News: Olivia Culpo, Sentient Kitchen, Jake Tapper, Log Cabin

Dan Stevens and Jessica Chastain look dashing and gorgeous on Broadway.

Federal prosecutors are charging New Jersey man Ronnie McMillian with two counts of "transmitting threats to injure another through interstate commerce" after he allegedly made threatening calls to Rep. Michele Bachmann and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, whom he reportedly singled-out for their anti-gay politics: "Prosecutors allege McMillian regularly called the offices of public officials and used vulgar language to attack the person's position on gay rights."

Outgoing Rep. Barney Frank doesn't just think Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is a homophobe; the Democrat thinks Scalia is "an unreconstructed bigot."

In light of Brazil's São Paulo State legalizing marriage equality, Rex Wockner has an updated list of where same-sex couples can tie the knot.

Religious universities debate how to cope with same-sex marriage: "For religious colleges, that can mean making another decision about who can and who can’t wed in their chapels -- and, in states that do not permit same-sex marriage, whether those couples can hold another ceremony to honor their bond. Many colleges already restrict chapel weddings to students, graduates and employees. But as denominations shift their positions on homosexuality, colleges may find themselves navigating more controversial issues within the church."

One Direction and a shirtless Shemar Moore were at the same tattoo parlor in Los Angeles last night.

Late Sen. Dan Inouye was celebrated as a "quintessential American" during a memorial service in DC today. "While this may be a quiet ceremony for a quiet man, it will endure long after the respects are paid," Republican House Speaker John Boehner said of the Democrat. "For when this rotunda returns to life and the tour guides give their pitch, they will always speak of Daniel Inouye, the gentleman from Hawaii and one of freedom's most gallant champions."

Kitties love a sentient kitchen.

ABC's ever-reliable White House correspondent Jake Tapper is leaving the network to join CNN as an anchor and also as a White House correspondent.

Trans-friendly beauty queen Miss USA Olivia Culpo is now Miss Universe, still as a trans-friendly beauty queen.

Have yourself a merry quaint holiday.

New York City's Fire Department is being criticized for confiscating apartment building lobby's live Christmas trees. "It's like 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas,' and not just Christmas, but all holidays that are celebrated," said one dispirited citizen.

Texas State Rep-elect Kyle Kacal on gun control: "I've heard of people being killed playing ping-pong—ping-pongs are more dangerous than guns. Flat-screen TVs are injuring more kids today than anything."

Everything old is new again: "A quantum version of a Victorian counting machine could be just what quantum computers need to race ahead of the pack."

The Voice introduces us to two up-and-comers, Shakira and Usher.

Oy. From Christian Post: "Porn Use Linked to Gay Marriage Support..."

Does Mat Staver from the anti-gay Liberty Counsel really think marriage equality is going to spark a civil war? "This would be the thing that revolutions are made of. This could split the country right in two. This could cause another civil war." Right.

The Log Cabin Republicans are happy to hear Newt Gingrich is facing the reality of marriage equality. "Gingrich speaks for many Republicans who are concerned about our party's future," Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper said in a statement. "It is particularly important and welcome to hear that Gingrich now understands the difference between church ceremonies and a civil marriage license, and that equality is no threat to religious freedom."

Audience Laughs At Michele Bachmann's 'Political Speech' Denial: VIDEO

In a debate with Democratic campaign rival Jim Graves this week, Minnesota Congresswoman and virulent conservative crusader Michele Bachmann claimed for some reason that she does not engage in political speech.

"That's one thing I do not do, is political speech," she said, giving the audience a good belly laugh in the process.

Take a look at a short video of Bachmann getting unintended chuckles and The Young Turks' analysis AFTER THE JUMP.

New MN Marriage Amendment Poll Reiterates Tight Race

A new poll on Minnesota's Amendment 1, a measure that would write marriage discrimination into the state's constitution, shows that the race is still extremely close

The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that 47% of registered voters oppose the amendment, an unchanged number, while 48% of voters support amending the constitution to define marriage as one man, one woman. That's down one point from the previous polls. Five percent of people remain undecided, the paper says. Over 50% is needed one way or the other, and skipping the question qualifies as "no".

Not surprisingly, most of the people who oppose the amendment know someone who is LGBT: 54% of people who are voting no know someone who is gay or lesbian. Surprisingly, 40% of those who say they want to enshrine discrimination know someone who is gay or lesbian. Those are Michele Bachmann's people.

And, yes, religious leaders are playing a key role:

The sampling also found that Minnesota's faith leaders are enormously influential.

Fully 70 percent of supporters say their religious leader helped inform their decision on the question; 26 percent say their faith leader had little or no impact. Among amendment opponents, 27 percent said a faith leader played a significant role in their position.

Minnesotans United for All Families, a group trying to stop the unnecessary and hateful amendment, remain hopeful that Minnesotans will see the amendment for what it is.

"When Minnesotans go to the polls, they'll measure this amendment against their values of freedom and treating others as you would want to be treated," said the group's campaign manager, Richard Carlbom. "This amendment just doesn't stack up to our values as Minnesotans."

News: Iran, Ohio, Big Tex, Chris Kluwe

Former Jersey Shore star Angelina Pivarnick now says that same-sex couples should be able to get married, even though she said precisely the opposite just last week.

A new Obama campaign ad running in the crucial swing state of Ohio hits Mitt Romney on his infamous "let Detroit go bankrupt" op-ed, while another commercial from the president's reelection effort criticized the Republican rival's education policy. Meanwhile, Romney's campaign claims that a second Obama term would bring more debt, more taxes and general malaise.

Justin Timberlake's got a ring on it.

Republican Congressman Joe Walsh, an advocate of curbing illegal immigration with moats and alligators,said that marriage equality is a "socioeconomic issue". "Walsh argues that 'male-female, two-parent households' produce children who do better in school, stay away from drugs and are less likely to be in poverty," reports the Chicago Tribune.

Check out the Michael Jackson BAD 25 trailer.

RIP Big Tex.

Just two days before Mitt Romney and President Obama's debate on foreign policy, officials say that Iran has agreed to nuclear talks. From the Times: "The United States and Iran have agreed for the first time to one-on-one negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, according to Obama administration officials, setting the stage for what could be a last-ditch diplomatic effort to avert a military strike on Iran."

A profile on Elizabeth Emken, the GOP Senate candidate from California: "Prior to her friendship with Diaz, Emken had a similarly intense friendship with Tim Radi, a fellow member of the group, not realizing that he too would later come out as gay. 'It was the same pattern as with me,' Diaz states. 'She had intense feelings for him, but he didn’t want to date her. It was as if history were repeating itself.'"

In addition to allegations that she fixed the school's state-based ratings, a Queens principal named Nancy Casella is accused of making racist, homophobic and other offensive comments.

Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe made good and debated marriage equality with empty chairs representing various anti-gay foes, including Michele Bachmann. To Bachmann's lie that same-sex marriage will lead "all schools teaching homosexuality," whatever that even means, Kluwe responded, "I would say that that is a flat out falsehood. What we'll be teaching our children is tolerance. We'll be teaching our children that it is okay to be who you are." And to the argument that marriage equality is "redefining marriage," Kluwe says, "We're not redefining marriage to take away someone's rights. We're redefining marriage to give someone rights. It's about freedom." Video here. I'll try to find an embeddable version.

Former NFL player Kris Jenkins thinks it's time for a player to come out.

Flava Flav was arrested.

Michele Bachmann's Gay Step-Sister Discusses Rep's 'Sad Legacy'

Michele Bachmann's political future looks perilous as the Minnesota U.S. Rep. faces insurgent Democratic challenger Jim Graves. Regardless of whether she wins reelection next month, Bachmann will always be known for the anti-gay initiatives she helped initiate in DC as well as her home state, where voters will also decide in November whether to pass a constitutional amendment banning marriage equality.

That referendum, says Bachmann's openly gay step-sister Helen LaFave, is the Republican congresswoman's "very, very sad legacy."

In a rare interview, LaFave describes to the New York Times' Frank Bruni how she and her partner of nearly 25 years, Nia, have been hurt by Bachmann's Jekyll and Hyde attitudes. On the one hand, Bachmann is always respectful of LaFave and Nia's love, but then turns around and calls homosexuality "personal enslavement."

[LaFave] couldn’t believe it when, about a decade ago, Michele began to use her position as a state senator in Minnesota to call out gays and lesbians as sick and evil and to push for an amendment to the Minnesota constitution that would prohibit same-sex marriage: precisely the kind of amendment that Minnesotans will vote on in a referendum on Election Day.

“It felt so divorced from having known me, from having known somebody who’s gay,” said Helen, a soft-spoken woman with a gentle air. “I was just stunned.”
…
[The women] never hid their relationship from their families, Nia said, though they also didn’t force long-winded discussions about homosexuality. Their philosophy, she said, was simply to “put it out there, show ’em who we are and love ’em where they’re at, and everything will fall into place.” Their goal was one of “killing them with kindness.”

They thought that was happening. At get-togethers, Nia received hugs from Michele, who traded an “I love you” with Helen, as the two always had.

LaFave, a Democrat who voted for President Obama in 2008, also describes how in 2003 she wrote a letter asking Bachmann to back off her homophobic platform. "You've taken aim at me. You've taken aim at my family," she wrote. Bachmann never responded to the letter, either in ink or in person. The divide is simply ignored, she says.

Michele Bachmann Struggles to Retain Seat Against Opponent Who Supports Marriage Equality

Last week, it was reported that Michele Bachmann's lead in the race to hold on to her seat in Congress had shrunk to two points:

Independent voters have swung against her by nearly 20 points in just two months, from a 4 percent advantage to a 15 point disadvantage. The internal poll, conducted by Democratic pollsters Greenberg Quinlan Rosner at the behest of Democrat Jim Graves’ campaign and shared with Salon, shows that Bachmann’s favorability rating has tumbled since their last survey in mid-June, and finds Graves gaining ground with independents as his name recognition grows.

Overall, the poll shows Bachmann leading Graves 48-46 percent, within the margin of error.

Michelangelo Signorile interviewed Graves on his radio show last week about, among other things, his support for marriage equality:

“My stand is, I’ve been for 39 years in a loving and committed relationship,” he said. “I’m very fortunate. It’s been the best thing in my life and, by gosh, everybody in America has the same rights under the law and everyone should be able to marry who they want to, when they want to. As far as what churches want to do, or synagogues, again, I believe in separation of church and state. I don’t care what the Catholic Church wants to do. I happen to be born a Catholic. But under the law everybody has the same rights and I believe very strongly in dignity and respect for everybody."

Listen to Signorile's full interview at HuffPost.