Towleroad Guide to the Tube #308

CEDAR RAPIDS: Local news of the historic flooding. Our thoughts are with you guys out there!

BRAVO'S A-LIST AWARDS: Guy TV Blog wraps up the highlights of last night's Kathy Griffin-fest.

REPUBLICAN: Voters speak out!

END OF THE WORLD: Trailer for Werner Herzog's new film about Antarctica.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Lance Bass is a Boxer Briefs Man

Kathy Griffin cast a big gay spell on Lance Bass at the taping of Bravo's A-List awards last night at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom, causing his pants to plummet to his ankles and everybody to make funny faces. It also gave the audience a flash of some muscular thighs, though Bass seemed a bit shy about showing off the goods.

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News: Ling Ling, Jake Gyllenhaal, MIT, Reichen, Kathy Griffin

Smith College students protest, defeat Ryan Sorba, author of The Born Gay Hoax.

One of Tokyo's most famous is dead at 22 (that's 70 in human years).

MIT takes no action against student who threatened LGBT group after receiving an email about the group's end-of-semester celebration. Said the student's email: "If you fucking fags send me something like that once again or contact me in any other way, I swear you won’t be able to study at Sloan for some time because you will spend it at resuscitation department. If this is what you want, go ahead." (email and response)

A new Nike ad directed by Guy Ritchie.

Anglican school council in Australia formally endorses ban on bringing same-sex partners to the school formal: "Up to eight students had wanted to take boyfriends and raised the issue with a senior staff member, who passed the request to Churchie headmaster Jonathan Hensman. At the time Mr Hensman said it was not appropriate for students to take a same-sex partner because escorting a young woman to a formal was part of the boys' education. But after reports in The Courier-Mail Mr Hensman referred the matter to the school council. A brief statement posted on the Churchie website yesterday said the council 'strongly supported the headmaster's position on the school's education programs in social settings'."

Reichen Lehmkuhl splits with model boyfriend Ryan Barry, writes up list of Hollywood dating tips.

Viral campaign for The Dark Knight issues 35 mm film trailers to 12 winners of its contest, each one individually defaced by The Joker.

Presbyterian church court issues conflicted ruling in same-sex union case: "A San Rafael minister who presided over several same-sex ceremonies didn't violate Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) rules, because same-sex marriages don't exist in the church, a church court ruled Tuesday. At the same time, the Permanent Judicial Council's ruling affirmed the right of same-sex couples to have unions, a ceremony that would theoretically have a distinct liturgy. The ambivalent ruling - affirming the rights of gays and lesbians to have their relationships sanctioned by the church but not considering them equal to those of heterosexual couples - is likely to disappoint both sides in the debate."

Tenant who lived in Austrian incest house heard knocking from the basement for 12 years but did nothing: "I wish to God that I could turn back the clock. The signs were all there but it was impossible for me to recognise them. Who would ever believe something so terrible was going on right under my feet? It is a regret I will have to live with for the rest of my life."

Street artist targeting NYC subway ads.

Kathy Griffin was fired from Hannah Montana because she told Jesus to suck it.

Gossip Girl's Ed Westwick is somewhere under the rainbow.

Gay books: Publishing Triangle awards handed out.

Hometown boy makes good: Portland paper profiles Chad White.

Jake Gyllenhaal is opening a restaurant: "The so-called ‘closet chef’ is said to be in the development stages of an organic restaurant project, for which he plans to travel throughout Italy collecting ideas...The actor has always said he planned to open a high-end dining venue by the time he was thirty (he has three years left), as long as his acting career had put him in a position that would make that possible."

Dusty Springfield to be played by...Nicole Kidman?

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News: Thailand, Dick Cheney, Brazil Wedding, Diva Clinton

Jay Leno and Ryan Phillippe are still on good terms after the "gayest look" incident. Said Leno: "No, we talked about it before. We're friends. I mean, it's a talk show. That's what you do."

Same-sex weddings, civil unions, commitment ceremonies big business in New England: "Throughout the Northeast, competition has spiked among wedding sites, hotels, resorts and inns as the travel industry has realized that same-sex ceremonies can draw scores of guests, who turn these destinations weddings into weekend stays."

Ashlee Simpson is another straight woman who loves that gay guys love her man.

Red Cross in Thailand changes screening process for gay blood donors: "Gay-rights activists had complained that one question, which was meant to target people more likely to have diseases transmitted by sex and drugs, had effectively blocked all gay men from donating by only asking about same-sex relations. 'We didn't mean to hurt anyone,' said Soisaang Pikulsod, director of the Thai Red Cross National Blood Centre. 'It was just to ensure the highest possible safety of our patients.' The Red Cross will rework the form to include more questions about all types of sexual behaviour, gay or heterosexual, that could increase the risk of diseases such as AIDS, she said."

Kathy Griffin and Adnan Ghalib in most obvious paparazzi punk'd ever.

Dick Cheney has either a naked woman or an alien entity in his lenses. Or Lynne Cheney, in which case it would be both.

American Idol loses one of the guys [SPOILER].

Gay-friendly college fairs a budding trend: "Students are coming out at a much younger age. That process isn't beginning in college or after college like we may have seen 10 or 20 years ago. So these high school students who are out come looking for a range of things that show a college will generally have students like them, and a university with an inclusive mission."

Judge tosses Florida lawsuit filed by high school student denied the right to form a gay-straight alliance: "The former student, Yasmin Gonzalez, has graduated, so she's no longer affected by the school's decision to ban the club, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore said in a ruling Wednesday. Gonzalez's attorneys with the ACLU tried to maintain her stake in the case by seeking nominal monetary damages, but Moore ruled she isn't entitled to any money because she wasn't claiming violations of due process. 'We were surprised and disappointed by his interpretation,' said Rob Rosenwald, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. Rosenwald plans to ask the judge to reconsider. Attorneys for the school board declined to comment."

Brazil televises "tacky" gay wedding.

George Michael = God?

East Village Boys offer T-shirt that big shooters wear with pride.

TPM suggests "diva theory" behind Hillary's appeal: "Hillary is the diva, the fabulous woman who is fabulous just because she says so. She's the woman who is abused (by her husband), ridiculed (by the press), hated (by Republican mouth-breathers), yet she's still standing. She's like from some exploitation film where the heroine is beaten and barely raped before pulling a knife out of her sock and slicing the mean guy's balls off. Her supporters have stood by her and fought her battles with her - and sometimes for her - since the 1990s. The emotional connection runs too deep. R-e-s-p-e-c-t, she shakes her finger. Find out what it means to me. And the crowd eats it up." Can any shallower arguments be made?

Michigan's Aquinas College cancels speech by gay rights activist. President: "I'm not trying to keep people from seeing him. I'm trying to prevent the college from sponsoring an event that displays an attack on Catholic teaching values."

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Jason Bellini Flies Pink

Yeah, I know. Sydney Mardi Gras is over and done. But I couldn't resist posting this clip of the Pink Flight by LOGO's Jason Bellini. Jason met up with a straight guy who somehow "didn't know" he was getting on a special flight, but by the end was shirtless and wearing a pink boa in the aisle.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously
Tales from Air New Zealand's 'Pink flight' to Sydney [tr]
Pink Flight: Gayest Airline Flight Ever Takes Off [tr]

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News: Al Reynolds, Tel Aviv, Rent, Tucker Carlson, Attitude

Kathy Griffin ordained into the clergy of the Universal Life Church so that she can marry a straight couple: "People asked if I was concerned that I might upstage the bride. But Elka didn't have to worry. I'm wearing a green gown I wore to the Golden Globes a few years ago - which got me on one of those 'Worst Dressed' lists!"

Star Jones divorcing Al Reynolds: "They hadn’t been seeing eye to eye for months and had already spent a great deal of time apart. Finally, Star decided it was over. She told Al at the end of January that he had 30 days to get his act together or ‘get out.’"

Not over yet: Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal to reprise their roles in Rent for 2009 national tour.

Security camera developed that sees through clothing: "A camera that can "see" explosives, drugs and weapons hidden under clothing from 25 metres has been invented. The ThruVision system could be deployed at airports, railway stations or other public spaces. It is based on so-called 'terahertz', or T-ray, technology, normally used by astronomers to study dying stars. Although it is able to see through clothes it does not reveal 'body detail' or subject people to 'harmful radiation', according to the designers. 'It is totally and utterly passive - it receives only,' said a spokesperson for Thruvision."

Robbie Williams says he has seen three UFOs and wants to study them when he retires.

Paper reports on gay life in Afghanistan: "There are no organised gay associations in Afghanistan, but contrary to many Western countries, men can freely walk the streets holding hands. This was especially shocking for foreign troops who became fascinating for the Afghan men. Armed and ready to engage in conflicts with Al-Qaeda, the only conflicts the foreign troops had were with local men who only wanted to stroke their hair. 'It was hell. Every village we went into we got a group of men wearing make-up coming up, stroking our hair and cheeks and making kissing noises,' 20-year-old Corporal Paul Richard uttered."

The underground drag queens of Tel Aviv: "In an effort to carve out a space for themselves, Palestinian drag queens gather every few months at a club in the heart of Tel Aviv to take part in underground shows. These parties offer a rare forum for them to explore complicated and convoluted ideas about sexuality, politics, nationalism, militancy and religion. They're forging their identities at the center of what some consider an occupying power. The Palestinian nationalists among them recognize the irony in the fact that Israel has become their sanctuary. 'I didn't choose this place; it's the place that I found I could be myself in,' said M, a 24-year-old Arab-Israeli woman with short black hair who's performed at the club. 'That's my only refuge.'"

Cyndi Lauper asks Britney Spears to join her on the True Colors tour which starts on May 31.

What's Justin Timberlake's problem with women?

Tireless battle to save Laguna Beach's Boom Boom Room goes on: "Supporters of a beachside nightclub that catered for half a century to Hollywood's gay stars are hitting its owner with a blizzard of yellow postcards urging that the shuttered bar be reopened. Supporters, including 'Brady Bunch' co-star Florence Henderson and former National Basketball Association player Dennis Rodman, have sent about 500 yellow postcards emblazoned 'SAVE the BOOM!!!' to [owner Steven] Udvar-Hazy's Los Angeles office..."

Tucker Carlson's show gets dumped: "The official announcement, expected tomorrow, will include details about who will replace Tucker at 6pmET as well as other political programming additions. Sources say the network is going to beef up its schedule with more NBC News talent."

Olympic ambassador and former British silver medallist hurdler Colin Jackson: I'm not gay. " “I don't mind having people say what they like in that circumstance. I know that I am not but I don't think it's for me to be going round screaming it from the rooftops. I think it's just rubbish. It makes no real sense to me. It's quite strange and bizarre but people say what they say."

A gay and lesbian hotel brand with Attitude.

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30th Sydney Mardi Gras Draws Crowd of 300,000

The 30th annual Mardi Gras went off over the weekend in Sydney, drawing a crowd of at least 300,000.

AP: "What began in 1978 as a protest march by 1,500 brave homosexual, lesbian and transsexual men and women that was harshly disbursed by police has grown into one of the world's largest and most flamboyant gay pride events. This year's procession of 150 floats was led by the '78ers' — a group of 186 of the original marchers and their partners, who drew rapturous cheers."

Below, coverage from the Australian video featuring Margaret Cho, Kathy Griffin (who arrived there, of course, on the pink flight, and Carson Kressley, whom they identify as Carson Daly:

Craig Gee, who was brutally beaten in an anti-gay attack on Oxford Street three months ago, marched in the parade with his partner Shane Brennen.

Said Gee: "Unfortunately, homophobic violence will only recede when gay people [decide to] stand up and be counted. Shane and I are determined not to feel ashamed of our sexuality, nor to feel scared to walk the streets of Sydney, our home. To lead Mardi Gras will play a huge part in our recovery and we hope that with the support of 10,000 other marchers we will be able to do it."

Main photos by Morgan Carpetner for Same Same, where you can find many more galleries of the parade and parties.

MArdi Gras photo coverage [same same]
Sydney Celebrates 30th Gay Mardi Gras [ap]
BBC Slide Show [bbc]
30-year Anniversary look-back [news.com]
Video [news.com]

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Tales from Air New Zealand's 'Pink flight' to Sydney

And yes, that is Kathy Griffin running down the aisle of the plane in a bra.

Advocate film critic Kyle Buchanan's account of the gayest flight ever.

With photos.

Previously
Pink Flight: Gayest Airline Flight Ever Takes Off [tr]

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Pink Flight: Gayest Airline Flight Ever Takes Off

Right now, the Pink Flight, the gayest flight ever, is winging its way to Sydney with Kathy Griffin and a gaggle of gays aboard. When they promised gay, they weren't kidding.

I really hope they removed that boa and those eyelashes off the plane before take-off — wouldn't be good news if those got sucked into an engine.

There's a brief news report AFTER THE JUMP from CBS 5 in San Francisco showing some of the pre-flight preparations that went on, including the arrival of the flight crew which, according to our sources, are named Buckwheat, Miss Ribena, Miss Tess Tickle, and Miss Venus Mantrapp.

If my calculations are correct, as I write this the plane has about another nine and a half hours of gay in the air.

Check out the clip AFTER THE JUMP (sorry about the quality)...

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Kathy Griffin to Serve as Hostess on Gayest Airline Flight Ever [tr]

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News: Heath Ledger Hoax, Italy, Matt Damon, Mexico, Diana Ross,

Time magazine looks at the 15th anniversary of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": "The issue exploded during Clinton's first week as President, triggered by those in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill opposed to his campaign pledge to reverse an executive order barring gays and lesbians from serving. 'The issue is whether men and women who can and have served with real distinction should be excluded from military service solely on the basis of their status,' Clinton said at the time. 'And I believe they should not.' While the phrase 'don't ask, don't tell' wasn't used at that January 29, 1993, press conference, that's what everyone soon began calling the policy."

Not that Oz: Matt Damon in the Emerald City.

Diana Ross BOOED in Jamaica: Not ready for her close-up.

200 Mexican youths and parents march to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS: "Participants marched through the city's main streets chanting slogans, such as 'Not One More Infected Person' and 'Equal Rights for Young Homosexuals.' Some of the participants also dressed in costumes and distributed condoms. Josue Quino, head of the CAIPAJ gay adolescent and youth center, said the march was necessary to warn youth that a 'single unprotected [sexual] encounter is enough to' contract HIV. Members from the Group of Mothers and Fathers for Diversity also marched in the demonstration, carrying signs that said 'We're Proud of Our Children' and 'Our Children Have United Our Families.'"

Manchester UK police investigate rape at gay sauna.

Clay Aiken: no love.

Which one's Twiggy, which one's Keira Knightley?

Barbara Walters bans Kathy Griffin from The View...again. Griffin: "I was supposed to be on 'The View' [today]. But then I get a call from [producer] Bill Geddie and he says, 'You were too mean to Barbara [Walters] on your last special, so you can't come on.' Can you believe it? I've been banned before, but never re-banned!"

Scammer, posing as Heath Ledger's father, takes advantage of doctor, funeral home, Tom Cruise, and John Travolta: " Cops want to arrest the con man on fraud and larceny charges, and sent detectives to Ledger's wake at the funeral home Friday in hopes of catching him, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. But police do not know the identity of the impostor - who also tried to finagle from one unidentified Hollywood star the numbers of actors Mel Gibson and Christian Bale, who have co-starred in movies with Ledger."

Michael Jackson to get additional reconstructive surgery — this time to his album Thriller.

Method Acting: Sean Penn and James Franco, playing Harvey Milk and his lover Scott Smith, respectively, in the Gus van Sant biopic Milk, reportedly wanted to shack up together for a while before filming started to get to know one another, but due to scheduling difficulties, those plans fell through.

Study finds middle age is truly depressing: "For men and women the probability of depression slowly builds and then peaks when people are in their forties -- a similar pattern found in 72 countries ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe, the researchers said. About eight nations -- mostly in the developing world -- did not follow the U-shaped pattern for happiness levels, Oswald and his colleague David Blanchflower of Dartmouth College in the United States wrote. 'It happens to men and women, to single and married people, to rich and poor, and to those with and without children,' Oswald said. 'Nobody knows why we see this consistency.' One possibility may be that people realize they won't achieve many of their aspirations at middle age, the researchers said. Another reason could be that after seeing their fellow middle-aged peers begin to die, people begin to value their own remaining years and embrace life once more. But the good news is that if people make it to aged 70 and are still physically fit, they are on average as happy and mentally healthy as a 20-year old."

German airline to offer nudist flight.

Italian MP called 'faggot, fairy' and 'traitor' for voting against party lines in order to defend Italian Premier Romano Prodi: "The name-calling erupted on the floor of the Italian Senate on Jan. 24 as Sen. Stefano 'Nuccio' Cusumano shocked fellow members of the tiny Udeur Party by declaring his support for Prodi. The party decided a week earlier to withdraw from Prodi’s fragile ruling coalition, forcing a 'confidence' vote under Italy’s parliamentary system. The Senate voted 161 to 156 to defeat a resolution of confidence for Prodi, forcing him to resign immediately. Although the Udeur Party had helped Prodi form his center-left government in 2006, the party strongly opposed legislation backed by Prodi to provide legal rights and benefits for same-sex couples."

Gay Fort Worth city councilman Joel Burns talks to the Victory Fund, calls anti-gay attack a galvanizing moment: “That morning was an awful, terrible, not good morning. I thought of my mother and father, the little rural town that they live in, and waking up and reading the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and seeing my name on the front page. No parent ever wants to see their child attacked, even if they’re an adult.”

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Kathy Griffin Spreads 'Em for The Advocate

Remember that Kathy Griffin Advocate "cover try" she showed off on her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel. Well, that shot didn't make the cover of the mag's 'Hollywood issue'. Instead, that was reserved for a Britney-style thigh-spreader.

Of the shoot, Griffin told Kimmel:

GRIFFIN: This is what's called a "cover try". Being on the D-List, they won't just put me on the cover, so they told me I was a "cover try" so I may or may not end up on the cover but I love this photo shoot because it's airbrushed beyond belief, which is key, but it's me also just hugging a hot gay guy. And, uh...

KIMMEL: Is he gay, the guy?

GRIFFIN: I think so! The only straight guy who has that body is in prison and not at a photo shoot. But the photographer...has hooked me up with this gorgeous guy who coincidentally had this tattoo, and you know, me, shaking it up with the Jesus people is perfect.

While the interview holds little that you won't find in one of her shows (even writer Corey Scholibo had difficulty catching her at a non-"on" moment), the interview captures several anecdotes I hadn't heard before, including this one about the time Griffin met Liza Minnelli after a gig in Canada.

Griffin: "I knocked on her hotel room door. She opens it up. The room’s pitch black. She’s chain-smoking in bed. I get in the bed with her like Michael Jackson, and we watch The Asphalt Jungle. There was a guy who had been at the restaurant the night before — he’s one of these guys who seemed completely gay to me but had the hot girlfriend. I said to Liza, 'Did you get a gay vibe from that guy, or is it me?' She goes, 'How would I know? Look who I married.'"

Above is a video clip featuring Griffin and cover photographer Mike Ruiz. A bit of 'behind-the-scenes' footage. (warning: language NSFW)

Read part of the interview here.

In related news, Griffin reportedly made CNN anchor Anderson Cooper blush at her recent Madison Square Garden gig, according to Page Six: "Sporting a baseball cap (his attempt at going incognito) and a polo shirt that granted everyone access to the gun show, Anderson squirmed in his seat as Kathy likened him to a 'yummy panini' that she wanted to let drip from her mouth.

My Life on the Gay List [advocate]

Previously
Kathy Griffin's Advocate "Cover Try" on Jimmy Kimmel [tr]

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Kathy Griffin to Serve as Hostess on Gayest Airline Flight Ever

Air New Zealand has hired Kathy Griffin to host its one-flight-only "Pink flight" from San Francisco to Sydney, taking passengers to the city's Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras on February 26th. As part of her in-flight duties, she'll perform a stand-up show and mingle with the passengers and drag queen flight attendants. The flight aboard the Boeing 777, of course, is going to be taped for My Life on the D-List.

Said Roger Poulton, Air New Zealand's vice president: "We knew that this party needed a hostess befitting of the eclectic and diverse group we are inviting on board for this celebration, and who better than Kathy Griffin? Her sense of humor strikes the right chord for the Pink Flight's spirit, and we anticipate a great show."

According to the airline, "Pink Passengers are encouraged to show up at the airport ready to party." They write: " In addition to Kathy's performance, the Pink Flight will boast a full program of entertainment - such as live performances from drag queens, on-board music, contests and screenings of classic gay-themed films on Air New Zealand's digital in-flight entertainment system (IFE). Because it is an overnight flight, there will also be a period of scheduled 'Beauty Sleep.' Additionally, passengers will enjoy the excellent cuisine Air New Zealand is known for with a Pink Twist, Pink cocktails, goodie bags and a "Party Party Wake-Up" before landing."

The flight is 14 hours long. Looks like there are still a few seats available in premium economy.

Check out all the info and book tickets at Air New Zealand Pink Flight.

Recently...
Kathy Griffin's Advocate "Cover Try" on Jimmy Kimmel [tr]
Kathy Griffin Rips Catholic League's Bill Donohue a New One [tr]
Kathy Griffin Wins Emmy, Gets Censored for Jesus Remark [tr]

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News: Prince William, Gay T-Shirt, Henry Cavill, Sundance Film Fest

It's always nice to see Bayard Rustin remembered.

Castro makeover for Harvey Milk biopic gets started.

Clash of the Sci-Fi titans: JJ Abrams' Star Trek hunks attend JJ Abrams' Cloverfield premiere.

RUMOR: Quentin Tarantino remaking Russ Meyer camp classic Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill.

Sundance Film Festival, which begins tomorrow, to feature more than 40 gay-related films: "Alan Ball, one of the creators of 'Six Feet Under' and the writer of 'American Beauty,' will be showing 'Towelhead,' about a young Arab-American girl who gets involved with an army reservist living in her neighborhood. Craig Lucas, the director behind 'Longtime Companion' and 'The Dying Gaul' is back with 'Birds of America,' starring Matthew Perry and Hillary Swank. His new film focuses on three siblings who are suddenly reunited and working through various identity issues. Director Tom Kalin returns to Sundance after 16 years with 'Savage Grace,' starring Julianne Moore as a mother who tries to cure her son of being gay. The film is produced by 'Boys Don’t Cry' producer Christine Vachon, whom Huang says has a special knack for bringing outsider queer films into the mainstream."

Airborne: Prince William and his strategically placed harness make first solo flight.

Virginia lawmaker Lionel Spruill trying to introduce legislation to ban rubber testicles from the backs of trucks: "They're offensive to some folks. It's OK to express yourself, but citizens have the right not to be subjected to something vulgar."

Europe's first gay nursing home opens in Berlin: "The newly built, four-storey nursing facility in the German capital could accommodate 28 patients in state-of-the-art rooms with private bathrooms and enough space for some of their own furnishings, said Christian Hamm, an architect and nursing home board member. 'When you're old … you certainly don't want to give up your identity and live in some hostile environment, possibly sharing a room with someone who despises you.' Potential residents are already signing up and have expressed delight at the prospect of living out their twilight years in a gay- friendly environment."

Gay T-shirt spotted in United Arab Emirates raises eyebrows: "Believe it or not, a T-shirt with sexually suggestive message — 'I am not gay but my friend is' — is being sold in one of the markets in Al Ain City. The offence is being committed despite the regular inspections by the concerned authorities to ensure that items sold in the city’s markets are complying with the local customs and traditions. An Emirati resident here complained recently that he found the offensive message on his 10-year-old son’s T-shirt. The father of the boy was astonished and wondered how such T-shirts entered the country."

Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan donates $25,000 left over from her campaign fund to the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Community Center of Central Florida.

Fleshbot interviews Dan Savage of SLOG at the AVN expo (warning site NSFW).

Tracey Ullman to debut new comedy show on Showtime in the spring: Tracey Ullman's State of the Union will feature a kaleidoscope of original characters and impersonations in a wide collection of irreverent and hilarious skits that range from sardonic parody and social satire to Bollywood musicals. The limited series is a snapshot of modern day America as seen through the brilliant comedic mind of Tracey Ullman."

The dashing Henry Cavill showed up to the Dunhill event in London to let a few folks get a whiff of him.

Our pop music columnist Robbie Daw laments the closing of the Virgin Megastore on Sunset and Crescent Heights in L.A.

Zac Efron rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in appendix emergency...

San Francisco Presbytery becomes first in nation to consider openly gay deacon as minister: "Lisa Larges, who has been blocked from ordination for more than 15 years, won on a 167-to-151 vote of the local presbytery's ministers after three hours of debate. Larges said the ban on gay ministers 'puts upon the door of the church an 'Unwelcome' sign for all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons and their families.' The action allows Larges, a deacon at Noe Valley Ministry Presbyterian Church in San Francisco, to submit to an oral exam later this year. 'It has been a long battle and I have been through a lot of discrimination,' said Larges, her voice shaking. 'The church is a beautiful, messy thing, and it's about loving the church in spite of the church.'"

Kathy Griffin to do show for veterans at Walter Reade hospital.

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Kathy Griffin's Advocate "Cover Try" on Jimmy Kimmel

Monday night on Jimmy Kimmel, Kathy Griffin showed off a recent photo shoot she did for The Advocate.

GRIFFIN: This is what's called a "cover try". Being on the D-List, they won't just put me on the cover, so they told me I was a "cover try" so I may or may not end up on the cover but I love this photo shoot because it's airbrushed beyond belief, which is key, but it's me also just hugging a hot gay guy. And, uh...

KIMMEL: Is he gay, the guy?

GRIFFIN: I think so! The only straight guy who has that body is in prison and not at a photo shoot. But the photographer...has hooked me up with this gorgeous guy who coincidentally had this tattoo, and you know, me, shaking it up with the Jesus people is perfect. Now would you ever do the cover of The Advocate?

KIMMEL: Yeah sure, not that they'd ask me but...

GRIFFIN: I was gonna say I don't know if the gays want you but, I'm going to be honest.

KIMMEL: I don't think they probably do, but I'd do it with my shirt off for sure.

GRIFFIN: You would have to not eat for like 45 days in a row.

KIMMEL: Oh forget about it.

GRIFFIN: What? It's hard to be gay.

KIMMEL: The not eating thing is no good for me. I'd be just a fat gay, that's all.

GRIFFIN: They don't call themselves fat gays. You have to pick a category.

KIMMEL: I'd be a Vilanch.

GRIFFIN: He's a bear! You could be a cub! The bears like to mix it up with the cubs in the woods.

KIMMEL: We're gonna take a break . If you are a bear or a cub or a twink or even just a normal schlub, this Saturday at the Kodak Theater Kathy Griffin is there...

Here are the clips:

Griffin also dishes on pissing off Catholics, Michael Vick and PETA, gay people, Jimmy Kimmel's "bear" qualities, her New Years Eve stint with Anderson Cooper, her romance with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and his Prius, and Oxygen's list of the funniest living women.

You may have missed...
Towleroad Guide to the Tube #217 [tr]
Kathy Griffin Rips Catholic League's Bill Donohue a New One [tr]
Christian Theater Group Spends $90K to Condemn Kathy Griffin [tr]
Kathy Griffin Wins Emmy, Gets Censored for Jesus Remark [tr]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #217

NYE 2008: Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin ring in the new year from Times Square and a visit to Key West.

MEREDITH VIEIRA TAKES ON HILLARY: On a 01/02 Today show appearance, Meredith Vieira grills Clinton on her foreign policy experience.

KEITH OLBERMANN: Takes Rudy Giuliani to task for 9/11 fear-mongering.

CELINE DION: She and her legs opened France's Stars de l'Annee 2007 show.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here

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Kathy Griffin Rips Catholic League's Bill Donohue a New One

[[SPOILERS - if you've still got Kathy Griffin's Straight to Hell on your DVR waiting to be watched, you may want to skip this segment.]]

In a new one-hour special, Kathy Griffin reenacts her "Suck it Jesus" moment and talks about her critics, specifically the Catholic League nut/publicity whore Bill Donohue, and puts him in his place.

Donohue last reared his ugly head during the controversy surrounding Miller Lite's sponsorship of the Folsom Street Fair.

AFTER THE JUMP, Griffin takes on Larry Craig and Paris Hilton in two more clips from Straight to Hell.

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Christian Theater Group Spends $90K to Condemn Kathy Griffin

The Miracle Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee has paid $90,440 for a full-page ad in USA Today that ran on Monday condemning the "Suck it, Jesus" remarks made by Kathy Griffin upon accepting her Emmy for Best Reality Show, according to the AP.

The ad reads: "We at The Miracle Theater consider it an honor to stand for Jesus today. We may never win a national award. We may never be household names. We may never be seen in Hollywood. Although others may choose to use their national platform to slander our God, we are honored as professional entertainers to stand for Christ."

Of course the Miracle Theater is welcome to waste their money in whatever way they choose, but imagine how much prouder Jesus would have been had they spent that $90,440 to feed the homeless or help needy children. Instead they spent in on a self-aggrandizing ad condemning free speech.

Check out the ad, after the jump...

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FOX News: Jesus Died on Cross So Kathy Griffin Could Win Emmy

Via Michelangelo Signorile's The Gist comes this completely serious report from FOX News' Religion Correspondent Lauren Green.

If you'll remember, upon accepting her Emmy, Griffin said: ""A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus...Suck it, Jesus. This award is my God now." The TV Academy and E! then announced they would not air Griffin's comments.

Green is angry at Kathy Griffin for telling Jesus to "suck it" and wants Griffin to know that Jesus' death is directly related to winning that Emmy.

Reports Green: "Now I could have been mildly insulted at that and turned the other cheek, as the founder of Christianity taught. But then she went on to say 'Suck it, Jesus. This award is my God now.' Needless to say, she offended me and millions of other Christians. I don't know what went through her mind and why she would think that was cutting edge or even funny. But first, I want to actually show you that, in fact, Kathy Griffin is wrong. Jesus had everything to do with her winning that award. And here's the reasoning. Jesus died on a cross 2,000 years ago. His dying words were, 'Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.' He died and they buried him in a rock cut tomb. Three days later, as the Bible says, he rose from the dead. That day is what Christians celebrate as Easter...

...After the resurrection, Christianity began to take off like wildfire, spreading from the Middle East northward to Europe and westward into Ethiopia. In 300 A.D. Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity and it beccame the religion of Europe. Rome soon became the seat of the faith. After several years of human failings, the church went through conflicts and quite a few unbiblical years — the crusades and the inquisition to name just two. Out of that came the Reformation — the reforming of the Church, sort of a back-to-basics Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Out of the Reformation emerged a vision of law by Samuel Rutherford, called Lex is Rex, Law is King. From that, others devised a secular version that is used to help lay the foundation of government for a new land called America. Ninety-four percent of America's founding era documents mention the Bible; 34 percent quote the Bible directly. The idea of bringing unity to the universal is a particularly Biblical concept....

...The freedoms we enjoy in this country to speak freely and to live freely are directly related to that man who died on a cross 2,000 years ago."

So there Kathy Griffin!

Aside from the astonishing fact that this is being reported from an allegedly mainstream news outlet, isn't Green simply arguing that Jesus gave Griffin the right to tell him to suck it?

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Kathy Griffin Wins Emmy, Gets Censored for Jesus Remark

The TV Academy and E! announced today that they would not air remarks made by comedian Kathy Griffin upon her acceptance of an Emmy for Best Reality Program.

Griffin's remarks were classic Griffin:

"A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus...Suck it, Jesus. This award is my God now."

Following the remark, Catholic League President Bill Donohue called on the TV academy to "denounce Griffin's obscene and blasphemous comment" which he then thanked them for doing.

He still demands Griffin apologize: "The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences reacted responsibly to our criticism of Kathy Griffin’s verbal assault on 85 percent of the U.S. population. The ball is now in Griffin’s court. The self-described ‘complete militant atheist’ needs to make a swift and unequivocal apology to Christians. If she does, she will get this issue behind her. If she does not, she will be remembered as a foul-mouthed bigot for the rest of her life."

Congrats to Griffin on the well-deserved win.

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