Attorney for Lawrence King's Killer Faults School for Shooting

Deputy Public Defender William Quest defended his client, 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, who is to be arraigned today for the fatal shooting of his classmate, 15-year-old Lawrence "Larry" King at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, saying that the school is at fault for not stepping in when it saw conflict between two of its students:

"Educators should have moved aggressively to quell rising tensions between the two boys, which began when King openly flirted with McInerney, said Deputy Public Defender William Quest. Instead, administrators were so intent on nurturing King as he explored his sexuality, allowing him to come to school wearing feminine makeup and accessories, that they downplayed the turmoil that his behavior was causing on campus, Quest said."

The school disagrees:

"School Supt. Jerry Dannenberg strongly disagreed with such allegations. 'School officials definitely were aware of what was going on, and they were dealing with it appropriately,' Dannenberg said Wednesday. King was constitutionally entitled to wear makeup, earrings and high-heeled boots under long-established case law, Dannenberg said."

Ventura County hopes to try McInerney as an adult but a motion has been made to try him as a juvenile. The arraignment may be delayed until the court decides on that motion, according to the L.A. Times. A coalition of gay rights groups has urged District Attorney Greg Totten to try him as a juvenile as well. McInerney has been held in Juvenile Hall since the shooting, in lieu of $700,000 bail.

Lawyer blames school in shooting of gay Oxnard student [la times]

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Cayman Islands Police Arrest Massachusetts Man for Gay Kiss

Aaron Chandler, 23, from Amherst, Massachusetts, was arrested in the Cayman Islands last week after kissing his partner on a dance floor. The arrest was preceded by two confrontations with an unidentified local who asked them to stop what they were doing.

The Cay Compass reports: "About a half hour later – about 11pm – an unidentified woman approached the two men and asked Mr. Chandler to follow her to meet a friend. The friend turned out to be an off–duty police officer. 'He told me he did not want me to show public displays of affection,' Mr. Chandler said. 'He said it was against the law for two people of the same sex.' Mr. Chandler said he kissed his partner again, just before his party was going to leave the Royal Palms. 'The officer grabbed my wrist and told me he was placing me under arrest.' Mr. Chandler said a crowd of people – some tourists and some residents – followed the police officer while he was leading him away. 'They were asking him why he was doing this and one asked how he could do this in a British territory.' The officer called a superior, who arrived about five minutes later, Mr. Chandler said. On the way to the George Town police station, Mr. Chandler said the superior officer told him the 'law was stupid' but that he had to enforce it. Once at George Town Police Station, Mr. Chandler was made to wait to speak to an inspector. The inspector never came, but the original officer came back and gave him a stern talking to, telling him he didn’t care what he did in private, but that he could not kiss his partner in a public place. He attempted to make Mr. Chandler promise not to kiss his partner in public again and then released him."

Said Chandler: "I do display affection when I’m with my boyfriend, publicly. “It’s never anything most people would consider obscene however; usually it’s in the form of holding hands or a quick kiss."

The Caribbean has never been a safe place for gays and lesbians. While I certainly sympathize with Chandler's situation, it's important to remember that displaying same-sex affection can get you much worse than an arrest. Be careful out there.

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News: Polaroid, McGreevey Trial, Banksy, Van Hansis

Anti-gay evangelical preacher stabbed to death in Perth, Australia.

Photographers, artists bitter over Polaroid's demise: "'Now what the hell am I supposed to do?' asks John Waters, who’s shot a Polaroid of each person who’s come into his apartment since 1992—friends, interviewers, deliverymen, everyone. 'Digital isn’t instant gratification, and those cameras don’t make that sexy sound.'"

Self-described 'YouTube Superstar' Tricia Walsh-Smith may join The Real Housewives of New York City.

Is Jake Gyllenhaal getting Nailed?

Till death: McGreevey divorce trial begins Tuesday. "Legal analysts expect New Jersey's former first couple will approach new lows, even for divorce court. 'I'm not going to tell you this is going to be the worst case ever in the history of New Jersey divorces,' said Charles Abut, a matrimonial lawyer who operates the New Jersey Family Law blog. 'But I think if you asked longtime matrimonial lawyers, 'Give me the your top 10 worst,' this one is going to appear on everyone's list.' The proceedings, which are expected to last up to six weeks in Elizabeth's Union County Courthouse, have been divided into three sections. Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy has said she will rule separately on each part: Custody of the couple's 6-year-old daughter, Jacqueline; the amount of child support and alimony McGreevey must pay Matos McGreevey; and, finally, Matos McGreevey's claim McGreevey defrauded her, tricking her into a marriage of political convenience even though he knew he was gay."

In March I posted about the appointment of Yale music professor and singer Richard Lalli to Yale residential college master, one of the school's highest recognitions. Now the Hartford Courant has profiled Lalli.

Frank Rich wonders why the media is ignoring John Hagee...

Indiewire talks to gay filmmaker Arthur Dong: "As a gay Asian American filmmaker I'd be naive to think that anti-gay bigotry and racism has not affected the opportunities or lack thereof in terms of my work. But the way I confront it is to first acknowledge whatever factors I think might be there, and then forge ahead anyway with that knowledge. We all have thrust upon us unwanted external forces that we have no control over, whoever we are, and if we allow them to be barriers (excuses?) to our goals, then we may as well give it up because perseverance, passion, and stamina is a must for independent filmmakers."

Inside Banksy's CANS Exhibit.

John Mayer asks for hair Haikus.

T.R. Knight and Mark Cornelsen already planning for children. Knight: “I wouldn’t rule [adoption] out at all. I think it would be adopting versus any other route. But yeah. I mean, there are a lot of kids who need homes.”

FOX News radio host John Gibson mocks MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, lesbians.

As the World Turns' Van Hansis reportedly dating fellow actor Tyler Hanes.

Australian Capitol Territory forced to back down on civil partnerships: "The ACT decision comes as the deeply religious Mr Rudd faces growing attack from Christian groups over his Government's decision to remove discrimination against gays from all other federal laws. Mr Corbell yesterday accused the Rudd Government of breaking a commitment to the states and territories to allow them to legislate as they saw fit. The legislation, which was quashed by the Howard government in 2006, would have allowed gay couples to have their relationships recognised in a legally binding ceremony."

Gay powerlifter Chris Morgan reaches World Championships.

Israeli court denies restraining order against gay man's former partner because nation's family and domestic violence laws do not apply to gay partnerships: "The complainant told the court that the former lover, a younger man who had lived in his Ramat Gan home with him for two years, was abusing him psychologically. He argued that as common-law partner he was entitled to the protection of the family court."

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News: Kevin Rudd, Jesus, Christian Siriano, Patrick McHenry, Mariah

Clinton advisor Mickey Kantor statement on Indianans unearthed: "Look at Indiana...it doesn't matter if we win. Those people are shit. How would you like to be a worthless white ni**er?" Kantor denies... UPDATE: Director Pennebaker says clip doctored...

Barack Obama pledges to stop fighting between Lauren and Heidi on The Hills.

Christian Siriano hosting virtual prom.

Australian PM Kevin Rudd signals that he may block a move by the nation's capital to legalize civil unions: "The Prime Minister warned today that he would never agree to gay marriage, which would require amendments to the Marriage Act. The act expressly states that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. While the ACT government, led by chief minister Jon Stanhope, argues its civil partnerships are different to gay marriage, the Government is concerned it too closely mimics marriage. Mr Rudd now holds the power to disallow any ACT laws that he deems to replicate marriage, just as the Howard Government did during its final term. Despite previously arguing it was a matter for the states, the Prime Minister said today that no other state was proposing laws similar to the ACT."

Mariah Carey marries Nick Cannon in the Bahamas.

Banksy, who has curated an underground graffiti exhibition in London in a tunnel which opens tonight, tells Reuters: Creating graffiti "better than sex, better than drugs."

Tom Ford makes debut as costume designer for Santa Fe opera The Letter.

Massachusetts publishes 120-page anti-bullying guide for schools. Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach: "Our kids deserve to grow up in an environment that is free from harassment and violence. The consequences of bullying can last a lifetime, but all too often it is treated as a rite of passage."

Brazilian gymnast takes his talent to the street.

Never has a shirt on: Lipstick Jungle's Robert Buckley is the new Matthew McConaughey.

Jesus is coming in 2015, look busy.

North Carolina congressman Patrick McHenry behaving conservatively.

Man charged in killing of Florida gay activist Scott Graham: "A man has been charged with murdering West Palm Beach, Fla., gay rights activist Scott Graham, who was found dead in his home on April 16, The Palm Beach Post reported Wednesday. Ricardo David Fuenes-Valle, 20, was arrested on Tuesday near Tampa by Hillsborough County deputies and U.S. marshals. He is being charged with first-degree murder. Investigators found the suspect on Tuesday after they were told that Fuenes-Valle was planning to rob Graham or burglarize his home to steal jewelry and money, West Palm Beach police captain Pat Maney told the Post. Witnesses said Graham was last seen on April 14 with Fuenes-Valle. 'We don't really have a motive at this point,' Maney said in the article. 'We are working under that assumption.'"

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Royal Blackmailers Found Guilty in Britain

Ian Strachan and Sean McGuigan, the two men at the center of a £50,000 extortion plot targeting a member of the British royal family which involved taped recordings of the Royal discussing gay sex and drug use, were found guilty today by an Old Bailey jury, the BBC reports:

"Strachan, 31, of Fulham, west London, and McGuigan, 41, of Battersea, south London, had denied charges of demanding money with menaces. Among the claims in the recordings were that the married royal, referred to as witness A, performed a sex act on his employee, witness D, at a party. Strachan and McGuigan had used the tapes to demand money from the royal after trying, unsuccessfully, to sell them to newspapers. The two men were arrested in a sting operation at a London hotel by undercover police officers last September."

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Former Mr. Gay UK is a Killer, Possibly a Cannibal

A grisly story out of the UK. If you're eating your breakfast, you may want to read it later. Anthony Morley, who was crowned Mr. Gay UK in 1993 when he was 20 years old, was arrested after advertising executive Damien Oldfield's body was found in his home at Harehills, Leeds full of stab wounds. There was additional damage to the body:

"Police are said to have found human flesh diced as though 'for cooking'. Officers are now having to consider the possibility that the killer had 'eaten some of the flesh.' They were alerted after a man, covered in blood and wearing a white nightgown and slippers, went into a nearby kebab shop."

Oldfield worked at UK gay magazine Bent.

The Telegraph reports:

"Anthony Morley, 35, from Doncaster - who won the Mr Gay UK competition in 1993 aged 20 - appeared in court earlier this week charged with Mr Oldfield's murder. He has been remanded in custody. He is due to appear before magistrates in Leeds again on Monday, when it is expected the case will be sent to crown court. Morley and Mr Oldfield were thought to be friends but not lovers. After being crowned the winner of the beauty pageant at a Blackpool nightclub in 1993, Morley enjoyed a brief spell as a minor celebrity on the gay scene, making a guest appearance at the London Pride festival and opening a holiday complex for gays in Gran Canaria. In his submission for the competition, Morley said his hobbies were 'dancing and body building' and that he 'likes to please people'. Although the competition has been around in various guises since the mid 1980s, it only took on its current name and format in 1993, making Morley its first winner."

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News: Jim Neal, Ronaldo, Gay Sauna, Smiley Face, Charlie Crist

AFA asks followers to bombard Procter & Gamble with complaints over Luke and Noah's kiss.

Brazilian footballer Ronaldo caught up in tranny hooker extortion plot: "He told police he knew they were hookers, but didn't know they were dudes. He took the three trannies to a motel where he discovered the truth. He offered them around $600 each to leave. Two of the trannies accepted, but the other tranny, Andre Luis Ribeiro Albertino (above), demanded $30,000 or else."

Out has an exclusive excerpt from John Barrowman's new autobiography, Anything Goes.

Hillary Clinton supporter set up Reverend Jeremiah Wright appearance at National Press Club.

HRC refusing to support gay candidate Jim Neal in North Carolina...

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter appoints liaison to LGBT community. Mayor: "For the first time, the LGBT liaison will actually be operating out of the mayor's office, working across city government to advocate for the needs of Philadelphia's LGBT community."

Australian forum hears calls for gay-friendlier nursing homes.

Male autograph seekers mob Lance Bass outside Villa nightclub.

Police raid gay sauna in Israel: "The association's chairman, Mike Hammel, said that 'the sauna is a meeting place for men looking to meet men.' Hammel received many complaints from the sauna's visitors accusing him of slander. The sauna is viewed as a recreational place for gays around the world. In Tel-Aviv, for instance, there are three running saunas. A. established the sauna in Haifa a few months ago, investing large sums of money, and has run it ever since. This is the only place in the north serving as a meeting place for the gay community. 'Saying that this place provides prostitution services, is simply ignorance and stupidity', he said to Ynet. 'Only in Haifa can they come to a place for gays, remove people as if they were a herd of animals, and simply place them under investigation for prostitution.'"

Smiley Face: Investigators discover common link between 40 murder cases of young men across the country. "Gannon and Duarte have done something that no other law enforcement agency has ever done in this case -- they looked at the big picture and visited each site where the young men disappeared. While most local investigations focused on where a body was recovered, Gannon and Duarte tried to figure out where the body went into the river. City after city, when they'd find the spot where the body went in, they would find something else: The symbol of a smiley face."

Cher reminisces about affair with Tom Cruise: "It could have been a great big romance because I was crazy for him."

Lipstick Jungle's Robert Buckley doing what he does best.

Military responds to disgusting video of conditions at Fort Bragg: " Frawley's 10-minute video shows still photos from throughout the building, which appears to be falling apart and filled with mold and rust. Paint -- which Frawley said is lead-based -- is chipping. Ceiling tiles are missing. A broken drain pipe allows sewer gas into the building, while another one has tissues stuffed into it in an apparent effort to stop the gas from coming in. Photos from the communal bathroom show some of the most disgusting images. In one, a soldier stands in a sink to avoid what Frawley describes as 3 inches of sewage water that filled the floor when toilets overflowed."

Letter from Bible beater to underwear company condemns "evil, immoral clothing that will keep souls out of the holy, heavenly kingdom."

Who knew? Florida Governor Charlie Crist has a wife (or at least some want him to be seen that way).

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Son of Former Bush Aide Cleared in Anti-Gay Georgetown Assault

Philip Anderton Cooney, the son of George Bush's former chief of staff of the Council on Environmental Quality, who last year was accused of a bias-related assault against a fellow Georgetown student (he allegedly punched his victim while using gay slurs), has had the charges against him dropped:

"Cooney was charged with bias-related assault by the Metropolitan Police Department last September, but the U.S. Attorney reported that 'subsequent investigation raised doubts as to … whether based upon available evidence we could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant in this case was the person who actually committed the assault.' ... 'Philip was always completely innocent of the charges against him and the dismissal of the case has vindicated him entirely,' Danny Onorato, Cooney’s lawyer, wrote in a statement. 'To know Philip Cooney is to know a young man of exemplary character who was wrongfully accused in this case.' The U.S. Attorney’s office has indicated that they continue to consider the assault, in which a male Georgetown student was beaten by an assailant who shouted anti-gay slurs, a criminal act. Cooney was originally implicated in the assault through a Facebook.com profile and, later, a police photo line-up. During the pre-trial period, the prosecuting Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Mary Dobbie and Joseph Spurber, determined that they would not be able to firmly establish that Cooney was present at the time of the assault."

The Georgetown Voice reports that it's unclear whether or not any investigation into the assault will continue.

You may remember the scandal surrounding Cooney's father, Philip Sr., who resigned from the Bush administration after the New York Times revealed that he had edited government reports on climate change to downplay the role of emissions in global warming. He's now (shock) a lobbyist for ExxonMobil.

Surely he had no role in getting his son cleared.

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Gay Coalition Calls for Lawrence King Killer to be Tried as Juvenile

A coalition of gay groups has urged Greg Totten, the District Attorney in the Lawrence King case to try Brandon McInerney, the troubled teen who shot and killed Lawrence King on February 12th in front of a classroom of students because he was gay, as a juvenile. Shortly after the murder, it was announced that McInerney would be tried as an adult.

Said the coalition in a statement: "We are saddened and outraged by the murder of junior high school student Lawrence King. At the same time, we call on prosecutors not to compound this tragedy with another wrong. We call on them to treat the suspect as a juvenile, not as an adult. (The alleged perpetrator should) be held accountable for his actions. But we support the principles underlying our juvenile justice system that treat children differently than adults and provide greater hope and opportunity for rehabilitation."

The coalition of groups includes Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Transgender Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, Equality California, Gay Straight Alliance Network, Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

The District Attorney's office has not responded. McInerney's arraignment is scheduled for May 8.

Coalition urging D.A. to try shooting suspect as juvenile [ventura county star]

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Michigan Killer of Gay Man Guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter

Steven Scarborough, a 22-year-old Tennessee man, who faced a felony murder charge that carries a life without parole sentence in the killing of 62-year-old Victor Manious in Grand Rapids, Michigan, got off easily yesterday when a jury found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter which carries a maximum 15 years in prison.

Scarborough's attorneys used a "gay panic" defense, suggesting that the murder was a reaction to Manious' sexual advances. Prosecutors had said that Scarborough lured Manious from a gay bar to his friend's apartment with intent to rob him, but ended up murdering him. Manious' body was found in the trunk of his car, and Scarborough spent the days following the murder shopping, traveling, and dining with Manious' credit cards.

The Grand Rapids Press reports: "Upon hearing the verdict, Scarborough hugged his lawyer, Paul Denenfeld, and smiled. His mother, Veronica Hand, in court with her husband, Michael, wept. Grand Rapids Police Detective Kristen Rogers, who interviewed Scarborough once he was apprehended, put her head in her hands. Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Helen Brinkman said she would tell the Manious family she did her best. 'I just wish the jury would have known about his previous record and that he came to Michigan to flee the conviction,' she said. Denenfeld said the jury was aware of his previous record and obviously believed that he was a victim of an assault."

Verdict in Steven Scarborough case: Guilty of voluntary manslaughter of Victor Manious [the grand rapids press]

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Accused Killer Uses 'Gay Panic' Defense in Michigan Murder Trial

A jury in Grand Rapids, Michigan began its deliberations yesterday in the murder trial of 21-year-old Steve Scarborough, who last July struck 62-year-old Victor Manious with a bat before dragging Manious down a flight of stairs and putting him in the trunk of the victim's car where he was left to die. Scarborough, then, according to The Grand Rapids Press, "spent the next several days dining, shopping and traveling with credit cards belonging to Manious."

The prosecution claims that Scarborough was at a gay bar and targeted Manious for robbery, luring him to his friend Justin Robinson's apartment where the robbery was botched, Manious was struck, and the body was hidden. The defense claims that Manious, who came to the apartment looking for Robinson, knocked out Scarborough and when Scarborough awoke Manious was performing oral sex on him, which set off the chain of events leading to the murder. Another report has a slightly different version of event with the same gist.

Meanwhile, the Manious' widow and daughter can't comprehend that Manious was leading a secret gay life.

Family rejects talk of victim's secret gay lifestyle in Scarborough murder trial [the grand rapids press]

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News: Poland, Magnum P.I., Arizona, Howard Dean, The Joker

Arizona ballot measure to constitutionally ban same-sex marriages appears defeated: "The House gave preliminary approval Thursday by a 28-27 vote to put the question on the November ballot. But that OK came only after Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, lined up enough votes to tack on a provision to grant certain rights to unmarried couples living together, whether gay or straight. That move effectively tied the two issues together as a single ballot question, meaning voters who want to make same-sex weddings unconstitutional would be voting for some constitutional rights for gay couples. A spokesman for House Speaker Jim Weiers, sponsor of HCR 2065, said that is unacceptable and that the Phoenix Republican will now kill his proposal."

Magnum P.U.: Matthew McConaughey to take Tom Selleck role to the big screen?

Naomi Campbell a free supermodel after getting arrested for assaulting and spitting on a cop.

Poland passes EU Charter but gets around gay requirements: "This week Prime Minister Donald Tusk reached a deal with the opposition, inserting a clause in the rights bill guaranteeing Poland's sovereignty within the union. The cause is seen as a means where the government can opt out of EU LGBT rights protections. Kaczynski has said he will sign the revised bill."

Perez Hilton says he made out with John Mayer. But is it Pop Fiction?

Redwood City, California man faces hate crime charges for attack on gay neighbors: "Herbert Santos-Coy, 30, remained behind bars Wednesday on one count of felony assault for hate crime purposes, two counts of felony commission of a hate crime and one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in state prison. 'There’s nothing the victims did that would have provoked this. It’s an outrage,' Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. Santos-Coy and his wife lived next door to the couple on Buckeye Street. On Sunday, the victims were working on their car when Santos-Coy approached them and began hurling anti-gay epithets, Wagstaffe said. Santos-Coy then allegedly struck one man in the face repeatedly before picking up a wrought iron table and swinging it at the couple. Santos-Coy had been drinking but prosecutors do not believe he was drunk at the time of the incident, Wagstaffe said."

Massive archive of gay and lesbian historical items at New York Public Library gets digital gallery and will be organized under new donor committee: "It is a newly organized... committee called LGBT@NYPL; for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. Carey Maloney and Hermes Mallea, the cochairmen, are also partners in M (Group), a design company. The goal, Mr. Maloney said, is “to get everything cataloged and digitized and to get an endowment” for the care and maintenance of the collections. Mr. Maloney is to announce at a party at the library this evening that the committee has raised $1.5 million so far. Time Warner has pledged $300,000. The MAC AIDS Fund has pledged $150,000 to improve public access to materials dealing with HIV and AIDS. Estée Lauder Companies has pledged $30,000."

Apparently, gays in London love renting cars.

Tom Brady makes 100 Unsexiest Men of 2008 list: "an overexposed, supermodel-dating, out-of-wedlock-fathering, big-game-losing metrosexual -- with a bowl haircut."

New Heath Ledger Dark Knight photos show The Joker disguised as a nurse.

Sir Ian McKellen speaks at Stonewall Equality Dinner in London: "The Lord of the Rings star spoke about the need to change society and not just the law, and lamented that many who are brave enough to be out on the gay scene still live closeted lives and careers. Sir Ian criticised religious intolerance and said he had wanted Mehdi Kazemi to be his date for the Equality dinner, but he is still in custody in Holland."

Howard Dean tells crowd at University of Wisconsin Madison that he doesn't get gay Republicans: "'They can't become more diverse. Who in their right mind, if they were African-America or Hispanic or Asian-American, if they were gay or lesbian, would join the Republican Party?' Patrick Sammon, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, called Dean's statement "callous" and said that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama should publicly state what they think of it."

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News: Water, Gay Porn Twins, Coffee, New Kids on the Block

Is China cracking down on gay establishments as the Olympics approach?

Mother of twin gay porn bandits arrested for serving as their getaway driver: "Towana Goffney, the mother of 25-year-old twins Taleon and Keyontyli Goffney, was arrested late Wednesday night in Philadelphia. Her sons, Taleon and Keyontyli were linked to nearly 40 break-ins. Cameras were rolling as the men were led away in handcuffs and it turned out, this was not the first time the pair was in the spotlight. According to internet gossip sites, the brothers are gay porn stars. Now the family has the arrest of the matriarch to add to their rap sheet and online profiles."

Kylie Minogue hits up the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

McCain won't be fighting party platform on gays: "McCain associates told The Washington Times that his operatives are not going to work behind the scenes to eliminate the party's calls for constitutional bans on abortion and homosexual marriage before the GOP convention in September."

Search for most eligible gay bachelor begins in San Francisco.

The premiere international prize in electronic media: A list of the 2007 Peabody Award winners.

Woof: Madison, Wisconsin gets new gay sports bar.

Northern Ireland town of Strabane prepares for opening of first gay bar. Proprietor: "All the feedback I've had about the bar has been positive, I was so surprised by everyone's reaction, I've received no negativity whatsoever. Even elderly residents of the town have voiced their support and have been wishing me all the best."

Famous tranny Dana International prevents Wentworth Miller from escaping!

Obama says he would hire Al Gore: "Not only will I, but I will make a commitment that Al Gore will be at the table and play a central part in us figuring out how we solve this problem. He's somebody I talk to on a regular basis. I'm already consulting with him in terms of these issues, but climate change is real. It is something we have to deal with now, not 10 years from now, not 20 years from now."

The New Kids on the Block are back together. Here's their first photo together in more than 15 years.

An update on gay Iranian teen Mehdi Kazemi: "Mehdi Kazemi is still in Rotterdam, awaiting deportation back to the UK under the Dublin Treaty, where Home Secretary Jacqui Smith still hasn’t granted him asylum. It appears that a Dutch MP has secured a parliamentary debate in the Netherlands to take place tomorrow, because he doesn’t believe Jacqui Smith can be trusted with his safety."

Iranian gays left out of Human Rights Watch annual reports.

Scientists: There is no benefit in drinking 8 glasses of water a day. And drinking coffee may protect you from dementia and other debilitating brain diseases.

British activist Tatchell to European Feminist Summit: "By challenging the cult of heterosexual masculinity, queer liberation is about much more than the limited agenda of equal rights. It offers a unique, revolutionary contribution to the emancipation of the whole of humanity from all forms of subjugation."

In case you were wondering, Chace Crawford is doing 'okay' after his break-up with Carrie Underwood.

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Slain Gay Hospital Worker Remembered as Hero in Georgia

DNC Treasurer Andy Tobias posted the following story on his blog that I think is worth repeating, told to him by a friend named Joel Kelly.

"On Thursday afternoon in Columbus, Georgia, as reported here, a man entered Doctor’s Hospital, shot and killed two hospital workers and then another man in the parking lot on his way out before he was apprehended. My boyfriend Kevin Perry works at the hospital on the floor where the shootings took place and was at work when this happened. I knew both of the nurses that were killed. They were two of Kevin’s closest friends. A couple of things which I feel are important to say...one of which is that the second person who was shot and killed was gay. Not that this particular fact is noteworthy in and of itself...but I would like to say that Les Harris was shot in the face while he was trying to wrest the gun out of the hands of the shooter. The man was trying to kill a young woman and Les gave his life in order to save her. We don’t often hear about gay heroes . . . too often stories in which our humanity is front and center are lost in the chorus of the Christian Right. We deserve these stories to be told. The second part of this and the reason that I am sending this to you is to let you know that his partner, Keith Cavender, another nurse at the same hospital, was unable to secure his partner’s personal belongings, was kept from seeing him before and immediately following his death, and of course will receive none of the benefits due our heterosexual counterparts. Common human decency is not a privilege accorded us under current law. Please let the powers that be in the Party know that we desperately need to win back the White House and let everyone know that we have heroes among us.”

While Cavender's version of events is slightly different, and he was of course, there (he says Harris was shot in the heart and describes being with Harris immediately before and after the events), their story is powerful and a gay partner's rights in hospital situations is still something that needs to be addressed in many places.

Cavender spoke to WTVM about his partner's last moments: "He gave me a kiss and said I love you and I told him I love you back. And those were the last words we ever had."

April 1 [andrew tobias]
Partner remembers Doctor's Hospital shooting victim, Leslie Harris [WTVM]
Co-workers share memories [individual.com]

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News: Al Gore, Wii Tennis, Tom Cruise, Lost, Chris Dodd

Lambda Legal to file suit in Iowa today on behalf of six same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses.

Tom Cruise appearance sparks rumors of cameo on JJ Abrams' Star Trek set, but he was really there to meet someone special.

Al Gore on global warming skeptics: "You're talking about Dick Cheney. I think that those people are in such a tiny, tiny minority now with their point of view, they’re almost like the ones who still believe that the moon landing was staged in a movie lot in Arizona and those who believe the world is flat. ... That demeans them a little bit, but it's not that far off."

The American Family Association gave up their boycott of Ford Motors, but it looks as though they're trying again with another automaker, GM. Good As You: "What the hell gives these folks the right to go apeshit simply because a company dares to advertise to the LGBT community?! Good God of fringe extremism, why cannot they not at least accept that we are 'sinners' with a degree of disposable income, some of which we like to put towards cars?! We know they think we're barreling down the Highway to Hell. Fine. Let them think that. But can't they at least respect the right of an automaker to try and sell us a car whose climate control features will help us brave the unbearably hot Lake of Fire?"

Saulo Melo: Your hot Brazilian for Friday.

Dennis Miller does not share Bill O'Reilly's rage over San Francisco's Hunky Jesus pageant.

Hate crimes inspiring call to action in South Florida.

Senator Chris Dodd says we must end the Democratic primary: "Look, we've got five more months to go before the Democratic convention at the end of August and, candidly, we cannot go five more months with the kind of daily sniping that's going on and have a candidate emerge in that convention....We have two very strong candidates. So I'm worried about this going on endlessly and to a large extent...the media, a lot of these cable networks, are enjoying this. It's what is keeping them alive financially. The fact that this thing is going on forever, back and forth every day, all night -- I don't think it's really helping the candidates or the political institutions."

The folks who market Basil Hayden's whiskey think we're all a bunch of prancing fashionistas.

The Hills may be turned into a feature film: “I think if they were going to do a film of the hills they would basically film it like we do the show and they would just edit it into a movie. It would be like a really long episode.”

Wii Tennis about to get lifelike versions of Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, James Blake, and Tommy Haas.

Prison Break brings a major character back from the dead.

Exploring the time travel theory on Lost.

UK urges gay men to get tested for HIV: "The Health Protection Agency made the warning after new diagnoses among gay men topped 2,600 for the third year. But the figures do seem to have begun to plateau after a surge at the turn of the century. Overall, the number of new cases hit an estimated 6,840 in 2007 - a fall of 1,400 from the previous year."

An update on that school expulsion case in Kansas I posted about yesterday: "A lawyer representing a gay student charged with harassment said he was 'hopeful that things will work out' for the student after an expulsion hearing Thursday. 'We're all wanting him to get back into school. That's the main thing,' said attorney John McKean. 'We're encouraged and hopeful that it will happen rather quickly.' Jimmy Iniguez, 17, a junior at Metro-Midtown Alternative High School, faces expulsion for allegedly harassing a fellow student in a school bathroom Feb. 28. Iniguez, who has been suspended since the incident, says he is innocent and is being unfairly accused because he is openly gay. No decision was made Thursday. District policy dictates that the decision be sent to the student's family by certified mail."

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News: Gayest Looks, Christian Siriano, Blackmail, Marc Jacobs

My Gayest Look: A site for Jay Leno. Submit yours!

A view of the jungle shot by an elephant who carries around a hidden camera in a log.

Britney Spears may soon have her own sitcom!

Straight cops at University of New Mexico claim discrimination by gay superiors: "The two complaining officers, with a combined 24 years of experience with the UNM police department, filed a complaint with the state Department of Workforce Solutions arguing that they are being treated unfairly because they are straight and their superiors are gay. Lieutenant Michael Young contends that his job as administrative lieutenant was taken from him by Police Chief Kathy Guimond, whom Young claims is gay, and given to Lieutenant Patrick Davis, who is also gay. Young also claims another gay superior, Commander Debbie Kuidis, with Davis were given higher evaluation ratings by Chief Guimond and greater pay raises."

Karl Lagerfeld bodyguard smacks down paparazzo: "A paparazzo lurked from out of the shadows and started snapping away at them, and out of nowhere, one of Lagerfeld's guys just threw him to the ground." I wonder if it was Sebastian?

Scott Heim talks to the SF Chronicle about his latest novel, We Disappear: "What's true and what isn't - that's such an obsession with so many readers. If you say it's totally fictional, or you don't fess up to things, they tend to feel like they've been cheated or something. But if you say, 'Oh yeah, it's from experience,' then they kind of have this idea that you don't have an imagination."

David Beckham earns his 100th cap in a pair of golden booties.

The booties so impressed Beckham's son Romeo, that he dug for some gold of his own.

Keith Richards discusses Mick Jagger's sexuality: "It was camp. Yeah. It was all… I really have no idea if anyone ever shoved it up the shitter."

Kids coming out earlier than ever: "We're working not for tolerance, but for acceptance. I don't care if it's race, gender or sexual orientation. We need to accept the uniqueness of each and every one."

Student ambassadors train against school violence: "The training session was dedicated to Lawrence King, the Oxnard junior high school boy who last month was shot and killed, allegedly by a classmate, purportedly for admitting he was gay. The Oak Park ambassadors, who maintain anonymity for safety reasons, wrote their comments on a poster in memory of the 15-year-old victim: 'Lawrence, what happened to you is extremely unfair. Everyone deserves a chance in life no matter what sex, religion, sexual preference, anything. Your story will teach many people to be better people.' And, 'You are told to forgive and forget but the reality is you don't do either.'"

Marc Jacobs hits L.A. with new man.

Melbourne, Australia teacher fined $3,000 for blackmailing former lover with a sex video: "Hicks became aware that the victim was a 'closet homosexual' who had a wife and daughter who were not aware of his activities, Judge Michael McInerney told the court. 'He was discreet, or discreet as one can be if you pick up someone in a public toilet,' he said. The court was told that during one of their liaisons, Hicks - who also was married, had a child and was bisexual - recorded them on his mobile phone participating in a sex act. Hicks later approached the victim and told him he had a video of them and that he wanted $3,000 or he would show it to the victim's wife and put it on YouTube, the court heard."

Project Runway winner Christian Siriano designed the dress that Kimberley Locke performed in on last night's American Idol.

Leona Lewis is the first UK female artist to top the U.S. charts in more than 20 years, since Kim Wilde's 1987 cover "You Keep Me Hangin On".

Anti-gay domestic partner bill dies in Kentucky senate: "The Kentucky Senate’s Health and Welfare Committee voted to defeat a bill yesterday that would have barred state universities and other public agencies from providing health coverage to employees’ domestic partners. Furthermore, committee member David Watkins (right) scolded the bill’s sponsor, Vernie McGaha, for introducing it, calling the legislation divisive and ignoring the state’s biggest health problems like smoking and obesity, according to The Courier Journal."

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Amazing Race's Kynt & Vyxsin to Sit with Lawrence King Classroom

Amazing Race goth couple Kynt and Vyxsin are speaking out against anti-gay hate crimes following the murder of 14-year-old Lawrence King in Oxnard last month. The couple are scheduled to meet with parents, teachers, and students from E. O. Green Jr. High School at a park near the campus, TransWorldNews reports:

"Kynt had been in discussion with the teacher of the class just a little after the incident, offering support and an 'anything we can do' attitude. The first period English teacher where the slaying took place jumped at the chance to get, 'any sort of help, especially something fun for the kids.'...'We can make a difference in this situation, and help make sure Lawrence is NEVER forgotten,' Kynt commented. 'As a fellow 'Boy-in-Makeup,' I understand and can relate to the torment and turmoil which Lawrence endured from others at his school.'"

Kynt and Vyxsin, who at heated moments were dismissed as "freaks" and "witches" by fellow competitors on the show, feel they can relate to being targeted for being different: "On the night of September 25th, 2004, Kynt was attacked by three men [in Louisville, KY] who 'didn't like the way he looked.' Kynt was hospitalized and his face required reconstructive surgery of his left oribital bone, which was crushed in the assault."

Kynt also released a statement online, which you can read, AFTER THE JUMP...

The couple is also co-sponsoring a candlelight vigil for Lawrence King, which takes place tonight in West Hollywood:

"FALLEN ANGEL: A Candle-Light Tribute to Lawrence King
Los Angeles, California
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
5pm to 9pm
Location: West Hollywood Park, 647 N San Vicente Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
*Located behind the ABBEY
Co-Sponsored By: Kynt and Vyxsin from CBS Amazing Race, USC LGBT Resource Center, Vincent E. Vigil.

KYNT STATEMENT

"I would like to express my condolences and support to the family and friends of Lawrence King. It has been documented that Lawrence was subjected to marked negativity from fellow male students for occassionally wearing make-up, jewelry, and feminine clothing.

The seemingly harmless jokes and name-calling escalated toward this horrific act of violence. Lawrence was considered an outcast, and often teased for his appearance, which is a situation I can relate to very well, as I am a male who is proud to enjoy a more effeminate appearance.

I am saddened that Lawrence's creativity, free-thinking, and individuality might have contributed to his murder. Every student deserves to attend school with the assumption that they will be safe, no matter how they choose to express themself aesthetically. This is a tragedy but one I feel can be averted in the future with an increased emphasis on diversity and tolerance education in schools.

Parents need to take charge as well, and be mindful of acceptance as they mold the thoughts, ideas, and outlook of their child. Creating a culture based on an 'acceptance and appreciation of difference,' whether that difference is race, religion, sexuality, gender expression, or aesthetic, is the responsibility of EACH and EVERY American. This must happen."

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News: Gayle King, Hunky Jesus, Yale, Charlie Crist, Tibet

A dog's life: NYC penthouse purchased for Gayle King in name of Oprah's recently deceased cocker spaniel, Sophie.

San Franciscans battle it out to be Hunky Jesus in Easter competition: "Catholics have labelled the annual pageant blasphemous, considering that previous entrants have included 'old school Jesus', 'surfer Jesus' and 'zombie Jesus', an irreverent take on the Easter message of Christ rising from the dead."

Last night's How I Met Your Mother guest starring Britney Spears was the show's highest rated episode ever.

18-year-old charged with stabbing death of gay man appears in Brooklyn court: "The defendant, Omar Willock, is charged with a hate crimes offense...At Willock’s arraignment last spring, Hynes told reporters that Willock 'shouted anti-gay remarks' at Roberto Duncanson, taunting him even as he tried to get away from Willock. Willock allegedly followed Duncanson, who’d been trying to avoid the confrontation, which had its roots in an verbal exchange earlier that same night, when angry words were exchanged between the two men. Willock had claimed that Duncanson stared at him in an unwanted manner, though the incident did not become violent. When Duncanson returned along the same route later that evening, Willock is alleged to have renewed his taunts. Witnesses told police the two engaged in a brief fistfight, culminating in a chase that ended with Duncanson’s stabbing death."

Florida Governor Charlie Crist loves women.

Yale University appoints first openly gay residential-college master, tapping acclaimed singer Richard Lalli MUS ’86 to lead Jonathan Edwards College: "He will be joined by his partner, Michael Rigsby MED ’88, who will add the designation of associate master to his current title: medical director of Yale University Health Services. Lalli, an adjunct professor of music, has taught at Yale since 1982; both are already JE fellows and freshman advisers in the college. 'This is a great occasion. It’s probably the greatest occasion of my life,' Lalli said to JE students after University President Richard Levin announced his appointment over dinner Wednesday night in Commons." College master is one of Yale's highest recognitions.

Gay Syrian applies for asylum in Scotland: "After Mr Yakob's terrible ordeal in Syria, it is unacceptable that the Home Office would consider sending him back. There is a very real risk that he would suffer further ill treatment or even possibly death. He has sought asylum in Scotland and I will make an immediate representation to the Home Office in an effort to overturn their ruling before his final hearing in May."

OP/ED: Repeal of gay rights laws in Oregon would have chilling effect.

Chinese paramilitary police open fire on mass crowd of monks, nuns, and Tibetans: "Residents of Luhuo said that a monk and a farmer appeared to have been killed and about a dozen people wounded in the latest violence in Tibetan areas of China. Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, said that one officer was killed when police confronted a 'lawless mob' in Luhuo. The demonstration began at 4pm when about 200 nuns from Woge nunnery and a similar number of monks from Jueri monastery marched towards the Luhuo Third District government office. They were joined by several hundred farmers and nomads, witnesses said."

Ashton Kutcher plays douchebag in new film.

How does Priscilla Presley stay looking so young? Special facial injections of auto lubricant.

Gay sex expert Michael Alvear spent three months filming couples and analyzing the footage: "I don’t think that people are really that aware of their contributions to the breakdowns in a relationship, and the cameras are able to cut through all the false perceptions that they have about themselves. I’ve always believed this through writing and advising people about sex—the question, 'What are you unaware of that, if you became aware of it, you could change and make the situation better?' That’s what the cameras allowed people to do—become aware of the things they’re not aware of. It’s like a mirror that way."

Gay Wisconsin man settles lawsuit alleging two men attacked him in a deli because he was gay: "Brett Timmerman's lawsuit claims that he walked into a sandwich shop in Platteville in July 2005 when Oden Waite and Enove Urias made anti-gay remarks to him, put him in a headlock and took him to the ground. Timmerman claims that Waite spit on him twice. Timmerman's attorney, Jim Madigan, said that he reached the deal with Waite's attorneys last week. He said that the settlement calls for terms to remain undisclosed."

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Beloved West Palm Beach Bar Owner Murdered by Ex-Boyfriend

Michael Brown, the beloved owner of West Palm Beach gay bar HG Roosters, and his ex-boyfriend Brant Hines were found dead by police in Brown's apartment on Friday night.

Brown had apparently been murdered by Hines, who then took his own life, the Palm Beach Post reports:

"Police were dispatched to Brown's 3705 S. Flagler Drive condominium about 5 p.m. Friday because the affable bar owner had not shown up to work. They found a blood-spattered apartment in disarray and Brown's body in the bedroom. Brown, 50, died of blunt trauma to the head and multiple stab wounds, an autopsy showed. The body of Brant Hines, 27, hung from a strap hung over the closed bedroom door. Police believe Hines killed Brown late Wednesday or early Thursday, when a neighbor heard shouting and crashing. On Thursday Hines had a black eye when he opened the door of Brown's apartment to a neighbor who had lost a key to another apartment. Hines also was seen walking Brown's two dogs that day. He answered the telephone that afternoon and said Brown was not available when someone from H.G. Roosters called, police said. But calls from the bar to the apartment after Brown did not appear at work Friday were not answered. Police believe Brant hanged himself Thursday night or Friday morning. He did not leave a suicide note, but had logged off an Internet social networking account that investigators are trying (to) access."

Called LaLa by those who knew him, Brown was recalled as an activist and "icon" by those in the South Florida community: "A onetime PrideFest parade grand marshal, Brown made the bar where he started pouring drinks in the late 1980s a place customers could feel at home, and a place where charities looking for support could count on rousing fund-raising events, friends said Saturday. With Monday night bingo games and other events, Brown raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years for causes such as Toys for Tots and Compass. 'He was an icon in this community,' Compass Executive Director Scott Fox said. In O