DEA Drops Probe into Heath Ledger Death

The Federal government has dropped an inquiry into the source of the oxycodone and hydrocodone found in Heath Ledger's body at the time of his death:

"Prosecutors in the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan had been overseeing a Drug Enforcement Administration probe into whether the painkillers found in Ledger's system were obtained illegally. But the prosecutors have bowed out 'because they don't believe there's a viable target,' said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no charges have been filed."

How many months did they spend on this? What a waste of time and money.

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News: Dark Knight, Pope, Lawrence King, Madonna Sex Tape

Australia: Pope's apology for clergy abuse not good enough. Clash between pilgrims and protestors after condoms thrown.

The Dark Knight shatters box office records, taking in $153.34 million. Check out the list of records it broke.

Man claims possession of sex tape featuring A-Rod and Madonna.

Obama campaign snubs New Yorker reporter from foreign trip press plane following Muslim cover flap?: "Forty journalists, including such leading correspondents as Dan Balz of The Washington Post, will be aboard his plane for next week's swing through Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and England. The campaign received 200 requests for press seats on the plane. Among those for whom there was no room was Ryan Lizza, Washington correspondent of The New Yorker. The campaign, which was furious about the magazine's satirical cover this week, cited space constraints in turning him away."

Hundreds of dead baby penguins wash ashore on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.

George Clooney works mustache for Martini.

Australia's first LGBT retirement village to be built an hour outside of Melbourne: "The estate will feature 120 two and three-bedroom apartments, a tennis court, bowling green, open-air theatre and a multi-million dollar leisure centre with a pool, spa, gymnasium, cafe, restaurant, piano room and business centre. Managing director and major shareholder Peter Dickson said the village filled a gap in the market. 'Whether we're in a relationship or whether we're single, we want to be surrounded by friends,' he said. 'I wanted Linton Estate to be different to other retirement facilities and this has now come about.'"

Young, gay, and murdered: Haven't had a chance to dive into this yet, but here's Newsweek's take on the Lawrence King tragedy.

Following registrar Lillian Ladele's lead, a Christian policeman says he's been victimized over his opposition to Gay Pride: "Graham Cogman, a constable with 15 years experience, is taking action against Norfolk Police as he claims he was victimised for refusing to wear a pink ribbon on his uniform to mark a 'gay pride' event, and for questioning the force's stance towards gay men and lesbians."

Human Rights Campaign hires trans woman Allyson Robinson as new Associate Director of Diversity?

Man dies during New York triathlon: "Race director Bill Burke said other competitors alerted medical personnel to the man during the 1,500-meter swim in the Hudson River, and he was unconscious when he was pulled from the water just before 8 a.m."

University of Maryland swimmer Fred Deal is out and proud.

Ian Thorpe: It's a girl!

Chace Crawford hangs with the international spokesmodel for Ralph Lauren’s Black Label for men and POLO Black fragrances at a Polo match in the Hamptons.

Showtime orders up two new series with significant gay content: "The first announced was the tentatively titled thirty minute dark comedy Nurse Jackie, starring The Sopranos’ Edie Falco as an iconoclastic, opinionated, self-medicating nurse in New York City...Greenblatt also announced that The United States of Tara, starring Toni Collette, had been ordered to series. Based on an idea by Steven Spielberg and written by Academy Award-winning writer Diablo Cody, the comedy features Collette as Tara, a suburban mother suffering from dissociative identity disorder (more commonly known as multiple personality disorder). Her various personalities include a rebellious teen girl, a biker, and others that impact in a variety of ways both her husband (John Corbett) as well as her children including out gay teen Marshall."

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News: Dark Knight, Gay Youth, Ravello, Ian McKellen, Uganda

Here's a list of the groups that are lobbying the Senate to remove the HIV travel ban.

The Dark Knight has its premiere and it's a big night for Christian Bale. But it was an even bigger night for the late Heath Ledger. His family paid him tribute as did his co-stars.

Reese Witherspoon cuts Jake Gyllenhaal off from his normal habit of swearing like a sailor: "Some of (the things she insists on) are run-of-the-mill. He has to take off his shoes when he’s in the house; trash must be taken out when the can is three-quarters full; and no feet on the coffee table."

PBS debates airing full-frontal Ian McKellen in broadcast of Royal Shakespeare Company's King Lear next year.

Some San Franciscans are objecting to a plan by the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco that would rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant as the George W. Bush Sewage Plant: "What we didn’t expect was that most of the opposition was coming from people who didn’t want to name anything. They just wanted to forget about the past eight years and move on or they felt that this is a facility that does something really quite useful and it would be inappropriate to put his name on it. […] If you get to the point where people are defending the sewage plant, that’s a sign that things have not gone so well."

Brad Blog: Alabama Attorney General Troy King, who last week was the subject of rumors that he was to resign in the wake of a gay sex scandal, was the client of gay GOP consultant Ralph Gonzalez, who was killed in a double-murder suicide last year.

The Washington Post on the coming out process and its emergence at earlier and earlier ages: "He has grown so used to the stares and laughter of strangers that their insults slip off his 118-pound frame like an oversize shirt. 'I think I've dealt with it so much my whole life that it really doesn't bother me anymore, not as much as it used to,' Saro says. 'If you have a birthmark on your leg for so long, you don't even notice it.' Saro, who first said he liked boys to a classmate in sixth grade, is like many of today's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youths who openly discuss their sexual orientation and identity with friends, and sometimes family, before entering high school."

Whoopi Goldberg to join cast of Xanadu on Broadway.

Britney shoots video for Madonna tour.

Uganda's State Minister for Ethics and Integrity Dr James Nsaba Buturo says that opponents of gays should not be afraid of retribution because God will protect them: "It's true gays are rough people but men of God should not fear their intimidation. Ugandans should strengthen their mobilisation against the gay movement because the government is also committed to support them."

Gore Vidal home in Ravello, Italy to open as luxury hotel next spring.

FIRST LOOK: Project Runway designers enter the workroom.

Miss USA Crystle Stewart discusses her fall at the Miss Universe pageant: "I think I'm going to have to take some walking classes. I would never have thought in a million years that I would fall down at the Miss Universe pageant _ right after Miss USA fell last year. I always wondered: My God, if that happened to me, what would I do? Things happen. I'm perfectly fine. I'm going to move back to New York and get on with my life." Watch it.

Ruminations on a gay and straight brother...

The schedule for this year's Comic-Con in San Diego has been released.

Politics of Fear: Cartoonists respond to the Barack and Michelle Obama New Yorker cover, and Salon asks if the Bush era has killed a lot of liberals' sense of humor.

Philosopher Mark Vernon: I was a gay priest.

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News: Peter Cook, Bermuda, James Dobson, Iran, IBM, San Diego

Truth Wins Out launches effort to block Focus on the Family founder James Dobson's induction into the Radio Hall of Fame. Wayne Besen: "It is outrageous and insulting that James Dobson would be nominated for the Radio Hall of Fame. We believe that character counts and nominees should have careers based on honesty and integrity - not discrimination, distorting research and outright lying."

Iran state media Photoshops missile test image to make it seem more impressive.

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules benefits to gay couples following the 2004 marriage decision can't be applied retroactively.

Spotlight on Jennifer Hudson's album cover.

Following GLAAD's lead in April, Californians Against Hate launches boycott of San Diego's Manchester Grand Hyatt.

Divorce drama: beefcake GQ cover of Christie Brinkley's husband Peter Cook unearthed from 1981.

California's Kern County rebuffs conservative group, refuses to ban same-sex marriages: " The Campaign for Children and Families hoped the passage of a gay marriage ban in Kern County would embolden other counties to follow suit. But supervisors declined to act on the measure after Bernard Barmann, the county's lawyer, said it would be illegal for the county to adopt its own same-sex marriage ban. The Kern County clerk's office stopped offering all marriage ceremonies on June 15, the day before gay marriage became legal."

What's inside "Just for Men" hair color?

Bermuda man who attacked gay man with a machete gets seven years in prison: "Cooper, 26 – older brother of the murdered Cooper twins – had a history of violent crime and homophobia before he launched the attack on Shawn Nusum, 25, in the early hours of November 15 last year. His Supreme Court trial heard how he had taunted Mr. Nusum, of St. David's on previous occasions over his sexuality, calling him a 'faggot' and similar names. On the night in question, the pair got into a dispute in Club Ovation, Water Street, St. George's, when Cooper taunted Mr. Nusum once again. He later lay in wait for Mr. Nusum, and as he left the premises he hit him about the face with a machete. The victim suffered a fractured nose, jaw and cheekbone. A cut to his left eyebrow has left him unable to raise it, and he will be permanently scarred."

T.R. Knight and Mark Cornelsen take the kids out for a ride.

Michael Jackson arrives in Vegas wearing pyjamas, a dreadlocked wig, a surgeon’s mask, a baseball cap and sunglasses.

A Guide to the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival which kicks off tonight.

Michelle Williams planning Heath Ledger film: "The actress - who was left devastated when her former fiance was found dead in his apartment after an accidental drug overdose in January - wants the actor's friends and co-stars to share their stories on him so little Matilda can see her father through their eyes."

Former gay porn model "Lamar" killed in head-on collision following Chicago's black gay pride celebration.

Lesbian adopted by lover into IBM family fights for share of fortune: "Patricia Spado was adopted by Olive Watson, the daughter of Thomas Watson Jr, in 1991 when the pair were both in their 40s and at a time when gay couples were not allowed civil partnerships. They lived together for 14 years but, a year after the adoption, their relationship ended. Miss Spado, now 60, claims the purpose of the adoption was to allow her to qualify as an heir to Miss Watson's inheritance."

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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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News: Poland, Magnum P.I., Arizona, Howard Dean, The Joker

Arizona ballot measure to constitutionally ban same-sex marriages appears defeated: "The House gave preliminary approval Thursday by a 28-27 vote to put the question on the November ballot. But that OK came only after Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, lined up enough votes to tack on a provision to grant certain rights to unmarried couples living together, whether gay or straight. That move effectively tied the two issues together as a single ballot question, meaning voters who want to make same-sex weddings unconstitutional would be voting for some constitutional rights for gay couples. A spokesman for House Speaker Jim Weiers, sponsor of HCR 2065, said that is unacceptable and that the Phoenix Republican will now kill his proposal."

Magnum P.U.: Matthew McConaughey to take Tom Selleck role to the big screen?

Naomi Campbell a free supermodel after getting arrested for assaulting and spitting on a cop.

Poland passes EU Charter but gets around gay requirements: "This week Prime Minister Donald Tusk reached a deal with the opposition, inserting a clause in the rights bill guaranteeing Poland's sovereignty within the union. The cause is seen as a means where the government can opt out of EU LGBT rights protections. Kaczynski has said he will sign the revised bill."

Perez Hilton says he made out with John Mayer. But is it Pop Fiction?

Redwood City, California man faces hate crime charges for attack on gay neighbors: "Herbert Santos-Coy, 30, remained behind bars Wednesday on one count of felony assault for hate crime purposes, two counts of felony commission of a hate crime and one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in state prison. 'There’s nothing the victims did that would have provoked this. It’s an outrage,' Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. Santos-Coy and his wife lived next door to the couple on Buckeye Street. On Sunday, the victims were working on their car when Santos-Coy approached them and began hurling anti-gay epithets, Wagstaffe said. Santos-Coy then allegedly struck one man in the face repeatedly before picking up a wrought iron table and swinging it at the couple. Santos-Coy had been drinking but prosecutors do not believe he was drunk at the time of the incident, Wagstaffe said."

Massive archive of gay and lesbian historical items at New York Public Library gets digital gallery and will be organized under new donor committee: "It is a newly organized... committee called LGBT@NYPL; for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. Carey Maloney and Hermes Mallea, the cochairmen, are also partners in M (Group), a design company. The goal, Mr. Maloney said, is “to get everything cataloged and digitized and to get an endowment” for the care and maintenance of the collections. Mr. Maloney is to announce at a party at the library this evening that the committee has raised $1.5 million so far. Time Warner has pledged $300,000. The MAC AIDS Fund has pledged $150,000 to improve public access to materials dealing with HIV and AIDS. Estée Lauder Companies has pledged $30,000."

Apparently, gays in London love renting cars.

Tom Brady makes 100 Unsexiest Men of 2008 list: "an overexposed, supermodel-dating, out-of-wedlock-fathering, big-game-losing metrosexual -- with a bowl haircut."

New Heath Ledger Dark Knight photos show The Joker disguised as a nurse.

Sir Ian McKellen speaks at Stonewall Equality Dinner in London: "The Lord of the Rings star spoke about the need to change society and not just the law, and lamented that many who are brave enough to be out on the gay scene still live closeted lives and careers. Sir Ian criticised religious intolerance and said he had wanted Mehdi Kazemi to be his date for the Equality dinner, but he is still in custody in Holland."

Howard Dean tells crowd at University of Wisconsin Madison that he doesn't get gay Republicans: "'They can't become more diverse. Who in their right mind, if they were African-America or Hispanic or Asian-American, if they were gay or lesbian, would join the Republican Party?' Patrick Sammon, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, called Dean's statement "callous" and said that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama should publicly state what they think of it."

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News: Johnny Depp, Eureka Springs, Clark Gable, Bounty Killer

BOOK: Clark Gable was gay for pay. "David Bret’s angle on Clark Gable is this: Gable was 'gay for pay' and 'rough trade,' and he enjoyed having sex 'for bucks.' In addition, he 'would sometimes scrub his penis until it bled' and used a device to prolong erections. If these tidbits from the book’s first few pages aren’t too much information for you, you’re in luck. This breathtakingly trashy biography does not skimp on sordid anecdotes."

Johnny Depp the new, uh, face of Trojan condoms?

Gawker goes to the NYC Black Party.

T.R. Knight steps out with boyfriend Mark Cornelsen: We all have AIDS.

Survey shows increased support for gay marriage in Ireland: "Eighty-four per cent of respondents to an opinion poll conducted this month by Lansdowne Market Research said they supported civil marriage or civil partnerships for gay and lesbian couples. This is the same figure as a similar survey carried out in November 2006. However, 58% said gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry in registry offices, compared to 51% in the previous survey."

Did Heath Ledger father a love child?

Could Al Gore be brought in for clean-up duty at the convention? "Let’s say the elders of the Democratic Party decide, when the primaries end, that neither Obama nor Clinton is viable. Let’s also assume — and this may be a real stretch — that such elders are strong and smart enough to act. All they’d have to do would be to convince a significant fraction of their superdelegate friends, maybe fewer than 100, to announce that they were taking a pass on the first ballot at the Denver convention, which would deny the 2,025 votes necessary to Obama or Clinton. What if they then approached Gore and asked him to be the nominee, for the good of the party — and suggested that he take Obama as his running mate? Of course, Obama would have to be a party to the deal and bring his 1,900 or so delegates along."

Madonna on the paparazzi: "The paparazzi are out of control. I haven't been to Los Angeles in quite a while, and I don’t watch television here or in England, and I was told there's now a television show where the paparazzi are the stars of the show—is that true? That they film each other doing paparazzi jobs? Which gives them more fuel. I usually found that type kept their distance—they definitely do in England, because it's illegal to photograph children. But that's not how it is here. They get this close, and don't care how much they scare your children. Being famous has changed a lot, because now there's so many outlets, between magazines, TV shows, and the Internet, for people to stalk and follow you. We created the monster."

Gay couple faces harsh realities in move from New Jersey to Idaho.

Is Regent Entertainment circling gay publications Out and The Advocate?

HIV-positive Canadian Martin Rooney takes on U.S. travel ban: "I said I was on disability. He said what's my disability. I said I have HIV. He hauled me into a backroom. ... He put on a set of rubber gloves to hold each of my fingers. Nobody else wore rubber gloves. Then he fingerprinted me, photographed me, ran me through the FBI's most-wanted list and told me to go back to Canada and not return until I came back with a waiver. I felt like I was being treated like a terrorist."

Arkansas gays converge on Eureka Springs for 'Diversity Weekend': "Homosexual and transsexual residents say that living in Northwest Arkansas has its benefits, such as the small-town atmosphere, natural beauty, and amenities such as shopping and restaurants. But many lament the limited social venues and a lack of connectivity within their own community. 'There is a fairly large population of people that are gay, lesbian or bisexual, but there is no community,' said Fayetteville resident J. Judd Harbin."

Ricky Martin battles human trafficking in Cambodia

Human rights groups halt concerts by 'murder music' singer Bounty Killer: "In Germany, Bounty Killer's performance in Essen was cancelled and other German concert dates are now in doubt as gay human rights groups are coordinating a Europe-wide campaign to halt his 'Deadly Alliance' tour of the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland."

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Joker's Entrance: 'Whatever Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stranger'

Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight was previewed Thursday at ShoWest:

"Unlike 1989's 'Batman,' in which the deranged, disfigured clown appearance of Jack Nicholson's Joker resulted from a dip in chemical goo, "The Dark Knight" starts right in with the bad guy in all his psychopathic glory. 'I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you stranger,' Ledger's depraved Joker cryptically tells an accomplice in the opening scenes, in which he pulls off a daring bank robbery."

Said director Christopher Nolan: "The psychopathic clown, that's an icon to stand with the guy with the ears and cape. It's just a wonderful visual relationship, and it's a terrifying image. I think he'd be very pleased to see we're just moving ahead as is. If you try to honor somebody, you honor them by respecting their work and putting it out there for as many people to see. He was immensely proud of the work he did on the film. I feel a great burden to present that in an undistorted form."

Producer Charles Roven told the AP that Ledger was pleased with the outcome: "He was just blown away by his own performance. He said, 'Can I see it again?' So he was really, really thrilled."

Ledger's Joker Makes Dramatic Entrance [ap]

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News: Annie Lennox, Penguins, Judy Shepard, Spitzer's Promise

Maxim Thorne, a member of Obama's LGBT leadership council, resigns after angry posts to listserv reviving Clinton sex scandals.

Dave Navarro's piercings take no prisoners.

Annie Lennox launches "Sing" campaign to fight HIV/AIDS.

Teacher survey: homophobic abuse "endemic" in UK schools: "Homophobic abuse is endemic in schools, with 'gay' now the most common put-down by pupils in the classroom, teachers say. A 'conspiracy of silence' in schools and colleges means homophobia is now seen as so normal that some teachers believe they risk disrupting classes - and making themselves a target of abuse - if they challenge students' behaviour. More than 70% of teachers have heard put-downs in their school or college that refer to sexuality, according to a survey of 268 teachers by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers. In particular, teachers report that pupils routinely use the term 'gay' in a pejorative manner."

Concerned Women for America's Matt Barber calls Angels in America "racist gay porn."

John Turner, gay physician who treated early AIDS patients, dies at 63. Jane Shull, executive director of Philadelphia FIGHT: "In the 1980s, when AIDS was new and there were no drugs, or drugs that were virtually useless, when people were dying every single day, and there seemed to be no end in sight - every patient who came to see John left his office less afraid than when he went in."

USA Today profiles Judy Shepard and her mission to end hate crimes: "Shepard also points out what has and what hasn't changed in the 10 years since her son was murdered. What hasn't is that hate crimes continue. She mentions the recent murder of Lawrence King, a gay 15-year-old junior high student in Oxnard, Calif., who was shot to death by a fellow student. 'This terrible incident underscores the fact that we cannot let hate go unchecked in our schools and communities,' Shepard says. 'Our young people need our direction and guidance to prevent this type of crime from happening.' What has changed, she says, is that when she was growing up in Wyoming, 'no one talked about it' — 'it' being homosexuality. At 55, Shepard says the past 10 years have been exhausting. Only recently has she begun to dream about Matt, which she looks upon as a good sign."

Bring some passion back to Albany: Spitzer fulfills promise.

How Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell, will help complete Heath Ledger's last film, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus: "Since the format of the story allows for the preservation of his entire performance, at no point will Heath’s work be modified or altered through the use of digital technology. “Each of the parts played by Johnny, Colin and Jude is representative of the many aspects of the character that Heath was playing."

Penguin fan? Here's a whole lotta them.

More juice on Britney's guest star turn on How I Met Your Mother.

British government sends Iranian gays to their executions: "An Iranian lesbian who fled to Britain after her girlfriend was arrested and sentenced to death faces being forcibly returned after losing the latest round in her battle to be granted asylum. The case of Pegah Emambakhsh, 40, comes a day after The Independent reported on the growing public outcry over the plight of a gay Iranian teenager who fears he will be executed if he is deported to Iran….In turning down Ms Emambakhsh and Mr Kazemi’s asylum applications, the Home Office has said that, provided Iranians are discreet about their homosexuality, they will not be persecuted."

Police confront hundreds of angry, naked cyclists in Eugene, Oregon. Cyclists win.

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Heath Ledger's Last Portrait a Finalist for Archibald Prize

Vincent Fantauzzo's final portrait of Heath Ledger, which I posted about back in January and reported that Fantauzzo was submitting the painting for the prestigious Archibald Prize, is now officially a finalist for that prize. The Archibald is given to the "Best portrait painting preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters, Science or Politics" according to the organizers.

Forty finalists have been named for the prize out of 693 entries, and the winner is to be named on March 7. It has a history of controversy and this year is no exception. Sam Leach's self-portrait inspired by Adolf Hitler is leading the charge in that area.

Of working with Ledger, Fantauzzo said: "Heath was a very private person, which is one of the reasons I was so honoured that he allowed me to paint him. He was so easy and professional to work with. He didn't need any direction, (he was) absolutely focused. Once done, he was back to his usual charismatic self."

Previously
Heath Ledger's Last Portrait [tr]

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News: Karen Carpenter, Egypt, Jason Rae, Tuxedos, Michelle Obama

The Advocate talks to Jason Rae, at 21 the nation's youngest superdelegate: "I have not yet come out to my parents. I’m realizing that tonight I may just want to call them and talk to them. I’ve been waiting for the right moment, and now just might happen to be that right moment."

Karen Carpenter's home in Downey, California soon to be in the path of the wrecking ball? Fan: "This house is our version of Graceland. When they photographed the 'Now & Then' cover here in 1973, the house was instantly immortalized."

HIV arrests widen in Egypt: "The latest arrests took place after police followed up information coerced from men already detained, HRW said. The Egyptian interior ministry has not responded to the allegations. In a joint press release, Amnesty International and HRW warned that Egypt's efforts to prevent the spread of the deadly virus could be seriously damaged by the arrests. 'This not only violates the most basic rights of people living with HIV. It also threatens public health, by making it dangerous for anyone to seek information about HIV prevention or treatment,' said Rebecca Schleifer, who works on HIV/Aids issues at HRW."

Beef recall: 143 million pounds. "'Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection, Food Safety and Inspection Service has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall,' Schafer said in a statement. A phone message left for Westland president Steve Mendell was not immediately returned. Federal officials suspended operations at Westland/Hallmark after an undercover video from the Humane Society of the United States surfaced showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts." Here's the video. Warning: images are extremely disturbing.

Lindsay Lohan recreates Marilyn Monroe's nude "last sitting" for New York magazine. (warning: NSFW)

Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law will all take over in Heath Ledger's final role.

Jake Gyllenhaal steps out of seclusion.

ABC picks up spec comedy from Will & Grace creators Kohan and Mutchnick: "The untitled sitcom follows two men — one straight, one gay — who are lifelong best friends and business partners. The pair have to balance their relationship when they each find romantic partners at the same time. This show is probably loosely (but likely) based off of the longtime friendship and working relationship between Kohan, who’s straight, and Mutchnick, who’s gay."

Washington House passes measure expanding benefits to domestic partners: "The measure adds domestic partners to sections of laws where previously only spouses were mentioned, including areas referring to probate and trusts, community-property and homestead exemptions, and guardianship and powers of attorney. The underlying domestic-partnership law, passed last year, already provides hospital-visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations, and inheritance rights when there is no will."

Fleshbot liveblogs the GayVN (adult film) awards at the Giftcenter in San Francisco. (warning: site NSFW

UK arsonist sentenced to 10 years for lighting gay couple's home on fire as they slept: "Sonny Lockwood, 20, targeted his victims, Nicholas Hughes and Peter Cameron at their home in North Downs Crescent, New Addington, in retaliation to the pair testifying against him at an earlier Asbo hearing."

Newsweek: Who is Michelle Obama?

Oscar Men's Fashion Watch: "Fashion is reaching back to the classic look of old Hollywood and giving it a modern, sexy twist. Thanks to designs like Dior Homme's with its skinny cut, men look slimmer in luxury fabrics such as lightweight wool. This year, expect to see '60s-inspired velvet dinner jackets in rich purples or blues. There will be vests and regular ties instead of bow ties."

Five Anglican leaders to boycott once-a-decade world Anglican summit because the Episcopal church ordained a gay bishop: "Friday's announcement came from Archbishops Peter Akinola of Nigeria, Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda, Benjamin Nzimbi of Kenya, Henry Orombi of Uganda and Gregory Venables of the Southern Cone, which is in South America. 'There is no serious space for those of an orthodox persuasion ... to be themselves or to be taken seriously,' the archbishops said in a statement. They lead some of the largest or fastest-growing Anglican provinces in the world. 'The gathering will be diminished by their absence, and I imagine that they themselves will miss a gift they might have otherwise received' by attending, Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said."

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News: Son of JFK, Kevin Rudd, Alabama, Writer's Strike

Australia issues official apology for mistreating Aborigines: "Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told parliament that past policies of assimilation, under which aboriginal children were taken from their families to be brought up in white households, were a stain on the nation's soul. 'Today, the parliament has come together to right a great wrong,' Rudd said. 'We apologize for the laws and policies of successive parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.'"

Yep, that's a look of pure hate if I've ever seen one.

Brad Pitt to renege on promise that he would not be getting married until gay people can?

Back to TV: The writer's strike is officially over!

Brazilian gay rights leader Alexandre Peixe dos Santos bashed: "gagged, hooded and beaten by an unknown number of attackers."

London to host 2009 European gay rugby Union Cup: Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, said: 'The tournament will provide a platform to introduce lesbian and gay sport to new audiences.' The first Union Cup was held in 2005 in Montpellier, France and then in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2007."

Man claims to be JFK's son, wants DNA TEST from Kennedy clan.

Scottish police station hoists rainbow flag. Chief Inspector: "The contribution of LGBT people is often forgotten or ignored. It's great the police is able to recognise those efforts. It sends out the message of support to staff members and the wider public that the force is committed to diversity and equality. I'm sad if some people are unhappy about the flag for religious reasons, but I know many religious people who do not feel it goes against their faith and they are very supportive."

Court orders $3100 fine for Swedish kennel owner who refused to sell a puppy to a woman because she was a lesbian.

Hod: Jewish Orthodox gay group's web presence is born: "We are being watched with a magnifying glass right now. We have to be careful not to ruin our relations with the Orthodox establishment. Besides, we are not at the stage where we can express our opinions about same-sex partnerships and families. Our battles are at a much more elementary level. We are trying to convince rabbis, educators, lay leaders and even the general public that homosexuality is not a mental sickness."

CLASSY: Paparazzi snaps Michelle Williams beside skeleton on first day back from Heath Ledger funeral.

Patron turned away from South African gay bar because of his race.

Birth of gay group at University of Alabama remembered with exhibition: "25 years later, a collection of everything relating to the group — papers, posters, letters, shirts — has been donated to the university's archives. 'No school is fully represented by its official records. We need the unofficial record, too,' said Clark Center, curator of the W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library. 'The collection is important in that it represents a student group's activities and their intersection with the wider world.' The collection was gathered by Josh Burford, who was approached about a year ago by students wanting to research homosexuals in Tuscaloosa for a paper in his class on modern gay America. By calling on past faculty advisors and members of the group, he was able to collect boxes of papers still kept in basements and offices."

Listen to Mariah Carey's new track "Touch My Body".

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Heath Ledger Death an Accidental Prescription Drug Overdose

The results of Heath Ledger's autopsy have been released:

"The New York City medical examiner has found the cause of actor Heath Ledger's death to be acute intoxication by the combined effects of a mix of prescription painkillers and anti-anxiety medication. The medical examiner said in its ruling that a combination of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine had been found in Ledger's tissues after preliminary tests showed no result. 'We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications,' a spokesman for the medical examiner's office, Charles Hirsch, said in a statement."

Ledger's family released a statement following the report, which you can read AFTER THE JUMP...

***STATEMENT from HEATH LEDGER's FAMILLY***

We remain humble as parents and a family, among millions of people worldwide who may have suffered the tragic loss of a child. Few can understand the hollow, wrenching, and enduring agony parents silently suffer when a child predeceases them. Today's results put an end to speculation, but our son's beautiful spirit and enduring memory will forever remain in our hearts.

While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath's accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage.

Our family enjoyed an extremely happy two week visit with Heath just prior to the New Year. Those recent precious days will stay with us forever. We as a family feel privileged to have some of his amazing magic moments captured in film. To most of the world Heath was an actor of immeasurable talent and promise. To those who knew him personally, Heath was a consummate artist whose passions also included photography, music, chess and directing. We knew Heath as a loving father, as our devoted son, and as a loyal and generous brother and friend.

We treasure our beautiful granddaughter Matilda (to our dear Michelle) as well as an unbelievably wonderful network of close friends, forever, around the world. Families rarely experience the uplifting, warm and massive outpouring of grief and support as have we, from every corner of the planet. This has deeply and profoundly touched our hearts and lives. We are eternally grateful.

At this moment we respectfully request the worldwide media allow us time to grieve privately, without the intrusions associated with press and photography.

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News: Beatles, MRSA, Vanessa Williams, Jamaica, Maria Shriver

Mob of 20 attacks two gay men in Jamaica: "After days of harassment and threats, a Jamaican mob attacked two gay men, putting one in the hospital with serious injuries, while the other is missing...The group broke into the home of the men and attacked them, authorities told The Associated Press. One man had his left ear severed, his arm broken in two places and his spine possibly damaged; the other man, who was chased from their home, has not been found, according to the report."

Welcome to the just-opened Hard Day's Night Hotel in Liverpool: "The four-star, 110 room Beatle themed hotel opens its doors to the public... and is only a stone's throw away from the site of the famous Cavern Club."

Gay rights activist and psychotherapist Myra Riddell dies at 81.

This is why the Spice Girls tour is ending.

Anti-gay graffiti found in DC police station men's restroom: "'It's extremely offensive, so we're taking it very seriously,' [Police Chief Cathy] Lanier said. Lanier sent an e-mail to police department personnel Thursday night that said, 'All members of this department put their lives on the line every day, and I will not tolerate any member treating another police professional with disrespect.' Lanier said she will 'impose the most serious penalty' if the perpetrator is found to be a member of the department. The graffiti was found in an area that is accessible to both officers and civilians, Lanier said, so it is not clear who may have left the message."

New Chicago Episcopal bishop Jeffrey Lee shows support for gay clergy: "'That's one of the tragedies afflicting the church right now,' he said. 'So many of us seem to think that salvation depends on our theological correctness.'"

Gay Republicans flocking to McCain?

First lady of California Maria Shriver joins Kennedys in 'surprise' Obama endorsement.

SF health officials apologize to gay community for MRSA scare: "We regret that our recent news report (1-14-08) about an important population-based study on MRSA USA300 with public health implications contained some information that could be interpreted as misleading. We deplore negative targeting of specific populations in association with MRSA infections or other public health concerns, and we will be working to ensure that accurate information about the research is disseminated to the health community and the general public."

San Francisco-based music journalist Adam Block dies.

Police break up suspected 'gay' party in India: " A team, led by deputy police commissioner Bhujangrao Shinde, raided the Agrawal bungalow at Yeoor and detained six persons, including the main organiser, Sahil Bhoricha (24). Liquor bottles and condoms were seized from the bungalow. Entry to Yeoor Hills was restricted during the operation. Ashok Row Kavi of Humsafar Trust, a gay rights group, condemned the action as unfair, given that all the men detained were adults and were not found violating any law. A magistrate denied the police custody of those arrested."

Robbie Williams becomes a bear.

Britney Spears' family finally takes control of the situation.

Western Montana Gay and Lesbian Community Center hold "skate against hate" in Missoula to raise awareness about anti-gay violence there.

Gerard Butler and Jonathan Rhys Meyers party it up in L.A.

Ohio health officials to study smoking habits of gay teens: "Health officials are allocating $60,000 to identify the smoking habits of those teens and develop a tobacco-prevention campaign for them. Ohio Department of Health spokesman Kristopher Weiss says gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community has a smoking rate at about 40 to 60 percent. As part of the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender Community Youth and Young Adults Anti-Tobacco Social Marketing Project, officials will form focus groups among youths ages 12 through 20 at an LBGT center in Columbus."

Melbourne, Australia holds gay pride march...

Vanessa Williams to be honored as "Ally for Equality" by the Human Rights Campaign. More...

Second memorial service for Heath Ledger held in L.A.: "Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Sienna Miller, Lindsay Lohan, Ellen Degeneres and other celebrities gathered at the Sony Pictures lot on Saturday to remember Heath Ledger. This service comes a week after a smaller gathering that included ex-girlfriend Naomi Watts was held in Beverly Hills. Other mourners included Heath's father Kim, representatives from CAA (the agency that represented Heath), director Todd Haynes, and actress Shannyn Sossamon who was Heath's co-star in "A Knight's Tale". "I'm Not There" director Haynes spoke at the service."

Police raid gay bar in Philippines, arrest 10 for alleged prostitution: "The men were nabbed inside the Male Bucks Hosto Bar in Angeles City around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Members of the raiding team used a female informer who posed as a customer. The informer told authorities that the "entertainers" were dancing on stage clad only in their underwear."

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Montel Williams Fired for Refusing to Gab About Heath Ledger?

The folks at DailyKos have pointed out an interesting situation surrounding Montel Williams and FOX's decision not to renew his talk show, "The Montel Williams Show", which has been running for 17 years. The network's decision comes just four days after Williams basically read the hosts of FOX and Friends for their coverage of the HEath Ledger story. It looks like Williams was punished for pointing out how many troops had died in Iraq while network news obsessed over the death of Ledger.

Kos writes: "For just over three minutes on Saturday morning, TV talk show host Montel Williams owned the hosts of Fox and Friends. A former Marine and Naval officer, Montel lectured the stunned hosts on the stupidity of spending air time on the death of Heath Ledger, rather than covering the war in Iraq. It was a spectacle rarely seen on live cable television, as Montel exposed and condemned both tabloid 'news' shows and much of American culture for what they have each become: shallow and greedy."

Watch the body language of the host on the far right as he slowly tenses up (sorry I don't know his name) as Montel's discussion goes on and on, and he's finally cut off.

Kos reports that Williams did not return after the break and Variety reported four days later that FOX stations "opted not to renew" his show.

Coincidence or not?

Montel Williams Loses Job after Defending Troops on Fox News [tr]

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Gyllenhaal's On-Set Brothers Joke About Heath Turns Poignant

People reports from the set of the Jake Gyllenhaal-Tobey Maguire film Brothers that Heath Ledger's death has had a profound effect on his Brokeback co-star, and relates a story that shows just how close that movie made them:

"Nowhere is that more apparent than on the New Mexico set of Gyllenhaal's latest movie, Brothers. 'This has had a strong personal affect on [Jake],' says a set source. The insider adds that Gyllenhaal left the set immediately after learning of Ledger's Jan. 22 death – but he flew back on a commercial flight to shoot an additional scene on Thursday. 'He was there, but he wasn't with us. It was obviously a major trauma,' says the movie source. 'These guys were very close. [Jake] was sitting in the director's chair staring off into space.' Gyllenhaal has been off since shooting that scene, and was photographed Saturday looking subdued with girlfriend Reese Witherspoon in Los Angeles. Set sources say director Jim Sheriden is shooting around the grieving actor during his personal leave. [Gyllenhaal]'s somber mood is a sharp contrast to the happier times on the set of Brothers. During one intense early prison scene, Gyllenhaal jokingly reached into his pocket and took out a picture of his Brokeback beau to stick on the prison wall. 'Like those prisoners put [loved ones] on the wall, but Jake's was Heath Ledger,' one set source recalls. 'That was hilarious. It was a nice moment.' The source adds, 'When you think back on it now, it's touching.'"