Lighten Up, Homo: Ross Cleared of Offending You

British TV host Jonathan Ross has been found "not in breach" of the broadcasting code for remarks he made in May on his Radio 2 show that parents might want to put any Hannah Montana-loving sons up for adoption before they bring a "partner" home.

The ruling by Ofcom, which monitors offensive comments on the air, said in part, "The comment was clearly presented as a joke intended to make light of the reactions that some parents have if their child chooses a toy that is very widely recognised to be designed and marketed for the opposite sex...The fact that this comment was intended to be a joke was illustrated further by the reaction from Andy Davies, who was heard laughing."

So apparently if you're joking, it's impossible to offend or cause harm.

Gay-rights advocate Derek Munn said, "The fact that a comment is light-hearted does not absolve it from perpetuating the stereotypes that lead to homophobic bullying, which is reflected in the 61 separate complaints listeners made."

For his part, Ross Tweeted after the incident, "Am mortified to hear some people thought I was being homophobic on Radio show. Nothing could be further from the truth, as I am sure most know."

Whether you think this is a case where gay people were way too easily offended or a case of clear-cut homophobic humor, the Ofcom ruling's reasoning regarding humor, the intent to offend and the potential for children to imitate the remark on the playground is, well, a joke. As is Ross's sincere belief that just because one is not a card-carrying homophobe, it's impossible to say or do anything to offend gay people.

Conservatives to Gay Britons: Are You Being Served By Labour?

Ahead of this past weekend's Pride march in London, a political war of words. First, the Labour Party's Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw observed that "a deep strain of homophobia" still exists in the rival Tories. Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant backed him up, stating, "If gays vote Tory, they will rue the day very soon."
These remarks followed an official apology by the Conservatives for implementing the anti-gay Section 28 in the 1980s. "I am sorry for Section 28. We got it wrong. It was an emotional issue. I hope you can forgive us," said Conservative leader David Cameron (pictured), who voted to keep the measure as recently as 2003. But his words were deemed "25 years too late" by Leader of the Commons Harriet Harman.

Apparently, apology not accepted.

Striking back, Alan Duncan, a gay Tory Cabinet Minister accused Bradshaw and Bryant of "stirring up hatred and division."

More from the Times: "[T]he next generation of Tory MPs will be more socially liberal. In a survey of 133 prospective parliamentary candidates in winnable seats for the ConservativeHome website, 62 per cent said that same-sex couples should be given the same benefits as married couples, while 31 per cent disagreed."

"Cameron's apology on Section 28 is HUGE news," according to Boyz Magazine Managing Director David Bridle. "Gay people I know were delighted. This is a fantastic way for him to start rebuilding relations with the gay community."

With a large number of gay respondents saying they would vote Conservative in a recent poll, it would  seem the current state of the Conservatives is one possible future for the Republican party in the U.S.—jettison the religious right, become more socially liberal and attract a broader spectrum of moderates, including quite a few gay people with short memories or whose priorities never included gay causes in the first place...or whose only liberal position is gay rights.

In related news, PM Gordon Brown (Labour) didn't attend the London march, instead sending his wife (pictured).

Bloody Hell: UK Teen Attacked in Homophobic Hate Crime

A cowardly gang of five brutally beat a teen in an anti-gay attack in Bridgwater, UK:

"Jason Saunders, aged 18, was left with a broken nose and bruising after being jumped on by a five-strong gang after they started shouting abuse at him as he walked to work from the Sydenham area of Bridgwater with his partner, Gary Holman. The attack happened June 23, at around 6.40pm. Turning on to College Way, he walked past a group of five people. The group started shouting abuse at him, calling him 'queer' and 'ginger', telling him to 'sort out his hair colour'. Jason said: 'I asked them why they were shouting abuse at me and the next thing I know, all five people were attacking me. They were kicking and punching me in the face and still calling me names.' After the attack, Jason was rushed to Bridgwater Hospital, before being taken to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton as doctors were worried about him drifting in and out of consciousness. He has been left traumatised and in fear of his safety. Left with a broken nose and bruising, he has become totally reliant on other people."

According to police, one 29-year-old man was arrested and released on bail pending further investigation.

PM Brown Snubs UK's Most Famous Activist from Gay Pride Event

Well-known British activist Peter Tatchell says he was scratched from a list of invitees to a gay event at Downing Street at Prime Minister Gordon Brown's request.

Said Tatchell "I have been campaigning for LGBT human rights for 40 years. I was one of the group of people who helped organise Britain's first gay pride parade in 1972. An insider tipped me off that my name had been removed from the invite list, at Gordon Brown's personal request. He was apparently still angry that I had heckled him over his government's erosion of civil liberties, when he opened the Taking Liberties exhibition at the British Library late last year...He [Brown] claims to support gay equality but his government actually endorses some aspects of homophobic discrimination. It supports the ban on same-sex marriage. Civil partnerships are not equality. They are a form of sexual apartheid, with different laws for gay and straight couples. I don't do my human rights work to win awards, honours or invites. It doesn't matter to me that I haven't been invited. What angers me is the principle - the way the Prime Minister invites and fetes mostly tame pro-Labour loyalists in the LGBT community. It is a manipulative tactic by an insecure government that knows its record on LGBT human rights is not as glorious as it claims."

Downing Street denies the claim: "It's not a reception, it's a very small meeting. The prime minister and Sarah Brown will meet organisers of Pride and others who have contributed to the event. You could fill number 10 with people who have been involved in gay rights."

Night-Shining Clouds Encroach on the UK

Stunning and rare polar weather phenomenon makes an appearance in Britain in June:

"...stunned residents spotted a rare glimpse of the clouds lighting up Leicester's skyline shortly after midnight on Thursday morning. Noctilucent cloud formations are the highest on Earth where temperatures can plunge below -130C (-200F) and winds peak at 300mph. They appear in the mesosphere, which is between 30miles and 50miles above the Earth's surface...Despite the beauty of the clouds, scientists fear the clouds could be a sign of changes in the upper atmosphere because of global warming. 'The clouds are becoming brighter, occurring more frequently with time and they are being observed at lower latitudes than ever before,' an AIM mission expert said."

I Scream, U Scream, They All Scream at Banksy

Yesterday, I mentioned street artist/prankster Banksy's new show at the Bristol Museum in his UK hometown. Banksy introduced it on his own website with the image above.

There's also a trailer, AFTER THE JUMP...