News: Donal Og Cusack, Ecuador, Magic Johnson, HPV, Jared Polis

Here Media chairman Stephen Jarchow on Gay.com purchase and expanding "empire": "As the result of this deal, we have become a unique company that straddles traditional distribution and digital distribution. We own pretty much the entire media for the gay marketing space."

Irish hurler Donal Óg Cusack gives his first public interview since coming out.

Michael Jackson wears Tom Ford cologne and speaks to LaToya from beyond the grave.

Matt Foreman: TV ads not the answer in Maine.

Brad Pitt in motorcycle fender-bender.

Rep. Jared Polis holds LGBT town hall in Denver.

"All of us old junkies just turn into dowagers." Carrie Fisher gives a candid interview to Kevin Sessums at The Daily Beast.

NYT: Timing key in Olson-Boies Prop 8 challenge: "Mr. Olson’s problem, then, is that he may reach the Supreme Court too soon. Public support for same-sex marriage is gaining ground, particularly among younger people. But a majority of Americans remains opposed to the practice."

Charlize Theron kisses woman for $140,000 at San Francisco auction benefit.

Beckham embracing the werewolf trend.

Diocese of South Carolina distances itself from Episcopal Church over gays and same-sex unions: "Eighty-seven clergy members voted to pass the resolution after a nearly hour-long debate during a special convention in Mount Pleasant, Canon Kendall Harmon said, with 17 voting no. The vote allows leaders of the diocese to reduce its participation in the national church without severing ties completely, as some dioceses and parishes have."

NYPD cars retrofitted with "rumble" technology.

Roadblocks to HPV vaccine for men continue...

Nude coffee maker Eric Williamson defends himself after incident: "I looked straight at the cops and said, 'You're telling me that none of you guys have ever walked across your kitchen or run to the laundry room to get some pants?' I was treated like an animal. If there was something offensive, would not a knock on the door and heads-up suffice?"

First look: Lady Gaga on Gossip Girl.

Male model fix: Andre Ziehe.

Food critic slammed by animal rights groups for shooting "inedible" baboon for sport: "Writing in yesterday's Sunday Times Style section, Gill said he was driven by the urge to be a 'recreational primate killer' while on a trip to Tanzania. 'I know perfectly well there is absolutely no excuse for this,' he wrote. 'Baboon isn't good to eat, unless you're a leopard. The feeble argument for cull and control is much the same as for foxes: a veil of naughty fun.'"

Gay Iowa couples reflect on six months of marriage.

Transgender makeovers offered on busy Quito, Ecuador street.

College of William and Mary names transgender homecoming queen: “We figured it would be something different for the school to go through, something that hasn’t happened too often. I was kind of surprised that I won because I knew the other girls running. I know that they’re really friendly; they’re wonderful people, so I was unsure.”

Book: Magic Johnson blames Isiah Thomas for gay rumors.

Morrissey discharged from hospital following weekend stage collapse.

Washington man gets 18 months in prison for gay immigration fraud: "Steven Mahoney touted himself as an expert in immigration affairs and ran Mahoney and Associates in Kent, which advised immigrants on how to stay in the U.S. He pleaded guilty in April, acknowledging that between 1998 and 2007 he filed as many as 99 false immigration documents and was paid between $1,000 and $4,000 for each."

'Respect for Marriage Act' Introduced to Repeal DOMA

(image via HRC)

UPDATED

U.S. Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) Jared Polis (D-CO), along with John Lewis (D-GA) and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) today introduced the 'Respect for Marriage Act', a measure that would repeal the 'Defense of Marriage Act' (DOMA). I'll be posting more details on the press conference as updates to this post as they come in.

Video clips, AFTER THE JUMP...

According to the Human Rights Campaign, the Respect for Marriage Act "would restore the rights of all lawfully married couples — including same-sex couples — to receive the benefits of marriage under federal law. The bill also provides same-sex couples with certainty that federal benefits and protections would flow from a valid marriage celebrated in a state where such marriages are legal, even if a couple moves or travels to another state...rights like Social Security survivors’ benefits, medical leave to care for an ailing spouse and equal treatment under U.S. immigration laws."

The bill has 91 co-sponsors (list here).

Bill Clinton, who signed DOMA into law in 1996, thanked the bill's  sponsors in a statement read by Nadler, The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld reports. Said Clinton in the statement: "Throughout my life I have opposed discrimination of any kind. When the Defense of Marriage Act was passed, gay couples could not marry anywhere in the United States or the world for that matter. Thirteen years later, the fabric of our country has changed, and so should this policy."

Lambda Legal called for the bill's swift passage. Said Executive Director Kevin Cathcart: "When DOMA passed in 1996 it was a gratuitous slap in the face. But now, 13 years later, there are thousands of married same-sex couples who are hurt by this law. We've come a long way in 13 years and the federal government shouldn't be in the business of deciding that some married couples are worthy of federal respect and others are not. Married same-sex couples pay federal taxes just like everyone else and have a right to the same respect, important benefits and protections as everyone else."

Said National Gay & Lesbian Task Force executive director Rea Carey: "We thank Reps. Nadler, Baldwin, Polis, Lewis and Velazquez for introducing this bill to dismantle one of the most discriminatory and far-reaching laws to emerge against our community: the so-called 'Defense of Marriage Act.' ... DOMA is and has always been an immoral attack on same-sex couples, our families and our fundamental humanity. This hateful law has only served to discriminate against people and belittle our country's heralded values of freedom, fairness and justice. It is long past time to repeal DOMA, which has left a moral scar on this country. Today marks an important step toward closing an ugly chapter in our nation's history, and for working to ensure same-sex couples and our families are treated fairly. Too many families have been hurt for far too long because of DOMA."

Rep. Barney Frank, the third openly gay member of Congress, said last week he was not putting his support behind the bill because he doesn't feel it has the votes to pass in the near term, suggesting that lawsuits currently underway challenging DOMA have a better chance of getting the law overturned.

Nadler was unfazed by Frank's assertions: "Mr. Frank knows better than anyone that our opponents will falsely claim that any DOMA repeal bill 'exports marriage' in an effort to generate fear and misunderstanding. But the dishonest tactics of our opponents should not stop us from aggressively pushing to end this horrific discrimination now. Our bill does not tell any state who it must marry or what marriage it must recognize under state law.

Videos of David Wilson, a member of HRC’s Board of Directors and a plaintiff in the Goodridge case, HRC President Joe Solmonese, Dawn BarbouRoske and Jen BarbouRoske, and Congressman Jared Polis, AFTER THE JUMP...

Congressman Jared Polis Does a Beer Bong with Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert paid a visit to gay freshman Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) in his D.C. office where they discussed whether being gay is a choice, and then proceeded to funnel some Coors Light through a beer bong.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Rupert Everett, Soldier, Chimp AIDS, Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson's prosthetic nose missing at morgue...

Scientists find monster black hole at center of galaxy: "The picture shows a fiery ring around the black hole which is packed with brightly-burning newborn stars."

Rupert Everett loses job over his nasty mouth.

Straw poll of gay leaders wants Prop 8 overturn on ballot in 2010. Donors, political consultants caution...

17 percent of gay men in Chicago are HIV-positive, half don't know it: "Health officials also say although black men who have sex with other men have double the HIV infection rates of white and Hispanic men. Public Health Department assistant commissioner Christopher Brown says it isn't known why black men are disproportionately affected by HIV. He said the health department is working with social service groups to expand testing and increase contact with the city's gay and bisexual population."

Circumstantial homosexuality in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes?

British Army magazine Soldier puts openly gay servicemember on cover for the first time: "British servicemen and women now march at Gay Pride in uniform, all three services have become Stonewall diversity champions and a few months ago the head of the British Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt made history when he became the first army chief to address a Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender conference. 'Respect for others is not an optional extra,' he said."

Broadway performer Nick Adams denied entrance to Turtle Bay bar on the east side of Manhattan because he's gay.

Petition asking Mormon Church to reconsider its anti-gay positions grows...

Project Runway designer Jack Mackenroth medals at the 2009 Outgames in Copenhagen.

Drag queen bingo wars in Seattle.

Rep. Jared Polis appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy's supervisory board raises eyebrows: "Polis opposes the military's ban on gay and lesbian servicemembers and has twice proposed, then withdrawn, amendments to undo 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policies. Polis' appointment, made by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has veterans on both sides of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' debate wondering if it's a signal change is coming. 'We're all reading the tea leaves here,' said Tricia Heller, a Class of '87 Air Force Academy graduate who flew C-9 jets for the Air Force before the leaving the service four years ago and coming out."

Jake Gyllenhaal: New Prince of Persia stills.

Scientists: Chimpanzees with AIDS-like disease inspire hope for vaccine .

Inner Light: Gay pastor offers Black gays and lesbians a spiritual sanctuary in Washington D.C.

Michael Keaton to be the voice of Ken doll.

El Paso City Council passes anti-discrimination resolution as a result of Chico's Tacos kiss incident.

Male model fix: Ambrose Olsen.

True Blood cast visits Comic-Con.

iPhone App developer claims Apple double standard for approving gay iPhone apps: "Terry Ray claims that his iGaydar title was rejected from the App Store on the same day as Bruno -- an app based on the Sacha Baron Cohen movie -- was approved. iGaydar was rejected for "objectionable content," despite being considerably less graphic than the Bruno app, according to Ray. iGaydar pretends to detect a person's sexuality, first displaying a random percentage and then announcing a tongue-in-cheek statement, such as "Honey, not even your priorities are straight." By contrast the Bruno app lets users undress Cohen's character, and touch various body parts which can elicit potentially offensive responses."

News: Carol Channing, Episcopalians, Biological Blob, Savannah

Bishop Gene Robinson speaks about the Episcopal church's recent moves toward accepting gays and lesbians.

The Vatican embraces Oscar Wilde.

Janet Jackson is a single woman again.

Pepsi outraged over release of Michael Jackson hair fire video.

Florida Gay couple and lesbian couple battle for custody of child: "After considering arguments from both sides, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Leon Firtel on June 3 found Ray was nothing more than a sperm donor. Because there was no contract before birth, he had 'no rights.'"

Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) appointed to Air Force Academy Board of Visitors.

ESPN columnist LZ Granderson: Gay is not the new black. Pam Spaulding responds: "This nonsense about 'Is Black The New Gay,' just reached another plateau of bullcrap."

Bush's Justice Dept. blacklisted LGBT groups: "The Blade recently learned that among the blacklisted groups was Immigration Equality, which focuses on LGBT-related immigration issues. Also blacklisted was the immigration project for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis."

Johnny Depp's dream role is to play Carol Channing.

Biological "blob" drifts for miles in arctic waters off Alaska: "It's certainly biological. It's definitely not an oil product of any kind. It has no characteristics of an oil, or a hazardous substance, for that matter. It's definitely, by the smell and the makeup of it, it's some sort of naturally occurring organic or otherwise marine organism."

Groups assembling war chests for election marriage battle in Maine.

Former GOP Rep. Pickering's wife sues his mistress for adultery that ruined their marriage and his career.

Polish European Parliament leader under fire for homophobic remark made in 2000: "The latest row has been sparked by a short video clip available online dated July 2000, in which Mr Kaminski - a member of Poland's Law and Justice Party - uses the word 'pedal' to refer to gay rights campaigners, in a TV interview. This is a derogatory Polish word for homosexual, usually translated into English as 'fag' or 'queer'."

Orlando Bloom robbed of $500K in home burglary.

Madonna offers tearful memorial to two workers killed by her tour stage collapse in France.

France bans videogame in which players shoot a gun at naked gays.

Savannah Morning News: Crack down on gay cruising in public.

Anderson Cooper visits David Letterman. Video.

Metropolitan Museum of Art "de-gays" blockbuster Model as Muse exhibit: "Room after room is shoulder to shoulder with over seven decades of queer genius, showcasing the extraordinary visions of gay men whose simultaneous status as sidelined outsiders and ultimate insiders, dressing the planet's most visible women while their sexuality was illegal, spurred them to perpetually reinvent not only what we wear but how we live in the world. That's where art comes from and that's what the museum ignores."

Rep. Jared Polis on Obama's Promises to the LGBT Community

I'll have a transcript and/or video of Obama's remarks at the White House Stonewall reception today as soon as I can get them. MSNBC interviewed Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) following the ceremony regarding DOMA, DADT, and other issues.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...