News: Sean Penn, Berlin, Coral, Jake Gyllenhaal, Wisconsin

Is Bush blocking Obama speech at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate?

Jake gets a mane.

No brainer: Guess what they're working on a sequel for...

Not a surprise: Tanzania to oppose ordination of women and gay bishops in Anglican church.

Same-sex Wisconsin couples who marry in California could face prison if they return to their home state: "When Dick Myers heard that California was going to start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, he and his partner of nearly 13 years considered traveling there to get married. That is until Myers and his partner, Steve Brondino, learned of an obscure state law that makes it a crime for Wisconsin residents to enter into marriage in another state if the marriage would be prohibited here. The law imposes a penalty for those who enter into a marriage that's prohibited or declared void in Wisconsin of up to $10,000 and nine months in prison."

Focus on the Family inciting trans panic in Colorado.

Tacoma, Washington's county council refuses to go on record supporting gay pride event, spurs outcry by members: "I’m embarrassed. This is a sad, low day for the County Council, that we wouldn’t give you a chance to celebrate who you are and stand against discrimination of all forms."

25% of the world's corals are facing extinction.

New York Governor Paterson to sign expanded domestic violence law: "The new law would make it possible for people in dating relationships, heterosexual or gay, to seek protection from abusers in family court. As it stands, New York has one of the narrowest domestic violence laws in the country, allowing for civil protection orders only against spouses or former spouses, blood relations or the other parent of an abused person’s child."

Damn Yankees, with Cheyenne Jackson, Jane Krakowski, and Sean Hayes: a review.

From the secret diaries of Mario Testino: "Shooting in LA for an issue of V Man I'm editing. The theme is "extreme". I've tried to do it around the extremes of how a male gets perceived today, in the sense that there is ambiguity: sometimes the butcher a man is, the queenier he can be. And sometimes the most feminine men can be the most masculine. I'm influenced by so many different things, though. That's good if you're in the fashion business. Because things change so much. You can't say "I like colour" because the day after tomorrow black and white is in and you're out. And I don't want to be out. I need to work. It's my livelihood. So I'm adaptable."

He's still a traffic-stopper.

Margaret Cho now performing wedding ceremonies: "Cho actually married two couples during the Bay Area's gay pride festivities, she announced last night at the opening of the Outfest film festival in downtown Los Angeles."

Tom Cruise as the Village People.

Gay Star Trek episode to be screened: "Last March, the team of fans behind Star Trek Phase II began producing 'Blood and Fire' a gay-themed script originally written for The Next Generation in 1988 by 'The Trouble With Tribbles' writer David Gerrold. The story would have included the franchise's first gay couple and dealt with a deadly disease that worked as an analogy to AIDS, but the episode never was filmed."

Ciccone tell-all: "When Sean Penn was married to his sister, he made Christopher cut his thumb and then cut his own and merged them to become blood brothers. Penn approached him years later and asked him if he had AIDS."

Sphere: Related Content

Off-Duty CO Police Officer Threw First Punch in Anti-Gay Bar Fight

This one's a doozie. Kell Hulsey, an off-duty Greeley, Colorado police officer and his son Daniel attacked a man (Brian Carter, pictured) on Sunday at the Pot Belly Deli Bar and Restaurant in Red Feather Lakes. They apparently thought the man, who has a lazy eye, was gay and checking Daniel out, the Greeley Tribune reports:

"Dave Duty, 50, of Livermore is the owner of the Potbelly Deli and Bar, 24340 Larimer County Road 74E, where the altercation occurred. He said Greeley police Sgt. Kell Hulsey punched one of his regular patrons after Kell Hulsey's son, Daniel Hulsey, 28, of La Salle thought Brian Carter, 35, of Red Feather Lakes was gay and checking him out. Duty said he was behind the bar when the brawl broke out on the bar's deck between several locals and the Hulseys. Both Duty and bartender Sean McGlothlen, 21, of Greeley, who was working the night of the fight, said Kell Hulsey threw the first punch. 'The fact that he is going out and starting a bar fight is really disturbing,' McGlothlen said. 'It scares me that he is allowed to carry a badge.' The fight took place on a small wooden deck connected to the dimly lit bar lined with posters and filled with tables and two pool tables. The night of the fight, the bar, which connects to a karaoke room and restaurant, had about 100 people in it, Duty said. During the altercation, Daniel Hulsey, who was later arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault, took a pint glass and smashed it into Carter's head, Duty said. Carter, who was flown by helicopter to Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, where he received close to 20 stitches, declined to comment on the incident."

According to the Denver Channel, both elder and younger Hulseys cowardly fled from the scene: "Witnesses said, the attacker fled on foot, deputies said. Using a K-9 search dog, sheriff's deputies were able to track him down and arrested Daniel Stephen Hulsey, Campanella said. Hulsey, 28, was booked into the Larimer County Detention Center on third-degree assault charges, she said."

Here's another account of what happened, via the Coloradoan: "Out on the deck, Daniel Hulsey, the 27-year-old son of a Greeley police sergeant, was upset because one of the locals was looking at him funny. 'Brian has a lazy eye, and the younger Hulsey was accusing him of being gay,' Duty said. Brian Carter, one of the alleged victims of the fight who was hit over the head with a broken beer pint glass, was taken to Poudre Valley Hospital where he received fewer than 20 stitches, Carter said. Kell Hulsey, a member of the Greeley Police Department for 20 years, punched David Gniady, Carter's roommate, locals said. 'He yelled, 'I'm a cop and I'm a (expletive) ,' Gniady said. A fight involving up to 15 people ensued on the deck; and Duty, his staff and several locals ran to break it up. Kell Hulsey then threw several punches at another local before things settled down and he jumped off the deck yelling, 'You'll all die for this,' and leaving his son behind, witnesses said. 'For a cop, someone who should be breaking up a fight, to start a fight and flee when his son is here and going to be arrested, I mean...people that say he's a nice guy weren't here that night,' Duty said."

The officer, Kell Hulsey, is under investigation, and more arrests may be made, according to reports. The bar owner, David Duty, says he plans on filing a civil suit and seeking restitution. Red Feather Lakes is northwest of Fort Collins, Colorado, near the Wyoming border.
(thanks, Ryan)

Sphere: Related Content

Friend: Ted Haggard was a 'Sexaholic' and Used the Drugs

Ted Haggard's close family friend Kurt Serpe shared an email with Colorado Springs' News 13 in which Haggard confessed the details of his relationship with escort Mike Jones. If you'll remember, back in 2006, Haggard said that he'd received a massage but not sex, and bought meth but didn't use it. His email to Serpe tells a bit of a different story. He also sent a letter to his congregation before leaving for his spiritual restoration.

Serpe, who says he has known the pastor for more than 20 years, said that Haggard sent him an email because he "asked Haggard point-blank for the truth." In the email, which you can read AFTER THE JUMP, Haggard says he met Jones at a Marriott hotel after asking for a masseur, that Jones masturbated him, and that he took drugs before three of his five visits with Jones. Serpe says "He craved sex, he was a sexaholic. This is something that he has been struggling with all of his life."

Earlier this week, it was reported that Haggard had returned to Colorado Springs but he has been forbidden to talk to the media. His "close family friends" on the other hand...

Read Haggard's email to Serpe, AFTER THE JUMP...

***Ted Haggard's E-Mail***

Updated: June 25, 2008 11:08 PM

October 3, 2007

I was referred to Mike Jones from the concierge at a Marriott hotel when I asked for a masseur. It was during the massage that it started to become sensual, and that led to him masturbating me. That was and is our only sexual contact, but it was immoral and it was this experience that caused me to confess immorality in my letter of resignation from New Life Church. During the conversation with Mike during and after the time he masturbated me, he told me about some drugs that he could get for me that would enhance my masturbation experience. I returned on five occasions and bought those drugs. I actually used them three times, throwing them away in shame before use two times. It is for these offenses that I confessed being immoral and deceitful.

These are the answers you have requested, but I do not know why you would say you deserve them? That seems odd to me.

God bless,

Ted Haggard

***

Former Pastor Ted Haggard Sexaholic, says Friend [newschannel13]

Sphere: Related Content

News: Shanghai, Cynthia Nixon, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Prince William

Australian Capitol Territory holds first same-sex civil partnership ceremony.

Bachelor Summit: Matt Grant towers over Andy Baldwin.

Cynthia Nixon stands by her girlfriend's clothing demands.

Military sociologist Charles Moskos, who helped establish 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', dies in California: "Dr. Moskos' research examined the modern military experience in unprecedented detail, gleaned in part from his ease with the rank-and-file soldiers. 'He truly had an impact on the military,' said Gen. Wesley Clark in a statement. 'He gave many of us the reassurance that someone out there knew us, cared about us and could help see our best interests as a nation and a military were looked after.'" More from SLDN.

Prince William sets sail in the Caribbean.

From the stacks: Grandfather was queer.

Brad Pitt to design green hotel (with team of consultants) in Dubai: "Whilst acting is my career, architecture is my passion. Selecting this development as my first major construction project has been a simple decision. It will underpin not only my values for environmentally-friendly architecture, but also embrace my career in entertainment."

Live Cool: Shanghai gets new gay nightclub.

McCain schedules appearance with country singer John Rich, who once said: "I think if you legalize [gay marriage], you've got to legalize some other things that are pretty unsavory. You can call me a radical, but how can you tell an aunt that she can't marry her nephew if they are really in love and sharing the bills? How can you tell them they can't get married, but something else that's unnatural can happen?" Rich later apologized after public outcry.

Shakespeare's grave getting a makeover.

Queer Quinn : New York news anchor in Freudian slip.

Under Armour issues statement denying relationship with Al Reynolds, Jr. after photo surfaces: "I wanted to clarify what has been reported. Al Reynolds is not a spokesperson for Under Armour, nor is there any business relationship of any kind between the Under Armour brand and Al Reynolds."

Nancy Pelosi endorses gay San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno in bid for state senate.

11-year-old trailer once used as canvas for a young Banksy, now may fetch £500,000: "Called Fragile Silence, it shows commandos landing stereo equipment on a beach. The trailer’s owners, Maeve Neal and Nathan Welland, say Banksy has authenticated the work, which he completed before they drove the truck to the Glastonbury Festival in 1998. And instead of them paying him, he gave them two free festival tickets for providing the ‘canvas.’ At the time Banksy, whose real name has never been confirmed, was little known."

Gay Colorado congressional hopeful Jared Polis contributes $2.1 million of his own funds into his campaign.

Fashion world remembers Yves Saint Laurent. Simon Doonan, of Barneys New York: “I have a permanent shrine to Yves in my house: a pair of couture croc thigh boots. His highwayman looks, his Cossacks, his lesbian tuxedos, his sexy safaris, his djellabas, his Spanish cigarette girls, his tartan flings. There is no end to his influence and fabulousness.”

Sphere: Related Content

News: Universal Fire, Clay Aiken, Uganda, Avenue Q, Greece

Gays disposable: Uganda says it will ignore gays in its HIV/AIDS prevention efforts because homosexuality is illegal. Instead, they'll focus on "other high risk groups such as sex workers, truck drivers, remote fishing communities and members of the armed forces."

A mother always knows...

Libertarian candidate Bob Barr's flip-flop on DOMA.

Utah parents seek criminal penalties against teacher who they say went too far in sex ed class: "The Jordan School District is investigating allegations that a seventh- and eighth-grade health teacher violated the sex education statute by responding to questions from students about topics beyond the core curriculum, including homosexual sex, oral sex and masturbation."

Colorado enacts non-discrimination law: "Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter signed legislation today prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in housing, public accommodations, credit transactions, juror service, and other areas. The legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Jennifer Veiga and state Rep. Joel Judd, expands existing laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, sex, religion, disability, and other characteristics."

Anna Quindlen on same-sex marriage: love won.

Sex and the City rocks the box office with $55 million haul, sequel in the works. Writer Michael Patrick King signs first look deal wtih DreamWorks.

AfterElton announces its Hot 100.

Fire burns Universal Studios taking King Kong, Back to the Future, 40,000 film reels with it...

The L.A. Times takes a close look at the failed Harvey Milk film: "It will be a bittersweet time for Zadan and Meron. 'We recognize that, at the end of the day, it's business -- people make movies for a living,' says Zadan. "And when you work on a passion project, there's always the chance that you'll get your heart broken. I told Michael London, 'The only way I'll hate you is if you [mess] the movie up. It's Harvey's story and all we want is for someone to tell it well.'"

MTV Movie Awards: one feature-length movie trailer.

Tom Cruise has a housewarming party.

California clerk hopes to be first same-sex marriage: "For 18 years, Stephen Weir has been in charge of the office that hands out marriage licenses in California's ninth-largest county. And for just as long, Weir has been unable to get a license himself because the love of his life is a man...He and his partner, John Hemm, want to be first at the counter that day. They want to be the first to exchange vows and kisses in the conference room Weir converted into a wedding chapel that hosts 1,200 couples a year, but that he could never use."

Avenue Q to have 2000th performance on Broadway.

NYT publishes letters regarding Governor David Paterson's same-sex marriage decision: "When our oldest son, Benjamin, got married, he asked Jacob to be his best man. Then our son Joshua got married and again Jacob was his best man. When our daughter, Britta, married her dear Matthew, she didn’t have a maid of honor. She had a man of honor, and it was her brother Jacob. At each wedding, as Jacob stood by his siblings and signed the papers to make it legal, he did it knowing he did not have the right to marriage himself. As a mom, I find that hard to understand and heartbreaking to know it is true. How can this country treat people in such a way that something as basic as finding love and being married can be denied to a whole segment of society?"

Gays in Greece vow to wed despite threats of prosecution: Said Greece's supreme court attorney George Sanidas: "Neither civil law nor the country's constitution refer to gay marriages. If the Tilos mayor proceeds, he will have committed the criminal act of breach of duty."

Peter LaBarbera of "pro-family" group Americans for Truth made his annual visit to the International Mr. Leather weekend in Chicago. He just can't stay away!

Sphere: Related Content

George W. Bush Chest Bumps a Cadet

President and former frat boy George W. Bush gave the commencement address yesterday at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs yesterday, and took some time out to chest bump cadet Theodore Shiveley, from Plano, Texas.

Oliver Stone's script is beginning to seem more factual all the time.

On another note, that's one handsome cadet.

Sphere: Related Content

CO Senator Pulls "Short People" Stunt to Mock Gay Discrimination

The Colorado Senate debated a bill on Friday that would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing, places of public accommodation, consumer credit, labor unions and school enrollment. It became heated when Republican Senator Greg Brophy offered up a 'stunt' amendment to the bill that would ban discrimination against short people:

"The debate on the Senate floor over a bill that would expand the prohibition of sexual orientation-based discrimination became personal and emotional this morning after a senator offered a rhetorical amendment to ban discrimination against short people. Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, withdrew the stunt amendment after arguing that there is no need for the bill because he has not seen evidence that gays and lesbians are discriminated against when seeking a job or a home. 'What I'm talking about is economic discrimination, political discrimination, employment discrimination,' Brophy said. 'I find no pattern of any of those.' Brophy's comments outraged Democrats, who took turns at the lectern denouncing his argument with angry and sometimes shaking voices.

Said Jennifer Veiga, a gay Denver Democrat sponsoring Senate Bill 200: "It must be nice, as a white male to sit back and mock the real discrimination that occurs in our society, especially on the basis of sexual orientation."

Lawmaker uses short people to question gay-bias bill [denver post]

Sphere: Related Content

Colorado Bully May Be First to Be Sued Under New Hate Crime Law

Another ugly story of bullying, this time out of Colorado, where a new hate crime law may make this kid's teen attacker the first to be sued for punitive damages.

"...for two years, Adrian kept a secret from every adult he knew, even his father: The verbal abuse he says was heaped on him from other students. Bullies called him 'Nazi,' because he is from Germany, and 'gay,' because he is a musical-theater prodigy who stars in professional plays. And despite what Cherry Creek Schools calls a proactive effort to curb bullying, including classroom discussions, plenty of kids knew Adrian was a target and nearly a dozen watched him get beaten up at a school-bus stop in November. Adrian had bruises and a broken collarbone. 'They didn't lift a finger to help him,' Heinz Ulm said of his 14-year- old son. 'I can't understand that.' His attacker won't face criminal charges, because Adrian voluntarily took part in the fight, the Ulms were told. But a 2-year-old amendment to Colorado's hate-crime laws could make Adrian's assailant the first youth in Colorado to be sued for punitive damages on the basis of school bullying. 'I would definitely describe this as a hate crime,' said Adrian's lawyer, Gregg McReynolds, who has not made a decision about a suit."

Please don't wait until the bully returns to shoot him in the head. Sue 'em.

Cherry Creek teen may face bully in court [denver post]

Sphere: Related Content

Colorado School Accommodates 8-Year-old Transgender Student

Here's an example of how schools should be treating diversity in their schools. Perhaps this kind of example can help prevent incidents like the murder that happened in Oxnard, California.

CNN interviews Kim Pearson of Trans Youth Family Advocates about an eight-year-old transgender-identified child who is returning to a school in Douglas County, Colorado that has adjusted its facilities and teaching environment to accommodate her.

According to CNN, two unisex bathrooms have been provided for the student, teachers will call the student by her name, parents and teachers will get info on transgender people, and officials will be made available for questions.

The school released this statement: "We continue to be focused on providing a positive learning environment for this student and all students in the class and school that is free from harassment. As with many other students, this particular student brings a diverse set of circumstances to the school setting."

Watch the full clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

Sphere: Related Content

Colorado Lesbian Couple Files Suit to Overturn State's Marriage Ban

Kate Burns and Sheila Schroeder of Englewood, Colorado, who were arrested last year on September 24 (above) after demanding a marriage license and holding a sit-in at the Denver Clerk's office, have filed suit in Denver County court, asking it to throw out the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

According to the Rocky Mountain News, "Their attorney, Mari Newman, said the case reminds her of laws that used to outlaw interracial marriage but were declared unconstitutional. 'The right to marriage is fundamental,' Newman said. 'The government can't be telling us who we can and cannot marry.' The lawsuit claims Amendment 43, which 56 percent of voters approved in 2006, is unconstitutional on several grounds, including it was 'religiously motivated' and has the effect 'of establishing religion.' Rep. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, who helped put the amendment on the ballot, laughed at that argument. 'If that's the case,' he said, 'we can throw out most of our laws because most are based on some moral perspective, and you could argue that is a religious foundation. We could even throw in the Declaration of Independence on those grounds: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights . . . Creator.' He called the suit frivolous."

Burns and Schroeder are scheduled to appear in court on the trespassing charge for their sit-in this week.

Women sue over marriage law [rocky mountain news]
Couple asks court to overturn gay marriage ban [denver post]

Sphere: Related Content

Elephant Journal Puts its Twist on Same-Sex Marriage

Elephant journal out of Boulder, Colorado makes same-sex unions their winter '08 issue cover story. The journal focuses on meditation, organics, fair-trade, vegetarianism, alternative health practices, bodywork, the arts, ecofashion, and yoga, so the "yoga twist" cover angle seems entirely appropriate.

(via adrants)

Sphere: Related Content

News: Tony Romo, NJ Death Penalty, Edward Hopper, YMCA

NJ Governor Corzine signs death penalty ban.

Des Moines Register endorses Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

The NYT takes a look at the life of gay historian Allan Bérubé, and his well-known book Coming Out Under Fire: "The book sprang from a box of letters. One day in the 1970s, a friend of one of Mr. Bérubé’s neighbors salvaged from a Dumpster a cache of correspondence exchanged by a dozen gay G.I.’s during the war. The men, who had met at an Army base in Missouri, were posted to different spots, but they continued to write — in particular about what it was like to be gay wherever they had fetched up. The letters found their way to Mr. Bérubé. 'I sorted them out and had a good cry,' he told the University of Chicago alumni magazine in 1997. 'It really captured my heart and raised a lot of questions, so I started doing research.'"

Bimbo Curse: Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo hit with worst game in ages as Jessica Simpson appears at game wearing his jersey. It was the first time in three years the Cowboys haven't scored a touchdown, losing to the inferior Philadelphia Eagles. According to People, "The 27-year-old Pro-Bowler ended the game with a quarterback rating of just 22.2 – that's the worst ever in his entire career. (In comparison, his average rating this year is over 100.) His previous low? Last December, when then-girlfriend Carrie Underwood was in the stands."

Magazine collector aims to preserve archive of Thailand's gay history.

Early Sunday Morning: Greenwich Village group tries to preserve Edward Hopper's Big Apple landmarks.

PrideWorks conference offers beacon of hope for isolated gay kids: "This was the ninth year of the PrideWorks gathering, which is put on by the Hudson Valley chapter of the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network. The conference is sponsored by numerous community groups, including a local Merrill Lynch office, the Westchester-Putnam School Boards Association, the Westchester-East Putnam Region PTA and a state senator, Suzi Oppenheimer, a Democrat from Mamaroneck. In the beginning, in 1999, there were no students, just 125 adults, mostly educators who worked with gay children. This year, there were about 200 adults along with 300 boys and girls. Some, like Michael, attended with their parents. More arrived in school buses with their Gay Straight Alliance clubs."

Posh Spice skin pouch horrifies onlookers.

Colorado College students stage bitterly cold day-long sit-in to protest homophobic and racist incidents on campus: "The most recent events include anti-gay graffiti on several dorm room doors. Students say they got together to organize the event to show that they won't tolerate this type of actions on their campus or in their community. Students say this isn't in response to any one event, but a culmination of events over a period of time." (video)

YMCA lifeguard in the UK punches lesbian after making homophobic remark: "Luke Rawcliffe, 18, of Rixton Close, Thornton, pleaded guilty to assaulting Louise Raycroft. Pam Smith, prosecuting, said Ms Raycroft was walking through the bus station with her female partner when they were approached by a group of men. Rawcliffe called Miss Raycroft an inappropriate word and without any provocation punched her on the forehead. She was knocked to the floor and hit her head...The defence added that there was an altercation with the two women and one swung out at a friend of Rawcliffe's. Rawcliffe, who had been drinking, then hit the woman on the head."

Flyer: Britney Spears scores with "Piece of Me" video all about how the paparazzi chases that mess around. Write what you know.

Oldest human being dies at 116.

Sphere: Related Content

Colorado Gay Activists Bypass Gay Candidate in House Race

Jared Polis, a web entrepreneur who launched his bid for a Colorado U.S. House seat last May and has received the endorsements of openly gay Rep. Tammy Baldwin as well as the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, was bypassed by top gay fundraisers and activists in his home state in favor of Joan Fitz-Gerald, a former Colorado Senate President.

The Rocky Mountain News reports: "At a fundraiser Thursday night at the Bonnie Brae home of activist Scott Coors and his partner, Dave Hurt, gays young and old wrote checks to help Fitz-Gerald's campaign. 'Kick Jared's ---,' one donor wrote on the memo line of his $250 check. 'This is obviously an interesting race for gay people,' said Scott Miller, whose partner, Tim Gill, is well-known nationwide for helping liberal and gay causes. 'There's an expectation we have to support our own, and there is a sense of disappointment that we didn't endorse Jared.' But Fitz-Gerald's legislative record could not be ignored, Miller and Gill said. 'I think no one has done more for the gay community legislatively than Joan Fitz-Gerald,' Gill told the crowd."

Polis appeared unruffled in a statement to the News: "No one should support a candidate just because they are gay, just as no one should support a candidate just because they are women."

Gill cites loyalty as the reason for his decision. Tough apparently cordial so far, the race, which also includes Will Shafroth, of Boulder, may "be one of the costliest and ugliest primaries in the nation in 2008" according to the paper.

Sphere: Related Content

News: Voyager 2, Liza Minnelli, Morocco, Florida Gay Marriage Ban

Group proposing amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Florida reaches necessary 611,009 signature goal: " One of the signatures belongs to Gov. Charlie Crist, although the state's top Republican has not trumpeted the issue during his first year in office." And why is this significant?

Liza Minnelli collapses, tumbles off stage in Sweden...

Human Rights Watch demands Morocco overturn the convictions of six men sentenced to prison for homosexual conduct: "The men have been in jail since they were first arrested by the police between November 23 and 25, 2007, after a video circulated online – including on YouTube – purporting to show a private party, allegedly including the men, taking place in Ksar el-Kbir on November 18. Press reports claimed the party was a 'gay marriage.' Following the arrests, hundreds of men and women marched through the streets of Ksar el-Kbir, denouncing the men’s alleged actions and calling for their punishment."

Shooter at New Life, Ted Haggard's former Mega-church, may be a victim of the church's ex-gay reparative therapy program.

Spice Girls reveal their aircraft: Spice One.

Arctic ice melting at alarming pace: "An already relentless melting of the Arctic greatly accelerated this summer, a warning sign that some scientists worry could mean global warming has passed an ominous tipping point. One even speculated that summer sea ice would be gone in five years...'The Arctic is often cited as the canary in the coal mine for climate warming,' said NASA climate scientist Jay Zwally, who as a teenager hauled coal. 'Now as a sign of climate warming, the canary has died. It is time to start getting out of the coal mines.'"

Plaque to be laid commemorating site of early gay bar, honoring Black Cat Cafe's role in San Francisco's gay rights movement.

Gay cruise plans March takeover of tropical island in Australia.

Ben Cohen gets suddenly modest for Gay Times.

Spain recognizes UK couple's civil partnership after protracted campaign: "Their campaign paid off, as the Spanish government has now agreed to recognise the civil partnerships of UK lesbian and gay couples. 'We visited the British Consul on 29th November to change our status in our passports,' the couple told PinkNews.co.uk. 'We have made a little bit of history by becoming the first UK same-sex couple resident in Spain to have their civil partnership acknowledged in law and in the observations section of our passports.'"

Voyager 2 probe reaches edge of solar system...

Isaiah Washington shows up unannounced to join Grey's Anatomy cast on "diversity day" at the writer's strike: "Asked if Washington was with the Grey's group, Heigl, who had previously publicly criticized Washington told The Daily News, 'He's not with me.' But Washington denied there were problems with his former co-workers. 'They're former castmates. I've been in over 25 movies, I have lots of former castmates.' he said."

Gay Washington D.C. council member calls for transit police probe after recent alleged anti-gay assault on Metro train.

Sphere: Related Content

News: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Dirty Laundry, Woody Harrelson

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a blogger.

Movie theater in heart of Chelsea in NYC closes first black gay film to play there in years despite huge gross, according to Keith Boykin: "The news surprised the film's producers, who had set a goal of grossing a respectable $4,000 to $5,000 per theater, or per screen average (PSA). Instead, they were pleased to gross more than $12,000 at the Chelsea Theater alone...The New York theater management expressed concern that 'the producers may have bought the gross.' They expressed suspicion because there were $1,500 in advance ticket sales for Sunday before the theater opened. The theater called this '"highly abnormal for a Sunday movie.' But the advance ticket sales were actually the result of an extensive viral campaign that included Internet postings, blog articles, email campaigns and even text messages. In addition, the producers promoted the movie on radio and television throughout the week leading up to the opening. The real problem is that the theater can't believe that black gay people would actually come to the movies in such numbers because they don't realize we exist."

The Hills' season finale announcement packs about as much punch as the show itself.

Paris Hilton assists in rescue of injured Oompa-Loompa.

Police probe possible gay-bashing in Somerville, Massachusetts: "A man allegedly started taunting Daloia and her group of six friends earlier in the evening at the On the Hill Tavern in Magoun Square. Gorton said the same man then confronted several of the women at a Dunkin' Donuts, saying, 'You're a [expletive] lesbian' and the like while his sister flashed her breasts. Daloia was knocked unconscious, [Don Gorton, chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project] said; her friends, he added, received "bruises all over their faces and parts of their bodies." Daloia has been experiencing post-traumatic stress since the incident, he continued. She now fears for her safety and no longer wants to talk to the press."

Director Paul Schrader explains to New York's HX magazine why Woody Harrelson, who plays gay in Schrader's upcoming film The Walker, won't do any press for it: "His agent told me he doesn't like himself in it. I think he wanted the character to be a little more fey than I did, a little more comically fluffy, and I didn't see the character that way."

Surveillance video released by hotel where former Washington Rep. Richard Curtis had his encounter with hustler Cody Castagna: "The video shows both Curtis and beau Cody Castagna entering and leaving the posh Davenport Hotel Towers together the night of October 26, 2007, after meeting initially at a Hollywood Erotique Boutique store. Additional surveillance video shows Curtis leaving an envelope containing the payment for Castagna." (video)

Ancient Polar Bear jawbone discovered: "The find is a surprise because polar bears are a relatively new species, with one study claiming they evolved less than 100,000 years ago. If the Svalbard jawbone's status is confirmed, and further discoveries can show the iconic Arctic beasts have a deeper evolutionary heritage, then the outlook for the animals may be more positive than some believe."

Rare tigers making comeback in India?

Colorado councilwoman resigns rather than remove offensive joke she posted online: "The page-long joke, posted by councilwoman Sandra Tucker, described the tale of a white male who has a 'nightmare' in which he wakes up to discover that he has 'been turned' black, gay, Jewish and disabled. The joke uses terms such as 'negro,' 'queer' and 'fairy,' and also pokes fun at orphans, Mexicans, Jews, HIV-positive patients, drug addicts and those with physical disabilities. The punch line of the joke comes when the person having the nightmare also finds out he is a Democrat, a 'fate worse' than all the rest."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Dana Perino, Mexico City, Pedro Andrade, Hate Crimes Act

NYT nails Congress for failure to pass Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes act.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino admits she didn't know what the Cuban Missile Crisis was: "I was panicked a bit because I really don't know about . . . the Cuban Missile Crisis...It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."

Snubbed by Barbara Walters: Larry Birkhead not as fascinating as he thought.

New York City remembers pioneering gay rights activist Bob Kohler: " With candles and signs held high, and with pill bottles and ceramic pots filled with some of Mr. Kohler’s cremated remains, dozens of his friends and admirers marched through the streets, chanting to the beat of a drummer, stories of Mr. Kohler’s courage in more than six decades of activism spilling from their lips. Some cried as they stepped down West 13th Street, Seventh Avenue and Christopher Street to Sheridan Square, ending up at the Hudson River piers, a refuge for many gay youths in the area. 'Till the very end he struggled for us, all of us,' said Jennifer Flynn, 36, a friend and member of a group of mostly lesbian activists who helped to care for Mr. Kohler as he battled cancer in his final days. 'He could have lived a comfortable life somewhere. He could have ignored everyone.'"

Washington state gay rights leaders expect to see more advances in the coming legislative session: "Advocates say they'll push for expanded rights in areas such as property, retirement and pension benefits in the 2008 session."

Jude Law gets a birthday kiss from Jonny Miller.

Mexico City grants gay prisoners conjugal visits.

Missionaries shot dead at training center before gunman shoots four more at New Life Church, where Ted Haggard once preached: "A gunman in a black trench coat and a high-powered rifle entered the church's main foyer about 1 p.m. and began shooting, according to the source at the church, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the police department had asked that it release all information. The church's 11 a.m. service had recently ended, and hundreds of people were milling about when the gunman opened fire. Nearby were parents picking up their children from the nursery. The gunman was killed by a member of the church's armed security staff, the source said. Four people were shot, and the source did not know whether the shooter was one of the four. A SWAT team was searching the building for an explosive device, but the source could not confirm any details."

NYT: The 53 places to go in 2008, and the 70 best ideas of 2007.

Lance Bass' ex Pedro Andrade has a new gig as a host for LXTV: "I just found my spot, and I'll be right here if you need me."

Anti-gay Scout leader arrested for molesting young boys: "Mr. Evans sued the city in his role as a leader of the Sea Scouts, an affiliate program of the Boy Scouts. The city, after providing free berthing for a Sea Scouts boat for 60 years, said in 1998 that a Boy Scout policy barring gay scouts and atheists violated Berkeley’s rules against discrimination. The city said the Scouts would have to leave the berth or pay $500 a month rent. Mr. Evans sued for discrimination and for violating the Scouts’ First Amendment rights. The California Supreme Court ruled in favor of Berkeley."

Israel recognizes same-sex adoptions from overseas: "This is another step toward equality and the abolition of discrimination toward same-sex couples. The time has come for the state to recognize these couples, just as it recognizes the adoptions of heterosexual couples."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Burma Monks, Ryan Idol, Bloc Party, Swastika, Janet Reno

Study: Lack of sleep doubles heart disease death risk.

Flower power: cache of new species discovered in "Green Corridor" of Vietnam. "Scientists have discovered 11 new species of plants and animals in Vietnam, including a snake, two butterflies and five orchid varieties, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) said Wednesday."

Protest turns violent as Buddhist monks take to the streets in Burma.

Bravo's Andy Cohen checks in with porn legend Ryan Idol, who is about to take the stage as a bathhouse patron in Terrence McNally's The Ritz on Broadway: "I'm focusing on my career right now. I'm 41 and I have that deep desire to have genuine affections for people, whether male or female. Love has different degrees, from genuine affection to the unattainable thing we aspire to of absolute love. It doesn't come often but if you don't have other elements in your life in place you can't have love, so that's why I am focusing on my career. Don't go looking for it, I always say, it will find you when you least expect it."

Fury at Colorado State University over F**k Bush editorial.

Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke says the band's next record will be more introspective: "I think with this third record, its very much going to be a record about interior spaces. If 'Weekend In the City' was me complaining about going out and getting f***ed up, I think this is going to be a very intimate record about staying in and discovering aspects of yourself. And not in a grown-up, Coldplay/Snow Patrol way. "[It's to be about] human relationships, on a real kind of primal level. What it means to feel desire and what it means to actually feel close to someone, or what it feels to feel lament -- the passing of closeness between people. It's very much going to be a record about internal relationships."

Swastika discovered in New Jersey cornfield: "Investigators found that the most recent swastika appeared to have been hand-cut and covered an area of several acres. 'This should be in the past, and we should have learned from our mistakes, and to bring up something that brings back such awful memories, I think, is disgusting,' said Joe Pica, whose property is one of many that border the fields."

The big H's take the Big Apple: Jennifer Hudson arrives on set for Sex and the City movie. Whitney Houston hails a comeback...

Kevin Spacey meets with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: "Neither Spacey...nor Chavez spoke to the press after the nearly three-hour encounter in the presidential palace in Caracas. They shook hands warmly on the red carpet as Spacey left after a dinner with Chavez...Chavez has said Venezuela hopes to produce its own films as an alternative to the "cultural imperialism" of Hollywood. Yet, Chavez speaks highly of some Hollywood films. He has also hosted recent visits by stars including Sean Penn and Danny Glover." (video)

New York City comptroller William Thompson tests the gay waters at mayoral fundraiser.

Janet Reno executive producer on three-disc anthology of music hailing America's history.

Sphere: Related Content

Colorado Gets First Openly Gay Male State Legislator

Rep. Mike Cerbo (D-Denver) resigned from his seat in the state legislature last week to become head of the Colorado AFL-CIO. He was replaced this week by Mark Ferrandino, treasurer of the Colorado Democratic Party and former co-chairman of the Colorado Stonewall Democrats.

"A vacancy committee of party activists and local elected Democrats voted 23-3 in favor of the 30-year-old fiscal policy wonk at a meeting Wednesday night," the Rocky Mountain News reports.

Said Ferrandino: "I'm proud to be representing my constituents and the GLBT community. I'm a qualified Democrat who wants to do good, who also happens to be gay...I want to make life better for the people of the state of Colorado."

Colorado does have a state lawmaker who is a lesbian — Jennifer Veiga (D-Denver) was elected to the House in 1996.

Sphere: Related Content

News: Manchester, David Bowie, Tennis, Tim Gunn, Madonna

Earthquakes strike Manchester's gay village: "It was the sixth earthquake to hit the city in the past month, all measuring between 1.4 and 2.5 magnitude. A swarm of 150 tremors occurred in the same area between October 2002 and January 2003. Seismologist Dr Brian Baptie of the British Geological Survey said: 'An earthquake of this magnitude is not unusual in the UK and you would not expect any structural damage as a result of this earthquake'."

Match-fixing alleged in professional tennis: "Two elite players made the claims, under anonymity, in an interview with the French sports daily claiming they have witnessed matches being "thrown" and that they had personally been offered bribes...The unnamed sources in L'Equipe's report called on the sport's authorities to act, 'before things get out of hand'. 'I know several players who have been approached, and who had the exact same experience as me,' said one player, identified only as Mister B and who claimed he had been approached physically by someone offering him 50,000 dollars to lose a match. He added: 'Not for one second did I believe it was a joke. 50,000 dollars is more than what I would have got for getting to the semi-final in this tournament, and it was tax-free cash. 'I refused his offer straight away, but I was left wondering what direction we're going in.'"

Willa Ford joins Bobby Trendy in new film about Anna Nicole Smith - first shots.

Yesterday, the death knell was sounded for West Village bar Julius. Today, news that it has reopened, at least for now.

Lesbian couple are first in Colorado to adopt. "'People say, they need two parents. We say, they've got two parents,' says Jeannie DiClementi, who along with life partner Mary Ross, have become the first gay couple to adopt children together under a new state law. 'This is a victory for children.'"

Jesse Metcalfe obtains topless female tattoo.

David Bowie to join UK TV series Dr Who as an evil alien abductor: "The singer who found fame as a cross-dressing glam rock star Ziggy Stardust in the 70s will cross swords with the Tardis's Time Lord, actor David Tennant when he kidnaps crime author Agatha Christie."

Lesbian is one of five finalists for bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago.

AfterElton talks to style guru Tim Gunn about his forthcoming show and his last relationship: "I had been in a relationship and a very intense one. And it broke up after quite a number of years. And it broke up abruptly – didn't break up from me. I was cast aside. And it was just, just at the advent of AIDS. And I found out he had been sleeping with a lot of people. And thank God I'm healthy. Because I didn't know and it had been going on for a while. So when we broke up, there the world of AIDS is spread out before me, and I thought ‘I can't do this. I don't want to be selfish, but I care too much about my health'. And the person I loved more than myself had been cheating on me and lying to me. So if that person is doing it, what about total strangers? So I just got used to being alone, very used to it."

An interactive graph based on The World Without Us, Alan Weisman's gripping new book about what would happen to the Earth should humans disappear.

REPORT: Madonna to adopt second orphan from Malawi.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tore a jewelry clerk to shreds, according to a new biography, after the clerk whispered something under her breath when Condi asked to see a nicer item: "Let’s get one thing straight. You are behind the counter because you have to work for minimum wage. I’m on this side asking to see the good jewelry because I make considerably more.

Filmmaker documents the end of three gay British men in 1967: "The outline of their deaths is well documented. On February 3 1967, the independent record producer Joe Meek killed his landlady, Violet Shenton, before turning the shotgun on himself. On August 9, the hottest new British playwright of his generation, Joe Orton, was murdered by his companion, Kenneth Halliwell. On August 27, the body of the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein was found after an accidental overdose of a prescribed sleeping pill."

Sphere: Related Content