News: Maine, Pete Wentz, South Park, Thomas Perez, Brokeback

Focus on the Family donated $115,000 to stop marriage equality in Maine. Check out how much the Catholic Church donated here (it was a lot more).

300 protest play featuring transsexual Jesus in Glasgow.

Was Adam Lambert's Halloween chum his new boyfriend?

Salt Lake City elects first openly gay city council member: "Stan Penfold, a gay man and the director of Utah Aids Foundation, has won the race to fill Salt Lake City’s District 3 council seat. Penfold outpaced Phil Carroll to represent the Avenues and Capitol Hill, replacing outgoing Councilman Eric Jergensen."

WaPo: Gay groups say Maine loss won't alter strategy. NYT: Gay rights rebuke may change approach.

Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, testified today on ENDA before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Here's his testimony.

Rue McClanahan hospitalized: "I'm currently having some maintenance on the old ticker"

Mariah Carey visits Ellen DeGeneres.

Dede Scozzafava opens up about campaign drop-out: "There were calls going that were calling me a child killer, there were pieces of mail that said I was a homosexual lover."

Pete Wentz got punched by some guyliner.

South Park runs "fag" episode.

Eastern Pacific Great White Sharks hang out in "shark café."

Brokeback Mountain author Annie Proulx donates early draft to New York Public Library: "The early draft shows that the story, which was later adapted into an Oscar winning hot film starring the late Heath Ledger, had early working titles such as Bulldust Mountain and Swill-Swallow Mountain."

Since God hates shellfish, why aren't right-wing religious conservatives in Maine boycotting the lobster industry?

Kathy Griffin celebrates her birthday at The Abbey.

Pat Buchanan thinks Charlie Crist has a gay rights problem.

150 people rally in L.A. on Prop 8 anniversary, including openly gay Los Angeles Police Commissioner Rob Saltzman: "Also among the rally speakers were Robin Tyler and her (legal) wife Diane Olson, and their attorney Gloria Allred, who has filed several marriage lawsuits on their behalf. Matt Weinstein from the US Department of Commerce also urged same sex couples and domestic partners to fill out the 2010 US Census forms when they come around – noting the historic change in policy of now including gay people."

News: Dwan Prince, Puerto Vallarta, Attack Dogs, Brian Boitano

Former Republican staffer Jason Wetherington, who boasted about sleeping with Florida governor Charlie Crist, charged with grand larceny, dealing in stolen property, and false verification of ownership after theft of engagement and wedding rings from pastor's daughter.

It would be very cool to witness the annual sardine migration in the Philippines.

Candy Bra: Loco Mama has a hit on her hands..

Dwan Prince, victim of brutal 2005 anti-gay assault in NYC, claims changed sexual orientation and writes letter to attacker in prison, taking blame for the attack.

Gay bashing case in Utah delayed after victims fail to show in court...

Brian Boitano does not want to be perceived as gay.

Marietta, Georgia columnist suggests setting attack dogs on men cruising in public parks: "With a little instruction, dogs could be taught to severely dislike the gay lovers in Burruss and Wildwood and bite them in the fanny and do what City Council should have done years ago - chase them off to Atlanta where they belong."

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg tweets.

Jennifer Hudson is a mother.

Teen claims gay panic in Puerto Vallarta murder: "According to published reports in the Mexican media, the body of the victim, Sergio Daniel Baltasar Guerra, was found  early Sunday morning, August 9, near the seahorse statue, on Los Muertos beach, just south of the gay Blue Chairs section of that beach.  The victim was between 25-30 years old and had been a manager at a local supermarket."

Brokeback Mountain shirts featured in Western pop culture exhibit at L.A. Autry museum.

News flash: gaydar tougher to use than you think.

Closet still familiar to many in the Philippines and Malta.

CIRCUS: Crazy claims she's the mother of all three of Michael Jackson's children, and that she and MJ are the biological parents of Tom Cruise's child, Connor Cruise.

Milo Ventimiglia is in a jam.

Despite resolution from the American Psychological Association, "ex-gay" therapy continues in El Paso, Texas.

Facial asymmetry in men linked to greater risk for dementia?

Portland Mayor Sam Adams recall campaign faces challenge: "With another 56 days to go, they’ll have to gather 786 signatures per day in order to meet their goal of 50,000. So far, they've been operating with an average of 176 signatures a day, according to our calculations. They now need to increase their rate of collection by a whopping 345 percent to meet the deadline."

Justin Timberlake to release his own scent.

ACLU reaches settlement with Yulee High School in Florida over Gay-Straight Alliance: "Earlier this year, the ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of a student who was denied a request to form the GSA at Yulee Middle School and Yulee High School the following year. As part of the agreement, the district must prohibit any discrimination against the club and the students and faculty members associated with it.The district must also allow the club to meet on campus and to use the name Gay-Straight Alliance.The district has also been ordered to pay $40,000 in court costs associated with the case."

News: The Arctic, Washington D.C., Smurfs, Rwanda, Ochocinco

D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics to hear arguments today regarding Bishop Harry Jackson's referendum against recognition of same-sex marriage and whether or not it can go forward. Hundreds watch hearing...

The Arctic?

3,000 students dress up as Smurfs to break world record.

A gay soldier's husband speaks from the shadows.

NYT advice on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell': "President Obama should see if there is indeed any action he could take on his own while awaiting the military’s assessment. In the end, it will be up to Congress to root out 'don’t ask, don’t tell' by overturning the law that brought it about."

Some upset over Obama shoe photo.

Barbara Bush finds a hot piece.

Pregnant man Thomas Beatie gives birth again.

Charlie Rose talks about the federal challenge to Proposition 8 with David Boies.

Is your phone spying on you? "This new generation of -user-friendly spy-phone software has become widely available in the last year—and it confers stunning powers. The latest programs can silently turn on handset microphones even when no call is being made, allowing a spy to listen to voices in a room halfway around the world. Targets are none the wiser: neither call logs nor phone bills show records of the secretly transmitted data."

Oraine Barrett is the first Black model to appear on the cover of Brazil's DOM magazine.

Adam Lambert to appear on 20/20 this Friday.

Catholic group compares San Francisco Board of Supervisors to Nazis for "denouncing a Vatican order to Catholic Charities not to place adoptive children with same-sex couples."

Cyndi Lauper holds summer auction for True Colors Fund.

Mormon fringe ponders 'chemical castration' for gays: "[I]s chemical castration an option for LDS gays? I mean, if you're faithful LDS & accept that for whatever reason the Lord has put you on Earth as a "eunuch" (best case, if you can stay strong), why should you have to struggle with incessant thoughts that are not just inappropriate now, but will be inappropriate in the next life, too, only serve to pervert any desires to have children in a celestial relationship in the next life."

Stars show up for True Blood premiere.

Not coming back: Satellite images show decimation of 99 percent of rainforest in Rwanda.

Israel to hold first public same-sex wedding ceremony.

Limited hunting of humpback whales considered.

Fabien Baron returning to Interview magazine as Glenn O'Brien exits.

NFL players Chad Ochocinco and Carson Palmer have "Brokeback Mountain" relationship.

Nigel Lythgoe Responds: Not a Fan of 'Brokeback' Ballroom - Update

#sytycd

Nigel Lythgoe of So You Think You Can Dance responds on Twitter to internet uproar over his homophobic remarks on last night's show in response to a pair of same-sex dancers.

If you missed it, all the background is HERE.

UPDATE. Nigel Lythgoe issued an apology for his remarks. Here is his statement, via GLAAD:

“I sincerely regret the fact that I have upset people with the poor word choices and comments I made both during the taping of the ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ audition and on my personal status update. I am not homophobic and it was extremely upsetting for me to be classed as such.

I have been forthright and consistent with my opinion, as a judge, that professional male dancers should move with strength and agility — like Gene Kelly and Rudolph Nureyev.  I now realize how this could be misconstrued.

I have been a dancer, and involved in the dance world, for nearly 50 years. Professionally and personally, I believe the sexual orientation of an auditioner or contestant is irrelevant.  All that said, the fact that I have unintentionally upset people is distressing to me and it is obvious I have made mistakes that I must learn from. I trust that my humor will be more sensitive and mindful moving forward.”

Said GLAAD President Neil Giuliano: “We certainly appreciate the dialogue, and the opportunity for Nigel to help further educate people about how words and images matter. His sincere words are appreciated, and we look forward to words, images and representations of the LGBT community on So You Think You Can Dance that will be fair, accurate and inclusive in the future.”

Ang Lee, on Taking Woodstock and Brokeback Mountain

The Hollywood Reporter talks with Ang Lee about his forthcoming film Taking Woodstock, which takes its plot from the memoir of Elliot Tiber, the gay man who helped facilitate the legendary music festival.

THR: Since part of Elliot Tiber's story is about his coming out as a gay man, do you think the film will be viewed as a companion piece to "Brokeback Mountain"?

Lee: I think it's a very different story. In "Brokeback," being gay is the main issue. In Woodstock everybody's there, everything is tolerated for three days of peace and music. Our lead character could be anybody. It just happened to be Ellliot Tiber, who just happened to be himself. He's a closeted gay at the beginning, but he comes to terms with it. We didn't make big deal out of it.

Straight Guys Spend the Night Spooning on Survivor: Tocantins

Forget the fact that the gay Survivor contesant Spencer was kicked off the show a while back. The Survivor: Tocantins producers turned a rainy night for two presumably straight male contestants on Exile Island into an innuendo-laden Brokeback-style adventure. After Brendan presents Stephen with the gift of a snakeskin boa, they spend the night spooning together. The producers go so far as to compare them to two copulating frogs.

Says Stephen: "I have never been so close to another man. He and I spooned for all we were worth. Nothing could prepare me for lying against a hunk of man."

Says Brendan: "The night Stephen and I had out here on Exile was probably the worst night I've had. So we huddled up and spooned all night and had a great bonding experience...And that's the one really cool thing about Exile it's just a bonding experience far greater than what could happen back at our tribes."

Watch the segment, AFTER THE JUMP...