Anti-Gay Flagstaff Attacker Charged with Felony Assault

You may recall an incident in June in which two men, one of whom was a worker for Equality Arizona, were assaulted outside a Pita Pit restaurant in downtown Flagstaff, Arizona following the city's "Pride in the Pines" festival. Four attackers were arrested at the time.

Now one of them, 24-year-old Travis Reiner, has been charged with one felony count of aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of assault and disorderly conduct.

The Arizona Daily Sun reports: "According to Flagstaff police reports, two men who had attended the festival were injured early Sunday morning when they were assaulted while waiting for a taxi on the corner of San Francisco Street and Aspen Avenue. Festival events at Wheeler Park had ended Saturday evening, but many attendees moved to special event venues hosted by downtown businesses. One of the victims, who is gay, was briefly hospitalized after being knocked unconscious."

Although anti-gay slurs were used and police called it a hate crime, "David Rozema, chief deputy Coconino County attorney said in a statement that Arizona no longer has a separate hate crime law."

Added Rozema: "However, evidence that a crime is committed with malice due to a victim's sexual orientation (among other things) can possibly be presented at trial as motive evidence and at time of sentencing, upon conviction, to seek a stiffer sentence."

Charges are still pending for the other three attackers.

Felony charge in alleged hate crime [arizona daily sun]

Previously
Four Arrested After Anti-Gay Assault at Flagstaff, Arizona Pride [tr]

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News: Thomas Beatie Goes Forth And Multiplies, AZ Governor Speaks Out, Baby Brolin Does Bush, Ciao For Now & More

It's A Gir—Baby!: Thomas Beatie, the so-called "Pregnant Man," gave birth to a healthy girl today. Congrats to both brave parents! I think they have been unfairly ostracized and hope their daughter grows up healthy and happy.

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano came out against amending her state's Constitution to outlaw gay marriage. "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I don’t think the constitutional amendment is necessary. The voters of Arizona will have a chance to decide this. Personally, I’m going to oppose it. We already have a statute that defines marriage. The courts have already said the statute is constitutional."

Speak of the Devil: The "Austin 12"—prominent gay Texan Republicans who met with George W. Bush in 2000—are not solidly behind John McCain. In fact, three are either in favor of, or are considering voting for, Barack Obama. David Greer, who was on Bush's AIDS advisory board in 2003 but who became a registered Democrat that same year, says, "As long as there’s a far right in the party, gay Republicans are way too small in numbers…to have any effect on the party. We actually end up doing greater and lasting harm to the GLBT community."

If you do Outfest, check out Ciao by Yen Tan, a moody, introspective examination of the reactions from a man's best friend and latest Internet datemate when they meet after his untimely death. I caught this at New Fest and found it really mesmerizing. Plus the actors are hot (pictured). Official site here.

Now wines are coming out of the closet.

The Broadway debut of Katie Holmes, in a production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, is not exactly setting the world on fire.

Hilarious! Check out pictures of a 19-year-old Josh Brolin playing George W. Bush 20+ years before the upcoming Oliver Stone biopic releasing later this year.

The Bishop of Durham attacks anti-gay Anglicans. "The idea they have a monopoly on Biblical truth won’t do," he says. Them’s fightin’ words!

Canada's OUTtv, an LGBT network, is all the rage after almost flaming out...and it's owned by heterosexuals.

The N and others honored at The 8th Annual Trevor Project Awards.

The very cute Greg Siff (pictured hosting Legendary Bingo at Hamburger Mary's) is the toast of L.A. (Arnold Palmers for everyone!) with his play The Nothing Boys, based on his real-life experience of showing up for his high school reunion only to find one other person there. With good reviews from LA Weekly, Backstage and more, The Nothing Boys has been extended. Check it out.

It's an older article, but if you're interested in Big and Little Edie, this piece is well worth reading, with recollections from artist and friend Lois Wright. Wright's My Life at Grey Gardens from last year and Walter Newkirk's new MemoraBEALEia are great summer reads about two of the 20th Century's most fascinating eccentrics.

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Arizona Senate May Reconsider Marriage Ban Soon

Yesterday I posted that the proposed ballot measure that would put a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage before Arizona voters had been rejected in the Arizona senate by a 14-11 vote. I mentioned also that the senate voted to reconsider the measure at another date.

Turns out that date could be as early as Friday:

"When it became apparent the proposal had just 15 votes, one fewer than it needed, Phoenix Republican Sen. Linda Gray — a supporter — switched her vote in a procedural move that will allow her to request the measure be brought back for reconsideration in the waning days of the legislative session. That would give another supporter, Sen. Karen Johnson, a Mesa Republican who is on vacation, time to come back and vote. The surprise roll call Wednesday, which had been weeks in coming, quickly spun into a heated debate over marriage and 'social norms.' It took place even though supporters knew it would be difficult to rally enough votes with Johnson absent. Three other senators, including Tucson Democrat Victor Soltero, were absent, but opponents of the measure say all three are against it...Supporters blamed Johnson for the failure, without naming her directly. Johnson, however, in a Senate memo Monday, indicated she expected the marriage referendum vote to come on Friday and would 'make a special effort' to return for it even though she planned to be gone through July 10."

Senate stalls gay-marriage amendment [arizona daily star]

(via box turtle bulletin)

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Arizona Senate Rejects Ballot Measure to Ban Same-Sex Marriage

In a 14-11 vote, the Arizona senate today rejected a measure that would have placed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in front of voters in the November elections:

"Senators later voted to reconsider the measure at another unspecified date. The proposal would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Supporters say the proposal would provide additional legal protection needed to prevent marriage from being redefined by a court or future lawmakers. Opponents argued that the existing law makes the amendment unnecessary and that it insults gays and represents an attempt to exploit marriage for political purposes."

Previously
New Bid to Ban Same-Sex Marriage Moves Forward in Arizona [tr]

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Four Arrested After Anti-Gay Assault at Flagstaff, Arizona Pride

Two men, one of whom was a worker for Equality Arizona, were assaulted outside a Pita Pit restaurant in downtown Flagstaff, Arizona following the city's "Pride in the Pines" festival. The attackers preceded their attack with anti-gay slurs, according to the Arizona Republic:

"Authorities found four suspects and took them into custody after interviewing them. The four suspects were: Travis Reiner, 24, of Flagstaff; Christopher Rose, 26, of Englewood, Colo.; Michael Van Roteyn, 24, of Flagstaff; and Mark Greinke, 25, of Sun City. The four suspects could face charges of aggravated assault, assault and disorderly conduct, and they could also be charged under hate crimes statutes, police said. According to a statement from Equality Arizona - an advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people - one of the injured, Michel Brown, was unconscious and bleeding after the attack. At the time of the attack, the injured person waiting for a cab alongside staff and volunteers from Equality Arizona, the statement said."

Said Barbara McCullough-Jones, the Executive Director of Equality Arizona: "On a day when all of Flagstaff should have been celebrating and embracing diversity, this brutal attack has reminded us all that there is still much work to be done to prevent anti-gay bias from escalating into violence."

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Change of Heart Bears Fruit for Once-Biased Scottsdale Bar Owners

Last December I posted about Scottsdale bar owner Tom Anderson's decision to convert his bar Anderson's Fifth Estate to a bar that serves the gay community after making headlines in 2006 when he banned a transgender woman following complaints she was using the women's bathroom.

In December, Anderson said he had decided he wanted to "change Scottsdale" after a number of high-profile anti-gay hate incidents there. He also saw a need in the nightlife community for a new gay venue.

Anderson's decision seems to have paid off. The club, which now has lines it never saw before, was lauded in the Arizona Republic over the weekend, and tells the story of Anderson's transformation after the unfortunate 2006 incident:

"For more than a year afterward, Anderson was the subject of dozens of newspaper and television stories pitting him against the GLBT community and its allies. He became known as the club owner who kicked out a transgendered woman. This happened as people were questioning whether Scottsdale was becoming hostile toward the GLBT community, after a gay couple was assaulted outside a restaurant and after Mayor Mary Manross refused to observe GLBT month in June, instead, proclaiming it to be Human Relations Diversity Observance month. Anderson, who owns the club with his wife, Roberta, resolved the dispute in November 2007 by building a gender-neutral restroom. Anderson said that during the controversy over the discrimination complaint he met with members of the GLBT community. One of the things he learned was how underserved the community was in Scottsdale, with only one bar, BS West, in the area. Anderson said he saw both a business opportunity and a chance to be part of a community he'd come to know and enjoy. The Andersons reopened the club as Forbidden in December, a month after the resolution. The 5,500-square foot club can hold 325 people and is open five days a week, up from three when it was Anderson's Fifth Estate. Now, more than 700 people come through on Fridays and Saturdays each, more than double what Fridays used to draw."

Uproar turns straight bar into gay hot spot [arizona republic]

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News: Orcas, Dax Shepard, Homecoming King, Alabama

NPR runs heartbreaking piece on two boys who identify as girls: "It’s really hard for him. He’ll disappear and close a door, and we’ll find him playing with dolls and Polly Pockets and … the stuff that he’s drawn to...He really struggles with the color pink. He really struggles with the color pink."

Dax Shepard appears to be acting out the role of Abercrombie door dude in the new film When in Rome.

Neil Patrick Harris's Barney shows off his new trophy date, Britney Spears. Watch it.

Jay Bakker to spend Mother's Day in honor of the late Tammy Faye pressuring megachurch pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church to sit down and talk to LGBT activist group Soulforce: "I want to celebrate my mother's life, and help spread the message she lived and preached. We need to stop thinking of ourselves as 'us' and 'them.' We hope the families of Lakewood Church will open their hearts and minds to us and sit down and have a conversation and share a meal. ... Let's put our differences aside and share the love and hope of Christ."

Details on the first dates of Madonna's "Sticky and Sweet" world tour.

Arizona Christian group Alliance Defense Fund has hand in New York same-sex marriage cases.

Shawnee Mission East High School loves its gay Homecoming King.

Investigators say photographers won't be charged for photos of teenage water polo players that turned up on gay porn websites: "The Orange County district attorney's office says a four-month investigation determined Scott Cornelius and Allen Rockwell didn't commit any crimes. Cornelius, a University of California, Irvine, police employee currently on paid leave, is still being investigated by the university to determine if he violated college policies. Photographs of youths as young as 14 taken by Cornelius and Rockwell appeared on homosexual pornographic Web sites. But district attorney's office spokeswoman Farrah Emami says 'legally there were no criminal charges we could file.'"

Killer whales photographed hunting dolphins for the first time ever.

Matt Foreman's new perspective.

Your money's worth: Mario Lopez embroiled in Broadway bicep controversy.

Two card stud.

Alabama legislature passes two pro-gay bills: "In an email from State Rep. Patricia Todd, she announced that the Alabama House of Representatives passed the Hate Crimes Bill sponsored by Rep. Alvin Holmes of Montgomery by a vote of 46 to 44, mostly along party lines. While the fate of the bill is unsure as it moves to the Senate, this is huge progress, as the legislation was defeated last year. Also passed (unanimously) was an anti-bullying bill sponsored by Rep. Betty Carol Graham of Alexander City and Sen. Parker Griffith of Huntsville. This is also going to to the Senate."

Truce Off: McGreevey's fail to reach a settlement in their divorce trial.

Don't sit on the benches in New York subway stations unless you want bedbugs.

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Phoenix Man Claims Responsibility for UFO Mystery Lights

Mysterious red lights similar to an unsolved phenomenon from 1997 appeared over Phoenix Monday night:

"Dozens of listeners called News/Talk 92-3 KTAR just after 8 p.m. reporting they were watching the four mystery lights. 'From my position, it looked like they were just hanging, not moving at all,' said one man, who called 92-3's 'Gaydos After Dark.' He said he 'absolutely' saw something. A woman caller said, 'It looked like four red tower lights, but it was pretty high up in the air. I called my husband and he said, 'Get home, what's wrong with you?'' A man in north Phoenix told CBS-5: 'They were about 3,000 feet high, approximately. They looked as though they were kind of hovering or floating from west to east, very slowly. They were up there for 15 or 20 minutes.' Those who saw them said the lights were visible about 13 minutes before moving off to the east. Deer Valley Airport, which was the closest air field to the lights, had no explanation for them. Neither did Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport or Luke Air Force Base, which said it had no jets flying at the time."

Plenty of video surfaced but the source remained unknown.

Today, a local man claimed the lights were his doing: "The man told KTVK-TV that he used fishing line to attach road flares to helium-filled balloons, then lit the flares and launched them a minute apart from his back yard...The man told KTVK-TV that he used fishing line to attach road flares to helium-filled balloons, then lit the fares and launched them a minute apart from his back yard."

AFTER THE JUMP, former Arizona Governor Fife Symington talks about seeing similar lights back in '97.

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New Bid to Ban Same-Sex Marriage Moves Forward in Arizona

The Arizona House gave preliminary approval to a new bid to ban same-sex marriage. A similar measure was defeated earlier this month after Kyrsten Sinema (D-Phoenix) attached a clever provision to it that would have made a vote against same-sex marriage also a vote for other rights for unmarried (and gay) couples.

The Arizona Daily Star reports: "This time, though, Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, did not offer that same amendment. Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy, said her group had lobbied to find enough votes to kill the amendment. A final House roll-call vote scheduled for later today will send SCR 1042 to the Senate, which has not yet debated the issue this session. The procedure maneuver used by supporters of the new version of the gay-marriage ban effectively blocks opponents from trying to amend the measure in the Senate."

Sinema refused to comment on what strategies she might have up her sleeve to derail the measure this time. Let's hope she has one.

House gives initial OK to bid to ban gay marriage [arizona daily star]

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News: Poland, Magnum P.I., Arizona, Howard Dean, The Joker

Arizona ballot measure to constitutionally ban same-sex marriages appears defeated: "The House gave preliminary approval Thursday by a 28-27 vote to put the question on the November ballot. But that OK came only after Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, lined up enough votes to tack on a provision to grant certain rights to unmarried couples living together, whether gay or straight. That move effectively tied the two issues together as a single ballot question, meaning voters who want to make same-sex weddings unconstitutional would be voting for some constitutional rights for gay couples. A spokesman for House Speaker Jim Weiers, sponsor of HCR 2065, said that is unacceptable and that the Phoenix Republican will now kill his proposal."

Magnum P.U.: Matthew McConaughey to take Tom Selleck role to the big screen?

Naomi Campbell a free supermodel after getting arrested for assaulting and spitting on a cop.

Poland passes EU Charter but gets around gay requirements: "This week Prime Minister Donald Tusk reached a deal with the opposition, inserting a clause in the rights bill guaranteeing Poland's sovereignty within the union. The cause is seen as a means where the government can opt out of EU LGBT rights protections. Kaczynski has said he will sign the revised bill."

Perez Hilton says he made out with John Mayer. But is it Pop Fiction?

Redwood City, California man faces hate crime charges for attack on gay neighbors: "Herbert Santos-Coy, 30, remained behind bars Wednesday on one count of felony assault for hate crime purposes, two counts of felony commission of a hate crime and one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in state prison. 'There’s nothing the victims did that would have provoked this. It’s an outrage,' Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. Santos-Coy and his wife lived next door to the couple on Buckeye Street. On Sunday, the victims were working on their car when Santos-Coy approached them and began hurling anti-gay epithets, Wagstaffe said. Santos-Coy then allegedly struck one man in the face repeatedly before picking up a wrought iron table and swinging it at the couple. Santos-Coy had been drinking but prosecutors do not believe he was drunk at the time of the incident, Wagstaffe said."

Massive archive of gay and lesbian historical items at New York Public Library gets digital gallery and will be organized under new donor committee: "It is a newly organized... committee called LGBT@NYPL; for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. Carey Maloney and Hermes Mallea, the cochairmen, are also partners in M (Group), a design company. The goal, Mr. Maloney said, is “to get everything cataloged and digitized and to get an endowment” for the care and maintenance of the collections. Mr. Maloney is to announce at a party at the library this evening that the committee has raised $1.5 million so far. Time Warner has pledged $300,000. The MAC AIDS Fund has pledged $150,000 to improve public access to materials dealing with HIV and AIDS. Estée Lauder Companies has pledged $30,000."

Apparently, gays in London love renting cars.

Tom Brady makes 100 Unsexiest Men of 2008 list: "an overexposed, supermodel-dating, out-of-wedlock-fathering, big-game-losing metrosexual -- with a bowl haircut."

New Heath Ledger Dark Knight photos show The Joker disguised as a nurse.

Sir Ian McKellen speaks at Stonewall Equality Dinner in London: "The Lord of the Rings star spoke about the need to change society and not just the law, and lamented that many who are brave enough to be out on the gay scene still live closeted lives and careers. Sir Ian criticised religious intolerance and said he had wanted Mehdi Kazemi to be his date for the Equality dinner, but he is still in custody in Holland."

Howard Dean tells crowd at University of Wisconsin Madison that he doesn't get gay Republicans: "'They can't become more diverse. Who in their right mind, if they were African-America or Hispanic or Asian-American, if they were gay or lesbian, would join the Republican Party?' Patrick Sammon, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, called Dean's statement "callous" and said that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama should publicly state what they think of it."

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Arizona Domestic Partners Approved for Benefits

Good news for domestic partners and their dependents in Arizona:

"The Governor's Regulatory Review Council, which has the final say over many agencies' proposed rules, voted 4-0 to approve changes floated by the Department of Administration with support from Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat. Some Republican legislators opposed the move. Dependents of domestic partners also will qualify. Employees will be able to sign up for benefits as of Oct 1. Supporters said providing benefits to partners and their dependents would help the state reduce costly turnover by being more competitive in recruitment and retention. Napolitano, among others, has argued that it was a question of fairness. In her first year in office, Napolitano issued an executive order banning discrimination in state personnel practices based on sexual orientation."

In early February, Arizona lawmakers reintroduced legislation that would constitutionally ban same-sex marriage in the state. In 2006, voters rejected a similar measure because it went too far, prohibiting domestic partnerships and civil unions.

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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."

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News: Spy Satellite, Jack Mackenroth, Huckabee, Indiana Jones

Pentagon will shoot down disabled satellite before it poses danger to Earth: "U.S. officials said Thursday that the option preferred by the Bush administration will be to fire a missile from a U.S. Navy cruiser, and shoot down the satellite before it enters Earth's atmosphere. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the options will not be publicly discussed until a later Pentagon briefing. The disabled satellite is expected to hit the Earth the first week of March. Officials said the Navy would likely shoot it down before then, using a special missile modified for the task."

Does Mike Huckabee have a new job shilling soup for Campbell's?

Check out the brand new trailer for the new Indiana Jones flick which has something to do with aliens and Roswell, New Mexico.

The Year of Paper: Documentary on three couples and their first year of marriage airs tonight in San Francisco. "First-time filmmakers Kelly Rouse and Nikki Parker explored the lives of three couples - two men, two women and a heterosexual pair - during their first year of marriage. The resulting film... goes into the history of marriage as well as the lives of the subjects. The filmmakers interview scholars, legal experts, clergy and activists from both sides to understand what marriage means in America today."

More Wentworth: A preview of the Prison Break finale.

Obama's delegate lead shifts focus of Clinton campaign: "With every delegate precious, Mrs. Clinton’s advisers also made it clear that they were prepared to take a number of potentially incendiary steps to build up Mrs. Clinton’s count. Top among these, her aides said, is pressing for Democrats to seat the disputed delegations from Florida and Michigan, who held their primaries in January in defiance of Democratic Party rules."

Senior DOJ official who authorized waterboarding now says it's illegal.

Nick Yordi, former starting quarterback for Wartburg, College in Waverly, Iowa in court on disorderly conduct charge for anti-gay slur: "The trial was scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Bremer County Courthouse. Nick Yordi, a sophomore from Solon, was arrested for yelling those slurs at another student on campus October 9th, 2007. Yordi has pleaded not guilty, and has played in two football games since his arrest." GLAAD: "According to the Wartburg Trumpet, Yordi was 'charged under a section of the Iowa Code that prohibits making abusive epithets or threatening gestures which are likely to provoke a violent reaction by another.' Wartburg College President Jack Ohle addressed the school Oct. 22 through e-mail and wrote, 'Understandably, matters that come within the college’s purview are dealt with immediately and privately with the parties affected through a prescribed process and according to the student handbook, honor code and the appropriate faculty and staff handbooks.'"

Former gay Arizona Rep. Steve May to get back into politics, running for seat vacated this year by Rep. John Shadegg: "This is a great time for a Republican like me to get into the Republican Party to bring it back to the values that win."

Who knew the Hilton family still had up-and-coming drunk drivers?

Project Runway's Jack Mackenroth talks to HIV+ magazine: "I think people have become apathetic--because you can see people like me. I look really good. I take really good care of my body. I think I look good for my age. And I certainly look good for someone who's been HIV-positive for going on 18 years. But don't let that fool you. Having HIV is still not fun. I have to take my pills wherever I go. It's still not a picnic. I run into people all the time who are like, 'Well, you don't look sick.' What the hell does that mean! That's so stupid! Young people now aren't educated like they used to be. I think it's really shocking. I had a partner die. He was 250 pounds! He was a huge, hulking guy. He never found a regimen that worked for him. He constantly had intestinal problems. We were out on Fire Island, and he said, 'I don't feel good.' We went back to New York, he checked into the hospital, and he was dead two weeks later."

Chippendale dancers visit The View.

Va-jay-jay chat: Meredith Vieira giggles nervously as Jane Fonda drops the word c*nt on TV.

Legislation floated that would allow same-sex married couples to divorce in Rhode Island: "The state's highest court ruled in a 3-2 decision in December that a lesbian couple who married in Massachusetts could not get divorced in their home state of Rhode Island. Supporters of the bill say it makes no sense to require people to remain married when they have no desire to do so. But the legislation is expected to face opposition from Gov. Don Carcieri and many other lawmakers."

Gay couples share their stories of romance.

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Arizona Lawmakers Propose Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

Arizona lawmakers proposed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage Monday:

"The proposal was backed by 16 of 30 state senators, and an identical proposal was introduced in the House. Both chambers would have to approve the measure in a vote for it to be included on the ballot. Under the amendment, 'only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state.' The proposal comes after Arizona voters narrowly rejected a similar measure in November 2006."

A similar measure in 2006 was rejected by voters because it reached too far, including prohibiting domestic partnerships and civil unions.

Said State Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Phoenix): "I don't think it's needed. I don't think it's necessary. We've already had this fight a couple of times."

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News: Kelly Rowland, Sundance, Vermont, Johnny Weir, Florent

L.A. Times columnist asks why The Kite Runner, and its controversial boy-rape scene wasn't included in the GLAAD awards. Maybe because sexual orientation had nothing to do with it.

Channing Tatum recruited for GI Joe film: "The 27-year-old modern-turned-actor will play Duke, a field commander and second-in-command of the G.I. Joe Team after Hawk. Other actors signed on: Sienna Miller as The Baroness, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaj (Lost) as Heavy Duty, Rachel Nichols (Alias) as Shana ‘Scarlett’ O’Hara and Marlon Wayans as Ripcord. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock From the Sun) is also in negotiations to join the project."

Randy Lovely promoted to editor of The Arizona Republic, making him the nation's only openly gay editor of a major U.S. newspaper: "Lovely says he has never hidden his sexual preference, but is not among the most outspoken gay rights activists. 'There are many others who are much more involved. I support them, but I am not on the leadership,' he says of his NLGJA membership. 'I have not had to be anything other than what I am. I can't be the one to tell anyone they have to be out. But it is not something I am afraid of.'"

New York meatpacking staple Florent, which I did a long photo piece on two years ago, may be closing...

Johnny Weir ties with Evan Lysacek at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships but Lysacek wins for skating better in the free skate: "First place, second place, last place, I'm just happy with the way I skated. I was so nervous, and it's fantastic vindication to know I came back and didn't completely fall apart. I feel like a winner."

Keith Olbermann would trade personal success for a decent president: "I think this has been a disastrous presidential administration. I would have given what I have, in terms of broadcasting success in the nature of this newscast, I would have easily said…if I were given the choice of this or some responsible presidency in the last four years or eight years? I would have taken a responsible presidency."

Gay ordained Presbyterian minister Brian Webb-Mitchell shares tips for gay parents in new book: "I wrote the book because there was nothing out there that was pro-gay, pro-child, pro-family and pro-Christian. The books that dealt with gay parenting and Christianity were not very pro-Christian. If anything, they steered people toward the United Church of Christ and away from Catholic and Evangelical churches."

Adrian Grenier brings along his own little entourage.

New board game created by son of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Sebelius set inside a prison is called "Don't Drop the Soap": "Fight your way through 6 different exciting locations in hopes of being granted parole. Escape prison riots in The Yard, slip glass into a mob boss' lasagna in the Cafeteria, steal painkillers from the nurse's desk in the Infirmary." And whatever you do, avoid those gays in the shower room!

"Pro-family" conservatives in Arkansas launch drive to stop unmarried couples from adopting or becoming foster parents. Jerry Cox, president of the Arkansas Family Council Action Committee: "Anyone who tells you that this initiated act is only about gay adoption is not telling you the whole story. Anyone who will tell you, though, that gay adoption has nothing to do with this act wouldn’t be telling you the whole story, either."

Sundance Film Festival winners announced...

Work: Kelly Rowland is proud as a peacock at G-A-Y.

Gay Miller Brewing executive Vic Milford shot and killed in Milwaukee robbery: "'At this time, this is a company grieving the tragic loss of one of its dearest employees,' [a Miller spokesman] said, in a statement. 'The immediate impact of this loss is being felt most by the family and friends of Vic Milford. And out of respect for the Milford family, we believe our attention is best served by caring for those most affected by this horrible tragedy.' Milford, a citizen of South Africa, had lived in Milwaukee since taking the Miller Brewing job in February 2005, Green said, and previously worked for SABMiller since 2002. Milford is survived his parents, who are residents of Zimbabwe, a sister in Australia and a man described as Milford's life partner, who lives in South Africa, according to a Miller statement."

Carol Channing is a robber magnet!

Gay Vermont legislator Jason Lorber moonlights as a stand-up comic: "When I first came here, people said 'You're the first comedian to come to the Statehouse.' I say 'I'm the first PROFESSIONAL comedian to come to the Statehouse'...Politics is about changing society and trying to make the world a better place. And performing makes me feel so alive. I love the creative aspect of it...Growing up, I never pictured myself being with a gay guy. Now, I've come to realize that I could never be happy being with a straight guy."

L.A. Times columnist: FOX News host John Gibson should lose his platform over Heath Ledger remarks.

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Arizona Woman Gets 10 1/2 Years for DUI Death of Gay Cyclist

A sentence handed down in the case of a woman who struck a gay man on a bicycle while she was drunk, killing him, is getting attention in Arizona. Melissa Arrington might have received as little as four years behind bars but the judge gave her six and a half more because of a taped phone call she made from jail two days after the accident.

Mark Kimble of the Tucson Citizen reports:

"Less than 11 months earlier, she had been arrested and charged with DUI. She was sentenced to two days in jail and 18 months of probation. Her driver's license was revoked. Nonetheless, on that Friday evening in December 2006, she left the bar to drive home. A woman driving behind her saw her run off the road several times. On the far East Side, Arrington turned onto Old Spanish Trail. She again drifted off the road several times. The final time, she was so far off the road that she hit L'Ecuyer with the driver's side of her truck as she tried to get back on the pavement. He was thrown into the bed of her pickup, where he died. When she was sentenced Tuesday, Arrington received close to the maximum prison time permitted. Cruikshank said that was partially because of the lack of remorse she exhibited in a telephone call from jail two days after the accident. The call, as are all calls to and from inmates, was taped, and it was played in court at Arrington’s sentencing. On it, a male friend congratulated her on killing L’Ecuyer and told her she deserved 'a medal and a f---ing parade because you took out a (slur for a gay person), a cyclist, a tree hugger and a Frenchman in one shot.' Arrington's response, captured on the tape, was to laugh. Cruikshank called that 'breathtaking in its inhumanity.' Now Arrington says she is ready to be remorseful - serving her sentence, turning her life around and working on her idea for her own anti-DUI group."

Read the rest of Kimble's piece to see the kind of life Arrington wasted.

Kimble: Cyclist deserved to live a full life [tucson citizen]
Jailed drunk driver mocks 'dead gay guy' [ap]

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News: John Mayer, Gossip Girl, Banksy, Global Orgasm, Barack Obama

Tonight is the Global Orgasm for Peace: Join it.

Eating at The Waverly Inn in NYC is so much fun it has John Mayer dancing a jig.

Scottsdale police seek leads in gay bashings that occurred in December 2006 and July 2007: "Detectives have investigated all leads to date but have not been able to establish probable cause for any arrests. We are encouraging help from the community to advance the cases."

Mitt Romney's claim that his father marched with Martin Luther King is apparently a complete sham. What a surprise: "He has repeated the claim several times recently, most prominently to Tim Russert on Meet the Press . But, while the late George W. Romney, a four-term governor of Michigan, can lay claim to a strong record on civil rights, the Phoenix can find no evidence that the senior Romney actually marched with King, nor anything in the public record suggesting that he ever claimed to do so. Nor did Mitt Romney ever previously claim that this took place, until long after his father passed away in 1995 -- not even when defending accusations of the Mormon church's discriminatory past during his 1994 Senate campaign." Romney says he meant it in a 'figurative' sense. Right.

Gay Iranian teen waits on Dutch court decision to deport him back to his home country, where we know what he may face.

Hillary Clinton launches two websites intended to expose Barack Obama's "present" votes: "Clinton has attacked Obama for having occasionally voted 'present' (rather than yes or no) as an Illinois state legislator when it came to contentious legislation. It was a legislative maneuver that was sometimes part of a plan by Democrats to give cover to vulnerable colleagues, though in some instances it appears that Obama voted present to avoid taking a position with some political risk -- such as with a bill that would have allowed children as young as 15 who committed crimes with firearms on or near school property to be prosecuted as adults." More on Obama's "present" votes here.

Bethlehem residents paint over Banksy graffiti on West Bank wall: "...the irony behind the depiction of an Israeli soldier checking a donkey's identity papers was lost on some residents, who found it offensive. 'We're humans here, not donkeys,' said Nasri Canavati, a restaurateur. 'This is insulting. I'm glad it was painted over.' To be called a donkey in Palestinian society is similar to being called an idiot."

Former adult film star-turned fashion designer Raymond Dragon returns to the swimwear fold with new line.

An update on the most publicly trashy famous family in America. And a special figurine just in time for Christmas.

Court hears confession of man who dealt fatal blow to researcher of homophobic crime for Metropolitan Police in Britain: "The blow to his face on the evening of September 11 tore an artery at the base of Mr Hoare's brain which caused a fatal swelling. Today (Dec 20) Kingshott, of Maskells Court, Victoria Road, Charlton, admitted manslaughter during a brief hearing at the Old Bailey. On the night of the fatal attack Mr Hoare, a market researcher, had been drinking in the White Swan pub in Charlton village where he had suffered homophobic abuse. He was later found unconscious in the park and died shortly after being taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich."

Wardrobe malfunction as Gossip Guys make TRL appearance.

Female British teen punished for brutal 'chair leg' attacks on two lesbians: "The catalogue of abuse took place last year, starting with a vicious attack in July when a 20-year-old man and two teenage girls armed themselves with wooden chair legs and rained blows on the two women until they were barely conscious. Lake, of John Street, Southampton, has already been given a community punishment order for her role in that attack. She has now been sentenced to a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for further harassment and abuse against the couple. Lake, along with a 15-year-old girl who cannot be identified for legal reasons, denied charges of harassment relating to eight incidents but magistrates found them guilty following a trial."

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News: Britney Spears, Matthew Shepard, Soft Cell, Gay Cruising

Retrial begins over gay Tucson murder: "For the second time, a jury will decide whether a disabled gay Tucson man was stabbed to death over a TV and VCR or as the result of an impulsive rage. Nine years after Mark Truesdell, 29, was slain in his North Campbell Avenue apartment, Ronnie Gene Sartin Jr., 30, is being tried on a first-degree murder charge. Sartin was living in Tucson at the time of the slaying. Sartin was convicted by a jury in 1999 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. The Arizona Court of Appeals ordered the case returned to Superior Court last year for retrial after changes were made to the law regarding how premeditation is explained to jurors."

Halloween scare-a-thon: Chris Crocker recreates Britney Spears cooch flash.

Britney Spears' new album Blackout being called the best of her career.

Utah lawyer on crusade to testify against gay marriage in Vermont: "Monte Stewart will travel more than 2,300 miles this weekend to appear before the Vermont Commission on Family Recognition and Protection as the only lawyer opposed to same-sex marriage scheduled to speak Monday at its second public meeting. Stewart, the president of the Utah-based Family Marriage Law Foundation, will explain to the 11-member legislative committee why marriage rights should not be extended to gay and lesbian couples in Vermont. 'The law has clearly been decided in favor of marriage being between one man and one woman,' Stewart said Wednesday morning, from his office in Orem, Utah. 'There are clear reasons why this institution needs to be preserved.'"

Matthew Shepard foundation launches new community site for LGBT youth.

British group Soft Cell to release remix album.

REPORT: Beckham miserable in the U.S.

UK: Police add to patrols at Hampstead Heath's gay cruising spots.

Gay lawyer Aaron Charney settles bias lawsuit with NY firm Sullivan & Cromwell, where he worked: "The settlement, the terms of which are confidential, brings to a close a dispute that had fascinated the New York legal community over the past several months, both with its allegations concerning partners at one of the city’s most prestigious firms and its bizarre twists and turns in the courtroom. In January, Mr Charney, who had worked in the firm’s mergers and acquisitions practice, sued the firm, accusing several partners of discriminating against him because he is gay and then papering over his complaints."

U.S. asylum denied to gay Mexican.

Lithuanian gay rights conference attacked with smoke bombs.

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News: Steve Wozniak, Compact Disc, Margaret Cho, Rehab

Equality Arizona meets with Scottsdale, Arizona mayor Mary Manross.

The apple of his eye? Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak reportedly dating Kathy Griffin.

Scientists: HIV may stop brain cells from growing. "For some time we've known that HIV can cause a form of dementia, but this had been attributed to the loss of mature brain cells, killed off by an HIV protein called gp120. Now Stuart Lipton and his colleagues at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in San Diego, California, have found that gp120 also slows down the division of adult stem cells called neural progenitor cells (aNPCs), thought to be important for memory and learning. When rat aNPCs were exposed to gp120, 15 per cent of them stopped dividing."

Can he make a career reappear? Britney Spears seen overnighting with magician Criss Angel.

The compact disc is 25 years old.

Provincetown Carnival parade goes through the looking glass, as do the straight tourists: "Honey, we're not in Stockbridge anymore."

New Republic: Don't force Dems to state support of gay marriage publicly. "Perhaps once elected, the next president could take a courageous stand in favor of gay marriage via a televised message to the nation, or he could express support for a gay marriage bill were one to arise in a state legislature or criticize state attempts to ban gay marriage or civil unions. As the leader of his party, a Democratic president who voiced support for gay marriage would immediately render such a position more politically viable for state legislators and rank and file party members. Smith says of the candidates, 'These people are managing a political problem. ...We just need to change the political dynamic.' He's right. Gay marriage advocates need to convince a substantial majority of the country that gay marriage is a moral good before pressuring presidential candidates to take a position on such a highly charged issue."

Amy Winehouse back in rehab, but will she stay? "Amy Winehouse is putting all her touring commitments for this month on hold until further notice in order to address her health issues. Amy will now not be performing at this weekend's V Festival in Chelmsford and Staffordshire. Her family has requested that the media respect Amy's privacy at this time."

Gay singer/songwriter John Wallowitch is dead at 81: "The composer of more than 2,700 songs (by his own count, the majority unpublished), Mr. Wallowitch was a familiar face on New York television, beginning in 1980 with his cable-access show, 'John’s Cabaret,' in which he played piano, sang and joked. With his owlish face, oversize glasses, bow tie and sly Cheshire cat grin, he was the dandified embodiment of a traditional piano man and seemed to know every obscure show tune ever written."

Margaret Cho's film Bam Bam and Celeste gets its San Francisco premiere: "I wrote it because I wanted to do this great fag hag and fag love story, between a girl and her best gay boyfriend. It's the fag hag lament. If you're a fag hag, they always leave with some guy, and you're kind of stuck there, just left behind."

"Fundamentalist fearmongering set" headed to confab in Florida this weekend: "Tampa will host the Family Impact Summit, which will feature Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, failed Republican presidential candidate Gary Bauer, the American Family Association's Don Wildmon, the Southern Baptist Convention's Richard Land, Katherine Harris (just when we thought we'd seen the last of her!), Ohio vote vacuumer Ken Blackwell, Bob Knight of the Media Research Center, as well as "ex-gay" promoters Nancy Heche (actress Anne's mom), and the "ex-gay-for-pay" President of Exodus International, Alan Chambers."

Male Bondage and Barbra Streisand: they go together.

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