News: Rick Perry, TERF Week, Porpoises, Newspapers, John Travolta

 Taylor Swift and best friend Karlie Kloss move in together.  

 Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) blasts Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's defense of his state's ban on same-sex marriage: "At virtually every level of the federal court system, there's been a recognition of full marriage equality," said Kildee, D-Flint Township. "This governor stands in the shoes of governors who have stood in the doorway of a schoolhouse and denied minority children access."

 Three pinheads in a pod: Texas Gov. Rick Perry is swept off his feet by anti-gay Benham brothers. 

 Miley Cyrus has adopted a pet pig and named it Bubba Sue. 

 Today marks the beginning of #TERFweek - a week of education, awareness and diologue about the Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist movement.  

 A look at the evolution of Canada's military policy on homosexuality through the eyes of one gay service member. "The story is that in the space of a generation, Commodore Luc Cassivi’s homosexuality has gone from being grounds for expulsion from the Canadian Armed Forces to being totally irrelevant, grounds for nothing more than a shrug. That’s a good thing."

 Mexico's vaquita porpoise is on the brink of extinction. 

 Texas Lt. Gov candidate Leticia Van de Putte gets big endorsement from HRC. 

 Hacktivist network Anonymous vows to take action over the shooting death of Missouri teen Michael Brown on Saturday.

 Teens are flipping out after discovering the Teen Choice Awards are rigged.

 Orange is the New Black star Lea DeLaria (Big Boo) has been named Grand Marshal for this year's Manchester Pride. 

 Male model Monday: Frank Cammarata

 Comcast employee admits the company will only issue refunds if customers record their calls. 

 Republican voters in Anne Arundel County, Maryland have chosen anti-science, anti-gay secessionist Michael Peroutka to represent their party in a race for a county council seat.

 The New York Times looks at the increasingly uncertain future of print media. "Most [newspapers] are being cut loose after all the low-hanging fruit, like valuable digital properties, have been plucked. Many newspapers have sold their real estate, where much of their remaining value was stored. More ominous, most of the print and magazine assets have already been cut to the bone in terms of staffing. Reducing costs has been the only reliable source of profits as overall revenue has declined. Not much is left to trim." 

 Former UK boxing legend Frank Maloney reveals he is undergoing gender reassignment and is now living as Kellie.  

 John Travolta shows up to Scientology 45th Anniversary gala with wife Kelly Preston.

'Fault in Our Stars' Cutie Ansel Elgort Goes Wet and Shirtless For Charity: VIDEO

Ansel Elgort of The Fault in Our Stars strips to his skivvies and gets dunked with ice water in the latest round of Chillin 4 Charity. Much like with Rachel Maddow, Elgort was challenged by someone he knew - in this case, DJ Pierce Fulton - to upend a bucket of ice water over his head and donate $50 to charity. Elgort took to it without hesitation and, per the rules of the challenge, passed the charity dare on to The Fault in Our Stars author John Green, film co-star Nat Wolff, and Teen Wolf star Dylan O'Brien.

While some have levied criticsm at the challenge for the pocket change that celebrities are contributing, it originated with University of Arizona head coach Niya Butts and was originally spread amongst college basketball players and coaches, a demographic for whom $50 (or $250 for those that refuse the challenge) is a more substantial sum. By keeping their own donations that low, celebrities are arguably keeping the trend going and accessible to the general public rather than hijacking it as a ego-booster for the well-to-do.

But that's a discussion for another post. This post is about seeing Ansel Elgort shirtless and dripping wet, which you can do AFTER THE JUMP...

Josh Hutcherson Launches New Campaign to Help Rural and Low-Income LGBT Youth

Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson, in partnership with Straight But Not Narrow, The Trevor Project, and human I-T, has launched Power On - a new campaign to provide low-income and rural LGBT youth with refurbished digital devices. 

OUT reports:

From now through October 16’s Spirit Day, the organizations will be working together to encourage teens to donate their old and unused laptops, tablets, and smartphones to be, through the campaign, refurbished and distributed to LGBTQ resource centers across the United States.

According to GLSEN’s “Out Online” study, more than half of LGBTQ youth who were not out in person had used the internet to connect with other queer people and like minded individuals. “...For young LGBTQ people, it may not be easy to find others like them nearby,” said Abbe Land, executive director and CEO of The Trevor Project. 

Said Hutcherson, who donated one of his own computers to the campaign:

“It's awesome to know that it'll be used to help a young person out there who, before this campaign, wasn't able to get access to information and resources that could really help them,"

To help with the campaign, click HERE. 

A Too-Cute Compilation Video of Dogs Sneezing: WATCH

Gesundheit!

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

 

Speed-Skater Blake Skjellerup Reveals Engagement to Boyfriend Saul Carrasco

Speed skater Blake Skjellerup took some time out of his busy schedule at the Gay Games in Cleveland to show off his new fiancé - stylist Saul Carrasco.

Wrote Skjellerup:   

Sunset over #Cleveland with my fiancé. ❤️ @trendstyled 👬+💍=😃 http://t.co/Uaxx2UXQjg

— Blake Skjellerup (@BlakeSkjellerup) August 11, 2014

The Plain Dealer adds that the duo have have tentative plans to marry next year in Hawaii.

Skjellerup, who was a torch bearer at the Gay Games Opening Ceremony on Sunday, will be competing in the 23 mile cycling circuit road course tomorrow. 

Congrats boys and best of luck to Skjellerup in tomorrow's race!

[photo via Instagram]

Hundreds of Nepalese LGBT March in Capital for Gay Pride

On Monday, hundreds of LGBT Nepalese marched through the streets of Kathmandu to celebrate the country's continuing progress on gay rights and to participate in Gaijatra - a colorful Hindu festival. 

The AP reports:

In this socially conservative Hindu-majority nation, the festival was traditionally the only day people felt free to cross-dress. But social norms are changing fast as this fledgling Himalayan democracy emerges from centuries of religious monarchy.

A government committee is recommending same-sex marriage be guaranteed in a new constitution — an unprecedented move that would give gay and lesbian couples the right to adopt, buy joint property, open joint bank accounts and inherit from one another. All of the country's political parties have already backed the idea, and many within the small gay community hope the new constitution can be passed this year. [...]

"We have come a long way, but it is time we finally legalize same-sex marriage," said Monica Jha, who heads the Blue Diamond Society credited with organizing rallies and lobbying political parties for the change. The group's founder became Nepal's first openly gay legislator, while the group has also opened a travel agency for gay tourists advertising wedding and honeymoon packages on Mount Everest, the world's tallest peak.

In 2007, Nepal became the first South Asian nation to decriminalize homosexuality. Recently, however, Justice Minister Narahari Acharya announced he would seek to enact new anti-gay laws re-criminalizing homosexuality. 

[photo via Instagram]