News: Gale Harold, Canada, ACORN, Virgil Goode, Tyson Beckford

Conservative Harper wins re-election in Canada.

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gives $25,000 to fight Prop 8: "We need to redouble our efforts now to match the flood of money raised by supporters of Prop 8...the America of my dreams includes everyone, not just a few."

Project Runway designer Jack Mackenroth's condom couture for tomorrow night's Project Inform fundraiser in San Francisco.

Desperate Housewives and QAF star Gale Harold seriously injured in motorcycle accident.

White House memos endorsed CIA waterboarding: "The Bush administration explicitly endorsed the use of waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods against al Qaeda suspects in a pair of secret memos to the CIA in 2003 and 2004, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday. The previously undisclosed classified memos were requested by then CIA Director George Tenet more than a year after the start of the secret interrogations, the newspaper reported, citing administration and intelligence officials familiar with the documents."

REBOUND: A-Rod and Madonna are tighter than ever.

New York appeals court to hear challenge to same-sex marriage decision today.

Death in Batman-land: Gotham City says good-bye to music maker.

ACORN: The Republican voter fraud hoax.

GLSEN report: "More than 86% of the 6,209 middle- and high-school students surveyed said they'd experienced harassment at school in the past year, and about 60% felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation."

Hundreds gather in Minneapolis to remember Matthew Shepard.

Brazilian mayoral candidate uses gay-baiting in ads: "Is he married? Does he have children?"..."The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Committee formed to rally support in the gay community for Marta's candidacy released a statement on Monday denouncing the advertisements as 'wrong and unacceptable'. The controversy is all the more surprising as Marta is a former sex therapist and was one of the first politicians in Brazil to align herself with the gay community."

Tyson Beckford, Christina Aguilera dazzle at Africa Rising event.

The body's anti-HIV enzyme explained: "APOBEC-3G is present in every human cell. It is capable of stopping HIV at the first step of replication, when the retrovirus transcribes its RNA into viral DNA...If APOBEC-3G works so well, why do people get AIDS? Because the HIV virus has evolved to encode the protein Vif, known as a "virulence factor," that blocks APOBEC-3G."

Killer of transgender woman gets five years: "Defense attorney Brian McMonagle had contended that the shooting occurred during 'pandemonium' in the car after Oates felt King's penis, after the two struggled for Oates' gun and after King moved toward Oates, according to the newspaper's report."

Anti-gay GOP Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode earmarked $150K for theater tied to his campaign manager's Linwood Duncan's gay sex and drug film.

Mark Foley's Democratic replacement caught up in new sex scandal: "The congressman's alleged extramarital affair with a staffer and promise to pay her $121,000 to avoid a lawsuit was reported Monday by ABC News."

South African man arrested for gay sex video blackmail: "The 44-year-old businessman, who has not been named, has already paid out more than R40000 in cash after being filmed at a Summerstrand home. Police believe more men may have been targeted. Zimbabwe-born Shepard Tito appeared in the Port Elizabeth magistrate‘s court yesterday on charges of extortion after he allegedly targeted high-profile businessmen to set up meetings where they were taped engaged in sexual acts with men."

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Ten Years Later

Matthew Shepard died ten years ago today, six days after being beaten by two men and left clinging to life on a fence outside Laramie, Wyoming. He will not be forgotten.

Barack Obama released a statement today with regard to the somber anniversary:

"Today, we pause to remember the heartbreaking and senseless murder of Matthew Shepard. A freshman at the University of Wyoming, Matthew was a young man committed to fighting for equality and changing the world around him. He was tragically taken from us far too early, an innocent victim of an abhorrent hate crime, and never had the chance to see his dreams realized.

"In the ten years since Matthew’s passing, Congress has repeatedly and unacceptably failed to enact a federal hate crimes law that would protect all LGBT Americans. That’s not just a failure to honor Matthew’s memory; it’s a failure to deliver justice for all who have been victimized by hate crimes, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. All Americans deserve to live their lives free of fear, and as Americans, it is our moral obligation to stand up against bigotry and strive for equality for all.

"Today, Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Matthew’s parents, Judy and Dennis, and to all whose lives have been touched by unconscionable violence."

Also
Byrd, Shepard killings recalled in Austin [statesman]

Watch MSNBC's look back, AFTER THE JUMP...

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News: T.R. Knight, SUNY, Soulforce, Anteater, John Boehner

T.R. Knight donates $50,000 to No on 8.

Manchester, UK teen hangs himself over gay hate anonymous phone bullying.

Free screening of The Times of Harvey Milk documentary tonight in L.A. See it, it's amazing.

House Minority Leader John Boehner mocks the way Barney Frank talks: “You know where he’s from. He’s from Massachusetts, although he can’t say the word 'Massachusetts.'"

Brandon and Brenda Walsh reuniting for 90210.

Denver Post remembers Matthew Shepard: "The crime galvanized gay-rights activists, who were determined change should come of Shepard's death. In some ways, the death of the affable young man has made a difference. Laramie, where Shepard attended college, passed a bias-crime ordinance in response to his death. His killing also has led to greater awareness about hate crimes and calls for tougher laws nationwide. But much work remains..."

NYT: Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada and North Carolina. "Tens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been removed from the rolls or have been blocked from registering in ways that appear to violate federal law..."

Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club endorses Mark Leno, refuses to drop support for Nancy Pelosi in favor of Cindy Sheehan. "The decision at the club's political action committee meeting Tuesday, October 7 not to support Sheehan prompted complaints about who the club allows to vote on its endorsements and was the third time during Pelosi's 20 years in Congress that attempts to strip her of the Milk Club's support had failed."

Gerard Butler under investigation for beating the crap out of a paparazzo.

SUNY Fredonia students drown out anti-gay demonstrators: "The Deferios didn't quite know what they were getting into when they visited the SUNY Fredonia campus earlier this week. Jim Deferio of Syracuse, along with his daughter, Michelle Deferio, 26, stood in the grass near the Reed Library steps, holding signs, beginning shortly before noon on Tuesday. Jim wore aviator sunglasses and clutched a megaphone, which he used to address the rapidly expanding group, and held a large poster that read, "Warning: Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God?...Many exchanges occurred between Jim, via megaphone, and the crowd throughout the afternoon. Jim would begin to shout, "There's no biological basis -" and the crowd would reply, 'Shut up, Jim.'"

More Clooney P.I.

Now Jude Law goes the 'stache route.

Palm Beach Atlantic University to allow Soulforce Bus riders on campus, but Soulforce calls invitation too restrictive: ''Unfortunately, the format is not conducive to reaching out to the Palm Beach Atlantic community in the spirit of open dialogue. Additionally, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students who need to hear our message of love and affirmation would not be reached in this format.''

Proud Nation: UK's first gay museum planned for London.

I always fall for a good baby anteater story.

New pain relief method is eight times stronger than morphine: "The revolutionary technique involves an injection that can combat serious discomfort for more than three days - 14 times as long as morphine. The substance, which can be injected, appears to have few side effects and works by neutralising the chemical in the body that causes the brain to feel pain."

California leads the country in gay rights even if Proposition 8 is approved (which of course cannot happen!)

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10 Years Ago Today, Matthew Shepard was Beaten and Left to Die

It was ten years ago tonight, on the night of October 6, 1998, that Matthew Shepard was beaten by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson and left to die tied to a fence near Laramie, Wyoming. He died five days later, on October 12.

This morning, Judy Shepard appeared on The Early Show to discuss the progress that has (and hasn't) been made since Matthew's murder. Wyoming still does not have a hate crime law that covers sexual orientation.

Said Shepard: "I'd like to say yes it surprises me, but no it doesn't."

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Ten Years After His Death, Matthew Shepard Recognized with Bench

Given the impact that Matthew Shepard's death has had on this nation over the past ten years, I might have expected more than simply a bench in his honor in Laramie, Wyoming. However, some comfort can be taken in the foundation that bears his name as well as the tireless efforts by Judy Shepard over the years to speak out against anti-gay hate crimes.

On Saturday, both Judy and Dennis Shepard attended a ceremony dedicating a bench to their son, as the 10th anniversary of his death approaches.

The AP reports:"Dennis Shepard said he hopes people enjoy the bench, which sits outside the university's arts and sciences building with potted plants and flowers on either side. A plaque affixed to the bench, paid for by the foundation, reads: 'Matthew Wayne Shepard Dec. 1, 1976-Oct. 12, 1998. Beloved son, brother, and friend. He continues to make a difference. Peace be with him and all who sit here.' ... 'The words that we have written there are heartfelt,' Dennis Shepard said. 'Matt would have been the first to say so. And as far as we're concerned, with the words here, he's the last to say so.'"

Also attending the ceremony were University of Wyoming President Tom Buchanan, who said the school now has "an annual social justice symposium named after Shepard; created a resource center to support gays, lesbians, bisexuals and others; and developed a center for social justice to research and expose sources of inequity in society." Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal and his wife, Nancy were there at the dedication as well.

The bench is located at Quealy Plaza, located at the east entrance of the UW College of Arts and Sciences Building.

NOTE: Reverend Fred Phelps and his band of evil apostles have been making the disgusting effort to place a hate monument to Shepard in Casper, Wyoming for years.

Related
Fred Phelps Renews Push for "Matthew Shepard in Hell" Monument [tr]

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News: Matthew Mitcham, Scientology, Red Fish, Nepal, Todd Palin

Nepal officially recognizes third gender.

Gold medal-winning gay Olympian Matt Mitcham gets national sponsor in Australia: "With our ear close to the ground, word has trickled back that Mitcham is very close to signing on to be the new face and, well, bum of swimwear and underpants brand aussieBum."

San Diego Union Tribune comes out against Prop. 8.

First snippet of Britney Spears' new single "Womanizer".

Rachael Ray barbecues with the McCains.

Todd Palin refusing to testify in troopergate scandal: "Sarah Palin initially welcomed the bipartisan investigation into accusations that she dismissed the state's public safety commissioner because he refused to fire her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper. 'Hold me accountable,' she said."

Sarah Palin to address John Hagee-organized rally? Papers falsely suggest Palin pro-gay...

Elisabeth Hasselbeck offered anchor spot at FOX News?

Vigil for two AIDS doctors imprisoned in Iran to be held at Iranian Mission to the UN on Wednesday, September 24.

Scientists discover red hot fish.

The Laramie Project to return to Laramie 10 years after Matthew Shepard's death: "Laramie has changed in some ways. The city council passed a bias crimes ordinance that tracks such crimes, though it does not include penalties for them. There is an AIDS Walk now. Several residents say they came out publicly as gay, in their churches or on campus, in part to honor Mr. Shepard’s memory. The university hosts a four-day Shepard Symposium for Social Justice each spring, and there is talk of creating a degree minor in gay and lesbian studies. And yet, to the bewilderment of some people here, there is no memorial to Mr. Shepard in Laramie. The log fence has been torn down where he lay dying for 18 hours on Oct. 7, 1998. There is no marker. Wild grass blows in the wind."

200 turn out to discuss plans for LGBT high school in Chicago.

Two of Paris Hilton's chihuahuas get eaten by coyotes.

Fans greet TomKat at Katie Holmes' Broadway opening.

Google founder Sergey Brin takes 23andMe test, discovers he has gene mutation linked with Parkinson's.

Surprise: Republicans "'don’t feel like they understand the coherent strategy' of the Bush administration — 'if there is one.'"

The Birds: Crows beat chimps in mental test.

The Olsen twins to design menswear: "It looks like Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen have set their eyes on men’s wear for their high-end label The Row. Few details could be learned, but Ashley Olsen, who originally conceived the line, is said to have started conceptualizing the men’s collection, which could launch as soon as next fall."

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Nearly 10 Years After Matthew's Death, Judy Shepard Soldiers On

The Houston Chronicle spoke with Judy Shepard as she appeared at Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts as part of the "Campaign to Erase Hate".

Says Shepard: "I'm just somebody's mom who got really angry at the system and felt I had the opportunity to make a change. In my own mind, speaking like I did today, that is my grief process. I get to keep Matthew with me. I've always been a person who believed things happen for a reason," she said. "When I figure out what this reason is, I hope I'm open to it. And I hope that losing my son was part of it."

She doesn't plan on forgiving the two young men who put her on this path: "It's not a part of my process. I don't blame them 100 percent. I sort of blame society for creating the environment to make them think they could get away with it."

Shepard also says her new life has changed many of her relationships with friends at home: "There are a lot of them who don't know how to talk to me. They don't know what to ask me. They don't really know who I am anymore. They wonder how the Judy they knew could be doing what this Judy is doing."

Rewards, if you can call them that, come in the form of a great need: "...from the reception she got at Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts last week, she's also a surrogate mother of sorts to a generation of young gays. After her speech at HSPVA, attended by hundreds, many of those students line up backstage to meet her. Most throw their arms around her and tell her in a gush about coming out to their parents or describe their horror at homophobia. Several just want to tell her how much her work means to them. There's a sense of urgency to share with her because she somehow will agree and, most of all, understand."

'A journey of personal change' [houston chronicle]

Recently
Judy Shepard Has a Message for Anti-Gay OK State Rep Sally Kern [tr]

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Judy Shepard Has a Message for Anti-Gay OK State Rep Sally Kern

Of course you remember Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern's anti-gay rant. Kern has been standing her hateful ground since her remarks broke wide across the internet.

Last week, 300 people rallied outside the Oklahoma state capitol to protest Kern's remarks, and the lawmaker, who says she has received death threats over her statements, agreed to meet this week with "two or three" representatives of the LGBT community once she had her lawyers in place.

Today Judy Shepard released a message for the bigot:

"My son died nearly ten years ago at the hands of people whose hatred changed many lives that day. It hardened hearts and brought others to their knees. It shook a nation and enraged millions. At that time, I knew there was a window of opportunity that I could use Matthew’s story and my voice in replacing hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance. Through the Matthew Shepard Foundation, we are reaching young people who are at risk of being poisoned by the dark ideas of people like Sally Kern. I don’t know why Sally Kern is proud of comparing gay people to cancer or terrorism, but count me as someone who’s listening now to people like her. She may be free to say people like my son are a threat to America, but when she does she puts other mothers’ sons in danger. I pray she doesn’t say it anymore."

Read Shepard's entire message at The Victory Fund.

Judy Shepard: Sally Kern’s free speech [victory fund]

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News: Annie Lennox, Penguins, Judy Shepard, Spitzer's Promise

Maxim Thorne, a member of Obama's LGBT leadership council, resigns after angry posts to listserv reviving Clinton sex scandals.

Dave Navarro's piercings take no prisoners.

Annie Lennox launches "Sing" campaign to fight HIV/AIDS.

Teacher survey: homophobic abuse "endemic" in UK schools: "Homophobic abuse is endemic in schools, with 'gay' now the most common put-down by pupils in the classroom, teachers say. A 'conspiracy of silence' in schools and colleges means homophobia is now seen as so normal that some teachers believe they risk disrupting classes - and making themselves a target of abuse - if they challenge students' behaviour. More than 70% of teachers have heard put-downs in their school or college that refer to sexuality, according to a survey of 268 teachers by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers. In particular, teachers report that pupils routinely use the term 'gay' in a pejorative manner."

Concerned Women for America's Matt Barber calls Angels in America "racist gay porn."

John Turner, gay physician who treated early AIDS patients, dies at 63. Jane Shull, executive director of Philadelphia FIGHT: "In the 1980s, when AIDS was new and there were no drugs, or drugs that were virtually useless, when people were dying every single day, and there seemed to be no end in sight - every patient who came to see John left his office less afraid than when he went in."

USA Today profiles Judy Shepard and her mission to end hate crimes: "Shepard also points out what has and what hasn't changed in the 10 years since her son was murdered. What hasn't is that hate crimes continue. She mentions the recent murder of Lawrence King, a gay 15-year-old junior high student in Oxnard, Calif., who was shot to death by a fellow student. 'This terrible incident underscores the fact that we cannot let hate go unchecked in our schools and communities,' Shepard says. 'Our young people need our direction and guidance to prevent this type of crime from happening.' What has changed, she says, is that when she was growing up in Wyoming, 'no one talked about it' — 'it' being homosexuality. At 55, Shepard says the past 10 years have been exhausting. Only recently has she begun to dream about Matt, which she looks upon as a good sign."

Bring some passion back to Albany: Spitzer fulfills promise.

How Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell, will help complete Heath Ledger's last film, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus: "Since the format of the story allows for the preservation of his entire performance, at no point will Heath’s work be modified or altered through the use of digital technology. “Each of the parts played by Johnny, Colin and Jude is representative of the many aspects of the character that Heath was playing."

Penguin fan? Here's a whole lotta them.

More juice on Britney's guest star turn on How I Met Your Mother.

British government sends Iranian gays to their executions: "An Iranian lesbian who fled to Britain after her girlfriend was arrested and sentenced to death faces being forcibly returned after losing the latest round in her battle to be granted asylum. The case of Pegah Emambakhsh, 40, comes a day after The Independent reported on the growing public outcry over the plight of a gay Iranian teenager who fears he will be executed if he is deported to Iran….In turning down Ms Emambakhsh and Mr Kazemi’s asylum applications, the Home Office has said that, provided Iranians are discreet about their homosexuality, they will not be persecuted."

Police confront hundreds of angry, naked cyclists in Eugene, Oregon. Cyclists win.

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News: Mario Lopez, Louis Vuitton, Sydney, Tom Ford, Brazil

Robert Goulet dies at 73, awaiting lung transplant at hospital.

Does Annie Leibowitz's Louis Vuitton ad contain a hidden message from Gorbachev about poisoned Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko?

Being Mr. Gay Brazil requires Representative Barney Frank on Larry Craig: "I don’t think he should have been arrested, but it’s more likely than not that he was interested in sex. You have a right to privacy but not hypocrisy. During the period that I was closeted for seven years, I was always a gay rights supporter. I think it’s a fundamental violation of principles to vote one way and act another."

Following rash of gay bashings, a "safe space" opens on Oxford Street in Sydney: "Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said the City had agreed to lease a recently vacated shop front in a Council-owned building to ACON for use as a night-time Safe Space for the gay community. '“Following discussions with ACON, the City has agreed to provide the premises free of charge for ACON to use on a nightly basis,'” Ms Moore said. '“The Safe Space will act as a refuge for people who feel threatened or abused.” Residents continue to report assaults, robberies and anti-social behaviour associated with large late night licensed premises. There are ongoing reports of serious problems and people tell me that they fear for their safety.”'"

Ass-tastic: Mario Lopez lets it all hang out for Halloween.

Wentworth Miller holds on tight!

Two pink triangles from the Holocaust being auctioned in the UK: "They are expected to fetch hundreds of pounds when they go under the hammer at the Mullock's Auctioneers at Ludlow Racecourse on Thursday. Also being sold at the auction are other rare items including a description of a Spanish flu pandemic that killed millions and an apologetic letter from composer Edward Elgar."

Jesse Helms documentary comes to DVD, and includes never-before-seen interview with Matthew Shepard.

Frequent Towleroad commenter David Ehrenstein writes on "Obama's Gospel Mistake" in the L.A. Times.

Harper Lee to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Tom Ford is buying mineral rights to the land beneath his Galisteo, New Mexico ranch in order to block oil drilling: "Ford paid the state Land Office about $84,000 earlier this year to purchase the mineral rights to more than 1,400 acres, according to Land Office records. The purchase came in response to Tecton Energy's controversial proposal to drill eight exploratory wells on 65,000 acres, or 101 square miles, in the Galisteo Basin where it has acquired mineral rights." All drilling above ground is expected to continue.

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News: Marc Jacobs, Skeletons, FEMA, Kentucky, Tori Amos, Uganda

FEMA official resigns over fake press conference, lands "amazing" job to head public affairs at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Photographer Patrick Gries looks at the beauty of bones in Paris exhibit.

Daniel Craig returning for four more Bond films.

Brightening comet thrills astronomers.

Hundreds turn out for first gay pride festival in Galveson, Texas: "While some in the area had voiced concerns about lewd behavior at such an event, those booths offered only such things as crafts and information on civil rights and spirituality. Harbor Metropolitan Community Church had one of the booths, where church volunteers offered literature on acceptance and love for all. The Rev. Pat Farnin said her congregation on the island was growing, and she anticipated the festival would do likewise, should it become an annual tradition."

Celebs hit Wiltern Theater in L.A. for Matthew Shepard Honors.

back same-sex marriage. The Christian Democrats are the only holdouts.

Virginia State GOP and Republican State Senator James J. "Jay" O'Brien Jr. send out homophobic flyer warning of Democratic opponent's platform: "George Barker wants to take time away from core academic subjects like math, science, and reading to teach children to accept the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Lifestyle (GLBT)."

Marc Jacobs goes blueberry for Halloween.

40 minutes with Tori Amos.

Historic gay rights meeting held in Uganda. Pastor: "Never before has there been such a far reaching well organised and professional gay public debate in this country."

Introducing the new gay stereotype.

Kentucky court rules that high school student can "pursue nominal damages" from his school district over anti-harassment training given to students: "The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the Boyd County school district's policy provided a 'chill' on student Timothy Allen Morrison's ability to profess his Christian beliefs and opposition to homosexuality. The ruling sends the case back to U.S. District Judge David Bunning for a hearing on damages. Judge Karen Nelson Moore, joined by Judge John R. Adams, wrote that the allegation of a policy stifling free speech is enough to allow Morrison to seek damages. To make his case, the judges said, Morrison must show that the policy would 'deter a person of ordinary firmness' from exercising free speech rights. Joel Oster, an attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Scottsdale, Ariz., Christian law group that represented Morrison, said the ruling has left him 'ecstatic.'...'It's everything we could have hoped for,' Oster said. 'This vindicates our client's constitutional rights.'"

Meet the recycled World Trade Center. (warning: site NSFW)

Journal of Urban Health STUDY: 1 in 3 gay men report being abused in a relationship. "The study is published in the most recent edition of the Journal of Urban Health. McKirnan and graduate student Eric Houston studied surveys filled out by 817 men through the Howard Brown Health Center, which primarily serves the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community from its North Side (Chicago) location. More than 32 percent of the men reported experiencing verbal, physical or sexual abuse in an intimate relationship. Just under 20 percent said they were physically or sexually abused. As with women, poorly educated and low-income men were more likely to be victims. However, minorities did not show higher rates of abuse."

More hearings held on New Jersey civil unions. Verdict: they're falling short.

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News: Britney Spears, Matthew Shepard, Soft Cell, Gay Cruising

Retrial begins over gay Tucson murder: "For the second time, a jury will decide whether a disabled gay Tucson man was stabbed to death over a TV and VCR or as the result of an impulsive rage. Nine years after Mark Truesdell, 29, was slain in his North Campbell Avenue apartment, Ronnie Gene Sartin Jr., 30, is being tried on a first-degree murder charge. Sartin was living in Tucson at the time of the slaying. Sartin was convicted by a jury in 1999 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. The Arizona Court of Appeals ordered the case returned to Superior Court last year for retrial after changes were made to the law regarding how premeditation is explained to jurors."

Halloween scare-a-thon: Chris Crocker recreates Britney Spears cooch flash.

Britney Spears' new album Blackout being called the best of her career.

Utah lawyer on crusade to testify against gay marriage in Vermont: "Monte Stewart will travel more than 2,300 miles this weekend to appear before the Vermont Commission on Family Recognition and Protection as the only lawyer opposed to same-sex marriage scheduled to speak Monday at its second public meeting. Stewart, the president of the Utah-based Family Marriage Law Foundation, will explain to the 11-member legislative committee why marriage rights should not be extended to gay and lesbian couples in Vermont. 'The law has clearly been decided in favor of marriage being between one man and one woman,' Stewart said Wednesday morning, from his office in Orem, Utah. 'There are clear reasons why this institution needs to be preserved.'"

Matthew Shepard foundation launches new community site for LGBT youth.

British group Soft Cell to release remix album.

REPORT: Beckham miserable in the U.S.

UK: Police add to patrols at Hampstead Heath's gay cruising spots.

Gay lawyer Aaron Charney settles bias lawsuit with NY firm Sullivan & Cromwell, where he worked: "The settlement, the terms of which are confidential, brings to a close a dispute that had fascinated the New York legal community over the past several months, both with its allegations concerning partners at one of the city’s most prestigious firms and its bizarre twists and turns in the courtroom. In January, Mr Charney, who had worked in the firm’s mergers and acquisitions practice, sued the firm, accusing several partners of discriminating against him because he is gay and then papering over his complaints."

U.S. asylum denied to gay Mexican.

Lithuanian gay rights conference attacked with smoke bombs.

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Senate Passes Hate Crimes Bill by Vote of 60-39

Success has been achieved in a cloture vote on the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes. The Senate passed it by a vote of 60-39. The Senate then added the Kennedy-Smith hate crimes amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill by voice vote.

The AP notes: "Attaching hard-to-pass legislation to must-pass bills is a strategy for both parties. Success means forcing squeamish lawmakers to technically vote for controversial policies embedded in massive spending bills."

Bush has threatened to veto the hate crimes bill, but now that it is attached to a bill funding the Defense Department and his Iraq war, will he still veto it?

The AP reports: "The hate crimes amendment, which passed as a stand-alone bill in the House this year, is especially tempting for majority Democrats because of Bush's weakened, lame-duck status and some support for the measure among Republicans. The underlying bill would authorize military spending priorities for fiscal 2008. That discussion began on the Senate floor even before it was brought up underscored the sensitivity for the White House. GOP leaders were careful not to attack the legislation itself, focusing instead on what they said was the 'non-germane' nature of the amendment to the overall spending bill. 'There may be a time and place for a hate crimes discussion, but it is certainly not now when national security legislation is being held up,' said Senate Republican Conference Chairman Jon Kyl of Arizona. 'Forcing a vote on the so-called hate crimes amendment shows an utter lack of seriousness about our national defense.' Retorted Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J.: 'For some, it never seems to be the right time or the right place.'"

Judy and Dennis Shepard have released a statement.

You may have missed...
Hate Crimes Bill Introduced, Named for Matthew Shepard [tr]

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NJ Principal Deems Laramie Project Too Provocative

Even though it has been produced over 5,000 times in high schools across the nation, in areas far more conservative than New Jersey, a high school principal in Ocean Township has shut down the district's planned staging of The Laramie Project, which deals with events surrounding the homophobic murder of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming in 1998, on grounds that it is too provocative.

In a letter to responding to drama coach Bob Angelini's plans to do Laramie, principal Julia Davidow wrote: "Wow! I believe everyone involved understands the highly provocative nature of this play. I do not recall discussing it with anyone or approving it, yet I have been requested to sign the a (sic) copyright cost. Let's talk."

The Asbury Park Press reports: "In addition to Garden State Equality, both playwright Moises Kaufman and Shepard's mother, Judy Shepard, have now gotten personally involved in the debate. Judy Shepard has written to the Ocean Township Board of Education in support of the play, and Kaufman has given Angelini permission to remove the profanities from his work, which Angelini said was one of Davidow's original objections to the play."

Superintendent Thomas M. Pagano is standing by his principal's decision: "If I err, I err on the side of caution. The first rule of education is, do no harm. I have to respect the decision made by our high school principal; it's not an easy job to be a high school principal. I regret that this is going to be a distraction to the community. In my 36 years here, it has been a wonderful community."

UPDATE: School superintendent reverses decision, reinstates play.

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Fred Phelps Renews Push for "Matthew Shepard in Hell" Monument

On Monday morning, Casper, Wyoming dedicated a "historic plaza" containing monuments "honoring the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, the Mayflower Compact, the Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta, the 13th-century law edict that restricted the powers of England's monarchs."

It also contains a monument to the Ten Commandments, which was put into storage in 2003 after the Freedom From Religion Foundation threatened a lawsuit over a religious monument on public property.

The Jackson Hole Star Tribune reports: "Adding to the controversy, the Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., offered to place a monument anywhere on city property declaring that slain gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard is in hell. The council rejected Phelps' offer and looked at the historic plaza idea after Grand Junction, Colo., won a lawsuit against the American Civil Liberties Union. That ruling found that a Ten Commandments monument could be allowed if it were displayed in a context that played up its historical merit, instead of its religious attributes, so that a reasonable person would not think the government was endorsing a particular religion."

Now, after four years, the "historic plaza" idea has come to fruition: "A marker at the entrance to the plaza refers to all six monuments as essential elements in the foundation of law in this country. 'All great ideas evolve, and these principles are no exception,' the marker states. Most of the documents refer to God, but only the Ten Commandments are considered to be the word of God. A marker next to the Decalogue refers to them as a 'starting point of law.'"

But, like a bad stench, Phelps just doesn't go away.

According to the Casper Star Tribune, he's back pushing for the Matthew Shepard monument again: "Phelps said he would be willing to make his monument resemble the six others and would include a picture of Shepard and the engraving: "MATTHEW SHEPARD, Entered Hell October 12, 1998, at age 21, in Defiance of God's Warning: 'Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination.' Leviticus 18:22." Mayor Kate Sarosy said she had not received Phelps' letter Monday evening and said she would speak with the city attorney and the other council members. 'Mr. Phelps' message is full of hate and not in the spirit of the monument plaza,' Sarosy said."

City dedicates historic plaza [jackson hole star tribune]
Phelps wants anti-gay monument [casper star tribune]

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Hate Crimes Bill Introduced, Named for Matthew Shepard

Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore, introduced the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act in the Senate yesterday, renaming the Senate version of the legislation in honor of hate crime victim Matthew Shepard, brutally slain in Wyoming in 1998.

According to the Associated Press, "The measure would add protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity to existing laws that target violence because of race and religion."

By attaching a name to the legislation, Smith noted, they hope to put a face on victims of hate that will finally get the bill passed. Said Smith: "By putting Shepard's name on the bill, I believe we'll be more successful."

Shepard's mother Judy, an outspoken advocate for gay rights and against hate crimes since her son's death, appeared at yesterday's news conference. Said Shepard: "Dennis and I are deeply honored that Senators Smith and Kennedy have renamed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act the ‘Matthew Shepard Act.’ This is a beautiful tribute to our son and his memory...I can't think of a better way to honor Matthew's memory. He was a 21-year-old college student just living his life."

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese spoke of the grave importance of passing the bill: "After eight and a half years since Matthew’s death, his memory continues to be a ringing reminder, even at the highest levels of our government, about the need for this legislation. It is our hope that Congress will finally pass the Matthew Shepard Act and Judy Shepard will have stood at her last press conference on Capitol Hill pleading with our elected leaders to pass this critical piece of legislation."

Supporters are hopeful the bill will pass Congress. For ten years, similar pieces of legislation have gone through the House or Senate but have never gone so far as to reach the President's desk.

Lawmakers name hate crimes bill after Matthew Shepard [ap - boston globe]
Senators Kennedy and Smith introduce hate crimes bill, rename it 'Matthew Shepard Act' [hrc] (photo: hrc)

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