Sportrait: Alexandre Despatie

French Canadian diver Alexandre Despatie appears on the cover of L'Actualite magazine looking fitter than ever. He's ready to compete in the Olympics in Beijing.

You may remember that Despatie had a trial run at Beijing's Olympic "water cube" in February for the FINA World Cup.

Despatie made an appearance on L'Actualite four years ago as well, when he was headed to Athens. To see what a difference four years makes, check the cover out AFTER THE JUMP....

Previously
Alexandre Despatie Tests the Water Cube [tr]
Alexandre Despatie Makes a Splash in Vancouver [tr]
Alexandre Despatie Back in Winning Form [tr]
Aquamen: Alexandre Despatie Scores Perfect 10 in Quebec [tr]
Hot for Teacher: Alexandre Despatie [tr]

From twink to man.

Previous Sportraits
The Diary of Sean Avery, Hockey Player and Vogue Intern [tr]
Sportrait: Danny Cipriani [tr]
Sportrait: John Cena [tr]
Sportrait: Riley Skinner [tr]

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Gay Pride Weekend Wrap

Wedded bliss was a special focus of San Francisco’s 38th Annual Pride Parade, the first to be held after the California Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage. The Dykes on Bykes tossed bouquets and San Fran Mayor Gavin Newsom was greeted like a rock star. Gay icons Cyndi Lauper and Margaret Cho were among celebrity attendees. Crowds were said to be "larger-than-usual." Full photo album here.

According to The Canadian Press, members of the Canadian Armed Forces participated in Gay Pride for the first time in Toronto, whose parade featured a grand marshal (Gareth Henry) who fled Jamaica after being persecuted for his sexual orientation.

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota attracted an estimated 125,000 celebrants, including an exceptionally proud terrier (who I hope was dyed humanely).

Chicago’s Gay Pride Parade went off without a hitch Sunday. Themed "Live, Love, Be Proud," the parade’s grand marshal was ex-marine Eric Alva (pictured), the first American casualty from the Iraq War and an openly gay man.

German Pride celebrated its 30th year by kicking off for the first time from the former East Berlin. One special participant was 95-year-old Rudolf Brazda, a survivor of Buchenwald concentration camp:

"It was a terrible time. I must say that I feel as though I were in paradise in this democratic society."

Other European Pride events held on Saturday included some in countries "seeing gatherings of gays and lesbians for the first time." At the Czech Republic’s first Pride, three people were jailed for throwing fireworks at some of the 500 marchers. Five dozen skinheads were arrested in Bulgaria for attempting to derail that country’s event.

Paris Pride was organized around "homophobia at school" and drew about 700,000. But why talk about it when you can just take a look?

Finally, marchers in Calcutta, New Delhi and Bangalore celebrated Gay Pride, marking the first parades in the latter two Indian cities. "Several hundred" participants were reported at the events, which were staged in advance of arguments before a Delhi High Court to overturn the antiquated law—Section 377—forbidding any sex that is "against the order of nature." Indians are rarely locked up for homosexuality, but the legal punishment is up to 10 years.

Gay-rights activist and New Delhi organizer Lesley Esteves says:

"Discrimination is widespread because there is no protection or law or societal understanding. There's discrimination in the workplace; there's discrimination in the family—it's on every level."

At least some of the onlookers were just there for the music.

As usual, there will likely be a dull roar from some gay quarters that Gay Pride isn’t necessary because being gay is nothing to be "proud" of (overlooking that it’s the suggestion to be ashamed that these events are counteracting) or that it’s counterproductive because all the "freaks" come out. I agree with JoeMyGod’s annual rant: "They wish we were invisible. We’re not. Let’s dance."

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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."

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News: Mitt Romney, Tivo, Judy Garland, Clay Aiken, Pete Doherty

As California gears up for a gay wedding boom, nine gay rights groups issue statement urging those who get married in California not to rush back to their states and sue: "In an unusual six-page memorandum, written for same-sex couples, groups ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to Lambda Legal warned that lawsuits would invite 'bad' court rulings that could take years to overturn." Two California countries have announced they'll halt all weddings, saying they lack resources.

Crucified by the media: rocker Pete Doherty undergoes plaster cast for marble statue of himself as Jesus Christ.

Obama meets with Christian leaders...

Jonathan Capehart warns of an Obama-Nunn ticket: "When Bill Clinton sought to keep his 1992 campaign promise to end the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, he met strong resistance in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill. Nunn, one of the most adamant opponents, led a series of hearings that were stacked against ending the prohibition. Critics noted that Nunn held more hearings about and spent more time on gays in the military than he had on the defense budget or even the Navy's Tailhook sexual harassment scandal ... an Obama-Nunn ticket does not sit well with some prominent gay Democratic fundraisers."

Clay Aiken is not just having a son, but he has another baby in the freezer.

John Aravosis at AmericaBlog got some intense shots of the storm that passed through the east coast yesterday.

Judy Garland to sing on stage again: "Cutting-edge technology unavailable just a few years ago has enabled NY-based production company Running Subway to present Judy's larger-than-life passion and personal story to 21st century audiences in what can only be described as the greatest Judy Garland concert ever."

Fishnets: Experts conclude that the Oscar de la Hoya drag photos were indeed doctored.

Dolores Neuman, photographer whose camerawork was central to Rob Epstein's 1984 documentary The Times of Harvey Milk, dies in Washington D.C. of kidney cancer.

Justin Timberlake on Love Guru wardrobe: "This may be TMI but I was constantly digging out those wedgies!"

Canadian gay couple Theo Wouters and Roger Thibault settles $400,000 defamation lawsuit brought by neighbors out of court.

Chace Crawford reads a few juicy scripts in London.

Mitt Romney purchases $12 million home in La Jolla, California.

Democrats don't touch 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell': "Since taking control of Congress in January 2007, Democrats have not convened hearings on the matter or taken up legislation that would let gays serve openly, although most party members favor repealing the prohibition. Instead, Democrats have focused their efforts on bringing troops home from Iraq and other issues that have broad appeal among voters, such as lowering gas prices."

Tivo pulls web page which acknowledged their relationship with Focus on the Family.

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News: Brody Jenner, Dolphins, Michael Cashman, DADT, Madonna

British MEP and former EastEnders actor Michael Cashman under fire for giving his boyfriend £30,000 secretary job.

Wet Willie: Prince of Wales gets royal dunking.

REPORT: Madonna hires Paul McCartney's lawyer for divorce from Guy Ritchie.

Canadian pastor censored and fined for anti-gay letters: "A former pastor will appeal a human rights ruling that orders an apology and the payment of thousands of dollars in fines for an anti-gay letter published in a central Alberta newspaper. The Alberta Human Rights Commission issued a written order on May 30 stating that Stephen Boissoin and the Concerned Christian Coalition must pay former Red Deer school teacher Darren Lund $5,000 in damages."

Mass dolphin death on Madagascar beach.

The story of the first Mrs. John McCain isn't pretty: "My marriage ended because John McCain didn’t want to be 40, he wanted to be 25. You know that happens…it just does."

Kyle Hausman was locked in a Williamsburg, Brooklyn bar all night long. Here's his story, and here's the pre-story: "The hours melted away. Four a.m. approached, closing time, so Ms. Misagal tallied the night’s receipts as a worker cleaned up. Mr. Hausmann was milling about with the last stragglers. Then, around 4:30, he went into a bathroom. And for reasons that are unclear even to him, he stayed in there for quite a while."

Same-sex relationships more egalitarian: "When I look at what’s happening in California, I think there’s a lot to be learned to explore how human beings relate to one another. How people care for each other, how they share responsibility, power and authority — those are the key issues in relationships."

FAA says UFOs seen recently over San Jose recently were probably satellites reflecting the sun: "The appearance of at least two fast-moving shining objects in the weekend daytime sky over San Jose has local residents wondering if they were UFOs. Bob Lochridge, a local resident who recorded the objects, said they streaked across the skies. 'They appeared to be triangular pieces of metal,' he said. 'They were up very, very high. I couldn't see them without the camera.'"

Brody Jenner looking for a "bromance" in new reality series that will feature hot tub eliminations. That's his real "bro" by the way.

The Bachelorette: here's the only thing worth watching it for.

Federal appeals court upholds dismissal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" lawsuit: "A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit filed by 12 gay and lesbian veterans who had challenged the military’s 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy. The plaintiffs had all been discharged under the policy, instituted by Congress. 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jeffrey Howard said in the decision issued Monday that while some people may question the wisdom of the policy, the court had to defer to congressional decision making."

Amy Winehouse's racist song and subsequent apology - video.

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News: Ugly Betty, Morehouse, Boyzone, Latvia, Sharon Stone

Meet Ohio's Sally Kern...GOP Representative Jeff Wagner: "As much as some people would have us to believe otherwise, this country was founded on Christian principles. One of those long honored principles is the tradition of holy matrimony. One man and one woman joined together in a union that goes as far back as Adam and Eve. As our society has gotten further from that standard (not just homosexuality, but easy divorce, cheating on a spouse, etc.) we see a continued collapse of the basic building block of society the family unit. As that traditional family erodes, we see more sexually transmitted diseases, kids without parents, heartbroken people and I believe a host of mental and physical illnesses..."

Ugly Betty headed to Broadway?

High-profile Canadian murderer of gay man Jeffrey Lalonde commits suicide in prison.

Batman gets a milk moustache...

Roman Catholic Cardinal Jānis Pujāts calls on Latvian government to declare gay pride marches unlawful, compares gays to drug addicts and alcoholics...

Following last week's eulogy in the NYT, New York magazine weighs in with its final words to meatpacking restaurateur Florent Morellet.

Gay couple receives $15,000 in damages from homophobic teen: "Five years ago, the 17-year-old, who can not be named because he was a juvenile at the time, threw a roll of toilet paper and a firecracker on the couple's lawn. In a related incident, the teen also threatened the couple by saying he would like to 'wreck his fist' on their faces. The boy was arrested, but police never charged him. He was instead asked to apologize to the couple and seek psychiatric help. That didn't satisfy Wouters and Thibault who felt the boy's apology was made only to keep him from being charged in criminal court. They took the case to the rights commission."

Black, all-male Morehouse College battles homophobia from within: "Brewer, 22, didn't come to Morehouse with the intent of changing it. But he found that he had no choice. He had arrived here from Oklahoma City pretty comfortable with himself: outspoken, proudly smart and, at 5 foot 9 and 300 pounds, hard to miss. Early on, he decided he wouldn't water down his gay identity. And that, historically, has been a problematic strategy at Morehouse. The 141-year-old college has played a key role in defining black manhood in America. But with a past steeped in religion, tradition and machismo, it has struggled to determine how homosexuality fits within that definition."

Texas high school criticized for putting photos of gay couples in the yearbook.

Sex and the City publicity juggernaut achieves orgasm in Manhattan.

Boyzone performs the Full Monty...

Cyndi Lauper, Charo, and the nephew of Harvey Milk to grand marshall San Francisco gay pride parade.

McCain commercial features woman wearing Barack Obama t-shirt.

Chinese not happy with Sharon Stone's statement that the earthquake was "karma": "That prompted the founder of one of China's biggest cinema chains to say his company would not show her films in his theaters, according to a story in The Hollywood Reporter...Ng See-Yuen, founder of the UME Cineplex chain and the chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, called Stone's comments 'inappropriate,' adding that actors should not bring personal politics to comments about a natural disaster that has left five million Chinese homeless, according to the Reporter. UME has branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, China's biggest urban movie markets."

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News: Jodie Foster, Oregon, Chris Evans, Northern Ireland

Good riddance: South Carolina high school principal resigning because he doesn't agree with the school having a gay-straight alliance.

Was she the other woman who ended Jodie Foster's 14 year relationship? "Although she and Cydney remain under the same roof at the moment, the relationship has been shattered. They’ll continue to raise the boys together and try to keep a loving family unit despite their breakup. The love is gone."

Oregon Court of Appeals upholds ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage in the state.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie glam it up in Cannes.

Redwood City, California man to stand trial for attacking his neighbors with a wrought iron table, fists: "Prosecutors say Santos-Coy had been drinking when he approached two neighbors of his apartment complex as they worked on their car in the building's carport. Yelling that the men — a couple in their 20s, according to prosecutors — were 'dirty nasty people' and other things not fit to print in this publication, Santos-Coy allegedly struck one of the men several times in the face. He then picked up a wrought-iron table and swung it at the victims, prosecutors said. The men managed to avoid getting hit by the heavy table, according to prosecutors...He faces up to eight years in prison for two felony counts of a hate crime and one count of assault with a hate crime purpose."

Cameron Diaz goes bald.

Scotland Yard arrests 198 across London for "domestic, homophobic and race hate crimes."

Owner of the first gay bar outside a major city in Ireland talks about the reaction from the community: "When someone comes up to one of my sons and mentions the gay bar, it's to tell them that their uncle or cousin is gay. The young people in Strabane seem to be very open-minded — there's been no hassle at all."

"Ex-Gay" Bar? UK former gay bar under inquiry for putting up banner announcing that it is "now straight". "A police inquiry is under way into a complaint that the sign, which has now been taken down, was offensive. The bar owners said it was never their intention to offend. Assistant manager Carl Lovett said: 'We admit it was not the best banner but there was never any intention to cause offence.' ... The bar, which opened as a seven-days-a-week gay venue in January, decided to switch to becoming a mainstream premises after failing to attract enough customers."

Chris Evans apparently has some lesbian fantasies.

California Republican justice Ronald George on newly-minted hero status: "Basically, it comes down to the question of when is a judge shirking his or her responsibility by not acting...The political repercussions of who I am going to please or who I am going to displease is not something I think about. I just put it out of my mind."

Canadian middle school students told they can't wear anti-homophobia t-shirts: "School principal Kim MacKenzie said the word "gay" was used inappropriately. He said the T-shirts weren't appropriate for a middle-school level and didn't comply with the school dress code. 'This is a middle school,' he said, adding no other disciplinary actions were taken. 'There were questions from Grade 5 students as to what homophobia was. That's something that many of our parents would have a concern with -- the notion of how that conversation (was started) in the school,' said MacKenzie."

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News: Shia LaBeouf, Cow, Dan Renzi, Swish, Cynthia Nixon

American art legend Robert Rauschenberg has died at 82.

Holy cow.

Swish: One New Yorker's quest to become the gayest person ever. Radar: "Despite his book's provocative title, Derfner in fact doesn't necessarily want to be the poster boy for the gays, or at least, he doesn't have the stamina. 'I basically don't have a social life. It's really sad. I don't go to bars, I don't go to parties, I don't like events. I'm too old to stay up that late; I've never gotten home at five. I like going to the movies and eating at cheap chain restaurants.'"

Emergency help button switched on in gay village in Birmingham, UK.

Marc Jacobs goes Brazilian.

Cynthia Nixon is thinking about getting married: "It's something my girlfriend is interested in and it was not something my boyfriend ever was. I think that to get married to her would be a little act of rebellion. It's like if you've never had the vote and then you get it you're going to run out there and vote.”

Bob Barr joins presidential race as Libertarian candidate. TPM: "Normally these third party candidacies don't amount to anything. And I don't expect this one to either. But on this one ... maybe. Barr is enough of a media darling that if he runs he'll get a lot of free media. And there's enough weirdness going on in the Republican party right now that I could imagine a few scenarios where he'd draw non-trivial numbers away from McCain. As always in these cases the place to look isn't in aggregate national numbers but in particular states where a drawing off a few points in one direction could make a state competitive where it otherwise wouldn't be."

Shia LaBeouf spiffs up GQ.

Bravo, Apple, Showtime, HBO,
Absolut, and Levi's named the most gay-friendly brands in 2008 Prime Access/PlanetOut Gay and Lesbian Consumer Study. Least gay friendly were WalMart, Dunkin Donuts, Cracker Barrel, Exxon Mobil, and Samsung.

Gay teen Jonathan Siden nominated for "Citizen of the Year" in Ann Arbor, Michigan: "He began to be open about his sexual orientation in ninth grade. He said being open about his sexuality has 'taken a great toll.' Lori Roddy, program director at the Neutral Zone, nominated Siden for the Young Citizen of the Year Award. She said she's amazed at his focus. Under such pressure, other students might withdraw or drop out of school, but Siden was motivated to try to bring about change."

An email from Burma: "Two days after the storm the men in uniforms came to our village with blankets, food and water. We accepted their gifts and posed for their cameras. When they were done taking pictures they took back the food, the water, and the blankets and drove away. I do not think that I can face such disappointment again."

The DL hip-hop book revealed.

Sarah Jessica Parker's hat attends Sex and the City premiere in London.

Tori Spelling signs on to 90210 spin-off.

El Salvador man denied refugee status in Canada says he'll be killed if he returns as scheduled on May 15: "Ramirez, who came to Toronto as a delegate for the International AIDS Conference in August 2006, says he's afraid that if he's sent back he'll face violence at the hands of three federal police officers who he claims beat, raped and robbed him in a sugarcane field more than two years ago. Since the alleged attack Ramirez says the three men have visited his family in El Salvador threatening to kill him because, they claim, he infected at least one of them. I am sure that I will be put through torture,' says Ramirez through an interpreter, 'and I am sure that I will be assassinated if I go back. There have been four men who have come to my sister's home in a car and have parked outside her house. They have asked my little niece if I had come back yet and they have also called my sister and told her that they were going to kill me.'"

SF Weekly questions cost of Harvey Milk City Hall bust: "about as much as 14,860 gallons…"

Former Real World star Dan Renzi appointed editor of South Florida's Express Gay News.

Homo-hating Bush tool Scott Bloch shut down Karl Rove investigation: "The corrupt anti-gay head of the Office of Special Counsel, Scott Bloch, who allegedly employed Geek Squad to try scrub emails from his computer before the FBI took away his office and home computers, is a busy tool. While he was coming up with that ace cleansing project, he also deep-sixed an investigation into politically motivated allegedly illegal activities by the dark lord Karl Rove."

UCLA looking for 20 more participants in gay twins study.

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Canadian Woman Settles Complaint with Montreal Gay Bar

You may remember in May of last year I posted about Audrey Vachon, a Canadian woman who filed a complaint after being thrown out of Montreal's Le Stud bar because it has a "men only" policy.

The Canadian Press reports that the bar and Vachon have settled the discrimination complaint: "Bar Le Stud and Audrey Vachon, the 21-year-old woman who launched the complaint, agreed to keep the terms of the settlement confidential. Quebec's human rights commission says businesses have the right to attract a particular clientele but not to discriminate by excluding other customers. Vachon sat down at the bar with her father for an afternoon beer a year ago when staff told them women were not allowed. Le Stud owner Michel Gadoury said at the time women had been banned most nights since the bar opened 11 years ago."

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News: Neil Patrick Harris, Hip-Hop, Kevin Rudd, PETA, Zac Efron

Australian PM Kevin Rudd presented with first major gay rights challenge of his administration as ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope asks him to allow same-sex civil unions.

Tiny Wookie takes leak on the ruler of the Naboo people.

Anti-gay South American Anglican Archbishop defies requests to stay away from Canada: "Archbishop Gregory Venables, who claims to represent 15 breakaway Anglican congregations in Canada, will speak Friday at a gathering in Delta of the conservative Anglican Network in Canada. Venables, who has been criticized as a rogue archbishop by Anglican colleagues in South America and elsewhere, is recruiting Anglican congregations in Canada and the U.S. that have opposed the ordination of homosexuals and the church blessing of their relationships. The primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, Fred Hilz, wrote a public letter to Venables on Monday urging him to stay home and saying that entering his North American jurisdiction 'will further harm the strained relations' between Canadian Anglicans."

Ewan McGregor makes light of skin cancer scare: “It was great fun having skin cancer, it was great, I really enjoyed it.”

Richard's Quest: The CNN reporter's Central Park thought process flowchart.

Zac Efron gives big to cancer patient in the UK.

A night out with Neil Patrick Harris at The Magic Castle: “I’m not the guy who goes to Skybar,” Mr. Harris said. "I’m not good with that random small talk with people I’ll never meet again. I prefer to take a friend somewhere eventful." He also says he's looking forward to welcoming Britney back to his show.

PETA offers $1 million prize for test tube meat: "The organization said it would announce plans today for a $1 million prize to the 'first person to come up with a method to produce commercially viable quantities of in-vitro meat at competitive prices by 2012.' The idea of getting the next Chicken McNugget out of a test tube is not new. For several years, scientists have worked to develop technologies to grow tissue cultures that could be consumed like meat without the expense of land or feed and the disease potential of real meat. An international symposium on the topic was held this month in Norway. The tissue, once grown, could be shaped and given texture with the kinds of additives and structural agents that are now used to give products such as soy burgers a more meaty texture."

Former MTV executive Terrance Dean promises to out DL players in the hip-hop industry in new book.

Investigators suspect gay angle in New Delhi murder.

Janet Jackson, who is set to receive a GLAAD award in L.A. this weekend, talks to E!'s Marc Malkin about AIDS, drag queens, Ellen Degeneres, and Lawrence King: "He was finally coming into his own and being himself and being OK with who he was. He was feeling good about that and not living in this shell and pretending to be someone else. He was letting all of that go and saying, 'This is me.' But being murdered for being who you are, for being real—we were crushed by that."

Neil Haskell, from So You Think You Can Dance, has joined the New York cast of Altar Boyz.

Clay Aiken is Tyra Banks' reward for 500 episodes.

ACLU asks Florida judge to reopen case on Okeechobee gay-straight alliance: " The lawsuit was recently dismissed by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore after its lead plaintiff Yasmin Gonzalez graduated and the club itself dwindled down to zero members, leading the judge to drop a requirement that the group be allowed to meet while the lawsuit was pending. The lawsuit was initially filed in November 2006 under the federal Equal Access Act after the student group claimed the school district would not allow it to meet at Okeechobee High School. The school district claimed it was banning the club in part because it was a 'sex-based' club and could conflict with abstinence-only education."

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News: Mad Drag Queen, Thailand, Christian Siriano, Asteroids

San Francisco financial services firm reconsidering move to Oklahoma City because of Sally Kern's anti-gay remarks.

Drag queen who looks like Amelia Earhart targets Intimate Ideas, a lingerie store that refused to hire him — with his car!

Thailand's government ignoring surge in HIV rates among MSM: "Thai gays have essentially been left to sink or swim; and they're sinking."

Britney Spears now taking driving lessons from her kids.

Reduce your risk of prostate cancer: rub one out regularly.

Christian Siriano rips The Hills' Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port: "It’s really sad that if I didn’t win Project Runway, I probably wouldn’t have the sponsors I have now. I would have never been able to do what they have done because they all have disposable income, and yet their work still isn’t that great! I mean, it’s fun and flirty and young, but they’re not innovators. None of them will ever be an innovative designer. Buyers and editors are looking for longevity, and hopefully they will see that in me.”

AP: Same-sex couples in U.S. having trouble getting divorced. Rhode Island's Cassandra Ormison: "We all know people who have gone through divorces. At the end of that long and unhappy period, they have been able to breathe a sigh of relief. I do not see that on my horizon, that sigh of relief that it's over."

HGTV hosts in Canada Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan get married. Ryan: "After a year of living in Toronto, filming Home Heist, it became clear to us that it was time to tie the knot. Canada is such a progressive nation, so welcoming and open-mindedly liberal about gay marriage, that we felt thoroughly inspired."

One of the first Scottish couples to join in a civil partnership has been driven apart because of homophobic attacks: "Every time we went out young thugs would abuse us because of our sexuality and once we were set upon and attacked by three neds. It got worse after I moved to another house, in Irvine. For two months I was calling the police out about three times a night. Gangs of up to 15 youths were outside shouting abuse, throwing bricks and trying to break my door down."

Bravo's Step it Up and Dance has a contestant with a gay porn past (warning: NSFW)

First seniors home for gays and lesbians in Canada is proposed in Vancouver: "So far, the project is nothing more than a proposal, but already more than 30 people have plunked down a $1,000 deposit since it was first advertised two weeks ago, according to the U.S. developer. The plan is for a condo development featuring living units, a communal dining room, a fitness centre, a lounge and cabaret."

13-year-old German schoolboy corrects NASA on path of errant asteroid: "Nico Marquardt used telescopic findings from the Institute of Astrophysics in Potsdam (AIP) to calculate that there was a 1 in 450 chance that the Apophis asteroid will collide with Earth, the Potsdamer Neuerster Nachrichten reported. NASA had previously estimated the chances at only 1 in 45,000 but told its sister organisation, the European Space Agency (ESA), that the young whizzkid had got it right." (UPDATE: Hoax!)

American Idol's Michael Johns prefers to be an alert drunk.

Last week I posted about gay rights activist John Corvino, who had his appearance canceled by Michigan's Aquinas College, because he's gay. Students found a new, larger venue for him to speak at, which was donated for free.

South Africans reach out to gays in Zimbabwe: "The South African Lesbian and Gay Equality Project (LGEP), formerly known as the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality (NCGLE), is concerned about the deepening political, economic and social crises in Zimbabwe. We express our full solidarity with the lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, women, workers and all the people of Zimbabwe. We add our voice in condemning the unjustified delay in the release of the 29 March elections. As Zimbabwean Independence Day approaches on 18 April 2008, Zimbabweans have nothing to celebrate in honour of their heroic liberation struggle and historic achievement of freedom and democracy."

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News: Oscar Wilde, Tasmania, Project Runway, Erotic Jesus

Gay property developers driven from Tasmania by homophobic locals after dead kangaroo is found nailed to door. Stephen Roche: "It's been an interesting ride. But I don't feel as though I've been pushed out at all. It's a very small minority that have had any sort of homophobic prejudice. Tassie's probably got a way to go with acceptance of gay people."

Shopping with Milo Ventimiglia.

Lifetime poaches Project Runway from Bravo and NBC is MAD AS HELL.

Joe.My.God reports on the National Gay & LEsbian Task Force's New York Leadership Awards which said good-bye to Executive Director Matt Foreman.

Over 100 "pro-family" leaders applaud Romania's bigotry.

iTunes Canada removes Jamaican dancehall "Murder music": "This action followed a campaign led by the Canadian LGBT rights group Egale and Stop Murder Music. The songs include advocating or approval of killing gays: 'iTunes is exercising its corporate responsibility by pulling this murder music and raising the bar for other retailers and distributors to do the same,' says Akim Larcher, founder of SMM. He calls iTune’s decision a victory for the gay community in Canada and in the Caribbean."

Oscar Wilde brand alive and well and living in Paris: "In his day, Wilde - iconoclastic, bisexual, Irish - found fame and, briefly, fortune by dint of genius, charm and application. In his own time, he was an outsider and an exotic. Now he’s one of us. We understand his craving for celebrity. We share his obsession with youth. ('Youth is the one thing worth having,' he wrote in The Picture of Dorian Gray.) Gay or straight, we are easy with his sexuality. Indeed, so prejudiced are we in his favour, we tend to overlook the fact that most of the young men in whom he took an interest were little more than boys."

Christian radio station miffed over Wisconsin school district's dress-up day: "Students at Pineview Elementary in Reedsburg had been dressing in costume all last week as part of an annual school tradition called Wacky Week. On Friday, students were encouraged to dress either as senior citizens or as members of the opposite sex. A local resident informed the Voice of Christian Youth America on Friday. The Milwaukee-based radio network responded by interrupting its morning programming for a special broadcast that aired on nine radio stations throughout Wisconsin. The broadcast criticized the dress-up day and accused the district of promoting alternative lifestyles."

Will you make it to third base with Neil Patrick Harris. These bitches did.

UC-Berkeley blood drive encourages gay men to find donors to take their place.

Sex and the City girls the star attraction at a benefit for The Point Foundation.

Erotic Jesus exhibit sparks outrage in Austria: "The source of the dispute, which Austrian media has dubbed Vienna's version of the Mohammad caricature row, is a retrospective honoring Austria's cherished artist Alfred Hrdlicka, who turned 80 earlier this year...The Church hastily removed the main picture, 'a homosexual orgy' of the Apostles as Hrdlicka describes it. But the protest has continued, much to the surprise of the small Cathedral Museum which is nestled down a narrow street in Vienna's historic Gothic quarter. The museum's director defends both Hrdlicka's work and his decision to host the artist's controversial versions of biblical imagery in a museum tied to the Catholic Church. 'We think Hrdlicka is entitled to represent people in this carnal, drastic way,' Bernhard Boehler said in his small museum office, across the street from Vienna's imposing St. Stephan's Cathedral. He said the museum never intended to offend people but that art should be allowed to provoke a debate."

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News: Charlton Heston, Rickroll, Woody Harrelson, Singapore

Canadian PM Stephen Harper urged to repudiate gay slur by Saskatchewan MP Thomas Lukiwski: "The prime minister needs to deal with this issue directly and try to put it behind him as soon as possible. I think the prime minister has to personally say, 'I don't accept these comments, I repudiate them and it's not part of the party or the government or where its mind is at on a lot of these issues right now."

New book Uncle Bobby's Wedding teaches children about same-sex marriage: "Cute guinea pigs stand in for humans in this sensitive story in which Chloe is not concerned that her favorite uncle is marrying another male, only about how it will affect her close relationship with Uncle Bobby. When he assures her that they can still have fun together, she relaxes and gets into her role as flower girl. Sarah S. Brannen takes a calm, straightforward approach to this hot-button issue, as when Chloe asks her mother, 'How can Uncle Bobby get married?' Mama answers, 'When grown-up people love each other that much, they want to be married.'"

Woody Harrelson goes skinnydipping with Owen Wilson.

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in slush fund scandal: "Chris Quinn could well become the first lesbian mayor of the largest city in the United States, but she could just as well end up indicted in a fiscal scandal that threatens to unravel what has been a political career marked by political savvy and unbounded ambition."

Charlton Heston dies at 83: "Although Heston talked about and praised the "brilliantly talented homosexuals" he worked with during his career, he was often accused of being homophobic, especially later in his life. In a 1997 speech at the Free Congress Foundation's 20th Anniversary Gala, Heston was criticized by gay rights groups, including GLAAD, for derogatory remarks made toward the gay community. In the speech, Heston demonstrated both tolerance and discrimination against gays in almost equal measure. 'Many homosexuals are hugely talented artists and executives... also dear friends. I don't despise their lifestyle, though I don't share it,' Heston stated. 'As long as gay and lesbian Americans are as productive, law-abiding and private as the rest of us, I think America owes them absolute tolerance. It's the right thing to do. But on the other hand,' Heston continued. 'I find my blood pressure rising when Clinton's cultural shock troops participate in homosexual-rights fund-raisers but boycott gun-rights fund-raisers... and then claim it's time to place homosexual men in tents with Boy Scouts, and suggest that sperm donor babies born into lesbian relationships are somehow better served and more loved.'"

Censor board bans four films at Singapore Film Festival: "It said the films 'exceed the Film Classification Guidelines'. Board of Film Censors chairman Amy Chua said 'Arabs and Terrorism' and another film, 'David the Tolhildan', were "disallowed on account of their sympathetic portrayal of organisations deemed terrorist organisations by many countries...Another rejected film, 'A Jihad for Love' by gay Muslim film-maker Parvez Sharma, is about homosexual people living within Muslim communities, the festival said. In a statement, Chua said the film was disallowed because of 'the sensitive nature of the subject'."

JC ya later: Chace Crawford and Carrie Underwood broke up via text message.

The ugly homophobic truth about the RickRoll.

Protest as "ex-gay" group Exodus International holds convention in Fresno, California: "The opposing viewpoints echoed a debate that has played out across the country. The Orlando-based Exodus and a handful of other groups have sought to present what they describe as a Christian alternative to a gay lifestyle. But their efforts have inspired a backlash from people who say such an approach can lead to self-loathing. Saturday's protest was cordial. The protesters -- about a dozen -- kept their distance, and at one point, Exodus president Alan Chambers offered to bring them coffee. It was the last day of a three-day conference. About 150 people from all over California attended. It included talks by the mother of actress Anne Heche, who had a relationship with openly gay Ellen Degeneres, and Chambers, a formerly gay man who has since married a Fresno woman. They have two children."

Death by blogging: Can't say I don't relate.

Head of security for Siegfried and Roy details Roy Horn's instructions for him to cut up their deceased tiger Sahara and cremate it.

Moment of truth: Perez Hilton takes lie detector test over John Mayer make-out session.

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Canadian MP Apologizes for 'Diseased Homosexual Faggot' Remarks

The New Democratic Party of Canada released a 16-year-old videotaped recording on Thursday in which Saskatchewan MP Tom Lukiwski was heard making racist and homophobic slurs. The New Democrats asked the prime minister to remove him from the party caucus.

According to the Toronto Star, "The video captures a group of party workers including Brad Wall, now premier of Saskatchewan, and Senator Eric Berntson. It was shot on the night of a leaders' debate during the 1991 provincial election campaign at party headquarters. Some workers are drinking. There is a lot of profanity. Lukiwski, who was a 40-year-old Tory organizer at the time, appears on screen saying 'I may be old, but I'm f---ing A, eh.'"

Lukiwski then went on to explain: "Let me put it to you this way — there’s As and Bs. The As are guys like me. The Bs are homosexual faggots with dirt in their fingernails that transmit diseases."

According to CANOE, "Pat Atkinson, the Saskatchewan NDP’s deputy house leader, said the tape appears to have been made during the 1991 provincial election campaign. Lukiwski was a Tory organizer at the time and Wall was a ministerial aide. Her party found the tape after moving into Opposition offices last fall following a loss to Wall’s Saskatchewan Party. She said there were also remarks on the video directed at the provincial Liberal leader at the time, Lynda Haverstock, about her gender. The federal Liberals demanded that Lukiwski be stripped of his parliamentary secretary status. "

Lukiwski apologized to reporters after the revelation. Said Lukiwski: "If I could take those comments back, I would. I would give anything to take those comments back. They do not reflect the type of person that I am. I can only say that on behalf of myself, my family and my children, I am sorry. I am ashamed."

Watch the clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

(clip via Queerty)

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News: Johnny Depp, Eureka Springs, Clark Gable, Bounty Killer

BOOK: Clark Gable was gay for pay. "David Bret’s angle on Clark Gable is this: Gable was 'gay for pay' and 'rough trade,' and he enjoyed having sex 'for bucks.' In addition, he 'would sometimes scrub his penis until it bled' and used a device to prolong erections. If these tidbits from the book’s first few pages aren’t too much information for you, you’re in luck. This breathtakingly trashy biography does not skimp on sordid anecdotes."

Johnny Depp the new, uh, face of Trojan condoms?

Gawker goes to the NYC Black Party.

T.R. Knight steps out with boyfriend Mark Cornelsen: We all have AIDS.

Survey shows increased support for gay marriage in Ireland: "Eighty-four per cent of respondents to an opinion poll conducted this month by Lansdowne Market Research said they supported civil marriage or civil partnerships for gay and lesbian couples. This is the same figure as a similar survey carried out in November 2006. However, 58% said gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry in registry offices, compared to 51% in the previous survey."

Did Heath Ledger father a love child?

Could Al Gore be brought in for clean-up duty at the convention? "Let’s say the elders of the Democratic Party decide, when the primaries end, that neither Obama nor Clinton is viable. Let’s also assume — and this may be a real stretch — that such elders are strong and smart enough to act. All they’d have to do would be to convince a significant fraction of their superdelegate friends, maybe fewer than 100, to announce that they were taking a pass on the first ballot at the Denver convention, which would deny the 2,025 votes necessary to Obama or Clinton. What if they then approached Gore and asked him to be the nominee, for the good of the party — and suggested that he take Obama as his running mate? Of course, Obama would have to be a party to the deal and bring his 1,900 or so delegates along."

Madonna on the paparazzi: "The paparazzi are out of control. I haven't been to Los Angeles in quite a while, and I don’t watch television here or in England, and I was told there's now a television show where the paparazzi are the stars of the show—is that true? That they film each other doing paparazzi jobs? Which gives them more fuel. I usually found that type kept their distance—they definitely do in England, because it's illegal to photograph children. But that's not how it is here. They get this close, and don't care how much they scare your children. Being famous has changed a lot, because now there's so many outlets, between magazines, TV shows, and the Internet, for people to stalk and follow you. We created the monster."

Gay couple faces harsh realities in move from New Jersey to Idaho.

Is Regent Entertainment circling gay publications Out and The Advocate?

HIV-positive Canadian Martin Rooney takes on U.S. travel ban: "I said I was on disability. He said what's my disability. I said I have HIV. He hauled me into a backroom. ... He put on a set of rubber gloves to hold each of my fingers. Nobody else wore rubber gloves. Then he fingerprinted me, photographed me, ran me through the FBI's most-wanted list and told me to go back to Canada and not return until I came back with a waiver. I felt like I was being treated like a terrorist."

Arkansas gays converge on Eureka Springs for 'Diversity Weekend': "Homosexual and transsexual residents say that living in Northwest Arka