Towleroad Guide to the Tube #336

JOHN MCCAIN: Offers his wife up to compete in topless beauty pageant for Miss Buffalo Chip. Well, at least he didn't call her a cunt.

MITT ROMNEY: Can't name one piece of energy legislation John McCain has worked on in 26 years.

LICKER: Extended Stay Hotels' bizarre viral ad. Yes, she even licks the toilet.

HEY WEATHER FANS: Tornado sirens, twister stop game at Wrigley Field.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Care to Take a 15 Minute Dip?

Jason Pomeranc's new Thompson Lower East Side hotel in NYC will feature a pool painted with a filmstrip mural of Andy Warhol by Gerald Malanga. The hotel is reportedly open to guests now on a limited basis but the pool won't be open till October.

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San Diego Activists Target Manchester Grand Hyatt's Anti-Gay Owner

Activists (including rainbow flag-designer Gilbert Baker and UK activist Peter Tatchell, above) came out in force in San Diego, giving a face to the boycott of the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego that has gained steam since April when GLAAD pulled out of a Gay Pride event that was to held at the hotel this weekend. The hotel's owner, Doug Manchester, while advertising in gay media, has also made a huge donation to support the ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriage in the state.

The AP reports: "Picketers outside the Manchester Grand Hyatt waved rainbow banners and signs reading "The 'Hyatt' of Hypocrisy' to protest owner Doug Manchester's $125,000 donation to a group backing the November ballot measure...'(Hyatt) put so much money into advertising this hotel in gay magazines, and it's a huge slap in the face,' said newlywed Manuel Munoz, 33, who was in town from Rancho Cucamonga honeymooning with husband Ed Alberson. Munoz was staying at a nearby Sheraton. Hyatt said it took no position on Manchester's contributions to the marriage initiative. The company manages the 1,625-room waterfront hotel on behalf of Manchester's development company, Manchester Financial Group. 'It's a personal decision of Mr. Manchester's that doesn't involve Hyatt,' said Hyatt spokeswoman Lori Alexander, who watched the sidewalk protest from the steps of the hotel. 'His name is on the door, but it's not the views of Hyatt.'"

Rex Wockner, who shot the photo above and below, has plenty more at his site...

More than 220,000 people were expected to have attended the Pride event over the weekend. Wockner also has a look at some of the VIPS that were there.

Two websites were created to organize the boycott by a coaltiion of gay groups called Californians Against Hate. The NYT wrote up their efforts last week.

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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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Don't Disturb Jason Mraz When He Has Jet Lag

Singer/songwriter Jason Mraz writes on his MySpace blog:

"Time zone hopping and the hyper robotic routine of touring require energy levels to be consistent and my schedule isn't one that affords me any sick days. So I travel with a chopping knife and a cutting board. Rather than rely on room service and overpriced restaurant versions of vegetarian cuisine, I shop at local grocers and eat my own delicious homemade meals. The knife, a classic single layer stainless steel, in addition to raising concerns with airport security, is also good for shocking housekeeping staff. My DO NOT DISTURB sign is in constant use during any hotel stay, yet all maids seem to have this incredible urge to assist and clean. Thus, opening the door in bikini briefs gripping a 10-inch blade makes my point. I can make my own bed."

Mraz recently told NewNowNext why he surrounds himself with gay people: "To me it’s not an issue of gay or straight; it’s just a coincidence that the people I hang out with happened to be … gay folk. And I, as a writer, have always written from a feminine side. I take yoga, and I practice my spirituality, to balance my heaven and earth, to balance my masculine and my feminine, you know? And I think what I find hanging out in the gay community, there’s more of a balance in the masculine and feminine qualities in the lifestyle than in a typical straight relationship or just in a straight person."

Check out Jason Mraz' video for "I'm Yours" AFTER THE JUMP...

(via hunk du jour)

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News: Al Reynolds, Tel Aviv, Rent, Tucker Carlson, Attitude

Kathy Griffin ordained into the clergy of the Universal Life Church so that she can marry a straight couple: "People asked if I was concerned that I might upstage the bride. But Elka didn't have to worry. I'm wearing a green gown I wore to the Golden Globes a few years ago - which got me on one of those 'Worst Dressed' lists!"

Star Jones divorcing Al Reynolds: "They hadn’t been seeing eye to eye for months and had already spent a great deal of time apart. Finally, Star decided it was over. She told Al at the end of January that he had 30 days to get his act together or ‘get out.’"

Not over yet: Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal to reprise their roles in Rent for 2009 national tour.

Security camera developed that sees through clothing: "A camera that can "see" explosives, drugs and weapons hidden under clothing from 25 metres has been invented. The ThruVision system could be deployed at airports, railway stations or other public spaces. It is based on so-called 'terahertz', or T-ray, technology, normally used by astronomers to study dying stars. Although it is able to see through clothes it does not reveal 'body detail' or subject people to 'harmful radiation', according to the designers. 'It is totally and utterly passive - it receives only,' said a spokesperson for Thruvision."

Robbie Williams says he has seen three UFOs and wants to study them when he retires.

Paper reports on gay life in Afghanistan: "There are no organised gay associations in Afghanistan, but contrary to many Western countries, men can freely walk the streets holding hands. This was especially shocking for foreign troops who became fascinating for the Afghan men. Armed and ready to engage in conflicts with Al-Qaeda, the only conflicts the foreign troops had were with local men who only wanted to stroke their hair. 'It was hell. Every village we went into we got a group of men wearing make-up coming up, stroking our hair and cheeks and making kissing noises,' 20-year-old Corporal Paul Richard uttered."

The underground drag queens of Tel Aviv: "In an effort to carve out a space for themselves, Palestinian drag queens gather every few months at a club in the heart of Tel Aviv to take part in underground shows. These parties offer a rare forum for them to explore complicated and convoluted ideas about sexuality, politics, nationalism, militancy and religion. They're forging their identities at the center of what some consider an occupying power. The Palestinian nationalists among them recognize the irony in the fact that Israel has become their sanctuary. 'I didn't choose this place; it's the place that I found I could be myself in,' said M, a 24-year-old Arab-Israeli woman with short black hair who's performed at the club. 'That's my only refuge.'"

Cyndi Lauper asks Britney Spears to join her on the True Colors tour which starts on May 31.

What's Justin Timberlake's problem with women?

Tireless battle to save Laguna Beach's Boom Boom Room goes on: "Supporters of a beachside nightclub that catered for half a century to Hollywood's gay stars are hitting its owner with a blizzard of yellow postcards urging that the shuttered bar be reopened. Supporters, including 'Brady Bunch' co-star Florence Henderson and former National Basketball Association player Dennis Rodman, have sent about 500 yellow postcards emblazoned 'SAVE the BOOM!!!' to [owner Steven] Udvar-Hazy's Los Angeles office..."

Tucker Carlson's show gets dumped: "The official announcement, expected tomorrow, will include details about who will replace Tucker at 6pmET as well as other political programming additions. Sources say the network is going to beef up its schedule with more NBC News talent."

Olympic ambassador and former British silver medallist hurdler Colin Jackson: I'm not gay. " “I don't mind having people say what they like in that circumstance. I know that I am not but I don't think it's for me to be going round screaming it from the rooftops. I think it's just rubbish. It makes no real sense to me. It's quite strange and bizarre but people say what they say."

A gay and lesbian hotel brand with Attitude.

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Abisko Ark Hotel: Few Amenities But a Great View

This is part of the latest hotel to open in northern Sweden, the Abisko Ark hotel. It's made up of a few huts in the middle of Lake Tornetrask, three kilometers out where the ice is a meter and a half thick. The main purpose of the hotel? To view the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights as some call it.

"Guests are expected to bring essentials such as thermal underwear, fleeces and woolly hats, but the hotel provides thick outerwear and heavy snowmobile boots. From a distance the huts look anything but substantial. With a pitched roof, a small window and narrow door, they squat on the snow-covered ice like dark blemishes. But they are more than a match for the elements, constructed of double-skinned pine and plywood with a thick layer of insulation in between, and kept warm with propane heaters. Each is about six metres square and sleeps three comfortably on single beds. The best part is that by each bed is a resealable hole in the wooden floor, allowing guests to fish from the comfort of their down-filled sleeping bags."

The writer of this piece took on the lights completely naked. For those like him, there's a sauna and hot tub waiting.

(Gallery)

Ice, Fire, and a Free Light Show [the observer]
(via bldg blog)

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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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News: Sperm Donors, Brad Pitt, Axel Hotel, Australia

New York sperm donor ordered to pay child support to lesbian couple.

Departing ambassador slams State Department and Condoleezza Rice for DISCRIMINATORY policies: "For the past three years, I’ve urged the Secretary and her senior management team to redress policies that discriminate against gay and lesbian employees. Absolutely nothing has resulted from this. And so I’ve felt compelled to choose between obligations to my partner — who is my family — and service to my country."

Buffalo, New York man charged with third-degree assault after punching a man for making "an open display of homosexuality."

Peter Andre says that in the 80's he had a crush on Boy George and thought he was female: "She is hot. I thought I was going to marry this woman."

Studies of HIV positive gay and bisexual men reveal high rates of unprotected sex: "The research team found that 37.3 percent of the men said they had engaged in unprotected anal intercourse over the past three months. In 41.3 percent of these cases, unsafe sex took place with another HIV-infected partner, but in 31.4 percent of cases the unprotected behavior took place with a partner whose HIV status was unknown. In 23 percent of cases, the infected man engaged in unprotected sex with a partner he knew to be HIV-negative, the study found." The CDC also reported that "more than twice as likely to be infected with the AIDS virus than their white counterparts," although the reason why wasn't immediately clear.

In London to accept his GAY award, Jesse Metcalfe puts on his prettiest face and assaults a paparazzo.

Starting point: Same-sex couples in Victoria, Australia will soon be allowed to register their relationships. "Attorney-General Rob Hulls said legislation tabled in Parliament yesterday would allow the couples to record their relationship with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Mr Hulls said the register is not gay marriage or a civil union, but would improve access to entitlements, such as superannuation, without de facto and same-sex couples having to prove repeatedly that they are in a committed relationship. 'These reforms provide that Victorian laws, in most cases treat de facto and same-sex couples the same way as married couples,' he said."

Daniel from America's Most Smartest Model is now doing Mayonnaise ads.

Fort Worth Baptist Church postpones decision on including photos of gay members in a 125th anniversary pictorial directory: " Broadway Baptist Church has debated whether the directory should include gay couples, or gay people individually but not as couples, or whether to omit all individual and family photos. Members were to vote Sunday after morning worship. But in a clear indication that they are divided over how accepting to be of homosexuality, they met for an hour and then postponed any decision until deacons make a recommendation on Feb. 24." Bigotry can be so indecisive.

"Etiquette enforcer" on the Long Island Railroad is also apparently a homophobe: " The latest chapter began March 28, as Clifford took his a seat on the 8:02 a.m. train from Long Beach, in a spot where he might stretch out his 6-foot-4 frame. Nearby, a young man talked loudly on his cellphone to a girlfriend, a railroad no-no. Clifford got upset only after the guy started yammering to Girlfriend No. 2. 'I asked him to keep it down. The kid just ignored me. I started arguing with him, 'Shut the f- - - up!' I said, 'F- - -ing faggot,' or whatever.'"

Little pink houses: Brad Pitt calls New Orleans home. And in other Pitt news, Radar wonders if the gaudy ring on Brad's right hand is a symbol of his spiritual solidarity with the gays.

New Axel Hotel is defining moment for gay and lesbian tourism in Argentina: "That Buenos Aires would be chosen for such a marketing experiment is a result of a marked change over the past several years in the acceptance of gay men and lesbians in Argentine society. This city of three million people has come a long way from the years of military dictatorship, when being openly gay could lead to jail. Five years ago this was the first major Latin American city to legalize same-sex unions, and this summer it was host to a World Cup for gay soccer players, a first in the region."

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News: Buenos Aires, Lance Bass, Salvador Dali, Pete Wentz, Brooklyn

Tragic rape case in Dubai raises diplomatic tensions between the United Arab Emirates and France.

Buenos Aires, Argentina gets five-star gay hotel: "The receptionists are slender young men in sleek suits, the brochure features chiselled male torsos, the rooms are soundproofed and stocked with condoms and every now and then Judy Garland croons in the bar: welcome to Latin America's first luxury gay hotel...The £3.5m five-storey complex has been conceived and designed as an out and proud celebration of gay identity and sexuality, said Nacho Rodriguez, the general manager. 'This hotel is not just gay-friendly. It is gay.'" Nacho Rodriguez has to be one of the best names ever. Website for the Axel Hotel is here.

Lance Bass reveals he was once married to a woman: "People do stupid things in the heat of the moment. I've been in Vegas where I've gotten married for like five minutes, but no one talks about it though. In fact the only reason we did it is because we wanted to get free drinks all night... and we didn't get one."

New York "Realtor to the Stars" found bludgeoned to death in her Fifth Avenue penthouse: "Linda Stein, 62, was found Tuesday night by her daughter, filmmaker Mandy Stein, lying in a pool of blood in the $2.5 million pad at 965 Fifth Ave. on the upper East Side. The city medical examiner ruled her death a homicide yesterday, determining the 5-foot-tall woman died from blunt-force trauma to the head and neck. 'It doesn't seem possible,' said one of Stein's neighbors, Seymour Holtzman, 72. 'It's probably the safest building I know. ... It's shocking.' Stein helped her ex-husband, music mogul Seymour Stein, found Sire Records in the 1970s, a label that launched the careers of Madonna, Talking Heads and Depeche Mode."

Catholic school principal caught in drag, loitering in "high drug trafficking and prostitution area."

Gay bashing south of Manchester, England has police on alert: "A man is in hospital with extensive facial injuries after being attacked in Orford Park in what police believe may be a homophobic attack. The 39-year-old was walking through the park with a friend on Monday night when a man 'violently attacked' him, detectives said. He was punched to the ground and then repeatedly punched and kicked in the face and head while his attacker told him he was going to kill him. The attack only stopped when a resident alerted by the noise came out of his home. The victim is still in Warrington Hospital with serious facial injuries."

Harry Potter actor Robert Pattinson to play Salvador Dali in new film that suggests Dali had a love affair with Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca: "Described by its producers as 'racy' and 'sexy', the film will show Dali and Lorca's feelings deepen into a love affair which the sexually repressed artist tries and fails to consummate. As a substitute, Lorca sleeps with a female friend, with Dali present as a voyeur. The interpretation, by British screenwriter Philippa Goslett, is likely to cause controversy among biographers and historians. Although a physically intimate relationship between the men has long been rumoured, Dali told interviewers more than once that he rejected the homosexual Lorca's attempts to seduce him."

Same-sex commitment ceremony announcement inspires hellstorm of hatred in Missouri town.

Pete Wentz leap of faith presents podiatric problem.

There’s Something About Miriam, the reality show about a 21-year-old transsexual model being wooed by six men who are unaware of her secret, begins airing on FOX Reality Channel tonight. Reality Blurred reports: "When the series first aired in the UK almost four years ago, Miriam said she was really looking for love. 'I did it because I wanted to know if real love exists. Can a person fall in love? I was trying to be myself and if anyone had asked me about myself I would have told them,' she said. As expected, the show was not well-received, and was criticized by many for its premise. The six men sued Sky One and the production company, a subsidiary of Big Brother producer Endemol, for what they said was public humiliation, settled for amounts that 'various reports pegged at anywhere between $150,000 and $250,000 a man.'"

What will Brooklyn, New York be like in the year 2012? Sir Ian McKellen gives a narrated tour. (more at Curbed)

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

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

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

Sexual orientation hate crimes bill launched in Scotland.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The next 25 years of video games.

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

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Weekend Protest Planned at Michigan Resort Hotel

Members of Detroit's Triangle Foundation will stage a protest from 11-3 on Saturday outside a resort hotel in East Tawas, Michigan, for its failure to assist a lesbian who was allegedly assaulted there at the beginning of September:

"Investigators reported that a male guest, in his 60s, allegedly attacked Michigan resident Angela Potter during her Sept. 8 stay. The man reportedly used anti-lesbian slurs against Potter, police said Thursday. When Potter asked a hotel staff member to call police, the employee reportedly agreed to call but never did. An hour later, a bruised Potter phoned police herself, investigators said. Police responded, then turned the case over to local prosecutors for review. On Wednesday, prosecutors said they had issued no arrest warrant in the case. Both victim and suspect are out-of-town residents, police said. 'Both of them were bumped, bruised, scraped and cut,' said East Tawas Police Chief Dennis Frank, reviewing photographs this week. 'It appeared they got an equal share.' Neither victim nor suspect sought medical attention, Frank added."

Said Triangle Foundation Staff Member Melissa Pope: "There is no excuse - none - for the way the hotel treated Angie. We are calling on Tawas Bay Beach Resort to issue a public apology and at least a refund to her."

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"Queen of Mean" Leona Helmsley Dead at 87

Leona Helmsley, the real estate developer and hotelier who was dubbed the "queen of mean", died today of heart failure at her summer home in Greenwich, Connecticut. She was 87.

Via NYT City Room: "In 1968, Mrs. Helmsley, already a millionaire and a successful condominium broker, met the real estate magnate Harry B. Helmsley. They married in 1972. Together, they built a real-estate empire that included landmark buildings like 230 Park Avenue and the Empire State Building, the Tudor City apartment complex on the East Side of Manhattan, and Helmsley-Spear, their management and leasing business. The couple developed properties that included the Park Lane Hotel, the New York Helmsley Hotel and the Helmsley Palace Hotel, and hotels in Florida and other states."

In 2001, Helmsley made headlines after raising a stink in the lobby of her Park Lane hotel after she saw a group of gay tourists there. For the hotel's gay general manager, Charles Bell, Helmsley's outburst was the last straw, according to a report in The Advocate: "She said in a loud voice, 'What are all of these gay men doing in my hotel? It's disgusting. I want it stopped.'"

It was one in a long string of disgusting slurs and outbursts from Bell's boss. Bell filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Helmsley after being fired from his job, citing "wrongful and discriminatory termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress."

A jury awarded Bell $11.2 million in damages. This amount was later reduced by a judge to $554,000.

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British Official Warns Hotels: Don't Discriminate Against Gays

Meg Munn, a minister in the Department for Communities and Local Government has warned businesses, particularly Muslim or Christian hotels, that if they turn away gay people they face stiff penalties, reports the Telegraph:

"If gays are turned away, the only way a Christian or Muslim guest house owner can lawfully stay in business is if he or she offers single bedrooms to all guests - straight or gay. Miss Munn said a wedding photographer who refused a gay wedding booking should take up portrait photography instead, while a chauffeur who declined to work with homosexuals must specialise in corporate travel."

While the new legislation has been criticized by some because it forces Muslims and Christians with anti-gay religious beliefs to "conform to the Government's new morality," others have no sympathy and say they must obey the law.

Said Giles Fraser, the vicar of Putney and a leading Church of England liberal: "It is nonsense for the Government to allow any loopholes for religious homophobia. Bigotry is bigotry whether it's dressed up in the language of faith or not."

Warning shot for hotels over gay couples [the telegraph]

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News: UFO, Chelsea Hotel, Mark Dalton, California Gay Marriage

Northern Ireland politician Ian Paisley Jr., who made disparaging remarks about gay people last month, has no regrets about being a bigot: "What is done is done, I've said those comments why should I try and hide what I've done."

UFOs spotted over Britain: "It was 2,000ft up and stationary. I thought it was about 10 miles away, although I later realised it was approximately 40 miles from us. At first, I thought it was the size of a [Boeing] 737. But it must have been much bigger because of how far away it was. It could have been as much as a mile wide. I'm certainly not saying that it was something of another world. All I'm saying is that I have never seen anything like it before in all my years of flying."

Activist outs homophobic Russian politician on national TV.

Gay accusations fly over domestic partner benefits in Kentucky gubernatorial race.

Elton John raises £110,000 for karaoke tune.

Historic Chelsea Hotel to be the east coast's Chateau Marmont? "Hotelier Andre Balazs, owner of the historic Hollywood inn, was spotted 'checking out' the interior of the Chelsea Hotel on Tuesday. The Chelsea's owners just turned its operation over to powerhouse BD Management, and we hear Balazs, with his knack for historical preservation, will have a role in running and restoring the place. Now all he has to do is figure out how to entice people who have long lived there for little to no rent to vacate."

Gay porn actor Mark Dalton arrested...again. (sites NSFW)

Canadian Anglicans to vote on allowing churches to bless gay couples.

California Supreme Court asks each side to answer three questions in gay marriage case: "The first answer the court required from both sides was a specific and detailed explanation of how California’s existing domestic partnership law--one of the most comprehensive in the country--and legal marriage differ from one another in terms of legal rights for families. Secondly, the court required lawyers from both sides to offer their interpretations of what the California state constitution’s provisions might be for marriage rights" and "Do the terms ’marriage’ or ’marry’ themselves have constitutional significance under the California constitution?"

Rules and regulations: Rufus Wainwright in choreographed number with muscle men.

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News: Turkey, Shear Genius, Dali, Google Maps, Isaac Mizrahi

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

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

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

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

Britney Spears, novelist.

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

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

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

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

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

Marcus Schenkenberg is the new Terminator?

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

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News: Taj Mahal, Thom Filicia, iPhone, Mario Testino

15-year-old girls charged with felony hate crimes for targeting one of their male classmates with homophobic flyers.

Taj Mahal to get facial: "According to the BBC, Indian officials have concluded that a 'deep-cleansing mud pack may be the only way to return a yellowing Taj Mahal to the cultural landmark's former white marble glory.' By 'caking the building in clay,' we read, those same officials can actually 'draw out surface impurities'.

Queer Eye's Thom Filicia to renovate W hotels starting with the W Los Angeles-Westwood.

Paris Hilton gets lighter sentence - should be in the coop for only 23 days, if that: "The L.A. County sheriff's office announced that they recognize her good behavior including showing up at her recent court date. Paris will also serve her 23-days in a special unit. These cells are specifically reserved for high-profile inmates who might otherwise be targeted by fellow prisoners. She will also get an hour a day to make phone calls, watch TV and shower."

Homeless gay youths finding home in specialized shelters: "Many experts estimate that while gay men and lesbians make up 3 percent to 5 percent of the general population, more than 20 percent of homeless youths under age 21 in many urban areas are gay, according to recent surveys of street youths and shelter workers published in peer-reviewed academic journals, and a study released in January by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Coalition for the Homeless."

How the GOP candidates responded to Falwell's death — 5 strong supporters, 3 weak supporters, two made no comment at all.

Bogus tip to tech blog Engadget about delay of iPhone knocked $4 billion off Apple's market capitalization yesterday as the stock dropped from $107.89 to $103.42 in six minutes (11:56 - 12:02). Since then the stock has recovered.

Evandro Soldatti and a "legion of male models" attend Mario Testino's 'honorary citizenship" party in Rio.

In case you were wondering, your prayers have helped Britney Spears.

West Hollywood gay activist Larry Sprenger dies at 65: "In the mid-1980s, Sprenger was co-chairman of the Municipal Elections Committee of Los Angeles, then one of the nation's most influential gay political groups. He was instrumental in the group's controversial stand in 1985 urging the owners of gay bathhouses to voluntarily shut down their operations because of the baths' possible role in the spread of AIDS."

Amazon to challenge iTunes with DRM-free music download service: "The Amazon service will launch later this year with support from EMI, the third-largest record company, and more than 1,000 smaller labels...David Card, an analyst at Jupiter Research, said Amazon’s clout would increase the pressure on EMI’s competitors to follow suit. 'Getting another big, big player to endorse DRM-free is a big deal.'"

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Paris Hilton Represents for Family Hotel Chain, Finally...

In a guerilla art campaign that lifted its major points from Banksy (the stealth replacement of a Paris Hilton object), artist Vinchen plied his trade at the Columbus, Ohio Hilton Hotel. He replaced a wall-mounted house ad with a more revealing image of the hotel heiress, in a mock ad that read: "For over 80 years, the Hilton name has been synonymous with elegance and class. A tradition that continues today."

Click here for a look at the full (NSFW) image, along with a film of the installation.
(via wooster collective)

Recent stealth attacks...
Man Cons Swiss Paper into Publishing Fake Gucci Ad...of Himself ... [tr]
Paris Hilton "Screwed" by Graffiti Artist Banksy [tr]
Graffiti Artists Transform H&M Billboard into "Weeping Madonna" [tr]

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SC Couple Says Hotel Turned Them Away for Being Gay

A gay couple together for two and a half years says that Affordable Suites of America, a long-term stay hotel located in Sumter, South Carolina, turned them away because they are gay. Jason Pickel and Darren Black Bear say they inquired about renting a room at the hotel while they search for a home.

Said Pickel: "We were inquiring about the price, deposits, extra person fee, and she asked who the room was going to be for, and I said for my partner and I. She said, 'Oh we don't rent to multiple people of the same sex.' I said, so you don't rent to gay couples? She said, 'No, we don't rent to gay people at all.'"

News19 of Columbia called the hotel to follow up. They were told by the hotel receptionist: "Our policy is we don’t rent to two people of the same sex if we only have one bed." Carol Atkisson, the hotel's owner, says there was a misunderstanding: "He says any couple can come to the place and they will rent to them, period. Atkisson says the policy was not mean to target homosexuals. He says they were just trying to stop two single people from being in the same bed."

According to News19, "Currently, there is no state law preventing a hotel from refusing service to a same-sex couple. However, it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, gender, disability, or marital status."

Couple: Hotel Wouldn't Rent to Us Because We're Gay [news19]

You may have missed...
South Carolina Officially Bans Gay Marriage [tr]

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News: Prince Harry, Seattle, Calvin Klein, GLAAD, Sean Penn

Lesbian asks court to ban gay adoptions: "Sara Wheeler's life has become