Australia's First Legal Civil Union Ceremony Held in Canberra

Australia has held its first legally-binding civil union ceremony.

ABC News reports: "The Legislative Assembly passed a Greens bill earlier this month allowing gay couples to recognise their relationship with a legal ceremony. Warren McGaw and Chris Rumble - who have been together for nearly 20 years - celebrated their civil partnership at the Old Parliament House rose gardens this afternoon. They say they are excited to be the first couple to take advantage of the legislation. 'We thought we'd take this opportunity not only for gay couples Australia wide ... but just for human rights,' Mr McGaw said."

The celebration will likely be short-lived, as Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has promised to overturn the legislation.

Australian PM Kevin Rudd to Kill ACT Civil Union Laws

Despite calls from his own party to approve marriage equality and not override same-sex civil union laws recently passed in the Australian Capital Territory, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will do just the opposite, The Australian reports:

"In the latest run-in between the commonwealth and the ACT's Labor government on the divisive issue, Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said Attorney-General Robert McClelland had indicated during a recent meeting that the Rudd government would quash the amended legislation. "They are prepared to intervene to overturn the recent amendments to the civil union legislation in the ACT," Mr Stanhope said of his Monday meeting with Mr McClelland. "I indicated bluntly that this was unacceptable." Earlier this month, the ACT government amended its civil partnership legislation to allow public ceremonies following a move by the Greens, who now form a minority government with Labor. The move set the ACT on yet another collision course with the commonwealth, which on three previous occasions has intervened to kill, or dilute, various civil union bills passed or mooted by the ACT Legislative Assembly."

Said a spokesman for the attorney general: "The government's position is that the most appropriate way to achieve this is through the development of a nationally consistent framework for relationship recognition."

Labor Calls on Australian PM Kevin Rudd to Approve Marriage Equality

The Victorian Labor Party is pressuring Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to recognize marriage equality, the Sydney Morning Herald reports:

"Labor's state conference overwhelmingly passed a resolution at the weekend calling for gay and lesbian couples to be given the same rights as heterosexual couples, including the right to state-sanctioned marriage. The resolution, which is supported by state ministers and which attracted cross-factional support, calls on the Federal Government to change the Marriage Act to allow for 'equal access to marriage, regardless of the gender of either partner'. It also urges the Federal Government not to override new laws passed in the ACT that will allow same-sex couples to celebrate their civil union at a legally binding ceremony. 'Victorian Labor believes that people are entitled to respect, equality, dignity and the opportunity to participate in society free from hatred or harassment and receive the protection of the law regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,' the resolution says. The conference vote puts the Victorian branch of the party at odds with both Mr Rudd and the Premier, John Brumby."

The Age reports: "The Rudd Government intervened last year to ensure ACT laws allowed only for civil union ceremonies with no legal status, and Mr Brumby has said his Government does not support gay marriage."

Drag Queen Leads Flash Mob on Sydney's Bondi Beach

Over the weekend, Sydney's Bondi Beach was the scene of a (Kylie Minogue-approved) flash mob, led by legendary local drag queen Joyce Maynge.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Nate Berkus, ENDA, Ken Keechl, Argentina, Beenie Man

Following judge's ruling, paperwork issued for Argentina's first same-sex marriage.

Kardashian sisters don duct tape for NoH8 campaign.

Joe Jackson's last money grab before MJ's fillings?

Retired military chaplains come out in support of repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

ENDA mark-up postponed.

Philippines elections board (COMELEC) says gays "overly represented" in Congress: "Comelec second division chairman Nicodemus Ferrer was defending the poll body’s rejection of the application of gay-rights group Ang Ladlad for party-list representation. 'I have been telling them, you are not under-represented… actually you are over-represented in the Lower House and Upper House,' Ferrer told reporters in an interview. But Ferrer declined to name names."

While Levi does Playgirl, Neil Patrick Harris does Playboy.

Ken Keechl takes over as first openly gay mayor of Broward County, Florida.

Petition Obama to support federal court challenge to Prop 8.

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Community Center of Central Florida in Orlando and nearby gay-owned business hit by anti-gay graffiti: "...a swastika and the words 'Gay Pawer,' 'Die Fags,' 'Go To Hell' and other homophobic slurs. Damage to the two buildings is estimated to be over $1,000.The Center is currently working to cover the messages on the building to deter additional damage."

Horrific undercover investigation of treatment of pigs on factory farms.

Anti-gay Jamaican singer Beenie Man's appearance at Australia's Big Day Out has been canceled: "A statement from the Big Day Out's producers today says that while the concert organisers believe the controversial musician has now renounced homophobia, the storm of protest this week after the announcement that he was in the line-up means his continued involvement would prove too divisive."

Anderson Cooper helms Elton John AIDS Foundation event in NYC.

Chris Pine suits up for GQ's 'Man of the Year'.

Oprah interior designer Nate Berkus to get his own syndicated daytime show.

Max Blumenthal on Palin's ghostwriter Lynn Vincent: "Vincent may have been an effective literary collaborator, but like Palin herself, she entered the project with considerable political baggage. Vincent’s commentaries for World are punctuated by inflammatory characterizations of gays, minorities and liberals that have already provided fodder for Palin’s critics. Among Vincent’s most strident statements were her description of homosexuality as a 'deviant' mental disorder and labeling of President Barack Obama as the 'face of the minority survivor' of abortion, which she dubbed the 'Black Genocide.'"

Tim Gunn on the one item of clothing he can't stand: "I cannot wrap my brain around the ubiquity of Crocs. Kelly Ripa [on "Live with Regis and Kelly"] said, 'I insist that you put them on because they're so comfortable.' And I put them on. I am looking down at my feet, and I feel like I have hooves! They're horrible. If we all succumbed to the comfort trap, to dress as if we never got out of bed -- then we should never get out of bed."

Good News for Whales

They're now apparently being protected by Batman:

"The mean-looking Ady Gil is the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's newest weapon in their ongoing battle against Japanese whalers. The trimaran - previously known as Earthrace - recently set the world powerboat record for circumnavigation. Described as a ‘wave piercer’ which can submarine up to 23 feet underwater, the craft completed the round-the-world trip using 100 per cent renewable biodiesel fuel, with a net zero carbon footprint. The 24,000 nautical mile journey took just 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes, smashing the previous record by over two weeks. Now the newly-renamed vessel has been unveiled as the Sea Shepherd's new weapon in the organisation's sixth campaign against whaling, Operation Waltzing Mathilda, which will launch from Australia early next month."