News: H1N1, Banksy, Drew Gooden, Space Hotel, Justin Bourne

Wisconsin Supreme Court to hear appeal of lawsuit oever same-sex marriage referendum.

Dallas Mavericks Drew Gooden accused of calling fan a "faggot".

Lady Gaga found something else in her closet.

Census data: many similarities between straight married couples and gay married couples.

Gay candidate smeared as child molester in Annapolis election.

Anti-gay sign investigated as hate crime in Maine: "A hand-painted, plywood sign that had a threat directed at homosexuals was found nailed on a tree in the front yard of a Route 156 residence on Friday, police say."

Hypocrite: Rep. Joe Wilson blames Obama administration for vaccine shortage after voting no on funding bill to combat H1N1.

Space hotel to launch in 2012?

A look at Ultimate Fighting, its gay-friendly and not so gay-friendly fighters, and its gay fans: “Any guy involved in grappling is the furthest thing from homophobic in the world. I honestly think it would have no impact whatsoever with not only our fighters or our fan base. The guys in the UFC, everybody is so cool, it’s great sportsmanship, everybody has respect for each other. I honestly, it wouldn’t be a big deal to me and most of the guys I know in this sport, it wouldn’t be a big deal for them either.”

Circus: Kylie Minogue spent Halloween in NYC with Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone.

Miss Gay America crowned in St. Louis.

Minor league hockey player Justin Bourne: End the gay slurs. "In my days as a hockey player, I did nothing but contribute to hockey's culture of homophobia and prejudice against gays. I used gay slurs more times than I'd like to admit. Six months after I left my last professional locker room, I felt a twinge of regret, followed by a full-out, stomach punch of regret. And by the time I finished the first draft of this column, I was disgusted with myself."

Is Precious this year's Slumdog?

Listen: Silverton, Oregon's transgender mayor Stu Rasmussen profiled on WNYC's Radiolab.

Dancing with the Stars' Derek Hough: I'm not gay, but I almost played one on Cougar Town: "It would have been perfect. With all the rumors going around, I thought it would be really funny because it's just not true. But I was like, you know what? If that's what you want to see."

Rihanna discusses assault: "I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears."

Banksy commentary on graffiti vandalism covered in graffiti by vandals.

Minnesota pastor quits over Lutheran position on gay clergy.

Mariah Carey nearly takes spill on Jay Leno.

Twitter war erupts after user calls British actor Stephen Fry's Tweets "boring."

Conservative Washington Times highlights Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway's opposition to lifting ban on gays in the military: "But Gen. Conway has gone further than others in stating his opposition to a change in policy, according to the former official, who has been privy to private conversations on the matter. "He feels very strongly that [removing the ban] would be disruptive, and he opposes it," said the former official. Gen. Conway's private remarks stand in contrast to public utterances by other service chiefs, who have restricted themselves to repeating a well-rehearsed mantra: If Congress introduces a bill to repeal the ban, they will discuss it with the chain of command. If Congress changes the law, they will follow the law."

News: Europa, Cory Monteith, Marijuana, Morrissey, David Sedaris

Obama to implement new policy on medical marijuana.

Referendum 71 signature battle continues as restraining order issued, and attorney says he is taking the case to the Supreme Court.

Researchers: Jupiter's moon Europa contains enough oxygen to support life.

Whitney Houston survives wardrobe malfunction on X-Factor.

Mormon gay rights groups slam LDS apostle Dallin Oaks for remarks on Prop 8: "he LDS leader, a former Utah Supreme Court justice, said students 'must not be deterred or coerced into silence' by advocates for 'alleged civil rights.' Oaks then condemned the protests, business boycotts, firings of church members and vandalism of LDS meetinghouses that followed the election, comparing them to voter intimidation employed against blacks in the South during the civil rights movement." Background here.

Morrissey lunches in Los Angeles.

All-star cast to perform reading of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, in Los Angeles: "Scheduled to perform are Zachary Quinto (Heroes, Star Trek), James Cromwell (Surrogates, Babe), Pauley Perrette and Michael Weatherly (NCIS), Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki (Big Bang Theory), Julie Benz (Dexter), Lisa Edelstein (House), Barrett Foa (NCIS: Los Angeles), Helen Shaver (Desert Hearts, The 4400) and Emmy Award-winner Christian Clemenson (Boston Legal).

NYT ignores anti-gay bigotry and false smears in right-wing witch hunt against Kevin Jennings.

Virginia country club votes to bar same-sex family from membership: "About 180 votes were cast to support family memberships for same-sex couples with children, according to the club's Web site. Roughly 126 votes were cast against it. For the measure to pass, a two-thirds favorable vote is required, said [member Lynn] Tiedge, who supports the measure and said she worked with at least 15 other club members to revise the club's bylaws to provide for it. Two-thirds of the 311 ballots cast would have been roughly 207 votes.' We recognize that heterosexual couples can marry and homosexuals couples can't,' Tiedge said."

Male model fixes: Will Chalker and Renato Ferreira.

Banksy "self-portrait" to go on display?

Miley Cyrus and Samantha Jones have fashion face-off in Sex and the City 2.

Glee's Cory Monteith models some fashion duds.

And also takes them off.

AP: Shepard Fairey admits to using AP photo as basis for Obama "Hope" poster. News outlet also claims Fairey “admitted to the AP that he fabricated and attempted to destroy other evidence in an effort to bolster his fair use case and cover up his previous lies and omissions.”

Where would you wish to wake up?

Gay Kenyan couple weds in London.

More than 21,000 complain to the UK's Press Complaints Commission over homophobic Daily Mail column on Stephen Gately's death.

David Sedaris on living in France: "It's disgusting how people kiss in France. It turns my stomach. It's everywhere you go, and it's not just teenagers. You go to the movies and even ticket lines for movies and there are people making out. They're sucking each others' tongues and drooling on each other's chins. Anything you've done once, you can forgive. But I never made out with anyone in public. Part of that's being gay, so that allows me to enjoy being self-righteous."

News: Civil Disobedience, Mariah Carey, iPhone 3GS, O.J.

Savage: One year Civil Disobedience plan for gay rights.

Schwarzenegger: Prop 8 challenge should be decided by the courts.

End sign?

Listen: Mariah Carey's new single "Obsessed".

Portland Mayor Sam Adams woes continue: home payment default.

Gizmodo's review of the iPhone 3GS.

Madonna's new kid Mercy and her peeps.

Biologists: Same-sex relationships may drive evolution. "Same-sex sexual behaviors are flexibly deployed in a variety of circumstances, for example as alternative reproductive tactics, as cooperative breeding strategies, as facilitators of social bonding or as mediators of intrasexual conflict. Once this flexibility is established, it becomes in and of itself a selective force that can drive selection on other aspects of physiology, life history, social behaviour and even morphology."

Australian poll: 60% support marriage equality.

It's the 15th anniversary of the O.J. chase.

Thousands flock to Banksy show. "During the show’s opening weekend, almost 8,500 people flooded the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, about eight times what the venue would normally expect."

Sex change in China could require permission from the police: "The proposed guidelines, posted Tuesday, say candidates for surgery must show an agreement from police to change their sex on their identification cards once the procedure is complete. The ministry posted the draft guidelines to invite public and professional opinions before July 10. China has no laws against sex change surgery, and the ministry says the guidelines are necessary to regulate the procedure."

Jamie Dornan all buttered up for new Calvin Klein campaign.

Anti-gay attack on College Street in Toronto: "Around 2:30am on the morning of Jun 7 — after a night out at El Convento Rico dance club on College St — Corey John and Takonda Majikwa were walking west toward Ossington when a group of men approached them. 'They were drunk and had open beer bottles in their hands,' says John. 'When they approached us they were making remarks as 'faggot,' 'fudge packer' and 'you and your girlfriend.'"' 

Why people tend to enjoy Cristiano Ronaldo's time off best.

Larry Kramer praises book on pre-Oscar Wilde gay sex in Britain: "Certainly nothing like this has appeared in America, thus allowing queer and gender studies to pretty much swamp, nay drown, the gay history field with their gobbledygook theorizing of what might have happened. This ludicrous state of affairs prohibits making statements such as: "they did then what we do now," without the wrath of queer theorists raining down insults of an uncommonly vitriolic nature. You don't have a right to say that! say they. You can't prove it! say they. It's been here all along since the beginning of history, say many others of us. Well now it can be said, and proved, in Britain at any rate, thanks to Upchurch."

I Scream, U Scream, They All Scream at Banksy

Yesterday, I mentioned street artist/prankster Banksy's new show at the Bristol Museum in his UK hometown. Banksy introduced it on his own website with the image above.

There's also a trailer, AFTER THE JUMP...

Banksy Stages Surprise Largest-Ever Exhibition in Britain

Including works from past installations such as his Pet Shop in New York City and his 'Santa's Village' installation in Jerusalem, along with 'revised' versions of the City Museum and Art Gallery's own works, street artist Banksy has announced a surprise exhibition opening tomorrow in his home town of Bristol, UK:

"'This show is my vision of the future, to which many people will say: 'You should have gone to Specsavers'', Banksy added. The exhibition and its location have been a closely-guarded secret since October, with just a couple of museum officials in the loop. 'I think we may have dragged them down to our level rather than being elevated to theirs,' said Banksy of the subterfuge involved in staging the show in his home city. Museum director Kate Brindley said it was a huge relief to finally be able to talk about the exhibition, and admitted they had taken a 'risk'. Plans for the summer show were kept from Bristol City Council chiefs until Friday - the day before it was due to open."

A tour of the exhibit from the BBC, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Daniel O'Donnell, Up, David Geffen, Twitter, Amazing Race

Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee to hear same-sex marriage bills tomorrow.

NYT profiles New York Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell and the battle for marriage equality.

Guess who's losing their house now?

Jim Carrey-Ewan McGregor prison romance I Love You Phillip Morris gets distributor, to open on Valentine's Day.

Rihanna and Lady GaGa team up for new track - listen.

Is my marriage gay?

ACLU pushes for marriage equality nationwide.

Gay adult print world suffers hit.

David Geffen wants to buy the New York Times: "Mr Geffen, a co-founder of DreamWorks SKG, made an offer in the past two months for the 19.8 per cent stake in the New York Times Company held by Harbinger Capital Partners, the activist US hedge fund controlled by Philip Falcone. His offer was rebuffed, two people familiar with its details said. One of these said the offer was made at the prevailing market price but Harbinger wanted a premium, adding that Mr Geffen remained interested in owning the company and would be 'a patient buyer'."

The official trailer for Pixar's Up, the first animated film to debut in Cannes.

AfterElton interviews gay and deaf contestant Luke and his mother Margie from The Amazing Race.

New Eating Out film is looking to discover you!

Charges dropped against man who threatened gay Connecticut lawmakers Michael Lawlor and Andrew McDonald: "A Connecticut man arrested for sending a threatening e-mail to state lawmakers has completed an anger management course and has had all charges against him dismissed. The lawyer for 26-yer-old Timothy Kane said Monday that Kane deeply regrets sending the e-mail and wishes no harm to the legislators." Background.

Duet: Leighton Meester and Cobra Starship?

A Banksy self-portrait?

ABC and Nightline to produce Twitter-fueled weekly news show.

Parents of slain Liverpool gay teen Michael Causer to receive book of condolence: "On a day that will see a rainbow flag fly above Liverpool Town Hall for the first time, Lord Mayor Cllr Steve Rotheram will present Marie and Michael Snr with the book. The flag will become multi coloured to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia, celebrated each year on May 17."

NYT opinion: Obama faking left. "Four months in, the Obama administration does seem to have a plausible strategy for turning the “social issues” to liberalism’s advantage. The outline is simple: Engage on abortion, and punt on gay rights."

Tennessee marries same-sex couple: "The two have been married for more than a year but they recently found out their marriage is invalid, because both are considered men. Phillips and Rittenberry are the first same-sex marriage in Tennessee. Rittenberry, 46, and Phillips, 33, met through a hot-line service and legally wed in November 2007. Rittenberry was born a man but identifies as a woman and claims to have had sex reassignment surgery."