Towleroad Guide to the Tube #298

DAVID PATERSON: His press conference on his directive to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages.

MARIAH CAREY: Worst. Pitcher. Ever.

GEORGIA GAY MARRIAGE: Moblogic interviews the people of Georgia on their views on same-sex marriage.

NEW MEXICO: New Mexican congressional hopeful Benny Shendo Jr. gay-baits his opponent Ben Ray Luján. More here.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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News: Georgia, Rauschenberg, Jamaica, John Mayer, Sonoma

First batch of NewNowNext Award winners revealed!

John Mayer gives up on Kristy McNichol haircut, charges fan $10 for photo-op.

Send a personal message of support to Senator Ted Kennedy.

Con man Sonoma County, California attempts to stake claim as same-sex marriage destination.

Who won Dancing with the Stars?

Prayers for Bobby: Sigourney Weaver to play conservative religious mother in Lifetime telepic about gay son's suicide. "In her first telepic role, Weaver will star as Mary Griffith, a devout Christian who winds up becoming an advocate for gay and lesbian youths after her son is driven into a deep depression by his family's disapproval and attempts to 'cure' him of his sexual orientation."

Jamaican prime minister stands behind nation's homophobia: "Jamaica is not going allow values to be imposed on it from outside. We're going to have to determine that ourselves and we're going to have to determine to what extent those values will adapt over time to change, change in perception, change in understanding as to how people live."

Tyler Green on the hetero-normalizing of the late Robert Rauschenberg: "Critics at America's largest publications, including Michael Kimmelman, Alan Artner, Blake Gopnik, Richard Lacayo, and Peter Plagens, mostly avoid the topic. Kimmelman's queasy reference to Jasper Johns, Rauschenberg, and "the intimacy of their relationship" was the closest the Times came to acknowledging that Rauschenberg was gay. The Boston Globe's Mark Feeney, Obit magazine's Phyllis Tuchman and Newsweek's Plagens and others also took the Johns route. The two major papers in Rauschenberg's home state were even more timid."

Court in Malta rules that calling someone "gay" is not defamatory: "Magistrate Michael Mallia ruled that a person’s sexual orientation in the current society was not of social interest bar that of assuring that no discrimination is made. The fact that homosexuality was a criminal offence until 1973, said the magistrate, does not reflect the situation in the 21st century."

Jason Statham has been flogged.

Eric Dane took a few inches off the top.

EU debates sexual preference anti-discrimination guidelines.

Georgia congressman announces plan to introduce federal amendment banning same-sex marriage: "Georgia Congressman Paul Broun announced Tuesday that he will be introducing a constitutional amendment to prevent same-sex marriage in response to a recent decision by the California Supreme Court that recognizes same-sex marriages...'Marriage as an institution exists solely between one man and one woman. Americans have traditionally recognized this definition as being the most beneficial arrangement for the creation of stable family structures and for the upbringing of children. In fact, Americans have repeatedly shown their preference for the traditional definition of one-man, one-woman marriage by passing state and federal laws or by amending state constitutions to preserve the traditional definition,' Broun said."

Hillary Clinton ready for her close-up?

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News: Myanmar, Eddie Cibrian, Coldplay, Hung, Shia LaBeouf

Dutch gay couple have been foster parents to over 100 children.

Even though the death toll could exceed that of the southeast Asian tsunami, the Myanmar government has refused U.S. aid: "The junta not only wouldn't allow U.S. aid planes to fly in badly needed supplies, they also continued to refuse visas to United Nations relief teams trying to get in to make sure the aid gets to the victims. Despite the military clampdown, reports of the horrendous toll the storm was taking on Myanmar's people began trickling out."

Sick: Kardashian sisters make a joke out of Myanmar/Burma situation, record PSA while trying on closet of dresses.

Is Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" single stolen from French pop starlet Alizée? Listen and you be the judge.

Alexander Payne signs on to direct HBO dark comedy Hung, about a man with a huge endowment: "'Hung' revolves around a well-endowed man who is plodding along in middle age as a struggling father and high school coach. The character was once a high school sports legend, and his luck returns when he figures out a way to use his best asset. 'Think of him like Spider-Man,' Burson told Daily Variety last month. 'He's an average guy who gets in touch with his innate superpowers.'"

Turkey's gay magazine Kaos GL just published its 100th edition.

Washington University students, PFLAG in uproar over school's decision to award anti-gay, anti-feminist crusader Phyllis Schlafly an honorary doctorate at May 16 commencement.

Queercents has 10 money questions for DNC Treasurer Andrew Tobias. On political contributions: "Politics is tacky and all the awful things it is — but you can’t have democracy without politics, and politics requires money. That said, it’s wonderful how the balance of power is shifting away from the $500,000 and $5 million contributions (now illegal) — and even the $28,500 contributions (the current annual max to a federal political party like the DNC) — to the potential for millions of $10 and 25 and $100 and $250 contributions over the Internet."

Porn police pair on patrol at Seattle gay bars: "'We have judges, attorneys, police officers, who all come in here because it's a safe place for them,' said [Seattle Eagle manager Keith] Christiansen. 'This kind of attention [from the police] has cut my business in half.' Back in 1998, Christiansen says he went before the liquor board and asked for permission to display his posters. In spite of the law, he says, they let him do it. But because of an increase in enforcement in the area and, Christiansen says, the fact that O'Neill and Gallagher are new to the neighborhood, that era of tacit acceptance has ended. 'This is a whole new breed of people,' he said. 'They don't understand what the Hill is about.'"

Eddie Cibrian on Ugly Betty: hey, coach.

Four openly gay candidates seek seats in Georgia General Assembly.

Isaiah Washington pissed that ABC is using his photo in Grey's Anatomy promotion. Rep: "Isaiah has no plans to go back to Grey's Anatomy ... That being said, we were more than a little surprised that ABC used his likeness in a promo for the show, and indeed advanced his character's storyline. Mr. Washington's attorney has contacted the Screen Actors Guild and ABC as to the appropriateness of that action."

Shia LaBeouf and Andy Samberg play in the bushes.

Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute announces massive grant to fund gay leaders: "The David Bohnett Foundation has teamed with the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute (GLLI) to help the organization sponsor lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender public officials in attending one of the nation’s most prestigious mid-career executive development programs — the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. The program, to be named the David Bohnett Gay & Lesbian Leadership Fellows, is being funded by a $500,000 grant to GLLI."

Time's 100 most influential honored.

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Slain Gay Hospital Worker Remembered as Hero in Georgia

DNC Treasurer Andy Tobias posted the following story on his blog that I think is worth repeating, told to him by a friend named Joel Kelly.

"On Thursday afternoon in Columbus, Georgia, as reported here, a man entered Doctor’s Hospital, shot and killed two hospital workers and then another man in the parking lot on his way out before he was apprehended. My boyfriend Kevin Perry works at the hospital on the floor where the shootings took place and was at work when this happened. I knew both of the nurses that were killed. They were two of Kevin’s closest friends. A couple of things which I feel are important to say...one of which is that the second person who was shot and killed was gay. Not that this particular fact is noteworthy in and of itself...but I would like to say that Les Harris was shot in the face while he was trying to wrest the gun out of the hands of the shooter. The man was trying to kill a young woman and Les gave his life in order to save her. We don’t often hear about gay heroes . . . too often stories in which our humanity is front and center are lost in the chorus of the Christian Right. We deserve these stories to be told. The second part of this and the reason that I am sending this to you is to let you know that his partner, Keith Cavender, another nurse at the same hospital, was unable to secure his partner’s personal belongings, was kept from seeing him before and immediately following his death, and of course will receive none of the benefits due our heterosexual counterparts. Common human decency is not a privilege accorded us under current law. Please let the powers that be in the Party know that we desperately need to win back the White House and let everyone know that we have heroes among us.”

While Cavender's version of events is slightly different, and he was of course, there (he says Harris was shot in the heart and describes being with Harris immediately before and after the events), their story is powerful and a gay partner's rights in hospital situations is still something that needs to be addressed in many places.

Cavender spoke to WTVM about his partner's last moments: "He gave me a kiss and said I love you and I told him I love you back. And those were the last words we ever had."

April 1 [andrew tobias]
Partner remembers Doctor's Hospital shooting victim, Leslie Harris [WTVM]
Co-workers share memories [individual.com]

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Georgia Man 1st Openly Gay Republican Elected in Deep South

Brian Bates, a 36-year-old business owner and member of the Log Cabin Republicans who says he "disagrees with how the Republican party has handled gay issues," has been elected to the Doraville, Georgia City Council, making him the ninth openly gay official elected in Georgia and the first openly gay Republican elected in the state, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Doraville is northeast of Atlanta.

Said Bates: "I am gay and there's no reason to hide it. I made the conscious decision to be open and honest about my orientation. It really didn't come up with my conversations with voters and for the most part, I don't think they care. It was not a campaign issue. There is not a gay agenda. It wasn't an issue...Residents were waiting for someone to take a stand to protect the police chief. And this provided residents a way to show their support and get behind us...I don't think it's responsible to attack individuals. The Republican Party has been a party of freedom and acceptance and they need to stick to the policies that work and that's about being fiscally responsible...I was elected to represent the residents of Doraville and look forward to doing it with honor. And if it provides other opportunities for other candidates or encourages other individuals to run, I certainly encourage them to do so."

According to Georgia Equality, Bates is also the first openly gay Republican elected in the deep South.

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News: Britney Spears, Yale, Plaza Hotel, Lou Pearlman, Lost

High school student paper editorial "characterizing homosexuals as victims of reproductive error or an unwanted upbringing" causes firestorm in Georgia: "Principal Trudie Donovan said Monday that she had reviewed the article before it was published last Friday, but said she had no authority to censor it. 'My job is the safety and security of the school, not censorship,' she said. Cobb County schools spokesman Jay Dillon said principals have no legal standing to say articles of student opinion can't be printed. Under court rulings and school district policy, students can express their opinions and ideas publicly, privately, orally and in writing. 'There may be no interference with that, even if a student's opinion is unpopular,' he said."

New York's Plaza Hotel celebrates 100 years: "After the park-facing façade of the Plaza Hotel had glowed with the number '100,' after white and gold jets of light had been launched from the roof into the dark October sky, and after a pigeon and a heart-shaped balloon had flown past the 12th floor, suddenly flashes of white light, syncopated to the strains of 'One' from the Broadway hit 'A Chorus Line,'burst from the windows of the venerable hostelry-turned-hotel-and-condominium."

Sexual orientation hate crimes bill launched in Scotland.

Britney Spears has what some might call her darkest day yet but goes out partying anyway.

Queer Eye stages "Straight Guy Pageant" to kick off new season.

Elton John asks gallery to shutter exhibition that showcased the Nan Goldin portrait seized in a child pornography probe.

Lost writers/producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof give up some tidbits about the show's upcoming season.

After appeals court ruling, Yale to allow military recruiters on campus: "At question is a statute called the Solomon Amendment, which allows the federal government to withhold funds from universities that do not extend the same welcome to military recruiters as they do to other recruiters. Since 1978, Yale Law School has required recruiters to sign a pledge of nondiscrimination. Military recruiters would not do that because of the Defense Department’s 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy, which permits homosexuals to serve in the armed forces as long as they keep their sexual orientation private."

Vanity Fair to tell the completely unsavory and unsurprising tales of boyband manufacturer Lou Pearlman.

The next 25 years of video games.

Chris Crocker speaks out about nude pictures circulating on the net: "I obviously did this behind my parents backs and I am truly embarressed for myself and my family at this time, but I just wanted to clear the air and let anyone and everyone know, that has saved these pictures that it is illegal seeing as though I was 17 at the time, so when you brag that you 'saw Chris Crocker naked!!!'..what you're really bragging that you saw a 17 year old me naked."

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News: Hairspray, Knut, Day of Silence, Cannes Film Festival

"Day of Silence" tensions, combined with the recent fever over violence at Virginia Tech, lead to lockdown at Indiana High School: "The Day of Silence at New Castle Chrysler High School coincided with a national Day of Silence and aimed to support gay, bisexual and transgender students. 'People were in their shirts for it, people were in their shirts against it, and it just caused a lot of drama that I didn't think was needed,' said student Kayla Boyles."

Berlin's global warming icon, Knut the baby polar bear, is the target of an anonymous death threat.

Middlebury College in Vermont, one of the Advocate's top 100 colleges for gays and lesbians, is tagged with anti-gay graffiti.

Netflix cashes in on Virginia Tech killings, featuring Oldboy, film killer modeled himself after.

Line-up announced for Cannes Film Festival: Wong Kar Wai's My Blueberry Nights to open fest; Gus van Sant back in competition with Paranoid Park...

ERUPTING: Thousands flee Colombian volcano.

Purported David Beckham nude an instant internet hit!

Gaydar founder Gary Frisch, who plunged to his death from an eighth-floor balcony in early February, was found to have raised levels of ketamine in his body: "Estate agent Stephen Ruddock was standing outside a nearby building when he saw Mr Frisch's body hit the ground. He said Mr Frisch shouted 'Waheey' moments before he plunged to his death. Mr Ruddock said: 'It was a celebratory thing. I saw his body come into my line of sight. It arced in the air and hit the ground.' Pathologist Dr Peter Wilkins said raised levels of ketamine were found in Mr Frisch's blood and liver. He added: 'It can have similar effects to LSD, confusion and hallucinations.' Recording a verdict of misadventure, the coroner, Dr Paul Knapman, said: "I don't think that it can be said he intended to kill himself. 'This is not suicide at all. He jumped to his death from the balcony of his flat on the eighth floor while under the influence of drugs.'"

Baby pilot whale found swimming in Brooklyn, dies.

Hairspray trailer hits the internet Aqua Net.

Kathmandu, Nepal gets its first gay beauty salon: "The salon, which offers regular beauty parlour services like haircuts, facials, manicures and pedicures, is also a training academy for members of the gay community who want to train as beauticians. The first batch of 10 young metis - gay men who dress as women - is running the salon under the aegis of the Blue Diamond Society (BDS), Nepal's sole gay rights group." The Blue Diamond Society recently received two awards from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission for grassroots groups making an impact in gay rights.

The Emma dilemma: "A 7-year-old girl is at the center of a court battle that is equal parts gay rights struggle, jurisdictional quandary and legal ethics question."

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Arboreal Porn

Spring is here, so why not honor a few famous trees?

Note: The white oak tree above in Athens, Georgia has complete ownership of itself and all land within eight feet of its base. It's known as the Tree That Owns Itself.

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News: Buddha, Island Vanished, Reggie Bush, Supergenes

REPORT: White County school board agrees to pay ACLU $168,000 for legal costs and $10,000 to student plaintiffs over longstanding gay-straight alliance feud.

Boy hailed as reincarnation of Buddha reappears after nine months in the wilderness: "The 17-year old teenager Bomjon, who had been "meditating without any food or water" in the jungles of Ratanpuri village in the district had disappeared under unknown circumstances in March this year and was found in the jungles near Pathlaiya-Nijgadh road section of the Mahendra Highway on Sunday."

Lawrence, Kansas (home to the University of Kansas) is considering a city registry for gay and lesbian couples: "Supporters said the registry would not automatically give gay and lesbian couples the legal rights afforded to married couples, but the registry would serve as a legal recognition of the couple's relationship. 'It would indicate that the city is welcoming and supportive of its gay community members,' said Maggie Childs, who heads the Lawrence chapter of the Kansas Equality Coalition, which asked Lawrence Commissioner Mike Rundle to set up the registry. 'In my mind, the primary benefit is symbolic.'"

In the latest of its high-concept fashion ads, Diesel takes on global warming.

First inhabited island washed off the face of the earth by global warming: "The obliteration of Lohachara island, in India's part of the Sundarbans where the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers empty into the Bay of Bengal, marks the moment when one of the most apocalyptic predictions of environmentalists and climate scientists has started coming true."

Sports Illustrated ponders the best-looking athletes. More on one of their picks, Reggie Bush.

POLL: New Hampshire residents more open to civil unions than gay marriage.

Godfather of Soul, James Brown is dead. Fans pay tribute...

Do you have the "supergene"? "People with this "supergene" have a much higher chance of living to age 90 and beyond without developing dementia, the confused thinking and memory loss that so often plagues the oldest of the old."

Couple roleplays the political way. (via AmericaBlog)

University of California Santa Cruz reconsiders blood donation drives after gay student is turned away. Student: "I was turned away because of my sexual contacts. The reasoning behind me not being able to give blood is ridiculous. ... It made me feel like an outcast."

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News: Mutant Beast, Paris Hilton Goat, Earrings

Georgia Tech University repeals its policy prohibiting "verbal attacks on individuals because of racial, ethnic or sexual identity."

AIDS doctors want to know why some with HIV never develop the disease: "What in the heck is going on in people that successfully control this virus? If we can figure out how people are doing that, we can try to replicate it."

"Hybrid mutant" creature found dead in Maine raises questions, fears: "It was evil, evil looking. And it had a horrible stench I will never forget. We locked eyes for a few seconds and then it took off. I've lived in Maine my whole life and I've never seen anything like it."

Paris Hilton's old goat to be buried next to screen legend Marilyn Monroe?

A 39-year-old policeman in Britain has settled a lawsuit alleging that his bosses banned him from wearing an ear stud because he was gay. He claimed other officers wore earrings and suffered no repercussions.

Based on new classifications of objects orbiting the sun, astronomers may raise number of planets from 9 to 12.

Plans for Manchester, England's gay village divide community.

REPORT: 20 Saudi men arrested after "gay wedding" raid. "The detainees, who were among some 400 men attending 'the wedding party of two men' on Tuesday, had been 'emulating women,' the Al-Watan paper said. In all, some 250 people were detained in the police raid on the party but the rest were later released. Police had 'arrested the wanted people and released those who have nothing to do with the matter,' the paper quoted a police commander as saying. Some guests were also seen chewing qat, an illegal narcotic widely used in neighbouring Yemen, on a hill above the square where the party was being held, Al-Watan said."

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Today is the International Day Against Homophobia, or IDAHO. Do your part in fighting it. The National AIDS Trust in the UK has focused on bullying in schools, saying they are "failing" young men: "We need schools to not only have policies of zero tolerance to homophobic language and behaviour but also to address sexual orientation and HIV in the curriculum. Homophobia should be as unacceptable in schools as racism." Amen. Other events to mark the day are taking place in France, Peru, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Brazil.

Meanwhile, in Idaho, they're obsessed with getting The Joy of Sex and The Joy of Gay Sex off library shelves.

Rocker Dave Navarro has an enlightened attitude toward sexuality. Other celebrities who seem obsessed with denial could learn a few lessons in PR from him: "I’ve come to realize through my experimentation over the years that I’m not gay, nor am I bisexual. But at least I know that in the sense that I’ve never been aroused by a man, but I’ve been in situations where I could potentially be aroused. Since it didn’t work, I know I’m not gay. So I was open to it working, let’s just say that."

Georgia judge rules gay marriage ban unconstitutional. According to an attorney with Lambda Legal Defense, the measure was struck down because it violates Georgia's "single-subject rule" which prohibits voters from deciding more than one issue in a single amendment. Georgia's Governor Jack Perdue pulled out the wingnut talking points again. Said Perdue: "This decision highlights the effect activist judges can have on our system of governance."

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