Mississippi School Superintendent Upholds Ban on Lesbian Tux Photo

Ceara Sturgis, the lesbian senior at Wesson Attendance Center in Mississippi whose yearbook photo was rejected by the school because she is wearing a tuxedo, plans to press ahead with her complaint against the school. The school's superintendent says he plans to uphold the ban:

"In a statement released Friday to the Copiah County Courier, school Superintendent Ricky Clopton said the district has no intention of reversing its decision.'We have had our legal counsel research the validity of the position of the School District on this matter,' he said in the statement. 'We are informed by counsel that this exact issue has been litigated in federal court. The decisions of the federal courts completely support the policy of the district in this regard. It is the desire of the Copiah County School District to inform, first, the patrons of the district, and second, all other interested parties, that its position is not arbitrary, capricious or unlawful, but is based upon sound educational policy and legal precedent.'"

Last week, the ACLU got involved, asking the school for a response before pursuing action against it.

A Ceara Sturgis fan group on Facebook has been set up and has nearly 600 members.

At Chicago Gay Bar, Drag Queens Need IDs of Themselves in Drag

Hunters Nightclub, in Elk Grove Village outside of Chicago, recently implemented a new entrance requirement because of cross-dressing prostitutes. However, the new rule (a valid photo ID that matches their "gender presentation") is presenting some issues for transgender people. The Chicago Tribune reports:

"Hunters Nightclub reluctantly imposed its new ID requirement because cross-dressing prostitutes were advertising on Craigslist and mentioning the establishment, said manager Peter Landorf. 'They're implying they're coming here,' said Landorf, whose new rule could cut down on his cross-dressing clientele. 'If it is prostitution in any form, that could cost me my liquor license.' Under the new admission rule, cross-dressers must have a government-issued photo ID that looks like the person presenting it at the bar. That, of course, is a serious hurdle for people like Andy, a 'part-time transgender woman' who lives in Goshen, Ind., but goes to Chicago to 'dress' as Jeanette. The ID requirement is unfair, he said.' Since I am not a full-time trans, it is not really feasible for me to have my 'femme' photo on my license,' he said. 'I do not even know if they would allow it. ... This is discrimination, pure and simple.' And, according to Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, it could be."

The club's owners say they are working on a solution.

News: Dwan Prince, Puerto Vallarta, Attack Dogs, Brian Boitano

Former Republican staffer Jason Wetherington, who boasted about sleeping with Florida governor Charlie Crist, charged with grand larceny, dealing in stolen property, and false verification of ownership after theft of engagement and wedding rings from pastor's daughter.

It would be very cool to witness the annual sardine migration in the Philippines.

Candy Bra: Loco Mama has a hit on her hands..

Dwan Prince, victim of brutal 2005 anti-gay assault in NYC, claims changed sexual orientation and writes letter to attacker in prison, taking blame for the attack.

Gay bashing case in Utah delayed after victims fail to show in court...

Brian Boitano does not want to be perceived as gay.

Marietta, Georgia columnist suggests setting attack dogs on men cruising in public parks: "With a little instruction, dogs could be taught to severely dislike the gay lovers in Burruss and Wildwood and bite them in the fanny and do what City Council should have done years ago - chase them off to Atlanta where they belong."

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg tweets.

Jennifer Hudson is a mother.

Teen claims gay panic in Puerto Vallarta murder: "According to published reports in the Mexican media, the body of the victim, Sergio Daniel Baltasar Guerra, was found  early Sunday morning, August 9, near the seahorse statue, on Los Muertos beach, just south of the gay Blue Chairs section of that beach.  The victim was between 25-30 years old and had been a manager at a local supermarket."

Brokeback Mountain shirts featured in Western pop culture exhibit at L.A. Autry museum.

News flash: gaydar tougher to use than you think.

Closet still familiar to many in the Philippines and Malta.

CIRCUS: Crazy claims she's the mother of all three of Michael Jackson's children, and that she and MJ are the biological parents of Tom Cruise's child, Connor Cruise.

Milo Ventimiglia is in a jam.

Despite resolution from the American Psychological Association, "ex-gay" therapy continues in El Paso, Texas.

Facial asymmetry in men linked to greater risk for dementia?

Portland Mayor Sam Adams recall campaign faces challenge: "With another 56 days to go, they’ll have to gather 786 signatures per day in order to meet their goal of 50,000. So far, they've been operating with an average of 176 signatures a day, according to our calculations. They now need to increase their rate of collection by a whopping 345 percent to meet the deadline."

Justin Timberlake to release his own scent.

ACLU reaches settlement with Yulee High School in Florida over Gay-Straight Alliance: "Earlier this year, the ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of a student who was denied a request to form the GSA at Yulee Middle School and Yulee High School the following year. As part of the agreement, the district must prohibit any discrimination against the club and the students and faculty members associated with it.The district must also allow the club to meet on campus and to use the name Gay-Straight Alliance.The district has also been ordered to pay $40,000 in court costs associated with the case."

Olson and Boies Ask Judge to Bar Gay Groups from Prop 8 Lawsuit

Attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies have petitioned U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker to block the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the City of San Francisco from standing with them at their federal trial challenging Proposition 8, the Washington Post reports:

"Boies and Olson argued that allowing San Francisco into the legal fight would needlessly delay the case's resolution. Boies and Olson also asked that three other gay-rights groups should be barred from joining the case on similar grounds. They also argued that the conservative Campaign for California Families be prevented from joining the case in opposition, saying the group also doesn't have standing in the case."

According to the SF Chronicle, lawyers for the right-wing Alliance Defense Fund who are opposing them, share their position on other groups getting involved, but disagreed on another topic: "Lawyers for the same-sex couples challenging Proposition 8 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco and for the Alliance Defense Fund, representing sponsors of the law, filed briefs Friday that differed on whether a trial is required to settle the dispute over the November ballot measure, which invalidated the state Supreme Court's May 2008 ruling that struck down a law defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman."

The WaPo: "On Friday, Boies and Olson argued that the case should proceed to trial before a judge without a jury before the end of the year. Lawyers with the Alliance Defense Fund argued in court papers Friday that the case could be decided rapidly without a trial."

LGBT Hate Crimes Bill Foes Add Death Penalty Measure to Derail Bill

Last night, the Senate adopted four amendments to the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (aka The Matthew Shepard Act or less formally, the federal hate crimes bill), which has been attached to a Department of Defense appropriations bill.

HRC Backstory reports:

"The Senate adopted three amendments by voice vote. One amendment, SA 1615, adds the death penalty to the provisions of the Matthew Shepard Act. HRC strongly opposed this unwelcome amendment and hopes to address it as the Act continues through the legislative process. The Amendment was offered by and supported by Senators who oppose the Matthew Shepard Act in an effort to derail the Act. Fortunately, a side-by-side- amendment offered by Senator Kennedy was also added to the bill. The Kennedy amendment provides for additional restrictions in the use of the death penalty under the Act.

"The third amendment requires the Attorney General to promulgate guidelines with “neutral and objective criteria for determining whether a crime was motivated by the status of the victim.”

"A final Sessions amendment, SA 1616, was adopted by a vote of 92 to 0. This amendment creates a new federal criminal offense for cases involving assaults or battery of a U.S. service member – or a member of the service member’s immediate family."

The Human Rights Campaign strongly opposes the amendments and says that once the Defense Department authorization bill is adopted it will go to a conference committee. HRC says they will strongly "urges the amendments to be removed."

In related news, the ACLU has said that the Senate version of the hate crimes bill could infringe on free speech rights: "In its July 17 statement, the ACLU says the Senate hate crimes measure, set to be an amendment to the fiscal year 2010 defense authorization bill, lacks "the strong protections for speech and association" found in the House version of the legislation that lawmakers in that chamber approved in June. The Senate approved a motion for cloture on the hate crimes amendment late Thursday night, 63-28."

UPDATE: The Senate has voted to strike funding for the F-22. Obama had said that if the F-22 funding was included in the DoD bill, he would veto it.

News: Gay Animals, Ed Westwick, Book Burning, Rhode Island

Christian group wants to burn gay book.

STUDY: Homosexual activity a nearly universal phenomenon in the animal kingdom.

Anderson Cooper shops for marijuana.

Activists plan "world's largest gay wedding ceremony" in Sydney, Australia.

A first look at Bruno.

ACLU gets involved in Fresno hospital discrimination case: "Civil rights groups are urging a hospital in central California to change its policies after employees briefly barred a lesbian from visiting her partner, who went into seizure at a gay marriage march. Kristin Orbin collapsed May 30 after walking 14 miles in the protest march. She was taken to Fresno's Community Regional Medical Center where she says an ambulance driver kept her partner from seeing her in the emergency room."

Janice Dickinson needed a hospital, get her out of there.

Social networking and Iran: a fascinating look at the hand Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have had in toppling state media control.

Destination Wedding: a Toronto synagogue grapples over same-sex marriage.

Former American Idol contestant Blake Lewis says he gets hit on by men and women, often at the same time: “Usually I get swingers. The guy will come up to me first usually, and ask if I’m gay.  When I say no, he’ll point to his girlfriend and say that she wants me to come home with both of them that night. I tell them my girl back home wouldn’t appreciate it, but thanks anyway.  It’s very flattering though!”

An interview with soap actor and brother of Chris Evans, Scott Evans.

Marriage equality tide rises around Rhode Island: "The slower pace in Rhode Island, where the state Senate voted last week to allow same-sex partners to make funeral arrangements, has frustrated some local activists, many of whom rallied outside the State House in Providence last weekend to call for immediate equality."

A fascinating chart on gay rights from Nate Silver.

Mariah: wet and obsessed.

Brian Graden to leave MTV Networks.

Maplewood, New Jersey takes lead in pushing legislature to legalize same-sex marriage: "In what is thought to be a first among New Jersey municipalities, the Maplewood Township Committee is expected to adopt a resolution Tuesday evening calling on state legislators to sanction same-sex marriage. Mayor Victor DeLuca said he hoped the resolution could serve as a catalyst for legislators' passage of a same-sex marriage bill before the year's end."

Ed Westwick shows off fall fashion for GQ.

Melbourne Sun: Are you in favor of same-sex marriage in Australia?

It's Britney, bitch.

Council of Fashion Designers of America rewards L.A. at annual awards. Bradley Cooper among guests...

Taxes on property reassessment sting domestic partners who have lost their loved one.

New Opera browser turns your computer into a server: "The concept is somewhere between a personal web server and a file sharing application, technologically and conceptually. The interface is straightforward, divided into panels for each service that you choose to "host." All of them behave in the same stupid-simple way: you start a service, whether it be photo sharing, music streaming, web hosting, or straight file sharing, select a shared directory, set your privacy preferences and go." More from TechCrunch.