Towleroad Guide to the Tube #511

MAINE MARRIAGE: Sean Chapin with a message about the forthcoming battle.

GLENN BECK: Bizarre rant about Obama "remaking" America and healthcare.

BIRTHERS: Delaware Republican Mike Castle deals with a bit of an interruption at a town hall meeting.

PAT BUCHANAN: Rachel Maddow eviscerates him as a follow-up to this chat.

For previous Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: Gay Exorcism, Father Cutie, Rosie O'Donnell, Neda, Nixon

Karger: Is the Mormon Church hiding its funding for the National Organization for Marriage?

Exorcism in Connecticut: Getting the gay demon out.

Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearings on hate crimes bill.

Body of pilot Marc Dubois and flight attendant among those recovered from Air France crash site. Black boxes not found. Will ping for only a few more days.

Transgender in a virtual world.

Rosie O'Donnell to host Sirius XM radio show.

Iran: Neda's family forced from home. "The Iranian authorities have ordered the family of Neda Agha Soltan out of their Tehran home after shocking images of her death were circulated around the world. Neighbours said that her family no longer lives in the four-floor apartment building on Meshkini Street, in eastern Tehran, having been forced to move since she was killed. The police did not hand the body back to her family, her funeral was cancelled, she was buried without letting her family know and the government banned mourning ceremonies at mosques, the neighbours said."

Is Father Cutie gay?

Amsterdam Deputy Mayor Carolien Gehrels flies to New York City in support of marriage equality: "Mrs. Gehrels brings a personal perspective to the issue: she is married to a woman. She said that while the approval of gay marriage in the Netherlands that took effect in 2001 was 'a milestone in equal rights,' even eight years later 'equality and freedom are never self-evident.' Same-sex partnerships were legalized in 1998."

Douchebag warns that straight men will give up women once they try the gay.

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was pushed into confessing affair: "As the newspaper disclosed on CNN tonight, it has since December had emails between Sanford and his Argentine mistress, it's just been trying to authenticate them. Then this morning the paper busted Sanford returning on an airplane from South America when he was supposed to be on the Appalachian Trial. The paper then informed Sanford it would finally be publishing the emails, exposing his adultery, according to The State writer John O'Connor."

Whitney Houston announces title of new album.

Seattle's The Stranger publishes Queer Issue 2009. NY's Village Voice goes Queer too.

Delaware General Assembly passes bill protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination after ten-year battle.

City investigation of Canterbury UK finds that, yes, the city is gay enough.

Adam Lambert collaborating with Sam Sparro on new album.

Violence not expected at this year's Jerusalam Gay Pride: "Amit Lev, a spokesman for the gay rights group behind the parade, said organisers had been negotiating with ultra-Orthodox leaders in Jerusalem after "long years of silence" between the two communities. 'We've agreed that violence doesn't serve any of us or any of our goals,' he said."

And even more skin from men's fashion week in Milan.

New batch of Nixon tapes reveal more homophobia: "Discussing Nixon's political opposition, Colson says it included 'the blacks and the poor.' Nixon adds: 'And the intellectuals.' Colson goes on to say that it also included 'the lavender shirt mob . . . the homos and the queers.'" Previously: Nixon understood homosexuality but didn't want it on TV.

Gay Rights Advocates Have Great Day at Delaware Legislature

Two bills, one to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage and the other prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation failed and passed in the Delaware Senate and House, respectively, providing gay rights advocates with two victories despite a mob of bigots (pictured below) outside who actually formed a ring around the entire statehouse in Dover so they couldn't be ignored, according to Delaware's News Journal:

Senate Bill 27, the defeated constitutional amendment, sought to make an existing state law that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman more difficult to overturn. But many members of the Senate voiced concern that amending the constitution was unnecessary and even inappropriate. The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Robert Venables, D-Laurel, who said he wanted to make the already-illegal practice part of the state Constitution to prevent courts from being able to overturn the law. Venables said other states have seen their legal bans overturned when courts ruled the laws were a violation of civil rights.Far from gaining the three-fifths majority necessary for an amendment to progress, the bill was voted down 11-9."

In the House, the 26-14 vote in favor of House Bill 5 came as no surprise: Similar legislation has passed the House three times before, but died each time in the Senate without a vote. The bill would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing, employment, public works contracting, public accommodations and insurance...Rep. William A. Oberle Jr., R-Beechers Lot, sponsor of the three previous bills, said he hopes the Senate finally takes up the bill this year. A change in Senate rules this year could make that more likely: Committee chairmen no longer can prevent a bill from going to the floor for debate by using the so-called 'desk-drawer veto.'"

News: iPod Shuffle, Nigeria, Ronald George, Green Fashion, Hawaii

Hawaii civil union bill on hold, but perhaps not for long.

Diver defends friend from 12-foot tiger shark near New Orleans.

Yikes: It's not easy being green.

Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin are apparently finished.

Nigerian gay activists speak out about anti-gay human rights abuses, specifically a new bill outlawing same-sex marriage: "The new law would mean prison sentences for gay people who live together, and anyone who 'aids and abets' them. The plea by activists was made to a public committee of the National Assembly which is discussing the bill. It is already illegal to have gay sex in Nigeria but the new law would extend police powers to arrest suspects."

Is Evangelical Christianity on the verge of a major collapse?

Hope brighter for anti-bias bill in Delaware: "House Bill 5, sponsored by Majority Leader Peter Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing, employment, public works contracting, public accommodations and insurance."

Narcissist: Ted Haggard attends performance of The Beautiful City, a "non-fictional docudrama musical about the modern Evangelical Christian movement and its scandalized pastor Ted Haggard."

Openly gay candidate and activist Anthony Niedwiecki wins seat on Oakland Park, Florida City Commission. You may remember Niedwiecki and his partner Waymon Hudson for their battle against Biblical bigotry at the Fort Lauderdale airport and their work to oust anti-gay Fort Lauderdale mayor Jim Naugle. The couple also cares for an HIV-positive foster son. Congrats.

Rihanna escapes the clutches of Chris Brown for a night.

Colorado bill "extending health insurance coverage to the partners of gay and lesbian state workers" advances...

Brazilian actor refuses to dub Milk: "Marco Ribeiro, a performer who supplied Mr. Penn’s voice in dubbed versions of the movies 'All the King’s Men' and '21 Grams,' is also a pastor at the Assembly of God church in Rio de Janeiro. 'I did not feel comfortable with the job,' Mr. Ribeiro said, according to Variety."

You may want to ignore the other half of this post.

First-ever New Zealand to Australia gay cruise announced.

Conflict erupts at Haifa Institute of Technology after gay couples are allowed to live in residence hall with straight couples: "...the decision enraged the institute’s rabbi, Eliyahu Rachamim Zini, who is now demanding the removal of mezozot  from the doorposts of rooms set aside for gay and lesbian couples."

Obama "fast-tracking" global warming response?

Apple intros new iPod shuffle that speaks to you, telling you what song is playing and who's performing it.

Man escapes from burning tanning bed.

California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George wants more security in courts, was glad Prop 8 was televised: "Televising court hearings on major issues such as gay marriage is a "giant civics lesson," he said. 'It makes people better understand and appreciate the ultimate decision of the court in any area,' he said. 'Whether they agree with it or not, at least they don't just get the bottom line of who won and who lost. They see what goes into the process.' George said the court's decision in the Proposition 8 case could make it tougher for its justices to win retention elections because it will upset people on one side of the gay marriage issue. But he also said he doesn't worry about that sort of thing. 'You've got to hang up your robe if you have to worry about looking over your shoulder,' he added."

Delaware City Councilman Ezra Temko Comes Out with a Flourish

This week, Newark, 23-year-old Delaware City Councilman Ezra Temko introduced and got support from the City Council for an anti-discrimination ordinance based on sexual orientation and won support to add gender identity to the city's non-discrimination clause in its personnel policy. He also got the Council to agree to research health benefits for the city's domestic partners and the creation of a domestic partner registry.

And, on top of that, he came out of the closet publicly, in an interview with the Newark Post.

Said Temko: "I’m bi. I’ve dated girls before, but I’ve been with my boyfriend, Drew, since August and we’re planning to get engaged this summer. During college, I was in a very inclusive environment that embraced everyone, instead of accepting norms as legitimate on face value. I was able, in this environment, to explore who I was and realize that I’m bi-sexual. I always assumed I would end up with a girl; then I met Drew."

Temko explains what brought him to this point: "Nobody ever asked me about my sexual orientation and I don’t believe it has any bearing on my ability to serve. When I was running for council, I was single, so it really didn’t come up. Drew and I go to public events together and our relationship is fairly obvious on Facebook. I think everyone who would normally know I’m dating someone knows I’m dating Drew. When we started dating, it struck me how many rights we don’t have. I’ve always been very family oriented, so the limitations on our future made me recognize the level of privilege I had been assuming in my life, which motivated me to step up my advocacy in this area. From that, I began to see what states and municipalities around the country are doing and I asked myself, ‘Why isn’t Newark doing this'? I also was approached by a Newark resident who asked me to pursue a city ordinance prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Those two things led me to introduce my proposals on Monday."

Sounds like Temko has a bright future ahead of him. Congrats.

Temko's City Council campaign video, AFTER THE JUMP...

Councilman Temko opens up about his sexual orientation [newark post]
Newark, Delaware city councilman comes out [gay politics]