News: Leather, Wiretapping, Tasmania, Janet, Fort Lauderdale

What? Congress strikes deal to give telecom companies immunity in warrantless wiretapping: "The deal, expanding the government’s powers in some key respects, would allow intelligence officials to use broad warrants to eavesdrop on foreign targets and conduct emergency wiretaps without court orders on American targets for a week if it is determined important national security information would be lost otherwise. If approved, as appears likely, it would be the most significant revision of surveillance law in 30 years."

Then and now: the disappearance of New York's leather scene.

Ryan Air CEO announces plans for reconfigured fleet: "So in economy it will be very cheap fares. Say 10 euros. And in business class it will be beds and blowjobs. In economy. In business, it will all be free including the blowjobs." WATCH.

Will Tasmania become the first Australian state to have same-sex marriage? "Tasmania Greens MP Nick McKim today said he would bring the same-sex marriage bill, which will also provide adoption rights, to state parliament on July 1. 'Marriage is an institution that should be open to opposite-sex and same-sex couples,' Mr McKim told reporters. 'We believe that this matter should have a conscience vote.'"

Naomi Campbell pleads guilty to six counts of assault.

Bill that would mark officially mark May 22 as Harvey Milk Day in California advances, getting approval from the Senate Education Committee.

UFO: South Wales police spot "unusual object."

Sydney's Oxford Street 'Safe Place' to close: "The six month pilot project was set up in November as part of a multi-faceted strategy to deal with the increasing homophobic violence on the strip and the perceived lack of action by government and police. It set out to raise awareness of homophobic violence, increase reporting of violence, to provide a refuge for people escaping violence and to improve the response from NSW Police and from the Government. Recent evaluation of the space deemed that it was no longer viable to keep it open, given the small numbers of people who were actually making use of it."

Would you let David Beckham sign your balls?

How a homophobic idiot was suddenly changed...

Janet Jackson announces MTV reality show.

Gay ex-Fort Lauderdale city commissioner Dean Trantalis enter's race for Naugle's seat: "Now this increasingly powerful voting bloc must choose among Trantalis; Hutchinson; longtime legislator Jack Seiler, who also has some support in the gay community; and defense attorney Steve Rossi. 'This is definitely going to be a very awkward campaign,' said Hutchinson supporter Michael Albetta, board member of the Dolphin Democrats, a gay political organization in Broward that doesn't endorse candidates."

Pamela Anderson's mother's wish: "Lately my mother has said, 'I wish you were gay, considering your choice of men.'"

The NYT profiled Russell T. Davies this past weekend and he recounted a story about a confrontation he had with a woman who didn't like the same-sex kissing in his Doctor Who series: “I was standing there saying, ‘You’re a bad mother, and your children will either grow up to be lesbians, or they will be taken into care because they’ve been badly raised,’ ” he recalled in a recent interview near the “Doctor Who” set. He began to chuckle. “ ‘You are ignorant, and you’re bringing up your children in ignorance, and that will backfire on you.'"

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Music News: How Gay Is Katy Perry? Plus, Nas, Pet Shop Boys, Jennifer Hudson, The Ting Tings

Robbie Daw presents a weekly pop music update here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own site called Chart Rigger.

Beginning last year, I'd been getting pitches from a publicist dealing with online press for an artist called Katy Perry and her song "Ur So Gay." To be completely honest, I just didn't dig the song. But as the title might imply, I also started wondering whether or not I was right to feel a bit offended by the lyrical premise -- a female telling off her H&M scarf-wearing boyfriend with the insult, "You're so gay and you don't even like boys," implying that he'd rather spend time with his friends and "MySpace-ing," etc. I basically chalked it up to me being a bit uptight, the song not being my thing, and moved on.

But the pitches kept coming. Soon Katy was signed to Capitol Records, a major label, and the press releases started mentioning Perez Hilton was touting her as a next big thing for summer 2008. In an interview with Blender, Perry, who turns out to be a pastor's daughter, exclaims, "I'm completely outrageous and I'll do anything for attention!"

Now the singer's got a heavily-promoted single called "I Kissed A Girl" (not a Jill Sobule cover), though it doesn't have a video. But rather than expound upon what I think of a seemingly heterosexual 23-year-old woman singing about her drunken female conquest, "I don't even know your name, it doesn't matter/You're my experimental game," I thought I'd turn it over to see what you, the Towleroad reader, think.

Are Katy Perry's lyrics offensive, or are they just silly, gimmicky pop songs by a self-proclaimed attention seeker to be taken with a grain of salt? Clips of "Ur So Gay" and "I Kissed A Girl" are below.

Two things to think about: 1.) A bit of digging finds that Katy Perry released an album of Christian music a few years back under the name Katy Hudson. 2.) Would your thoughts on the level of offense, if any, be different if it were a straight male artist singing either song (particularly if the latter were "I Kissed A Boy")?

Incidentally, Katy Perry's album, One Of The Boys, is out in June.

Hip hop star Nas drops the original controversial title for his new album.

The Pet Shop Boys are working on new material with frequent Sugababes' collaborators Xenomania. Meanwhile, clips from a 2006 episode of U.K. program The South Bank Show on Dusty Springfield have popped up on YouTube, wherein the Boys discuss what it was like working with the singer on her 1991 album, Reputation.

Recording artist Ferras (pictured left) -- whose track "Hollywood's Not America" you likely recognize as this season's American Idol good-bye song -- took to his MySpace blog Friday to dedicate the new single "Liberation Day" to the overturning of California's ban on same-sex marriage: "YAY!!!!!!!!!! ITS LIBERATION DAY EVERYONE!!!! WAKE UP!!!!!! It's 'LIBERATION DAY' for GAY PEOPLE everywhere!!!! The road to liberation day has been a long one, filled with tears and a great fight, but one that thankfully does not include giving up hope. Today, the end of the road is a little bit closer. Today, two people in love can finally be recognized just like everyone else. Its about love, acceptance and life. This is not only about a piece of paper, its about human rights. Its about rejoicing in the beauty of each and every person living on this planet! Its about individuality and the right to exist! Gay people are citizens just like everyone else and should be afforded the same rights. Without recognizing gay marriage as a legitimate expression of love, partnership and equality, we are still living in the dark ages-communicating a message of intolerance and hate. It's 2008. Its a new time. A new era. A time to wake up and 'throw your illusions away.' May all beings rejoice and be happy, as we get one shot- one life- to be all we can be, be the best humans we can be and to love and be loved equally, as we all bleed the same blood. To all my gay and lesbian peeps- this ones for you. All my love and respect, FERRAS"

Darren Hayes will appear as a guest judge on the upcoming season of Austalian Idol, along with fellow Aussie Tina Arena. The London-based singer will help suss out talent in the U.K. for the program: "As an Australian entertainer living in London I definitely have a soft spot for Aussies trying to make it overseas. Rather than judging people, I'm going to be looking for that little bit of magic that someone once saw in me."

Janet Jackson's going on tour: "It will definitely be a big production but it will definitely also be something that I've never done before, that people have never seen from me before." Don't they all say that?

Jennnifer Hudson's album due out in September: "I think people will be pleasantly surprised, because it shows a side of my work that no one has heard before." Now, hold on a second...!

TODAY'S NEW RELEASES:

The Ting Tings' debut set, We Started Nothing. The dancey pop/rock duo have the current #1 single on the U.K. chart with "That's Not My Name," while they're also enjoying a sizeable stateside hit with "Shut Up And Let Me Go," thanks to its inclusion in an Apple commercial.

Donna Summer's Crayons, her first studio album of pop material since 1991's Mistaken Identity.

Stop Drop And Roll from Foxboro Hottubs. The big "secret" is that it's actually Green Day doing punk-infused, '60s-sounding bubblegum.

Liverpool electro quartet Ladytron's fourth LP, Velocifero.

Actress Scarlett Johansson's album of Tom Waits covers, Anywhere I Lay My Head.

Jesse McCartney's Departure. McCartney is currently enjoying the success of having co-written Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" with OneRepublic's "Ryan Tedder."

New singles from Aimee Mann ("Freeway"), Solange ("I Decided, Pt. 2") and Judas Priest ("Visions").

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News: Michael Stipe, Tel Aviv, Anthony Minghella, China and Tibet

China closes off media access, shuts down YouTube, CNN, and Google amid violent crackdown in Tibet. China has also begun parading Tibetan prisoners on military trucks in Lhasa. Dalai Lama threatens to step down...

Michael Stipe comes out? "It was super complicated for me in the ’80s. I was totally open with the band and my family and my friends and certainly the people I was sleeping with. I thought it was pretty obvious. Now I recognize that to have public figures be very open about their sexuality helps some kid somewhere out there."

GLAAD hands out media awards in New York; Barbara Walters, Judy Shepard, Brian Graden and films The Bubble and For the Bible Tells Me So all honored. Who was there?

Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella dies at 54: "Minghella's publicist, Jonathan Rutter, said the filmmaker died at London's Charing Cross Hospital. He said Minghella was operated on last week for a growth in his neck, 'and the operation seemed to have gone well. At 5 a.m. today he had a fatal hemorrhage.'"

Pennsylvania senate proposes amendment banning gay marriage: "Constitutional amendment legislation failed in the last legislative session but is being considered anew in the current session. During a Senate committee hearing, Maggie Gallagher, President of the National Organization for Marriage, said an amendment to the state constitution would protect against a judge’s ruling that could strike down state law defining marriage as between a man and woman…'It’s not a fantasy that this could happen. It is happening – it’s happened in New Jersey, it’s happened in Connecticut' Gallagher was speaking to Republican Senator Jane Earll of Erie, skeptical of the need for a constitutional amendment: 'We are going to hold our constitution hostage to the wackiest judge in some other state. I just think that amending the constitution is a very drastic measure.'"

Janet Jackson opens wide for Black Book.

Tel Aviv hoping to attract more gay tourists.

Richard I slept in the same bed with French King Phillip II but it wasn't a gay thing: "It was an accepted political act, nothing sexual about it; just two politicians literally getting into bed together, a bit like a modern-day photo opportunity."

Chad Allen, Janeane Garofalo, Rebecca Gayheart, Soleil Moon Frye, Patrick Muldoon and Brad Rowe team up for gay indie screwball comedy For Better or For Worse: "Frye will play the lesbian minister presiding over the ceremony at the home of one groom's mother (Ruta Lee). The guests include the jilted ex of one of the grooms and his new beau (Muldoon and Allen), a closeted neighbor (Stanley Kamel), a wallflower sister (Gayheart), a family-man brother (Rowe) and his nanny (Garofalo), who has a bombshell to drop."

Ch-ch-ch-changes. Spot the differences in Ryan Seacrest 2.0.

Brazil gets another new gay magazine.

Hugh Jackman spends more time naked than dressed.

Anti-gay graffiti causes stir in Northern California town of Fortuna: "A Fortuna resident noticed anti-homosexual words painted on several mailboxes on her street and filed a police report Thursday. The derogatory words, 'fag' and 'gay,' made her so irate, it took her more than an hour to stop shaking, she said. The Fortuna Police Department is treating the vandalism as a hate crime because the intent was likely to express hate, FPD Sgt. Jack Bernstein said. 'It’s concerning for us to have something like this.'"

Police officers punished in Austin, Texas after remarks: "Cmdr. Calvin Smith, who has worked for the department for 34 years and supervises the Austin police training academy, told the fellow commander that he was worried about the 'kind of message' the potential transfer of a gay female officer would send at the academy, which already had two lesbians working there, according to a disciplinary memo. Cmdr. Larry Oliver was fired for failing to report the comments, even though he later confirmed to investigators that he thought Smith was referring to 'their being lesbians,' a disciplinary memo said. He was fired after refusing Acevedo's offer of a 30-day suspension."

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LOGO Airs Celebrity PSA Response to Lawrence King Murder

Janet Jackson, along with Calpernia Addams (Transamerican Love Story), Andre 3000, Ashanti, singer/songwriter Sarah Bareilles, Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development, Nip/Tuck), Estelle, T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy), R&B artist Little Sister, actor Darryl Stephens (Noah’s Arc) and singer/songwriter Taylor Swift have lent their faces and names to a PSA created in response to the murder of Lawrence King that will run on LOGO and across MTV Networks' channels as well as on other networks that wish to air it.

Said MTV President Brian Graden: "One more murder, one more life lost, one more attempt to provoke fear and one more reason hate crimes must end. We hope this PSA will help inspire more people to join the fight against hate crimes."

View the clip AFTER THE JUMP...

Over the weekend, the L.A. Times continued its coverage of the King murder, revealing the broken home behind King's 14-year-old killer Brandon McInerney as well as the troubled school atmosphere that led up to the unthinkable violence:

"Earlier this year, some of Brandon's classmates say, Larry began 'hitting' on him and remarking for all to hear that he thought Brandon was 'cute.' Other boys then ribbed Brandon by saying he must be gay himself. Brandon dismissed Larry with an obscenity, the students say, but it didn't stop there. They say the kid wearing eye shadow had gotten under the skin of the Young Marine. Michael Sweeney, an eighth-grader at E.O. Green, picked up on the whispering that followed -- the rumors that were so extreme, so out there, that they had to be bogus. 'Brandon told this one girl that he was going to kill Larry,' Michael said. 'She didn't tell the principal. I didn't, either, after I heard about it. I thought it was a joke.' Larry was shot the next day."

View the LOGO PSA after the jump...

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #254

TIMES SQUARE EXPLOSION: A morning report on the IED that went off today in Times Square. A new video shows a suspicious bicyclist leaving the scene. CCTV video.

ANTI-LGBT HATE CRIMES 2008: Put together by Fight Out Loud.

DAVID COOK: His rendition of "Hello" from Tuesday night's American Idol. Lionel Richie responded to the cover, saying: "I'm putting that song out there tomorrow myself with David on it. That is a smash record that David did the other night. I couldn't believe it...David just played it as If it was his song from the beginning as if there was no Lionel Richie involved...he just killed it."

JANET JACKSON: Her new video for "Rock with U".

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Music News: Sally Shapiro Bites The Big Apple, Plus Annie, True Colors Tour, Janet Jackson, Keane, Lou Pearlman, Pet Shop Boys

Robbie Daw presents a weekly pop music update here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own site called Chart Rigger.

The U.S. will get a rare glimpse of Sally Shapiro, Swede pop's own version of J.T. Leroy, in the coming days...sort of. "Sally Shapiro," an alias for producer Johan Agebjörn and the elusive blonde female vocalist that fronts the act, will be appearing at New York's Mercury Lounge Friday night and the Windy City's Sonotheque on Monday.

If you've not checked out Sally Shapiro, her/their album Disco Romance got a stateside release last fall, and it's the finest collection of non-Italian/German/Spanish, '80s-sounding Italo disco since the Pet Shop Boys' early B-sides (collected on their own 1995 compilation, Alternative). Additionally, a new single, "Spacer Woman From Mars" -- billed as Johan Agebjörn Featuring Sally Shapiro -- was made available on iTunes last week.

Here's the video for "Jackie Jackie (Spend This Winter With Me)," off Disco Romance:

Of course, it should be noted that Johan and Sally's appearances in the States are billed as DJ sets, and even the producer himself has apparently never seen the singer record her own vocals. In a rare interview with Pitchfork last October, she stated the following: "I actually have some recordings-- because I do it at Johan's place, because he has the [equipment]. So there are some recordings where I'm singing to the computer, and Johan comes into the door because he has to fetch something and then you hear on the tape that I am disturbed and I am saying with an angry voice, [mimics] Oh, you are coming in here when I'm singing; you're not supposed to do that! Very nice, I have that on tape now. I saved it."

Sally Shapiro's U.S. label is set to release a remix album, Remix Romance Vol. 1, on April 15.

The lineup for this summer's 24-date True Colors Tour was announced today, with tickets going on sale March 15. Cyndi Lauper will co-headline the events with The B-52s. Last year she and Erasure shared the top billing. Billboard.com notes: "TV personality Carson Kressley will host the shows, which will also feature appearances by Rosie O'Donnell, the Indigo Girls, Joan Jett and Regina Spektor... Organizers plan to stress the need to vote in the fall presidential election and will also be raising funds for gay, lesbian and transgendered advocacy groups through the True Colors Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation." Additionally, Joan Armatrading, Tegan & Sara, Wanda Sykes, Nona Hendryx, Deborah Cox and the Cliks will appear on certain dates of the tour.

Well, it's about time! Four years after enthralling dancefloors and electro hipsters the world over, Norwegian artist Annie popped a new song, the Richard X-produced "I Know Your Girlfriend Hates Me," up on her MySpace on Monday. (Richard X also produced her hit single, "Chewing Gum.") But just as quick as it appeared, the track was removed. Annie's next full-length album is due out next month from Island Records.

Miss Jackson unseats Jack Johnson with her first #1 album in seven years.

Former *NSync and Backstreet Boys impressario Lou Pearlman, now jailed for orchestrating bank and investment fraud scams totaling $300 million, is set to enter a guilty plea tomorrow in an Orlando court. By entering into a plea deal, the charges against him carry a maximum of 25 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Journalist Bryan Burrough wrote a detailed story on Pearlman in last November's Vanity Fair titled "Mad About The Boys," which also explored Pearlman's alleged sexually predatory nature with certain males in the acts he managed.

British three-piece act Keane raise speculation about a new, fourth member after a mysterious image crops up on the band's website.

Been wondering what's up with the Pet Shop Boys lately? "Chris and Neil have been writing new songs for much of this year," reports their official website, "and will continue until they feel they have enough songs for a new album. The writing sessions have proved very fertile with, so far, seven new songs being completed. Some of the songs they wrote early last year are also likely to feature on the album. Meetings with potential producers are already being lined up for March. The release date for the new album will probably be early 2009.

THE WEEK'S NEW RELEASES:

Warpaint by The Black Crowes, which was the subject of recent controversy when Maxim ran a lukewarm review of the album in its March issue without the writer having ever heard it.

Go Away White, the first studio album from goth rockers Bauhaus in 25 years, and their pledged final one as a band.

Billy Bragg's Mr. Love & Justice, which is available in two versions -- one with his usual backing band on accompaniment, and one that's a straightforward acoustic affair.

Good Time, the 15th solo album by country crooner Alan Jackson.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #253

NANCY PELOSI: Talks to Charlie Rose about the race for a Democratic nominee and her party's efforts to end the Iraq war.

JANET JACKSON: The singer teaches Larry King a few dance moves.

RESPONSE to HILLARY CLINTON NICHOLSON ENDORSEMENT: A response to Jack Nicholson's Hillary Clinton endorsement.

FIRST AMENDMENT: Catherine Dent of The Shield taped this PSA for FirstFreedomFirst.org on the right to religious privacy.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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News: Edible Martini, Prince Harry, Food War, Goldfrapp, Alzheimer's

Illinois state senator Dave Koehler proposes legislation legalizing civil unions in that state. Koehler: "This is going to be controversial because people are going to try to get all other kinds of issues about the morality of being gay. I hope that can stay to the sideline, because that's not the full intent of this bill. This bill is merely to recognize there are long-term committed relationships that right now do not have the law behind them."

Meet the edible martini: looking pretty good about now.

The History of War told through food, quite literally.

Britain's defense chief pulls Prince Harry from duty in Afghanistan saying media coverage puts him and his fellow soldiers at risk: "Air Chief Marshal Jock Stirrup, chief of the Defense Staff, said he decided to withdraw the prince after senior commanders assessed the risks, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. Harry, third in line to the British throne, has been serving on the front line with an army unit in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province since mid-December. He was originally due to return to Britain within weeks, but 'the situation has now clearly changed,' the statement said."

David Beckham hits South Korea to show off a shiny new phone.

John Stamos takes a kayak break in Hawaii.

UPenn students urge university to examine how FDA's ban on blood donation from gay men conflicts with the school's anti-discrimination policies: "Despite a national blood shortage, millions are prohibited from donating by the Federal Drug Administration's lifetime ban on men who have had sex with men (MSM) since 1977. The FDA argues that this type of sexual activity puts them at a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases that could be then transmitted through blood transfusions. After a controversial, lengthy debate, the Blood Donor Discrimination Proposal passed by a margin of 17 to 9 with three abstentions, College senior and UA chairman Jason Karsh said. When Lambda Alliance first raised the blood policy issue at a University Council meeting last March, the UC never followed up, said Wharton and College junior, UA member and DP columnist Lisa Zhu, who coauthored the proposal on behalf of the UA. The proposal is an attempt to revive the University-wide debate and "pressure the administration to reevaluate their stance," said Karsh."

The Feeling's Dan Gillespie-Sells covers the new issue of Attitude.

A look at the new Goldfrapp album, Seventh Tree.

LGBT Latinos unify in support of Obama.

Janet Jackson hopes her drag queen kicks Madonna's drag queen's ass.

More rumors surface about Florida Governor Charlie Crist's sexuality: "I just wish he would come out and admit it. That would be a great thing if he did."

Anti-gay marriage group in Iowa which staged demonstration at the Supreme Court accuses lawmakers of holding up proposed amendment banning gay marriage: "Several legislative leaders quickly denounced the group's claims, calling their tactics hateful. 'I have a problem when people say, 'We are good, they are evil,' House Majority Speaker Pat Murphy, a Dubuque Democrat, said in response to the group. 'The bottom line is, I believe that every person should be treated with dignity and respect in this state.'"

Could Alzheimer's Disease be cured with a 'reset button' for the brain?

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Music News: Exclusive Robyn Podcast Interview, Plus Perez Hilton, Goldfrapp, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson

Robbie Daw presents a weekly pop music update here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own pop music site called Chart Rigger.

Today Andy and I have something a bit different for you in the form of an audio interview with Robyn. Speaking with the Swedish pop singer, who was in Stockholm when she called, was just as I expected it to be: amusing, informative and even a bit surreal; as you'll hear, her godchildren were in the background playing the entire time, and at one point Robyn breaks from our conversation to yell at them in Swedish when they begin fighting! She also goes into great detail on how forming Konichiwa Records three years ago -- her own label to distribute her latest album -- led to the kind of success she never predicted.

The past twelve months alone have seen Robyn blow up online. Here in the States, for instance, she did three shows earlier this month and was taken aback at how her audiences knew all the words to the songs. (Robyn's self-titled album isn't out here till April 29. It'll be her first U.S. release since 1997's Robyn Is Here.)

Currently you can grab Robyn's digital single "With Every Heartbeat" and The Rakamonie EP. As well, she's featured on the "Fyre Department Remix" of Snoop Dogg's current hit, "Sexual Eruption."

As a bit of a side note, toward the end of the interview, I asked Robyn about two particular songs on her forthcoming album. It may seem like like she's being contradictory, since for the first song, "Be Mine!", she says she doesn't write about personal things that happen in her everyday life and for the second, "Bum Like You," she mentions that it was inspired by a relationship she'd had -- but with "Be Mine!" she was referring to a specific scenario in the song's bridge being fictional.

Robbie Daw Interviews Robyn

Maybe the geeks truly shall inherit! Here's a 45-second clip of Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" video, which co-stars 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer and was directed by Brett Ratner.

Slide over, Clive. Proving that Perez Hilton (aka, Mario Lavandeira) just might be the queen of all media after all, the New York Times reports the following: "Mr. Lavandeira has been negotiating a deal that would provide him with his own imprint at Warner Brothers Records, a division of the music giant Warner Music Group, he said. This was confirmed by several other people associated with the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because no deal has been made. The talks are preliminary, and an agreement is not certain, but Mr. Lavandeira could receive $100,000 a year as an advance against 50 percent of any profits generated by artists he discovers and releases through Warner Brothers, these people said."

TODAY'S NEW RELEASES:

Discipline, the tenth studio album from Janet Jackson, and her first since joining the Island Def Jam label after a string of low-selling releases with Virgin.

Seventh Tree from Goldfrapp. It's a bit of a departure from their past up-tempo, dancier releases. Also available on iTunes is a remix EP for the album's first single, "A&E."

Dolly Parton's Backwoods Barbie, the title track of which is set to be used in the score for next year's 9 To 5 Broadway musical.

Erykah Badu's New Amerykah, which hopefully isn't overshadowed by the brouhaha over her latest hairstyle.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #236

CHANGE: The David Bowie election.

RUDY GIULIANI: FOX loves America's Mayor.

MIKE GRAVEL: On the oppressive nature of religion.

BRITNEY HOUSTON: Performs her version of Janet's "Feedback".

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Janet Jackson Has Discipline Written All Over Her

Janet Jackson revealed the cover for her new album Discipline to fans on her official mailing list overnight last night. It's very WWE don't you think? I preferred the digital va-jay-jay.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #222

FEEDBACK: Janet Jackson's first new video in years. The flying from planet to planet is so Super Mario Galaxy.

RADICAL CLERIC: The latest creation of Max Blumenthal and Thomas Shomaker.

BILL CLINTON: The former pres. on the attack, going after what he calls the Obama "fairy tale".

SHELTER: Clip from the gay surf romance coming to theaters in March 2008, starring Brad Rowe and Trevor Wright.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here

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News: Tiger Attack, Janet Jackson, Beards, Apple and Jay-Z

Gay and lesbian retirement home in Santa Fe targeted by homophobic vandals.

SF Zoo: Tiger may have been "teased" before it attacked.

Vince Vaughn pays off ungodly gambling debt to ice cream cone.

Elton John to play gig in Abu Dhabi: "Sir Elton John has surprised fans by announcing he will play his first gig in the United Arab Emirates later this month. The flamboyantly gay star, who has sold 250m albums in a four-decade career, will perform at an open-air concert in Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace Hotel. The decision could leave Sir Elton open to charges of hypocrisy, because of the UAE's poor record on human rights. Homosexuality is illegal: those convicted of it face jail sentences, or compulsary psychiatric 'treatment', including the injection of hormones designed to 'cure' them."

HuffPo's Alex Geana finds Clinton online presence strong among Iowa's gays and lesbians: "All the Iowans I talked to are still greatly undecided, but I was able to garner some interesting mentions. Such as Clinton volunteers and campaign workers in the chat rooms, not only to connect and be social but to actually champion her as their choice. Is Hillary the only one that fosters being 'out' on the campaign trail? No one mentioned other campaigns so comfortable with the online world, apparently Obama and Edwards staffers don't identify with both their sexuality and campaign, but that's just a theory."

Late night hosts undergo beard analysis.

Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on Gene Robinson and out clergy: "He is certainly not alone in being a gay bishop; he's certainly not alone in being a gay partnered bishop. He is alone in being the only gay partnered bishop who's open about that status."

Miami commissioner Marc Sarnoff fends off resident bothering him about his sexuality: "Let me state that bringing the persons sexual preference to bear in a conversation is not only wrong, but it denigrates all the progress we as a tolerant society have made. It reminds me of the Boy who cried Wolf. When the Wolf arrives no one believes them. Equally when race is brought into an issue and it is not present it belies the credibility of the story teller the next cry for wolf. No one will believe their stories. You demonstrate today that we have a great deal more to achieve as a society before we can call ourselves tolerant. As long as one of you is out there we have much prejudice to stamp out and in time we will."

Miss Jackson poised for some Feedback.

Apple rumored to start record label with Jay-Z. Announcement forthcoming at Macworld?

Long Island, New York law firm turns focus to LGBT issues.

South Korean police officer comes out, vows to fight prejudice: "On Dec. 30, Private Kim Hyun-jong (not his real name) posted an article about his homosexuality on the online riot police community Web site. He is the second policeman from the squad to have openly come out after YooJeong Min-shik identified himself as being gay and refused to finish his service term for which he was prisoned in 2006. In South Korea, men can serve in the riot police as part of their mandatory military service. In the article, Kim said that coming out was not easy, but what was more important was that he faced discrimination and insults, that should be outlawed at military camps. Kim, who works at a police station in Yongsan, Seoul, said his coming out was almost an 'outing' (forced to make a coming out by others) after some fellow policemen read some private information he had saved on his computer. He said he first tried to deny it, but later made up his mind to declare his sexual identity."

Roman Catholic bishop in Spain claims that underage boys want abuse: "There are 13 year old adolescents who are under age and who are perfectly in agreement with, and what’s more wanting it, and if you are careless they will even provoke you."

Gayhane: Gay Muslims find nightlife in Berlin. "European Muslims, so often portrayed one-dimensionally as rioters, honor killers or terrorists, live diverse lives, most of them trying to get by and to have a good time. That is more difficult if one is both Muslim and gay. 'When you’re here, it’s as if you’re putting on a mask, leaving the everyday outside and just having fun,' said a 22-year-old Turkish man who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear that he would be ostracized or worse if his family found out about his sexual orientation. Safety and secrecy come up regularly when talking to guests, who laugh and dance, but also frequently look over their shoulders. To be a gay man or lesbian with an immigrant background invites trouble here in two very different ways."

Ryan Reynolds is a ruff ryder.

'Obscene' Terence Koh Jesus statue causes uproar in Britain.

STUDY: Gay seniors rely on friends for medical care when ill. " Those who were helped were suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer, muscular/skeletal illnesses, cardiovascular disease, or other afflictions associated with aging, according to the Rockway Institute. Thirty-eight percent of the survey participants reported to have received care within the past five years from people who weren't health care professionals. Of the group who received help, 76% said that they had also assisted others in their time of need. The sample comprised 199 LGB adults ages 40–85 who were located through elder care agencies in New York City and Los Angeles."

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Feedback: Janet Jackson Now Has a Digital Va-Jay-Jay

So, who likes the new Janet Jackson cover and who thinks she's just trying to one-up the Svedka robot?

Click photos to enlarge.

And now that Janet has a digital vagina what do you think Michael's going to do to his, um? Never mind.

Hmm. Maybe he's slowly turning into a cyborg too. I'm so confused.

God, I hope LaToya's okay.

>

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News: Spencer Tracy's Hustler, iPhone, Janet Jackson, Condi Rice

Condoleezza Rice snarls back after Clinton 9/11 interview: "The notion somehow for eight months the Bush administration sat there and didn't do that is just flatly false - and I think the 9/11 commission understood that."

New bio Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn details the gay escapades of Spencer Tracy: "It was at gay director George Cukor's estate that he met a Hollywood hustler identified as 'Scotty,' a mechanic who staffed his gas station with 'handsome young bucks, just home from the war' who for $20 were 'happy to wash their hands (or not) and take a trip with a client to the back room,' Mann writes. 'Tracy would always be drinking when I arrived,' Scotty told Mann. 'He'd get so loaded. He'd sit there at the table drinking from five o'clock in the afternoon until two in the morning, when he'd fall onto the bed and ask me to join him. ... And in the morning he'd act like nothing happened.'"

Judge tosses out David Gest assault suit against Liza Minnelli. Judge: "The plaintiff complaint must be dismissed in its entirety. There is no triable issue of fact."

REPORT: Cingular to be exclusive carrier for Apple iPhone at launch.

Kylie Minogue: author.

The NYT hits up the new, slim Janet Jackson.

Gay British couple searching for other gay families in rural England criticized for placing images of their children on Gaydar website: "The couple resides in the English countryside and opportunities for meeting other gay families and gay men are limited. So they posted family photographs on a registered gay website designed to help gay men find new friends, companions and network professionally. Child safety campaigners are angry, accusing the gay couple of putting their children at risk of being identified by pedophiles, kidnappers and assorted crazies."

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