News: Venezuela, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Chapel Hill, Mormons

Marriage Equality New York holding rally tonight to protest anti-gay vote in Maine: "Please join us at a rally on Nov 4th in Union Square on 14th Street side at 5:30pm urging the NYS Senate to vote and in response to the votes on marriage equality across the United States."

50 Cent is a power ______.

Venezuelan police harassing and arresting LGBT citizens: "Like most of those arrested, our identity documents and mobile phones were taken away, we were beaten, our sexual orientation was insulted in degrading language, and we were refused permission to speak to the Justice Ministry officials and members of the National Guard who were present."

Mark Kleinschmidt becomes openly gay mayor of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Just Jared interviews Glee's Mark Salling.

Author details how Tom Cruise personally audited him for Scientology: "You tell the ashtray, 'Sit in that chair.' Then you actually go over and put the ashtray on the chair. Then you tell the ashtray, 'Thank you.' Then you do the same thing with the bottle, and the book. And you do this for hours and hours."

Fort Worth, Texas task force makes recommendations on expansion of gay rights in the city: "Jon Nelson, an attorney and chairman of the task force, called the recommendations 'one of the most far-reaching actions this city has taken, in the shortest amount of time.'"

Louisiana Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell, who refused to marry an interracial couple, has resigned.

Female Spectacled Bears suddenly go bald in Leipzig.

Carrie Prejean - Miss California USA settlement details revealed: "We've learned the Pageant will fork over around $100,000 for Carrie's lawyers and publicists connected with the public battle royale. That money goes directly to her flacks and not into her bank account. We're told Carrie personally gets zilch. What Carrie walks away with: Her book comes out on Monday and we're told the Pageant won't fight her for writing it without its permission."

Sean Penn's son arrested at school.

Blu Dot tracks NYC abandoned chairs in "curb-mining" experiment.

Foundation for Reconciliation to deliver 2,000 signatures to Mormon leaders: "About 50 people are expected to deliver the petition to the offices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Wednesday. Organizer Cheryl Nunn of Santa Cruz, Calif., says the petition is a reaction to the Salt Lake City-based church's support for Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot initiative that banned gay marriage in California."

Brad Pitt dresses up his beard with beads.

Facebook: the movie?

Seattle gay rights pioneer Paul Barwick reflects on applying for a marriage license in King County, Washington in 1971: We knew they weren't going to give us one, but damn it, they were going to have to tell us no to escort us out the door."

Early marriage equality advocates?

Gay Annapolis alderman candidate to file complaint over gay 'child molester' smears.

Dallas Morning News corrects article labeling OUT and The advocate "alternative lifestyle magazines."

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison recommends gay man as U.S. Attorney: "Some Republicans are vehemently and unapologetically not ready for that. That could make it even harder for Hutchison to woo social conservatives in her bid to outflank and oust Gov. Rick Perry in March. "

Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga to hawk MAC lipstick for AIDS fund: "MAC Viva Glam Gaga Lipstick and Viva Glam Cyndi Lipstick, $14 each, will launch in North America on March 18 and globally throughout the month, with 100 percent of the proceeds being donated to the MAC AIDS Fund."

News: Catholics, Malaysia, Barbra Streisand, Wisconsin, The Moon

WaPo: 7,000 gay men have helped study AIDS in the past 25 years.

Facebook kills poll asking if Obama should be killed. Secret service investigates. UPDATE: Secret Service tracks down user who posted it.

Too Much! Salaries of The Hills cast per episode.

"Ex-gay" group calls hate crime laws "anti-ex-gay": "According to PFOX, hate crime laws protecting gays and lesbians themselves constitute hate crimes against ex-gays. Because if you tell people that they can’t beat up people because they’re gay, you discriminate against the people who beat up gay people because they are gay! It is you who are committing the “anti-ex-gay hate crime,” because if people aren’t allowed to hate gay people, how will PFOX ever find any ex-gay people?"

Atlanta Eagle court hearing postponed a second time.

Malaysia bans Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno: "It's banned because the story is based on gay life ... There are a lot of sex scenes. It's contrary to our culture."

Isn't it a little early to hit the pumpkin patch, Hugh Jackman?

DJ AM death ruled accidental.

The Vatican defends its sexual abuse scandals by saying other churches are far worse, then claims their priests aren't pedophiles but homosexuals attracted to young men: "In a defiant and provocative statement, issued following a meeting of the UN human rights council in Geneva, the Holy See said the majority of Catholic clergy who committed such acts were not paedophiles but homosexuals attracted to sex with adolescent males.…The statement said that rather than paedophilia, it would 'be more correct' to speak of ephebophilia, a homosexual attraction to adolescent males."

Maine's Catholics fast to save marriage.

Janet Jackson makes amfAR appearance in Milan.

NYT Consults blog on questioning teens: "In trying to understand sexual orientation, it can help a person to think about who he or she has crushes on and fantasizes about being with. A person doesn’t necessarily need to have a 'full' sexual experience in order to understand his or her sexual orientation."

Australian court hears gay panic defense from two men in murder trial.

Gerard Butler pigs out, shows off his cock.

Mattel to offer Barbra Streisand doll.

Billboards in Wisconsin highlight LGBT neighbors: "The campaign is a first in Midwest history to be translated to Spanish, and one of the firsts across the country. Digital billboards will be featured on major commuter freeway paths, which include ads in Ozaukee, Racine, Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties. The accompanying websites, GayNeighbor.org and MiVecinoGay.org, answers basic questions in Spanish and English about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender (LGBT) community and issues they face."

The speech William Safire wrote for Richard Nixon if the astronauts were left stranded on the moon.

Rufus Wainwright: Cheese-eating Ken doll.

OMG interviews Karin Dreijer Andersson of Fever Ray and The Knife.

Graham Norton given warning about lesbian remark: "Norton, 46, and his programme team have now been warned about 'being seen to endorse offensive sexual stereotypes' after a BBC investigation. This comes after a viewer complained about the remarks made about an illustration of a jump suit invention, which showed a large woman with short hair. The comic described the picture as showing a 'strange lesbian' and when asked what a lesbian looks like, he pointed at the picture and said 'That!'."

News: Kris Allen, Facebook, Grizzly Bears, Mark Foley, Houston

Project Gaydar: Your secret, if you have one, is not safe with Facebook.

Meet the father of Prop 8.

Anderson Cooper needs a ride.

Ossett, UK man targeted by three men in attack: "All I can think is that they picked on me because I am gay. It's all a bit of a blur, all I remember is being laid out on the floor and waiting for the ambulance to arrive."

Grizzly Bears face huge population drops in Canada.

Command Sergeant Major Teresa L. King is the Army's first female top drill sergeant: "The eighth of 12 children, the sergeant major is the daughter of a sharecropper who grew cucumbers and tobacco near Fort Bragg, N.C. Her first job in the Army was as a postal clerk, a traditional position for women in those days."

Guess who's returning to Melrose Place?

Lindsey Graham on Obama: “If you asked me if the president of the United States is a socialist, I would say no. I think he’s an American liberal, that’s what I think he is. You know, Ted Kennedy was an American liberal, but we found ways to work together.”

Listen: Kris Allen drops first single.

Human Rights Campaign "endorses" National Equality March. AIDS rally and candelight vigil scheduled.

South Florida radio listeners to get inside Mark Foley's mind tonight.

Australian politico comes out, wins praise.

Houston mayor candidate Annise Parker attacked by anti-gay group: "Annise Parkers lifestyle that of being a HOMOSEXUAL is not the proper role model to lead the fourth largest city in the United States. The Bible speaks clearly against the lifestyle she represents, James 1:8 says, ‘A double minded man is confused in all his ways’. She does not believe in what the scripture says about her lifestyle which in return means she doesn’t believe in God."

Netflix awards million dollar prize to team for improving its online recommendations system.

Hugh Jackman kicks off Climate Week NYC.

Robbie Williams to reunite with Take That for one night only?

Montana gays and lesbians hold summit in Bozeman: "The first [summit] was to start networking so we’re not inventing the wheel, to see what everyone’s doing in the area and see what resources are available in the state. This year we’re bringing together up to 35 or 40 organizations to identify common challenges faced by the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community, so we can come together and support ourselves throughout the state. It’s been very fragmented in the past."

GYM sportsbar opening in Los Angeles, in the old Normandie Room space.

Buju Banton show axed in Richmond, Virginia.

Tom Cruise shows off his jogging hair.

20 protest outside "ex-gay" conference near Melbourne, Australia: "They waved placards that read 'Hands off queer kids' and 'You can’t straighten me out', and had a heated debate with organisers about whether it’s possible to become straight."

News: Dancing with the Gays, Caffeine Fix & a "Racebook" Scandal

Out.com launches Web series Show and Tell, featuring Bruno Tonioli, Robert Gant, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Lady Bunny and Chad Allen in short, instructional dance vignettes that end with same-sex professionals demonstrating proper technique. What would Nigel Lythgoe say? (Oh, right—nobody cares.)

The marriage-equality flag attracts some stars.

 Horrors! Is the horror community more accepting of zombies than of its gay roots and gay fans?

Filmmaker Ken Russell's favorite gay-friendly films of all time are his own—The Music Lovers, Women in Love and The Rainbow. His other picks are as diversified as Longtime Companion and Flawless (!).

Might caffeine slow the progress of—or even reverse—Alzheimer's?

President Obama is on track to be "the most successful Oval Office occupant in more than half a century when measured by his ability to get Congress to vote his way." How 'bout sprinkling some of that fairy dust on gay issues? Meanwhile, he can't see Russia from his house, but he's seeing eye to eye with President Medvedev.

 Get a $10 discount if you mention Towleroad at the box office of Ari Gold's brand-new show The Making of a Gay Pop Star tonight at 7 p.m. at Dixon Place, 161 Chrystie Street, New York City. Offer good in person and with cash only.

Audra Shay, vice chairperson of the Young Republicans and in the running to be its chairman soon, has a Facebook page that attracts racist goons. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she allowed the hate speech to happen unabated and even replied, "You tell em Eric! lol" to one poster who said we "need to take this country back from all these mad coons.......and illegals." Screengrabs and more context at the Daily Beast.

News: Whitney Houston, Syria, James Franco, Gay Ice Cream

NYT tells New York Senate: Vote on marriage equality.

Actor David Carradine found hanged in hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand.

She's written a letter to daddy.

Real Housewife of New Jersey Danielle Staub fights back against anti-gay slurs: ""If you wanna do that thing that Italian guys do out here in Jersey, do it, but I'm taking offense by it."

Ed Westwick gives good face.

Whitney Houston to return: album release date set.

Gays in Syria beginning to come out: "Most of those behind the bold move are born into the urban middle-class, "the driving force behind homosexual emancipation," adds the young reporter, speaking to AFP on condition that he not be identified. 'It's on the Internet that they truly come out,' he adds. The world wide web is a way for gays to 'overcome social restrictions' and unwind in safe anonymity, or to build up a circle of acquaintances, he says. Some 200 Syrian gays banded together to form a group labelled 'I'm just like you' which published an appeal for tolerance."

Eminem discusses Bruno stunt: "I'm thrilled that we pulled this off better than we rehearsed it."

Sacha Baron Cohen sued for Bruno Bingo stunt.

James Franco pulls out of UCLA commencement speaking engagement: "I deeply regret not being able to keep my commitment to giving the commencement speech at UCLA's graduation this year. Unfortunately the date conflicts with me needing to be on location to begin pre-production on my next film. I wish everyone in the 2009 class the best of luck in all of their future endeavors." Or, you know, maybe this is why.

Sit-in held at site of Cincinnati-area gay bashing.

NGLTF reports reveal need for religious voices in fight for equality. Report author: "The findings of these two reports are highly relevant for future battles on marriage and family equality because these are deeply moral issues. Faith voices have much to contribute to the debate and authentic religious-secular partnerships are essential to achieving human and civil rights for LGBT Americans."

KRXQ radio host Rob Williams and Arnie States incite violence against transgender children.

Documentary about NYC Restaurateur Florent to show at New York's New Fest.

Are Twitter and Facebook robbing us of compassion?

Tolerance lacking at Virginia law schools?

Scoop: Big Gay Ice Cream Truck coming to the streets of NYC.

Sundance Channel celebrates Pride with digital shorts.

Lesbian couple allege discrimination at Fresno hospital: "Orbin said the paramedic told the nurse on duty that she had collapsed after marching 14 miles for civil rights, and the nurse gave her a dirty look and said 'ooooh.'  She continued, 'I asked if Teresa could come back with me, but the nurse told me I was in a no visitor zone. When I asked her why everyone else had visitors, she said 'those people are different'."

News: Eminem, Pilot Whales, Outfest, Tel Aviv, Jesus Luz, Tim Kaine

DNC Chair Tim Kaine issues LGBT Pride month statement.

Second 'Million Fag March' held near Topeka's Westboro Baptist Church: "Love, who organized the march, said he picked the Gage Park location because it is the same place Westboro leader and anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps began staging his protests in 1991."

Guess which celebrity turned down the offer Eminem accepted to be the butt of Bruno's MTV Movie Awards joke.

Obama names new Army Secretary, Rep. John McHugh: few clues as to position on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

Zachary Quinto grows a John Waters pornstache.

Washington Post on the Robert Wone murder case: "So began a real-life parlor mystery -- an unsolved killing and alleged coverup in the guest room of an elegant home in the heart of Washington's gay community, with a trio of seemingly unlikely suspects: a self-described "polyamorous family" of three men. The bizarre murder that evening of a young Ivy League lawyer named Robert Wone, still grist for gossip and conjecture on the city's gay blogosphere, has vexed police and prosecutors since the 911 call just before midnight Aug. 2, 2006." 

THIS was a laugh-and-a-half last night for its pure pathetic-ness.

Madonna boytoy Jesus Luz gets a dedicated spread in L'Officiel Hommes.

UGLY: The mindset behind Maine's anti-marriage equality petition drive.

Scotland Yard alarmed at rise in homophobic crimes: "Campaigners say anti-gay violence has surged, and Scotland Yard statistics reveal a 9% rise in homophobic and transphobic offences to 1,372 in the year to April...Acting Detective Superintendent Gerry Campbell, of the Metropolitan police, who headed a recent operation against hate crime that led to 292 arrests, said: 'Homophobia cannot be considered a thing of the past, it's on the increase.'"

L.A.'s Outfest film festival announces 2009 line-up: "The impressive list of films and filmmakers involved with this year’s festival include writer-director Peter Bratt’s powerful drama 'La Mission' starring Benjamin Bratt, as the Opening Night Gala; Adam Salky returns to Outfest with his stunning debut feature 'Dare' starring Emmy Rossum, Alan Cumming and Zach Gilford, as the Closing Night Gala."

Johnny Depp does Vanity Fair.

Tel Aviv welcomes Mideast's first gay clinic?

Blue whales heard singing off New York coast for first time.

55 Pilot whales die in mass stranding in South Africa: "Authorities shot dozens of exhausted whales that beached on a shore near South Africa's storm-lashed southern tip Saturday amid scenes of grief and despair from volunteers who had tried to save them."

Nadine Smith: No excuses. No delays. Do we really mean it?

TIME: How to come out on Facebook...

Band of Thebes looks at the new exhibition at the New York Public Library: 1969: The Year of Gay Liberation. "Fifteen years ago, in honor of Stonewall 25, the library held a huge lgbt show in the premiere gallery on the first floor, complete with giant pink triangle banner outside, emblazoned with 'Becoming Visible.' Now for the 40th anniversary, we get half the hallway on the third floor."

Gay Ugandan immigrant deported from Britain and then returned is now suing the Home Office: "The 38-year-old originally fled to Britain in 2001, fearing that being gay - which in Uganda can result in life imprisonment or even death - put his life in danger. He had an outstanding application for a judicial review on his case when he was taken by four security men and bundled on to a flight to Kampala on September 18, 2008."