News: Helene Gayle, Equality March, Caster Semanya, Lance Bass

Arnold Schwarzenegger to induct Harvey Milk into California Hall of Fame. Will he have the gall to veto Harvey Milk Day again after doing so? You can still call 916-445-2841 (and press a button) to voice your support for the Harvey Milk day bill.

Lance Bass has a new bodyguard.

Tests on runner Caster Semenya show unusually high testosterone levels.

Louise at Pam's house Blend points us to two fundraisers for the Maine marriage equality battle.

Dr. Helene Gayle tapped to lead Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Sebelius: "Dr. Gayle is an internationally acclaimed leader with a long history of working to end the epidemic both around the world and here at home in the United States. We are hopeful that the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, under her leadership, will serve a platform to share our plans and insights with the public health community and the public and serve as a vehicle to carry their ideas and input back to the Administration."

David Beckham opts for more modest swimwear on American shores.

Late Lady Gaga booed in Britain.

AfterElton interviews NCIS actress and  civil rights activist Pauley Perrette.

Little Britain's Matt Lucas looking for romance.

Former Naval petty officer Keith Meinhold on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell: "We serve this country honorably, too."

Michelangelo Signorile on why he's decided to attend the National Equality March in D.C.: "It’s time for these new, even risky approaches, and it’s time to ask for it all -- now. That’s why I’m going to Washington for the National Equality March -- called for by legendary activists David Mixner and Cleve Jones -- even though, like others, I wasn’t initially down with the idea. It’s time the rest of us showed up on the National Mall and let Obama know that the cocktail party crowd -- the suck-ups, the sycophants, and the scaredy-cats -- doesn’t represent us."

James Kirchik profiles Shmuel Herzfeld, Washington's gay-friendly Orthodox rabbi.

Wilmer Valderrama scowls in the surf.

New Zealand principal who stole from school now claims he's being victimized for being gay.

Anderson Cooper on Heidi Montag: "I don't know who this person is, nor why she's pretending to be a singer, nor why anyone should actually listen to her, but apparently she's famous." Clip.

Political Science professor calls on Maryland to lead in marriage equality.

Lesbian UK policewoman throws her support behind gay night at town's pub, speaks about her sexuality.

The SF Chronicle talks to The Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California: "As a Christian in the Episcopal Church, I firmly believe in a God who's transcendent, who encompasses the whole universe. There's a lot of attention paid to human sexuality. But when we frame the question as 'Is it too much?' there's almost an implication that there's only so much energy to go around."

Tastee Diner Releases Video of Lesbian Couple It Kicked Out

Yesterday I posted about a lesbian couple who organized a sit-in at Tastee Diner in Silver Spring, Maryland in response to their expulsion for what the restaurant said was inappropriate behavior.

Watch the report on the incident, sit-in, and interview with the lesbian couple, HERE.

Lisa Wilkes, the diner's manager, called the behavior "X-rated". In an attempt to clear their name, the Tastee Diner has now posted surveillance video of the "X-rated" incident online, but it may backfire. The video shows the couple interacting, and at one point one of the women places her head on the other woman's chest.

I see a 25-second hug. Obviously, to some homophobes, this is terrifying. The question is, would the diner have kicked a straight couple out for this behavior?

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Lesbian Couple Organizes Sit-In After Expulsion from Maryland Diner

Aiyi-nah Ford and Torian Brown, a lesbian couple, were asked to leave Tastee Diner in Silver Spring, Maryland earlier this month after holding each other. The eviction prompted Ford to organize a sit-in protest at the restaurant on Wednesday, NBC Washington reports:

"The restaurant's manager, Lisa Wilkes, whose family owns the well-known eatery, countered that the couple went further than innocent cuddling. They were touching each other inappropriately, she said. 'The Tastee Diner is a family restaurant, and it doesn't matter if you're straight or if you're gay,' Wilkes said. 'If you start going beyond the point of kissing and things start to get a little X-rated, we're going to ask you to stop.'"

NBC Washington's report on the incident and protest, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Venus, Tom Ford, Copenhagen, Fernando Verdasco, Greek

Equal Love: Australian cities to see protests tomorrow pushing for marriage equality.

Bright spot appears on Venus.

How many men did the Bachelorette sleep with? Anderson Cooper wants to know.

Tom Ford's directorial debut, the Christopher Isherwood adaptation A Single Man, is among the headliners at the Venice Film Festival.

UK Quakers to allow same-sex marriage: "The society has already held religious blessings for same-sex couples who have had a civil partnership ceremony. But agreeing to perform gay marriages, which are currently not allowed under civil law, could bring the Quakers into conflict with the government."

AP: Marriage secondary to basic rights for gay activists on local level.

Joe Dimaggio full-frontal at San Francisco art exhibit.

Copenhagen church welcomes gays and lesbians during World Outgames: "One of the city’s most prominent churches opened its doors to homosexuals on Thursday, offering to bless gay and lesbian couples from countries whose own churches typically chastise them...It also hosted masses and outdoor concerts throughout the day for homosexuals and anyone else who was interested in participating."

Progress in Fort Worth, Texas: City to consider trans protections, domestic partner benefits.

Wayne Besen: The anti-gay violence to come. "As the wider culture becomes more accepting, homophobes are growing increasingly frustrated, which has led to bolder and more confrontational actions. Are anti-gay leaders egging on unstable followers to attack gay people or provoking gays to defend themselves so they can manufacture martyrdom and justify retaliation?"

Charles Baker, Republican challenger to Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, won't be touching the state's marriage equality laws if he wins: “My brother’s gay, and he’s married, and he lives in Massachusetts, so I’m for it. Is that straight enough?’’

EW ranks 20 greatest vampires.

Hola: Spanish tennis player Fernando Verdasco enjoys being a pin-up.

Behind the scenes of the Saved by the Bell reunion!

ABC Family not afraid of the gay in Greek.

Four women arrested for assault on 'traditional marriage' activists: "The men told the police that women driving in a Honda Civic stopped near the median where the men carried a sign and banner, then hurled a bottle at the men once the light turned green. The car pulled away. 'We'll be back!' the men said one of the car's occupants yelled."

HRC launches "No Excuses" website in "grassroots" push for equality.

D.C. attorney arrested after saying "I hate the police" in front of cop, who then called him a "faggot".

For Ryan Gosling fans only.

Maryland's first Muslim lawmaker Saqib Ali pens op-ed in support of marriage equality: "Homosexuality is strictly forbidden in Islam. As such I have evinced much grief from my most conservative supporters. But I recognize that I represent people of all faiths and no faith at all. If I tried to enforce religion by law — as in a theocracy — I would be doing a disservice to my both constituents and to my religion."

News: Millvina Dean, Prince Harry, Manhattanhenge, Kellan Lutz,

Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler reviewing legality of state recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere: "The Baltimore Sun reports Gansler is expected to make a decision within the coming weeks, and his office would not comment to the newspaper while the issue is being researched. Maryland law defines marriage as only between a man and a woman; however, the state has legally recognized the marital status of couples married in other states."

Yesterday: Manhattanhenge.

Prince Harry plays with the luckiest balloons in the universe.

Inside last week's Lambda Literary Awards - a photo gallery.

WaPo: The Mormons are coming! "With the battle moving east, some advocates are shouting that fact in the streets, calculating that on an issue that eventually comes down to comfort levels, more people harbor apprehensions about Mormons than about homosexuality."

New Hampshire LGBT youth organization Seacoast Outright facing financial difficulties, to close after 15 years: "The executive director said the group has been in existence for more than 15 years with its main focus being to support youths who may not have a support system because of their sexuality. Seacoast Outright meets with youths twice a week and is viewed by many as an extended family. Wesley said the group has been serving upward of 20 youths who knew the organization was struggling, but were hopeful it would survive."

New trailer for Torchwood: Children of the Earth.

Sun sets for 97-year-old Millvina Dean, last known survivor of the Titanic: "As a two-month-old baby, Dean was the youngest passenger on board the giant liner when it sank on its maiden voyage with the loss of more than 1,500 lives."

Beau Breedlove denied restraining order against Oregonian reporter: "The judge told Breedlove that he'd need to fear that Walth posed 'an immediate threat of physical violence' in order to get one. Background.

Minnesota man convicted in hate crime attack on lesbian: "The 35-year-old woman testified in December that Warren punched her in the face, pinned her to the floor and threatened to rape and kill her after making obscene comments about her sexual orientation."

L.A. Times: California gubernatorial candidates face a marriage equality "minefield".

Twilight's Kellan Lutz gets out in the sunlight.

There was more ass than Bruno's at the MTV Movie Awards.

Jennifer Hudson is pregnant.

Australian broadcaster told to apologize for gay slurs.

Drag queen Dina Marie says NYC 'HK Lounge' owner homophobic: "The straight owned and straight operated venue clearly stated to me that they 'didn't want me and any of the fags'. That we were all 'jokes' who brought nothing to the table."

Mo: Britney's new (spoof) fragrance for gays.

Pastor in San Marino, California will not perform any more marriages until Prop 8 is overturned: "The Rev. Art Cribbs, pastor of the 60-member San Marino Congregational United Church of Christ, says he has been marrying couples for more than 20 years but the wedding ceremony he performed on May 23 would be his last until gay couples are given the same right."

Westboro Baptist Protests Walt Whitman's Sexuality, Gets Pwn'd

The Washington Post says being gay is a "lifestyle":

 

But the real news of this post is the counter-protest put together by students at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland, in response to the arrival of seven hags from the Westboro Baptist Church on Friday:

"The police presence -- 40 officers, five horses, blocked-off streets and a football field's length of yellow tape -- seemed comically disproportionate until the counter-protest arrived. At the 2:10 p.m. dismissal, 500 students issued forth from the campus and lined up, several students deep, along the police tape, across Whittier Boulevard from the congregants. They alternately chanted the school name and "Go home!" -- drowning out voices from across the street."

The WBC was there to protest Walt Whitman's sexual orientation, if you can believe it.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...