News: Robyn, 'Ex-Gays', Jack Spade, AXM, Madonna, Atlantic

Palin as President.

British gay mag AXM goes web-only.

ABC News on oral sex and throat cancer: "Men are 35 percent more likely than women to develop HPV-related oral cancer, according to the study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. But both men and women are susceptible. While scientists don't know yet how sexual orientation factors into the equation, they know the No. 1 risk factor is a high number of sexual partners."

Madonna lashes out at "emotionally retarded" Guy Ritchie at concert.

Trial underway for "gay gang" accused of spreading HIV at sex orgies: "The three accused, all HIV-positive, are charged with drugging gay men at sex orgies, raping them, and injecting them with blood contaminated with HIV. They are aged 39, 49 and 50. The three, including a nurse, are accused of intentionally spreading the deadly virus at sex parties they promoted on the Internet. They face charges of aggravated assault, rape, and illegal possession of drugs and face up to 21 years in jail."

Justin Timberlake looking for a hole.

GOP congressman Tom Davis jokes about pro-Obama voter suppression.

Pentagram on their redesign of The Atlantic: "In the end, the redesign team came back to a nameplate that was an adaptation of a design that had appeared on the magazine for more than 35 years in the mid 20th century...The designers weren’t tempted by its nostalgic characteristics; rather, they were struck by how it managed to look both contemporary and timeless. Based on the 18th century typeface Bodoni, it featured an italic A that was distinctive and perfectly captured the idiosyncratic character of the magazine."

Killings and hate crime trigger public meeting in Portland, Maine.

Bamboo Nation: An Open Letter to My Gay Friend; or Gay Marriage Is Not About Marriage. "I've been looking over our online chat transcript from last night to see if I was overreacting when I decided to abruptly end our conversation. With the benefit of hindsight, I can say that I acted rationally and, in addition, I am deeply disappointed in you."

Florida Governor Charlie Crist: GOP may be exaggerating voter fraud in Florida. "Gov. Charlie Crist said Wednesday that he has confidence in Secretary of State Kurt Browning, who says there's only been a scattering of isolated incidents. Crist said in the closing days of any campaign 'there are some who sort of enjoy chaos.' There may be more of that going on than fraud, he said."

She Is: Beyoncé to release double> album.

London Times article on "ex-gays" which Wayne Besen of Truth Wins Out says is one of the best he's read: "Ridgecrest Retreat is a white, antiseptic blot in the blue-green Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. Masquerading as one of the hundreds of 'homosexual strugglers' who visit the Exodus campus, I arrived here after registering online for six days of evangelism psychotherapy."

Robyn goes "Cobrastyle".

Accessory brand Jack Spade to launch men's fashion line: "The Claiborne-owned brother label to the $90 million Kate Spade brand has also tapped former Paul Smith and Original Penguin alum Cuan Hanly as its new vice-president and general manager. Hanly, who has been on board for four weeks, is charged with spearheading the new men’s collection and enhancing Jack Spade’s retail plans. First on Hanly’s to-do list has been the creation of a capsule collection of men’s outerwear, shirts and sweaters for spring 2009."

Top Ten Kristen Wiig moments on SNL.

Michael Lucas and his partner Richard Winger to be married.

Is the T-Mobile G1 an iPhone killer?

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News: Spider, Piper Palin, Outweek, Sally Kern, Village People

Outweek archive now online.

Piper Palin demonstrates the Alaskan spit shine.

The anti-John Edwards?: Anderson Cooper hair-cut price $15.

McCain threatens legal action over National Enquirer Palin affair rumor. Steve Schmidt: "The smearing of the Palin family must end. The allegations contained on the cover of the National Enquirer insinuating that Gov. Palin had an extramarital affair are categorically false. It is a vicious lie. The efforts of the media and tabloids to destroy this fine and accomplished public servant are a disgrace. The American people will reject it."

Oprah Winfrey kicks off season with Michael Phelps, 149 other athletes.

Giant spider attacks Liverpool.

The enduring style of JFK Jr.

Yves Saint Laurent head designer Stefano Pilati says being gay helps him see women objectively: “I always wonder why 99 percent of the top male fashion designers are homosexual. In my case, I would say that my sexuality has led me to love women to death and to hate them as well … [Being gay] helped me understand the male mind. But when I do a fitting with a woman, I think, Would this woman seduce me?”

Michelangelo Signorile's interview with Sally Kern at the RNC. FLASHBACK: Meeting.

France to call on United Nations to step up action against homophobia, violence against women: "Junior Human Rights Minister Rama Yade told the 61st annual conference of non-governmental organisations at UNESCO headquarters in Paris that a text would be submitted to the EU in the coming days. France, as holder of the six-month EU presidency, hopes to 'set the criteria for EU intervention' in the fight against violence towards women, including by mobilising Europe's diplomatic networks. Paris also plans to submit a draft declaration to the UN General Assembly in December aimed at combating homophobia and decriminalising homosexuality, which is punishable by prison in 90 countries and in theory by death in six of them, Yade said."

Village People to get star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Second chance: Britney Spears to kick off 2008 VMAs...

Adult film mogul Michael Lucas launches fashion site:

Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson says it's time to get serious about Obama: "With John McCain, we will see the conservative near-majority on the Court shift to a solid majority – with devastating results when the 'full faith and credit clause' of the Constitution is challenged in the recognition of gay marriages. With Barack Obama, we have someone who is utterly sympathetic to our full and equal rights as citizens. I know, he won’t say he’s for equal marriage rights (neither did Hillary), but he still is the most LGBT-friendly president we will have ever had. I know from my own private conversations with him that he is totally in our court. I believe him, and I trust him, not to throw us under the bus when the election is over."

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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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News: Newark, Spencer Pratt, Chicago, Charlie Crist, Uruguay

Following the murders of two gay black men on Chicago's south side in the past month, authorities are wondering if a serial killer may be responsible: "On November 17, 24-year-old Larry Bland was shot to death in his Englewood home. Bland, a security guard at Northwestern Hospital was shot more than once after struggling with a man who had entered the house through an unlocked basement door. Then on December 23, 47-year-old Donald Young, the choir director at Trinity United Church of Christ, was shot multiple times in his South Side apartment. His roommate found his body."

Spencer Pratt of The Hills turns down offer from Michael Lucas to appear in gay porn movie. Lucas: "He was born to be in a gay-porn blockbuster. Lucas Entertainment would do anything to be able to center our next major all-male production on Spencer Pratt."

Will Smith apologizes for Hitler remarks.

Harassment of gay teen prompts uproar, petition, review of policies at Pennsylvania high school: "Few days went by without his being punched, kicked or tripped by classmates at Susquehanna Twp. High School in Dauphin County. The teenager, an openly gay boy described by friends as kind and compassionate, said he was constantly harassed, though he never reported it to anyone, not even his friends. Finally, when classmates told him to 'go kill himself' to "make the world a better place," the teen decided he'd had enough. He said he left school in the middle of his senior year because he could no longer bear the torment."

GREEN: Times Square New Year's Eve ball converted to energy-saving LEDs.

Thomas Morgan III, former president of the National Association of Black Journalists and reporter and editor at the New York Times, dies at 56 of AIDS-related complications.

Madonna to make directorial debut with Filth and Wisdom at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.

Southwest Airlines makes attempt to land in gay market, misses runway?

Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez signs first nationwide same-sex civil union law in Latin America.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist "not moved" to support Florida marriage amendment. Perhaps too much "moving" might rattle a few skeletons out of the closet.

"Homosexuality is a human condition": Mayor of Rome criticizes Catholic political leader Dr. Paola Binetti for resisting legislation that would bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Do you believe: Chastity Bono and Cher developing reality show to help gays come out of the closet.

Mr. Cellophane: turns out that the reason Michael Jackson was so bandaged up the other week was because his five-year-old son accidentally smacked him in the face and his (plastic) upper lip collapsed.

Newark, New Jersey gay voguing balls finding a new place in the city's culture: " The city's gay ball subculture -- in which men and women compete in rituals of posing and runway walking, sometimes as the opposite gender -- is earning a place for itself in civic life, with outreach efforts and charity drives. And nowhere is that more surprising than in Newark, a city with no openly gay nightlife, where the 4-year-old murder of 15-year-old lesbian Sakia Gunn, killed for rejecting a man's advances, is still invoked as a symbol of intolerance. The houses, which have a combined membership of more than 100, are now touted by politicians as a significant force in the fight against AIDS and discrimination."

Hilton sisters get lump of coal from grandpa.

Oregon's same-sex couples eagerly await the new year and its new benefits.

David Beckham flattered: "I'm very honoured to have the tag of gay icon. Maybe it's things like (the fact) I like to look after myself, I like to look smart and presentable most of the time."

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News: Wii Fit, Giant Squid, Beckham Invasion, Larry Flynt, Mika

Larry Flynt's investigators are currently looking into at least 20 high-profile political sex scandals, some of which involve "high ranking Republican and Democrat members of the Senate and the House."

Mika shows off cartoons from Life in Cartoon Motion in London exhibit.

Bush's policies have made Al Qaeda a powerhouse again: "Six years after the Bush administration declared war on al-Qaeda, the terrorist network is gaining strength and has established a safe haven in remote tribal areas of western Pakistan for training and planning attacks, according to a new Bush administration intelligence report to be discussed today at a White House meeting. The report, a five-page threat assessment compiled by the National Counterterrorism Center, is titled 'Al-Qaida Better Positioned to Strike the West,' intelligence officials said. It concludes that the group has significantly rebuilt itself despite concerted U.S. attempts to smash the network."

This should be common sense, but one shouldn't walk through a thunderstorm while listening to your iPod.

British invasion: Beckhams arrive at Heathrow for flight to Los Angeles.

Adult film maven Michael Lucas to lose his trademark pout.

Navigating the linguistic seas of cross-cultural slurs: "Language is always guilty. What could be more common than the verb ''get''? We Cubans use coger for anything that is taken, held, grasped, grabbed, etc., while in other Hispanic countries, the verb has the lubricious meaning implicit in 'I`m gonna get you.' In much stronger terms. In the lands that first identified the syndrome we call 'machismo' (as a malaise, I should add), words for homosexual abound. Sometimes they are as simple as the Spanish for 'bird' or 'duck,' which lend themselves to endless wordplay. Through the process known in literary studies as metonymy, there are pejorative allusions to gayness, such as 'one can see his feathers,' i.e. he is a bird, meaning queer. 'Bird,' as we all know, is British slang for 'chick.' And that word in Spanish, pollo, is archaic Cuban slang one can hear in old Beny Moré songs in which the great singer brags about how chicks dig him. And these are only the vicissitudes of staying within one language."

David Mixner recalls lunch with Lady Bird Johnson.

Orlando Bloom says he won't be getting naked on the London stage, although it might help if the play he was performing in actually had any opportunities for nudity.

Giant squid washes up on Tasmanian beach: "one of the biggest ever found, weighing in at 250 kilograms, with a cross-section as big as a truck tyre and longer than a station wagon."

Scientists spot planet with water outside our solar system: " But the planet itself would be hell for humans. Orbiting cheek by jowel to the star, at a distance that is 30 times closer than that between the Earth and the Sun, parts of the planet's atmosphere reach 2,000 degrees Celsius (3,600 degrees Fahrenheit). This seething temperature is reached on the side of the planet that always faces the star. By comparison, the other side of the planet is relatively balmy, with a low of 500 C (932 F). Tinetti's team used NASA's Spitzer orbiting telescope, using its infrared sensors to pick out the tiny signature that occurs when water vapour absorbs light from a star."

The man forever associated with Ted Haggard has something to say in Colorado Springs.

Do you have a lot of moles? You may have a better chance of living longer.

Wii Fit prepares to combat couch potato-ism: "The title is set to include more than forty different activities, from aerobics to yoga poses to muscle conditioning, and it will even measure your BMI. Plus, as can be seen in the trailer, there are a number of other fun minigames -- yes, we know, minigames on the Wii! -- that also serve to improve balance and coordination." The videogame system may soon be #1 worldwide.

And a very happy birthday today to Trent, our friend at Pink is the New Blog!

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #55

THE VIEW: Drunken Danny Devito bashes Bush, horrifies Barbara.

LISTEN: Beyoncé's new video for her single from Dreamgirls.

LA DOLCE VITA: Behind the scenes of Michael Lucas' porn shoot fashion show. (briefly NSFW)

CHRIS EVANS: A recent message from the set of Fantastic Four 2.

For all our guides to the Tube, click here.

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News: Posh Toast, Michael Lucas, Gay Yoga, Art-O-Meter

Gay bashers of Elmira, New York set to appear before grand jury.

The Art-O-Meter scores a work of art based on the amount of time someone stands in front of it.

Forget the Virgin Mary and Jesus, now images of Posh Spice, Pete Doherty, and Jude Law have begun to show up burned into pieces of toast!

World Wildlife Fund issues global warning: "For more than 20 years we have exceeded the earth's ability to support a consumptive lifestyle that is unsustainable and we cannot afford to continue down this path."

250,000: Out Traveler poised to grab highest circulation of any LGBT mag.

Michael Lucas, Porn King of New York: "Michael Lucas stalks up Eighth Avenue like a jungle cat on a fashion runway. A lot of hip motion is involved. Enormous Prada sunglasses shield his eyes. Three buttons of his fitted lime-green shirt are undone, revealing a Star of David necklace resting in a patch of chest hair. His gait and all-around grooviness recall Travolta in the opening scene of Saturday Night Fever. 'Porn is show business,' Lucas says in his strong Russian accent. 'You’re in show business whether you are an actor or an anchor doing news or fucking.'"

Kevin Tillman, brother of slain soldier and former football player Pat Tillman, has let the world know how he feels about the Bush administration and the wars overseas.

First gay-owned and operated yoga studio to open in NYC.

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Russian Jews, Israel, Gay Pride, and Porn

Jews in Russia have urged city leaders in Jerusalem to ban a Gay Pride parade scheduled to take place there on the day before the eve of Rosh Hashana, September 21st.

Boruch Gorin, head of The Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia told media outlet Interfax: "We believe sexual manifestation, be it traditional or not, to be inappropriate in any city of the world, while in Jerusalem, the city that is holy also for Judaism, this is a scandalous blasphemy."

Gorin also noted the stabbing that took place the last time a Pride parade was held in that city:

"The tragic results of the last action’ when an Orthodox Jew attacked its participants with a knife is another reason why the city authorities should bar such actions. Such provocations could bring about a tragedy, and their consequences are unpredictable. We urge the Holy City’s authorities to revoke their decision permitting pride parade and consider no requests like that in the future."

WorldPride had been scheduled to take place in Jerusalem on August 10th, but was postponed due to the war with Lebanon. Threats have been ongoing against organizers of Pride events in Jerusalem for some time, including pamphlets posted in an Orthodox neighborhood (which some have said were practical jokes) that advocated the killing of gays.

Gay porn producer and actor Michael Lucas, who is Russian and Jewish but now living in New York, plans to visit Israel starting today for a week to show solidarity with Israel, entertain the gay community there (with sex shows, of course) and raise awareness of gay issues. Admission to Lucas' events will be free to all Israeli military personnel.

Said Lucas: "It will be my fourth trip to Israel, and my third time to perform there. I am very proud to be going to my home away from home and entertain gay Israelis in a time of war. People need to see the faces of war, and I plan to shed light on the world where gay Israel exists. I will expose the reality that the people of Israel face right now, especially that of gay Israelis who are targeted by the hate of Hizbullah."

Is it any surprise that Lucas' trip has caused a controversy? He responded several times on his blog (NSFW) to criticism of the trip:

"Look, I am one of you, my gentle readers. I have experienced a great deal of anti-semitism growing up in Soviet Russia. Like all Jews, I had a paragraph in my passport which read "Jewish". People called it "5th paragraph". Russians never gave me the opportunity to be one of them. Israel is my country as much as it is yours. To come to Israel is my birthright. Yes, I produce gay porn. But for the most part, I am just like you, proud to be Jewish, love my family, proud of Israel, and was glued to TV for the past month, worried for my people. The fact is, lots of people love and need porn. I do not harm anyone, I make them happy."

Lucas has so far not announced plans to attend the Gay Pride festivities scheduled for later in September but there's little doubt that if he did, fellow Russian Jew Boruch Gorin would have something to say about that.

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Jerusalem WorldPride: Flyers Offer Prize for Killing Gays [tr]
Stabbings at Jerusalem Pride [tr]

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