Grey's Anatomy Features Gay Soldier Story, Kiss

Last night's Grey's Anatomy featured the gay soldier romance I posted about in mid-April. I've clipped the opening scene of the story for those who are interested after the jump. It doesn't give away how the episode ends (and I won't either) but this clip should get your heart racing a bit.

The soldiers were played by Benny Ciaramello (Friday Night Lights' Santiago) and MTV Road Rules grad David Giuntoli. Well done, boys.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously
Grey's Anatomy to Feature Hot Gay Soldier Kiss [tr]

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News: Jim Neal, Ronaldo, Gay Sauna, Smiley Face, Charlie Crist

AFA asks followers to bombard Procter & Gamble with complaints over Luke and Noah's kiss.

Brazilian footballer Ronaldo caught up in tranny hooker extortion plot: "He told police he knew they were hookers, but didn't know they were dudes. He took the three trannies to a motel where he discovered the truth. He offered them around $600 each to leave. Two of the trannies accepted, but the other tranny, Andre Luis Ribeiro Albertino (above), demanded $30,000 or else."

Out has an exclusive excerpt from John Barrowman's new autobiography, Anything Goes.

Hillary Clinton supporter set up Reverend Jeremiah Wright appearance at National Press Club.

HRC refusing to support gay candidate Jim Neal in North Carolina...

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter appoints liaison to LGBT community. Mayor: "For the first time, the LGBT liaison will actually be operating out of the mayor's office, working across city government to advocate for the needs of Philadelphia's LGBT community."

Australian forum hears calls for gay-friendlier nursing homes.

Male autograph seekers mob Lance Bass outside Villa nightclub.

Police raid gay sauna in Israel: "The association's chairman, Mike Hammel, said that 'the sauna is a meeting place for men looking to meet men.' Hammel received many complaints from the sauna's visitors accusing him of slander. The sauna is viewed as a recreational place for gays around the world. In Tel-Aviv, for instance, there are three running saunas. A. established the sauna in Haifa a few months ago, investing large sums of money, and has run it ever since. This is the only place in the north serving as a meeting place for the gay community. 'Saying that this place provides prostitution services, is simply ignorance and stupidity', he said to Ynet. 'Only in Haifa can they come to a place for gays, remove people as if they were a herd of animals, and simply place them under investigation for prostitution.'"

Smiley Face: Investigators discover common link between 40 murder cases of young men across the country. "Gannon and Duarte have done something that no other law enforcement agency has ever done in this case -- they looked at the big picture and visited each site where the young men disappeared. While most local investigations focused on where a body was recovered, Gannon and Duarte tried to figure out where the body went into the river. City after city, when they'd find the spot where the body went in, they would find something else: The symbol of a smiley face."

Cher reminisces about affair with Tom Cruise: "It could have been a great big romance because I was crazy for him."

Lipstick Jungle's Robert Buckley doing what he does best.

Military responds to disgusting video of conditions at Fort Bragg: " Frawley's 10-minute video shows still photos from throughout the building, which appears to be falling apart and filled with mold and rust. Paint -- which Frawley said is lead-based -- is chipping. Ceiling tiles are missing. A broken drain pipe allows sewer gas into the building, while another one has tissues stuffed into it in an apparent effort to stop the gas from coming in. Photos from the communal bathroom show some of the most disgusting images. In one, a soldier stands in a sink to avoid what Frawley describes as 3 inches of sewage water that filled the floor when toilets overflowed."

Letter from Bible beater to underwear company condemns "evil, immoral clothing that will keep souls out of the holy, heavenly kingdom."

Who knew? Florida Governor Charlie Crist has a wife (or at least some want him to be seen that way).

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Carrier: An Interview with Quartermaster Brian Downey

On Friday, I posted an interview with Jeff Dupre, a producer on the PBS special documentary mini-series Carrier. Carrier is a character-driven total immersion in the high-stakes world of a nuclear air craft carrier. A team of 17 filmmakers spent 6 months on the USS Nimitz on a full deployment to the Persian Gulf. The 10-hour documentary began airing last night and continues on through Thursday on PBS from 9-11pm ET (check local listings).

One of the hours tonight is called "Super Secrets" and details some of the more hush-hush goings-on aboard the Nimitz, including several interviews with gay and lesbian servicemembers. While those who are currently serving are pixellated in their interviews, one soldier you'll be able to see quite clearly is Brian Downey, who served as a quartermaster third class petty officer in the navigation department of the Nimitz.

Downey served four years in the Navy and is currently living in San Diego, working at a bar, and enrolling in school to be a medical assistant. Downey grew up on a Navajo reservation in the four corners area where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado come together.

I had the opportunity to ask Downey a few questions about his service and life aboard the Nimitz.

Did you anticipate any particular challenges coming aboard the Nimitz as a gay man?

I never saw anything as a real challenge. We all have our little jokes about our backgrounds just like anybody does. Nothing was ever really an issue. It was never really a struggle or anything. You kind of have to get along. You're gonna work with each other, you're gonna see each other.

Why did you decide to enlist in the Navy?

I wanted to enlist for one, to serve my country. I knew I would have to put a lot of things aside. I understood that I had to make a sacrifice and I feel like more of an enriched person because of it. I wanted to get out there, I wanted to learn what people were like. Everybody wants to see the world, you know, but I feel like being in this country and to have the freedoms that we have...I wanted to feel like I worked at least for what I have, or at least understood the reasons why I have it. Why do we do what we do? What's the price for freedom? It wasnt anything else. In all honesty I think it would be a great thing for a lot of people to do. I'm not an advocate of [telling people] 'hey you should be in the military,' or for the draft, or anything like that. [But the military] helps you understand more who we are as a people. That's the reason I did it.

What were your duties aboard the ship and did you know what you wanted to do before you enlisted?

The first day when I sat down and took a test, all these jobs came up. One thing that really caught my attention was 'aviation anti-submarine warfare systems operator (AW)'.'What they do are search and rescue missions. There's also an acoustic version of the job using radar. I just knew I wanted to get into search and rescue. It was very dynamic job. I ended up being part of one of the smallest departments on the ship but we had the huge responsibility of [ensuring the] overall safe navigation of the ship, making sure it goes where it needs to go and gets there safely. We're the primary assistants in the pilot house. That was my overall responsibility. I was also the logistics supplier for my department. For a brief time I was involved with charts but that's a huge responsibility that takes up all of your time.

Would you do it again?

I was in all four years. Did my duty. In all honesty it wouldn't bother me to go back if I ever got called back to serve as part of a war. But right now I'm enjoying my civilian life.

One of your other jobs, as we see in Carrier, was the raising and lowering of the flag?

Every day it comes down at sunset and goes up at sunrise. While we're in ports you put it up and there's a ceremony for it. And you treat it with respect while you're doing it. In ports, you're seen more often. It doesn't matter where you are, you treat it with respect. It was one part of my duties.

How was it serving under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'?

Interview continued, AFTER THE JUMP...

How was it serving under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'?

It wasn't really much of an issue for anybody. I can't speak for everybody, but for me it wasn't an issue. At the time I didn't have a problem with it. Before, when I said I had to make sacrifices, [I meant that] quite honestly there were far more things bigger than myself. I'm [not] there to make a statement, I'm there to do my job.

Did anybody who found out about your sexuality give you a hard time?

Nobody really. It's not like I said 'hey this, hey that, blah blah blah.' It's not like I advertised it. I wasn't a big queen running down the passageways and stuff. There were people that knew. And if they knew, they knew. If they didnt they didnt, big deal.

Did you feel like there was homophobia aboard the ship and how did you deal with it?

You always feel like you want to change somebody's mind. You can't do that for somebody but you can definitely help turn their mind in a different direction. You always want to help somebody try to understand better. In a lot of people's minds I'm gonna walk around with a limp wrist, and have a switch in my walk, and I'm gonna lisp up and down all day, you know?

I had a friend on the ship - he was an awesome guy, masculine as they come - we used to be workout buddies. He'd always spot me, I'd always spot him. I never thought of anything really and when he found out he was like 'dude we work out together' and [I said to him] 'I'm not gonna invade your privacy and your space and on top of that you're not my type anyway, so why would I?' And he's like, 'Why not? I don't think I'm a bad looking guy.' I said, 'No you're not. You're a good looking guy but I'm just not gonna go there.' And it really made him understand a little more that people out there who are gay [can be] very mellow and kick back, and just normal.

People would joke with me because they noticed I took care of myself in a way that most of the guys didn't. I made sure I was clean shaven. I made sure my hair was regulation but still stylish (laughs) but not too much. I got along with a lot of guys there. One guy would call me 'Princess' every now and then because I spent more time getting ready. I was always ironing my uniform. You could always wear your coveralls as long as they were clean and pressed. I was always in my utilities, I always kind of presented myself very well, and he was like, 'Why do you always wear that?' And I said, 'Because I take pride in what I'm doing.' Once he found out (I was gay) he was just kind of like 'Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I hope you werent offended.' He was always ragging on me for being who I was.

There were people that I'm sure felt uneasy but it's not like I bothered them or wanted to be close buddies or anything. There were a lot of guys I knew who had mixed feelings about it. When I first came in somebody wanted to fight me because they thought I was a certain some way or another and then one night he came back on the ship drunk off his ass one night and I kind of put him in his place about it.

How do you feel about the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy in general?

Iin this day and age and the way things are changing, if they drop it I don't see that it would be a big deal for anybody. People know each other on the ship. And that's just in the little community itself. If they were to drop the policy I'm sure it wouldn't cause much of a security risk for anybody. It's always been around — there have always been people in the military that have served that are gay. And people that have been in great positions — people that are in very high positions — and if it were dropped I'm sure it wouldn't be a big deal. We're not here to freak you out, we're here to try to do something with you - we need to do our job and do it well. We just happen to be a little different — just like blacks were different, just like women were different. Well before those times there were gays in the military. I think it would be a very big social uplifting, an awakening for people.

The 10-hour documentary series continues tonight through Thursday on PBS from 9-11pm ET (check local listings).

PreviouslyCarrier: Jeff Dupre Talks About Life Aboard the USS Nimitz [tr]

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Carrier: Jeff Dupre Talks About Life Aboard the USS Nimitz

Carrier is a character-driven total immersion in the high-stakes world of a nuclear air craft carrier. A team of 17 filmmakers spent 6 months on the USS Nimitz on a full deployment to the Persian Gulf.

The 10-hour documentary series airs this Sunday-Thursday on PBS from 9-11pm ET (check local listings). I highly recommend you set your DVRs because if you have any curiosity about what goes on in the military, the trip you're taken on aboard one of these floating cities is fascinating. The various episodes explore different people and aspects of life on the ship, touching on everything from shore leaves, to relationships aboard the ship, to 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'.

<My friend and former college-mate Jeff Dupre is one of the producers of the series. He lived and breathed life on the Nimitz for six months, collecting hundreds of hours of footage of military life. I asked him a few questions about his experience.

What was it like to be on an aircraft carrier for 6 months?

It was amazing and also harrowing at times. A real endurance test.

Were there many gays and lesbians on the Nimitz?

On the way to the Gulf, we stopped in Hong Kong. I went to a gay bar there and it was like, 'Hello, shipmates!' The place was packed with sailors. So yeah, from what I observed, there were quite a few. It's kind of an open secret. It's totally apparent, but everyone pretends not to notice. Many of the gay and lesbian sailors and marines I met were out to their friends and co-workers on the ship and it seemed to not be a big deal. But they always have that threat hanging over their heads.

Was it a homophobic environment?

From my vantage point, yes, it was at times. But you know the men and women in I met on the Nimitz did not create the policy, just like they did not make the decision to invade Iraq. The President and Congress make these decisions and the men and women in the military must adhere to them. There were moments when I'd overhear people saying things that made my hair stand on end. Suddenly it was like I was back in high school but I just learned to roll with it. The film was not about me - it was about them. Of course, I was there for just six months. For gay and lesbian sailors, if someone you work with says derogatory things about gays, you don't have any recourse. If you call them on it, you could lose your job.

But having made friends with so many sailors and marines, I have to say that it's a mistake to paint everyone in the military as homophobic. They're not, but DADT sometimes makes it seem like they are. Another reason to get rid of the policy.

What amazed me the most about the Navy was the camaraderie. The sailors and marines form these really tight-knit family units on the ship, and they take care of each other. For some of them, it's the only family they've ever known. So for me, the most tragic thing about DADT is that the gay and lesbian sailors on the ship are forced to lie about who they are and as a consequence they're not able to really bond with and be supported by their Navy family in the same way that their straight shipmates can. You know, they probably were not out to their families at home, then they join the Navy to serve their country and are once again denied those family ties that we all need to get by. We honor the men and women who serve because of the sacrifices they make. To me, there's a whole other level of sacrifice that gays and lesbians make when they sign up to serve their country. It's discrimination plain and simple and I hope its days are numbered.

***

On Monday I'll have another short interview with someone you'll see onscreen in Carrier.

The opening of the first episode, AFTER THE JUMP...

.

Here's a half-hour PBS special about the series:

The 10-hour documentary series airs this Sunday-Thursday on PBS from 9-11pm ET (check local listings).

Carriera [official site]

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Asst. Defense Secretary Under Reagan Says End 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Lawrence J. Korb, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and Assistant Secretary of Defense from 1981 to 1985, strongly criticized the Bush administration's policies in Iraq and Afghanistan with regard to the U.S. military and told the House Committee on Armed Services that not allowing gays and lesbians to serve is endangering troops and the military as a whole.

Said Korb:

"The Army and Marine Corps cannot afford to place unnecessary obstacles in the way of qualified men and women who want to serve. Over the past 10 years more than 10,000 personnel have been discharged as a result of ['Don't Ask, Don't Tell'], including 800 with skills deemed 'mission critical,' such as pilots, combat engineers, and linguists. These are the very job functions for which the military has experienced personnel shortfalls. General John M. Shalikashvili, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1993 when the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy was enacted, no longer supports the policy because he now believes that allowing gay men and women to serve openly in the military would no longer create intolerable tension among personnel and undermine cohesion. A recent Zogby poll supports this view. It found that three-quarters of Afghanistan and Iraq veterans were comfortable interacting with gay people."

Yesterday, Box Turtle Bulletin made note of the growing list of public servants who have publicly opposed the flawed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Reagan-era defense expert to House: Allow gays to serve openly in the military [pageoneq]

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Grey's Anatomy to Feature Hot Gay Soldier Kiss

It looks like Grey's Anatomy, which starts airing again on April 24, is going to be getting some hot gay action. Earlier this month, a casting call went out for two men to play soldiers who were "Caucasian, hot and comfortable sharing a 'very romantic kiss'." According to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello, the actors have been cast: "Benny Ciaramello (Friday Night Lights' Santiago) and Road Rules grad David Giuntoli have been tapped."

No word on when that episode might air.

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Judge Places Lien, Bond Order on Westboro Baptist Church

A judge in Baltimore placed a lien on the properties owned by Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, KAnsas and ordered his daughters to post bonds of $100,000 and $125,000 within 30 days while the church appeals a ruling in which it was ordered to pay a $5 million judgment (halved from a prior judgment of $10.9 million) to the father of a soldier slain in Iraq. Albert Snyder took the church to court after it picketed the funeral of his son. The church has been picketing the funerals of many soldiers, saying that their deaths are the result of God's anger at America's tolerance for homosexuals.

According to the Baltimore Sun, "On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett placed a lien on the properties of the church and its founder, Fred W. Phelps Sr., and ordered two of Phelps' daughters to post cash bonds of $125,000 and $100,000 within 30 days. The church property was appraised recently at $442,800. Bennett also placed a lien on a $232,900 office building owned by Phelps and his wife that the family law firm uses. The liens mean that no new mortgages can be taken out on the properties, and no money can be borrowed against the equity in them. Bennett noted that it would require 'extraordinary circumstances' for the church to avoid posting a portion of the judgment."

On March 30, approximately 300 people gathered near the church's property in Topeka in a 'Million Fag March' to picket Phelps and his church's intolerance.

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Former Italian NATO Commander Says Gays Unfit for the Army

Italian NATO Commander Mauro Del Vecchio says "gays in the army are unsuitable" in an interview by Italian writer and columnist Klaus Davi scheduled to air online today, AGI News reports:

Says Del Vecchio: "I respect any legitimate and lawful choice by a person — but I believe that in a structure like the army, where activities are always carried out together, it is advisable not to declare or reveal one's homosexuality. Also in my career I have encountered homosexual incidents and I acted in such a way that these situations would not happen again and those involved were relocated and employed in other areas. In any case, I have never dismissed anybody from the army for being gay."

Defence: General Del Vecchio Says Gay Men Unfit for Army [agi news]

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Pentagon and House at Odds over Tammy Baldwin Spouse Travel

The definition of the word "spouse" appears to be at the center of a tangle between House speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Pentagon over allowing Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin's partner Lauren Azar to travel with her in official situations similar to other congressional spouses.

Politico reports: "Under House guidelines, members of Congress may take their spouses with them on military flights if there is room for them and when it is 'necessary for protocol purposes.' Although Baldwin, the only openly gay woman elected to Congress, exchanged wedding vows with Lauren Azar in 1998, her home state of Wisconsin does not officially recognize same-sex marriages, and military officials were apparently unwilling to consider Azar a 'spouse' within the meaning of the House guidelines. In appealing to [Defense Secretary Robert] Gates, Pelosi aides said their boss was simply asking the defense secretary to follow a precedent established by her predecessor, former Republican Rep. Dennis Hastert of Illinois. Pelosi told Gates that Hastert had allowed Baldwin to take Azar on a previous trip abroad. Gates, who was apparently unaware of any earlier trips, told the speaker that she was responsible for the House travel rules and had the authority to make an exception, according to officials on and off the Hill. His only requirement was that Pelosi send him a letter authorizing the trip. Pelosi sent such a letter moments after the phone call ended, and Azar was allowed on the plane."

While some suggest that the military is uneasy about the use of its planes in a situation that would be legitimizing a same-sex relationship while it still treats its employees according to the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy, Rep. Barney Frank believes it has more to do with the Bush administration's policy in other areas.

Says Frank: “I think the military was following orders. I think the administration disapproves of same-sex marriage.”

Pentagon balked on gay partner travel [politico]

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Christopher Rice on Death Threats and His New Thriller Blind Fall

I'm proud to bring you our very first edition of Towleroad TV! This is a special feature we'll be presenting from time to time featuring various personalities and topics.

In the first edition, put together by our correspondents Josh Koll and Josh Helmin, Christopher Rice talks about his new thriller Blind Fall, as well as how he researched the novel and early reactions to it, some of which came in the form of death threats.

Says Rice: "Blind Fall is a thriller. It addresses the issue of gays in the military. It does kind of show you the sacrifices that gay Marines have to make to be Marines. And so that's the political component of the book...I did a YouTube video where I basically talked about...my disdain for the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy which is currently in effect in our nation's military. And so the video went up and maybe within a day there was a storm of comments calling basically for my death — that I disgraced the Marine Corps, that I should be shot between the eyes, everyone like me should be shot between the eyes — and I thought maybe I was overreacting, so I emailed a very good friend of mine who's sort of a gay activist with a long history of working in the community, and I said 'Are these death threats?' And he said 'mmm-hmmm. Yeah. They are.'"

Blind Fall [amazon]

Josh Koll and Josh Helmin write their own blog, Josh & Josh are Rich and Famous.

And the YouTube video to which Rice refers in our segment, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Gay Virginia Couple Celebrates 50th Anniversary

John Cook (right) stormed Omaha Beach in the second wave of the Normandy Invasion in June of 1944. He met Waverly Cole at a cocktail party 14 years later:

"Cook, an 88-year-old retired teacher and school counselor, and Cole, a 78-year-old retired physician, are poised to celebrate their 50th anniversary April 15 with a cocktail party among friends. At last week’s Servicemembers Legal Defense Network dinner in Washington, the two were recognized on stage for reaching their Golden Anniversary. During a lengthy phone interview last week from their second home in Virginia Beach, the two recalled the fateful 1958 cocktail party where they met in Farmville, Va. 'We were introduced and we found each other attractive and pleasant and nice and so we started going together,' Cook says."

(via daily dish)

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British Troops Sent Home from Norway for Playing 'Naked Bar'

A group of British soldiers training in Norway has been sent home after their not-so-private game of "naked bar" was photographed and reported in the national media.

The Daily Mail reports: "The rules are simple - participants immediately remove all clothing - and the game is usually tolerated among high-spirited troops when it is played well away from the public gaze. In this case, however, the soldiers began urinating on one of their party who had slumped drunkenly to the floor, splashing urine over the bar's furniture and other customers. Local police were called, and handed spot fines of £500 to each of the men before handing them over to the Royal Military Police. Harstad police spokesman Gair Pedersen said: 'They were drunk and there was a problem in the bar but we are quite used to dealing with British soldiers like this.' Norway's biggest newspaper, Aftenposten, quoted locals as saying the soldiers had been 'bothering' female customers. One, Cecilie Kleppe, 29, said: 'Some of them even started waving their private parts at the other guests. Two of the Englishmen urinated on a fellow soldier who was lying on the floor. It was disgusting.' Bar manager Petter Holmbakken said he had never seen anything like it."

The soldiers are reportedly training for a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

NSFW photo AFTER THE JUMP, plus news on Chris Cuomo's dumb Prince Harry comments, and the U.S. Marine's sickening puppy incident...

The British troops play a game of 'naked bar' in Norway.

In related news, this morning on Good Morning America, Chris Cuomo said that Prince Harry was sent to Afghanistan rather than William, because Harry is "expendable".

In other news, a U.S. Marine based out of Hawaii is being investigated after a sick, graphic video appeared on YouTube showing the soldier throwing a puppy off a cliff into a steep ravine.

Said the Kane'ohe Bay base in a release: "The video is shocking and deplorable and is contrary to the high standards we expect of every Marine. We do not tolerate this type of behavior and will take appropriate action."

I'm not going to link to the video, but the Honolulu Advertiser provides an accurate description.

"Two Marines are seen in combat gear smiling as one holds a white-and-black puppy by the scruff of its neck. The dog seems to be about 8 weeks old and is motionless as it is held. 'Cute little puppy, huh?' says one Marine as he smiles broadly. 'Oh so cute, so cute, little puppy,' says another in a child-like voice. The Marine holding the puppy is then seen throwing the animal overhand into a desert-like gully below. The animal yelps until it thuds to the ground at the bottom of the gully. 'That's mean,' one Marine says afterward."

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First Shots of Channing Tatum as Duke in G.I. Joe

There's been a lot of talk about the movie version of G.I. Joe recently. Now, the first shots of Channing Tatum, who plays the role of Duke in the film, have surfaced.

Two more shots AFTER THE JUMP...

(photos via jfx online where you can find a few more)

PReviously
Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum and Co. in Stop-Loss [tr]
Fighting: Channing Tatum Puts Up His Dukes [tr]
Channing Tatum Battles for Seattle [tr]

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Navy Missile Strikes Spy Satellite - Video

As you may have heard, last night the Navy was successful in intercepting an errant spy satellite that was spinning out of control and was scheduled to re-enter Earth's atmosphere during the first week of March. The satellite was filled with toxic rocket fuel and might have posed a threat to civilians on the ground had it been allowed to crash.

Several nations expressed concern that the move by the U.S. was simply a military test intended to demonstrate its anti-satellite capabilities and would threaten security in outer space.

Following the event, fireballs were reportedly seen over western Canada as fragments of the satellite entered the atmosphere. With last night's lunar eclipse, it must have been some show.

Here's the first video of the strike.

Video of the Pentagon briefing AFTER THE JUMP...

Pentagon Says It’s Confident Missile Hit Satellite Tank [nyt]

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News: Spy Satellite, John Rechy, Noah's Arc, Kalamazoo

Spy satellite shootdown may endanger International Space Station, will also reveal military's ability to target China's strategic anti-satellite weapons.

Huckaboo: Rock group Boston orders Mike Huckabee to stop using their song. "Boston has never endorsed a political candidate, and with all due respect, would not start by endorsing a candidate who is the polar opposite of most everything Boston stands for. In fact, although I'm impressed you learned my bass guitar part on 'More Than a Feeling,' I am an Obama supporter."

Biologist laments that after 20 years of research they're no closer to developing an AIDS vaccine: "Our lack of success may be understandable but it is not acceptable. Some years ago I came to the conclusion that our community had to seriously undertake new approaches or we might find ourselves with a worldwide epidemic and no effective response. "That is just where we are today."

Project Runway designers head for Bryant Park.

Yesterday I posted a performance by David Archuleta, but here are the rest of the top 12 guys who have made it into American Idol this year.

Noah's Arc to hit the big screen.

Bono RED art auction for AIDS takes in $42 million.

CNN profiles straight couple who stayed together even after the husband revealed he was gay: "'Neither one of us had a clue -- he didn't know what being gay meant for him. ... He needed to figure that out,' recalls Anna Marie Will, of Sacramento, California. 'I needed to figure out what his being gay meant for me, and whether I could incorporate that into my life and my marriage.' What they did know was that they believed in their marriage and wanted to make it work. Jim Will's revelation in 2001 began a three-year process during which they sorted out their feelings for each other. Ultimately, the couple, whose daughter turns 15 in March, decided to stay together. 'He had to learn to talk to me -- he had spent so many years not saying what was really on his mind, and not dealing with his true feelings,' says Anna Marie Will, now 39, a worker's compensation program administrator. 'We found out once we got past all that, our marriage was so much better. We still loved each other as people and partners.'"

Revealed: the Manhattan phone book's gayest page.

Bravo announces big gay dance show.

City of Night author John Rechy releases memoir: "Rechy’s book covers, in large part, the poverty and racist climate he endured growing up in the ’40s and ’50s, the son of Mexican immigrants living on this side of the border separating El Paso, Tex., and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He lived in a house with broken windowpanes. 'We patched them with cardboard from boxes gathered outside grocery stores,' he writes. 'When the cardboard on the windows was new, I would paint pictures on it, birds, flowers. The rain would eventually streak them into colored tears.'"

TVLand censors "OhMiGod" after pressure from American Family Association.

Jake Gyllenhaal does Italian Vanity Fair.

Death sentence stands for Gary Ray Bowles, Florida serial killer of gay men.

Impromptu group forms in Kalamazoo, Michigan to stand up to Westboro Baptist Church: "The Stop the Hate in Kalamazoo Coalition formed last week after Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., said it would show up to picket the first performance of 'The Laramie Project' at Kalamazoo Central High School, the Kalamazoo Gazette reported Thursday. The play, which opens Feb. 22, is based on the 1998 killing of Matthew Shepard, who was the victim of a homophobic hate crime which ended with him being beaten to death. 'If you rebel against the standards of God and live like Matthew Shepard, you will join him in hell for eternity,' a member of the Kansas church said, the newspaper reported."

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News: Spy Satellite, Jack Mackenroth, Huckabee, Indiana Jones

Pentagon will shoot down disabled satellite before it poses danger to Earth: "U.S. officials said Thursday that the option preferred by the Bush administration will be to fire a missile from a U.S. Navy cruiser, and shoot down the satellite before it enters Earth's atmosphere. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the options will not be publicly discussed until a later Pentagon briefing. The disabled satellite is expected to hit the Earth the first week of March. Officials said the Navy would likely shoot it down before then, using a special missile modified for the task."

Does Mike Huckabee have a new job shilling soup for Campbell's?

Check out the brand new trailer for the new Indiana Jones flick which has something to do with aliens and Roswell, New Mexico.

The Year of Paper: Documentary on three couples and their first year of marriage airs tonight in San Francisco. "First-time filmmakers Kelly Rouse and Nikki Parker explored the lives of three couples - two men, two women and a heterosexual pair - during their first year of marriage. The resulting film... goes into the history of marriage as well as the lives of the subjects. The filmmakers interview scholars, legal experts, clergy and activists from both sides to understand what marriage means in America today."

More Wentworth: A preview of the Prison Break finale.

Obama's delegate lead shifts focus of Clinton campaign: "With every delegate precious, Mrs. Clinton’s advisers also made it clear that they were prepared to take a number of potentially incendiary steps to build up Mrs. Clinton’s count. Top among these, her aides said, is pressing for Democrats to seat the disputed delegations from Florida and Michigan, who held their primaries in January in defiance of Democratic Party rules."

Senior DOJ official who authorized waterboarding now says it's illegal.

Nick Yordi, former starting quarterback for Wartburg, College in Waverly, Iowa in court on disorderly conduct charge for anti-gay slur: "The trial was scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Bremer County Courthouse. Nick Yordi, a sophomore from Solon, was arrested for yelling those slurs at another student on campus October 9th, 2007. Yordi has pleaded not guilty, and has played in two football games since his arrest." GLAAD: "According to the Wartburg Trumpet, Yordi was 'charged under a section of the Iowa Code that prohibits making abusive epithets or threatening gestures which are likely to provoke a violent reaction by another.' Wartburg College President Jack Ohle addressed the school Oct. 22 through e-mail and wrote, 'Understandably, matters that come within the college’s purview are dealt with immediately and privately with the parties affected through a prescribed process and according to the student handbook, honor code and the appropriate faculty and staff handbooks.'"

Former gay Arizona Rep. Steve May to get back into politics, running for seat vacated this year by Rep. John Shadegg: "This is a great time for a Republican like me to get into the Republican Party to bring it back to the values that win."

Who knew the Hilton family still had up-and-coming drunk drivers?

Project Runway's Jack Mackenroth talks to HIV+ magazine: "I think people have become apathetic--because you can see people like me. I look really good. I take really good care of my body. I think I look good for my age. And I certainly look good for someone who's been HIV-positive for going on 18 years. But don't let that fool you. Having HIV is still not fun. I have to take my pills wherever I go. It's still not a picnic. I run into people all the time who are like, 'Well, you don't look sick.' What the hell does that mean! That's so stupid! Young people now aren't educated like they used to be. I think it's really shocking. I had a partner die. He was 250 pounds! He was a huge, hulking guy. He never found a regimen that worked for him. He constantly had intestinal problems. We were out on Fire Island, and he said, 'I don't feel good.' We went back to New York, he checked into the hospital, and he was dead two weeks later."

Chippendale dancers visit The View.

Va-jay-jay chat: Meredith Vieira giggles nervously as Jane Fonda drops the word c*nt on TV.

Legislation floated that would allow same-sex married couples to divorce in Rhode Island: "The state's highest court ruled in a 3-2 decision in December that a lesbian couple who married in Massachusetts could not get divorced in their home state of Rhode Island. Supporters of the bill say it makes no sense to require people to remain married when they have no desire to do so. But the legislation is expected to face opposition from Gov. Don Carcieri and many other lawmakers."

Gay couples share their stories of romance.

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Judge Halves Damages In Westboro Baptist Church Soldier Case

The $10.9 million Westboro Baptist Church was ordered to pay to the father of a soldier slain in Iraq was halved by a judge today:

"In a 52-page decision, U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett upheld a jury's verdict awarding the father of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder multimillion-dollar damages for enduring emotional distress and having his privacy invaded by Westboro members waving anti-gay signs at the Marine's funeral in March 2006. 'There was also more than sufficient evidence to support the jury's verdict on defendants' liability,' Bennett wrote. 'There was more than sufficient evidence to support the jury's verdict that defendants' conduct before, during and after the funeral of Matthew Snyder was outrageous, designed to inflict emotional distress upon plaintiff and that the intrusion upon the seclusion of plaintiff and his family was highly offensive to a reasonable person.' But the judge more than halved the total $10.9 million award to $5 million. He upheld the jury's compensatory damage award of $2.9 million but reduced the total punitive damages from $8 million to $2.1 million. An appeal by Westboro to overturn the verdict is still pending."

Albert Snyder's case was the first brought against the church for their protests at military funerals. Westboro Baptist claims that U.S. military deaths are God's punishment for a nation that tolerates homosexuals.

Previously
Slain Soldier's Father Awarded $11 Million in Westboro Baptist Case [tr]
Westboro Baptist Church Thumbs Nose at $11 Million Judgment [tr]
Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist to Picket Heath Ledger Funeral [tr]

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News: Heath Ledger Hoax, Italy, Matt Damon, Mexico, Diana Ross,

Time magazine looks at the 15th anniversary of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": "The issue exploded during Clinton's first week as President, triggered by those in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill opposed to his campaign pledge to reverse an executive order barring gays and lesbians from serving. 'The issue is whether men and women who can and have served with real distinction should be excluded from military service solely on the basis of their status,' Clinton said at the time. 'And I believe they should not.' While the phrase 'don't ask, don't tell' wasn't used at that January 29, 1993, press conference, that's what everyone soon began calling the policy."

Not that Oz: Matt Damon in the Emerald City.

Diana Ross BOOED in Jamaica: Not ready for her close-up.

200 Mexican youths and parents march to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS: "Participants marched through the city's main streets chanting slogans, such as 'Not One More Infected Person' and 'Equal Rights for Young Homosexuals.' Some of the participants also dressed in costumes and distributed condoms. Josue Quino, head of the CAIPAJ gay adolescent and youth center, said the march was necessary to warn youth that a 'single unprotected [sexual] encounter is enough to' contract HIV. Members from the Group of Mothers and Fathers for Diversity also marched in the demonstration, carrying signs that said 'We're Proud of Our Children' and 'Our Children Have United Our Families.'"

Manchester UK police investigate rape at gay sauna.

Clay Aiken: no love.

Which one's Twiggy, which one's Keira Knightley?

Barbara Walters bans Kathy Griffin from The View...again. Griffin: "I was supposed to be on 'The View' [today]. But then I get a call from [producer] Bill Geddie and he says, 'You were too mean to Barbara [Walters] on your last special, so you can't come on.' Can you believe it? I've been banned before, but never re-banned!"

Scammer, posing as Heath Ledger's father, takes advantage of doctor, funeral home, Tom Cruise, and John Travolta: " Cops want to arrest the con man on fraud and larceny charges, and sent detectives to Ledger's wake at the funeral home Friday in hopes of catching him, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. But police do not know the identity of the impostor - who also tried to finagle from one unidentified Hollywood star the numbers of actors Mel Gibson and Christian Bale, who have co-starred in movies with Ledger."

Michael Jackson to get additional reconstructive surgery — this time to his album Thriller.

Method Acting: Sean Penn and James Franco, playing Harvey Milk and his lover Scott Smith, respectively, in the Gus van Sant biopic Milk, reportedly wanted to shack up together for a while before filming started to get to know one another, but due to scheduling difficulties, those plans fell through.

Study finds middle age is truly depressing: "For men and women the probability of depression slowly builds and then peaks when people are in their forties -- a similar pattern found in 72 countries ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe, the researchers said. About eight nations -- mostly in the developing world -- did not follow the U-shaped pattern for happiness levels, Oswald and his colleague David Blanchflower of Dartmouth College in the United States wrote. 'It happens to men and women, to single and married people, to rich and poor, and to those with and without children,' Oswald said. 'Nobody knows why we see this consistency.' One possibility may be that people realize they won't achieve many of their aspirations at middle age, the researchers said. Another reason could be that after seeing their fellow middle-aged peers begin to die, people begin to value their own remaining years and embrace life once more. But the good news is that if people make it to aged 70 and are still physically fit, they are on average as happy and mentally healthy as a 20-year old."

German airline to offer nudist flight.

Italian MP called 'faggot, fairy' and 'traitor' for voting against party lines in order to defend Italian Premier Romano Prodi: "The name-calling erupted on the floor of the Italian Senate on Jan. 24 as Sen. Stefano 'Nuccio' Cusumano shocked fellow members of the tiny Udeur Party by declaring his support for Prodi. The party decided a week earlier to withdraw from Prodi’s fragile ruling coalition, forcing a 'confidence' vote under Italy’s parliamentary system. The Senate voted 161 to 156 to defeat a resolution of confidence for Prodi, forcing him to resign immediately. Although the Udeur Party had helped Prodi form his center-left government in 2006, the party strongly opposed legislation backed by Prodi to provide legal rights and benefits for same-sex couples."

Gay Fort Worth city councilman Joel Burns talks to the Victory Fund, calls anti-gay attack a galvanizing moment: “That morning was an awful, terrible, not good morning. I thought of my mother and father, the little rural town that they live in, and waking up and reading the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and seeing my name on the front page. No parent ever wants to see their child attacked, even if they’re an adult.”

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Herndon Climb Under Review: Too Greasy...or too Gay?

The Herndon climb, the annual decades-old Naval tradition wherein dozens of plebes attempt to get to the top of a greased-up 21-foot granite obelisk, is in danger of being tossed out because of "danger" to the first-year midshipmen. The climb takes place while upperclassmen soak the plebes with a garden hose.

Said the Naval Academy's public affairs office in a statement: "Similar to how our Navy looks at all traditions in the Fleet, we are evaluating the Herndon Monument Climb to ensure the event remains a valid part of our heritage but it is conducted with professionalism, respect, and most important, safety in mind." A spokesperson for the Academy said she could not recall "any serious injuries" resulting from the climb.

The Washington Post reports: "Alumni scoffed at the risk of someone's getting hurt, especially given the school's mission to prepare officers for combat. 'It's not dangerous. That's a lame excuse,' said Dwight Crevelt, who made it to the top of the monument in 1976. Crevelt never graduated from the academy, because his eyesight went bad after two years at the school. But his memory of scaling the mud- and lard-spattered obelisk -- and the week of glory that followed as he was feted like an admiral -- remains strong. 'It's the wrong move to make,' Crevelt said. 'You're trying to build team spirit, camaraderie, and that's the ultimate in team effort. . . the team going after that.' Herbert McMillan, a 1980 graduate who became an airline pilot and Annapolis politician, also opposes a change. 'We're going to send these guys to war but they can't climb a monument because they might get hurt? Come on,' he said. 'It just seems like a solution in search of a problem.'"

Or might the ritual be under review for a different reason? Since the rise of blogs it has received much more exposure — on gay blogs in particular, and not just this one. No mention was made in the article of the fact that the muscled, shirtless event ends up looking, to outside observers, more like an Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly photo shoot than an exercise in military rigor.

Might the U.S. military be worried that the event is gaying up its image a bit too much?

Naval Academy Rite Might Slip Away [washington post]
(thanks tyler)

You may have missed...
The Herndon Climb: It's That Time Again [tr]
2006 Herndon Climb: Greasing Up the Pole [tr]
Smells Like Team Spirit [tr]
Wetter, Greasier, Fleshier [tr]

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Pentagon Now Casts Doubt on Legitimacy of Iran Naval Provocation

The video on the left was released by the Pentagon, who claimed "Iranian speedboats swarmed around US warships in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and radioed a threat to blow them up." In response, Iranian TV broadcast the video on the right showing a clip of the incident from the Iranian point of view.

The New York Times reported today that the doubters of the legitimacy of the U.S. reports now include the Pentagon itself: "Unnamed Pentagon officials said on Wednesday that the threatening voice heard in the audio clip, which was released on Monday night with a disclaimer that it was recorded separately from the video images and merged with them later, is not directly traceable to the Iranian military. That undercuts one of the most menacing elements from the Pentagon’s assertion that Iranian forces threatened the Navy ships: The voice on the radio saying, 'I am coming to you. … You will explode after … minutes.'"

UK's Telegraph noted that the Iranian clip "shows no threat to US navy."

Bush held a press conference yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert regarding the incident:

Here's a bit from Shakespeare's Sister on Bush's dramatic pauses. So what's this incident all about?

Iran Accuses U.S. of Faking Persian Gulf Video [nyt]
Degrees of Confidence on U.S.-Iran Naval Incident [the lede]
Iran airs own video of US ship incident [afp]

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News: Mariah Carey, Vermont, Darren Manzella, Dolce & Gabbana

New York City department of health eyes bathhouses after new report on increase in HIV infections in men under 30.

Scott Jordan, swimmer at conservative, religious St. Bonaventure University comes out to teammates: "'Scott, you're gonna get so much ass this year,' [one teammate] said to me. 'The girls are gonna be all over you.' I took the plunge. 'That’s not the kind of ass I’m looking for,' I replied...He didn’t believe me at first; In fact, most everyone I’ve come out to hasn’t believed I’m gay. But once he realized I wasn't joking around, I told him it wasn't a secret anymore. I told just three teammates that summer, purposely telling one teammate in particular because I knew he liked to gossip (yep, straight guys gossip too). As planned, gossip took care of the rest. When I got to school a month later it felt like the entire campus knew I was gay, and I had only told three people."

Mariah Carey squeals about possible duet with J Lo: "I'd rather be on stage with a pig."

Carson Kressley's How to Look Good Naked debuts higher than any other reality show in Lifetime's history.

Patrick Dempsey just stands there for Versace.

UK man convicted of two counts of assault for homophobic attack on straight teen in nightclub.

California fringe group grades GOP candidates on their support for the "natural family". Huckabee and Paul rate highest, Romney scores a "0".

Dolce & Gabbana lines 'em up for Fall/Winter campaign.

Swimsuit issue: Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson frolic in Hawaii.

Gay nightclub proposed in Madison, Wisconsin would be one of city's largest.

Philly anchorwoman Alycia Lane, suspended for calling a police officer "dyke bitch,"