News: Point Foundation, Beavers, Dr. Drew, Condoms, Peter Pace

Point Foundation announces 2008 scholars.

They're back: First beaver dam seen in England in 800 years!

Dirty boy: Zac Efron reportedly not a fan of showers.

George W. Bush is set to award former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Peter Pace, who last year said that homosexuality is immoral, with the Congressional Medal of Freedom: "The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civil award, awarded to individuals who have contributed to: 1) the security or national interests of the United States, 2) world peace, or 3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." PFLAG has called on people to protest the honor.

In case you haven't heard, somebody got a spiffy new redesign.

NYC entrepreneur marketing John McCain and Barack Obama condoms: "Benjamin Sherman, who created the company Practice Safe Policy, says the Obama condom carries the slogan 'Use With Good Judgment.' The McCain version says 'OLD BUT Not Expired.'"

Dr. Drew forced to issue clarification after this statement about Tom Cruise: ""A lot of people in the public eye who behave strangely have mental illness we can learn from, and much of it is based on childhood trauma, without a doubt. Take a guy like Tom Cruise. Why would somebody be drawn into a cultish kind of environment like Scientology? To me, that's a function of a very deep emptiness and suggests serious neglect in childhood - maybe some abuse, but mostly neglect."

Poll shows New Yorkers agree with Paterson on same-sex marriage but don't think he should have done what he did: "New York voters say Gov. Paterson was wrong to order the recognition of out-of-state gay marriages by state agencies - even as they agree the state should recognize the same-sex unions, a poll yesterday showed. The Quinnipiac University poll found that voters, by 53 to 40 percent, said the governor was right to order the recognition of non-New York gay unions. But they believed, by 55 to 30 percent, that the decision should have been made by the Legislature and not the governor."

More on California's Kern County and its move to end weddings: "The move has prompted prominent opponents of same-sex marriage to travel to Bakersfield in recent days and rally in support of Barnett. It has outraged others, including some local opponents of gay marriage who say her decision also adversely impacts straight couples. Many same-sex couples in Bakersfield who had been planning to marry in the clerk's office starting Tuesday say they are undeterred. Instead of being married inside the clerk's office, they now are planning Tuesday wedding ceremonies conducted by ministers on the shady grounds outside the clerk's downtown office. Heterosexual couples who had weddings scheduled in coming days and weeks were forced to change their appointments to this week." Local news stonewalled...

Happily ever after: What's to come for many same-sex marriages? "It's very easy to get caught up in the moment, in an exciting historical time, and this newfound freedom and opportunity of the revolutionary moment often overrides the personal issues that marriage usually involves."

Dolphins die in mass suicide in England? "Vic Simpson, who has been involved in the postmortem examinations of some of the 26 dolphins that died, said yesterday: "On the face of it, it looks like some sort of mass suicide - but the question is why? 'The dolphins had swallowed and inhaled big chunks of mud from the estuary. Their lungs and stomachs were full of it. That is very bizarre indeed.' Simpson, who founded the Wildlife Veterinary Investigation Centre in Truro and is examining the dolphins on behalf of the Zoological Society of London, added: 'We have seen strandings on beaches, sometimes with five to seven dolphins, but never on a scale like this.'"

HGH: John Mayer playing with the paparazzi again.

New Alzheimer's drugs called "astonishing".

Homophobic judge "forced" to marry British gay couple: "Alabau claims she is a victim of persecution and is being used as a ‘vehicle for propaganda’. But a disciplinary ruling this week means that she will shortly be forced to carry out a marriage ceremony for a British couple in Dénia court, for the first time since the law was passed."

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Government Begins 'Mid-Course Correction' on AIDS Vaccine Plans

After the failure of a major Merck & Co AIDS vaccine trial last year in which it appeared that recipients of the inoculation became somehow more susceptible to HIV rather than protected from it, government officials and scientists began "a major overhaul" of its efforts, Reuters reports:

"Government officials at a summit with AIDS scientists pledged to prioritize spending on lab work and animal tests rather than expensive, and thus far disappointing, large-scale vaccine trials on humans. 'We need to turn the knob in the direction of discovery. That is unambiguous,' said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who convened the meeting outside of Washington. 'We really do need new and novel ideas.'...Fauci suggested the overall AIDS research budget at his institute, now about $1.5 billion, could tilt more in favor of basic laboratory work rather than vaccine product development, which currently accounts for about a third of spending. 'We really need to seriously look at torquing that balance more to answering some of the fundamental questions that we don't have answers to,' he said. The new funding initiative is expected to begin within months and will focus on both broader, more imaginative research and on encouraging younger scientists to begin cracking HIV's mysteries, Fauci said, adding that all projects were being examined. 'Everything is on the table,' he said."

In February, Fauci reported in the journal Nature Immunology that he and his team discovered a new receptor for the virus which helps explain why it attacks the immune system in the gut. And earlier this month, a Canadian team led by molecular virologist Stephen Barr announced they had discovered a gene which prevents the HIV virus from assembling in a cell culture, shich may provide clues to a more natural means of blocking the virus.

US government sees overhaul of AIDS vaccine effort [reuters]

Previously
"Deep Disappointment" from Experts as Merck AIDS Vaccine Fails [tr]

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Gene Discovered That Blocks Construction of HIV

A team of Canadian researchers led by molecular virologist Stephen Barr has discovered a gene, TRIM22, that prevents the HIV virus from assembling in a cell culture:

Said Barr: "When we put this gene in cells, it prevents the assembly of the HIV virus. This means the virus cannot get out of the cells to infect other cells, thereby blocking the spread of the virus...There are always newly emerging drug-resistant strains of HIV so the push has been to develop more natural means of blocking the virus. The discovery of this gene, which is natural in our cells, might provide a different avenue. The gene prevents the assembly of the virus so in the future the idea would be to develop drugs or vaccines that can mimic the effects of this gene. We are currently trying to figure out why this gene does not work in people infected with HIV and if there is a way to turn this gene on in those individuals . We hope that our research will lead to the design of new drugs, or vaccines that can halt the person-to-person transmission of HIV and the spread of the virus in the body, thereby blocking the onset of AIDS."

Researchers discover gene that blocks HIV [physorg]

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Scientists Find HIV Receptor That Takes Virus to the Gut [tr]

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Scientists Find HIV Receptor That Takes Virus to the Gut

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, reporting in the journal Nature Immunology, says he and a team have discovered a new HIV receptor that may help to develop additional therapies for the disease. The new receptor explains why HIV begins its attack on the immune system in the gut:

"Dr. Fauci, James Arthos, Claudia Cicala, Elena Martinelli and their colleagues showed that a molecule, integrin alpha-4 beta-7, which naturally directs immune cells to the gut, is also a receptor for H.I.V. A protein on the virus’s envelope, or outer shell, sticks to a molecule in the receptor that is linked specifically to the way CD4 cells home in on the gut, the researchers said. Binding of the virus to the integrin alpha-4 beta 7 molecule stimulates activation of another molecule, LFA-1, which plays a crucial role in the spread of the virus from one cell to another. The actions ultimately lead to destruction of lymph tissue, particularly in the gut. Several other receptor sites for H.I.V. are known. The most important is the CD4 molecule on certain immune cells; the molecule’s role as an H.I.V. receptor was identified in 1984. Two other important receptors, known as CCR5 and CXCR4, were identified in 1996. CCR5 is a normal component of human cells and acts as a doorway for the entry of H.I.V. People who lack it because of a genetic mutation rarely become infected even if they have been exposed to H.I.V. repeatedly. 'The work we did took nearly two years, and there’s little doubt that what we have found is a new receptor,' Dr. Fauci said in an interview after giving a lecture here, adding that 'we certainly have to learn a lot more about it.'"

Scientists Find New Receptor for H.I.V. [nyt]

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News: Johnny Depp, Mars, American Airlines, Will Smith, Alzheimer's

Last month I posted about an asteroid that scientists said had a 1 in 75 chance of striking Mars with an impact close to a 15 megaton bomb. Well, based on new observations, scientists say the chances have dropped to 1 in 10,000. Boo!

American Airlines launches first gay-themed print ads: "Recalling when travel was considered glamorous, new print ads in The Advocate and online look like vintage, 50s-era illustrated posters, but with the twist of two carefree men stepping off the plane together. The tagline is "Fly forward" and was created by American's longtime ad agency, TM Advertising, of Dallas, and Washington, D.C.-based gay marketing firm Witeck-Combs Communications."

Brian Austin Green taking make-up tips from Pete Wentz?

CNN's Glenn Beck discusses his butt surgery: "I had surgery on my ass."

London plans massive Pride event for June/July. Mayor Ken Livingstone: “The capital is home to the largest, most diverse lesbian and gay population in Europe and this event, attended by people of all sexualities, sends out a clear signal that London welcomes and is a safe place for lesbians and gay men to live in and visit."

New Yorker holding Eustace Tilley cover contest.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon to marry?

UK court told of sexual harassment construction worker inflicted on 17-year-old: "Douglas Inskip, 42, would wolf-whistle at the 17-year-old, blow him kisses, subject him to limp wrist gestures and told him to 'shake that ass'. Inskip put a doll in the window of his home of Daffyd, the comic character styled as the 'only gay in the village' in the BBC TV series Little Britain. He would point at it when the victim was outside, Flintshire magistrates were told."

Madonna drops a cool 10K on Kabbalah water every month!

Will Smith joins Church of Scientology: "At the wrap party of Will's new flick 'Hancock' he gave out cards to cast and crew that qualified them for a free "personality test" at a local Scientology center."

Johnny Depp shows a bit of skin for Rolling Stone.

Michael Kors: just in case you're not sure who I am.

New study documents marked reversal of Alzheimer's symptoms within minutes of injection of therapeutic molecule: "It is unprecedented that we can see cognitive and behavioral improvement in a patient with established dementia within minutes of therapeutic intervention. It is imperative that the medical and scientific communities immediately undertake to further investigate and characterize the physiologic mechanisms involved. This gives all of us in Alzheimer’s research a tremendous new clue about new avenues of research, which is so exciting and so needed in the field of Alzheimer’s. Even though this report predominantly discusses a single patient, it is of significant scientific interest because of the potential insight it may give into the processes involved in the brain dysfunction of Alzheimer’s."

Depositions begin in anti-gay discrimination case against DNC. Communications detailed.

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News: Mr. Blackwell, Iran, Jesse Metcalfe, Wii, Dykes on Bikes

Iran claims video of aggressive action toward American ships is U.S. fabrication: "The US has released grainy footage, apparently showing small boats speeding near the American warships. In an audio recording, an Iranian radio operator appears to say 'I am coming at you; you will explode'. The Iranian parliamentary speaker has dismissed the affair as being part of a US propaganda campaign against Tehran."

NSA report confirms Vietnam "Gulf of Tonkin" episode never happened. (via americablog)

Mr. Blackwell releases annual worst-dressed list. The winner? "Forget the fashion spice - wearing a skirt would suffice! In one skinny-mini monstrosity after another, pouty posh can really wreck-em." See who else made it.

Out writer Josh Kilmer-Purcell starts "Phags for Phelps" site after striking up email correspondence with Shirley Phelps-Roper: "I've long believed that the more chances America gets to see blatantly ugly homophobia in action, the better it is for the GLBT community. To quote Supreme Court Justice Brandeis: 'Sunshine is the best disinfectant.' Half humorously, half seriously, (as in everything I do) I suggested in my recent OUT column that gays and lesbians start a 'Phags 4 Phelps Dephense Phund.' Fred Phelps, if you don't know who he is, is the patriarch of a one-family-band of hate called the 'Westboro Baptist Church.'..I honestly think that the more America sees this ugly hatred, the more they shy away from it. So I suggested starting the "Phags 4 Phelps Dephense Phund" to keep them away from bankruptcy and out on the streets where they belong."

Parkinson's Disease linked to exposure to common solvent.

Madonna, Guy tour the slums of Mumbai.

Youths arrested for alleged anti-gay attack on December 5 on the Washington Metro say they targeted victim because he was drunk, not because of his sexuality.

Queen Elizabeth loves Wii bowling: "A Palace source told The People: 'When she saw William playing a game after lunch at Sandringham she thought the Nintendo looked tremendous fun and begged to join in. She played a simple ten-pin bowling game and by all accounts was a natural. It was hilarious. William was in fits of laughter. He was enormously impressed at having such a cool gran. And although she is 81 the Queen's hand-eye co-ordination was as good as somebody half her age.'"

Jesse Metcalfe's Hollywood hair-cut.

Anti-gay Pastor Ken Hutcherson has reportedly initiated the Microsoft stock-buying scheme I posted about in November: "It's unclear what effect, if any, the initiative could have on the stock price. It would be difficult to influence company direction -- just to gain a 1 percent stake in Microsoft, about 31 million people would each have to spend $104 to buy three shares. Microsoft has about 9.36 billion outstanding shares, and its largest holder is Chairman Bill Gates, with 858 million shares, or 9 percent of the total. Capital Research and Management Co. follows with nearly 557 million shares, or 6 percent."

Scientists float new global warming weapon: super-hairy soya plants.

Court rules that "Dykes on Bikes" can keep their name.

Genre takes on the cheekbones of Michael Lucas: "I am very proud that Genre chose me to be on their cover, as national consumer magazines—even if they are gay—tend to shy away from putting members of the adult community front and center."

Wonkette has a chat with former Gawker editor Choire Sicha about the New Hampshire primaries and which Romneys might be worth molesting: "Josh. Josh is the hottest thing since bacon was invented."

Kentucky gay rights groups thumb noses at one another: "The general advisory council of the Kentucky Equality Federation has approved a resolution not to be aligned with the Kentucky Fairness Alliance. Jordan Palmer, president of the federation, released a copy of his group's resolution noting the break. It said the group 'has received many reports from federation management and affiliated organizations about difficulties in working with current leadership of the Kentucky Fairness Alliance and particularly its chief spokeswoman, Christina Gilgor.' It added, 'It is obvious that the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, through its current executive director, is alienating many members of the Kentucky Equality Federation and its affiliated organizations and thus becoming less of an effective force in lobbying and working for improvement of gay rights in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.'"

Simon Cowell sheds some of his moobs.

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Health Officials Note Disturbing Trend in MSM HIV Infections

In an article published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Harold Jaffe, department of public health director at Oxford University, Dr. Kevin de Cock, head of HIV-AIDS at the World Health Organization and Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, chief consultant to the public health strategic health care group of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, make note of the trend of increasing HIV infections among men having sex with men:

"The commentary looks only at trends in western countries, where men who have sex with men have always made up the lion's share of people living with HIV-AIDS. They noted there was a 13-per-cent increase in American MSM living with HIV-AIDS between 2001 and 2005. A 10-fold increase in syphilis cases among MSM in the United States over the same period is further evidence of an increased frequency in unprotected sex, the authors said. HIV-AIDS rates among men who have sex with men are also in the increase in Canada. David Boulos, a senior epidemiologist with the Public Health Agency of Canada, said Tuesday that MSM accounted for only about 37 per cent of new HIV infections in this country in 1996, an all time low. But since then the rate has again begun to climb, reaching about 45 per cent in 2005. Jaffe and his co-authors suggest the reversal is at least in part the product of complacency. 'Our feeling is that there's now a complacent attitude towards the epidemic in general and particularly in gay men. Somehow it's just being accepted that yes, of course, the epidemic is continuing,' he said from Oxford."

The UN recently cut the number of people it believes to be infected worldwide with HIV by 6.3 million cases. World AIDS Day is December 1.

Recently
SF Doctors Surprised and Concerned by Return of Kaposi's Sarcoma [tr]

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Dr. R. Scott Hitt, AIDS Activist and Advisor to Clinton, Dies

Dr. R. Scott Hitt, a pioneering AIDS physician who served as Chair of the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS during the Clinton administration, died today in West Hollywood. He was 49. The cause of death was metastatic colon cancer, according to his publicist.

Hitt co-founded Access Now for Gay and Lesbian Equality (ANGLE); founded theAmerican Academy of HIV Medicine; and has served on the boards of numerous AIDS and LGBT organizations, including AIDS Project Los Angeles, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Equality California.

Hitt founded the R. Scott Hitt Foundation in 2007,which strives to advance the development and training of socially conscious individuals interested in becoming the future leaders in LGBT community activism.

Announcement continued, after the jump...

*** Via Hitt's publicist:

“Scott Hitt was a pioneer in the battle against HIV/AIDS. Working with President Clinton, Scott was responsible for creating policy that saved thousands of lives,” said David Mixner, author, political strategist and civil rights activist. “He fought discrimination and was a powerful force within the Democratic Party. We shall miss his voice.”

It was Hitt's believe that the LGBT community must continue to develop individuals from within their community who can articulate LGBT positions, stand up against the radical right and help see to it that America is not duped into believing that there is any group that should ever be treated differently than how they would have their own sons and daughters treated.

With much passion and valor Dr. Hitt made a monumental decision to try and focus his last years toward doing what he could to assist the next generation until the LGBT community is finally on the same playing field as everyone else. Throughout his illness which was diagnosed in 1999, Dr. Hitt courageously helped develop, mentor and train the next group of leaders in the LGBT community. Empowering and transforming the lives of young LGBT members was his life mission and until his death was one of the things that brought him the most fulfillment.

He often wondered when he looked at community-based organizations and sat at their board meetings, “Who will replace the leaders I have had the honor of meeting and working with? Who will pick up the mantle and do what needs to be done to ensure future LGBT generations won’t be whitewashed from the pages of history?”

Dr. Hitt always felt that individuals do not leave a single legacy— it is a lifelong body of work. And his included his true partnership with a wonderful man named Alex Koleszar; the patients he lovingly cared for over the years, determining what combination of therapies would help them survive to the next level; and the organizations he humbly served.

Dr. R. Scott Hitt was born in Tucson, Arizona. He is survived by his long time companion, Alex Koleszar; he is also survived by his two sisters Alana Hoffmann and Heather Martin. A private service and burial will take place in Phoenix, Arizona. A memorial service will be announced and to be held at All Saints’ Parish in Beverly Hills presided by Pastor Altagracia Perez.

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Will Bush Recess-Appoint Anti-Gay Surgeon General Nominee?

Whatever happened to Bush's U.S. Surgeon General nominee James Holsinger?

Turns out, nothing.

The nominee, whose Senate confirmation hearings in July were marked with concern regarding a 1991 paper the candidate wrote on homosexuality, was sent a questionnaire at the end of July. It has not yet been returned.

Holsinger concluded in his 1991 paper that homosexuality was "intuitively" unnatural. Here's a bit: "In fact, the logical complementarity of the human sexes has been so recognized in our culture that it has entered our vocabulary in the form of naming various pipe fittings either the male fitting or the female fitting depending upon which one interlocks within the other. When the complementarity of the sexes is breached, injuries and diseases may occur..."

Holsinger said in July that he's not anti-gay and that the paper was based on "information available to him at the time."

Some are speculating that the reason for the languishing questionnaire may be that Bush is waiting until the Senate adjourns so he can make a recess appointment, allowing Holsinger to serve until the end of the current Congress late in 2008.

Think Progress reports: "Bush has been more than willing to use this executive power to avoid or delay battles over divisive nominees such as former U.N. ambassador John Bolton and Swift Boat-funder Sam Fox. In June, the Washington Post reported that Bush had filled 105 full-time positions with recess appointments, compared to just 42 such appointments under President Clinton at the same point in his presidency."

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Surgeon General Nominee Holsinger Says He's Not Anti-Gay [tr]
Surgeon General Nominee Holsinger Has Broad Anti-gay Bias [tr]

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Jeff Getty, Activist Who Had Baboon Marrow Transplant, Dies

Back in 1995, when antiviral drug combinations that would prolong the lives of countless AIDS patients had not yet been introduced, Jeff Getty, an activist and experimental drug volunteer, became the first man to test a bone marrow transplant from a baboon as a way of combating the virus. Getty died a week ago in Joshua Tree, California. He was 49.

It was, in fact, the first time a bone marrow cell transfusion had been tried from one species to another. Though his health improved at first, the treatment was ultimately unsuccessful.

Described as a "fierce activist" by the New York Times, "[Getty] volunteered to test experimental drugs, and was jailed for demonstrating against pharmaceutical companies and for throwing a coffin on a hospital lawn to demand organ transplants for patients."

Desperate times called for desperate measures. Getty is survived by his partner of 26 years, Ken Klueh.

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News: Penis Transplant, Polar Bears Drowning, Mario Lopez

First penis transplant reversed: "The patient finally decided to give up the treatment because of the wife’s psychological rejection, as well as the swollen shape of the transplanted penis."

Global Warming: Polar bears drowning due to melting Arctic icepack; Gore says tax pollution, not payrolls; Bush officials tried to suppress federal scientist from discussing link between global warming and hurricanes.

New York Survey says there are lots of "straight" men having gay sex: "The findings are based on a 2003 health department survey that included 4,193 men age 18 and up. Respondents were asked about their sexual behavior and their sexual orientation. Almost 4 percent said they were homosexual, while 91 percent described themselves as 'straight.' The rest said they were bisexual, 'unsure,' or declined to answer. But of men who considered themselves heterosexual, nearly 10 percent had had sex with a man, but no woman, in the past year, Pathela's team found. And of the 337 survey respondents who'd had sex with another man, almost 73 percent identified themselves as straight.

Jake and Lance hypnotized by John Mayer's see-through shirt.

German art student disguises himself as Chinese terra cotta warrior, jumps into exhibit. Guard: "I got to the area where he was supposed to be, looked around and didn't see him - he looked too much like a terracotta warrior." (via raw story)

The Nip/Tuck shower scene clip: How does Mario Lopez get those abs? He doesn't eat.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has hit out at a campaign by a Christian fundamentalist sect targeting her husband of 25 years: My husband isn't gay.

(thanks tyler)

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News: AIDS Vaccine, Esquire, Drunk New Yorker

Gates Foundation gives over $250 million to researchers in 19 countries in order to facilitate search for an AIDS vaccine: "The grants are the largest private investment in making such a vaccine, the foundation said. They represent a significant shift in emphasis, to large-scale collaborative projects instead of small teams of researchers working independently. The money will be given over five years to 16 scientific teams, including two New York groups. The scientists applied for the grants before Warren E. Buffett announced last month that he was giving $31 billion to the Gates Foundation."

Anti-gay attacks rising at "alarming rate" in Scotland.

Washington gay marriage ruling "imminent", says judge, dismissing possibility that the decision would be held till after November elections: "We have never held cases. I resent when people say that."

Lost friendship? Matthew Fox and Josh Holloway reportedly in feud over $250,000 bonus.

Man passes out all night on the roof deck of the Eagle Bar in New York, wakes up trapped, is rescued by police who cut through the fence. Now that's a night out on the town!

REPORT: Gay Games "struggling to woo spectators." ORGANIZERS: "Crowds are great."

Has Britney's Manny been given the old heave-ho?

The new lean and mean Carson Daly gets fugged.

Why does Esquire magazine shun its gay readers: "It's all interesting, engaging stuff, but why are there no questions about gay men, much less specifically for gay men? (Does Esquire think gay men don't read their magazine?) In fact, the only two mentions of queerness occur when someone suggests Ryan Seacrest is gay and, in a section very briefly profiling a twenty-five year old from each state, where one participant identifies as gay. Meanwhile, female golfers get a four-page article devoted to them."

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Bush's Shameful Stem Cell Veto

So shameful that the Republicans figured out a way to push it through as quickly as possible. So shameful that Bush barred the media from covering it.

Here's how Bush explained his veto of a bill that has broad support from legislators and the public:

"Yet we must also remember that embryonic stem cells come from human embryos that are destroyed themselves. Each of these human embryos is a unique human life, with inherent dignity and matchless value. We see that value in the children who are with us today. Each of these children began his or her life as a frozen embryo that was created for in vitro fertilization, but remained unused after fertility treatments were complete. Each of these children was adopted while still an embryo, and has been blessed with the chance to grow up in a loving family. These boys and girls are not spare parts."

Why Bush's argument makes no sense...

Bush has chosen to be penny-wise, pound-foolish and rather than make a far-sighted choice that might save millions of lives down the road he has forsaken many (including some of his core supporters) in order to please his theocratic base. Let's hope folks remember in November.

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