News: Mo Magazine, NYT Gay Slur, Hillary Clinton, Provincetown

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry edges out Hairspray at the box office. The ACLU suggests that after having a laugh at Sandler and James, moviegoers "find out what it's really like to be denied legal protections for your family" by visiting 10Couples.org.

Beckham bends it for Los Angeles. Cruises roll out the welcome mat.

New York Times Director of Photography Michele McNally named in internal homophobic F-bomb slur that inspired the company to send out a diversity memo.

AfterElton tabulates the 100 hottest guys.

World Jewish Congress secretary-general Stephen Herbits to head up Hillary Clinton's campaign efforts to the gay and lesbian community: "Herbits has in the past held several positions related to the gay and lesbian community in the United States. In his last post, Herbits served as the personal assistant to Donald Rumsfeld during his term as secretary of defense. He was then appointed secretary-general of the WJC."

CDC recruiting uninfected volunteers from Thailand, Botswana and the U.S. to test "pre-exposure prophylaxis" in trial HIV drug test.

L.A.'s Guerilla Gay Bar group invades Venice Beach and the New York Times takes notice: "the real motivation, according to the group’s manifesto, is to overcome boredom with a 'ghettoized and sub-ghettoized' gay scene — which in Los Angeles is synonymous with the club and bar circuit in West Hollywood. 'There’s a place for gay bars, but we feel gay people have become so segregated that some of them don’t go out into the wider community anymore,' said Matthew Poe, an organizer and the box office manager for UCLA Live, a performing arts producer and presenter. 'We want to suggest that the world is bigger than West Hollywood.'"

Frommer's Travel presents a podcast on the issues facing gay and lesbian travelers featuring MTV Roadtrips co-author Kelsy Chauvin, Frommer's editor Kathleen Warnock, Ed Salvato of OUT Traveler, and host David Lytle.

Madonna wants to direct movie about ex-con ex-boyfriend Chris Paciello.

And the queer men who indie rock.

Rosie O'Donnell's R Family takes over family week in Provincetown.

The World Without Us explores civilization's decay in the absence of human life: "How would the rest of nature respond if it were suddenly relieved of the relentless pressures we heap on it and our fellow organisms? How soon would, or could, the climate return to where it was before we fired up all our engines? How long would it take to recover lost ground and restore Eden to the way it must have gleamed and smelled the day before Adam, or homo habilis, appeared? Could nature ever obliterate all our traces?"

Seattle gets a local gay publication, 'Mo. Editor: "We're not a bar mag. ... You're not going to see a lot of 20-year-old men in their underwear. We're both 40-something gay men, so the magazine probably hangs out at the 30-plus-year-old range. And we've gotten great feedback about that. People like to look for themselves. Our mission is to get as many faces in the magazine, as many organizational logos and businesses into the pages as we can.

Human Rights Campaign criticized for lack of street-level action, campaign contributions.

First-of-its-kind book features gay male Canadian poets.

David Mixner on loss, loneliness, and healing: "For me, I have had to grow old without my peers. Without my friends to share the history of those joyous moments before AIDS hit - the flourishing of the Castro Street area, the excitement of the sexual revolution, the sheer high of coming out of the closet and the early days of our struggle for freedom. What a time it was to be alive and to be gay. I loved every day before the darkness hit. I would love to be able to sit around at dinner parties with friends no longer here and reminisce of those glorious days."

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News: Amy Winehouse, David Vitter, Tooth X-Ray, Roger Mahony

A biting pain: X-Ray reveals that a rugby player's incessant headaches were caused by an opponent's tooth which was lodged in his forehead.

Didn't get to this yesterday, but over the weekend the NYT published a look at the rural retreat of political strategist David Mixner: "Inside, the cheerful rooms are filled with artwork and memorabilia, including antiwar posters and newspaper clippings. One sculpture consists of the faces of friends who died of AIDS, molded in Lucite and lighted from behind with neon. He never turns it off. 'It’s my eternal flame,' he said. His other eternal flame is the computer screen. Mr. Mixner’s main activity these days is blogging — his site, davidmixner.com, offers a mix of political discourse, arts criticism and folksy commentary on day-to-day life in Turkey Hollow. 'People will stop me on the street in New York and ask me about Attila and Kate,' he said, referring to the deer mentioned in many of his postings. Not that he has forgotten about politics. 'I have more political influence here than I did living in the city,' he said."

Arctic Monkeys, Klaxons, Amy Winehouse, Maps among those on shortlist for Britain's Mercury Music Prize.

Britney Spears inspires melee at Le Deux nightclub in Hollywood: "A girl was heard screaming and calling Britney a 'whore' and telling Britney to 'go back home to her babies.' This, in fact, actually upset a ton of people! A bunch of girls started attacking this girl and they actually pulled her weave out! Me and my friends were soooo scared man!"

Surreal: Rue McClanahan, Jeff Stryker, Bruce Vilanch, and Seattle drag queen Dina Martina performed a scene from Gone with the Wind last night at Ryan Landry's legendary variety revue Showgirls in Provincetown. Can we get a video please???

Elton John to build massive gallery at his British estate to house the more than 2,500 works of art in his collection.

Aaron Eckhart on his revelation about gay people: "I’ll always remember. I was working in a restaurant in California with a guy who was gay, and I asked him, 'What do you feel when you look at a guy?' And he said, 'Well, Aaron, what do you feel when you look at that girl over there, and she’s beautiful and you really want to be with her?' That’s when I got it: It’s the same thing."

Kenneth Walsh pages through the latest issue of L'Officiel Hommes.

Landmark gay rights case underway in Canada: "The controversy stems from a letter written by Boissoin, then a Red Deer youth pastor, that was published in the Red Deer Advocate in June 2002. In it, Boissoin wrote 'my banner has now been raised and war has been declared' against those who are part of the 'homosexual machine.' 'From kindergarten class on, our children, your grandchildren are being strategically targeted, psychologically abused and brainwashed by homosexual and pro-homosexual educators,' he wrote. 'Your children are being warped into believing that same-sex families are acceptable; that kissing men is appropriate.' Boissoin went on to attack gay activists as 'spreading their psychological disease,' saying they were 'just as immoral as the pedophiles, drug dealers and pimps that plague our communities.' 'Where homosexuality flourishes, all manner of wickedness abounds,' he wrote."

"Pro-family" Republican Senator David Vitter, who was discovered to be a client of the 'D.C. Madam', apologizes, saying he never had relationships with prostitutes.

Following $660 million settlement, Cardinal Roger Mahony apologizes to sex abuse victims: "There really is no way to go back and give them that innocence that was taken from them. The one thing I wish I could give the victims ... I cannot."

The Killers' Brandon Flowers has a son.

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John Edwards Shows Off His Gay Supporters

Making a pronounced effort to show that he has the backing of the gay community, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards released a list of 25 gay leaders on Tuesday, announcing that they have endorsed his campaign.

Said Edwards, "They work hard every day to make our country a better place and I am proud to join with them to fight for equal rights for all Americans."

A notable name on the list was the presence of political strategist and activist David Mixner, whose relationship as a fundraiser and advisor for Bill Clinton became strained after Clinton presented his "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and Mixner publicly protested it in front of the White House.

Mixner told me he'll be posting an endorsement of Edwards on his website later today.

Here's the list of gay leaders supporting John Edwards for President:

Skip Paul, Corporate Executive
Darren Star, TV Producer
Julie Johnson, Human Rights Campaign Public Policy Committee Co-Chair
Eric Stern, Former National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director; Former Democratic National Committee LGBT Outreach Director
David Mixner, Former Bill Clinton for President Adviser; LGBT activist, fundraiser, author www.davidmixner.com
Dennis Erdman, TV Producer/ Director
Mary Snider, Human Rights Campaign Board of Directors Executive Committee Member
David Tseng, Kerry-Edwards 2004 National LGBT Advisory Committee Co-Chair; Former Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National Executive Director
David Mariner, Former Out for Howard Dean Co-Chair; Founder, www.outfordemocracy.org
James Duff, TV Producer
Ramon Gardenhire, National Stonewall Democrats Black Caucus Co-Chair; Former DNC LGBT Deputy Outreach Director
Scott Benson, Majority Leader Minneapolis City Council
Shane Larson, AFL-CIO Pride @ Work National Executive Board Member; Association of Flight Attendants (AFA)-Communications Workers of America (CWA) Government Affairs Director
Scott Wiener, Human Rights Campaign Board of Directors Member; San Francisco Democratic Party Chair* (for identification purposes only)
Jeff Gardner, Garden State Equality Vice Chair; New Jersey for Democracy Co-Chair
Lynne Wiggins, Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) National Leadership Council Member; Former Human Rights Campaign Board of Governors Member
Ken Keechl, Broward County Commissioner; Former Dolphin Democrats President
Linda Elliott, Human Rights Committee Board of Directors Member
Dave Garrity, Former Democratic National Committee Member
Mark Periello, Former Human Rights Campaign staff member; Democratic strategist
Ron Ginsburg, LGBT Community Activist; business owner
Randall Kelly, LGBT Community Activist; attorney
Stephanie Kornegay, LGBT Community Activist; business owner
Robert D. Horvath, Mautner Project Board of Directors Member
Patrick J. Lyden, LGBT Community Activist; Homeland Security Advisor

You may have missed...
Edwards Campaign to Continue Despite Return of Wife's Cancer [tr]
John Edwards Issues Statement on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' [tr]
John Edwards Won't Fire "Pro-gay" Bloggers [tr]
Ann Coulter calls John Edwards a "Faggot" [tr]

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News: Tony Dungy, Clinton Requiem, Nip/Tuck, SA Divorce

As a sixth paper drops Ann Coulter's column, the AP wonders if she's reached a tipping point.

Madonna to guest star on Nip/Tuck, possibly opposite Rosie O'Donnell.

One of the first gay couples to register for a civil union in South Africa, Richard Thornton and Andries Jacobs, have filed for divorce: "Barely a month after a chance encounter in a West Rand shopping mall, they exchanged rings and vows of fidelity on January 5, one of the first same-sex couples to be married in South Africa under the then newly enacted Civil Unions Act. Ironically, they could become the first divorced under the legislation. Just two months later, the marriage has crumbled and 52- year-old Thornton has filed for divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences and desertion. Jacobs, 20, packed his bags in the dead of night just weeks into the marriage as arguments over coming home late and overpossessiveness escalated."

Hilary Duff hits the gay bar circuit.

Beckham impostors attempt to crash Hollywood power lunch spot The Ivy. This time they weren't hawking fragrance.

Priest in Saskatchewan cut from church for performing gay marriages. Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck considers his position an act of civil disobedience: "I felt unable to say no to those requests. That goes against everything else I'm about in my ministry and everything else that the church stands for...I have no desire to get myself off the hook. I'm trying to send a very strong message to the gay and lesbian community, and to other communities that have been alienated from the church, that we don't all think the same and there are people willing to go to the wall."

House conservatives attempt to neuter global warming committee by appointing chief climate skeptic.

Ford Motor Co. said that American Family Association had nothing to do with their decision to cut ties with GLAAD Media Awards.

Roxy R.I.P. - a New York Times obituary.

David Mixner's requiem for the Clinton era: "Today, the Clintons run the political machine trying to save the status quo in the Democratic Party. Their fundraising operation is notorious for its ruthlessness and elitism. Their circle of advisors and friends are tough and aggressive with anyone who refuses to pledge allegiance. They are surrounded by money collectors like Terry McAuliffe who shakedown donors with warnings that they will be punished if they give to another candidate. Senator Clinton’s position on the Iraq War is by far the most calculated of any candidate. And on so many other issues, her positions are measured and break no new ground. Each appearance is predictable and perfectly arranged. Whether by necessity or choice, the spontaneity, exuberance and hope we saw in both of the Clintons in 1992 is gone."

Sick mugger attacks 101-year-old woman in Queens.

Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy back under the microscope for anti-gay Indiana Family Institute fundraiser. Colts release statement: "Coach Dungy's feelings on the importance of marriage and family are well known. He, of course, is free to speak to any group he wishes. The club does not take positions in political issues in which it is not directly involved. The Colts do not endorse any political or religious position taken by any group that any Colts employee decides to speak or lend his or her name to."

Utah Governor Jon Huntsman signs bill targeting gay-straight alliances. The legislation would allow school districts to ban them should they not "maintain the boundaries of socially appropriate behavior." According to the AP, "The new law has more than a dozen pages of regulations, including requiring parental permission to join a club, a faculty sponsor for the club, prohibiting students at another school from joining the club and submitting written materials to the principal within 24 hours after a meeting so parents can review them."

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News: Nate Berkus, David Mixner, Paris on Ice, Betty Ford

Human rights activist and political strategist David Mixner (a Clinton insider who publicly criticized his friend's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy) now has a blog. His first entries detail Betty Ford's early work on behalf of people with HIV/AIDS and a scorecard of politicians and their positions on the war in Iraq.

Boston newscaster Randy Price marries his partner Mark Steffen on Massachusetts State House steps one day after advance of gay marriage ban proposal. Price told the Boston Herald's Inside Track: "I’m not that [political] really, but in our personal lives we all become a bit political. We’re certainly not defiant people, but we believe that we should have the right to marry like anyone else. Right now, it’s right for us. And we’ve got as good a track record with vows and commitment as anyone else."

Lane Hudson: According to Terry McAuliffe, Hillary's ready to go.

OutZoneTV's sexiest gay celebrity: Nate Berkus.

Patricia Nell Warren, author of the classic gay novel The Front Runner, is running for a seat on the West Hollywood City Council. I have a feeling she's the front runner now.

A Paris Hilton cocktail? Mix ten parts heiress with one part ice.

Anti-gay marriage group in Massachusetts withdraws $5 million lawsuit against legislature because they got their vote: "The lawsuit, filed earlier this month in U.S. District Court by VoteOnMarriage.org, argued the 109 lawmakers who voted to recess a joint constitutional convention violated the supporters' rights to free speech, to petition the government and due process under the law.
The lawsuit sought $500,000 from the lawmakers for the cost of the group's legal battles and another $5 million in punitive damages."

Trikkx, one of St. Paul, Minnesota's gay nightclubs, is closing.

A character on the FOX sitcom The War at Home has come out of the closet: "Dave’s son Larry (Kyle Sullivan) is a bit eccentric, and both he and his friend Kenny have come under frequent scrutiny for their gay-seeming behavior (Larry likes figure skating, etc. etc.). But last night the cards were laid out on the table: Kenny is gay, Larry is not, and Kenny has a still-secret crush on his best friend." FOX preceded the episode with a "Viewer Discretion is Advised" warning. It's unclear whether that's a weekly message or one specifically for this gay-themed episode.

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