The Towleroad / NewNowNext Video News Moment Award

As I mentioned briefly last week, Towleroad has partnered with LOGO's NewNowNext awards to present a prize for the most impactful video news moment of the year. We went through all the clips we've posted in the last year and chose the five that we felt were most hard hitting as gay video news moments.

Our category does tend toward the serious. While Chris Crocker's "Leave Britney Alone" moment certainly inspired plenty of disgust and cultural fodder, we decided moments like those didn't fall into the news category - as much as CNN may want them to.

So here are the five clips we chose as finalists — video moments which had an impact on gay lives. While one of our choices (Sally Kern's rant) is purely audio, there's no doubt that the medium by which its message was spread was YouTube. So, here they are. You can use the following widget to cast your vote, and links to the clips are provided below, for your review.

FOR YOUR REVIEW:

Al Gore voices his support for marriage equality. WATCH.

Ellen Degeneres speaks out about Lawrence King. WATCH.

GOP San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders reverses opinion on same-sex marriage. WATCH.

Larry Craig declares he is not gay and has never been gay. WATCH.

Sally Kern compares says gays worse than terrorists. WATCH.

For more information and to vote for the rest of the NewNowNext Awards, click here.

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Ellen Degeneres Chops Neil Patrick Harris' Head Off

Neil Patrick Harris visited Ellen Degeneres yesterday, and after a bit of chatter about the Harold & Kumar sequel and American Idol, she took him to the guillotine and chopped his head off.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

The beheading is in part two.

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Hillary Clinton Talks Up Gay Rights to Ellen

Hillary Clinton visited the post powerful lesbian in America today and reiterated her commitment to gay rights: "We just have to make this much more fair." (Is it too much to ask for just fair?) Also on topic were healthcare, the tight Democratic race, "manhandler" Chris Matthews, and discussion of Clinton's distant genealogical relation to Angelina Jolie and Madonna, supported by comparative photos (below).

Watch the appearance, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #266

REAL WORLD HOLLYWOOD: The trailer for the new season.

RYAN PHILLIPPE: Phillippe visits Ellen Degeneres and they talk about his first acting role as a gay teen on One Life to Live but she does not ask him for his 'gayest look'. (source: queerty)

RECESSION: The movie.

SEX AND THE CITY: Starring Bea Arthur. (source: a socialite's life)

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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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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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #262

WII DOG VS WII CAT: The pet playoff.

ELLEN PLAYS HARDBALL: Chris Matthews slamdances and chats with Ellen DeGeneres.

EARTH HOUR: Jeremy Piven and the WWF want you to go dark for one hour one March 29.

KRISTY LEE COOK: She can blow you out of your socks and you know it.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Ryan Seacrest Could Potentially be a Heterosexual

Says Ryan Seacrest about a girlfriend he once had: "I completely fell into [a] relationship, and I didn’t want to. I remember having conversations like 'This is so weird for me, because I’m not supposed to like anyone until I’ve achieved what I want to achieve.'"

No discussion of the gay jibes he endures from the tongue of Simon Cowell, though there is plenty of talk about his potential female mates. It's revealed that the "husky" adolescent Seacrest once had a cute blond "surrender" after he persisted for days on a diet of grapefruit and oranges.

Also offered up is a quote about his potential heterosexuality from real-life gay Ellen DeGeneres: "I’d love to see him meet a nice girl and settle down."

But that won't be happening soon, according to the article: "Seacrest is in bed, at home in the Hollywood Hills, by eight o’clock almost every night. He sleeps spooning a BlackBerry, his dating life is in suspended animation."

Ryan Seacrest Knows What You Think of Him [details]

you may have missed...
Oscar Red Carpet: When Gary Busey Attacks [tr]
A Very Gay New Year's Eve Preview [tr]
Brian Dunkleman Wishes AIDS on Ryan Seacrest [tr]
Simon Cowell Urges Ryan Seacrest: Come Out of the Closet [tr]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #259

JEREMIAH WRIGHT: Barack Obama's latest divisive pastor.

SHOW OFF: A woman with 21 different accents.

HARLAND WILLIAMS: Tells anti-gay joke on last night's Conan. Comes sandwiched within the Ellen clip.

WHAT WE WANT: Eliot Spitzer's prostitute is also a wannabe pop star.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Ellen DeGeneres on Lawrence King: We Must Change Our Country

ELLEN: "On February 12th, an openly gay 15-year-old boy named Larry who was an eighth-grader in Oxnard, California was murdered by a fellow eighth-grader named Brandon. Larry was killed because he...was gay. Days before he was murdered, Larry asked his killer to be his Valentine...And somewhere along the line the killer Brandon got the message that it's so threatening and so awful and so horrific that Larry would want to be his Valentine that killing Larry seemed to be the right thing to do. And when the message out there is so horrible that to be gay you can be killed for it, we need to change the message."

Ellen DeGeneres will take time out of her show today to express her thoughts on the Lawrence King murder and make a plea for change against hate in the country. Good for her. This will bring awareness about the Lawrence King story and the problems surrounding anti-gay bullying and discrimination to a huge new audience.

The full clip, which I've transcribed, is AFTER THE JUMP...

***TRANSCRIPT***

"On February 12th, an openly gay 15-year-old boy named Larry who was an eighth-grader in Oxnard, California was murdered by a fellow eighth-grader named Brandon. Larry was killed because he...was gay. Days before he was murdered, Larry asked his killer to be his Valentine.

"I don't want to be political. This is not political, I'm not a political person, but this is personal to me. A boy has been killed and a number of lives have been ruined.

"And somewhere along the line the killer Brandon got the message that it's so threatening and so awful and so horrific that Larry would want to be his Valentine that killing Larry seemed to be the right thing to do. And when the message out there is so horrible that to be gay you can be killed for it, we need to change the message.

"Larry was not a second class citizen. I am not a second class citizen. It is okay if you're gay. I don't care what people say. I don't care what people think. And I know there are entire groups of people who face discrimination every single day and we're a long way from treating each other equally. All of it is unacceptable. All of it. But I would like you to start paying attention to how often being gay is the punchline of a monologue. Or how often gay jokes are in a movie. And that kind of message — laughing at someone because they're gay — is just the beginning. It starts with laughing at someone, then it's verbal abuse, then it's physical abuse, and then it's this kid Brandon killing a kid like Larry.

"We must change our country and we can do it with our behavior, we can do it with the messages we send our children, we can do it with our vote. This is an election year and there's a lot of talk about change. I think one thing we can change is hate. Check on who you're voting for, and does that person really truly believe that we are all equal under the law? And if you're not sure, change your vote. We deserve better. My heart goes out to everybody involved in this horrible, horrible incident."

***END***

Previously
Anderson Cooper on the Lawrence King Murder [tr]
U.S. Reacts with Anger, Sorrow, Action to Lawrence King Murder [tr]
Huge Vigil Turnout for Gay California Teen Slain in Hate Crime [tr]
Shooting of Gay CA Student Officially Labeled a Hate Crime [tr]
Gay Junior High Student Shot at School Declared Brain Dead [tr]
Gay Student Shot at L.A.-Area Junior High School [tr]

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Ellen DeGeneres Joins Hillary Clinton at Campaign Appearance

Ellen DeGeneres appeared on screen at a Hillary Clinton fundraising rally at George Washington University in D.C. last night. DeGeneres jokingly asked Clinton whether or not she would promise a ban on glitter.

Clinton said she would ban it for those over the age of 12.

Said Ellen: "That's what I like about you. You have solutions."

Scott Shrake, who was there, has his rundown of the event at the Huffington Post. He called it a "Wizard of Oz moment":

"This event was clearly intended to gain Hillary some youthful new supporters, and including this unexpected Ellen DeGeneres Show satellite taping was quite smart in that GWU was likely buzzing after the rally with students who went home to their dorms and said, 'We're going to be on Ellen tomorrow, you guys! I was there! Look for me!' It was cool. And just in the nick of time, too."

A longer (37 minutes) video of the event, AFTER THE JUMP...

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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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News: Bill Gates, Warhol Scent, Gyllenspit, Vegas, Britney Spears

I think now she's doing it on purpose. Britney Spears has run over another foot.

Striking gay WGA writers are holding their own march: "It will totally be "Norma Rae" meets the Abbey."

Closet Idol fan? Bill Gates spotted at Kelly Clarkson concert.

In wake of progressive Democrats move to censure Dianne Feinstein, her spokesperson defends: "[Feinstein] has been an independent voice for California."

Barack Obama says there are no existing records from his days in the Illinois state senate: "'I don't have _ I don't maintain _ a file of eight years of work in the state Senate because I didn't have the resources available to maintain those kinds of records,' he said at a recent campaign stop in Iowa. He said he wasn't sure where any cache of records might have gone, adding, 'It could have been thrown out. I haven't been in the state Senate now for quite some time.'"

Meet the Dixie Chicks of competitive Bridge.

Andy Warhol Foundation launches first of several fragrances: "The scent developed by Aurelien Guichard is a smoky yet spicy cocktail of incense, grapefruit, wood resin, amber jasmine, cedarwood and violet, one Warhol’s favorite aromas. The term is no longer '€˜unisex'€™ but '€˜universal'€™ to indicate that the perfume can be worn by both men and women and is said to smell like metallic rubber."

For you Scissor Sisters fans (or haters, I suppose): Whack-a-Sister.

Scab-lash: Ellen DeGeneres cancels NYC tapings. "We're delighted that Ellen DeGeneres has decided not to come to New York to tape her program. She knows that the Writers Guild East would have been there to protest her lack of solidarity, not only with her Guild writing staff but all the striking members of the Writers Guild, of which she is a member. We will be even more delighted if she does not cross the Guild picket lines at the NBC Studios in Burbank, where her show usually is produced."

Scientists identify oral sex "swallower" gene...in fish.

Yes, Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon have been captured swapping spit in public.

Broadcast of McCain supporter calling Hillary Clinton a bitch sparks war between McCain campaign and CNN: "Now McCain's campaign is trying to turn this to its advantage -- by opening fire on the network and portraying it as both a Hillary ally and a liberal media foil to McCain. McCain campaign manager Rick Davis has just blasted out an email to supporters demanding that CNN apologize to the Arizona Senator for smearing him."

Bjorn Borg unveils new underwear line, and invites folks to send in pictures of themselves wearing it. Flashback: Model Search.

In July 2006, Patricia Todd became Alabama's first openly gay elected official when she ran a run-off race in the House. Pam Spaulding over at Pam's House blended has posted a series of videos of Todd talking about some of the homophobia she faced during her election.

BOOK: Gay community in Vegas on the upswing.

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News: John Krasinski, Lobsters, Bavarian King, John Barrowman

Former employee of Goodyear wins $4.4 million in sexual orientation harassment lawsuit: "According to the suit, Sheffield neither hid nor flaunted her sexual orientation until her former manager encouraged her to bring her partner to an annual company dinner, where she received an 'adverse reaction' from another store manager, In 2003, her former boss was replaced by a new district manager, defendant Randy Reich, and a new service manager, David Johnson, was assigned to the store, the suit claims. Johnson 'immediately let it be known ... that he knew Sheffield was gay and did not like gays,' the suit claims. When Sheffield learned that Johnson carried a gun to work she confronted him about it and he confirmed it and threatened to pull it out and to urinate on her, she claimed in the suit."

Iggy, the dog Ellen DeGeneres cast off to much publicity, is about to bark off in a new PSA to bring awareness to the importance of pet adoption.

Yale University Dramatic Association targeted by homophobic graffiti: "At approximately 1:30 a.m. last Wednesday morning, a group of undergraduates involved in the Yale Dramatic Association found the words “drama fags” on the wall, located near the York Street side of the theater. 'It’s unacceptable,' Drama School Dean James Bundy said. 'It is deeply disturbing. I hope we find out who did it and I hope we can do everything in our power to make sure it never happens again.' Bundy said he was unaware of the incident before he was informed by the News on Sunday. Although most of the spray paint has been removed from the building, traces of the words are still visible five days later."

Next time you decide to broil that crustacean alive, you might want to think about whether or not you're causing it pain. The debate continues...

Australian gay activist dumped from Labor Party after physically intimidating the wife of the Environment Minister: "Mr Burns later described Mrs Turnbull in an email to Mr Turnbull as a 'fag hag impersonator of a wife' and condemning the minister as 'a weak and pathetic excuse for a human being'. The tirade came as the battle for the gay vote heats up in Mr Turnbull's Sydney seat of Wentworth, where Labor's candidate George Newhouse is polling strongly."

North Carolina Baptists set to expel church that welcomes gay people: "If all goes as expected, the 4,000-plus attendees at the Baptist State Convention will vote Tuesday morning to cast out Myers Park Baptist -- but only after short speeches from two of the church's leaders. One -- Nancy Walker, secretary to the church's board of deacons -- is a lesbian."

Some NSFW preview news on the upcoming season of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency.

John Krasinski shoots some retro hoops for Men's Health.

New evidence surfaces suggesting "gay, wildly eccentric" King Ludwig II of Bavaria was murdered: "The real cause of King Ludwig's death has been a mystery ever since his body, together with that of his psychiatrist, was dragged from Lake Starnberg on 13 June, 1886. But the official version, which holds that he committed suicide by drowning, has never been completely refuted. Now, 111 years after the king's death, new evidence has surfaced which suggests that the builder of Neuschwanstein castle and many other bizarrely romantic architectural follies was murdered. The details are convincing enough to increase calls for the House of Wittelsbach, King Ludwig's family, to allow his body to be exhumed from its tomb in St Michael's Church in Munich to enable a new and conclusive post-mortem examination to be conducted."

Congratulations to Joe.My.God for winning the Best LGBT Blog at the 2007 Weblog Awards.

Queerty pays a video visit to the OUT 100 celebration.

POETRY: Is Pakistan's educational curriculum the target of a plant by the Bush administration? "In December 2005, a Pakistani youth discovered that the first letter of each line of a poem in his English primer spelled out the name of "P-R-E-S-I-D-E-N-T G-E-O-R-G-E B-U-S-H." The anonymous poem -- called "The Leader" -- listed the qualities of a great statesman in a series of painfully stiff rhyming couplets."

AfterElton takes a critical listen of a new musical offering from openly gay actor John Barrowman: "...most fans of the openly gay Torchwood and Doctor Who actor are likely to be aware that he has a background in musical theater, having appeared in shows from Anything Goes to Sunset Boulevard in London’s West End. The new album, a set of covers which put an easy-listening spin on classic pop, soft rock, and yes, musical theater numbers might therefore seem to be displaying a fairly recognizable side of Barrowman, as opposed to, say, an album full of heavy-metal music.

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News: Adam Levine, Bigot of the Year, Writer's Strike, Thailand

Rolling Stone's Jann Wenner and partner Matt Nye are expecting twins in January.

Daughter of anti-gay leader Amy Contrada (MassResistance) comes out of the closet: "I am a lesbian, which my mom still does not get. She just says that I am confused. I realized in around eighth grade, but I was in denial for quite some time because I was scared due to my mother constantly saying that homosexuality is wrong. How can it ever be wrong to love though? That’s what I’d like to know."

Reuters discovers that some Republicans are gay!

Scientist tweak gene in mice to create "mighty mouse": "Scientists at Case Western Reserve University have genetically engineered mice that outrun, outlive, and out-eat ordinary mice while staying lean, light, and fertile well into old age...A major unanswered question, Hanson's team notes, is what brain changes accompany the genetically engineered mice's hyped-up activity."

Ellen DeGeneres takes on the holiday as a "not pregnant" Jennifer Lopez.

Maroon 5's Adam Levine dresses down for slut-o-ween.

Daniel Radcliffe confirmed for Equus on Broadway in September 2008: "... it took months of negotiations to secure a deal with the theatre-owning Shubert Organisation and for the producers David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers to sort out all the paperwork for the play's two leading men to perform in New York. Director Thea Sharrock will begin rehearsals next August."

Get ready for more Reality TV: Hollywood writers to strike for the first time in almost 20 years - "We've never been more united and we are willing to deal -- and our decision makers are at the table. Their decision makers are not at the table, and that tells you pretty much all you need to know about how the companies are pushing this."

Royal blackmailer Ian Strachan to apply for bail: "Lawyers representing Ian Strachan, 30, are due to make an application behind closed doors at the Old Bailey. A previous application last week was adjourned after a few minutes because the lawyers needed more time to prepare. Strachan is not expected to attend but will be released from Belmarsh prison, south-east London, if bail is granted."

Bishop wins Bigot of the Year award from UK gay rights group Stonewall: "An employment tribunal in Cardiff in April heard how youth worker John Reaney, 42, was left feeling humiliated after a two-hour interview during which the bishop grilled him about a previous gay relationship. The tribunal decided Mr Reaney had been a victim of unfair dismissal and awarded damages against the Church of England."

On Wednesday I posted about the latest hustler to bring down a Republican hypocrite, and his porn past. Fleshbot has a big round-up of Cody Castagna's adult activities (NSFW).

SLOG reads the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report, and it's quite terrifying.

Munich version of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin features drag queens and Brokeback Mountain references. It's not being received well: "There is no novelty value left in the outing of Tchaikovsky. Half-naked cowboys and men in ballgowns are cheap cliches. An exploration of the two men's relationship is legitimate, since it is one of the opera's deepest and certainly its most tragic. With more subtlety and professionalism, it might have worked."

Thai gay activist says he was refused insurance because he is gay: "Natee Teerarojjanapongs, president of the Gay Political Group of Thailand, said he had tried to buy a policy from AIA sales agent Pachara Pipatwong on Sunday. However, after Pachara called to consult an AIA official who liaises with the company's agents, Natee was told he could not do so because he was gay. 'AIA is violating the 2007 Constitution, as it is restricting my rights. [Pachara] told me the official said AIA policy stated that it did not give homosexuals insurance,' Natee said after speaking to the council, which met to monitor how the new Constitution was being implemented. 'I'm willing to let them give me a full health check if they think that I'm in a high-risk group. There's no reason to deny me and other gays or transvestites life insurance. We are educated like others in society. Not all of us engage in risky behaviour,' he said."

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News: Heidi Fleiss, 50 Cent, Georgetown University, Banksy

Crimes: The cost of being LGBT in today's world.

REPORT: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi ready to split.

Entertainment Weekly: Why didn't Brokeback Mountain change anything? "According to almost every person interviewed for this story, there just aren't any high-quality gay scripts in circulation. 'I swear to you, if there were projects that were visible and good, people would make them,' says Hairspray producer Craig Zadan, who, with Neil Meron, makes up one of the most successful gay producing teams in town. 'No one's brought them to us.' It doesn't help that the scripts that are out there can't seem to get off the ground. The Front Runner, about a cross-country coach who falls in love with one of his runners, and The Dreyfus Affair, about a romance between two major-league ballplayers, have been in development hell for years. And Zadan and Meron themselves have spent 16 years trying to get The Mayor of Castro Street, about slain gay civil rights icon Harvey Milk, on the screen. So gay film is caught in a bitter catch-22. Because studios don't greenlight gay movies, great writers don't bother crafting them — so there's nothing for the studios to produce."

British rugby player de-planed and de-pantsed.

Following hate crime, Georgetown University finally makes commitment to LGBT community: "At an open forum last night, President John DeGioia commendably announced that Georgetown will have a fully-staffed, fully-funded LGBTQ resource center by next fall. Three working groups will be created to address the creation of the resource center, the development of a better bias-reporting system and plans for LGBTQ diversity training during New Student Orientation."

What happens if you stay awake for eleven days straight?

Singapore's gay rights debate got ugly: "There were threatening, expletive-laced emails. One parliamentarian had his sexuality questioned. Another academic was flamed in blogs and had her phone number circulated. And the employer of one gay professional was questioned about their hiring him. The ugly turn of events, some may say, is only to be expected given the emotional nature of the subject matter — one that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had warned on Tuesday could polarise society."

Heidi Fleiss seeking studs for stud farm.

50 Cent and Lance Bass do book battle.

While Morrissey does NYC, Reichen Lehmkuhl does drag.

New study on the effects of chewing gum on weight loss: "A research study presented at the 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting of The Obesity Society, found that chewing gum before an afternoon snack helped reduce hunger, diminish cravings and promote fullness among individuals who limit their overall calorie intake. Calorie intake from snacks was significantly reduced by 25 calories. Overall, this study demonstrates the benefits of chewing gum and highlights the potential role of chewing gum in appetite control and weight management. Nutritionists say that even small changes in calories can have an impact in the long term."

Desperate Housewives to get gayer as Estimates eclipsed at Banksy auction. Bonham's specialist: "Today's results demonstrate that prices for Banksy's work continue to go from strength to strength. Perhaps the most incredible aspect of the Banksy phenomenon ...(is) that as a self-confessed guerilla artist, he has been so wholeheartedly embraced by the very establishment he satirizes. We are sure that this irony is not lost on today's buyers."

San Francisco Episcopal diocese okays blessings for same-sex couples.

David Beckham voted "manliest" in poll.

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Threats Alleged in Ellen DeGeneres' Dogfight

Keith Fink, an attorney for Mutts & Moms, the dog adoption agency which reportedly reclaimed their pooch Iggy after Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi gave it away to Ellen's hairdresser, has taken their battle to Page Six.

They claim that while Ellen was crying over the incident on her talk show, her publicist Kelly Bush was leaving them threatening voice mails, like this one which Page Six says was played to them:

"This is Kelly Bush. We are filing a legal case against you. We are going to be contacting the media. This is not going to be good for your store or your organization. You did not do the right thing. You need to call back. There is no reason for you to take this dog. Please call back before this gets further out of hand."

Said Fink: "Ellen's lying. She is using her power and her access to the media to destroy this agency in the media. This is a woman who has signed many seven-figure contracts. She knows what she signed."

Ellen's publicist denies threatening the agency: "I have not left any threatening messages at all. The agency threatened to go to the media and I said that wouldn't be a good idea. I told them there's just no need to escalate this . . . They started this by wanting to take it public. I was the one who said, 'Let's talk about this.'"

A "Free Iggy" petition has sprung up online, calling on Mutts & Moms to return the dog to the hairdresser and her little girls.

AGENCY BARKS BACK AT ELLEN [page six]

Yesterday....
Tearful Ellen DeGeneres Begs Agency to Return Dog to Kids [tr]

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Tearful Ellen DeGeneres Begs Agency to Return Dog to Kids

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An emotional Ellen DeGeneres broke down on her show today, pleading with a dog rescue agency to return an adopted dog she had given to her hairdresser and two girls because it didn't get along with the cats at the DeGeneres-De Rossi household. Here is Ellen's tearful hello to her audience.

The AP reports: "The talk show hostess and her partner Portia de Rossi adopted Iggy, a Brussels Griffon mix, on Sept. 20. But when things didn't work out, DeGeneres gave the dog to her hairdresser. In doing so, DeGeneres violated an agreement with the Mutts and Moms agency by not informing them of the handoff. When the agency called DeGeneres to ask about Iggy, she said she found another home for the dog. The agency sent a representative to the hairdresser's home Sunday and took the dog away. DeGeneres went public with the doggy ordeal Monday while taping an episode of her show to air Tuesday. She admitted she didn't read all the paperwork involving the adoption."

Perhaps Mutts and Moms, a volunteer nonprofit organization in Pasadena, should add "militant" to their organization's name.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #179

PETER PACE: Tom Harkin takes on the bigoted Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Here's the story from yesterday.

BILL CLINTON: Blasts the hypocrisy behind the attacks on MoveOn's "General Betray Us" ad.

T.R. KNIGHT: Two clips of his appearance on Ellen today.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #172

KATHY GRIFFIN: Chats with Ellen about reality shows, Britney and her dance coach Vicodin, the Emmys, Star Jones, saying nice things, and Dick Cheney. In two parts. (source: virtual matter)

9/11: CNN covers the mystery plane over the White House.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Calls Bush's claim that we're one of 36 countries fighting the war in Iraq "ludicrous". Talking Points Memo analyzes the President's math.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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News: O.J. Simpson, Humberto, Macalester, Amy Winehouse

New Jersey school district split over film depicting same-sex parents: "Emily describes her interracial family — her father is of European descent and her mother’s background is Asian — this way: 'It doesn’t mean you have to be a rat to marry a rat. You can be a rat and marry a mouse.' But at another point in a state-approved educational video shown to third graders here, Daniel introduces his parents: 'These are my two dads.' Another child says, 'It’s really cool have to two gay dads, because they brought us into a home, and they adopted us, and they love us.' That was enough to entangle this wealthy suburb of 45,000, about 15 miles east of Philadelphia, in a heated debate among parents and educators."

Hurricane Humberto's record blow-up: "Humberto didn't exist until late Wednesday afternoon, and wasn't even a tropical storm until almost midday, strengthening from a tropical depression with 35-mph winds to a hurricane with 85-mph winds in just 18 hours, senior hurricane specialist James Franklin said at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. 'To put this development in perspective, no tropical cyclone in the historical record has ever reached this intensity at a faster rate near landfall. It would be nice to know, someday, why this happened,' Franklin said."

Big Brokeback Mountain screening at the Castro Theater this Sunday — props and costumes from the film on display.

OJ Simpson questioned in Las Vegas casino theft.

Almost married in Iowa: "Inside the Polk County Administration Building, we traversed a hallway, followed by TV crews and cameras. We signed and notarized our application, and headed to the courthouse to waive the three-day waiting period, which required a judge’s signature. Our plan was to be married in Iowa City by dusk. When we met the judge, Pam and I introduced ourselves, and explained our request. His response was devastating: 'I apologize, but the judge just issued an immediate stay, pending appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court. I am so sorry.'"

Kylie Minogue readies "2 Hearts" for release.

HIV variant offers fresh vaccine hope.

Oregon bigots struggle to get 55,179 valid signatures necessary to suspend gay rights laws from going into effect on January 1: "Let's just say that we're not there yet."

Tallest building in China rises above Shanghai.

Lesbian mom battles Amazon over Tuition and Textbooks Sweepstakes.

Amy Winehouse's childhood album. Today is her 24th birthday.

Neil Patrick Harris talks to Ellen about no longer having to hide his boyfriend David Burtka at the Emmys.

Student car at Macalester College vandalized in hate crime: "A Macalester student's car was 'vandalized with homophobic graffiti and damaged' last Saturday night or Sunday morning, according to a Bulletin Flash sent Tuesday to the Macalester community. The car was parked North of campus, near the corner of Summit Ave. and Fry St. There is no evidence Macalester students were involved in the crime. The Executive Board of Macalester College Student Government (MCSG) called for 'a student response' in a statement sent to students on Wednesday. 'We support every student who is a part of this community, and this will not go overlooked,' the MCSG statement said. 'We are a small community and this will undoubtedly send ripples to every corner of campus.'" Macalester was recently named the most gay-friendly college in the country by The Princeton Review.

Gay rights activists in Taipei demonstrate outside Nicaraguan embassy over country's sodomy laws.

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News: Pinkberry, David Gest, Fake Gay Rapper, Peter Pace

Bush is expected to nominate General Peter ("homosexuality is immoral") Pace to a second term as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Gay rapper Caushun exposed as fraud: "Here in New York, Caushun was the first name that came up whenever a conversation about gay rappers began. Best we knew, he was one of us: An effeminate hairdresser with Bed-Stuy credibility and a flow that earned respect among local hetero hip-hop folks."

Connecticut high court judge recuses himself from gay marriage case, reasons unknown.

Gay porn star Timothy Boham, who is charged in the murder of Denver businessman John Paul Kelso, may use insanity plea in his defense: "Boham, who had worked briefly for Kelso, was arrested near the U.S.-Mexico border after police said he confessed to his mother and sister. Boham decided to rob Kelso, the owner of a debt collection company, because he knew there was a safe in the house, police said. During a preliminary hearing, police said Boham told them he was planning to steal $40,000 he thought was in the safe because his girlfriend was pregnant and he needed cash."

The struggle to be a father: one gay man reflects.

Vermont fraternity Phi Gamma Delta, accused last year of gay bashing during hazing, is now threatening to sue the University of Vermont.

Has David Gest targeted a new love interest in Amy Winehouse? Gest: "I would kiss the mole on Amy Winehouse's face and every tattoo on her body and I'd stick my tongue in the gap where her tooth is missing. I love her."

Army recruiter Marcia Ramode, who was "suspended from recruiting duties" after her racist, homophobic email to a potential recruit was given media attention, has been given a covert reassignment by the military. Said Corey Powell, the potential recruit to whom Ramode's inflammatory email was originally addressed: "Now they're making her whereabouts covert. Some act to prevent us knowing where she is, which they probably invented this morning. I'm really disappointed [in the decision to reassign Ramode]. I wasn't out for blood. But for the 11,000 servicemen who have lost their jobs for nothing besides being themselves, this is an injustice. She should be forced to find a way to take care of herself the same way they had to."

Miss Ross returns to London.

Pinkberry sued for claiming powder + water is actually yogurt.