News: Alfred E. Neuman, HPV, The Killers, Sarah Palin, Hate Crimes

Hate crimes down in 2007, except for those based around sexual orientation. Anti-gay bias crimes saw an increase of 6%.

Top McCain adviser calls Palin "a whack job."

This gallery contains nearly 100 parodies of the famous Shepard Fairey 'Obama Hope' poster. But the artist told BoingBoing that by far his favorite is the cover of the current issue of Mad magazine: "I loved Mad as a kid. I think Mad’s satire heightened my understanding of irony and hypocrisy. I’m very excited to be a part of Mad’s history."

New video: Christina Aguilera thinks she's Catwoman now.

Sarah Palin's favorite consignment store 'Out of the Closet' served with "cease and desist" order from The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which runs a thrift store by the same name in California and Florida: "We are grateful to Governor Palin for bringing the infringement of AIDS Healthcare Foundation's trademark on our eighteen year-old 'Out of the Closet' name to our attention. In addition to raising funds for the care and treatment of thousands of people with AIDS in the US and around the globe, several AHF 'Out of the Closet' sites also serve as free HIV and STD testing centers..."

Cindy Crawford does Amy Winehouse for Halloween.

In June 2007 I reported that Gus van Sant and Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black had attached themselves to Tom Wolfe's book The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test, for a feature film. FOX Searchlight has now picked up the project.

Joe Lieberman: McCain "will live to 85, at least."

The first track-by-track review of the new Killers album, Day & Age.

Lance Bass fights Prop 8 battle in guyliner.

90210 star Dustin Milligan says no to gay jokes: "My personal views on homosexuality and bisexuality and sexuality in general are so far from the dark place where these kinds of hateful terms come from and are not at all reflected accurately by such a statement. Especially now, when same-sex marriage is such a big issue in the US, I feel the days when jokingly calling someone a 'homo' or saying 'that's gay' are simply over." (via afterelton)

Nobel Laureate Dr Harald zur Hausen urges HPV vaccine for boys.

HELP: Im a gay married Mormon in the closet...

Gay MP in the UK attacked as he delivered balloons to his parents on their 50th anniversary: "Adam Price, the Plaid Cymru MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, and a friend were treated in hospital after the assault by four youths in Worcester on Saturday. Mr Price's spokeswoman, Heledd Fychan, said he received facial cuts and was unable to attend the party. 'A gang of youths set upon him randomly. They had no idea who he was. It was an unprovoked attack. He is a bit battered and bruised and has a black eye, but no broken bones.'"

Three Democratic operatives on what Obama needs to do to close the deal.

Jonas Brothers to make film debut in movie about farting dog.

Government orders Atlantis Dubai to free whale shark.

Matt Damon stumps for Obama.

London getting a new gay theatre: "...that's what's happening in Victoria, where the Shameless theatre company is taking over the 50-seat fringe theatre above The Stag pub in Victoria and rebranding it as the Above the Stag Theatre. Artistic director Peter Bull says the company plans on plays and musicals, focusing on new work loosely based around gay themes. The inaugural production will be American Briefs, a series of short works by US-based playwrights..."

UK Sunday Observer: 24% of British think gay sex should be criminalized?

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News: Dubai, Sarah Palin, AIDS Vaccine, Guatemala, David Geffen

Nobel Prize winner Luc Montagnier: 'therapeutic' AIDS vaccine in 3 or 4 years.

British gay pub hit by "butt pirate" graffiti. Landlord: "I don’t think it’s homophobic, it’s just little minds, 11 or 12 year old boys who think ‘there’s a gay pub, let’s write on it’. They’ll probably be in here in 10 years’ time. If they want to hide in their closets let them. The people that are most anti are normally hiding from their gayness."

Saturday Night Live working to book Sarah Palin for spoof of Tina Fey.

Tax experts: Todd and Sarah Palin owe thousands of dollars in back taxes.

World Conservation Union: 1 in 4 mammals being pushed to extinction.

Gay Guatemalan man who changed a story about political persecution in his home country to one of sexual persecution loses U.S. asylum appeal: "Two judges with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said in an opinion filed Monday that it would be a 'manifest injustice' to allow Saul Martinez to benefit from gaming the system after he lied under oath. A third judge disagreed, arguing that it was easy to understand how a man who was persecuted because of his sexual orientation felt compelled to invent a story to escape from that persecution."

FOX planning remake of Absolutely Fabulous.

Kevin Sessums on J Lo's nervous breakdown and her relationship with Scientology: "I do know a lot about Scientology. And I know about the practices. I know all about what the technology is and all that kind of stuff. It’s very helpful. So in a sense, yeah, you do call on it."

New 'world's tallest skyscraper' planned for Dubai.

Dubai resort Palm Atlantis refuses to release whale shark captured in the waters of the UAE: "Whale Sharks are protected by CITES (Convention for the International Trade of Endangered Species) and apparently the hotel was urged to release the animal. Environmentalists have hit out at the management of Atlantis hotel for performing an apparent change of mind by deciding to keep a whale shark caught off Jebel Ali."

Fish filmed alive at greatest-ever depth.

Trial underway for former Mr. Gay UK who killed his lover and the tried to eat him.

Hollywood Reporter reviews W: "It's a gutsy movie but not necessarily a good one. Its greatest strength is that it wants to talk about what's on our minds right now and not wait for historians. In an election season, people will have opinions about 'W.' before even seeing it -- or not -- so boxoffice may be erratic. It deserves a fair hearing by American audiences, for Stone goes out of his way to give Bush a fair hearing."

Lance Bass wants to be in a sitcom as J.C. Chasez launches acting career...

Scientists detect massive baffling object around distant star.

Georgia Supreme Court finds that transgender candidate did not mislead voters when she ran as a woman: "In their suit, Fuller and Harris allege Bruce’s name is Michael Bruce. Their attorney, new Clayton school board member Michael King, argued that Bruce’s birth certificate lists her as Mickey Dwayne Bruce and a man. Bruce, who identifies herself as transgender and a woman, said she changed her name in Clayton County Superior Court in 1980 to Mickey Michelle Bruce and goes by Michelle Mickey Bruce."

David Geffen ends relationship with DreamWorks.

Arkansas judges oppose ban on foster care, gay adoption: "Thirteen retired Arkansas judges, including three former chief justices of the state Supreme Court, announced their opposition Monday to a ballot initiative that would ban unmarried couples from adopting or foster parenting children in Arkansas. Proposed Initiated Act No. 1 would limit the ability of every Arkansas judge to choose custodial parents who would serve the best interests of vulnerable children, the group said in a statement."

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News: Rome Kiss, Daniel Radcliffe, Dubai, Levi's, Bruce Cohen, India

Tribute to Del Martin to be held at San Francisco City Hall on October 1.

Two men arrested for kiss outside Roman colisseum ordered to trial: "On Tuesday a Rome court ordered a trial for two men arrested in July 2007 outside the Coliseum. Michele F., 36, and Roberto L., 28, contend they were caught sharing a passionate kiss; the arresting officers from the carabinieri say they were engaging in oral sex. Defense lawyers have asked for the charges of lewd public acts to be dropped, having sought in vain to get access to footage from nearby security cameras that they say would show the kiss was just a kiss."

Debut: Daniel Radcliffe bares it on Broadway.

Anti-gay rights groups accuse New Jersey commission on civil unions of pro-gay bias: "The Civil Union Review Commission came to be after the state Legislature voted to establish civil unions in early 2007. The 13-member commission, which holds monthly meetings, is mandated to monitor civil unions and measure any problems that may arise."

Hey Xtina, Lady Gaga wants her look back.

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz joins fight against same-sex marriage ban ballot measure: "I don’t see how this amendment protects anything. Even worse, its vague language could actually take away important existing benefits like health care from Floridians."

March in Chicago this weekend will mark 10th anniversary of Matthew Shepard's death, draw attention to anti-gay hate crimes.

Amy Winehouse rages in London, runs around with missing shoe.

Sharks attacking one another in obscenely large shopping mall aquarium in Dubai.

Indian government reaffirms its position supporting the criminalization of homosexuality: "On Friday, the Centre will oppose a petition filed by gay rights activists in the Delhi High Court seeking decriminalisation of homosexual acts between consenting adults. 'We are going to take a stand against scrapping of section 377 of IPC (punishment for indulging in unnatural sex). I will stiffly oppose the plea,' Additional Solicitor General PP Malhotra told reporters. The court had sought the government’s view on a petition filed by Naz Foundation, an NGO supporting gay rights. The development follows differences between the health ministry and the home ministry on the issue. The health ministry said the law pushes HIV people underground 'which makes such risky sexual practices go unnoticed'. The home ministry said society disapproves of homosexuality, so it should be treated as a crime."

Transgender model Isis speaks: "I'm just crossing my fingers hoping opportunities come from this. I went to college for fashion design so I hope that takes off for me. Hopefully you'll see me on the runway, in major campaigns and on the big screen - I want to be in movies!"

Senate hearing draws attention to need for same-sex partner benefits.

Ewan McGregor presents producer Bruce Cohen with Outfest Award. NBC exec Ben Silverman outs his gay mom.

Lindsay Lohan's rep: there was no gay confesion.

British host Alan Carr says he'll never tell his parents he's gay: "I was used to being called all sorts of names but I didn’t actually think I was gay. It just didn’t click. The word gay is bandied around so much when you’re a kid. If you go to the library you get called gay, if you wear a certain kind of trainers, they call you gay . . . if you wear lip gloss and heels they call you gay. I just don’t get it. Obviously I did end up realising they were right, although I’ve never really sat down and talked about that with my family. I’ve never told my dad I’m gay but I hardly think I need to now. It would be like closing the door after the horse has bolted."

AfterElton talks to Brothers and Sisters showrunners about plans for Kevin and Scotty.

New Zealand MP: I used to be the only gay in the Parliament.

Levi's joins fight against Prop 8: "The San Francisco-based jeans maker said Thursday it will co-chair with Pacific Gas & Electric a group trying to drum up opposition to Proposition 8 in the business community. Chief Executive Officer John Anderson said the move is consistent with Levi's long history of supporting civil rights causes. The company ended racial segregation of its California factories in the 1940s and was the first Fortune 500 company to offer health benefits to the domestic partners of its unmarried employees. In July, PG&E donated $250,000 to the campaign to defeat the gay marriage ban and announced it hoped to persuade other corporations to do the same. Because PG&E is a public utility, though, taking a controversial political stand is less risky for the company than it might be for businesses with greater competition."

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News: Guy Ritchie, Senegal, Matt Foreman, Dubai, Rufus Wainwright

Page Six: MSNBC hiring "glam squad" for Rachel Maddow, forcing her to doff glasses, wear skirt?

Lance Bass and his dance beard Lacey Schwimmer.

London hotel records Josh Hartnett on sex tape.

The Guardian on Guy Ritchie's 'gay movie': "I’ve never seen a gangster thriller punctuated by quite so much homoeroticism. Gerard Butler plays One Two, a rugged beefcake who steals millions of euros from a Russian oligarch and football club owner, Uri Obromavich (Karel Roden). When One Two is not tied to the bed and tortured by Uri’s humourless Soviet henchmen – stripped down to their leather pouches - he is being hit on by his best friend and fellow gang member, Handsome Bob (Tom Hardy)." Madonna and Guy glam it up at premiere...

Gay couple turned away from guesthouse in South Africa.

Senegal jails Belgian retiree and Senegalese partner for marrying in Belgium.

Lesbians jailed for kissing on beach in Dubai: "The Dubai Court of Appeal upheld the one-month jail sentence handed down by a lower court to the women, a 30-year-old Lebanese national and a 36-year-old Bulgarian who both pleaded not guilty, 7Days newspaper said. Prosecutors had charged the women with kissing, groping each other and "indecent acts in public," the paper said, adding that this was the first case of its kind in the United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven states including Dubai."

Former NGLTF Chairman Matt Foreman marries partner Francisco Adex De León in San Francisco: " Mr. De León, 46, is the owner and president of FADesign, a graphic design firm in New York. He graduated from the University of Houston. He is a son of Josefina De León and Francisco A. De León of Houston. Mr. Foreman, 53, is the director of gay and immigrant rights programs at the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund in San Francisco."

NYT Poll of Republican delegates: "The only surprising finding was that 6 percent believe in gay marriage and 43 percent believe in civil unions for gay couples, compared to 46 percent who believe there should be no legal recognition. Thus more Republican delegates support some kind of domestic partnership for gay couples than oppose it."

Daniel Radcliffe on dream role: “I think part of me would love to play a drag queen, just because it would be an excuse to wear loads of eye makeup.”

ABC orders gay-inclusive family doc pilot: "Untitled laffer will revolve around a traditional married couple and their three kids; an older guy, his younger wife and their adopted son; and a gay couple who have just adopted an Asian infant."

New York Metropolitan opera turns down French libretto by Rufus Wainwright about day in the life of an opera diva: "The Met reaction turns the tables on the French-speaking world and its increasingly desperate official attempts to stem the global linguistic hegemony of English. 'Presenting a new opera that is not in English at the Met when it could be in English is an immediate impediment to its potential success with audiences,' Met manager Peter Gelb told the New York Times. 'I hoped he would switch over, but he was determined to do it in French,' he said."

Italy's security forces to launch association for openly gay officers: "The Open Polis association will launch in the northern Italian city of Bologna on 26 September. Membership is open to gay men and women from the police, the paramilitary Carabinieri and tax police, as well as the army and the air force. 'For many of us in uniform, the worry is not violent physical attacks, but blatant discrimination, and daily 'macho' jokes and language,' said Open Polis President Nicola Cicchitti, who serves with Italy's tax police, quoted by Italian daily, Corriere della Sera."

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Dubai Police Detain 40 Men in 'Campaign Against Transvestites'

In what Dubai's police chief is calling a "campaign against transvestites," 40 foreign men have been detained and will be deported, according to the Gulf News:

"The visitors were arrested after police launched a campaign against transvestites last May. Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai Police Chief, had said then that transvestites were frequently being spotted in public places. "This is against the UAE's traditions and social values," he had warned. Any man or woman who dresses up and behaves like the opposite gender in public will be questioned and legal action will be taken against him or her, the police chief had said. The 40 transvestites were referred to the Public Prosecution, which issued an administrative deportation order against them. All of those arrested were visitors and tourists and not residents, the police official said."

CNN is reporting 17 detainees but the number appears to be much higher.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #207

BURJ DUBAI: Try to ignore Mr. Enthusiasm and just enjoy the tour.

ELLEN DEGENERES: Ellen asks guest Jenna Bush to call her parents at the White House. Finds them doing nothing.

TOM TANCREDO: Hi, I'm Tom Tancredo, a racist fear-monger.

RHYDIAN: His latest X-Factor performance "Somebody to Love".

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here

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The World's Address: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Buy Ethiopia

You're probably aware of that massive land reclamation development project called The World that is being built off the coast of Dubai. Well, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have reportedly plunked millions of dollars down for the island of Ethiopia.

Agence France Presse reports: "The Hollywood couple intend to use the reclaimed piece of land to showcase environmental issues and encourage people to live a greener life, the Emirates Today newspaper said...Representatives of the pair in the US and other reliable sources had confirmed the purchase had gone ahead. But state-owned Nakheel, the firm behind the development called "The World", declined to comment, the paper said. The couple's two-year-old daughter Zahara was born in Ethiopia. Billionaire businessman Richard Branson and musician Rod Stewart are also reported to have bought plots on the development. Prices for the islands range from six million to 36 million dollars."

Watch for an announcement from Madonna today that she has dibs on Malawi.

UPDATE: Pitt's rep denies island report.

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News: Buenos Aires, Lance Bass, Salvador Dali, Pete Wentz, Brooklyn

Tragic rape case in Dubai raises diplomatic tensions between the United Arab Emirates and France.

Buenos Aires, Argentina gets five-star gay hotel: "The receptionists are slender young men in sleek suits, the brochure features chiselled male torsos, the rooms are soundproofed and stocked with condoms and every now and then Judy Garland croons in the bar: welcome to Latin America's first luxury gay hotel...The £3.5m five-storey complex has been conceived and designed as an out and proud celebration of gay identity and sexuality, said Nacho Rodriguez, the general manager. 'This hotel is not just gay-friendly. It is gay.'" Nacho Rodriguez has to be one of the best names ever. Website for the Axel Hotel is here.

Lance Bass reveals he was once married to a woman: "People do stupid things in the heat of the moment. I've been in Vegas where I've gotten married for like five minutes, but no one talks about it though. In fact the only reason we did it is because we wanted to get free drinks all night... and we didn't get one."

New York "Realtor to the Stars" found bludgeoned to death in her Fifth Avenue penthouse: "Linda Stein, 62, was found Tuesday night by her daughter, filmmaker Mandy Stein, lying in a pool of blood in the $2.5 million pad at 965 Fifth Ave. on the upper East Side. The city medical examiner ruled her death a homicide yesterday, determining the 5-foot-tall woman died from blunt-force trauma to the head and neck. 'It doesn't seem possible,' said one of Stein's neighbors, Seymour Holtzman, 72. 'It's probably the safest building I know. ... It's shocking.' Stein helped her ex-husband, music mogul Seymour Stein, found Sire Records in the 1970s, a label that launched the careers of Madonna, Talking Heads and Depeche Mode."

Catholic school principal caught in drag, loitering in "high drug trafficking and prostitution area."

Gay bashing south of Manchester, England has police on alert: "A man is in hospital with extensive facial injuries after being attacked in Orford Park in what police believe may be a homophobic attack. The 39-year-old was walking through the park with a friend on Monday night when a man 'violently attacked' him, detectives said. He was punched to the ground and then repeatedly punched and kicked in the face and head while his attacker told him he was going to kill him. The attack only stopped when a resident alerted by the noise came out of his home. The victim is still in Warrington Hospital with serious facial injuries."

Harry Potter actor Robert Pattinson to play Salvador Dali in new film that suggests Dali had a love affair with Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca: "Described by its producers as 'racy' and 'sexy', the film will show Dali and Lorca's feelings deepen into a love affair which the sexually repressed artist tries and fails to consummate. As a substitute, Lorca sleeps with a female friend, with Dali present as a voyeur. The interpretation, by British screenwriter Philippa Goslett, is likely to cause controversy among biographers and historians. Although a physically intimate relationship between the men has long been rumoured, Dali told interviewers more than once that he rejected the homosexual Lorca's attempts to seduce him."

Same-sex commitment ceremony announcement inspires hellstorm of hatred in Missouri town.

Pete Wentz leap of faith presents podiatric problem.

There’s Something About Miriam, the reality show about a 21-year-old transsexual model being wooed by six men who are unaware of her secret, begins airing on FOX Reality Channel tonight. Reality Blurred reports: "When the series first aired in the UK almost four years ago, Miriam said she was really looking for love. 'I did it because I wanted to know if real love exists. Can a person fall in love? I was trying to be myself and if anyone had asked me about myself I would have told them,' she said. As expected, the show was not well-received, and was criticized by many for its premise. The six men sued Sky One and the production company, a subsidiary of Big Brother producer Endemol, for what they said was public humiliation, settled for amounts that 'various reports pegged at anywhere between $150,000 and $250,000 a man.'"

What will Brooklyn, New York be like in the year 2012? Sir Ian McKellen gives a narrated tour. (more at Curbed)

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Burj Dubai Now World's Tallest Freestanding Structure

Developers of the Burj Dubai today announced that the skyscraper, still under construction, has surpassed Toronto's CN Tower to become the world's tallest freestanding structure. The Burj is 555.3 meters tall to the CN Tower's 553.3 meters.

Bloomberg reports: "Burj Dubai will eventually rise above the KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard, North Dakota, to become the world's tallest structure, Emaar said, without giving a target height. The 628.8-meter mast is supported by guy-wires and so is not free-standing, according to Emaar. Emaar is the Middle East's biggest real estate developer, and started building the $900 million, 160-storey Burj Dubai in 2004 to be the centerpiece of its $20 billion `Downtown' project. The tower is facing delays of at least a year after Swiss contractor Schmidlin Ltd. Facade Technology went bankrupt, leaving it without external walls."

In related news, developers of the nearby iPad building announced that it would now be the iPad Touch building.

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News: Polar Bears, Jennifer Hudson, Tron, Sicko, Gay Referee

FOX pans Alan Ball film Nothing is Private for its "graphic sexual, mental and physical child abuse": "If Ball, who regularly toyed with conventions in his TV show and in American Beauty, thought all this would somehow illuminate the tragedy of child abuse, he was wrong. Too much is shown and too many lines are crossed for Nothing Is Private ever to be released by a major studio or distribution company to theatres. If nothing else, the endless 'ick' factor involving nearly every character is a permanent obstacle."

80's cult classic TRON to get sequel: "The original, about a computer programmer thrust into a computer and forced to fight in games he helped create, is remembered for its sci-fi gladiator-style battles and groundbreaking special effects. It was the first movie to use computer-generated images instead of models and other optical effects in conjunction with live action. The arcade game based on the movie was so popular that it earned more than the movie."

In a victory for Evangelical Christians, a judge in Northern Ireland has struck down portions of the UK's Sexual Orientation Regulations protecting LGB people from harassment when accessing goods and services.

Mitt Romney assumes the anti-gay position. And the accompanying article: "Mr. Romney bristles when he is accused of shifting on the issue, as he has on abortion, pointing out that he has been consistent in personally opposing both marriage and civil unions between people of the same sex. On the stump, he usually makes a point of saying that he opposes discrimination against gays. But he refrains from details when pressed as to how he might fight it."

Jennifer Hudson signs on to Sex and the City movie as Carrie Bradshaw's assistant.

Gay referee Nigel Owens takes place officiating at Rugby World Cup.

STUDY: Most Polar Bears gone in 50 years.

Issue of rainbow flags remains unresolved in small Nova Scotia community of Truro. Background.

At $24.2 million domestic, Michael Moore's Sicko is now third-highest grossing documentary of all time, behind Fahrenheit 9/11 and March of the Penguins.

Indian construction worker in Dubai gets 25 years for bludgeoning lover to death with a rock: "The Dubai Court of Appeal increased the 15 years initial sentence of 23-year-old Indian named only as B.A to 25 years, which is life imprisonment here. The appeal's court also awarded him an additional month in jail for consuming liquor. He will be deported after serving his term. The Public Prosecution charged the Indian with consuming liquor and murdering his compatriot, identified as S.D. According to a Yemeni policeman, who questioned B.A., the accused was having a homosexual affair with the deceased. An Indian witness said he saw B.A. committing the crime when he woke up after hearing a commotion in the room at a construction site."

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Dubai Real Estate Developer Plans Ipod Building

If you thought that the oil lamp building in Guzhen, China was weird, a real estate developer in Dubai (where they plan some of the most strangely scaled development projects in the world) is planning an $800 million tower inspired by the iPod, called the iPad.

"The 23-storey building, which is scheduled to bring more than 200 units onto the market in 2009, was designed by Hong Kong-based architects James Law Cybertecture International. The tower will sit atop a docking station angled at six degrees to give the exact look."

More shots here.

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