Will Lance Bass Get a Male Partner on Dancing with the Stars?

Lance Bass is reportedly set for the next season of Dancing with the Stars but his sexuality has apparently presented producers with a question.

The NYDN's Rush & Molloy report: "Lance Bass is locked and loaded for the next season of 'Dancing With the Stars,' says an insider. But we hear network execs are already fretting over whether or not to pair the openly gay pop star with a male or female dance partner. A gay ballroom dancer? Color us surprised!"

How about Mark Ballas, who's said he's comfortable with stereotypes?

Of course, then comes the battle over who will lead.

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Lance Bass Exes Thigpen and Andrade Make Love Connection?

Page Six reports that the former boyfriends of Lance Bass may be an item:

"The former boy-bander's two ex-boyfriends, who met through him, have now hooked up with each other. After breaking up with Brazilian model Pedro Andrade, Bass dated hairdresser Ben Thigpen last fall. Last week, Thigpen and Andrade were acting very much like a couple, dancing and holding hands at the joint birthday party of Tenjune owners Mark Birnbaum and Eugene Remm. They were overheard laughing and saying 'scandal' when asked if they were dating."

(top right image: just jared)

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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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Lance Bass Hires Himself a Shirtless Bodyguard

Just what every high-profile celebrity gay needs. Actually, he's coming out of the Equinox at South Beach, so it's most likely a trainer or workout companion. But it's much more amusing to believe that Bass is surrounded by a shirtless security detail ready to beat down anti-gay thugs at all times. More at Just Jared.

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Lance Bass is Fired Up

Lance Bass demonstrates what 29 candles looks like at a birthday celebration over the weekend in Miami. (via marc malkin)

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News: Jim Neal, Ronaldo, Gay Sauna, Smiley Face, Charlie Crist

AFA asks followers to bombard Procter & Gamble with complaints over Luke and Noah's kiss.

Brazilian footballer Ronaldo caught up in tranny hooker extortion plot: "He told police he knew they were hookers, but didn't know they were dudes. He took the three trannies to a motel where he discovered the truth. He offered them around $600 each to leave. Two of the trannies accepted, but the other tranny, Andre Luis Ribeiro Albertino (above), demanded $30,000 or else."

Out has an exclusive excerpt from John Barrowman's new autobiography, Anything Goes.

Hillary Clinton supporter set up Reverend Jeremiah Wright appearance at National Press Club.

HRC refusing to support gay candidate Jim Neal in North Carolina...

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter appoints liaison to LGBT community. Mayor: "For the first time, the LGBT liaison will actually be operating out of the mayor's office, working across city government to advocate for the needs of Philadelphia's LGBT community."

Australian forum hears calls for gay-friendlier nursing homes.

Male autograph seekers mob Lance Bass outside Villa nightclub.

Police raid gay sauna in Israel: "The association's chairman, Mike Hammel, said that 'the sauna is a meeting place for men looking to meet men.' Hammel received many complaints from the sauna's visitors accusing him of slander. The sauna is viewed as a recreational place for gays around the world. In Tel-Aviv, for instance, there are three running saunas. A. established the sauna in Haifa a few months ago, investing large sums of money, and has run it ever since. This is the only place in the north serving as a meeting place for the gay community. 'Saying that this place provides prostitution services, is simply ignorance and stupidity', he said to Ynet. 'Only in Haifa can they come to a place for gays, remove people as if they were a herd of animals, and simply place them under investigation for prostitution.'"

Smiley Face: Investigators discover common link between 40 murder cases of young men across the country. "Gannon and Duarte have done something that no other law enforcement agency has ever done in this case -- they looked at the big picture and visited each site where the young men disappeared. While most local investigations focused on where a body was recovered, Gannon and Duarte tried to figure out where the body went into the river. City after city, when they'd find the spot where the body went in, they would find something else: The symbol of a smiley face."

Cher reminisces about affair with Tom Cruise: "It could have been a great big romance because I was crazy for him."

Lipstick Jungle's Robert Buckley doing what he does best.

Military responds to disgusting video of conditions at Fort Bragg: " Frawley's 10-minute video shows still photos from throughout the building, which appears to be falling apart and filled with mold and rust. Paint -- which Frawley said is lead-based -- is chipping. Ceiling tiles are missing. A broken drain pipe allows sewer gas into the building, while another one has tissues stuffed into it in an apparent effort to stop the gas from coming in. Photos from the communal bathroom show some of the most disgusting images. In one, a soldier stands in a sink to avoid what Frawley describes as 3 inches of sewage water that filled the floor when toilets overflowed."

Letter from Bible beater to underwear company condemns "evil, immoral clothing that will keep souls out of the holy, heavenly kingdom."

Who knew? Florida Governor Charlie Crist has a wife (or at least some want him to be seen that way).

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Larry King Tapes 'Day of Silence' PSA for Lawrence 'Larry' King

Tomorrow is GLSEN's 12th annual Day of Silence. Students from more than 6,800 schools across the nation are expected to take part by taking a vow of silence to raise awareness about anti-LGBT bullying and harassment. This year's observance has been dedicated to 14-year-old Lawrence King, who most of you know was shot and killed by one of his classmates on February 12th, because he was gay.

CNN host Larry King, who shares a name with the young victim, recorded a PSA for GLSEN (Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP). Says King in the spot: “Larry King and I share more in common than just our names. We both believe that all students should be free to be themselves without the fear of name calling, bullying or harassment."

GLSEN president Kevin Jennings told E!'s Marc Malkin that King did not hesitate when asked to record the PSA. "Larry King helps us reach the kind of mainstream audience he speaks to every night. "I don’t necessarily see this as a YouTube phenomenon, but I see this reaching a much more traditional audience."

Malkin reports that T.R. Knight is also participating in the Day of Silence ceremony at the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex in Los Angeles.

King joins Lance Bass, who released a PSA last week.

Watch King's clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

Recent Lawrence King news
Gay Coalition Calls for Lawrence King Killer to be Tried as Juvenile [tr]
Amazing Race's Kynt & Vyxsin to Sit with Lawrence King Classroom [tr]
LOGO Airs Celebrity PSA Response to Lawrence King Murder [tr]

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Lance Bass on 'Day of Silence': I'm Going to Use My Voice

Lance Bass has recorded a PSA to raise awareness about the 11th annual Day of Silence one week from today on April 25, when students across the nation will take a vow of silence to protest bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools.

This year's 'Day of Silence' is dedicated to the memory of Lawrence King.

Says Bass in the PSA, for GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network): "Everyday, thousands of students are silenced. They're silenced by fear, they're silenced for being who they are. ... They're brothers, they're sisters, they're gay, they're straight, they're you, they're me."

AFTER THE JUMP, watch a short segment about the making of the PSA in which Bass talks about his life in the closet with N'Sync and why he's speaking out.

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Lance Bass Takes New Man Out for a Test Drive

One more shot AFTER THE JUMP, and more at Dlisted...

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News: Helen Keller, Gay Music, Rosie O'Donnell, NY Marriage

"Pro-family" groups urge parents to keep their children out of school on April 25's "Day of Silence", a day of raising awareness about tolerance and anti-gay bullying. They also accuse GLSEN of exploiting the murder of Lawrence King.

Website names The 50 Gayest Songs of All Time.

Say it isn't so. Lance Bass declares himself single, rips boyfriend from MySpace "top friends" list.

Maryland weighs new approach on same-sex unions: "Concerned that they won't be able to muster the votes for a comprehensive bill on same-sex unions this year, state lawmakers are considering a tactical shift toward legislation that would grant a number of rights to gay and lesbian couples but stop short of full-fledged marriage or civil unions."

Fort Lauderdale magazine flushes anti-gay Mayor Jim Naugle's latest column about gay restroom sex. City Commissioner Cindi Hutchinson: "I just want all this nonsense to stop. I don't want to talk about the bathroom thing again.''

Rosie O'Donnell: the junk food portrait.

New York's legal posturing on Same-sex marriage examined: "Last week in Manhattan, a State Supreme Court justice, ruling in a divorce proceeding, recognized the Canadian marriage of two New York City women, known publicly as Beth R. and Donna M. — or Mom and Mommy to the two young children they had been raising together. Less than two years after New York’s highest court refused to legalize gay marriage, leaving it up to a divided Legislature, courts in Rochester and Manhattan, as well as state and local officials, have begun to carry out what some say is the de facto legalization of gay marriage — and gay divorce — in New York for the price of, say, a ticket to Toronto."

Matthew McConaughey launches line of surf attire called Just Keep Livin'.

Provincetown arsonist strikes again: "In a little more than 10 minutes, flames destroyed a wooden shed belonging to artist Arthur Cohen at his property near Allerton Street. The blaze is at least the 16th arson fire in Provincetown since Oct. 17, Jennifer Mieth, a spokeswoman for the state fire marshal, said yesterday. No one was injured in the fire and Cohen, who was in New York at the time, was expected to arrive yesterday in Provincetown, according to a family member. Cohen declined to comment about the fire yesterday when reached by phone. On Monday, a landlord's report of a 2-foot square of burned shingles at a framing shop at 288 Bradford St. — little more than one-tenth of a mile from the Cohen property — was added to the list of arson fires, Mieth said."

Will & Grace creator Max Mutchnick said his own "internal oppression" held him back from making bigger statements with regard to gays on that show.

120-year-old photo of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan on Cape Cod discovered: "The photograph, shot in July 1888 in Brewster, shows an 8-year-old Helen sitting outside in a light-colored dress, holding Sullivan's hand and cradling one of her beloved dolls. Experts on Keller's life believe it could be the earliest photo of the two women together and the only one showing the blind and deaf child with a doll — the first word Sullivan spelled for Keller after they met in 1887 — according to the New England Historic Genealogical Society, which now has the photo."

USA Today talks to Anne and Christopher Rice about their new books. Christopher: "She has created her own myth-ology. There's no following in those footsteps. So I keep my work a lot smaller and more focused. I would go insane comparing myself to her."

Jackson steals Mariah Carey's look.

Mississippi lawmakers propose bill banning unwed couples living together from adopting in attempt to stop gays from doing the same.

HIV+ British bareback porn actor speaks out: "'They told me that most of the work would be bareback, and that they would normally check certificates from GUM clinics.' On the various shoots he took part in during his short on-screen career he noticed laxity in the ad hoc system of checking the HIV status of performers. 'I presented a certificate about half the time. They would normally take your word for it. At my local clinic you have to pay £25 to get a certificate.' He was told everyone else was HIV negative, but never saw anyone else's certificates. Clyde has been in two or three bareback DVDs and other scenes that went online. 'We did not work under the best conditions most of the time, it was quite low budget and cramped. For most of the time I was getting paid £100 per scene.'

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News: Brett Favre, Kentucky, Gus van Sant, Dallas, Danny Noriega

Gay Kentucky couple blocked from adopting child through state's foster care system: "Phillips and Parsley said they are outraged because they had already passed a criminal background check and a home survey by a Sunrise employee who was fully aware of their living arrangement. And they have attended two of five classes required for certification through the free program, they said."

Gus van Sant on filming his new film: Paranoid Park. REVIEW: Van Sant "makes another pretty, vacant movie about pretty, vacant boys..."

Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty posts video of himself smoking a cock.

Documentary explores Florida hate crime killing of Ryan Keith Skipper.

Gay porn films pulled from sale in the UK following barebacking investigation: "Two of the DVDs featured footage from a week-long shoot during which eight British models had sex with each other in multiple combinations without condoms. Four of those who took part were diagnosed as HIV positive soon after. One of the men told the BBC he was distressed that footage which he believed showed him becoming infected had been put on sale."

Green Bay Packers Brett Favre to retire. Sportrait flashback...

Lance and Ben document their romance.

Simon Cowell to produce Billy Eliot-Style musical on Britain's Got Talent winner, opera singer Paul Potts: "That particular day was one of the worst, the acts were just terrible, we were fed up and on comes this guy with a funny little suit and bad teeth who looked very nervous. I can remember looking at the other judges, with that 'here we go again' feeling. We had 2,000 people in the audience, and I'll never forget how much the room changed when he began singing." Video Flashback...

Steven Spielberg to launch social networking site for people interested in the afterlife: "The focus will be on users who’ve had or who are interested in sharing paranormal and extraterrestrial experiences. The new social network may also have original video content investigating alleged ghost and UFO stories."

Pink Speedo down under: Carson Kressley definitely not a fashion coward.

Dallas man claims he was assaulted at Station 4 nightclub: "Sid Gonzales, 43, said he suffered two broken bones in his wrist, a puncture wound to his hand and multiple bruises on his backside when two men assaulted him at about 11 p.m. Gonzales said he was near the main dance floor of the Dallas gay nightclub when two men and a woman walked over and stood nearby. Gonzales said he was 'a little buzzed' from alcohol but not intoxicated. He said he tried to be friendly and make small talk with the trio. But he said he was not trying to hit on the men, whom he described as straight-looking, well-dressed and college-aged. When Gonzales asked a few questions, the woman responded but the men said nothing and looked uncomfortable, he said. Gonzales said he reached out to shake hands with one of the men. The man grabbed Gonzales’ arm, twisted it in the air and slammed it against a knee. Gonzales said the first man also stabbed him in the hand with an unidentified object, while the second began kicking him in the backside."

American Idol contestant Danny Noriega wishes you a Merry Christmas.

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Jimmy Kimmel: I'm Gay

Last night during an appearance by Lance Bass, Jimmy Kimmel revealed the magazine cover that People did on him!

Bass was telling Kimmel that when he did his coming out story for People he told them to 'do something a little clever on the cover, don't put 'I'm gay' and, of course...."

Kimmel, joking, said "the same thing happened to me about two weeks later. They ignored me too."

Added Kimmel to Bass: "I like you more now that you're gay."

Check out the clip of Bass' appearance, in which he talks about his career, telling his bandmates, and telling Britney Spears, AFTER THE JUMP...

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News: Writer's Strike, Lance Bass, Maryland, Val Kilmer, Florida

Michael Eisner says deal has been reached in writer's strike.

Charlize Theron impressed by breasts of Harvard's Hasty Pudding drag boys.

Anti-gay Pastor Ken Hutcherson's wife attends school board meeting to discuss public reaction since her Hutcherson appeared at Mount Si High School on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: "My family is boldly called names like 'bigot', 'homophobe' and we've been permanently branded in the valley."

Wouldn't a divorce have been simpler, loser?

Speakers exchange "verbal fisticuffs" in Florida in debate over gay marriage ban.

Forces against same-sex marriage in Maryland vow to step up their attacks: "Del. Donald H. Dwyer Jr. is circulating a petition to take a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage directly to the floor of the House of Delegates without a committee vote. He also is seeking signatures to bring to the House floor a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. While the Anne Arundel Republican is a fervent gay-rights opponent, he said Marylanders deserve to know their legislators' views. 'It's only when the votes are cast that we really know where people stand,' Dwyer said."

Gawker takes on Barry Diller...

Gorgeous shot of a bug covered in dew (via kottke)

BBC: Hundreds of gay Asians in marriages of convenience because of the shame faced in Asian cultures: "In my culture it's not acceptable to be gay. If I have a marriage of convenience it will give them the illusion that I'm straight and I can carry on with who I want."

TJ Maxx courting the gay dollar? What about those who are versatile?

Gay Christian man wins £47,000 in compensation from the Church of England: "John Reaney took the Hereford diocesan board of finance to an employment tribunal after his appointment as a youth worker was blocked. Bishop of Hereford Anthony Priddis has apologised and gay rights group Stonewall said the "substantial compensation" sent a clear message. Mr Reaney, from Colwyn Bay, Conwy, said he was delighted the case was over. 'Lesbian and gay Christians working within the Church of England are entitled to be treated with humanity,' said Mr Reaney, 42. 'I'm very grateful to Stonewall for supporting this case throughout.'"

Former Washington state Rep. Richard Curtis returning checks to campaign donors.

Lance Bass and beau on the rocks?

Toronto gay mag FAB bought up by Pink Triangle Press: "Pink Triangle Press is also publisher of the Ultimate Pride Guides in Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa, as well as international gay travel mag The Guide. The combined circulation of PTP's print pubs is now 156,000, with a reach of about 275,000 monthly readers. Along with its operations in Internet, television and interactive media, PTP's total reach in the gay community is over half a million."

School ends blood drives because of anti-discrimination policy on sexual orientation: San Jose State University President Don Kassing suspended all on-campus blood drives last week, claiming federal donation guidelines that forbid gay men from donating blood conflict with the school's non-discrimination policy regarding sexual orientation. Kassing announced his decision to end blood drives in a Jan. 31 email to students. 'I recognize the importance of giving blood and we know that universities are significant sources of blood . . . however lacking further action by the FDA, we are guided by the clear mandates of our non-discrimination policy,' Kassing said in the email.

Justin Timberlake to hit the "Open Road" in new movie: "According to Variety, the 27-year-old Sexyback singer will play a young man trying to reconnect with his father (Jeff Bridges), a legendary athlete, as he struggles to get him home to his ailing mother’s bedside (Mary Steenburgen)."

Val Kilmer to be the voice of K.I.T.T. in the new Knight Rider.

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Lance Bass Fronts Advocate's 1000th Issue

Lance Bass is featured on The Advocate's landmark 1000th issue. In the cover story, Bass discusses what he perceives as the gay community's love/hate relationship with him (discerned mainly via the comments left on gay blogs) He also talks about his training for space and the various relationships he's had since coming out.

Bass attributes much of the vitriol directed at him to remarks he made in his People magazine "coming out" article, in which he called himself "a straight-acting gay" and chalks the comment up to naïveté.

Says Bass to the magazine: "You know, every community is hard to please. Our community is very fickle. It’s a touchy community because it’s the last civil rights movement we have left here in America. So when someone new like myself comes along and says off-the-mark things, yeah, I can see how people would get pissed...When most people come out, they deal with it out of the public eye, and they start getting educated about it. Me, I had 24 hours to say what I had to say on a subject that I had no clue about... It was a very normal phrase among my circle of friends—and they’d always say, 'You’re such a SAG'—a straight-acting gay. So I reveal that to People magazine, and it looks like I created this phrase and [that] I’m trying to start this movement that you should be straight-acting if you’re gay. It’s just dumb!...I knew last year that when I came out, if I said, 'OK, I’m going to lead every parade and I’m going to speak at every engagement,' half of the community would say, 'Screw you! Who are you to come out and start speaking for every-one?' That’s why I held back and was like, OK, I said my piece now; I’m just gonna lay back and get way more educated about myself, about the community, and not pretend I know what I’m talking about.'"

Bass says that although some may criticize him because he remained closeted for so long, he plans to look the other way and forge ahead with a project that addresses just that subject: "The music business says you can’t be openly gay and be successful, which I think is crap. I want to go out and search for a musical act, develop them, make their first album, everything—and all that time they’re openly gay."

The double-issue is on newsstands December 18.

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News: Giant Bug Fossil, Lourdes, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Egypt

The reason for Jonathan Rhys-Meyers recent arrest for drunk and disorderly behavior in Dublin revealed: his mother's death.

Fossil of world's largest bug discovered: "Found in a German quarry, the claw is 46cm (18ins) long, suggesting the sea scorpion was 2.5m (8ft) long - almost two feet longer that it was previously thought the aquatic creatures grew to. Because land-based scorpions and spiders are believed to have descended from the sea scorpion, scientist believe the discovery means that they also may have been even bigger than had been believed."

Oprah contestants go apeshit over her favorite things - video.

Bush pushing through regulations that will further restrict the ability of HIV-positive people to enter the United States: "This is a big disappointment, given the rhetoric of the Bush administration that the US was making it easier - because the new regs simply add more heavy burdens for the HIV-positive traveler."

Gloves are off. Clinton mocks Obama over foreign policy experience: "Voters will have to judge if living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next president will face. I think we need a president with more experience than that, someone the rest of the world knows, looks up to and has confidence in." Obama shoots back: "Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld have spent time in the White House and traveled to many countries as well, but along with Hillary Clinton they led us into the worst foreign policy disaster in a generation and are now giving George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran. The real choice in this election is between conventional Washington thinking that prizes posture and positioning, or real change that puts judgment and honesty first."

Dennis Quaid and Cedars Sinai speak out: Quaid twins tragedy "preventable".

Canadian Polar Bear "harvest" risks population collapse: "In Canada, government hunting quotas encourage killing male polar bears over female ones. The theory is that, because females rear the bear cubs, losing one female polar bear will have a more serious impact on the population's ability to sustain its number. As a result, at least two thirds of polar bears killed in Canada each year are male, according to a separate study that will appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Wildlife Biology. Research has shown that the policy has significantly reduced the ratio of males to females in polar bear populations across the Canadian Arctic."

Madonna's daughter Lourdes offered part in new Harry Potter film.

Facebook automatically opting in its users to privacy-violating pyramid scheme for its partners?

"Ex-gay" therapy hits Egypt.

Please don't let Santa shoot Brandon Flowers.

Crews mop up oil spill at San Francisco's gay beach.

Two groups of scientists announce they are able to create embryonic stem cells from ordinary skin cells: "The breakthrough marks the beginning of a new era for stem cell biology and could be the end for cloning as an alternative way to produce stem cells. One expert said cloning was now 'dead in the water'. Using the new technique, scientists were able to 'rewind' adult cells back to their embryonic state. The process paves the way for stocks of stem cells that can be turned into any of the 200 or so tissue types in the body."

Lance Bass kicks off the holidays at Bloomingdale's.

Outrageous: U.S. Military demanding that wounded vets give back their signing bonuses because they are unable to serve out their terms due to injury.

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HX Sits Down with Man-About-Town Lance Bass

New York's HX magazine sits down with Lance Bass for a chat and Bass clarifies a few things that have recently come out in the media:

HX: You mentioned in an interview recently that Justin Timberlake once said he wanted to play a gay part in a movie and that had the rest of *NSYNC thinking he was gay.

BASS: Yeah, which was totally taken out of context again. Here's exactly what I said: I think in everyone's life you question your friends' [sexualities] at some point. It doesn't matter if they're straight, whatever. And of course, with five guys who live together, some thoughts are going to go through your head. Chris used to hang out with our choreographer who happened to be gay, and we would question each other, "I wonder if he's gay." And Justin's like, "I always wanted to play a gay guy," and to yourself you're like, "I wonder if that means he's gay." You always have these ignorant thoughts about all of your friends.

Bass also discusses his most recent love interest: "I try and keep it as quiet as possible. Some people I date that are a little recognizable, it kind of gets out there, and all of a sudden you have a boyfriend you never labeled as a "boyfriend." And that ruins your chances of anyone else asking you out! I've been dating someone in particular I'm getting to know a lot better and having a lot of fun.

Incidentally, Bass' recent tell-all tome Out of Sync recently chimed in at #22 on the New York Times expanded bestseller list.

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News: George Clooney, Dogs, ENDA, Gay Muslims, Rudy Giuliani

ENDA: Michelangelo Signorile asks some tough questions of HRC's Joe Solmonese about the decision to go from opposing a non-transgender ENDA to fully backing it. (AUDIO)

Lance Bass and new man Ben Thigpen spend their bread at Butter.

George Clooney and Fabio get their claws out at West Hollywood restaurant: "I thought you were a nice guy. Stop being a diva!"

All I can say is, thank goodness there aren't many cliffs in Wisconsin.

Judge sees evidence that Rita Cosby "crossed the line" in evidence gathering for her Anna nicole book which alleges a gay relationship between Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead: "A federal judge in the Southern District of New York issued an order today in the wake of Stern's allegation that Cosby 'sought to tamper with two witnesses by offering to pay them thousands of dollars for their testimony.' The judge allowed Stern to probe the allegation, concluding he has 'presented substantial -- indeed troubling -- evidence that Cosby has sought to improperly influence witnesses...' In a statement to TMZ, Rita Cosby said 'I am pleased that the Court will get to the bottom of these unfounded allegations. I trust that when all the facts come out that a very different picture will be shown.'"

Gyllenhaal and Witherspoon in nocturnal paparazzi ambush.

Sydney summer Gay Day going green.

According to Mother Jones, Towleroad is blocked at the Denver International Airport: "Your request to URL "http://www.towleroad.com/" has been blocked by the URL Filter Database. The URL is listed under categories (Provocative Attire, Politics / Opinion), which are not allowed by your administrator at this time. The following reputation level was assigned to it: Neutral."

Democrats take back the state Senate in Virginia.

World's tallest dog meets world's smallest.

The NYT visits gay Muslims who have gained asylum in NYC: "Even as they reveled in newfound freedom compared with the Muslim world, they remained closeted, worried about being ostracized at the mosque or at their local falafel stand. 'They’re afraid of the rest of the community here,' said Ayman, a stocky 31-year-old from Jordan, who won asylum in the United States last year on the basis of his sexuality. 'It’s such a big wrong in the Koran that it is impossible to be accepted.' For gay Muslims, change may come via a nascent body of scholarship in minority Muslim communities where the reassessment of sacred texts used to damn homosexuality is gaining momentum."

I'll take the two of spades: Eva Mendes plays with some hot cards.

Pat Robertson endorses Rudy Giuliani. Talking Points Memo: "...the Robertson endorsement Rudy Giuliani bagged today is perhaps the ultimate fusion of right-wing religious extremism and war on terror mania. Giuliani's claim to the presidency is based on his service as mayor during and immediately after 9/11. What stops him from being a shoe-in for the nomination is his track record supporting abortion rights and gay rights. But, Robertson is on record saying that 9/11 was America's punishment for its sinful gay-loving, abortion permitting culture. As Robertson says on his website, the attacks happened because God withdrew his protection from America. He agreed with the late Jerry Falwell that America "deserved" 9/11."

Clinton lead slips 10% following debate debacle.

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News: Buenos Aires, Lance Bass, Salvador Dali, Pete Wentz, Brooklyn

Tragic rape case in Dubai raises diplomatic tensions between the United Arab Emirates and France.

Buenos Aires, Argentina gets five-star gay hotel: "The receptionists are slender young men in sleek suits, the brochure features chiselled male torsos, the rooms are soundproofed and stocked with condoms and every now and then Judy Garland croons in the bar: welcome to Latin America's first luxury gay hotel...The £3.5m five-storey complex has been conceived and designed as an out and proud celebration of gay identity and sexuality, said Nacho Rodriguez, the general manager. 'This hotel is not just gay-friendly. It is gay.'" Nacho Rodriguez has to be one of the best names ever. Website for the Axel Hotel is here.

Lance Bass reveals he was once married to a woman: "People do stupid things in the heat of the moment. I've been in Vegas where I've gotten married for like five minutes, but no one talks about it though. In fact the only reason we did it is because we wanted to get free drinks all night... and we didn't get one."

New York "Realtor to the Stars" found bludgeoned to death in her Fifth Avenue penthouse: "Linda Stein, 62, was found Tuesday night by her daughter, filmmaker Mandy Stein, lying in a pool of blood in the $2.5 million pad at 965 Fifth Ave. on the upper East Side. The city medical examiner ruled her death a homicide yesterday, determining the 5-foot-tall woman died from blunt-force trauma to the head and neck. 'It doesn't seem possible,' said one of Stein's neighbors, Seymour Holtzman, 72. 'It's probably the safest building I know. ... It's shocking.' Stein helped her ex-husband, music mogul Seymour Stein, found Sire Records in the 1970s, a label that launched the careers of Madonna, Talking Heads and Depeche Mode."

Catholic school principal caught in drag, loitering in "high drug trafficking and prostitution area."

Gay bashing south of Manchester, England has police on alert: "A man is in hospital with extensive facial injuries after being attacked in Orford Park in what police believe may be a homophobic attack. The 39-year-old was walking through the park with a friend on Monday night when a man 'violently attacked' him, detectives said. He was punched to the ground and then repeatedly punched and kicked in the face and head while his attacker told him he was going to kill him. The attack only stopped when a resident alerted by the noise came out of his home. The victim is still in Warrington Hospital with serious facial injuries."

Harry Potter actor Robert Pattinson to play Salvador Dali in new film that suggests Dali had a love affair with Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca: "Described by its producers as 'racy' and 'sexy', the film will show Dali and Lorca's feelings deepen into a love affair which the sexually repressed artist tries and fails to consummate. As a substitute, Lorca sleeps with a female friend, with Dali present as a voyeur. The interpretation, by British screenwriter Philippa Goslett, is likely to cause controversy among biographers and historians. Although a physically intimate relationship between the men has long been rumoured, Dali told interviewers more than once that he rejected the homosexual Lorca's attempts to seduce him."

Same-sex commitment ceremony announcement inspires hellstorm of hatred in Missouri town.

Pete Wentz leap of faith presents podiatric problem.

There’s Something About Miriam, the reality show about a 21-year-old transsexual model being wooed by six men who are unaware of her secret, begins airing on FOX Reality Channel tonight. Reality Blurred reports: "When the series first aired in the UK almost four years ago, Miriam said she was really looking for love. 'I did it because I wanted to know if real love exists. Can a person fall in love? I was trying to be myself and if anyone had asked me about myself I would have told them,' she said. As expected, the show was not well-received, and was criticized by many for its premise. The six men sued Sky One and the production company, a subsidiary of Big Brother producer Endemol, for what they said was public humiliation, settled for amounts that 'various reports pegged at anywhere between $150,000 and $250,000 a man.'"

What will Brooklyn, New York be like in the year 2012? Sir Ian McKellen gives a narrated tour. (more at Curbed)

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N'Sync's Chris Kirkpatrick Glad to be on Lance Bass' Gaydar

Chris Kirkpatrick talked to People magazine about a disclosure by Lance Bass that Bass thought bandmates Justin Timberlake (because he wanted a gay part in a movie) and Kirkpatrick (because he hung out with a choreographer) were gay back when they were in N'Sync together.

Said Kirkpatrick: "I think it's awesome that Lance thought I was gay while we were in the band together. He's been going through a lot after coming out, and we respect that and give him his space."

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News: Heidi Fleiss, 50 Cent, Georgetown University, Banksy

Crimes: The cost of being LGBT in today's world.

REPORT: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi ready to split.

Entertainment Weekly: Why didn't Brokeback Mountain change anything? "According to almost every person interviewed for this story, there just aren't any high-quality gay scripts in circulation. 'I swear to you, if there were projects that were visible and good, people would make them,' says Hairspray producer Craig Zadan, who, with Neil Meron, makes up one of the most successful gay producing teams in town. 'No one's brought them to us.' It doesn't help that the scripts that are out there can't seem to get off the ground. The Front Runner, about a cross-country coach who falls in love with one of his runners, and The Dreyfus Affair, about a romance between two major-league ballplayers, have been in development hell for years. And Zadan and Meron themselves have spent 16 years trying to get The Mayor of Castro Street, about slain gay civil rights icon Harvey Milk, on the screen. So gay film is caught in a bitter catch-22. Because studios don't greenlight gay movies, great writers don't bother crafting them — so there's nothing for the studios to produce."

British rugby player de-planed and de-pantsed.

Following hate crime, Georgetown University finally makes commitment to LGBT community: "At an open forum last night, President John DeGioia commendably announced that Georgetown will have a fully-staffed, fully-funded LGBTQ resource center by next fall. Three working groups will be created to address the creation of the resource center, the development of a better bias-reporting system and plans for LGBTQ diversity training during New Student Orientation."

What happens if you stay awake for eleven days straight?

Singapore's gay rights debate got ugly: "There were threatening, expletive-laced emails. One parliamentarian had his sexuality questioned. Another academic was flamed in blogs and had her phone number circulated. And the employer of one gay professional was questioned about their hiring him. The ugly turn of events, some may say, is only to be expected given the emotional nature of the subject matter — one that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had warned on Tuesday could polarise society."

Heidi Fleiss seeking studs for stud farm.

50 Cent and Lance Bass do book battle.

While Morrissey does NYC, Reichen Lehmkuhl does drag.

New study on the effects of chewing gum on weight loss: "A research study presented at the 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting of The Obesity Society, found that chewing gum before an afternoon snack helped reduce hunger, diminish cravings and promote fullness among individuals who limit their overall calorie intake. Calorie intake from snacks was significantly reduced by 25 calories. Overall, this study demonstrates the benefits of chewing gum and highlights the potential role of chewing gum in appetite control and weight management. Nutritionists say that even small changes in calories can have an impact in the long term."

Desperate Housewives to get gayer as Estimates eclipsed at Banksy auction. Bonham's specialist: "Today's results demonstrate that prices for Banksy's work continue to go from strength to strength. Perhaps the most incredible aspect of the Banksy phenomenon ...(is) that as a self-confessed guerilla artist, he has been so wholeheartedly embraced by the very establishment he satirizes. We are sure that this irony is not lost on today's buyers."

San Francisco Episcopal diocese okays blessings for same-sex couples.

David Beckham voted "manliest" in poll.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #189: Lance Bass Edition

Lance Bass has been hitting all the major media outlets promoting his new book Out of Sync. Here are his appearances on Good Morning America, The View, and The Tyra Banks Show.

Apparently Ellen DeGeneres is playing hard to get.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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New: Staph Threat, George Lucas, Lance Bass, New York City Taxis

Lesbian mom says daughter now goes to school with bodyguard because of bullying: "Virginia Gaffey says that her 9-year-old daughter was physically assaulted by other students on the playground at Tucker Elementary in Milton. She claims that the reason was because she is a gay mother."

Lance Bass tells GQ that Britney Spears was surprised when he came out to her: "It was the night of her first wedding, actually. I was in Vegas with her, her dancers, her manager, and my boyfriend at the time . . . Her manager had already gotten rid of [her first husband] Jason [Alexander] - they'd flown him home. Britney was upset about what she had done. I felt bad for her. I knew she was about to go through a lot of crap. I felt the need to share something. So I sat her on my bed, and I'm like, Well, I'm gay!"

Istanbul attempts to shut down gay rights organization: "The Governor's Office of Istanbul has demanded the closure of Lambda Istanbul, an organization defending lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people's rights in Turkey, claiming that the name and objectives of the group are 'against the law and morality'. The governor had asked in early 2007 that the group be shut down; in July, the local Prosecutor's Office rejected the complaint. The Governor's Office then took the case to a higher court, the Beyoglu Sutluce Court of First Instance No. 5, which heard the case in July 2007 and ordered a second hearing for October."

D.C. police chief sends out directive to department on treating transgender people with respect.

NYC taxis get new logo treatment.

George Lucas plotting Star Wars TV series: "There is a caveat, though: The proposed series doesn't have anyone named Luke or Anakin in it, a story path that Lucas concedes is 'taking chances' as far as connecting with an audience expecting the familiar mythology. 'The Skywalkers aren't in it, and it's about minor characters,' Lucas said in an interview. 'It has nothing to do with Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader or any of those people. It's completely different. But it's a good idea, and it's going to be a lot of fun to do.'"

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