News: Rea Carey, Justice Dept, Olympics, Monet, Barack Obama

Conservative Orange County Register says high court's decision on marriage was justified.

MAG: What's on Obama's iPod.

Matt Damon's summer look: flab with pornstache.

Rea Carey to succeed Matt Foreman as executive director of Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

REPORT: Justice Dept. politicized hiring practices to favor Republican candidates: "'Many qualified candidates' were rejected for the department’s honors program because of what was perceived as a liberal bias, the report found. Those practices, the report concluded, 'constituted misconduct and also violated the department’s policies and civil service law that prohibit discrimination in hiring based on political or ideological affiliations.'" FLASHBACK: DOJ Looking into Possible Firing of Atty Over Sexual Orientation...

Ad campaign for Dexter in Portugal features severed limbs in butcher cases and knifed corpses on the street!

British soldiers see 13 UFOs in sky above barracks: "I was on duty in the guard room when the other boys outside began shouting. I went out to see what the commotion was about and could see thirteen craft in the skies. They were zig-zagging, but I filmed two before they disappeared. They were like rotating cubes with multiple colours. I made a full report to my commanding officers and gave them my footage. The other lads were as amazed by it as I was."

Monet water lily painting goes for $80.5 million at Christie's, doubling previous record for the artist.

Washington D.C. city councilman and former mayor Marion Barry says he would support a bill legalizing same-sex marriage there.

Bill Clinton offers support to Obama; Obama asks donors to raise money for Clinton.

Orlando Bloom reveals his back end in the Canary Islands.

Justin Timberlake's 'Play' fragrance may smell clean but his feet are filthy.

Out swimmer Andrew Langenfeld to compete for a spot on the Olympic team in the 100-meter butterfly.

NYC Chelsea nightclub 1 Oak reacts to reports yesterday that they covered up a gay bashing at the venue. Page Six: "Club sources say the night was not promoted as a 'gay night' and that the attacker was re strained by security but broke away. The victim said 1Oak owner Scott Sartiano insisted on giving him a car to the hospital instead of calling an ambulance. A rep for the club said, '1Oak is committed to providing an environment of safety and security to patrons every night. This incident was handled by security and staff immediately and this type of inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated at 1Oak.'"

Art Fag City talks to Nayland Blake about who they'd all like to fuck.

Anti-gay assault suspect under arrest in Minneapolis: "A gay Twin Cities man, the apparent victim of a hate crime, was badly beaten last Saturday. He claims a stranger approached him near 6th and Cedar Ave. South in Minneapolis, and asked if he was gay. The victim answered yes proudly, and the suspect hit the man in the face, yelling that he hated homosexuals. Abdirizak Mohamed has been charged with assault in the fourth degree with bias—a hate crime with enhanced penalties."

Michelle Obama to give keynote address at Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council Gala DNC fundraiser on Thursday in New York.

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Feeding Frenzy for Larry Craig 'Bobble-foot' Giveaways

You may remember that last weekend the minor league St. Paul Saints baseball team handed out Larry Craig "Bobble-foot" giveaways. CNN sent Jeanne Moos to cover it. People were apparently lined up at 10am for a 7pm game so they could get one of these things.

I've clipped the segment, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Minneapolis Baseball Team Hands Out Larry Craig 'Bobblefoot'

The Minnesota minor league baseball team The St. Paul Saints is doing away with traditional "bobblehead" giveaways this weekend and handing out an homage to Idaho Senator Larry Craig, who as you well know was arrested in a local airport for tapping under the stall at an undercover cop.

The team is handing out "bobblefoot" knickknacks featuring a bathroom stall with a pair of feet, one of which is springloaded and 'taps'. The baseball team's press release claims that the item honors "National Tap Dance Day".

According to the Star-Tribune, "The team also takes pains to note: 'It doesn't matter if your tapping style is done with a 'wide stance' or is used as some sort of code.'"

Saints promotion: Not quite a bobblehead [star tribune via boing boing]

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Senate Issues Letter of Admonition to Larry Craig

The Senate Ethics Committee released a 'Public Letter of Admonition' today to Idaho Senator Larry Craig with regard to Craig's conduct following his arrest last June in a men's room at the Minneapolis airport.

The letter scolds Craig for his statement to the arresting officer regarding his position in the Senate (Craig told asked the arresting officer, "What do you think about that?") and also for his attempt to withdraw his guilty plea, about which it says this: "Your claims to the court, through counsel, to the effect that your guilty plea resulted from improper pressure or coercion, or that you did not, as a legal matter, know what you were doing when you pled guilty, do not appear credible."

The letter, signed by committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Ken Salazar (D-CO), and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), also takes Craig to task for using campaign funds to pay his legal bills without prior approval from the committee.

Talking Points Memo has the letter.

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ACLU Defends Larry Craig's Right to Have Private Bathroom Sex

The ACLU filed a brief yesterday in support of Idaho Senator Larry Craig, arguing that those engaging in sexual conduct in restroom stalls should be able to expect privacy.

The AP reports: "[The ACLU] cited a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling 38 years ago that found that people who have sex in closed stalls in public restrooms 'have a reasonable expectation of privacy.' That means the state cannot prove Craig was inviting an undercover officer to have sex in public, the ACLU wrote...The ACLU argued that even if Craig was inviting the officer to have sex, his actions wouldn't be illegal. 'The government cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Senator Craig was inviting the undercover officer to engage in anything other than sexual intimacy that would not have called attention to itself in a closed stall in the public restroom,' the ACLU wrote in its brief. The ACLU also noted that Craig was originally charged with interference with privacy, which it said was an admission by the state that people in the bathroom stall expect privacy."

Aside from the sheer absurdity of it, I'm not sure exactly how this argument would help Craig, since he has denied engaging in any sexual conduct.

Last week Craig filed a 27-page brief with the Minnesota Court of Appeals in an ongoing attempt to withdraw his guilty plea.

Previously
Larry Craig Files Appeal in Ongoing Quest to Withdraw Guilty Plea [tr]
A Holiday Visit to the Larry Craig Men's Room [tr]
Idaho Paper Out to Disprove Larry Craig's "I'm not gay" Claims [tr]

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Larry Craig Files Appeal in Ongoing Quest to Withdraw Guilty Plea

The man doesn't give up. Larry Craig filed a 27-page brief with the Minnesota Court of Appeals on Tuesday in a continued attempt to withdraw the guilty plea over his disorderly conduct conviction in June.

CNN reports: "Lawyers for Sen. Larry Craig asked a Minnesota appeals court Tuesday to allow him to withdraw his guilty plea stemming from his June arrest in a public bathroom sex sting, citing a 'grave procedural flaw.' The Idaho Republican argues that a state law related to his misdemeanor conviction is unconstitutional and that it's 'manifestly unjust' not to allow him to be given another chance to prove his innocence."

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports on some of the details in the brief:

"In the 27-page brief, the lawyers note that one element of disorderly conduct requires that 'the conduct at issue have a tendency to alarm or anger others.' The brief noted the specific use of the plural 'others.' The senator was arrested during a layover between flights on June 11 by undercover officer Sgt. Dave Karsnia. He claimed the senator's toe-tapping and hand motion in a men's room stall were indications he wanted to have sex. Craig said he was picking up a piece of tissue on the floor and the gestures were misunderstood. Craig's plea also fails to support the legal requirement that the conduct be 'offensive, obscene, abusive, boisterous or noisy,' the brief said. The legal brief said that Karsnia could not be offended by the conduct because he invited it. The brief noted that in Karsnia's own statement, he said Craig tapped his foot, then 'Karsnia tapped his own foot in response.' In the complaint against Craig, Karsnia noted that tapping feet is 'a signal often used by persons communicating a desire to engage in sexual conduct,' the brief said. 'Thus Sergeant Karsnia undoubtedly intended that tapping his own foot be such a signal,' the brief said."

The paper adds: "Craig initially claimed he was pressured to plead guilty because of an investigation by the Idaho Statesman into his sexual orientation. The newspaper has since published the names of four men who claim to have had encounters of varying intimacy with the senator. Craig has declined to comment."

You may have missed...
A Holiday Visit to the Larry Craig Men's Room [tr]
Idaho Paper Out to Disprove Larry Craig's "I'm not gay" Claims [tr]

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A Holiday Visit to the Larry Craig Men's Room

So, on a personal note, I'm coming at you today from Montana. However, on my trip here yesterday, due to a Jamaican Air flight that stayed at the gate I was supposed to board my plane at way too long, as well as a bit of bad weather in New York, I had 10 hours to kill in the Minneapolis airport.

Of course I had to make a trip to the nation's newest tourist attraction, and what do you know, I happened to catch this jaunty Larry Craig type skippin' in. And, I kid you not, I could swear he gave me a long cruise on the way out. Anyway...

More AFTER THE JUMP...

So I went inside to check out if they had installed those new partitions they announced in September. Nope.

Still plenty of time, Senators!

Anyway, it felt a little strange to be in there so I only spent about one minute. I wasn't going to do any further research even though I had 10 hours till my flight because a) I'm not desperate and b) I'm not stupid and c) I'm not a Republican closet case. However, as far as I could tell (I only heard a grunt and perhaps what was a courtesy flush), the season is still open for any out-of-state GOPers passin' through.

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News: Ivri Lider, Provincetown, Anderson Cooper, Aurora Borealis

Provincetown police to receive civil rights training following negligence over several hate crimes that have occurred at the tip of Cape Cod. Police Chief Warren Tobias reportedly remains unwilling or unable to communicate with victims and LGBT anti-violence advocates: "At a committee meeting last week, Provincetown acting Police Chief Warren Tobias said he would not seek input from those who complained this summer, such as the Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project in Boston and off-Cape resident Richard Hall." Here's a refresher...

Hunk du Jour offers up a lengthy interview with out Israeli singer Ivri Lider. Lider: "I think famous people coming out is an extremely important thing that helps to change lots of peoples' views. It also helps a lot of young people who are dealing with their sexuality and the feelings of being isolated and alone in the world. With regard to Israel, or at least Tel Aviv, you could probably call it one of the gayest cities in the world. For most people here, it's just not an issue."

John Kerry urges military working on investigation into slain Arghanistan lesbian soldier Ciara Durkin's death to work faster: "The Durkin family has waited patiently for more than two months for a final report on Ciara’s death. This incredible family deserves answers, without delay, so that they can begin to find some closure."

Minneapolis church and others take stand: No heterosexual marriages until same-sex marriage is legal. Reverend: "If you feel that gay and lesbian people are loved and credited by God, then how can we continue to discriminate against our brothers and sisters?"

Scientists discover energy source of Aurora Borealis: " New data from NASA's Themis mission, a quintet of satellites launched this winter, found the energy comes from a stream of charged particles from the sun flowing like a current through twisted bundles of magnetic fields connecting Earth's upper atmosphere to the sun. The energy is then abruptly released in the form of a shimmering display of lights, said principal investigator Vassilis Angelopoulos of the University of California at Los Angeles."

Suck it Jesus, Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D-List just got renewed: "Official word from Team Kathy, EMMY award winning My Life on the D-List has been renewed for a forth season. But this just isn't any renewal. Instead of six episodes, try ten on for size."

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams refuses to allow Bishop Gene Robinson or "turn-coat" Martyn Minns to attend next year's Anglican Lambeth Conference.

The harrowing career of Anderson Cooper: the newsman must evade both chest-beating gorillas and Kelly Ripa.

Christian video site GodTube bans the word gay, yet allows 'fag' and 'dyke'.

Madonna to be inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Leonard Cohen, the Ventures and the Dave Clark Five.

Gay British Stonewall volunteer receives prestigious Diana award: "I'm so proud to receive the Diana Award. When I was bullied for being gay there was no one I could talk to and when other young people told me about their experiences of homophobic bullying, I knew I wasn't alone. I was determined to set up a youth group where people like me in my local community could share their experiences and offer each other support in dealing with the bullying we faced."

Bring Jack back: Project Runway fan starts campaign to bring back Jack Mackenroth, who left the show this week after developing a staph infection. If you missed his Flashdance parody, don't.

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New Gay-Themed Tony Kushner Play to Open in Minneapolis

Hoping to raise their profile in the theater world to be seen "as one of those theaters that creates new works for the American stage," the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis announced they'll debut a new play by Tony Kushner in Spring 2009, tenatively titled The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures.

The AP reports: "Set in Brooklyn, N.Y., the play 'will have a family dynamic, and it will be dealing directly with gay issues,' Dowling said. The theater, which has never done a Kushner play, started discussing the possibility of a world premiere with Kushner late last year, Dowling said. 'I have great admiration for Tony's work,' Dowling said. 'Tony is always engaged with the issues - both political and social issues - that really resonate with the audience.' The theater also wanted to establish itself as a place for both classical and contemporary works, and hopes the partnership with Kushner will let the world know it's now in the business for world premieres, Dowling said. The Guthrie opened an elaborate new three-stage theater overlooking the Mississippi in June 2006."

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Larry Craig Reacts to Court Ruling: I'm Not Going Anywhere

Idaho Senator Larry Craig issued a statement this afternoon following the court's ruling rejecting his request to withdraw a guilty plea for disorderly conduct stemming from his arrest in a Minneapolis airport men's room in June:

"I am extremely disappointed with the ruling issued today. I am innocent of the charges against me. I continue to work with my legal team to explore my additional legal options. I will continue to serve Idaho in the United States Senate, and there are several reasons for that. As I continued to work for Idaho over the past three weeks here in the Senate, I have seen that it is possible for me to work here effectively. Over the course of my three terms in the Senate and five terms in the House, I have accumulated seniority and important committee assignments that are valuable to Idaho, not the least of which are my seats on the Appropriations Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Veterans' Affairs Committee. A replacement would be highly unlikely to obtain these posts. In addition, I will continue my effort to clear my name in the Senate Ethics Committee - something that is not possible if I am not serving in the Senate. When my term has expired, I will retire and not seek reelection. I hope this provides the certainty Idaho needs and deserves."

As we mentioned earlier, this means Craig could be around to plague the Republicans well through the 2008 elections.

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Judge: Idaho Senator Larry Craig Cannot Withdraw Guilty Plea

A Hennepin County, Minnesota judge has rejected Larry Craig's request to withdraw his guilty plea for disorderly conduct stemming from his arrest in a Minneapolis airport men's room in June:

"In a 27-page order, Judge Charles Porter found Craig had entered the guilty plea "accurately, voluntarily and intelligently" and it was too late to withdraw his admission. Craig, who says he is not gay, argued that he entered the plea without legal advice, fearing that the allegations would be made public. Once his plea became public, the Idaho Republican announced he would resign at the end of September -- but then said he would await Porter's ruling before deciding whether to leave the Senate. The judge heard arguments September 26 concerning Craig's June 11 arrest for allegedly making sexual overtures to an undercover male police officer in an airport men's restroom."

Now the question remains, will Craig step down? Craig could hypothetically appeal the decision, according to the Idaho Statesman's Dan Popkey, and put in motion a court process that will allow him to stay in office until the end of his term:

"...the likely scenario is Craig will head to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. He can expect oral argument within two or three months after filing his challenge to an unsatisfactory ruling. An appellate decision would come within another 90 days, extending Craig's battle to spring. Next step: the Minnesota Supreme Court, with arguments to come two or three months after a second appeal. The average time between argument and a decision is 4› months. That gets Craig to term's end in January 2009. At that point, assuming his guilty plea stands, Craig can say he fought the good fight. Meantime, he will have remained in office, continued to collect his salary, and boost his pension that's based on years of service."

We'll likely know soon.

UPDATE: Craig issues statement...

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GOP Threatens Probe: Is Larry Craig Ready for His Close Up?

Worried that disgraced Idaho Senator Larry Craig may dig in his heels and never leave the Senate, his Republican colleagues are threatening an ethics probe that would pick apart every moment of his arrest, dig through past records to find any more dirt on the Senator, and force him and other witnesses to testify publicly about the activities.

The Washington Post reports: "The Senate hearing would examine the original charges in Craig's case, including the allegation of 'interference with privacy,' for peeping into the bathroom stall occupied by an undercover police officer. One senior Republican aide imagined 'witnesses, documents, all in front of the klieg lights.' The committee also could look for 'a pattern of conduct' -- which means combing court records in other locales to discover whether Craig had prior arrests that haven't come to light."

Craig is currently waiting for a judge in Hennepin County, Minnesota to decide whether or not he can withdraw his guilty plea for disorderly conduct stemming from his arrest in a Minneapolis airport men's room in June. Last week, Judge Charles A. Porter Jr. said it would be no sooner than a week before he would issue a ruling in the case.

GOP Is Ready to Roll Out the Klieg Lights for Craig [washington post]

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More Bad News for Senator Larry Craig

The Minneapolis Airport is installing new partitions between the toilets:

"Airport officials plan to put in new stall dividers just 2 to 3 inches above the floor, instead of as much as a foot now. The new dividers will go in two bathrooms where the airport has had complaints about sex, including the one where Craig was arrested."

Hmm. Guess he'll have to stop flying Northwest.

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Judge Delays Ruling on Larry Craig Guilty Plea

Attorneys for Larry Craig went to court in Hennepin County today to ask attempt to withdraw Idaho Senator Larry Craig's guilty plea for disorderly conduct stemming from his arrest in a Minneapolis airport men's room in June. The Associated Press is reporting that the judge has delayed his ruling on whether or not Craig can withdraw the plea:

"Sen. Larry Craig's lawyers appeared in court Wednesday afternoon seeking to overturn his guilty plea in a men's room sex sting. But a judge made no immediate decision, saying he would issue a ruling no sooner than the end of next week. In a half-hour hearing, Hennepin County District Judge Charles A. Porter Jr. questioned Craig's Washington, D.C. defense lawyer, Billy Martin, repeatedly about Martin's interpretation of disorderly conduct and Craig's actions. Craig pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after an undercover police officer arrested him June 11, saying Craig had solicited sex from him in a men's room at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport."

The Idaho Statesman continues: "Craig says he plans to resign from the Senate on Sept. 30, but indicated that he might change his mind if his guilty plea can be withdrawn and he can clear his name. He said this week he won't resign until 'legal determinations'" are made, CNN reported Wednesday. This could mean Craig won't resign by his self-imposed deadline this Sunday. CNN quotes a 'political source involved in discussions about the case,' who said 'Craig has made it clear he wants to find a way to stay in office.'"

Craig was not present at the hearing today, on the advice of his attorneys.

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Airport Prosecutor Slams Larry Craig in Lengthy Brief

In a 41-page brief filed today, an attorney for the Metropolitan Airports Commission says that Idaho Senator Larry Craig should not be able to withdraw his guilty plea "because the basis for his request is not injustice but rather his 'displeasure at the outcome'," according to the Pioneer Press.

The prosecutor, Christopher Renz, writes that Craig had more than enough time between his arrest on June 11 and August 1st, when the plea petition was signed, to think about what a guilty plea might mean for him.

The AP reports: "'Denying Craig's motion "prevents further politicking and game playing on the part of the defendant in relation to his plea,' Renz wrote. Renz wrote that Craig didn't decide to withdraw his plea until after he was hurt by the publicity of the allegations. Craig clearly 'had hoped that he could plead guilty and that the plea would not be discovered by the media or public,' Renz wrote. 'The defendant chose to plead guilty and consciously took that risk. The defendant's current pursuit of withdrawal of his guilty plea is reactionary, calculated and political.' Renz warned of a 'deluge' of defendants who would ask to withdraw guilty pleas if Craig succeeds. The prosecutor said his office was contacted by a defendant trying to withdraw his plea after Craig announced that he regretted pleading guilty."

Renz also blasted Craig's version of events in the bathroom stall: "'The defendant's explanation for his hand being down underneath the stall divider - that he was picking up a piece of toilet paper in a heavily trafficked public restroom - stretches the bounds of credibility, particularly considering: the hand observed underneath the divider was palm up,' and it was Craig's left hand, reaching over to his right side, the memorandum said. And Karsnia 'observed no paper on the ground.'"

Larry Craig is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.

Prosecutor: Idaho Senator 'stretches the bounds of credibility' [pioneer press]
Prosecutor: Craig is 'politicking' [ap]

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Toilet Paper from Larry Craig's Bathroom Stall for Sale on Ebay

If you thought the massage table auction from the Ted Haggard scandal was silly, this'll beat it. There are currently no bids (and for good reason) on an eBay auction of toilet paper allegedly from the Minneapolis airport bathroom stall where Idaho Senator Larry Craig's story began. What's next? Mark Foley's mouse pad?

Via The Politico: "In the listing, Steviewonder2002 guarantees the 'white single-ply standard airport tissue' was torn from none other than the second stall on the right. Steviewonder2002 did not respond to repeated requests for comment. However, airport spokesman Patrick Hogan said it is 'highly doubtful' that Steviewonder2002's sheets were actually in the toilet paper dispenser at the time of Craig's arrest. However, the bathroom was not sealed off at the time of the lunchtime arrest on June 11, the spokesman said. 'I don't really see how anybody — even a maintaince worker or anybody in the public — would have known the senator was in question,' he said. 'Also, the arrest was in June, but it didn't become public until August.'"

America...land of opportunity.

You know it's a slow news day when...

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ACLU Gets Behind Idaho Senator Larry Craig

The American Civil Liberties Union has come out today in the defense of Idaho Senator Larry Craig, whose widely publicized guilty plea for "disorderly conduct" related to his arrest in a Minneapolis men's room led to the lawmaker's resignation from the Senate.

The ACLU contends that "it doesn't matter whether he solicited sex because that's not a crime," according to ABC News.

Said ACLU executive director Anthony Romero: "We believe the sting operation used to apprehend Mr. Craig was unconstitutional. The statute the government is relying upon makes it a crime to use certain offensive words...It is a crime to have sex in public. It is not a crime to propose or solicit sex in public, whether it's in a bar or in a bathroom. We clearly lay out what is the doctrine in terms of what speech is and is not protected. To be able to solicit sex in private, in public spaces, for instance, is constitutionally protected speech."

The Washington Post, in an editorial published over the weekend, said "More than gestures should be required to charge someone with a crime."

Craig reportedly sent a letter of apology to his Senate colleagues late last week: "The letter went directly to fellow senators. It accompanied a copy of the motion that Craig (R., Idaho) filed Monday in Hennepin County, Minn., courts, seeking to undo his Aug. 1 guilty plea to a disorderly-conduct misdemeanor...Craig's spokesman, Dan Whiting, said that he had not seen the letter or the Roll Call article that first mentioned it but that he was aware of it. He described it yesterday as merely a 'simple cover letter' for the legal filings. It went out to Craig's colleagues this week "so that senators, if they wanted, could read it without the media filter," Whiting said in an e-mail.

Meanwhile, more than one person has decided to visit the Minneapolis airport men's room where the whole incident began: "Royal Zino, who works at the shoeshine shop next to the public lavatory, said 'it's been crazy. People have been going inside, taking pictures of the stall, taking pictures outside the bathroom door.'"

ACLU Backs Senator Larry Craig [abc news]

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Minneapolis' Newest Tourist Attraction: “Yes…Yes it is.”

What to do on your next layover, so to speak.

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News: Hurricane Dean, Keith Olbermann, Survivor, Faye Dunaway

Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota named most gay-friendly school.

Hurricane Dean makes landfall on Mexican coast as Category 5 monster storm: "The U.S. National Hurricane Center said it was the first Category 5 storm to make landfall in the Atlantic Basin since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Dean was still packing sustained winds of 165 miles per hour (268 kph), with gust of up to 200 mph when it came ashore, but was expected to weaken as it passed over the Yucatan Peninsula."

Cast of Survivor: China includes 22-year-old gay Mormon Todd Herzog who says he is prepared to "gather wood and sh*t."

Faye Dunaway orders poultry by the pound at Koo Koo Roo: "She ordered chicken and broccoli to go, and then she sat at a table with her food container. She pulled a tiny scale out of her purse and . . . proceeded to pull the chicken meat off the bones and weigh it. She piled the bones and skin on a napkin. She carefully weighed the chicken meat and broccoli, and the broccoli was a little short, so she went to the counter and asked for more."

Despite "huge" LGBT population, teens in the Bronx live on the down low or face harassment: "LGBT youth say that Bronx schools are particularly tough environments. 'I'm considered, like, a dyke in my school,' said 15-year old Angel S., who has knife scars on her right knee from a fight. A boy 'pushed me down a flight of stairs because I liked his girlfriend.'"

Officials knew Minneapolis bridge was in danger of collapse: "Internal MnDOT documents reviewed by the Star Tribune reveal that last year bridge officials talked openly about the possibility of the bridge collapsing -- and worried that it might have to be condemned. The documents provide the first look inside MnDOT's decision-making process as engineers weighed benefits and risks, wrestling with options to prevent what they believed was a remote but real possibility of the eight-lane freeway bridge failing."

Arjan interviews Danish dance duo Junior Senior.

Testing the water: Countdown with Keith Olbermann to get tryout on NBC prior to this Sunday's Eagles/Steelers game.

It's Corny Collins time!

Gary Steinsmith, gay activist in South Florida, dies at 50.

Amy Winehouse leaves rehab again.

Chilean gay activists cry foul over sodomy conviction: "On Aug. 10, a panel of judges in Antofagasta, Region II, found a 47-year-old laborer guilty of sodomizing a 17-year-old male. Because the accused had no previous criminal record, the court sentenced him to 41 days in jail – far less than the 541-day jail term prosecutors had recommended. The case began when police discovered the two having sex in a pickup truck. Although the young man in question – just 12 days shy of his 18th birthday at the time of the incident – testified that the sex was consensual, prosecutors nevertheless pursued the case, arguing that the accused 'corrupted the child’s sexual morality.' The ruling – the first sodomy conviction to be issued in Region II since the country’s criminal law procedures were overhauled in 2001 – was not well received by the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Freedom (MOVILH), Chile’s leading gay rights organization...Chile’s Criminal Code is biased against homosexuals, MOVILH claims. One problem is a major discrepancy regarding the legal age of sexual consent: 14, for heterosexuals, 18 for homosexuals. MOVILH describes the difference as 'arbitrary, unjust and hypocritical.'"

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News: Bush Lyme Disease, Timbaland, Brad Womack, Zac Efron

Minneapolis bridge hero turns down photo-op with Bush: “He was just, like, ‘Nope.’ ”

Meet TV's newest Bachelor Brad Womack.

Recently-out Australian Idol contestant Anthony Callea dreaded interviews with the gay press when he was in the closet: "...it wasn't just me dreading it, it was the record company and management as well. I found out down the line a lot of the gay-press requests to do interviews were rejected before they ever got to me. Obviously they were being protective. I did an interview with a gay mag at the start of the year and the first question was "Are you gay?" It was funny because I'd done a day of media training two days before that. The woman doing the training said: 'That will never be asked as the first question.' I phoned her and said 'You were wrong. How much did we pay you?'"

Timbaland talks about his recent collaborations with Madonna: "There's this one song, we taking it back to 'You must be my luck-eee starrrr!' ... Remember 'Ugly' by Bubba Sparxxx? I got a beat similar to that. The hook is no words. It's saying stuff named after coffee — all these different names for coffee — is the hook. ... The name of the song is 'La, La.' Pharrell did a hot one for her too called 'Candy Shop.' She's off the chain."

Watching the new Watchmen movie: "The story primarily takes place at the end of the Cold War, the late 80s, but also looks back at the history of its alternate universe to see how superheroes would have changed our history. One of the caped crusaders we meet during those flashbacks is Hooded Justice, one of the first masked men to arrive on the scene who, it turns out, was also gay. So far, Hooded Justice hasn't been cast and hasn't been mentioned in discussion of the film. I hope that doesn't mean he won't appear in the movie. While Hooded Justice isn't one of Watchmen's essential characters, he plays a key role in establishing the bigotry and violent tendencies of another character, The Comedian."

Milo Ventimiglia's break-out-of-something role.

White House reveals Bush was treated for Lyme Disease a year ago.

Woman goes into labor during American Idol audition: "This Tuesday, at the show's Dallas tryouts, one hopeful contestant sang her way straight from the stage to the hospital. Antoria Gillon tells Usmagazine.com, 'I went up to sing a 702 song called Get it Together in the middle of Texas Stadium in front of producers. And then I started to go into labor.' But the determined Texan didn't let the contractions get to her. Gillon, who had been waiting in line since 2 a.m. the night before explains, 'I kept singing. One of the judges gave me her seat! I told her I had been there all day, and nothing was going to stop me from singing. I hadn't been there all day for nothing!' After she completed the song, Gillon was taken to the nearby Medical Center at Lancaster, where she gave birth to a son."

Gay or Zac Efron? (warning: site NSFW)

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News: Great White, Uganda, Matthew McConaughey, Singapore

Singapore bans gay picnic, saying politics not welcome in public parks: "It was never meant to be political, and this testifies to the paranoia of the government. They automatically assume that anything gay is a political challenge to them. It speaks volumes about the political climate in Singapore."

Beckham pays a visit to the Yankees and Blue Jays' clubhouses to see what American sports are all about.

British Great White Shark photo exposed as a fake: "The man who took the picture, which was featured prominently in the Sun, admitted he had snapped the creature during a fishing trip in South Africa rather than off Newquay, northern Cornwall. 'I took the picture while I was on a fishing trip in Cape Town and just sent it in as a joke,' Kevin Keeble told the Newquay Voice newspaper. 'I didn't expect anyone to take be daft enough to take it seriously.'"

Five continents to see lunar eclipse on August 28th: "The event begins 54 minutes past midnight PDT (0754 UT) on August 28th when the Moon enters Earth's shadow. At first, there's little change. The outskirts of Earth's shadow are as pale as the Moon itself; an onlooker might not even realize anything is happening. But as the Moon penetrates deeper, a startling metamorphosis occurs. Around 2:52 am PDT (0952 UT), the color of the Moon changes from moondust-gray to sunset-red. This is totality, and it lasts for 90 minutes."

Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church to picket funerals of Minneapolis bridge collapse victims.

A look at Matthew McConaughey's pocket rocket?

Retired bishop who supported gay rights causes reaction after he is identified attending Catholic mass in Uganda: "The Rt. Rev. John Baptist Kaggwa mentioned Ssenyonjo among the important guests in the congregation, drawing mixed reactions from Catholics who also condemn homosexuality. One of the celebrants said Ssenyonjo should not have been recognised during the mass because the public could think that the Catholic Church sympathises with gay activists."

What's next for Apple TV?

Broward County Commission blasts Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle over homophobic comments, but stops short of censure: "Using words such as bigoted and despicable, commissioners united in chastising Naugle, then signed letters that will be sent to gay news Web sites and convention planners reaffirming their commitment to diversity. The symbolic reproach individually by the nine commissioners, though, stops shy of them formally voting to censure him, which is what some gay political activists want. The county's tourism czar, Nicki Grossman, said Tuesday's actions were vital in light of the growing national tumult over Naugle's views. She and other tourism executives had hoped the area's long-standing reputation as a gay-friendly destination would avert any negative effect."

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Tragedy in Minneapolis: I-35 Bridge Collapse

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by yesterday's I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis.

The death toll currently stands at nine and rising. Looking at the horrific images, it's easy to think how it could have been much worse.

The fact that there are even survival stories to tell is a small miracle: " Jamie Winegar said she suddenly started hearing 'boom, boom, boom and we were just dropping, dropping, dropping, dropping.' She said her nephew yelled, ''It's an earthquake!' and then we realized the bridge was collapsing.' Behind the wheel, Dennis Winegar fought to keep their rented Chrysler 300M under control. 'I slammed on my brakes and saw something in front of me disappear and then my car pointed straight down and we fell.' He estimated they dropped about 50 feet.
Jamie Winegar said everyone around them got out of their cars and tried to help others off the bridge. 'There were a bunch of people right around there helping everyone. Angels is what I call them.'"

A disaster sure to change Minneapolis for a long time. A few blogs following the still-unfolding situation:

Minnesota Monitor, Buzz.MN, Minneapolis Metroblogs, via Eleventh-Avenue-South.

Images [wcco minneapolis]

The bridge was said to be under repair. Given our reactionary society, the disaster will no doubt make people take a closer look at America's aging infrastructure, despite what the cause of the I-35 collapse is found to be.

Seven dead in I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis [minnesota public radio]

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News: Ricky Martin, Moths, Pit Stains, Randy Harrison

You can own Ricky Martin's signed Vaio laptop. And well, if it's true what they say about old hard drives — that nothing on them is ever truly erased — who knows what the lucky winner might dig up.

Boy George and Little Britain's David Walliams had a bit of a catfight on Channel 4's The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year when George asked Walliams about his co-star Matt Lucas' wedding. Said Walliams: "Very nice thank you. It was great you weren't there." Apparently there's some bad blood between the two of them. According to comedian Russell Brand, who was also on the show, "Boy George thinks that Matt Lucas isn't a good example of homosexuality." Explained Walliams later: "There's a background to this. I wouldn't be mean for the sake of it."

AfterElton chooses its 2006 "Man of the Year".

Queer as Folk's Randy Harrison to play Tom Wingfield in Glass Menagerie production set to open in Minneapolis.

Freak Nature: Moth drinks the tears of sleeping birds.

Perhaps We Are Marshall should be renamed We are Matthew McConaughey's Pit Stains.

Gay rights groups applaud Palm Beach County School District after they unblock sites that offer support to gay and lesbian students: "Last March, an Inlet Grove High School senior published an investigative report disclosing that while Palm Beach County's teachers and students were denied access to gay-supportive web sites on the District's computer system, they could access the anti-gay web sites of the Traditional Values Coalition, the American Family Association, and Focus on the Family from any School District computer. Inletspin.com editor-in-chief Joe Dellosa, reported that the web sites of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (www.glsen.org ), Gay-Straight Alliance Network (www.gsanetwork.org) and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (www.pflag.org) were among those being blocked by the School District."

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Minneapolis Teacher Protested for Outing Himself to Class

A 17-year-old student came to the defense of teacher Peter Sage at Minneapolis' InterDistrict Downtown School when a group of parents staged a protest in reaction to Sage's acknowledgement to his second-grade class that he is gay.

"Sage said he read a prescribed book about a two-mom family, and then explained to the 23 students that he too is gay. Sage said he went on to tell students that some people have different views of people not like them, describing how he disagreed with his own grandfather's negative view of black people."

A group of upset parents held a protest at the school on Friday after deeming Sage's discussion "inappropriate". Their protest was interrupted by 17-year-old student Walter Kaplan who reportedly called the parents "hatemongers" and defended the school's curriculum. According to the Associated Press, when confronted by Kaplan, "the parents replied that the young man didn't have children of his own in the classroom."

Several parents have asked for their children to be transferred from Sage's classroom, but so far the school has stood by Sage, citing "overwhelming" parental support of its curriculum.

Gay Teacher 'Outs' Himself, And Parents Are Upset [ap]

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Soulforce Sit-ins Underway at Military Offices

Their most recent high-profile protests have included a high-profile bus ride to object to religious universities and military academies with anti-gay policies as well as a march to the Focus on the Family headquarters in Colorado Springs, but today members of Soulforce have planted themselves firmly at military recruiting centers across the country. And they aren't moving.

Over a dozen people, including Soulforce member Jacob Reitan (far right), are currently seated inside a recruiting office at the Army National Guard in Roseville, Minnesota. Andy at Eleventh Avenue South sat in with group, which plans to stay until they are forcibly removed, probably around 6pm this evening. He reports that the protest thus far has been jovial and upbeat: "The military recruiters at the center were incredibly gracious and treated us all like guests. It was clear that many staff there held negative views of DADT, and would rather see LGBT people openly serve, even if that was never the official statement from anyone. They set up tents, and made everyone as comfortable as possible."

The mood was a bit less convivial in center city Philadelphia, where five young people were arrested for blocking the sidewalk in front of an Army recruiting station. Twenty others stood silently in front of the building with black tape over their mouths, according to KYW Newsradio. Among the group was Jarret Lucas, who said that anti-gay discrimination is just the latest form of intolerance that the United States must address: "This country has a legacy of tragic experiences such as slavery and segregation. This is another form of discrimination that needs to be addressed by the American public."

Today's events are the kick-off to at least 30 similar sit-ins across the nation.

UPDATE: Four people have been arrested at the Roseville, Minnesota sit-in.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Protest in Roseville [eleventh avenue south]
Center City 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Protest Leads to 5 Arrests [kyw]

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