LOOKOUT

Toon Out

In the queer tradition of Tinky Winky, the purse-toting Jerry Falwell b�te noire, SpongeBob SquarePants has emerged as a homo cartoon icon. The star of the Nickelodeon series, the squishy yellow fellow has tweaked gaydar since his 1999 debut. Now the Wall Street Journal reports that SpongeBob merchandise is flying off the shelves of queer emporia across the nation. Why not? He lives alone in an undersea burg called Bikini Bottom. Bob and his best chum Patrick, a shirtless pink starfish, occasionally hold hands. His only gal pal is beefy daredevil stunt-squirrel Sandy Cheeks. Once in a while, Bob (drawn by Stephen Hillenburg and exuberantly voiced by Tom Kenny) even prances around in his tighty-whities. You figure it out.

Also on the culture front, a portrait by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci goes on display at the Museum of Fine Arts beginning on December 8. Lady With an Ermine is the first Leonardo painting shown in the Southwest. Even though the guys in 15th-century Florence no doubt didn't use the G word, Leonardo was certainly a man's man. So stop by the museum and pay tribute to one of our gay forefathers.

Good Works

Speaking of art, Kyle Fu's Notorious Artists Guild will present a December 14 benefit exhibition at Midtown Art Center. Donations at the door will support Midtown, which in 2002 marks 10 years of work with Houston artists.

'Tis the season for a heavenly host of spirited events. On December 2, Aaron Coleman and Cuz & Company present an evening of entertainment, "In the Spotlight at the Manor," at Kilworth Manor. Donna Howell-Depew and the alternative/soul-groove band Tru Sol will perform. Ticket sales will benefit AIDS Foundation Houston. The AFH Red Ribbon Toy Drive continues through December 13. Donated new, unwrapped toys go to children served by the agency through several area hospitals. Ken Kelly leads the drive.

A December 4 Christmas tree decorating party will benefit Darla's Learning Center, an educational facility for female adults with mental retardation. Center founder Esther Hobbs and your correspondent are among the party elves. Twelve Days of Christmas, Inc. throws a fund-raising happy hour at Meteor on December 5. Donya Gardner and Gayla Gardner founded this organization, which raises money every year for less-fortunate local families. Party hosts include Robert Boyce, John Brown, Charles Cunningham, William Dent, Andres Grunfeldt, Wayne Holloway, and Ollie Ross. Don Gill, PWA Holiday Charities chief, presents the annual Christmas show for the cause on December 8 at Brazos River Bottom. Bob Bouton co-directs the event.

On December 20, Diamond Jimm's, the nightclub to the north, will host a gala benefit drag show performance to raise funds for the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center. Theresa Bathory, club marketing whiz, is the event organizer.

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Frank Loesser asked the musical question. The recently formed GLOBO will answer on December 31 with a dance. The acronym stands for Gays and Lesbians Organized By Orgullo (Pride), and the group will now produce the annual, elegant Baile Internacional gala, resurrected in 2002. Domingo Ovalle is the president. Call 713/642-9797 for the location, undetermined at press time.

Joyful Noise

Fans of fantastic singers who lived here back in the '80s fondly remember Kellye Gray. After releasing the classic album Standards in Gray, she took her distinctive jazz voice and moved to San Francisco. Among her recordings, she contributed a tune to Fruit Cocktail, the 1999 CD released by Steeter Music, the gay-and-lesbian label. Within the past year, Gray returned to Texas and now lives in Austin. In a certain holiday treat, she will perform at Cezanne for four nights beginning December 5. Pray she sings her powerhouse version of "How Long Has This Been Going On?"