A Brothers and Sisters Gay Union Preview

That's one fine looking couple.

[[WARNING: SPOILERS]]

USA Today visited the set of the big Brothers and Sisters commitment ceremony and collected quotes from some of the regulars.

Matthew Rhys, on the wedding cake topper: "Is it a man and a woman? Oh, it's two men. Fantastic. There were jokes made that they wouldn't be able to find two men, so they'd have to doctor the woman by adding a moustache. It's all very progressive, evolved and about time."

Rhys on the ceremony and wardrobe: "Luke and I were rehearsing who was to stand where, which would put one of us in the woman's position, and a few comments were made. And neither of us was going to wear a white suit while the other wore black."

Calista Flockhart: "It's a milestone, and I was really quite pleased that I got to be a part of it."

Rob Lowe: "It's pretty romantic in there."

Chad Lowe, who was visiting the set: "I'm here to witness history."

Balthazar Getty on Dave Annable's character being best man: "Dave's been locked in his dressing room, crying."

Annable: "Balthazar couldn't handle not being best man."

And here are some additional SPOILERS: "the liberal-leaning show does attempt to recognize those who oppose gay marriage by introducing Scotty's disapproving parents, who skip the ceremony. That volatile relationship is expected to be explored in Season 3. Another possibility: children.

Luke Macfarlane: "Kitty makes a speech about Scotty and Kevin building a family, which hopefully is foreshadowing."

Executive producer Monica Breen: "They will be a family. Kevin deserves a stable relationship in the same way that Kitty, Sarah and all the others deserve it. He will be facing many questions in his life — but now he has someone to share that with."

And if you missed it, last week's proposal, AFTER THE JUMP...

Top this: A gay ceremony on ABC's 'Brothers & Sisters' [usa today]

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Moldova Kicks Off Pride Festivities with Symbolic Gay Marriage

The small Republic of Moldova, sandwiched between Romania and the Ukraine in eastern Europe, kicked off its Pride festivities yesterday, a feat unto itself as such observances have in previous years been banned. The weekend's not over yet, however, and organizers hope to stage a parade. Here's what happened last year after officials banned the parade from taking place in the capital of Chisinau.

This year, according to gay groups there, it looks like the parade is a go. They write: "The public manifestation will be held under the slogan “All different – all equal” and it coincides with the celebration of the 10th anniversary of GenderDoc-M work in Moldova. The manifestation will take place on Sunday, 11 May from 11 till 12 a.m. the route of the manifestation is planned to start at the National Library and head to the Central Square of the City. We do hope that this year LGBT community will be able to benefit from the new law and nobody will ban it as previous years."

Yesterday's symbolic wedding ceremony included two brides wearing masks, and a fire breather. That's hot!

Moldova became independent from the former Soviet Union in 1991.

First time in Moldovan history LGBT community will have legal public manifestation [gay.md]

Previously
Moldovan Gays Protest Ban on Gay Pride [tr]

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News: Orcas, Dax Shepard, Homecoming King, Alabama

NPR runs heartbreaking piece on two boys who identify as girls: "It’s really hard for him. He’ll disappear and close a door, and we’ll find him playing with dolls and Polly Pockets and … the stuff that he’s drawn to...He really struggles with the color pink. He really struggles with the color pink."

Dax Shepard appears to be acting out the role of Abercrombie door dude in the new film When in Rome.

Neil Patrick Harris's Barney shows off his new trophy date, Britney Spears. Watch it.

Jay Bakker to spend Mother's Day in honor of the late Tammy Faye pressuring megachurch pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church to sit down and talk to LGBT activist group Soulforce: "I want to celebrate my mother's life, and help spread the message she lived and preached. We need to stop thinking of ourselves as 'us' and 'them.' We hope the families of Lakewood Church will open their hearts and minds to us and sit down and have a conversation and share a meal. ... Let's put our differences aside and share the love and hope of Christ."

Details on the first dates of Madonna's "Sticky and Sweet" world tour.

Arizona Christian group Alliance Defense Fund has hand in New York same-sex marriage cases.

Shawnee Mission East High School loves its gay Homecoming King.

Investigators say photographers won't be charged for photos of teenage water polo players that turned up on gay porn websites: "The Orange County district attorney's office says a four-month investigation determined Scott Cornelius and Allen Rockwell didn't commit any crimes. Cornelius, a University of California, Irvine, police employee currently on paid leave, is still being investigated by the university to determine if he violated college policies. Photographs of youths as young as 14 taken by Cornelius and Rockwell appeared on homosexual pornographic Web sites. But district attorney's office spokeswoman Farrah Emami says 'legally there were no criminal charges we could file.'"

Killer whales photographed hunting dolphins for the first time ever.

Matt Foreman's new perspective.

Your money's worth: Mario Lopez embroiled in Broadway bicep controversy.

Two card stud.

Alabama legislature passes two pro-gay bills: "In an email from State Rep. Patricia Todd, she announced that the Alabama House of Representatives passed the Hate Crimes Bill sponsored by Rep. Alvin Holmes of Montgomery by a vote of 46 to 44, mostly along party lines. While the fate of the bill is unsure as it moves to the Senate, this is huge progress, as the legislation was defeated last year. Also passed (unanimously) was an anti-bullying bill sponsored by Rep. Betty Carol Graham of Alexander City and Sen. Parker Griffith of Huntsville. This is also going to to the Senate."

Truce Off: McGreevey's fail to reach a settlement in their divorce trial.

Don't sit on the benches in New York subway stations unless you want bedbugs.

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News: Thomas Roberts, Penguins, Jason Castro, Kylie Minogue

New York high court refuses to strike down state's recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriage: "The Court of Appeals declined yesterday to review the mid-level appellate court's decision to recognize the couple's Canadian marriage, the first such ruling by an appellate court in New York State. For now, that lower court decision remains binding across the state."

Thomas Roberts talks to The Advocate about the news industry's glass ceiling for gays: "It’s funny that people think I got fired from CNN. I left CNN on my accord: I resigned from my contract because of personal reasons. I never dealt with anything but respect and kindness. There’s a great misconception. I’ve worked my ass off, I’ve been fortunate, and luck doesn’t hurt either. If people don’t like that I’m gay or that I talk about being gay, I’m sorry. Because that’s not my problem."

American Idol's resident stoner Jason Castro has his own hot doll, complete with dreads, and it can be yours.

A-Rod faints as daughter is born.

Have any questions for Chace Crawford?

Filipino Archbishop defends right of gays to participate in Santacruzans: "If they are devotees, they are religious and they look decent, I believe they have the right to join in. I think it would be better for us to see gays who act formally and decently in the Santacruzan rather than young and beautiful women who are not clean and [are] immoral."

Gay penguin book And Tango Makes Three is "most objected to" library book in America for second year straight: "Other books on the ALA's top 10 list include Maya Angelou's memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, in which the author writes of being raped as a young girl; Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, long attacked for alleged racism; and Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass, an anti-religious work in which a former nun says: 'The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake.'"

Three teenage girls admit to tagging school and vehicles with racial, vulgar and homophobic messages in Wisconsin.

Moldova hopes to hold its first Gay Pride ever: "Organisers of the Gay Pride in Moldova – 'Rainbow over the Dniester' – are hopeful of being able to stage a parade this year in the country’s capital, Chisinau. The Pride is the seventh to be organised, but in previous years the parade has been banned by the authorities. 'During three previous consecutive years, public authorities have banned the public manifestations on various pretexts,' said a spokesperson for GenderDoc-M, the Pride organisers. 'This year after we applied to the City Hall to inform the authorities about planned public manifestation within the Pride, we got the information, which gave us hope.'"

Kylie Minogue show hot out of the gates in Paris.

One benefit to having a fat ass.

Rhode Island lawmakers to debate bills that would allow same-sex couples married elsewhere to divorce in that state: "Lawmakers filed the divorce bill after Rhode Island's Supreme Court ruled in December that a lesbian couple married in Massachusetts cannot divorce in Rhode Island, where they live. Massachusetts is the only state to legalize gay marriage."

Looks like Dick Cheney's gone hunting again.

John Travolta is a subway terrorist.

White House admits it is missing email backups from start of Iraq war: "The White House acknowledged in a court filing last night that it no longer has backup tapes of email from between March 1 and May 22, 2003, a period that includes the beginning of the Iraq war. Yesterday's filing is the latest development in the ongoing White House emails lawsuit, in which two non-profits, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and the National Security Archive (NSA), are suing to force the administration to recover any missing emails and institute a more effective email archiving system."

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Pennsylvania Senate to Vote on Same-Sex Marriage Ban

Yesterday, a Pennsylvania Senate committee voted 18-8 to send Senate Bill 1250, which would place a measure on the ballot banning same-sex marriage, to the full Senate for a vote. The measure must be approved in two consecutive legislative sessions for it to be placed on the ballot.

Following the vote, lawmakers attended a boisterous rally against the ban in the Capitol:

"Senate Bill 1250, which is meant to bolster the state's 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which already prohibits same-sex marriage, "is disheartening and discriminatory," said Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park. 'It's marriage mischief -- an attempt to enshrine bigotry in the state constitution,' he told an angry crowd of 200 protesters gathered in the Capitol rotunda. 'Politicians always want to get into your wallet, but now many politicians, some Democrats as well as Republicans, want to get into your bedroom.' Other opponents of the constitutional amendment included Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, and Democratic Sens. Vincent Fumo of Philadelphia and Connie Williams of Delaware County. 'When the basic rights of any group are threatened, then no one's rights are safe,' said Mr. Fumo, amid echoing chants of 'Stop this bill! Stop this bill!'...'Freedom is at risk in the bill,' said Mr. Fumo, whose South Philadelphia district includes considerable numbers of gay and lesbian voters. 'It's possible this legislative body could embed discrimination in our constitution by taking away the rights of a group of people based on their sexuality.'"

UPDATE: The Senate has tabled the bill, as it sees no chance of it passing in the House.

AFTER THE JUMP, a news report from NBC10 on the vote and rally...

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News: Tom Hanks, Costume Gala, McCain Judges, Santacruzans

House owned by gay escort to socialites James Hunt Barker burns in Palm Beach, Florida.

Britney back as Neil Patrick Harris' trophy gal on How I Met Your Mother.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual Costume Institute gala was themed Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy, but I didn't see many capes or codpieces.

Matthew McConaughey to play Captain America?

In anticipation of Brothers and Sisters' big gay wedding this weekend, GLAAD has put together a handy reference guide to weddings of same-sex couples on broadcast networks.

Publishers Weekly on the state of gay book publishing: "In my view, it is clear that today there is less and less visible publishing of gay and lesbian books. Carroll & Graf, Alyson and Harrington Park Press—in recent years the most energetic publishers of gay/lesbian fiction and nonfiction—have all either failed, drastically reduced their list of GLBT titles, or have been undergoing serial management/ownership changes. As for what most folks would consider the mainstream publishing houses, they are publishing far less of what could credibly be labeled 'gay or lesbian books' than they were 10 years ago. But what I find more distressing is that even those books that they do publish are packaged and promoted in such a way as to downplay or ignore the gay or lesbian aspect of the book."

"Official celebrity" Tom Hanks releases video endorsement of Barack Obama.

Beloved Provincetown local "Dixie" dies in accident at home.

McCain wooing conservatives with promises on judges: "McCain promised to appoint judges who, in the mold of Roberts and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, are likely to limit the reach of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. 'They would serve as the model for my own nominees if that responsibility falls to me,' McCain said in his prepared speech."

McCain aides attribute Hagee endorsement to "poor vetting": "McCain’s aides attribute the Hagee controversy to poor vetting. But even some Republicans (not affiliated with the campaign) privately wonder how the pastor’s extreme views slipped through without notice. McCain personally wooed Hagee for more than a year." Frank Rich: "Any 12-year-old with a laptop could have vetted this preacher in 30 seconds, tops."

Is Banksy the Michelangelo of graffiti?

If Brad Pitt and U2's The Edge were a gay couple with a family, this is what it might look like.

Filipino Cardinal bans gay Santacruzans: "Parishes that allow cross-dressing homosexuals to play female saints in religious festivals are insulting the Virgin Mary, the nation’s top Catholic cleric said Monday. 'We should keep sacred what is sacred,' Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said as he admonished parishes for allowing male homosexuals to play Saint Helena and other female roles traditionally given to local beauty queens. But leaders of the gay community maintained that “Marian devotees” among them deserved a place in the Maytime tradition."

Ian Strachan to appeal conviction for gay blackmail of British Royal.

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Mildred Loving Dies

Mildred Loving, whose 1967 Supreme Court case against the state of Virginia over interracial marriage resulted in the banishment of the last of the nation's segregation laws, died on May 2 at the age of 68. The final sentence in Loving's NYT obituary makes note of her June 2007 statement to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia.

Said Loving at the conclusion of that statement:

"The older generation’s fears and prejudices have given way, and today’s young people realize that if someone loves someone they have a right to marry. Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the “wrong kind of person” for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights. I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about."

May she rest in peace.

Read the full, powerful statement AFTER THE JUMP...

***STATEMENT by MILDRED LOVING***

Loving for All

By Mildred Loving

Prepared for Delivery on June 12, 2007,
The 40th Anniversary of the Loving vs. Virginia Announcement

When my late husband, Richard, and I got married in Washington, DC in 1958, it wasn’t to make a political statement or start a fight. We were in love, and we wanted to be married.

We didn’t get married in Washington because we wanted to marry there. We did it there because the government wouldn’t allow us to marry back home in Virginia where we grew up, where we met, where we fell in love, and where we wanted to be together and build our family. You see, I am a woman of color and Richard was white, and at that time people believed it was okay to keep us from marrying because of their ideas of who should marry whom.

When Richard and I came back to our home in Virginia, happily married, we had no intention of battling over the law. We made a commitment to each other in our love and lives, and now had the legal commitment, called marriage, to match. Isn’t that what marriage is?

Not long after our wedding, we were awakened in the middle of the night in our own bedroom by deputy sheriffs and actually arrested for the “crime” of marrying the wrong kind of person. Our marriage certificate was hanging on the wall above the bed. The state prosecuted Richard and me, and after we were found guilty, the judge declared: “Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.” He sentenced us to a year in prison, but offered to suspend the sentence if we left our home in Virginia for 25 years exile.

We left, and got a lawyer. Richard and I had to fight, but still were not fighting for a cause. We were fighting for our love.

Though it turned out we had to fight, happily Richard and I didn’t have to fight alone. Thanks to groups like the ACLU and the NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund, and so many good people around the country willing to speak up, we took our case for the freedom to marry all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. And on June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that, “The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men,” a “basic civil right.”

My generation was bitterly divided over something that should have been so clear and right. The majority believed that what the judge said, that it was God’s plan to keep people apart, and that government should discriminate against people in love. But I have lived long enough now to see big changes. The older generation’s fears and prejudices have given way, and today’s young people realize that if someone loves someone they have a right to marry.

Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the “wrong kind of person” for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights.

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.

***END STATEMENT***

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News: Polaroid, McGreevey Trial, Banksy, Van Hansis

Anti-gay evangelical preacher stabbed to death in Perth, Australia.

Photographers, artists bitter over Polaroid's demise: "'Now what the hell am I supposed to do?' asks John Waters, who’s shot a Polaroid of each person who’s come into his apartment since 1992—friends, interviewers, deliverymen, everyone. 'Digital isn’t instant gratification, and those cameras don’t make that sexy sound.'"

Self-described 'YouTube Superstar' Tricia Walsh-Smith may join The Real Housewives of New York City.

Is Jake Gyllenhaal getting Nailed?

Till death: McGreevey divorce trial begins Tuesday. "Legal analysts expect New Jersey's former first couple will approach new lows, even for divorce court. 'I'm not going to tell you this is going to be the worst case ever in the history of New Jersey divorces,' said Charles Abut, a matrimonial lawyer who operates the New Jersey Family Law blog. 'But I think if you asked longtime matrimonial lawyers, 'Give me the your top 10 worst,' this one is going to appear on everyone's list.' The proceedings, which are expected to last up to six weeks in Elizabeth's Union County Courthouse, have been divided into three sections. Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy has said she will rule separately on each part: Custody of the couple's 6-year-old daughter, Jacqueline; the amount of child support and alimony McGreevey must pay Matos McGreevey; and, finally, Matos McGreevey's claim McGreevey defrauded her, tricking her into a marriage of political convenience even though he knew he was gay."

In March I posted about the appointment of Yale music professor and singer Richard Lalli to Yale residential college master, one of the school's highest recognitions. Now the Hartford Courant has profiled Lalli.

Frank Rich wonders why the media is ignoring John Hagee...

Indiewire talks to gay filmmaker Arthur Dong: "As a gay Asian American filmmaker I'd be naive to think that anti-gay bigotry and racism has not affected the opportunities or lack thereof in terms of my work. But the way I confront it is to first acknowledge whatever factors I think might be there, and then forge ahead anyway with that knowledge. We all have thrust upon us unwanted external forces that we have no control over, whoever we are, and if we allow them to be barriers (excuses?) to our goals, then we may as well give it up because perseverance, passion, and stamina is a must for independent filmmakers."

Inside Banksy's CANS Exhibit.

John Mayer asks for hair Haikus.

T.R. Knight and Mark Cornelsen already planning for children. Knight: “I wouldn’t rule [adoption] out at all. I think it would be adopting versus any other route. But yeah. I mean, there are a lot of kids who need homes.”

FOX News radio host John Gibson mocks MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, lesbians.

As the World Turns' Van Hansis reportedly dating fellow actor Tyler Hanes.

Australian Capitol Territory forced to back down on civil partnerships: "The ACT decision comes as the deeply religious Mr Rudd faces growing attack from Christian groups over his Government's decision to remove discrimination against gays from all other federal laws. Mr Corbell yesterday accused the Rudd Government of breaking a commitment to the states and territories to allow them to legislate as they saw fit. The legislation, which was quashed by the Howard government in 2006, would have allowed gay couples to have their relationships recognised in a legally binding ceremony."

Gay powerlifter Chris Morgan reaches World Championships.

Israeli court denies restraining order against gay man's former partner because nation's family and domestic violence laws do not apply to gay partnerships: "The complainant told the court that the former lover, a younger man who had lived in his Ramat Gan home with him for two years, was abusing him psychologically. He argued that as common-law partner he was entitled to the protection of the family court."

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Gay Frenchman Loses Citizenship Over Dutch Same-Sex Marriage

Frederic Minvielle, a gay Frenchman who has been living in the Netherlands for six years and married a Dutch man in 2003, has lost his French citizenship because of the marriage, Time reports:

"Although the Franco-Dutch immigration treaty pertaining to his situation generally forces nationals from one country to surrender their original citizenship when naturalized in the other, there is a key exception that allows dual citizenship accorded through marriage. Minvielle figured that would work for him. 'France does not recognize marriage between people of the same sex as the Netherlands does, and therefore considers Mr. Minvielle an unwed man living with another man,' explains Minvielle's French lawyer, Caroline Mecary. Because of that, she says, France has applied the bilateral accord the way it would to any single French national adopting Dutch nationality: by revoking French citizenship."

Gay Marriage Costs Him Citizenship [time]

A French news report, AFTER THE JUMP, for those of you who speak the language.

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Lesbian Methodists Hold Union Ceremony in Defiance of Church

Last week I posted about the anti-gay vote and subsequent 300-strong protest that went down at the United Methodist Church's convention in Fort Worth, Texas.

Methodist delegates voted to keep the statement that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching, reject a measure that would have changed the church's definition of marriage to include same-sex unions, and approve a resolution opposing homophobia and discrimination against lesbians or gays.

As another act of defiance, 200 people attend the commitment ceremony of Julie Bruno, right, and her partner Sue Laurie, at a park across from the convention center where the vote was held.

The AP reports: "At the ceremony, some said that acceptance of gays in some churches encouraged them but that the denomination as a whole had a long way to go. No clergy member presided over the commitment ceremony of Julie Bruno and Sue Laurie of Chicago, a couple for 25 years, although about three dozen ministers attended...'The United Methodist Church has been and continues to be both blessing and burden to us,' said Julie Bruno, one of the women getting married. 'When the church turns her back on us, withholds blessing from us, does God withhold blessing? Does God stop loving us? We continue to be the church to and for each other. We continue to be the instruments of God's light and love.'"

Previously
300 Protestors Disrupt Methodist Convention Over Anti-gay Vote [tr]

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'Dead or Alive' Singer Pete Burns: Gays too Predatory for Marriage

Former Dead or Alive singer Pete Burns has split with his partner Michael Simpson 10 months after entering into a civil partnership, and he's bitter, very bitter.

Burns slams gay relationships and civil partnerships to The Daily Mail, lamenting that heterosexual marriages are more genuine and longing for his former wife of 28 years, stylist Lynne Corlett.

According to the Mail, "he had been 'optimistic' about his civil partnership, but now he says: 'I learned the hard way. It's a total joke.' Burns accused Simpson, 40, of being unfaithful and admitted he felt disillusioned. Burns added that some gay couples had 'open marriages' where the partners could be unfaithful. He said: 'There's a lot of promiscuity in the gay community. I don't understand why they take that union. How low is their self-esteem? One's on Hampstead Heath meeting men, the other one's hiring rent boys. 'Surely marriage is throwing anchor and saying, 'This is where I'm staying, I've made my choice and this is all I want because I've been on the up and down escalator, through the revolving door and I want to stand still.' That's what I expected."

Added Burns: "I view marriage as a sacred institution. I think two men naturally are predators. Gay relationships are a commercial break, not a whole movie. The relationships I'm aware of, apart from one ... it's as though there's some kind of emotional inadequacy or narcissism, where they feel emotionally inadequate and need more validation, from either a father figure or a mirror image of themselves. "I'm not condemning it, I think it needs researching and help...Would I get married again? If somebody knocked me on the head with a nine-inch nail-studded plank or drugged me with benzodiazepine ... No, no, no."

Previously
'Dead or Alive' singer Pete Burns Sues After Disfiguring Lip Job [tr]
A Jack and Jill Party [tr]

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T.R. Knight and Mark Cornelsen Betrothed?

E!'s Marc Malkin speculates that T.R. Knight and Mark Cornelsen may be one of the couples set to take part in a mass commitment ceremony, hosted by Knight, in West Hollywood on June 4:

"About 50 couples will take part in the ceremony presided by West Hollywood Mayor Jeffrey Prang and witnessed by Shepard’s mom, Judy to mark the start of National Gay Pride Month. Couples will also be wearing Erase Hate pendants, from Love and Pride jewelry line designer Udi Behr."

Of course Malkin uses the word "tie the knot" and we know gays in California don't get that level of dignity in California - yet. Which may be a good thing, considering Knight and Cornelsen have been dating for less than six months.

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Gay New York Couple Holds Sit-in, Demands Marriage License

Oyster Bay on New York's Long Island was the site of a same-sex marriage demonstration as gay couple Dan Pinello, 58, and Lee Nissensohn, 50 walked in to the Oyster Bay clerk's office yesterday afternoon and held a symbolic sit-in, demanding that they be issued a New York marriage license. Pinello and Nissensohn have been together 13 years.

Pinello and Nissensohn knew they would not be issued one, but sat in the office until they were issued tickets for trespassing. Outside, a crowd of nearly 60 supporters (mostly strangers) held signs and chanted. The supporters were among those who had been sent letters by the couple announcing their intention to make this act of civil disobedience.

Said Pinello, a government professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice: "We are law-abiding citizens. We pay our taxes. We have no other choice left."

Newsday reports: "The goal of the couple's 'act of civil disobedience' - as they called it - was to persuade Sen. Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset) to pressure State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Brunswick) to take a bill that would allow same-sex marriage to the Senate floor for a vote. A Marcellino spokeswoman has said the senator supports state law, which says marriage is between a man and a woman. Bruno has said he is against the bill. The bill, which was co-sponsored by the couple's own senator, Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington), remains in the judiciary committee."

Watch NBC4's news report on the sit-in, AFTER THE JUMP...

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NYT Looks at the Young Gay Newlywed Game

The New York Times published a major Sunday magazine piece on the new crop of young, 20-something newlyweds that Massachusetts' marriage laws have spawned. Here's a bit of it:

"Most of the couples insisted they shared those responsibilities in 'an egalitarian way.' While Joshua occasionally referred to himself as a 'gay housewife,' other young gay married men bristled at the notion that they would fashion their domestic lives around heterosexual stereotypes.

"'It never ceases to amaze me how many people will say to us, ‘So, who’s the woman, and who’s the man, in your marriage?’' says Jason Shumaker, who lives in a Boston suburb with his husband, Paul McLoughlin II, who is an assistant dean at Harvard. They met eight years ago when they were 25, and they legally married at 29 (registering to wed on the first day gay couples could do so in Massachusetts). 'I just think that’s the dumbest question ever,' he added. 'Yes, we’re married, but we’re also two guys, so neither one of us has to be ‘the woman.’' (And 'with no ovaries drying up,' as Paul put it, they don’t need to rush into having children. They plan to adopt in the next five years, once Paul finishes his Ph.D. in higher-education administration at Boston College.)

"During a break from opening the door to trick-or-treaters at their home last Halloween, Jason and Paul — who wore matching lizard outfits — told me about the T-shirts they’d donned at the end of their reception. The front of Paul’s shirt read, 'I Am the Husband,' while the back read, 'I Am the Wife.' (Jason’s shirt had the opposite emblazoned on each side.) 'It was fun to make a little bit of a social statement and poke fun at the idea that we would fit neatly into these heterosexual roles,' Jason said."

I think just about anyone who has been in a gay relationship has experienced the curiosity of straight friends as to 'who's the husband, who's the wife?' As for the 50's photos of domestic bliss, I've yet to come across anything that idyllic among any couples I know. But it's not a bad thing to dream.

Young Gay Rites [nyt]

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Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson's Civil Union Set for June

The NYT reports on the upcoming nuptials of Gene Robinson to his partner of 20 years.

Says Robinson: "We could have, I suppose, just gone to the town clerk and had that signed, but, you know, I’m a religious person, and every major event in my life has been marked with some kind of liturgy and giving thanks to God. My hope, is that even some of the more negative bishops will be encouraged by the American participants to come with them and to see that I don’t have horns, or I don’t wear a dress or I don’t fit any of the stereotypes that are often held by people who don’t really know gay people, and in fact will see how normal I am, and to hear about the incredibly normal life I have as a bishop in my diocese."

Robinson has been in the headlines recently because of his snub from the annual Anglican Lambeth conference, for which he says he'll be providing an alternate program, with Sir Ian McKellen as his star attraction.

Gay Bishop Plans His Civil Union Rite [nyt]

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News: Heath Ledger, North Carolina, Op, Michael Cunningham

Michelle Williams says she's been visited by the ghost of Heath Ledger: "The first time, she was woken at night after hearing furniture move. In another 'visitation', she said he apologised to her for not being there to help raise their two-year-old daughter, Matilda. Williams claimed the hauntings helped her grieve."

Remember 'Op' surfwear? It's making a comeback.

Who is Gossip Girl's gay character going to get caught making out with? (SPOILER WARNING)

Pinkberry comes clean on ingredients.

Paper: Mood of 'deep pessimism' pervades AIDS vaccine scientists.

North Carolina adds new rule to Patents' bill of rights ensuring that same-sex partners will get visitation rights: "The rule adds a provision to the Patients’ Bill of Rights, stating: “A patient has the right to designate visitors who shall receive the same visitation privileges as the patient’s immediate family members, regardless of whether the visitors are legally related to the patient.” The right applies to hospitals statewide. 'We know how important it is that patients have their loved ones by their sides, but all too often same-sex partners have been turned away when their partner is hospitalized.' said Ian Palmquist, Executive Director of Equality NC Foundation. 'The new policy will ensure that the patient’s wishes are respected. This is a victory not just for same-sex couples, but for unmarried opposite-sex couples, caregivers, and other loved ones whom the state does not legally recognize.'" Medical decisions are not covered under the new rule.

HUNG: HBO developing series about a guy with a big dick?

Town administrator of Easton, Massachusetts, outside Boston, to marry: "Tomorrow, Easton Town Administrator David Colton will marry his longtime partner, Brian Khoo, an interior designer from Malaysia. It will be a black-tie event. The five Easton selectmen will attend. So will state Senator Brian A. Joyce, a legislative supporter of gay marriage who will deliver a speech on the subject. In a perfect world, Colton said, there would be no need for such a speech at his wedding. And becoming the first gay town administrator in the state to get married would not deserve particular note. But, for now, Colton said, he sees his marriage as a validation of a fight for equality - of his work to become a successful town administrator, regardless of his sexual orientation."

Cristian de la Fuente: stogie daddy.

Check out the trailer for Will Smith's summer superhero movie Hancock.

Game show looking for real-life Will & Grace.

New York theater figure Joe Cino honored with plaque to be mounted on site of historic cafe: "Fifty years ago Joe Cino rented a storefront in New York City’s Greenwich Village in order to open a coffee house, which eventually morphed into what is now regarded as the birthplace of the Off Off Broadway movement and the American Gay Theatre Movement."

Michael Cunningham's The Hours to become an opera?

Variety previews the GLAAD media awards in L.A.: "On occasion, the specifics resonate far beyond the same-sex world and into the mainstream, as when Ang Lee's 'Brokeback Mountain' dominated conversations two years ago or Ellen DeGeneres came out on her eponymous TV show a decade earlier. But not every year can be a banner one, and the work of 2007 being celebrated at this year's ceremonies seems to honor steady progress more than milestone moments."

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GLAAD Pulls Out of Event at Venue Owned by Anti-Gay Developer

GLAAD pulled out of a "Pride Rocks" event scheduled for the summer at San Diego's Manchester Grand Hyatt after discovering that the venue's owner, Doug Manchester, helped fund foes of same-sex marriage and their recent ballot petition drive:

"Manchester, a local developer, contributed $125,000 to a drive to put a same-sex marriage ban before voters in November. Backers of the ban have said this week that they have gathered enough signatures to qualify the proposed constitutional amendment for the ballot. The president of the gay and lesbian alliance , Neil Giuliano, said in a news release that Manchester's decision to fund an initiative that would 'hurt loving, committed gay couples makes it impossible for us' to take part in an event that promotes his hotel. Giuliano urged other members of the gay and lesbian community to withdraw from the event also."

Manchester welcomes gays and lesbians to his hotel and restaurant, the San Diego Union Tribune reports, but doesn't want to see them married.

related
Same-Sex Marriage Foes in California Ready to Submit Petitions [tr]
California High Court Preparing Pro-Gay Ruling on Marriage? [tr]
Schwarzenegger Calls Gay Marriage Ban 'a Total Waste of Time' [tr]

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New Bid to Ban Same-Sex Marriage Moves Forward in Arizona

The Arizona House gave preliminary approval to a new bid to ban same-sex marriage. A similar measure was defeated earlier this month after Kyrsten Sinema (D-Phoenix) attached a clever provision to it that would have made a vote against same-sex marriage also a vote for other rights for unmarried (and gay) couples.

The Arizona Daily Star reports: "This time, though, Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, did not offer that same amendment. Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy, said her group had lobbied to find enough votes to kill the amendment. A final House roll-call vote scheduled for later today will send SCR 1042 to the Senate, which has not yet debated the issue this session. The procedure maneuver used by supporters of the new version of the gay-marriage ban effectively blocks opponents from trying to amend the measure in the Senate."

Sinema refused to comment on what strategies she might have up her sleeve to derail the measure this time. Let's hope she has one.

House gives initial OK to bid to ban gay marriage [arizona daily star]

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Same-Sex Marriage Foes in California Ready to Submit Petitions

The "Protect Marriage" coalition has announced that they've collected more than 1.1 million signatures in support of an amendment banning same-sex marriage in California, enough to get the measure on the ballot:

"The initiative needs 694,354 signatures, or 8 percent of the votes cast in the last governor's race, to make it onto the ballot. 'We have gone against tremendous odds to do this, and now the voters in California will have the chance to protect marriage,' [Brian Brown, executive director of the California office of the National Organization for Marriage] said. Supporters of the Limit on Marriage initiative plan to deliver their signed petitions to county registrars this week, ahead of the April 28 submission deadline set by the California Secretary of State's Office. The signatures must be verified before the amendment can be approved for the election. Although gay men and lesbians cannot legally wed in California, opponents of same-sex unions want the ban written into the state Constitution. In that way, neither the Legislature nor the California Supreme Court can legalize gay marriage without approval from voters."

The California Supreme Court is expected to rule on same-sex marriage before June. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently promised to actively oppose any attempts to amend the constitution, calling it "a total waste of time."

The SF Chronicle reports: "Dan Hawes, an organizer with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force who has spent two months on the effort to keep the initiative from qualifying, said he had never seen such a coordinated attempt to prevent a marriage amendment from making it to the ballot. 'There is a real sense of hope and possibility here because of the court ruling that is coming down in June,' he said. 'The fact that could be taken away in five months is really painful for people who want to marry.'"

Backers of Calif. gay marriage ban ready to submit petitions [sf chronicle]

Recently
Schwarzenegger Calls Gay Marriage Ban 'a Total Waste of Time' [tr]
California High Court Preparing Pro-Gay Ruling on Marriage? [tr]

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Vermont Same-Sex Marriage Commission Releases Report

The Vermont Commission on Family Recognition and Protection, a special panel set up last summer to hold hearings and study the potential impact of offering full marriage equality as opposed to civil unions in the state, released a report today that suggests the state should take steps in that direction, but declines to specifically recommend that:

"The 11-member panel says it decided not to make a final recommendation, because to do so would undercut the purpose of its report. Instead it says it wanted mainly to provide research to help lawmakers make the decision. But in its findings it says a gay marriage law would be a clearer and more direct statement of full equality by the state."

In March, the results of an annual state poll were released showing an eight-percent jump in support for same-sex marriage: "A majority of nearly 7,000 Vermonters completing opinion surveys on Town Meeting Day said they favor same-sex marriage. 54-percent said they support allowing gay couples to marry while 37-percent were opposed."

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Anti-Gay Vatican Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo Dies at 72

Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, who voiced the Vatican's opposition to same-sex marriage, abortion, contraception, and gay adoption, and spread false information about HIV prevention, died of cardiac arrest in Rome over the weekend.

The NYT: "Cardinal Trujillo, a Colombian, served as president of the Pontifical Council for the Family. He often expressed views on sexual issues that stirred contention, most notably in 2003 when he said that condoms did not prevent the spread of AIDS because the virus that causes it, H.I.V., can 'easily pass through.' The World Health Organization quickly responded that condoms were 90 percent effective against transmission and that when they failed, it was usually because of improper use...In 2004, Cardinal Trujillo characterized a proposal in Spain to allow gay marriage as a 'sad step,' and when it was enacted the next year he urged civil officials to refuse to perform such marriages, even at the cost of their jobs."

In 2005, Trujillo said that adoption by gays was a "morally violent" act and destroys the future of children: "People say these children adopted by same sex couples are very happy. Maybe, when they are one or two years old. But when they are able to think for themselves, when they grow up, what a tragedy when they have to say 'my parents are two men, or two women'. Their personality, their stability is put at risk."

Trujillo was 72.

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

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

Armani Exchange holds London briefing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matthew McConaughey channels Jesus.

Rich of FourFour honors the best vagarm in history.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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