Towleroad Talking Points: Dry Mouth Disaster

BY SAM GREISMAN

A look back at today's top stories

GAY ISSUES

The fallout from DC Comics' decision to hire an anti-gay bigot to pen their latest comic book continues. Stores in Dallas and San Francisco have decided they will not stock the book and one Texas bookseller has gone public with his reasons why. In a thoughtful and profound speech, gay journalist and undocumented immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas testified at immigration reform hearings in DC today. It's difficult not to be moved by his words. 

Good news continues in Illinois where gay rights supporters are confident that the senate may approve same-sex marriage on Valentines Day. In response to the Westboro Baptist Church's decision to protest Vassar over supposed promotion of the "fag agenda", the school has promptly raised over $40,000. Nothing bands people together like hating the WBC. Also check out Rachel Maddow going to town on Republicans for their attempt to block benefits to gay military families. 

**

WINGNUTTERY

Despite an attempt to make fun of himself on Good Morning America, Marco Rubio's cotton mouth dilemma during his rebuttal to last night's State of the Union is likely not going away for a while. Ted Nugent was also not a fan of Obama's speech last night. And Anderson Cooper sat down today with Libby Phelps, who recently defected from the Westboro Baptist Church, and tried to get some insight on what it is like to grow up with so much hate. 

**

ENTERTAINMENT

Hugh Jackman is likely riding high off his recent Oscar nomination but apparently those gay rumors are more damaging than he has been letting on. Matt Damon has decided he is swearing off pooping. And remember the little twins from Desperate Housewives? Well they got super hot and super jacked. 

**

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Great news for Fire Island fans! The Pavilion nightclub is coming back to life!

Kenneth and Peter's Wedding Song is 'My Funny Valentine': VIDEO

Collective Cadenza, a group that "creates musical video experiments," visited a Senior Living center  in NYC to capture the stories of four couples and perform the songs to which they were married. Among the four couples they profile are Kenneth and Peter, married in 2010 and together for 57 years.

Kenneth and Peter's story begins at 2:20.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

NOM Pushes Dishonest Obama Graphic Claiming 'Same-Sex Marriage Makes Fathers Irrelevant'

The latest social media viral propaganda being pushed by NOM.

Jeremy Hooper writes:

Actually, in my same-sex marriage, fathers are hyper-relevant! In fact, the court that just certified Andrew and me as having a qualified adoptive home put a premium on our two-parent bond. They quite liked our loving, committed, safe, and comfortable home filled with two humans who have made a commitment to each other and to the care of new life. Imagine that.

When President Obama uttered those words, he was referring to the very specific problems of dads who played a role in creating a family only to abdicate responsibility. That is an issue—one that we should solve. Same goes for when mothers step out on families that they should support. In an ideal climate, we could all agree on this. In a less politicized world, we could hope that all human beings would take responsibility for whatever family form they, by virtue of their own choices, created.

But in the aggressive world that NOM is forcing on us all? Gays are the scapegoats.

Illinois Senate Poised for Historic Valentine's Day Vote on Marriage Equality; Supporters Confident

The Illinois Senate could vote on marriage equality as early as 11 am CT tomorrow morning, the Windy City Times reports:

"I am always very conservative but we are pretty confident that it is going to pass," said Rick Garcia, policy director of The Civil Rights Agenda.

The bill comfortably passed out of the Senate Executive committee last week. LGBT leaders say they are confident about its chances in the Senate tomorrow.

Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois, said that supporters need to continue push their Senators to support measure regardless. "The stronger we pass it in the Senate, the more momentum we have going into the House," Cherkasov said.

The house is expected to be the more difficult hurdle.

The live Illinois Senate audio/video feed can be found here.

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1306

RUPAUL: "Don't f**k it up".

BILL NYE: On the looming asteroid threat.

SESAME STREET: Joseph Gordon-Levitt just 'reinforced' our love for him.

VALENTINE'S DAY: Single guys have a temporary bromance.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: Cheyenne Jackson, Bisexuality, The Pope, Stephen Amell

Congrats to Hunk du Jour on its 10th anniversary!

Adele: I was complimenting Chris Brown, not telling him off.

Cheyenne Jackson joins Amazon pilot The Onion Presents: The News: "The project, from The Onion’s Will Graham & Dan Mirk, is described as a fast-paced scripted comedy set behind the scenes of The Onion News Network that shows just how far journalists will go to stay at the top of their game. Jackson will play Cameron, a rising younger anchor who threatens the rein of veteran anchor David Everett (Jeffrey Tambor)."

Scott Brown joins FOX News.

Tammy Baldwin to support Chuck Hagel.

Podcast: A gay Israeli and a gay Palestinian fall in love. "A year ago, two 29-year-olds met on an online dating site. One is from Jerusalem, the other from a West Bank village. Reporter Daniel Estrin brings us their story, courtesy of the radio production house Bending Borders."

Is FOX's The Following changing how we view bisexual relationships?

Argo hits $200 million at the box office.

Look who got picked up.

Chris Joseph wants LeBron James to fight against homophobia: "LeBron, you are, quite simply, the best basketball player in the Universe. And, after proving the naysayers and haters wrong last year by winning your first title and by refusing to unclench your thunder-god-like grip on the MVP award again this year, your standing up for the gay and lesbian community in sports -- particularly young athletes too scared to come out of the closet because of the antigay culture sports breeds -- would make tsunami waves across the stratosphere."

Why Marco Rubio could not vote for the Violence Against Women Act.

A growing number of colleges and universities are offering students health insurance plans with coverage for gender reassignment surgery: "No college or university offered such treatment just six years ago, but when Brown University said last week that its student health plan would be extended to cover sex-change surgery beginning in August, advocates for transgender students said Brown would become the 36th college to do so."

James Franco has no gag reflex. “Guess I’m a natural…It was my first time.”

Alan Cumming wants a gay pope. "If I was going to rebrand the Catholic Church, as much as I despise what it stands for, I would say get a black person — well, first I would say get a woman or a gay — but then I'd say get a black person or a Hispanic person."

U.S. State Department now giving out travel information for LGBT people.

Michelangelo Signorile says the next Pope won't be very huggable: "Whoever is chosen, however, you better believe the cardinals will make sure it's someone who is likable and doesn't carry Benedict's baggage while still enforcing Benedict's doctrine. In that way, the new pope will be more insidiously homophobic, and that is always more dangerous and anti-gay."

Gay workers find workplaces more welcoming: "In some ways, corporations have made more impressive strides in relation to LGBT equality and acceptance than have federal and state governments. Ninety-four percent of Fortune 100 companies have non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation, and 69 percent prevent discrimination against transgender employees, as well."