News: Mars, Brokeback Opera, Arson, Louis Vuitton, Mormons

Michelangelo Signorile talks to a Mormon from Texas who donated to 'Yes on 8'. This is what we're up against.

Brokeback Mountain opera shelved.

Now we know who can play 'Joe the Plumber' in the McCain biopic.

Australian LGBT youth suicides at disturbingly high levels: "Open Doors surveyed 164 LGB students across the state, and 37 per cent of respondents said they had attempted suicide in the last 12 months, with 82 per cent considering taking their own life. The report also revealed a general attitude of fear among LGB students, with 81 per cent saying they had experienced bullying based on their sexuality."

Anti-gay graffiti discovered at torched home near Charlotte, North Carolina: "Fire investigators declared the home a total loss and sent samples from a bedroom to an SBI lab for testing. Meanwhile, sheriff's Maj. Coy Reid said detectives have one suspect in the case after conducting interviews. Found on a back wall of the house were graffiti of slang words referring to homosexuality. 'We're trying to figure out where that came from and if that is tied in with the fire,' Bump said."

Mayer in training.

Madonna to be the next face of Louis Vuitton? "According to tipsters, the Material Divorcée will be the face of Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2009 campaign and has already been shot by photo wonder duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott."

Holocaust survivors to Mormons: stop Baptisms of dead Jews.

Fear in Florida that the state could become home to immigrant population of five-inch Madagascar hissing cockroaches. In related news, Kentucky man moving to Florida.

Stevens vs. Begich: 90,000 more votes to be counted tomorrow in Alaska Senate race.

Mission over for Mars Lander: "Engineers have not heard from the craft since Sunday 2 November when it made a brief communication with Earth. Phoenix, which landed on the planet's northern plains in May, had been struggling in the increasing cold and dark of an advancing winter. The US space agency says it will continue to try to contact the craft but does not expect to hear from it."

McCaskill being discussed as DNC Chair Howard Dean's replacement when he steps down in January: "In sheer political terms, the choice really wasn’t Dean’s to make. Indeed, any decision on who will serve as the next DNC chair will come with directives from Obama and his aides. And a name being floated around as a possible Dean replacement is one of the president-elect’s closest allies: Claire McCaskill, the junior Senator from Missouri and a national co-chair of the Obama campaign."

CG Animated Wizard of Oz in the works: "The English-language adaptation maintains the tale's main characters and settings. Unlike the MGM classic, however, it's not a musical."

Levi's presents the "People's Premiere" of Milk. Blogger Joe.My.God attended it and has photos.

Naked Boys Singing and ACLU sues the city of Milwaukee for shutting down their show three years ago: "The city temporarily shut down performances of 'Naked Boys Singing!' in August 2005 while it considered the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center's application for a theater permit. The group later received a permit and reopened the show. Larry Dupuis, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, which is handling the case, said the city's enforcement seemed unusually zealous, even given the musical's content."

Brad Pitt roughed up by his own security detail?

Study on the failure rates of mobile phones.

Georgia GOP congressman calls Obama Marxist, warns of dictatorship.

Vancouver to rally against Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church, which continues its crusade against The Laramie Project.

Regular: Palin to have rummage sale?

Sphere: Related Content

Stop Sending Annie Proulx Your Extended Gyllenhaal-Ledger Fantasies

Brokeback Mountain author Annie Proulx isn't a fan of Brokeback fan fiction. She gives her thoughts on it to the Wall Street Journal in a recent interview:

"'Brokeback Mountain' has had little effect on my writing life, but is the source of constant irritation in my private life. There are countless people out there who think the story is open range to explore their fantasies and to correct what they see as an unbearably disappointing story. They constantly send ghastly manuscripts and pornish rewrites of the story to me, expecting me to reply with praise and applause for 'fixing' the story. They certainly don't get the message that if you can't fix it you've got to stand it. Most of these 'fix-it' tales have the character Ennis finding a husky boyfriend and living happily ever after, or discovering the character Jack is not really dead after all, or having the two men's children meet and marry, etc., etc. Nearly all of these remedial writers are men, and most of them begin, 'I'm not gay but….' They do not understand the original story, they know nothing of copyright infringement—i.e., that the characters Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar are my intellectual property—and, beneath every mangled rewrite is the unspoken assumption that because they are men they can write this story better than a woman can. They have not a clue that the original 'Brokeback Mountain' was part of a collection of stories about Wyoming exploring mores and myths."

Last week I posted about Proulx's new collection of stories, one of which visits similar two-lonely-cowboys-in-a-pup-tent territory.

Sphere: Related Content

Annie Proulx Revisits Brokeback Territory in New Book

Brokeback Mountain author Annie Proulx has a brand new book of short stories out, Fine Just the Way It Is, based once again on the American west. It also contains at least two stories with gay and lesbian content, according to Band of Thebes: "'Them Old Cowboy Songs,' is a heartbreaker about a teenage married couple, Archie and Rose, struggling in the unyielding West of 1885. Archie leaves Rose alone and pregnant while he goes to cowhand on a ranch whose owner won't hire married men and whose foreman is gay. The sexual tension in the all male setting is constant, and seemingly expected.

Here's one passage:

"Later Sink took the kid aside and put the boo on him, told him the facts of life, said that old Lon would bull him good if he ever agreed to get in a bedroll with him, said that the leathery old foreman was well known for bareback riding of new young hires. Archie, who'd seen it all at Peck's bunkhouse, gave him a look as though he suspected Sink of the same base designs, said he could take care of himself and if anyone tried anything on him he'd clean his plow good. He moved off. When Sink came in from watch at the past-midnight hour, he walked past the foreman's bedroll but there was only a solitary head sticking out from under the tarpaulin; the kid was somewhere far away in the sage with the coyotes. Just the same, thought Sink, he would watch Lon the next time he got into the red disturbance and started spouting that damn poem about Italian music in Dakota, for the top screw was a sure-enough twister."

Proulx's First Book Since Brokeback Movie Again Includes Gays [band of thebes]
Fine Just the Way It Is [amazon]

Sphere: Related Content

News: Playgirl, China, Brokeback, McGreevey, Amsterdam, Facebook

China: Police raid gay bathhouse in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province and arrest 40 on suspicion of prostitution: "Photos of young men in shorts were pasted at the entrance to the venue, which had a bathroom, a lobby and 10 single rooms. A sign at the gate warned visitors that the premises were for men's leisure only. More than 30 police officers raided the house after receiving evidence. Two men were caught having sex with each other on the scene, and were seized with other patrons. A man surnamed Zhang, 47, from Shanxi Province, was charged with paying to have sex with sex worker Shao, 23, from Jiangsu Province at the bath house. Both were punished for involvement in prostitution, police said..."

Playgirl magazine to shutter print operation, go "web-only"...

Will it be Evan Bayh? Here are the latest odds according to one gambling site.

Columnist Robert Novak retires from journalism, calls brain tumor prognosis "dire".

Actor Morgan Freeman hospitalized after car accident: "The 71-year-old Dark Knight actor’s car reportedly went off the road and flipped several times reports, according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol. 'The doors were jammed on the vehicle from the rolling and flipping,' Mississippi Highway patrol sergeant Ben Williams said. 'We had to break the doors open with the jaws of life to extract him.'" Film cursed?

Rainbow flag stolen from Kirkland, Washington church.

New York gay couples following wedding bells to Massachusetts: "While some New Yorkers have flown across the country to marry in California since May, when that state became the nation’s second to approve same-sex marriage, gay-rights advocates expect many more to do the same in Massachusetts, since it is so much closer. 'We call it the Amtrak option, as opposed to the Jet Blue option,' said Cathy Renna, a communications consultant to gay and lesbian organizations." Actually, you can take Jet Blue to Massachusetts though you may lose everything.

Canadian summer camp for gay and lesbian youth inspires national movement.

Brokeback: Big Brother 10's gay cowboy Steven selling his clothes on eBay. (Someone bought his cut off T-shirt for $1,075!)

Brokeback is now Chinese shorthand for gay.

McGreevey divorce finalization expected imminently.

Dutch cabinet ministers join Gay Pride canal flotilla in Amsterdam: "The initiative was taken by Education and Culture Minister Ronald Plasterk of the Dutch Labour party, who is also responsible for gender equality. 'The government focuses attention on important social issues. This is one of them.'"

Madonna brings documentary home to Michigan, gives good face.

All Dan: Equus Broadway promos ditch horse, girl.

A scheduled meeting between gay Mormon support group and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been delayed indefinitely: "In a letter sent July 23, Fred C. Riley, the outgoing director of LDS Family Services, said the matter would best be handled by his successor, who hasn't been selected. LDS Family Services is an arm of the Salt Lake City-based denomination."

Refugee seekers turning to Facebook to prove sexual orientation: "Wearing their sexuality on their sleeve was never an option for many of these people back in their home countries, so scrounging up suitable evidence to support their claims may be difficult. Claimants cite torture, rape, and even death if they are returned home. So they have to get inventive. The group leader tells his members to use technology to their advantage and feels Facebook can help demonstrate involvement in the gay and lesbian community. 'During Pride we took hundreds of pictures and we have a Facebook group and when people sign up to that group we encourage them to show their membership to the IRB member.'"

Scientists measure Great White Shark's bite: "The fearsome predator's chomp is around three times more powerful than a lion's, at least 20 times stronger than a human's and just over half as strong as Tyrannosaurus rex."

Sphere: Related Content

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #316

NORTH KOREA: George W. Bush announces he'll be lifting sanctions on North Korea and may soon be removing them from the "Axis of Evil".

GAMES BEING PLAYED: Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) questioned Fmr. Deputy Asst. Attorney General Office of Legal Counsel John Yoo on detainee interrogation today at hearings.

GAY COWBOYS: 'Brokeback meets Broadway' on this week's America's Got Talent.

JASON KNIGHT: Gay soldier ejected under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" submitted this question for Nancy Pelosi in advance of her appearance tonight on CNN's The Situation Room.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

Sphere: Related Content

News: Luke Russert, Coldplay, British Army, Father's Day, Canada

Tim Russert's son Luke talks to Matt Lauer...

The executives of the Human Rights Campaign contributed $4,300 to Hillary Clinton's campaign and $0 to Barack Obama. Records show that the other contenders received the following amounts: Dodd — $3,000, Edward — $750, Richardson — $500.

Prince Edward County in Canada a magnet for open-minded thinkers: "Bill [Stearman] says he's seen more homophobia in cities such as Toronto and Belleville. 'It's comfortable here and you don't have to worry. There's a person with a beard and breasts who happily walks down the main street in Picton and nobody cares.' Carlyn Moulton, who co-owns the Oeno Gallery nearby, calls it the 'So-What Factor,' and says people are bonded much more by things other than sexual orientation."

Coldplay's Chris Martin storms out of BBC interview.

Father's Day: Gay couple who adopted three young brothers speaks out: "We are just like you, other than that it’s two men instead of a man and a woman. We live life the same way you do. We put our pants on one leg at a time just like you do. We have the same routines and the same requirements to keep our household going."

Matthew McConaughey back doing what he does best.

Join McCain's "team".

Gay soldiers in Britain's Army will be allowed to march in this year's gay pride parades while in uniform, and not in the red shirts they were forced to wear last year as a replacement: "The Ministry of Defence announced that the Army had this year joined the Royal Navy and RAF in allowing personnel to take part. Last year, soldiers were banned from wearing anything identifying their military links. But a meeting between army officials, Pride organisers and the Equality and Human Rights Commission, resulted in an agreement to scrap the ban in time for this year's parade on July 5."

Nova Scotia town of Truro a changed town after rainbow flag controversy: "The news release, issued Tuesday, says that as a result of discussions between town council and Mr. Thompson, a number of strategies will be undertaken. The town has amended its affirmative action policy to include sexual orientation in the town’s employment equity policy, the release says. Truro will also consider amendments to include gender identity in that policy. The release also says Mr. Mills and councillors will take part in an educational program designed by a town staff member and a representative of Rainbow Proud that will deal with homophobia and gender identity."

Prince William goes barebacking.

Gay Pride in Budapest, Hungary gets go-ahead after police chief reconsiders: " The new decision by Dr. Gábor Tóth approves of the march and its route as originally suggested by organisers. A meeting between the Pride organisers and police was due to be held this afternoon to renegotiate the march, but this was not required following the publication this morning of the new decision by Dr. Tóth."

Brokeback Mountain composer Gustavo Santoalalla receives BMI Icon of the Year award.

Tori Spelling shows off some big wieners

Controversy in Australia over football coach who was sacked after it was reported that he was bisexual.

Gay website for rural community in Ireland shuttered after lawsuit related to article on local lake which served as meeting place for gay men: "What could make a lake so lethal? Sex, actually. People were reportedly doing it under the nearby trees, in bushes, at and near the waters (in it, too, perhaps). An unusual wet weather activity, you may be thinking. A man objected. Tony Geraghty, a freesheet editor, witnessed this joie-de-vivre and wrote a cover story for The Mayo Echo, captioned 'Castlebar Lake attracts hundreds of perverts'. Threads on castlebar.ie found his article offensive; Mr Geraghty found the threads offensive. One thing led to a legal other and the site closed."

Sphere: Related Content

Brokeback Mountain Commissioned for New York City Opera

The New York City opera has commissioned a work by Charles Wuorinen based on the 1997 Annie Proulx short story Brokeback Mountain, which, of course, became perhaps the most groundbreaking gay film of all time:

"The opera is scheduled to premiere in spring 2013, City Opera said Sunday. It will be City Opera's second Wuorinen premiere, following 'Haroun and the Sea of Stories,' which was based on a Salman Rushdie novel and opened in October 2004. 'Ever since encountering Annie Proulx's extraordinary story I have wanted to make an opera on it, and it gives me great joy that Gerard Mortier and New York City Opera have given me the opportunity to do so,' Wuorinen said in a statement."

Sphere: Related Content

Brokeback Parody Alert: Indiana Jones and the Gay Rabbi

I remember the days when a Brokeback parody landed in my inbox three times a day. Well, here's one that takes on this summer's presumed blockbuster.

For those of you who haven't totally quit the genre, here's Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Gay Rabbi, featuring Harrison Ford and Gene Wilder...

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Sphere: Related Content

Mariela Castro Presides Over Cuba's Largest Gay Rights Rally

President Raul Castro's daughter Mariela, an outspoken advocate of gay rights, presided over a massive state-backed rights rally over the weekend, to mark the International Day Against Homophobia:

"The meeting at a convention center in Havana's Vedado district may have been the largest gathering of openly gay activists ever on the communist-run island. President Raul Castro's daughter Mariela, who has promoted the rights of sexual minorities, presided. 'This is a very important moment for us, the men and women of Cuba, because for the first time we can gather in this way and speak profoundly and with scientific basis about these topics,' said Castro, director of Cuba's Center for Sexual Education. Mariela Castro joined government leaders and hundreds of activists at the one-day conference for the International Day Against Homophobia that featured shows, lectures, panel discussions and book presentations. A station also offered blood-tests for sexually transmitted diseases."

MSNBC also reports that Brokeback Mountain was broadcast in prime time on Cuban state television Friday night. A draft gay rights bill is expected to be considered by the Cuban parliament in June.

A brief clip from CNN's Headline News, AFTER THE JUMP...

Sphere: Related Content

Brokeback Mountain April Fool's Washington Post Prank Backfires

Public relations exec and lawyer J. Peter Segall paid for a retraction in the Washington Post after a spoof "In Memoriam" ad he took out yesterday for April Fool's Day went terribly awry. Segall placed an ad about his friend, Edward M. Gabriel, an international business consultant and former U.S. ambassador to Morocco, in yesterday's Post. Apparently Segall plays private jokes on Gabriel every year, but this year it was a little too public:

"In language reminiscent of the movie 'Brokeback Mountain,' the $322.20 ad said, 'Though I no longer have you as my partner, this day will always be OUR anniversary. . . . I could never quit you.' ... Segall said last night that he is a mature man who made an immature mistake. 'As I said in a correction that I hope is published [today], I engaged in a very stupid and ultimately cruel April Fools' joke against a man that has been my best friend for 30 years, and I deeply, deeply regret it,' Segall said. Gabriel said he fielded calls all day from friends who thought he had died. One woman told him she spent two hours crying after seeing the ad. 'He's an old friend who plays jokes on me every year, and some are hilarious, but they've been private,' Gabriel said. 'He's a good friend who went a little too far. He's apologized profusely, and I've accepted it, but not without being a little hurt. I think -- I know -- he had no ill intent.'"

A 'Death' Is Noticed [washington post]

Sphere: Related Content

News: Mormons, Roy Scheider, Art Heist, Suicide Blog, Millionaires

Writer's to vote on agreement to end Hollywood strike: "The Writers Guild of America moved swiftly Sunday toward a resolution of its three-month-old strike, with guild leaders deciding to recommend a tentative contract to members and ask them to vote on a quick end to the walkout. By calling for separate votes on ending the strike and accepting the new three-year deal, the union cleared the way for the entertainment industry to return to work almost immediately. Membership meetings will be held Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles to allow writers to decide whether the strike should be brought to a speedy end, said Patric Verrone, president of the guild’s West Coast branch."

Jaws police chief Roy Scheider has died at the age of 75 (photo via slog).

Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger says the next season of the Bravo show may focus on gay millionaires: "There would have to be a gay person at the helm to consult with me. But attraction is attraction. When a guy comes in and he's flamingly queeny and he goes for butch, you can't give him another queen. Somebody wants their car door opened. Somebody wants to be called back. Somebody wants someone to pay the bill. It's not about the sexuality. You have to be able to hear what attracts somebody. The gay community has a lot of money because there's no second decision maker. They don't have an ex-wife or children. But what they're saying to me is that there's a whole subset of the gay community, where people are hooking up for real love. And that's why they want marriage."

"Spectacular" art heist in Switzerland sees theft of four paintings worth $163.2 million: " The robbery...occurred Sunday at the E.G. Buehrle Collection, one of Europe's finest private museums for Impressionist and post-Impressionist art, police said. Three masked men who entered the building with pistols are still at large. A police statement said the three robbers wearing ski masks and dark clothing entered the museum a half-hour before closing Sunday. While one of the men used a pistol to force museum personnel to the floor, the other two robbers went into the exhibition hall and collected the four masterpieces. The men were about 5 feet 9 inches tall and one of them spoke German with a Slavic accent, the police said. They loaded the paintings into a white vehicle parked in front of the museum. Police, asking for witnesses to come forward, said it was possible that the paintings were partly sticking out of the trunk as the robbers made their getaway."

Atonement wins "Best Film", Daniel Day-Lewis "Best Actor" at BAFTA's. Full list of winners here.

Sensing softening of attitudes, gay Mormon group Affirmation requests meeting with new church president Thomas Monson. Assistant executive director David W. Melson: "I would like for us never again to have gay individuals, particularly our young people, being told that they are not welcome in the church they grew up in."

Paris Hilton's film The Hottie and the Nottie bombed at the box office this weekend. To mark the occasion, her publicist Elliot Mintz showed up to her pre-birthday party as the Nottie.

Attention, artists! The South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement is seeking theme and logo submissions for its 2008 Pride celebration.

Aussie cricket team hits gay bar: no photos please.

CBS News host Bob Schieffer cuts "Brokeback Mountain" reference from tribute song to Sumner Redstone in wake of Heath Ledger's death: "Singing 'Mr. Redstone' to the tune of 'Mr. Goldstone' from the musical 'Gypsy,' Mr. Schieffer sang about the boss splitting up CBS and Viacom in 2006. 'You are the guru, and who would know but you what a little change in Viacom's name would do. Have an éclair, Mr. Redstone, buy some networks, make a movie, play a tune. Take a break now, Mr. Redstone, 'cause another deal will come along real soon.'...In the recorded version though, there was no claim that 'I don't understand this interlude.' Instead, Schieffer says, 'I ain't some Brokeback Mountain dude.'" Funny how we respect the dead more than the living.

Woman plans to kill herself in 90 days, and she's blogging about it.

Sphere: Related Content

Heath Ledger Death an Accidental Prescription Drug Overdose

The results of Heath Ledger's autopsy have been released:

"The New York City medical examiner has found the cause of actor Heath Ledger's death to be acute intoxication by the combined effects of a mix of prescription painkillers and anti-anxiety medication. The medical examiner said in its ruling that a combination of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine had been found in Ledger's tissues after preliminary tests showed no result. 'We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications,' a spokesman for the medical examiner's office, Charles Hirsch, said in a statement."

Ledger's family released a statement following the report, which you can read AFTER THE JUMP...

***STATEMENT from HEATH LEDGER's FAMILLY***

We remain humble as parents and a family, among millions of people worldwide who may have suffered the tragic loss of a child. Few can understand the hollow, wrenching, and enduring agony parents silently suffer when a child predeceases them. Today's results put an end to speculation, but our son's beautiful spirit and enduring memory will forever remain in our hearts.

While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath's accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage.

Our family enjoyed an extremely happy two week visit with Heath just prior to the New Year. Those recent precious days will stay with us forever. We as a family feel privileged to have some of his amazing magic moments captured in film. To most of the world Heath was an actor of immeasurable talent and promise. To those who knew him personally, Heath was a consummate artist whose passions also included photography, music, chess and directing. We knew Heath as a loving father, as our devoted son, and as a loyal and generous brother and friend.

We treasure our beautiful granddaughter Matilda (to our dear Michelle) as well as an unbelievably wonderful network of close friends, forever, around the world. Families rarely experience the uplifting, warm and massive outpouring of grief and support as have we, from every corner of the planet. This has deeply and profoundly touched our hearts and lives. We are eternally grateful.

At this moment we respectfully request the worldwide media allow us time to grieve privately, without the intrusions associated with press and photography.

Sphere: Related Content

Gyllenhaal's On-Set Brothers Joke About Heath Turns Poignant

People reports from the set of the Jake Gyllenhaal-Tobey Maguire film Brothers that Heath Ledger's death has had a profound effect on his Brokeback co-star, and relates a story that shows just how close that movie made them:

"Nowhere is that more apparent than on the New Mexico set of Gyllenhaal's latest movie, Brothers. 'This has had a strong personal affect on [Jake],' says a set source. The insider adds that Gyllenhaal left the set immediately after learning of Ledger's Jan. 22 death – but he flew back on a commercial flight to shoot an additional scene on Thursday. 'He was there, but he wasn't with us. It was obviously a major trauma,' says the movie source. 'These guys were very close. [Jake] was sitting in the director's chair staring off into space.' Gyllenhaal has been off since shooting that scene, and was photographed Saturday looking subdued with girlfriend Reese Witherspoon in Los Angeles. Set sources say director Jim Sheriden is shooting around the grieving actor during his personal leave. [Gyllenhaal]'s somber mood is a sharp contrast to the happier times on the set of Brothers. During one intense early prison scene, Gyllenhaal jokingly reached into his pocket and took out a picture of his Brokeback beau to stick on the prison wall. 'Like those prisoners put [loved ones] on the wall, but Jake's was Heath Ledger,' one set source recalls. 'That was hilarious. It was a nice moment.' The source adds, 'When you think back on it now, it's touching.'"

Sphere: Related Content

FOX News Host John Gibson Apologizes for Heath Ledger Remarks

Following the outrage over homophobic and callous comments he made about the death of Heath Ledger, John Gibson apologized tonight on his radio show.

Tuesday night, as Think Progress noted, "Playing an audio clip of the iconic quote, 'I wish I knew how to quit you' from Ledger’s gay romance movie Brokeback Mountain, Gibson disdainfully quipped, 'Well, he found out how to quit you.' Laughing, Gibson then played another clip from Brokeback Mountain in which Ledger said, 'We’re dead,' followed by his own, mocking 'We’re dead' before playing the clip again."

Gibson called Ledger a "weirdo" with a "serious drug problem" and suggested that Ledger killed himself because he had "a serious position in the (stock) market" or perhaps "watched the Clinton-Obama debate last night. I think he was an Edwards guy, cause he saw his Edwards guy was just completely irrelevant."

Last night, Gibson said he felt no need to apologize, but apparently the outrage, as well as an alert from GLAAD, prompted the clip you see above.

Sphere: Related Content

Outrage Rises Over John Gibson Remarks on Heath Ledger

John Gibson's disgusting remarks about Heath Ledger, which I posted about last night, have reverberated through the media. I've made a clip of a segment on MSNBC's Morning Joe in which Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist discuss the remarks.

Scarborough asks, "Is he laughing that Heath Ledger died because he made a movie about two gay men? Is that why this young father dying was a punchline to John Gibson?"

When Geist replies, "Of course it is. That’s the implication," Scarborough replies, "So if you make a movie — this is now, it’s not that if you are gay, your death is a punchline. If you make a movie about being gay, your death becomes a punchline. I don’t know who syndicates this guy, but that is absolutely stunning, that John Gibson would be that mean-spirited and hateful."

Last night, Gibson defended his "little Brokeback Mountain joke," saying he's lived off that "I wish I knew how to quit you" comment for months, saying "I’m not giving that up."

Listen to Gibson's new comments on Think Progress.

GLAAD has sent out an alert, urging people to contact the network and voice their disgust with Gibson.

MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann last night gave Gibson his "world's worst person" award (below).

Sphere: Related Content

Dan Abrams Calls Out Gay-Related Heath Ledger Hate Speech

Thank you, Dan Abrams.

The MSNBC host last night called attention to some of the anti-gay hate speech that has arisen from Heath Ledger's death and his association with Brokeback Mountain, including (though he won't mention them) the Fred Phelps clan, John Gibson, and various bloggers and commenters on message boards.

Abrams: "This is insanity. Yes I thought it was going to happen to some degree. But the notion that there are going to be some people there picketing at his funeral. I mean this is disgusting beyond what I even expected, and I think it's going to continue to some degree..."

He's right, it's disgusting.

Related...
FOX Radio Host Mocks Heath Ledger's Death, Brokeback Mountain [tr]
Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist to Picket Heath Ledger Funeral [tr]

Sphere: Related Content

Jake Gyllenhaal "Very Upset" on Closed Set in New Mexico

In case you were wondering where Jake Gyllenhaal has been since Heath Ledger's death, TMZ has tracked him down:

"Jake Gyllenhaal has yet to be seen or heard from since the death of his close friend, Heath Ledger -- and people on the set of his new film are working hard to keep it that way. Gyllenhaal is in New Mexico, currently filming his new movie, Brothers. We're told there are no plans to shut down production, but Jake is very upset and doesn't want to talk to the media -- so the set has been closed to non-crew members and extra security has been hired. Jake is the godfather to Heath's daughter, Matilda Rose."

Sphere: Related Content

FOX Radio Host Mocks Heath Ledger's Death, Brokeback Mountain

FOX News host John Gibson revelled in Heath Ledger's death yesterday on his radio show, finding a new opportunity to mock Brokeback Mountain (and by proxy, gay love), which in 2006 he called a "gay agenda movie," Think Progress reports:

"Playing an audio clip of the iconic quote, 'I wish I knew how to quit you' from Ledger’s gay romance movie Brokeback Mountain, Gibson disdainfully quipped, 'Well, he found out how to quit you.' Laughing, Gibson then played another clip from Brokeback Mountain in which Ledger said, 'We’re dead,' followed by his own, mocking 'We’re dead' before playing the clip again."

Gibson called Ledger a "weirdo" with a "serious drug problem" and suggested that Ledger killed himself because he had "a serious position in the (stock) market" or perhaps "watched the Clinton-Obama debate last night. I think he was an Edwards guy, cause he saw his Edwards guy was just completely irrelevant."

Listen to the audio at Think Progress.

What a sad, pathetic individual.

Sphere: Related Content

Heath Ledger Autopsy Inconclusive, Says Medical Examiner

Further toxicology tests are necessary to determine the cause of Heath Ledger's death, a medical examiner said Wednesday:

"The medical examiner's office told NewsChannel 4 that an autopsy on actor Heath Ledger was inconclusive, and more tests are needed. Additional toxicology tests will be conducted and results are not expected back for another seven to 10 days, according to the medical examiner's office...Police sources said investigators found two bottles of sleeping and anti-anxiety pills at the apartment -- one prescription, one over the counter. Fire officials told NewsChannel 4 that a 911 caller reported that a man was not breathing and his body was 'cold' The maid reported earlier she had heard Ledger snoring, police told WNBC.com...The New York City Medical Examiner's Office conducted the autopsy Wednesday, saying the cause of death is still uncertain. NYPD spokesman Browne said there was no obvious indication of suicide."

Ledger's Autopsy Inconclusive, M.E. Says [wnbc]

Previously
Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist to Picket Heath Ledger Funeral [tr]
Actor Heath Ledger Found Dead in Manhattan Apartment [tr]

Sphere: Related Content

Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist to Picket Heath Ledger Funeral

Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church and his band of haters plan to picket the funeral of actor Heath Ledger, because of his involvement in Brokeback Mountain.

In a news release, the church wrote: "Yes. WBC will picket this pervert's funeral, in religious protest and warning: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked." Gal. 6:7. Heath Ledger thought it was great fun defying God Almighty and his plain word; to wit: God Hates Fags! & Fag Enablers! Ergo, God hates the sordid tacky, bucket of slime seasoned with vomit known as 'Brokeback Mountain' - and He hates all persons having anything whatsoever to do with it. Heath Ledger is now in Hell, and has begun serving his eternal sentence there - beside which, nothing else about Heath Ledger is relevant or consequential."

The Kansas-based ministry was recently ordered to pay $11 million to the father of a slain U.S. soldier for picketing at the funeral of his son. Westboro Baptist claims that the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are God's wrath against a nation that tolerates homosexuality.

Previously
Court Unseals Financial Records of Westboro Baptist Church [tr]
Westboro Baptist Church Thumbs Nose at $11 Million Judgment [tr]
Slain Soldier's Father Awarded $11 Million in Westboro Baptist Case [tr]

Sphere: Related Content

News: China Moon, Kevin Rudd, Spice Girls, Kentucky, Truman Capote

Philadelphia Boy Scouts facing eviction for their anti-gay bigotry: "The Cradle of Liberty Council—Philadelphia's Boy Scout chapter—has been housed in an historic building in downtown Philly for almost 80 years, paying almost nothing for the prime piece of proprety under the terms of a 100-year sweetheart lease it inked with the city in 1928. But that lease is set to expire, and city officials say the taxpayer's shouldn't be footing the Scouts rent bill because of it's national policy banning openly gay members and leaders. The Scouts must either pony up the fair market rent for the space—about $200,000 a year—or find a new home."

Back to 1996: Spice Girls kick off world tour in Vancouver, with real live vocals! "There is a click track for the band to keep them in time, which is standard, but all of the girls' vocals were live."

British Panto theatre comes out of the closet: "Panto has cross-dressing, innuendo and glitter, so maybe we've reached the point where we've stopped pretending that it's just camp and really it's as gay as you like. It's built into the form."

The NYT takes a look at the difficulties of being gay in Newark, New Jersey: "Sharrieff Baker and his partner, Edwin Rosario, who own a house in the North Ward, said they had a very different experience when one of their tenants found out they were a couple. Last month, they said, the tenant tore up a shared bathroom, called them 'faggots' and threatened to blow up their house. When they called 911, they said, Vincent Cordi, the responding police officer, appeared unconcerned and agreed only reluctantly to take their complaint. Back at the station house, they said, Officer Cordi sniggered with co-workers as he typed up the paperwork, at one point blurting out, 'How do you spell 'faggot'?'"

Truman Capote, New Orleans, 1946: First chapter of new book Portraits and Observations: The Essays of Truman Capote (Review)

Beckham makes the sponsorship switch: Emporio Armani undies spotted in New Zealand

Homophobic, racist flyers found on Canada's University of Windsor campus.

A look back at Saturday Night Fever on its 30th anniversary: "Lapels aside, the film seems strangely prescient -- a road map to the income inequality, the ethnic and racial politics, and the lure of celebrity that we see today. Culturally speaking, the '70s are back. As we grapple with soaring gasoline prices, tune in to 'Dancing With the Stars' and work through a new kind of national malaise, we would do well to heed the cautionary lessons of the young man in polyester."

Gay census study sees closets emptying in Kentucky.

Watchdogs question authenticity of Chinese Moon photo, say it may be plagiarized from NASA. China denies.

Australia's new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd makes his first act ratifying the Kyoto Treaty: "Australia's new stance on Kyoto will isolate the US as the only developed nation not to have ratified the treaty. Mr Rudd is due to attend the UN climate change conference in Bali next week with four of his ministers. When they heard of Mr Rudd's decision, delegates at the conference erupted in applause. Mr Rudd's appointment as prime minister ends more than 11 years of conservative government under his predecessor John Howard. As well as signing up to the Kyoto Protocol, the new government is committed to withdrawing Australia's combat troops from Iraq."

Brokeback Mountain costume designer Marit Allen dies of brain aneurysm at 66.

Mitt Romney to deliver major speech on Mormonism. AmericaBlog calls him out: "You can't give a speech about being an oppressed religious minority in America only 5 days after you oppress another religious minority in America. Romney can't tell us that the religion of his cabinet is relevant but the religion of the cabinet's president isn't. It just doesn't work that way. Either a candidate for high office's religion is relevant or its not. This week Romney is going to tell us that it's not, though I suspect he's also going to try to con everyone into thinking that Mormonism IS Christianity, so at the same time he's telling us to ignore his religion he's going to be telling us that he's a bigger Christian than we are and that that is the reason we should vote for him. In other words, Romney is going to try to have it both ways this week, lying all the way. So what else is new?"

Pam Spaulding posts a wrap-up of the 2007 International Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference and a new interview with Representative Tammy Baldwin.

Fixer-upper: Richard Neutra house goes on market in Santa Monica.

Sphere: Related Content

News: Adam Levine, Bigot of the Year, Writer's Strike, Thailand

Rolling Stone's Jann Wenner and partner Matt Nye are expecting twins in January.

Daughter of anti-gay leader Amy Contrada (MassResistance) comes out of the closet: "I am a lesbian, which my mom still does not get. She just says that I am confused. I realized in around eighth grade, but I was in denial for quite some time because I was scared due to my mother constantly saying that homosexuality is wrong. How can it ever be wrong to love though? That’s what I’d like to know."

Reuters discovers that some Republicans are gay!

Scientist tweak gene in mice to create "mighty mouse": "Scientists at Case Western Reserve University have genetically engineered mice that outrun, outlive, and out-eat ordinary mice while staying lean, light, and fertile well into old age...A major unanswered question, Hanson's team notes, is what brain changes accompany the genetically engineered mice's hyped-up activity."

Ellen DeGeneres takes on the holiday as a "not pregnant" Jennifer Lopez.

Maroon 5's Adam Levine dresses down for slut-o-ween.

Daniel Radcliffe confirmed for Equus on Broadway in September 2008: "... it took months of negotiations to secure a deal with the theatre-owning Shubert Organisation and for the producers David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers to sort out all the paperwork for the play's two leading men to perform in New York. Director Thea Sharrock will begin rehearsals next August."

Get ready for more Reality TV: Hollywood writers to strike for the first time in almost 20 years - "We've never been more united and we are willing to deal -- and our decision makers are at the table. Their decision makers are not at the table, and that tells you pretty much all you need to know about how the companies are pushing this."

Royal blackmailer Ian Strachan to apply for bail: "Lawyers representing Ian Strachan, 30, are due to make an application behind closed doors at the Old Bailey. A previous application last week was adjourned after a few minutes because the lawyers needed more time to prepare. Strachan is not expected to attend but will be released from Belmarsh prison, south-east London, if bail is granted."

Bishop wins Bigot of the Year award from UK gay rights group Stonewall: "An employment tribunal in Cardiff in April heard how youth worker John Reaney, 42, was left feeling humiliated after a two-hour interview during which the bishop grilled him about a previous gay relationship. The tribunal decided Mr Reaney had been a victim of unfair dismissal and awarded damages against the Church of England."

On Wednesday I posted about the latest hustler to bring down a Republican hypocrite, and his porn past. Fleshbot has a big round-up of Cody Castagna's adult activities (NSFW).

SLOG reads the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report, and it's quite terrifying.

Munich version of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin features drag queens and Brokeback Mountain references. It's not being received well: "There is no novelty value left in the outing of Tchaikovsky. Half-naked cowboys and men in ballgowns are cheap cliches. An exploration of the two men's relationship is legitimate, since it is one of the opera's deepest and certainly its most tragic. With more subtlety and professionalism, it might have worked."

Thai gay activist says he was refused insurance because he is gay: "Natee Teerarojjanapongs, president of the Gay Political Group of Thailand, said he had tried to buy a policy from AIA sales agent Pachara Pipatwong on Sunday. However, after Pachara called to consult an AIA official who liaises with the company's agents, Natee was told he could not do so because he was gay. 'AIA is violating the 2007 Constitution, as it is restricting my rights. [Pachara] told me the official said AIA policy stated that it did not give homosexuals insurance,' Natee said after speaking to the council, which met to monitor how the new Constitution was being implemented. 'I'm willing to let them give me a full health check if they think that I'm in a high-risk group. There's no reason to deny me and other gays or transvestites life insurance. We are educated like others in society. Not all of us engage in risky behaviour,' he said."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Heidi Fleiss, 50 Cent, Georgetown University, Banksy

Crimes: The cost of being LGBT in today's world.

REPORT: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi ready to split.

Entertainment Weekly: Why didn't Brokeback Mountain change anything? "According to almost every person interviewed for this story, there just aren't any high-quality gay scripts in circulation. 'I swear to you, if there were projects that were visible and good, people would make them,' says Hairspray producer Craig Zadan, who, with Neil Meron, makes up one of the most successful gay producing teams in town. 'No one's brought them to us.' It doesn't help that th