News: Mike Pence, German Soap, CPAC, Brad Ellsworth, Saturn

Robbery and stabbing in Seattle had homophobic element, victim says.

New shots of Saturn's moons Mimas and Calypso.

Rep. Mike Pence calls for constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage at CPAC.

LMFAO: Turns out it was Mitt Romney doing the assaulting on his flight from Vancouver.

New Zealand billboard featuring 'gay-o-meter' called socially irresponsible: "The advertisement for the online polling site haveyoursay.co.nz, which was displayed on the corner of Cuba and Webb streets, consisted of a large graph titled 'gay-o-meter', with the axes labelled 'degree of homosexuality' and 'degree of homophobia'. A diagonal line running between the axes drew a correlation between the two."

Predictably, Christians outraged over Elton John 'Gay Jesus' claims.

Milo Ventimiglia joins the clan of the bearded.

WATCH: The Cato Institute Forum on conservatism with Nick Herbert, Andrew Sullivan, and Maggie Gallagher.

Gay storyline from German Soap Verbotene Liebe to get U.S. adaptation?

NOM issues threat to GOProud at CPAC: "Many reporters, including Politico, have asked us how we feel about the fact GOProud is just a few booths over from us. We welcome everyone's right to participate in the democratic process, but we have a message for GOProud on marriage: If you try to elect pro-gay marriage Republicans, we will Dede Scozzafava them. The majority of Americans, and the vast majority of Republicans, support marriage as the union of husband and wife and NOM is here to make sure these voters and their voices are heard loud and clear."

Scientists discover secret behind Supernovas.

Royal Navy recruit Tristram Gay to change name: "In the Navy everyone is called by their surname so I would get a lot of stick with my name being Gay. It was different in the old days when gay meant happy."

War in Iraq renamed Operation New Dawn.

Man who bought London pub which features Banksy's largest artwork says he'll paint over it: "I'm not a fan of modern art, I can't say I know much about it really. All I was concerned about was getting this great building for a good price, I'm going to turn it into luxury flats. I might leave the Banksy on the wall until last, just to see how it looks, but it will have to go to get the look I want."

Vassar grad Meryl Streep to deliver commencement address at Barnard.

  The story behind Prince William's full, black head of hair.

NYC subway conductor who pushed rider and used homophobic slur wins job back: "According to the arbitrator's decision, conductor Jack Grissett and a passenger got into a tiff on a platform. Grissett is accused of calling the man a homosexual slur, prompting the man to call Grissett's late father the same name. Grissett then 'forcefully' put his hands on the man, the decisions says. The arbitrator ruled that two months without pay - not firing - was sufficient punishment."

Liz Cheney apes father on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell': "It's time for it to end. The joint chiefs, certainly the chairman of the joint chiefs, has been clear about that and I think that the country really is at a place now where it's time for it to end."

Brazilian TV series CaRIOcas needs your donations.

Brad Ellsworth will run for Evan Bayh's Senate seat. Why we should worry: "Ellsworth's social conservatism might serve him well in a portion of the state chock full of Appalachian white evangelical Christians and Joe the Plumber types, but it hasn't earned him many friends in the LGBT community. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT political organization, ranks Ellsworth as one of the ten worst Democratic Congress members when it comes to LGBT issues; he scored a meager 30 out of 100 possible points."

News: Dwan Prince, Puerto Vallarta, Attack Dogs, Brian Boitano

Former Republican staffer Jason Wetherington, who boasted about sleeping with Florida governor Charlie Crist, charged with grand larceny, dealing in stolen property, and false verification of ownership after theft of engagement and wedding rings from pastor's daughter.

It would be very cool to witness the annual sardine migration in the Philippines.

Candy Bra: Loco Mama has a hit on her hands..

Dwan Prince, victim of brutal 2005 anti-gay assault in NYC, claims changed sexual orientation and writes letter to attacker in prison, taking blame for the attack.

Gay bashing case in Utah delayed after victims fail to show in court...

Brian Boitano does not want to be perceived as gay.

Marietta, Georgia columnist suggests setting attack dogs on men cruising in public parks: "With a little instruction, dogs could be taught to severely dislike the gay lovers in Burruss and Wildwood and bite them in the fanny and do what City Council should have done years ago - chase them off to Atlanta where they belong."

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg tweets.

Jennifer Hudson is a mother.

Teen claims gay panic in Puerto Vallarta murder: "According to published reports in the Mexican media, the body of the victim, Sergio Daniel Baltasar Guerra, was found  early Sunday morning, August 9, near the seahorse statue, on Los Muertos beach, just south of the gay Blue Chairs section of that beach.  The victim was between 25-30 years old and had been a manager at a local supermarket."

Brokeback Mountain shirts featured in Western pop culture exhibit at L.A. Autry museum.

News flash: gaydar tougher to use than you think.

Closet still familiar to many in the Philippines and Malta.

CIRCUS: Crazy claims she's the mother of all three of Michael Jackson's children, and that she and MJ are the biological parents of Tom Cruise's child, Connor Cruise.

Milo Ventimiglia is in a jam.

Despite resolution from the American Psychological Association, "ex-gay" therapy continues in El Paso, Texas.

Facial asymmetry in men linked to greater risk for dementia?

Portland Mayor Sam Adams recall campaign faces challenge: "With another 56 days to go, they’ll have to gather 786 signatures per day in order to meet their goal of 50,000. So far, they've been operating with an average of 176 signatures a day, according to our calculations. They now need to increase their rate of collection by a whopping 345 percent to meet the deadline."

Justin Timberlake to release his own scent.

ACLU reaches settlement with Yulee High School in Florida over Gay-Straight Alliance: "Earlier this year, the ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of a student who was denied a request to form the GSA at Yulee Middle School and Yulee High School the following year. As part of the agreement, the district must prohibit any discrimination against the club and the students and faculty members associated with it.The district must also allow the club to meet on campus and to use the name Gay-Straight Alliance.The district has also been ordered to pay $40,000 in court costs associated with the case."

News: Latvia, Ryan Reynolds, Cannes, Life Ball, Cambodia, GPS

New Hampshire Senate holding hearing on new language in marriage equality bill. To vote tomorrow.

Anti-gay activist allowed to lead first Baltic Pride March in Latvian capital of Riga. Activist: "It is only right that those against us should be allowed to express their views."

Robert Pattinson's hair arrives in Cannes.

Arkansas GOP Chair slammed over stump speech warning voters of the dangers of having an open lesbian in the state legislature.

Drama in Portland over new LGBT weekly magazine.

Ryan Reynolds to Betty White: "Why don't you go suck a hot c*ck."

Brazilian government releases plan to defend civil rights and adoption by gay couples.

POLL: Half of Nevadans oppose civil unions. "The poll, which did not gather opinions about gay marriage itself, found 38 percent of Nevadans favor domestic partner legislation, while 50 percent oppose it and the remainder are undecided. Democrats back the plan, incorporated in Senate Bill 283, by a 46 percent to 36 percent margin, while independents support it 47 percent to 42 percent. But Republicans oppose the proposal by a 71 percent to 23 percent margin, more than offsetting the Democrat and independent support."

Hilary Duff, Carson Kressley, Michael Urie come out for AIDS Walk New York, which raised $5.6 million.

Cambodia crowns first 'Mr. Gay'.

Vallejo, California student wins $25K settlement in ACLU harassment lawsuit against high school: "Comments were said like they don't know if I was a boy or a girl, I need to pull up my pants, I'm a lady. I couldn't be put into a girls locker room."

UK police stations lower Union Jack, raise rainbow flag in show of force on International Day Against Homophobia: "One police chief said the rainbow flag demonstrated his force's support for homosexuals who felt they were victims of prejudice. But critics warned that it was dangerous for forces to show support for particular campaigns."

While gay rights demonstrations in Moscow were marred by arrests, demonstrations in other Russian cities, like St. Petersburg, were notably peaceful. More photos.

Hearing for accused killer of Lawrence King postponed again: "A Ventura County Superior Court judge on Monday reset the first hearing for Brandon McInerney to July 8. McInerney's lawyer, Scott Wippert, says he needs more time to prepare documents before the preliminary hearing. McInerney, who is being prosecuted as an adult, has pleaded not guilty."

Inside Vienna's Life Ball. More here.

Kenyan archbishop Zacchaeus Okoth slams homosexuality: "For the African, gender is either male or female; other issues such as homosexuality should not arise. In this context, the belief of the African is consonant [with] the teaching of the Bible, namely God created only two sexes: male and female. God created Adam and Eve. God did not create Adam and Steve!"

Ultradome: Milo Ventimiglia set to produce and star in weird web series about intellectual film discussion.

South Carolina activists to protest omission of gays and lesbians from teen dating violence bill.

GPS satellite system on verge of collapse? "The satellites are overseen by the US Air Force, which has maintained the GPS network since the early 1990s. According to a study by the US government accountability office (GAO), mismanagement and a lack of investment means that some of the crucial GPS satellites could begin to fail as early as next year."

News: Stephen Hawking, Blindness, Paul Rudnick, Tuna, Morrissey

2009 Pulitzer Prize winners announced.

Stem cells to cure most common form of blindness: "Surgeons predict it will become a routine, one-hour procedure that will be generally available in six or seven years’ time. The treatment involves replacing a layer of degenerated cells with new ones created from embryonic stem cells. This week Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical research company, will announce its financial backing to bring the therapy to patients." 

Milo Ventimiglia brings back 50's cut...

Got Talent: Britain has Susan Boyle, while Sweden has Naked Boys Dancing.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan recognized Friday's Day of Silence.

Madonna falls off horse, blames paparazzi.

Parents of gay children come out of the closet in China...

Kelly Clarkson does not hook up - video.

Bishop Gene Robinson: Civil and religious marriage should be separate. "In this country, it has become very confusing about where the civil action begins and ends and where the religious action begins and ends, because we have asked clergy to be agents of the state."

Bluefin tuna to be extinct by 2012?

Morrissey has meltdown over smell of grilled meat at Coachella.

Lady GaGa refuses to reveal anything about her teacup.

Paul Rudnick responds to Ted Haggard as fellow-heterosexual-with-issues Pastor Stan Belker: "As a teen-ager, I found that I was attracted both to serving Our Lord and to Jimmy Wiggins, the assistant coach of my high-school soccer team. I was in torment, and I would pray for hours on end, asking God why He would command me to love Him so deeply and at the same time just go and create Jimmy’s snug little soccer shorts."

Stephen Hawking "very ill" according to Cambridge University.

Gay controversy on UK version of The Apprentice as one contestant wants to re-brand the British seaside town of Margate as a gay resort and a teammate tells him she'd never let a homosexual come near her son.

Rice University survey shows growing support for gay rights.

Gawker Headquarters seating chart.

Australian crocodile bait.

Sacha Baron-Cohen apologizes to Madonna over adoption gag: "Madonna was said to be upset at a scene in Bruno’s forthcoming film which mocks her attempts to adopt an African baby. And we hear that shame-faced 37-year-old Sacha has sent her a bouquet of flowers to apologise.  An insider said: 'Sacha is always out to make great comedy – and if he upsets people along the way, so be it. But when word reached him that Madonna thought his sketch was insensitive, he sent her a bouquet of flowers to say, ‘No hard feelings’.'"

Some super slo-mo beauty.

Anti-gay hate crime convictions in Wales double in three years.

Iowa Republicans claim advisory that state recorders must perform same-sex marriages comes across as "veiled threat": [Victoria Hutton of the Iowa Department of Public Health] wrote in the e-mail: 'Following is the response from our attorney from the Iowa Attorney General's office. All county recorders in the state of Iowa are required to comply with the Varnum decision ... and to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples in the same manner as licenses issued to opposite gender applicants.'"

Milo Ventimiglia Likes His Guys Hairy

In case any of you fanboys were wondering. One more shot AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously
Milo Ventimiglia Hosed Down on Heroes [tr]
Milo Ventimiglia: Friday Afternoon Hero Worship [tr]

News: Lake Michigan, NASA, Richard Gere, Broadway, Steve Jobs

D.C. Mayor Fenty to meet with Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV) over increase in anti-gay bias crimes on January 16th.

Is there an ancient Stonehenge at the bottom of Lake Michigan?

Richard Gere frolics in the surf.

Toronto-area man shot after homophobic altercation at massage parlor.

Three men in custody following drunken air rage flight from Manchester UK to the Dominican Republic: "The trio were allegedly drunk, violent and abusive and the captain was so concerned about fighting on board that he had to divert and land in Bermuda. A 35-year-old man from Burnley, Lancashire, was arrested at Gatwick airport after being returned from Bermuda. He was arrested on suspicion of endangering an aircraft and is currently in custody at Crawley police station. The two other men are still in custody in Bermuda and are due to be flown back to the UK in the next few days. Police said the men would all be questioned about alleged homophobic public order offences, affray and smoking on board the plane."

Obama to tear down wall between NASA and Pentagon in face of Chinese space race?

Michael Phelps putting himself in a hairy situation.

Athletic new street artist covers New York.

UK MP and shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert in civil partnership with longtime boyfriend Jason Eades.

Clive Davis plays a very brief clip of a demo of Kelly Clarkson's next single, "My Life Would Suck Without You."

PR Maven Howard Bragman warns Caroline Kennedy to dig deep before tearing down that wall of privacy she's built her whole life: "I don't like to be too simplistic but you either love life in the public eye or you don't. I don't believe she does. One celebrity once said that privacy is like your health--you take it for granted until you no longer have it. She is putting something she worked hard to create at great risk. Once her wall between public and private comes down, there's no turning back."

University of Texas-Austin students working on legitimizing second gay fraternity in Texas: "They will become an official fraternity chapter after initiating three pledge classes. They inducted their first class in November."

Broadway bloodbath: Nine shows shutter due to recession.

Milo Ventimiglia bares it in Bora Bora.

Rare sea creatures come ashore on north Oregon coast.

Croatian woman sent to "ex-gay" therapy treatment center for five years: "Parents sent Rijeka-born Ana Dragicevic (21) to a mental institution in Lopac when she was 16, stating heroin addiction as the reason. Because she spent five years in hospital, she did not gradate and still has nightmares as a consequence...Ana was bound, she put on straight jackets, she was given injections, pills. The girl was in the same ward as schizophrenic patients, whom she was afraid due to their aggression."

Apple CEO Steve Jobs announces he's losing weight due to a hormone imbalance.

Courtney Love is desperately seeking something.

Lesbian gang rape in Richmond highlights anti-gay violence and the need for victims to report it: "'The only way we know about (the Richmond) case is because of the bravery of the survivor coming out,' Virago said. 'Hatred and bias are a routine occurrence for many LGBT people.' That may partly be due to the psychology behind hate crimes, particularly those involving sexual orientation, said a psychology professor at St. Mary's College in Moraga. 'What you get is this kind of immature desire to display power,' said Jose Feito. 'And so they go looking for easy victims, or suitable victims.' In the Richmond case, Feito said, 'suitable' meant someone the attackers could marginalize in their minds. Sexual orientation can serve as a hate crime's 'trigger,' as he called it. But it is often that factor combined with a perception of gender nonconformity that leads to violence, he said."