News: Nate Berkus, ENDA, Ken Keechl, Argentina, Beenie Man

Following judge's ruling, paperwork issued for Argentina's first same-sex marriage.

Kardashian sisters don duct tape for NoH8 campaign.

Joe Jackson's last money grab before MJ's fillings?

Retired military chaplains come out in support of repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

ENDA mark-up postponed.

Philippines elections board (COMELEC) says gays "overly represented" in Congress: "Comelec second division chairman Nicodemus Ferrer was defending the poll body’s rejection of the application of gay-rights group Ang Ladlad for party-list representation. 'I have been telling them, you are not under-represented… actually you are over-represented in the Lower House and Upper House,' Ferrer told reporters in an interview. But Ferrer declined to name names."

While Levi does Playgirl, Neil Patrick Harris does Playboy.

Ken Keechl takes over as first openly gay mayor of Broward County, Florida.

Petition Obama to support federal court challenge to Prop 8.

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Community Center of Central Florida in Orlando and nearby gay-owned business hit by anti-gay graffiti: "...a swastika and the words 'Gay Pawer,' 'Die Fags,' 'Go To Hell' and other homophobic slurs. Damage to the two buildings is estimated to be over $1,000.The Center is currently working to cover the messages on the building to deter additional damage."

Horrific undercover investigation of treatment of pigs on factory farms.

Anti-gay Jamaican singer Beenie Man's appearance at Australia's Big Day Out has been canceled: "A statement from the Big Day Out's producers today says that while the concert organisers believe the controversial musician has now renounced homophobia, the storm of protest this week after the announcement that he was in the line-up means his continued involvement would prove too divisive."

Anderson Cooper helms Elton John AIDS Foundation event in NYC.

Chris Pine suits up for GQ's 'Man of the Year'.

Oprah interior designer Nate Berkus to get his own syndicated daytime show.

Max Blumenthal on Palin's ghostwriter Lynn Vincent: "Vincent may have been an effective literary collaborator, but like Palin herself, she entered the project with considerable political baggage. Vincent’s commentaries for World are punctuated by inflammatory characterizations of gays, minorities and liberals that have already provided fodder for Palin’s critics. Among Vincent’s most strident statements were her description of homosexuality as a 'deviant' mental disorder and labeling of President Barack Obama as the 'face of the minority survivor' of abortion, which she dubbed the 'Black Genocide.'"

Tim Gunn on the one item of clothing he can't stand: "I cannot wrap my brain around the ubiquity of Crocs. Kelly Ripa [on "Live with Regis and Kelly"] said, 'I insist that you put them on because they're so comfortable.' And I put them on. I am looking down at my feet, and I feel like I have hooves! They're horrible. If we all succumbed to the comfort trap, to dress as if we never got out of bed -- then we should never get out of bed."

Buju Banton: 'There is No End to the War Between Me and Faggot'

Despite having met with a group of gay leaders and activists this week, Jamaican 'murder music' singer Buju Banton says his attitude toward gays has not changed:

"This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs 'there is no end to the war between me and faggot' and it's clear. The same night after I met with them (gay associates), they pepper-sprayed the concert. So what are you trying to tell me? I owe dem nothing, they don't owe I nothing."

He said he only met with them because Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who is running for San Francisco Mayor, asked him to:

"It is not about boxing food out my mouth, if a that I would have surrendered to the system a long time ago. The mayor of San Francisco, or the mayor-to-be, claimed that I was in his district and that it was imperative for him and his organisation to meet with me to further see what kind of personality or character (I have)."

Banton said he will continue on despite cancellations, which he added aren't hurting him: "I have two-and-a-half more weeks and let me tell you this, if a show has been cancelled or postponed by this group of people, it has been picked up and replaced in another venue. Let the struggle continue. Pray for I, don't cry for I."

Banton's L.A. show, which was initially cancelled, was rebooked on the DL. A protest was reportedly held in front of the Cabana Club last night.

Jamaican Prime Minister: No Same-Sex Marriage on My Watch

It's little surprise that the Prime Minister of a country where open gays are regularly attacked and persecuted by mobs would be against same-sex marriage, but PM Bruce Golding has come out and made a strong statement to that effect.

Said Golding in a debate yesterday regarding "a major proposed amendment to the constitution which would lay out the scope of rights and freedoms for Jamaicans": "I make no apology in saying decisively and emphatically that the government of Jamaica remains irrevocably opposed to the recognition, legitimization or acceptance of same-sex marriages or same-sex unions. There is the possibility that sometime in the future parliament could pass a law that says same-sex unions are legal but it won't be done in this parliament. Not as long as I sit here."

The AFP reports: "Golding, who in 2007 told the BBC he would not allow gays to sit in his cabinet, said he does not believe it is the business of government to 'interfere in what two consenting adults chose to do within their own protected privacy.' But he stressed 'I will not accept it that homosexuality must be accepted as a legitimate form of behavior or the equivalent of marriage.' He acknowledged to parliament that his stance could prompt the "aggressive" international gay-rights lobby to continue attempts to discourage tourists and investors from traveling to Jamaica. 'But we remain steadfast in our determination that the values and culture must be protected and preserved,' Golding said."

Homophobic 'Murder Music' Singer Buju Banton Meets with SF Gay Advocates

This is encouraging. SF mayoral candidate and supervisor Bevan Dufty, activist Michael Petrelis, executive director of the SF gay community center Rebecca Rolfe, Equality California's Andrea Shorter, and SF Supervisor Eric Mar, held a meeting yesterday with Jamaican dancehall singer Buju Banton, whose concerts have been canceled across the country in protest of the homophobic lyrics in his songs that advocate the killing of gays. The meeting was organized by Dufty.

Petrelis writes: "According to Buju and his advisers, this was his first meeting ever with gay advocates, and they really want to put an end to the controversy that continues to dog him over violent homo-hating song he sang in his late teens, 'Boom Bye Bye.'... The meeting was very civil and productive, even though at times I had to play the "bad cop" activist, especially when Buju was dominating the discussion, and we made several suggestions for him to consider, in order to start to undo some of the problems he has in the gay community because of his past anti-gay lyrics."

Here's an update on his tour cancellations.

Man Held in Connection with Murder of Jamaican Envoy John Terry

Authorities have arrested a man in St. Catherine, Jamaica in connection with the murder of UK honorary British consul John Terry, who was discovered in his home in early September beaten and strangled. A note was found with his body which read, "This is what will happen to ALL gays."

The Jamaica Observer reports: "A 23-year-old man has been arrested in St Catherine in connection with a  number of matters, including the murder of John Terry, the former honorary British consul, the police said yesterday. The investigation into Terry's murder, the police said, 'is progressing well and detectives from St James are being assisted by officers from St Catherine, St Andrew North and the Major Investigation Taskforce as the hunt for those responsible continues'. ... Two days after the discovery of the body, police released a composite drawing of a man (pictured) they believe to be the prime suspect in the murder. Gay rights advocates have labelled the Terry murder a hate crime. However, local police said that a letter found at the crime scene suggested that the diplomat's murder may have been the end result of a lovers' spat. Yesterday, the police said they were making arrangements to interview the suspect in the presence of an attorney and will conduct identification parades in the next few days."

News: Neil Patrick Harris, 2010 Census, True Blood, Stolen Warhols

Washington state to appeal judge's ruling keeping names of donors to R-71 private.

Neil Patrick Harris touches up New York magazine.

Ed Westwick wants Zac Efron's body.

Eye-popping: Hundreds of thousands expected to report they are same-sex spouses in 2010 Census.

NYT: Pass ENDA. "People who believe in workplace fairness should lobby senators to get on board. It is unacceptable that in a nation committed to equality people can still be fired in more than half the states for being gay."

Taylor Swift speaks out about Kanye West incident: "Well, I was standing on stage because I was really excited because I had just won the award. And then I was really excited because Kanye West was on stage. And then I wasn’t so excited anymore after that...”

Egale Canada, a gay rights group, writes to Jason Kenney, minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, asking that eight homophobic dancehall singers be barred entry to Canada.

Madonna and Janet Jackson pay tribute to MJ at the VMAs.

$1 million offered for trove of stolen Warhol works in L.A.

UK footballer Trevor Morley says gay rumors nearly ruined his career: "The rumours about me being gay killed me for a while. I’ve got nothing against gays – I now have friends who are gay – but it’s not nice to be called a homosexual when you aren’t one. How many times does Robbie Williams have to come out and tell the world he isn’t gay. The more you say it, the more people start to believe it’s true… It ruined my football for a while. I’d go out onto the field and hide. I didn’t want to be there."

Values to guide Republican Bob Vander Plaats Iowa gubernatorial campaign: “Marriage is one man, one woman, period.”

Charles Darwin film can't find U.S. distributor.

David Beckham adjusts himself.

True Blood: What's coming next season - spoilers...

Matt Damon was responsible for the Venice Film Festival gay stripper-gram George Clooney received, and Clooney says he's out for revenge.

Inside New York's new Boom Boom Room.

Big spending predicted in Michigan by bigots hoping to block Kalamazoo's anti-discrimination ordinance: "Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan, says Hoadley is a hired political gun who has the ability to raise a quarter-million dollars and deliver a cadre of national volunteers..."

Oscar buzz for...Mariah Carey movie?

Bud Light Lime is like anal sex, apparently.

Iran to allow transsexual marriage? "The woman, named only as Shaghayegh, told Tehran's family court she wanted to marry a school friend who had recently had a sex-change operation to become a man, but was unable to obtain her father's blessing, as legally required. Her father was summoned to court and agreed to the union on condition that the male partner, Ardashir, who was previously a woman called Negar, underwent a medical examination to prove it would be a proper male-female relationship."