News: Grey's Anatomy, Mitch McConnell, True Blood, David Cook

California gay marriage ban a $73 million race.

McCain not ready to spell on day one.

The gay-baiting of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Signorile: "Since McConnnell is a senator who has voted antigay over and over again, it's certainly relevant to ask the question if things just don't add up, and there's nothing wrong with implying someone is gay or asking the question, is there? And if McConnell is not, and there is some other truth to his discharge, why not just state it?"

Lesbian relationship axed from Grey's Anatomy; female cast member fired. CBS reportedly nervous about too many gay storylines?...

And heads reportedly rolling on Heroes as well...

Four Soulforce riders arrested at Central Baptist College in Arkansas: "As Conway police handcuffed three women and one man, their fellow activists remained on the public sidewalk and sang the Christian camp song that begins, 'Love, love, love, love, Christians, this is your call.' The 17 activists were all members of Soulforce Q, a group that seeks what it describes as equal treatment for gay students. The group visited the small Conway campus of about 500 students as part of its third annual Equality Ride, a national bus tour of conservative Christian colleges and universities."

Is New York going to get a moving skyscraper?

You may remember the case in Secaucus, New Jersey where a gay couple was awarded $2.84 million by a jury. The couple filed suit against that town claiming that they were harassed in an April 2004 incident by a group of firefighters who were partying at the firehouse adjacent to their residence. Now, the fire station is under investigation for a letter that went out to residents: "Last week, a letter that was sent to residents in the 2nd Ward from the "officers and members" of Rescue Co.1/Engine Co. 2, stationed in the North End firehouse. In the letter, the North End firefighters decried the departures of firefighters Charles Snyder Sr., Charles Snyder Jr., and Charles Mutschler, who, according to the letter, were forced by Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell to resign from the department. 'The Officers and Members of Rescue 1/Engine 2 are writing to the residents to reassure you that we are still both WILLING and CAPABLE of helping to keep our town safe,' said the letter. 'Recently, our firehouse has been under scrutiny for 'ALLEGATIONS' of an incident that occurred on April 24, 2004. As a result, three dedicated members forcefully resigned.'"

American Idol winner David Cook's brand spankin' new video for "Lights On".

Alan Ball on making True Blood: "How easy it is to read the vampires as a metaphor for this or that is the least interesting for me. It’s texture, but it’s not what the series is about. When I first pitched this to HBO and somebody asked me what it was about, I said, 'It’s about the terrors of intimacy.' At the time, I thought, 'Who knows what that means, but it sounds good!' Over time, I’ve really started to believe that that is the deeper meaning of the show, and I would venture to say a lot of horror movies, and is a lot of the reason why the vampire is such a powerful archetype."

Katy Perry performs at the largest AIDS fundraiser in Toronto with a bunch of shirtless hotties.

Inside fashion powerhouse Aussiebum.

Jennifer Hudson sequestered in her grief; crime scene too much.

Lindsay Lohan gets political: "In a post titled "VOTE," she apologizes for not blogging for awhile, and then gives us her get-out-and-vote spiel: 'I cannot say how important it is for everyone to get out there and vote tomorrow... The future of our country depends on it. Just one vote can make such a difference... Vote—because your thoughts are worth it..VOTE—because YOU can make this country a better place...VOTE—because you can. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She goes on to say 'yea' for Obama, including a little smiley face emoticon with her endorsement, and no on Props 8 and 4, the latter of which would require a doctor, before performing an abortion on a minor, to notify the girl's parents at least 48 hours before doing the procedure."

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Nephew of Jennifer Hudson Still Missing After Double Murder

Police are still searching for Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew Julian King, who has been missing since the tragic shooting of the singer's mother and brother inside their Chicago home on Friday.

UPDATE: Child's body discovered in SUV.

Hudson released a message on her MySpace blog over the weekend pleading for help and thanking fans for their support. She also released photos of Julian. Wrote Hudson:

"Thank You All. Thank you all for your prayers and your calls. Please keep praying for our family and that we get Julian King back home safely. If anyone has any information about his whereabouts please contact the authorities immediately. Here is a picture of Julian and what he was last seen wearing. Once again thank you all for being there for us through this tough time."

According to Chicago Breaking News, "Authorities issued an Amber Alert after the slayings for Julian and his stepfather, William Balfour, 27, who had recently separated from the boy's mother, Julia Hudson. Police arrested Balfour at his pregnant girlfriend's Southwest Side apartment a few hours after the bodies were found, but the boy was not with him. The Amber Alert remains active."

Barack Obama offered his support to Hudson, who sang the National Anthem before his speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, over the weekend:

"Michelle and I were absolutely heartbroken to learn about this unimaginable tragedy and we want Jennifer to know that she is in our thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time," the Illinois senator said. "We also pray for the swift and safe return of her young nephew."

Towleroad correspondents Josh & Josh, you may remember, conducted a Towleroad TV interview with Hudson earlier this month. In excerpts from that interview which did not make the cut, Hudson stressed the importance of her family in her life:

"I just grew up very close to my family and I have a huge family and they’ve always been real supportive and supportive of each other."

Our thoughts go out to Hudson during this difficult time.

Watch the TowleroadTV interview, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Towleroad TV: Spotlight on Jennifer Hudson

Towleroad TV correspondents Josh Helmin and Josh Koll recently sat down for a brief chat with Oscar-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson, who released her self-titled debut album last week.

Hudson talked about an interview last year in which her remarks about gay marriage were misconstrued: "A lot of times you do interviews and everybody's not a fan. They want to turn things around and display you in a certain way. It broke my heart because I don't feel that way at all. It hurt to see me being misrepresented in that way."

Asked if she'd be there to support one of her gay friends at a marriage in California, Hudson replied: "I'll be singin!"

She also talks about whether she'll be making a return for the Sex and the City sequel.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously on TowleroadTV
Towleroad TV: Augusten Burroughs at Home in Massachusetts [tr]
Mario Lopez on A Chorus Line, His New Book, and Gay Fans [tr]
Christopher Rice on Death Threats and His New Thriller Blind Fall [tr]
You can find Josh & Josh at Josh & Josh are Rich and Famous.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #364

BEAT THE DOG: Bush addresses the nation on the meltdown. MSNBC calls him "the picture of a beaten dog...presidential impotence."

RIGHT VS WRONG: More on Obama and McCain in the Mississippi Debate.

ECONOMIC DISASTER: Brave New Films' blistering new spot on John McCain's economic policies.

REP. JOHN SHADEGG (R-AZ): Bailout defeat had nothing to do with Pelosi speech.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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News: Barack Obama, Tea, Malaysia, Village People, Wedding March

Sarah Palin repeats "Bridge to Nowhere" lie for 10th time...

New Obama ad questions McCain's honor.

Fifth annual gay and lesbian 'marriage march' crosses Brooklyn Bridge.

Ultra-orthodox vigilantes are Jerusalem's brutal bullies: " Some residents say the self-styled "modesty squads" are spreading terror among those seen as straying from the strict moral code demanded of the ultra-Orthodox in the more conservative neighbourhoods of the Holy City. There life revolves largely around the study of holy texts and a strict dress code that has men sporting black coats and wide-brimmed hats and women covering their heads, arms and legs."

Britney Spears' new album will be called Circus and is set for release on December 2.

Prince William wants to be a full-time military man.

< Dennis the Menace comic toned down in late 80's to avoid accusations of gay-bashing: "Euan Kerr, who edited the children’s comic between 1984 and 2006, admitted that he took some of the menace out of Dennis in the late 1980s. 'I definitely felt a sense of responsibility in making sure the characters did nothing that was easily imitable,' he told The Times. 'The evidence is that kids understand a comic is a comic and that it isn’t anything like real life. But the relationship between Dennis and Walter was always one that worried me.' Executives at D. C. Thomson & Co, publishers of the Beano, decided that the victimisation of Walter could be interpreted as offensive."

San Mateo County to formally oppose Proposition 8: "The Board of Supervisors is set to vote on a resolution opposing Proposition 8, as the ban on gay marriage is known on the ballot, at its Tuesday meeting. Barring any unexpected positions, the decision will bolster positions taken by the board in previous years. While none of the resolutions carry any legal weight, the stances send a clear message to the county of where its elected leaders stand in the contentious election battle."

Jennifer Hudson to marry I Love New York contestant "Punk".

Cristiano Ronaldo wins gold shoe, reveals golden bod.

Robert Greenwald: Release John McCain's health records.

Malaysian police raid massage parlor catering to gay men: "An anti-vice police team led by Chief Insp Mohd Rozi Aziz raided the well-known centre at about 10pm on Saturday and found the men, in their 20s and 30s, in various rooms getting massages. Six of the men were released, while the remainder -- the operator and masseuses -- were arrested. The centre had been raided at least three times over the past year. OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abd Hamid said the operation codenamed Ops Rose was aimed at curbing immoral activities and 'cleaning' up places such as these."

Village People get their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the Scientology test center.

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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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Music News: Alanis Morissette, Jennifer Hudson, Mint Royale, Lily Allen, U2

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

Alanis Morissette's first studio album in four years, Flavors Of Entanglement -- on which she worked with British producer Guy Sigsworth -- hits retail and online stores today. Most reviews are echoing each other in saying, quite simply, it's the best thing she's done since Jagged Little Pill. Perhaps it's because Alanis (seen above performing at the "Rock in Rio" music festival in Lisbon last month) creates her best when she's been scorned?

The new album, for the most part, covers Morissette's breakup with actor Ryan Reynolds (pictured right), whom she was with for two years and eventually engaged to, and the aftermath. Reynolds is now engaged to Scarlett Johansson.

The 34-year-old singer talked to the Los Angeles Times about the emotions that fueled the making of the album: "I think it's the straw that breaks the camel's back. It's having had too many of them. And I was a full-blown love addict, so it was like, 'I can't keep doing this, my body can't take it.' Breakups are a horrible thing for almost everybody I know. For someone who is a love addict, it's debilitating.

"I've been on a constant journey toward finally surrendering and hitting the rock bottom that I've been avoiding my whole life. . . . So this was a huge, critical juncture for me. Everything broke, and it was an amazing and horrifying time."

I can see how you'd be pretty bummed if Ryan Reynolds was the one that got away.

It's worth noting that Alanis also seems to have gotten a bit more electronic on this album, though the results are a bit more Björk than Kylie.

Ne-Yo "radio-izes" Jennifer Hudson.

Lily Allen says Big Brother is watching her in the U.S.: "She was terrified to be photographed anywhere that people may have been taking drugs in case she got linked to them. She even started staying in instead of going out clubbing in case certain people got the wrong idea." Gosh, these really are tough times for everyone.

Janet Jackson claims Island Def Jam have jumped ship on her latest album after single "Rock With U" failed to chart, and that she's now unable to visit Europe on her upcoming tour. The label's response: "Unfortunately we haven't experienced the results we would have liked with this new album. But we respect and support Janet."

Here's 14-year-old Mancunian street dancer George Sampson and his winning performance on Britain's Got Talent, which sent Mint Royale's remix of "Singin' In The Rain" to the top of the U.K. chart this week:

Download the new CSS single, "Rat Is Dead (Rage)" for free.

U2's manager Paul McGuinness says Radiohead's decision to offer the band's In Rainbows album on a pay-what-you-want basis online backfired, and that Bono and Co. will not be following suit with their new set, due out this fall. "Sixty to 70% of the people who downloaded the record stole it anyway, even though it was available for free," McGuinness tells the BBC. "We will obviously work with whatever technology is available to make the release of the new record as interesting as possible. [But] for U2, physical sales are still an enormous part of our business and we still sell a lot of actual CDs."

His name is Prince. And he is 50.

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES:

New singles from The Cure ("All Kinds Of Stuff"), Jennifer Hudson ("Spotlight"), Peter Gabriel ("Down To Earth") and Robin Thicke ("Magic").

Martha Wainwright's second album, I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too, which features a cover of the Eurythmics' "Love Is A Stranger."

Wallflowers' frontman Jakob Dylan's solo album, Seeing Things, produced by Rick Rubin.

Keeping with the "seeing" theme, N.E.R.D.'s third set, Seeing Sounds, is also out.

Evil Urges, the fifth album from My Morning Jacket.

The U.S. release of Supergrass' Diamond Hoo Ha, which has been out in Europe for several months.

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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: Burma Monks, Ryan Idol, Bloc Party, Swastika, Janet Reno

Study: Lack of sleep doubles heart disease death risk.

Flower power: cache of new species discovered in "Green Corridor" of Vietnam. "Scientists have discovered 11 new species of plants and animals in Vietnam, including a snake, two butterflies and five orchid varieties, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) said Wednesday."

Protest turns violent as Buddhist monks take to the streets in Burma.

Bravo's Andy Cohen checks in with porn legend Ryan Idol, who is about to take the stage as a bathhouse patron in Terrence McNally's The Ritz on Broadway: "I'm focusing on my career right now. I'm 41 and I have that deep desire to have genuine affections for people, whether male or female. Love has different degrees, from genuine affection to the unattainable thing we aspire to of absolute love. It doesn't come often but if you don't have other elements in your life in place you can't have love, so that's why I am focusing on my career. Don't go looking for it, I always say, it will find you when you least expect it."

Fury at Colorado State University over F**k Bush editorial.

Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke says the band's next record will be more introspective: "I think with this third record, its very much going to be a record about interior spaces. If 'Weekend In the City' was me complaining about going out and getting f***ed up, I think this is going to be a very intimate record about staying in and discovering aspects of yourself. And not in a grown-up, Coldplay/Snow Patrol way. "[It's to be about] human relationships, on a real kind of primal level. What it means to feel desire and what it means to actually feel close to someone, or what it feels to feel lament -- the passing of closeness between people. It's very much going to be a record about internal relationships."

Swastika discovered in New Jersey cornfield: "Investigators found that the most recent swastika appeared to have been hand-cut and covered an area of several acres. 'This should be in the past, and we should have learned from our mistakes, and to bring up something that brings back such awful memories, I think, is disgusting,' said Joe Pica, whose property is one of many that border the fields."

The big H's take the Big Apple: Jennifer Hudson arrives on set for Sex and the City movie. Whitney Houston hails a comeback...

Kevin Spacey meets with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: "Neither Spacey...nor Chavez spoke to the press after the nearly three-hour encounter in the presidential palace in Caracas. They shook hands warmly on the red carpet as Spacey left after a dinner with Chavez...Chavez has said Venezuela hopes to produce its own films as an alternative to the "cultural imperialism" of Hollywood. Yet, Chavez speaks highly of some Hollywood films. He has also hosted recent visits by stars including Sean Penn and Danny Glover." (video)

New York City comptroller William Thompson tests the gay waters at mayoral fundraiser.

Janet Reno executive producer on three-disc anthology of music hailing America's history.

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News: Polar Bears, Jennifer Hudson, Tron, Sicko, Gay Referee

FOX pans Alan Ball film Nothing is Private for its "graphic sexual, mental and physical child abuse": "If Ball, who regularly toyed with conventions in his TV show and in American Beauty, thought all this would somehow illuminate the tragedy of child abuse, he was wrong. Too much is shown and too many lines are crossed for Nothing Is Private ever to be released by a major studio or distribution company to theatres. If nothing else, the endless 'ick' factor involving nearly every character is a permanent obstacle."

80's cult classic TRON to get sequel: "The original, about a computer programmer thrust into a computer and forced to fight in games he helped create, is remembered for its sci-fi gladiator-style battles and groundbreaking special effects. It was the first movie to use computer-generated images instead of models and other optical effects in conjunction with live action. The arcade game based on the movie was so popular that it earned more than the movie."

In a victory for Evangelical Christians, a judge in Northern Ireland has struck down portions of the UK's Sexual Orientation Regulations protecting LGB people from harassment when accessing goods and services.

Mitt Romney assumes the anti-gay position. And the accompanying article: "Mr. Romney bristles when he is accused of shifting on the issue, as he has on abortion, pointing out that he has been consistent in personally opposing both marriage and civil unions between people of the same sex. On the stump, he usually makes a point of saying that he opposes discrimination against gays. But he refrains from details when pressed as to how he might fight it."

Jennifer Hudson signs on to Sex and the City movie as Carrie Bradshaw's assistant.

Gay referee Nigel Owens takes place officiating at Rugby World Cup.

STUDY: Most Polar Bears gone in 50 years.

Issue of rainbow flags remains unresolved in small Nova Scotia community of Truro. Background.

At $24.2 million domestic, Michael Moore's Sicko is now third-highest grossing documentary of all time, behind Fahrenheit 9/11 and March of the Penguins.

Indian construction worker in Dubai gets 25 years for bludgeoning lover to death with a rock: "The Dubai Court of Appeal increased the 15 years initial sentence of 23-year-old Indian named only as B.A to 25 years, which is life imprisonment here. The appeal's court also awarded him an additional month in jail for consuming liquor. He will be deported after serving his term. The Public Prosecution charged the Indian with consuming liquor and murdering his compatriot, identified as S.D. According to a Yemeni policeman, who questioned B.A., the accused was having a homosexual affair with the deceased. An Indian witness said he saw B.A. committing the crime when he woke up after hearing a commotion in the room at a construction site."

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News: Mitt Romney, Gordon Brown, Sweden, Big Brother, Morrissey

New British Prime Minister Gordon Brown appoints openly gay man, Spencer Livermore, director of political strategy at 10 Downing Street: "The 31-year-old has unrivalled access to the new Prime Minister and will play a key role in shaping the direction of the Brown government. Mr Livermore was ranked seven in this year's Independent Pink List, making him the most powerful gay person in UK politics."

They're not going: Jennifer Holliday and Jennifer Hudson are BFFs.

Al Gore takes lead over other Democratic candidates in hypothetical New Hampshire poll.

Sweden may soon adopt "gender neutral" marriage legislation, allowing same-sex couples to not only marry legally but to do so within a major church. Pastor Arne Wikstroem of the Oscars parish: "If today we are blessing homosexuals, I see no reason not to celebrate gay marriages. I think all people are equal before God. And no man is unholy or unblessed. We are all equal and all need God's blessings in our lives. If God has created people as homosexuals, we must accept them and we must bless them."

Still ill: Morrissey down with throat infection, cancels tour dates.

Britney Spears was expected to join the True Colors tour at its stop in Los Angeles but canceled when she found out a small but important detail — she would actually have to sing.

On 1983, vacation, Mitt Romney scared the shit out of his dog...literally: "The incident: dog excrement found on the roof and windows of the Romney station wagon. How it got there: Romney strapped a dog carrier — with the family dog Seamus, an Irish Setter, in it — to the roof of the family station wagon for a twelve hour drive from Boston to Ontario, which the family apparently completed, despite Seamus's rather visceral protest."

20-year-old receives a designer kiss.

Andre Jackson the East Side High School student at the center of the gay yearbook kiss controversy, graduates.

Elton John planning massive Las Vegas charity bash...in England: "Elton is hoping that his friends will enjoy tonight and remember it as their best invite of the year. He wants it to be an enjoyable night for all of his closest friends, so he thought came up with the idea of Las Vegas. He has invested in getting roulette wheels, croupiers, slot machines and generally re-enacting the atmosphere of Las Vegas, and he has got his entire celebrity guest list waiting to turn up."

Bangkok nightclub faces boycott after refusing entry to a transvestite. Management: "What happened on Saturday night was regrettable but was most definitely not part of the CM2 nightclub entry policy, nor was it supported by its management."

CBS announces Big Brother 8 cast, reveals photos of new house.

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News: GLAAD Awards, Military Hillary, Tapir Massage, Asteroid

Hillary Clinton learns her salute: "For Mrs. Clinton, exhibiting a command of military matters is not just about learning from her husband’s experience. It could be vital to her, as a woman seeking to become a wartime commander in chief, to show the public that she is comfortable with military policy and culture — and with the weight of responsibility that accompanies life-and-death decisions."

Patti LaBelle and Jennifer Hudson stole the show at this year's GLAAD awards. LaBelle: "I didn't know you were this nice. I thought you were a bitch."

New York's Black Party: a wholesome romp.

Global warming may kill certain climates and create entirely new ones: "Species living in tropical areas may be less able to adapt, he said, adding that that is speculative and needs further study. Areas like the Southeastern United States and the Arabian Peninsula may also be affected, the researchers said. And they said mountain areas such as in Peruvian and Colombian Andes and regions such as Siberia and southern Australia face a risk of climates disappearing altogether. That doesn't mean these regions would have no climate at all -- rather their climate would change and the conditions currently in these areas would not occur elsewhere on Earth."

The Beckhams' wild night with Diddy.

Stepford Wives museum director claims harassment from gay colleagues who wanted her to resign: car vandalism, threatened with poisoning, being forced to look at graphic gay photos, and being poked in the eye.

YouTube announces first annual Video Award winners. Here are the videos...

Cleaning day: Mario Lopez has some junk in the trunk, er, garage.

Cute video of the week: tapir gets a massage. I get relaxed just watching it.

Deep impact: U.S. and China at most risk for damage from wayward asteroid. "The team focused on smaller asteroids because they hit the Earth more frequently. An asteroid a few hundred metres across hits the planet about once every 10,000 years, on average, while those larger than 1 kilometre hit only every 100,000 years or so. Small asteroids are also harder to spot. 'We're more likely to be hit by one without much warning,' Bailey told New Scientist. Using maps of population density, the researchers charted the places likely to suffer the most casualties. As might be expected, countries with large coastal populations turned out to be most vulnerable, with China, Indonesia, India, Japan and the US in the top five spots."

Capote producer Michael Ohoven sues fellow producer William Vince for profits: "The complaint, filed Thursday in British Columbia Supreme Court, claims that Vince convinced Ohoven to agree to a 60-40 split of revenue from Infinity films to take advantage of Canadian tax credits. Later, Ohoven alleges, Vince transferred the other 40 percent to himself without Ohoven's knowledge or consent. Ohoven is now seeking 50 percent of all past and future revenue from Infinity films, including Capote."

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News: Thomas Roberts, Burger King, Karl Lagerfeld, Gay Ghettos

Fashion designer Marc Jacobs checks into rehab.

Thomas Roberts to open up to Anderson Cooper about sexual abuse at the hands of a Catholic priest: "My abuser was Father Jeff Toohey, a trusted man of God. He was the equivalent of a religious celebrity in my private all-boys Catholic school in Baltimore, Maryland. Father Jeff was every boy's friend and mentor. I considered him my mentor as well. When my parents divorced, I was sent to Father Jeff to help me cope with all the changes. Divorce in the mid-1980s still seemed so foreign. Plus, I was just a kid, and I didn't know much about divorce. I just knew it sucked. All I had at that time in my life was my family and school. Those were my constants. But as my family fell apart, so did my life at school. After the abuse began, high school became a prison of shame and lies."

Cyndi Lauper to headline True Colours tour in June to promote gay rights, benefiting HRC: "The tour, sponsored by Logo, the MTV Networks channel targeting gay audiences, will provide information to fans who attend, as well as purple wristbands with the slogan "Erase Hate" from the Matthew Shepard organization, named for a gay youth killed in an apparent hate crime. A dollar from every ticket sold will be earmarked for the Human Rights Campaign, which advocates equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people." Tour will also feature Deborah Harry, Erasure and Margaret Cho.

Andrew Christian models show off the goods at Las Vegas magic show.

This morning I posted Jennifer Hudson's comments regarding her former employer, Burger King. The restaurant chain has now offered her free meals for life.

Gay ghettos dying: "Don Reuter, a New York writer researching a book on the rise and fall of gay neighborhoods in the U.S., said he has observed a trend in cities as far-flung as New Orleans, Philadelphia and Seattle: Gay neighborhoods are becoming 'Disneyfied' places, with chain stores and other businesses with little or no overt appeal to gays. 'What makes these neighborhoods gay? Not much,' he concluded. As the fear of AIDS has eased, gay neighborhoods have become attractive to developers and investors trying to encourage families and empty-nesters to return to city centers, Reuter said."

BBC presenter criticized after calling comedy show contestant "a big gayer" for tearing up.

The New Yorker has published an extensive profile on Karl Lagerfeld, who, in addition to having a dashing personal assistant/bodyguard, prefers to stay in the now: "Lagerfeld’s determination to stay current requires ruthlessness and a lack of sentimentality. He periodically rids himself of art, objects, and places that, previously, had been sources of inspiration and pleasure. People are not exempt. “He kind of passes on, because he doesn’t like the past,” one of the people who travels in Lagerfeld’s circle says. “So then he decides you’re the past and then he just puts you in the trash.” Lagerfeld says, “I have an entourage of people of today. Because people can work with me for a hundred years but they have to stay informed. And no regrets, no remove, not saying, ‘Oh, things were better then.’ ” According to his publishing partner, Gerhard Steidl, when Lagerfeld reads a thick paperback, he tears out the pages as he finishes them."

Ben Patrick Johnson launches his videoblog with an interview with Marcellas Reynolds.

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Ace Young Flexing More Than His Musical Chops

A beefcake shot of former American Idol Ace Young recently made its way to the internets. The former contestant has obviously been working hard on something other than his songwriting.

In other Idol news, Jennifer Hudson recently responded to accusations by Simon Cowell that the Oscar winner refuses to acknowledge the "big opportunity" provided her by the TV show. Said Hudson: "If I'd been any better at my job when I was at Burger King in my middle teens I wouldn't be here either, so should I thank them too?"
(image source)

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News: Al Gore, Dennis Rodman, Hideous Oscar Garb, Boy George

Al Gore responds to Matt Drudge's latest attempt to brand him a hypocrite on global warming: "Gore has had a consistent position of purchasing carbon offsets to offset the family's carbon footprint — a concept the right-wing fails to understand. Gore's office explains: 'What Mr. Gore has asked is that every family calculate their carbon footprint and try to reduce it as much as possible. Once they have done so, he then advocates that they purchase offsets, as the Gore's do, to bring their footprint down to zero.'"

Jake Gyllenhaal outside Letterman. Eh, I'll take him in any old shoes. (video of appearance)

Printable cold sores for use on subway ads: "As we wait for transportation, we are unwillingly assaulted by larger-than-life representations of supposedly beautiful salespeople. The large scale of these ads and their extremely close proximity to the viewer offer up more than perceived intimacy, however... they give us the chance to see the mechanical flaws designed to correct their physical flaws."

Ellen Degeneres on doing the Oscars: "I'm crying for many reasons. I'm tired, so I'm emotional ... [but hosting the Oscars] represented so many things to me. It represented that people believed in me, they took a chance in me to hold something like that together, that people would want to see me. It was harder than I thought and I was scared to death. I didn't know how I would do. ... You know, you have confidence at the same time as you have insecurities."

John Amaechi and Dennis Rodman spotted simultaneously at West Hollywood's The Abbey.

Recent salmonella and e coli outbreaks in spinach and peanut butter may be connected to the fact that FDA food testing has fallen by half since 2003.

The throw-down behind Jennifer Hudson's gold bolero Oscar jacket.

Airline loses Boy George's record collection: "The furious 45-year-old was overheard telling officials, 'You've got to be joking!' when the blunder was revealed. According to Sydney's Daily Telegraph, the panicked star made an emergency dash to a local record store, where he quickly bought up enough material to get through his gig."

San Francisco is now the capital of the gay adult entertainment industry. Los Angeles previously dominated in that production arena: "It is unclear how big a business gay porn actually is in the city. None of the studio heads would share their revenues, but they did estimate that the gay market was 5 percent to 10 percent of the overall adult market, which is commonly valued between $5 billion to $8 billion. That larger number is unverifiable as well, but if true it could mean the total industry could easily be worth $100 million in the city." View photos from the recent GayVNs, the Oscars of gay adult entertainment, here (nsfw).

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News: Sundance, Fire Island, Gavin Newsom, Andre Boisclair

Openly gay Parti Quebecois leader Andre Boisclair "fighting for his political life" as he is reprimanded by members of his own caucus. Begins new push for referendum on sovereignty.

Jennifer Hudson on being an American Idol contestant: "You've been abused, misled and brainwashed to believe whatever they want you to think. You become a character – I became the girl in the turkey wrapping."

AIDS Project Los Angeles and New York's Gay Men's Health Crisis launch Tweakends, a site intended to provide information and generate discussion about the dangers associated with the use of crystal meth.

Blogger receives threat from Philadelphia meat man over TV appearance: "Your (sic) a fag, and that fine, but keep it to yourself. Trust me, if I ever walk by you on the street with my kids and I see you kissing or holding hands with some dude, I'll brake (sic) every bone in your gay little body. Keep your shit behind closed doors, so children can't see you."

SF Mayor Gavin Newsom caught in affair with wife of friend and campaign manager Alex Tourk: "The details of the months-long 2005 affair, widely rumored at City Hall for sometime, have not been confirmed by Newsom's team in much detail. And neither the campaign manager nor his wife returned several phone calls from the Mercury News...But friends and City Hall insiders say Newsom, at the time in the middle of his divorce from Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Ruby Rippey-Tourk, had the affair while she worked as his appointments secretary -- a job last year." Apologizes: "I want to make it clear that everything you've heard and read is true, and I am deeply sorry about that."

Fire Island's Pavilion rises again.

Wisconsin gay marriage supporters spent a record amount of over $4 million in their battle to fight the proposed anti-gay amendment, but still lost.

The Bay Area Reporter takes a look at what was gay at Sundance, reporting on films Save Me, For the Bible Tells Me So, Life Support, Tuli, An American Crime, Smiley Face, Trade, Year of the Dog, A Very British Gangster, and Protagonist.

The Italian Prime Minster Prodi and the Vatican are headed for a showdown over gay marriage: "The last time church-state relations were this strained was more than 30 years ago, when the Vatican, a city-state in the center of Rome, lost back-to-back battles against divorce and abortion, both of which voters approved in popular referendums."