News: Howard Dean, iPhone, Lance Armstrong, Reggae, Ryan Gosling

Russian gay activists to picket Iranian Embassy in Moscow. Nikolai Alexeyev: "We need to continuously remind the state authorities that the death penalty must be abolished."

Line forms a week early for 3G iPhone...

Ryan Gosling makes an excellent case for the white T-shirt.

Larry Craig's bathroom stall to return to spotlight: "Thousands of members of the international media will have to walk past it when they land at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for the Republican National Convention in St. Paul at the end of the summer. Many will feel obligated to stop and file a story. For the party that bills itself as stronger on family values than the Democrats, it likely will prove an unwelcome distraction."

UK Study: employees who are "out" at work perform better.

Half Blood Prince: First look at new Harry Potter film.

Lance Armstrong gets a beard.

Signorile on Arthur Finkelstein, the gay Republican behind Jesse Helms: "Conservative, then-closeted, Republican political operative Arthur Finkelstein helped engineer Helms' racist campaign against African-American Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt in 1990, as Helms was vilifying gay sexuality, blocking AIDS funding, stalling prevention and attacking queer artists. (See the ad below that was aired at the height of the campaign and which resulted in Gantt going from a a lead in the polls to defeat on Election Day). Had Jesse Helms not had the handiwork of Finkelstein, who worked for Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and various right-wing senators, he might have lost that race. Instead, we had another decade of his antigay grip on the Republican Party, as he blocked HIV prevention measures and thousands more died."

SALON: Transgender man delivered a baby, but failed to deliver respect.

Nicole Kidman gives birth to a Sunday on a Monday.

Obama campaign plane makes emergency stop due to mechanical problems.

"No Homo" the latest catchphrase to sweep NFL locker rooms: "LenDale White says to Vince Young: 'Vince, you’ve got great nips. No homo.' Did you catch the subtle twist there? LenDale has said something that on any other day might be considered gay, but, and this is key, he’s inoculated his heterosexuality by appending, no homo at the end. No homo also works at the front of the phrase but then it’s much less enjoyable because the other party has been keyed into the homosexuality of the statement that’s to follow. Hence, 'No homo. Vince you’ve got great nips.' No dice there."

Reggae music label plans "Straight Pride Parade" in Brooklyn to protest ban of gay murder music artist Stapler.

Howard Dean holds holiday fundraiser in Provincetown: "From a small podium Dean spoke of the enormous progress that has been made in terms of civil rights — for instance, the number of states that have had referendums on gay marriage — despite eight years under 'one of most oppressive presidents' the country has ever known and a Supreme Court he characterized as 'a disgrace. It’s interesting,' he said. 'Sometimes you have to just sit back and look. The grassroots have changed dramatically.'"

NBC to buy The Weather Channel for $3.5 billion. Hurricane Bertha forms in the Atlantic...

Matt Damon checks into the Green Zone.

Michael Ausiello: Hit TV show planning big gay twist.

Getting away with it: Kylie Minogue breaks royal protocol as she is bestowed with the Order of the British Empire...

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Matt Damon Really Getting into This Role

2007's Sexiest Man Alive on the set of his movie The Informant in Hawaii.

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News: Rea Carey, Justice Dept, Olympics, Monet, Barack Obama

Conservative Orange County Register says high court's decision on marriage was justified.

MAG: What's on Obama's iPod.

Matt Damon's summer look: flab with pornstache.

Rea Carey to succeed Matt Foreman as executive director of Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

REPORT: Justice Dept. politicized hiring practices to favor Republican candidates: "'Many qualified candidates' were rejected for the department’s honors program because of what was perceived as a liberal bias, the report found. Those practices, the report concluded, 'constituted misconduct and also violated the department’s policies and civil service law that prohibit discrimination in hiring based on political or ideological affiliations.'" FLASHBACK: DOJ Looking into Possible Firing of Atty Over Sexual Orientation...

Ad campaign for Dexter in Portugal features severed limbs in butcher cases and knifed corpses on the street!

British soldiers see 13 UFOs in sky above barracks: "I was on duty in the guard room when the other boys outside began shouting. I went out to see what the commotion was about and could see thirteen craft in the skies. They were zig-zagging, but I filmed two before they disappeared. They were like rotating cubes with multiple colours. I made a full report to my commanding officers and gave them my footage. The other lads were as amazed by it as I was."

Monet water lily painting goes for $80.5 million at Christie's, doubling previous record for the artist.

Washington D.C. city councilman and former mayor Marion Barry says he would support a bill legalizing same-sex marriage there.

Bill Clinton offers support to Obama; Obama asks donors to raise money for Clinton.

Orlando Bloom reveals his back end in the Canary Islands.

Justin Timberlake's 'Play' fragrance may smell clean but his feet are filthy.

Out swimmer Andrew Langenfeld to compete for a spot on the Olympic team in the 100-meter butterfly.

NYC Chelsea nightclub 1 Oak reacts to reports yesterday that they covered up a gay bashing at the venue. Page Six: "Club sources say the night was not promoted as a 'gay night' and that the attacker was re strained by security but broke away. The victim said 1Oak owner Scott Sartiano insisted on giving him a car to the hospital instead of calling an ambulance. A rep for the club said, '1Oak is committed to providing an environment of safety and security to patrons every night. This incident was handled by security and staff immediately and this type of inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated at 1Oak.'"

Art Fag City talks to Nayland Blake about who they'd all like to fuck.

Anti-gay assault suspect under arrest in Minneapolis: "A gay Twin Cities man, the apparent victim of a hate crime, was badly beaten last Saturday. He claims a stranger approached him near 6th and Cedar Ave. South in Minneapolis, and asked if he was gay. The victim answered yes proudly, and the suspect hit the man in the face, yelling that he hated homosexuals. Abdirizak Mohamed has been charged with assault in the fourth degree with bias—a hate crime with enhanced penalties."

Michelle Obama to give keynote address at Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council Gala DNC fundraiser on Thursday in New York.

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News: Michael Jackson, Presbyterians, Michelle Obama, Unicorn,

How gay is your Shul? "In June, Jewish Mosaic and their partners will start surveying nearly every congregation in the U.S. on their policies and practices of inclusion—for example, whether they offer same-sex spousal benefits, follow a written nondiscrimination policy regarding sexual orientation, or use nonexclusive language on membership forms. When the survey concludes later this summer, Jewish Mosaic will use its findings to create a "resource guide to best practices" on LGBT inclusion for synagogue leaders, who have few places to turn for help with questions on sexuality and gender."

Unicorn discovered in Italy!

Gee, thanks: Bakersfield, California police say they won't arrest couples getting married outside the county clerk's office. "The Rev. Byrd Tetzlaff, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Kern County, told The Chronicle on Tuesday that the police would not allow them to conduct the ceremonies there. On Wednesday, Tetzlaff said it had been a misunderstanding."

Two men punched to pub floor in homophobic UK assault. Police seek witnesses.

Michael Jackson designing clothing line.

The impossible divorce: Rhode Island Superior Court judge refuses to hear case of lesbian couple "but questioned whether the law that barred the women from ending their marriage unconstitutionally denied them a right enjoyed by heterosexual Rhode Islanders."

Police chief in Budapest, Hungary bans gay pride: "Budapest police chief Dr. Gábor Tóth has banned the Gay Pride March, it emerged last night. The march, which Dr. Tóth said would disrupt traffic in the city, was scheduled to take place on Saturday July 5 on Andrássy, one of Budapest’s main streets."

Presbyterian church of Wales in harassment and discrimination lawsuit: "Giving evidence on Tuesday, Mr Price, who is openly gay, said he worked alongside Ms Jones at the church's 250-year-old Trefeca centre, a 37-bed retreat near Brecon, Powys, visited by church groups from around Britain. He told the hearing he was forced to quit as the assistant manager because of Ms Jones's ceaseless comments about sex, which included calling him a 'stupid poof'."

Pittsburgh Presbyterian minister remains under fire for conducting same-sex union ceremonies: " A Presbyterian minister from Pittsburgh still faces two charges that she conducted a prohibited gay wedding ceremony. But the Rev. Janet Edwards will not face charges for performing the ceremony improperly when her church trial resumes in October. Church officials have dropped charges alleging Edwards committed errors when she omitted Bible readings and references to Christian traditions in the ceremony. Edwards made the changes because one of the lesbians she married in 2005 is Buddhist."

Oprah tops Forbes' richest celebrities list — again.

High School Musical stage production outs character that was "coded gay" in the films. Playwright: "I wanted to present Ryan as something from my own past, a version of me, I guess — though he's a lot better dancer than I ever was! In the movie, the character has a gay tint. But in the stage version, I wanted to more fully articulate that tint and say, hey, this kid is who he is. Yes, I consider him a young gay guy without ever having to say it. I’d rather say it with behavior and action. And we do." Film role was played by Milk's Lucas Grabeel.

Matt Damon to play rugby captain in new film.

FOX calls Michelle Obama "Obama's Baby Mama".

TIME: California's Gay Marriage Rush. "A report released by the Williams Institute at UCLA law school says fully half of the state's 102,000 gay couples could wed in the next three years. UCLA law professor Brad Sears told TIME that the number is in keeping with experience in Massachusetts, where gay marriage is also legal, and Vermont, which permits civil unions. Another 67,000 or so are expected to arrive from other states, says Sears, the report's co-author."

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Jimmy Kimmel is F**king Ben Affleck!

While his wife was having her neck ravaged by Gary Busey, Jimmy Kimmel was f**king Ben Affleck.

Here's Kimmel's epic response to Sarah Silverman's previous and much-forwarded video, "I'm f*cking Matt Damon". Kimmel assembled an all-star cast including Brad Pitt, Robin Williams, Cameron Diaz, Josh Groban, Meatloaf, Dominic Monaghan, Harrison Ford, Macy Gray, Christina Applegate, Joan Jett, McLovin, Don Cheadle, Rebecca Romijn, Pete Wentz, Perry Farrell, Good Charlotte, Lance Bass, and Huey Lewis.

Check the clip out AFTER THE JUMP...

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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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People Names Matt Damon "Sexiest Man Alive"

And rewards him by recycling most unflattering photo shoot ever from December '06.

Said Damon: "You've given an aging suburban dad the ego-boost of a lifetime."

And here are the other winners...

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News: Matt Damon, Maryland Marriage, NYC Subway, Brazil

UK Stonewall equality organization announces award nominees: "Coronation Street actor Antony Cotton, comedian Sue Perkins, singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, rapper Mz Fontaine and The Feeling vocalist Dan Gillespie-Sells are nominated for Entertainer of the Year."

Can you hear me now? New York City subway stations to be wired for cell phone service: "The cellphone network will start in six downtown Manhattan stations in two years. Once it is shown to be working properly, Transit Wireless will have four more years to outfit the rest of the underground stations. Under the agreement, the first six stations are to be those at 23rd Street and 14th Street on the Eighth Avenue line, 14th Street on the Seventh Avenue line, 14th Street on the Sixth Avenue line, and Eighth Avenue and Sixth Avenue on the L line. All areas of the stations, including entryways, mezzanines, platforms and transfer passages, will be wired. The system will be designed to allow a seamless connection between the train and street level, so that users will not lose calls as they move in or out of the stations, according to Gary Simpson, president of Nab Construction, a Queens company that is a partner in the wireless venture."

Two elementary school boys charged with criminal sexual conduct after allegedly forcing another boy to perform oral sex during school bus ride.

Bette Midler, Cloris Leachman, Carrie Fisher, Lynn Whitfield, Joanna Gleason, Ana Gasteyer and Debi Mazar join Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Candice Bergen in remake of The Women currently shooting in Boston.

Matt Damon: "After Iraq, the Bush administration disgusts me."

Amy Winehouse disappoints at Britain's MOBO awards.

Britney Spears continues downward spiral: heads to the club after judge accuses her of substance abuse.

Forget football. David Beckham to design costumes for the Spice Girls: "David has been helping out a lot ahead of the Spice Girls tour, which starts in December and has offered to give them fashion advice. He has been looking at pictures of Julien Macdonald's collection on the internet and has also studied other designer collections. He is drawing different strengths from various fashion designers, but obviously Victoria will have the final say."

Brazilian football player Richarlyson continues to be tailed by gay rumors.

Democratic Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley in shift on support of same-sex marriage. Backs civil unions now, following the Court of Appeals' recent decision to uphold the state's ban on same-sex marriage. Senate President deals second blow, says he won't support legislation to legalize same-sex marriage or civil unions.

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Gus van Sant Snaps Up Penn and Damon for Harvey Milk Film

Sean Penn has reportedly signed on to play Harvey Milk in Gus van Sant's project about the slain openly gay SF supervisor, and could begin shooting as soon as December, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Matt Damon is reportedly attached to play Milk's assassin, fellow supervisor Dan White, although the project's start date could affect Damon's participation.

Van Sant's project, as yet untitled, has a script from Dustin Lance Black (Big Love) and will be produced by Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks (American Beauty)

In April I posted about the rival Harvey Milk projects that were racing towards production. At odds with Van Sant's project is the long-simmering Mayor of Castro Street, a project being produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron which currently has Bryan Singer attached as director.

In 1977, Harvey Milk became the first openly gay official elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He would serve eleven courageous months before being brutally murdered at City Hall in a homophobic attack by supervisor Dan White, who had eluded metal detectors by climbing in through a basement window. White also murdered mayor George Moscone.

In a stunning sentence, White was convicted of two counts of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to seven years and eight months. The main defense that White's lawyer gave was that he had eaten too much junk food the day of the murders which had somehow influenced his actions. It was labeled by critics as "the twinkie defense." White was paroled after six years and committed suicide soon after.

Milk had been paranoid about a threat of assassination because of his outspoken role in the community and his views on gay rights. On one of many audio tapes that was discovered after his death, on which he had recorded a will, he said: "If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door."

According to the Reporter, "Penn has never portrayed an openly gay character onscreen, but he did play the sexually ambiguous Olivia Newton-John impersonator 'Groovin' Larry' in a section of Trent Harris' 2001 cult hit 'Beaver Trilogy.' Penn's video short was shot in 1981, then combined with Harris' 1979 documentary short on the amateur performer and his 1985 short narrative version 'The Orkly Kid,' starring Crispin Glover as Larry, to create 'Beaver.'"

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News: Brooke Astor, Flexible Battery, Jake Gyllenhaal, iPhone

New York's "Aristocrat of the People" Brooke Astor dies at 105: "...it was a changing social order that Brooke Astor oversaw. Hers was a society defined more by balance sheets than bloodline. It opened its doors to entrepreneurs and Wall Street movers and shakers who had bought entree with so many millions that in the 1980s Mrs. Astor declared herself 'nouveau pauvre.' Although aristocratic in upbringing, style and social milieu, she never sought to be the arbiter of society that the Astor name might have entitled her to be. She never wanted to rule over a world that she was among the first to recognize was no more."

Matt Damon in with the bear crowd: "Matt Damon got turned into an animated bear for a September 3rd episode of the PBS cartoon, Arthur. Matt is on to promote a feature on the site where kids can submit videos of themselves to be aired on the show."

Jake Gyllenhaal and friend enter 5K race in Massachusetts.

It keeps bending, and bending...: Scientists create flexible, biodegradable battery.

Little Britain creators become gay icons in Poland: "Apparently gays there are packing their manbags for Britain, inspired by their new hero from Little Britain. The comedy was finally screened for the first time in Poland in April on state broadcaster TVP. It is the campest show to make it on to the nation’s TV and has now become an “inspiration” to homosexuals there. Characters including Matt Lucas’s Dafydd Thomas and, in particular, David’s Prime Minister-adoring Sebastian Love, have been a hit with Polish gays. Mirka Makuchowska, of the Polish Campaign Against Homophobia, said David had become an 'important' figure to Polish homosexuals. She said: 'Little Britain has made a huge impact here. Especially David Walliams when he is playing Sebastian. It has even made many think of moving to Britain.'"

Developers win award for devising videoconference system for the iPhone.

Six-year-old boy drowns after bullies strip him and force him into lake.

Rapper Beanie Sigel on Kanye West's reported feud with Sigel for suggesting he's gay: "I don't really dwell on that sh--, man. He called me for songs, so I guess [there are no problems]. I been trying to get beats from that n---a since before I went to jail."

Concerned Roman Catholics of America pickets Knights of Columbus convention in Nashville, demanding that the organization expel 16 "pro-Sodomite" Massachusetts lawmakers: "One of the pols on the group’s hit list, state Rep. Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop), said: 'I certainly respect the right of those who disagree with my vote on same-sex marriage to do so and to advocate for their point of view. It is my hope that they would also respect my right and responsibility as an elected official to, after listening to all the facts and arguments, decide what I think is the best course of action on issues before the Legislature.' Another on the list, Rep. Garrett Bradley (D-Hingham), said of the Knights: 'We don’t agree on every issue, and this one of them. I’m going to vote the way I think is right, regardless of what this group or another group might want me to do.' The CRCOA Web site has posted the names of those it describes as “pro-Sodomite, pro-abortion Knights of Columbus” on its site, including several Bay State pols."

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News: Clinton v. Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hello Kitty, Levitation

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama entering cold war: "They work in the same building. They slog through the same rigorous travel schedule. Along the way, they often cross paths several times a day. But Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama have barely spoken to each other — at least in any meaningful way — for months. The tension between the two Democratic presidential hopefuls, which has spilled into public view in the last three weeks, has been intensifying since January. It is clear that the genteel decorum of the Senate has given way to the go-for-the-jugular instinct of the campaign trail."

Bangkok, Thailand police chiefs implement new method of punishment for officers who break the rules: a Hello Kitty armband. Official: "This is to help build discipline. We should not let small offences go unnoticed. Guilty officers will be made to wear the armbands in the office for a few days, with instructions not to disclose their offences. Let people guess what they have done."

Lindsay Lohan attempts to pull her life back together in Utah, with little old ladies, apparently.

Bourne investment: Matt Damon offers the best box-office return on his salary.

Chris Rovzar on this Thursday's 'gay debate': "...what's important about the Human Rights Campaign-sponsored debate is its mere occurrence. If the Dems are confident enough to tackle gay issues head-on for a full hour, it means they're no longer worried that the Republicans will throw it back in their faces. They're not afraid, and more importantly, they're betting voters aren't afraid either."

Hairspray producers Zadan and Meron developing Peter Pan for TV.

Department of Homeland Security developing flashlight that causes you to vomit: "The flashes incapacitate a person in two different ways, says Robert Lieberman, CEO of Intelligent Optical Systems, based in Torrance, CA, which is making the device. The flashes temporarily blind a person, as any bright light would, and the light pulses, which quickly change both in color and duration, also cause what Lieberman calls psychophysical effects. These effects, whose effectiveness depends on the person, range from disorientation to vertigo to nausea, and they wear off in a few minutes."

Big Brother 8 fans: Amber is a bigot.

Gwyneth Paltrow or Romanian, twinkie, super-bottom, gay porn star?

Physicists solve 'mystery' of levitation: "Their discovery could ultimately lead to frictionless micro-machines with moving parts that levitate But they say that, in principle at least, the same effect could be used to levitate bigger objects too, even a person."

Apple delivers new iMacs, iLife...

Arlington County, Virginia to allow 'ex-gay' groups to distribute material to students: "Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, or P-FOX, sued school officials earlier this year in federal court, claiming that they improperly blocked their request to send out the fliers. School officials denied any discrimination. They said all outside groups are barred from distributing fliers at high schools, basically because students don't read them. A settlement, reached last week, states that P-FOX will have the same access given to other groups and can submit fliers for distribution to middle and elementary-school students if it wishes."

Archives reveal that Winston Churchill's cabinet discussed gays.

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News: Gorillas, Lindsay Lohan, Michael Moore, Disney, Matt Damon

Eric Hainstock trial begins in Wisconsin. Hainstock is the 16-year-old Wisconsin boy who last year (at age 15) armed himself, entered his high school, and shot his high school principal John Klang three times. The homicide has gained attention because it came after what Hainstock claims were years of abuse at the hands of his family and repeating bullying at school, harassment which school officials continually refused to recognize. In May, Hainstock entered a plea of not guilty.

The belfry is back. Provincetown landmark has its cap put back on. The belfry, known to many who have visited the Cape Cod gay resort, has been sitting on the ground since 2002.

Bush administration hits Michael Moore with subpoena over Sicko Cuba trip.

You can now visit Matt Damon on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

New study links pot smoking to mental illness: "People who smoke marijuana daily or weekly double their risk of developing a psychotic illness over their lifetime, according to a study published Thursday. Among all cannabis users, including sporadic experimenters and habitual users, the lifetime risk of psychotic illness increased by 40%, the report said. 'It's not as if you smoke a joint and you're going to go crazy,' said Richard Rawson, who directs the Integrated Substance Abuse Program at UCLA and was not involved in the study. But he cautioned: 'It's definitely not a good idea to use heavy amounts of marijuana.'"

SICK: Four mountain gorillas slaughtered in the Democratic Republic of Congo as revenge killings in inter-personal feud...between humans. "The gorillas were habituated to people and well-known to tourists and park guards who knew the females as ‘Safari’, ‘Neeza’, and ‘Mburanumwe’. The male silverback was known as ‘Rugendo’ and he was the alpha male who fulfilled a leadership role within a group. In the absence of an alpha male, the integrity of a group is often compromised."

Audience erupts in laughter as Lindsay Lohan is hit in face with shovel at screening of new movie I Know Who Killed Me.

UK Channel 4's gay bashing drama Clapham Junction hits sour note for some: "I tuned in expecting a gritty, hard-hitting drama but instead found a clichéd, relentlessly negative piece that portrayed gay men as selfish, morally bankrupt human beings. Even what was supposed to be a happy storyline - the civil partnership of a long-together couple - had to be spoiled by one of them getting off with someone else at the wedding. Don't get me wrong, I didn't want it to be a rose tinted view of gay life but the sheer grinding bleakness of the piece astounded me."

Adam Sandler to return as hair stylist.

Disney to eliminate cigarette smoking in some films: " Family movies from Disney, the first studio to make the pledge, won't show cigarette smoking, and executives will discourage scenes in Touchstone and Miramax productions, the Burbank, California-based company said today in a statement. Disney also will include anti-smoking advertisements on DVDs with films that have cigarette smoking and will ask theater owners to run the ads before showing those movies."

It's been one year since Lance Bass came out and he's blogging about it: "If you are having trouble being yourself , and are scared to tell someone you are gay--- find that loyal friend, family member, or even hotline and tell someone. All it takes is to tell one person and the ball starts rolling. You will get great advice and and be so much happier. Or, if you have always wanted to ask that family member or friend if they were gay.. do it now.... in a very positive and private way , tell them it is ok and you will always be there no matter what. Sometimes its easier for someone to just flat out ask you. To bulid the courage to say it sometimes takes years."

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Matt Damon Jokes That George Clooney is Gay

Even more Matt Damon for you. Though joking, Damon apparently spends a good amount of time thinking about man-on-man action. Monsters and Critics reports on his ongoing obsession with George Clooney's sexuality: "George is gay. Everybody knows that. But honestly, I never realised he was gay - even when he was b***ing me off!"
(via popnography)

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Matt Damon Wary of Making "Gay" Move with Ben Affleck

Didn't get to this item last week, but Matt Damon's interview in the most recent issue of GQ contained this little nugget about what he and Ben Affleck did with their first big paycheck:

"We both bought Jeep Grand Cherokees. It was funny, because Ben and I, we both always wanted a Jeep Grand Cherokee for some reason. That was the car. We always talked about it but never could afford one. So when we suddenly had the money, we each instantly started trying to convince each other to get a different car. We’d say, ‘Hey, have you seen the Explorer? The Ford Explorer is really cool.’ Because we knew it would just be so gay to get the same car."

And a gay car at that.

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DiCaprio and Damon Let it All Hang Out

From a Worth 1000 photoshop contest in which entrants were asked to design a movie poster with a one-letter typo in the movie's title. Some interesting results...

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Matt Damon's Wet 'n' Wild Initiation Ceremony

Earlier this week I posted a few Matt Damon mud wrestling screencaps from the new Robert DeNiro film about the birth of the CIA, The Good Shepherd. Here's the actual clip, which also features Matt Damon in his first simulated watersports scene. I don't expect it will be up for long.

"Getting pissed on is personal, Mr. Russell, I take it very personally."

See the earlier post for a bit of background on the clip.

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In the Mud with Matt Damon

The Good Shepherd, Robert De Niro's new film about the birth of the CIA, brought in $14.5 million over the New Year's weekend at the box office. Beyond the intelligence intrigue, the film also features Matt Damon in his first mud wrestling scene. More (NSFW) after the jump...

Back in November 2005, I posted about Michael Musto's mention of the scene in his Village Voice column:

"At Bronx Community College, they recently filmed a 'Skull and Bones' fraternity initiation scene for The Good Shepherd, which is about the early (and apparently very earthy) days of the CIA. According to an extra, Matt Damon ended up in a giant pit of mud with five other actors, who dropped their flesh-colored thongs, though Matt discreetly (and probably contractually) kept his on. A high point came when Matt wrestled one of the naked men in the muck as the paid extras egged them on. When things couldn't get any more extraordinary, an assistant director yelled, 'Cue the pee!'—no, I have no idea—which led to a yellowish flow from the rafters, complete with much behind-the-scenes fussing about the velocity and trajectory of the liquid (coming from plastic bottles, thankfully) onto the moshpit. I hear Bronx Community is now officially called Pee U."

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News: Matt Damon, Mapplethorpe, Austria, Gay Condos

iPhone (if they'll call it that) approaches: is Apple on the verge of another revolution?

Dead artists getting new life in fashion. Jewelry and leather goods designer Chrome Hearts is planning new line based on works by Robert Mapplethorpe: ""We have been very conservative about licensing, limiting it to paper products like calendars and note cards, and not many of them. Robert on the other hand was very enthusiastic about licensing products. One reason he hired me is that I was Salvador Dalí's lawyer, someone who had the licensing empire of the world."

NYT: Is anti-gay mockery making a comeback on the American stage?

Plan for gay condo complex draws controversy in Boston: "Boosters of gay condo developments say they have no plans to heap on straights the kind of discrimation they’ve suffered over the years. But it’s unclear how welcoming heterosexual singles and couples would find these communities. 'What if I was saying this building is just for heterosexual people, or Muslims, or Jews or Catholics. What’s the difference?,' asked Michael Carucci, head of ERA Boston Real Estate Group. 'To take it the next step and say this building is just for gay people - it’s a bit much.'"

George Michael planning first U.S. tour in 15 years.

Two Minogues for the price of one.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's openly gay chief of staff resigned on Friday to spend more time with his partner Dan Henkle and their children. Newsom "married" Kawa and Henkle during what is now called SF's "Winter of Love" in February 2004 after Newsom decided to issue marriage licenses in the spirit of ending discrimination there.

Who wants to live in Fucking Austria? (via AmericaBlog)

Matt Damon on Hardball tonight on who should go to war: "I don't think that it's fair, as I said before, that it seems like we have a fighting class in our country. That's comprised of people who have to go for either financial reasons or...I don't think that that is fair. And if you're gonna send people to war, ahh, if, if we all get together and decide we need to go to war then that needs to be shared by everybody. You know and if the President has daughters who are of age then maybe they should go too…"

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #61

BARACK OBAMA: Makes a special announcement on Monday Night Football.

MATT DAMON: Does his Matthew McConaughey impression for Letterman.

DICK CHENEY: "That's Funny."

SILLY, SILLY GAYS: SNL's Gay Marriage protest song.

Don't miss the rest of our guides to the Tube here!

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It's All About the Uniform

Just Jared spent his weekend digging up some recent photos of our favorite male celebs on the job and off, some of which may set your heart aflutter early this Monday morning. First off, here's Matt Damon, sharp and tidy in a police uniform on the set of his new Martin Scorcese film The Departed.

Matt dons several kinds of butch drag in this film, including some filthy rugby attire.

I'm not exactly sure which Matt to gawk at first but there's no doubt these shots demonstrate the power of a uniform. No flesh necessary here. Arrest me...please!

And then there's Jake Gyllenhaal in jock drag, only this time it's not for a movie, he's just relaxing on the baseball diamond, but he's working the accessories like a pro.

Finally, Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, aka the Thorpedo, does nothing to ease the gay rumors and proves he's a true International Male when he steps out in this get-up, complete with black nail polish, his cloth belt buckled off-center, a few days worth of stubble, and a flash of that furry tummy.

I think he's probably on the phone with either the Chess King Crisis Hotline or the center for Gay Vague studies. Fortunately, I still wouldn't mind if he swam over into my lane.

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