Man Who Faked His Way into Yale Outed by Gay Lover

Akash Maharaj, a Trinidad and Tobago native who last spring transferred to Yale's Morse College Class of 2008, reportedly duped his way into Yale University after forging a Columbia transcript and then scammed the university out of thousands of dollars in financial aid. The ruse was discovered after his boyfriend, another Yale student whom he had threatened, reported him.

The New York Post reports: "Maharaj, 26, had been enjoying spring semester 2007 at Yale - even copping a prestigious literature prize there - after lying on his admissions application, according to the Yale Daily News and the school. Maharaj allegedly told of being a straight-A student from Columbia and waved a bogus letter of recommendation from one of Yale's own profs. But the alleged scheme came tumbling down last June, when his Yalie lover filed a harassment complaint against him. The beau said Maharaj had threatened to kill him when he tried to get the unstable student admitted into a Manhattan psych ward."

The boyfriend has not been named.

The Yale Daily News reports: "After allegedly defrauding Yale’s admissions office, the student received $46,789 — by the Yale General Counsel Office’s calculation — in scholarships that he would not have obtained 'had it been known that he provided false and misleading information during the admission application process,' according to an affidavit signed by Yale Police Department Detective Thomas Mullen, who declined to comment for this article, in the Connecticut Superior Court in New Haven. That figure includes $31,750 in Yale financial aid, as well as $7,400 in federal scholarships, $6,739 in federal loans and $900 from a federal work-study program."

According to the YDN, "Last June, according to the document, the YPD was called to the Asian American Cultural Center, where the suspect’s ex-boyfriend told officers that the suspect had threatened to kill him. The ex-boyfriend, who still attends Yale, had broken up with the suspect after discovering that he had lied to him about his age 'and other issues relating to his identity,' the affidavit says. The suspect allegedly responded by threatening to kill himself, and the boyfriend took him to a New York City hospital. The suspect then allegedly threatened his ex-boyfriend, who filed a complaint with the YPD. He was then admitted to Yale-New Haven Hospital for psychiatric evaluation at the YPD’s request, according to the affidavit. The ex-boyfriend, who did not respond to numerous messages left on his cell phone seeking comment, tipped off Associate Dean of Yale College Rosalinda Garcia, the director of the Latino Cultural Center, about apparent inconsistencies related to the suspect’s identity, the affidavit says. That prompted an internal investigation that uncovered extensive discrepancies in his application to Yale."

Maharaj is reportedly living in Brooklyn and is expected at a court date next month in New Haven. According to affadavits he has applied for "accelerated rehabilitation," a program which allows first time offenders to have the charges dismissed if it's determined that the offense isn't serious or likely to be repeated. If that motion is rejected, the case would go to trial.

Student arrested for defrauding Yale [yale daily news]
Ex-Student Duped Yale [hartford courant]
SKEEVY IVY 'SCAMMER' [ny post]

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ACLU Demands H&R Block Accommodate Connecticut Civil Unions

After a gay Connecticut couple was told by tax preparer H&R Block that "We don’t support Connecticut civil union returns," the ACLU has stepped in to demand they change their policies:

"Through its website, the company said the couple would have to work with one of their professionals, by phone or at one of their office locations, which would be more time consuming and substantially more expensive. 'This is yet another example of the many ways that civil unions just don’t live up to marriage,' said Jason Smith (right) of Hartford, who has been with his partner Settimio Pisu for six years. 'It really stung when I realized it would cost an additional $150 dollars to have our tax returns prepared. We’re saving for a house and hoping to start a family, so every penny counts right now.' According to the letter the ACLU sent to H&R Block, failing to provide gay couples with civil unions the option of filing their taxes online as it does for married couples is in violation of a state law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and civil union status. The letter demands that the company adapt its website to accommodate couples with civil unions and to reimburse all couples who were forced to pay the additional charges due to H&R Block’s discriminatory practices."

As if tax time needed to be any more fun.

H&R Block Tells Gay Couples In Connecticut: “We Don’t Support Connecticut Civil Union Returns” [aclu]
Demand Letter [aclu]
H&R Block screen captures [aclu]

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Connecticut State Rep Jason Bartlett: I'm Gay

Jason Bartlett, a Connecticut Democrat who represents consitutents in Bethel, Redding and Danbury, came out of the closet today in an interview with the News-Times.

Said Bartlett: "For me the decision came down to why not now. To me this is about having a conversation with my larger family - the people of Greater Danbury who voted for me. I've always considered my life private. But at the same time we are also living in a digital age and I'm in the public eye. People are always interested in you and your family."

The paper adds: "The lawmaker added that while he's always tried to keep his personal life private, there have been rumors from time to time about his sexual orientation on web sites and innuendoes during prior political campaigns. Bartlett, a self-employed businessman who grew up in Redding, was first elected into office two years ago."

The Victory Fund notes that Bartlett's declaration now makes him the nation's first and only openly gay African American state legislator.

Bartlett announces publicly he's gay [news-times]

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Bush Kiss: Man on Man Action at the State of the Union

I don't know what Bush whispered in the ear of Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT), but it had to be good.

Because a kiss was delivered in exchange. Somebody was good to Connecticut this year.

Video of this don't ask, don't tell moment, below on the left. And if you'll remember, it's not the first time that Connecticut has received special treatment from #43 at the State of the Union. Joe Lieberman got it in 2006 (below, right).

And now for something a bit more serious, a few State of the Union resources, including texts of the Democratic candidates' responses, the full text of Bush's speech, and a point-by-point analysis from Think Progress:

Full TEXT of Bush's State of the Union address here.
Think Progress has an excellent line-up of posts which compare his State of the Union speech to actual facts about his presidency. You can read them here.
The official Democratic response to the SOTU, delivered by Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, can be read here.
Barack Obama's response is in the video clip you see here. TEXT here.
Here's Hillary Clinton's response to the SOTU.
John Edwards' response is here.

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Chad Allen in Bed with Rent Boy in Little Dog Laughed

Those of you in Connecticut have a chance to see actor Chad Allen in a production of Douglas Carter Beane’s The Little Dog Laughed set to run from January 25th through March 9th at Theater Works in downtown Hartford. The show also stars Jeremy Jordan (pictured). This, by the way, is not Jeremy Jordan the musician nor Jeremy Jordan the porn actor, but an entirely new Jeremy Jordan who has just emerged from Ithaca College's Performance Studies.

The Little Dog Laughed, which tells the story of a closeted Hollywood actor and his rent boy, made a transition to Broadway in late 2006, but closed shortly thereafter, prompting Variety to wonder if gays had abandoned their love of the theater.

UPDATE: New profile of Allen in the Hartford Courant...

Previously
On Broadway: The Little Dog Laughed [tr]
Broadway's Gay Audience Missing in Action? [tr]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #219

DIRECTING JETS: This RAF Marshal has become a YouTube celebrity for his ways on the runway.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: A leftover from Iowa. Romney struggles with those amber waves of grain.

EUREKA SPRINGS: The American Family Association has produced a video warning of the gays that are "coming to your town" to destroy it. Sorry folks, we're already here.

CHRISTMAS EVE MURDER: More on the Southington, Connecticut "internet date" murder I posted about earlier in the week.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here

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Connecticut Man Shot to Death By Christmas Eve "Internet Date"

Police have charged Marcos Mercado (pictured) with murder, felony murder, first-degree robbery and possession of an assault rifle in the killing of a 41-year-old Connecticut man on Christmas eve during what was apparently an "internet date" gone terribly wrong.

The shooting took place in Southington, about 20 miles southwest of Hartford, according to the Courant:

"Police believe Mercado killed Szadkowski some time late on Christmas Eve or early on Christmas Day. Szadkowski's partially-burned body was found inside his apartment dec. 26 by police after a co-worker at a Bank of America call center contacted authorities when Szadkowski failed to show up for work...Southington police said information on the victim's computer provided crucial evidence about the online meeting of the two and the plans they made. 'It was decided that Mercado would go over to Szadkowski's apartment for a date and then something obviously went terribly wrong,' department spokesman Sgt. Lowell DePalma said. He said the two apparently got into an argument. Mercado then got an assault rifle out of his car, went back into the apartment and shot Szadkowski in the head, DePalma said. Mercado then set Szadkowski's body on fire, DePalma said. Although there were burns on Szadkowski's body there was no serious damage to the apartment and the fire never became widespread enough to alert neighbors to what was happening."

Mercado, 21, who is being held on $2 million bond, is scheduled to appear in court today.

Man Charged In Southington Murder [hartford courant]

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News: Jeffrey Toobin, Wildebeest, Ann Coulter, He-Vage, Norway

Norwegian clergy to defy church, carry out same-sex marriages. Chaplain: "There will be a certain amount of civil disobedience. I want to start wedding homosexuals as soon as a new Marriage Act is in place."

Diana's final smile on film.

Jeffrey Toobin looks at Lawrence v. Texas in new book on Supreme Court, The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court: "There was no mistaking the significance of Kennedy's opinion. The point was not that the court was halting sodomy prosecutions, which scarcely took place anymore. Rather, the court was announcing that gay people could not be branded as criminals simply because of who they were. They were citizens. They were like everyone else."

Welsh gay and lesbian film festival offers record £25,000 prize for best film: "Festival director Berwyn Rowlands said talent from at least half of the films shortlisted were flying in from all over the world to attend the event. 'This is a prize that unites a global network of film festivals located in LA, Sydney, Manila, Hong Kong and Dublin to bring together the most promising new talent from around the world,' he said."

Ann Coulter's piehole opens up: "If we took away women's right to vote, we'd never have to worry about another Democrat president. It's kind of a pipe dream, it's a personal fantasy of mine, but I don't think it's going to happen. And it is a good way of making the point that women are voting so stupidly, at least single women."

Britney Spears now licensed to cause havoc on the streets of L.A..

Anglican advisory committee says Episcopalian church has "complied with a directive" on same-sex unions and gay bishops folowing an announcement by the Episcopals that they would be exercising "restraint" on those issues in the future.

10,000 dead. One-percent of world's entire wildebeest population die in mass drowning over the course of several days. "As the animals passed through southern Kenya during their annual migration, part of the herd attempted to cross the fast-moving Mara at a "particularly treacherous" point, according to Terilyn Lemaire, a conservation worker with the Nairobi-based Mara Conservancy who witnessed the incident. 'Once they jumped into the water, they were unable to climb up either embankment onto land and, as a result, got swept up by the current and drowned,' she wrote in an email to National Geographic News."

The Daily Mail tackles some tough issues. How much He-vage should a man show? And which aging male stars have had plastic surgery?

Folsom Street down under: a look at Sydney's recent sleaze ball.

Domestic Violence Hotline for gay/bisexual/transgender men receives $75,000 Verizon grant to expand to cover Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut: "The Verizon grant is significant for several reasons. It expands a model program into other states, and it provides a lifeline to gay, bisexual and transgender male victims currently without access to services. It also raises awareness among other corporations that domestic violence is a critical issue that impacts everyone."

Irish man gets eight months in prison for gay bashing: "Garda John Lavery gave evidence that the victim was walking towards the diving board at Blackrock, at 3am on April 15 last year when he saw a group of youths were already there. He was accosted by Corcoran who shouted homophobic obscenities at him. Corcoran shouted, 'What the f*** are you looking at you poofter, you faggot.' He punched the victim to the face and told him he was going to kill him. The victim managed to escape and he reported the incident at Salthill Garda Station two days later."

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Is This the Gayest House in America?

Perhaps, according to the Washington Post:

"...seen as a single entity, the Glass House/Brick House structures add up to the gayest house in America, an architectural enactment of a life lived with a rigorous division between the public and the private. Not that Johnson, a man who enjoyed wealth throughout his life, lived that particular dichotomy of hiding and revealing in the way that less fortunate men had to. But even at the level of its mechanical systems, the two-house dyad seems like a metaphor for the publicly brilliant homosexual: The Glass House is enticingly open but dependent on the Brick House for its hidden electrical and plumbing connections."

Philip Johnson's 1949 modernist masterpiece, the "Glass House" in New Canaan, Connecticut, will open to the public as a National Trust for Historic Preservation site this Saturday.

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News: Dane Cook, Connecticut, Hammerhead Shark, Wii

Michigan Supreme Court to decide whether or not partners of gays and lesbians employed by public universities and state and local governments should be able to receive health benefits: "The appeals court in February cited Michigan's 2004 voter-approved constitutional amendment against gay marriage — which makes the union between a man and woman the only agreement recognized as a marriage "or similar union for any purpose" — as also barring domestic partner benefits for the same-sex partners of public employees."

Immaculate conception: Hammerhead shark gives birth having had no contact with males. "This form of asexual reproduction, called parthenogenesis, has been found in other vertebrate species, including some snakes and lizards. But this is the first time it has been documented in a shark."

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales may have obstructed justice as recently as March by attempting to "shape" Monica Goodling's testimony before the congressional hearings.

Tremont Street in Boston the latest gay ghetto to dissipate.

"Bridal shop" for gays opens in Barcelona. Owner: "I saw the opportunity to do business after the law was approved. I didn't know of any other country that had a shop or boutique for gay weddings. It will be an exclusive and personal product for a special day. It was obvious that gays, who also marry, needed their own bride shop."

Does Dane Cook get this week's Photoshopped body award?

Beckham checks on the melons. Yep, still ripe.

Irish priest from Feakle Parish apologizes to congregation for breaking his law of celibacy after photos published on a gay website.

Nintendo: 35 million Wii consoles by 2012.

As Connecticut awaits gay marriage decision, the noise does not subside: "Motorists sounded their horns in support of the gay rights activists in front of the state Supreme Court today. They were trying to influence the seven justices inside who are contemplating whether or not to give same sex couples full marriage rights under the state's civil unions law. A much larger crowd across the street at the state capitol celebrated the withdrawal of a same sex marriage bill from the general assembly but members of the Family Institute of Connecticut are still fearful that the state Supreme Court will make it happen without the legislature as happened in Massachusetts."

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Connecticut Supreme Court Hears Gay Marriage Case

Eight same-sex couples who were in Connecticut Supreme Court yesterday to argue that civil unions and their separate-but-equal status do not measure up to marriage walked away from the hearings "hopeful" about what might come of them, according to the Hartford Courant.

Attorney Bennett Klein, representing the eight same-sex couples, faced off against State attorney Jane Rosenberg, whose arguments centered primarily around semantics, according to Reuters.

Said Rosenberg: "We're talking about a word here. It was rational for the legislature to preserve the opposite sex definition of marriage, which has existed throughout history and which continues to represent the common understanding of marriage in most other countries and states in our union."

According to the Hartford Courant, "Rosenberg argued that same-gender couples are far from politically powerless, and have made 'significant advances' in recent years, noting the passage in Connecticut two years ago of the first civil union law in the country that was not compelled by a court order. She said she wouldn't be surprised if sexual orientation was soon grafted onto the constitution's equal protection provisions. 'Is that your argument - give them more time and they'll do better?' Justice Richard N. Palmer queried. 'For many years, gays and lesbians have been subjected to significant discrimination.' Justice Flemming L. Norcott Jr. drew laughter when he interjected, 'If they were doing better, they would have passed that bill across the street.'"

Norcott was referring to a bill that would make gay marriage legal in the state which in April passed the Connecticut General Assembly Judiciary Committee by a surprise vote of 27-15. The bill has headed to Connecticut's house but a vote won't be made on it this session.

Argued Klein for the plaintiffs: "Here the lesbian and gay couples have been relegated to a less prestigious, less advantageous, institution...Depriving same-sex couples of the word marriage is a way of depriving them of equality as couples and families. Marriage is not just a bundle of legal rights. It is a status that the state confers on people, and it's a status that has with it profound personal meaning to individuals."

According to attorneys, the Connecticut justices may issue their decision by November.

Connecticut's top court hears gay marriage case [reuters]
Arguing Over A Word [hartford courant]

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News: Pete Wentz, Right Whales, Patty Hearst, Lithuania

Lawyers representing eight same-sex couples in Connecticut who say their civil unions aren't enough and they want gay marriage begin presenting oral arguments at the state Supreme Court today. Lawyer: "A law that says every right, every benefit and every legal aspect of marriage is given to same-sex couples shows that this is nothing more than a legislative policy decision of a special legal institution. The legislature already determined a fundamental sameness between couples. Constitutional law has discarded long ago any notion that a separate institution for a minority can ever be equal."

Endangered right whales seen in record numbers off the coast of Provincetown: “We’ve identified at least 120 whales. That’s out of a (worldwide) population of around 400.”

Lithuanian bus company removes gay tolerance ads after drivers refuse to drive buses carrying them: "Algirdas Krivickas, director of the trolley bus company in the western town of Kaunas, said employees had expressed strong emotions over the adverts which read: 'A gay can serve in the police' and 'A lesbian can work at school'. Drivers had refused to take out the trolley bus bearing the adverts. They had now been removed. 'Some said they feared the trolley bus could be vandalised, some said they do not want friends to laugh at them,' Krivickas said."

Christopher and Anne Rice hold Palm Springs benefit for Lambda Literary Foundation: "We hope to partner with local bookstores, libraries and colleges, holding symposiums and bringing prominent LGBT authors to the desert. It will be good for the Palm Springs area to be recognized as a cultural center for LGBT authors."

Signed in blood: Pete Wentz presents his original artwork.

Barack Obama roars in Kansas City: "The day that this president steps down, the entire world will breath a sigh of relief. After half a trillion dollars spent and after 3,400 lives lost of our bravest young men and women, thousands more wounded, legs severed, nerves shattered, it is time for us to bring this war to a close."

Serbia takes Eurovision Song Contest title as Ukranian drag queen Verka Serdyuchka take second. A blow-by-blow analysis from Rex Wockner.

Russian activists announce St. Petersburg gay pride parade at end of May.

Patty Hearst denies she's been offering advice to future jailbird Paris Hilton: "I must say that my heart goes out to the inmates of the Century Regional Detention Center. Forty-five days with Paris Hilton and the attendant publicity seems like cruel and unusual punishment to me. Perhaps THEY should be petitioning the Governor for relief?"

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley says that the proposed amendment to ban gay marriage in that state may be unconstitutional and says she will support those challenging it: "She quoted a joint court opinion by Justices John Greaney and Roderick Ireland saying the 2003 SJC decision that legalized same-sex marriage 'may be irreversible because of its holding that no rational basis exist, or can be advanced, to support the definition of marriage' as only between a man and a woman. The opinion also noted that the amendment would discriminate against same-sex couples by removing rights they already had been granted."

Bad lieutenant: Canadian police officer admits downloading an image that said "I love gay porn" onto the computer of a house she was searching.

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News: Pinkberry, David Gest, Fake Gay Rapper, Peter Pace

Bush is expected to nominate General Peter ("homosexuality is immoral") Pace to a second term as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Gay rapper Caushun exposed as fraud: "Here in New York, Caushun was the first name that came up whenever a conversation about gay rappers began. Best we knew, he was one of us: An effeminate hairdresser with Bed-Stuy credibility and a flow that earned respect among local hetero hip-hop folks."

Connecticut high court judge recuses himself from gay marriage case, reasons unknown.

Gay porn star Timothy Boham, who is charged in the murder of Denver businessman John Paul Kelso, may use insanity plea in his defense: "Boham, who had worked briefly for Kelso, was arrested near the U.S.-Mexico border after police said he confessed to his mother and sister. Boham decided to rob Kelso, the owner of a debt collection company, because he knew there was a safe in the house, police said. During a preliminary hearing, police said Boham told them he was planning to steal $40,000 he thought was in the safe because his girlfriend was pregnant and he needed cash."

The struggle to be a father: one gay man reflects.

Vermont fraternity Phi Gamma Delta, accused last year of gay bashing during hazing, is now threatening to sue the University of Vermont.

Has David Gest targeted a new love interest in Amy Winehouse? Gest: "I would kiss the mole on Amy Winehouse's face and every tattoo on her body and I'd stick my tongue in the gap where her tooth is missing. I love her."

Army recruiter Marcia Ramode, who was "suspended from recruiting duties" after her racist, homophobic email to a potential recruit was given media attention, has been given a covert reassignment by the military. Said Corey Powell, the potential recruit to whom Ramode's inflammatory email was originally addressed: "Now they're making her whereabouts covert. Some act to prevent us knowing where she is, which they probably invented this morning. I'm really disappointed [in the decision to reassign Ramode]. I wasn't out for blood. But for the 11,000 servicemen who have lost their jobs for nothing besides being themselves, this is an injustice. She should be forced to find a way to take care of herself the same way they had to."

Miss Ross returns to London.

Pinkberry sued for claiming powder + water is actually yogurt.

Are you a TOFI? Folks who are thin on the outside may be fat on the inside: "The thinner people are, the bigger the surprise."

Rosie O'Donnell claims Ellen DeGeneres has signed a contract forbidding her to talk about being a lesbian and putting the kibosh on gay issues: "Ellen's not allowed to. She signed a contract that said she wouldn't. It was on the heels of my show. Right? So that's why she doesn't! But, you know what? She also paved the way for a lot of gay people, especially on TV. There were no gay shows on TV. She was pre-Will & Grace, remember that. So, you know, I talk about 'gay' because I like to and she doesn't talk about it because she doesn't want to or she can't. But, who cares? It's fine. Gay Gay Gay Gay Gay!"

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Connecticut Committee Approves Gay Marriage Bill

After three hours of impassioned debate the Connecticut General Assembly Judiciary Committee voted 27-15 to approve a bill that would make gay marriage legal in that state. It will now head to the House of Representatives.

Connecticut already has legalized civil unions for same-sex couples, but after some lawmakers noted that the public's opinion of gay marriage is in a swift transition, and another lawmaker spoke emotionally of her personal experience under the civil union law, the committee advanced the bill, despite the fact that Governor Jodi Rell has promised to veto it should it come before her.

Rep. Beth Bye (D-West Hartford) made an key impression on the Assembly, notes the New Haven Register:

"As tears rolled down her cheeks, Bye told members of the committee how her deeply religious father has come to accept and support her gay lifestyle and her partner. 'My father, a devout Catholic, ... has moved on this issue because he loves his daughter. He thinks of me as married,' said Bye. 'The broader world does not see me as married.' Her voice shaking, Bye explained how, on her partner’s pension documents, she has been listed as 'Other' because she didn’t fit into any of the traditional legal categories. 'I don’t want to be ‘Other,’' insisted Bye, 'I want to be married.'"

Rep. Michael P. Lawlor (D-East ), and state Sen. Andrew McDonald (D-Stamford), both openly gay, also spoke in favor of the bill, with Lawlor asking legislators to think of the gay marriage decision made by the South African parliament, who called it a form of apartheid. Said Lawlor: "[think] how history will judge us."

And even Don Imus entered the debate. Said McDonald: "I suspect Don Imus knows terms matter. They have consequences to people in their lives, in their thoughts, in their self respect."

A case is also currently pending with the Connecticut Supreme Court, filed by eight couples who say that civil unions do not suffice. However, the approval of the gay marriage bill in Connecticut yesterday appears to be the second time (California was the first) that a gay marriage bill has been approved by a legislative committee without a court order.

Judiciary Committee approves gay marriage bill [stamford advocate]
Gay Marriage Bill Approved In Committee [hartford courant]
Moved by disclosure, legislative panel OKs gay marriage bill [new haven register]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube: #115

CHRIS CROCKER: The Worldwide Dream. Visit the world of Crocker here... (via slog)

NUTJOB CITY: My Left Nutmeg takes a look at some of the right-wing bigots who came out to speak at hearings for the Connecticut marriage equality bill. More at the site.

BARACK OBAMA: As promised yesterday, the full clips of his appearance on Letterman are back up, and here they are...

JIMMY KIMMEL: Talks with Gawker editor Emily Gould about "Gawker Stalker" and the stalkerazzi.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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News: GLAAD Awards, Military Hillary, Tapir Massage, Asteroid

Hillary Clinton learns her salute: "For Mrs. Clinton, exhibiting a command of military matters is not just about learning from her husband’s experience. It could be vital to her, as a woman seeking to become a wartime commander in chief, to show the public that she is comfortable with military policy and culture — and with the weight of responsibility that accompanies life-and-death decisions."

Patti LaBelle and Jennifer Hudson stole the show at this year's GLAAD awards. LaBelle: "I didn't know you were this nice. I thought you were a bitch."

New York's Black Party: a wholesome romp.

Global warming may kill certain climates and create entirely new ones: "Species living in tropical areas may be less able to adapt, he said, adding that that is speculative and needs further study. Areas like the Southeastern United States and the Arabian Peninsula may also be affected, the researchers said. And they said mountain areas such as in Peruvian and Colombian Andes and regions such as Siberia and southern Australia face a risk of climates disappearing altogether. That doesn't mean these regions would have no climate at all -- rather their climate would change and the conditions currently in these areas would not occur elsewhere on Earth."

The Beckhams' wild night with Diddy.

Stepford Wives museum director claims harassment from gay colleagues who wanted her to resign: car vandalism, threatened with poisoning, being forced to look at graphic gay photos, and being poked in the eye.

YouTube announces first annual Video Award winners. Here are the videos...

Cleaning day: Mario Lopez has some junk in the trunk, er, garage.

Cute video of the week: tapir gets a massage. I get relaxed just watching it.

Deep impact: U.S. and China at most risk for damage from wayward asteroid. "The team focused on smaller asteroids because they hit the Earth more frequently. An asteroid a few hundred metres across hits the planet about once every 10,000 years, on average, while those larger than 1 kilometre hit only every 100,000 years or so. Small asteroids are also harder to spot. 'We're more likely to be hit by one without much warning,' Bailey told New Scientist. Using maps of population density, the researchers charted the places likely to suffer the most casualties. As might be expected, countries with large coastal populations turned out to be most vulnerable, with China, Indonesia, India, Japan and the US in the top five spots."

Capote producer Michael Ohoven sues fellow producer William Vince for profits: "The complaint, filed Thursday in British Columbia Supreme Court, claims that Vince convinced Ohoven to agree to a 60-40 split of revenue from Infinity films to take advantage of Canadian tax credits. Later, Ohoven alleges, Vince transferred the other 40 percent to himself without Ohoven's knowledge or consent. Ohoven is now seeking 50 percent of all past and future revenue from Infinity films, including Capote."

If you have a moment, PLEASE TAKE OUR SURVEY!

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Connecticut Same-Sex Couples File Suit for Marriage

Eight same-sex couples have filed a legal brief with the Connecticut Supreme Court saying that civil unions, legalized last spring, do not suffice — they want marriage:

"Given the legislature's enactment of the civil union law after this case was filed, and its acknowledgement of both the common humanity of gay people and their rights to equal treatment in their family lives, is it constitutional for the legislature to deny marriage while it also creates, only for gay people, a separate legal regime, with a different name, and deems them eligible for all state-based rights available to married spouses?"

Connecticut's civil union law went into effect last October, prompting protests from neo-Nazis and right wing religious groups.

Attorney Bennett Klein, who is representing the eight couples who range in age from their 30's to their 60's, argued that there has been a "harsh, systematic discrimination" of gay people over the past century, and civil unions are just the latest example of that because they create a separate class of recognition:

"Marriage is not simply a collection of legal rights. It is something that has a unique meaning in our society. The unique social meaning of marriage gives it a very profound personal value for couples that civil unions can never provide...Rather than completely embrace that lesbian and gay citizens are part of a community of equals, [civil unions mark] those families as different from all others. And [the civil union decision] politically compromised on the principles it came so close to embracing fully for reasons that are not even valid - personal beliefs, fear of constituent reaction and the bare desire to separate."

He also made clear that religious beliefs should remain wholly separate from a state-recognized marriage: "Marriage is a government-created institution. It's a state institution that is wholly separate from the rights of religious denominations to choose whom they will marry."

The Supreme Court will most likely not argue the case until next spring.

Gay Couples Demand Marriage [tr]

You may have missed...
Connecticut Legalizes Civil Unions [tr]
Maps and Legends [tr]

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News: Bob Ney Guilty, Bush Lifts Hastert, Brand Beckham Fades

Another one bites the dust. Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements in the Abramoff influence-peddling scandal: "He acknowledged taking money, gifts and favors in return for official actions on behalf of Abramoff and his clients." Congressional leaders said they would expel Ney unless he steps down on his own.

David Beckham dropped as face of Police Sunglasses, replaced by Antonio Banderas: "Antonio was seen as more of an alpha male. The brand was more keen to have a personality which meant more to US audiences."

Michael Jackson drags himself out in a bonnet and heels.

Chicago Gay Games souvenirs to be sold to public in effort to close $200,000 budget shortfall.

Ian Thorpe is back in Australia, and he's hungry, say coaches.

Bush appearance gives life to Dennis Hastert. Prez: "Before I liberate the speaker so he doesn’t have to stand up here for that long, Speaker, I want to say this to you. I am proud to be standing with the current speaker of the House who is going to be the future speaker of the House.”

Hartford, Connecticut sees surge in gay population. City now ranks 10th in the nation: "Next door is a gay man, diagonally across the street is another gay male couple, down the block to the right is another lesbian couple. This is a very rich, diverse community." It's up in Iowa too.

March against hate crimes takes place in Glens Falls, New York to honor the memory of Mathew Shepard.

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Rove to Lieberman: "The Boss Wants to Help"

What the people want is apparently not the right answer for Bush-kisser Joe Lieberman: "For the sake of our state, our country and my party, I cannot and will not let that result stand."

In the wake of Lieberman's bitter loss to Ned Lamont, George Stephanopoulos reports that Karl Rove has reached out, offering help from the White House in Lieberman's promised independent run. According to Stephanopolous, Rove said: "The boss wants to help. Whatever we can do, we will do."

What a disgrace.

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News: Smell of Diddy, Holy Shoes, Lewd Gay Turnabout

A gay and lesbian book stand at a book fair in Zimbabwe has been destroyed. Not surprising given President Mugabe's sanctioning of hate.

The devil wears Prada. Look who's making a fashion statement now.

Hungry like the virtual wolf: Duran Duran announces that they will have their own island within the video game Second Life, on which they will perform actual live concerts. Nick Rhodes: "When I first discovered Second Life a few months ago, I was astounded by the possibilities that were there. When I started looking at the figures running around, chatting and interacting, I thought this is somewhere between a bizarre virtual reality TV show, a surreal real-life experience and a video game. Somehow the amalgamation was just irresistible - what became obvious was that Duran Duran should have a presence within there."

Connecticut State Supreme Court refuses to allow Family Institute of Connecticut to intervene in that state's ongoing gay marriage case.

Struggling Sheila Kuehl-sponsored California bill that would have mandated gay history be taught in public classrooms is watered down in order to pass. Now, bill simply orders that there be no negative portrayals of gays in textbooks or instructional materials.

P. Diddy promotes his new fragrance Unforgiveable with a ride on a jet ski in a tuxedo. It seems that everyone needs to make a splash with their own fragrance these days. But you know what is more unforgiveable? That someone has invented a new fragrance that smells like Stilton cheese!

A rundown of the new features you can expect in "Leopard", the next Mac OS. Among the cool features are the ability to replace the backgrounds in iChat with photos and videos...

Can't get enough of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy"? Arjan points us to a free club mix of the hot track.

Cruising control: A gay rights activist calls for an investigation of the Palisades Interstate Park Police for the homophobic targeting of consenting adults after a judge overturns the conviction of a New Jersey man for lewdness in a public park.

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