20 years of living out loud. In this new essay marking the 20th anniversary- October 17th, 2006- of my coming out, I look back on the moment and the passion for politics and activism it unlocked- how authenticity became the throughline of everything I’ve done since. I’ve long said that being gay has been one of the greatest gifts of my life, and this story is about what that journey has taught me. It’s also a love letter to the gay community for bestowing me with a sense of purpose, a North Star that has always, through good times and bad, kept me going. ❤️🏳️‍🌈🙏 Read the full piece now: jamesdukemason.substack.com/…

Happy National Coming Out Day! I came out TWENTY YEARS AGO this week. I truly believe that being gay is one of the greatest gifts God has ever given me 🏳️‍🌈🫶

New episode of Duke Download is out now 🎙️ This week I sit down with WeHo City Council candidate @kyle4weho to talk about how vital local politics is. Don’t just follow national politics — get involved locally, because your city council, school board, and county officials shape your everyday life. Attend a city council, ask questions, volunteer, and make sure you vote in your local elections!! Watch my convo with Kyle on YouTube (or listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts): youtu.be/kIA5mBEvQLE?is=PRtA… #VoteLocal

Literally just yesterday I showed my bf Armie my grandfather’s film “North By Northwest” for the first time- I told him about how JM’s co-star Eva Marie Saint also starred with my Dad in “The Sandpiper” in 1965 along with Elizabeth Taylor. Today we got the news that Eva has passed away at the age of 102- she had an incredible life and career- the epitome of beauty, class and grace. A true Hollywood legend- I had the honor of speaking to her on the phone about a decade ago about working with my grandfather- NBNW continues, and will always be, one of the greatest movies of all time ❤️🎞️🎥✨ #JamesMason #EvaMarieSaint

Trump said tonight that Iran can take out LA and that it would be “a small price to pay”. Well now LA it’s our time to “take out” Trump and the Republicans on the ballot. Let’s make sure that the Democrats win this November 🙏👍✊💙 P.S. vote @GoldsmithB for State Senate and @kyle4weho @JohnDuran for WeHo City Council!

Proud to endorse @kyle4weho and @JohnDuran for West Hollywood City Council! Anyone who knows me has heard how deeply I love our city and how concerned I am about its current direction. Kyle Brazeal and John Duran are a perfect combination- a fresh, common sense voice along with an experienced, steady hand who will work together to achieve results and solve our problems on crime, homelessness, the struggles for small businesses among other pressing challenges. You can be a Democrat and still be about solutions- Kyle and John prove that, and I strongly urge you to give them your vote in the upcoming election!! No way I’m giving up on my hometown. ♥️🏳️‍🌈✊

In moments of fear and division, it’s easy to feel like progress is slipping away. But @evanwolfson reminds us that history tells a different story: change is possible when people organize, defend democracy, and refuse to give in to despair. This week on Duke’s Download, we talk about equality, authoritarianism, LGBTQ+ rights, and why our shared future depends on protecting each other. 🎙️ Listen to the new episode now youtu.be/GXrUZNOdVPs?is=cs3h… #DukesDownload #EvanWolfson #Equality #Democracy #CivilRights #LGBTQ #HumanRights #Progress

Having worked for Rick Caruso I am certainly no fan of Karen Bass, but only in a town and political culture as broken as ours here in LA can a candidate as obviously terrible as Nithya Raman have a sizable lead in the race for LA Mayor. Sadly I don’t see much hope at all for the future of our city, or frankly our state. We need pragmatic Democrats who are principled but also know to make government work effectively for the people, not shallow, self serving ideologues.

This week on Duke’s Download, we’re going global 🌍✨ Special guest MP Oliver Ryan joins Duke for a powerful conversation about LGBTQ+ rights, what’s happening abroad, and what we here can learn from our friends around the world who are fighting, organizing, and leading with courage. From policy to visibility to community power, this episode is all about looking beyond our own backyard — because the fight for equality doesn’t stop at any border. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ 🎧 Watch/listen now to hear what lessons, warnings, and inspiration we can take from LGBTQ+ movements abroad. youtu.be/T9dFBmWSRkk?is=OA51…

Cover of the @Telegraph in the UK- November 25th, 2000. Me, as an 8 year old boy, at the grave of my grandfather, James Mason, on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. I was eight years old, standing at a grave that had taken sixteen years and a family odyssey to exist. My grandfather died in 1984- eight years before I was born. He died much younger than his parents and brothers- a fact that I have carried with me my whole life- knowing that if he had made it as long as they did, we would’ve had, at least perhaps fora few short years, the chance to connect and know each other. That autumn day we finally laid him to rest beside his close friend Charlie Chaplin. My father Morgan was there. And so was my loving aunt Portland- brilliant, fierce, determined to see her father home. She and my Dad Morgan Mason had tracked the ashes, fought for the inscription, and stood with us in Switzerland. Only a few years later she was gone too. The photograph on the front page of The Daily Telegraph that Saturday is me, a small boy in a black coat, placing flowers on a stone that reads: “Never say in grief you are sorry he’s gone. Rather, say in thankfulness you are grateful he was here.” Ted Kennedy shared those words with my aunt when he called her after James’s passing, A quarter-century later the story continues. A new book, James Mason: The Movie Star Hollywood Forgot, has just been published. It is another act of remembrance. Some families inherit houses or titles. Ours inherited unfinished business: a name, a voice, a body of work, and the quiet duty to keep it alive. ♥️ #fbf #flashbackfriday

Season 2 of Duke’s Download is here — and I’m kicking it off with my friend Brian Sims. We talk about protecting trans rights, fighting anti-LGBTQ+ extremism, political hypocrisy, election integrity, and why cis allies need to stop speaking over trans people and start handing them the microphone. This is a conversation about power, democracy, and how we actually fight back. 🎧 Watch/listen to the new episode of Duke’s Download now. youtu.be/pfGH-gDIigo?is=tXqc…

Proud that I was instrumental in making this happen during my time on the @WeHoCity LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. We spearheaded the city government's acknowledgment of Bisexual Pride to make sure that ALL members of our community felt recognized, seen and celebrated. I am a proud gay man and I am proud to stand with my bisexual brothers and sisters who live here in West Hollywood and beyond. wehotimes.com/the-city-of-we…