News: Gay Exorcism, Father Cutie, Rosie O'Donnell, Neda, Nixon

Karger: Is the Mormon Church hiding its funding for the National Organization for Marriage?

Exorcism in Connecticut: Getting the gay demon out.

Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearings on hate crimes bill.

Body of pilot Marc Dubois and flight attendant among those recovered from Air France crash site. Black boxes not found. Will ping for only a few more days.

Transgender in a virtual world.

Rosie O'Donnell to host Sirius XM radio show.

Iran: Neda's family forced from home. "The Iranian authorities have ordered the family of Neda Agha Soltan out of their Tehran home after shocking images of her death were circulated around the world. Neighbours said that her family no longer lives in the four-floor apartment building on Meshkini Street, in eastern Tehran, having been forced to move since she was killed. The police did not hand the body back to her family, her funeral was cancelled, she was buried without letting her family know and the government banned mourning ceremonies at mosques, the neighbours said."

Is Father Cutie gay?

Amsterdam Deputy Mayor Carolien Gehrels flies to New York City in support of marriage equality: "Mrs. Gehrels brings a personal perspective to the issue: she is married to a woman. She said that while the approval of gay marriage in the Netherlands that took effect in 2001 was 'a milestone in equal rights,' even eight years later 'equality and freedom are never self-evident.' Same-sex partnerships were legalized in 1998."

Douchebag warns that straight men will give up women once they try the gay.

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was pushed into confessing affair: "As the newspaper disclosed on CNN tonight, it has since December had emails between Sanford and his Argentine mistress, it's just been trying to authenticate them. Then this morning the paper busted Sanford returning on an airplane from South America when he was supposed to be on the Appalachian Trial. The paper then informed Sanford it would finally be publishing the emails, exposing his adultery, according to The State writer John O'Connor."

Whitney Houston announces title of new album.

Seattle's The Stranger publishes Queer Issue 2009. NY's Village Voice goes Queer too.

Delaware General Assembly passes bill protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination after ten-year battle.

City investigation of Canterbury UK finds that, yes, the city is gay enough.

Adam Lambert collaborating with Sam Sparro on new album.

Violence not expected at this year's Jerusalam Gay Pride: "Amit Lev, a spokesman for the gay rights group behind the parade, said organisers had been negotiating with ultra-Orthodox leaders in Jerusalem after "long years of silence" between the two communities. 'We've agreed that violence doesn't serve any of us or any of our goals,' he said."

And even more skin from men's fashion week in Milan.

New batch of Nixon tapes reveal more homophobia: "Discussing Nixon's political opposition, Colson says it included 'the blacks and the poor.' Nixon adds: 'And the intellectuals.' Colson goes on to say that it also included 'the lavender shirt mob . . . the homos and the queers.'" Previously: Nixon understood homosexuality but didn't want it on TV.

Bruno Jet Skis, Opens 'Pink Light District' in Amsterdam

Sacha Baron Cohen continued his European tour for Bruno, premiering in Amsterdam today. Bruno jetskied down a canal before climbing into the city's Red Light District to announce he was opening the "Pink Light District" for business.

Said Bruno, cutting a pink ribbon: "It gives me great pleasure to declare Amsterdam's pink light district officially open for business. For too long, guys coming here from around the world have been forced to have sex with women. People of Amsterdam, I hope that you will enjoy these man holes..."

Soon after he left, Reuters reports, "The real prostitutes, who had hidden from the flashing cameras, reopened their curtains to wait for their next clients in their red-lit windows."

Video, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Jesus Christ, Football, Susan Boyle, 100 Days, Sean Penn

Obama's 100 day Gay Report Card. Emma Ruby Sachs in HuffPost: "And when it comes to actual change in the lives of LGBT people, nothing has been done. Obama has failed to hand in any of his assignments."

Brian Sims: a gay college football story.

Guess who wants to play Susan Boyle in the movie?

Sean Penn files for divorce.

Guido Westerwelle hopes to be Germany's first openly gay foreign minister: "I am convinced that today one’s private life is no longer an obstacle. Some other countries may have had a problem with the fact that Angela Merkel became the first female chancellor of Germany. Of course she does not wear a veil on the red carpet when she visits certain Arab states. The American secretary of state (Hillary Clinton) must also hold talks in countries in which women are systematically oppressed. The decision as to who we send as a government representative rests solely with us Germans based on our political and moral standards.”

BUTT magazine holding open call for submissions of gay-themed video art.

Estranged wife of Nevada governor wants veto override of domestic partnership legislation.

Gay man forced out of dying partner's room at Oregon Health and Science University hospital: "The nurse said, 'Christopher is very ill. There are some life and death decisions that have to be made and now is not the time for friends to be in the room.' I'm like, 'we don't have any friends in the room'."

Florida to get Jesus vanity plate.

Amsterdam park notifies visitors that they are approaching a 'gay cruising area':  "The signs 'clearly indicate what is happening in each zone; also those where gay men are known to practice 'cruising',' municipal spokeswoman Manon Koffijberg said...'If you don't want to be confronted by a vision of that sort, the signs allow you to avoid specific areas,' said Ms Koffijberg."

Australian curry company denies homophobic attack at Sydney fair.

Channing Tatum courted for Twilight role.

Vampire outtakes.

Astronomers snap the most distant object they've ever seen.

A look at Trouble the Water, the documentary about Hurricane Katrina.

Washington man pleads guilty in gay immigration fraud case: "A man accused of advising straight immigrants to claim homosexuality - and potential persecution in their home countries - when they applied for asylum has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit immigration fraud."

Senior Thai monk plans to offer "manners course" for monks who wear make-up and carry pink purses.

Alberta, Canada adds sexual orientation to human rights laws: "But the move to expand protections under the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act was accompanied by a provision allowing parents to pull their kids from school discussions of religion, sexuality or sexual orientation — a move that could let parents yank students from classes on such topics as evolution."

Turkish Airliner Crashs Upon Approach to Amsterdam, 9 Dead

More than 100 people survived a plane crash at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport this morning. Nine people have died:

"About 134 people, including crew members, were aboard the Boeing 737, which was bound for Amsterdam's Schiphol International but came down at least a half-mile from a runway, according to one eyewitness. A busy highway separates the crash site from the airport. Schiphol airport spokesperson Ruud de Wever told reporters that nine people were killed, and 25 were badly wounded. Another two dozen or so had lesser injuries, officials said. Airline officials initially had said everyone on board the plane had survived. 'At this moment there are nine victims to mourn and more than 50 injured,' said Michel Bezuijen, acting mayor of Haarlemmermeer, in a televised news conference. Haarlemmermeer is a suburb of Amsterdam where the airport is located. News photos from the scene showed dozens of ambulances and rescue crews gathered around the white Boeing 737, which came to rest on its belly alongside the highway.The plane broke into at least three pieces, with the worst damage at the rear of the fuselage. The wings appeared to be intact and there was no obvious evidence of explosion or fire"

The cause of the crash was not immediately apparent.

Amsterdam's 'Pink Christmas' Features Mary in Drag, Leather Joseph

An event called 'Pink Christmas' opened in Amsterdam on Thursday, the AP reports:

"Organizers said the event was meant to raise Amsterdam's profile as a gay capital at a time when homosexuals feel threatened. Christians for Truth, an independent religious group, had asked the city council to cancel the 'Pink Christmas,' event, saying it made a mockery of Christian tenets. The city did not comment. A male entertainer known as Wendy Mills posed as Mary in a blonde wig and high-heeled black boots and holding a plastic doll. Another man played Joseph in black leather trunks and a silver shawl. The five-person manger scene was staged off the street, in the courtyard of a nightclub. Visitors were invited to be photographed with the group."

Amsterdam City Council sponsored the 'Pink Christmas' event, which features vendor stalls and gay-themed holiday card sales, at a cost of $21,000.

Said the event's chairman Frank van Dalen: "Our objective is not to be offensive. This is about visibility."

So nice of Amsterdam to broadcast to the world that the gay community is made up of drag queens or kinky leather fetishists. No doubt this story will get much more play for its colorful theatrics than the candlelight vigils that went on across America Saturday night.

A group called Christians for Truth objected to Amsterdam's event in a statement: "By portraying Joseph and Mary as homosexuals, a twisted human fantasy is being added to the history of the Bible."

One more shot, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Dinosaur, Mann Coulter, Art Sex, Clay Aiken, Uganda

Canadian soldiers sentenced to jail for anti-gay attack in Amsterdam: "Eric Wright was sentenced to five months in jail and ordered to pay 6,000 euros (8,300 Canadian dollars/8,500 US dollars) in damages and Ryan Dowie was given 45 days in jail, a court spokesman told AFP."

Since she'd like to perfect the Jews, Maxim's editors went ahead and tried to figure out how they would perfect Mann Coulter.

DNA: Genetic study of gay brothers gains steam...

Gay activist group to go door-to-door in South Carolina.

The Guardian reports on the sex exhibit that recently opened in Britain: "...we live in a world that fears erotically charged images. Pornography is loathed even as it is consumed. In Britain, there has been a recent moral panic about one of the artists in this show, Nan Goldin, whose photograph of a naked young girl was removed from an exhibition at Gateshead's Baltic Centre. That is the modern version of anxieties that for centuries drove artists to veil passion in fine ideas. This show includes a copy of Michelangelo's drawing of The Rape of Ganymede, which he gave as a present to a young nobleman he adored, and which portrays Jupiter taking the form of an eagle to carry away a boy he lusted after."

REPORT: Air America talk show host Randi Rhodes assaulted in NYC.

Massive new dinosaur unearthed in Patagonia.

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation apologizes to gay group after party raid: "The written communication came after Ebony Pyramid Entertainment demanded a public, published apology from the Royal Bahamas Police Force and assurances from the Ministry of Tourism that their annual event will not be targeted again to 'intimidate' homosexuals. The group received one of their two demands. The Executive Director said he is still awaiting an apology from the RBPF. The police 'raid' on their October 6 party which was attended by over 200 lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) tourists was nothing more than a poorly disguised attempt to harass, intimidate, and frighten the homosexual community, Xavier said in a release addressed to the MOT."

UC Berkeley student asks, why not marriage for all?

Is Britney Spears dreaming of escape with her new reading material? Or has she just completely wigged out?

Clay Aiken to join Broadway production of Spamalot as Sir Robin. Role was originated by David Hyde Pierce.

Skeptical global warming meteorologist hailed by traditional media once compared Gore to Hitler: "MSNBC called Gray a 'top meteorologist.' McClatchy referred to him as a 'pioneer in the science of seasonal hurricane forecasts.' The Washington Times coined him one of the 'world’s foremost meteorologists.' But all failed to note that Gray has a long history of climate skepticism and attacks on Gore. In May 2006, a Washington Post magazine article quoted Gray directly comparing Gore to Hitler: 'Gore believed in global warming almost as much as Hitler believed there was something wrong with the Jews.'"

Muslim leader in Uganda wants gays sent to an island until they die.

93-year-old pens gay romance novel: " Mr Soper only decided to write the novel after 'coming out' at the age of 91 - and only told his fellow residents at the The Old Vicarage nursing home, in Moulsford, where he lives, after they asked to read his novel. He said: 'When all the old ladies heard about the book, they asked if they could read it. So I had to tell them I was gay and that it was a gay-themed novel.' Mr Soper, a former academic at Christ Church, Oxford, until 1981, said it had been nice to be honest about his sexuality after so many years."