The Best of 2008

For Barack Obama, last year was pretty major. He was not only elected to be the 44th president of the United States, in a historic election that enthralled the world -- he was also chosen by you, our readers, as 2008’s Political Figure of the Year, beating out Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and even Tina Fey (who earned one lonely vote in this poll).

It’s clear, however, that Ms. Fey had an effect on 2008’s political landscape. Surely, her “Saturday Night Live” portrayals of Sarah Palin were a factor in your naming her Entertainer of the Year -- that’s right: Tina Fey is now bigger than Britney, who was a runner-up in that category, and whose “Womanizer” was only a runner-up for Best Song of 2008. (Britney fans, start your postings!)

You awarded Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” the Best Song honor, in a year marked by lots of love for the ladies -- your choice for 2008’s Gay Icon was girl-kissing newlywed Ellen Degeneres. Move over, Madonna (who placed a distant fifth in that poll); there’s a new icon in town.

Our beloved Ellen was also a close second in our LGBT Hero of the Year poll, but that prize finally went to Aussie Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham, the only person to top two of our 2008 polls -- the out gold-medalist was also your pick for Sports Figure of the Year.

But as much as you love the way Mr. Mitcham wears his Speedo, you also appreciate a man who knows how to wear a suit. In the two-piece-suit category, you chose dashing TV journalist Anderson Cooper as 2008’s Best-Dressed Person. And in the one-piece-latex-body-suit category, you chose none other than Batman -- that is to say, “The Dark Knight” was your pick for Best Movie of 2008, in a somewhat surprising upset of runners-up “Milk,” “WALL-E,” and “Sex and the City.”

Who’s hot? Who’s not? You decided! Read on for all the Best of 2008 poll results. 

 

Sports Figure of the Year Matthew Mitcham Related articles: -- Matthew Mitcham wins gold! -- Up close and personal with Matthew Mitcham

Entertainer of the Year Tina Fey Related articles: -- Fey Does Palin! -- Fey Does Palin -- Again! -- Tina Does Sarah for a Third Time! -- Tina Does Sarah on SNL and So Does Sarah

Gay Hero of the Year Matthew Mitcham Related articles: -- Matthew Mitcham comes out

---

Political Figure of the Year Barack Obama Related articles: -- Obama Wins: Thoughts?

Best Dressed Person of the Year Anderson Cooper Related articles: -- Kathy and Anderson! -- Anderson Cooper scores Beckham! -- Anderson Cooper on Strip Poker and One Night of Love -- Anderson Cooper Discusses Prop 8 -- Michael Phelps Takes a Dip with Anderson Cooper

Best Movie of the Year The Dark Knight Related articles: -- The Dark Knight out on DVD

Best TV Show of the Year Brothers and Sisters Related articles: -- "Brothers and Sisters": The Gayest Show on TV? -- ABC's "Brothers and Sisters" gets gay life right

Best Song of the Year I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry Related articles: -- Icky & Sweet: Big Pink Cake Dive! -- Katy Perry's Gay Interview

Moment of the Year The November 4th Elections Related articles: -- Obama Wins: Thoughts?

Comments

[Cynic]

All real heros, but the list is a bit trite, no? Couldn't you go beyond the front page of People and do some real news-worthy stories? Kinda sad...

[Wow]

I am just shocked that Obama is still mentioned on this after picking Rick Warren to give the inaugural prayer. That pick seemed like a slap in the face and Senator Clinton would have never made a choice that would be such a statement against the GLBT community.

[Glenn, Fort Worth, Texas]

How depressing - it seems gays are still not educated enough to realize that Obama is not on our side.

Hillary has shown much more support for us over the years and continues to do so. Obama has done nothing for us.
After Obama's presidency is over I can guarantee Hillary will still be supporting us more than Obama ever has or will.

Hillary Clinton is my person of 2008 along with Annie Lennox who has continued to campaign for human rights.

[Tyler]

Athlete of the year.....MATTHEW MITCHUM....seriously?!?!?!

How in the hell did he beat out Michael Phelps? The man broke world records and won 8 gold medals. 8 F***ING GOLD MEDALS!!!! That probably won't ever be topped! He's a hero to everyone gay and straight.

I think it's great that Matthew Mitchum is the first openly gay Gold Medal winner but it pales in comparison.

I agree with all the other choice. I think Matthew deserves gay hero of the year but not Athlete.

So disappointing....

[Roger]

Obama who?

[queerplanet]

Barack Obama??????!!!!!

He's no hero honey. He's a ZERO.

He has come out against gay marriage.

And what about Rick Warren?

You remember him don't you. He's going to be up there on January 20th with Barack.

This is a man who hates gay men. Says we're all pedophiles and incestuous and that we can change with psychiatric help.

This is a man who compares women who have had abortions with Nazis.

This is a man who says that any foreign leader who disagrees with our Christian nation should be assasinated.

But he's also Barack's good buddy and will represent Barack's spiritual leadership.

Furthermore, Barack has put together a cabinet of warmongers, corporate lobbyists and conversative Republicans, all of whom have policies in direct opposition of the ideals Mr. Obama campaigned with.

So Obama is a liar, a homophobe and a war monger if we are to judge him by the people he has chosen to surround him.

This does not spell hero in my book.

You want a hero look at the new mayor of Portland. Look at the many gay activists trying to find peace and justice in spite of Obama.

This myopic celebrity worship is what gets us into these messes in the first place. The idea that if someone is handsome and famous that makes them a good person is political suicide.

Barack Obama is more of the same, great big Hollywood smile or not.

Expect four more years of bigotry, war, corporate greed, environmental destruction and debt.

[mikecanada]

guys, gay rights come in increments, as time goes on. when you still have more than half the states allowing people to be fired because they are gay, there is where you need to go. most people find that unfair, even in red states. baby steps, and be sure to build alliances to win broad public support along the way.

[BillCleveland]

Moment of the year goes to Obama, that's fine. Political Figure Of The Year from a gay internet mag? Really? Yes, gay rights come in increments, Obama sent us back about ten years. Isn't there any political figure that actually stood up for gay rights in 2008 that could have been chosen?

[fourthbeastie]

Obama? Really? The guy who helped Prop 8 pass in CA with his televised comment "I do not support gay marriage"? Why not Dennis Kucinich who was the only Democrat in the primaries who said that gays should be allowed to marry? THAT takes real balls unlike Obama and Hillary who pander to the religious right.

[David B.]

I'm glad Matthew Mitchum won. It shows some of you are thinking about what it really means to be a hero. This kid had the stones to MAN UP, and be out when all sorts of people told him to be a good little fagboy and stay in the closet. I'd be proud to proclaim him a hero. He was honest with himself, and the world, and didn't care what the fallout was. In a day and age when our youth use terms like str8 acting, and bi to handle what their peers say about them. Even people on gay.com hide their faces like they're going into a 1950's gay bar.
Sure Phelps won some medals, and that is a great thing too, but how does winning medals make him a hero for OUR people. It doesn't. It makes him a nice, friendly str8 man who won some medals. Who really knows what this guy thinks out of the public spotlight.
I for one, am glad your minds won out over your penis' in that one decision.

As for Obama, I'm going to have to reserve judgement. All this hype over who he chose to give a speech. It's not like he invited the al quaida. SHEESH......
I think you guys will be surprised by him, but it prolly wont be enough for some of you nelly queens. Because we all know how you love to complain for the sake of complaining. The man will prolly get around to making gay rights issues a concern, but right now, i'd rather have a job than be able to get married. I'd rather be able to invest my hard earned money, knowing it's safe, than get married.
How about we let the guy work to fix a nation who's infrastructure is crumbling. We need all sorts of things for ALL Americans right now. Our own personal agendas will have to wait until we are back on a solid footing as a nation. Previous administrations on both sides of the aisle let things go in favor of pet projects. We need those things fixed first. We are Americans FIRST! gay, str8, bi, trans......just labels we give ourselves and others. Our situation is dire. Get out of the bars long enough to look at what is going on around you.

[queerplanet]

But David, he did invite Al Queda, he did you ill informed bitch!

Mr. "We are a Christian Nation" Rick Warren believes the same shit as those Muslim freaks who use cranes to hang homosexuals.

And you aint' gonna have shit cause PROLLY Obama will do all the same stupid shit that Bush did.

When a country is trillions of dollars in debt to another country, there isn't much it can do now is there honey?

You owe money to China, Russia and the Saudis and it's gonna PROLLY hurt when it comes time to pay that bill.

So bombs away, more war for oil so China can produce more shit for Wal Mart, and more ignorance about the environmental costs of all this.

The Bill of Rights is already shredded so don't expect much justice.

I do have a piece of advise for those of you planning to get married though.

Better start growing food first.

And don't blame the nelly queens darling. It's the ignorant blockheads like you who got us into this mess.

[queerplanet]

But David, he did invite Al Queda, he did you ill informed bitch!

Mr. "We are a Christian Nation" Rick Warren believes the same shit as those Muslim freaks who use cranes to hang homosexuals.

And you aint' gonna have shit cause PROLLY Obama will do all the same stupid shit that Bush did.

When a country is trillions of dollars in debt to another country, there isn't much it can do now is there honey?

You owe money to China, Russia and the Saudis and it's gonna PROLLY hurt when it comes time to pay that bill.

So bombs away, more war for oil so China can produce more shit for Wal Mart, and more ignorance about the environmental costs of all this.

The Bill of Rights is already shredded so don't expect much justice.

I do have a piece of advise for those of you planning to get married though.

Better start growing food first.

And don't blame the nelly queens darling. It's the ignorant blockheads like you who got us into this mess.

[DeWitt Gravink]

Hillary is also against gay marriage. I don't understand why people put the blinders on while talking about Hillary.

[splerrk]

The title of the article is "Gay Hero of the Year!"
Hillary Clinton only LOOKS Gay with that BIG OLD HEAD on her small pantsuit body and all.
Matthew Mitcham won because he is the only Gay option on the list.
The boy isn't a "Hero" just for coming out.
He just sort "Dove" right into that one.
He didn't Save Anyone except for maybe himself, he doesn't realy deserve another medal for that & if he didn't medal at the olympics, would as many care as much.
If it works for you to come out then fine.
But some of us who can blend with ALL Societies respectively without letting EVERYONE know about me & my partners private sex life doesn't make us shameful less happy with gay pride even thought someof you might think that we aren't good enough to be stereotypical gay.
Why not pay tribute for those everyday people like all those who voted in CA (NOT JUST HOLLYWEIRD) both Gay & str8 NO on Prop 8?
Or my HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE Lifeguard TriathElite here in Ocean BeacH. Discreet in both worlds & not just a piece of prime choice Grade AAA meat.
CAIO

[splerrk]

This ising for my personal Hero who saved me for the last time this year:
You've Beamed me up for the one last time SCOTTY, your PURSE IS FULL ya fool.
You were right, Everyone does Pretend to know what they are talking about.
Everyone does have a Bartender Story, but I still gave you the benefit of the Gossip Doubt.
You were right, I must have been drunk, what was I thinking about.
But now Sober with my glass empty, You still intoxicate me more clearly.
You were right about Ricardo doing things behind OUR backs. He was only trying to get me back to Austin making him a little less House Poor.
But I already knew that before.
I wasn't asking if I could move back last December, no one knew there that I visited there already 2 weeks back.
For me and no one else to see.
Like clock work, your Flying Monkies were OUT like every day of the week.
Sober me as never a drunk anyway, they didn't recognize me. They got bitter old & fat by the way.
With the exception of you, friend? - anyone's who life revolves around the bar "Scene" & thinks it revolves around them, doesn't have any ambition or broad picture or anything positive to say about anyone or anything.
Good luck with that.
I couldn't decide if you Swept me 211 times off my feet or on my ass &out the dore like the 210 you've doen before.
OMG I am not Jesus, but I can still walk on water when it RAINs on your parade.
There was one Good Spirit Fan of OURS which is soo hard to find there.
He reminded me of my forgotten Fact.
Why didn't you tell me you were with that wrinkly old D*&k all this time.
Why..., how else does an aging GAY bartender tell everyone else he has a house that isn't his?
Sorry your flying monkies got it wrong. You aren't way out of my league, because I don't mix myself playing like that.
I almost forgot, that it happened before, that's why I ended your game then when you didn't score.
After all you are "Just a Bar Whore".

[The Truth]

Obama a "hero"? And a "gay hero" at that? This is so incredibly ridiculous! What exactly has Barack Obama done that makes him a "hero" of any kind? Not only has Soros' money caused Obama to get shoved in our faces, but now people are actually describing him as a "hero"? This is so ridiculous!

You supporters of his TOTALLY DESERVE to have this empty suit as your President. But who knows if he will actually get sworn in.

Say "hi" for me to all of the Californian Obama supporters who voted to pass Proposition 8!

[David B.]

And people wonder Why I don't do the bar scene. I state a few things that people with common sense should know, but I keep forgetting that common sense is short on supply when places have to write "caution HOT" on a coffee cup.

Obama chose who he did for a reason. That minister is important to the people he has to work with. Just like I have to respect the comments of nelly queens out of touch with reality.

But that's ok Mr. double poster.
You clearly show us how in touch with reality you really are. You must have been one of the faceless pics desperate to hook up, then have your post sex self hate party.

The beauty of spin is that when you attack a commenter for giving an honest opinion based on fact, and sound principles, you show just how much we need people who promise change, and deliver.
Living in the closet is living a lie. Not being honest with your community IS shameful. You cannot claim to be a member of a community if you hide in the shadows. It is contradictory to the very meaning of community.

[George]

Matthew Mitchum. Period. He is our only hero.

[Me]

It's good to see Obama in this list. After all, the formerly most liberal junior Senator from Illinois was against gay marriage. He either lied for the votes, or he has exactly the same views as Gov. Sarah Palin.

[anon]

Perhaps this is a bit cynical, but ... is it not true that when one thinks of politics one also thinks of corruption? To the not so casual observer, it appears that politicians, after putting on a show (like a cheap theatrical production), are then elected. If they have no competition, they don't even bother with that, preferring to keep the money in the coffers, so to speak.

One wonders if, when elected, politicians then join a special interest group which exists only for those elected to positions of power, to promote the furtherance of their efforts to profit from that newly acquired power? Whether or not, they often proceed to make decisions that affect the use of tax proceeds & the flow of money in their country or political subdivision, as well as in the lives of the people who made their ascent to power possible.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to work & pay the price in toil & taxes or to die (poverty & disenfranchisement). Additional options for young people include joining the military & becoming consumers of products of industries producing products for the military, & sometimes to die. So, for politicians, it's a win-win world! For the rest of us, it's a work, pay, suffer & die world.

Ignoring for a moment the rest of the world in which the American President has a direct effect, if President Bush did his job in a way pleasing to some Americans but resulting in the suffering & death of others, what is there to make us think President Obama will in some way improve on that?

Will he make death or poverty illegal? Perhaps then we could just imprison or kill the disabled or aged & the disenfranchised. If the kill option were chosen, expenses could be considerably less than those associated with incarceration. Reforms to improve education & medical availability might, however, cost less than incarceration in the long run & have less of an emotional impact on those with silly idealistic notions like an aversion to capital punishment for crimes lacking capital weight (like being old, poor, or infirm).

Lest I fail to mention the sacred institution of marriage --- where would we be without judges & divorce decrees & alimony & child-support & seizures of property & assets to increase our sense of holiness & specialness & overall marital bliss? Maybe gay people would be better off just learning the lessons freely available to all (courtesy of the breeders) via network TV. Learning history is a means to avoid repeating the errors of the past; love is, according to some, a thing of the heart & soul (& maybe just a bit in the pants). Handling of assets, money & property & so on probably are best done before the onset of an emergency, anyway. Families, business entities & so on have explored methods of handling assets after catastrophic events for years.

That does not dismiss the issue of irrational discrimination, an issue with which no one should have to deal. But, let's face it, not everyone is intelligent, & those who are aren't always endowed with honor. So, wherever people are subject to the authority of others or punished for individualist ways or thinking, there will be that sort of discrimination when communities are formed. People generally fear whatever is unfamiliar to them & resist change when comfortable.

So, it's pretty clear some innovation needs to be done in politics, but it's not so clear exactly what. Even if it were clear what needs to be done, it's certain that an incumbent administration, comfortable in the well protected halls of power, would likely resist such change in much the same way lawyers are said to resist change to law requiring ethics in business behavior. & it's easy to blame everything on queers or black people or whatever is handy to deflect attention from the true seat of blame.

After all, if politicians & lawyers are living well & comfortably, shouldn't we all rejoice in their prosperity?

[Mike F]

Its really messed up that people are already having doubts about Obama. Why can't you all just wait to see what he can do? As far as"gay" heros, I think that is just as stupid as Ms Black America

[Me]

Um... Hasn't Hussein Osama done enough to screw us? Somebody's been watching too many S&M porn? I mean, in those porns, you see a guy getting beaten up to a pulp and still yelling "more, sir!...", "i love it, sir!..." and think that's how things work in real life? NO! THAT'S NOT HOW THINGS WORK IN REAL LIFE. Screw us once, shame on him. Screw us twice, shame on us. In real life, there's no, "Screw us some more, sir!!" We've had enough of Hussein Osama. Thank him very much.

[Jett]

What has Obama done for the Gay community? If it was a few empty election promises, you can expect to see them fulfilled around the same time you see his tax cuts to 95% of us as promised. I would rather see people who have actually DONE something positive as Gay icons. Gay.com is so in love with Barack Obama and Anderson Cooper, they rarely run any articles without them.

[Joe]

Obama really? Im kind of amazed how a SNL skit can make you entertainer of the yr?! The moment of the yr is kind of off too!

[FOSTER]

THE GAY RADIO STATION IN COLOMBIA!!! WWW.ELEDENRADIO.NET

[Rndmacts]

I am glad that people realized Mathew Mitchum was the Gay sports hero versus straight Phelps. But Obahmaas political figure, well watch out gay America as he will prove to be Mr. Disappointment to the gay community, his support of Rick Warren, whose African connections prove the old saying the only good gay is a dead one. And you want to hold him up as a political hero, Hilary would never have made that mistake. And Ellen Degeneres is no hero of mine, wake up folks, she is only lesbian when it suits her like trying to surpas Oprah, but she tries to pass as straight at all other times. Her gayness is nothing but a hype to keep that sorry assed show of hers on the air. She is like Oprah, not worth watching or paying any attention to. She has still not apologized for destroying an animal rescue facility because she broke the agreement by which she adopted a dog. The dog lost, the organization is gone and all Ellen did was buy a dog food company, which every gay person and animal lover should be boycotting.

[jennings39]

Are any of you surprised that these people were chosen. thats my response to all of you who seem to have questions about the choices "we gays" have made. It's a popular vote base on how pretty, if you are gay and HOW gay, or anything else from the land of Shallow. Qualifications? Accomplishments? Ha! Just look back in our most recent years of history. Even on the biggest issues like who our next president is going to be its about who they know, what they say to convince, brainwash, persuade people what those same people WANT to hear, which is not always the truth, who they know or can buy that gets you to the top. and then we turn around and bitch and wine and wonder why it's not any better or why we can't get ahead or why people don't care about or respect us. In this case the us being the "gays".

[blahhblah blah]

Why's being "liberal" considered a good thing? The taliban and Al-queda are liberal too, they're equal opportunity bombers; they'll kill any Westerner, Christian, Jew, gay, atheist, pagan, etc. Yet our new president-to-be wants to let them go from Guantanamo with a slap on the wrist and pull out of the Middle East so all hell can break loose and more 9/11's can occur. I'm sorry but being a liberal is NOT a good thing. And being liberal doesn't make you open-minded either when most are ignorant, uneducated, on drugs, are racist/care about their own selfish race related goals, or in the case of gays, only care about being able to marry in a religious context when they defy anything religious. Being Liberal is being a hypocrite, just like Hollywood likes to portray in their biased movies twisting facts and history and just like how college professors like to brainwash young minds to their twisted political point of views. I won't even bring up most media outlets and their liberal spin...that'll take all day to cover...I fear the future.

[blaaaahhh]

Why would you gays pick Obama as a man of anything winner? He's already broken his promises of "change" by recycling Clinton cabinet members, Hillary, Pinetta and others with questionable backgrounds inclinding a preacher who doesn't like homosexuality-not that Obama's ever been a supporter of gays despite what Liberals have led you to believe... Obama's left a trail of corruption in his home state and his shady past (and future)-- Liberal media has chosen political amnesia when it comes to the Messiah Baracka Hussein Obama...

[Astro]

Katy Perry's I Kissed A Girl
she seems to be playing more into hetero male girl on girl fantasies than she is about experimenting about her own sexuality.

im sure many thought it daring (and had suburban soccer moms running scared to turn off the radio in the car) but actually she played it pretty safe. its certainly not as daring as Jill Sobule's I Kissed A Girl some 10+ years earlier.

as some critics said and I agree with, if you inserted I Kissed A _____ (jew, black, etc) OR if it was Fallout Boy singing I Kissed A Boy, it would have never gotten anywhere.

[Anonisanut]

Is Anon posting a schizophrenic argument he's having with himself? I got lost trying to understand where he was going with all that...lol.

[Astroisntanut]

I completely agree with Astro's comment.

[Sanegayman]

It distresses me that gay people are so gung ho over Obama. We have supported candidates before who didn't live up to their promises to us. This guy didn't even make promises....Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

[Phenix]

Obama was the lesser of the two evils. I agree, the ride will be bumpy, but we are making headway in other states, like Oregon.

[fuzzybeargville]

President Pampers as figure of the year-WTF? no sooner does our community anoint this guy messiah and he gives us the finger faster than you can say "purpose drive bigot/Rev. Rick Warren" we will get no further with this bozo than we did with "W"!

Dont Blame Me I Voted for Hillary

come on couldnt you at least pick a actual LGBT instead of Teleprompter JeeZus?

[fuzzybeargville]

Oh Hillary's Quote "I dont think of myself as against gay marriage I think of myself as strong on civil unions" as stated on the historic LOGO democratic presidential interview.

For you Info youngsters the Clintons were the first that said "We have a Place at the Table!" they did not invite us there the Clintons Assumed we would already be there.

Oh and lets not for get the 220 plus LGBT political appointments over his 8 year presidency.

So before we bash Hillary ask New York Gay Youth Advocates how they were treated by her office when they needed help? Hillary is our friend Obama Not so much.

We have made a terrible mistake in backing Mr Pampers.

[common sense for a change]

Obama is not nearly as strong as we think. There is no reason he couldn't find a black preacher who wasn't full of venom for another minority community to be with him for that historic day. By caving in to the majority opinion of the black community (70%+ ADMITTED voting for Prop 8 -- likely closer to 80+%), he has shown that when confronted with hard vs easy, he will gladly choose easy, even if it is wrong. And as for LGBT community? Plenty of gay people boarded buses and went to march in Selma. Plenty campaigned for Obama. Guess you CAN fool most of the people most of the time.

[Carlos Walter]

I guess I am wrong. From the definition below, what I thought was a "Hero", is actually what you were all saying, which means nothing as the same to me.
http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/hero?view=uk • noun (pl. heroes) 1 a person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage or outstanding achievements. 2 the chief male character in a book, play, or film. 3 (in mythology and folklore) a person of superhuman qualities.

— ORIGIN Greek heros.

Orgin - Carlos
For me, it means a person who goes above and beyound the call of duty. So many people these days call a person who is doing what they enjoy or just what they do for a job (for money)a hero. One who does a talk show as opposed to one who works for a UN convoy (then gets killed for it). Who is or was a Hero? One who stands out and risk their political standing, such as Kucinich,voting against the Isreal lobbyor a statement issued, or one whos is afraid to tell the truth versus one who says nothing at all and votes against what they feel is right. We had a little legue baseball team down here who won the little legue world series. The news papers here declared them Heros. Why? For winning a game? Did they risk their lives for baseball?
Please stop using the word Hero. It so over used. I should maybe consided a Hero, since so far I survived the Aids worst days? I don't think so. The fireman who was told to go up the World Trade Center was doing his job (not a hero)but the guy who goes over the thin ice to recue a stranded fawn while risking his life (that is hero.) There are so many instances that are never mentioned that involves real heros. Sports people and entertainers are not heros just because they are famous. One whos job is to kill (soldier) is not a hero, one who saves a life (doctor or paramadic) is not a hero. A CPA who jumps into a fire to save a living being at the risk of their own life is a Hero. I'm sorry that I don't understand what all the hoopla is all about.

Carlos

[KB]

"The Dark Knight" over "Milk" and "Slumdog Millionaire" for Best Film? Please bitches.