Towleroad Talking Points: Promising Signs in Pennsylvania

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Robbie Rogers struts his stuff for OUT Magazine's sports issue. 

BY SAM GREISMAN

A look back at today's top stories

WINGNUTTERY

Right-wing nutjob and anti-everyone activist Pat Robertson wants the public to know that he isn't anti-gay, it's just that gays are sick and wrong. In his latest entry in a series looking at life after the Supreme Court rulings, Ari Waldman takes a look at Justice Scalia's withering dissent of the DOMA case. A transgender nursing student in Florida has been threatened with expulsion because she dared to use the women's restroom and apparently Justin Bieber and President Clinton are all cool now. 

**

GAY NEWS

Things are looking very promising in Pennsylvania where after the Attorney General announced that she will not defend the state's anti-gay marriage law a judge with a rather liberal track record was named to the case. 

**

ENTERTAINMENT

After Andrew Garfield wondered why Spider-man can't explore his gay tendencies, the real gay Spiderman has been discovered! Openly gay singer-songwriter Eli Lieb takes a look back at his own history with puppy love. A gay aerial duet on last night's America's Got Talent inspired a very gay moment between Howard Stern and Howie Mandell. And for those of you still watching Two and a Half Men, apparently Charlie has a lesbian daughter that will be making an appearance. 

**

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Huffington Post's comedy section provides us with the joy that is boys twerking to classical music. 

The Joyous Day Marriage Equality Returned to California: VIDEO

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) released a video today that may have you reaching for the Kleenex by the end, capturing the joy of the Prop 8 Supreme Court victory and the first weddings in California.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Newcomer Robert Kazinsky Talks Steamy Gay 'True Blood' Shaving Scene: VIDEO

British hunk Robert Kazinsky made quite the debut since his first "True Blood" episode, filming a hot and heavy man-on-man shaving scene with Ryan Kwanten this week and a passionate makeout sesh with Anna Paquin--as her husband and costar Stephen Moyer watched.

Toofab caught up with the actor at the premiere for Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim"--Kazinsky plays one of the pilots of the film's giant robots--to ask about the filming the intimate scenes.  Not surprisingly, it turns out it's much less sexy filming such material than it is watching it.

"That was one of the hardest things I've ever shot in my life," Kazinsky told toofab, "solely because we couldn't keep a straight face. Not for one second."  We're sure you couldn't, Rob.

Check out toofab's video interview with Kazinsky, plus the "True Blood" scene in question, AFTER THE JUMP...

Chinese Vice-Premier's Gay Marriage Joke Gets Crickets at Meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary

Telling a joke can be a perilous venture even among close friends in a casual environment, so perhaps one of the toughest settings to attempt topical humor would be in an international political setting. Chinese vice-premier, Wang Yang, tried his hand anyways with a gay marriage joke during a high-level meeting in Washington with US Treasury secretary, Jack Lew. It went about as well as one would expect.

According to The Guardian, Wang said about the China-US relationship:

"In China when we say a pair of new people, we mean a newlywed couple. Although US law does permit marriage between two men, I don't think this is what Jacob or I actually want."

Uncomfortable silence and polite smiles ensued. A follow-up joke about divorce and Rupert Murdoch was more warmly received. 

Fortunately, the joke did not seem to have any malicious or homophobic intent, but instead was an attempt at topical humor, conflating the recent Supreme Court decisions regarding DOMA and Prop 8 with a Chinese turn of phrase. However, humor is a difficult art form to master that relies on clever exploitation of nuance, shared knowledge and norms, and expectations. Before his next show Wang should probably take lessons from the writers at Cracked.

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1402

STARDUST: "... a story about Voyager 1, the unmanned spacecraft launched in 1977 to explore the outer solar system. The film's story centers on the idea that in the grand scheme of the universe, nothing is ever wasted and it finds comfort in us all essentially being Stardust ourselves."

KRISTIN BECK: The trans former Navy Seal was in DC in late June lobbying for ENDA.

IMPALA GETAWAY: Two Cheetahs lose their prey in Kruger National Park as the impala leaps into a sitting vehicle.

BRITNEY SPEARS: The new Smurfs video, featuring her sons.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

Creator Of 'The Outs' Has New Series, Seeks Funding On Kickstarter: VIDEO

Adam Goldman, creator of the popular web-series, The Outs, has a new project in the works and is seeking funding on Kickstarter. Whatever This Is follows the lives of two production assistants in New York, Sam (Hunter Canning) and Ari (Dylan Marron), along with Lisa (Madeline Wise), Sam's girlfriend:

"Whatever This Is asks a tough question: how long are you expected to do work that you hate, for pennies, until it becomes something that you love that pays the rent? Is it even possible?"

As Dylan Marron puts it,

"It's a show for anyone who is in that time in your life when there isn't an orientation, and there isn’t a guidebook and you’re writing the guidebook."

You can contribute to the kickstarter page here and follow the project on Facebook.

Be sure to check out a video of Goldman's pitch (complete with Towleroad shout-out!) AFTER THE JUMP...