News: Tom Hanks, Costume Gala, McCain Judges, Santacruzans

House owned by gay escort to socialites James Hunt Barker burns in Palm Beach, Florida.

Britney back as Neil Patrick Harris' trophy gal on How I Met Your Mother.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual Costume Institute gala was themed Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy, but I didn't see many capes or codpieces.

Matthew McConaughey to play Captain America?

In anticipation of Brothers and Sisters' big gay wedding this weekend, GLAAD has put together a handy reference guide to weddings of same-sex couples on broadcast networks.

Publishers Weekly on the state of gay book publishing: "In my view, it is clear that today there is less and less visible publishing of gay and lesbian books. Carroll & Graf, Alyson and Harrington Park Press—in recent years the most energetic publishers of gay/lesbian fiction and nonfiction—have all either failed, drastically reduced their list of GLBT titles, or have been undergoing serial management/ownership changes. As for what most folks would consider the mainstream publishing houses, they are publishing far less of what could credibly be labeled 'gay or lesbian books' than they were 10 years ago. But what I find more distressing is that even those books that they do publish are packaged and promoted in such a way as to downplay or ignore the gay or lesbian aspect of the book."

"Official celebrity" Tom Hanks releases video endorsement of Barack Obama.

Beloved Provincetown local "Dixie" dies in accident at home.

McCain wooing conservatives with promises on judges: "McCain promised to appoint judges who, in the mold of Roberts and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, are likely to limit the reach of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. 'They would serve as the model for my own nominees if that responsibility falls to me,' McCain said in his prepared speech."

McCain aides attribute Hagee endorsement to "poor vetting": "McCain’s aides attribute the Hagee controversy to poor vetting. But even some Republicans (not affiliated with the campaign) privately wonder how the pastor’s extreme views slipped through without notice. McCain personally wooed Hagee for more than a year." Frank Rich: "Any 12-year-old with a laptop could have vetted this preacher in 30 seconds, tops."

Is Banksy the Michelangelo of graffiti?

If Brad Pitt and U2's The Edge were a gay couple with a family, this is what it might look like.

Filipino Cardinal bans gay Santacruzans: "Parishes that allow cross-dressing homosexuals to play female saints in religious festivals are insulting the Virgin Mary, the nation’s top Catholic cleric said Monday. 'We should keep sacred what is sacred,' Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said as he admonished parishes for allowing male homosexuals to play Saint Helena and other female roles traditionally given to local beauty queens. But leaders of the gay community maintained that “Marian devotees” among them deserved a place in the Maytime tradition."

Ian Strachan to appeal conviction for gay blackmail of British Royal.

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Mildred Loving Dies

Mildred Loving, whose 1967 Supreme Court case against the state of Virginia over interracial marriage resulted in the banishment of the last of the nation's segregation laws, died on May 2 at the age of 68. The final sentence in Loving's NYT obituary makes note of her June 2007 statement to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia.

Said Loving at the conclusion of that statement:

"The older generation’s fears and prejudices have given way, and today’s young people realize that if someone loves someone they have a right to marry. Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the “wrong kind of person” for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights. I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about."

May she rest in peace.

Read the full, powerful statement AFTER THE JUMP...

***STATEMENT by MILDRED LOVING***

Loving for All

By Mildred Loving

Prepared for Delivery on June 12, 2007,
The 40th Anniversary of the Loving vs. Virginia Announcement

When my late husband, Richard, and I got married in Washington, DC in 1958, it wasn’t to make a political statement or start a fight. We were in love, and we wanted to be married.

We didn’t get married in Washington because we wanted to marry there. We did it there because the government wouldn’t allow us to marry back home in Virginia where we grew up, where we met, where we fell in love, and where we wanted to be together and build our family. You see, I am a woman of color and Richard was white, and at that time people believed it was okay to keep us from marrying because of their ideas of who should marry whom.

When Richard and I came back to our home in Virginia, happily married, we had no intention of battling over the law. We made a commitment to each other in our love and lives, and now had the legal commitment, called marriage, to match. Isn’t that what marriage is?

Not long after our wedding, we were awakened in the middle of the night in our own bedroom by deputy sheriffs and actually arrested for the “crime” of marrying the wrong kind of person. Our marriage certificate was hanging on the wall above the bed. The state prosecuted Richard and me, and after we were found guilty, the judge declared: “Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.” He sentenced us to a year in prison, but offered to suspend the sentence if we left our home in Virginia for 25 years exile.

We left, and got a lawyer. Richard and I had to fight, but still were not fighting for a cause. We were fighting for our love.

Though it turned out we had to fight, happily Richard and I didn’t have to fight alone. Thanks to groups like the ACLU and the NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund, and so many good people around the country willing to speak up, we took our case for the freedom to marry all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. And on June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that, “The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men,” a “basic civil right.”

My generation was bitterly divided over something that should have been so clear and right. The majority believed that what the judge said, that it was God’s plan to keep people apart, and that government should discriminate against people in love. But I have lived long enough now to see big changes. The older generation’s fears and prejudices have given way, and today’s young people realize that if someone loves someone they have a right to marry.

Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the “wrong kind of person” for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights.

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.

***END STATEMENT***

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News: DC Madam, HRC, Naomi Campbell, Sally Kern, Singapore

D.C. Madam commits suicide in Florida...Whitney Houston's daughter attempts...

HRC's VP of Programs, David Smith, talked to Michelangelo Signorile about why the Human Rights Campaign is not endorsing anyone in the Oregon Senate race, why they support Susan Collins, the Maine Republican who backed various antigay judges and Supreme Court justices, and why they're not endorsing Jim Neal of North Carolina. Audio here.

Batter Up: Who is Naomi Campbell gonna lay into next?

Scientists report success in blocking HIV infection in lab by inactivating protein expressed in key immune cells.

Misconception that AIDS is a gay disease fueling infection rate in Singapore.

Read John McCain's 2003 speech he delivered on the Senate floor on the occasion of "Mission Accomplished": "Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom demonstrated to the world what we saw just 12 years ago. We went to war as the most combat-ready force in the world. The value of that readiness is clear. We won a massive victory in a few weeks, and we did so with very limited loss of American and allied lives. We were able to end aggression with minimum overall loss of life, and we were even able to greatly reduce the civilian casualties of Afghani and Iraqi citizens."

AfterElton is casting about for the world's 100 hottest men.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore slams Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell over attitude toward gays: “Christ was a radical. He despised the Establishment and the Pharisees. He threw the money-changers out of the temple. I liken certain church officials today to the Pharisees that Christ took exception to."

Focus on the Family's new logo interpreted.

Vanderbilt University makes strides in reaching out to LGBT students: "There will be 'five immediate key action steps,' Dean of Students Mark Bandas wrote in a press release: opening an Office for GLBT Life; hiring a director of GLBT life; working with various campus groups, especially admissions offices and The Commons, to 'ensure that members of the GLBT community understand that they are welcomed and valued members of our community'; moving to amend the non-discrimination policy to include gender identity and expression; and continuing to investigate additional recommendations made by the GLBTQI Student Issues Committee."

Reichen recants rant: "Sorry everyone for being childish. We all experience pain, but venting on MySpace isn't right. I'm sorry and I regret it. I was emotional and I don't feel any of the things I've said. And whoever I've dated that it could have been directed toward is and was never the way I may have described. I was venting on life and frustration and I apologize for offending anyone or for making myself look childish."

Carrie Underwood gets liquored up in Vegas for new video...

Jason Lewis doesn't understand the haters: "In the world we're living in, gay people are still horribly discriminated against. Why does anybody need to be so affected by someone else's happiness? Some of these people show up 20 years in a row at the county clerk's office [to get married] knowing they're going to be turned down. That's dedication and love...These are decent people."

Sally Kern's rival in the upcoming election amassing a major war chest.

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Danish Group Opens Gay Ghetto for the Afterlife

The Danish organization Rainbow has reserved spots for 36 urns in the Assistens Cemetery in Copenhagen specifically for gays who want their resting place to be with other gay people:

"Ivan Larsen said he and his partner, Ove Carlsen, felt they wanted to be close also after death, and co-founded Rainbow a year ago that offers its members a funeral urn site for 2,500 Danish kroner ($A567.69). 'We have our own places where we can meet and have fun, gay bars and such. That is why we wanted our own graveyard,' Larsen, a priest, told public broadcaster DR. Carlsen said some eight urn sites were already reserved. The graveyard is marked with a big stone and the rainbow flag that often symbolises gay and lesbian community pride. Denmark pioneered same-sex unions in 1989."

Gay graveyard opened in Copenhagen [smh]

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News: Charlton Heston, Rickroll, Woody Harrelson, Singapore

Canadian PM Stephen Harper urged to repudiate gay slur by Saskatchewan MP Thomas Lukiwski: "The prime minister needs to deal with this issue directly and try to put it behind him as soon as possible. I think the prime minister has to personally say, 'I don't accept these comments, I repudiate them and it's not part of the party or the government or where its mind is at on a lot of these issues right now."

New book Uncle Bobby's Wedding teaches children about same-sex marriage: "Cute guinea pigs stand in for humans in this sensitive story in which Chloe is not concerned that her favorite uncle is marrying another male, only about how it will affect her close relationship with Uncle Bobby. When he assures her that they can still have fun together, she relaxes and gets into her role as flower girl. Sarah S. Brannen takes a calm, straightforward approach to this hot-button issue, as when Chloe asks her mother, 'How can Uncle Bobby get married?' Mama answers, 'When grown-up people love each other that much, they want to be married.'"

Woody Harrelson goes skinnydipping with Owen Wilson.

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in slush fund scandal: "Chris Quinn could well become the first lesbian mayor of the largest city in the United States, but she could just as well end up indicted in a fiscal scandal that threatens to unravel what has been a political career marked by political savvy and unbounded ambition."

Charlton Heston dies at 83: "Although Heston talked about and praised the "brilliantly talented homosexuals" he worked with during his career, he was often accused of being homophobic, especially later in his life. In a 1997 speech at the Free Congress Foundation's 20th Anniversary Gala, Heston was criticized by gay rights groups, including GLAAD, for derogatory remarks made toward the gay community. In the speech, Heston demonstrated both tolerance and discrimination against gays in almost equal measure. 'Many homosexuals are hugely talented artists and executives... also dear friends. I don't despise their lifestyle, though I don't share it,' Heston stated. 'As long as gay and lesbian Americans are as productive, law-abiding and private as the rest of us, I think America owes them absolute tolerance. It's the right thing to do. But on the other hand,' Heston continued. 'I find my blood pressure rising when Clinton's cultural shock troops participate in homosexual-rights fund-raisers but boycott gun-rights fund-raisers... and then claim it's time to place homosexual men in tents with Boy Scouts, and suggest that sperm donor babies born into lesbian relationships are somehow better served and more loved.'"

Censor board bans four films at Singapore Film Festival: "It said the films 'exceed the Film Classification Guidelines'. Board of Film Censors chairman Amy Chua said 'Arabs and Terrorism' and another film, 'David the Tolhildan', were "disallowed on account of their sympathetic portrayal of organisations deemed terrorist organisations by many countries...Another rejected film, 'A Jihad for Love' by gay Muslim film-maker Parvez Sharma, is about homosexual people living within Muslim communities, the festival said. In a statement, Chua said the film was disallowed because of 'the sensitive nature of the subject'."

JC ya later: Chace Crawford and Carrie Underwood broke up via text message.

The ugly homophobic truth about the RickRoll.

Protest as "ex-gay" group Exodus International holds convention in Fresno, California: "The opposing viewpoints echoed a debate that has played out across the country. The Orlando-based Exodus and a handful of other groups have sought to present what they describe as a Christian alternative to a gay lifestyle. But their efforts have inspired a backlash from people who say such an approach can lead to self-loathing. Saturday's protest was cordial. The protesters -- about a dozen -- kept their distance, and at one point, Exodus president Alan Chambers offered to bring them coffee. It was the last day of a three-day conference. About 150 people from all over California attended. It included talks by the mother of actress Anne Heche, who had a relationship with openly gay Ellen Degeneres, and Chambers, a formerly gay man who has since married a Fresno woman. They have two children."

Death by blogging: Can't say I don't relate.

Head of security for Siegfried and Roy details Roy Horn's instructions for him to cut up their deceased tiger Sahara and cremate it.

Moment of truth: Perez Hilton takes lie detector test over John Mayer make-out session.

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News: Rick Astley, Zimbabwe, Fat Joe, David Cook, Karl Lagerfeld

Zimbabwe: Intelligence officers for the government of Robert Mugabe force opposition supporters to take down their posters and eat them. "Amnesty International cited a case on March 7, when three members of the Morgan Tsvangirai-led faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were ordered by intelligence officers to take down election posters. According to Amnesty, the officials forced the opposition supporters to chew the posters and swallow them."

Fat Joe and Suge White mock fellow hip-hop artists 50 Cent and G-Unit with 'Gay-Unit' mix tape: "Featuring a Photoshoped image of 50, Yayo and Banks tightly embraced, all three rappers are portrayed with smeared lipstick on the face, as Yayo was tattooed with a "I Miss Jail" on his right shoulder and Banks sporting a portrait of Curtis on his left shoulder with 'Delicious' tagged under." (image via Rod 2.0)

American Idol: Is David Cook an 'original', or just a really good cover artist?

University of Pittsburgh study: LGB youth report higher rates of drug and alcohol use. "The odds of substance use for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youth are on average 190 percent higher than for heterosexual youth...What's more, for some sub-populations of LGB youth, the odds were substantially higher, including 340 percent for bisexual youth and 400 percent for lesbians, researchers found. 'Homophobia, discrimination and victimization are largely what are responsible for these substance use disparities in young gay people,' said Michael P. Marshal, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC, who led the study. 'History shows that when marginalized groups are oppressed and do not have equal opportunities and equal rights, they suffer. Our results show that gay youth are clearly no exception.'"

The second coming of Rick Astley: the "Never Gonna Give you Up" singer talks about the RickRoll.

Apparently they are remaking the 70's kids TV show Land of the Lost at the La Brea Tar Pits, but I don't know how you can ever replicate the wonderfully bad fake dinos and the Sleestaks...

Ellen Degeneres top television host in new poll.

'Domestic partnership' to become 'mutual commitment' in Salt Lake City? "Some legislators argued that the term 'domestic partnership,' at least in spirit, violated Utah's constitutional Amendment No. 3, which bans same-sex marriage and substantially similar civil unions. Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker said Tuesday he will recommend to the City Council that the name be changed to the mutual commitment registry. The City Council likely will consider the recommendation at its April 1 meeting. If approved, the registry could be up and running as soon as April 7."

Ronald Haines, Episcopal Bishop who ordained lesbian in 1991, dies in Pennsylvania.

Karl Lagerfeld the subject of new documentary: "The film is Lagerfeld Gone Wild, with delights such as Lagerfeld discussing how gay people suck nowadays because they no longer outrage 'bourgeois social norms' and why prostitution should be legal. He's full of opinions."

Mario Lopez hawks abtastic new fitness book.

Vienna LGBT group announces poster competition to raise awareness about homophobia in football: "With the European championships to be held in Austria and Switzerland this summer, Qwien said it wanted to draw attention to homophobia in football. 'By launching a Europe-wide poster competition, we will make an otherwise taboo topic public' during the championships, it said. Posters had to be submitted by the end of May. The best 50 would be selected and then a jury - including Icelandic film director Robert Douglas, Life Ball organiser Gery Keszler, the president of Hamburg's FC St. Pauli football club Corny Littmann, pop singer Jimmy Somerville and Tanja Walther of the the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation - would pick the best three. The winner would be announced on June 4. The 50 best posters would be displayed "at a public venue" during the championship itself, which runs from June 7-29." (official site)

More gay looks for Jay Leno.

L.A.'s first openly gay police officer seeks new trial in discrimination suit: "Former Sgt. Mitchell Grobeson wants a rehearing of a discrimination suit that sought up to $4.4 million in damages. A jury ruled for the city last year. A Superior Court judge on Tuesday took under submission Grobeson's motions for a new trial and reinstatement to the LAPD. Grobeson did two stints with the LAPD in the 1980s and 1990s before retiring on a psychological disability. The LAPD settled a previous suit by Grobeson in 1993 by promising to improve its hiring and training of gay officers."

Remember Aquaman? Alan Ritchson a superhero again.

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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 October, he was honored with the Comprehensive AIDS Program's Fundraiser Extraordinaire Award. Brown also traveled the country in his volunteer work supporting the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, for which he was a board member of the South Florida chapter....Brown inherited the bar that has stood at 823 Belvedere Road since 1984 from its previous owner, Bill Cappozzi, who knew that Brown would carry on the bar's legacy, friends said. 'It wasn't about a moneymaking venue; it was about making sure that gay people had a place to go and feel comfortable,' Carey said."

Joe.My.God offers a personal remembrance.

Brown was remembered at a candlelight vigil and memorial service at his bar over the weekend. A slideshow of that vigil, AFTER THE JUMP...

In Memoriam - Michael "LaLa" Brown

Ex-boyfriend kills gay bar's owner, hangs self, police say [palm beach post]
West Palm Beach gay activist killed by partner, police say [sun-sentinel]
FL Gay Activist Michael Brown Murdered [joe.my.god]

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Science Fiction Visionary Arthur C. Clarke Dies at 90

The science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke died early Wednesday at 90 in Sri Lanka after experiencing breathing problems.

Roger Ebert wrote that he once viewed 2001: A Space Odyssey (which Clarke co-created with director Stanley Kubrick) "at Cyberfest 1997, a birthday celebration for HAL 9000, who reveals in the film that he was born in 1997 at the university's computer lab." Wrote Ebert: "(There was a panel discussion featuring Arthur C. Clarke, live from Sri Lanka, on a huge screen over the stage; told by a panelist that HAL "sounded gay," Sir Arthur said, "I think you'll have to ask HAL about that.")"

People speculated over the years about Clarke's sexuality. In 2000, The Guardian wrote: "Clarke's private life remains a mystery. He was married briefly to an American, Marilyn Mayfield, now dead, whom he met while diving in Florida in the 50s. Asked whether he is gay, Clarke always gives the same puckish pro forma answer: 'No, merely cheerful.'"

Here's the NYT obit. For those of you who wish he had come out of the closet, here's an alternative one.

AFTER THE JUMP, watch a video clip recorded in December 2007, A Last Message from Arthur C. Clarke.

(image wooster collective)

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News: Michael Stipe, Tel Aviv, Anthony Minghella, China and Tibet

China closes off media access, shuts down YouTube, CNN, and Google amid violent crackdown in Tibet. China has also begun parading Tibetan prisoners on military trucks in Lhasa. Dalai Lama threatens to step down...

Michael Stipe comes out? "It was super complicated for me in the ’80s. I was totally open with the band and my family and my friends and certainly the people I was sleeping with. I thought it was pretty obvious. Now I recognize that to have public figures be very open about their sexuality helps some kid somewhere out there."

GLAAD hands out media awards in New York; Barbara Walters, Judy Shepard, Brian Graden and films The Bubble and For the Bible Tells Me So all honored. Who was there?

Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella dies at 54: "Minghella's publicist, Jonathan Rutter, said the filmmaker died at London's Charing Cross Hospital. He said Minghella was operated on last week for a growth in his neck, 'and the operation seemed to have gone well. At 5 a.m. today he had a fatal hemorrhage.'"

Pennsylvania senate proposes amendment banning gay marriage: "Constitutional amendment legislation failed in the last legislative session but is being considered anew in the current session. During a Senate committee hearing, Maggie Gallagher, President of the National Organization for Marriage, said an amendment to the state constitution would protect against a judge’s ruling that could strike down state law defining marriage as between a man and woman…'It’s not a fantasy that this could happen. It is happening – it’s happened in New Jersey, it’s happened in Connecticut' Gallagher was speaking to Republican Senator Jane Earll of Erie, skeptical of the need for a constitutional amendment: 'We are going to hold our constitution hostage to the wackiest judge in some other state. I just think that amending the constitution is a very drastic measure.'"

Janet Jackson opens wide for Black Book.

Tel Aviv hoping to attract more gay tourists.

Richard I slept in the same bed with French King Phillip II but it wasn't a gay thing: "It was an accepted political act, nothing sexual about it; just two politicians literally getting into bed together, a bit like a modern-day photo opportunity."

Chad Allen, Janeane Garofalo, Rebecca Gayheart, Soleil Moon Frye, Patrick Muldoon and Brad Rowe team up for gay indie screwball comedy For Better or For Worse: "Frye will play the lesbian minister presiding over the ceremony at the home of one groom's mother (Ruta Lee). The guests include the jilted ex of one of the grooms and his new beau (Muldoon and Allen), a closeted neighbor (Stanley Kamel), a wallflower sister (Gayheart), a family-man brother (Rowe) and his nanny (Garofalo), who has a bombshell to drop."

Ch-ch-ch-changes. Spot the differences in Ryan Seacrest 2.0.

Brazil gets another new gay magazine.

Hugh Jackman spends more time naked than dressed.

Anti-gay graffiti causes stir in Northern California town of Fortuna: "A Fortuna resident noticed anti-homosexual words painted on several mailboxes on her street and filed a police report Thursday. The derogatory words, 'fag' and 'gay,' made her so irate, it took her more than an hour to stop shaking, she said. The Fortuna Police Department is treating the vandalism as a hate crime because the intent was likely to express hate, FPD Sgt. Jack Bernstein said. 'It’s concerning for us to have something like this.'"

Police officers punished in Austin, Texas after remarks: "Cmdr. Calvin Smith, who has worked for the department for 34 years and supervises the Austin police training academy, told the fellow commander that he was worried about the 'kind of message' the potential transfer of a gay female officer would send at the academy, which already had two lesbians working there, according to a disciplinary memo. Cmdr. Larry Oliver was fired for failing to report the comments, even though he later confirmed to investigators that he thought Smith was referring to 'their being lesbians,' a disciplinary memo said. He was fired after refusing Acevedo's offer of a 30-day suspension."

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News: Annie Lennox, Penguins, Judy Shepard, Spitzer's Promise

Maxim Thorne, a member of Obama's LGBT leadership council, resigns after angry posts to listserv reviving Clinton sex scandals.

Dave Navarro's piercings take no prisoners.

Annie Lennox launches "Sing" campaign to fight HIV/AIDS.

Teacher survey: homophobic abuse "endemic" in UK schools: "Homophobic abuse is endemic in schools, with 'gay' now the most common put-down by pupils in the classroom, teachers say. A 'conspiracy of silence' in schools and colleges means homophobia is now seen as so normal that some teachers believe they risk disrupting classes - and making themselves a target of abuse - if they challenge students' behaviour. More than 70% of teachers have heard put-downs in their school or college that refer to sexuality, according to a survey of 268 teachers by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers. In particular, teachers report that pupils routinely use the term 'gay' in a pejorative manner."

Concerned Women for America's Matt Barber calls Angels in America "racist gay porn."

John Turner, gay physician who treated early AIDS patients, dies at 63. Jane Shull, executive director of Philadelphia FIGHT: "In the 1980s, when AIDS was new and there were no drugs, or drugs that were virtually useless, when people were dying every single day, and there seemed to be no end in sight - every patient who came to see John left his office less afraid than when he went in."

USA Today profiles Judy Shepard and her mission to end hate crimes: "Shepard also points out what has and what hasn't changed in the 10 years since her son was murdered. What hasn't is that hate crimes continue. She mentions the recent murder of Lawrence King, a gay 15-year-old junior high student in Oxnard, Calif., who was shot to death by a fellow student. 'This terrible incident underscores the fact that we cannot let hate go unchecked in our schools and communities,' Shepard says. 'Our young people need our direction and guidance to prevent this type of crime from happening.' What has changed, she says, is that when she was growing up in Wyoming, 'no one talked about it' — 'it' being homosexuality. At 55, Shepard says the past 10 years have been exhausting. Only recently has she begun to dream about Matt, which she looks upon as a good sign."

Bring some passion back to Albany: Spitzer fulfills promise.

How Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell, will help complete Heath Ledger's last film, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus: "Since the format of the story allows for the preservation of his entire performance, at no point will Heath’s work be modified or altered through the use of digital technology. “Each of the parts played by Johnny, Colin and Jude is representative of the many aspects of the character that Heath was playing."

Penguin fan? Here's a whole lotta them.

More juice on Britney's guest star turn on How I Met Your Mother.

British government sends Iranian gays to their executions: "An Iranian lesbian who fled to Britain after her girlfriend was arrested and sentenced to death faces being forcibly returned after losing the latest round in her battle to be granted asylum. The case of Pegah Emambakhsh, 40, comes a day after The Independent reported on the growing public outcry over the plight of a gay Iranian teenager who fears he will be executed if he is deported to Iran….In turning down Ms Emambakhsh and Mr Kazemi’s asylum applications, the Home Office has said that, provided Iranians are discreet about their homosexuality, they will not be persecuted."

Police confront hundreds of angry, naked cyclists in Eugene, Oregon. Cyclists win.

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News: Madonna, Underoos, Grand Canyon, Colin Farrell, Tunisia

Researcher: Moses was high on psychedelic drugs when he heard God deliver the Ten Commandments and when he saw the 'burning bush'. "As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don't believe, or a legend, which I don't believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics."

Madonna opens wide: "I really enjoy writing with Justin...We had psychoanalytic sessions whenever we wrote songs first. We'd sit down and we'd start talking about situations. And then we'd start talking about issues or problems or relationships with people."

MAPS of the electorate: "Survey USA's data shows both Clinton and Obama beating McCain on electoral votes, but they win in different ways."

Colin Farrell smokes up British GQ.

Anti-gay lawyer Robert Skolrood is dead at 79: "He fought against gay rights by helping to word an initiative on the Colorado ballot in 1992 that would have barred any special protection for homosexuals. The amendment to the state’s constitution passed but was struck down by the United States Supreme Court four years later. Mr. Skolrood helped to draft an amendment to the Cincinnati City Charter to similarly deprive homosexuals of specific legal protections; voters approved the measure in 1993. A federal appeals court upheld the result, and the United States Supreme Court in 1998 refused to hear an appeal."

'Underoos' for Men sales bulge: "It seems that the Y-front, bikinis, wild prints and Underoos style underwear has made a huge comeback in contributing to a $1.1 billion men's knit-underwear market. (Knit underwear excludes the traditional boxer) John Sievers, co-owner of International Jock, calls it an 'explosion' in his business in the last 3 years that has doubled his revenues."

Gay Malaysian pleads with Canada for asylum: "Amirthalingan moved to Montreal in 2003 and applied for refugee status in Canada on humanitarian grounds, arguing his life was in danger because his homosexuality made him a target of Malaysian police who detained him for five days, and abused him, physically and sexually. 'They were punching me, pushing me down to the floor and putting their leg on me to confess that I am a gay,' he told CBC last week. Being gay in Malaysia is difficult, and he is "a bit afraid for my safety" if he's forced to go back. 'I don't have family support too, because my brothers and sisters are against [me] because I'm gay.' Amirthalingan lost his refugee status case because the judge was not convinced he was gay. He filed for a humanitarian appeal and a pre-removal risk assessment, which were both rejected by the Quebec Immigration Board."

Capitol Hill offices receive letters containing photos of man standing in front of military recruiting station targeted in yesterday's Times Square bombing: "Happy New Year, We Did It."

Amy Winehouse now using her face as an ashtray.

Grand Canyon FLOODED in effort to recharge the ecosystem — PHOTOS.

Liev Schreiber's Sabretooth stalks Sydney.

San Francisco gift shop Given re-opens after month-long stint as its prior occupant, Harvey Milk's Castro Camera shop, with an art show.

HIV+ and gay in Tunisia: "'At the beginning, I was furious. I hated everything. But afterwards, I thought that it's better to be hopeful than crying.' He decided to face up to the illness, sensing that a positive mental attitude would translate into stronger physical health. Also, he is on anti-retroviral medication. 'I'm quite good. My health situation is stable. HIV-positives who can't move or even walk are people who refuse the fact that they're infected with HIV. They suffer because they're in very low spirits and not because of the virus. I have a principle in my life which says we must make the most of life while we still have its advantages. So, I still enjoy my life. I consider AIDS a flu.' He lives with his Tunisian boyfriend, who is uninfected. They have protected sex. 'I was sincere. I told him the truth and he accepted. His attitude really moved me,' said Karim."

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News: Dexter, Prozac, Courtney Love, Bullfrogs, Robert Buckley

New York judge allows divorce trial for lesbians married in Canada.

Four years ago today Rosie O'Donnell and Kelli Carpenter were married inside Mayor Gavin Newsom's office at San Francisco City Hall.

Hospital in Florida refuses lesbian and children to communicate with her dying partner of 18 years, tells them there is nothing they can do because they're in an anti-gay state.

Courtney Love blogs about the Oscars: "i was supposed to be at Eltons Party at i think noon or something and if we dont hiurry it will suck- i really dont want to get there ina crush of shit and stuff- wait my pr is outside im calling her hold on- okay i hope the disaster has been averted but m,y expirience with that party is that i do NOT want to see Paris dancing ona table i really really DONT and i dont want to stuff a stale slamon canape in my mouth and i really need to get laid so i m off to do so."

Incest is Best: Dexter serial killer killer Michael C. Hall is dating his sister on the show?

Anti-aging substance found in bullfrogs: "Because it is water-soluble, the substance may be consumed in much more diverse ways than the oil-soluble tocopherol. You may put it in soft drinks, for example."

First 30,000 pages of 'Book of Life' revealed: "The immense online resource is designed to greatly enhance our understanding of the world's diminishing biodiversity. The creators of the database say it could have an impact on human knowledge comparable to that which followed the microscope's invention in the 1600s. It is designed to be used by everyone from scientists to lay readers. The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) - described as the "ultimate field guide" - is to encompass all six kingdoms of life, and even viruses - which many researchers do not consider to be living organisms."

Robert Buckley makes an impression on Lipstick Jungle.

The Academy's excuse for Brad Renfro death montage snub: not enough time to include everyone.

Cases of HIV/AIDS soar 45% in China from 2006 to 2007: "The staggering rise was put down to changing social attitudes and an improvement in data collection. The government had said late last year that 700,000 people were living with the virus, an increase from an earlier estimate of 650,000. The year before, China lowered its estimate to 650,000 from 840,000, despite warnings from international experts that the disease was spreading due to ignorance and because many people were too afraid or too poor to seek help."

Rent ends 12-year run on Broadway.

Gay porn twins arrested for string of burglaries in Philadelphia.

Gay Brazilians demand Fidel Castro ask for forgiveness for his persecution of gays and lesbians: "Grupo Gay da Bahia, the oldest homosexual non-governmental organization in Latin America, demands that the dictator Fidel Castro, before his death, recognizes and asks for forgiveness for the grave errors of the Cuban revolution responsible for the demoralization, persecution, imprisonment in concentration camps, forced labor, torture, deportation, and death of thousands of gays, transvestites and lesbians in Cuba."

Scientists: Prozac doesn't work.

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California Democratic Representative Tom Lantos Dies at 80

Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) died today at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland after a battle with esophageal cancer. He was 80, and a survivor of the Holocaust.

The Washington Post reports: "Lantos, born in Budapest to Hungarian Jews, served 14 terms in the House of Representatives. He is the only Holocaust survivor elected to Congress. His district included southwest San Francisco and much of San Mateo County, where he was known for supporting the socially liberal agenda of his constituents. Last year, he announced he would not seek reelection because of his cancer treatment...President Bush issued a statement praising Lantos as 'a man of character and a champion of human rights... As the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, Tom was a living reminder that we must never turn a blind eye to the suffering of the innocent at the hands of evil men.' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), said Lantos 'used his chairmanship of the [House] Foreign Affairs Committee to empower the powerless and give voice to the voiceless throughout the world.' She said his death 'is a profound loss for the Congress and for the nation and a terrible loss for me personally.'"

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese also issued a statement, saying, in part, "Over his tenure in Congress, Rep. Lantos was a strong ally in our community's fight for equality. He voted against a constitutional amendment defining marriage between one man and one woman, but also took the rare and courageous step by voicing support for same-sex marriage. He believed GLBT people should be allowed to adopt, and supported worker employment protections and hate crime legislation. On behalf of the Human Rights Campaign we remember the work of Rep. Tom Lantos and say thank you."

Congressman Tom Lantos Dies — VIDEO [ap]

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News: Mormons, Roy Scheider, Art Heist, Suicide Blog, Millionaires

Writer's to vote on agreement to end Hollywood strike: "The Writers Guild of America moved swiftly Sunday toward a resolution of its three-month-old strike, with guild leaders deciding to recommend a tentative contract to members and ask them to vote on a quick end to the walkout. By calling for separate votes on ending the strike and accepting the new three-year deal, the union cleared the way for the entertainment industry to return to work almost immediately. Membership meetings will be held Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles to allow writers to decide whether the strike should be brought to a speedy end, said Patric Verrone, president of the guild’s West Coast branch."

Jaws police chief Roy Scheider has died at the age of 75 (photo via slog).

Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger says the next season of the Bravo show may focus on gay millionaires: "There would have to be a gay person at the helm to consult with me. But attraction is attraction. When a guy comes in and he's flamingly queeny and he goes for butch, you can't give him another queen. Somebody wants their car door opened. Somebody wants to be called back. Somebody wants someone to pay the bill. It's not about the sexuality. You have to be able to hear what attracts somebody. The gay community has a lot of money because there's no second decision maker. They don't have an ex-wife or children. But what they're saying to me is that there's a whole subset of the gay community, where people are hooking up for real love. And that's why they want marriage."

"Spectacular" art heist in Switzerland sees theft of four paintings worth $163.2 million: " The robbery...occurred Sunday at the E.G. Buehrle Collection, one of Europe's finest private museums for Impressionist and post-Impressionist art, police said. Three masked men who entered the building with pistols are still at large. A police statement said the three robbers wearing ski masks and dark clothing entered the museum a half-hour before closing Sunday. While one of the men used a pistol to force museum personnel to the floor, the other two robbers went into the exhibition hall and collected the four masterpieces. The men were about 5 feet 9 inches tall and one of them spoke German with a Slavic accent, the police said. They loaded the paintings into a white vehicle parked in front of the museum. Police, asking for witnesses to come forward, said it was possible that the paintings were partly sticking out of the trunk as the robbers made their getaway."

Atonement wins "Best Film", Daniel Day-Lewis "Best Actor" at BAFTA's. Full list of winners here.

Sensing softening of attitudes, gay Mormon group Affirmation requests meeting with new church president Thomas Monson. Assistant executive director David W. Melson: "I would like for us never again to have gay individuals, particularly our young people, being told that they are not welcome in the church they grew up in."

Paris Hilton's film The Hottie and the Nottie bombed at the box office this weekend. To mark the occasion, her publicist Elliot Mintz showed up to her pre-birthday party as the Nottie.

Attention, artists! The South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement is seeking theme and logo submissions for its 2008 Pride celebration.

Aussie cricket team hits gay bar: no photos please.

CBS News host Bob Schieffer cuts "Brokeback Mountain" reference from tribute song to Sumner Redstone in wake of Heath Ledger's death: "Singing 'Mr. Redstone' to the tune of 'Mr. Goldstone' from the musical 'Gypsy,' Mr. Schieffer sang about the boss splitting up CBS and Viacom in 2006. 'You are the guru, and who would know but you what a little change in Viacom's name would do. Have an éclair, Mr. Redstone, buy some networks, make a movie, play a tune. Take a break now, Mr. Redstone, 'cause another deal will come along real soon.'...In the recorded version though, there was no claim that 'I don't understand this interlude.' Instead, Schieffer says, 'I ain't some Brokeback Mountain dude.'" Funny how we respect the dead more than the living.

Woman plans to kill herself in 90 days, and she's blogging about it.

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Heath Ledger Death an Accidental Prescription Drug Overdose

The results of Heath Ledger's autopsy have been released:

"The New York City medical examiner has found the cause of actor Heath Ledger's death to be acute intoxication by the combined effects of a mix of prescription painkillers and anti-anxiety medication. The medical examiner said in its ruling that a combination of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine had been found in Ledger's tissues after preliminary tests showed no result. 'We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications,' a spokesman for the medical examiner's office, Charles Hirsch, said in a statement."

Ledger's family released a statement following the report, which you can read AFTER THE JUMP...

***STATEMENT from HEATH LEDGER's FAMILLY***

We remain humble as parents and a family, among millions of people worldwide who may have suffered the tragic loss of a child. Few can understand the hollow, wrenching, and enduring agony parents silently suffer when a child predeceases them. Today's results put an end to speculation, but our son's beautiful spirit and enduring memory will forever remain in our hearts.

While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath's accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage.

Our family enjoyed an extremely happy two week visit with Heath just prior to the New Year. Those recent precious days will stay with us forever. We as a family feel privileged to have some of his amazing magic moments captured in film. To most of the world Heath was an actor of immeasurable talent and promise. To those who knew him personally, Heath was a consummate artist whose passions also included photography, music, chess and directing. We knew Heath as a loving father, as our devoted son, and as a loyal and generous brother and friend.

We treasure our beautiful granddaughter Matilda (to our dear Michelle) as well as an unbelievably wonderful network of close friends, forever, around the world. Families rarely experience the uplifting, warm and massive outpouring of grief and support as have we, from every corner of the planet. This has deeply and profoundly touched our hearts and lives. We are eternally grateful.

At this moment we respectfully request the worldwide media allow us time to grieve privately, without the intrusions associated with press and photography.

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News: Beatles, MRSA, Vanessa Williams, Jamaica, Maria Shriver

Mob of 20 attacks two gay men in Jamaica: "After days of harassment and threats, a Jamaican mob attacked two gay men, putting one in the hospital with serious injuries, while the other is missing...The group broke into the home of the men and attacked them, authorities told The Associated Press. One man had his left ear severed, his arm broken in two places and his spine possibly damaged; the other man, who was chased from their home, has not been found, according to the report."

Welcome to the just-opened Hard Day's Night Hotel in Liverpool: "The four-star, 110 room Beatle themed hotel opens its doors to the public... and is only a stone's throw away from the site of the famous Cavern Club."

Gay rights activist and psychotherapist Myra Riddell dies at 81.

This is why the Spice Girls tour is ending.

Anti-gay graffiti found in DC police station men's restroom: "'It's extremely offensive, so we're taking it very seriously,' [Police Chief Cathy] Lanier said. Lanier sent an e-mail to police department personnel Thursday night that said, 'All members of this department put their lives on the line every day, and I will not tolerate any member treating another police professional with disrespect.' Lanier said she will 'impose the most serious penalty' if the perpetrator is found to be a member of the department. The graffiti was found in an area that is accessible to both officers and civilians, Lanier said, so it is not clear who may have left the message."

New Chicago Episcopal bishop Jeffrey Lee shows support for gay clergy: "'That's one of the tragedies afflicting the church right now,' he said. 'So many of us seem to think that salvation depends on our theological correctness.'"

Gay Republicans flocking to McCain?

First lady of California Maria Shriver joins Kennedys in 'surprise' Obama endorsement.

SF health officials apologize to gay community for MRSA scare: "We regret that our recent news report (1-14-08) about an important population-based study on MRSA USA300 with public health implications contained some information that could be interpreted as misleading. We deplore negative targeting of specific populations in association with MRSA infections or other public health concerns, and we will be working to ensure that accurate informati