News: H1N1, Banksy, Drew Gooden, Space Hotel, Justin Bourne

Wisconsin Supreme Court to hear appeal of lawsuit oever same-sex marriage referendum.

Dallas Mavericks Drew Gooden accused of calling fan a "faggot".

Lady Gaga found something else in her closet.

Census data: many similarities between straight married couples and gay married couples.

Gay candidate smeared as child molester in Annapolis election.

Anti-gay sign investigated as hate crime in Maine: "A hand-painted, plywood sign that had a threat directed at homosexuals was found nailed on a tree in the front yard of a Route 156 residence on Friday, police say."

Hypocrite: Rep. Joe Wilson blames Obama administration for vaccine shortage after voting no on funding bill to combat H1N1.

Space hotel to launch in 2012?

A look at Ultimate Fighting, its gay-friendly and not so gay-friendly fighters, and its gay fans: “Any guy involved in grappling is the furthest thing from homophobic in the world. I honestly think it would have no impact whatsoever with not only our fighters or our fan base. The guys in the UFC, everybody is so cool, it’s great sportsmanship, everybody has respect for each other. I honestly, it wouldn’t be a big deal to me and most of the guys I know in this sport, it wouldn’t be a big deal for them either.”

Circus: Kylie Minogue spent Halloween in NYC with Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone.

Miss Gay America crowned in St. Louis.

Minor league hockey player Justin Bourne: End the gay slurs. "In my days as a hockey player, I did nothing but contribute to hockey's culture of homophobia and prejudice against gays. I used gay slurs more times than I'd like to admit. Six months after I left my last professional locker room, I felt a twinge of regret, followed by a full-out, stomach punch of regret. And by the time I finished the first draft of this column, I was disgusted with myself."

Is Precious this year's Slumdog?

Listen: Silverton, Oregon's transgender mayor Stu Rasmussen profiled on WNYC's Radiolab.

Dancing with the Stars' Derek Hough: I'm not gay, but I almost played one on Cougar Town: "It would have been perfect. With all the rumors going around, I thought it would be really funny because it's just not true. But I was like, you know what? If that's what you want to see."

Rihanna discusses assault: "I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears."

Banksy commentary on graffiti vandalism covered in graffiti by vandals.

Minnesota pastor quits over Lutheran position on gay clergy.

Mariah Carey nearly takes spill on Jay Leno.

Twitter war erupts after user calls British actor Stephen Fry's Tweets "boring."

Conservative Washington Times highlights Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway's opposition to lifting ban on gays in the military: "But Gen. Conway has gone further than others in stating his opposition to a change in policy, according to the former official, who has been privy to private conversations on the matter. "He feels very strongly that [removing the ban] would be disruptive, and he opposes it," said the former official. Gen. Conway's private remarks stand in contrast to public utterances by other service chiefs, who have restricted themselves to repeating a well-rehearsed mantra: If Congress introduces a bill to repeal the ban, they will discuss it with the chain of command. If Congress changes the law, they will follow the law."

News: Ardi, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robots, Maine, Lutherans, Bryan Batt

Nate Silver: Same-sex marriage ban is underdog in Maine.

Ardi: Scientists find skeleton that predates 3.2 million-year-old Lucy, providing closest picture yet of "missing link".

Kanye West throws another tantrum.

Gore Vidal lets it rip once again.

Lesbian Jane Castor confirmed as Tampa's first female police chief.

NJ marriage battle heating up: "Momentum is slowly growing among Democrats in the Legislature to pass a bill allowing same-sex marriages during the lame duck session following the November general election. But Republican lawmakers at a Statehouse news conference said they preferred an amendment on the 2010 November ballot that would propose changing the state's constitution to permit marriage only between a man and a woman."

More on Kylie's opening night.

British actor Stephen Fry shrinks.

"Ex-gay" David Elliott confronts gay Arlington County board member Jay Fisette at County Fair: "According to a piece he wrote in the Christian News Wire, Elliott approached Fisette to rehash the details of the 2007 incident. 'I wanted to let you know that I was hit when I was working at this booth in a previous year,' he wrote. Fisette allegedly replied, 'What happened to you wasn’t good, but neither is your message.'"

Cheyenne Jackson to join 30 Rock?

Jogging Jake Gyllenhaal stops traffic in Pittsburgh.

St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church votes to leave denomination over acceptance of gays.

Mixner: Where will Obama be during the National Equality March?

Scientists turn clock back on aging muscles: "Our study shows that the ability of old human muscle to be maintained and repaired by muscle stem cells can be restored to youthful vigor given the right mix of biochemical signals. his provides promising new targets for forestalling the debilitating muscle atrophy that accompanies aging, and perhaps other tissue degenerative disorders as well."

Twilight Eclipse's shirtless wolf pack stays warm in Ugg boots.

Fish-mimicking robots help researchers plan the future of automobiles.

Boy George to return to London's West End with new live concert: "Boy George in Concert Up Close and Personal runs at the Leicester Square Theatre for ten nights only from 20 to 30 December 2009."

West Hollywood to celebrate 25th birthday.

Mad Men's Bryan Batt to marry his partner: "The gay actor, 46, has been dating Tom Cianfichi, an actor-turned-event planner, for two decades and the couple is now ready to make its union official with a wedding in Vermont, where same sex unions are legal."

Choose your own TV boyfriend.

The Foundation for Reconciliation to hold memorial during LDS conference weekend for gay Mormons who have committed suicide: "The foundation, in a news release, said it wanted to call attention to the issue in light of the LDS Church's 2008 support for the gay marriage ban in California, the July detention of a gay couple who kissed on the church's Main Street Plaza and a September speech given by LDS general authority Bruce C. Hafen denying a biological link to homosexuality."

Did Kylie Minogue Raid Lady Gaga's Closet?

Kylie Minogue kicked off her North American tour in Oakland, California last night. Some are accusing the Australian diva of borrowing Gaga's look. And then there's this.

Kylie makes her entrance, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Mormons, Liz Taylor, Football, Jane Lynch, Nero, Frat Boys

Where Did 'We' Go? Thomas Friedman pens a frightening op-ed about assassination and the current political climate in the U.S. "The American political system was, as the saying goes, 'designed by geniuses so it could be run by idiots.' But a cocktail of political and technological trends have converged in the last decade that are making it possible for the idiots of all political stripes to overwhelm and paralyze the genius of our system."

NYT on Hair's decision to go dark and perform at the National Equality March: "That unusual — and expensive — decision to skip a popular weekend performance at the beginning of the theater season originated with the show’s star, Gavin Creel. 'I said, ‘My God, we have to go, we have to go,’' Mr. Creel recalled when he first heard about the rally late last spring."

For Elizabeth Taylor, too much Kathy Ireland is never enough.

NFL players Brendon Ayanbadejo and Scott Fujita speak out for gay rights. Ayanbadejo: "I think we will look back in 10, 20, 30 years and be amazed that gays and lesbians did not have the same rights as every one else. How did this ever happen in the land of the free and the home of the brave? Are we really free?"

VIDEO: Adam Lambert thanks fans for raising $229,000 for public school art programs.

University of Alaska allows "ex-gay" speaker Edward Delgado: "Jim Minnery, president of the Alaska Family Council, said Chancellor Brian Rogers refused to bar Delgado from the campus, adding he wants a 'welcoming and inclusive university.'"

First look: T.R. Knight in Parade.

A sneak peek at Kylie Minogue's tour.

Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City installs sign to prevent future instances of man-on-man kissing on LDS property.

New Barney Frank bio ignores his personal life: "Those of you seeking an in-depth study of a fascinating and very, very funny political creature midcareer should buy it. Cokie Roberts and Nancy Pelosi blurbed it nicely. Anyone looking for full insights into the private man might want to wait."

Archaeologists uncover Roman Emperor Nero's rotating dining room. "The mechanism was a feat of Roman engineering, and moved thanks to the spheres beneath the wooden floor of the room, kept in constant movement by water being forced against them. Quite how this worked is still being researched."

AfterElton interviews Jane Lynch, Glee's Sue Sylvester.

Brazilian beauties decorate Junior.

Eddie Cibrian gives fans what they want on CSI.

Gay man's attacker gets 4 1/2 years in the UK: "Andrew Harris, aged 21, launched the violent attack upon a gay man after agreeing to go home with him following a night out drinking in Northampton town centre. Despite flirting with his victim and going into his bedroom, Harris suddenly turned violent, shouting 'I'm not gay'."

Friday Night Lights returning with some fresh meat.

English cricketer Kevin Pietersen signs on as Brylcreem Boy.

Frat brothers at George Washington University are trying to take the homophobia out of Greek life: "GW’s fraternity brothers are the nation’s future congressmen, investment bankers, and CEOs. They won’t reach those positions if their Google profiles turn up associations with homophobic and misogynistic fraternities. So GW’s frat boys—and don’t call them that!—are straining to undo the legacy of 'aggressive heterosexuality' and gay-bashing forged by their predecessors. It’s an effort that involves a good deal of re-education, some new alliances, and a compensatory vice or two."

Kylie Minogue Introduces You to Her Beefcake Back-Up Dancers

Kylie Minogue takes you backstage at the Fox Oakland Theater on the eve of her first-ever North American Tour, which opens tonight.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

MUSIC NEWS: Mariah Carey, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, plus win tickets to see Kylie Minogue at the Hollywood Bowl

MODERN TONIC

The editors of Modern Tonic present a weekly music update here on Towleroad. The rest of the week, they scan the pop culture landscape for movie, TV, book and Web recommendations in their daily email.

TODAY’S FEATURED RELEASES:

Significant days deserve observance, and September 29 is now apparently Gay Icon Album Release Day. Today, three superstars — Mariah, Madonna and Barbra — vie for the No. 1 spot with new album releases. We probably should have used a sick day to take it all in.

After being blindsided by the film Glitter, the resilient R&B artist and actress Mariah Carey has not only re-risen as high as her glorious voice can go, she’s gone higher. Since her comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi in 2005, Carey’s been on a roll unmatched by any singer of comparable stature and her latest recording, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, isn’t going to stop it (nor will her role in the forthcoming film Precious.) She’s always been a superlative singer, but she’s gotten better with every release — not just technically, but in the tangle of emotions she can evoke in a single note. Proof? Put Memoirs on your iPod on shuffle. If forced to choose favorites, we’re voting for the low-riding jam “More Than Just Friends” and the transcendent Foreigner cover “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

Is there anything else that can be said about Madonna? Kaballah blah blah blah divorce blah blah blah African child blah blah blah. But what about her songs? If you’ve forgotten about the musician behind the celebrity, Celebration — a two disc best-of with two new tracks (plus a third on the iTunes version) — is here to remind us how much we love the way she sounds. From late-disco hits “Holiday” and “Borderline” to the slinky slut-fest of the underrated “Erotica” through the alt-electro “Ray of Light,” 36 tracks produce an unerring 2½ hour high. And that includes the two new cuts — “Revolver” featuring Lil Wayne and the party-starting title track, both new-styled Madge turns that can stand tall with her body of hits. And, there’s a bonus track on iTunes: the slamming new disco jam “It’s So Cool” which is, well, so cool. (A Celebration DVD collection includes 47 MTV-tested videos.)

Like sipping a smooth cognac while the rain patters outside, Streisand’s latest studio album is pure sonic buttah. Guided by pianist/producer Diana Krall — that’s Mrs. Elvis Costello, alt-babies — Babs' jazzy Love Is the Answer takes on standards like Frank Sinatra’s “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” Jacques Brel’s “If You Go Away (Ne Me Quitte Pas)” and affirming opener “Here’s To Life.” Now is it too much to ask that our favorite Funny Lady make another movie?

MUSIC NEWS

Warner Music Group has reportedly reached an agreement with YouTube and will restore all of its music videos to the video-streaming site. Warner pulled many thousands of videos off the site last December when the two companies could not come to terms on royalty rights.

"I Should Be So Lucky": Kylie Minogue's long-anticipated debut U.S. tour kicks off tomorrow night in Oakland, California. Over the next couple of weeks, the performer, who enjoys a Madonna-style level of popularity outside of America, will also hit Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto and New York. Towleroad and Modern Tonic are giving away three pairs of tickets to see Kylie at The Hollywood Bowl this Sunday, October 4. To enter to win, click here. Contest entry period ends Thursday September 30 at noon EST. 

 The legendary Trevor Horn, producer of classic pop albums from The Art of Noise, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Propaganda and Grace Jones, on producing Robbie Williams' comeback album Reality Killed the Video Star. On a related note, rumors are flying that Williams just recorded new tracks with his former bandmates from Take That.

Britney Spears' new single "3," with the controversy-courting subject of the joys of being in a threesome, debuted on New York's Z-100 this morning. It will be featured on her second compilation, The Singles Collection, due November 24.

 The Hole Truth: Courtney Love opens up her bag of crazy.

Dolly Parton and Sylvester Stallone? Michael Jackson and Eddie Murphy? Plus more of the most painful musical pairings in memory.

On the heels of the "vintage" footage of Lady Gaga before her makeover, here is Katy Perry (then Katy Hudson) from 2001, a young Christian artist with blond pigtails.

MORE NEW RELEASES

Is there life after chill? London downtempo duo Zero 7 — and guest vocalists galore — say hell yeah on their fourth album Yeah Ghost.

Emo-boys, make sure your mascara is waterproof. Paramore, the Tennessee alt-rockers fronted by Hayley Williams, will make your wimp asses cry with their muscular third album Brand New Eyes.

Brazilian bossa nova babe Bebel Gilberto releases her sixth album, All in One. Sit back, sip a smooth caipirinha and let the sensual sounds of South America accompany you on your next staycation.

Also Released: Miranda Lambert — Revolution; Genesis — Live 1973-2007 Box Set; Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions — Through The Devil Softly; Patty Loveless — Mountain Soul II; Rod Stewart — The Rod Stewart Sessions 1971-1998 Box Set; Landon Pigg — The Boy Who Never; Karen O & The Kids — Where The Wild Things Are Soundtrack; Various Artists — Whip It (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack); Kris Kristofferson — Closer To The Bone; Newton Faulkner — Rebuilt By Humans (import)

MUSIC VIDEOS:

Priscilla Renea: “Dollhouse”
This fierce Floridian rips a page from The Veronicas' playbook with a punky tale of wrestling back control from her overbearing boyfriend. She starts like a little girl in her dollhouse until she grows too big to be contained. (From her debut album Jukebox, out December 1).

Snow Patrol: “Just Say Yes”
The earnest Scots, intoning from their forthcoming import compilation Up To Now, are a vision in white on another aching love song that will echo for years.

Amerie: “Heard ‘Em All”
If you want to get with this Korean-African American princess from Massachusetts, listen up. Amerie and her grimy futuristic dancers shimmy like Tina Turner herself through this tribal track from new album In Love & War (out November 3).

Ke$ha: “TiK ToK”
Flo Rida’s feisty collaborator on “Right Round” steps out for a night on the town in a clip that’s every suburban mother’s nightmare. She mouthwashes with a bottle of Jack, can’t keep the boys from touching her junk and interrupts the family meal in the latest slut chic her parents’ plastic can buy.