News: Subway Deli, California, Cheyenne Jackson, India Adoption

Subway restaurant chain takes action after franchisee's donation to "Yes on 8" campaign revealed.

Wingnut blames California fires on Proposition 8 protestors.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepard again demonstrate their supreme lack of decency and brain power.

Return of the crackhive.

Sacha Baron Cohen's 'Bruno' crashes the set of NBC's Medium: "No one had a clue it was Sacha playing Bruno. It’s amazing he was able to infiltrate the set and pull this off."

Marriage Equality foes attempting to get anti-gay referendum on next ballot in Illinois: "Proponents of an Illinois constitutional amendment to restrict marriage to heterosexuals, buoyed by voter approval in three states on Nov. 4, say they’re gearing up to try again in 2010."

Cheyenne Jackson to star in musical about Mormons from the creators of South Park?

Gay rapper Deadlee responds to homophobic Trick Trick album: "My first thought is to get crazy and warn him that this f**got will kick his ass — but I am so on Cloud 9 with Obama winning, and the way he did it. Obama was called a terrorist, unpatriotic, and the entire time kept his cool, I so wish I was like that. I know who I am and my self worth that I really don’t give a f**k who or what a Trick Trick has to say. There is still a lot of hate against gays, and a Trick Trick just perpetuates the hate…so if Trick Trick really does plan on putting an AK to my head. I ain’t going out like that! Trick Trick will be the only b***h that ends up dead!"

Ryan Phillippe pumps up.

Gay Israeli couple conceive baby in Mumbai: " Yonatan and Omer Gher came to the city in January and the in-vitro fertilisation was successful through an unknown egg donor and sperms from Yonatan in the first attempt itself, infertility specialist Dr Gautam Allahbadia told PTI. The embryo was then successfully implanted in a surrogate mother selected by the couple and Evyatar (meaning more fathers in Hebrew) was born on October 12, Allahbadia said. Since the couple had to submit proof of their paternity (through DNA test) to the Israeli government, after completing all the necessary paper work, they left for Israel last night, the doctor said." More...

More for you Trekkies.

More layoffs at 'Focus on the Family': "Focus on the Family announced this afternoon that 202 jobs will be cut companywide — an estimated 20 percent of its workforce. Initial reports bring the total number of remaining employees to around 950. The cutbacks come just weeks after the group pumped more than half a million dollars into the successful effort to pass a gay-marriage ban in California. Critics are holding up the layoffs, which come just two months after the organization’s last round of dismissals, as a sad commentary on the true priorities of the ministry.

Twilight: Vampire brat pack film premieres in London.

Football players develop new tactic - the dropping of the pants.

Trans-national group of gay activists agrees on Slavic Gay Pride alternating every year between Moscow and Minsk: " The agreement came at the weekend when activists from GayRussia.ru and the Moscow Pride organising committee met for the first time with Belarusian groups Gay.by and Gayby.by, the Belarusian Initiative for Sexual and Gender Equality and the LGBT Rights Committee of the Belarusian Green Party. 'We were looking to cooperate with Belarusian gay activists this year, but until recently we believed that local activists were not yet ready for public events,' said Moscow Pride chief organiser Nikolai Alekseev."

Project to track LGBT hate crimes receives $80,000 in funding from Australian government.

Young X-Men character revealed to be gay.

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News: Leonard Matlovich, Bulgaria, Focus on the Family, Connecticut

Comprehensive Prop 8 Update HERE.

Obama to take presidential radio address to YouTube, beginning this Saturday.

Memorial plaque to civil rights activist Leonard Matlovich to be dedicated tomorrow. From a press release: "The author of a November 12 article in The Washington Post wrote, "His last speech was in the rain in Sacramento, six weeks before he died, and he was hoarse and tired and dying, and he talked about love. A Georgia native who grew up in the military, he had the knack for taking your heart and making it catch for a moment, like the way he announced on national television that he had AIDS. He seemed to make people want to be braver than perhaps they were." The public event will begin at noon, Saturday, November 15th, in the Spencer Andrew Ceremonial Room of San Francisco's LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street at Octavia."

Connecticut: 66 marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples since Wednesday. "The state Department of Public Health has received data from 130 of the state's 169 cities and towns so far. A total of 94 licenses were issued Wednesday from those municipalities, including 28 to opposite-sex couples. Public Health Department spokesman William Gerrish says couples have 65 days to have their nuptials 'solemnized' by a minister, justice of the peace or other officiator."

Anderson Cooper visits The Tonight Show - VIDEO.

Ryan Gosling's bringing sexy back.

Focus on the Family planning layoffs.

Swastika and anti-gay slur drawn on Jewish student's locker at Saugus High School in California: "Her son Todd, a 15-year-old sophomore, is Jewish, but he is not gay, she said. 'They were mortified. They were frightened by the experience,' said Marcia Davis, who works as an instructional assistant at Saugus. 'It's not random. Somebody knows he is Jewish and is intentionally doing this.' Lt. Brenda Cambra of the Santa Clarita sheriff's station said the department is investigating the incident as a hate crime."

25-year-old Brazilian sentenced to 27 years in jail for murder of French tourist during Sao Paulo Gay Pride weekend in 2007.

Jared Leto has GQ Style.

Governor of Russian Tambov region cleared of criminal complaint over remarks: "The governor of the Tambov region of Russia has been cleared of charges by an appeals court following an anti-gay outburst reported in the daily newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda last May. And in a separate, but related case, the Tambov city authorities give the reason that they banned a gay march was because the closure of streets 'breaches the rights of drivers'...'Tolerance? To hell! Faggots must be torn apart and their pieces should be thrown in the wind,' the newspaper reported the Governor as saying."

Entertainment Weekly: Neil Patrick Harris is #25 of top 25 entertainers of the year.

Daniel Craig gets waxed.

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News: Scott McClellan, Banksy, Sasha Fierce, Krakow, James Dobson

Former Bush spokesman Scott McClellan endorses Obama: "McClellan made the endorsement during a taping of Comedian D.L. Hughley's new show that is premiering on CNN this weekend. The former Bush administration official said he wanted to support the candidate that has the best chance for changing the way Washington works and getting things done." The New York Times adds its endorsement today.

Vandalism: Westminster Council demands city workers paint over this Banksy mural.

If you missed last night's special SNL 'Weekend Update', Will Ferrell returned as Bush, and was joined by Tina Fey as Palin — WATCH IT.

UNDER THE RADAR: Obama campaign launches fact-checking website tracking McCain robocalls across the country.

Focus on the Family's James Dobson to be inducted into Radio Hall of Fame! Find out how you can take action here.

You may have seen some ads on our site asking who the hell Sasha Fierce is. I've been wondering myself, and finally, an explanation.

Daniel Radcliffe in his birthday suit - video (nsfw).

A-Rod and Michael Phelps drop their pants for Guitar Hero.

Man sought over homophobic attack on train in Britain: "A 38-year-old man received a deep bite wound on his hand at about 0005 BST on Friday 19 September on a London Victoria to Brighton service. Shortly after boarding the train, he was subjected to homophobic verbal abuse before being assaulted. British Transport Police said they were treating it as a 'hate crime'."

Krakow city council bans gay protest of visit by Poland's conservative president Lech Kaczynski. Organizer: "I had thought it not possible to forbid demonstrations in modern Poland but it seems it is... We are sad but calm. We have had past experiences and tussles with the president on such issues."

Boy George: "I’m bored of getting arrested."

London Priest Rev. Martin Dudley issues apology for marrying two male priests early this year: "A statement of apology written by Dr Dudley was included in the letter e-mailed to clergy of the Diocese of London on Friday. In it Dr Dudley said: 'I regret the embarrassment caused to you by this event... I now recognise that I should not have responded positively to the request for this service.'"

Radar magazine shuts down.

Broadway's Spring Awakening to close in January...

NYC Mayor Bloomberg wins fight to run for third term: "Mr. Bloomberg, who lobbied fiercely for the legislation to ease term limits from eight years to 12, said he was confidant that the measure would withstand legal challenges and allow him to seek a third term. 'There will be some lawsuits,' he said during his weekly radio program on WOR-AM (710). But 'it has been litigated before.'"

Michael Jackson: Oh, my nose!

Rio de Janeiro's wealthy elite backing The Green Party's Fernando Gabeira in mayoral race: "Gabeira's electoral ascent has hinged on getting Rio's conservative establishment to overlook his radical past and view him as an anti-corruption crusader who can stanch a crime- propelled downward spiral dating from when the capital was moved to Brasilia in 1960. He also supports gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana."

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Sarah Palin to James Dobson: McCain Will Implement Her Positions

Looks like Palin is in charge of McCain when it comes to his Evangelical base.

Sarah Palin told Focus on the Family's James Dobson that McCain will implement the RNC's socially conservative policies on stem cells, abortion, and same-sex marriage if he is elected:

"Palin told Dr. James Dobson in a radio interview, which aired today, that she believes McCain -- if elected -- will implement the Republican Party platform, which includes positions stem cells, abortion and gay marriage that are more conservative than previous positions McCain has taken. 'I do, from the bottom of my heart,' she told Dobson. 'I am such a strong believer that McCain believes in those strong planks and we do have good conversations about some of the details too, about the different planks and what they represent.' Dobson began the conversation by calling the platform the 'strongest pro-life, pro-family document to come out of a political party.' More conservative than in previous elections, the Republican platform this year advocates for a constitutional amendments to ban abortion and define marriage as between a man and a woman, as well as ban on embryonic stem cell research."

The bottom of Palin's heart must be an ugly place.

Ellen DeGeneres slammed Sarah Palin's stance on a federal marriage amendment on her show yesterday. Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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News: Dolphin, Elton John, Wales, Chrome Browser, Michael Phelps

John McCain's anti-gay marriage message from 2006.

Dolphin birth photographed.

Elton John lashes out at boozy singer Lily Allen: "I could snort you under the table."

Focus on the Family's James Dobson on Sarah Palin: “A lot of people were praying, and I believe Sarah Palin is God’s answer...They should be commended once again for not just talking about their pro-life and pro-family values, but living them out even in the midst of trying circumstances."

Virginia Republican delegation axes Minnesota handbook because it contained six pages for gays and lesbians.

Kiefer Sutherland shows some skin in Malibu.

French police place gay groups under surveillance ahead of Pope's visit: " Eager to avoid a repeat of the condom shower that greeted the Pope in Sydney, Australia, in July, certain gay activist groups such as Act Up are being closely watched in the run-up to the visit. In addition, because of threats to the Pope made in May 2007 by the terrorist network al-Qaeda and the recent terrorist attacks in Algeria, French security officers will be placed on maximum alert during his stay in Paris and the pilgrimage site of Lourdes."

Rev. Lou Sheldon: Turnout will decide California same-sex marriage initiative. Group launches "Traditional Marriage Crusade".

So was the reason Fred Thompson and George W. Bush danced around the specific word "torture" in their speeches last night when referring to McCain because "if [Bush] describes what was done to McCain as torture, he has incriminated himself for war crimes?"

Have you seen Google's new Chrome browser? The NYT David Pogue says it has serious potential. Google Chrome end user license agreement says that Google owns everything you create while using the browser - "By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services." Brin: Why we're launching it.

Massachusetts sees economic boost from out-of-state same-sex marriage decisions there and in New York: "The recent changes have prompted a flood of gay New Yorkers coming to Massachusetts to get married -- and that seems to have made same-sex marriage big business for the Bay State. There are no firm figures on how many gays from New York have come here to marry in the few weeks since the law took effect. But anecdotal evidence suggests the numbers are huge and likely to grow."

Gay festival in Cambridge, England hit by homophobic slashers?

Sarah Palin to address Republican Convention tonight...

Olympian Michael Phelps not only has an Entourage — he's set to appear on the show.

Time Out Chicago talks to Milk writer Dustin Lance Black.

Georgia priest hit with threat note tacked to door.

Gay cleric on shortlist to become Bishop of Bangor, Wales: "Canon Jeffrey John, who entered into a civil partnership with his long-term partner, the Rev Grant Holmes, in 2006, is currently the dean of St Albans and is a Welsh speaker - making him an ideal candidate for the job. Earlier this year, the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said he would support the election of a gay bishop, despite opposition among conservative Anglicans. At last month's Lambeth conference, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, asked liberals not to exacerbate tensions by consecrating gay clergy. A conservative cleric, Bishop David Anderson, from the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, wrote that the Church in Wales was likely to ignore Williams' requests."

THE DAY AFTER PEACE: Jude Law announces documentary about Afghanistan.

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Focus on the Family: Pray for Rain at Obama's DNC Speech

Focus on the Family producer Stewart Shepard asks the group's followers to pray for rain during Obama's speech at Invesco Mile High stadium during Obama's Democratic National Convention speech. The clip was pulled by the group this morning, but it has shown up on YouTube again.

Shepard: "You might ask, now why would I pray for that? Well, I'm still pro-life, and I'm still in favor of marriage as being only between one man and one woman. And I'd like the next president who will select justices for the U.S. Supreme Court, to agree..."

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via marc ambinder)

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Focus on the Family's James Dobson Shifts Position on McCain

Focus on the Family leader James Dobson, who has said that he cannot endorse John McCain because of McCain's positions on embryonic stem cell research and opposition to a federal amendment banning same-sex marriage, may yet endorse him, he told the AP:

"There's nothing dishonorable in a person rethinking his or her positions, especially in a constantly changing political context. Barack Obama contradicts and threatens everything I believe about the institution of the family and what is best for the nation. His radical positions on life, marriage and national security force me to reevaluate the candidacy of our only other choice, John McCain."

Why is he changing his mind? There's no one else to choose from. Dobson also has concerns about McCain's temper and foul mouth.

In June, Dobson slammed Obama for what he called the candidate's "fruitcake interpretation" of the Constitution.

(via americablog)

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News: Peter Cook, Bermuda, James Dobson, Iran, IBM, San Diego

Truth Wins Out launches effort to block Focus on the Family founder James Dobson's induction into the Radio Hall of Fame. Wayne Besen: "It is outrageous and insulting that James Dobson would be nominated for the Radio Hall of Fame. We believe that character counts and nominees should have careers based on honesty and integrity - not discrimination, distorting research and outright lying."

Iran state media Photoshops missile test image to make it seem more impressive.

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules benefits to gay couples following the 2004 marriage decision can't be applied retroactively.

Spotlight on Jennifer Hudson's album cover.

Following GLAAD's lead in April, Californians Against Hate launches boycott of San Diego's Manchester Grand Hyatt.

Divorce drama: beefcake GQ cover of Christie Brinkley's husband Peter Cook unearthed from 1981.

California's Kern County rebuffs conservative group, refuses to ban same-sex marriages: " The Campaign for Children and Families hoped the passage of a gay marriage ban in Kern County would embolden other counties to follow suit. But supervisors declined to act on the measure after Bernard Barmann, the county's lawyer, said it would be illegal for the county to adopt its own same-sex marriage ban. The Kern County clerk's office stopped offering all marriage ceremonies on June 15, the day before gay marriage became legal."

What's inside "Just for Men" hair color?

Bermuda man who attacked gay man with a machete gets seven years in prison: "Cooper, 26 – older brother of the murdered Cooper twins – had a history of violent crime and homophobia before he launched the attack on Shawn Nusum, 25, in the early hours of November 15 last year. His Supreme Court trial heard how he had taunted Mr. Nusum, of St. David's on previous occasions over his sexuality, calling him a 'faggot' and similar names. On the night in question, the pair got into a dispute in Club Ovation, Water Street, St. George's, when Cooper taunted Mr. Nusum once again. He later lay in wait for Mr. Nusum, and as he left the premises he hit him about the face with a machete. The victim suffered a fractured nose, jaw and cheekbone. A cut to his left eyebrow has left him unable to raise it, and he will be permanently scarred."

T.R. Knight and Mark Cornelsen take the kids out for a ride.

Michael Jackson arrives in Vegas wearing pyjamas, a dreadlocked wig, a surgeon’s mask, a baseball cap and sunglasses.

A Guide to the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival which kicks off tonight.

Michelle Williams planning Heath Ledger film: "The actress - who was left devastated when her former fiance was found dead in his apartment after an accidental drug overdose in January - wants the actor's friends and co-stars to share their stories on him so little Matilda can see her father through their eyes."

Former gay porn model "Lamar" killed in head-on collision following Chicago's black gay pride celebration.

Lesbian adopted by lover into IBM family fights for share of fortune: "Patricia Spado was adopted by Olive Watson, the daughter of Thomas Watson Jr, in 1991 when the pair were both in their 40s and at a time when gay couples were not allowed civil partnerships. They lived together for 14 years but, a year after the adoption, their relationship ended. Miss Spado, now 60, claims the purpose of the adoption was to allow her to qualify as an heir to Miss Watson's inheritance."

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McCain Promises to be More Vocal About Gay Marriage Opposition

That statement that McCain made late yesterday to the Protect Marriage Campaign ("I support the efforts of the people of California to recognize marriage as a unique institution between a man and a woman, just as we did in my home state of Arizona. I do not believe judges should be making these decisions.")?

It was the fulfillment of a promise he made earlier in the day to "several influential social conservatives" (right-wing Evangelicals?) that he would pander to them:

"McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, told the small assembly that he was open to learning more about their opposition to embryonic stem cell research despite his past disagreements with them on the issue. And, according to participants, he indicated that he would take seriously their requests that he choose an anti-abortion running mate and would talk more openly about his opposition to gay marriage -- a pledge he carried out later in the day by endorsing a ballot measure in California to ban gay marriage."

Apparently there were "changed hearts" after the meeting. But it doesn't stop there: "McCain is scheduled to fly Sunday to Asheville, N.C., to meet privately with the Rev. Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham. The younger Graham met this month with McCain's rival, presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama, who has launched his own effort to court skeptical evangelical leaders. McCain told the activists Thursday that he also hoped to meet with James C. Dobson, founder of the influential group Focus on the Family, who has said he would not vote for McCain."

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Al Sharpton Defends Anderson Cooper's Right to Sin

In a discussion about the James Dobson attacks on Obama I posted about yesterday, Anderson Cooper hosted Al Sharpton, author Roland Martin and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins. As the three debated Evangelicals and the issues of homosexuality, HIV and AIDS, abortion, and religious tolerance, the conversation took a turn when Sharpton pointed out that Anderson may land in Hell for his behavior, whatever that might be...

Says Sharpton: "I may have some very conservative personal feelings but I feel you have the right to live your life differently. I may think that what you do Anderson is gonna put you in Hell, but I'm gonna defend your right to get there."

Answered Anderson: "I appreciate all your concerns about my afterlife. I'm personally not all that concerned, but that's a whole other discussion."

I've clipped the segment, AFTER THE JUMP...

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James Dobson on Obama's 'Fruitcake Interpretation' Skills

In a Focus on the Family radio show that aired this morning, James Dobson criticized Barack Obama's distortion of the meaning of the Bible, and his interpretation of the Constitution, going so far as to color it for his followers in a derogatory term usually reserved for the gays he usually targets:

"'I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology,' Dobson said...Dobson reserved some of his harshest criticism for Obama's argument that the religiously motivated must frame debates over issues like abortion not just in their own religion's terms but in arguments accessible to all people. He said Obama, who supports abortion rights, is trying to govern by the 'lowest common denominator of morality,' labeling it 'a fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution.' ... 'Am I required in a democracy to conform my efforts in the political arena to his bloody notion of what is right with regard to the lives of tiny babies?' Dobson said. 'What he's trying to say here is unless everybody agrees, we have no right to fight for what we believe.'"

Watch and listen, AFTER THE JUMP...

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News: David Hernandez, Syphilis, Hulk, James Dobson, Greece

Provincetown acting police chief Warren Tobias retiring. Town decides not to appoint him permanently, which is a good thing, considering the department's poor record on hate crime incidents.

Stripper from Dick's out on American Idol.

If you're into Edward Norton and roided out green men who tear their shirts off, you may like this trailer.

Syphilis rates surge, especially among gay and bisexual men: "Since 2000, when the national syphilis rate sank to a low of 2.1 per 100,000 people after a decade of progress in the 1990s, the rate has soared by 76 percent, the CDC reported. Homosexual and bisexual men accounted for 64 percent of syphilis cases in 2007, up from about 5 percent in 1999. CDC officials expressed concern not only because the recent increases in this bacterial sexually transmitted disease follows years of declines, but also because syphilis can elevate a person's risk of being infected with the AIDS virus and the odds of giving it to someone else."

NYT: Sex diseases in gay men escaping detection because people are ignoring regular testing. "Dr. Kristen Mahle’s study found that among gay men who showed no symptoms of gonorrhea, more than a third of rectal infections with the disease, and more than a quarter of throat infections, were missed because many were not tested at all anatomical sites of recent exposure. Dr. Eric Tai’s study surveyed non-H.I.V.-positive gay men in 15 cities from 2003 to 2005 and found that only 39 percent reported having been tested for syphilis, and only 36 percent for gonorrhea."

Tranny hot mess: The next Ugly Betty guest star?

Focus on the Family's James Dobson worried that all the Christian bigots are dying out.

Pair of lesbians in Greece hope to become first same-sex marriage there by exploiting a legal loophole: "The two will try to tie the knot under a 1982 law that does not specify that a civil union must involve a man and a woman, said Evanguelia Vlami of Greece's main homosexual association, Olke. The ceremony is to take place in the Kessariani quarter of Athens by a mayor who belongs to the radical left-wing Syriza party, Vlami said. 'I have no objection to celebrating this union so long as the law is respected,' the mayor, Spyros Tzokas, told the Ta Nea daily."

Adam Sandler kicks sand in a bear's face at the beach.

Chace Crawford: fresh as a country lane after a spring shower.

Washington governor Chris Gregoire signs bill expanding domestic partner benefits: "The measure adds domestic partners to sections of laws where previously only spouses were mentioned, including areas referring to probate and trusts, community property and homestead exemptions, and guardianship and powers of attorney. 'This bill is about protecting and helping Washington families,' Gregoire said before signing the bill. 'It simply gives these families the same rights as everybody else. It's the right thing to do.'"

Catholic bishop alleges 'gay conspiracy' against the Church, longs for the good old days when gays were thrown in the clink: The Bishop of Motherwell, Joseph Devine, says a 'homosexual lobby' has aligned itself with minority groups, including Holocaust survivors, to gain persecuted status. He said there was a 'huge and well orchestrated conspiracy' taking place in the 'gay movement', which the Catholic Church neglected 'at our peril'...In an attack on openly gay actor Sir Ian McKellen the bishop said: 'I saw actor Ian McKellen being honoured for his work on behalf of homosexuals, when a century ago Oscar Wilde was locked up and put in jail.' He made the comments during a lecture on 'Christian faith and inconvenient questions' in Glasgow on Tuesday and has since stood by them, 'These groups are defending their position, I am defending mine', he said. 'It is all about a lifestyle alien to the Christian tradition. There is a giant conspiracy against Christian values, an agenda here.'"

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Max Blumenthal Reports from the Values Voters Summit

Another great report from Max Blumenthal of the Huffington Post.

Blumenthal writes: "If anything, the movement seemed more extreme and paranoid than it did four years ago. Rev. Lou Sheldon, dubbed 'Lucky Louie' by his former paymaster Jack Abramoff, told me that homosexuality is a 'pathological disorder' and 'a groove' that is difficult to escape from. He proceeded to passionately defend his friend, Senator Larry Craig, from allegations of homosexuality."

And much, much more. A must-watch, along with Blumenthal's commentary.

Theocracy Now: In Search of Values at the 2007 Value Voters Summit [huffington post]
(via AmericaBlog)

More Blumenthal...
Max Blumenthal: Tom Delay Ready for the Rapture [tr]
A Visit to the College Republican National Convention [tr]

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SF Chronicle Cites Hate Group Leader Sans Background

Without making any note of his background, or that in the 80's he said that "extermination of homosexuals" might be a necessary remedy for the AIDS crisis, the San Francisco Chronicle quoted Family Research Institute Director Paul Cameron in an article about gays being asked to adopt foster children.

San Francisco's Family and Children Services is set to begin a billboard/ad campaign (below, right) in an effort to recruit more same-sex couples to adopt and care for foster children, realizing what effective parents they can be: "In San Francisco, gay men and lesbians already adopt a large share of the foster children who are not adopted by relatives -- 88 percent since last July, for example, according to Dan Kelly with the Human Services Department."

Apparently attempting to present an "alternative" perspective, reporter Ilene Lelchuk dredges up the Focus on the Family position, without any qualifiers:

Reports Lelchuk: "Focus on the Family's objection to same-sex parents is grounded in interpretation of biblical scripture and research by Paul Cameron, director of the Family Research Institute in Colorado. Cameron says gays and lesbians are unfit parents, are more likely to molest children of their same sex, switch partners frequently, have shorter life expectancies and cause their children embarrassment and social difficulties. 'Any child that can be adopted into a married-mother-and-father family, that's the gold standard,' Cameron said. 'An orphanage would be the second choice, and then a single woman.'"

According to AmericaBlog, "[Cameron] was kicked out of the American Psychological Association, and was publicly rebuked by the Nebraska Psychological Association and the American Sociological Association. And he has been called the leader of a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center, America's number one civil rights organization for tracking the klan, neo-Nazis and white supremacists."

Lelchuk declined to note that Cameron's "research" has been debunked numerous times, but appears to present him as a legitimate expert on the issue. Read more here.

Presenting this without any qualifiers is an affront to same-sex couples, like the Stewart-Whites of San Francisco, who have committed themselves to adopting and raising foster children in need.

AmericaBlog notes: "a sloppy, offensive, and dangerous gaffe".

SF Chronicle quotes known hate group as legitimate expert claiming gays molest kids [americablog]
S.F.'s same-sex couples asked to adopt foster kids [sf chronicle]

And you may have missed...
The Stewart-Whites of SF: Real Family Values [tr]

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Newt Gingrich Acknowledges Affair During Lewinsky Probe

Newt Gingrich tells Focus on the Family's James Dobson in an interview to be aired Friday that he had an affair during the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky probe:

"'The honest answer is yes. There are times that I have fallen short of my own standards. There's certainly times when I've fallen short of God's standards. The president of the United States got in trouble for committing a felony in front of a sitting federal judge,' the former Georgia congressman said of Clinton's 1998 House impeachment on perjury and obstruction of justice charges. 'I drew a line in my mind that said, 'Even though I run the risk of being deeply embarrassed, and even though at a purely personal level I am not rendering judgment on another human being, as a leader of the government trying to uphold the rule of law, I have no choice except to move forward and say that you cannot accept ... perjury in your highest officials.'"

As opposed to the sometimes useful dishonest answer.

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News: Oprah on Ellen, Condoms, Ben Affleck, Laguna Beach

In the latest attempt to save Laguna Beach's Boom Boom Room, the longtime cornerstone of gay nightlife in that SoCal getaway, community activists hauled 1,200 pages of signatures into a City Council meeting on wheelbarrows. They collected 6,000 signatures from supporters hoping to protect the landmark.

Ben Affleck on his recent colonic irrigation: "I lost my virginity all over again that day, in so many ways. I don’t think I will be having it done again."

Clear Channel rejects billboard for Focus on the Family's "ex-gay" conference Love Won Out in Phoenix. The billboard was to read: "I questioned homosexuality: Change is Possible, Discover How."

Man held after threatening youth and program staff at gay center in Berkeley, California: "The man allegedly kicked in the Pacific Center's glass front door in Berkeley and sent four e-mail death threats over the past three weeks, said Berkeley police spokesman Ed Galvan." The man allegedly participated in youth programs at the center 10 years ago.

Oprah Winfrey to make guest appearance on Ellen on February 22.

Make love on a real train: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene launches its own brand of mass transit-themed condoms.

Valentine's Hell: Passengers held hostage on Jet blue for 10 hours.

Activists at Rhode Island statehouse gay marriage rally unveil series of bills that would give gays and lesbians many of the rights of married couples: "One bill would protect same-sex couples from being forced to testify against each other in court. Other proposals would allow gay spouses to take family leave from their jobs and grant gay men and women the legal authority to make funeral arrangements when their partners die. Gay marriage supporters said the new incremental approach reflects the stated opposition to gay marriage from Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, as well as from Republican Gov. Don Carcieri."

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Mary Cheney Disses Dobson, Says Baby "Not a Political Statement"

Speaking to a crowd at Barnard College in Manhattan this week, Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter Mary defended her pregnancy and same-sex parenting:

"When Heather and I decided to have a baby, I knew it wasn’t going to be the most popular decision. [points to womb] This is a baby. This is a blessing from God. It is not a political statement. It is not a prop to be used in a debate, on either side of a political issue. It is my child."

Calling Focus on the Family wingnut James Dobson "not someone whose endorsement I have ever drastically sought," Cheney told the crowd exactly what the Bush administration's religious right-wing base doesn't want to hear:

"Every piece of remotely responsible research that has been done in the last 20 years has shown there is no difference between children raised by same-sex parents and children raised by opposite-sex parents; what matters is being raised in a stable, loving environment."

Following the event, Cheney told the NYT that Wolf Blitzer "was trying to get a rise out of my father" when he asked about the baby during an on-air Situation Room interview. (watch)

The Vice President told Blitzer that his questioning was "out of line".

Mary Cheney Publicly Defends Her Pregnancy [nyt] (via americablog)

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #65

ZUNE WITH BENEFITS: So this is what Microsoft is resorting to to beat the iPod!

GAYEST XMAS EVER: (source: worth repeating)

HILLARY DOES THE VIEW: No rants from Rosie this time. (part 2 here)

JAMES DOBSON: Distorts research in Time magazine attack on Mary Cheney.

Don't miss our past guides to the Tube here!

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James Dobson: Ted Haggard Gay Cure Could Take "4 or 5 Years"

Wednesday night almost seems like ancient history, but James Dobson's appearance on Larry King Live is too rich to overlook.

Dobson told King that he excused himself from the "three person restoration panel" overlooking his "close friend" Ted Haggard because it might be 2010 before Haggard is heterosexual:

"I called my board of directors, we talked about it at length and they were unanimous in asking me not to do that, because this could take four or five years and I just have too many other things going on."

Dobson says he hasn't talked to his "close friend" since it happened. Dobson also told King that liberals have no values, Congress was "courageous" in trying to intervene in the Terri Schiavo case, and the separation of church and state is not in the Bill of Rights.

Meanwhile, in Miami over the weekend, gay escort Mike Jones sat down with author David Leddick who is writing a new book called Escort, featuring escorts, their profiles, and photographs. Said Leddick: ''Forty profiles with photographs of men who sell sex. I'm not taking a moral position myself. It's fascinating." Jones is to be the centerpiece of that book.

Jones told the Miami Herald that he has received plenty of criticism from other escorts angry that he disrespected the privacy of the escort/client relationship. But he said the hypocrisy was too much: "All the escorts are [angry] with me. This was such a unique situation. I could have ruined many careers in my day. A lot of politicians and athletes and clergy. But none of them got up and ranted and raved about homosexuality."

He has also been criticized for the tumult created within the pastor's family by going public. His response: "People have scolded me for that, particularly right-wing people. But did Ted Haggard go to his wife and say, 'I'm going to have a gay affair. Is this going to hurt you and the kids?' I don't want to have this guilt over my head."

Jones also wants to make sure the public knows he's not a prostitute: ''I was an escort, all right? Not everyone I went with wanted sex. I think I give escorts a good name.''

You may have missed....
Hating Begins at Home: The Creation of James Dobson [tr]
Ted Haggard Letter: "I am Guilty...a Deceiver and a Liar" [tr]

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Ted Haggard Fall-out Continues; Jesus Camp Shut

Pentecostal Pastor Becky Fischer's summer camp, featured in the recent documentary Jesus Camp, which we featured on the site a few weeks ago, has not survived Ted Haggard's gay escort scandal and will be shut down, for at least a few years. Haggard appeared in the film, preaching against homosexuality.

Said Fischer: "Right now we're just not a safe ministry."

They were never a safe ministry. Is it safe to indoctrinate children with hateful ideas? I think not. More revolting clips here.

Radar Online posts a revealing interview with gay escort Mike Jones today, in which Jones says that he believes Haggard's good friend James Dobson, the virulent anti-gay pastor who heads Focus on the Family, is gay as well.

Said Jones: "Dobson doesn't want any connection with him. Since this happened, lots of people have asked me if I think Dobson is gay, too. My answer to that is yes."

Dobson recently announced he would be leaving the team overseeing counseling for Ted Haggard. Said Dobson: "Emotionally and spiritually, I wanted to be of help - but the reality is I don’t have the time to devote to such a critical responsibility." No time to minister the healing power of Jesus to a fellow pastor? For shame! I guess Dobson understands the reality of the situation in more ways than one.

Jones also says he has received no contact from gay organizations like the Human Rights Campaign: "I don't know, but I can tell you that I am disappointed—and kind of hurt. You know, I put my life, my body on the line to expose this guy, and I expected some support from these organizations. At the very least some concern or contact."

But ironically, he's been thanked by people from Haggard's New Life Church: "When I was on a radio program down in Colorado Springs, they all thanked me. In fact, when I was checking into the hotel in Colorado Springs last night, the desk clerk, he goes, 'Are you the Mike Jones of....' I answered, 'Maybe.' And he said, 'I want you to know that I am from the New Life Church.' And he extended his hand and said, 'Thank you. You did us a service for Ted and our church so he can get the help he needs.'"

You may have missed...
Ted Haggard Letter: "I am Guilty...a Deceiver and a Liar" [tr]
Ted Haggard: Bought Meth, Didn't Use It; Received Massage, No Sex [tr]
Mike Jones Fails Lie Detector Test on Ted Haggard But Test Administrator Doubts Test's Accuracy [tr]
Ted Haggard Voicemails Analyzed; Pastor Admits to Indiscretions [tr]
Evangelical Leader Ted Haggard Steps Down After Gay Escort Claims They Had a Sexual Relationship for Three Years [tr]

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News: Lance's Other Guy, Hackers, Tony Bennett Kiss...

Like vultures, Westboro Baptist Church shows up at funeral for Montana Senator Max Baucus' nephew, slain in Iraq.

The pre-Reichen days: Lance Bass' closet companion Jesse.

Man who killed his classmate in 1985 for revealing he is gay