News: LeBron James Sucks What?, Glenn Beck U, Calamari Calamity, GLAAD Unhappy With The View

 Gay (but celibate) nominee Rev. Jeffrey John is probably out of the running to become Bishop of Southwark in South London.

 Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council is praising Gov. Linda Lingle of Hawaii for vetoing civil unions. BTW, he's on the record calling for homosexuality to be criminalized and for gays to be deported from the United States.

 LeBron James branded a "cocksucker"—in a bad way—by Gawker.

 The psychic octopus (no sentence should ever begin this way, but there it is) who successfully predicted the outcome of all the German World Cup matches has received death threats.

 Jon Kortajarena, Andrés Velencoso and more of the world's top male models get naked (NSFW) for V Magazine.

 What it's like to enroll in Glenn Beck's Beck University. First course: Faith 101.

 The Outrate Online Short Film Festival 2010 is under way. (NSFW ads.)

 Homophobic, racist, anti-Semitic, misogynist...now Mel Gibson can add "wifebeater" to his résumé. Allegedly.

 The video for "Crossfire"—Brandon Flowers's first-ever solo single—premieres in the U.K. today.

 GLAAD is after The View, specifically appealing to Barbara Walters over Sherri Shepherd and guest host D.L. Hughley's misinformed remarks that HIV is more prevalent in black women due to the number of gay and bisexual black men on the downlow.

 Gay men seeking asylum in the U.K. should be "free to enjoy themselves going to Kylie concerts and drinking exotically coloured cocktails." Nice thought, but probably not the main reason they fear returning to their home countries.

 The Jim Carrey/Ewan McGregor gay-themed film I Love You, Phillip Morris was screened at The Budapest Gay Pride Festival on July 4. (Anyone see it?)

 Republican Rep. Aaron Schock—who is absolutely not gay—is once again celebrated for his good looks. As a legislator, he makes a great fitness model.

 The California governor race is all tied up. Which is good news and bad news for both Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman.

 Gay activist Peter Rosenstein endorses D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray in the Washington, D.C., mayoral race. He'd previously worked as an advisor to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, but "it's another sign that many longtime local Democratic and civic activists are coalescing around Gray because of concerns about Fenty's personality and governing style."

 A supplements supplement.

Video: Two-Time Divorcée Protects The Sanctity Of Marriage

After the jump, lame-duck Republican Gov. Linda Lingle's announcement vetoing Hawaii HB 444, in which she claims to be exercising her power because the issue should be decided upon by the voters of Hawaii. While she states her veto has nothing to do with her personal position against "same-gender marriage" (her term) or political considerations, she also takes the opportunity to slam the Democratic-led legislature for forcing her hand.

A farce.

Hawaii's Gov. Linda Lingle Vetoes Same-Sex Civil Unions Bill

UPDATE: Lambda Legal and the ACLU are preparing to sue.

Hawaii's Republican governor has vetoed Hawaii HB 444, the bill that would have allowed for same-sex civil unions in her state. It's gonna cost Hawaii in the long run. So much for allowing the legislature to legislate.

Perversely, Lingle invited Justice Steven H. Levinson to witness her announcement. Levinson's 1993 opinion found that the state's law against same-sex marriage violated equal-protection rights.

In her announcement, Lingle declared the bill "so important it should be decided by the people," indicating our rights should be put to a vote.

Via Joe.My.God.: The Maui Time cover was prepared (along with an alternate) in advance of Lingle's decision.

After the jump, see passionate reactions to Lingle's decision, both pro and con...

Governor To Decide Fate Of Hawaiian Civil Unions Bill Today

Hawaii's Republican Gov. Linda Lingle will today announce whether or not she'll veto her state's recently passed civil unions bill, which would grant unmarried (including same-sex) couples the same benefits of marriage.

"I really thought about this more than I have thought about any other piece of legislation. It is a subject that has really touched the hearts and minds of everyone in Hawaii."

Lingle also noted yesterday that reactions she's received so far run "60 to 40 against, but as I'm going to talk about tomorrow—that isn't what helped me to make a decision on this. It was really the depth of feeling on both sides—so I look forward to sharing that with everybody tomorrow."

Bets on her decision?

Take Action on Hawaii's Civil Unions Bill

 

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle has been deluged with letters over the civil unions bill which sits on her desk on a list of potential vetoes.

 The AP reports: "Gay rights groups hoisted signs in favor of same-gender civil unions at the Hawaii Capitol on Tuesday, while religious leaders asked their congregations to urge the Republican governor to veto the measure...Lingle's office has received about 20,000 letters, faxes, e-mails and phone calls, most of which oppose civil unions."

Alliance Pride Hawaii wants your help in lobbying Governor Lingle not to veto the civil unions bill, and urge you to write letters to that effect.

They write: "Keep in mind that timing is very crucial; to get it to her before she must make her decision (July 6, 2010), the letters must be sent this week. We have in mind letters with the following two themes: 'We are from _____ and we would sure love to have our civil union in Hawaii,' and 'We recently got a civil union in _____ but would much rather have had it in Hawaii.'"

Letters should be mailed to:

The Honorable Linda Lingle
Governor, State of Hawai`i
Executive Chambers
State Capitol
Honolulu, Hawai`i 96813

Hawaii Governor To Put Civil Unions Bill On Potential Veto List

KITV reports:

"Lt. Gov. James 'Duke' Aiona said on Thursday Gov. Linda Lingle will put the civil unions bill on the veto list Monday when she informs lawmakers about bills she might veto. Aiona said that does not mean the governor will veto the bill that would give all the rights of marriage under Hawaii law to same sex and heterosexual couples. 'It will be a potential veto and the governor right now is crafting her decision as to whether of not she will or will not veto that bill. Some, we will find out. The deadline for that is July 6,' Aiona said. The governor's potential veto list is to inform lawmakers of bill that might be vetoes to give them time to determine if they want to override her vetoes."

You may recall that Lingle met with anti-gay activists to discuss the bill for two hours last month.

Also, earlier this week Lingle, who is Jewish, spoke with two rabbis who have contrasting views on the subject. One believes that legalizing same-sex civil unions "is not something that should be condoned or should be legalized." The other claims that "civil unions are a legal arrangement, therefore, anyone who uses religion to oppose civil unions is purely using religion to further homophobia."

Both rabbis, post-meeting, say that neither is sure if Lingle would veto the bill or not.