"Look at this," I said to my partner and car enthusiast, CJ. I wanted to show him the post about the upcoming Vanity Fair magazine feature Stick Shift, purportedly to be all about gay cars. "Don't even get me started on that subject!" he said. "Remember all the stupid articles about 'gay cars'?" CJ reminded me. Last year, a ruckus was created when the Mazda MX5 (formerly Miata) and Subaru Outback were 'branded' as being particularly gay cars. Which is why the skeptic in me wonders exactly how this new Vanity Fair gay cars column is going to pan out.

Joe LaMuraglia of Gaywheels.com is just as skeptical as we are:

I got an email forwarded to me this morning describing a new column on VanityFair.com called "Stick Shift - The Gay Car Blog". My first reaction was puzzlement as Vanity Fair and columns about automobiles don't reside in the same logic quandrant in my brain. Alas, having started this non-traditional business (Gaywheels.com) three years ago, I mustn't be quick to judge. After reading the introduction and viewing the accompanying graphic (see above), my confusion grew. How can someone write about a car's sexuality on a weekly basis and what does it have to do with Vanity Fair? Can you say perpetuating stereotypes?

I've spent the past three years attempting to dispel stereotypes about any specific car being "gay". I'm on record saying cars aren't gay, their driver's are... Mr. Berk hasn't posted any columns yet so I will have to wait to comment on his work. Clearly, he convinced someone at Vanity Fair that this was a good idea... We're curious to see where this will go. If the last line of his column is any indication, it is sure to be an interesting ride: "So gas up, fasten your seatbelt, and get ready to suck some tailpipe. Gay Cars is go."

Hopefully Stick Shift will be an intelligent, if not witty feature. Otherwise, it might just suck some tailpipe.