Towleroad Talking Points: Romney, Black Eyes

BY SAM GREISMAN

A look at some of today's stories

Mitt Romney sure is on a roll. After bungling his response to the attacks in Libya last week, this week has been decidedly worse for the Romney campaign. Yesterday a video came to everyone's attention in which Romney, at a private fundraiser, attacked Obama voters and the now infamous "47 percent" of Americans that will vote for him no matter what. Today the full video was released by Mother Jones. The Romney Campaign is desperately searching for a way out of this mess and judging by Romney's squirmy performance at an emergency press conference today, they haven't found the answer yet. 

How damaging will these statements be for the Romney camp? Mother Jones' Reporter David Corn had some answers for Rachel Maddow last night. Needless to say the Obama campaign is already on top of this latest Romney misstep. They are out with a new ad. 

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In a rather shocking statement of anti-gay sentiment, Toronto Blue Jay shortstop Yunel Escobar took to the field this weekend with a gay slur written into his eye black. Today he was punished for his actions. 

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A straight Cathoiic couple might not be who one would expect to be the face of an ad campaign against an anti-gay marriage amendment. However that is exactly what is happening in Minnesota. And Clint Eastwood may have appeared at the RNC (rather infamously) and may believe that Obama is "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people", but he is very pro gay marriage!

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One Columbia medical student's creepy interaction turned into a nightmare when his supervisor would not leave him alone. He is now suing the University.

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Videos of the Day: If you like 'Gangnam style' dancing and men in uniform, this is probably the video for you! And have you ever wondered what it looks like just 30 meters from the edge of an active volcano? Wonder no more!

Music Video of the Day: It seems that Ke$ha has moved on from annoying most of America to annoying passengers on a Tokyo subway.

Filmmaker Hopes to Bring Attention to Plight of Gays in Iran: VIDEO

Filmmaker Wajahat Ali Abbasi is hoping to spread awareness about the plight of gays in Iran with a film inspired by the 2005 hanging of two gay youths there.

Watch the Kickstarter trailer, AFTER THE JUMP...

Here's the film's page.

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1210

SH*T GIRLS SAY: The series that started it all is back with a fourth episode.

SH*T ELEPHANTS SPRAY: A fed-up pachyderm at the Berlin Zoo expresses himself.

LANCE BASS: Talks about his boyfriend, other stuff with Wendy Williams.

LICK IT LIST: A boy makes his dying service dog's dreams come true.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: Great White, iPad Mini, Dragonette, Mars Eclipse, Madonna

Paul Ryan blames anti-American Muslim protests on defense cuts he voted for.

Nate Silver looks at which Swing States could put Obama or Romney over the top.

First-ever tagging and release of a Great White Shark off Cape Cod.

Judge orders French tabloid to hand over all partially nude photos of Prince William and Kate.

Seattle Times launches social media campaign to approve Referendum 74.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court casts doubt on voter ID law: "In a 4-2 ruling, the justices ordered the lower court to block the law unless Pennsylvania can prove it is currently providing 'liberal access' to photo identification cards and that there 'will be no voter disenfranchisement' on Election Day."

NYC's Ali Forney Center for homeless LGBT youth is up for a $25,000 grant from Chase Community Giving, which you can help it get by voting.

Will 'inadvertant gay icon' Brett Lawrie have anything to say about his teammate Yunel Escobar's anti-gay slur?

Zac Efron wears a menagerie for Black Book.

Curiosity rover captures partial solar eclipse on Mars.

The first real pic of the iPad Mini?

Chinese university creates firestorm after publishing pamphlet calling homosexuality a "sexual deviance": "According to China Daily, the booklet reads in part, 'Because homosexuals are not accepted by prevailing social customs and moral standards, they tend to be anti-social and eccentric.' It also urges parents to keep their children away from such transgressions by providing a 'good social environment.'"

Romney tries appealing to women, unveils "Dear Daughter" ad.

The Moskovsky District Court in St. Petersburg to hear complaints filed against Madonna, on October 11: "The plaintiffs seek 333 million rubles ($10.87 million) in damages. Madonna, who held a concert in St. Petersburg as part of her controversial MDNA tour, urged local residents to be friendlier to the LGBT community during her performance."

Raymond Chan, the first out Hong Kong lawmaker, seeks marriage equality: “He said he plans to use the four-year term of the 70-seat assembly to push for full democracy and the legalization of same-sex marriage in the socially conservative southern Chinese city. 'If I can’t fight for my own rights, how can I help the oppressed and the underdogs?'"

Joseph Gordon-Levitt does Flaunt magazine.

Kellan Lutz has no problem changing his clothes on the beach.

The NYT profiles Matthew Vines, maker of this amazing video, who is trying to reeducate the world about Christianity and gays: “It is simply a fact that the Bible does not discuss or condemn loving, gay relationships,” said Mr. Vines, eating an omelet at Tom’s Restaurant in Brooklyn the day after his church appearance. “The point is that these texts have a meaning, and the traditional reading of them is wrong. It is incorrect — biblically, historically, linguistically.”

Dragonette reveals video for "Live in This City".

Gay UK couple sure B&B owner for refusing them double room.

Male bodybuilder from Melbourne posed as a woman and blackmailed men into performing sex acts online to finance his protein habit, court hears: "Posing as a ‘sexually available’ young woman on internet video chat sites, Shawn Rye, 23, lured men from Australia, Britain, the USA and Canada, into performing sexual acts which he recorded and threatened to post to gay websites unless they paid him between $100 and $500. At a County Court hearing in Melbourne on Thursday, September 13, Rye pleaded guilty to 47 counts of blackmail over a six-month period last year."

Toronto Blue Jays' Escobar Suspended 3 Games for Anti-Gay Slur, Will Donate Lost Salary to GLAAD, 'You Can Play'

Toronto Blue Jays player Yunel Escobar, who took the field over the weekend with "Tu Ere Maricon" ("You are a faggot") painted in his eye black, will face a three game suspension and donate his lost salary to anti-defamation group GLAAD, and You Can Play, an organization dedicated to combating homophobia in sports.

He will also undergo sensitivity training.

Said Escobar at a press conference this afternoon, through a translator: “I don’t have anything against homosexuals. I have friends that are gay...It’s just something that’s been said amongst the Latinos. It’s not something that’s meant to be offensive.”

If archived video becomes available of the presser, I'll be posting it later.

The Blue Jays released a statement: "The Blue Jays want to reaffirm that discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. The club looks forward to supporting the efforts of You Can Play and GLAAD to help promote education for players and fans alike and to help keep language like this out of the game and society."

Said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick: "Today's actions show that MLB and the Toronto Blue Jays are committed to creating an environment that all fans and families can enjoy, not a place where discriminatory language and anti-gay attitudes are accepted."

Developing...

Here are the Full Mitt Romney '47 Percent' Fundraiser Videos: WATCH

Mother Jones has just released the full footage from the Mitt Romney Boca Raton fundraiser from which his "47 percent" and other excerpts were pulled. The first is 18 minutes, and the second approximately 30.

It's unclear as of this posting what other nuggets might be found here. Please let us know in the comments how you feel about what you hear in them.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...