News: Ian McKellen, Cher, The Onion, Larry Sinclair, Gay Androids

Supreme Court rules in favor of right to bear arms.

Sir Ian McKellen made a Companion of Honour by the Queen.

Cher has a stalker who tried to grab her by the wrist in Nashville.

Obama-accuser Larry Sinclair, who was arrested last week when his criminal record caught up with him following an appearance at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., is being defended by some as a "political prisoner".

Remember Britain's Got Talent's angelic bullied choirboy Andrew Johnston? He didn't win, but he did just get a £1 million deal with Simon Cowell's record label.

Houston-area homes and vehicles targeted by spray paint vandals using racial and homophobic slurs: "Fort Bend County Sheriff's detectives are investigating more than a dozen incidents of theft and vandalism involving racist and obscene words spray painted on homes and vehicles. The incidents were reported about 7:30 a.m. Sunday in the New Territory development, said sheriff's spokeswoman Terriann Carlson. 'It appears that white spray paint was used on all of the vehicles and the residences and racial and derogatory slurs such as the swastika symbol, and male body parts,' Carlson said. The slurs also targeted homosexuals, she said."

HRC President Joe Solmonese on the first congressional hearings to educate members about gender identity issues. More on the hearings from Pam.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: HIV/AIDS infection rates for drug users, prostitutes and gay men around the globe are on the rise. "'HIV is a long-term and complex disaster on many levels ... For marginalized groups across the world — injecting drug users, sex workers and men who have sex with men — rates are on the increase,' said the Geneva-based humanitarian agency. Those groups, living on the fringes of society in many countries and especially in the developing world, 'often face stigma, criminalization and little, if any, access to prevention and treatment services,' it added."

West Hollywood's historic 'Tara' mansion may get new life as a same-sex wedding location.

The Onion celebrates Gay Pride.

Lesbians in Vancouver claim comedian crossed homophobic line during routine: "Ms. Pardy alleges that she and her same-sex partner were subjected to a tirade of homophobic and sexist comments by Mr. Earle. Mr. Earle denies that he discriminated, while admitting that his interactions with Ms. Pardy and her partner were heated."

A Cristiano Ronaldo fix for you.

18-year-old gay Boston drop-out Alex Quince triumphs with perfect score on the GED reading test: "A quiet teenager making A's and B's, he ran away from home, dropped out of school, and tried everything from marijuana to heroin. He struggled with his sexual orientation. When his mother called his cellphone, sick with worry, he responded with a text message. 'I'm gay,' it said. 'I'm not coming home.'"

Hugh Jackman has left the beaches of Sydney and is now stunning onlookers in St. Tropez.

Does everyone in the world have a sex tape?

A police force of 2,000 guarded today's gay pride parade in Jerusalem. If numbers are correct, that's one officer for every person who took part.

Gays in Oregon question commitment of Senator Gordon Smith. HRC's David M. Smith: "Our view of Gordon Smith is, he has been a leader on a number of our issues. His record is strong and he is very clear about it, and we appreciate everything he's done and continues to do. [But] we will not be endorsing him."

With Wall-E on the verge of release, Radar posts a brief history of gay androids.

ABC: Barack and Michelle Obama putting mark on the fashion world.

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Father's Day and Gay Pride Mesh as Governor and Daughter March

Although Father's Day was technically the following day, it took on meaning Saturday as Deval Patrick and his daughter Katherine marched in Boston's Gay Pride parade just two days after Katherine came out of the closet publicly in an interview with New England's Bay Windows newspaper.

The AP reports: "On Saturday, the Patrick family was greeted with boisterous cheers and applause as they marched to the end of the route in City Hall Plaza. 'It's been a nice day,' Patrick said after the parade. The Patricks marched with friends in front of a group from the AIDS Action Committee and behind a float carrying male dancers clad in bikini bottoms. Thousands lined the parade route, which began in the South End and included all manner of gay pride groups, from car clubs, to softball teams, to union workers. Several spectators expressed their support for Katherine Patrick. 'I think she's represents a generation of us out there, and to see her parents supporting her in such a public way, I think that allows all of our parents the permission to do the same,' said Hannah Karpman, 29, of Boston."

Last year, Patrick became the first Massachusetts governor to march in a Gay Pride parade. He marched alongside Katherine in 2007 as well, though she wasn't out.

A brief clip of the father-daughter pair in the parade, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously
Daughter of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick: I'm Gay [tr]
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick First to March with Pride [tr]

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Boston Man Targeted in Anti-Gay Assault Outside South End Bar

A 22-year-old student at Northeastern University was assaulted outside of Fritz bar in Boston's South End. Daniel D’Orsi was robbed and attacked while the perpetrator yelled anti-gay slurs, resulting injuries that required facial surgery, yet because the attacker's description matches that of a man who tried to mug a woman a week earlier, the Boston police are not investigating the incident as a hate crime:

Bay Windows reports: "Boston Police are currently investigating the incident as a straightforward assault and robbery rather than as a hate crime. D’Orsi said the incident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. while walking home from the Eagle bar in the South End. ... 'He came up behind me and grabbed (my wallet) out of my back pocket, and I turned around, and that’s when he called me an f-ing faggot, all the derogatory things you could think of,' said D’Orsi. He said when the attacker grabbed his wallet he knocked D’Orsi to the ground, and D’Orsi smashed the side of his head on the pavement when he fell. He said he blacked out at that point, but based on his injuries he believes the attacker kicked him in the face while he was lying on the ground. The attacker made off with about $140 in cash along with credit and debit cards. Rob Warner, a bouncer at Fritz, did not witness the assault, but he said he came outside just as the assailant was running up Chandler Street. He said staff from the bar called the police and an ambulance. 'He was pretty badly beaten, actually, had blood running down his mouth and ears,' said Warner."

According to the paper, "A detective from D-4 involved in the case, who declined to give his name to Bay Windows, said police do not believe the mugging was a gay-bashing because the description of the assailant provided by Warner matches that of a man who attempted to mug a woman a block away on Lawrence Street about a week before D’Orsi’s assault."

Northeastern student alleges gay bashing [bay windows]

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Still No Suspects in Fatal Stabbing of Gay Man in Boston

Last week I posted about the murder of Daniel Yakovleff in Boston. Police are still searching for answers. Yakovleff, a 20-year-old hair stylist, was found early in the morning on January 17th stabbed to death in an apartment belonging to Steven Odegard in the city's Dorchester neighborhood.

How he got there is unknown, the Boston Globe reports:

"The night Yakovleff was killed, he went to the Eagle bar on Tremont Street in the South End, then to a Dorchester apartment, police and friends said. The third-floor flat belonged to Steven Odegard, who had met Yakovleff that night, and later found him dead in his apartment, said Odegard's lawyer, John Swomley. Odegard told police he was asleep and woke to find Yakovleff dead in a back bedroom, police said. 'He is not a suspect,' Swomley said. Odegard has been cooperative, and police are looking for a third person, Swomley said. 'We're hoping police find the killer.' Department spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said detectives have interviewed Odegard and are working 'around the clock' to solve the homicide. Driscoll said police are searching for witnesses who saw Yakovleff leave the Eagle that night."

I'm not sure how Odegard could be ruled out as a suspect, given those details, but apparently there's some kind of alibi or detail we're note being given here if police have absolutely ruled him out.

Odegard's lawyer John Swomley maintains his client's innocence: "My client didn’t do it and is innocent. ... I know my client has cooperated fully with the police up to this point, told them everything he knows and has denied all involvement in the stabbing of this guy."

Fatal stabbing shakes city's gays [boston globe]
Dorchester man denies involvement in stabbing [bay windows]

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Gay Boston Man's Killing a Mystery

Daniel Yakovleff, a 20-year-old hair stylist living in Boston, was last seen leaving the Eagle bar on Wednesday night before he was found early Thursday morning stabbed to death in a multi-family home (not his own) in the city's Dorchester neighborhood.

According to the Hartford Courant, homicide detectives are investigating:

"In Ashford (Massachusetts), Yakovleff's distraught family is struggling to understand what happened, while also planning a memorial service to remember the outgoing, trusting and talented young man they loved. 'It's a parent's worst nightmare,' said Nord P. Yakovleff, Daniel's father. A Boston homicide detective declined to comment Sunday night, but the Boston Globe reported Friday that police don't consider Yakovleff's killing a random act because there was no sign of forced entry to the apartment. It was not Yakovleff's apartment, his family said Sunday night. 'I have a million questions,' said Damon Yakovleff, 22, Daniel's older brother. 'Whose apartment was it? How did he get there?'"

Although he lived in Boston for the last two years, Yakovleff's family wondered if his rural upbringing did not prepare him for life in the city: "'He trusted someone he shouldn't have,' his father said, adding that police have told the family they are looking at a person of interest in connection with their son's death. Damon Yakovleff said his parents have expressed concern to him that police will not take the crime seriously because his brother was gay. The family also has heard talk from some of Daniel Yakovleff's friends of predators targeting gay people in Boston."

Anyone with information can contact Boston police at 617-343-4470 or call CrimeStoppers anonymously at 1-800-494-8477.

Family Seeking To Cope With Youth's Death [courant]
In Memory of Daniel A. Yakovleff [queer today]
Daniel Yakovleff Dead, Media Coverage No Where To Be Found [live, love, learn]

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Officials: Staph 'Superbug' Spreading in Gay Community

Researchers today report that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which has up till now been confined mainly to hospitals, according to Reuters, is now being transmitted sexually by gay men in large urban areas — notably San Francisco, Boston, L.A., and New York.

Reuters reports: "Sexually active gay men in San Francisco are 13 times more likely to be infected than their heterosexual neighbors, the researchers reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine. 'Once this reaches the general population, it will be truly unstoppable,' said Binh Diep, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco who led the study. 'That's why we're trying to spread the message of prevention.'...This superbug can cause life-threatening and disfiguring infections and can often only be treated with expensive, intravenous antibiotics."

MRSA can be passed by human contact or by bacteria left on surfaces.

The SF Chronicle published a graphic today showing cases per 100,000 persons in each of its zip code areas, along with the percentage of male same-sex couples living in those areas.

More AFTER THE JUMP...

They report: "Although researchers have stopped short of declaring this form of staph a sexually transmitted disease, the infections are found where skin-to-skin contact occurs during sexual activity. Most of the infections are limited to the skin surface, but the bacteria can invade deeper tissues or disseminate through the bloodstream. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, various forms of MRSA are causing 95,000 of these more costly and potentially life-threatening infections annually in the United States and 19,000 deaths. Until last year, staph infections had never been linked to sexual activity."

The best defense against preventing the spread of the bacteria is soap and water. Said Dr. Chip Chambers, director of infectious diseases at San Francisco General: "Taking a shower after sexual contact may minimize contamination. Ordinary soap will do. It dilutes the concentration of bacteria. You don't need antibacterial soap."

Drug-resistant staph found to be passed in gay sex [reuters]
San Francisco's gay community hit by new form of staph infection [sf chronicle]

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Santas in Speedos Jingle Through Boston

It's that time of year again. Boston's annual Speedo Santa Run took place over the weekend and our reader Patrick Lentz was there again to capture it. This year, the fur Speedo introduced by the Santa in the middle last year seems to have caught on. Also joining the run this year was a rowdy gang from Philadelphia.

Hopefully they just tore up a few of those faux fur throws Pottery Barn is hawking this season rather than slaughter any reindeer or albino squirrels.

More AFTER THE JUMP...

Patrick's full set of 2007 Speedo shots is here.

In case you missed last year...
Packages Delivered: Boston's Santa Speedo Run [tr]
Ho Ho Hos: Boston's Santa Speedo Run [tr]

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Hockey Legend Bobby Orr and Fellow Players in the Flesh

Must be the month for nude hockey players. Earlier in the month Toronto Maple Leaf Jiri Tlusty flashed his bits over the internet, and now a NYC exhibition is making headlines for its paintings of hockey players in the buff.

Kurt Kauper's exhibit "Everybody Knew That Canadians Were The Best Hockey Players" features portraits, some entirely nude, of former Boston Bruins players Bobby Orr (above, and pictured here, back in the day), Derek Sanderson, and others.

Of the paintings, Kauper told the Boston Globe: "Inspiration struck after a visit to Paris. There, Kauper saw one of his favorite works, a 19th-century image of Napoleon ascending to heaven by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. In the work, the French general is nude. You certainly couldn't do that nowadays - represent a cultural icon in the nude as a gesture of adoration and immortalization," said Kauper. 'That gets to how nudity is perceived today. It occurred to me that it would be interesting to try to make a painting of an icon in the nude and see what kind of response I got from viewers.'"

The reaction from players has been mixed. Said former Bruin Brad Park: "I see a picture of Bobby with some genitals, and a picture of Turk with some genitals. That's hard to take. I definitely would think Bobby would be uncomfortable with it. Derek, in his heyday, would have posed for it."

Discomfort is part of the point, however, said Deborah Kass, a curator who has worked with Kauper: "He takes these people we identify and idolize and presents them at their most stripped down, and because it's a male nude it makes people incredibly uneasy. I really don't know anybody else who is doing that."

The installation can be viewed here. See the full Bobby Orr, after the jump...

The show runs through December 15th at Deitch, 76 Grand Street, New York.

In artist's vision, an icon in the flesh [boston globe]
Deitch Gallery [official site]

Heeeeeeere's Bobby! (NSFW)

Related
Toronto Maple Leafs and Jiri Tlusty Respond to Nude, 'Gay' Photos [tr]
NHL Toronto Maple Leaf Rookie Jiri Tlusty: "I am Not Gay" [tr]
Tom Cavanagh: Kissing a Man? No Problem [tr]
Professional Hockey, Gays, and the "Ex-Gays" Who Hate Them [tr]

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Mystery Surrounds Shooting Death of Lesbian Soldier

Mystery surrounds the shooting death of Ciara Durkin, a lesbian serving in Afghanistan with troops from the Massachusetts National Guard.

The Boston Globe reports: "The Defense Department says it is investigating Durkin's death, which it described as a 'non-combat-related incident.' Durkin's family says Army officials have told them she was found with a single bullet in her head, lying near the church where she worshipped on the secure Bagram Airfield. The Army has not publicly disclosed whether a weapon was found near her body. The Massachusetts National Guard initially reported that Durkin was killed in action, though a Guard spokesman later said the term meant only that Durkin was serving in Afghanistan at the time."

US Senators John F. Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy and US Representative William D. Delahunt have made special requests to the Defense Department for answers about Durkin, a resident of Quincy, Massachusetts.

Durkin's sister, Fiona Canavan, one of nine siblings in the family, has concerns that the shooting could have been related to Durkin's sexuality: "Ciara was a lesbian, and that's bound to come out. It is possible that someone over there found that out, and, you know, maybe they were very homophobic."

Canavan added: "She did say to us that she had concerns about things she was seeing when she was over there. She told us if anything happened to her, that we were to investigate it."

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News: Versace, Bush and PBS, Bully, Boston DJ, Hairspray

George W. bush tries to eliminate the $420 million federal subsidy for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. House rejects his bid by a vote of 357-72.

The NYT' Cathy Horyn recalls the days surrounding the Versace murder: "Ten years on, I asked [publicist Ed] Filipowski what stands out in his mind from that week. He and his partner, Julie Mannion, were inside the house the whole time, and Ms. Mannion had stayed with Versace’s body in the morgue, at his sister’s request, until she and her brother Santo could arrive from Italy. Mr. Filipowski thought for a moment and said: 'How personal and private they kept everything — that’s what I remember. With everything that was going on outside. It was: 'Our brother is dead.''"

Bonding: John Travolta's dance with 007.

Was NYC's steam explosion caused by human error? "CBS 2 HD learned that on June 10th, Con Edison was doing work at the very corner of 41st Street and Lexington Avenue where the explosion occurred. Crews were called to replace an eight-inch section of steam pipe that had sprung a leak."

Rockstar's Bully videogame coming to the Wii.

Good Morning Baltimore: Hairspray hits its home town.

Gay Boston DJ Barry Scott brutalized as police attack, claiming DJ "incited a riot" among partygoers following the officers' arrival on a noise complaint. Lawyer: "What it was motivated by was clearly rage that was out of control, and virtually every witness that I've interviewed thus far would confirm and corroborate that. This officer and his companion acted out of complete rage." More here and here.

Is this really artist Jenny Holzer's "Twitter" account?

Hillary Clinton cancels West Virginia campaign appearances at gay businesses, citing logistical problems.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith to host "Welcome to L.A." party for the Beckhams at L.A.'s Museum of Contemporary Art this weekend.

Fire Island dance festival opens this weekend: "Fire Island Dance Festival 13, running this weekend, will feature six world premieries along with emcees Whoopi Goldberg, Michael McElroy and Phylicia Rashad. Battleworks Dance Company, CorbinDANCES, MOMIX, Tapaholics, Trey McIntyre Project and choreographer Darrel Grand Moultrie will each present a world premiere. Other performers include Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Chase Brock Experience, Jorge Guzman & Willem De Vries, Pascal Rioult Dance Company and Travis Wall & Ivan Koumaev."

How Michael Jackson might look today without all the plastic surgery.

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Police Plan Undercover Gay Sex Sting at Boston Area Park

The Enterprise reports that police in Brockton, Massachusetts are planning a "summer offensive" to rid the city's D.W. Field Park of gay men who allegedly travel there for sex.

Said Brockton Police Chief William K. Conlon: "Word is out on the Internet that this is a great spot for men to meet. I want the park to have a family atmosphere, so we are going to have a police presence up there through the summer. This is a long time coming. It has been bad up there for too long. I have been trying to work with the police to have permanent patrols up there, but if they are going to only be there for the summer, I suppose it's better than nothing. A tougher police presence is definitely needed. There were people there from Fall River, Revere and Sharon. I do not have a problem with people's sexuality, but there are kids up there, mothers with strollers and families feeding the ducks. They don't feel safe anymore, that is what really gets me going."

The police department says it has been receiving complaints from area residents about "sex toys, condoms and drug-related items" littering the park.

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News: Dane Cook, Connecticut, Hammerhead Shark, Wii

Michigan Supreme Court to decide whether or not partners of gays and lesbians employed by public universities and state and local governments should be able to receive health benefits: "The appeals court in February cited Michigan's 2004 voter-approved constitutional amendment against gay marriage — which makes the union between a man and woman the only agreement recognized as a marriage "or similar union for any purpose" — as also barring domestic partner benefits for the same-sex partners of public employees."

Immaculate conception: Hammerhead shark gives birth having had no contact with males. "This form of asexual reproduction, called parthenogenesis, has been found in other vertebrate species, including some snakes and lizards. But this is the first time it has been documented in a shark."

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales may have obstructed justice as recently as March by attempting to "shape" Monica Goodling's testimony before the congressional hearings.

Tremont Street in Boston the latest gay ghetto to dissipate.

"Bridal shop" for gays opens in Barcelona. Owner: "I saw the opportunity to do business after the law was approved. I didn't know of any other country that had a shop or boutique for gay weddings. It will be an exclusive and personal product for a special day. It was obvious that gays, who also marry, needed their own bride shop."

Does Dane Cook get this week's Photoshopped body award?

Beckham checks on the melons. Yep, still ripe.

Irish priest from Feakle Parish apologizes to congregation for breaking his law of celibacy after photos published on a gay website.

Nintendo: 35 million Wii consoles by 2012.

As Connecticut awaits gay marriage decision, the noise does not subside: "Motorists sounded their horns in support of the gay rights activists in front of the state Supreme Court today. They were trying to influence the seven justices inside who are contemplating whether or not to give same sex couples full marriage rights under the state's civil unions law. A much larger crowd across the street at the state capitol celebrated the withdrawal of a same sex marriage bill from the general assembly but members of the Family Institute of Connecticut are still fearful that the state Supreme Court will make it happen without the legislature as happened in Massachusetts."

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Rudy Galindo Talks HIV, Coming Out, Hips, and Johnny Weir

The Boston Globe has published a profile on figure skater Rudy Galindo. Galindo has been HIV-positive since 2000 and still skates despite having had two hips replaced with ceramic ones since he was diagnosed with avascular necrosis, a degenerative disease, in 2002.

Says Galindo: "I'm going to skate as long as my body holds up. I am getting older, [but] when you're on a winning streak, you don't walk away from the table. That's the No. 1 thing. When you hear that applause, when you're taking your bows, that's the icing on the cake. That's what it's all about, to feel that rush. It's like Sally Field said: 'They love me. They really love me.'"

Galindo discusses contracting HIV, as well as the other tribulations he has faced. They began early, growing up in a trailer park, where he says the other boys had brown skates at the rental rink: "I had long hair. They used to put out the white skates . . . and I was so mad and I used to cry. Kids would say, 'You're gay, you're a sissy.' I used to be short and got into all these trailer park fights. I was wiry. At 12 years old, I won my first novice national title. It was all over the newspapers in San Jose and then they were nice to me."

Galindo says that following his bronze at the 1996 World Championships, all focus turned to his sexuality:

"I didn't come out -- I was out," says Galindo. "The media was, 'Oh my God, you're gay,' and I'm like yes -- I've been out my whole life to my family and friends. Everyone in the skating community knew. But just because I won the national title, it's like, 'Oh, my God, you're gay.' The judges would say, 'You have to tone down your costumes, your choreography,' and I'm like, 'No . . .' I wanted to skate for the audiences, not for the judges."

Galindo adds that even though he once urged the media to out skater Johnny Weir after claiming Weir copied his style, the two are close friends. He says now that athletes should be allowed to come out on their own terms: "I just think a lot of those athletes can't come out because it's a team thing and they're just worried about endorsements. I'm not going to say they're cowards -- I don't want people to be mad at me. I just think their sexual preference is no big deal. Why do they have to come out? They do their jobs and that's it. Who cares what goes on behind closed doors?"

Galindo will be appearing this Sunday in Champions on Ice at Boston's TD Banknorth Garden.

Rising above it all [boston globe]

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Offensive Radio Host John DePetro Back on the Air

Former Boston radio host John DePetro, who has a habit of denigrating gays and lesbians, is back on the air, on a Providence, Rhode Island morning show. Last July, the host was suspended after he referred to the head of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority as "Fag Matt; And I don’t mean gay fag, I just mean the way when you’re a sophomore, juvenile, in grammar school and somebody would say you’re like a sissy boy fag. I don’t mean gay fag. I mean like sissy boy. He’s a little sissy boy. Wife wears the pants."

Following that suspension DePetro was fired for calling gubernatorial candidate Grace Ross a "fat lesbian".

DePetro, who is married with three children, told the Boston Herald he shouldn't have been fired for the way he referred to Ross. Said the host: "I was factually accurate."

Ross responded: “Well, if Rhode Island wants him it’s their choice. If he thinks he can build an audience there and they want him, that’s their choice.”

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News: Nate Berkus, David Mixner, Paris on Ice, Betty Ford

Human rights activist and political strategist David Mixner (a Clinton insider who publicly criticized his friend's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy) now has a blog. His first entries detail Betty Ford's early work on behalf of people with HIV/AIDS and a scorecard of politicians and their positions on the war in Iraq.

Boston newscaster Randy Price marries his partner Mark Steffen on Massachusetts State House steps one day after advance of gay marriage ban proposal. Price told the Boston Herald's Inside Track: "I’m not that [political] really, but in our personal lives we all become a bit political. We’re certainly not defiant people, but we believe that we should have the right to marry like anyone else. Right now, it’s right for us. And we’ve got as good a track record with vows and commitment as anyone else."

Lane Hudson: According to Terry McAuliffe, Hillary's ready to go.

OutZoneTV's sexiest gay celebrity: Nate Berkus.

Patricia Nell Warren, author of the classic gay novel The Front Runner, is running for a seat on the West Hollywood City Council. I have a feeling she's the front runner now.

A Paris Hilton cocktail? Mix ten parts heiress with one part ice.

Anti-gay marriage group in Massachusetts withdraws $5 million lawsuit against legislature because they got their vote: "The lawsuit, filed earlier this month in U.S. District Court by VoteOnMarriage.org, argued the 109 lawmakers who voted to recess a joint constitutional convention violated the supporters' rights to free speech, to petition the government and due process under the law.
The lawsuit sought $500,000 from the lawmakers for the cost of the group's legal battles and another $5 million in punitive damages."

Trikkx, one of St. Paul, Minnesota's gay nightclubs, is closing.

A character on the FOX sitcom The War at Home has come out of the closet: "Dave’s son Larry (Kyle Sullivan) is a bit eccentric, and both he and his friend Kenny have come under frequent scrutiny for their gay-seeming behavior (Larry likes figure skating, etc. etc.). But last night the cards were laid out on the table: Kenny is gay, Larry is not, and Kenny has a still-secret crush on his best friend." FOX preceded the episode with a "Viewer Discretion is Advised" warning. It's unclear whether that's a weekly message or one specifically for this gay-themed episode.

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News: Matt Damon, Mapplethorpe, Austria, Gay Condos

iPhone (if they'll call it that) approaches: is Apple on the verge of another revolution?

Dead artists getting new life in fashion. Jewelry and leather goods designer Chrome Hearts is planning new line based on works by Robert Mapplethorpe: ""We have been very conservative about licensing, limiting it to paper products like calendars and note cards, and not many of them. Robert on the other hand was very enthusiastic about licensing products. One reason he hired me is that I was Salvador Dalí's lawyer, someone who had the licensing empire of the world."

NYT: Is anti-gay mockery making a comeback on the American stage?

Plan for gay condo complex draws controversy in Boston: "Boosters of gay condo developments say they have no plans to heap on straights the kind of discrimation they’ve suffered over the years. But it’s unclear how welcoming heterosexual singles and couples would find these communities. 'What if I was saying this building is just for heterosexual people, or Muslims, or Jews or Catholics. What’s the difference?,' asked Michael Carucci, head of ERA Boston Real Estate Group. 'To take it the next step and say this building is just for gay people - it’s a bit much.'"

George Michael planning first U.S. tour in 15 years.

Two Minogues for the price of one.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's openly gay chief of staff resigned on Friday to spend more time with his partner Dan Henkle and their children. Newsom "married" Kawa and Henkle during what is now called SF's "Winter of Love" in February 2004 after Newsom decided to issue marriage licenses in the spirit of ending discrimination there.

Who wants to live in Fucking Austria? (via AmericaBlog)

Matt Damon on Hardball tonight on who should go to war: "I don't think that it's fair, as I said before, that it seems like we have a fighting class in our country. That's comprised of people who have to go for either financial reasons or...I don't think that that is fair. And if you're gonna send people to war, ahh, if, if we all get together and decide we need to go to war then that needs to be shared by everybody. You know and if the President has daughters who are of age then maybe they should go too…"

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Packages Delivered: Boston's Santa Speedo Run

Covering this event has become an annual tradition here on Towleroad thanks to our friend in Boston, photographer Patrick Lentz, who makes sure we're not left out in the cold. 2006 is the sixth year for the run, which benefits the Ellie Fund to fight breast cancer.

Many more shots after the jump...

Check out Patrick's entire set of photos here...

You may have missed...
Ho Ho Hos: Boston's Santa Speedo Run 2005
Boston's Santa Speedo Run 2004

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Mitt Romney, Gay Marriage Foes Rally in Boston

With pounding of fists and plenty of amens, a wingnut forum held by the anti-gay Family Research Council in Boston over the weekend broadcast anti-gay rhetoric to a crowd of 1,000 and to about 80-million people over Christian radio and TV networks.

The featured speaker at this forum was none other than Massachusetts governor and presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, once again vocalizing his position against gay marriage, which has brought commerce to his state and equal rights to hundreds of gay couples who have chosen to tie the knot there since it became legal in 2004.

Said Romney: "Here in Massachusetts, activist judges struck a blow to the foundation of civilization -- the family. What (the judges) ignored is that marriage is not primarily about adults, marriage is about the nurturing and development of children ... every child deserves a mother and a father."

I don't see the sky falling, do you? But yes, the conservatives are once again pulling out their anti-gay marriage agenda to energize their constituents before the November elections.

Said Tony Perkins, president of the FRC: "When we look at what has happened with same-sex marriage, as it began in this state and threatens to spread across the country, we've seen in its wake the loss of religious freedoms and the ability to speak out based upon one's moral convictions."

But will the big wingnut scare work this time around? Kirk Johnson in the NYT writes that the issue doesn't have the same "punch" as it did in the last elections, citing other, more pressing issues like the war in Iraq, slick new campaigns from gay marriage supporters, and "middle-ground" solutions like civil partnerships that have sprung up since the last election.

Another factor involves what may happen in the courts before the election: "Conservatives like Mr. Paul of the Colorado marriage group say the low-key tenor of the same-sex marriage debate could change in a thunderclap if a court decision that appears to undermine traditional marriage boundaries is handed down before the election. The New Jersey Supreme Court has a case pending and could issue a decision before Election Day."

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News: Red Sox in Drag, Fox bargains with Gay Bashers

FOX offers Westboro Baptist Church an hour of radio airtime if they promise not to picket the funerals of the murdered Amish girls.

Students at the University of Missouri-Columbia want the name of the Student Union building, currently named after a former dean who "worked to purge the campus of gay students and professors more than a half-century ago," changed. Students: "We are not suggesting that Brady's ideals were out of the mainstream at the time. We are simply wondering why (the university) would continue to leave a building ... named after a man who represented where the university has been, rather than where it is going."

Paper: local churches and parents worried that North Carolina high school's gay-straight alliance could spread AIDS.

HRC to auction Brokeback Mountain wardrobe items.

Red Sox rookies get their drag on.

British murderer of gay man found dead in prison cell.

The unambiguously gay duo spotted at Scissor Sisters concert: "I saw Lance Bass and Reichen Lehmkuhl as we were walking in. Reichen did that 'reach back for your partner's hand' thing, in a very 'he's more than just my financial support - it's also about the heart' kind of way. I nearly teared up, and there wasn't a camera to be seen."

George Lucas says he's leaving the film business: "We don't want to make movies. We're about to get into television. As far as Lucasfilm is concerned, we've moved away from the feature film thing because it's too expensive and it's too risky. I think the secret to the future is quantity."

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Macy's CEO Admits Mistake in Removing Gay Pride Mannequins

Macy's East Chairman and CEO Ron Klein tells Boston's In Newsweekly that he regrets the mistake Macy's employees made in removing mannequins from a Gay Pride display in the Downtown Crossing store.

He also says that the removal was due to "an internal breakdown in communication" and not because of "pressure" from right-wing extremist group MassResistance.

Huh?

Klein's letter, published in full over at Queerty and after the jump, makes no mention of the complaints from anti-gay group MassResistance that prompted a Macy's spokesperson to say the removal of the mannequins "was an effort to strike a balance."

Klein says in his letter, "Historically, our windows dedicated to causes and celebrations have always been executed through the use of text and props such as posters. We traditionally do not feature mannequins in these 'community windows' because the introduction of merchandise has no role in our tributes."

Klein's letter would suggest that because the mannequins were not even supposed to be there in the first place, the "internal breakdown in communication" was the reason for the removal, not some fringe bigot with a whining piehole.

Imho, Klein's half-assed apology is too little, too late. From my perspective, Klein wants to weasel out of a rumble with the right-wing bigots at MassResistance by throwing out the "internal communication" card.

I don't mean to extend the drama surrounding the gay mannequins, but I think Klein's response is weak and inadequate. I probably won't be shopping at a Federated Store anytime soon.

ADDENDUM: Here's a comment left over at The Malcontent that sheds some more light on the situation that led up to all this. Still doesn't change my feeling about this latest missive from the CEO.

Full text of the letter after the jump (via queerty)

From Ron Klein:

To the members of the GLBT Community:

My appreciation goes to In Newsweekly for giving me the opportunity to shed some light on a very troublesome week in Boston.

First, let me stress that Macy's commitment to diversity and to the GLBT community is unwavering. Our history is rooted in inclusiveness, and it is a core principle of Macy's.

I do recognize, however, that during Boston Pride Week, our actions did not appear to support that commitment. Every one of us in the Macy's family sincerely regrets that what we had genuinely intended to be a celebration of Gay Pride Week became the center of a controversy.

For many years, our company has dedicated a window in our Downtown Crossing store in Boston to Pride Week, and we did so enthusiastically again this year.

When the controversy arose over the content of our display, the decision was made to maintain the display with no changes. We wanted to stand firm in our support of Boston Pride Week and the GLBT community - just as we always have.

Unfortunately, as sometimes happens in large organizations, a miscommunication occurred and the controversial mannequins were removed. Again, they were not removed because of pressure - but because of an internal breakdown in communication. Macy's mistake - unquestionably.

Some can also call our decision not to return the mannequins to the window a mistake. Historically, our windows dedicated to causes and celebrations have always been executed through the use of text and props such as posters. We traditionally do not feature mannequins in these "community windows" because the introduction of merchandise has no role in our tributes.

I would ask the GLBT community to consider all that we did do - and have done - for Pride Week and the GLBT community. We did feature the Pride Week calendar of events in our window; we have done so for many years and are committed to doing so in the future. We hope the GLBT community will look past one element in a window display and recognize the exemplary record Macy's has in support of diversity and the GLBT community. We are one of the most supportive companies in the country to our GLBT employees, including many members of senior management, as well as, vendors, and customers. Our annual support of Pride Week in Boston and in other cities across the country should clearly demonstrate our commitment.

Am I regretful that Macy's made a mis-step in this instance? Yes. I am also regretful that some may question our commitment to the GLBT community based on this incident.

However, I am hopeful that Macy's long track record of support for inclusion and diversity will be remembered by the GLBT community and will be a strong counterbalance now that the facts are known.

As a Macy's employee, I am proud that our company supports and marches in Pride parades in Boston, Atlanta, Minneapolis, St. Petersburg, Seattle, and New York City (where I have personally marched for several years). I am proud of Macy's participation in AIDS walks in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami and New York City. I am proud of Macy's Passport fashion event, held in San Francisco and Los Angeles, that has raised $21 million for HIV/AIDs research since 1988. I am proud of Macy's 86 ranking in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index - the second-highest ranking possible. And I'm proud of all the community partnerships, events, awards programs, marketing campaigns, recruiting efforts, and education and awareness programs undertaken by Macy's with and for the GLBT community.

I can tell you with deepest sincerity that Macy's commitment to diversity and to the GLBT community always will be an important part of our company and our community outreach.

Previously
Macy's Removes Gay Mannequins After Wingnuts Complain [tr]

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Macy's Mannequin Update?

Can someone in Boston near the Downtown Crossing store let us know if the Macy's store window is still sitting empty? It has been days but I haven't seen any new statements from Macy's regarding their shameful removal of a Gay Pride display after complaints from the right-wing fringe bigots at MassResistance.

If Federated Department Stores, who also own Bloomingdale’s, Famous-Barr, Filene’s, Foley’s, Hecht’s, Kaufmann’s, L.S. Ayres, Marshall Field’s, Meier & Frank, Robinsons-May,Strawbridge’s, and The Jones Store think that a little time will conveniently sweep all this under the rug, they are mistaken.

MassEquality has set up a convenient form that will email a letter directly to Terry Lundgren, Chairman, CEO and President of Federated Department Stores, Inc.

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Websites AfterEllen and AfterElton, and news service 365gay.com are all acquired by LOGO.

Howard Stern says he was given the brush-off by Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams after his companion told them she loved Brokeback Mountain. Stern: "I really don't want to suffer that humiliation of a 25-year-old chicken-[s- - -] kid telling me off." Of Williams, he noted, "I caught the vibe she wanted to [bleep] my old ass. I think I coulda taken that tail at 21."

Gay rights march in Warsaw tomorrow. Expect the usual opposition to greet the 4,000 participants that are expected to turn out: "The demonstrators are defying threats of violence from skinheads and soccer hooligans to stage the parade, said Yga Kostrzewa, spokeswoman for gay rights group Lambda Warszawa. Between 2,000 and 3,000 police will be on duty to prevent clashes."

United Arab Emirates man faces five years of jail time for alleged drunken kidnapping and attempted gay rape.

Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska was the only Democrat to support the failed amendment that would have banned gay marriage.

Tom Delay leaves on an appropriately bitter note.

Have you seen him? Gay London man missing in Boston since April 28. Here are some additional shots, NSFW however.

Madonna to represent and design limited-edition sportswear (tracksuits, etc) for H&M: "Partnering up with H&M feels like a perfect fit. We'll all get to express ourselves in our own individual ways." What she probably means is that a shitload of cash just probably expressed its way into her wallet.

Grandma thinks circumcision cures homosexuality. Dear Abby sets her straight: "Homosexuality is not an illness, and therefore there is no need for a 'cure.' I predict that your family will be happier if you accept your relative exactly the way he is, love him, support him, and stop trying to think of ways to cure him."

Australian man sues prestigious St. Peters College in South Australia, claiming he was subject to "repeated sexual harassment and verbal abuse" over a period of 2 1/2 years: "He claims the bullying began after he told a school friend he was a homosexual, resulting in other students repeatedly calling him a 'faggot'. The bullying, he says, was exacerbated by a debilitating eye condition which left him with a distorted and narrow field of vision. '(He) was also subjected to physical intimidation by other students, including one student withdrawing two metal rods from his bag and holding them up in a threatening manner,' the papers say. Court documents say his parents had meetings with the school's headmaster, deputy headmaster and student counsellor to discuss the treatment their son was suffering. As a result, he later needed psychiatric care 'including admissions to psychiatric hospitals'."

The sexiest cars of 2006?

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Macy's Removes Gay Mannequins After Wingnuts Complain

Here's a great visual metaphor for what the wingnut bigots would like to see happen to gay people.