Towleroad Talking Points: The Pope, The Grammys and Coke

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Ellen admires Katy Perry's frock at the Grammys.  

BY SAM GREISMAN

A look back at today's top stories

ENTERTAINMENT

The 55th edition of the Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles last night and Frank Ocean was one of the winners, much to Chris Brown's chagrin. After the awards, Justin Timberlake dropped his latest song called "Mirrors". Beware, it's very long. A very dressed down Adam Lambert used the post-Grammy platform to sneak a clip of his cover of Rihanna's "Stay". It's been forever but The Postal Service also has a new song out. 

Also Rob James-Collier sat down with New York Magazine and talked about what it is like to be a gay in the Downton Abbey era. 

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WINGNUTTERY

In a move that seems to have surprised everyone, gay-hating Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he will resign effective February 28. No word on how much his replacement will hate gays, but my guess is probably a lot. Famous Pope photo destroyer Sinead O'Connor is fully behind the decision. 

With the backing of a special education teacher, some hateful high schoolers in Indiana are trying to ban gays from their prom. In Ohio, a principal at a Catholic High School has been fired for posting a pro-gay marriage statement on a blog. LGBT activists have set their sights on Sweet Cakes, the bigoted Oregon bakery that would not sell a cake to a lesbian couple. And if you're a lonely Westboro Baptist Church member looking for someone with whom you can share your ridiculous world view, boy do we have the site for you!

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VIDEO OF THE DAY

So this is why people on cocaine love to talk so much!

Ted Nugent, Who Threatened Obama at the NRA Convention Last Year, to Attend 'State of the Union' Address

Congressman Steve Stockman has given one of his gallery tickets for the State of the Union address to rocker Ted Nugent, a staunch gun rights activist whose remarks at the NRA convention last year — "If Barack Obama becomes the president in November, again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year" — prompted a Secret Service investigation.

Said Stockman: "I am excited to have a patriot like Ted Nugent joining me in the House Chamber to hear from President Obama. After the address I'm sure Ted will have plenty to say."

Nugent tweeted on Monday afternoon: "well well well, there will be a freedom addicted all American uppity Motown guitarplayer facing the POTUS at the SOTU addresss tomoro-lovely"

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1304

LIGHT THE WAY TO JUSTICE: A promo video for the upcoming nationwide rallies for marriage equality.

RIVER JUMP: Dog makes fetch happen.

MARRIAGE NEWS WATCH: AFER's Matt Baume with the latest from England and France, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and the upcoming State of the Union address.

NO MORE MR NICE GAY: Guy Branum responds to the 49ers' recent homophobia.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: Adele, Mumbai, Bank of Canada, The Bronx, Turkey

David Mixner: Stop participating in 'fat bullying'.

Police raid gay party in Mumbai and arrest 30 for indecent behavior.

Australian rower Chris Bush tells his coming out story.

Questionably talented singer calls her ex-boyfriend of two seconds out on stage at the Grammys.

AllOut launches petition for DC Comics to dump homophobic sci fi writer Orson Scott Card, whom we posted about last week.

Bank of Canada considered putting gay marriage images on new plastic bank notes: "Internal documents show that focus groups and a Bank of Canada team reviewed a series of currency images intended in part to reflect the diversity of Canada's population, particularly the country's varied ethnic character...Many images proposed at the start of the process did not make the cut. Rejected were illustrations of a gay marriage, an RCMP officer wearing a turban, and 'hockey with a twist ... with a black player.'"

The Sun'll Come Out: Quvenzhané Wallis in talks to be the silver screen's next Annie.

Did Adele tell Chris Brown off for his bad behavior at the Grammys? "The British superstar appeared to go on the attack and unleash a verbal torrent at Rihanna’s rekindled lover after he lost his manners when his rival Frank Ocean beat him to a prize at the Grammys. Cameras failed to pick up what the Skyfall singer was saying to Brown but captured her fronting up to him and barking at him."

The National Enquirer's latest assertion about OJ Simpson is that he has turned gay in prison: "He’s like a God to the other inmates. He prances around flexing his muscles, wearing only a pair of gym shorts. He spends hours in the gym trying to look good."

The Bronx remains without an LGBT community center: "The center in Longwood, which served about 1,000 LGBTQ people, shuttered amid controversy and mired in debt after its executive director was charged with looting it. 'When the center closed, we were all upset,' Reyes, 18, said. 'Myself and my peers, we went to the center for services - and to have someone to talk to. What we missed the most ,was having that sense of comfort.'"

Out gay Massachusetts state Rep. Carl Sciortino to run for Ed Markey's seat in Congress: "I am running to continue the strong progressive leadership that the families of the Fifth District have always counted on," Sciortino said in a statement. "I look forward to bringing my record of accomplishment to Washington to fight for our progressive values."

Adam Levine and Sting giving good face.

Male model fix: Will Grant.

Turkish military makes explicit its policy of expelling gays: "'When it is the case of mandatory military service, a gay person is considered sick and held exempt from military service. The military defines homosexuality as a psychosexual disorder. But when a member of the military staff is homosexual, he is considered guilty of a disciplinary crime. This is discrimination on a double scale.'"

NOM's Brian Brown co-opts 'It Gets Better' message.

Irish anti-gay group Iona Institute threatens to sue newspaper over articles critical of its homophobic video: "In early January the UT published two articles which directly confronted the line of argumentation that the video used. The articles were entitled 'What Lies Behind the Facade?' and 'Queerly Beloved.' Both articles were written by Trinity students, Conor Kenny and Paul Doyle respectively. The video in question argues that the position of heterosexual union in society is “unique” in so far as it allows for the creation of human life."

Founder of Support Group for LGBT Military Partners to Sit with Michelle Obama at 'State of the Union' Address

Tracey Hepner, the wife of Army Brig. Gen. Tammy Smith, the first openly gay general in the military, will sit with Michelle Obama during the State of the Union Address, the WaPo reports:

Tracey Hepner of Arlington, who co-founded the Military Partners and Families Coalition, a support group for LGBT military partners and their families, has been chosen to sit with first lady Michelle Obama during the State of the Union address Tuesday night, the White House said Monday.

Hepner works for the Department of Homeland Security as a master behavior detection officer...A White House official said the first lady’s box will include a variety of Americans whose lives would benefit from the policy proposals President Obama will announce Tuesday, including victims of gun violence, military families and those involved in immigration reform.

Hepner and Smith were married last March.

Downton Abbey's Gay Footman Rob James-Collier on Being an 'Edwardian Sex Pest'

[SPOILERS - Don't read if you haven't seen last night's episode]

Rob James-Collier on the reaction to the action in last night's Downton Abbey episode:

It could be proper HBO. It’s quite gritty and dark, isn’t it? Thomas becomes besotted. Let’s face it, he borderline stalks Jimmy. He turns into an Edwardian sex pest. It’s pretty bad. But then he goes on this huge journey and he’s being manipulated by O’Brien into thinking this guy feels the same way. And he knows he doesn’t. The fallout from my kissing Jimmy was really dramatic....

It’s great to see there’s an impact downstairs and it’s not just those bastards upstairs. Thomas gets quite choked up, doesn’t he? And then after he kisses Jimmy, he’s just completely distraught and destroyed and vulnerable, and you feel sorry for him. I’ve had people come up to me in the street and go, “Oh my God, Thomas made me cry last night, and I hate you for making him make me cry because I love to hate him.” I’m messing up people’s lives. There was this punter who came up to me on the tube and goes, “Listen, mate, I don’t normally watch period drama.” That’s how it always starts, and the next line is, “my missus watches it.” And then the third is, “but I’ve actually started liking it. You f**king the man, man. Last night, the tears…” and then he just walks off! And you think, This is what I do it for...

...I just want to say thank you to everyone who watched and tuned in and loved my evil gayness.

More of his Vulture interview here.