News: Bret Michaels, D.C., Jesse Helms, Dan Choi, Connecticut

D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics hears four hours of testimony on anti-gay referendum: "Both sides presented legal and political arguments about whether the same-sex marriage issue should be in the hands of voters or the politicians who represent them."

Bret Michaels says the Tony Awards people would have cared more about his self-inflicted on-set accident if it had happened to Liza Minnelli, Dolly Parton, or Elton John.

Transgender woman beaten at bus stop in Seattle: "The victim, who told police that she sometimes wears a skirt, said the attack was a result of that, the report stated. During the confrontation, several of the victim's assailants uttered a slur for a gay man as they struck and kicked the victim, then knocked her to the ground, the report says. The attacking youths also tried to pull off her backpack. The group then fled."

Researcher: Cougars love Adam Lambert. What about Cougays?

Oceanside, California resident pleads "not guilty" in assault on gay rights activist during recent torch relay protesting Proposition 8.

Living Sasquatch!

Britney Spears announces second round of tour dates.

Dan Choi joins No H8 Campaign.

City of Seattle fights to keep identities of its LGBT employees private after request from City Light employee affiliated with conservative Christian organization opposed to gay rights.

Cristiano Ronaldo bought by Real Madrid for world record transfer fee of £80million, spends night with Paris Hilton.

Paul Schindler at Gay City News does an excellent job of summing up the chaotic events that have occurred this week with regard to marriage equality in New York.

Man arrested for 'revenge' pissing at Motor City Pride in Detroit.

Something is happening in Iran.

North Carolina resolution in honor of Jesse Helms inspires mass walkout, vote of "no" from gay lawmaker.

Kellan Lutz gives good tank.

Virginia prison segregated women who "looked gay": "For more than a year, Virginia's largest women's prison rounded up inmates who had loose-fitting clothes, short hair or otherwise masculine looks, sending them to a unit officers derisively dubbed the "butch wing," prisoners and guards say."

Greenwich, Connecticut a magnet for NYC same-sex weddings.

British ambassador to Poland in hot water for promoting gay pride march in Warsaw: "Ric Todd has been told by the country's civil rights ombudsman that he has 'exceeded his authority' and Roman Catholic groups have accused the ambassador of representing the 'homosexual lobby'. The problem arose after Mr Todd, who has been our man in Warsaw for almost two years, gave gay rights leaders a UK Guide To Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender People And Their Rights, translated into Polish, earlier this week."

MUSIC NEWS: Little Boots, Pet Shop Boys, Britney Spears, Beth Ditto

MODERN TONIC

The editors of Modern Tonic present a weekly music update here on Towleroad. The rest of the week, they scan the pop-culture landscape for movie, TV, book and Web recommendations in their daily email.

Little Boots (aka Victoria Hesketh) is the best thing to happen to the thigh-high since Beyoncé’s Foxxy Cleopatra strutted her way through Austin Powers in Goldmember. Her import debut Hands — with production help from Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, Greg Kurstin of The Bird and The Bee and Simian Mobile Disco’s Jas Shaw — is a dancing, leaping, jumping blend of 80’s synth-pop, big beat drums and hooks galore. “Stuck On Repeat”  and “New in Town,” her Kylie-licious singles, are available on both the full-length album and her U.S.-only EP Illuminations (out today), a sampler to keep U.S. listeners happy until a domestic release date is set for Hands. (Illuminations has three additional tracks — including a remake of Freddie Mercury’s “Love Kills" — not on the album.)

This Soho boho Gaga-esque goddess, who won the BBC’s “Sound of 2009” survey, revs her synths into overdrive for some hand-clapping, foot-stomping instant classics.

MUSIC NEWS:

Pet Shop Boys create Pandemonium: On the heels of Yes, their highest-charting album in the U.S. since Very, the Pet Shop Boys' Pandemonium tour kicks off North American dates August 29 in Montreal.

You saw Madonna how many times?: As if you weren't up to your neck in social networking sites, along comes Songkick, where you can share with the world all the concerts you've ever attended, and upload set lists, photos, ticket stubs, etc., and also keep up on who is going to which live gigs. Its database already has over a million past and future shows to get you started. 

Is she the ringleader? Does she call the shots?: The real story behind keeping Britney under control.

Beth Ditto of The Gossip on working with Rick Rubin ("That gave me chills"), snarky blog comments ("I don't Google myself"), being gay and out ("Samantha Ronson and Lindsay Lohan - that would have been kept a crazy secret five years ago. To be part of that visibility is really important"), and her band's forthcoming album Music For Men.

More bad news for the music biz: Album sales in May declined nearly 17% compared to May 2008; down 37% from May 2007.

TODAY’S NEW RELEASES:

Pass The Duchess on the left hand side! Fergie’s back in the fold for Black Eyed Peas’ latest, The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies).
 
No longer young, Sonic Youth’s sound lives forever on the masterful The Eternal.

Cardigans’ front-woman Nina Persson does digital duty with the download-only Covers EP from her solo project, A Camp.

Helium-voiced Brian Molko breaks in new drummer Steve Forrest on Placebo’s hard-rocking sixth release, Battle for the Sun.

Will Wonder Woman fly on her album of standards?  Find out on Lynda Carter's At Last.

Club kids can feel the mix in their coccyx with Ultra Records’ Dance Anthems.
 
New releases also from: Paul Van Dyk — Volume; Mos Def — The Ecstatic; Morrissey — Maladjusted (Expanded Edition); Teena Marie — Congo Square; Rhett Miller — Rhett Miller; Kasabian — West Ryder Lunatic Asylum; The Dirty Projectors — Bitte Orca.

MUSIC VIDEOS AND CLIPS:

MPHO — “Box ‘n’ Locks”
This mixed-race Londoner makes like Santigold with a Smiths-esque stroll through this bouncy single (featuring a riff from Martha and the Muffins’ ‘80s classic “Echo Beach”) from her fall U.K. debut, Pop Art.

WALE ftrg. LADY GAGA — “Chillin’”
Mark Ronson-sponsored D.C.-based rapper cruises Washington’s mean streets with Lady Gaga fronting her best M.I.A. impersonation.

DAVID GUETTA ftrg. KELLY ROWLAND — “When Love Takes Over”
David Guetta’s summer club anthem gets a downtempo remake when vocalist Kelly Rowland takes the BBC Live Lounge stage.

FRANKMUSIK — “Confusion Girl”
Even with pink sneakers and a tragic haircut, Vincent Frank (aka Frankmusik) gets the girl in this clip for the current single from his forthcoming Complete Me (out July 27 in the U.K.).

News: Millvina Dean, Prince Harry, Manhattanhenge, Kellan Lutz,

Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler reviewing legality of state recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere: "The Baltimore Sun reports Gansler is expected to make a decision within the coming weeks, and his office would not comment to the newspaper while the issue is being researched. Maryland law defines marriage as only between a man and a woman; however, the state has legally recognized the marital status of couples married in other states."

Yesterday: Manhattanhenge.

Prince Harry plays with the luckiest balloons in the universe.

Inside last week's Lambda Literary Awards - a photo gallery.

WaPo: The Mormons are coming! "With the battle moving east, some advocates are shouting that fact in the streets, calculating that on an issue that eventually comes down to comfort levels, more people harbor apprehensions about Mormons than about homosexuality."

New Hampshire LGBT youth organization Seacoast Outright facing financial difficulties, to close after 15 years: "The executive director said the group has been in existence for more than 15 years with its main focus being to support youths who may not have a support system because of their sexuality. Seacoast Outright meets with youths twice a week and is viewed by many as an extended family. Wesley said the group has been serving upward of 20 youths who knew the organization was struggling, but were hopeful it would survive."

New trailer for Torchwood: Children of the Earth.

Sun sets for 97-year-old Millvina Dean, last known survivor of the Titanic: "As a two-month-old baby, Dean was the youngest passenger on board the giant liner when it sank on its maiden voyage with the loss of more than 1,500 lives."

Beau Breedlove denied restraining order against Oregonian reporter: "The judge told Breedlove that he'd need to fear that Walth posed 'an immediate threat of physical violence' in order to get one. Background.

Minnesota man convicted in hate crime attack on lesbian: "The 35-year-old woman testified in December that Warren punched her in the face, pinned her to the floor and threatened to rape and kill her after making obscene comments about her sexual orientation."

L.A. Times: California gubernatorial candidates face a marriage equality "minefield".

Twilight's Kellan Lutz gets out in the sunlight.

There was more ass than Bruno's at the MTV Movie Awards.

Jennifer Hudson is pregnant.

Australian broadcaster told to apologize for gay slurs.

Drag queen Dina Marie says NYC 'HK Lounge' owner homophobic: "The straight owned and straight operated venue clearly stated to me that they 'didn't want me and any of the fags'. That we were all 'jokes' who brought nothing to the table."

Mo: Britney's new (spoof) fragrance for gays.

Pastor in San Marino, California will not perform any more marriages until Prop 8 is overturned: "The Rev. Art Cribbs, pastor of the 60-member San Marino Congregational United Church of Christ, says he has been marrying couples for more than 20 years but the wedding ceremony he performed on May 23 would be his last until gay couples are given the same right."

Man Arrested After Rushing Britney Spears at CT Concert

20-year-old Kyle King described himself as "amused" on his MySpace page two days after being arrested for jumping on stage at the Mohegan Sun resort during the Britney Spears concert Saturday night.

TMZ reports: "Connecticut State Police say they arrested 20-year-old Kyle King -- who they say had definitely been drinking -- after he charged on stage during Britney's encore performance of 'Womanizer.' Security and Brit's backup dancers were able to stop King before he could come in contact with Spears -- and he was arrested for breach of peace. The CSP says after King was taken into custody, he was being highly uncooperative -- so they also booked him for interfering with police. He was released this morning after paying a $250 bond and is due in Norwich Superior Court on June 18."

Maybe slightly less idiotic than thinking the polar bears at the zoo are going to play with you, but not much. King is running the TMZ article and an animated gif of the encounter on his MySpace page, on which he says he is gay. Watch the encounter (at about 2:15) which clearly startles and angers Britney,
AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Amazing Race, Aaron Schock, DOMA, Twitter, Muffins, UVA

Pelosi to Bay Area Reporter: Repeal of DOMA not a top priority.

Jared Polis considering introducing omnibus LGBT rights bill in the House.

Zac Efron's nut-tingling leftovers.

The current Amazing Race, which has at least two additional contestants who are gay but not identified as such, closets contestants because producers want them to play to their types. Mel White: "After Luke 'found out that Mike and I were being billed as gay, he wanted to be billed as gay,' but a producer said—and this is Mel paraphrasing a conversation he had with an unnamed producer—‘No, we’re establishing you as what we want you to be established. He’s established as deaf. You’re established as gay, so don’t be interrupting what we're trying to do here.’”

Mel White talks to AfterElton...

Elton John to perform at Andy Roddick's wedding this weekend.

1,000,000: Ashton Kutcher beats CNN in weeklong Twitter war.

Defense Secretary Gates remains cautious on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal: “Everybody in this room knows that this is a complex and difficult problem. [Then he noted that President Harry S. Truman had signed an executive order integrating the armed services in 1948] and that it was five years before the process was completed. I’m not saying that’s a model for this, but I’m saying that I believe that this is something that needs to be done very, very carefully.’’

Eli Manning: I'm better looking than Peyton.

Sarah Palin's anti-gay attorney general nominee REJECTED.

Ohio teacher resigns after taking high school students to gay bar: "Lori Epperson submitted a letter of resignation Thursday. She also sent an email to her supervisor and the school principal in which she admits to taking four female students to a club called Masque."

Tony Perkins at the Family Research Council has the lie-spewing turned up full throttle.

Britney Spears stalked by former American Idol contesant peeping Tomasina.

Stephen Colbert talks to the Brody Jenner of Congress, Rep. Aaron Schock.

Gay muffin tops!

Long Island gay and lesbian groups to honor Harvey Milk this weekend: "Milk's nephew, Stuart Milk, will accept an award on Saturday from the Long Island Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Services Network. Milk grew up on Long Island and graduated from high school there in the late 1940s — keeping his sexuality a well-guarded secret."

UVA students hold a rally against anti-gay hate: "Several hundred people gathered at UVA’s amphitheater last night for the Stand Against Hatred. The vigil and public forum was in response to the April 4 attack on a UVA student that was apparently motivated by anti-gay bias."

Maryland to protect the homeless under hate crimes statute: "The groundbreaking measure, championed by one of the legislature's most conservative Republicans, was approved in the House of Delegates four minutes before the General Assembly adjourned at midnight Monday. O'Malley (D) is reviewing the bill, which also adds penalties for violent crimes against people targeted because of their gender or disability."

Police Scrutinize Surveillance Tapes, Suspects in Newark Attack

Yesterday I posted about a gay couple, Josh Kehoe and Bobby Daniel Caldwell, who said they were attacked by a group of 15 to 20 youths following a Britney Spears concert at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The group reportedly used anti-gay slurs as they beat the couple, breaking Caldwell's jaw in two places.

The police have some leads: "The Essex County prosecutors office, however, says police do not believe the incident was bias-related. That may be because the victims told cops a group of young women was attacked and had their purses stolen just a few minutes later, according to the police report filed...Kehoe says it took Newark Police nearly 45 minutes to get to the scene. The two have filed complaints with Newark Mayor Cory Booker's office. Mayor Booker has since reached out to the victims, expressing his outrage over what happened. The investigation, so far, is leading police to believe that a teen party in downtown Newark may be linked to Saturday's attack. The attackers may have attended the massive gathering, which was said to have had over 500 attendees, according to McCarthy. Police are now reviewing tapes from a number of surveillance cameras in the area, and are confident they will be able to arrest those responsible."