Russian President Vladimir Putin Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Citing his proposal to dismantle Syria's chemical weapons arsenal, a group has nominated Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Nobel Peace Prize, the NYT reports:

Members of the group, called the International Academy of Spiritual Unity and Cooperation of Peoples of the World, said at a news conference here on Tuesday that Mr. Putin was far more deserving of the peace prize than Mr. Obama, who received it in 2009 but has continued to lead American military operations — including drone strikes that have killed civilians and American citizens abroad.

By contrast, they portrayed Mr. Putin, who has steadfastly opposed military intervention throughout the two-and-a-half year-old civil war in Syria, as a man who favors diplomatic solutions.

The recipient will be announced on October 11.

Towleroad Interview: Ross Mathews Dishes On Red Carpets and Dream Guests

This is the second installment in a two-part interview with TV personality Ross Mathews. Click HERE for yesterday's first installment, in which Mathews discusses his new role as a spokesman for HIV testing.

If there's one thing Ross Mathews loves, it's pop culture. His sincere appreciation of all things pop and all-around nice guy attitude have won him a loyal fanbase of fellow entertainment enthusiasts (and recently earned him additional episodes onto his hit show's inaugural season). We caught up with Mathews last week to discuss award show red carpets, his pop culture obsessions and what life has been like since he's gone from talk show intern to talk show host.

Towleroad: What has it been like for you to have your own show?

Ross Mathews: It's a dream come true. I've wanted a talk show since I was eight years old, and now to be able to do it, and do it the right way and the way I wanted to is so rewarding. Especially because it's resonating with the audience, and the fans are getting it, and the format is clicking. People are understanding that this show really is a show for super fans in pop culture to unite. Everyone's welcome at this party. There are so many shows that turn down pop culture and talk about how stupid it is, but Hello Ross is all about 'I love it, you love it, let's talk it out.'

See the rest of the interview in which he talks about his dream guests and the recent TV finale that left him disappointed, AFTER THE JUMP...

TR: What have you found particularly challenging about working on the show?
 

RM: It's a shift from going from like a freelancer who travels, and there were times I would have four days off ... To have a normal job with weekends off, I don't understand how people get haircuts. When am I supposed to do that? It's all new to me. I'm eight weeks now into having a normal, real-person job. Then what happens is I work on the weekends, I do the red carpets or I travel and do a college speaking engagement or something like that. I can't figure out when I'm supposed to get some stuff done. I'm sure it will work out.

 

TR: Who are some of your dream guests for the show, living or dead?

Well, tonight we have Gloria Estefan, next week we have Kris Jenner and then the week after that, we have Gwyneth Paltrow. So dream guests, we're getting them, we're achieving it. I'd love to have Lady Gaga on, because I'd love to provide that to her fans. Her fans are really loyal, and to give that kind of access to her fans would be great. Plus, I don't know who she is, so I'd like to try and crack that nut. I'd love to have Oprah in. Dead or alive? I'd love to have had Marilyn Monroe in, just because I think she is the most iconic Hollywood figure I can think of. 

What would you have liked to ask her?

I would ask her if all the fame scared her. I'd ask her who she really is and if anyone really knows her.

You're a pretty busy guy, what else are you working on?

I have the book, Man Up!, which is a best seller, I'm still out selling that book and talking about that book. We have the show, Hello Ross, every Friday at 10 p.m./9 p.m. Central after Fashion Police. I'm doing Chelsea Lately, and then getting to work to really spread the message about knowing your status with OraQuick. There is so much going on right now, but I'm loving every second of it.

What's the hardest thing about working the red carpet?

There is nowhere to go potty. For the last hour I usually have to go so bad, like number one, so bad. 

What's your favorite part about the red carpets?

The best part is just being there. I spent so many years in a small farm town watching, wishing, dreaming, hoping I could see it one day for myself. Now I've been covering them for 12 years, and it never gets old, just being there. For me, it's like living history.

What's been your favorite red carpet memory?

My favorite red carpet memory would be asking Gwyneth to be my best friend, and then she said yes and now we are.

What are your current pop-culture obsessions?

I am upset with Dexter, because the finale was so horrible. I am so obsessed and in deep with Breaking Bad, I can't even tell you. I watched it on my iPad and caught up, and now I'm like in it. I'm still obsessed all the time with HGTV and House Hunters, and I watch a lot of Food Network -- even though that makes me sound like a senior citizen, but I don't care. Of course, I'm obsessed with Miley Cyrus and her trajectory right now. I'm really in deep with Housewives. I'm invested in Lindsay Lohan's sobriety. I should probably get a life.

Letter from Grandfather Standing Up for His Gay Grandson Goes Viral: READ IT

A letter that a grandfather wrote to his daughter after she kicked out her son for being gay is taking social media by storm. There are few further details as to the authenticity of the letter — the group FCKH8.com says it was "sent in by a supporter" — than the letter itself, but folks online are rallying behind the sentiment.

Dear Christine:

I’m disappointed in you as a daughter. You’re correct that we have a “shame in the family”, but mistaken about what it is.

Kicking Chad out of your home simply because he told you he was gay is the real “abomination” here. A parent disowning her child is what goes “against nature”.

The only intelligent thing I heard you saying in all this was that “you didn’t raise your son to be gay”. Of course you didn’t. He was born this way and didn’t chase it any more than he being left-handed. You however, have made a choice of being hurtful, narrow-minded and backward. So, while we are in the business of disowning our children, I think I’ll take this moment to say goodbye to you. I now have a fabulous (as the gays put it) grandson to raise, and I don’t have time for heart-less B-word of a daughter.

If you find your heart, give us a call

- Dad

Writes FCKH8: "We were blown away by how this guy stands by his grandson and stands up against his own homophobic daughter. This is real l♥ve!"

Chris Brown Tweets Support for Gay Rights

Singer Chris Brown tweeted his support for gay rights on Monday, along with a link to an AllOut petition to help gays under attack in the African nation of Cameroon.

Wrote Brown: "Love is not a crime. Gay or straight. Love who u wanna love. Stop the hate & sign here http://bit.ly/19BPAbF   #Unity"

Brown has been under fire in the past for using anti-gay slurs. In June, however, he announced a single in support of a UNITY campaign encouraging "all races, genders, sexes, (everyone) gay or straight  to love each other!"

Larry King Asks Gina Gershon Why She's a 'Gay Icon', Playing Donatella Versace: VIDEO

Larry King spoke with Gina Gershon on his Ora TV program  about her gay fan base and how she channeled Donatella Versace for this weekend's House of Versace Lifetime movie.

"I think gays like me because of Showgirls and because of Bound, those two movies...I dunno, spoke to them and they liked me from there.  And I think gays--when you have them as a fan base, they are loyal, extremely loyal -- I think after that, they were there."

She says she had a different of Showgirls going in than going out:

"Umm...you know, when I went into Showgirls, I was really obsessed with all his Dutch films, you know, Verhoeven's  Dutch films, so I thought it would be really dark and intense...you know, and then I got onto the set and I was like, Oh, wow, this is a different--it was like the Wizard of Oz, going from the black and white to the technicolor. I just thought it was funny, but then I realized I don't think everyone was thinking it was funny.  I just thought, 'Oh, the drag queens will love me after this show.'"

On playing Donatella:

"You know, I listened to everything. I went to sleep listening to her. I listened to her before. But you know, this is the Lifetime version of the movie, and I think sometimes on TV, you know, I guess they like you to be understood. If it were up to me, I wish we could have subtitles, cause sometimes she talks and everything is kind of mushing into everything else."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

See the House of Versace preview HERE.

Why do gays like you?

On playing Donatella Versace:

On a possible sequel to "Bound":

'Ex-Gays' Hold Pitifully Attended 'Lobby Day' in D.C., Debut Awful New Theme Song: VIDEO

Right Wing Watch reports on another disastrous showing for Greg Quinlan and his "ex-gay group PFOX at a Washington lobby day. Despite the group's claims of 'thousands of Ex-Gays' that were ready to march on D.C., only 15 showed up:

Despite claims that “there are more ex-gay people in the world than there are gay people in the world” and that there are “thousands of ex-gays” ready to march on Washington and make their voices heard, ex-gay gatherings always seem to assemble just a small handful of people. And it’s always the exact same people.

Ex-Gay Awareness Month, which immediately followed the disastrous Ex-Gay Pride Month lobby day, managed to muster “about 15 ex-gay activists to lobby Capitol Hill” yesterday.

The pathetically unsuccessful lobby day was followed by an equally feeble First Annual Ex-Gay Awareness Dinner and Reception for 60 people, that attracted such "Christian" haters of Mathew Staver of the Liberty Counsel, and Bishop Harry Jackson, the Christian Post reports.

At the event they even debuted the winner of their "ex-gay theme song contest", a ditty called "Rise Up" by Dennis Jernigan.

Watch Jernigan's official video for the song, AFTER THE JUMP...