News: Lance's Other Guy, Hackers, Tony Bennett Kiss...

Like vultures, Westboro Baptist Church shows up at funeral for Montana Senator Max Baucus' nephew, slain in Iraq.

The pre-Reichen days: Lance Bass' closet companion Jesse.

Man who killed his classmate in 1985 for revealing he is gay is released from prison after serving 20 years: "Rosenkrantz of Calabasas was 18 when he was sentenced to a 17-year-to-life term for second-degree murder in the June 28, 1985, shooting death of his boyhood friend Steven Redman. The 17-year-old boy was shot 10 times after revealing Rosenkrantz was gay following their graduation from Calabasas High School."

Fighting the dog that moos: Focus on the Family just spent half a million dollars on new group to battle two anti-gay ballot measures in Colorado.

Paramount Pictures demands Tom Cruise take pay cut before greenlighting any more films: "Cruise fans fears that, unless the hardworking actor learns some humility, an illustrious career which has matured from the cocky boy of Risky Business and Top Gun to more naunced performances in The Last Samurai and Collateral may burn out. 'Right now,' said an insider close to the negotiations, 'he is simply too expensive to employ.'

Hacker proves crackability, clonability of RFID (radio frequency identification technology) tags planned for use in new passports: I spend most of my time making the RFID industry's life miserable," the doctorate student told AFP. "I am not anti-RFID. It has the potential to make people's lives easier, but it needs to be used responsibly. The industry and government needs to not be scared of us," Rieback said. "They need to talk with us and to work with us. Hopefully, together we can come up with some kind of reasonable compromise."

Jake Gyllenhaal gives a dog a bone.

Smoking rate higher in gay community: stress, targeted ads, club and bar scene cited. Researcher: "If you said you smoke because of job stress, well, for an LGBT person, stresses can include 'Do I come out at the office?' and 'Am I going to get fired if they find out I'm gay?' There's sort of an added layer for LGBT people."

Tony Bennett on receiving a surprise kiss from Elton John at a recent benefit concert: "I told the audience it was the first time I'd been kissed by a man. I liked it!"

UK gay rights group Stonewall announces first annual awards to honor positive contributions to gay community from individuals and organizations. Awards will be handed out in London on November 2nd.

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News: Justin, Johnny Marr, Gay Games, Billie Jean King

The National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens is to be renamed The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center: "'I still can't believe it,' the 62-year-old gay tennis star said with tears in her eyes during a press conference at the stadium yesterday. 'So rarely are women thought of in this way.'"

Chicago's 2006 Gay Games drew more than 140,000 attendees, 40% more than organizers predicted: "More than 11,000 athletes from 70 countries participated in the 30 sporting events, with figure skating, diving and dancesport drawing the largest number of ticket buyers."

Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has joined Modest Mouse: "Marr’s membership is so unequivocal, he will tour with MM in support of their next record, tentatively titled We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank and tentatively due this fall. 'He made a cautious commitment to write and record with us, and then the tighter we got, he was like, 'okay, let’s tour too,'' Brock said. 'Then he was pretty much a member of the band - not pretty much. He’s a full blown member of the band.'"

Fast forward to fall. Justin Timberlake sheaths his sexy back in layers of clothing in the 100-degree NYC heat. Why???

Guy Adams, an organizer for (big surprise!) wingnut Alan Keyes' group Renew America has made a hateful and inflammatory claim on a conservative internet radio show: "The newest thing in Chicago, it's becoming a trend, and you're gonna find this hard to believe...sex with infants...It's not enough that they have...you know when you engage in perversion, and homosexuality is perversion, we don't hate the gays mind you, we don't hate them, we hate what they're doing...pretty soon that perversion is like addiction, it's not enough, so you need to graduate to something else. You need to move on. So now they're having sex with animals, a small group that's getting bigger, sex with infants, sex in the street in Chicago out in the open, it's just getting more and more perverted." Of course Guy Adams had no evidence to back up his statements.

The Star Jones/Al Reynolds divorce rumor mill continues to grind.

Jack Jackson, gay activist and Houston philanthropist, has died at 81.

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News: Hillary Rips Rumsfeld, Gayken, Freak Nature...

After Hillary Clinton rips Donald Rumsfeld over the state of affairs in Iraq, Rummy says he has "never painted a rosy picture" and says "you would have a dickens of a time trying to find instances where I have been overly optimistic." Unfortunately, that's not so true. Later, she called for his resignation.

Freak nature: Snow falls in Johannesburg, South Africa for the first time in 25 years.

Strange bedfellows. Royalties from the cheesy 1985 dance anthem "So Macho" are funding Christian fundamentalist agenda: "Apparently, the song generates about £10,000 a month, through radio play and compilations. No, that’s not a typo- £10,000 a month. Hargreaves is now ploughing the proceeds from his ‘80s hit into his radical party, Operation Christian Voice and hopes to becomes a Scottish MEP. The ex-songwriter and promoter admits to a colourful life in the music industry but has since seen the ‘error’ of his ways; 'I was a hedonistic sinner. I was Jack the lad. But there came a point when I looked at myself. I was calling myself a Christian but not living the Christian life. I read a Bible from cover to cover and I changed my life.'"

Heat blasts New York City. Cool Hunting offers up seven frozen treats to beat the heat.

Clay Aiken to hit the airwaves with an album of love songs...

Even though he has resigned from Congress and withdrew himself from consideration for re-election, a court agreed today for the second time that the corrupt House majority leader must appear on the ballot.

Now you know. The 25-sexiest guys in Brazil...

Owners of a Manchester, England gay bar are offering a $10,000 reward for information on gay bashers who fatally wounded Texas resident Martin Salinas, who died last week after over three years of suffering. Bar owner: "artin was on his way to have a night out at Essential and I feel its only right that I do everything I can to find the people responsible for this savage attack."

Senator Ted Stevens, of the Internet is a series of Tubes speech, is trying to force a vote on Net Neutrality before the Senate session ends, but it looks unlikely to happen as certain Senators in upcoming elections are resisting going on the record about a controversial measure before the elections.

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News: Queer Eye to Wed, Prince Harry, Donna Summer...

Commenting on the White County High School gay-straight alliance battle, GOP candidate for Georgia Attorney General compares gay-straight alliances to pedophile or gambling clubs: "I think the problem here, and I think where the court substantially erred, is that the intent of the Act was never to allow organizations that advocate illegal activity [to have campus access]. And in Georgia, sex between minors is illegal; statutory rape laws apply. Homosexual activist clubs in schools are detrimental to students and to the moral well-being of society."

Prince Harry back in the saddle...

Queer Eye grooming guru Kyan Douglas plans May 'wedding' to his partner of two years, Greg Durham.

A court in Riga today will hear cases against six anti-gay protestors who disrupted gay rights events over the weekend of July 22 by throwing eggs, excrement, and rotten fruit, and trailing participants in vehicles while verbally assaulting them.

Bob Hoven, founder and publisher of Palm Springs gay publication MegaScene, has died of natural causes at his home. He was 75.

Donna Summer gets new record deal, to release album in Spring 2007.

Blogger/activist Josh Wolf thrown in jail for refusing to hand over videotape to the FBI: "Wolf doesn't want to give up the complete, unedited version of the tape. He believes the federal government is indiscriminately monitoring antiwar groups under suspicion of terrorism, and as a journalist he shouldn't be forced to surrender unused footage in support of that investigation. He won't say, though, what's on the 15 or more minutes of the confidential portion of video."

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News: Gay Twins, Cuba, Richard Hatch, Senate Elevators

Overcrowded Senate elevators have Rick Santorum steaming...

LOGO announces series on gay twins Jacob & Joshua and their band Nemesis. The show will follow the camera-friendly duo as they come out to their Jehovah's Witness family and attempt to make it big in the music industry.

Valerie Cherish arrives on DVD...

Richard Hatch sent to "male Camp Cupcake" in West Virginia to serve remainder of his tax fraud sentence: "Morgantown is described as comparable to a minimum-security federal prison camp. There are no security fences or guard towers and inmates are mostly free to go where they choose within the prison. Inmates live in dormitory style housing."

Apple set to announce "dizzying amount" of products at conference next week.

At Montreal's Outgames, Mariela Castro, niece of Fidel spoke about Cuba's gays to the International Conference on LGBT Human Rights: "There is no official repression of lesbians and gays in Cuba. What remains are social and cultural reactions that must be transformed, the same as in many other countries." Her understanding of the spirit of the games, however, seemed to be eclipsed by a nationalist sentiment. When asked about gay athletes in Cuba (none registered for the games) she said: As a matter of fact, there are many homosexual athletes in Cuba. Unfortunately, they are not good athletes. The government could not afford to send a team here and risk that they would come home without any medals."

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News: Scary Clouds, Night Listener, Black Gay Pride

Pentagon may have criminally misled 9/11 commission regarding its activities on that day: "Suspicion of wrongdoing ran so deep that the 10-member commission, in a secret meeting at the end of its tenure in summer 2004, debated referring the matter to the Justice Department for criminal investigation, according to several commission sources. Staff members and some commissioners thought that e-mails and other evidence provided enough probable cause to believe that military and aviation officials violated the law by making false statements to Congress and to the commission, hoping to hide the bungled response to the hijackings, these sources said."

Harbingers of atmospheric destruction? Nacreous clouds appear over Antarctica...

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee exposes the GOP: The Fudge Report. Mike Rogers exposes a member of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Night Listener director Stettner on new Armistead Maupin film adaptation, which stars Robin Williams and opens Friday: "The producers are gay. The writer is gay. It was not an issue at all. The gayness of the film's characters is matter-of-fact. It is an advancement for gays, and Armistead is very proud of that. Here is a film that is being widely released, and it's not about his gayness; it's about the quality of the relationship."

Cathedral full of 300 break into applause as Bishop announces that gay cleric and avowed celibate the Rt Rev Jeffrey John marries his partner of 30 years in England: Bishop: "There are some who will consider it inappropriate for a priest to enter into a civil partnership. However, Jeffrey John has confirmed to me that the nature of his relationship remains in accord with the declarations he made in 2004 upon his appointment as Dean of St Albans, and therefore complies with the discipline of the Church of England as set out in the Bishops' Pastoral Statement on Civil Partnerships 2005.

Are U.S. Park Service officials trying to stop a Black Gay Pride event in New York?

Madonna is first star to be honored with cement hand imprint outside Wembley Arena.

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News: Goldfrapp, Rick Santorum, Guggenheim Porn

Art museum porn: a hot look inside New York's Guggenheim Museum.

Hoping to siphon votes from Democratic opponent Bob Casey in an effort to save Rick Santorum's Senate bid, Republicans in Pennsylvania fund Green party candidate Carl Romanelli. Romanelli: "I have friends in all political parties. It's just that my Republican friends are more confident about standing with me than my Democratic friends. And as a group, my Republican friends are a little better off." (via americablog)

Sexuality of Scotland's police force probed in order to combat discimination: "Fourteen of the force's 2819 officers admitted that they were gay or lesbian while 11 said they were bisexual. Among support staff, who total 1211 employees, 11 said they were gay or lesbian and another seven said they were bisexual. Inspector David Lyle, an officer with Lothian and Borders Police and Scottish co-ordinator for the Gay Police Association, believes as many as 1600 of Scotland's 15,000 officers are gay or bisexual, but that the majority keep their sexuality secret."

Goldfrapp to release remix album We Are Glitter.

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News: NE Hurricane, Gay Beatles, Iraq and Vietnam

Experts say northeast hurricane not unlikely: "It will be the largest financial disaster that this country has ever seen."

Beatles album Please Please Me named one of the gayest albums ever in Attitude list: "That summer it was the gay album. Every party, every club, everywhere you went, Please Please Me blasted out. George and Paul singing into one microphone, their cheeks touching, was the gayest thing we’d ever seen."

Gay man announces intention to apply for Tory open primary in effort to become next mayor of London: "Lots of people have encouraged me to stand for the nomination as the Conservative Party's candidate for Mayor. People from right across the London party. And people who have never voted Conservative in their lives. I'm very attracted by the idea of running for Mayor. It would be an opportunity to present a new face of Conservatism to the capital. I love London and believe it needs to be led by someone who unifies people and makes things work - neither of which can be said of Mr Livingstone."

Gay Big Brother: Australia contestants announce plans to marry.

Britain refuses to recognize same-sex marriage performed in Canada: "To accord a same-sex relationship the title and status of marriage would be to fly in the face of the (European) Convention (on Human Rights) as well as to fail to recognize physical reality."

Senator Chuck Hagel: "[Iraq] is an absolute replay of Vietnam."

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News: Christina Aguilera, Apple iPhone, Gay Wages

STUDY: "[UK] Gay men face considerably lower wages than their heterosexual colleagues and are less likely to be in work, despite the introduction of a law to prevent discrimination against sexual orientation in the workplace more than two and a half years ago."

Mel Gibson in DUI embarrassment. Apologizes for anti-Semitic tirade.

NYT perpetuates Christina Aguilera/Britney Spears rivalry in a new profile on Xtina: "As Ms. Spears, a proud hillbilly and soon to be mother of two, attempts to clean up her image and quash speculation that her marriage to a backup dancer turned rapper is on the rocks, it’s her former rival, Ms. Aguilera, who has found the road to respectability. And the once-dirty singer is convinced that it is she who will have the last laugh."

Lambda Legal and ACLU ask Nebraska court to reconsider ruling reinstating Nebraska's ban on same-sex marriage: "The federal appeals court panel ... just ignored the U.S. Supreme Court, which has ruled that states can't pass laws just to discriminate against gay people. We are hopeful that the court will recognize this decision simply can't be squared with constitutional guarantees of equality."

Apple may introduce its iPhone in August, according to recent rumors: "A reader is reporting to us that a coworker's tech-unsavvy friend, who is regularly hired by Apple to do marketing photo shoots, was recently brought on to take some shots of 'the sleekest, sexiest damn phone he's ever seen.'"

Following the outing of a gay linguist, Fort Bragg soldiers say "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is a trivial issue.

Suburban Chicago gay bar Nutbush City Limits celebrates its 30th anniversary: "There are obviously still people in the suburbs who are very closeted and leading double lives, but much less than before. It's not so unusual for a male couple to live openly in a small city or a suburb, whereas 10 years ago that was unusual and 20 years ago, if it happened, it was very hidden."

Nick Lachey reportedly roughs up 18-year-old who attempts to take photos of him with a cameraphone. Spokesman: "This harassment with camera phones - it's just out of control."

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News: Justin and Lance, kd lang, gay bash victim dies...

Outgames kick off in Montreal: Mark Tewksbury, Martina Navratilova, kd lang help kick off event. Lang accuses Prime Minister Stephen Harper of supporting intolerance by not showing up...

A gay bashing that occurred three years ago in Great Britain has been reopened as a murder case after a Texas man who "was beaten, stomped on and kicked until he fell unconscious" and never fully recovered, died this week of a seizure. Martin Salinas was beaten in May 2003 after leaving a gay bar in Manchester.

GQ coverboy Justin Timberlake voices his support for newly out former bandmate Lance Bass: ""Lance is one of my great friends. I support him and wish him all the happiness in the world."

Los Altos, California: Gay-Straight alliance will continue to push for pride proclamation from city. Advisor: "It's the right thing to do. It's a human rights issue, not a sexual orientation issue. These are kids and they want to be accepted for who they are.''

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News: Anderson Cooper, Marijuana Gumballs, Einstein...

More chatter regarding the ABA Report that says Bush is violating the constitution. Lou Dobbs: Why is the President ignoring our laws? "A bipartisan, 11-member panel of the ABA found that President Bush is not only disregarding laws but using such signing statements far more than any president in history. In fact, Bush has used signing statements to raise constitutional objections to more than 800 provisions in more than 100 laws. All of the presidents combined before 2001 had issued only 600."

Simon Doonan: "After watching Anderson Cooper’s intrepid reports last week, I am totally convinced that there is room for style on the battlefield. Somehow or other, Gloria’s handsome lad, while dodging bombs in Lebanon, became a style icon. Damn him! He looks so wickedly handsome and au courant! His preferred garments—a cobalt-blue sports shirt under a matte-black top-stitched bulletproof vest—have a definite whiff of the Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons or vintage Helmut Lang about them. As a result, Mr. Cooper gets my fashion-in-the-face-of-adversity award." (capture via ata)

First UK gay man to be prosecuted for infecting his partner with HIV is on the lam: A warrant was issued for the arrest of Mark James, 47, of Park Road, Burgess Hill, and Judge Jonathan Lowen promised to sentence him in his absence if he is not apprehended within a short time."

Jared Leto channels...Madonna?

Using Einstein's theory of relativity to speed the airline boarding process: "According to New Scientist, which reports the research today, it is the first practical application of Einstein's work outside physics. And the researchers are in talks with a major airline which wants to use their ideas."

Anatomy of an outing: the Sydney Star Observer dissects the coming out of singer Darren Hayes. “When was the last time you saw me on the red carpet with a fake girlfriend? Some people do that, and I have always chosen to take a higher road than that as I want to be an artist and an expressive person.”

For those not as threatened by the 'man purse' as Andy Roddick, Cool Hunting takes a look at bags for guys.

Penny for a gumball, Red-eye!

Readers of Jane magazine want Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom to go gay in the next Pirates of the Caribbean.

Nikke Finke: Is Jake Gyllenhaal's urge to play Lance Armstrong a ride to nowhere?

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News: John Travolta, Latvian Pigs, Tate Modern...

Today, AfterElton posted a really lovely profile on Towleroad and its evolution. I'm flattered and grateful. Thanks, guys!

The Tate Modern in London is about to get a lot bigger. And a gay hotel has become the #1 rated spot to stay in London, according to the website tripadvisor.com.

Latvian Interior Minister defends the police and not the gays after violent Latvian pride incidents: "In fact, [the police] were the ones who suffered most. They were pelted with eggs and excrements. The pressure was enormous, and it was hard to resist taking sides. Therefore I reiterate one more time that our police force did a great job and anything of that kind was prevented from happening in Latvia."

John Travolta does some method acting for his new film, Wild Hogs.

Slovenia legalizes same-sex marriages. However, there's one stipulation: "No friends, relatives or any third person are allowed to attend the ceremony, which can be held only in a state office."

No more sex: Is George Michael's singing career scandal-proof? Apparently not.

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News: Shirtless Men Banned, Gay Clinton, Speedos

Ann Coulter's piehole spews another cloud of dross, says Bill Clinton is a latent homosexual: "I think that sort of rampant promiscuity does show some level of latent homosexuality. I think anyone with that level of promiscuity where, you know, you — I mean, he didn’t know Monica’s name until their sixth sexual encounter. There is something that is — that is of the bathhouse about that."

The Victorian Age returns: UK towns consider banning shirtless men. Government minister: "There is a problem. In my part of the country we are trying to revitalise the main shopping precinct. But one of the things that is depressing for anyone going shopping is the numbers of shaven-headed men, mainly in their 30s and 40s, who seem to think people want to see their torsos. It is only a small minority, one in a hundred people. But these men do look aggressive and occasionally behave aggressively. You would see a big difference in the shopping centre if they were made to put a shirt on." I'm not sure how anyone could see this as a bad thing.

Patricia Nell Warren to finish Front Runner race at Montreal's Outgames: "The 70 year old Warren has been granted the honor of being the first person to cross the finish line in honor of her novel’s fictional character, U.S. distance runner Billy Sive, who (in the book) is killed before completing the 5000-meter at the ‘76 Montréal Olympics."

More Speedo action from Mr. Beckham.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Betty Williams: "'I have a very hard time with this word 'non-violence', because I don't believe that I am non-violent. Right now, I would love to kill George Bush.' Her young audience at the Brisbane City Hall clapped and cheered."

Bush as President of Iraq? The Mind of Mencia takes a look...

Cyd Zeigler grades the Gay Games. His verdict: C+.

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News: Madonna's Toilet, Andrea Doria, Shanghai

Two students who scrawled homophobic phrases and drawings on a student's door at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale have been given a sentence of supervision by a judge. Defendant: "I'm sorry for what I did. It was a joke carried too far ... There is no excuse for it ... I do know (the student who was the subject of the slurs) went through a lot, that he went to counseling (because of this)." Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be an uncommon practice.

Fifty years ago, the Italian luxury passenger ship Andrea Doria collided with a Swedish ocean liner in dense fog and sank off the coast of Nantucket.

London theatre that focused on gay dramas to be bulldozed to make way for a casino.

Royal flush dept.: Madonna demands a fresh toilet seat every night of her tour. Liz Rosenberg: "Who wouldn't want a new toilet seat wherever they go?"

Travel alert: The taxi drivers of Shanghai are extremely horny: "As the conversation heated up, so did the driver (in more ways than one) with the frisky old man maneuvering his hand under the plastic window to grope my friend’s leg and … other bits...Late night liaisons with Shanghai’s chauffeurs have become a weird badge of honor for the gay man. Some friends have even lamented that a driver has never hit on them!"

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News: UFO, Firefighters, McFly, American Idols

Tee hee. Samuel Alito's daughter pretend married her friend in the Facebook. Ha ha. A Supreme Court justice's daughter mocking the struggles of a minority group. Hysterical.

American Bar Association says Bush is violating the Constitution; says President threatens democracy by overstepping his authority and attaching challenges to hundreds of new laws. ABA president Michael Greco: "This report raises serious concerns crucial to the survival of our democracy. If left unchecked, the president's practice does grave harm to the separation of powers doctrine, and the system of checks and balances that have sustained our democracy for more than two centuries."

Boyband McFly in onstage strip show at London's G-A-Y.

A Wisconsin woman, Dale Leibowitz, has given Fair Wisconsin $275,000 to fight the proposed amendment to ban same-sex marriage in that state.

A sneak peak at the new Justin Timberlake vid; here's when you can see it.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin says a UFO buzzed Apollo 11: "Now, obviously the three of us weren't going to blurt out, 'Hey, Houston, we've got something moving alongside of us and we don't know what it is,' you know? We weren't about to do that, because we knew that that those transmissions would be heard by all sorts of people and somebody might have demanded we turn back because of aliens or whatever the reason is."

Scottish firefighters target gay bars to bring more recruits into the service. Poster: Macho, straight, institutional, tough, white, masculine, rough, hard: We're breaking down stereotypes: why don't you?"

Senator Inhofe, our favorite piehole as of late, has compared those who believe in global warming to Nazis: "It kind of reminds . . . I could use the Third Reich, the big lie." (via americablog)

NZ STUDY: Gay males receive better health care than gay females.

American Idols to visit George Bush at the White House.

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News: T-Mobile, Johnny Depp, Superman, Cyndi Lauper...

Following pressure from the anti-gay American Family Association, T-Mobile has pulled ads from two FX channel shows: "The move appears to be another victory for Wildmon's group, which has made a habit of going after advertisers in shows that offend its sensibilities. In the case of the two FX shows, the AFA has complained to advertisers supporting the programs that that the shows are 'over the edge in sex, violence and profanity.'"

He came from the mist...

Too gay? Filmmaker Kevin Smith says Bryan Singer's Superman not gay enough: "You look at the X-Men movies and it's an allegory for what it's like to be gay, like, if you take the word 'mutant' out of that movie and stick 'gay' in, the movie still works. I was really looking forward to him doing the third one because it would be an out-and-out gay fantasia - I was hoping that the dude would go for a kind of Brokeback Mutant kind of movie, but he opted to do Superman. I thought he'd make a really gay Superman but he didn't; it was more JESUS' Superman... - a lot of Messianic poses and what not and I was hoping for a little more gay action."

Cyndi Lauper, Mayor Daley wrap up Chicago's Gay Games for crowd of 20,000+. Sun-Times: "The event belonged to one singer, however. The entire crowd was silent as a violinist, dressed as Abe Lincoln, began to play the opening notes of Cyndi Lauper's 'True Colors.' Proving she is still so unusual, Lauper entered barefoot from the dugout, dressed as the Statue of Liberty wrapped in the rainbow flag and carrying a torch. She ended the set by telling the crowd to 'stand tall and together pass the flame on.' It was the kind of high note you wish the games had begun with."

Orlando Bloom on his Pirates co-star Johnny Depp: "He is always trying to kiss me. I'm like, 'No tongue!'"

Gay soldiers live life of secrecy and isolation within the Canadian Forces. Soldier: "I am part of a same-sex common-law couple within the Canadian Forces, and after declaring common-law status, I found that my situation is very common across the Canadian Forces, although many couples prefer to remain in silence about their relationship and lifestyle. From personal experience, I know there are young soldiers who feel they don't belong, and there are no resources within the military community or the Family Resource Centre to reach out to them."

Richard Hatch has been sent to a federal prison in Oklahoma while serving his 51-month sentence for failing to pay taxes on his $1 million Survivor winnings. Hatch Lawyer: "He should be in a camp. The camps are the most comfortable of the uncomfortable. They are still jails, but they get to see the sky and be outside. It's bad for Richard, who is an outdoor person."

Father and son taking Jack Twist's Brokeback truck, the one sold at auction, on tour of Alberta, Canada where the movie was shot.

Chicago radio DJ told Jody Watley she was not to speak about the Gay Games during a radio interview, despite the fact she was in the city to perform at them.

AfterElton profiles Rex Lee, who plays Jeremy Piven's assistant on Entourage: "Even now, I'm on this show, I play a gay character, I talk about being gay in real life. But I'm shocked at how many people don't get it. They're like ‘Hey! Bet you're really reeling in the women now that you're on this show!' And I'm like, ‘Do you live under a rock?'"

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News: Johnny Weir Threats, Chicago Bathhouses, Jerusalem

Jerusalem WorldPride, which faced threats of violence and killing, is called off, for obvious reasons.

For the first time in its 19-year-history, the police force joins the Halifax, Nova Scotia gay pride parade: "Deputy Police Chief Chris McNeil, one of the gay pride marchers, said his department wants to reflect the community it serves. He said the police force 'is a microcosm of society' and joining the parade was the right thing to do. 'This is a celebration of people's rights.'"

Eureka!: Epicopal Bishop in Arkansas okays gay blessings: "It is my belief that seeking ways of recognizing and blessing faithful, monogamous same-sex relationships falls within the parameters of providing pastoral concern and care for our gay and lesbian members."

The Washington Post takes a closer look at the "Manny" phenomenon, pushed into the spotlight by Britney's manny Perry Poppins: "It's weird to think that not hanging out with kids is considered manly. What does that say about our roles?"

Olympic skater Johnny Weir says he received death threats in Turin and still receives hate mail: "I was second place. I was going to win a medal for my country . . . Then when I lost it, everyone turned...It wasn't something I was prepared for, but now I'm very strong about it and I don't really care so much. But when I was thrown in to that situation at the Olympics, it was ugly. Just not winning America's medal and not bringing home a medal for my country and my federation, and looking like I was a flake...I'm not scared. If it's my time to die, it's my time to die. But I'm really not expecting that to happen from a rogue, freaky figure skating fan."

Shiny happy people: David Beckham steps out with stick figure on Roberto Cavalli yacht in Italy.

Hundreds of thousands attend Christopher Street festival in Berlin. More photos...

Illinois Family Institute holds vigil with "ex-gays" outside Chicago bathhouse. Executive Director Peter LaBarbera: "We care about gay men enough to tell them to stop practicing degrading and potentially lethal behavior. Steamworks is a perversion center where men go to have anonymous sex with other men. Many of these men are publicly 'gay' but others are not. Some are married or also have sex with women, thus putting their female partners at great risk."

Robbie Willliams new single "Rudebox" panned: "Try to imagine you and your mates messing around in your bedroom with a drum machine while comedy 'rapping' over the top...The only difference is Robbie is actually allowed to release this rubbish because he has a record deal. It shouldn’t be allowed on grounds of taste."

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News: Seann William Scott, Gay Panic, Eureka Springs

Crying foul on 'gay panic': "Lawmakers in California and New York are considering bills to deter the common courtroom strategy of making a victim's sexual orientation central to a criminal defense. Both measures would require judges to remind jurors that bias toward the victim cannot influence their deliberations."

Eureka Springs, Arkansas: The Bible Belt's gay tourist mecca watched over by Christ.

18-year-old Jesse Newton gets 30-year prison sentence for killing 48-year-old Harold Bridges after meeting him online in a gay chatroom. Newton: "I'd like to apologize to the Bridges family. I'm sorry. I did not ever mean to kill nobody in my life."

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation called in to investigate cross-burning in front of gay man's home: "A cross six to eight feet tall was burned in the front yard of the home Brandon Waters shares with his mother in the Ten Mile community."

Death by espresso: Don't drink more than 112 cups in one sitting.

Stiff for Stiffler?: "Seann William Scott turned heads when he showed up at Los Angeles gay bar Heat on the arm of David Geffen."

Stephen Dorff's "big swingin' dick" confirmed by NYT critic Stephen Holden. Of course, we've already seen everything but...

Rapper Bow Wow may play gay in new film: "There has been some buzz about a film in pre-production that stars Bow Wow as a big-time New York drug dealer is bisexual. Supposedly it's a John Singleton project and the movie is tentatively entitled Boys. Reportedly, the script is (somewhat) homoerotic and involves a gay love scene." (via queerty)

Athletic dilution: As Gay Games in Chicago wind down, Out Games in Montreal wind up...

Remember that bouncing ball commercial for the Sony Bravia TV? Well, there's another one in the works and it looks like this time they're going to cover an apartment building in colored paint...

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The Indian government's AIDS/HIV body is pushing to change a law set in 1861 by British Colonial rulers that criminalizes homosexuality. Under the current law, anyone found practicing gay sex may be punished with up to 10 years of prison time. The outdated law has made it difficult for health officials to reach those at risk because of fears of imprisonment and harassment.

Here's a somewhat shocking statistic: "A third of male fish in English rivers are changing sex due to 'gender-bending' pollution, alarming research shows...Tests showed the males developed female sex organs and were producing eggs. "

Twelve million American adults keep a blog.

As they should: Provincetown residents slam media, particularly The Boston Globe, which published a front page story on the town's "new intolerance", for making a mountain out of a molehill.

Heath Ledger to play The Joker in Batman Begins sequel?

Apple on rumored iPhone: "We're not sitting around doing nothing."

Barry Manilow being used as loitering-prevention method.

A British Radio 1 DJ has caused outrage after he said he wouldn't buy a certain car because it was too gay. "No, it’s a bit gay. A bit gay, yes very ginger beer," were the words used by Jeremy Clarkson on the Top Gear car review show. Said a BBC spokesperson: "The Top Gear team's irreverent sense of humour in their car reviews and exchanges with the studio audience is familiar to the programme's regular audience. The intention is to be cheeky and sometimes provocative, but not malicious."

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"Rudebox" to be debut single from new Robbie Williams album.

Made in Brazil looks back on a year of narcissistic Brazilians and their fotologs.

Missouri lifts restrictions on gay foster parents after court mandate, but going could still be difficult, according to Department of Social Services spokesperson: "We're considering the biological parents' preferences, and we're also considering the abuse and neglect that occurred to the child and whether or not an alternative lifestyle environment would be confusing or add trauma to an already abused or neglected child."

More hate: Gay Pride in Latvia threatened by neo-Nazis.

Firefighters in Glasgow face censure after refusing to man a fire-safety stall at a Pride event in that Scottish city. Rep: "Firefighters are entitled to their private views. Since when was handing out leaflets at a gay event considered a firefighter's core duty?" Director of Stonewall Scotland: "If they had refused to engage with people because of their ethnicity or faith, they would face disciplinary action. Why should lesbian and gay Scots be treated as second-class citizens by public servants?"

Aerobics on the beach with Matthew McConaughey.

Mystery Sam: Culture Club finds replacement for Boy George. Debut next week.

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End global warming, extend daytime hours: Are you ready to jump?

Shortlist for Britain's prestigious Mercury Prize in music: Arctic Monkeys, Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, Editors, Guillemots, Richard Hawley, Hot Chip, Muse, Zoe Rahman, Lou Rhodes, Scritti Politti, Sway, Thom Yorke. Last year the prize was won by Antony and the Johnsons.

Spawn of Tom Cruise or Cabbage Patch Doll? You decide.

Gay Taiwanese college student claims parents drugged his coffee, committed him to psychiatric ward for 56 days after he told them he was gay: "Su told reporters Monday in Taipei that he had breakfast with his parents April 29 -- soon after they learned he was gay. He got up to use the bathroom and on his return noticed some white powder on the rim of his coffee cup but, thinking nothing of it, drank his coffee. He quickly became drowsy. On his way to the hospital, feeling faint, he heard a doctor telling him: 'Your father put drugs in your coffee, but it is all for your own good.'"

All-time hottest temperature record in Britain may be smashed today.

Who is the hottest gay journalist in New York?

Hundreds expected for mass public masturbation in Britain.

Miracle machine? Power Plate sales skyrocket after Madonna purchase: "It may feel like standing on a spin dryer, but celebrities including Jonathan Ross, Colin Montgomerie, Sadie Frost and Donatella Versace are all fans. The machine is also being used by several premiership football teams, including Manchester United and the German team trained with it during the World