Towleroad Guide to the Tube #192: Halloween Edition

UFOs: From last night's debate. Dennis Kucinich says he's seen a UFO, and more people in America have seen a UFO than approve of Bush.

THE WIDE STANCE EXPRESS: Key West recently had its Fantasy Fest. One of the entries in its parade was this tribute to Senator Larry Craig.

CAR TROUBLE: A creepy Halloween entry from the gay horror flick Hellbent.
(source: tottyland)

THE WITCH MIX: A treat from Eartha Kitt.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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LGBT Supporters of John Edwards Issue Letter to Media

LGBT supporters of John Edwards are making a renewed push for their candidate, in a letter sent to media this afternoon arguing, among other things, that "Edwards is the Democrat with the best chance to regain the White House against all of the top Republican candidates and offers the best chance to help Democrats get elected in some of the toughest races in the country because of his appeal in traditionally 'red' areas." Read the letter here. (PDF)

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Washington GOP Rep. Richard Curtis Resigns Amid Gay Sex Scandal

Washington State GOP Representative Richard Curtis has resigned following a gay sex scandal in which Curtis claims he was the victim of an extortion attempt. However, extortion appears to be the least of the problems for the married Republican. Today, he submitted his resignation to the House leader.

Washington House Republican Leader Richard DeBolt issued the following statement this afternoon:

"I am very disappointed by the news reports of the conduct by Rep. Curtis last week in Spokane. After discussing this matter with House Republican leaders, he has submitted his resignation, which we feel is best for everyone involved. The troubling details continue to emerge, however, it has become clear that he can no longer effectively represent the constituents who elected him. We pray that Richard and his family have the strength and support they need to meet the personal challenges they face."

Recently
Washington State GOP Rep. in Alleged Male Hustler Extortion Plot [tr]
Washington State GOP Rep. Curtis Exposed by Sordid Police Report [tr]
Washington State Rep's Alleged Extorter Has a Porn Past? [tr]

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Slain Soldier's Father Awarded $11 Million in Westboro Baptist Case

After deliberating for over a day, a jury today awarded Albert Snyder $11 million in a case he brought against Rev. Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church after the church picketed the funeral of his son, who was slain in a vehicle accident in Anbar province in Iraq. It's the first case brought against the church for their protests at military funerals. Westboro Baptist claims that U.S. military deaths are God's punishment for a nation that tolerates homosexuals.

The Baltimore Sun reports: "In June 2006, Snyder sued the tight-knit fundamentalist Christian church and three of its members individually. The father argued that Westboro's demonstrations exacerbated his pain and suffering in March 2006 while he mourned the death of his only son. Specifically, he charged that they violated his privacy, intentionally inflicted emotional harm and engaged in a conspiracy to carry out their activities. The jury decided in Snyder's favor on every count. The church and its members maintained that they did nothing wrong. They based their legal defense on the First Amendment, arguing that their protests were constitutionally protected. Their attorneys told jurors yesterday that Westboro members were expressing closely held religious beliefs about an immoral society, including the military, that has endorsed homosexuality."

$2.9 million is for compensatory damages, and was awarded early today. The jury came back later this afternoon and awarded an additional $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress.

Phelps (pictured above, today in Baltimore) has also recently renewed his push for a "Matthew Shepard in Hell" monument, picketed the funerals of victims of the Virginia Tech shootings, and picketed the Reverend Jerry Falwell's funeral, claiming he was a friend of gays.

Happy Halloween, you scary old zombie.

Father of slain Marine wins case against funeral protesters [baltimore sun]

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News: Mario Lopez, Louis Vuitton, Sydney, Tom Ford, Brazil

Robert Goulet dies at 73, awaiting lung transplant at hospital.

Does Annie Leibowitz's Louis Vuitton ad contain a hidden message from Gorbachev about poisoned Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko?

Being Mr. Gay Brazil requires Representative Barney Frank on Larry Craig: "I don’t think he should have been arrested, but it’s more likely than not that he was interested in sex. You have a right to privacy but not hypocrisy. During the period that I was closeted for seven years, I was always a gay rights supporter. I think it’s a fundamental violation of principles to vote one way and act another."

Following rash of gay bashings, a "safe space" opens on Oxford Street in Sydney: "Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said the City had agreed to lease a recently vacated shop front in a Council-owned building to ACON for use as a night-time Safe Space for the gay community. '“Following discussions with ACON, the City has agreed to provide the premises free of charge for ACON to use on a nightly basis,'” Ms Moore said. '“The Safe Space will act as a refuge for people who feel threatened or abused.” Residents continue to report assaults, robberies and anti-social behaviour associated with large late night licensed premises. There are ongoing reports of serious problems and people tell me that they fear for their safety.”'"

Ass-tastic: Mario Lopez lets it all hang out for Halloween.

Wentworth Miller holds on tight!

Two pink triangles from the Holocaust being auctioned in the UK: "They are expected to fetch hundreds of pounds when they go under the hammer at the Mullock's Auctioneers at Ludlow Racecourse on Thursday. Also being sold at the auction are other rare items including a description of a Spanish flu pandemic that killed millions and an apologetic letter from composer Edward Elgar."

Jesse Helms documentary comes to DVD, and includes never-before-seen interview with Matthew Shepard.

Frequent Towleroad commenter David Ehrenstein writes on "Obama's Gospel Mistake" in the L.A. Times.

Harper Lee to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Tom Ford is buying mineral rights to the land beneath his Galisteo, New Mexico ranch in order to block oil drilling: "Ford paid the state Land Office about $84,000 earlier this year to purchase the mineral rights to more than 1,400 acres, according to Land Office records. The purchase came in response to Tecton Energy's controversial proposal to drill eight exploratory wells on 65,000 acres, or 101 square miles, in the Galisteo Basin where it has acquired mineral rights." All drilling above ground is expected to continue.

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On the Stage: Black Watch

I'd like to announce a new guest blogger on Towleroad. Kevin Sessums, whom I interviewed on the site earlier this year when his memoir Mississippi Sissy was published, will now be doing theater reviews for us. Since we spoke, Mississippi Sissy has appeared on The New York Times bestseller list and was nominated for a Quill Award. Kevin was for 14 years a contributing editor of Vanity Fair magazine and for four years served in the same capacity for Allure magazine. Prior to that he was Executive Editor of Andy Warhol's Interview. This week Kevin is reviewing three new productions staged in New York, one today and two tomorrow. I'm thrilled to welcome him.

***
BLACK WATCH

Autumn in New York. Why does it seem so inviting? Autumn in New York. It spells the thrill of first-nighting.

Vernon Duke wrote the music and lyrics to that famous song for a 1934 two-act musical review on Broadway titled Thumbs Up. It opened at the St. James Theatre two nights after Christmas that year and ran until May 11, 1935. In fact, “Autumn in New York” was the review’s final big number. There were 57 members of the cast listed in the program but the only two names that Towleroad readers may recognize include the then 23-year-old Jack Cole, a dancer who went on to become a reknowned choreographer for theatre and films. Cole created the “jazz” aesthetic of show biz dancing and without him there probably wouldn’t have been a Bob Fosse or a Jerome Robbins. Marilyn Monroe adored Jack Cole after he made her look so good in Gentleman Prefer Blondes. Another name that jumped out at me in the Thumbs Up cast when I looked it up online was Eddie Dowling, who was, tens years later, the original Tom Wingfield opposite Laurette Taylor and Julie Haydon in Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie. Dowling, who was also a producer and director, even produced the world premiere of the play in Chicago before it made that 1944 move to New York.

As the new theatre critic for Towleroad, I haven’t attended any first nights yet this autumn in New York, but I have had a few thrills already this theatre season. What follows in my reviews over the next couple of days are two, yes, thumbs ups and one sideways one. Let’s start with the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Black Watch, one of the most gut-wrenchingly, jaw-droppingly moving experiences I’ve had in over thirty years of going to the theatre in New York. Or, as Brandon, the 13-year-old Brooklynite I’ve mentored for the last five years, told me when he turned to me after the production, "That’s the bestest most amazing thing I’ve ever seen in my life." I wouldn’t be that hyperbolic but he’s not too far off the mark. Indeed, Sir Sean Connery so loved the production when he saw it in his native Scotland that he convinced the Scottish political powers-that-be to open their parliamentary session with a performance of the play this past summer.

Black Watch is the most buzzed about play so far this New York theatre season, having already been a much praised hit of the Edinburgh Festival in 2006. It’s scheduled to run till November 11 at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood. (Go online to stannswarehouse.org for ticket information and directions to the theatre.) If it’s now sold-out, which it most likely is, then beg, borrow, or steal a ticket — or go get on a waiting list the night or afternoon of a performance. I am hoping some smart producer will move this production if St. Ann’s can’t extend it for scheduling reasons.

For once, New York has been lucky enough to see an acclaimed production from England’s northern neighbor even before London has, since the National Theatre of Scotland has been having a difficult time finding the right venue for the production further south in Great Britain. Its original one at the Edinburgh Festival was done in a military drill hall and demands a kind of runway on which to perform between the audience seated on each of its sides. It was recently announced, however, that England’s National Theatre so wanted to be able to present the play that it has committed to reconfiguring its Barbican Theatre to mount the production in June 2008.

Continued (click link to jump)...

Written by Gregory Burke and brilliantly directed by John Tiffany, Black Watch has been assembled from an array of interviews with members of Scotland’s elite Black Watch military troupe regarding their service in Iraq, a deployment that ironically was its last before being amalgamated into the rest of the British army and losing its historic distinction. "Troupe" is an appropriate term to employ for this theatrical version is as cohesive as any military one.

The physicality of the actors is astounding as they are called upon to have the stamina and precision of Jack Cole dancers in the jazzy, balletic demands the production calls for without sacrificing any of the machismo posturing that is so innate to military men. At the same time, they are all so emotionally true and raw and present and downright sexy that any of them could give a nuanced performance as Tom Wingfield - or The Gentleman Caller - if the National Theatre of Scotland chooses to produce The Glass Menagerie in the future.

Two standouts are Paul Rattray as Cammy in the play’s central role, whose specific emotional journey of disillusionment is the one the audience is called upon to follow most closely. (There is an astonishing sequence one could only experience in the theatre in which the whole history of the Black Watch unit is depicted though Cammy’s narration and the utilization and manipulation of his body by all the other cast members.) The other standout is Emun Elliot who is giving an old-fashioned star-turn as the tragic Fraz.

The production also expertly employs video and music. The musical numbers are, in fact, more stirring than anything you’ll see on Broadway. The last quarter of the play had me in tears — from the moment the cast goes through a stylized, ritualistic mail call to the frenzied pugilistic male pas de deux that erupts from the stress of the battlefield to the final marching sequence that so beautifully and simultaneously displays the individual yet phalanx-like brutal love such brave warriors have for each other and - sadly and honorably - for war itself.

RATING: T T T T (4 T’s out of a perfect rating of 4)

BLACK WATCH — St. Ann's Warehouse, 38 Water Street, dumboBKLYN | Box Office: 718.254.8779.

Up tomorrow, reviews of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll and Fuerzabruta.

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With Mary Wiseman, Ohio Gets its First Openly Gay Judge

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland this week replaced retiring Common Pleas Court Judge John Kessler by appointing former Dayton city commissioner Mary Wiseman to replace him. In doing so, Strickland apparently gave Ohio its first openly gay judge.

The AP reports: "Officials with gay rights group Equality Ohio say Wiseman's appointment makes state history. Forty-five-year-old Wiseman says she's proud if the gay community sees her as a role model and says she believes the rest of society can grow more comfortable about gays and lesbians in public office. Strickland gave Wiseman the news more than a week ago. On Monday, he said he's happy if he broke a barrier, while noting he made his choice because of Wiseman's qualifications."

Earlier this month, Daniel Anders took the bench in Philadelphia, giving that city its first openly gay male judge. And of course, earlier this year, Judge David Young became TV's first openly gay judge. Justice for all.

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Washington State Rep's Alleged Extorter Has a Porn Past?

One of our tipsters has alerted us to the fact that Cody Castagna, the Spokane waiter at the center of the Richard Curtis alleged extortion case in Washington state, may have a porn past. Our tipster claims that Castagna starred in "Damon Blows America #3" from Treasure Island Media.

After doing a bit of research, it seems there is a "Cody" appearing in that release who looks much like Mr. Castagna. I'm not sure that this has any relevance to Curtis' case although it was reported that a couple videos were bought at the erotic video boutique where he met Castagna, so perhaps Curtis wanted, oh, I don't know, something to take away from his encounter later that evening?

After the jump is the screenshot (with adult portions blurred) I took off Treasure Island Media's video page. If you want to see where it came from, click here (NSFW).

Recently...
Washington State GOP Rep. Curtis Exposed by Sordid Police Report [tr]

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Australia's Family First Party Candidate Dropped Over Porn Photos

It's happening everywhere!

Australia's Family First Party dumped its candidate Andrew Quah for the western Sydney seat of Reid after nude photos of Quah showed up on gay porn websites: "Mr Quah, 21, has also admitted to looking at porn websites in the past two weeks, which made his position untenable given his party's strong commitment to protect children by making porn harder to access on the internet. Mr Quah told the Herald yesterday he thought it was possible that he had posed for the compromising photographs. 'I might have been drunk off my face or my political enemies might have drugged me...But that's not my penis. Look, maybe somebody photoshopped it, and put another one on the photo. I can tell you, it's not me. I know these things. But really, I can't remember … All I know, I have been humiliated.'"

Australian blogs published the photos, branding Quah "Australia's Smallest Loser".

Meet Family First's member for nowhere [the age]

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Roger Federer Trades His Tennis Racket for a Sword

Disney Parks updated their Disney Dreams portrait series today with three new images shot by Annie Leibowitz. You may remember the David Beckham as Prince Charming that came out last January. This time, tennis's #1 Roger Federer plays King Arthur.

In addition to the Federer image, there are two more new shots. In one, Julie Andrews portrays the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio with Abigail Breslin as a Fairy-in-Training (Disney knows their target audience, eh?). In another, Rachel Weisz plays Snow White.

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David Beckham Plays Prince Charming for Walt Disney [tr]

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Democrats Debate at Drexel University

Above, the first ten minutes of last night's debate at Drexel University. Right off the bat Obama likened his rivalry with Clinton to that of Rocky and Apollo Creed, calling himself Rocky, a tag that inspired disapproving murmurs from the audience. Clinton responded by announcing she's the subject of conversation and consternation by the Republicans for a good reason. Edwards goes at Clinton from the other side, saying Americans deserve a President that will tell them the truth.

Below, Joe Biden slams Rudy Giuliani's lack of qualifications for President, and Dennis Kucinich calls for the impeachment of George W. Bush.

Also, check out the New York Times interactive debate transcript for additional highlights.

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Mike Gravel Wants You To Get Mad!

You may have heard that Mike Gravel held his own debate last night since he was excluded from the one that took place at Drexel University.

The New York Times reported yesterday: "Though he has been included in most of the previous Democratic debates, MSNBC contends that Mr. Gravel failed to meet any of the network’s criteria for participation in tonight’s event (candidates had to meet certain standards in at least one of three categories: polling, fund-raising and travel). Mr. Gravel’s camp is crying 'corporate censorship,' and the former Alaska senator argues that his opposition to the military industrial complex is prompting backlash from G.E."

Actually, he did make an appearance, and it was incendiary. That video is above.

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Prankster Artist Banksy Caught in the Act in East London

On Monday I reported that the council in East London had issued a directive to city workers to begin cleaning up Banksy's subversive graffiti art from city walls, despite its skyrocketing value. Last week, a number of Banksy works that went on auction at Bonham's eclipsed all estimates: "According to the Web site for Bonhams auctioneers, 11 works fetched a total of 455,000 pounds ($930,000), compared with a pre-sale estimate of around 300,000 pounds. Including buyers' premiums, the total rose to more than 500,000 pounds."

The Independent reported on East London's Banksy cleansing order: "Never mind that art tourists come from all over the world to try to spot the Grim Reaper with the smiley face or some of the other 30 or so Banksy works that have been made inside the borough boundary since he first started working with stencils seven years ago. The council says it will remove the art 'whenever we find it'. In that case, officers must be the last people in London not to know where it is. Maps available on the internet give exact locations. They also show where the cocaine-snorting policeman or the dinner-jacketed rats with a red carpet to their hole used to be. Banksy has been a victim of the street teams before, you see – but usually by accident."

It appears that Banksy, who cultivates his image through stealth and secrecy, has been caught in the act for the first time, by a pedestrian with a camera phone. Alleged photos of the prankster have surfaced before, but never while actually painting one of his distinctive stencils.

A crouched man was photographed painting a wall in East London, in the part of town where city workers have been ordered to cover up his work, and most agree it's Banksy, apparently throwing down the gauntlet to the city council. He's known to thumb his nose at the establishment.

The Times Online reports: "Banksy, whose real name is thought to be Robert or Robin Banks, is known for his artistic pranks, which have included releasing an inflatable Guantanamo prisoner doll in Disneyland. The British Museum took eight days to realise that Banksyus Maximus, a rock depicting a Stone Age hunter with a shopping trolley, was not a genuine artefact. This summer he made a Stonehenge-style circle at the Glastonbury Festival out of portable toilets, and he once painted a hole with blue sky poking through the Palestinian side of the West Bank wall."

The new East London Banksy work features an artist or street worker sitting beneath a flower that appears to have sprung from the double yellow line running down the center of a nearby street.

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Brangelina Spend Bank on Banksy at London Gay Bar [tr]

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Washington State GOP Rep. Curtis Exposed by Sordid Police Report

Problems deepened yesterday for Washington State GOP Rep. Richard Curtis, the target of an alleged extortion plot by a male prostitute in Spokane.

On Monday afternoon, Curtis told the press, "I committed no crime. I did not solicit sex. I was trying to help somebody out. I am not gay. I have not had sex with a guy. It's been a rough week. Look, the rest of this will all come out. I can't say anything more until I have talked to my attorney. I have never been in this situation before."

Curtis reportedly met 26-year-old Cody Castagna, a waiter from Spokane at an adult video store, where two gay porn films were purchased, and traveled to the Davenport Towers Hotel where the two had sex, according to details in a police search warrant.

According to The Columbian, "The police report contains an account of how Curtis allegedly donned women’s clothing, red stockings and a black sequined lingerie top before engaging in a sex act at the store. He continued to wear them throughout the night under his clothing." Those details do not appear to be in the search warrant, however.

Once the two men finished having sex, Curtis told police he fell asleep. Castagna, who has spent two months in jail as an adult on a forgery charge, allegedly took Curtis' wallet from the room at that point and later demanded $200 for it, threatening to tell Curtis' wife that he was gay. Curtis brought $200 to the hotel desk in an envelope for Castagna. Curtis didn't receive the wallet at that time, but got a phone call later demanding another $800. According to the police report, Spokane officer Madsen was present when he received the call, and listened in.

Castagna claims that Curtis agreed to pay him $1000 for sex (a claim Curtis denies) and that because Curtis only had $200 at the time, Castagna took Curtis' wallet as collateral for the balance.

Said Castagna at a press conference Tuesday: "I feel that, honestly, I’m being wrongly accused and that (Curtis) is using his power to take it off of him and put it on me. He has completely changed what actually happened and turned it around for his favor."

(VIDEO below, after the jump)

Castagna also told KXLY4 Executive Producer Melissa Luck in an email exchange: "Well I will say this Richard offered me money to engage in sexual acts I wasn’t into. [M]y stupid ass agreed and since he was tired he gave me his wallet as collateral until he woke up and could get me the money and I got the feeing he was screwing me and he was not only that he turned the whole thing around in his favor to save his butt and is screwing up my [w]hole life."

Castagna's lawyer added: "He didn’t make any threats against this guy (Curtis). This is an extremely a low-level situation that’s being blown out of proportion by somebody who is trying to save themselves."

Curtis contacted Spokane police and then began to worry that details of the incident would expose him.

Spokane Police Detective Tim Madsen wrote in the report: "Curtis told me he was just trying to put the cap back on the tube. “I told Curtis that the suspect may victimize other people in the future, and Curtis acknowledged that part of his job was to protect people in the state of Washington. … Curtis said he wished he would have just paid the additional money to the suspect because he didn’t wish the case to be prosecuted. If the incident became public, it could cost him his marriage and career."

Curtis then apparently called a fellow Republican, Sgt. Roy Rhine of the Washington State Patrol, a move which backfired, as the WSP, according to The Columbian, referred the case back to the local police.

Police also have physical evidence: "As part of their investigation, Spokane police have seized video recordings from the hotel and the sex shop, computerized records of when Curtis’ hotel room door was opened and closed, and hotel records purportedly showing the rental of gay porn movies by someone in Curtis’ room."

No charges have been filed yet in the case.

Of course this is the real kicker to the story. The Spokesman Review reported yesterday: "Elected to the state House of Representatives in 2004, Curtis has voted like a fiscal and social conservative. This spring, he voted against domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian couples. Last year, he opposed a gay rights bill that banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation."

Search Warrant [pdf]
Police report sheds new light on Curtis encounter [the columbian]
Castagna claims he didn't blackmail state legislator [kxly spokane]
Police documents: SW Wash. GOP lawmaker had sex with man [seattle post intelligencer]

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Washington State GOP Rep. in Alleged Male Hustler Extortion Plot [tr]

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About the Banner #22

It may be so long ago that you've forgotten it, but the last banner was a shot I took in June when I was in Washington D.C. It was taken coming out of the Metro station on the mall adjacent to the National Portrait Gallery. I squished it, but it was less the content and more the shapes, colors, and reflections that appealed to me.

For more banners, click here.

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Viscount David Linley, the Queen's Nephew, is Extortion Target

Viscount David Linley, a furniture maker and the Queen's nephew, has been identified as the likely target of the extortion plot by socialite Ian Strachan and his accomplice Sean McGuigan I posted about earlier today. The two men are in jail after demanding £50,000 ($100,000) from the royal family to stop the release of a sex tape which allegedly shows a male member of the royals discussing performing an oral sex act on them. The video, shot on a mobile phone, also allegedly shows them discussing cocaine use.

Via The Daily Telegraph: "The royal, a respected fine furniture maker whose clients include Oprah Winfrey, did not hesitate in contacting police because the claims and so-called evidence against him were false – as the media has also discovered – and the footage did not implicate him in any wrongdoing. A police sting ensured the evidence was seized and the men were arrested with no money changing hands. They had allegedly attempted several times in the past six months to sell the footage to the media but an investigation proved the claim and the film were false. Buckingham Palace has refused to comment other than to say it was a 'matter for the police', while a court order has banned the media in the UK from revealing his or her name. Many royal watchers are expecting Viscount Linley, 12th in line to the throne and a father of two, to issue a statement to end the speculation and protect the rest of his extended family from unwanted publicity."

Linley is currently 12th in line for the throne.

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Royal Family at Center of Gay Sex Tape Blackmail Plot [tr]

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Music News: Kelis Moves On From Jive, Plus Adam Levine, Alanis Morissette, Róisín Murphy, Simian Mobile Disco

Please welcome Robbie Daw, who will be penning occasional music posts for us here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own pop music site called Chart Rigger.

Kelis has been dropped from her contract with Jive Records, and is working on an album of dance tunes with Cee-Lo Green, current singer of Gnarls Barkley. The two have apparently already finished a pop album with British writer/producer Guy Chambers, who wrote many of Robbie Williams' original hits ("Angels," "Rock DJ," "Feel"). Williams himself is currently making a new album with Chambers after the two parted ways five years ago over creative differences following the singer's Escapology record.

If you haven't heard Kelis' 2006 album Kelis Was Here (and many likely haven't, as Billboard notes it's only sold 157,000 copies to date), you probably missed "Lil Star," her soulful, retro-sounding duet with Cee-Lo, which peaked at #3 earlier this year on the official U.K. singles chart.

Given the wide array of musical styles and producers used on Kelis Was Here and in her other work, she might have appeared to be a hard act to market for Jive. Last year's Top 20 single "Bossy" was the only song remotely close to her breakthrough hit "Milkshake."

Currently, Kelis, who is the wife of rapper Nas, can be heard on the Annie Lennox album Songs Of Mass Destruction, on the track "Sing" (although, good luck trying to pick her out, as she's one of 22 other female vocalists featured).

Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine (pictured left) goes the shirtless route in the band's video for "Wake Up Call." Perhaps it's an attempt to jump start the single -- currently at #19 on Billboard's Hot 100 after 11 weeks on the chart -- which is having a slower go than "Makes Me Wonder," which hit #1 in the spring.

Following her stint as a lesbian, Alanis Morissette is now taking a job as a secretary.

Singer Róisín Murphy returns home after damaging her eye socket on stage in Moscow with a chair on Saturday: "Despite serious concussion and losing a lot of blood, her vision is unimpaired."

Simian Mobile Disco's video for their dance track "Hustler" offers an interesting take on beauty and gluttony. Definitely don't miss the last minute of the clip.

Kurt Cobain loses his standing as top earning dead celebrity.

Despite having "nothing left to write about," Oasis trudge on making their seventh album.

Author Lucy O'Brien's book Madonna: Like An Icon makes some interesting claims. Meanwhile, Kanye West is taking his own stab at literature.

TODAY'S NEW RELEASES:

Party like it's 1999! Bumped up two weeks from its original release date, Britney Spears' fifth studio album (and her first in four years) Blackout arrives. Also out is Unbreakable, by Britney's Jive labelmates, Backstreet Boys.

If you'd rather party like it's 1989, pick up head-bangers Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled new set.

Atlanta hip hop group Arrested Development return with Since The Last Time.

Long Road Out Of Eden, the new studio album from The Eagles, will only be available for purchase through Wal-Mart stores.

The soundtrack to Joy Division biopic Control contains tracks by New Order, David Bowie, Roxy Music, The Killers, Kraftwerk, Iggy Pop and Joy Division themselves.

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Twenty Men Arrested in New York Rest Stop Sex Sting

Guess how many identify as gay? None. All of the men are married, with the exception of a Catholic priest.

From The Journal News: "The sting, which also netted a local Rotary Club president and a 72-year-old man, was prompted by a complaint from a man who stopped to use the rest area with his 10-year-old son, said Capt. Robert Meyer, state police commander in Westchester County. 'As soon as we saw that letter, we took immediate action,' said Sgt. Joseph Lutz, the Somers barracks commander, who oversaw the operation. He spoke as he visited the southbound rest area just north of Exit 4 yesterday afternoon. Most of the men were charged with either loitering or trespass violations or both. One was charged with forcible touching, a misdemeanor. Four were charged with exposing themselves and two with public lewdness, all violations. The 20 suspects are due in Bedford Town Court on Thursday. Among those arrested was the Rev. Gary Mead, a Catholic priest from Millwood assigned to St. Gregory Barbarigo parish in Garnerville. Police said he fondled an undercover officer and was charged with forcible touching."

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Judge Tosses "Legislator" Remark in Bob Allen Case

A judge hearing the case of Florida Rep. Bob Allen, who was arrested after offering an undercover police officer $20 for the opportunity to perform oral sex in a public men's room in July, has thrown out a remark Allen made during arrest, saying it "was not relevant to the misdemeanor charge of solicitation for prostitution."

Florida Today reports: "Titusville police officers say Allen asked if his position as a lawmaker 'would help' after they arrested him July 11. Allen is accused of agreeing to pay an undercover officer $20 to perform a sex act. Allen’s attorneys say the Merritt Island Republican was misquoted."

Because "prosecutors are not charging Allen with any offense of bribery or misuse of authority," the statement is not relevant to the case, the judge wrote.

Allen's lawyer has asked the judge to throw out the remark at a hearing at the beginning of the month. Allen's trial begins Monday.

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Dooney Da Priest Says Saggy Pants Song isn't an Attack on Gays

Rapper Dooney da Priest said that lyrics in a PSA campaign by the City of Dallas weren't meant to offend gay people. The campaign, an attempt to curb the trend of saggy hip-hop pants, was criticized as homophobic for suggesting that wearing your pants low is a bad thing because it suggests that you are gay.

NPR reports: "After listeners pointed out the inherent homophobia taunting men for looking like they live 'on the down low,' Da' Priest says he apologized to the gay community on his MySpace page. Da' Priest says that the song isn't an attack on gay people, and that he was 'dealing with the N-word, too.'...'Whether their sexual preference is to be a homosexual or being gay, that's their problem,' Da' Priest says. 'I'm the street, I'm the street priest, and I have real good Christian values on what I believe in, and I am against homosexuality. But this is not the reason why I wrote the song.'"

Saggy Pants Songwriter Sort of Says He's Sorry [npr]

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News: Iran, Rosie O'Donnell, Halloween, Zagreb, Gay Ghetto

Amnesty: Death penalty imminent for gay youth in Iran. "Child offender Makwan Moloudzadeh, an Iranian Kurd, is believed to be at risk of imminent execution. He has reportedly been convicted of lavat-e iqabi (anal sex) for the alleged rape of a 13-year-old boy. Makwan Moloudzadeh was aged 13 at the time of the alleged offence. His death sentence has been passed to the Office for the Implementation of Sentences and he is due to be executed in public, near his home."

Confederate flag that hangs at site of Cheney's weekend hunting trip stirs up anger from Al Sharpton: "It’s appalling for the VP to be at a private club displaying the flag of lynching, hate and murder. It’s the epitome of an insult." The good news is, nobody got shot in the face.

Rosie O'Donnell ambushed at book signing by Bill O'Reilly team. (Rosie's Video, O'Reilly's Video)

NYT: Cancellation of Halloween fest in San Francisco a sign that gay ghettos risk becoming passé. "For many in the Castro District, the cancellation is a blow that strikes at the heart of neighborhood identity, and it has brought soul-searching that goes beyond concerns about crime. These are wrenching times for San Francisco’s historic gay village, with population shifts, booming development, and a waning sense of belonging that is also being felt in gay enclaves across the nation, from Key West, Fla., to West Hollywood, as they struggle to maintain cultural relevance in the face of gentrification."

Did Avril Lavigne dress as Chris Crocker for Halloween?

Miller Brewing apologizes for allowing its brand logo to appear on posters for San Francisco's Folsom Street Fair that parodied The Last Supper.

Opposing accounts offered at trial of Navy doctor accused of secretly taping midshipmen having sex: "A Navy doctor who served as a sponsor for U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen 'violated the trust' of the students by using surveillance equipment installed in an air purifier at his Annapolis home to make 'secret sex tapes' of them, a Navy prosecutor said yesterday at the start of the doctor's court-martial. But Cmdr. Kevin Ronan's attorney, William T. Ferris, said the tapes were made by a former midshipman who used them in an attempt to extort money from his client. Ferris said the tapes became public after his client refused to give money to the former midshipman, who had been dismissed from the Naval Academy for academic reasons and needed money for expenses. 'This was a plan to extort money from Commander Ronan that went awry,' Ferris said during his opening statement at the Washington Navy Yard."

Meet the first Mr. Gay Brazil, Luciano Lupo.

Frank DeCaro looks at Paul Lynde's Halloween Special from 1976, along with a clip of Margaret Hamilton dressed as the wicked witch introducing Paul to members of KISS.

Queer community at NYU holds drag ball.

Croatian man charged with hate crime in Zagreb for attack on gay parade: "The man, identified only as Josip S., is charged with endangering lives and property by an act of hatred toward the participants of the Gay Pride parade in July, the Zagreb district prosecutors' office said. The man is the first person in Croatia to face hate crime charges since it was introduced into the Penal Code last year. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison. No date for a trial was immediately set. Police spotted the man as he prepared to throw homemade Molotov cocktails — bottles containing gasoline — at the parade participants gathering at Zagreb's main square. He fled the scene, but was tracked down later at his home."

Best Week Ever's Top 10 most humiliating pet costumes, judged by the expression on the pets' faces.

Leak reveals Cheney's plan for Iran attack? "In the scenario concocted by Cheney's strategists, Washington's first step would be to convince Israel to fire missiles at Iran's uranium enrichment plant in Natanz. Tehran would retaliate with its own strike, providing the US with an excuse to attack military targets and nuclear facilities in Iran."

1884: The oldest known photograph of a tornado.

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Football: Sex, Trinity Laterals, and Indestructible Cheerleaders

Here's a recent study by openly gay sociologist Eric Anderson which is titillating if not a bit misleading. The headline claims "Over One-third Of Former American Football Players Had Sexual Relations With Men". In fact, Anderson's study was pooled from "American Football players who previously played at the high school (secondary school) level but had failed to be picked for their university’s team and were now cheerleaders instead." Hmm.

Anyway, Anderson hopes to show that homophobia is decreasing on the football field based on more positive portrayal of gays in media. Says Anderson: "Men have traditionally been reluctant to do anything associated with homosexuality because they feared being perceived gay. There has been pressure on them to conform to the notion that being male is about having traditionally masculine traits, in terms of dress, behaviours and sexual activities. But as more men are open about their varieties of sexuality, it becomes less stigmatized to be gay or to have sex with men. It is increasingly not a problem to act in otherwise non-traditional ways."

Well, I can't say Anderson convinces me, but I appreciate his optimism.

On another note, here are two amazing football videos which have cropped up in the past couple days. The first is from a game over the weekend in which Trinity (TX) beat Millsaps (MS) in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference in the final, incredible play.

In the second, a cheerleader gets mauled in a mishap at Auburn. She was a homecoming princess, and she survived. Maybe she's related to Hayden Panettiere!

Over One-third Of Former American Football Players Had Sexual Relations With Men, Study Claims [science daily]

Recently
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Obama Talks Gay Marriage, Rights, McClurkin to MTV and Iowa

On Monday, Barack Obama appeared at an MTV event in Cedar Rapids Iowa, at which he was asked about his position on same-sex marriage, and also about Donnie McClurkin's recent appearance at the South Carolina "Embrace the Change" gospel tour. Watch the video above for his answers.

My problem with Obama's position on McClurkin is that though he says he wants to "teach" people about homophobia, there was clearly no "teaching" that went on at the "Embrace the Change" tour. An "ex-gay" who was allowed to emcee the entire event publicly celebrated his "deliverance from homosexuality" during the event's final hour. Did gays have any chance to rebut McClurkin's remarks to those at the event so they could "learn" about tolerance? To me, "reaching out" to people would be exposing them to an alternative perspective. Is having white gay Reverend Andy Sidden read a prayer at the beginning of the concert a real effort to do that? I don't think so.

I think it's interesting that Obama claims the gospel tour was "a while back" when it was Sunday. He's clearly anxious to put this episode behind him.

Obama was also asked about same-sex marriage at an event the same day at the Cedar Rapids Public Library.

Said Obama: "You want the word marriage and I believe that the issue of marriage has become so entangled - the word marriage has become so entangled with religion - that it makes more sense for me as president, with that authority, to talk about the civil rights that are conferred [with civil unions]."

Iowans grill Obama over his position on gay marriage [des moines register]

Also, after the jump, a letter that the Obama campaign is sending out in response to letters of complaint about McClurkin and the gospel tour.

***Letter from Obama campaign regarding Donnie McClurkin***

Dear Friend,

Thank you for sharing your strong objections to past statements of one of the performers on the recent South Carolina gospel tour. I appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns directly because I strongly disagree with Pastor McClurkin’s deeply hurtful and offensive statements about sexual orientation.

I have always clearly stated my belief that members of the LGBT community are our brothers and sisters and should be provided the respect, dignity, and rights of all other citizens. I have consistently supported gay rights throughout my career, and I will continue to work for an open, tolerant society where people of all sexual orientations are protected and their contributions are valued.

To honor my commitment to promoting tolerance on the gospel tour, I asked Rev. Andy Sidden, an openly gay South Carolina pastor, to open the tour and offer a prayer. I’m glad he joined us, because we have to speak to people we disagree with in order to confront issues that are important to gay and black communities, like the HIV/AIDS epidemic. I have spoken directly to African-American religious leaders about the need to overcome the homophobia that persists in some parts of the Black community, and I will continue to be outspoken on this issue.

More broadly, we need to create a productive dialogue between people of opposing views, and I had a good conversation about this with Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign. After our conversation, Mr. Solmonese issued a statement that said, in part:

“I did thank [Senator Obama]…. for his willingness to call on religious leaders to open a dialogue about homophobia. We hope that Sen. Obama will move forward and facilitate face-to-face meetings with religious leaders, like Rev. McClurkin, and the GLBT community to confront the issue of homophobia.”

“We also call on all of the presidential campaigns to look within their ranks of supporters and make the same commitment to engage in a dialogue among differing views around issues of equality and fairness for our community.”

A group of LGBT and religious leaders have also embraced this opportunity to open a dialogue, and you can find an open letter from them below. I’ve said before that America’s diversity is its greatest strength. In order to confront the challenges of our day, we must be able to get past the divisions which have upheld our progress in the past. I am committed to building those bridges to a better future.

Thank you again for contacting me and sharing your concerns.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

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Cambodian Prime Minister Publicly Cuts Ties with Lesbian Daughter

Speaking at a school graduation ceremony in Phnom Penn today, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen told those gathered that he was cutting off contact with his daughter because she is a lesbian.

Said Hun Sen to the 3,000 assembled: "My adopted daughter now has a wife. I'm quite disappointed. We are concerned that she might one day cause us trouble ... and try to stake her claim for a share of our assets."

According to the AP: "The prime minister and his wife Bun Rany have three sons and two other daughters. He said they adopted their third daughter in the mid 80's when she was 18 days old. She has carried his family name 'Hun' just like his biological children. Hun Sen did not reveal her given name."

Hun Sen reportedly then "said he was not discriminating against gays and appealed to society to show respect for them" according to the media outlet.

The Bangkok Post offers an alternative translation: "My daughter has married a woman ... Now I just asked the court to cut her out of the family. I was disappointed. I can educate an entire nation, but I cannot educate this adopted daughter."

They add, "Hun Sen spoke about his personal struggle, saying media and other educational forums had taught him it was okay to be gay, but when it happened in his own family, he 'did not know how to do.'"

Comments about his daughter were reportedly omitted when the speech was aired on state media.

The non-profit Cambodian gay rights group Women's Agenda for Change reportedly "applauded" Hun Sen's comment on discrimination but said nothing about the daughter.

Homosexuality is legal in Cambodia, but the nation has no laws regarding same-sex marriage.

In 2004, Cambodia's King Sihanouk spoke out about gays and lesbians, saying "I am not gay, but I respect the rights of gays and lesbians. It's not their fault if God makes them born like that."

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