News: DC Madam, HRC, Naomi Campbell, Sally Kern, Singapore

D.C. Madam commits suicide in Florida...Whitney Houston's daughter attempts...

HRC's VP of Programs, David Smith, talked to Michelangelo Signorile about why the Human Rights Campaign is not endorsing anyone in the Oregon Senate race, why they support Susan Collins, the Maine Republican who backed various antigay judges and Supreme Court justices, and why they're not endorsing Jim Neal of North Carolina. Audio here.

Batter Up: Who is Naomi Campbell gonna lay into next?

Scientists report success in blocking HIV infection in lab by inactivating protein expressed in key immune cells.

Misconception that AIDS is a gay disease fueling infection rate in Singapore.

Read John McCain's 2003 speech he delivered on the Senate floor on the occasion of "Mission Accomplished": "Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom demonstrated to the world what we saw just 12 years ago. We went to war as the most combat-ready force in the world. The value of that readiness is clear. We won a massive victory in a few weeks, and we did so with very limited loss of American and allied lives. We were able to end aggression with minimum overall loss of life, and we were even able to greatly reduce the civilian casualties of Afghani and Iraqi citizens."

AfterElton is casting about for the world's 100 hottest men.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore slams Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell over attitude toward gays: “Christ was a radical. He despised the Establishment and the Pharisees. He threw the money-changers out of the temple. I liken certain church officials today to the Pharisees that Christ took exception to."

Focus on the Family's new logo interpreted.

Vanderbilt University makes strides in reaching out to LGBT students: "There will be 'five immediate key action steps,' Dean of Students Mark Bandas wrote in a press release: opening an Office for GLBT Life; hiring a director of GLBT life; working with various campus groups, especially admissions offices and The Commons, to 'ensure that members of the GLBT community understand that they are welcomed and valued members of our community'; moving to amend the non-discrimination policy to include gender identity and expression; and continuing to investigate additional recommendations made by the GLBTQI Student Issues Committee."

Reichen recants rant: "Sorry everyone for being childish. We all experience pain, but venting on MySpace isn't right. I'm sorry and I regret it. I was emotional and I don't feel any of the things I've said. And whoever I've dated that it could have been directed toward is and was never the way I may have described. I was venting on life and frustration and I apologize for offending anyone or for making myself look childish."

Carrie Underwood gets liquored up in Vegas for new video...

Jason Lewis doesn't understand the haters: "In the world we're living in, gay people are still horribly discriminated against. Why does anybody need to be so affected by someone else's happiness? Some of these people show up 20 years in a row at the county clerk's office [to get married] knowing they're going to be turned down. That's dedication and love...These are decent people."

Sally Kern's rival in the upcoming election amassing a major war chest.

Sphere: Related Content

News: Heath Ledger, North Carolina, Op, Michael Cunningham

Michelle Williams says she's been visited by the ghost of Heath Ledger: "The first time, she was woken at night after hearing furniture move. In another 'visitation', she said he apologised to her for not being there to help raise their two-year-old daughter, Matilda. Williams claimed the hauntings helped her grieve."

Remember 'Op' surfwear? It's making a comeback.

Who is Gossip Girl's gay character going to get caught making out with? (SPOILER WARNING)

Pinkberry comes clean on ingredients.

Paper: Mood of 'deep pessimism' pervades AIDS vaccine scientists.

North Carolina adds new rule to Patents' bill of rights ensuring that same-sex partners will get visitation rights: "The rule adds a provision to the Patients’ Bill of Rights, stating: “A patient has the right to designate visitors who shall receive the same visitation privileges as the patient’s immediate family members, regardless of whether the visitors are legally related to the patient.” The right applies to hospitals statewide. 'We know how important it is that patients have their loved ones by their sides, but all too often same-sex partners have been turned away when their partner is hospitalized.' said Ian Palmquist, Executive Director of Equality NC Foundation. 'The new policy will ensure that the patient’s wishes are respected. This is a victory not just for same-sex couples, but for unmarried opposite-sex couples, caregivers, and other loved ones whom the state does not legally recognize.'" Medical decisions are not covered under the new rule.

HUNG: HBO developing series about a guy with a big dick?

Town administrator of Easton, Massachusetts, outside Boston, to marry: "Tomorrow, Easton Town Administrator David Colton will marry his longtime partner, Brian Khoo, an interior designer from Malaysia. It will be a black-tie event. The five Easton selectmen will attend. So will state Senator Brian A. Joyce, a legislative supporter of gay marriage who will deliver a speech on the subject. In a perfect world, Colton said, there would be no need for such a speech at his wedding. And becoming the first gay town administrator in the state to get married would not deserve particular note. But, for now, Colton said, he sees his marriage as a validation of a fight for equality - of his work to become a successful town administrator, regardless of his sexual orientation."

Cristian de la Fuente: stogie daddy.

Check out the trailer for Will Smith's summer superhero movie Hancock.

Game show looking for real-life Will & Grace.

New York theater figure Joe Cino honored with plaque to be mounted on site of historic cafe: "Fifty years ago Joe Cino rented a storefront in New York City’s Greenwich Village in order to open a coffee house, which eventually morphed into what is now regarded as the birthplace of the Off Off Broadway movement and the American Gay Theatre Movement."

Michael Cunningham's The Hours to become an opera?

Variety previews the GLAAD media awards in L.A.: "On occasion, the specifics resonate far beyond the same-sex world and into the mainstream, as when Ang Lee's 'Brokeback Mountain' dominated conversations two years ago or Ellen DeGeneres came out on her eponymous TV show a decade earlier. But not every year can be a banner one, and the work of 2007 being celebrated at this year's ceremonies seems to honor steady progress more than milestone moments."

Sphere: Related Content

Anti-Gay Vatican Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo Dies at 72

Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, who voiced the Vatican's opposition to same-sex marriage, abortion, contraception, and gay adoption, and spread false information about HIV prevention, died of cardiac arrest in Rome over the weekend.

The NYT: "Cardinal Trujillo, a Colombian, served as president of the Pontifical Council for the Family. He often expressed views on sexual issues that stirred contention, most notably in 2003 when he said that condoms did not prevent the spread of AIDS because the virus that causes it, H.I.V., can 'easily pass through.' The World Health Organization quickly responded that condoms were 90 percent effective against transmission and that when they failed, it was usually because of improper use...In 2004, Cardinal Trujillo characterized a proposal in Spain to allow gay marriage as a 'sad step,' and when it was enacted the next year he urged civil officials to refuse to perform such marriages, even at the cost of their jobs."

In 2005, Trujillo said that adoption by gays was a "morally violent" act and destroys the future of children: "People say these children adopted by same sex couples are very happy. Maybe, when they are one or two years old. But when they are able to think for themselves, when they grow up, what a tragedy when they have to say 'my parents are two men, or two women'. Their personality, their stability is put at risk."

Trujillo was 72.

Sphere: Related Content

News: Tori Spelling, Paw Paw, NYC Nightlife, ACT UP, Jason Mraz

New York may soon no longer be the city that never sleeps.

Jason Mraz on his new album and why he surrounds himself with gay people: "To me it’s not an issue of gay or straight; it’s just a coincidence that the people I hang out with happened to be … gay folk. And I, as a writer, have always written from a feminine side. I take yoga, and I practice my spirituality, to balance my heaven and earth, to balance my masculine and my feminine, you know? And I think what I find hanging out in the gay community, there’s more of a balance in the masculine and feminine qualities in the lifestyle than in a typical straight relationship or just in a straight person."

Tori Spelling anoints herself a gay icon: "I'm a huge fan of gays. They love me; I love them. They consider me kind of a gay icon, which they've labeled me as."

Justice Department confirms inquiry into whether U.S. Attorney Leslie Hagen was fired because she is a lesbian: "Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Hagen was informed in 2006 that her contract working on Indian affairs in the Justice Department's Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys would not be renewed for a second year — despite receiving the highest possible performance reviews. When NPR first reported Hagen's case earlier this month, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) asked the Inspector General's Office and the Office of Professional Responsibility to confirm that they were looking into Hagen's case."

Jake Gyllenhaal stands underneath an umbrella - ella - ella.

Leslie Jordan, who stars in the upcoming Sordid Lives, headlined a fundraiser on Monday night for NYC's Harvey Milk High School scholarship fund.

Harvey Milk City Hall Memorial Committee seeks donors to help fund cost of unveiling event on May 22, what would have been Milk's 78th birthday. More on the Memorial here.

In other Milk news, what is recognized as the first public tribute to Harvey Milk after his death, a mural painted on the side of the Duboce Park recreation center named in his honor, will soon be painted over. The city plans to paint a different work (also honoring Milk) on the rec center's east-facing wall, and place another memorial inside the building's lobby.

A FIRST LOOK at Project Runway winner Christian Siriano's appearance on Ugly Betty.

Next week, Law & Order: SVU will feature pro football player who is outed when his lover is murdered. This Bailey Chase, the player.

Animated Disney hunks become underwear models

Martha Stewart remembers her Chow, Paw Paw, who died last Saturday.

"Fearless" exhibit of openly gay athletes opens at San Ramon Valley High School in San Francisco's Bay Area.

Robert Downey Jr. sucks a mean thumb.

Jay Blotcher recalls the lessons he learned on the front lines of ACT UP. He'll be appearing tomorrow at NYU with other ACT UP alums at NYU's Cantor Film Center: "This wasn’t some haphazard group—our media committee had members that were publicists at major firms. Michelangelo Signorile, my predecessor as media coordinator, applied showbiz-PR tactics to ACT UP and got us a lot of attention."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Mad Drag Queen, Thailand, Christian Siriano, Asteroids

San Francisco financial services firm reconsidering move to Oklahoma City because of Sally Kern's anti-gay remarks.

Drag queen who looks like Amelia Earhart targets Intimate Ideas, a lingerie store that refused to hire him — with his car!

Thailand's government ignoring surge in HIV rates among MSM: "Thai gays have essentially been left to sink or swim; and they're sinking."

Britney Spears now taking driving lessons from her kids.

Reduce your risk of prostate cancer: rub one out regularly.

Christian Siriano rips The Hills' Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port: "It’s really sad that if I didn’t win Project Runway, I probably wouldn’t have the sponsors I have now. I would have never been able to do what they have done because they all have disposable income, and yet their work still isn’t that great! I mean, it’s fun and flirty and young, but they’re not innovators. None of them will ever be an innovative designer. Buyers and editors are looking for longevity, and hopefully they will see that in me.”

AP: Same-sex couples in U.S. having trouble getting divorced. Rhode Island's Cassandra Ormison: "We all know people who have gone through divorces. At the end of that long and unhappy period, they have been able to breathe a sigh of relief. I do not see that on my horizon, that sigh of relief that it's over."

HGTV hosts in Canada Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan get married. Ryan: "After a year of living in Toronto, filming Home Heist, it became clear to us that it was time to tie the knot. Canada is such a progressive nation, so welcoming and open-mindedly liberal about gay marriage, that we felt thoroughly inspired."

One of the first Scottish couples to join in a civil partnership has been driven apart because of homophobic attacks: "Every time we went out young thugs would abuse us because of our sexuality and once we were set upon and attacked by three neds. It got worse after I moved to another house, in Irvine. For two months I was calling the police out about three times a night. Gangs of up to 15 youths were outside shouting abuse, throwing bricks and trying to break my door down."

Bravo's Step it Up and Dance has a contestant with a gay porn past (warning: NSFW)

First seniors home for gays and lesbians in Canada is proposed in Vancouver: "So far, the project is nothing more than a proposal, but already more than 30 people have plunked down a $1,000 deposit since it was first advertised two weeks ago, according to the U.S. developer. The plan is for a condo development featuring living units, a communal dining room, a fitness centre, a lounge and cabaret."

13-year-old German schoolboy corrects NASA on path of errant asteroid: "Nico Marquardt used telescopic findings from the Institute of Astrophysics in Potsdam (AIP) to calculate that there was a 1 in 450 chance that the Apophis asteroid will collide with Earth, the Potsdamer Neuerster Nachrichten reported. NASA had previously estimated the chances at only 1 in 45,000 but told its sister organisation, the European Space Agency (ESA), that the young whizzkid had got it right." (UPDATE: Hoax!)

American Idol's Michael Johns prefers to be an alert drunk.

Last week I posted about gay rights activist John Corvino, who had his appearance canceled by Michigan's Aquinas College, because he's gay. Students found a new, larger venue for him to speak at, which was donated for free.

South Africans reach out to gays in Zimbabwe: "The South African Lesbian and Gay Equality Project (LGEP), formerly known as the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality (NCGLE), is concerned about the deepening political, economic and social crises in Zimbabwe. We express our full solidarity with the lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, women, workers and all the people of Zimbabwe. We add our voice in condemning the unjustified delay in the release of the 29 March elections. As Zimbabwean Independence Day approaches on 18 April 2008, Zimbabweans have nothing to celebrate in honour of their heroic liberation struggle and historic achievement of freedom and democracy."

Sphere: Related Content

Test Shot

This is apparently a working camera created by artist Wayne Martin Belger. It's called 'Untouchable HIV Camera'.

Jockohomo writes: "The unit which looks like a cross between a prehistoric pacemaker, diesel engine and camera was designed to study and photograph a geographic comparison of people suffering from HIV. Made from Aluminium, Copper, Titanium, Acrylic and HIV positive blood. The blood pumps through the working camera to settle into a pinhole thus creating a #25 red filter."

Sphere: Related Content

Online Web Soap In the Moment Posts Second Episode

The second episode of In the Moment, the gay online soap opera produced by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center in an effort to generate discussion about AIDS prevention and other sex-related health issues, debuted online today. They've also enhanced their site to make it more interactive.

Director and co-creator, Dave O’Brien explains the premise behind the online advocacy series: "Young people live their lives online. We’re trying to influence the YouTube generation, so it just makes sense for us to reach them this way. And with the premier of the second episode, we’ve expanded the opportunities for visitors to the site to interact with each other. Now they can create their own profile, interact with other users directly, start new discussion threads, and post video comments. The beauty of this campaign is that it reaches anyone with a computer, anywhere, enabling people to engage anonymously if they prefer."

The first episode, which has been viewed over 30,000 times, dealt with drinking, online sex addiction, and unprotected sex. The second episode expands on those storylines with questions about honesty in relationships where the partners have had unprotected sex with others.

Said Alton Carswell, program manager for the Center’s WeHoLife.org HIV prevention program: "We’re portraying these provocative situations to stimulate dialogue and because they’re real world issues some young gay men face. By getting people to think about and discuss these issues in advance, we hope they’ll make better decisions should they face a similar situation. Obviously we aren’t suggesting all these issues are common to gay men in general."

Watch the new episode, AFTER THE JUMP...

Find more videos like this on In The Moment

Comment on the episode, and visit the site here.

Previously
AIDS Prevention Web Soap and Forum Launched for Gay Men in L.A. [tr]

Sphere: Related Content

Egypt Sentences Five Men to 3-Year Prison Terms for Being Gay

Because they're gay. Disgusting:

"An Egyptian judicial official says four HIV-positive men have been convicted of being homosexual and sentenced to three years in prison followed by three years of close police supervision. The official says on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press that a fifth man without HIV was also convicted and received the same sentence. The defense lawyer for the five, Adel Ramadan, says the judge convicted the men of the 'habitual practice of debauchery,' a term used in the Egyptian legal system to denote consensual homosexual acts."

Yesterday, I posted about reports that Egypt's recent crackdown on gays was an effort to out-moralize Islamists condemning the "perceived depravity" of Arab autocratic states. That article said that "Four of (nine men arrested) were sentenced to a year in prison for debauchery, a crime that Egyptian law defines as having sex for money or with a number of partners over an extended period. Five of the remaining eight face trial April 9 on the same charge even though they were found to be free of disease."

We now know the outcome of the other five cases.

Egypt sentences 4 HIV-positive men to 3 years in prison for 'debauchery' [iht]

Sphere: Related Content

Casualties of Care

New York magazine takes a look at the dark journey of "near-legendary" AIDS doctor Ramon Torres and others like him who saw the worst of it:

"Torres is one of the untold casualties of the epidemic’s aftershocks. In the decade since AIDS moved from a mostly deadly plague to a largely manageable condition, a surprising number of the frontline veterans of the most difficult years in the fight against the disease have seemed to lose their bearings. Many health-care professionals talk today of feelings of emptiness and disillusionment in the wake of the epidemic’s taming. Some have moved out of the field altogether. For others, drug addiction replaced drug research."

Another AIDS Casualty [new york magazine]

Sphere: Related Content

News: Johnny Depp, Eureka Springs, Clark Gable, Bounty Killer

BOOK: Clark Gable was gay for pay. "David Bret’s angle on Clark Gable is this: Gable was 'gay for pay' and 'rough trade,' and he enjoyed having sex 'for bucks.' In addition, he 'would sometimes scrub his penis until it bled' and used a device to prolong erections. If these tidbits from the book’s first few pages aren’t too much information for you, you’re in luck. This breathtakingly trashy biography does not skimp on sordid anecdotes."

Johnny Depp the new, uh, face of Trojan condoms?

Gawker goes to the NYC Black Party.

T.R. Knight steps out with boyfriend Mark Cornelsen: We all have AIDS.

Survey shows increased support for gay marriage in Ireland: "Eighty-four per cent of respondents to an opinion poll conducted this month by Lansdowne Market Research said they supported civil marriage or civil partnerships for gay and lesbian couples. This is the same figure as a similar survey carried out in November 2006. However, 58% said gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry in registry offices, compared to 51% in the previous survey."

Did Heath Ledger father a love child?

Could Al Gore be brought in for clean-up duty at the convention? "Let’s say the elders of the Democratic Party decide, when the primaries end, that neither Obama nor Clinton is viable. Let’s also assume — and this may be a real stretch — that such elders are strong and smart enough to act. All they’d have to do would be to convince a significant fraction of their superdelegate friends, maybe fewer than 100, to announce that they were taking a pass on the first ballot at the Denver convention, which would deny the 2,025 votes necessary to Obama or Clinton. What if they then approached Gore and asked him to be the nominee, for the good of the party — and suggested that he take Obama as his running mate? Of course, Obama would have to be a party to the deal and bring his 1,900 or so delegates along."

Madonna on the paparazzi: "The paparazzi are out of control. I haven't been to Los Angeles in quite a while, and I don’t watch television here or in England, and I was told there's now a television show where the paparazzi are the stars of the show—is that true? That they film each other doing paparazzi jobs? Which gives them more fuel. I usually found that type kept their distance—they definitely do in England, because it's illegal to photograph children. But that's not how it is here. They get this close, and don't care how much they scare your children. Being famous has changed a lot, because now there's so many outlets, between magazines, TV shows, and the Internet, for people to stalk and follow you. We created the monster."

Gay couple faces harsh realities in move from New Jersey to Idaho.

Is Regent Entertainment circling gay publications Out and The Advocate?

HIV-positive Canadian Martin Rooney takes on U.S. travel ban: "I said I was on disability. He said what's my disability. I said I have HIV. He hauled me into a backroom. ... He put on a set of rubber gloves to hold each of my fingers. Nobody else wore rubber gloves. Then he fingerprinted me, photographed me, ran me through the FBI's most-wanted list and told me to go back to Canada and not return until I came back with a waiver. I felt like I was being treated like a terrorist."

Arkansas gays converge on Eureka Springs for 'Diversity Weekend': "Homosexual and transsexual residents say that living in Northwest Arkansas has its benefits, such as the small-town atmosphere, natural beauty, and amenities such as shopping and restaurants. But many lament the limited social venues and a lack of connectivity within their own community. 'There is a fairly large population of people that are gay, lesbian or bisexual, but there is no community,' said Fayetteville resident J. Judd Harbin."

Ricky Martin battles human trafficking in Cambodia

Human rights groups halt concerts by 'murder music' singer Bounty Killer: "In Germany, Bounty Killer's performance in Essen was cancelled and other German concert dates are now in doubt as gay human rights groups are coordinating a Europe-wide campaign to halt his 'Deadly Alliance' tour of the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Al Gore, Wii Tennis, Tom Cruise, Lost, Chris Dodd

Lambda Legal to file suit in Iowa today on behalf of six same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses.

Tom Cruise appearance sparks rumors of cameo on JJ Abrams' Star Trek set, but he was really there to meet someone special.

Al Gore on global warming skeptics: "You're talking about Dick Cheney. I think that those people are in such a tiny, tiny minority now with their point of view, they’re almost like the ones who still believe that the moon landing was staged in a movie lot in Arizona and those who believe the world is flat. ... That demeans them a little bit, but it's not that far off."

The American Family Association gave up their boycott of Ford Motors, but it looks as though they're trying again with another automaker, GM. Good As You: "What the hell gives these folks the right to go apeshit simply because a company dares to advertise to the LGBT community?! Good God of fringe extremism, why cannot they not at least accept that we are 'sinners' with a degree of disposable income, some of which we like to put towards cars?! We know they think we're barreling down the Highway to Hell. Fine. Let them think that. But can't they at least respect the right of an automaker to try and sell us a car whose climate control features will help us brave the unbearably hot Lake of Fire?"

Saulo Melo: Your hot Brazilian for Friday.

Dennis Miller does not share Bill O'Reilly's rage over San Francisco's Hunky Jesus pageant.

Hate crimes inspiring call to action in South Florida.

Senator Chris Dodd says we must end the Democratic primary: "Look, we've got five more months to go before the Democratic convention at the end of August and, candidly, we cannot go five more months with the kind of daily sniping that's going on and have a candidate emerge in that convention....We have two very strong candidates. So I'm worried about this going on endlessly and to a large extent...the media, a lot of these cable networks, are enjoying this. It's what is keeping them alive financially. The fact that this thing is going on forever, back and forth every day, all night -- I don't think it's really helping the candidates or the political institutions."

The folks who market Basil Hayden's whiskey think we're all a bunch of prancing fashionistas.

The Hills may be turned into a feature film: “I think if they were going to do a film of the hills they would basically film it like we do the show and they would just edit it into a movie. It would be like a really long episode.”

Wii Tennis about to get lifelike versions of Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, James Blake, and Tommy Haas.

Prison Break brings a major character back from the dead.

Exploring the time travel theory on Lost.

UK urges gay men to get tested for HIV: "The Health Protection Agency made the warning after new diagnoses among gay men topped 2,600 for the third year. But the figures do seem to have begun to plateau after a surge at the turn of the century. Overall, the number of new cases hit an estimated 6,840 in 2007 - a fall of 1,400 from the previous year."

An update on that school expulsion case in Kansas I posted about yesterday: "A lawyer representing a gay student charged with harassment said he was 'hopeful that things will work out' for the student after an expulsion hearing Thursday. 'We're all wanting him to get back into school. That's the main thing,' said attorney John McKean. 'We're encouraged and hopeful that it will happen rather quickly.' Jimmy Iniguez, 17, a junior at Metro-Midtown Alternative High School, faces expulsion for allegedly harassing a fellow student in a school bathroom Feb. 28. Iniguez, who has been suspended since the incident, says he is innocent and is being unfairly accused because he is openly gay. No decision was made Thursday. District policy dictates that the decision be sent to the student's family by certified mail."

Sphere: Related Content

Government Begins 'Mid-Course Correction' on AIDS Vaccine Plans

After the failure of a major Merck & Co AIDS vaccine trial last year in which it appeared that recipients of the inoculation became somehow more susceptible to HIV rather than protected from it, government officials and scientists began "a major overhaul" of its efforts, Reuters reports:

"Government officials at a summit with AIDS scientists pledged to prioritize spending on lab work and animal tests rather than expensive, and thus far disappointing, large-scale vaccine trials on humans. 'We need to turn the knob in the direction of discovery. That is unambiguous,' said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who convened the meeting outside of Washington. 'We really do need new and novel ideas.'...Fauci suggested the overall AIDS research budget at his institute, now about $1.5 billion, could tilt more in favor of basic laboratory work rather than vaccine product development, which currently accounts for about a third of spending. 'We really need to seriously look at torquing that balance more to answering some of the fundamental questions that we don't have answers to,' he said. The new funding initiative is expected to begin within months and will focus on both broader, more imaginative research and on encouraging younger scientists to begin cracking HIV's mysteries, Fauci said, adding that all projects were being examined. 'Everything is on the table,' he said."

In February, Fauci reported in the journal Nature Immunology that he and his team discovered a new receptor for the virus which helps explain why it attacks the immune system in the gut. And earlier this month, a Canadian team led by molecular virologist Stephen Barr announced they had discovered a gene which prevents the HIV virus from assembling in a cell culture, shich may provide clues to a more natural means of blocking the virus.

US government sees overhaul of AIDS vaccine effort [reuters]

Previously
"Deep Disappointment" from Experts as Merck AIDS Vaccine Fails [tr]

Sphere: Related Content

News: Barney Frank, Bullied, Missing Emails, Steve May, Birdwatcher

White House has new excuse for missing emails: we threw away the hard drives.

Mangina: Make Me a Supermodel's Perry demonstrates how to do "a proper tuck".

Ryan Phillippe gives Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon his blessing.

Arizona Republican Steve May rescinds Congressional bid after mom and pop refuse to release him from family business: “(My parents) always see my behavior as erratic because they’re dishonest. Sobriety showed me that they were engaged in … evil behavior that I want nothing to do with."

Judge anticipates more dirt in McGreevey divorce trial: "If Dina Matos McGreevey presses a claim that she was duped into marrying New Jersey's gay ex-governor, she'll likely endure a mountain of embarrassing evidence exposed at the trial. 'This week was just the tip of the iceberg,' Union County Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy cautioned the warring former first couple at a hearing Thursday."

Kate Beckinsale tells Allure she'd rather eat vagina than sushi: "I have to say, sushi freaks me out more than almost anything. At least a vagina would be warm. [laughs] My publicist has literally turned a funny color and is going to go have a lie-down. He's throwing up now, as well. I find a lot of things kind of funny and I often say what's on my mind, and then get nine texts from all my friends going, 'What's the matter with you?' But I haven't ever made a big attempt to have any particular image. And I don't really worry about it."

Good news, Wentworth Miller fans. Prison Break has been picked up for a fourth season.

Mr. DeMille, your estate is ready for its close-up.

Barney Frank calls for decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana on Real Time with Bill Maher: "Frank offered no details on his legislation, and it's not at all clear that he could ever get it to the House floor for a vote. A Frank aide was unaware of his plans other than his statement on HBO. Frank has introduced legislation in previous years to allow the use of 'medical marijuana,' although the bills never made it out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Asked by [Bill] Maher as to why he would push a pot decriminalization bill now, Frank said the American public has already decided that personal use of marijuana is not a problem. 'I now think it's time for the politicians to catch up to the public,' Frank said. 'The notion that you lock people up for smoking marijuana is pretty silly. I'm going to call it the 'Make Room for Serious Criminals' bill.'"

Hire your own paparazzo.

Bullying Billy: The NYT explores the case of one Fayetteville, Arkansas boy whose parents say has become a target for torment.

Mika steps up security after death threats: "Apparently the 24-year-old crooner has been forced to step up security after receiving some dodgy death threats from over-zealous fans. But the Grace Kelly star seems determined to put on a brave face, insisting: 'I'm absolutely fine - don't worry about me - I'm not scared.' In fact, far from shying away, he's promising to be much more flamboyant. 'I want to make my shows even more dramatic,' he told us."

Rediscovering God: Britney Spears negotiating to sing gig at Mel Gibson's Holy Family Catholic Church in Malibu.

Welsh TV birdwatcher Iolo Williams says his tight-fitting shorts have found him a new audience: "The dad-of-two, married to wife Ceri, told Wales on Sunday: 'A friend of mine, a girl who lives in Newport, told me about one of her mates who is gay, and said they have an informal gay club. One thing they did was tape my S4C programmes wearing my tight shorts and would get together in a bar to watch it. I was a little bit surprised at first but absolutely delighted. If they all watched my programmes it would probably double my audience!' Game-for-a-laugh Iolo said he’d would be more than happy to pop out for a pint with his newfound fanbase."

I Love My Boo: NYC safe sex campaign targets young Black and Latino gay and bisexual men. "One of the elements of this campaign that I love is that the language reflects it's target audience. It's current and even a little hood. ... Beautiful images of brothers loving and respecting each others bodies and souls. Now that's not something you see everyday."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Passport Breaches, Bill Richardson, HIV, The Office

State Department acknowledges security breaches on Obama, Clinton, and McCain passport information: "[Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice expressed concern over the privacy violations as well as the fact that they weren't reported right away. Rice said the incident "should have been made known to senior management. It was not to my knowledge and we also want to take every step we can to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again."

The Clintons and Rev. Jeremiah Wright: "The recent coverage of Rev. Jeremiah Wright has often cast him as a marginal, almost fringe figure, but Trinity Church is a major Chicago institution, and Wright has long been a prominent pastor on the American scene. And an anonymous blog set up to defend his church offers some compelling photographic evidence of this: A photograph of Wright and President Clinton, which it says was taken on Sept. 11, 1998 — the date of a White House gathering for religious leaders."

Jake Gyllenhaal had some kind of accident.

London protest: a protest will be held opposite Downing Street this Saturday, March 22 from 2-3 pm in support of gay Iranian teen Mehdi Kazemi and to demand Britain recognize the right of refugees to claim asylum on the grounds of sexual orientation.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson endorses Barack Obama: "I believe he is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America's moral leadership in the world. As a presidential candidate, I know full well Senator Obama's unique moral ability to inspire the American people to confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation."

Dept. of regrettable tattoos: Like father, like son.

Donald Hitchcock vs the DNC: Howard Dean's gay headache.

Jim McGreevey wins a round in divorce court: "Former Gov. Jim McGreevey didn't plan to torment his wife while they were married, a judge in their divorce case ruled Thursday, while allowing her to continue with a claim of marriage fraud. The judge dismissed Dina Matos McGreevey's claim of emotional distress against her estranged gay husband. 'Mr. McGreevey was not out to destroy her emotionally,' Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy said."

Match drag queens with their baby pictures.

Former Bachelor Andy Baldwin gets juiced.

Stealth form of HIV may hold key to vaccine: "HIV is so dangerous because it is adept at avoiding detection by the immune system, says Carolyn Williamson at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Some patients, however, have genetic mutations in the machinery of their immune system that are able to track and respond to HIV infection. In these people, the virus sacrifices its ability to grow in order to resist the immune attack. 'HIV strives to survive,' says Williamson, 'It will even compromise its fitness to evade detection – and that might impair its ability to replicate.' Now, Williamson's research team has shown that in its compromised form, HIV is less able to take a grip if it is transmitted to a new host – even if that person doesn't have the beneficial mutations in their immune system."

Butte: Mainstream media ignores victimization of gays. "If the media paid more attention to King's murder and the homophobia behavior that permeates our public schools, perhaps there'd be a public outcry here in the Sunshine State against the Legislature's removal from the proposed Safe School bill language that addresses harassment of GLBT students."

The Office is back - here's the new promo!

Sphere: Related Content

AIDS Patients Evicted from Nepal Hospice Over Anti-Gay Bias

Pressure from anti-gay neighbors prompted the landlord of a building in Nepal housing an AIDS hospice run by the gay activist group Blue Diamond Society and sponsored by the Elton John AIDS foundation to throw 12 men diagnosed with AIDS out on the street. Four of those men, who come mostly from the poor India/Nepal border region called the Terai Plains, are terminally ill and had to be carried because they are unable to walk, IANS reports:

"Just as Nepal's sexual minorities were celebrating the community's first participation in a national election as contestants, the AIDS hospice run in Kathmandu for homosexuals by Nepal's pioneer gay rights organisation was closed down Thursday night by the landlord after pressure from the neighbours...'Since the hospice was started two-and-a-half years ago, we were forced to move it four times,' said Sunil Pant (pictured), founder of the society and a poll contestant himself. 'Though we are prompt in paying the rent, the landlord comes under pressure from his neighbours to throw us out once it becomes known that there are AIDS patients in the hospice.' On Thursday, the eve of Holi celebrations in Nepal, the society's members were busy moving x-ray machines, ambulances and the patients to its own office, where the main hall was converted into an emergency hospital."

No human rights groups intervened with the landlord on the patients' behalf.

There is some hope with the upcoming election that the stigmatization the gay community faces in Nepal will ease: "For the first time in Nepal's history, 12 gays, lesbians and eunuchs are in the poll fray, with six of them having been fielded by a minor communist party. Two of the biggest parties in the country, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's Nepali Congress as well as the Maoists, addressed the hitherto excluded community in their election manifestos for the first time, pledging to address their problems."

Anti-gay bias evicts dying AIDS patients in Nepal [IANS]

Recently
Five Gay Men in Symbolic Run for Office in Nepal [tr]
Nepal's Top Court Orders Govt to Protect Gays [tr]
Elton John: Nepal Statements, Fashion Statements [tr]
Ignorance Halts Nepalese HIV/AIDS Program Funded by Elton John [tr]

Sphere: Related Content

News: Madonna, Underoos, Grand Canyon, Colin Farrell, Tunisia

Researcher: Moses was high on psychedelic drugs when he heard God deliver the Ten Commandments and when he saw the 'burning bush'. "As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don't believe, or a legend, which I don't believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics."

Madonna opens wide: "I really enjoy writing with Justin...We had psychoanalytic sessions whenever we wrote songs first. We'd sit down and we'd start talking about situations. And then we'd start talking about issues or problems or relationships with people."

MAPS of the electorate: "Survey USA's data shows both Clinton and Obama beating McCain on electoral votes, but they win in different ways."

Colin Farrell smokes up British GQ.

Anti-gay lawyer Robert Skolrood is dead at 79: "He fought against gay rights by helping to word an initiative on the Colorado ballot in 1992 that would have barred any special protection for homosexuals. The amendment to the state’s constitution passed but was struck down by the United States Supreme Court four years later. Mr. Skolrood helped to draft an amendment to the Cincinnati City Charter to similarly deprive homosexuals of specific legal protections; voters approved the measure in 1993. A federal appeals court upheld the result, and the United States Supreme Court in 1998 refused to hear an appeal."

'Underoos' for Men sales bulge: "It seems that the Y-front, bikinis, wild prints and Underoos style underwear has made a huge comeback in contributing to a $1.1 billion men's knit-underwear market. (Knit underwear excludes the traditional boxer) John Sievers, co-owner of International Jock, calls it an 'explosion' in his business in the last 3 years that has doubled his revenues."

Gay Malaysian pleads with Canada for asylum: "Amirthalingan moved to Montreal in 2003 and applied for refugee status in Canada on humanitarian grounds, arguing his life was in danger because his homosexuality made him a target of Malaysian police who detained him for five days, and abused him, physically and sexually. 'They were punching me, pushing me down to the floor and putting their leg on me to confess that I am a gay,' he told CBC last week. Being gay in Malaysia is difficult, and he is "a bit afraid for my safety" if he's forced to go back. 'I don't have family support too, because my brothers and sisters are against [me] because I'm gay.' Amirthalingan lost his refugee status case because the judge was not convinced he was gay. He filed for a humanitarian appeal and a pre-removal risk assessment, which were both rejected by the Quebec Immigration Board."

Capitol Hill offices receive letters containing photos of man standing in front of military recruiting station targeted in yesterday's Times Square bombing: "Happy New Year, We Did It."

Amy Winehouse now using her face as an ashtray.

Grand Canyon FLOODED in effort to recharge the ecosystem — PHOTOS.

Liev Schreiber's Sabretooth stalks Sydney.

San Francisco gift shop Given re-opens after month-long stint as its prior occupant, Harvey Milk's Castro Camera shop, with an art show.

HIV+ and gay in Tunisia: "'At the beginning, I was furious. I hated everything. But afterwards, I thought that it's better to be hopeful than crying.' He decided to face up to the illness, sensing that a positive mental attitude would translate into stronger physical health. Also, he is on anti-retroviral medication. 'I'm quite good. My health situation is stable. HIV-positives who can't move or even walk are people who refuse the fact that they're infected with HIV. They suffer because they're in very low spirits and not because of the virus. I have a principle in my life which says we must make the most of life while we still have its advantages. So, I still enjoy my life. I consider AIDS a flu.' He lives with his Tunisian boyfriend, who is uninfected. They have protected sex. 'I was sincere. I told him the truth and he accepted. His attitude really moved me,' said Karim."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Helen Keller, Gay Music, Rosie O'Donnell, NY Marriage

"Pro-family" groups urge parents to keep their children out of school on April 25's "Day of Silence", a day of raising awareness about tolerance and anti-gay bullying. They also accuse GLSEN of exploiting the murder of Lawrence King.

Website names The 50 Gayest Songs of All Time.

Say it isn't so. Lance Bass declares himself single, rips boyfriend from MySpace "top friends" list.

Maryland weighs new approach on same-sex unions: "Concerned that they won't be able to muster the votes for a comprehensive bill on same-sex unions this year, state lawmakers are considering a tactical shift toward legislation that would grant a number of rights to gay and lesbian couples but stop short of full-fledged marriage or civil unions."

Fort Lauderdale magazine flushes anti-gay Mayor Jim Naugle's latest column about gay restroom sex. City Commissioner Cindi Hutchinson: "I just want all this nonsense to stop. I don't want to talk about the bathroom thing again.''

Rosie O'Donnell: the junk food portrait.

New York's legal posturing on Same-sex marriage examined: "Last week in Manhattan, a State Supreme Court justice, ruling in a divorce proceeding, recognized the Canadian marriage of two New York City women, known publicly as Beth R. and Donna M. — or Mom and Mommy to the two young children they had been raising together. Less than two years after New York’s highest court refused to legalize gay marriage, leaving it up to a divided Legislature, courts in Rochester and Manhattan, as well as state and local officials, have begun to carry out what some say is the de facto legalization of gay marriage — and gay divorce — in New York for the price of, say, a ticket to Toronto."

Matthew McConaughey launches line of surf attire called Just Keep Livin'.

Provincetown arsonist strikes again: "In a little more than 10 minutes, flames destroyed a wooden shed belonging to artist Arthur Cohen at his property near Allerton Street. The blaze is at least the 16th arson fire in Provincetown since Oct. 17, Jennifer Mieth, a spokeswoman for the state fire marshal, said yesterday. No one was injured in the fire and Cohen, who was in New York at the time, was expected to arrive yesterday in Provincetown, according to a family member. Cohen declined to comment about the fire yesterday when reached by phone. On Monday, a landlord's report of a 2-foot square of burned shingles at a framing shop at 288 Bradford St. — little more than one-tenth of a mile from the Cohen property — was added to the list of arson fires, Mieth said."

Will & Grace creator Max Mutchnick said his own "internal oppression" held him back from making bigger statements with regard to gays on that show.

120-year-old photo of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan on Cape Cod discovered: "The photograph, shot in July 1888 in Brewster, shows an 8-year-old Helen sitting outside in a light-colored dress, holding Sullivan's hand and cradling one of her beloved dolls. Experts on Keller's life believe it could be the earliest photo of the two women together and the only one showing the blind and deaf child with a doll — the first word Sullivan spelled for Keller after they met in 1887 — according to the New England Historic Genealogical Society, which now has the photo."

USA Today talks to Anne and Christopher Rice about their new books. Christopher: "She has created her own myth-ology. There's no following in those footsteps. So I keep my work a lot smaller and more focused. I would go insane comparing myself to her."

Jackson steals Mariah Carey's look.

Mississippi lawmakers propose bill banning unwed couples living together from adopting in attempt to stop gays from doing the same.

HIV+ British bareback porn actor speaks out: "'They told me that most of the work would be bareback, and that they would normally check certificates from GUM clinics.' On the various shoots he took part in during his short on-screen career he noticed laxity in the ad hoc system of checking the HIV status of performers. 'I presented a certificate about half the time. They would normally take your word for it. At my local clinic you have to pay £25 to get a certificate.' He was told everyone else was HIV negative, but never saw anyone else's certificates. Clyde has been in two or three bareback DVDs and other scenes that went online. 'We did not work under the best conditions most of the time, it was quite low budget and cramped. For most of the time I was getting paid £100 per scene.'