'clothes hangers')... photography of twin brothers in compromising positions. The picture above and the picture below are of Kyle and Lane Carlson. They were introduced as the "hottest gay icons" on VH1's Totally Gay.

The twins stated on their web site that they are not gay and "If you find gay pictures of the twins on the internet, than[sic] you found faked images of the Carlson Twins". This is a link to their official website.

But I have found plenty of pictures of other brothers in 'homosexual' positions in both porn and regular photography. I searched but couldn't find a lot of pictures of female twins. My theory is that because the majority of photographers are male and which goes hand in hand with my theory of why pornography towards males (whichever the sexuality) are more popular.

What could be the fascination over twin brothers kissing? Could it be two of the same that turns some people on? On an artistic stand point, I can say it is beautiful. Not just because I am a gay man, but I am not disgusted by it. I just found it curious. I looked up as much as I could and not much articles have mentioned it.

This is actors Harry and Luke Treadaway kissing in a music video.

Other than twins, two independent movies have been made of male incest, two brothers falling in love. One being Harry + Max, that I covered in this review and the other being a short film called Starcrossed starring JB Ghuman Jr. and Marshall Allman.

Actor/Models Flavio and Gustavo Mendonça

Jed and Jay Johnson, twins who Andy Warhol met in the late 60's. His friend Paul met Jed as a messenger and found out he arrived from Sacramento to New York with his brother. Paul hired Jed to help get a place they had in shape. Jed later became Andy's boyfriend. A book on Jed Johnson has been published by Rizzoli called Jed Johnson: Opulent Restraint/Interiors, which covers his career as a decorator/interior designer before his tragic death on TWA Flight 800 on July 17, 1996. Jay now runs his businesses. In addition to being Warhol's boyfriend in the longest lasting relationship that Warhol would have during his life, Jed also designed Warhol's home in New York and worked for other celebrity clients such as Barbra Streisand.

Warhol Stars | Warhol Stars Winners

True or False: Betsy Ross and the American Flag

[Above was painted in 1950 by Walter Haskell Hinton.]

I am fully aware that my blog is seen to people all over the world so I will try to explain things.

On the Friday edition of The Late Show with Jay Leno, Jay Leno did his famous 'Jay-Walking' and asked random Americans on the street some basic questions on America's Independence Day. Wednesday is what is commonly known in the states as 'the 4th of July.' He asked the audience and they got all the answers right: Who was the famous general of the war for Independence? (George Washignton), What year did we declare our independence? (1776) Who did we get our independence from? (Britain) Who sewed the American flag? (Betsy Ross) Well, needless to say no one could answer the questions.

Now, I checked on Betsy Ross and it turns out to highly disputed that she was the one to sew the flag. Now, a lot of people don't trust Wikipedia, but there are a lot of urban legends. Especially about George Washington. There is a myth that his teeth were made of wood and that he chopped his dad's cherry tree when he was a kid. Now, it is said that is not true. That the cherry tree story was used as a analogy for that he could tell the truth. There is no evidence for this theory exists beyond Ross' descendants' much later recollections of what she told her family. Another woman, Rebecca Young, has also been credited as having made the first flag by later generations of her family. Betsy had told them, in June 1776, she received a visit from George Washington, George Ross and Robert Morris of the Continental Congress.--who dubbed themselves the "Committee of Three." She had met Washington through their mutual worship at Christ Church (and she had sewn buttons for him previously). They showed her a suggested design that was drawn up by Washington in pencil. The design had six-pointed stars, and Betsy, the family story goes, suggested five-pointed stars instead because she could make a five-pointed star in one snip. The flag was sewn from American grown hemp by Betsy in her parlor.

USflag.org says: "Congressman Francis Hopkinson seems most likely to have designed it, and few historians believe that Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress, made the first one." The easiest answer--which country we got our independence from--I expected everyone to know, it is hilarious that no one knows.

Now here are some facts:
-In 1778, General George Washington marked the Fourth of July with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute.
-After fighting broke out in April 1775, Washington appeared at the Second Continental Congress in military uniform, signaling that he was prepared for war. Although he didn't explicitly seek the office of commander and even claimed that he was not equal to it, there was no serious competition.

Hatshepsut: Foremost of Noble Ladies

It was revealed Wednesday, the long-overlooked mummy of an obese woman has been identified as Queen Hatshepsut, ancient Egypt's most powerful female pharaoh. Hatshepsut is believed to have served as a co-regent from about 1479 to 1458 BC--making her reign longer than any other female ruler of an indigenous dynasty. Following the death of King Tohotmos, his son Tohotmos the second,who was a son for a secondary wife, ascend the throne of Egypt, and he was compelled to support his right to throne to marry his sister Hatshepsut, the daughter of the main wife of the late monarch Tohotmos the 1st. But Hatshepsut did not produce any boys but a female child namely "Nefro Ra." After the death of her husband Tohotmos 2nd, his male son Tohotmos 3rd (from one of the secondary wives) was to take the throne. But due to his age Hatshepsut was allowed to reign as queen dowager. Hatshepsut was not one to sit back and wait for her nephew to age enough to take her place. As a favorite daughter of a popular pharaoh, and as a charismatic and beautiful lady in her own right, she was able to command enough of a following to actually take control as pharaoh.

IndyStar.com article
Egypt ICT article--more on Zahi Hawass

An inscription at the time details this change in power: 'Came forth the king of the gods, Amun-Re, from his temple, saying: "Welcome, my sweet daughter, my favourite, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Maatkare, Hatshepsut. Thou art the king, taking possession of the Two Lands". Josephus writes that she reigned for 21 years and 9 months while Africanus states her reign lasted 22 years, both of whom were quoting Manetho. More description here in Wikipedia.

The Woman King webpage
The Story of Hatshepsut
As the Feminist movement matured, prominent women from antiquity were sought out and their achievements became increasingly publicized. Hatshepsut went from being one of the most obscure leaders of Egypt at the beginning of the 20th century to one of its most famous by the century's end. Biographies such as Hatshepsut by Evelyn Wells romanticized her as a beautiful and pacifistic woman — "the first great woman in History". This was quite a contrast to the 19th-century view of Hatshepsut as a wicked step mother usurping the throne from Thutmose III. The novel Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw kept her as a wicked step-mom.

Jack and Lem Book Review

When the records and accounts of John F. Kennedy are read, a certain individual by the name of Lem Billings is mentioned and that is where it ends. Some biographies just describe him as JFK's childhood friend from Choate (high school) and ends at that. But he was actually there in the White House until Jack (how he is called throughout the book) died. It is rarely known or even publicly knowledged that Kirk LeMoyne Billings (Lem's full name) was gay. Well the word 'gay' is thrown around a lot, I find the word 'homosexual' too medical but in the end, he wasn't really out of the closet. This all comes from the book Jack and Lem by David Pitts. David Pitts was crazy about Jack and kept coming across Lem's name and did some more research and this book developed.

Saying Jack and Lem were best friends doesn't give their relationship justice, the author and I agree that they were life partners, not in a sexual manner but they were always there for each other. Lem was Jack's number #1 go-to guy and Jack was pretty much the love of Lem's life. They met in the 30's as teenagers in an all boy school. And as commonly known among gay men, straight boys will play around and would jack off in front of each other or have a masturbation circle. Now, the book details about a ritual if one boy wanted to engage with another boy, he would write a note on toilet paper because it is so easily disposable. Such a note from Lem to Jack existed and briefly mentioned by Jack in a letter to Lem, basically a off-the-collar rejection. No one knows what was written on the toilet paper but those two.

Lem was an attractive individual when he was young but Jack ripped on him about his looks and how women weren't interested in him. The author Pitts deduces that Jack did know Lem was gay and accepted and still want to be his friend. Lem frequently spent time at the Kennedy estates to the point that Teddy Kennedy realized he wasn't his older brother until he was three years old. Jack's parents considered Lem like a son and often wrote recommendation letters for him. After Jack's death, Lem became close to Jack's brother Robert, they weren't as close as he was with Jack but Robert's death did effect him. Lem still stayed close to the Kennedys. Lem had a squeaky voice and always made people laugh with his sardonic humor. With a high pressure family like the Kennedys where when an older son died, the next son felt it was his duty to fulfill the political dream (which was thrust upon not only on Robert but on Jack after Joseph died in 1944)--the Kennedys relaxed with Lem. Lem kept their mind off things. Especially for Jackie and Jack in the White House, they enjoyed having him around.

Lem had his own room in the White House. The guards and secret service knew who he was and he had no pass the whole time he was there. Some people thought he was secret service. After Jack and Robert died, Lem put it on himself to educate the young Kennedys about Jack and Robert, because the older Kennedys felt talking about them when they were alive was too sad. Lem even took Bobby Jr. under his wing for a while. The Wikipedia article is just a few sentences and it does mention Jackie didn't want Lem around at the kids in the end because he was an alcoholic. The book doesn't mention this but it does mention that Lem did get depend on alcohol because he was depressed and heartbroken. Jackie and Lem's relationship was love and hate, sometimes they didn't get along but they got along because of their love for Jack. It is also little known that Lem was the one to encourage Jackie to refurnish the White House.

The book gets a bit repetitive, redundant if you will but it is a sweet fascinating story. I admit I was expecting a little bit more about Lem's personal life but it happens that he was very discreet. Advocate Magazine, in which I learned about the book, believes Lem was sort of protected within the silence regarding gay people, because no one questioned the President if his best friend and constant companion was gay, they probably speculated but never mentioned it. The most sexual encounters that are mentioned are JFK's, his constant womanizing and various ladies. Curiously, Marilyn Monroe is not mentioned in the book. In the early days, Jack would send Lem to fetch his women and in some cases, break up with them for him. I never was really interested in Jack before this book and learned a lot about him. I had no idea how rebellious he was. Lem and Jack were considered rebellious in Choate as they were part of a group referred to as 'The Muckers." Maybe in a nerdy way, Jack's act of rebellion was to sneak into Germany when no American could.

The book does mentioned some men Lem was probably with, but no real details. There is one chapter that details about being gay in America, basic stuff I know about Stonewall; and how Lem did think about what impact it would be if he came out, being close to the Kennedys and all. He really wasn't a public figure, till today not many knew he was Jack's close friend. But back then, it might have made waves if people found out that the President's best friend was gay and had his own room in the White House. The chapter on gay life sort of makes up for the lack of mentioning of it in the middle of the book. The author is very open minded and handles the subjects of gender, sexual orientation and identity with dignity and respect. Lem died in 1981 of an heart attack at home and some believe his heart had been broken for a long time. Many personal friends said he was heart broken after Jack died, even more after Robert did. Lem's dying wish was for his casket to be carried and lowered in the plot by the Kennedy boys. When they arrived to the cemetery, they found the casket already in place. So to honor his memory, they took it out, took it around and then lowered in the plot. Jack and Lem's relationship wasn't scandalous or anything, but dependent. How Pitts eloquently puts it, theirs was a life partnership but not sexual. I think it shows how a great man Jack was, that his close friend was gay and he didn't matter to him.