Helena, Montana Library Holds Hearings on 'Joy of Gay Sex' Book

The Lewis and Clark Public Library in Helena, Montana held a public hearing on Tuesday night over whether the book The Joy of Gay Sex should remain on library shelves.

It was the echo of a hearing last March in Nampa, Idaho, when, after weeks of debate, the book was pulled from the shelves but was still made available to visitors — from behind the librarian's desk.

The Billings Gazette reports on Tuesday's hearing:

"More than a dozen people testified in favor of removing it. Helena resident Wayne Beckman was one of them, saying the book shows immorality. About 20 people spoke in support of keeping the book, including Mike Cronin of Helena. He said the public library does not have an obligation to serve as a parent. The request to remove the book came from Paul Cohen, of Helena, who found the book on a visit to the library in February. The book was reviewed by the library's collection review committee, which recommended keeping it...Because Cohen challenged the decision by [the library director], the library board of directors held the public hearing."

The book has been in the library's circulation for 15 years. A decision is expected to be made on October 21. Those in Helena would be wise to look at a recent decision made by the Nampa library to return the book to the shelves.

In that case the ACLU stepped in and threatened the lawsuit. The library said it was returning the book to the shelves "as a matter of fiscal responsibility."

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News: Pajamas, Salman Rushdie, Ipod, Zac Efron, Meat Eating

Gay marriage ban unanimously approved in Cayman Islands.

NY fashion week menswear trend: pajamas?

Piece of what? Britney Spears cleans up at VMAs.

All of Daniel Radcliffe on stage in Equus (nsfw): the smuggled phone-cam shots.

Russian prosecutors want to ban 'extremist' cartoon South Park from playing in the country: "South Park, a cartoon aimed at adults and featuring a group of nine-year olds in a Colorado ski town, has courted controversy from its 1997 debut, parodying celebrities, politicians, religion, gay marriage and Saddam Hussein. Basmanny regional prosecutors office spokeswoman Valentina Titova said investigators filed a motion after deciding an episode broadcast on Moscow television station 2x2 in January 'bore signs of extremist activity.'"

UN suggests "one meat-free day a week" to help combat global warming: "The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feeds, for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double by the middle of the century."

Salman Rushdie reports on the transsexuals of India: "'The MSM sector is getting so strong,' Laxmi says. 'But we are not simply MSMs. We are not even simply TGs [transgendered persons]. We are ... hijras. I am carrying a whole culture with me. It's that collective aspect, the hijra culture, that is important. We cannot sacrifice it. We are different.' The hijras of Bombay and the rest of India are held to be the community most at risk of HIV infection. There have been improvements in organisation, outreach, education and self-help, but for many hijras, their lives continue to be characterised by mockery, humiliation, stigmatisation, fear and danger. Laxmi of Thane and the 'peer educators' of Malwani may be success stories, hijras who have taken charge of their destinies and are trying to help their fellows, but many hijras are mired in poverty and sickness."

Focus on the Family's James Dobson is mum after McCain campaign aide tells Log Cabin Republicans: “Your organization is an important one in the fabric of our party.”

Apple admits British man invented iPod, and uses him to win a patent lawsuit.

Zac Efron to make West End debut in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat?

POLL: Romania remains extremely homophobic. "According to the poll, more than half of the Romanians do not want to have HIV infected persons within their group of friends. Moreover, close to 40 per cent of them would not agree with having HIV infected persons among their neighbours. 39 per cent of them prefer not to work alongside persons infected with HIV or diagnosed with AIDS. The Romanians have the same attitude when it comes to sexual minorities. Most of Romanians discriminate against them in public places, on employment or in the education system, and close to 70 per cent of Romanians perceive homosexuality as something bad. More than a third of the respondents consider that homosexual relationships should be sanctioned. More than half of the respondents claim that homosexuality should be punished by restricting certain rights and almost a third consider that homosexuals should be jailed. More than 60 per cent of Romanians think that homosexuals should not be able to marry or adopt children."

VMA's: Miley Cyrus almost gave Katy Perry what she wanted.

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John Hagee Videos Removed from YouTube

The Huffington Post reports that at least 120 videos featuring controversial pastor John Hagee have been removed from YoutTube:

"The timing was, perhaps, more peculiar than the move itself. Clips that had been online for well over a year were now being subjected to 'third-party' copyright infringement claims. And while Hagee had not been in the mainstream press since he and Sen. John McCain ended their official relationship a month prior, Hagee's Christians United for Israel annual summit is just days away, and at least one prominent McCain backer (Sen. Joseph Lieberman) is set to be in attendance."

The clips removed include Hagee's 1990 sermon in which the pastor said Hitler was acting on God's behalf in "hunting" the Jews so that they might establish the state of Israel.

Said Max Blumenthal: "Obviously Hagee's minions orchestrated this move to suppress bad publicity ahead of their July summit. This is a response to the McCain debacle and concern over bad publicity for Lieberman's appearance."

They did, however, miss Talking Points Memo's wrapup, of Hagee statements bashing Catholics and gays, which you can view AFTER THE JUMP...

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Joy of Gay Sex Pulled from Shelf in Nampa, Idaho

No more Joy of Sex or Joy of Gay Sex for library visitors in Nampa, Idaho:

"Now after weeks of new debate – the books are off the shelves – but still available. The library board voted three to two to remove the books - but the books are not banned completely. The books will still be available upon request in the library director's office."

Although there may be a few sticky pages.

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News: Sean Penn Badgley, Scottsdale, Hello Kitty, Giorgio Armani

Sean Penn: The future Harvey Milk ends his 11 year marriage.

Penn Badgley: hot and bothered.

Censorship debate continues surrounding the BBC's dubbing, and then undubbing of the word "faggot" from The Pogues' Christmas tune "Fairytale of New York". Times Online: "The present consensus is with MacGowan – that there is nothing wrong with using the word 'faggot' in this context. Lighten up, you Milly Tants. My unfashionable counterview is that there is something very wrong in using it, that Radio 1 was right in its original decision and should have shown more balls and stuck by it. 'Faggot' is a term of anti-gay abuse; in this song it is most definitely an insult...To say that you’re offended these days is to risk being accused of being humourless; of not getting the joke. It’s the same risk you run as a woman who is offended by the endless parade of breasts in magazines such as Nuts. The new casual homophobia is couched as a perfectly acceptable, knowing joke, and coincides with a general feeling that gays have had quite enough equality: equal age of consent; civil partnership ceremonies (but not marriage). That we are getting a little too big for our boots."

First shots of Edward Norton as Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk.

Fashion designer and Project Runway contestant Jack Mackenroth talks to NYC's HX magazine about his reaction to Sarah Jessica Parker on the show and his cameo in the upcoming Sex and the City movie, among other things: "When I watched [the reaction] back I was like, 'I am so gay.' Which is fine. I embrace the gayness. I’m super-gay. I’m a big ol’ queen...[The Sex and the City cameo] was completely unrelated. A friend of mine knew the person that was casting the extras, so he called me up and said they needed a gay guy with a good body, and I was like, 'Alright!' But she’s super-nice and totally genuine. It was very painful for her to do the critiques because she doesn’t like being mean."

Fans swarm Giorgio Armani as he visits his NYC Soho Armani Exchange store: "Everyone rushed him and started asking for autographs. It was mayhem."

Hello Kitty for Men, coming soon.

Scottsdale, Arizona bar owner converts to a gay nightclub after year-long dispute over the banning of a transgender patron: "Owner Tom Anderson (pictured on right, with co-owner brother Ted) said he made the transition in an effort to 'change Scottsdale.' The city saw a number of high-profile anti-gay and hate crimes this year, said Sam Holdren of Equality Arizona. Anderson made headlines last year when he banned a transgender woman from Anderson's Fifth Estate after female customers complained about transgender patrons using the women's restroom. The woman, Michele DeLaFreniere, filed a discrimination complaint with the Arizona Attorney General's Office."

A theory on Rednecks vs. Gay Marriage: "...if we are trying to explain (but not excuse) why the churchgoing divorcees oppose it, the answer is that they see homosexuality, married or not, as non-traditional. The churchgoing divorcees are not asserting their family virtue, logically conceived, but their family virtue as traditionally defined. It is the traditional definition of family virtue that prevails in the communities where the churchgoing divorcees are trying to ingratiate themselves, as a way to compensate for and cover their fractured family lives."

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News: Chelsea Clinton, Peter Hujar, Banksy, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers

Navy Times: HIV-positive Navy chaplain and Catholic priest who allegedly had consensual and non-consensual sex with other military men without disclosing his condition will face a court-martial: "The five charges [Lt. Cmdr. John Thomas Matthew Lee] is facing include allegations of sodomy, aggravated assault, indecent assault, fraternization and conduct unbecoming a military officer, according to a statement issued by the Marine Corps officials Tuesday night."

Banksy receives endorsement from British parliament: "Notorious graffiti artist Banksy received the stamp of approval from the establishment after his latest work was praised by MPs. Banksy recently targeted the Holy Land with a series of stencilled works on the security wall in Bethlehem. Veteran Labour MP Gerald Kaufman (Manchester Gorton) tabled a motion saying that his depictions were a far more accurate portrayal of life in the Holy Land than the images presented by the Israeli government." The street artist recently opened his annual Santa's Ghetto boutique in the West Bank.

Dublin court drops charges against Jonathan Rhys-Meyers over public drunkenness.

Former Italian President Francesco Cossiga goes public with 9//11 conspiracy claims, reportedly telling Italian paper Corriere dell Sera: "[Bin Laden supposedly confessed] to the Qaeda September [attack] to the two towers in New York [claiming to be] the author of the attack of the 11, while all the [intelligence services] of America and Europe ... now know well that the disastrous attack has been planned and realized from the CIA American and the Mossad with the aid of the Zionist world in order to put under accusation the Arabic Countries and in order to induce the western powers to take part ... in Iraq [and] Afghanistan."

London exhibit focuses on the lonely New York portraits of the late Peter Hujar.

Unable to find a seat at Starbucks, Chelsea Clinton takes her java to the floor.

The city museum of The Hague pulls exhibit featuring Muhammed depicted as gay: "The picture, made by Iranian artist Sooreh Hera, is entitled Adam and Ewald and shows two gay men wearing masks of the Muslim prophet Mohammed and his son-in-law Ali. It is part of a photoseries the Gemeentemuseum has included in the 7up exhibition due to open on December 15. The Gemeentemuseum’s director Wim van Krimpen told reporters the museum is interested in purchasing Hera’s complete series, which he called 'high quality works of art'. However, he added he will not exhibit Adam and Ewald in the next few years because 'certain people in our society might perceive it as offensive'." After the teddy bear incident in Sudan, is anyone surprised?

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Previously Banned Gay Christian Duo Given OK for Singapore Show

Gay Christian singing duo Jason and deMarco have been given approval to perform a December show in Singapore as part of an AIDS awareness benefit concert. Two years ago, the duo was stopped from performing in Singapore.

According to Agence France Presse: "...the Media Development Authority (MDA) said it had approved a concert this time because organisers had given assurances that they aimed to highlight the HIV/AIDS issue. 'In 2005, a similar concert featuring the pop duo was disallowed because the concert was open to general members of the public,' the MDA's deputy director for arts and licensing, Amy Tsang, said in a statement Thursday. She said concert organisers have 'given the assurance to MDA that the concert is targeted at the high risk groups. The organiser has also assured MDA that the aim of the concert is AIDS education and HIV prevention,' she said."

Singapore recently voted to uphold a ban on gay sex in the country, which remains punishable by two years in prison.

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Azis Billboard Too Hot for Bulgarian Authorities

A billboard featuring Bulgarian pop star Azis in a sexual embrace with his partner was ordered taken down in the town of Kustendil, Bulgaria's Sofia News Agency reports:

"The poster, which shows the new silicone breasts of the singer, advertises the fourth Bulgarian broadcast television channel TV2 to be launched on November 25. The producers have big hopes for the primetime show hosted by Azis will compete for TV ratings against the country's most popular late night show, hosted by Slavi Trifonov on bTV."

Azis made headlines in 2006 when he traveled to Germany to marry his partner, and again in August of this year when the couple had a baby daughter using a surrogate who was a friend of the sperm-providing singer.

You may have missed...
Bulgarian Pop Star Azis Has Baby Girl with Partner [tr]
Bulgarian Drag Star Azis to Marry His Partner [tr]

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Gay Man Battles State of Virginia to Keep "Poofter" License Plate

Towleroad readers may be acquainted with the face of David Phillips. He's the Washington D.C. bear who two weeks ago came forward claiming he had some messy sex two decades ago with Idaho Senator Larry Craig.

Phillips is making headlines again, this time for his refusal to hand over license plates issued by the state of Virginia which he has had on his car for 11 years. The plates say "Poofter" which most here probably know is slang, sometimes derogatory, for a gay man.

Phillips tells the Washington Post that "it's just an amusing word that I self-identify with."

Writes the paper: "The commonwealth of Virginia is not amused. It gave Phillips his vanity plates in error, Carolyn Easley, coordinator of the special license plates office, wrote in a recent letter. 'You may have grown fond of your personalized plates,' but they are 'socially, racially or ethnically offensive or disparaging' and 'you must return them.' There was no explanation for why it took Virginia 11 years to figure out what 'poofter' means."

According to the WaPo, "hundreds of battles over personalized plates have used up untold government resources in a strange corner of the law that has some of the nation's top courts issuing contradictory rulings" and the ruling often comes down to personal viewpoints vs. obscenity: "One federal appeals court ordered Missouri to approve 'ARYAN-1,' saying the state 'may not censor a license plate because its message might make people angry.' In Vermont, however, a federal appeals court said the state could ban scatological terms because that doesn't involve quashing any viewpoint. In Virginia, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit prohibited the state from banning a Confederate flag logo on a special license plate for the Sons of Confederate Veterans because that would be viewpoint discrimination."

Phillips, who is scheduled to appear at a hearing over the plates in Richmond, says he has no intention of returning the "poofter" plates.

A Vehicle for Self-Expression? Not on These Roads. [washington post]

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Elton John's Nan Goldin Photo Judged "Not Indecent"

A Nan Goldin photo entitled "Thanksgiving" which was part of an exhibition of works owned by Elton John was seized last month as part of a child pornography probe. Authorities now say there will be no charges in the case.

Reuters reports: "Northumbria CPS said it had told police there was insufficient evidence to justify proceedings for possession or distribution of an indecent photograph. It said it had investigated the picture by U.S. photographer Nan Goldin in 2001 when it was part of another exhibition at the Saatchi gallery in London and had decided then that it was not indecent. Kerrie Bell, head of CPS Northumbria's South Unit, added: 'In order to prove that the photograph is indecent we must be satisfied that contemporary standards of propriety are so different now to what they were in 2001, that it is more likely than not that a court will conclude that the photograph is indecent. I am not satisfied that is the case. Even if the photograph was now considered to be indecent, a defendant would be able to raise a legitimate defence, given that the photograph was distributed for the purposes of display in a contemporary art gallery after having been deemed not to be indecent by the earlier investigation."

You can see the photograph here.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #183

FRED THOMPSON: How to get applause? Ask for it.

FILIPINO PRISONERS: The YouTube sensations are back, this time with their rendition of the "Rico Mambo". (source: perez)

F**K BUSH: Editor who printed inflammatory editorial in Colorado State University newspaper to keep his job.

THE TAPSTER: Shuffling off to Buffalo, er, Minneapolis. (source: slog)

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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News: Kylie Minogue, Sydney, Spencer Tunick, Nikolai Alexeyev

In the first nationwide law of its kind in Latin America, Colombia grants health benefits to same-sex couples.

Jury in Princess Diana inquest gets an uncanny look at her final moments, as they too are chased by the paparazzi in Paris: "The coach carrying the Diana inquest jury has reportedly crashed as it traced the Princess's last movements around Paris. In an eerie parallel with the catastrophic accident which killed the Princess, the bus driver was apparently trying to out-manoeuvre paparazzi outside the Ritz. The jury, coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker, and teams of lawyers made British legal history by making a site inspection of the places where the Princess and her lover Dodi Fayed spent their final hours. But within minutes of starting the tour in the Place Vendome, close to the Ritz hotel, their bus knocked a police outrider from his motorcycle. Then seconds later the bus collided with an 18-inch metal bollard."

Britney Spears and sister attacked at sushi restaurant: "Nobody wants you in this neighborhood Britney! MOVE! You are making this neighborhood very unsafe!"

Bush White House has tried to "silence" MSNBC's Chris Matthews, host claims: "They will not silence me!...They’ve finally been caught in their criminality."

Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev gets "solidarity reception" in the Windy City.

Kylie channels Patrick Nagel for new album cover...

Former OUT magazine editor Brendan Lemon and his friend Jerry Wade have started an entertainment-oriented blog called Lemonwade. Lemon has the scoop on Jake Gyllenhaal's rumored trip to the Broadway stage in Farragut North: "Lemonwade has learned that [Mike] Nichols will not be directing the play. For now, the production — with Gyllenhaal or anyone else — is on hold. And with Gyllenhaal’s film schedule filling up (he has just signed on to star in a love-triangle movie called 'Brothers,' with Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman), I don’t see him on Broadway anytime soon."

600 people to pose nude for Spencer Tunick at Sagamore Hotel in Miami Beach: "It's about fantasy and leisure. It's a stereotype, but it's true. You're going to have a good time if you come to Miami Beach. I'm going to have 100 to 200 women in pink rafts. We're going to have people on the balcony posing very much like the Tower of Babel meets Logan's Run. We're going to buy some champagne, 500 bottles, and were going to make a giant explosion for the climax of the installation from the balcony."

Violent anti-gay crimes in Sydney prompt unusual political visit to Oxford Street: "As partygoers looked on, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, Police Minister David Campbell, Labor candidate for Wentworth George Newhouse and local drag queen Maxi Shield wandered the clubs and back alleys of Oxford Street to gauge the impact of homophobic violence."

Gay nightlife "targeted" in Birmingham, England.

B'gosh! Gay and lesbian support group forms in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Movie theater lobby contains hidden erotic message.

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News: Britney Spears, Yale, Plaza Hotel, Lou Pearlman, Lost

High school student paper editorial "characterizing homosexuals as victims of reproductive error or an unwanted upbringing" causes firestorm in Georgia: "Principal Trudie Donovan said Monday that she had reviewed the article before it was published last Friday, but said she had no authority to censor it. 'My job is the safety and security of the school, not censorship,' she said. Cobb County schools spokesman Jay Dillon said principals have no legal standing to say articles of student opinion can't be printed. Under court rulings and school district policy, students can express their opinions and ideas publicly, privately, orally and in writing. 'There may be no interference with that, even if a student's opinion is unpopular,' he said."

New York's Plaza Hotel celebrates 100 years: "After the park-facing façade of the Plaza Hotel had glowed with the number '100,' after white and gold jets of light had been launched from the roof into the dark October sky, and after a pigeon and a heart-shaped balloon had flown past the 12th floor, suddenly flashes of white light, syncopated to the strains of 'One' from the Broadway hit 'A Chorus Line,'burst from the windows of the venerable hostelry-turned-hotel-and-condominium."

Sexual orientation hate crimes bill launched in Scotland.

Britney Spears has what some might call her darkest day yet but goes out partying anyway.

Queer Eye stages "Straight Guy Pageant" to kick off new season.

Elton John asks gallery to shutter exhibition that showcased the Nan Goldin portrait seized in a child pornography probe.

Lost writers/producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof give up some tidbits about the show's upcoming season.

After appeals court ruling, Yale to allow military recruiters on campus: "At question is a statute called the Solomon Amendment, which allows the federal government to withhold funds from universities that do not extend the same welcome to military recruiters as they do to other recruiters. Since 1978, Yale Law School has required recruiters to sign a pledge of nondiscrimination. Military recruiters would not do that because of the Defense Department’s 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy, which permits homosexuals to serve in the armed forces as long as they keep their sexual orientation private."

Vanity Fair to tell the completely unsavory and unsurprising tales of boyband manufacturer Lou Pearlman.

The next 25 years of video games.

Chris Crocker speaks out about nude pictures circulating on the net: "I obviously did this behind my parents backs and I am truly embarressed for myself and my family at this time, but I just wanted to clear the air and let anyone and everyone know, that has saved these pictures that it is illegal seeing as though I was 17 at the time, so when you brag that you 'saw Chris Crocker naked!!!'..what you're really bragging that you saw a 17 year old me naked."

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News: Project Runway, Mars vs Iraq, Wes Anderson, Humanity

The Project Runway designers are here! (Bios)

David Beckham rushes back to England after his father suffers a near-fatal heart attack.

''It will take months and years to really see" if Episcopal vote on exercising restraint with regard to gay clergy and same-sex relationships will mend the rift in the Anglican church, according to church leaders.

Milo Ventimiglia's booty makes appearance in new film.

Darren Hayes releases new video for "Me, Myself & I" but his Attitude magazine cover story is nowhere to be found.

Hotel Chevalier, Wes Anderson's 13-minute prequel to his upcoming film The Darjeeling Limited, is now available for download on iTunes.

Fishing Polar Bear spotted for the first time in two centuries: "The Inuit people of the Arctic have always known about it. But no outsiders have witnessed it for 200 years: a polar bear fishing. Not by scooping the fish out of the water like a brown bear - but by plunging in and swimming...Last August, researchers based in Iqaluit, Canada, watched an adolescent polar bear swimming in a river estuary packed with charr, a relative of salmon, that was migrating upstream. It caught about one fish an hour, swimming and peering into the water, then diving. In the two days they saw the bear, it caught three charr and three sculpin, a spiny fish that lives under rocks - which the bear seemed to lose enthusiasm for eating."

Clergy members in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley have come together to urge the Supreme Court to overturn the state's ban on same-sex marriage: "Ahead of what is widely expected to be the next major state Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, reverends, pastors and rabbis met at St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church in North Hollywood to announce they would file 30 amicus briefs, formal documents intended to persuade courts on an issue. The religious leaders, who were joined by 90 civil-rights organizations across the state that also filed briefs, are hoping to influence the court's decision on an upcoming review of a lawsuit seeking to overturn the ban on gay marriage."

The money the U.S. has spent in Iraq could have funded 11 independent missions to Mars.

A map of humanity.

Researchers: Is Alzheimer's memory loss due to a previously unknown third form of diabetes? " Now scientists at Northwestern University have discovered why brain insulin signaling -- crucial for memory formation -- would stop working in Alzheimer’s disease. They have shown that a toxic protein found in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s removes insulin receptors from nerve cells, rendering those neurons insulin resistant. (The protein, known to attack memory-forming synapses, is called an ADDL for 'amyloid ß-derived diffusible ligand.') With other research showing that levels of brain insulin and its related receptors are lower in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, the Northwestern study sheds light on the emerging idea of Alzheimer’s being a “type 3” diabetes."

Texas student suspended for wearing John Edwards T-shirt to school.

Elton John defends seized Nan Goldin photo: "The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world. It has been offered for sale at Sotheby's New York … and exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid, New York, Portugal, Warsaw and Zurich without any objections that we are aware of."

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Reporter Scribe Discusses Merv Griffin Closet Piece Fallout

Hollywood Reporter scribe Ray Richmond discusses the fallout from his column, "Griffin Never Revealed Man Behind the Curtain," and sets things straight on the timeline of what went down last week after the piece, which lamented Merv Griffin's life as a closeted gay man, was published.

Richmond says that the Hollywood Reporter (whose editor Elizabeth Guider he vigorously defends) "blinked" only briefly, pulling the column but then republishing it. Reuters, on the other hand, completely pulled the column, which they had labeled with a new headline "Merv Griffin Died a Closeted homosexual".

Richmond is surprised that his column was even published in the first place, and says that its publication on the day of Griffin's funeral was an unfortunate coincidence.

Finally, he adds: "I have to wonder if the response in defense of keeping Griffin's secret life a secret post-mortem would have been as acute had he died penniless and forgotten. It would seem there is a direct relationship between the size of one's estate and the level of security guarding his or her heretofore undisclosed sexual preference. It appears that $1.6 billion will buy an awful lot of closet space."

Setting the Record Straight (So to Speak) on My Merv Griffin Uproar [past deadline]

Previously
Merv Griffin's Gay Shame Becomes The Hollywood Reporter's [tr]
Hollywood Reporter: Merv Griffin Was Gay [tr]

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Merv Griffin's Gay Shame Becomes The Hollywood Reporter's

Friday's rather stunning pronouncement by the Hollywood Reporter that "Merv Griffin was gay" sent enough shock waves through old Hollywood that Reuters, who syndicated the story internationally, was pressured to pull the story, which it did, in what Michelangelo Signorile calls "the most bizarre case of attempted censorship we've seen in years."

Here's the timeline, via Editor & Publisher...

--Hollywood Reporter publishes story "Merv Griffin was Gay"
--Reporter pulls the story, republishes it titled "Griffin never revealed man behind the curtain."
--Reuters picks up story in its news feed, syndicates it internationally.
--Reuters pulls story, with this explanation: "This was a story from The Hollywood Reporter that ran as part of a Reuters news feed. We have dropped the story from our entertainment news feed as it did not meet our standards for news. GBU Editor."

Signorile reports that Elizabeth Guider, who has been editor of the Reporter for less than a month, pulled the story after pressure from "various Hollywood titans, advertisers and lawyers for one of Griffin's companies."

Writes Signorile: "Specifically, she'd received a legal threat from one of Griffin's companies, but any editor worth his or her salt would know there was no case here: a dead man cannot be libeled, and there was no libel here anyway. Merv Griffin was gay, and many people could attest to that. Apparently some advertisers, specifically one with an ad buy that was a tribute to Griffin, were threatening ads would be pulled. Conceiveably, studios, production companies and others could bear pressure down, pressed by still others."

Ray Richmond, the article's writer, said in an interview over the weekend: "Sure. I’m sure it was taken down because there was fear of litigation, and that the post was libelous and/or defamatory. And I certainly don’t believe that to be the case. I will have discussions with [my bosses at the Reporter, and I will hope at some point we can have it restored online. It seems that scotching the post gives the appearance of liability when there isn’t any. It was simply a factual, very informed discussion of the larger issue of the media’s difficulty in allowing someone to be labeled as gay in the mainstream, as if that is somehow a huge shame. My whole reason for doing the piece for the Reporter was to shine a light on that fact. Unfortunately that appears to be the case...even internally."

The story, as of this morning, was live on the Hollywood Reporter website, with revisions. A detailed analysis of the revisions can be found over at Queer two Cents.

John Aravosis at AmericaBlog sums the situation up nicely: "You'd think the matter of an obit about or reminiscence of a public figure wouldn't generate all this brouhaha, but that's what happens when the world outside of the closet is so frightening to people in Hollywood that all sorts of insane measures are taken to reinforce the message is that there is something inherently wrong with being gay."

Griffin Never Revealed Man Behind the Curtain [hollywood reporter - revised]

Reuters Drops Article About 'Gay' Merv Griffin [editor & publisher]
Mervgate: What Happened at the Hollywood Reporter? [the gist]
Truth About Merv Griffin In 'Jeopardy'? [my queer two cents]
Ray Richmond speaks on Mervgate [kevin allman]
Now That's a Headline [americablog]
Mervgate continues -- article restored, but altered [pams house blend]

Previously
Hollywood Reporter: Merv Griffin Was Gay [tr]

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Gay Kissing Exhibit Banned by Singapore Censors

Singapore's Media Development Authority have denied organizers of Singapore's LGBT "Indignation" Pride festival a license to show a photo exhibition of gay men and lesbians kissing, according to the festival's founder Alex Au, who also shot the photographs. They were told of the denial two days before the exhibition was to begin.

The West Australian reports that the show reportedly consists of 80 shots of fully-clothed models kissing. The license was denied becuase the board said the photos "promote a homosexual lifestyle."

Said Au: "It's absurd to think that gay people do not also kiss, and that representation of such a reality would be subversive. There is a very stereotypical representation of gays and lesbians as deviants and I think it is important to correct the stereotype."

Instead of the planned exhibition, a "Kiss and Tell" slideshow of the photos and talk will take place on nine evenings prior to the evening's scheduled events. This type of presentation does not require a permit.

In addition to the talk, participants will also be allowed to have their photos taken...kissing, of course.

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American Publisher Demonstrates Ridiculous Censorship Standards

A German children's book in a series that is a bestseller in 13 countries around the world inspired the interest of an American publisher but was rejected by Boyds Mills Press after the author refused to censor this illustration of a tiny sculpture in a museum. Spiegel reports:

"As it turned out, there were a couple of changes that had to be made before the books could be unleashed on the America public. First off, smokers had to be removed from the illustrations. But that wasn't all. One image shows a scene from an art gallery -- and for realism's sake, there is a cartoonish nude hanging on the wall along with a tiny, seven-millimeter-tall statue of a naked man on a pedestal. American kiddies, obviously, could never be expected to handle such a depiction of the human body. The US publisher, somewhat awkwardly, asked if they could be removed. The author, not surprisingly, considers the request to be absurd. The statue's mini-willy, the author points out, is hardly even a half-millimeter long. And the naked woman hanging on the wall? Hardly a realistic depiction of the female anatomy. The US publisher, says Berner, was embarrassed to ask for the changes, but they were even more afraid of how American mommies and daddies might react if junior were exposed to such pornography."

And that detail is part of a larger illustration, which I've posted after the jump.

And the 'filthy' nude is pictured below. Dangerous, eh?

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"Gay" Blocked as Legitimate Surname at Facebook

The social networking website Facebook has reportedly blocked its users from entering the name "Gay" as a surname when registering for the popular site (at least in Australia), the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

"It's been revealed that the popular website - which boasts it has more than 30 million members from around the world - does not allow people with the common Anglo Saxon surname Gay to join, assuming it is not a legitimate name. After a story in New Zealand's Dominion Post about 30-year-old Rowena Gay, who was denied entry to site because of her last name, smh.com.au undertook a test and found a person with the last name Gay was indeed not allowed to join. 'Please enter a legitimate name,' the website stated during our attempt. And while the website refused Gay, it had no problem allowing us to join with the last name Hitler."

The paper talked with Australian lawmaker Duncan Gay about the issue: "That's a bit tough, it's pretty ordinary ... it bothers me to the extent that quite often when you give your name you get a twitter. People looking and smirking. This is a continuation of that. While it wasn't tough for me, particularly for my son going through school, with the name ... if they're removing Gay from [Facebook] it becomes a problem for my family. I'm not ruling out protesting vigorously about this."

Pictured, American sprinter Tyson Gay, who may also have a problem with it.

Facebook blocks Gay surname [sydney morning herald]
Gay? Facebook Says No. [same same]

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NJ Superintendent Apologizes to Gay Student Over Censored Kiss

Newark schools superintendent Marion Bolden made a public apology to a group of assembled students on Tuesday before talking personally with Andre Jackson, the 18-year-old student whose photo she had ordered blacked out of 230 school yearbooks because it depicted Jackson in a kiss with his boyfriend.

Said Bolden: "We have to own up to the fact that it was a homophobic moment. That's what everybody's afraid to say. There are sensitivity issues we need to talk about as a result of this."

Actually, I think everyone but the superintendent was aware it was a homophobic moment. It's Bolden that needs the sensitivity training.

According to the Associated Press, "Bolden said she arrived at the school Tuesday to find [Jackson] reluctant to speak with her, but that the two spoke after she made a public apology to the assembled students. 'He said he felt a lot better,' Bolden said. 'He said he's had more issues around his coming out from outside school than in school, so it was particularly hard for him.' During her public remarks, she said the picture of Jackson kissing his boyfriend was not appropriate for the yearbook and that, if it was to be removed, two pictures of heterosexual couples kissing should have been removed as well."

Backstory...
Gay Kiss Student Still Waiting for NJ Superintendent's Apology [tr]
NJ Superintendent Apologizes for Censoring Gay Kiss [tr]
Student's Gay Kiss Photo Struck from NJ School Yearbook [tr]

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Gay Kiss Student Still Waiting for NJ Superintendent's Apology

Although Newark Schools superintendent Marion Bolden issued a press apology yesterday for censoring the photograph of a gay student's kiss in 230 of East Side High School's yearbooks, the reports that the student, Andre Jackson, has not yet heard from her personally:

"Mr. Jackson, 18, said that nobody bothered to call him. 'I’m not looking to accept the apology,' he said in a telephone interview yesterday afternoon, a few minutes after he finished his graduation rehearsal. Any apology needed to be personal, and not contained in a press statement, he said. After all, the yearbook incident revived tensions with members of his family he has quarreled with because he is gay, he said. 'I have yet to speak to the board, the school, anyone,' he said."

Bolden's office reportedly told the NYT that a meeting was scheduled for today, but Jackson was unaware of it.

Steven Goldstein, the chairman and chief executive of Garden State Equality, expressed satisfaction that the school had agreed to redistribute the yearbooks to those who want "uncensored" versions, though Jackson rightly felt that everyone should get a new one. Said Jackson: "It’s not about who wants one. It’s about what happened."

Goldstein says he'll insist that the school district meet four times a year with Newark's gay and lesbian community.

Backstory...
NJ Superintendent Apologizes for Censoring Gay Kiss [tr]

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NJ Superintendent Apologizes for Censoring Gay Kiss

Newark Superintendent Marion Bolden has apologized to Andre Jackson for blacking out the picture of Jackson kissing his boyfriend in 230 school yearbooks that were issued to students, according to a statement issued by the school district:

"The decision was based, in part, on misinformation that Mr. Jackson was not one of our students and our review simply focused on the suggestive nature of the photograph. Superintendent Marion A. Bolden personally apologizes to Mr. Jackson and regrets and embarrassment and unwanted attention the matter has brought to him."

The school district also said that it would offer uncensored versions of the yearbook to any East Side high School student who wants one.

Backstory...
Student's Gay Kiss Photo Struck from NJ School Yearbook [tr]

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News: Paula Abdul, Apes, Wiimbledon, Lost, Cristiano Ronaldo

Algerian AIDS crisis hampered by ignorance, misunderstanding: "In Algeria, where
AIDS spreads mainly through sexual contact, 10 million free condoms are waiting in warehouses of the national pharmacy but there are no takers."

Cristiano Ronaldo does a little thumb-sucking on holiday.

USA Today's Pop Candy blog has compiled the 20 most interesting comments/theories they received about Lost on their forums.

Nine U.S. tennis players, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Vince Spadea, Justin Gimelstob, Amer Delic, Robert Kendrick, Sam Querrey Michael Russell, and Robby Ginepri, wiped out in first round at French Open: "It's the first time at any Grand Slam tournament since the 1973 Australian Open that no man representing the United States will play in the second round of singles -- and it's worth noting that no Americans entered that Australian Open."

Paula Abdul whines about her former publicist, gay PR guru Howard Bragman: "I do a call-in every week for OK! Magazine on 'American Idol.' Because of my brilliant job, they want to do a cover on me. I'm being told by Howard Bragman that I'm too old and no one will ever want to do a cover." Bragman responds: "I'm not going into it. I'll stand by my reputation if she'll stand by hers."

Researchers converse with the apes: "The research we conduct here powerfully informs people about the nature of great ape intelligence. We know that humans and great apes share far more than they differ. I think we have to recognize that. If that does not compel us to preserve great apes in the wild, I don't know what can."

Tom Ford doesn't want you to fit into his suits.

Live Journal deletes hundreds of sex-themed discussion groups: "Some deleted LiveJournal communities went by names like childlove and little_children (a community permits multiple LiveJournal users to post entries, while an individual account is limited to one user). Others, however, broadly fall into the category of science fiction, fantasy or user-written 'fandom' stories--and it is those that have sparked the outcry."

Wii tennis pros alert! The first 'Wiimbledon' tennis tournament will soon be taking place in Brooklyn.

Call him sir: David Beckham to be knighted?

Swiss politicians condemn homophobic posters.

Former View host Debbie Matenopoulos weighs in on the Rosie/Elizabeth feud: "The kind of discussions that occurred between Elisabeth and Rosie are real discussions that happen in this country. The View was the only place on TV where open, heated debate happened. By airing debates like that, regardless of who gets offended, it helps the country move forward. It forced people to question their own beliefs and, perhaps, open their eyes to other possibilities. Being polite and complacent doesn't create change. No one is discussing the fact that the fight was less about politics and the war and more about Elisabeth not having Rosie's back, as a friend. Politics aside, by not defending Rosie, Elisabeth was basically saying 'I don't repect you or our relationship. That had to hurt. That was someone feeling betrayed by someone she considered a friend."

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Poland Censors Little Britain over Gay Kiss

Poland's state broadcaster TVP cut about one minute out of a broadcast of the Matt Lucas comedy Little Britain because of a kiss between a vicar and a leather-clad David Walliams.

Said their spokeswoman, "British viewers are more open and indulgent than their Polish counterparts. It's a different sense of humour, and one which is sometimes incomprehensible for the Polish public. We decided to cut a scene which could cause controversy among Polish viewers and which isn't exactly in line with our mission as a public television channel."

Apparently Polish audiences have no problem with butt plugs or dildos.

No doubt Jaroslaw thoroughly enjoyed it.

I've added the clip below. Definitely NSFW.

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Tinky Winky Under Investigation by Polish Authorities [tr]
Poland's PM Says More Gays are Bad for Society [tr]
Little Britain's Matt Lucas Weds Partner in London [tr]

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