Amy Winehouse, Michelle Obama Invade Fire Island Pines

Amy Winehouse and Michelle Obama were among those attending the annual Fire Island Pines Invasion over the Fourth of July holiday. The event was documented by Pines Punch.

The history, or so they say: "According to legend, in 1976 a Cherry Grove man in drag (Teri Warren) was denied service at the Botel, a Pines restaurant & bar owned by John B. Whyte (who died at 75 on March 22, 2004). Upon hearing about this blatant discrimination against one of her sisters, the newly crowned Homecoming Queen of the Arts Project Cherry Grove, PANZI (Thom Hansen) took it upon herself to lead a small group of 9 brave Cherry Grove girls in a water taxi into the Pines harbor one hot afternoon for what they expected to be a confrontational welcoming by the Pines men. On the contrary, the Pines men were so surprised and entertained by this “Drag Queen Invasion” in the middle of the day that they welcomed them all to drinks at the Blue Whale bar for what now is a yearly celebration and tradition."

Invasion [pines punch]

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Ted Koppel Looks at One Part of Gay China

In part two of his Koppel on Discovery series called "The People’s Republic of Capitalism," Ted Koppel interviewed a drag performer in China. While gay people are not able to fully express themselves politically (as in a gay pride march), according to the man Koppel interviews, gays are becoming more accepted socially and his father was able to accept him. He does, however, expect that he'll have to be married to a woman someday.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via cinequeer)

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Christopher Meloni: Gorgeous in any Outfit

Photographers for Friends recently held a benefit for Friends in Deed at Phillips de Pur & Company. This portrait of Oz and Law & Order's Christopher Meloni in drag was reportedly among the offerings.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #292

BARACK OBAMA: Tells the Tennessee GOP to lay off his wife.

PARROT: Obama wins the Macaw vote.

MARC CHERRY: CBS News on LOGO pays a visit to the Desperate Housewives set.

RUPAUL: Casting call for the upcoming Drag Race.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Gay Fights Back in Russian Street Confrontation?

Not sure what's happening here, but this clip was uploaded today to the LiveLeak site. According to the poster: "This was recorded over the weekend. This gay guy was being teased about his choice of apparel or whatnot, resulting in an aggressive backlash."

Seems a bit like a staged wrestling performance to me, but if the above is actually true, then good for the guy in the stockings and hotpants.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Drag Queens Get Their Own Reality Competition

Drag queens now have their own reality show, hosted by RuPaul on LOGO, reports The Hollywood Reporter:

"'RuPaul's Drag Race' will feature contestants competing to become 'America's next superstar drag queen,' with RuPaul serving as host, mentor and judge. Online voters will help pick one of the contestants at RuPaulsDragRace.com. 'RuPaul's history-making turn as a groundbreaking glamour sensation opened the door for a new generation of drag superstars,' said Brian Graden, president of MTV Networks Music Group Entertainment and Logo. 'We hope to find the next one.' The hourlong, six-episode series is expected to debut on Logo's digital cable channel early next year. It's produced by World of Wonder, with Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey and Tom Campbell serving as exec producers."

The show has a dedicated page to which drag queens submit photos, which are then voted on. Here's shot of all the hot tranny messes that made the front page of the site today:

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New York Jets Cheerleaders Open to 'Mindblowing' Drag Queen

The choreographer for the New York Jets Flight Crew cheerleading squad, Denise Garvey, is prepping for the squad's upcoming tryouts. Garvey spoke with WNYC recently, and told the radio station that she's pretty much open to anyone who wants to apply, including drag queens.

I've embedded the audio here.

GARVEY: We don't have any strict requirements - no weight or height requirements - we have all different girls on the team and all different girls looking to try out..."

REPORTER: There's not the kind of human variety you might find in a supermarket checkout line - the largest body is about a size "6″ -and there are no male cheerleader wannabe's.

GARVEY: we haven't had any men apply... we are looking for young women.

REPORTER: If there was a mind blowing drag queen?

GARVEY: I guess everyone deserves a fair chance - so that would be my attitude.

You have to give it to Garvey for laughing and not rejecting the idea out of hand, or worse, making some kind of homophobic comment which is (sadly) what I might have expected.

(via AOL sports)

Previously
Jake Gyllenhaal to Play Hall of Fame QB Joe Namath [tr]

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Strong Enough for a Man, But Made for a Woman

Here's a new approach to selling women razors, from Philips. It's airing across Western Europe. Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via shakesville)

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News: Alan Tudyk, Pope Benedict, Provincetown, Christina Aguilera

Bush thanks Pope Benedict XVI for an "awesome" speech. Approval rating at 28%.

Armani Exchange holds London briefing.

Somebody is way too young to be flipping the bird. Did he learn it from his mother or his father?

Study: Same-sex marriage in Iowa would be a boont o the economy. "The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law estimates that same-sex weddings and related tourism would lead to $160 million in spending over the next three years. The total economic activity related to same-sex marriage would give the state an extra $5.3 million per year in tax revenue, the study says."

Earthquake rocks Illinois: "A 5.4 earthquake that appeared to rival the strongest recorded in the region rocked people awake up to 350 miles away early Friday, surprising residents unaccustomed to such a powerful Midwest temblor. The quake just before 4:37 a.m. was centered 6 miles from West Salem, Ill., and 66 miles from Evansville, Ind. It was felt in such distant cities as Chicago, Cincinnati and Milwaukee, 350 miles north of the epicenter, but there were no early reports of injuries or significant damage."

Chace Crawford on his perfect companion: "I don’t have any real guidelines for any particular girl. If they ring your bell, they ring your bell."

Alan Tudyk tapped for gay role in new pilot from Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan that centers around the partnership between two writers, based on them. One is straight, one is gay.

University of Massachusetts hosts Drag Ball: "Students were decked out in their drag finest, men in wigs and gaudy prom-inspired eveningwear and women suited up with matching fedoras and suspenders. The Drag Ball kicked off with an entertaining introduction from host Envy Chanel, winner of Miss New England International Plus 2008. The feisty bundle of joy donned an outfit nothing short of noticeable. 'I bought you disco ball arms, Asians on the body, and slippery black boots," she playfully cooed.'"

LOGO claims broadcast of first gay-targeted High-Definition TV show.

Matthew McConaughey channels Jesus.

Rich of FourFour honors the best vagarm in history.

New writers colony sprouts in Provincetown, in Norman Mailer's old house: "Joan Didion, William Kennedy, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Gunter Grass have consented to be on the board. Four universities have expressed interest in partnering with the project. Mailer's third-floor studio, just as he left it, will be preserved as a museum. The home's four bedrooms will be used to house visiting distinguished writers and scholars. The first floor will be an area for lectures and conferences. Writers who are accepted will receive a stipend and be housed in other locations in town. There will be slots for writers of fiction and non-fiction, as well as those working on scripts for stage and film. Funds have already been pledged, and Schiller hopes the colony will be launched next year."

Domestic partners: Salt Lake City begins registration of gay couples.

The Gay Recluse honors the smokin' hot statuary of Washington Heights in NYC.

Florida same-sex marriage foes kick off ballot initiative in West Palm Beach. Sidney Lanier, a retired Florida Highway Patrol officer: "The world that we grew up in is very different than the world we live in. Some changes have been good. But some things are never meant to change, because they define us as human beings."

Kylie Minogue's new video for "All I See" has been released - watch it.

Gay sperm donor loses bid for guardianship of his blood child, being raised by two lesbians: "Rejecting his claim yesterday, Mr Justice John Hedigan said the child's welfare was best served by remaining with the couple, and by the man in his forties having no guardianship or access to the infant. There was nothing in Irish law to suggest that a family of two women and a child had 'any lesser right to be recognised as a de facto family than a family composed of a man and woman unmarried to each other and a child'. The judge added that the rights of a man who acted as a sperm donor were no greater than those of an unmarried father. He had the right to apply to be appointed as a guardian, but no automatic right to appointment."

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News: Mad Drag Queen, Thailand, Christian Siriano, Asteroids

San Francisco financial services firm reconsidering move to Oklahoma City because of Sally Kern's anti-gay remarks.

Drag queen who looks like Amelia Earhart targets Intimate Ideas, a lingerie store that refused to hire him — with his car!

Thailand's government ignoring surge in HIV rates among MSM: "Thai gays have essentially been left to sink or swim; and they're sinking."

Britney Spears now taking driving lessons from her kids.

Reduce your risk of prostate cancer: rub one out regularly.

Christian Siriano rips The Hills' Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port: "It’s really sad that if I didn’t win Project Runway, I probably wouldn’t have the sponsors I have now. I would have never been able to do what they have done because they all have disposable income, and yet their work still isn’t that great! I mean, it’s fun and flirty and young, but they’re not innovators. None of them will ever be an innovative designer. Buyers and editors are looking for longevity, and hopefully they will see that in me.”

AP: Same-sex couples in U.S. having trouble getting divorced. Rhode Island's Cassandra Ormison: "We all know people who have gone through divorces. At the end of that long and unhappy period, they have been able to breathe a sigh of relief. I do not see that on my horizon, that sigh of relief that it's over."

HGTV hosts in Canada Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan get married. Ryan: "After a year of living in Toronto, filming Home Heist, it became clear to us that it was time to tie the knot. Canada is such a progressive nation, so welcoming and open-mindedly liberal about gay marriage, that we felt thoroughly inspired."

One of the first Scottish couples to join in a civil partnership has been driven apart because of homophobic attacks: "Every time we went out young thugs would abuse us because of our sexuality and once we were set upon and attacked by three neds. It got worse after I moved to another house, in Irvine. For two months I was calling the police out about three times a night. Gangs of up to 15 youths were outside shouting abuse, throwing bricks and trying to break my door down."

Bravo's Step it Up and Dance has a contestant with a gay porn past (warning: NSFW)

First seniors home for gays and lesbians in Canada is proposed in Vancouver: "So far, the project is nothing more than a proposal, but already more than 30 people have plunked down a $1,000 deposit since it was first advertised two weeks ago, according to the U.S. developer. The plan is for a condo development featuring living units, a communal dining room, a fitness centre, a lounge and cabaret."

13-year-old German schoolboy corrects NASA on path of errant asteroid: "Nico Marquardt used telescopic findings from the Institute of Astrophysics in Potsdam (AIP) to calculate that there was a 1 in 450 chance that the Apophis asteroid will collide with Earth, the Potsdamer Neuerster Nachrichten reported. NASA had previously estimated the chances at only 1 in 45,000 but told its sister organisation, the European Space Agency (ESA), that the young whizzkid had got it right." (UPDATE: Hoax!)

American Idol's Michael Johns prefers to be an alert drunk.

Last week I posted about gay rights activist John Corvino, who had his appearance canceled by Michigan's Aquinas College, because he's gay. Students found a new, larger venue for him to speak at, which was donated for free.

South Africans reach out to gays in Zimbabwe: "The South African Lesbian and Gay Equality Project (LGEP), formerly known as the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality (NCGLE), is concerned about the deepening political, economic and social crises in Zimbabwe. We express our full solidarity with the lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, women, workers and all the people of Zimbabwe. We add our voice in condemning the unjustified delay in the release of the 29 March elections. As Zimbabwean Independence Day approaches on 18 April 2008, Zimbabweans have nothing to celebrate in honour of their heroic liberation struggle and historic achievement of freedom and democracy."

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Chelsea Clinton Hobnobs with the Muscle Marys

Monday, I mentioned that Chelsea Clinton had stopped in at Portland's drag 'Red Dress Party' fundraiser. Here's another shot showing the former first daughter at the fete amidst a band of jungle red Oregon Glamazons.

When we posted yesterday's photo we received an email from San Francisco photographer Jerry Pritikin, noting that it's not the first time a candidate's child has mingled with the gays in the heat of campaign season.

Pritikin sent along this photo he shot of Jimmy Carter's son "Chip" in 1976 at the San Francisco Gay Memorial Day Tricycle Race. Note the signs in the background announcing his dad's appearance at a downtown SF location on June 2nd.

Red Dress Party [just out via Pam's House Blend]

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News: Passport Breaches, Bill Richardson, HIV, The Office

State Department acknowledges security breaches on Obama, Clinton, and McCain passport information: "[Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice expressed concern over the privacy violations as well as the fact that they weren't reported right away. Rice said the incident "should have been made known to senior management. It was not to my knowledge and we also want to take every step we can to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again."

The Clintons and Rev. Jeremiah Wright: "The recent coverage of Rev. Jeremiah Wright has often cast him as a marginal, almost fringe figure, but Trinity Church is a major Chicago institution, and Wright has long been a prominent pastor on the American scene. And an anonymous blog set up to defend his church offers some compelling photographic evidence of this: A photograph of Wright and President Clinton, which it says was taken on Sept. 11, 1998 — the date of a White House gathering for religious leaders."

Jake Gyllenhaal had some kind of accident.

London protest: a protest will be held opposite Downing Street this Saturday, March 22 from 2-3 pm in support of gay Iranian teen Mehdi Kazemi and to demand Britain recognize the right of refugees to claim asylum on the grounds of sexual orientation.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson endorses Barack Obama: "I believe he is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America's moral leadership in the world. As a presidential candidate, I know full well Senator Obama's unique moral ability to inspire the American people to confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation."

Dept. of regrettable tattoos: Like father, like son.

Donald Hitchcock vs the DNC: Howard Dean's gay headache.

Jim McGreevey wins a round in divorce court: "Former Gov. Jim McGreevey didn't plan to torment his wife while they were married, a judge in their divorce case ruled Thursday, while allowing her to continue with a claim of marriage fraud. The judge dismissed Dina Matos McGreevey's claim of emotional distress against her estranged gay husband. 'Mr. McGreevey was not out to destroy her emotionally,' Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy said."

Match drag queens with their baby pictures.

Former Bachelor Andy Baldwin gets juiced.

Stealth form of HIV may hold key to vaccine: "HIV is so dangerous because it is adept at avoiding detection by the immune system, says Carolyn Williamson at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Some patients, however, have genetic mutations in the machinery of their immune system that are able to track and respond to HIV infection. In these people, the virus sacrifices its ability to grow in order to resist the immune attack. 'HIV strives to survive,' says Williamson, 'It will even compromise its fitness to evade detection – and that might impair its ability to replicate.' Now, Williamson's research team has shown that in its compromised form, HIV is less able to take a grip if it is transmitted to a new host – even if that person doesn't have the beneficial mutations in their immune system."

Butte: Mainstream media ignores victimization of gays. "If the media paid more attention to King's murder and the homophobia behavior that permeates our public schools, perhaps there'd be a public outcry here in the Sunshine State against the Legislature's removal from the proposed Safe School bill language that addresses harassment of GLBT students."

The Office is back - here's the new promo!

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When Drag Queens Attack

A bus passenger and a very young bigot learn the very important lesson that the last thing you want to do is mess with draq queens Mimi Plastique or Sharolaid.

AFTER THE JUMP (warning language NSFW)...

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Sean Penn Directed His Own 'Mighty Real' Man-on-Man Kiss

Mark Martinez (aka drag queen Flava) got more than he bargained for in his role as disco singer Sylvester in Gus van Sant's Harvey Milk biopic Milk, which recently wrapped in San Francisco, reports E's Marc Malkin.

A singing performance at Harvey Milk's birthday party turned out to be a different kind of performance altogether, according to Flava:

"All of a sudden, Sean’s pointing at me, and he’s talking to the assistant director. The AD comes up to me and says, 'Just to let you know, you are now going to break up Sean and [costar] James Franco’s conversation. You’re going to grab Sean, and Sean’s going to be really excited, and he’s going to kiss you.' I’m performing, and he comes onto the dance floor. He grabs me, and he just slaps the biggest kiss on me...It felt like the kiss was forever. I’m like, Is he going to stop? I had to close my eyes. I couldn’t believe it. I’m thinking, We gotta do this thing again. We just didn’t get it right. But Gus was like, 'It’s perfect, perfect, perfect.' I said, 'No! It’s not perfect!' Sean was laughing at me."

Check out a short clip of Flava getting ready for a performance, AFTER THE JUMP...

Sean Penn's Man-on-Man Disco Kiss [marc malkin]

Recently
Gus van Sant's Milk Finishes up in San Francisco [tr]
Bryan Singer to Cameo in Gus van Sant's Harvey Milk Film?
Milk Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black Spills [tr]
Josh Brolin on Tackling the Role of Milk Assassin Dan White [tr]
James Franco Hangs on to Milk Mustache [tr]
Milk in Action on Castro Street [tr]
Sean Penn and James Franco as Lovers in Milk [tr]
Milk: The Transformation of Castro Street [tr]

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News: Al Reynolds, Tel Aviv, Rent, Tucker Carlson, Attitude

Kathy Griffin ordained into the clergy of the Universal Life Church so that she can marry a straight couple: "People asked if I was concerned that I might upstage the bride. But Elka didn't have to worry. I'm wearing a green gown I wore to the Golden Globes a few years ago - which got me on one of those 'Worst Dressed' lists!"

Star Jones divorcing Al Reynolds: "They hadn’t been seeing eye to eye for months and had already spent a great deal of time apart. Finally, Star decided it was over. She told Al at the end of January that he had 30 days to get his act together or ‘get out.’"

Not over yet: Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal to reprise their roles in Rent for 2009 national tour.

Security camera developed that sees through clothing: "A camera that can "see" explosives, drugs and weapons hidden under clothing from 25 metres has been invented. The ThruVision system could be deployed at airports, railway stations or other public spaces. It is based on so-called 'terahertz', or T-ray, technology, normally used by astronomers to study dying stars. Although it is able to see through clothes it does not reveal 'body detail' or subject people to 'harmful radiation', according to the designers. 'It is totally and utterly passive - it receives only,' said a spokesperson for Thruvision."

Robbie Williams says he has seen three UFOs and wants to study them when he retires.

Paper reports on gay life in Afghanistan: "There are no organised gay associations in Afghanistan, but contrary to many Western countries, men can freely walk the streets holding hands. This was especially shocking for foreign troops who became fascinating for the Afghan men. Armed and ready to engage in conflicts with Al-Qaeda, the only conflicts the foreign troops had were with local men who only wanted to stroke their hair. 'It was hell. Every village we went into we got a group of men wearing make-up coming up, stroking our hair and cheeks and making kissing noises,' 20-year-old Corporal Paul Richard uttered."

The underground drag queens of Tel Aviv: "In an effort to carve out a space for themselves, Palestinian drag queens gather every few months at a club in the heart of Tel Aviv to take part in underground shows. These parties offer a rare forum for them to explore complicated and convoluted ideas about sexuality, politics, nationalism, militancy and religion. They're forging their identities at the center of what some consider an occupying power. The Palestinian nationalists among them recognize the irony in the fact that Israel has become their sanctuary. 'I didn't choose this place; it's the place that I found I could be myself in,' said M, a 24-year-old Arab-Israeli woman with short black hair who's performed at the club. 'That's my only refuge.'"

Cyndi Lauper asks Britney Spears to join her on the True Colors tour which starts on May 31.

What's Justin Timberlake's problem with women?

Tireless battle to save Laguna Beach's Boom Boom Room goes on: "Supporters of a beachside nightclub that catered for half a century to Hollywood's gay stars are hitting its owner with a blizzard of yellow postcards urging that the shuttered bar be reopened. Supporters, including 'Brady Bunch' co-star Florence Henderson and former National Basketball Association player Dennis Rodman, have sent about 500 yellow postcards emblazoned 'SAVE the BOOM!!!' to [owner Steven] Udvar-Hazy's Los Angeles office..."

Tucker Carlson's show gets dumped: "The official announcement, expected tomorrow, will include details about who will replace Tucker at 6pmET as well as other political programming additions. Sources say the network is going to beef up its schedule with more NBC News talent."

Olympic ambassador and former British silver medallist hurdler Colin Jackson: I'm not gay. " “I don't mind having people say what they like in that circumstance. I know that I am not but I don't think it's for me to be going round screaming it from the rooftops. I think it's just rubbish. It makes no real sense to me. It's quite strange and bizarre but people say what they say."

A gay and lesbian hotel brand with Attitude.

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News: Patrick Swayze, Danny Noriega, Testosterone, Kelly Osbourne

Four openly gay Texas candidates advanced in yesterday's primary.

Patrick Swayze has FIVE weeks to live?!? Rep. confirms.

Boyfriend of Toronto gay bar owner Janko Naglic acquitted in murder trial: "The jury returned with its not guilty verdict around 10:15 p.m. Tuesday following a three-week trial that heard from an array of witnesses who testified about the deteriorating relationship between the accused, Ivan Mendez-Romero, and Naglic. On Tuesday night after the verdict, defence lawyer Laurence Cohen said he was "relieved," adding he'd never seen a jury in a murder trial return with a verdict so quickly. The jury retired around 4 p.m. Tuesday after Justice Gladys Pardu finished her nearly all-day charge. 'We did our best for Janko but ultimately we put it into the hands of the jury and we have to respect their decision,' Homicide Det. Sgt. Wayne Banks, the lead investigator on the case, said late Tuesday night."

Legally Blonde 3: Elle Woods goes to the United Nations.

Us Weekly editor Janice Min acknowledges the gay love.

Danny Noriega: Don't hate on my do-rag!

JC Chacez does Vegas.

Alan Duncan, first conservative MP to register for a civil partnership, explains how it all went down: "This is not a 'wedding'," he says. "You really just go into the register office and sign. There will be no Elton John-style stuff: no white suits, no John Inman, no flouncing about. It was on the beach in Oman, two weeks ago, during the parliamentary break. We were walking back after dinner. I did the asking but I think I knew what the answer would be. I said we had had a really good year and should we make it permanent? That was it....It is love - and in no way a political statement. It was entirely personal and mutual. The chemistry is great - we are always laughing. We are very similar: always punctual, tidy, organised; and he's very considerate. We have not had so much as a tense word, let alone an argument. We don't do huffiness. Apart from being very good-looking, James is very socially adept. He says he's really shy going into big social events, but the next thing you know, he's charming the person he's talking to."

Kelly Osbourne to release "camp" fitness DVD featuring drag queens...

Boyband mogul Lou Pearlman pleads guilty to $300m fraud scheme: "In a plea agreement, the music mogul has admitted running scams that defrauded investors and major banks for more than 20 years. Mr Pearlman entered a not guilty plea last year, but is scheduled to reverse that in court in Florida on Thursday. The charges carry a maximum of 25 years in prison and a $1m (£506,000) fine. Mr Pearlman, 53, is expected to plead guilty to two charges of conspiracy, money laundering and making false statements during a bankruptcy proceeding."

Heterosexual UK man files discrimination lawsuit citing years of anti-gay abuse: "Stephen English, 56, says he was called a 'faggot' even though he was happily married with three children. The harassment was so relentless, he claims, that he resigned after nine years as a salesman with a blinds company. He lost his claim for sexual discrimination at a tribunal and at an employment appeal tribunal but the state-funded Equality and Human Rights Commission has taken up his case and will pursue it to the Court of Appeal...The taunts started, he claims, when an area sales manager discovered that he had been to boarding school and lived in Brighton, which has a high proportion of gays in its population. 'He appeared to have assumed from these two facts that I had homosexual tendencies, despite the fact that I was happily married with three daughters,' he told the employment tribunal."

REPORT: Leaked Madonna track "4 Minutes to Save the World" not the version being released. Real version "way better"...

Testosterone level linked to depression in older men: "A study of about 4,000 men aged over 70 found those with lowest testosterone were three times more likely to be depressed than those with the most. Researchers suspect the hormone may affect levels of key brain chemicals."

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News: Brett Favre, Kentucky, Gus van Sant, Dallas, Danny Noriega

Gay Kentucky couple blocked from adopting child through state's foster care system: "Phillips and Parsley said they are outraged because they had already passed a criminal background check and a home survey by a Sunrise employee who was fully aware of their living arrangement. And they have attended two of five classes required for certification through the free program, they said."

Gus van Sant on filming his new film: Paranoid Park. REVIEW: Van Sant "makes another pretty, vacant movie about pretty, vacant boys..."

Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty posts video of himself smoking a cock.

Documentary explores Florida hate crime killing of Ryan Keith Skipper.

Gay porn films pulled from sale in the UK following barebacking investigation: "Two of the DVDs featured footage from a week-long shoot during which eight British models had sex with each other in multiple combinations without condoms. Four of those who took part were diagnosed as HIV positive soon after. One of the men told the BBC he was distressed that footage which he believed showed him becoming infected had been put on sale."

Green Bay Packers Brett Favre to retire. Sportrait flashback...

Lance and Ben document their romance.

Simon Cowell to produce Billy Eliot-Style musical on Britain's Got Talent winner, opera singer Paul Potts: "That particular day was one of the worst, the acts were just terrible, we were fed up and on comes this guy with a funny little suit and bad teeth who looked very nervous. I can remember looking at the other judges, with that 'here we go again' feeling. We had 2,000 people in the audience, and I'll never forget how much the room changed when he began singing." Video Flashback...

Steven Spielberg to launch social networking site for people interested in the afterlife: "The focus will be on users who’ve had or who are interested in sharing paranormal and extraterrestrial experiences. The new social network may also have original video content investigating alleged ghost and UFO stories."

Pink Speedo down under: Carson Kressley definitely not a fashion coward.

Dallas man claims he was assaulted at Station 4 nightclub: "Sid Gonzales, 43, said he suffered two broken bones in his wrist, a puncture wound to his hand and multiple bruises on his backside when two men assaulted him at about 11 p.m. Gonzales said he was near the main dance floor of the Dallas gay nightclub when two men and a woman walked over and stood nearby. Gonzales said he was 'a little buzzed' from alcohol but not intoxicated. He said he tried to be friendly and make small talk with the trio. But he said he was not trying to hit on the men, whom he described as straight-looking, well-dressed and college-aged. When Gonzales asked a few questions, the woman responded but the men said nothing and looked uncomfortable, he said. Gonzales said he reached out to shake hands with one of the men. The man grabbed Gonzales’ arm, twisted it in the air and slammed it against a knee. Gonzales said the first man also stabbed him in the hand with an unidentified object, while the second began kicking him in the backside."

American Idol contestant Danny Noriega wishes you a Merry Christmas.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #203

WORLD AIDS DAY: Safe sex campaign targets teens in Brazil. Read the translation at Made in Brazil.

WHO LET THE DOGS OUT: Auburn cornerback Jerraud Powers gets bitten in the endzone.

DRAG QUEENS vs MCDONALDS: They arrested the drag queens.

ALL I WANT: The downtown New York duo Whore's Mascara present their first music video, with a special cameo by Michael Musto. (NSFW)

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here

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Harry Potter Does Drag for Manila Gay Bar

Looks like good old Dumbledore has cast a spell!

Harry Potter now works his wand in that schoolmarmish demanding dominatrix kind of way.

BED, a gay bar in the Philippine capital of Manila, has taken a few icons of pop culture and done a switcheroo, dressing Darth Vader in Princess Leia attire, and Superman in Wonder Woman's sizzling get-up to advertise a drag night.

And you thought the Larry Craig doll was gay.

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Drag Queen Arrested for 18 Serial Murders of Gay Men in France

French police have a arrested, Nicolas Panard, a 68-year-old man who reportedly makes his living as a drag queen for the murders of 18 men in eastern France and Paris, most of whom were gay, between the years of 1980 and 2002.

Agence France Presse reports: "Detained Tuesday in the eastern city of Mulhouse, the man was being held in nearby Montbeliard along with another suspect who is already serving a murder sentence in a Paris jail, the source said. Both men deny the accusations, according to the prosecution, which said it had "no formal proof" of their guilt at this stage. L'Alsace newspaper said the key suspect worked as a female impersonator and that his arrest followed a two-year investigation by a Montbeliard police officer, who spotted his name in database files relating to a string of unsolved murders."

According to the BBC, "... the arrests were the result of two years' work by a police officer based in Montbeliard who had originally only been investigating a murder in 1991 in nearby Sochaux. By using a police crime database, the officer found mentions of Mr Panard's name in the case files of several unsolved murders, the paper reported. The officer also discovered several common features in the murders, including that the victims had all been killed by blows to the head followed by multiple knife wounds, it added. Each time the victims' bodies were found partly naked, but with their faces covered."

The photo at right, via BBC, shows the sealed door of Panard's home and the locations of the various murders.

France holds man over 18 murders [bbc]
French police detain 'drag queen' over 18 gay murders [afp]

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De La Hoya Sued for $100 Million for Coercion Over Drag Photos

So, the woman selling the photos of Oscar de la Hoya in drag is now suing the boxer because she says his lawyers coerced her into not making more money off of them.

Reuters reports: "Milana Dravnel, who the New York Post and New York Daily News reported had met de la Hoya at a strip club where she worked, said the agreement was made after she had already sold some of the images to a Hollywood photo agency for $70,000...Dravnel, 22, said a representative of de la Hoya coerced her into signing the agreement, which blocked her from selling or discussing the pictures she took of the 34-year-old boxer...She said she was "unaware of the legal consequences of the transaction" and that she did not have a lawyer present when she signed the agreement. As a result, Dravnel has been cheated out of income and has been unable to repair her damaged public reputation, the lawsuit said. Dravnel is suing for fraud, defamation, interfering with a contract, and exerting undue and intentional infliction of emotional distress."

Uh, her public reputation was damaged?

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