News: Antarctica, Gisele Bundchen, Patriots, Miley Cyrus, Dyncorp

Homophobia endemic in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan...

Scientists drilling in Antarctica reach subglacial lake isolated from the rest of the world for 20 million years.

Gisele Bundchen throws shade at Tom Brady's receivers: "My husband cannot f**king throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times."

UK government warns of increase in mouth cancer from two glasses of wine: "The adverts will say that those who regularly drink six units in a day double their chance of high blood pressure and triple the risk of developing mouth cancer."

Military contractor Dyncorp adopts LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination policy.

Francis Bean Cobain's sad testimony about Courtney Love: "(Love) has taken drugs for as long as I can remember. She basically exists now on…Xanax, Adderall, Sonata and Abilify, sugar and cigarettes. She rarely eats… She often falls asleep in her bed while she is smoking, and I am constantly worried that she will start a fire (which she has done at least three times) that will threaten our lives."

Now You See Me: Mark Ruffalo shoots in New Orleans.

Rafael Morelos, a gay teen in Wenatchee, Washington commits suicide after being bullied. "He was tired of people saying that his little brothers would follow in his footsteps and be gay too."

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka refuse to 'baby talk' their twins: "My parents always talked to my brother and myself like we were regular people and not babies. So I don't talk down to them in baby talk. I try to talk to them even though they can't speak the language yet."

Vows: John Banta and Daniel O'Donnell.

LISTEN: Sam Sparro's new track "The Shallow End".

Jamaican gay rights activist discusses gang rape of lesbians at London talk: “When we find out about these cases (involving gay women), they are usually so horrible that they rise up to the level of having to be reported. There was one instance where a gang of four men raped a lesbian because they said she was ‘taking over all good looking women.' They cut her genitals, so she could ‘better take men’ because ‘that is why she was a lesbian’."

Tumblr: Bearded boys with cats. (via omg)

Male model fix: Alfred Kovac.

New England Patriots' Matt Light and Rob Gronkowski drown Super Bowl sorrows with some shirtless dancing.

GOP Congressman from Louisiana Jon Fleming cites Onion article about abortion factory as fact.

Joe Manganiello and Josh Bowman beefed up Rolling Stone's Super Bowl party.

Broward-based author/activist Deon Davis, whose teenage son Rashad came out publicly in 2009, writes open letter to One Million Moms condemning them for telling JC Penney to fire Ellen DeGeneres. "I am appalled to see your protest of hate, for One Million Moms Organization to take a stand against a human being that is an abiding citizen, a leader in her community, a role model, a philanthropist and at best a married woman is a form of hatred and discrimination."

Miley Cyrus speaks out for LGBT equality in Glamour: "I believe every American should be allowed the same rights and civil liberties. Without legalized same-sex marriage, most of the time you cannot share the same health benefits, you are not considered next of kin and you are not granted the same securities as a heterosexual couple. How is this different than having someone sit in the back of the bus because of their skin color?"

Jamaica's New PM Portia Simpson-Miller Speaks Out for LGBT Rights, Says Gays Welcome in Her Cabinet: VIDEO

Jamaica's new Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller is being sworn in today, and has made her support for LGBT rights very clear. Here's what she said in a debate in December:

"Our administration believes in protecting the human rights of all Jamaicans. No one should be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. Government should provide the protection...."

Simpson-Miller says she would allow gay people to serve in her cabinet: "I certainly do not pry or do I have any intention of prying in the private business of anyone. I would appoint anyone with the ability, the capacity, and the capability to manage, in my cabinet."

Watch progress in action, AFTER THE JUMP...

(clip via think progress lgbt)

NEWS: Gingrich Cries, Mexico Marries, And Katy And Russell Split

 It's over: America's worst singer and Britain's worst comedian to divorce.

Newt Gingrich tears up discussing mother.

The scheduled end of the world next year will be excellent for Mexico's tourist industry.

Cancun to exploit vague legal verbiage to perform gay weddings, attract tourists.

The NYT on the fine line Obama walks on LGBT issues:

Mr. Obama’s strategy, administration officials and gay-rights advocates said, reflects two conflicting forces. He recognizes that support for gay rights and same-sex marriage is growing, particularly among young voters.

But he is reluctant in an election year to be drawn into a culture-war issue — one that reliably helps Republicans turn out evangelical voters in their favor and that also strikes a particular nerve with religious black voters, a bedrock Obama constituency in battleground states like North Carolina and Florida.

The 10 best physics books of 2011.

Happy birthday, Patti Smith. Catch some vintage, savage Smithery AFTER THE JUMP ...

The AP's big story on the plight of LGBT seniors:

Experts say many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender seniors fear discrimination, disrespect or worse by health care workers and residents of elder housing facilities — ultimately leading many back into the closet after years of being open.

That anxiety takes on new significance as the first of the 77 million baby boomers turns 65 this year. At least 1.5 million seniors are gay, a number expected to double by 2030, according to SAGE, the New York-based group Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders.

 "Sista P" to return to Jamaican leadership after "landslide" election.

Neal Polack knew Christopher Hitchens better than anybody:

It was 1972, the height of our mutual virility. He and I went to a pub to celebrate his most recent intellectual victory over the establishment press. I intimated that sometimes women could be funny on purpose. Even back then, the thought enraged him. Hitchens threw a drink in my face, pressed a lit cigarette into my neck, and hit me over the head with a barstool. The next thing I knew, it was two days later and I was lying hogtied and naked beside the M5. Hitch had already severely damaged my reputation in a vicious essay in the Guardian. But that’s how he operated, and that’s why we loved him.

Need a New Year's resoluton? Presenting Paul Angelo, gay matchmaker and noted crazyperson, who suggests an "urgent" moratorium on anal intercourse. (HT: Michelangelo Signorile)

Longform.org names the 10 best long-form sex stories of 2011. I wrote one of them!

Jamaica's Anti-Sodomy Law Challenged for First Time

The organization AIDS Free World is mounting a legal challenge to Jamaica's laws criminalizing homosexuality, arguiing that it "feeds a homophobic society in which gays and lesbians are harassed, mocked, vilified, beaten and killed simply because of their sexual orientation," Care2 reports:

The group has submitted a petition at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on behalf of two Jamaican gay men whose names are being withheld to protect their safety.

Representing the petitioners will be a very high-powered legal team including Lord Anthony Gifford, who practices in both Jamaica and the UK and was counsel on a similar and successful case before the European Court of Human Rights, and pro bono attorneys from the US firm Thompson Hine and the Law Center at Nova Southeastern University.

Their argument will be that by criminalizing homosexuality, Jamaica is in violation of international human rights laws which it is a signatory to, such as the American Convention on Human Rights.

A similar challenge is also underway in Belize.

Jamaican Television Station Refuses To Run Gay PSA: Video

The gay activists at Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-sexuals and Gays earlier this month released a public service announcement that encourages the island's residents to show their unconditional love for gay family members. The commercial is the first of its kind for the nation.

Unfortunately, it may not be aired: J-Flag announced that the network Television Jamaica refuses to air the ad, because of "'the structure of the announcement, among other things,' including the opposition of homophobic pastors," the Advocate reports.

J-Flag executive director Dane Lewis of course objects to TVJ's opposition, telling local news outlets, "Since we are not directly or indirectly promoting anything that is illegal, love is not illegal, we don't see why we shouldn't be able to go forward, so we are going to continue our discussion and hope that we can quickly come to some solution to have it aired."

Lewis also says they are still in negotiations with other Jamaican networks to air the commercial, which features Miss Jamaica World and Miss Jamaica Universe Christine Straw palling around with her out and proud brother, Matthew Straw.

In case you missed the commercial when Andy first reported on it, I've included it AFTER THE JUMP...

Jamaica Launches Anti-Homophobia Campaign with 'Unconditional Love' PSA: VIDEO

Jamaican LGBT rights group  J-FLAG has launched a PSA campaign to be broadcast on Jamaican TV this month intended to combat homophobia by encouraging Jamaicans to love and support their LGBT family members.

The PSA features former Miss Jamaica World and Miss Jamaica Universe Christine Straw, and her brother Matthew.

J-Flag reports:

“Homophobia must be eliminated [in Jamaica] immediately” was the rallying cry of Pamela E Bridgewater, the United States Ambassador to Jamaica. “The US Mission joins all partners in the fight against homophobia [because] as President Obama says, no one should be hated because of who they love,” she stated.

The US Ambassador was addressing a packed audience at the launch of ‘Unconditional Love’, a new public service announcement (PSA) featuring Christine Straw, former Miss Jamaica World and Miss Jamaica Universe, and her brother Matthew Straw on July 28, 2011. Heading the list of endorsees were Hilary Nicholson from Women’s Media Watch, Helin Jenkinson, First Counsellor at the European Union, Dr. Pierre Somse, UNAIDS Representative in Jamaica, Rob Fuderich, UNICEF Representative, Yvonne Sobres, Convenor of Family Against State Terrorism and a number of other human rights and HIV activists.

Watch the PSA, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via lgbt asylum)