Breakfast with Scot Opens L.A.'s Outfest

Breakfast with Scot opened L.A.'s Outfest film fest last night at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The Canadian film (based on a 1999 novel by Michael Downing) tells the story of a gay couple (a former Toronto Maple Leaf and the team's lawyer) who become the guardians of an eleven-year-old boy struggling to understand his sexuality. More of the fests offerings and intentions were written up today in The Hollywood Reporter.

According to the industry paper, "This year's Platinum programming pays tribute to underground punk mutineer Bruce LaBruce with screenings of his 'Super 8 1/2' (1993) and new 'Otto; or, Up With Dead People' (Strand Releasing) at Redcat. This year's highest honor, the Outfest Achievement Award, will go to filmmaker Donna Deitch, whose 1985 'Desert Hearts' made waves for its earnest and positive portrayal of lesbian romance. Outfest also has selected a small number of "centerpiece" films for Gala screenings. This year's opening- and closing-night galas at the Orpheum Theatre are 2007's 'Breakfast With Scot' and 2008's 'Tru Loved,' both of which depict families helmed by gay and lesbian parents in tree-lined suburbia. Likely to create buzz this election year are films in the Outing Politics series, including the Oscar-winning 1984 documentary 'The Times of Harvey Milk,' a narrative version of which will be released by Focus Features this year, and Dan Butler's satire 2007's 'Karl Rove, I Love You,' which centers on an unknown actor's obsession with the Dubya handler."

Breakfast with Scot made headlines in 2006 as it was the first gay-themed film to be endorsed by an NHL franchise, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The endorsement, of course, rattled wingnuts like James Hartline, who slammed the endorsement and the film's gay parenting message. The movie's star Tom Cavanagh talked about playing gay last year and his onscreen kiss with actor Ben Shenkman. Said Cavanagh of the kiss: "Let me quote Keats here: 'Beauty is truth, and truth is beauty.' And when you're as good-looking as Ben Shenkman, it doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. Although, I'm not sure if Ben's wife wants to hear me say that."

Watch the trailer for Breakfast with Scot, AFTER THE JUMP...

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The Diary of Sean Avery, Hockey Player and Vogue Intern

Sean Avery, the New York Ranger pro Hockey player-turned Vogue intern, has an entertaining diary up at Men's Vogue with some equally as entertaining photos in various states of undress.

Writes Avery: "The cafeteria in the Condé Nast building — which houses Vogue and Men's Vogue and Vanity Fair and The New Yorker and about every other magazine you've ever heard of aside from The Hockey News — is filled with some of the best-looking and best-dressed women in New York. Even aside from that distraction, my first attempt at getting lunch didn't go so well. You see, I needed two trays to hold my plates of beef stroganoff and my salad (which alone could probably feed four) and my two bottles of water and my Jello for dessert. To have two full trays in the Condé Nast cafeteria is like seeing a hockey player wearing skinny jeans — it just doesn't happen. And while my stick-handling on the ice keeps getting better and better, my tray-handling leaves a bit to be desired. I still can't find the girl who fled the cafeteria with beef stroganoff spilled all over her, but just in case she's reading this: You can find me on the twelfth floor, and I owe you a new outfit. I now limit myself to one tray at a time."

One more shot, AFTER THE JUMP...

In the Crease [men's vogue]
(images: Hannah Thomson - Men's Vogue]

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News: Peter Pace, Jellyfish, Oregon, Gilbert Baker, Moscow

Bush awards former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair and homophobe Peter Pace the Congressional Medal of Freedom.

Will Smith superhero movie re-branded by construction worker in London's Leicester Square.

Sick: Brutal trans-bashing by Memphis police officer caught on video. "The video, recorded February 12th, shows Duanna Johnson in the booking area at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center after an arrest for prostitution. The tape clearly shows a Memphis police officer walk over to Johnson - a transsexual - and hit her in the face several times. 'Actually he was trying to get me to come over to where he was, and I responded by telling him that wasn't my name - that my mother didn't name me a 'faggot' or a 'he-she,' so he got upset and approached me. And that's when it started.'"

Uh oh, there's a new Spears in town.

Gaytona.com: where gay and Nascar meet.

Experts: Mass proliferation of jellyfish a sure sign that environment is out of whack.

Oregon opponents of gay rights laws abandon efforts to repeal them: "Organizers conceded Monday that their initiatives to repeal two Oregon gay rights laws will not make the November ballot. The fact that the initiatives are stalled offers more evidence that opponents are losing support, say gay rights activists, who were also celebrating the legalization of same-sex marriages in California on Monday."

Provocation: Right-wing group asks Israeli Supreme Court to ban Gay Pride in Jerusalem: "In a petition to the court, the small National Jewish Front called the event 'a provocation,' while the municipality filed a brief saying it too objected to the parade, scheduled to be held on June 26. 'We are against this parade which harms social relations,' city spokesman Gidi Schemerling told AFP."

Members of the clergy in Albany today rallied to protest Governor David Paterson's decision to recognize same-sex marriages preformed out of state.

An interview with rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker: "I love going to cities around the world and seeing the rainbow flag, knowing that it's a safe place where I can be myself...In 1978, when I thought of creating a flag for the gay movement there was no other international symbol for us than the pink triangle, which the Nazis used to identify homosexuals in concentration camps. Even though the pink triangle was and still is a powerful symbol, it was very much forced upon us. I almost instantly thought of using the rainbow. To me, it was the only thing that could really express our diversity, beauty and our joy. I was astounded nobody had thought of making a rainbow flag before because it seemed like such an obvious symbol for us."

Mario Lopez is impressed with himself.

Recommend picks from the California Tourism Commission for places to have your wedding or honeymoon.

Mickey Rourke spent his Father's Day with a dude in a thong.

Hockey jock doesn't speak, but carries a big stick (warning: site NSFW)

District Court of Moscow dismisses complaint by activists that gay pride ban was unlawful: " During court hearing, Nikolai Alekseev, principle the organiser of Moscow Pride, said that the Russian legislation does not give the authorities the right to ban any public event if it does not contradict the Constitution. According to the law, he told the court, authorities are obliged to offer an alternative place or time for the conduct of such an event if it is not possible to stage it in the place where planned."

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News: Brazil, Vin Diesel, Red Wings, Lauren Hutton, 'Ex-Gays'

Brief altercations reported at Tel Aviv gay pride: "The demonstrators held signs which read: 'Animals! You have nothing to be proud of, take your medication.'" Thousands attend...

Vin Diesel is a daddy — literally.

McGreevey lawyer during closing arguments: "She gets nothing!"

Detroit Red Wings have a friend, and his name is Stanley.

Following her Sex and the City gay sluts rant, Lauren Hutton has made another bizarre appearance, this time at Bravo's A-List awards.

Archbishop of Uganda demands that "pro-gay bishops must apologise and renounce their support for sexual perversion" in order to mend rift in Church: "The Archbishop of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi, made the appeal on Wednesday, while addressing journalists at the provincial headquarters in Namirembe, Kampala. He was announcing the departure of a team of Church of Uganda bishops to the Anglican Communion scheduled for June 22-29 in Jerusalem. According to Orombi, conservative Christians worldwide, who believe in the Bible, will meet in Jerusalem to 'prepare for an Anglican future in which the gospel is uncompromised and a Christ-centred mission is a top priority.'"

Gay Brazilian soldier who came out on national TV arrested after taping show for desertion from the army. AWOL or victimized?

Gay activist slams Norther Irish politico's statement that gays and lesbians can be "turned around". Said the MP: "I have a very lovely psychiatrist who works with me in my offices and his Christian background is that he tries to help homosexuals - trying to turn away from what they are engaged in. I'm happy to put any homosexual in touch with this gentleman and I have met people who have turned around and become heterosexuals."

Meet the Top 20 contestants on So You Think You Can Dance.

Brody Jenner kicks back in Hawaii.

Isaac Mizrahi makes hair pomade at home.

Brazil's first gay cruise!

This weekend's Love Won Out "ex-gay" conference in Orlando to be protested by gay activists: "Protesters, organized by Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, will meet outside First Presbyterian Church in Orlando, where organizers say the conference is expected to draw about 500 participants. The conference coincides with Gay Days, which annually attracts thousands of gays to Orlando and Disney World."

Videos of McCain's awful speech being removed from YouTube?

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #295

COMMENCEMENT: Barack Obama "pinch hits" for Ted Kennedy at Wesleyan University.

SHARON STONE: Says "karma" was to blame for death and destruction of Chinese earthquake.

KEITH OLBERMANN: Slams Hillary Clinton's RFK 'assassination' remarks. Clinton has apologized for the reference.

SMASHED: Spokane Chiefs win the 2008 Memorial Cup, then drop it.

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Meet Vogue's New Intern, New York Ranger Sean Avery

Sean Avery, who plays left wing for the New York Rangers, and is also the most hated player in the NHL according to the New Yorker, is going to be a summer intern at Vogue:

"Avery’s more conventional provocation techniques, such as trash-talking, wife-slagging, face-rubbing, slew-footing, slashing, diving, and flopping, may irritate his adversaries even more on account of his unconventional off-ice persona. Not for Avery the typical prairie-boy self-effacement of the hockey man. He has said that he finds sports, and athletes, boring, and that he’d like to be an editor of a fashion magazine. (He’s planning to do a summer internship at Vogue.) Unlike most hockey players, he sees nothing wrong with the fact that he likes to 'smell nice occasionally.' He has said that he prizes his black patent-leather Yves Saint Laurent high-tops, 'a lovely cashmere throw from a friend who works at Calvin Klein,' and his Philippe Starck machine-gun-shaped lamp ('It lets you know there’s a man living in the house'). For a while, he wore black nail polish on one hand—'my fighting hand.' He told one magazine,'Sometimes I’ll wear a scarf to the game and my teammates have no idea what to do.'"

WWD reports: "He wrote a letter to Anna Wintour expressing his desire to work [at Vogue] (presumably his day job helped the missive get some attention). Avery will report to 4 Times Square this summer, though his first day hasn't been confirmed (a Vogue spokesman said it depends on how well the Rangers do in the playoffs)... The spokesman said Avery likely will work with a variety of editors, including European editor at large Hamish Bowles. There's also talk of him working at Men's Vogue. And the spokesman claimed that, like most interns, the 28-year-old Avery will be expected to do traditional assistantlike tasks — making copies and messengering couture gowns, for instance. Interns clamoring for a staff position would eagerly do such tasks to secure a $30,000-a-year, low-level editorial position."

According to this NYT piece from last October from which some of the info above was culled, his next big purchase was to be the entire Dior men's collection for spring, he never uses a towel more than once, his washer-dryer is the one item he won't part with, his favorite artwork is a photo of Andy Warhol, he is "defined" by his big and colorful Taschen art books.

Like this one?

AFTER THE JUMP, some recent dirty tactics from Sean Avery which resulted in a new "unsportsmanlike conduct" rule from officials...

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New York Rangers, MSG Pledge to Quell Hockey Homophobia

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, GLSEN exec director Kevin Jennings, and Jeff Kagan, director of the gay hockey association, met with representatives from Madison Square Garden and the New York Rangers hockey team regarding the homophobic atmosphere created by fans at Rangers hockey games. The NYT reported back in March that chants of "Ho-Mo Larry" at straight season-ticket holder Larry Goodman, whose signature 'goofy dance' has apparently become a staple at games as well as general fan behavior during the games had created a "toxic" atmosphere.

Said Jennings of the meeting: "The Rangers and MSG/Cablevision agreed to implement a specific action plan based on the recommendations we made at the meeting. We are very excited about their willingness to engage in dialogue, take actions and become an active participant in creating a less hostile atmosphere at Madison Square Garden."

Quinn described the meeting as "highly productive."

Previously
NYT: Homophobic Pro Hockey Fans Creating 'Toxic' Atmosphere [tr]

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NYT: Homophobic Pro Hockey Fans Creating 'Toxic' Atmosphere

A homophobic atmosphere and anti-gay chants are making it uncomfortable for gay fans to see pro hockey games at Madison Square Garden, the New York Times reports:

Ray Stankes, 50, of Bayside, Queens, said he canceled season tickets he had had for 25 years in part because of the antigay environment. 'This is a place where I grew up, and I never really felt uncomfortable at the Garden,' Stankes said. 'I didn’t wear it on my sleeve that I’m gay. If I take a friend who is also gay who, for lack of a better term, is not as masculine, I’m always sitting there a little tense. Like, is somebody going to say something to us? And it’s made it not quite as fun as it used to be.'"

Longtime straight season-ticket holder Larry Goodman, whose signature "goofy dance" has apparently become a staple at games is routinely trashed with chants of "Ho-mo La-rry", the New York City Gay Hockey Association was booed by the stadium when their name was announced on the big screen, and homophobic remarks toward players have become more and more common.

Sounds a lot like the trouble that European football officials have been having abroad. Last year they implemented a zero-tolerance policy for such remarks. Maybe that's the solution.

Sounds like a better one than the suggestion offered up by 25-year-old season ticket holder Ricardo Pereira: "It’s a hockey game. Hockey players are tough. Deal with it."

When Tradition and Taunts Collide: Gay Hockey Fans Criticize Garden [nyt]

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Hockey Legend Bobby Orr and Fellow Players in the Flesh [tr]
Toronto Maple Leafs and Jiri Tlusty Respond to Nude, 'Gay' Photos [tr]
NHL Toronto Maple Leaf Rookie Jiri Tlusty: "I am Not Gay" [tr]
Tom Cavanagh: Kissing a Man? No Problem [tr]
Professional Hockey, Gays, and the "Ex-Gays" Who Hate Them [tr]

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News: Richard Zednik, Obama Security, Taylor Kitsch, Hepatitis A

Jason Rae, the nation's youngest superdelegate who also happens to be gay and was heavily wooed by the Clinton camp, has decided to endorse Obama. Rae: "The Democratic Party is fortunate to have two very talented individuals running for President this election. It is a difficult choice for anyone, but in the end, the choice for me has become clear. I am proudly supporting Senator Barack Obama."

Madonna, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Eric Dane and others in Hepatitis A scare at trendy New York hotspot Socialista — told to get vaccinated immediately.

Friday Night Lights Taylor Kitsch the latest stud to join X-Men Origins : Wolverine starring Hugh Jackman.

Project Runway stars reunite, dish the dirt before season finale.

State College, Pennsylvania Mayor Bill Welch to preside at same-sex commitment ceremony of six gay and lesbian couples: "'All of them have been together for several years and are actively committed to their partners,' said [Tom] Koerber, co-director of the university Coalition of LGBTA Graduate Students. The coalition has scheduled the ceremony to coincide with the start of Pride Week, an annual week when gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students — along with straight allies — drum up pride in their community."

Bollywood actor Siddharth speaks out on playing gay roles: "I think we are a homophobic country and I believe the media’s insensitive sensationalisation of the issue is largely responsible for this. As an actor I play roles based on reality. Sexual orientation is a natural and personal choice. I see no reason for it to affect my decision to accept a project. I have close friends who are gay, and they are as intelligent and caring as, if not more than, my heterosexual friends. I think it’s time we started respecting them and giving them their much-deserved freedom to just be themselves."

Officers surprised by order to stop security screening in Dallas more than an hour before Obama took the stage: "The order to put down the metal detectors and stop checking purses and laptop bags came as a surprise to several Dallas police officers who said they believed it was a lapse in security. Dallas Deputy Police Chief T.W. Lawrence, head of the Police Department's homeland security and special operations divisions, said the order -- apparently made by the U.S. Secret Service -- was meant to speed up the long lines outside and fill the arena's vacant seats before Obama came on. 'Sure,' said Lawrence, when asked if he was concerned by the great number of people who had gotten into the building without being checked. But, he added, the turnout of more than 17,000 people seemed to be a 'friendly crowd.'"

Hockey player Richard Zednik, whose carotid artery as you may remember was ripped open by a skate blade, speaks to the media: "When I saw the blood, I knew I had to get up. I got to the trainers and said it's up to them now."

Dolce & Gabbana's new collection trashed by buyers: "If I was on a blind-date and a girl answered the door dressed like that, I'd say I was gay and looking for my boyfriend's apartment."

Miami Beach prepares for annual Winter Party: ''When the Task Force took over Winter Party, one of the missions was to make sure it was not just a [men's] circuit party but a series of events to reach out to . . . the entire spectrum of the community. Transgender people, LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] families and youth. We don't have a pride celebration in Miami. This is about the closest thing we have to it.''

29-year-old who stabbed gay man to death in public toilet in Britain appears in court: "Mr Akers, a retired accountant from Wallington, was found stabbed in public toilets in Walton Lane, just off Walton Bridge about 3pm on Tuesday. He died later in hospital. Mr Akers, from Wallington, had a male partner who he had been living with for 22 years. A postmortem examination held at the Royal Surrey County Hospital revealed the cause of death as a single stab wound to the back ."

27-year-old in Brazil ordered to pay fine of $8,500 for using 'fag' slur and throwing beer can at gay man: "It is the first time this fine is put into practice by the State since the creation of law nº 10.948 back in 2001."

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RICHARD ZEDNIK: Florida Panthers forward has his carotid artery cut by a skate blade during a game over the weekend. He underwent emergency surgery and is in stable condition in intensive care at Buffalo General Hospital.

CHRIS CROCKER: On the Homophobosphere. (warning: audio NSFW)

TORCHWOOD vs FRIENDS: A mash-up fan video. (source: i am a tv junkie)

ANAL-ORAL ISSUE KITTY: Originally created for The Art Parade, hosted by Deitch Projects in SoHo, NY, the A-O Issue Kitty recently made a visit to Millenium Park in Chicago. Its purpose? “This project is a vehicle for bringing complete strangers together for a flash of communal laughter. In the end, these costumes are a response to life being a temporary event. If all we have are a couple of fleeting moments together I hope our art pieces can generate moments of celebration and togetherness.” More here. (source: jockohomo)

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #241

BIG BROTHER 9: Your introduction to this season's houseguests.

MICHAEL MOORE: His appearance on Larry King the night after Super Tuesday.

ONE DAY=$720 MILLION: What this war costs us all.

RON HEXTALL: A vintage naked interview. Background here...

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Hockey Legend Bobby Orr and Fellow Players in the Flesh

Must be the month for nude hockey players. Earlier in the month Toronto Maple Leaf Jiri Tlusty flashed his bits over the internet, and now a NYC exhibition is making headlines for its paintings of hockey players in the buff.

Kurt Kauper's exhibit "Everybody Knew That Canadians Were The Best Hockey Players" features portraits, some entirely nude, of former Boston Bruins players Bobby Orr (above, and pictured here, back in the day), Derek Sanderson, and others.

Of the paintings, Kauper told the Boston Globe: "Inspiration struck after a visit to Paris. There, Kauper saw one of his favorite works, a 19th-century image of Napoleon ascending to heaven by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. In the work, the French general is nude. You certainly couldn't do that nowadays - represent a cultural icon in the nude as a gesture of adoration and immortalization," said Kauper. 'That gets to how nudity is perceived today. It occurred to me that it would be interesting to try to make a painting of an icon in the nude and see what kind of response I got from viewers.'"

The reaction from players has been mixed. Said former Bruin Brad Park: "I see a picture of Bobby with some genitals, and a picture of Turk with some genitals. That's hard to take. I definitely would think Bobby would be uncomfortable with it. Derek, in his heyday, would have posed for it."

Discomfort is part of the point, however, said Deborah Kass, a curator who has worked with Kauper: "He takes these people we identify and idolize and presents them at their most stripped down, and because it's a male nude it makes people incredibly uneasy. I really don't know anybody else who is doing that."

The installation can be viewed here. See the full Bobby Orr, after the jump...

The show runs through December 15th at Deitch, 76 Grand Street, New York.

In artist's vision, an icon in the flesh [boston globe]
Deitch Gallery [official site]

Heeeeeeere's Bobby! (NSFW)

Related
Toronto Maple Leafs and Jiri Tlusty Respond to Nude, 'Gay' Photos [tr]
NHL Toronto Maple Leaf Rookie Jiri Tlusty: "I am Not Gay" [tr]
Tom Cavanagh: Kissing a Man? No Problem [tr]
Professional Hockey, Gays, and the "Ex-Gays" Who Hate Them [tr]

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Toronto Maple Leafs and Jiri Tlusty Respond to Nude, 'Gay' Photos

Nineteen-year-old Toronto Maple Leaf rookie Jiri Tlusty, who told a Canadian gossip site "I am not gay or bi nothing" after the site published photos of him tonguing a companion alongside nude photos taken with a camera phone, issued a statement late Tuesday.

Said Tlusty: "I used poor judgment in this instance last season and I have learned a valuable lesson. It will not happen again and I have no further comment."

Maple Leafs general manager John Ferguson issued a statement as well: "Photographs were posted recently on the Internet without Jiri's knowledge or consent. He made a naive mistake as a teenager. It's a lesson in how something private can easily become very public in the Internet age. Hopefully it's a lesson that other people will learn from as well."

Maple Leafs coach Paul Maurice told SLAM Canada: "(Jiri's) handled it as well as anyone could handle it under the circumstances. It's an excellent learning experience for a young man. There has to be a new awareness (about new media). When you're in the public eye, you have to guard how you behave. I hope this young man can put this behind him quickly. I hope he has already."

NHL Toronto Maple Leaf Rookie Jiri Tlusty: "I am Not Gay" [tr]

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NHL Toronto Maple Leaf Rookie Jiri Tlusty: "I am Not Gay"

Following the publication yesterday by a Canadian gossip site of photos of 19-year-old Toronto Maple Leaf rookie Jiri Tlusty tonguing another man along with a provocative suggestion that he was ready to come out of the closet, the Czech ice hockey player wrote into the site saying he thought the post was "funny" and he didn't care.

Said Tlusty: "I am not gay or bi nothing."

Tlusty says he was just having a bit of fun with a friend after his birthday and a night out on the town. Of course, that didn't stop the site from pursuing their investigation a bit further (NSFW).

The whole incident should serve as some sort of guerilla tie-in with the upcoming movie Breakfast with Scot. After all, actor Tom Cavanagh had no qualms about kissing a man. Given that they allowed their logo to be used for the film, the Toronto Maple Leafs are, unofficially, the most gay-friendly team in professional hockey.

JIRI TLUSTY SPEAKS TO ITH... [is this happening?]
Welcome To The NHL, Kid [deadspin]

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Tom Cavanagh: Kissing a Man? No Problem

Tom Cavanagh, who plays a gay ex-Toronto Maple Leaf in the upcoming film Breakfast with Scot is just the latest actor to be asked about what it's like to kiss a man onscreen in this interview on NBC sports:

JW: Let's play "$20,000 Pyramid", the bonus round. I'm giving the clues. Here goes. 'Julie Bowen, Kelly Ripa, Rena Sofer, Bridget Moynahan, Ben Shenkman...'
TC: Um, 'People Who Are Better-Looking Than Me?'
JW: I'm sorry. We were looking for 'People I've Kissed Onscreen.'
TC: Here's the problem with that. You ever hear Conan O'Brien talk about the problem with having gone to Harvard? It means that you're sentenced to a lifetime of, whenever you do anything halfway stupid, having to hear, "And you went to Harvard?" Likewise, when you get to kiss these beautiful women, for the rest of your life you get no sympathy. "Oh, your leg was severed at the knee? At least you got to kiss Bridget Moynahan."

JW: You even feel that way about Ben Shenkman (whom Tom kisses in the not-yet released "Breakfast With Scot")?
TC: Let me quote Keats here: "Beauty is truth, and truth is beauty." And when you're as good-looking as Ben Shenkman, it doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. Although, I'm not sure if Ben's wife wants to hear me say that.

Given the media's fascination with how male actors can possibly deal with having to kiss another man onscreen, I've got a feeling Cavanagh's going to have a lot more questions like this coming his way. And Breakfast, about a gay couple raising a gay kid, has already begun to inspire controversy.

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Professional Hockey, Gays, and the "Ex-Gays" Who Hate Them [tr]
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News: Wimbledon, Dave Koz, Squid, Boulder Hate Crime

Possible hate crime in Boulder, Colorado. A woman is assaulted after she tells two men she is gay and not interested in their sexual advances. The woman had offered the men a place to stay for the night. According to 9News in Boulder, "The victim is a student at Naropa University, a fine arts school that advocates peace and kindness."

It's about time: Wimbledon to award women the same prize money as men.

University of Georgia hockey goalie Joey Fisher comes out of the closet: "His decision was not without trepidation. He had heard homophobic comments in the locker room as his teammates flaunted their machismo. But Fisher clung to a story he had heard years before of former high school football captain Corey Johnson. 'I kept coming up with excuses to not come out. In reality, people are just going to be a lot better about it than anyone really expects,' Fisher said. He decided that he would post on his Facebook profile that he was gay. He figured that a couple people might see it and that it would help him ease out of the closet. In that assumption, he underestimated the power of the Internet."

Agreement: Apple and Cisco to share iPhone name.

Bobby Trendy weighs in on the debate over who is the father of Anna Nicole's baby: "Hopefully, it's Larry Birkhead's, he looks better than Howard Stern. I think Larry is more attractive. Anna always wanted a blonde hair, blue eyed baby."

Fishermen haul in world's largest squid: "Experts are yet to examine the whopper, but if original estimates are correct it is about 10 metres long and is 150kg heavier than the next biggest specimen ever found. The creature is a colossal squid (scientific name Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) - a very large species that's shorter but much heavier than the better known giant squid. The squid was caught after it was hauled to the surface munching on one of its favourite foods - a Patagonian toothfish the fishermen had hooked on a longline."

New Jersey Supreme Court orders schools to protect students from anti-gay harassment. Chief Justice: "Students in the classroom are entitled to no less protection from the unlawful discrimination and harassment than their adult counterparts in the workplace."

Straight man becomes shooting target after gay man suspects he and his boyfriend are more than just friends.

AfterElton hits up jazz musician Dave Koz for a chat about his new CD At the Movies. Koz uses snippets of dialogue from the film on the CD: "I always thought that this album should start by placing the listener in a movie theater. So the idea was: Let's start with 'Over the Rainbow'; let's use a little snippet of Judy Garland from The Wizard of Oz. Then it will start with that very old-sounding, crackly, mono sound to this beautiful open image with the orchestra coming in.Well, that was an idea; little did I know that we could actually make it a reality, and it was much to my surprise that we were able to get the rights for a fraction of what I thought it was going to cost to use that."

David Beckham apparently enjoys humping his teammates.

World's worst nightmare: growing up gay in a household that revolves around fundamentalist religion.

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Professional Hockey, Gays, and the "Ex-Gays" Who Hate Them

The Canadian film Breakfast with Scot (based on a 1999 novel by Michael Downing), which tells the story of a gay couple (a former Toronto Maple Leaf and the team's lawyer) who become the guardians of an eleven-year-old boy struggling to understand his sexuality, is already the target of protests from anti-gay groups, the L.A. Times reports.

The film marks the first time the NHL has approved the use of its uniforms and logos in a gay-themed film, so naturally they're the target. Leading the charge is San Diego-based Christian activist "ex-gay" James Hartline (center in photo below), who hasn't seen the film but feels confident in proclaiming that it sends the wrong message:

Without having seen the movie, Hartline called it "degrading" and condemned the NHL for "promoting homosexualization of small children." He added, "The National Hockey League is now becoming a willing partner with the fringe elements of the radicalized homosexual agenda and their ultimate goal of worldwide sexual anarchy."

His dismay is shared by Brian Rushfeldt, co-founder and executive director of the Canada Family Action Coalition. Rushfeldt said the Maple Leafs were "underwriting homosexuality" by permitting the use of their name and logo.

"This is another attempt by certain individuals to normalize homosexual behavior, and they assume that the Maple Leafs will help the cause," Rushfeldt said. "I don't think it does much for the image of the NHL amongst families who may want their children involved in hockey."

The LAT notes that "the NHL has long been insular and conservative", its ice rinks a bastion of macho ideals. The release of Breakfast with Scot in late spring or early summer in Canada, and the recent coming out of former NBA player John Amaechi will certainly cause folks to speculate on what would happen if an NHL player came out of the closet.

Conveniently enough, two current NHL players recently voiced their opinions on the topic, thanks to Amaechi's recent disclosure. Chris Chelios, who plays defense for the Detroit Red Wings, says he wouldn't care if a teammate came out:

"I don't consider it any issue at all. As far as I'm concerned, it's a non-issue. I don't care if a guy comes out and says he's not gay or he comes and says he's gay. Who cares? I don't know who made that an issue. [John Amaechi] wants to go public with it, that's fine. I don't see people coming out and saying, 'I'm not gay,' so to me, I never got that. To me, it's a non-issue. I don't understand it; why there are gay marches. Why aren't there not-gay marches?"

Henrik Zetterberg, a centre for the Red Wings, said that although a gay player might be hammered on the ice because of his sexuality, gays have as much right to play as anyone else: "I've probably played with a gay guy during some point in my career, but I didn't know about it. I think that if you are gay, you would probably keep it to yourself until you stop playing. I think in games and such, I think they would be on him a lot. Unfortunately right now, I don't think you can play when you're (openly) gay. But they have the right to play hockey, too."

Breakfast with Scot is in its final editing stages, according to the paper. The film does not yet have a U.S. distributor.

NHL breaks ice with role in gay-topic movie [la times]

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NHL Endorses Film about Gay Pro Hockey Player

In an unusual move for an organization with no openly gay athletes, the National Hockey League and the Toronto Maple Leafs have allowed filmmakers to use their logos and uniforms in a new film about a gay couple who become guardians of a boy questioning his own sexuality:

"Actor Tom Cavanaugh plays a gay ex-Leaf in a comedy film Breakfast With Scot currently being shot in the GTA and Hamilton. He's one-half of a homosexual couple — his partner is the team lawyer — whose lives are turned upside down after becoming guardians of Scot, 'a budding queen of an 11-year-old boy,' according to the storyline."

Said Cavanaugh, who is Canadian and best known for his work on the TV series Ed: "I never in a million years thought when we finally went to shooting we'd be donning Leaf sweaters. I thought it'd be that thing where it's the Toronto Razorbacks or whatever. There's something instant to the viewer when you put on a Leafs jersey or any Original Six jersey. It's harder to tell the story asking the public to remember this is supposed to be the NHL, even though we have to call it the NHA. You have to give full credit to the NHL and the Leafs for signing on. It also shows the possibility for if someone were to come out, perhaps it wouldn't be as big a deal as we think."

Past and current Maple Leaf captains were supportive of the film. Said former player Darryl Sittler: "Obviously, it's the real world we live in and I have no issues with it at all. To me, those things have come a long way and they should."

Would this have played out this way if it were taking place in America? I doubt it.

Here's a link to a review of the novel Breakfast with Scot that appeared in Salon in 1999.

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The 18-year-old Crosby is here to "save the NHL".

And of course the mascots of Crosby's Pittsburgh team have achieved gay cult status.

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