News: H1N1, Banksy, Drew Gooden, Space Hotel, Justin Bourne

Wisconsin Supreme Court to hear appeal of lawsuit oever same-sex marriage referendum.

Dallas Mavericks Drew Gooden accused of calling fan a "faggot".

Lady Gaga found something else in her closet.

Census data: many similarities between straight married couples and gay married couples.

Gay candidate smeared as child molester in Annapolis election.

Anti-gay sign investigated as hate crime in Maine: "A hand-painted, plywood sign that had a threat directed at homosexuals was found nailed on a tree in the front yard of a Route 156 residence on Friday, police say."

Hypocrite: Rep. Joe Wilson blames Obama administration for vaccine shortage after voting no on funding bill to combat H1N1.

Space hotel to launch in 2012?

A look at Ultimate Fighting, its gay-friendly and not so gay-friendly fighters, and its gay fans: “Any guy involved in grappling is the furthest thing from homophobic in the world. I honestly think it would have no impact whatsoever with not only our fighters or our fan base. The guys in the UFC, everybody is so cool, it’s great sportsmanship, everybody has respect for each other. I honestly, it wouldn’t be a big deal to me and most of the guys I know in this sport, it wouldn’t be a big deal for them either.”

Circus: Kylie Minogue spent Halloween in NYC with Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone.

Miss Gay America crowned in St. Louis.

Minor league hockey player Justin Bourne: End the gay slurs. "In my days as a hockey player, I did nothing but contribute to hockey's culture of homophobia and prejudice against gays. I used gay slurs more times than I'd like to admit. Six months after I left my last professional locker room, I felt a twinge of regret, followed by a full-out, stomach punch of regret. And by the time I finished the first draft of this column, I was disgusted with myself."

Is Precious this year's Slumdog?

Listen: Silverton, Oregon's transgender mayor Stu Rasmussen profiled on WNYC's Radiolab.

Dancing with the Stars' Derek Hough: I'm not gay, but I almost played one on Cougar Town: "It would have been perfect. With all the rumors going around, I thought it would be really funny because it's just not true. But I was like, you know what? If that's what you want to see."

Rihanna discusses assault: "I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears."

Banksy commentary on graffiti vandalism covered in graffiti by vandals.

Minnesota pastor quits over Lutheran position on gay clergy.

Mariah Carey nearly takes spill on Jay Leno.

Twitter war erupts after user calls British actor Stephen Fry's Tweets "boring."

Conservative Washington Times highlights Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway's opposition to lifting ban on gays in the military: "But Gen. Conway has gone further than others in stating his opposition to a change in policy, according to the former official, who has been privy to private conversations on the matter. "He feels very strongly that [removing the ban] would be disruptive, and he opposes it," said the former official. Gen. Conway's private remarks stand in contrast to public utterances by other service chiefs, who have restricted themselves to repeating a well-rehearsed mantra: If Congress introduces a bill to repeal the ban, they will discuss it with the chain of command. If Congress changes the law, they will follow the law."

Kanye West: I'm So Sure I'm Not Gay I'll Stand Next to People Who Are

No word on when this interview between Devi Dev and Kany West was actually recorded, but hardknock.tv just posted it on Tuesday, and there are some gems:

"I don't like men. I'm not gay, and I'm so sure of that. I'm so sure that I'm not gay that I'll wear a pink watch. That I'll wear tight jeans. That I'll stand next to people who look gay. That I'll stand next to people who are gay. That I will go to dinner with a gay person. Just me - and that gay person."

Much more, AFTER THE JUMP...

Watch: NBA Free Agent Stephon Marbury Denies He's Gay, Shows Off Painted Toenails

You may remember a post I did in April about NBA free agent Stephon Marbury, who was being mocked by other players because of a "gay" YouTube video in which he sobs and is consoled by an unidentified male friend.

Now, Marbury has again taken to YouTube to deny he's gay. It's also the first gay denial video I've seen in which the guy denying the gay rumors shows off painted toenails studded in rhinestones.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

SC Lt. Governor Andre Bauer: Gay Talk is Improper, Ridiculous, Silly

South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Bauer was asked by SCBD Charleston about rumors he is gay.

Said Bauer: “I don’t think it’s a proper question. I think it’s a little bit ridiculous and it’s sad that politics has gotten to that. But if somebody had a question I don't have a problem with going ahead and airing it and getting it out of the way because I don't want that to linger, much like this other problem is lingering. I want to move forward. I want to talk about real issues, how to get improved job growth. How you get education to a better level than it is now, how you fix the budget problem that we've got — not continue to dwell on some silly question in the first place."

Blogger/activist Mike Rogers, who has a long record of accuracy on outing hypocritical politicians, recently said Bauer was gay on Michelangelo Signorile's Sirius radio show. State Senator Jake Knotts claims the rumors are a part of a smear campaign by sitting governor Mark Sanford.

Should Sanford step down in the wake of his extramarital affair scandal, anti-gay Bauer is poised to take his role.

Watch the interview, AFTER THE JUMP...

Homeland Sec'y Janet Napolitano Refuses to Deny Lesbian Rumors

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano was quizzed by Deborah Solomon in the NYT Magazine this week. One line of questioning dealt with rumors that she's a lesbian. Napolitano danced around the answers, but never said "no".

Is there anything you’d like to say to Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, who said you would be perfect for your current job because you have “no life.”
It takes one to know one.

Men don’t know what to make of women who choose to be single. Rumors of lesbianism have dogged women in politics like you, Condoleezza Rice and Ann Richards.
Right. I think the more people get to know a person, the less that becomes an issue. It’s interesting. In Arizona when I first ran for public office, that’s when the rumors were going around, and of course I’m sure they go around now.

In 2002, during your gubernatorial campaign, you publicly denied rumors that you were a lesbian.
I just happen not to be married.

Are you seeing anybody now?
Yes, my staff.

Washington Redskins Running Back Clinton Portis: 'I'm Not Gay'

Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis explained late last week (in a strange, attention-grabbing, excuse-filled, irrational response to a reporter upon return to training camp) that just because he dyed his hair and beard blond while he was away, he's not gay:

"Why did I go blond? I just felt like doing something different. You know, I think even with that, from what I hear, now I'm gay? I don't think there's a woman in the United States of America that would say I'm gay. So, you know, I don't hang around men, I don't live a private life, there's constantly people around me. You know, I did it because that was something that I felt like doing. At the moment it was like, 'Ohhh, I want to do something weird and different,' and that's what I did, I dyed my hair blond. You know, it wasn't an attention seeker. I actually was out of the country, I left the country after I did it, so I wasn't even over here once I did it. So it was just an experiment."

NFL Fanhouse couldn't find any accusations regarding his sexuality or reasons for Portis to be bringing up a denial.

(WaPo via nfl fanhouse)