News: Prop 8, Hubble, Ruben Diaz, Abdellah Taia, White Knot

New York State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. takes credit for poor marriage equality polling numbers, predicts bill won't come to floor by end of session.

Vampire takes his chances in the sunlight.

Let's Pets Get Physical!

Guy Ritchie working on film adaptation of Guys & Dolls? "The director, best known for his London-based crime films, is said to have roped in movie hardman Jason Statham to show off his vocal talents in a reworking of the classic musical, which originally starred Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra."

Kathy Griffin, Lance Bass and other celebs take to the streets of L.A. to protest Prop 8 decision.

Drew Barrymore speaks at Prop 8 protest.

AIDS prevention campaign: sexual promiscuity written in the pubes.

Hubble Telescope healthy, solid after repair: "We've got a whole new telescope. We've got four new instruments. Two of them dead, now alive. These are truly the best of times. Not the worst of times."

Phyllis Lyon recalls her life with the late Del Martin as Prop 8 is upheld.

Gay Moroccan author Abdellah Taia tells all: "Taia has defied Moroccan society's don't-ask, don't-tell attitude toward homosexuality — and prison sentences that are still on the books in the North African kingdom — to write five autobiographical novels about growing up poor and gay in the northern coastal city of Sale. The novels, peppered with sexually explicit passages, have catapulted him to fame in his native country and made him the de-facto poster child of its budding gay rights movement."

Make Me a Supermodel fix: Jonathan Waud.

Right whales return to former whaling ground.

Chris Brown: "I ain't a monster."

Levi's joins White Knot movement for marriage equality: "Our design team was seeking something that would resonate beyond just fashion but also fit with our white product theme."

Hero of the day: Duckman.

Grand Theft Auto IV creators to release new title - The Ballad of Gay Tony.

San Francisco's thin blue gay line.

Paul Oakenfold says titles of new Madonna singles are "I'm Sorry", "Broken", and "Celebrate".

8: The Mormon Proposition. An interview with director Reed Cowan: "Truthfully, this film started out as an exposé on the problems of gay teen homelessness in Utah's 'Zion' and an examination about WHY otherwise loving parents would kick their kids out on to the streets just because their kids are gay.  But as the weeks and months unfolded in our project, I began seeing that history demanded our project be larger in scope.  Slowly, but with great force, our focus shifted to what I believe is the 'touchstone' of Mormon ideology regarding homosexuality...and that is exclusively Mormon efforts to get PROP 8 on the ballot in California and see its passage.  It's the case against Mormons and what I believe has been a decades long work to damage gay people and their causes.

Jason Statham Serious About His Nipple Clamps

"Juice me."

I noticed on the one-sheet for Crank: High Voltage, which opened last Friday, that Statham was hooking up the black battery clip to his tongue, but I had no idea where that other one was going to end up. Anybody see it?

News: Glenn Beck, Teabagging, Jason Statham, Esquire, Brando

Groundbreaking literary theorist Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick dies: "In one of her more audacious insights, Sedgwick proposed two ways of understanding homosexuality: a 'minoritizing view' in which there is 'a distinct population of persons who 'really are' gay,' and a 'universalizing view' in which sexual desire is unpredictable and fluid, in which "apparently heterosexual persons...are strongly marked by same-sex influences.' Think of it, in shorthand, as the difference between Ellen Degeneres' 'Yep, I'm gay!' and Gore Vidal's 'There is no such thing as a homosexual or heterosexual person; there are only homo- or heterosexual acts.'"

Madonna buys $40 million townhouse on New York's upper east side.

Glenn Beck causes guest to faint on live TV - VIDEO.

Wolff Olins branding company employee suing, claims supervisor called him "HIV boy": "[Christopher] Perez joined Wolff Olins in January 2007...He succeeded another gay man, the suit says... 'Why do you always bring me gay boys?' [supervisor Dean] Crutchfield complained, according to the suit...The suit claims that when Perez put in for vacation time, his boss asked if he was 'going away with your team for a scandalous holiday'."

Trial in Angie Zapata killing set to begin in Colorado.

Washington state House passes transgender hate crimes bill.

Hundreds turn out for funeral of Massachusetts student Carl Walker-Hoover, who last week we reported committed suicide after being overwhelmed by anti-gay bullying at school. Reverend: "The name calling must stop; the bullying must stop. We need to do better."

It's Lindsay: Lohan looking for love on eHarmony.

Jason Statham shows Brazil what he's made of.

President would have the power to "shut down the internet" under proposed law.

MSNBC on teabagging day.

Texas Christian University backs off plans for gay-themed housing after uproar: "CU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. said the national attention over the gay-related housing theme did not drive his decision to backtrack on themed housing. 'The biggest complaint we got from people was not about any single group but about having these groups in general,' said Boschini, whose decision reverses the approval of eight new housing pods, including the gay and lesbian-themed unit. The others – patriotism, Christianity and marine biology, for examples – didn't appear to be controversial."

Ally: Charlize Theron calls U.S. marriage laws "a form of apartheid."

"Gay leprechaun" slur feud continues between dean and professor at Ohio State University.

Is this a real photo of Marlon Brando with his mouth around another man? (NSFW)

AfterElton talks to Out of the Wild's gay competitor Jake Nodar: "Nodar, along with eight other participants, are dropped in the middle of the Alaskan bush and told to find their way out with minimal supplies and virtually no help. Nodar and the eight others face  brutal weather and mile after mile of trudging through the Alaskan wilderness as they work to navigate their way back to civilization"

Esquire apologizes for tongue-in-cheek guide to using the word "faggot."

Jailed Survivor winner Richard Hatch says he wants to finish his sentence in Buenos Aires: "Hatch filed a motion in U.S. District Court this week asking for travel freedom and to live in Argentina because he is married to an Argentinian national whose family is unable to travel to the United States. The federal government is opposing the motion, arguing that his sentence requires that he complete mental health counseling, file amended tax returns for 2000 and 2001, and pay $400,000 in back taxes. Hatch has not filed corrected tax returns or paid any of the taxes owed, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Reich wrote." Hatch is scheduled to be released to a halfway house on May 12.

News: Wanda Sykes, Mercy, PETA, Kara GioGuardi, Banksy

Tony Dungy, anti-gay former head of the Indianapolis Colts, is asked to serve on Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Man pays for car wash with Banksy bill: "This chap gave us the note and said 'keep the change - it's worth a lot more than ten pounds!'."

First photo of Mercy as paparazzi trails Madonna in Malawi.

"A fuller answer is needed.": The SF Chronicle on the case of Shirley Tan and Jay Mercado and the need for the Uniting American Families Act to pass.

No fooling: DVD-quality workprint of X-Men: Wolverine leaks to the internet.

Pedro airs tonight.

Melbourne Catholic Archdiocese denies it is "testing" prospective priests for homosexuality.

Wanda Sykes gets new show on Fox: "The Sykes show, which is expected to launch in the fall, would fill the void left by the recently canceled sketch series 'MadTV.' Hourlong show would air at 11 p.m. According to Broadcasting & Cable, which first broke the news, the Sykes skein would look more like a panel series similar to Bill Maher's HBO show, as opposed to a regular talker. Beyond the topical panel discussions, the series also will follow Sykes as she shoots field segments."

Jason Statham cools off in Malibu.

Joe the Plumber still doesn't know crap about anything.

Young and the Restless actress Clementine Ford and Broadway's Hair star Gavin Creel both say: "I'm gay."

Endangered wildlife "camera traps" will soon tie in to Google Earth: "Cameras equipped with infrared triggers, known as camera traps, are used to identify, count and observe larger mammals in isolated areas. Now researchers from Earthwatch are adding the latest images from their camera traps in Ecuador's cloud forests to Google Earth. They hope to raise awareness of endangered species, encouraging donations and attracting tourists to the region to support conservation efforts."

How 'bout some beefy Mehcad Brooks?

Group to train LGBT people in civil disobedience.

Judge allows Lawrence King's teen killer Brandon McInerney to attend his father's funeral: "Ventura County Superior Court Judge James Cloninger ruled Monday that Brandon McInerney can temporarily leave juvenile hall for the funeral. The date for the private family service hasn't been disclosed."

PETA puts Cloris Leachman in cabbage.

Who knew that filmmaker John Waters is a fan of the often inscrutable fine art doodler Cy Twombly?

Stash of gay porn magazines causes fuss at Aberdeen, UK City Council office: "I have taken the liberty of removing these and they are available in my office to be collected should the owner wish to do so."

"Broken record": American Idol judge Kara GioGuardi hit by audience backlash. What you didn't see...

Gay indie artist Chris Garneau set to release second album.

Soap opera Home and Away's lesbian kiss causes stir in Australia: "About 20 people gathered in Melbourne's Federation Square for a mass 'kiss-off' as the episode went to air on Tuesday night, despite an announcement by broadcaster Channel Seven that the programme would be shown in its entirety."

Jason Statham: Hypothetical Gay Action Hero

Chris Lee writes about a gay action hero that went by the wayside:

In 2005, Louis Leterrier, the director of 'Transporter 2' (and also credited as 'artistic director' of the first 'Transporter') told me he created a gay subtext for the character so as to avoid making a 'Steven Seagal kind of movie.'...'If you watch the movie and you know he's gay, it becomes so much more fun,' Leterrier said then. 'It's so great -- the first gay action movie hero!' He continued: 'Action fans in general are pretty homophobic. You see these tough guys who say, ' 'The Transporter,' that's such a great movie!’ If they only knew they're really cheering for a new kind of action hero.' And to drive his point home, he mentioned a scene in 'Transporter 2' in which a drug czar's wife, played by Amber Valletta, makes romantic overtures toward the Transporter. Martin rebuffs her, explaining, 'It's because of who I am.' Letterrier's take on that? 'That's him coming out!' At the time, Jason Statham, who plays the Transporter, dismissed the director's claims. 'It’s just Lou-Lou trying to be funny,' Statham said, using his private nickname for Leterrier. 'Although he did say, ‘In Part 2, you will become the gay icon.’'"

In Transporter 3, Lee notes, Statham's character makes out with a woman for the first time. Perhaps it's just a phase.

News: Marilyn Musgrave, Banksy, Gay Kiss, Ben Barnes, Indiana

London gets World Gay Pride in 2012.

Bidding frenzy breaks out over British pub adorned with Banksy rat.

Markey-Musgrave race in Colorado attracts big outside bucks: "Musgrave campaign manager Jason Thielman said much of the independent spending is driven by the incumbent's support of a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. He said that's led wealthy gay-rights activists, particularly Denver philanthropist Tim Gill, to spend millions of dollars against her in the three most recent elections. 'The radical homosexual movement driven by Tim Gill hates Marilyn Musgrave, and they are willing to spend anything and everything to settle their vindictive agenda,' Thielman said."

McCain attack ad emphasizes "bLACKS". McCain surrogate bashes "the gay."

DNC responds to anti-gay mailing from Indiana Democratic statte senate candidate Andy Schemenaur. DNC: "While this flier is disappointing, it's a reminder that while we have made great progress to ensure equal rights and protections under the law for every American, clearly there is still more education that is needed even within our party."

Study of galaxies suggests we may live in a fractal universe.

Meredith Vieira is a liar!

LOSER: Gay meth addict lawyer who caused scene on Southwest flight goes to jail. "Moody, now 44, groped and fondled a flight attendant then picked up a 7-year-old boy, hoisted him over his shoulders and proceeded down the aisle...According to the arrest affidavit, the incident began in Indianapolis when Moody boarded the plane with three friends and loudly asked, 'Where is the gay section?' He then proceeded to drink heavily from a liquor supply in his luggage. The flight attended said Moody groped his buttocks, back and abdomen and invited him to the lavatory to have sex."

U.S. expects message from Bin Laden before election?

Jason Statham takes it off for Transporter.

Two gay men arrested for kissing in Mexico: "Eric Schroeder, 22, and Jose Mendez, 35, were accused of committing "a moral misdeed" (una falta a la moral), jailed for 15 hours and fined 2,000 pesos ($148). Schroeder told the paper that on Oct. 10 the couple was "resolving some differences that we had" and, as they walked out of the house, 'there were a few hugs and a kiss out front.' At that point, police arrived, handcuffed them, then drove them around while they 'picked up more people who presumably had committed other crimes,' he said."

Ben Barnes falls into The Gap.

Lance Bass gets handled by Chelsea Handler.

Cowardly act: D.C. police officer finds anti-gay graffiti scrawled on his locker.

Madonna and A-Rod helicopter to secret rendezvous in the Hamptons.

OUT: Jesse Oxfeld on gay reporters on the campaign trail "It’s a job that requires you to have some of the attributes of a loner -- few commitments, an ability to pick up and disappear from your life -- without having the personality of a loner. You have to be social enough and socially adroit enough to read people, talk to people, and get them to talk to you. 'Is it a total surprise to me, if I were to go and look at it analytically, that gay guys want to be political reporters, and might excel at it?' asks another reporter. 'No. Because to be a good political reporter you have to be interested in power and sophisticated in seeing where it works and how it shifts. And I buy into the theory that growing up as a kid who feels different, you get to be very sophisticated about where power is, just in your own experience. You feel outsiderish, and you have that critical perspective.'"