Thanks to my friend Buddy, I received this little clip in an email. It’s The Soup’s take on the season finale of Ghost Adventures. Just a little reminder to be careful what you say, especially on camera. It might come back to haunt you…
Archive for the ‘gay ghosts’ Category
Creepy Queer Photo Ops…
2009 -
07.05
Sorry again for the prolonged silence! Busy, busy, busy! meanwhile, here’s a little Flickr find that caught my attention. Makes me think of a haunted gay club… this really should be titled “Demon is a Dancer”.
Hopefully, I’ll have some more updates to fill everyone in on very soon. I’ll be gone later this month to a wedding, so I’ll try to find time whenever possible to let you all know I’m still alive…
…or am I?
When "Horny" is a Bad Thing…
2009 -
06.26
Want the holy ghost in you? Feeling possessed by one of those pesky gay demons? Well, you might be in luck. All you need is a little help from the friendly folks at Manifested Glory Ministries of Bridgeport, Connecticut. After all, they helped someone out recently. The church held an exorcism to rid a teen boy of his homosexuality, hence equating it with demonic possession.
Reverend Patricia McKinney and her cult… I mean congregation… performed what they called a “casting out of spirits” (because she thinks the ‘exorcism’ label isn’t accurate) three separate times on a 16-year-old boy (the reverend claimed he was 18) at his request. he writhed on the floor, vomiting up the “evil”, while onlookers made such priceless statements as “Loose your grip, Lucifer!” and “Right now in the name of Jesus, I call the homosexuality, right now in the name of Jesus!“
When did homosexuality suddenly become an object or energy? I missed that memo.
So, what do you to when you get rid of the “homosexuality demon”? You post it on YouTube, of course! I guess they figured they already had a website and the best way to scare the hell out of people (no pun intended) is to be were the action is. Activist groups and citizens are up in arms about the video, since taken down by the flock. But the church stands by their actions. McKinney, who calls herself a “prophet”, told the press, “”Every Sunday we call people up to the altar who want to be delivered from any spirit that causes them to not be able to function. We were just beginning to worship the Lord and all of a sudden he hit the floor.”
“Manifested Glory Ministries is not against homosexuality. We do not hate them,” the reverend said. “We do not come up against them. We do just not believe in their lifestyle.” I’m sure it makes sense to someone. Is that anything like a double negative?
And did their purging work? According to the executive director of True Colors, Robin McHeavin, the boy told their organization he has since been “engaging in risky behavior”. I guess if you take something out of someone, you just have to put it back in.
This is actual footage from the “exorcism”:
Sleeping with a Stiff in St. Louis…
2009 -
06.22
Our next story which fell through the cracks during book research brings us deeper into the center of the United States. This time, the setting is St. Louis, Missouri during the mid-1980s. It centered around a musician named David Udell and an unusual experience which he recalled on his blog.
At this time in his life, David called an apartment on Oregon Avenue his home. It was by no means spacious; with a mock recording studio taking up one entire room, his bedroom consisted of a large converted storage room facing the street, just large enough for sleeping quarters. The streetlights maintained a certain level of illumination on David’s bed all through the night. His more-fortunate roommate stayed in a separate bedroom in the rear of the home.
On one particular night in either 1983 or 84, he was settling down after a late night. It was some time after three in the morning when he laid down on his mattress to get a bit of shuteye, his back turned toward the doorway. Moments later, he heard the sound of what he believed to be his then-girlfriend entering his room. He felt some comfort as he felt someone slip in bed beside him, nuzzling up close in a spooning position. Playfully, he reached around and gave her rear a squeeze. For reasons still unknown to him, he felt a compulsion to reach around to the front.
What awaited him wasn’t anything he had expected. His hand latched onto something. Something becoming stiff. Whatever was in bed with him wasn’t a woman, and it seemed a bit too happy to see him. David yelled and turned around, only to find himself alone. In seconds, he was out from beneath the covers and bounding over studio equipment in a mad dash for his roommate’s bedroom. Waking him from his sleep, David told him of his experience and forced him to stay awake with him until daylight came.
When David’s roommate asked him if he finally believed in the paranormal, his response was a weak and sheepish “no…”
A Spirit of No Importance…
2009 -
06.20
When the great playwright Oscar Wilde died penniless in a cheap Paris hotel room in 1900, he never would’ve imagined his posthumous fame. Yet after decades of silence regarding the writer, somewhat humiliated publicly by the trials concerning his sexuality, he is today viewed as one of the greats. In 1962, The Letters of Oscar Wilde
It happened in a séance room belonging to Leslie Flint, often regarded as one of the great British mediums who held up to ridicule and testing. Flint was known to contact both common people and celebrities in his time through an ectoplasmic “voice box”, which would appear during mediumship, making the words come not from his own lips but the nearby air. On the 30th of August, a spirit came through in the presence of George Woods and Betty Greene. After much aloofness, it declared itself as Oscar Wilde.
The author spoke of his life and afterlife, and views of many differing topics for quite some time before fading away from “lack of energy”. Given Flint’s fame as a medium, audio recordings were taken of each session starting in 1955. The recording of “the spirit of Oscar Wilde” has survived and can still be listened to today. Many recordings can be found on this website. The full 30-minute recording of the Wilde séance is available online through this link. A partial excerpt and transcript is provided on “Oscar Wilde Returns“. British videographer Jim Clark took an excerpt of the recording and jazzed it up slightly. Here is his computer animation of a photograph of Oscar speaking the words recorded almost 47 years ago:
Love Lies Bleeding in the Windy City…
2009 -
06.17
While researching for Queer Paranormal, I ran across a lot of interesting tales from everywhere. Unfortunately, several stories could not be researched enough to earn a spot in my book. In light of Pride Month, however, I think it’s an appropriate time to give some mention to these tales and revive this blog from its coma as of late. And so, I bring you a strange tale from Chicago of a haunted apartment and its gay phantom…
Christina* lived with her roommate on the northern end of Chicago during the 1990s in a run-down, old, inexpensive building. Throughout her five years tenancy, strange incidents occurred that made her question whether they were indeed alone. Footsteps paced the floor between the kitchen and bathroom. The kitchen itself seemed to be a hot spot for activity; sounds of a chair dragged across the linoleum floor and silverware being put away were not uncommon. But one incident in 1997 escalated the spooky goings-on to a new level.
One hot summer’s day, Christina relaxed in her room, absorbed in a book while stretched out on her bed. She was suddenly struck with unexplainable paralysis. As she looked toward the end of her bed, a shirtless man stood there before her. He appeared to be in his late 20s, with a muscular torso and handsome face twisted into an irate expression. His whole body exuded anger, so powerful that Christina felt the pain in her own limbs. They stared at one another for an agonizing moment before the young man slowly faded into the air. Able to move once more, Christina ran from her room and stayed out of the apartment until her roommate returned. Knowing her roommate’s fear of ghosts, she didn’t mention the unnerving event.
Two years passed. When the landlord announced the building had been sold, Christina decided to inquire into the strange event. During a conversation with the owner, the owner mentioned that—since they would soon be out of the apartment—she had a confession to make. She had not been entirely up-front about the history of their apartment. In the years before Christina and her roommate moved in, the ground floor space had been rented by a gay couple, one of whom was a very handsome, athletic young man… the other, somewhat older. At that time, the neighborhood was very gay-identified, even having a few bars nearby. Both men were involved in S&M, and consumed a lot of drugs. Perhaps the substances contributed to the constant arguments heard from their apartment. The police were called on many occasions to break up the fights.
On one particular night, the couple returned from a night of heavy drinking and partying. An argument began, and escalated quickly from the alcohol. In a passionate rage, the older man stabbed his young lover to death in the very bedroom used by Christina. the murderer was sent to prison for his crimes, but the landlord remembered the horror of cleaning up the aftermath. Christina asked for a more detailed description, and it matched the apparition she had witnessed perfectly.
Whatever became of the the apartment (or even it’s location), as well as the haunting presence of the angry young lover are not a mystery. But undoubtedly, somewhere in Chicago, the wandering spirit of the murdered man still lingers, filled with rage over his life cut short so early.
*Complete name unknown; anyone knowing this person or the apartment, please contact me!
Flair Apparent…
2009 -
04.05
Some of you may be aware of recent news pertaining to a scientific contest of sorts, seeing what people think of submitted “ghost photographs”. The study, led by psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman, allowed viewers to vote on which “supernatural” images were most convincing that ghosts exist. The winner was a ghostly image in a window of Tantallon Castle in Scotland. Another 30-year-old photo was later submitted showing a figure in approximately the same window by a different tourist. Both images appear to be unaltered.
But that’s not why I mention all this. It’s what a ‘reporter’ said about the whole thing that really made it interesting…
Leave it to ChristWire to bend reality askew and leave you thinking, “oh, no, she didn’t…” An article posted on the site made a few absurd remarks that seemed all too appropriate for this blog:
“Of all pictures submitted, the one that troubled viewers the most was that of a gay spirit that was seen spooking about Tantallon Castle in Scotland. The specter’s sexual preference is obvious as it is wearing very flamboyant clothing, much like you would see a man in San Francisco. The photograph is said to be taken by a gentleman named Christopher Aitchison…This photograph is scientifically verified as authentic and proves once again that gay spirits roam the Earth, and can lure people to the sinful traps of homosexuality.“
Obviously, someone understands NOTHING about formal attire pre-1960. Haven’t most people bothered to look at a painting of Shakespeare or glanced at a few woodcuts while being taught about medieval times? And then, there’s the assumption that it’s male and not female. But honestly, do those few hundred years before the earth and humanity were magically molded into shape by god almighty really matter?? It’s as absurd as dinosaurs. Right? I mean, come on. Scientists really need to stop planting these frauds to put down Creationism…
As if we didn’t have enough hassle from the Moral Minority when we’re alive. Now, when we’re dead, we’re still trying to earn our toasters?? Oh yeah. That’s right. We’re supposedly possessed by demons anyway. I’m just glad the pope doesn’t dress flamboyantly…
Oops. Nevermind. The ghost of Liberace called. He wants his wardrobe back.
A Different Kind of Interview…
2009 -
03.15
It’s always interesting meeting new people. And this year, I’ve been doing quite a lot of that! Among the wide range of characters I’ve chatted with is “Doctor Paranormal” John Crocitto (not to be confused with “Professor Paranormal“, Loyd Auerbach), a host of the internet radio show/podcast Beyond Ghosts! This Tuesday, I’ll be on the air at 7:00 PM discussing ghosts and my upcoming book.
It was pre-recorded, so I can tell you that it was a fun show fraught with technical difficulties at the most inopportune times. (And just a minor clarification: I don’t hunt gay ghosts exclusively; that would be too difficult!) But that’s technology for you. They’re not your typical “serious” people, so it was all in good fun. John and the gang (Jena and Ryan) call their approach “Guerilla Radio” and you never quite know what to expect. Hopefully, next time I’ll have all the bugs in the system worked out and things will go off without a hitch!
A Popularity Contest…
2009 -
03.08
It never ceases to amaze me the Google searches people type in that lead them to Spooked! I review them every so often when curiosity piques. Some are just absurd. Others are about people and places I’ve mentioned. Yet two specific search terms bring people here most often: Corpsewood and Chip Coffey.
Why? Well, let’s review them.
Corpsewood Manor (yes, that was its real name) is a rural Georgia ruin: the site of a grizzly murder in the 1980s. Because of this, it is allegedly haunted by victims Charles Scudder and Joseph Odom, as well as one of their beloved pets. Some say it was a hate crime, instigated by narrow-minded people not so kind toward a gay couple (or jilted by unaccepted advances). Other evidence insists it was a robbery gone awry. I’ve researched the haunting and it’s included in my upcoming book, Queer Paranormal. The isolated place has become an enigma and a favorite place to investigate for many people. Though I haven’t yet had the pleasure (or terror, depending on whom you ask) of visiting it, a few friends have. It’s legendary. It’s dangerous. And it seems that everyone wants to know more about it.
Chip Coffey is a psychic, best known for his regular appearances on Paranormal State and Psychic Kids. Loved by some, hated by others, he is often a topic of rumors, speculation, and gossip (after all, people love to gossip). I do tend to mention him a lot on here. Why? Because I like him on a human level. We think alike in many ways and share many viewpoints. He, too, is a survivor. And he’s realistic in his approach to both the paranormal and life. His ability to tell it like it is can be too much for some people to swallow; his fame makes him a prime target for anyone who thinks psychics are a joke. But the more visible anyone is, the more rotten fruit is thrown at them. I’ve refrained from commenting on here about any of his psychic ability, but that’s simply because I don’t know. I’ve never had a reading from him so I can’t judge accuracy. And that’s true with many psychics I know.
Like FOX News, I try to be “fair and (mentally un-) balanced”. I point out both sides of most situations and beliefs, yet I find humor wherever possible. And controversial topics are unavoidable. But I mention the things, people, and places that intrigue, amuse, and enlighten me. Sometimes, these topics jive with what others find interesting, as is proved by Google. Other times, I’m way off base. But that’s part of the chaos that is Spooked! And I wouldn’t have it any other way.