News: Malcolm Smith, Star Trek, Lieberman, Asbury Park, Beatles

Stop a marriage referendum in New York: "On November 4th, New Yorkers gave the Democrats a two-seat majority in the New York State Senate. Finally, it seemed, Democrats would be able to put marriage equality to a vote and Governor Paterson would be able to sign it into law. However, three Democrats refuse to endorse Malcolm Smith as the new Majority Leader because Malcolm Smith has promised to pass marriage equality in New York. Senator Rubén Díaz, Sr. and Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., both from the Bronx, and Senators Carl Kruger of Brooklyn, are all threatening to caucus with the Republicans to stop gay marriage in New York."

Hugh Jackman busts a few faces, but thankfully no one's looking there.

Trailer for new Star Trek film beams in.

A secret ballot vote by Democrats on Tuesday will determine Joe Lieberman's fate in the Senate: "Senate Democrats will decide by secret ballot Tuesday whether to take away Sen. Joe Lieberman's chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee — a post from which he oversees U.S. security issues, as well as the operations of a wide segment of the federal government. The anger over Lieberman's campaigning for the Republican presidential candidate is still boiling — fueled by memories of his undercutting Barack Obama, including in a nationally televised speech at the Republican National Convention."

More on Rosie O'Donnell's upcoming variety show.

Gregory Craig to be White House counsel: "Craig is intimately familiar with the president-elect’s record because he played the role of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in debate preparations. The officials said Obama has settled on Craig but were not sure when the appointment would be announced. The choice gives the president-elect both experience and loyalty. During the primaries, Craig was an early Clinton alumni defector to Obama."

It's the Mad Hatter!

Bill Ayers talks back.

It's not easy for gay youth in rural British Columbia: "Gay or bisexual teenage boys living in rural B.C. are nearly twice as likely to have attempted suicide and been physically sexually harassed in the past year than their peers in urban centres."

Paul McCartney talks of 14-minute unreleased 1967 Beatle epic "Carnival of Light".

South Korea reviewing ban on gays in the military: "The ban has been under review since a local military court asked the upper tribunal in August to determine whether the existing military criminal code banning homosexuality among soldiers is constitutional. The code stipulates that soldiers be jailed for up to one year for engaging in homosexual acts or sexual harassment while in service."

PETA protestor targets Lindsay Lohan with flour bomb outside Paris hotel.

Queens couple first gays to wed in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Researchers identify possible fossilized velociraptor egg nest.

Recession stops neo-gay enclave of Asbury Park, New Jersey in its tracks: "Various big residential plans came and went, but, partly because of an influx of gay men and lesbians looking for cheaper alternatives to places like Fire Island, it began coming back around 2000. The residential revival helped bring back downtown, now quite alive with shops and restaurants. Then came the beachfront development, beginning around 2005. From 2007 to 2008, the number of daily beach-access badges sold during the summer increased to 52,000 from 38,000. Live Nation, the concert promoter, signed an agreement to promote music at various locations. After all those years of going nowhere, Asbury Park was clearly going somewhere. And then, boom — the bottom fell out of the economy."

Karl Rove will never repudiate George W. Bush.

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News: NY Dems, Jesse Metcalfe, India, David Archuleta, Soulforce

New Jersey gay marriage political debate looms.

NY Governor David Paterson blasts rebel Democrats. I posted about this yesterday.

OUT 100 cover revealed.

Jesse Metcalfe drinks, plunges 40 feet off nightclub balcony.

Lansing, Michigan church target of protest by gay "anarchists": "The disruption came from a group which calls itself Bash Back, and involved demonstrations outside the church and inside the sanctuary while services were under way, said Mt. Hope Church communications director David Williams. Members of the group inside the church shouted pro-gay slogans, threw leaflets, unfurled a banner and pulled a fire alarm, then hastily departed, Williams said. There were no injuries, he said. Williams said the episode was over in just a few minutes. Eaton County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived quickly, Williams said, but no arrests were made. No one from the police agency was available today."

"Extreme" fan's body found near home of Paula Abdul.

No thanks, Fred: Major networks to air stealth Focus on the Family ad.

Arguments conclude, Delhi high court set to rule on decriminalizing homosexuality.

George Clooney on marriage equality: "At some point in our lifetime, gay marriage won't be an issue, and everyone who stood against this civil right will look as outdated as George Wallace standing on the school steps keeping James Hood from entering the University of Alabama because he was black."

Sotheby's contemporary art auction jumps recession: " The sale, at which the majority of successful bidders were American, took in $125 million, including commission, against a low estimate of $200 million, a benchmark established before the September onset of the crisis gripping world financial markets. Records were set for Philip Guston, John Currin and Richard Serra as 68 percent of the 63 lots on offer found buyers -- to the relief of Sotheby's officials."

David Archuleta brings "Crush" to TRL.

Killers of gay British man have sentences cut by eight years: " Igor Irinel, 22, and Sorin Abuculesci, 34, tied up Sri Lankan Mohamed Raheem and left him to suffocate to death at his flat in Sardeson House on the Holderness Estate on June 2 last year. After spending the night with Mr Raheem after meeting him in a gay bar, Irinel ransacked his flat with the help of his brother before badly beating and finally murdering Mr Raheem. After being found guilty by a jury in April this year, Irinel and Abuculesci were respectively sentenced at the Old Bailey to a mimimum of 30 and 28 years in prison."

Death toll in Congo violence nears six million.

Soulforce equality riders arrested at Union University in Jackson Tennessee: "The arrests occurred during the next-to-last stop on the 2008 Equality Ride, an outreach bus tour of 15 religious schools across the South by Soulforce Q. The organization is the young-adult division of a group that fights discrimination against gays with nonviolent protest. Police arrested 21-year-old Zak Rittenhouse of Frankfort, Ohio; 22-year-old Manny Lampon of New York City; and 22-year-old Jarrett Lucas of Minneapolis, Minn., a co-director of the 2008 Equality Ride, on trespassing charges. The arrests came after campus security warned them to leave an area declared off-limits to the riders."

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Elton John Says Gays Should Want Separate But Equal

Elton John and David Furnish (and, according to USA Today, their cocker spaniels Marilyn and Arthur), in New York for Monday's annual benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, told the paper that gays and lesbians should be happy with civil partnerships and forget the fight for marriage equality.

Said Elton: "We're not married. Let's get that right. We have a civil partnership. What is wrong with Proposition 8 is that they went for marriage. Marriage is going to put a lot of people off, the word marriage...I don't want to be married. I'm very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have a civil partnership. The word marriage, I think, puts a lot of people off. You get the same equal rights that we do when we have a civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships."

However, as folks in New Jersey in civil partnerships have discovered, separate but equal is not equal. Seems those in Connecticut felt the same way.

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News: Grey's Anatomy, Mitch McConnell, True Blood, David Cook

California gay marriage ban a $73 million race.

McCain not ready to spell on day one.

The gay-baiting of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Signorile: "Since McConnnell is a senator who has voted antigay over and over again, it's certainly relevant to ask the question if things just don't add up, and there's nothing wrong with implying someone is gay or asking the question, is there? And if McConnell is not, and there is some other truth to his discharge, why not just state it?"

Lesbian relationship axed from Grey's Anatomy; female cast member fired. CBS reportedly nervous about too many gay storylines?...

And heads reportedly rolling on Heroes as well...

Four Soulforce riders arrested at Central Baptist College in Arkansas: "As Conway police handcuffed three women and one man, their fellow activists remained on the public sidewalk and sang the Christian camp song that begins, 'Love, love, love, love, Christians, this is your call.' The 17 activists were all members of Soulforce Q, a group that seeks what it describes as equal treatment for gay students. The group visited the small Conway campus of about 500 students as part of its third annual Equality Ride, a national bus tour of conservative Christian colleges and universities."

Is New York going to get a moving skyscraper?

You may remember the case in Secaucus, New Jersey where a gay couple was awarded $2.84 million by a jury. The couple filed suit against that town claiming that they were harassed in an April 2004 incident by a group of firefighters who were partying at the firehouse adjacent to their residence. Now, the fire station is under investigation for a letter that went out to residents: "Last week, a letter that was sent to residents in the 2nd Ward from the "officers and members" of Rescue Co.1/Engine Co. 2, stationed in the North End firehouse. In the letter, the North End firefighters decried the departures of firefighters Charles Snyder Sr., Charles Snyder Jr., and Charles Mutschler, who, according to the letter, were forced by Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell to resign from the department. 'The Officers and Members of Rescue 1/Engine 2 are writing to the residents to reassure you that we are still both WILLING and CAPABLE of helping to keep our town safe,' said the letter. 'Recently, our firehouse has been under scrutiny for 'ALLEGATIONS' of an incident that occurred on April 24, 2004. As a result, three dedicated members forcefully resigned.'"

American Idol winner David Cook's brand spankin' new video for "Lights On".

Alan Ball on making True Blood: "How easy it is to read the vampires as a metaphor for this or that is the least interesting for me. It’s texture, but it’s not what the series is about. When I first pitched this to HBO and somebody asked me what it was about, I said, 'It’s about the terrors of intimacy.' At the time, I thought, 'Who knows what that means, but it sounds good!' Over time, I’ve really started to believe that that is the deeper meaning of the show, and I would venture to say a lot of horror movies, and is a lot of the reason why the vampire is such a powerful archetype."

Katy Perry performs at the largest AIDS fundraiser in Toronto with a bunch of shirtless hotties.

Inside fashion powerhouse Aussiebum.

Jennifer Hudson sequestered in her grief; crime scene too much.

Lindsay Lohan gets political: "In a post titled "VOTE," she apologizes for not blogging for awhile, and then gives us her get-out-and-vote spiel: 'I cannot say how important it is for everyone to get out there and vote tomorrow... The future of our country depends on it. Just one vote can make such a difference... Vote—because your thoughts are worth it..VOTE—because YOU can make this country a better place...VOTE—because you can. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She goes on to say 'yea' for Obama, including a little smiley face emoticon with her endorsement, and no on Props 8 and 4, the latter of which would require a doctor, before performing an abortion on a minor, to notify the girl's parents at least 48 hours before doing the procedure."

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News: Rome Kiss, Daniel Radcliffe, Dubai, Levi's, Bruce Cohen, India

Tribute to Del Martin to be held at San Francisco City Hall on October 1.

Two men arrested for kiss outside Roman colisseum ordered to trial: "On Tuesday a Rome court ordered a trial for two men arrested in July 2007 outside the Coliseum. Michele F., 36, and Roberto L., 28, contend they were caught sharing a passionate kiss; the arresting officers from the carabinieri say they were engaging in oral sex. Defense lawyers have asked for the charges of lewd public acts to be dropped, having sought in vain to get access to footage from nearby security cameras that they say would show the kiss was just a kiss."

Debut: Daniel Radcliffe bares it on Broadway.

Anti-gay rights groups accuse New Jersey commission on civil unions of pro-gay bias: "The Civil Union Review Commission came to be after the state Legislature voted to establish civil unions in early 2007. The 13-member commission, which holds monthly meetings, is mandated to monitor civil unions and measure any problems that may arise."

Hey Xtina, Lady Gaga wants her look back.

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz joins fight against same-sex marriage ban ballot measure: "I don’t see how this amendment protects anything. Even worse, its vague language could actually take away important existing benefits like health care from Floridians."

March in Chicago this weekend will mark 10th anniversary of Matthew Shepard's death, draw attention to anti-gay hate crimes.

Amy Winehouse rages in London, runs around with missing shoe.

Sharks attacking one another in obscenely large shopping mall aquarium in Dubai.

Indian government reaffirms its position supporting the criminalization of homosexuality: "On Friday, the Centre will oppose a petition filed by gay rights activists in the Delhi High Court seeking decriminalisation of homosexual acts between consenting adults. 'We are going to take a stand against scrapping of section 377 of IPC (punishment for indulging in unnatural sex). I will stiffly oppose the plea,' Additional Solicitor General PP Malhotra told reporters. The court had sought the government’s view on a petition filed by Naz Foundation, an NGO supporting gay rights. The development follows differences between the health ministry and the home ministry on the issue. The health ministry said the law pushes HIV people underground 'which makes such risky sexual practices go unnoticed'. The home ministry said society disapproves of homosexuality, so it should be treated as a crime."

Transgender model Isis speaks: "I'm just crossing my fingers hoping opportunities come from this. I went to college for fashion design so I hope that takes off for me. Hopefully you'll see me on the runway, in major campaigns and on the big screen - I want to be in movies!"

Senate hearing draws attention to need for same-sex partner benefits.

Ewan McGregor presents producer Bruce Cohen with Outfest Award. NBC exec Ben Silverman outs his gay mom.

Lindsay Lohan's rep: there was no gay confesion.

British host Alan Carr says he'll never tell his parents he's gay: "I was used to being called all sorts of names but I didn’t actually think I was gay. It just didn’t click. The word gay is bandied around so much when you’re a kid. If you go to the library you get called gay, if you wear a certain kind of trainers, they call you gay . . . if you wear lip gloss and heels they call you gay. I just don’t get it. Obviously I did end up realising they were right, although I’ve never really sat down and talked about that with my family. I’ve never told my dad I’m gay but I hardly think I need to now. It would be like closing the door after the horse has bolted."

AfterElton talks to Brothers and Sisters showrunners about plans for Kevin and Scotty.

New Zealand MP: I used to be the only gay in the Parliament.

Levi's joins fight against Prop 8: "The San Francisco-based jeans maker said Thursday it will co-chair with Pacific Gas & Electric a group trying to drum up opposition to Proposition 8 in the business community. Chief Executive Officer John Anderson said the move is consistent with Levi's long history of supporting civil rights causes. The company ended racial segregation of its California factories in the 1940s and was the first Fortune 500 company to offer health benefits to the domestic partners of its unmarried employees. In July, PG&E donated $250,000 to the campaign to defeat the gay marriage ban and announced it hoped to persuade other corporations to do the same. Because PG&E is a public utility, though, taking a controversial political stand is less risky for the company than it might be for businesses with greater competition."

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Matos McGreevey Drops Claims of Fraud Against Former Governor

Dina Matos McGreevey dropped charges that Jim McGreevey committed fraud when marrying her by not revealing he was gay, according to the Star-Ledger:

"'She received no consideration for her dismissal,' said McGreevey's lawyer, Stephen Haller. 'The claim was false and merely an instrument to attempt to secure more money from Jim. It has failed.' Matos had to drop her demand for damages that she filed as part of her counterclaim for divorce by yesterday or face the prospect of a fraud trial in a civil court where her sexual habits and stories by McGreevey and his former driver of three-way sex would be available for public consumption. Haller said she can never again make these allegations of fraud against McGreevey. Matos released a statement yesterday saying she withdrew the claim because she wanted to protect her 6-year-old daughter Jacqueline from further adverse publicity."

Added Haller: "She had been probably bluffing all along. I interpret her entire conduct as a big bluff. She knew she could not win. She knew what proofs we had and no matter how she wants to disguise her reasons, she made a false claim and she was afraid of being ashamed in public."

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Poll: New Jersey Ready for Same-Sex Marriage

A Zogby poll of 803 likely New Jersey voters taken between August 7 and 11 shows the state is more ready than ever to transition from civil unions to same-sex marriage:

"A majority of New Jersey favors marriage for same-sex couples over civil unions – and an even bigger majority is fine with public officials’ changing the civil union law to marriage equality, according to a new statewide Zogby Poll commissioned by Garden State Equality. By 59 to 36 percent, New Jerseyans would be fine with public officials’ changing the civil union law to marriage equality. Indeed, when the poll goes out of its way to remind voters that New Jersey already has a civil union law, a majority of New Jersey still supports marriage for same-sex couples – 50.1 to 42.3 percent. And an astounding 69 percent of New Jerseyans say marriage equality is inevitable in the state."

Other interesting revelations from the poll, including some first-ever answers on transgender medical insurance:

"New Jersey also wants Governor Corzine to follow the lead of New York Governor David Paterson, who has recognized legal out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples in his own state. In response to the question: Same-sex couples can already be legally married in places outside New Jersey, including California and Massachusetts. Do you think New Jersey should recognize those marriages as marriages in New Jersey? 57 percent said yes and 37 percent said no. 69 percent believe New Jersey will allow same-sex couples to marry, while only 21 percent believe New Jersey would not. 71 percent said, nothing will happen to legislators if they vote for marriage equality 'because New Jersey voters care more about other issues.' Only 21 percent said supportive legislators would not be reelected. In one of the poll’s most interesting questions – probably the first time the question has appeared in any poll – a clear majority of New Jerseyans believe insurance companies unfairly discriminate against transgender people by not covering the medical treatments that doctors deem vital to gender transition. 53 percent said this denial by insurance companies is unfair, while only 36 percent said it is fair."

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Judge Issues Ruling to McGreeveys: Divorce Final, No Alimony

Judge Karen Cassidy issued a ruling in the McGreevey divorce trial today. In it, she ordered both parties to abide by the sealed custody and visitation terms they agreed to in early May with regard to their daughter. She also ruled that Jim McGreevey has no alimony obligation to his wife Dina Matos McGreevey (he had argued he was too poor to afford it) and that both parties would pay their own health insurance costs. The former Governor was ordered to pay $250 a week in child support. Matos McGreevey had asked for $2,500 a month alimony for four years and $1,750 a month in child support.

McGreevey was also ordered to pay his wife just over $108,000, representing half of his financial assets. He was not ordered to pay her any of his earnings from his book The Confession.

In her opinion, Judge Cassidy noted that both parties had overriding motivations that clouded the claims in their trial: "The McGreeveys clearly had agendas. As previously addressed, their anger seemed to override any ability to testify credibly or to be reasonable. For example, Mr. McGreevey’s steadfast position that he was somehow unable to obtain employment contradicted directly with his position that he was actively attending seminary and pursuing a full-time program. Clearly, he cannot do both, but he somehow could not simply say that, instead contradicting himself over and over again. When faced with facts that he could not even support himself on his current salary, let alone both his daughters and possibly his wife, he was unable to provide a cogent explanation. Mrs. McGreevey’s demeanor in the courtroom and her position of an entitlement to an extremely generous standard of living reflected her anger and disappointment as to the end of her marriage. Her testimony was designed to generate a greater amount of support based upon circumstances that ended her marriage. The factors she suggested are not supported by the law and evidence."

Perhaps they'll both shut up now.

Ruling [pdf]
Opinion [pdf]

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News: Marriage Language, Jupiter, Harvey Milk, Bahrain

California marriage ballot measure language changed: "Proposition 8 on the November ballot had been described as a measure to limit marriage between a man and a woman. But the Secretary of State's office says that description was changed to reflect a May 15 California Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage. The ballot title and summary now describe the initiative as a constitutional change to eliminate the right of same sex couples to marry. The revised language also says California could lose several tens of millions of dollars in sales taxes if same-sex marriage were banned. Critics of the measure say the change accurately shows the initiative would take away a current right of Californians."

Close up on Jupiter.

Bunny boiler: Tricia Walsh-Smith puts another hit out on Kathie Lee Gifford, sells husband's condoms on eBay.

SF Mayor Gavin Newsom weds in Montana.

UK Survey: 4 of 5 Protestants say gay sex is a sin.

Shia Labeouf crashes car, arrested for DUI.

'Harvey Milk Day' bill awaits action in California senate: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken no position on the bill, which awaits action in the Senate after passing the Assembly, 45-28, with most Republicans voting no. Randy Thomasson, of Campaign for California Children and Families, which opposes AB 2567, said the bill is a new tactic in a long push to portray homosexuality in a positive light to kids. 'Harvey Milk Day is the equivalent of having Gay Day at every school in the state,' he said."

Bahrain MP: No homosexuals allowed.

Play about gay Christians offered up to bishops at the Anglican Lambeth Conference.

Lucas Grabeel on shooting Milk: "No one told me how great I was. The director hardly spoke to me. I was just doing my thing and talking to these amazing actors. In the beginning of shooting, I thought, 'You guys must hate me. I must be the worst actor. I don't know what to do' and they were like, 'You were hired to do the job. That's why he hired you.' It was an amazing epiphany."

Mario Lopez immortalized in oil.

UK activist Peter Tatchell slams Northern Irish homophobic politicians: "It is particularly hypocritical for unionist politicians to play the homophobic card when their hero, William of Orange, had male lovers."

Anti-gay New Jersey group National Organization for Marriage stepping into California gay marriage battle: "NOM, a taxable political advocacy group that can raise money without contribution limits, has quickly built up some fundraising muscle. It started a California chapter in January. By March, the group had raised just over $775,000, according to campaign finance filings. Only the California umbrella group ProtectMarriage.com has raised more for the cause. While NOM's biggest chunk in California _ $250,000 _ came from the Knights of Columbus, the group has also raised smaller amounts from individuals. The group says it has now raised more than $1 million in California and more than $2 million overall."

Naked Cowboy cuffed, mocked in SF.

Matthew McConaughey takes 20-day-old son surfing.

Washington Post looks at the transgender homeless: "It's hard to explain -- just as the spectrum of gender is hard to explain. Parents' and society's rejection of children who don't fit the norm is hard to explain, too. But most confounding of all is the forbearance these young people have in the face of intolerance and cruelty. They go -- like the definition of trans-- 'across, beyond and through' preconceptions. They are unlike anyone I have encountered before."

Director of Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival fires director Carol Coombes: "'Carol is British and in 60 days she might have to leave the country,' said Harvey Burstein, a festival founder and former board member. He said Coombes' visa requires she be employed in the film industry and that she was to get her permanent residency or green card in November. Coombes, fired on Friday, joined the festival in 2001 and became director a few years later. She declined to comment. 'It's a very unfortunate complication of a very heartfelt, thought-out decision,' said festival board member Mark Gilbert."

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New Jersey Rep. Rothman 'Gets There' on Marriage Equality

New Jersey Rep. Steve Rothman (D-Fair Lawn) did a big about-face on marriage equality this week, the North Jersey Record reports:

"This change in position is not because Rothman had a Jim McGreevey moment; Rothman had a Dick Cheney one. One of Rothman's stepdaughters is lesbian. As a former mayor of Englewood, Rothman performed many marriage ceremonies. In a phone interview Wednesday, he said the 'issue of gay marriage has been on my mind' ever since those days. Yet despite his two biological children often telling him that "of course, gay people should be able to be married," he still would respond, 'I'm not there yet.' What got him there was a new marriage, and with it, the addition of three stepchildren to his family. His evolution on same-sex marriage is not unusual. When someone knows an openly gay or lesbian person, his or her views on equality broaden. Rothman is embracing a brave, new lavender world because like any parent, he wants his children to live happy, productive lives. 'Life can be short and hurtful for some,' he said. 'Anytime anyone in the community speaks out against discrimination, it advances the cause of ending discrimination.'"

The times they are a-changin'.

Doblin: Rothman sees a rainbow [north jersey record]

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News: Gay Films, Paraguay, Harvey Dent, The Rock, Atlantic City

Gay panic: Trial to begin for Cesar Israel Villazano in Florida. He shot a man wearing a mini-skirt and high heels in the back of the head for making a sexual advance: "Villazano told police he was embarrassed because he isn't gay."

Hollywood Reporter: Gay indie films more plentiful than ever, but suffering critically and at box office. "Strand Releasing's 22 films in theaters last year (most with GLBT themes) grossed just $462,000. Killer Films has shifted its focus from queer-themed features to true crime dramas and other films, with tepid critical and financial success. Rotten Tomatoes says that gay- and lesbian-themed films averaged a 51.5% rating in 2006 and 2007 (well below its under-60% "rotten" threshold), while projects like the 2005 Toronto fest's best Canadian feature winner, "C.R.A.Z.Y.," can't secure U.S. theatrical distribution."

Openly gay journalist David Self who took part in one of Britain's first civil partnership ceremonies, has died at the age of 67.

Man makes love to Cheeto...really.

UK Vicar Dudley has no regrets over performing marriage of two priests: "Amazing flowers, fabulous music, a ceremony both solemn and oddly homely, familiar words reordered and reconfigured, carrying new meanings. Nothing jarred, nothing felt even vaguely inappropriate. New and untried but not wrong."

Harvey Dent: viral video for The Dark Knight unleashed...

Couple jailed in Paraguay for same-sex wedding is freed after one of them is discovered to be a hermaphrodite.

Anti-gay "pro-family" bigot Paul Cameron takes his diatribe to Russia.

What does gay look like?

Larry Craig and Dave Karsnia wed in quaint bathroom ceremony: "The private ceremony was held in a quaint public bathroom on the third floor at San Francisco City Hall. In an interview after the ceremony, Craig said, in his highly oratorical and completely off-putting voice, 'We wanted all of the heat to die down before we went forward with this. Well ... not all the heat.'"

That kiss that Dwayne Johnson had with Steve Carell must have really affected him. He's still talking about what a man he was to do it: "It was like -- you know, you ever had, like a warm apple pie with that cold ice cream, too? And you find that balance, where you're like [utters disgusting sound]. Hey, it was great, it was great."

Atlantic City holds first-ever "Gay Day at the Beach". ORganizer: "There isn't a gay area in Atlantic City. "We decided to pick Flag Day as a way to stake out our claim for an area. We're trying not to be political, but there's so much to be political about."

The 70's are back: Robbie Williams flashes his chest rug.

Former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer to be named the "Ultimate Sugar Daddy". "He'll win a pound of sugar, a year's worth of free lap dances from strippers at the VIP Men's Club in Chelsea and an unlimited supply of testosterone pills."

Ireland's Catholic Bishops restate opposition to gay marriage: “In view of the current debate in our society about the nature of marriage, sometimes promoted by individuals or institutions who claim support from Christian ideals, the bishops reiterated that marriage presupposes the mutuality and complementarity of the sexes."

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NJ Couple Awarded $2.84 Million for 'Mob Attack' by Firefighters

Back in May I posted about Peter de Vries and Timothy Carter, a gay couple formerly from Secaucus, New Jersey, who filed suit against that town claiming that they were harassed in an April 2004 incident by a group of firefighters who were partying at the firehouse adjacent to their residence.

Earlier this week, they won their case:

"The jury on Tuesday awarded Peter de Vries and Timothy Carter $2.84 million in a civil lawsuit that some see as a victory for the gay community and a launch point for a possible criminal investigation. 'It was a mob attack and then the town government gathered around to protect the perpetrators,' the couple's attorney, Neil Mullin, said of the April 25, 2004, incident and its aftermath. The plaintiffs described the event as a 12-minute tirade that took place outside their home, next door to a Secaucus firehouse. They said it started when Carter complained about a raucous 1 a.m. party held in the firehouse parking lot. Mullin said he will refer the case to the state Attorney General's Office, so it could reopen a bias crime investigation and to the U.S. Attorney's Office for a possible criminal obstruction case. The Montclair attorney questioned whether Secaucus is a safe place for gay residents. 'The same leadership that protected these perpetrators is still in power, and I think that's most unfortunate,' he said. Secaucus town Administrator David B. Drumeler, on the advice of private attorneys representing the town, declined to comment on the verdict."

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Gay Prides Held Marked by Joy, Sadness, and Protest

Gay Pride happened over the weekend in Riga, Latvia, and thanks to a strong police presence was relatively violence-free despite a large swarm of angry protesters. Watch an informative video from Amnesty, International AFTER THE JUMP...

Last year's pride in Riga was less violent than the two before it, with marchers parading around an enclosed park watched over by a heavily police presence. In 2006 and 2005, things were a bit different.

Asbury Park, New Jersey held its Pride festival and inaugural 14-mile Ride with Pride bike ride.

Pride was also held in New Paltz, New York, and in the New York City borough of Queens. Flickr user Courtenay Redis writes, of the photo below: "Local politicians, community activiists and other supporters greet Leonor and Armando Garzon. Their gay son, Edgar Garzon, was beaten to death on this block of 37th Avenue in August 2001 in what is considered a hate crime, march in the 16th Annual Queens LGBT Pride Parade & Multi-Cultural Festival in Jackson Heights, Queens on June 1, 2008."

(image via flickr user courtenay redis)

Watch the Riga, Latvia clip AFTER THE JUMP...

Riga Pride 2008
Uploaded by AmnestyInternational

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McGreevey Owes His Partner $250K, Denies He's Dependent

Jim McGreevey is in a world of debt, according to testimony in the divorce trial yesterday.

The NY Post reports: "Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey yesterday said he owes a quarter-million dollars to his boyfriend, but wants to pay child support for the daughter he has with his estranged wife, as well as for his first child. The nation's first openly gay governor denied, however, that he is financially dependent on boyfriend Mark O'Donnell. 'I want to pay child support. I want to fulfill my obligations,' McGreevey told a state judge during his third day of testimony in his divorce trial. 'Unfortunately, I have had to bankrupt myself to pay legal fees upon legal fees.' McGreevey said O'Donnell has lent him much of the legal costs, as well as the $3,000 that McGreevey is charged monthly for living in O'Donnell's Plainfield mansion."

The former New Jersey governor received a job offer from a talk radio station after testimony in the divorce case described him as "radioactive" in terms of employment following his "I am a gay American" speech.

New Jersey 101.5 FM offered him his own show, saying, "Gov. McGreevey has claimed that he is 'unemployable' and the management of New Jersey 101.5 simply does not believe this to be true."

McGreevey replied: "Thanks for the gracious offer, but I don't want to destroy your image."

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Jim McGreevey Says He is Too Poor To Pay Alimony

Former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey took the stand yesterday in his divorce trial against wife Dina. McGreevey, who is scheduled to take the stand again today, told the courtroom that he'll only earn $48,000 this year and that his partner Mark O'Donnell, is supporting him. He says he can pay child support, but has no money for alimony, according to the Star-Ledger:

"On the stand, McGreevey said a sofa, a loveseat and an oriental rug bought during a going out of business sale at Huffman Koos are his only furnishings in the $1.3 million Plainfield home he shares with partner Mark O'Donnell. O'Donnell is paying all of McGreevey's living expenses, his legal bills, even an $11,000 debt to the Internal Revenue Service. He owes $204,720 to O'Donnell, a debt McGreevey swears he will repay. McGreevey said he drives a leased car, lives in a house that is paid for by O'Donnell and the only thing he can afford on his own is the $2,500 a month in temporary support the court ordered him to pay his estranged wife Dina Matos McGreevey. McGreevey said he is so strapped for cash, he has not paid a dime this year to his first wife Kari Schutz to support his teenage daughter Morag. He made $119,000 on the sale of his two-bedroom condominium in Woodbridge, but all that money is gone, spent on bills and trust funds for his two girls, Morag and Jacqueline. He got a $250,000 advance for his book, 'The Confession,' but that money was spent on legal fees, taxes, and to the ghost writer of the book. 'By virtue of this case, I have been financially crippled,' McGreevey testified yesterday."

An AP clip of his testimony in which he mentions his life in the closet and why he wanted to write his book, AFTER THE JUMP...

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McGreeveys Reach Custody Deal Over Daughter

Former New Jersey first couple James and Dina Matos McGreevey offered the public a surprise yesterday as they began to actually behave like adults, settling the child custody portion of their divorce and offering none of the fireworks that the media was waiting hungrily to hear about:

"The deal for custody of their 6-year-old daughter came on the third day of negotiations, which included some closed-door testimony before state Superior Court Judge Karen M. Cassidy, who was trying to avoid a divorce trial. The couple and their lawyers are scheduled to return to the Union County Courthouse on Monday to begin settlement talks on remaining issues, including alimony and child support. Should those succeed, the final issue would be Dina Matos McGreevey’s claim of marriage fraud. Mr. McGreevey left the courthouse Thursday evening escorted by two uniformed sheriff’s officers. Speaking of the custody agreement for his daughter, Mr. McGreevey said, 'She’ll get a large amount of time to spend with her parents.'"

McGreevey speaks about the settlement, AFTER THE JUMP...

McGreeveys Reach Deal on Custody of Daughter [ap via nyt]

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NJ Gay Couple Files Suit Against Town Over Firefighter Harassment

A gay couple formerly from Secaucus, New Jersey has filed a civil suit against the town, claiming that they were harassed by a group of firefighters who were partying at the firehouse adjacent to their residence. The incident occurred in April 2004.

The Jersey Journal reports:

"On the morning of April 25, 2004, a gay couple living in Secaucus was awakened by the sound of raucous partying at the firehouse next door. After one of the men, Timothy Carter, approached a group of firefighters about 1 a.m. asking them to keep it down, they allegedly began berating him. When he returned to the house, what the couple described as a drunken mob shook their fence, banged on the side of the house and loudly threatened to kill the men and their dogs. Despite complaints to the town, Carter and his partner, Peter De Vries, allege little was done to discipline the firefighters and said they lived in constant fear before moving away...

... In opening statements yesterday before a Superior Court jury, Mullin said the firefighters shouted derogatory, anti-homosexual epithets and death threats. 'They're terrified,' Mullin said of the couple. 'They're paralyzed with fear.' Police arrived quickly but the hate crime was never fully investigated by Secaucus officials, according to court papers filed by the couple. But police made no arrests and no one from the firehouse was thrown off the volunteer force. In their defense, town officials noted the prompt response by police and the fact that the firefighters were officially off-duty at the time."

At the time, a hate crime probe was opened and then cancelled due to lack of evidence. The couple claims post-traumatic stress disorder and is seeking unspecified damages.

Gay couple: Secaucus violated our rights [jersey journal]

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Gay Couple's Kiss Sparks 911 Call in Alabama

If you missed 20/20's "What Would You Do?" segment on "Gay PDA", I've clipped it, AFTER THE JUMP....

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News: Johnny Depp, Eureka Springs, Clark Gable, Bounty Killer

BOOK: Clark Gable was gay for pay. "David Bret’s angle on Clark Gable is this: Gable was 'gay for pay' and 'rough trade,' and he enjoyed having sex 'for bucks.' In addition, he 'would sometimes scrub his penis until it bled' and used a device to prolong erections. If these tidbits from the book’s first few pages aren’t too much information for you, you’re in luck. This breathtakingly trashy biography does not skimp on sordid anecdotes."

Johnny Depp the new, uh, face of Trojan condoms?

Gawker goes to the NYC Black Party.

T.R. Knight steps out with boyfriend Mark Cornelsen: We all have AIDS.

Survey shows increased support for gay marriage in Ireland: "Eighty-four per cent of respondents to an opinion poll conducted this month by Lansdowne Market Research said they supported civil marriage or civil partnerships for gay and lesbian couples. This is the same figure as a similar survey carried out in November 2006. However, 58% said gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry in registry offices, compared to 51% in the previous survey."

Did Heath Ledger father a love child?

Could Al Gore be brought in for clean-up duty at the convention? "Let’s say the elders of the Democratic Party decide, when the primaries end, that neither Obama nor Clinton is viable. Let’s also assume — and this may be a real stretch — that such elders are strong and smart enough to act. All they’d have to do would be to convince a significant fraction of their superdelegate friends, maybe fewer than 100, to announce that they were taking a pass on the first ballot at the Denver convention, which would deny the 2,025 votes necessary to Obama or Clinton. What if they then approached Gore and asked him to be the nominee, for the good of the party — and suggested that he take Obama as his running mate? Of course, Obama would have to be a party to the deal and bring his 1,900 or so delegates along."

Madonna on the paparazzi: "The paparazzi are out of control. I haven't been to Los Angeles in quite a while, and I don’t watch television here or in England, and I was told there's now a television show where the paparazzi are the stars of the show—is that true? That they film each other doing paparazzi jobs? Which gives them more fuel. I usually found that type kept their distance—they definitely do in England, because it's illegal to photograph children. But that's not how it is here. They get this close, and don't care how much they scare your children. Being famous has changed a lot, because now there's so many outlets, between magazines, TV shows, and the Internet, for people to stalk and follow you. We created the monster."

Gay couple faces harsh realities in move from New Jersey to Idaho.

Is Regent Entertainment circling gay publications Out and The Advocate?

HIV-positive Canadian Martin Rooney takes on U.S. travel ban: "I said I was on disability. He said what's my disability. I said I have HIV. He hauled me into a backroom. ... He put on a set of rubber gloves to hold each of my fingers. Nobody else wore rubber gloves. Then he fingerprinted me, photographed me, ran me through the FBI's most-wanted list and told me to go back to Canada and not return until I came back with a waiver. I felt like I was being treated like a terrorist."

Arkansas gays converge on Eureka Springs for 'Diversity Weekend': "Homosexual and transsexual residents say that living in Northwest Arkansas has its benefits, such as the small-town atmosphere, natural beauty, and amenities such as shopping and restaurants. But many lament the limited social venues and a lack of connectivity within their own community. 'There is a fairly large population of people that are gay, lesbian or bisexual, but there is no community,' said Fayetteville resident J. Judd Harbin."

Ricky Martin battles human trafficking in Cambodia

Human rights groups halt concerts by 'murder music' singer Bounty Killer: "In Germany, Bounty Killer's performance in Essen was cancelled and other German concert dates are now in doubt as gay human rights groups are coordinating a Europe-wide campaign to halt his 'Deadly Alliance' tour of the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland."

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McGreevey Aide Had Sexual Threesomes with Former NJ First Couple

While it's hard to believe that the McGreeveys are still quarreling over their divorce proceedings, it's even harder to believe there are still bombshells of this magnitude left to drop.

Former aide Theodore Pedersen, who was a driver and traveling aide for the former governor, told the New Jersey Star-Ledger that he had regular sexual affairs with the couple, or, as he told the New York Post, "The 'intense' end-of-the-work-week escapades, he said, usually began with a 'couple of drinks' at a local T.G.I. Fridays and culminated in 'a hard-core consensual sex org' among the three of them at McGreevey's Woodbridge condo.

According to the Star-Ledger, "The aide, Theodore Pedersen, said he and the couple even had a nickname for the weekly romps, from 1999 to 2001... They called them 'Friday Night Specials,' according to Pedersen. He said he wanted to refute the innocent image that Matos McGreevey has projected - both during the couple's ongoing divorce battle and in interviews she gave after New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned last week in a sex scandal. He said he was also incensed by her portrayal of herself as an unsuspecting wife in her book: 'Silent Partner: A Memoir of My Marriage.'"

Said Pedersen: "I wanted to get this out now because it was so offensive to me that she goes on television playing the victim. She's trying to make this a payday for herself. She should have told the truth about the three of us."

Pedersen, who is 29 and lives with his girlfriend, said that the Friday night flings were the only contact he had with Dina, and he was never positive if the governor was gay or not:

"I had heard the rumors in circles outside of work (that McGreevey was gay)...In hindsight, there might have been light interest (in me), but it didn't seem like he was gay. It did enhance their sexual relationship having me be a part of it."

Pedersen told the New York Post: "He liked watching me, and she would watch me while she was [performing sex acts] with Jim...It's frustrating to hear her call Gov. Spitzer a hypocrite while she's out there being as dishonest as anyone could be about her own life. She's framed herself as a victim - yet she was a willing participant, she had complete control over what happened in her relationship. She was there, she knew what was happening, she made the moves. We all did. It's disgusting to watch her play the victim card."

Dina Matos McGreevey has claimed that she did not have any clue about her former husband's sexual preference until his announcement "I am a gay American" in August 2004. Mc Greevey filed papers in April 2007 saying that his wife knew he was gay a full four years before that announcement. The paper adds: "A trial before Union County Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy is scheduled to start in May. Pedersen could be among the first witnesses to testify."

McGreevey aide says he had sexual trysts with ex-governor, wife [nj star ledger]
The McGreeveys' Secret [ny post]
(image source)

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Freeheld Takes Best Documentary Award at 80th Oscars

Overall, I thought the Oscar telecast was pretty sluggish, though I was pleased with pretty much all of the winners, particularly Cynthia Wade (left) and Vanessa Roth's Best Documentary win for Freeheld, the story of terminally-ill cancer patient Laurel Hester and her dying battle to have he