News: Gin, Uganda, Channing Tatum, Torture, Nevada, Tony Kushner

New Jersey poll finds 49% of voters support marriage equality, 43% oppose.

Two upstate New York papers write editorials in support of marriage equality.

Channing Tatum is a lover not a fighter.

Is this what's meant by getting ginned up?

Condoleezza Rice approved waterboarding and then lied to Senate Armed Services Committee about it: "Last fall, Rice acknowledged to the Senate Armed Services Committee only that she had attended meetings where the CIA interrogation request was discussed and asked for the attorney general to conduct a legal review. She said she did not recall details. Rice omitted her direct role in approving the program in her written statement to the committee."

Lindsay Lohan talks to Ellen DeGeneres about Samantha Ronson...and Anne Heche.

City of Rochester makes offer to residents suing the city over police gay bashing incident: "In an April 7 correspondence, city municipal attorney Matthew Brown noted that 'the city has made an offer to plaintiffs' in the federal civil case. Attorney Christina Agola, who represents the five who sued the city and police officers, also acknowledged Wednesday that 'we are engaged in talks...We haven't reached an ultimate decision,' she said."

Beyoncé lets it rip.

Uganda paper outs homosexuals.

NYT on the Maine marriage hearings: "The future of the bill, which has more than 60 sponsors, is uncertain. Gov. John Baldacci, a Democrat, had opposed same-sex marriage, but now says he is keeping his options open. The Legislature, where Democrats control both houses, can pass or reject the measure, or send it to the voters for a referendum. If the Legislature passes the bill, citizens can collect enough signatures to place a people’s veto of the legislation on the November ballot."

Michael Musto's sit-down interview with porn producer Michael Lucas.

Longtime owner of Philadelphia gay bar Uncles, Mort Wernik, dies at 73.

Nevada Senate passes domestic partnerships, may face veto from governor: "On a 12-9 vote Tuesday night, the state Senate passed a bill to allow domestic partners, gay and straight, most of the same rights as married couples."

Minneapolis' Guthrie Theatre delays premiere of Tony Kushner play by a week: "The show — 'The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures' — was scheduled to begin previews on May 9 and open on May 15. But the Guthrie says after discussions among Kushner, director Michael Greif and Guthrie director Joe Dowling, it was decided to delay the opening to give the actors more time on stage."

Correction: The press release we linked to earlier in this post that that appeared to be from a national gay organization on torture has been revealed to be a fake.

Former Idol David Hernandez Knows Adam Lambert 'From the Scene'

Michael Musto ran into former American Idol contestant/stripper David Hernandez at New York's Beige nightclub. Hernandez talked to Musto about Adam Lambert, gays, and American Idol, and why he was voted off: "It wasn't the stripper thing. It was the gay thing. That's Middle America for you."

Hernandez also said he's a friend of Lambert's "from the scene." What scene? The black nails scene? The Arizona stripper scene? The closeted Idol scene? Inquiring minds want to know.

In any case, since we haven't had the Wednesday Lambert fix, watch his typically over the top performance of "Born to Be Wild" on last night's show, AFTER THE JUMP...

Michael Musto: Barney Frank to Be Fluffer in Porn Bailout

Keith Olbermann talked with Michael Musto last night about the collapse of the porn economy, and what the bailout might look like.

Asked Olbermann: "Would there be a porn tsar?"

Said Musto: "There's a lot of concessions we can make. No more Ron Jeremy films. Barney Frank is gonna wanna be the fluffer on Schindler's Fist. There should be a porn tsar. There's gonna be no more Bush soon - what did I say? I think Obama's first task should be to appoint Sarah Palin a porn tsar because she more than anyone knows how awful it is on the rare occasion when people keep it in their pants."

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Ethiopia, Clay Aiken, Burger King, Michael Musto , Spain

Decade-long spike in anti-gay hate crimes expected to continue surge in 2008.

Some vintage shots of a well-known CNN anchor.

Ethiopian clerics want ban on homosexuality enshrined in constitution: "Religious leaders in Ethiopia on Monday urged lawmakers to amend the country's constitution to ban homosexuality in a move they argue could further strengthen existing codes. At a meeting in the Ethiopian capital, nearly a dozen religious figures, including heads of Ethiopia's Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, adopted a resolution against homosexuality, which they termed as 'the pinnacle of immorality.'"

British mum in court for anti-gay attack on her own son.

40-year-old British ex-boxer in court for anti-gay attack on 14-year-old boy: "Wirral magistrates heard Stephen Hope, 40, of Hull, only stopped his attack when he was slashed across the arm by the boy’s mother, who had panicked and grabbed a kitchen knife. The thick-set former drug user had befriended the woman four months prior to the attack on August 13. The court heard how having originally listened to the youth confide he might be homosexual, Hope grew increasingly angry, saying he was driving a wedge between him and his mother."

Clay Aiken immortalized at Sardi's.

Gay Indian Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil goes undercover to try and find a partner: "Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil has been trawling the bars and clubs of a British seaside resort - even taking up a menial job - in a life-follows-art search for a soulmate. Gohil, crown prince of the former princely state of Rajpipla in Gujarat, is among three ‘undercover princes’ who have travelled from India, Sri Lanka and South Africa to star in a four-part British television documentary."

Recession-proof: Arnold Schwarzenegger spends at Hermes.

Max Blumenthal on Rick Warren's double life.

James Kirchik: Gay community needs to calm down about Rick Warren.

The Village Voice's Michael Musto takes on Sarah Palin and others in his year-end review. FLASHBACK: Musto as Lindsay Lohan as Marilyn Monroe.

Spanish judge suspended for trying to stop lesbian from adopting: "The court’s ruling Tuesday says Ferrin ignored Spanish laws allowing homosexual couples to adopt and showed contempt for the woman’s sexual orientation while processing her application. Ferrin says he will appeal his suspension, and that he had only the child’s interests at heart."

Can Paris Hilton get any tackier? It's possible.

Burger King "Flame" meat-scented cologne sells out in NYC. PETA responds with their own fragrance: Gore.

What the Pope actually said about homosexuality being as dangerous as the destruction of the rainforests.

Burlesque dancer Dita von Teese and Dr. Mervyn Silverman receive Award of Courage from amfAR: "Silverman, director of public health from 1977 to 1985, was feted for leadership in HIV prevention...Von Teese, a spokeswoman for the MAC AIDS Fund and a supporter of amfAR, was honored for putting her time and charisma into international fundraising and awareness efforts - not just for men, but women, too."

Michael Musto as Lindsay Lohan as Marilyn Monroe

Michael Musto parodies the Lindsay Lohan - Marilyn Monroe New York magazine recreation of Monroe's "The Last Sitting". And the shoot is far more entertaining than the Lohan one.

Musto told Page Six: "Lindsay did 250 crunches the night before her shooting. Well, I did 250 Nestle's Crunches."

Michael Musto as Lindsay Lohan as Marilyn Monroe [village voice]

Michael Musto Steps into the Blogosphere

Village Voice columnist Michael Musto added his voice to the blogosphere yesterday, with an opening post of The Daily Musto focusing on out singer Ari Gold.

Today he takes on novelist Tom Dolby, author of The Trouble Boy, which Dolby dished about with Towleroad upon its paperback publication in 2005.

Dolby told Musto about his new tome, The Sixth Form:

"For years after The Trouble Boy, whenever people heard I was writing a novel set at boarding school, I think they assumed lots of salacious sex and boys romping in gang showers after the lacrosse game. But this is more realistic. (Sadly, I never had any sex while at prep school.) It's still gothic, sexy stuff, boys stealing kisses in graveyards, pot-fueled fantasies—though the main character, a senior in high school, is actually straight. His best friend, though (who—plot spoiler—does turn out to be gay), has a mother who's a big fag hag and has his first sexual experience with a very hot guy 10 years his senior. All in all, I think there should be plenty to keep all my gay fans happy, though the book primarily takes place in the uptight, WASPy world of a New England prep school. Then again, what could be more gay than that?"

We welcome Michael to the neighborhood.

Previously
Tom Dolby's West Village Writing Lair [tr]