News: Rea Carey, Justice Dept, Olympics, Monet, Barack Obama

Conservative Orange County Register says high court's decision on marriage was justified.

MAG: What's on Obama's iPod.

Matt Damon's summer look: flab with pornstache.

Rea Carey to succeed Matt Foreman as executive director of Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

REPORT: Justice Dept. politicized hiring practices to favor Republican candidates: "'Many qualified candidates' were rejected for the department’s honors program because of what was perceived as a liberal bias, the report found. Those practices, the report concluded, 'constituted misconduct and also violated the department’s policies and civil service law that prohibit discrimination in hiring based on political or ideological affiliations.'" FLASHBACK: DOJ Looking into Possible Firing of Atty Over Sexual Orientation...

Ad campaign for Dexter in Portugal features severed limbs in butcher cases and knifed corpses on the street!

British soldiers see 13 UFOs in sky above barracks: "I was on duty in the guard room when the other boys outside began shouting. I went out to see what the commotion was about and could see thirteen craft in the skies. They were zig-zagging, but I filmed two before they disappeared. They were like rotating cubes with multiple colours. I made a full report to my commanding officers and gave them my footage. The other lads were as amazed by it as I was."

Monet water lily painting goes for $80.5 million at Christie's, doubling previous record for the artist.

Washington D.C. city councilman and former mayor Marion Barry says he would support a bill legalizing same-sex marriage there.

Bill Clinton offers support to Obama; Obama asks donors to raise money for Clinton.

Orlando Bloom reveals his back end in the Canary Islands.

Justin Timberlake's 'Play' fragrance may smell clean but his feet are filthy.

Out swimmer Andrew Langenfeld to compete for a spot on the Olympic team in the 100-meter butterfly.

NYC Chelsea nightclub 1 Oak reacts to reports yesterday that they covered up a gay bashing at the venue. Page Six: "Club sources say the night was not promoted as a 'gay night' and that the attacker was re strained by security but broke away. The victim said 1Oak owner Scott Sartiano insisted on giving him a car to the hospital instead of calling an ambulance. A rep for the club said, '1Oak is committed to providing an environment of safety and security to patrons every night. This incident was handled by security and staff immediately and this type of inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated at 1Oak.'"

Art Fag City talks to Nayland Blake about who they'd all like to fuck.

Anti-gay assault suspect under arrest in Minneapolis: "A gay Twin Cities man, the apparent victim of a hate crime, was badly beaten last Saturday. He claims a stranger approached him near 6th and Cedar Ave. South in Minneapolis, and asked if he was gay. The victim answered yes proudly, and the suspect hit the man in the face, yelling that he hated homosexuals. Abdirizak Mohamed has been charged with assault in the fourth degree with bias—a hate crime with enhanced penalties."

Michelle Obama to give keynote address at Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council Gala DNC fundraiser on Thursday in New York.

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News: Gina Gershon, Tel Aviv, Sam Nunn, MTV, Scott McClellan

Missouri joins 10 other states in push to halt California's same-sex marriage law from going forward: "The other states filed a brief Friday asking the court to postpone action pending the results of a November ballot question in which California voters could overrule the decision. The ballot question was certified in California on Monday, prompting Nixon’s action. 'Regardless of how California decides to proceed, Missouri does not recognize same-sex marriages performed in California or any other state,' Nixon spokesman Scott Holste said Tuesday." UPDATE: Court gives green light to marriage.

John Mayer's hot rod.

Openly gay candidates win state legislature seats in California and Montana.

New York State Assembly passes bill banning transgender discrimination: "...the New York State Assembly voted 102-33 to amend the state’s human rights law to include anti-discrimination protections based upon gender identity and expression. The bill (A.6584a), known as the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) bans discrimination against transgender people in housing, employment, credit, public accommodations, and other areas of everyday life."

Airlines contemplating putting passengers on the scales?

Gay days kicks off in Orlando, Florida.

Gay community center opens in Tel Aviv: "A new mezuzah was affixed to the entrance to a building on the campus of the 'Dov Hoz' school in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, one covered in the rainbow flag of the Gay Pride movement. After decades as the home of the 'Workers' children's school' serving the children of the Labor Party elite, and later a local high school, the building is now home to Tel Aviv's first-ever Gay and Lesbian community center. 'The image of God can be seen in every person, and therefore, this building is not only a community center, but a house of God' said Rabbi David Lazar at a ceremony to bless the affixing of the building's mezuzah."

Prison Break's Dominic Purcell shows some insight.

Former Georgia senator Sam Nunn says it may be time to reconsider "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": "I think [when] 15 years go by on any personnel policy, it’s appropriate to take another look at it — see how it’s working, ask the hard questions, hear from the military. Start with a Pentagon study."

Crystal ("you are a whore") Conners denies having affair with Bill Clinton.

More Prince William seamen photos.

Scott McClellan memoir docu-drama in the works?

MTV fined $498,000 by UK regulator for offensive content: "The music broadcaster was fined for material carried on its TMF, MTV U.K., MTV France and MTV Hits channels, including uses of the word 'motherf***er' and 'f**k' in music videos and for airing racist and homophobic texts including such sentiments as 'the white race will triumph' and 'death to all gays' on MTV France."

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Bill Clinton and Students in Spirited Exchange on DOMA

Lily Lamboy of the Smith College newspaper The Sophian recently questioned Bill Clinton about the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) at an MTVu roundtable. Clinton defended his record on gay issues and accused Melissa Etheridge of "rewriting history" when she said, during the Presidential Forum on LGBT Issues, that gays were "thrown under the bus" by his administration.

(Via Visible Vote)

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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!

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Obama's Alleged Snub of 'Gay Marriage Mayor' Newsom Resurfaces

Gavin Newsom appeared at a "town hall" event on Monday night in San Francisco with Bill Clinton, and today primary eve comments on the Clinton-Newsom relationship (or rather the chill between Newsom and Barack Obama) by former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown have irked gay Obama supporters.

Brown reminded the SF Chronicle of a fundraiser he held for Obama at which Newsom was present, shortly after Newsom's controversial decision to allow the city to begin issuing marriage certificates to same-sex couples. Said Brown to the Chronicle: "I gave a fundraiser, at his (Obama's) request at the Waterfront restaurant. And he said to me, he would really appreciate it if he didn't get his photo taken with my mayor. He said he would really not like to have his picture taken with Gavin."

The Chronicle adds: "'I think he has harbored this resentment for years,' Brown said of Newsom, adding that Obama was reluctant to be seen appearing in San Francisco altogether, much less side by side with the gay-marriage mayor. 'I would guess that is part of the rejection of the Obama campaign.' Though same-sex marriage is still a hot-button issue in 2008, it is no longer the shocker that had the country in an uproar four and five years ago. Until you go back and look at the news stories from those days, it is easy to forget how radical and unpopular Newsom's stand was. And, no, it wasn't just the right-wingers who were upset. It was Democrats, too, particularly those running in the presidential primary. John Kerry, for example, was careful to stage his Bay Area appearances in Oakland, not San Francisco, after the controversy hit. 'I don't know anybody in the party who was happy with him, except me,' Brown said. 'He was all alone out there. He was the poster child for same-sex marriage worldwide.' That's why Brown says he doesn't blame Obama for his caution. Today, of course, the Illinois senator is happy to embrace gay causes. But in 2004, nationally, same-sex marriage was a radical notion. 'What they ought to say is, 'Damn right I did it, and I'd do it again,'' Brown said of the Obama camp. 'He was in a race for the Senate, and I am guessing that downstate Illinois is a pretty red (meaning conservative) group of voters.'"

Obama supporters, like his gay deputy campaign director, Steve Hildebrand, call it "a ridiculous story." Said Hildebrand: "Barack Obama gets his picture taken with gay people all the time. Including me, his deputy campaign manager. They could attack Obama for a lot of things, but this isn't one of them. And for this to pop up on the eve of the election is very suspicious. There's just no truth to it."

Obama snub still rankles Newsom [sf chronicle]
Best Served Cold [politico]

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Obama Wins South Carolina Primary, Gets Kennedy Endorsement

As you probably know by now, Barack Obama handily won the South Carolina primary on Saturday, beating Senator Hillary Clinton with 55% of the vote to Clinton's 27%. John Edwards received 18% of the vote.

Above, Obama's acceptance speech, which has winning plenty of praise over the weekend.

Obama got a symbolic Democratic endorsement over the weekend from Caroline Kennedy, in an op-ed piece in the
New York Times, to be followed today in a one-two punch to Clinton by an endorsement from Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.

Said Caroline: "My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined. All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals. Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible. We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama."

An associate of Ted Kennedy told the Boston Globe the reasoning behind the Senator's move to Obama: "Kennedy believes Obama can 'transcend race' and bring unity to the country, a Kennedy associate told the Globe. Kennedy was also impressed by Obama's deep involvement last year in the bipartisan effort to craft legislation on immigration reform, a politically touchy subject the other presidential candidates avoided, [Kennedy's] associate said. The coveted endorsement is a huge blow to New York Senator Hillary Clinton, who is both a senatorial colleague and a friend of the Kennedy family. In a campaign where Clinton has trumpeted her experience over Obama's call for hope and change, the endorsement by one of the most experienced and respected Democrats in the Senate is a particularly dramatic coup for Obama."

Senator Kennedy will reportedly make his endorsement at a rally today. Kennedy's endorsement comes despite "a last-ditch effort over the last few days" from the Clinton campaign, according to Politico.

Meanwhile, Bill Clinton, who campaigned heavily for his wife in South Carolina, seemed to ignore calls to leave race out of the contest on Saturday when he declared "Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in '84 and '88. Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here." (clip below)

The Clinton campaign was said on Sunday to be "reeling in" the former President: "Campaign officials, without acknowledging any faults on Mr. Clinton's part, have said they will change tactics and try to shift Mr. Clinton back into the role he played before her loss in the Iowa caucuses, emphasizing her record and experience and steering clear of criticizing Mr. Obama."

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #234

SPACESHIP TWO: The unveiling of Richard Branson's new spacecraft.

CUECA FUNK: Brazil's newest dance sensation?

GEORGE MICHAEL: His cameo as guardian angel on the new TV show Eli Stone.

UFOs: Larry King on the recent spate of sightings in Stephenville, Texas.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #233

FREEHELD: Trailer for the documentary about Laurel Hester (who I wrote about quite a bit in 2006). Hester fought and won a tough battle with the Ocean County freeholders in order to leave her pension benefits to her partner. Hester died in February 2006. The documentary, Freeheld, is up for an Academy Award.

BILL CLINTON: Has strong words with CNN reporter Jessica Yellin, accusing the Obama campaign of stirring the race issue. According to the NYT, "The reporter told him that Dick Harpootlian, a former Democratic Party chairman in South Carolina and an Obama supporter, had called the Clinton campaign in South Carolina 'reprehensible.' CNN also told him that Mr. Harpootlian had compared their tactics to those of Lee Atwater, the Republican operative who used racial politics and wedge issues."

ROBERT TRACHTENBERG: World of Wonder catches up with the creator of the book When I Knew at Sundance.

MITT ROMNEY: His son Matt sends him a crank call from Arnold Schwarzenegger just before the Michigan primary.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #232

MITT ROMNEY: At a MLK event in Jacksonville, Florida, Romney asks, "Who let the dogs out?" Then barks.

TOM CRUISE ROASTED: Craig Ferguson sends up the Scientologist.

TYRA BANKS: Asks John Edwards what it's like to be a minority candidate? (source: nymag)

BILL HAS A DREAM: Clinton nods off during MLK service at the Convent Avenue Baptist Church in Harlem.

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Chris Matthews: Hillary Clinton Rode Tailcoats of Bill's Infidelity

The night before the New Hampshire primary, MSNBC's Chris Matthews was giving Hillary Clinton "a lot of personal credit" for having achieved her political goals, but the morning after her win he spewed out this asinine bit of commentary:

"I think the Hillary appeal has always been about the mix of toughness and sympathy. Let's not forget, and I'll be brutal, the reason she's a US Senator, the reason she's a candidate for President, the reason she may be a front runner, is that her husband messed around...That's how she got to be a Senator from New York. We keep forgetting it. She didn't win it on her merit, she won because everybody felt, 'My God, this woman stood up under humiliation,' right? That's what happened. That's how it happened. In 1998, she went to NY and campaigned for Chuck Schumer as almost like the grieving widow of absurdity, and she did it so well and courageously. But it was about the humilation of Bill Clinton."

Chris Matthews [talking points memo]
Chris Matthews Outdoes Himself [daily kos]
Matthews: Hillary’s succeeding because Bill ‘messed around.’ [think progress]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #222

FEEDBACK: Janet Jackson's first new video in years. The flying from planet to planet is so Super Mario Galaxy.

RADICAL CLERIC: The latest creation of Max Blumenthal and Thomas Shomaker.

BILL CLINTON: The former pres. on the attack, going after what he calls the Obama "fairy tale".

SHELTER: Clip from the gay surf romance coming to theaters in March 2008, starring Brad Rowe and Trevor Wright.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #213

BILL CLINTON: Talked to Charlie Rose late on Friday night, arguing that Obama doesn't have the experience yet to be president.

PHONE SEX OPERATOR: Two straight guys try to land a job. (Audio NSFW)

MIKE HUCKABEE: New spot. On "what really matters" this Christmas season other than the Evangelical vote. Nothing.

SAINT ETIENNE: Our pop music guru Robbie Daw put together this cool clip for his blog Chart Rigger featuring some bits from an old interview he did with Sarah Cracknell.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #210

NEW YORK SUBWAY VIOLENCE #1: A hate crime attack on the Q train. Christians attack Jews on the subway. The only person who came to their aid was a Muslim student from Bangladesh.

NEW YORK SUBWAY VIOLENCE #2: A group of black women attack a white man who is now pressing charges. He says he did not fight back because he felt it was wrong to hit women. The women reportedly posted the video to YouTube.

BILL CLINTON: Heckled by a man dressed as a robot who insists he apologize to Sister Souljah. The robot, Iowa professor Kembrew McLeod, explains why he did it.

SENATOR KIT BOND (R-MO) on TORTURE: The ranking Republican on the Senate intelligence committee on waterboarding — "It's like swimming - freestyle, backstroke..."

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News: Knut, Diana Ross, Blonde Map, Medical Marijuana

Asian woman becomes Australia's first gay cabinet minister: "South Australia Senator Penny Wong Ying Yen has been appointed minister for water and climate change by new Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The 39-year-old lawyer is the first Asian-born person to become a Cabinet minister as well as the first gay person of either sex."

World's most famous Polar Bear celebrates first birthday.

Gay marriage bill to be reintroduced in Australian Capital Territory.

Homophobic vandals cause distress at Bard College at Simon's Rock : "Anyone wishing to see the poster and what was written on it can do so, said [residence director] Darcangelo, who keeps it in her office. 'Fags suck (cock)' was written on the poster in black pen, while 'homosexuals? Don't they belong in hell (being facetious)' was written in a nearby spot. Rich Vaden, a senior and president of QueerSA, learned the news from Graves' email. 'My head almost exploded,' he said."

Rainbow Tour: Miss Ross accepts Kennedy Center Honors.

Bill Clinton lashes out at press coverage of Hillary: "Sixty-seven percent of the coverage is pure politics. That stuff has a half-life of about 15 seconds. It won't matter tomorrow. It is very vulnerable to being slanted and rude. And it won't affect your life...I would pick her and be here if we weren't married. One percent of the press coverage was devoted to their record in public life. No wonder people think experience is irrelevant."

The Blonde Map of Europe. Do you really think they have more fun in central Scandinavia?

Kylie Minogue in look-alike strip club scandal.

Soulforce and COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) plan to target megachurches next year from Mother's Day in May until Father's Day in June: "Through our visibility we hope to peacefully challenge the false stereotypes about LGBT people and same-gender families, and educate the public through authentic and personal conversations - real parents sharing their stories and describing the hurtful effects of prejudice and religious condemnation."

Republican and Democratic candidates get grade on medical marijuana stance.

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Rosie O'Donnell Loses MSNBC Show, Cries for Clinton

Rosie O'Donnell, whose tendency to spew forth unedited has garnered her as much fame as it has trouble, now says that recent reports of a chat show gig on MSNBC have been ruined because she opened her mouth to soon. She writes, on her blog:

"msnbc / one hour / live / following keith olbermann / we were close to a deal / almost done / i let it slip in / miami / causing panic on the studio end / well / what can u do / 2day there is no deal / poof / my career as a / pundit is over / b4 it began / just as well / i figure / everything happens for a reason / bashert - as we say // and on we go"

That's a shame. We would have definitely tuned in. Rosie made an appearance at the New York Comedy Festival Tuesday night, Page Six reports, in which she told the audience that Bill Clinton had sent her a card after she "slammed" him at a comedy performance at the Mohegan Sun Casino Hotel following the Lewinsky affair.

Said O'Donnell at the casino show: "He disgusts me. And I know I'm not supposed to say this because I'm a good Democrat, but I didn't want to [talk] to him because he lied to me when he said, 'I did not have sexual relations with that woman,' and then put the scarlet-letter [bleep]-job on her for the rest of her life . . . I still hate you!"

Rosie told the comedy fest audience she called the phone number attached to the note and talked to the former pres: "My knees got weak. I was like, 'Can I [bleep] you?' No, I didn't say it, but I felt it - I was like, 'Whoa! Whoa!' And he said, 'I was at your show the other night, and I was sorry that you didn't come over and say hello to me. And I know that you're still harboring some hard feelings. And I said, 'You know, listen, here's the deal, dude. I've been disappointed by men my whole life. I loved JFK, my mother loved JFK, and you were the JFK to me. And you let me down, man. You killed me and that hurt me a lot, and when you hurt me, I don't know, I didn't expect that out of you and I thought you could do better for your wife, for the country and just in general."

Rosie told the audience that Clinton's response had her in tears: "He goes, 'I'm sorry for all the men who ever hurt you, I'm sorry that I hurt you. Everything you've said to me, I've said to myself, and I hope one day you can forgive me, and I hope I can forgive me.'"

the show that never was [rosie]
WHEN BILL MADE ROSIE WEEP [page six]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #179

PETER PACE: Tom Harkin takes on the bigoted Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Here's the story from yesterday.

BILL CLINTON: Blasts the hypocrisy behind the attacks on MoveOn's "General Betray Us" ad.

T.R. KNIGHT: Two clips of his appearance on Ellen today.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #129

BILL CLINTON: Goes to bat for Hillary.

BBC REPORTER vs SCIENTOLOGISTS: BBC reporter John Sweeney and his recent altercation while shooting the documentary "Scientology and Me".

JOHN EDWARDS and MEMORIAL DAY: John Edwards has launched a new site, Supportthetroopsendthewar.com which suggests 10 things you can do over Memorial Day to do just that.

WRATH: The 700 Club's Accu-Wrath Weather Forecast.

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News: Easter Parade, Spandau Ballet, Spray-On Computer, Ohio

Bush vs. Clinton - whose economy is stronger? Each claims his own. Economist Larry Kudlow: "Every expansion has a little different coloration. The Clinton years were colored by the technology boom and the dot-com boom, which ultimately produced a bubble that burst. The Bush years were colored by the tremendous housing boom from the Greenspan interest rates, and we're undergoing some kind of a bubble bursting right now."

Is Easter the new Gay Pride?

True: 80's power ballad group Spandau Ballet set to reform.

Pop singer Mika seems intent on attempting to control his image. The singer, whose album Life in Cartoon Motion entered the Billboard 200 chart at #29, continues to be annoyed by those wondering about his sexuality. Says Mika: "Sexuality in pop is genderless. If you look at icons such as Bowie or Prince, has it got to do with actual sexual orientation? No. Has it got to do with style, beauty and class, irrelevant to whether you want to f**k them? Yes."

Queer Eye's Thom Filicia getting his own show on the Style Network. [Dress my Nest...lets him riff on an individual client's favorite outfit as the basis for making over an important room. If you like khakis and topsiders, that will be reflected in Filicia's design. If you're more into pearls and cashmere, the makeover will reflect that elegance. Primary vendors are Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn and West Elm."

Justin Timberlake mocks Britney with GQ clip?

Gays at black colleges struggling to find community: "It's a tug-of-war that's emerging at other black schools, where students say outdated rules and homophobia block them from forming the gay campus voice common at majority white institutions. At Hampton [University], where rules govern everything from overnight guests to student dress, officials insist they don't discriminate against gays. They say they're simply enforcing the regulations on student groups, and there just isn't space for another one."

<---Paging Lance Bass?

Anti-gay Catholic leader William Donohue thought a South Park parody targeting him was hilarious: "Maybe I do come across too tough on TV. I thought it was hilarious and our staff thought it was hilarious. I said, listen, I said I have no defense except I'm gonna go with it."

Scientists unveil "spray-on" computer.

John McCain on lying about conditions in Iraq: "Of course I’m gonna misspeak. I’ve done it on numerous occasions. And I probably will in the future. I regret that when I divert attention to something that I’ve said from my message. But that’s just life. And I’m happy, frankly, with the way I operate. Otherwise it’d be a lot less fun."

First gay health clinic in Ohio opens in Cleveland.

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News: Tony Dungy, Clinton Requiem, Nip/Tuck, SA Divorce

As a sixth paper drops Ann Coulter's column, the AP wonders if she's reached a tipping point.

Madonna to guest star on Nip/Tuck, possibly opposite Rosie O'Donnell.

One of the first gay couples to register for a civil union in South Africa, Richard Thornton and Andries Jacobs, have filed for divorce: "Barely a month after a chance encounter in a West Rand shopping mall, they exchanged rings and vows of fidelity on January 5, one of the first same-sex couples to be married in South Africa under the then newly enacted Civil Unions Act. Ironically, they could become the first divorced under the legislation. Just two months later, the marriage has crumbled and 52- year-old Thornton has filed for divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences and desertion. Jacobs, 20, packed his bags in the dead of night just weeks into the marriage as arguments over coming home late and overpossessiveness escalated."

Hilary Duff hits the gay bar circuit.

Beckham impostors attempt to crash Hollywood power lunch spot The Ivy. This time they weren't hawking fragrance.

Priest in Saskatchewan cut from church for performing gay marriages. Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck considers his position an act of civil disobedience: "I felt unable to say no to those requests. That goes against everything else I'm about in my ministry and everything else that the church stands for...I have no desire to get myself off the hook. I'm trying to send a very strong message to the gay and lesbian community, and to other communities that have been alienated from the church, that we don't all think the same and there are people willing to go to the wall."

House conservatives attempt to neuter global warming committee by appointing chief climate skeptic.

Ford Motor Co. said that American Family Association had nothing to do with their decision to cut ties with GLAAD Media Awards.

Roxy R.I.P. - a New York Times obituary.

David Mixner's requiem for the Clinton era: "Today, the Clintons run the political machine trying to save the status quo in the Democratic Party. Their fundraising operation is notorious for its ruthlessness and elitism. Their circle of advisors and friends are tough and aggressive with anyone who refuses to pledge allegiance. They are surrounded by money collectors like Terry McAuliffe who shakedown donors with warnings that they will be punished if they give to another candidate. Senator Clinton’s position on the Iraq War is by far the most calculated of any candidate. And on so many other issues, her positions are measured and break no new ground. Each appearance is predictable and perfectly arranged. Whether by necessity or choice, the spontaneity, exuberance and hope we saw in both of the Clintons in 1992 is gone."

Sick mugger attacks 101-year-old woman in Queens.

Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy back under the microscope for anti-gay Indiana Family Institute fundraiser. Colts release statement: "Coach Dungy's feelings on the importance of marriage and family are well known. He, of course, is free to speak to any group he wishes. The club does not take positions in political issues in which it is not directly involved. The Colts do not endorse any political or religious position taken by any group that any Colts employee decides to speak or lend his or her name to."

Utah Governor Jon Huntsman signs bill targeting gay-straight alliances. The legislation would allow school districts to ban them should they not "maintain the boundaries of socially appropriate behavior." According to the AP, "The new law has more than a dozen pages of regulations, including requiring parental permission to join a club, a faculty sponsor for the club, prohibiting students at another school from joining the club and submitting written materials to the principal within 24 hours after a meeting so parents can review them."

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News: Brandon Flowers, Rudy Giuliani, Genetic Cleansing, Brazil

Rudy Giuliani's gay talking points.

Rufus Wainwright claims Brandon Flowers is salty, and perhaps a bit stale: "I don't know [Brandon] that well, but I wrote this song about him which is kind of hilarious - it says he tastes like potato chips in the morning."

Gays with money stopping the Rick Santorums of tomorrow: "a group of rich gay philanthropists...quietly joined forces last year, under the leadership of a reclusive Colorado technology mogul, to counter the tide of antigay politics in America that has generated, among other things, a succession of state ballot initiatives banning gay marriage. Carroll had sponsored such a bill in Iowa and guided it to passage in the state House of Representatives, the first step toward getting it on the ballot."

Trent of Pink is the New Blog" survives plane fire drama over the Mojave Desert!

The real War on Christmas: Thomas Kinkade painting to become holiday movie.

Illinois parents protest school panel featuring gay students talking with freshman students about their experiences: "'We have a great deal of pride in the program and don't feel we are overstepping any boundaries that [most] parents would feel are inappropriate,' [assistant superintendent Suan] Hebson said. But Ellen Waltz, a Deerfield mother of eight, said the climate has changed so much that students who believe that homosexuality is immoral and violates their religious beliefs are now the ones being bullied."

Southern Baptist wingnut calls for genetic cleansing of original sin.

Thousands protest Bush arrival in Sao Paulo, Brazil. And Brazilian reactions to the U.S. president, then and now: Clinton vs. Bush.

Fans freak to meet Jackson.

Obama and Clinton battle for Chicago: "Mike Bauer, for example, decided to use his years of fundraising experience and contacts in Chicago's gay community to raise money for Obama. He helped with Obama's first fundraiser after the campaign's official launch last month -- a huge Chicago event that Bauer says was intended to make a statement. 'Clearly there was a desire, an intent, by the Obama campaign to hit the ground first in Barack's hometown,' he said. 'It was important, both for financial reasons and psychological reasons, to show that he has tremendous support from the people who know him the best.' Bauer said he knows several of the presidential candidates and decided to help Obama after a personal request from the senator. Obama contacted him around Thanksgiving to discuss a possible run for president and seek Bauer's support if he did run."

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Newt Gingrich Acknowledges Affair During Lewinsky Probe

Newt Gingrich tells Focus on the Family's James Dobson in an interview to be aired Friday that he had an affair during the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky probe:

"'The honest answer is yes. There are times that I have fallen short of my own standards. There's certainly times when I've fallen short of God's standards. The president of the United States got in trouble for committing a felony in front of a sitting federal judge,' the former Georgia congressman said of Clinton's 1998 House impeachment on perjury and obstruction of justice charges. 'I drew a line in my mind that said, 'Even though I run the risk of being deeply embarrassed, and even though at a purely personal level I am not rendering judgment on another human being, as a leader of the government trying to uphold the rule of law, I have no choice except to move forward and say that you cannot accept ... perjury in your highest officials.'"

As opposed to the sometimes useful dishonest answer.

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Bob Hattoy's Speech to the 1992 Democratic National Convention

This morning I posted about the death of Bob Hattoy. Hattoy was the first openly gay person (and the first with HIV) to address a political convention when Bill Clinton asked him to speak at the 1992 Democratic National Convention in New York. His speech was broadcast nationally in prime time.

Thanks to The Democratic Party blog, here's the text of that speech, which continues after the jump:

BOB HATTOY: Thank you. I love you. Thank you, California. Thank you, Gay and Lesbian community. Thank you, Congresswoman Pat Schroeder. Thank you, Aretha Franklin, God.

I am here tonight because of one man's courage and conviction, one man's dedication and daring and yes, one man's true kindness. He's my boss, Bill Clinton. (Applause)

You see, I have AIDS. I could be an African American woman, a Latino man, a 10-year old boy or girl. AIDS has many faces. And AIDS knows no class or gender, race or religion, or sexual orientation. AIDS does not discriminate, but George Bush's White House does. (Applause)

AIDS is a disease of the Reagan-Bush years. The first case was detected in 1981, but it took 40,000 deaths and seven years for Ronald Reagan to say the word "AIDS." It's five years later, 70,000 more dead and George Bush doesn't talk about AIDS, much less do anything about it.

Eight years from now there will be 2 million cases in America. If George Bush wins, we're all at risk in America. It's that simple. It's that serious. It's that terrible. (Applause)

(Chants of "No second term!")

This is hard. I'm a Gay man with AIDS and if there's any honor in having this disease it's because it's an honor being part of the Gay and Lesbian community in America. (Applause)

We have watched our friends and lovers die, but we have not given up hope. Gay men and Lesbians created community health clinics, provided educational materials, opened food kitchens, and held the hands of the dying in hosp