Proof that not even porn can survive the current old-media die off, Playgirl bids adieu to the world this week. The outlet, long seen by gay readers as the step on the road to gay porn that follows an International Male subscription, was always a queer friendly place, with Playgirl executives happily quoting their gay readership as somewhere between 30-60%.

The Sword (which noted earlier this week that this is Haze the Editor Week at Queerty), managed to grab a copy of the very last issue of Playgirl ever before everyone else. Why do you care? Because the final centerfold is none other than that gay cowboy from the Village People you haven't thought about in 35 years!

Michael Stabile writes us:

"His name is Randy Jones and, in the text to the piece, he suggests that he’d like to form a gay biker gang with Lance Bass, Joan Crawford, Rock Hudson and Bill and Hillary Clinton to kick some ass. Wasn’t that the plot of “Wild Hogs”?"

Anyway, so long Playgirl! We'll always remember that time we picked you up in a Mobil Station in Oklahoma only to discover that apparantley when women look at naked men, they prefer them to pose awkwardly with dead blank eyes. More SFW photos after the jump.

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Colleen Kane spent many years editing Playgirl, and she's taking the penis-loving magazine's folding very hard. And deep - especially the lingering tension between the magazine's lady-centric mission and gay-tinged image:

I disagree that only gay men would ever want to look at pictures of naked men. This was a half-baked conjecture I heard over and over when I met new people and the subject of my job came up. To me it came off as a careless denial of women's sexuality; it was equivalent to saying that women don't fantasize.
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I've also wondered if there weren't some parallels between Playgirl's struggle to find its identity and readership and the developing lack of cohesiveness among feminists, as the ranks divided into second and third waves, and the waves subdivided with different opinions about sex, porn, and, well, fun, and perhaps a greater proportion of women don't identify as feminist.

And, with Playgirl's death, so too we must mourn feminism and all its cultural byproducts, like Playgirl. Why, cruel God, why?!

Playgirl first premiered way back in 1973, four years after the Stonewall rebellion, and marketed itself as the female equivalent of the similarly named Playboy.

In fact, the mag's tagline even declared Playgirl "the magazine for women".

Despite the publication's pronouncements, gay men consistently dominated the demographic.

Now, countless penises later, the magazine's finally courting its queer contingent. Virtually, at least.

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Marcus Patrick admits that he loves publicity, even when it's bad. And you can bet he got plenty of it after posing for Playgirl last year. Not only did some tabloids rake him, but he wonders whether the fill frontal spread cost him his job on Days of Our Lives. Producers say otherwise.

Regardless, the British born actor has moved on and is currently in New York to promote the DVD of his most recent flick, Descent, which also stars Rosario Dawson. As part of his publicity tour, Patrick will be appearing at the mind-numbingly popular Splash Bar in New York this evening, where he'll shake his money maker for many-a-homo.

We're not ones for slip and slide, so our editor opted to meet Patrick at a nice, sanitary office earlier this super Tuesday. Old Belonsky braved Patrick's devastating good looks, fruit munching and not-so-subtle crotch caressing to get to the thick of Marcus Patrick. The results are - expansive.

Patrick discusses his boy band days, being kidnapped, Britney Spears, blow jobs and his fascination with "real life" - after the jump, of course.

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• We love everything about this picture of Pamela Anderson. Everything.

• Did you know that gay news is "adult"?

UK-based Vodaphone, which has interests around the world including a joint venture, Verizon Wireless, in America, puts a block on access to this site – and on the highly-reputable Gay City News in New York – deeming the content to be “adult” in nature.

We understand the world's an ugly place, but this is just ridiculous!

• Indiana Jones mania begins at Vanity Fair. Next stop: the world!

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We didn't get a chance to "read" September's Playgirl, but it sure does look like CSI: Miami actor Marcus Patrick let it mostly hang out.

• GLAAD may not be about gay defamation, but they're all about male objectification. The media watch dogs have joined forces with Mega Muscle to insure your next wank helps a good cause: them. 100% of preorders of Playgirl Men of the Year Derrick Davenport and Julian Fantechi go straight to GLAAD.

• Inside the steamy world of the LA's homo-hop club scene: Most clubs have kind of a clubby atmosphere. First Fridayz LA is more of a party, a gathering, social networking and dancing to hip-hop music. We do it at non-traditional gay clubs so someone who is not in the life or [someone who is] in the life can come and experience this without being intimidated. It’s not a traditional gay club.”

• ACLU's gay executive director Anthony D. Romero on torture.

• 20-year old former marine James Hardy pleaded guilty to strangling Raymond Catolico and then stuffing his body under a sink. Hardy's been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

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Homo-photog Eric Schwabel sure has grown up.

The Minnesota native got his start shooting for flesh-heavy fag-rag, Blue. Since then - and a move to California from New York - Schwabel has opened his own studio and gone on to shoot for MTV, Pepsi, DUB and Rockstar. He may be on the verge of art stardom, but Schwabel's just as grounded - and gay - as ever.

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• A Louisville man has turned down the title of Playgirl Man of the Year. Because, you know, Jesus would have too. [The Courier-Journal]

• Saddam Hussein behaves like a 3rd grader. What is the worst thing he can call judges at his Iraqi trial? Yes, gay. [The Daily Record]

• Pete Burns is getting married. Can you imagine what he’s going to wear? [Gay.com]

• “Johnny Weir, Are You Queer?” is our new favorite song. [Ultra Now]

• Robert Perry, a Puzzles Lounge victim, has filed a complaint with the state Department of Public Health claiming paramedics were physically and verbally abusive. [NBC 10]

Good news: Sean Patrick Flanery is in the new issue of Playgirl! Bad News: He doesn’t go full frontal.

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