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."

News: Taxes, Ken Livingstone, Titanic, Milo Ventimiglia, Scientology

On tax day, a reminder of how the U.S. inflicts extra financial burden on gay citizens.

The last meal on the Titanic, which went down 96 years ago today. Researchers have a new theory behind the sinking — rivets.

ABC's Jake Tapper calls attention to the "Compassion Forum" appearance of Clinton and Obama at Messiah College, which I posted about last week. One of his readers asks, ""Shouldn't Democratic presidential candidates, both of whom are explicitly on the record as being in favor of gay rights, avoid schools like this as assiduously as previous generations of politicians were urged to avoid Bob Jones University? How can politicians appear at a college that espouses these ideas and then turn around and court the gay community at the same time? How can the two leading Democratic candidates appear on stage at this college and not be questioned by the press about the hypocrisy of appearing there?"

Kentucky GOP Rep. Geoff Davis on Obama: "I’m going to tell you something: That boy’s finger does not need to be on the button. He could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country." Davis apologizes...

The gay Navy lieutenant from Melrose Place, Jason Beghe, escaped the clutches of Scientology and now he's speaking out on video: "It’s very, very dangerous for your spiritual, psychological, mental, emotional health and evolution. I think it stunts your evolution. If Scientology is real, then something’s fucked up."

Lack of support from London Mayor Ken Livingstone leaves 2008 International Gay & Lesbian Football Association World Championship with a funding shortfall: "Peter Tatchell of Outrage! described as 'scandalous' the lack of any funding or support from City Hall. 'Ken Livingstone is organising billions of pounds for corporate mega events like the 2012 Olympics but can’t give a few thousand pounds to help host the gay football world championship.'"

A really mean box of jelly beans, which I'm actually really curious to taste.

Project Runway is getting not one but two spin-offs on Lifetime: "The first of them doesn't have a title yet, but Weinstein said it will look at the Project Runway world through the eyes of the show's models. The second, dubbed Project Pygmalion, is a makeover series that will turn its winner into a high-society socialite."

Somebody got carried away at the tattoo parlor.

Rick and Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in the World wins big at Italian animation festival: "Cult hit half-hour show about three gay couples in the fictional 'gay ghetto' of West Lahunga Beach took the Pulcinella nod for TV series of the year. The Pulcinella for TV series for all ages went to RAI Fiction’s 'Acqua in bocca' (Water and Bubbles), about two fish in a tank and their interaction with an Italian family, from helmer Guido Manuli."

Milo Ventimiglia dreamt of being a fighter pilot.

GYM bar in NYC to open up its locker room.

Queerty talks to author Scott Heim about his new novel We Disappear: "There were all these different disappearances in the book–including Scott Heim the writer disappearing into Scott the character—I liked this idea of readers not knowing where one starts and the others begin. There are a lot of things in the book that are total fiction. The danger of doing this blurring is when people do read this as a memoir."

Tom Cruise and David Beckham to buy a soccer team together?

A townhouse in New York's West Village transformed, part of New York magazine's excellent new occasional real estate section, Vu.

Fight to allow gay blood donors heats up in Scotland.

Judicial Watch calls on FEC to investigate Elton John's Hillary Clinton benefit concert: "Recent news reports suggest that Hillary Clinton and Hillary Clinton for President have accepted an in-kind contribution from a foreign national, Sir Elton John, in contravention of federal electon laws. On behalf of Judicial Watch and its supporters, I hereby request that the FEC investigate this matter."

News: Virgin Galactic, MRSA, Mary Oliver, Israel, Chace Crawford

Opponents of anti-gay marriage amendment in Florida declare war: "Jon Kislak, a prominent South Florida businessman and chairman of Florida Red and Blue, a statewide bipartisan committee, said they will form a 'truth squad' to tell how much damage the proposal could have on Floridians."

Jason Chambers, host of The History Channel's Human Weapon, wants to know if anyone is up for a little tea-bagging?

The Uk's Guardian looks at the MRSA scare.

Genre editor Neal Boulton back with a woman? Source: "I have been living off and on in New York unbenownst [sic] to Neal for one year. Let it be known that I am not homophobic because I, like his wife Claire, and his entire secret troupe of girls, were never in the dark that he was blatently [sic] bisexual. However, what annoys me is that he is the Editor In Chief of a gay men’s magazine and blatently [sic] goes around like he did the other night at The View (a gay bar in Chelsea) making out with women (a red headed one this time) who come on to him without a care in the world (to the suprise [sic] of the bartender), yet stands up and writes in his editor’s letter that he is gay!"

Milo Ventimiglia grows (or tries to grow) a strike beard.

New website launches for religious gay community in Israel: "Itay, one of the founders of the site, explained to Ynet that this new website is innovative in its approach to homosexuality and religion. 'Up to now the only website catering to the religious gay community was atzat-nefesh (www.atzat-nefesh.org), which was basically run by straight people that publicly stated that a religious person cannot be gay. They tried to ‘turn’ gay religious people straight, which is something that we know cannot be done. We try to help people reconcile their religious beliefs and their sexual orientation,' he explained. The founders of the HOD site, young religious individuals themselves, founded the site as part of an overall larger agenda to not only remain part of the religious community, but to reach out to the religious world and attempt to garner its acceptance."

Does Daniel Day-Lewis' milkshake bring all the boys to the yard? Defamer thinks so...

Seattle poetry fans go wild for Mary Oliver: "Poet Mary Oliver's appearance Monday at Benaroya Hall is the fastest sellout in the 20-year history of Seattle Arts & Lectures. It is sparking ticket action on the local Craigslist, where tickets to rock concerts and sports playoffs are regularly bought and sold, but rarely to poetry readings...The Northwest may just be the epicenter of popularity for Oliver, a reclusive, 71-year-old poet from Provincetown, Mass., who is known for her direct, positive verse set in the natural world. She has won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, but her work is not the dense verse favored by academia."

Anti-gay conservative Alan Keyes blames Massachusetts' same-sex marriage 'fiasco' squarely on Mitt Romney.

Bishop of Liverpool issues apology for opposing gay cleric.

Ryan Phillippe: Just call him arms.

Civil partnerships slow in the UK: "The honeymoon appears to be over for gay weddings after the number of homosexual couples getting "married" plummeted by more than half last year. Figures from the Local Government Association show the number of single-sex civil partnership ceremonies fell by around 55 per cent during 2007, the second full year such unions were permitted. Gay community leaders, however, dismissed the dramatic fall as a 'normalising process'. They said the introduction of civil partnerships in late 2005 prompted a flurry of marriages involving longstanding homosexual couples keen to make their relationships official. Ben Summerskill, chief executive of the gay rights group Stonewall said: 'There was a big pent up demand from couples in long-term relationships to form civil partnerships, which is why so many did it early on after the law changed. A tailing-off would be logical.'"

Virgin Galactic mogul Richard Branson thinks 'space tourism' will quickly morph into practical continent-hopping: "Virgin boss far from starry-eyed about his pending trip into the fringes of space...insists he did not have a lifelong dream to become an astronaut. Instead, he is keen on understanding a technological advance he predicts will produce important spin-offs. He believes there's no reason technology similar to that used by Galactic will not eventually be used for sub-orbital flights between continents. Instead of cruising back down to the same place, passengers will be able to go to another spaceport on another continent."

Chace Crawford and Pete Wentz and a whole lotta ironed hair.

Gay and lesbian couples line up for domestic partnership registrations in Oregon: "Couples exchanged rings, toasted each other and broke into cheers Monday as other same-sex pairs emerged from the red-brick Multnomah County Building waving certificates declaring them newly registered domestic partners. It was the first day of registration in Oregon after U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman lifted a temporary injunction imposed pending resolution of an argument over petition signatures. The ruling on Friday made Oregon the ninth state to approve spousal rights in some form for gay couples."

BBC radio presenter Nigel Wrench charged with drugging, raping another man.