News: India, Tony Kushner, Jerusalem, Don Imus, Bash'd

Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis forbids liberal Catholic church from holding gay pride prayer service: "St. Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis has held the event for several years in conjunction with the annual Twin Cities Pride Celebration. The archdiocese is instead suggesting that the church hold a "peace" service Wednesday with no mention of rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Archdiocese spokesman Dennis McGrath says the gay pride prayer service is inimical to the teachings of the Catholic church."

Global warming expert Hansen: Earth close to the tipping point.

This used to be her playground: Madonna and family go to Yankees game.

Grease RIP: A Rydell High death.

Angels in America playwright Tony Kushner to marry in California: "Mark and I are going to get married in California very soon. Then we’re going to be recognized in New York as legally married."

New Bedford, Massachusetts, where two-and-a-half years ago 18-year-old Jacob Robida terrorized a local gay bar with a hatchet and a shotgun, held its first gay pride over the weekend, which attracted 250 people.

Jerusalem gay pride a "go": "The High Court of Justice rejected Monday afternoon a petition filed by right-wing activists Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel against holding a gay pride parade in Jerusalem. As a result, the parade will take place as scheduled this coming Thursday."

Don Imus under fire again for racist comment.

Gay activists in India plan mass gay pride action: "The marchers plan to sing, give speeches and hold candlelit vigils in simultaneous parades in New Delhi, Calcutta and Bangalore on Sunday, said Gautam Bhan, a writer and gay rights activist involved with organizing the marches. While several dozen activists have marched in the eastern city of Calcutta in recent years, these would be the first gay pride parades in New Delhi and Bangalore. Bhan said the activists want to raise awareness of the issues facing the gay community in India."

Bash'd: a rap opera that fights back against anti-gay violence, playing in NYC: "With exceedingly bawdy lyrics, two rapping angels, T-Bag (Mr. Craddock) and Feminem (Mr. Cuckow), recount the tragedy of a Canadian couple, Jack and Dillon, who meet in an Edmonton club, fall in love and wed. But when Jack becomes the victim of violence, their idyll collapses."

New Yorker: Is "angry" Keith Olbermann changing TV news?

Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev sued over Moscow Pride: "Organisers of Moscow Gay Pride today applied to the city’s Tverskoi District Court accusing Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev of 'inaction on their letter' concerning the staging of the march for tolerance – and respect for the rights of freedoms of homosexual people in Russia – in Alexandrovskiy Sad, part of the Kremlin."

Jodie Foster in tussle with paparazzi.

PhD: Memoir of a gay stripper. “The truth was that stripping had long called out to me. It offered something different from my grad school grind of dealing with students, grading papers, and sitting through seemingly endless seminars.”

Obama curtails use of altered presidential seal.

James McAvoy on the perils of six packs and protein: "[The abs] were not a special effect. It was the result of a lot of time at the gym — which I hated. I was also trying to take these super protein supplements and they gave me incredible bouts of flatulence which wouldn’t have endeared me to the rest of the cast. But I’m back to normal."

Boy George takes his orchid for a walk.

A few notes and photos from the Provincetown International Film Festival.

New York Senate Majority Leader Republican Joe Bruno announces he won't seek reelection: "It also means a seat that had been considered a safe one for Republicans will not necessarily be a sure thing this fall. With all New York lawmakers' two-year terms ending in December, Republicans are defending their narrow 32-30 majority in the Senate, the party's last stronghold in state government. Democrats now hold the governor's post and dominate the Assembly by a 106-42 margin."

News: Jodie Foster, Oregon, Chris Evans, Northern Ireland

Good riddance: South Carolina high school principal resigning because he doesn't agree with the school having a gay-straight alliance.

Was she the other woman who ended Jodie Foster's 14 year relationship? "Although she and Cydney remain under the same roof at the moment, the relationship has been shattered. They’ll continue to raise the boys together and try to keep a loving family unit despite their breakup. The love is gone."

Oregon Court of Appeals upholds ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage in the state.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie glam it up in Cannes.

Redwood City, California man to stand trial for attacking his neighbors with a wrought iron table, fists: "Prosecutors say Santos-Coy had been drinking when he approached two neighbors of his apartment complex as they worked on their car in the building's carport. Yelling that the men — a couple in their 20s, according to prosecutors — were 'dirty nasty people' and other things not fit to print in this publication, Santos-Coy allegedly struck one of the men several times in the face. He then picked up a wrought-iron table and swung it at the victims, prosecutors said. The men managed to avoid getting hit by the heavy table, according to prosecutors...He faces up to eight years in prison for two felony counts of a hate crime and one count of assault with a hate crime purpose."

Cameron Diaz goes bald.

Scotland Yard arrests 198 across London for "domestic, homophobic and race hate crimes."

Owner of the first gay bar outside a major city in Ireland talks about the reaction from the community: "When someone comes up to one of my sons and mentions the gay bar, it's to tell them that their uncle or cousin is gay. The young people in Strabane seem to be very open-minded — there's been no hassle at all."

"Ex-Gay" Bar? UK former gay bar under inquiry for putting up banner announcing that it is "now straight". "A police inquiry is under way into a complaint that the sign, which has now been taken down, was offensive. The bar owners said it was never their intention to offend. Assistant manager Carl Lovett said: 'We admit it was not the best banner but there was never any intention to cause offence.' ... The bar, which opened as a seven-days-a-week gay venue in January, decided to switch to becoming a mainstream premises after failing to attract enough customers."

Chris Evans apparently has some lesbian fantasies.

California Republican justice Ronald George on newly-minted hero status: "Basically, it comes down to the question of when is a judge shirking his or her responsibility by not acting...The political repercussions of who I am going to please or who I am going to displease is not something I think about. I just put it out of my mind."

Canadian middle school students told they can't wear anti-homophobia t-shirts: "School principal Kim MacKenzie said the word "gay" was used inappropriately. He said the T-shirts weren't appropriate for a middle-school level and didn't comply with the school dress code. 'This is a middle school,' he said, adding no other disciplinary actions were taken. 'There were questions from Grade 5 students as to what homophobia was. That's something that many of our parents would have a concern with -- the notion of how that conversation (was started) in the school,' said MacKenzie."

Has Jodie Foster Split from 'Her Beautiful Cydney' of 14 Years?

That's what the National Enquirer (I know) is reporting: "After 14 years together, the Silence of the Lambs actress has dumped Cydney Bernard. 'Jodie breaking up with Cydney is shocking,' said a Hollywood insider close to the star. 'Right now it’s the best kept secret in Hollywood, and it’s not just because Jodie is a legend and an intensely private person, either. Because she and Cydney have been together for so many years and have two children together, the potential fallout and legal wrangling from this split could be monumental.'"

In December, at the Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment breakfast, Foster came out publicly for the first time, thanking her "beautiful Cydney who stays with her through the rotten and the bliss"...

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Eliot Spitzer, Robbie Williams, Florent, Geraldine Ferraro

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer resigns: "From those to whom much is given, much is expected. I have been given much: the love of my family, the faith and trust of the people of New York and the chance to lead this state. I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me. Over the course of my public life, I have insisted — I believe correctly — that people regardless of their position or power take responsibility for their conduct. I can and will ask no less of myself. For this reason, I am resigning from the office of governor."

Christopher Rice turns 30. Happy Birthday, Chris!

Kevin Federline to make his Broadway debut in Legally Blonde? Pal: "This is his chance to show the world what he can do."

Geraldine Ferraro stepping down from Clinton campaign. Letter: "Dear Hillary – I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what is at stake in this campaign. The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won’t let that happen. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do to make this a better world for my children and grandchildren. You have my deep admiration and respect. Gerry."

Jodie Foster says she hasn't fallen in love. But what about her beautiful Cydney?

Nicolas Sarkozy and Shimon Peres decide not to kiss.

Martina Navratilova regains her Czech citizenship, almost three decades after fleeing the former Communist regime. She's also frustrated with the current administration in the United States: "The thing is that we elected Bush, that is worse. Against that, nobody chose a Communist government in Czechoslovakia."

NYC landmark restaurant Florent closing in June on Gay Pride: " When his lease on 69 Gansevoort St. expires on March 31, rent will increase from $6,000 a month to approximately $50,000, and it's unlikely a deal will be struck. Florent is currently battling his landlord in court over tax increases and is withholding rent as a result. The litigation also means he does not plan to simply pack up shop on the 31st. 'I talked to my lawyer and [the restaurant] will stay open for two or three months. I'd like to end on a high note and I think Gay Pride Day would be perfect.' That's June 29, in case you want to put it in your book. He also says he'd like to hold a writing contest - 'people could write their best story, the most insane story, of the restaurant' - with the winner receiving a dinner on the final night."

John McCain still hanging on to anti-gay Pastor John Hagee: "I will say that he said that his words were taken out of context, he defends his position. I hope that maybe you’d give him a chance to respond. He says he has never been anti-Catholic, but I repudiate the words that create that impression."

Robbie Williams mangina (NSFW).

Mehdi Kazemi, the gay Iranian teen I posted about earlier in the week who faced deportation from The Netherlands back to the UK where he faced another possible deportation back to Iran, where he'd likely be executed, lost his asylum appeal in the Netherlands: " Tuesday's decision by the Council of State -- the highest administrative court in the Netherlands --means Kazemi could face deportation to Britain, which he fears will send him back to Iran. Council spokeswoman Daniela Tempelman said the council decided it must comply with the Dublin Regulation and return Kazemi to Britain. Video Watch how teenager has lost his right to remain. Under the Dublin Regulation, European Union member nations agree that an application for asylum submitted in any EU country would be handled by that country alone. The regulation seeks to ensures that an asylum seeker is not redirected from nation to nation simply because none will take responsibility."

Jodie Foster Does Her Best Tippie Hedren

Here's Jodie Foster in The Birds shot by Norman Jean Roy from Vanity Fair's great Hitchcock homage in the Hollywood Issue. AFTER THE JUMP, a few more of my favorites...

Jodie Foster Thanks Her "Beautiful Cydney" in Award Speech

At the 16th annual Women in Entertainment Breakfast, which I mentioned earlier today referencing Travolta's quippy one-liner, Jodie Foster received the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, and in her acceptance speech thanked "my beautiful Cydney who sticks with me through all the rotten and the bliss."

While leadership certainly hasn't been her forte in this area, we'll accept it as her coming out.