Google Comes Out Against California Same-Sex Marriage Ban

The company's founder Sergey Brin, posted this statement on the company's blog Friday afternoon:

"As an Internet company, Google is an active participant in policy debates surrounding information access, technology and energy. Because our company has a great diversity of people and opinions -- Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, all religions and no religion, straight and gay -- we do not generally take a position on issues outside of our field, especially not social issues. So when Proposition 8 appeared on the California ballot, it was an unlikely question for Google to take an official company position on.

"However, while there are many objections to this proposition -- further government encroachment on personal lives, ambiguously written text -- it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8. While we respect the strongly-held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality. We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 -- we should not eliminate anyone's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love."

It's unclear what further action by the company might be taken in the battle against Prop. 8.

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Michelle Obama pens Advocate op-ed: "The World As it Should Be."

Obama to pose for cover of Men's Health.

Blindsided Claymates apoplectic over Clay Aiken's coming out: "please tell me I'm not the only one who is shocked beyond belief! I feel numb I'm so upset. This can't be real!! How can you guys say this won't change anything? This changes EVERYTHING. I don't even know what to think right now"

Lobbying firm of Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager, remains on the payroll of Freddie Mac. McCain attacks story but does not deny.

Was Condoleezza Rice passed up for VP because of her sexuality?: "It was the persistent rumors about her sexuality that ultimately killed her chances and removed her from the list...In Washington circles, it’s just assumed Rice is gay and nobody really cares. But in the glare of the media spotlight, those rumors were bound to get magnified a thousandfold and the mainstream media would have had an excuse to reveal the facts that would have caused conniption fits among the Republican base."

Log Cabin Republican slams "wacky left bloggers" for outing McCain chief of staff Mark Buse.

The San Francisco Bay Guardian profiles Kink.com's takeover of the San Francisco Armory.

Fundie Peter LaBarbera makes annual trip to San Francisco's Folsom Street Fair to confront Mayor Gavin Newsom.

A look back at "coming out" covers.

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Madonna tour towels seized in Montenegro: "The Queen Of Pop travels with 300 expensive designer towels for her and her dancers to use when they come off stage. But officials in Montenegro confiscated the lot because they were suspicious about the number she was taking into the country. A source said: 'The customs people had never come across that kind of volume of towels for personal use before, or the cost given for them. People in Montenegro just aren’t used to spending that much on a towel.'"

Drew Barrymore inserting herself between rumored gay Gossip Girl co-stars.

Bad boys: The Sarah Palin email hacker and the Britney Spears single leaker.

Brad Pitt forced into hideous yellow terrycloth get-up!

Latifah: Hairspray sequel still in the works.

PETA urges Ben & Jerry's to switch from cow milk to human breast milk: "PETA's request comes in the wake of news reports that a Swiss restaurant owner will begin purchasing breast milk from nursing mothers and substituting breast milk for 75 percent of the cow's milk in the food he serves."

Scott Pomfret, author of gay erotica and a lector at a Boston Catholic church, loses the latter job over new book: "Pomfret's latest book, a sarcastic memoir titled 'Since My Last Confession,' proved too much for the friars, many of whom were interviewed by Pomfret as he wrote the book. The book suggests that some local clergy, who are given fictional names, are sexually active, and is mocking toward Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston."

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GLAAD: LGBT representations on network television to double this year. "GLAAD's 13th annual "Where We Are On TV" report shows that LGBT representations will account for 2.6% of all scripted series regular characters on the 2008-2009 broadcast television schedule, up from 1.4% in 2005, 1.3% in 2006, and 1.1% in 2007. In contrast, the number of LGBT series regular characters found on scripted programming on mainstream cable networks has decreased since last year's analysis, from 40 to 32."

STUDY: Chimps can recognize friends from the rear. "Primatologists [at] the Yerkes National Primate Research Centre at Emory University..tested how well six adult chimpanzees could link pictures of various chimpanzee behinds, either male or female, with photos of individual chimp faces. But the chimps succeeded only if the faces were of chimps they knew. This suggests, the researchers say, that the chimps weren't simply detecting generic visual cues in the faces that would link them to the behind in question. Rather, it seems that the chimps must be capable of what psychologists call 'whole body' integration."

Lindsay Lohan discusses relationship with Samantha Ronson for first time.

McCain was for the New York Times before he was against it.

T-Mobile launches first Google Android phone.

Oliver Stone talks W.

Federal judge orders Cheney to preserve records: "The decision by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly is a setback for the Bush administration in its effort to promote a narrow definition of materials that must be safeguarded under by the Presidential Records Act. The Bush administration's legal position 'heightens the court's concern' that some records may not be preserved, said the judge."

New Yorker music critic Alex Ross wins MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant.

Milo Ventimiglia shares USO tour pictures.

Gay man with HIV bashed in Brighton UK: "There was a man outside being rowdy and shouting obscenities at the women inside and passing in the street. When I left I rounded the corner and the man and his friend ran up behind me, punched me to the floor and then battered me. If they had kicked me in the left side of my head they would have probably killed me because I had metal clips fitted after a brain haemorrhage in 1996."

New Zealand Parliament dedicates 'Rainbow Room' in honor of LGBT kiwis and their contributions to society.

Iran sets death sentence for gay man arrested three years ago at the age of 16.

A Very nostalgic look at the Pet Shop Boys.

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Jason Mraz is dope.

Correction: London nightlife: G-A-Y merges with Heaven.

Is America's red/blue divide based in physiology? "Alford and his colleagues studied a group of 46 adult participants with strong political beliefs. Those individuals with 'measurably lower physical sensitivities to sudden noises and threatening visual images were more likely to support foreign aid, liberal immigration policies, pacifism and gun control, whereas individuals displaying measurably higher physiological reactions to those same stimuli were more likely to favor defense spending, capital punishment, patriotism and the Iraq War,' the authors wrote."

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News: Prop 8, Google, Tony Kushner, Gay Places, Sarah Palin

Urgent: Marriage equality supporters in California lag in fundraising. "According to the most recent campaign contribution reports from the California Secretary of State, supporters of the anti-gay marriage November ballot measure have raised $16.2 million in their effort to pass Proposition 8. Opponents have brought in $10.8 million, which is still a sizable chunk of money. But Dale Kelly Bankhead, who signed the email as campaign manager of 'No On 8,' writes, 'We must match what is raised dollar for dollar with the right wing; if we do not, we are at serious risk of losing this November.'" No on Prop 8 (site).

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British footballer Frank Lampard needs to brush up on his make-up skills.

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V: Tyra Banks channels Miss Ross?

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Daniel Craig in a sling.

Tom of Finland exhibit visits Liverpool.

Wisconsin Catholic church's music director fired because he's gay: "He says his supervisor fired him this summer after worshipers complained he was too open about his sexual orientation. 'He said having an openly gay male employed at the Church is a scandal,' said Philyaw, recounting the conversation. 'I felt betrayed. But I'm not bitter.' The Madison Catholic Diocese declined an interview request citing their policy of not discussing personnel issues. Philyaw says he's never had any problems at work before and claims the Church knew he was gay when they hired him. Still, employment lawyers there's nothing illegal about what happened."

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Kiefer Sutherland shows some skin in Malibu.

French police place gay groups under surveillance ahead of Pope's visit: " Eager to avoid a repeat of the condom shower that greeted the Pope in Sydney, Australia, in July, certain gay activist groups such as Act Up are being closely watched in the run-up to the visit. In addition, because of threats to the Pope made in May 2007 by the terrorist network al-Qaeda and the recent terrorist attacks in Algeria, French security officers will be placed on maximum alert during his stay in Paris and the pilgrimage site of Lourdes."

Rev. Lou Sheldon: Turnout will decide California same-sex marriage initiative. Group launches "Traditional Marriage Crusade".

So was the reason Fred Thompson and George W. Bush danced around the specific word "torture" in their speeches last night when referring to McCain because "if [Bush] describes what was done to McCain as torture, he has incriminated himself for war crimes?"

Have you seen Google's new Chrome browser? The NYT David Pogue says it has serious potential. Google Chrome end user license agreement says that Google owns everything you create while using the browser - "By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services." Brin: Why we're launching it.

Massachusetts sees economic boost from out-of-state same-sex marriage decisions there and in New York: "The recent changes have prompted a flood of gay New Yorkers coming to Massachusetts to get married -- and that seems to have made same-sex marriage big business for the Bay State. There are no firm figures on how many gays from New York have come here to marry in the few weeks since the law took effect. But anecdotal evidence suggests the numbers are huge and likely to grow."

Gay festival in Cambridge, England hit by homophobic slashers?

Sarah Palin to address Republican Convention tonight...

Olympian Michael Phelps not only has an Entourage — he's set to appear on the show.

Time Out Chicago talks to Milk writer Dustin Lance Black.

Georgia priest hit with threat note tacked to door.

Gay cleric on shortlist to become Bishop of Bangor, Wales: "Canon Jeffrey John, who entered into a civil partnership with his long-term partner, the Rev Grant Holmes, in 2006, is currently the dean of St Albans and is a Welsh speaker - making him an ideal candidate for the job. Earlier this year, the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said he would support the election of a gay bishop, despite opposition among conservative Anglicans. At last month's Lambeth conference, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, asked liberals not to exacerbate tensions by consecrating gay clergy. A conservative cleric, Bishop David Anderson, from the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, wrote that the Church in Wales was likely to ignore Williams' requests."

THE DAY AFTER PEACE: Jude Law announces documentary about Afghanistan.

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Barack Obama opposes the proposed California gay-marriage ban. A double-negative in favor of "I do."

Is Google making us stupid?

Tommy Haas loses (his shirt) at Wimbledon.

Jake Gyllenhaal and longtime GF Reese Witherspoon moving in, talking straight marriage.

Grace Jones is still scary.

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California businesses are pushing hard for the gay-marriage dollar now that weddings are set to begin. Sample price: The Hacienda at Warm Sands in Palm Springs has a three-night honeymoon deal for anywhere between $1,895 and $2,995. The bride and bride will be registered at Citibank.

Has the Bush Administration upped covert operations against Iran ahead of the November election?

Write this 100 times on the chalkboard: Will Smith's school is NOT based on Scientology.

Cristiano Ronaldo is all washed up.

Either Madonna’s marriage or Madonna’s divorce has been called off. One way or another, they pray 6,000 miles apart.

Via HuffingtonPost, Cindy McCain—worth $100 million—can’t stay current on her property taxes.

Stunning: A tragedy for the fashion world as 20-year-old Russian covergirl Ruslana Korshunova dies in an apparent suicide leap in New York City after watching the 1990 film Ghost with a friend. FOX News staple Geraldo Rivera airs footage of her corpse. (Not available from this link.) UPDATE: This is now a confirmed suicide.

Angelina Jolie’s shoot-'em-up Wanted took in over $51 million at the box office this weekend, making it the most successful R-rated June release ever. I think it had more to do with James McAvoy’s pretty lips than AJ’s. (Did any of you see this movie? It's hysterical. Take that however you like.)

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Anti-gay Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle calls in to Michelangelo Signorile, hangs up after 10 minutes.

Virgin America announces in-flight air-to-ground broadband: "But even more interesting...VA will also be offering what amounts to a fleet-wide, airborne social network. Guests on one plane will be able to interact with other guests on that plane -- and with flyers on other planes within the VA fleet -- using Red. As I understand it, they've got some pretty ambitious plans in the works for in-flight interactivity. This could get really interesting."

Rosie O'Donnell admits to breaking own bones with a hammer as a child: "My hands and fingers usually. No one knew. My secret. Proof, that I had some value, enough to be fixed."

British politician accused of winning local election by slinging homophobic comments, court hears: "The court heard Mr Smith was devastated by the way he had lost his seat to Ms Grell by 28 votes. He later moved to northern England. In the final weeks of canvassing, people slammed doors in his face and, after his defeat, he was abused, threatened and spat at, the court heard. Leyton resident Naomi Robinson told the court she was shocked to hear Ms Grell call Mr Smith a paedophile during the election campaign. She said: 'Miss Grell told me to ask him [Mr Smith] about his 14-year-old boyfriend as she was driving away from the front of the house. I was quite shocked actually. I was not sure whether to believe it was true or not.'" UPDATE: Accused claims political conspiracy against her.

Scientists find "slight hint" of cancer risk for 10-year cell phone users.

Ricky Martin closes on swank Manhattan condo at a $3.5 million discount: "Martin's 2,637-square-foot pad with 11-foot ceilings includes a great room, a gourmet eat-in kitchen, a dining room and a study off the master suite. The residence features oak floors and a master bath with a 'wet room.'"

Becks bares it for 2008.

UK students behind "racist/homophobic/sexist" Facebook group: "The creator of the group defends it in a disclaimer, accompanying the comments. He says: 'This group is tolerant of all racial groups, genders, people of all different sexual persuasions. It welcomes anyone and everyone. Join us. It’s just a bit of a laugh.' But the group – as demonstrated by its name – does go on to write discriminatory things about all different types of people."

Berets and briefs rock the 2xist underwear show at NYC fashion week.

You've seen the video, now meet the Missionaries. And watch the MSNBC report.

Led Zeppelin to reunite for one-off comeback concert in London.

Google founders get private jet parking space from NASA.

Ann Arbor, Michigan man pleads guilty to a misdemeanor assault and battery charge for shouting homophobic slurs and hurling a dresser drawer at a pair of pedestrians.

Conservatives protest gay textbook bill in Sacramento: "'The Campaign for Children and Families' claimed students would be forced to read about gay history and exposed to 'bisexual propaganda.' The group called for a veto. 'This is not teaching them the birds and the bees,' said Randy Thomasson of the Campaign for Children and Families. 'This is saying a boy can wear a girl's dress. This is saying you might want to engage in bisexuality or transsexuality. This would revolutionize sex education.'..The bill's supporters said they believe the bill would build tolerance and non-discrimination in public schools."

180?: CNN shortens Anderson Cooper's "ambitious programming block" to one hour. UPDATE: Variety report debunked...

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Gay and lesbian hotel to open on Turkish Mediterranean coast in July. Owner Faruk Ok: "There are several gay-friendly hotels in Turkey, but ours is the first to be 100 percent gay and lesbian. It will not accept guests outside this concept. Part of the personnel is also gay or lesbian."

AfterElton asks Shear Genius finalist Anthony about why he was hesitant to talk about his sexuality on the reunion special even though Bravo had publicized the fact that he is openly gay: "I am gay and very proud of being gay. I have lived my life openly as a gay man for most of my life. But, whether I am gay or not should have no bearing on my talent or skills. My personal life is just that - PERSONAL." The Shear Genius finale airs tonight.

Riga, Latvia, with a Pride parade scheduled for early June, is being watched following the anti-gay Moscow attacks.

Polish media watchdog Ewa Sowinska backs off comments she made recently that the government was investigating Teletubbie Tinky Winky because of homosexual undertones: "On Tuesday, Sowinska's spokeswoman Wieslawa Lipinska told The Associated Press that Sowinska 'hasn't asked and won't ask' psychologists to investigate whether ''Teletubbies'' promote homosexuality. 'They are fictional characters, they have nothing to do with reality, and the bag and scissors and other props the fictional characters use are there to create a fictional world that speaks to children,' Lipinska said. 'We are not going to deal with this issue any more.'"

Britney Spears, novelist.

Google Maps now have 360° street-level views in Denver, Las Vegas, Miami, New York and San Francisco. Demo.

Salvador Dali exhibit on art and film to open at the Tate Modern in London: "...the exhibition displays collaborations between Dalí and legendary film makers, such as Luis Buñuel, Walt Disney, Alfred Hitchcock and the Marx brothers, presenting some of the most stunning images from twentieth century cinema. It includes his early collaborative projects with Buñuel in L’Age d’or and Un Chien andalou - featuring the infamous image of an eye being cut by a razor."

Ozzy Osbourne reportedly bailed on an American Idol appearance after learning he would be onstage with "that idiot" Sanjaya.

Isaac Mizrahi chats with New York magazine about how he lives his high-low aesthetic at home.

Cheney lawyer told Secret Sevice not to keep visitor logs of comings and goings at the VP's official residence: "The Sept. 13, 2006, letter from Cheney’s lawyer says logs for Cheney’s residence on the grounds of the Naval Observatory are subject to the Presidential Records Act. The Justice Department filed the letter Friday in a lawsuit by a private group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, seeking the identities of conservative religious leaders who visited Cheney at his official residence."

Marcus Schenkenberg is the new Terminator?

Straight owner of gay San Francisco radio station Energy 92.7FM speaks out. Joe Bayliss: "The gay community, which makes up 15% of the San Francisco market and represents $670 billion in consumer spending, has a passion for dance music, but no one was playing it. So we launched Energy 92.7FM Pure Dance. We took an old-fashioned approach to our business model: local, live personalities and grass roots community involvement and went to work."

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TowleTech V. 36

A rare white dolphin called a Baiji which lives in the waters of China has been declared extinct this week after scientists spent six weeks searching the waters with zero sightings. A similar search in 1997 turned up 13 sightings, showing that the dolphin was on the verge of extinction. According to the website of the conservation group involved with the search, the Baiji's death marks a more than disturbing turn of events: "Regarded in China as the 'goddess of the Yangtze', the 20 million year old river dolphin was one of the world's oldest species. The Baiji is the first large mammal brought to extinction as a result of human destruction to their natural habitat and resources."

Brian Lam put himself and the popular tech blog for which he writes on the line with a surprising claim: that he not only has seen an iPhone, but that it will be announced on Monday. The full text of the post reads: "Gizmodo Knows: iPhone Will Be Announced On Monday. I guarantee it. It isn't what I expected at all. And I've already said too much." Will Apple announce a cell phone Monday or was Gizmodo just trying to get a few extra votes in the Weblog Awards? I suppose one thing is for sure: only Gizmodo knows. Meanwhile Business 2.0 has an insightful article on why the iPhone might not ever happen.

Sunspot 930 is at it again! The flamboyant spot sent up a massive solar flare earlier this week that caused a sizable geomagnetic storm here on the blue planet, according to an advisory issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The storm can cause damage to power grids or communication systems, but can also lead to stunning auroras.

VoIP provider Skype done gave the world free unlimited calling earlier this year, but it was only ever meant to be temporary and now this year is about over. Still, the flat rate of $29.95 for a year of phone service is a pretty fair deal, and signing up before January cuts that in half for the first year.

After reports of damage caused by flying Wii controllers, Nintendo recalled the strap on the wireless remote, offering to replace it with a sturdier version. As GayGamer.net notes, the company also took the chance to remind users of a little common safety sense when playing. "Hold the Wii Remote firmly and do not let go. For example, in Wii Sports bowling, the proper way to let go of the ball while bowling is to release the "B" button on the Wii Remote—DO NOT LET GO OF THE Wii REMOTE ITSELF."

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One of the reasons that Google is a billion-something dollar a year company is the fact that they sell their internet search technology to businesses for use on their private "intranets." Meanwhile the Goog has made plenty of enemies giving away high-quality products that its competitors were previously charging for, but now Yahoo has stepped up to give them a taste of their own medicine. Yahoo teamed up with IBM to offer a free business-level search tool for private intranets, which can index and search up to 500k documents.

XM Radio launched a new seasonal station that offers an alternative to the barrage of Christmas music that takes over at this time of year. For 8 days starting tonight, Radio Hanukkah will play Hanukkah-themed songs with interludes by Jewish celebrities. "This could be refreshing. Who knows? Maybe non-Jews will start loving these songs too," said one fan.

UCLA alerted 800,000 students, faculty, and alumni to a data breach this week after it was discovered that "a sophisticated computer hacker" illegally accessed a database of personal information that included social security numbers and birthdates.

Photographer and freelance tech writer Jason Rowan posts an efficient write up of the new Nokia N93, a cell phone that includes a 3.2 megapixel digital camera. Said Rowan: "After you get over the techno-lust and nervous fumbling the N93 inspires I started to find the old Ready Steady Pendergrass touch coming back to me."

Two major Anti-Virus software makers issued dire warnings about the state of malicious internet attacks and scams in 2007. While email has been the most common avenue to personal data, mobile devices, IM, and social  networking sites all offer new ways to steal identities and scam users, according to Trend Micro and McAffee spokespersons. If my theory that the majority of these evil online deeds are a conspiracy by the companies that sell people protection against them, then surely they're the ones who would know.

Daniel Williford is our TowleTech correspondent.
You can visit him at his blog, Until Today...

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