News: Gayest Looks, Christian Siriano, Blackmail, Marc Jacobs

My Gayest Look: A site for Jay Leno. Submit yours!

A view of the jungle shot by an elephant who carries around a hidden camera in a log.

Britney Spears may soon have her own sitcom!

Straight cops at University of New Mexico claim discrimination by gay superiors: "The two complaining officers, with a combined 24 years of experience with the UNM police department, filed a complaint with the state Department of Workforce Solutions arguing that they are being treated unfairly because they are straight and their superiors are gay. Lieutenant Michael Young contends that his job as administrative lieutenant was taken from him by Police Chief Kathy Guimond, whom Young claims is gay, and given to Lieutenant Patrick Davis, who is also gay. Young also claims another gay superior, Commander Debbie Kuidis, with Davis were given higher evaluation ratings by Chief Guimond and greater pay raises."

Karl Lagerfeld bodyguard smacks down paparazzo: "A paparazzo lurked from out of the shadows and started snapping away at them, and out of nowhere, one of Lagerfeld's guys just threw him to the ground." I wonder if it was Sebastian?

Scott Heim talks to the SF Chronicle about his latest novel, We Disappear: "What's true and what isn't - that's such an obsession with so many readers. If you say it's totally fictional, or you don't fess up to things, they tend to feel like they've been cheated or something. But if you say, 'Oh yeah, it's from experience,' then they kind of have this idea that you don't have an imagination."

David Beckham earns his 100th cap in a pair of golden booties.

The booties so impressed Beckham's son Romeo, that he dug for some gold of his own.

Keith Richards discusses Mick Jagger's sexuality: "It was camp. Yeah. It was all… I really have no idea if anyone ever shoved it up the shitter."

Kids coming out earlier than ever: "We're working not for tolerance, but for acceptance. I don't care if it's race, gender or sexual orientation. We need to accept the uniqueness of each and every one."

Student ambassadors train against school violence: "The training session was dedicated to Lawrence King, the Oxnard junior high school boy who last month was shot and killed, allegedly by a classmate, purportedly for admitting he was gay. The Oak Park ambassadors, who maintain anonymity for safety reasons, wrote their comments on a poster in memory of the 15-year-old victim: 'Lawrence, what happened to you is extremely unfair. Everyone deserves a chance in life no matter what sex, religion, sexual preference, anything. Your story will teach many people to be better people.' And, 'You are told to forgive and forget but the reality is you don't do either.'"

Marc Jacobs hits L.A. with new man.

Melbourne, Australia teacher fined $3,000 for blackmailing former lover with a sex video: "Hicks became aware that the victim was a 'closet homosexual' who had a wife and daughter who were not aware of his activities, Judge Michael McInerney told the court. 'He was discreet, or discreet as one can be if you pick up someone in a public toilet,' he said. The court was told that during one of their liaisons, Hicks - who also was married, had a child and was bisexual - recorded them on his mobile phone participating in a sex act. Hicks later approached the victim and told him he had a video of them and that he wanted $3,000 or he would show it to the victim's wife and put it on YouTube, the court heard."

Project Runway winner Christian Siriano designed the dress that Kimberley Locke performed in on last night's American Idol.

Leona Lewis is the first UK female artist to top the U.S. charts in more than 20 years, since Kim Wilde's 1987 cover "You Keep Me Hangin On".

Anti-gay domestic partner bill dies in Kentucky senate: "The Kentucky Senate’s Health and Welfare Committee voted to defeat a bill yesterday that would have barred state universities and other public agencies from providing health coverage to employees’ domestic partners. Furthermore, committee member David Watkins (right) scolded the bill’s sponsor, Vernie McGaha, for introducing it, calling the legislation divisive and ignoring the state’s biggest health problems like smoking and obesity, according to The Courier Journal."

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News: NYC Sushi, Hannah Montana, New Mexico, Kiefer Sutherland

Prepare for spring violence: Moscow Gay Pride parade set for May.

Anderson Cooper says "no" to Heath Ledger coverage: “For the last two nights we have reported on actor Heath Ledger. His shocking death is clearly a story a lot of people are interested in, but tonight we will not be reporting more on it. The truth is there is not really anything new to report. The full results of the various tests done on Mr. Ledger will not be ready for perhaps a few weeks and there is very little new information. I have no doubt other networks will spend a lot of time tonight discussing his death and the various rumors about what might have caused it, but I am not a fan of speculation, so unless there is something really new to discuss we probably won’t be covering it anymore anytime soon.”

Teen pop terrorist? 16-year-old boy arrested for plans to hijack a commercial airliner and commit suicide by crashing it into a Hannah Montana concert.

Domestic partnership bill approved by House in New Mexico.

Black/gay rivalry in DNC revealed by email evidence in the discrimination/unlawful termination suit filed by former DNC gay outreach director Donald Hitchcock.

Founder of Minnesota's largest gay rights group stepping down after 21 years: "Ann DeGroot started what became OutFront Minnesota in 1987, and her tenure as executive director saw Minnesota amend its Human Rights Act in 1993 to cover gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. From 2004 to 2006 she also fought a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. That effort, along with caring for her partner during a battle with ovarian cancer, made the 52-year-old DeGroot realize she needed to slow down."

1,000 people turn out to meet Hillary Clinton at gay NYC Hiro ballroom event.

New York Times endorses Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

McCain memory shaky about statements on his proficiency in economics.

Gay UK couple claims Stagecoach bus company discriminated against them...twice: "Mark Craig, 20, and Steven Black, 16, from Old Meldrum in Aberdeenshire, claim that when they attempted to catch the last Stagecoach bus from Aberdeen back to Old Meldrum on January 11th, the driver opened the doors, looked at them, and then closed the doors and drove off...Last October Mark and Steven were on the last Stagecoach bus of the night from Aberdeen to Old Meldrum, when the driver suddenly stopped the bus and demanded they get off, supposedly at the request of a fellow passenger, for sitting with their arm around each other." Stagecoach denies homophobia...

I recently mentioned that the New Yorker magazine was having a cover illustration contest for its annual issue featuring its mascot, Eustace Tilley. You can view all the entries here.

David Beckham's carbon footprint: it's huge like the rest of him, however, it's not so pretty.

Kiefer Sutherland was apparently jonesing to shop during his 48 days in jail.

AP highlights frustration of gay activists over Democratic campaign: ''They've merely settled on what the Democrats have staked out as a safe, consensus position, just far enough ahead of where the party was in 2004 to give a sense of progress but not so far as to threaten Middle America. That's not leadership, it's poll-tested and party-approved pandering, pure and simple.''

Extremely high levels of mercury found in sushi in NYC.

Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev honored with "Hero" award at at International Mr. Gay competition: "This is not just my award, it is an award of all those who courageously fight for LGBT rights in Russia, risking to loose their jobs, to be dismissed from studies, to be harassed, beaten and even killed. Despite all that, they continue to go on the streets of Moscow to fight for equality. They are the heroes who move this world forward. For me to be in Los Angeles, in Hollywood, is dream come true. But to receive an award here is beyond explanations."

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News: New Mexico, Tom Cruise, MRSA, Jesus Kidnap, Mariah Carey

Domestic partners bill revived in New Mexico.

Zac Efron treats paparazzi to unique version of 'Blue Moon'.

Anti-gay marriage speakers meet with resistance from Vermont audience after proclaiming "Marriage can be the union between man and woman or it can be the union of any two people. Vermont cannot have both." Audience member: "It's nonsensical that marriage can't have multiple meanings. That's simply scare tactics." Outright Vermont launches statewide outreach effort: "A rainbow-colored bumper sticker, a "queer-mobile" that travels to remote and rural areas, paid spots on the radio, an online resource and a monthly newsletter are all strategies for a queer youth visibility campaign launched Thursday in Burlington. Outright Vermont, the state's largest 'queer' organization in its 20th year that works specifically with youths, wants to make Vermont the most "queer-friendly" state in the country – one person at a time."

Tom Cruise producing partner Paula Wagner speaks out about Scientology video leaks: "I am not a Scientologist, nor are most of the people Tom and I work with, but that doesn't mean I can sit by silently while he is attacked for his religious beliefs. As a film-maker and an American, I feel strongly that an individual's religion should have no bearing on their professional life."

Actress Suzanne Pleshette dies at 70.

Michigan neighborhood kidnaps devout dachshund owner's Jesus statuette: "We are holding Jesus ransom until you clean up the poopie from your wieners and trust us we see you take your wieners for long walks w/out picking up their poopie in our yards. This has upset us dearly so please clean up all the weiner poopie, if you want to see Jesus unharmed."

Gay porn Marine Matt Sanchez paranoid that a "gay jihadist" stalker/crank caller is out to defame him!

NYT on how the MRSA staph 'superbug' story went viral: "On Monday, a team of researchers led by doctors from the University of California at San Francisco announced that gay men were “many times more likely than others” to acquire a new strain of drug-resistant staphylococcus, a nasty, fast-spreading and potential lethal bacteria known as MRSA USA300. And sure enough, the study, published online in the Annals of Internal Medicine, was quickly picked up by reporters round the world and across the Internet, including a London tabloid which dubbed the disease 'the new H.I.V.' But for gay men in the Castro neighborhood here, which was an early epicenter for the AIDS epidemic and a current hot spot for MRSA, the report also seemed to cast an unfair, and all too familiar, stigma on their sexuality."

High school principal apologizes for inviting anti-gay pastor Ken Hutcherson to give lecture to students on civil rights.

Paula Abdul wants you to dance like there's not tomorrow.

Could volcanoes be facilitating the melt of the Antarctic glaciers? "In an article published Sunday on the Web site of the journal Nature Geoscience, Hugh Corr and David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey report the identification of a layer of volcanic ash and glass shards frozen within an ice sheet in western Antarctica. 'This is the first time we have seen a volcano beneath the ice sheet punch a hole through the ice sheet' in Antarctica, Vaughan said."

That chick Mariah Carey dishes out new album cover.

Spencer Livermore: the most powerful gay man in British politics.

LOGO to screen Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin all week.

Indiana wingnuts irate at lawmaker's refusal to hear proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage: "Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, who is chairman of the House Rules and Legislative Procedure Committee, said today that the most urgent issue facing the state is property taxes, not same-sex marriage, which already is banned by Indiana law. 'I’m not planning on having a hearing,' Pelath said. 'The short session (of the legislature) was designed to deal with emergencies. We have a very serious problem with the property tax system, and we don’t have any gay marriages in Indiana.' The Senate committee plans to debate the amendment Thursday, but Eric Miller, who has pushed for passage of the amendment as founder of the conservative group Advance America, called that 'disingenuous.' The legislature, he said, is dealing with plenty of issues besides property tax reform and has the time to debate and vote on this amendment before its March 14 deadline."

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Bill Richardson to End Presidential Run

Bill Richardson will announce he's getting out of the race on Thursday after failing to make headway in either of the first two contests in the election season, the AP reports:

"The Richardson campaign would not comment on the governor's decision, reached after a meeting with his top advisers Wednesday in New Mexico. Richardson had one of the most wide-ranging resumes of any candidate ever to run for the presidency, bringing experience from his time in Congress, President Clinton's Cabinet, in the New Mexico statehouse as well as his unique role as a freelance diplomat. As a Hispanic, he added to the unprecedented diversity in the Democratic field that also included a black and a woman. But Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama dominated the spotlight in the campaign, and Richardson was never able to become a top-tier contender. He accused his rivals of failing to commit to bring troops home from Iraq soon enough. He portrayed his campaign as a job application for president, and ran clever ads that showed a bored interviewer unimpressed with his dazzling resume. The commercials helped fuel his move to double-digit support in some early state polls, and advisers argued he was poised to move past former vice presidential nominee John Edwards for the role of third-place challenger. But he was not able to build the momentum and came in a distant fourth place in Iowa and New Hampshire. Richardson didn't get quite 5 percent in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday and came in with just 2 percent in the Iowa caucus last week."

Richardson also made a couple notable gaffes with respect to gays and lesbians. In July, he was forced to apologize after an exchange with radio host Don Imus in 2006 was unearthed in which he had used the slur "maricón" in reference to gay people. Richardson explained that in the Spanish that he grew up with, the word maricón "means simply 'gay,' not positive or negative."

And at LOGO's Presidential Forum on LGBT issues, he told moderator Melissa Etheridge "It's a choice" when asked whether homosexuality was a choice or biological.

A shocked Etheridge said, "I don't think you understood the question. Do you think I -- a homosexual is born that way, or do you think that around seventh grade we go, 'Oh, I want to be gay?'"

Answered Richardson: "I'm not a scientist. I don't see this as an issue of science or definition. I see gays and lesbians as people, as a matter of human decency."

Richardson issued a statement following the debate: "Let me be clear -- I do not believe that sexual orientation or gender identity happen by choice. But I'm not a scientist, and the point I was trying to make is that no matter how it happens, we are all equal and should be treated that way under the law. That is what I believe, that is what I have spent my career fighting for. I ask that people look at my record and my actions and they will see I have been a true supporter of the LGBT community."

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News: Tiger Attack, Janet Jackson, Beards, Apple and Jay-Z

Gay and lesbian retirement home in Santa Fe targeted by homophobic vandals.

SF Zoo: Tiger may have been "teased" before it attacked.

Vince Vaughn pays off ungodly gambling debt to ice cream cone.

Elton John to play gig in Abu Dhabi: "Sir Elton John has surprised fans by announcing he will play his first gig in the United Arab Emirates later this month. The flamboyantly gay star, who has sold 250m albums in a four-decade career, will perform at an open-air concert in Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace Hotel. The decision could leave Sir Elton open to charges of hypocrisy, because of the UAE's poor record on human rights. Homosexuality is illegal: those convicted of it face jail sentences, or compulsary psychiatric 'treatment', including the injection of hormones designed to 'cure' them."

HuffPo's Alex Geana finds Clinton online presence strong among Iowa's gays and lesbians: "All the Iowans I talked to are still greatly undecided, but I was able to garner some interesting mentions. Such as Clinton volunteers and campaign workers in the chat rooms, not only to connect and be social but to actually champion her as their choice. Is Hillary the only one that fosters being 'out' on the campaign trail? No one mentioned other campaigns so comfortable with the online world, apparently Obama and Edwards staffers don't identify with both their sexuality and campaign, but that's just a theory."

Late night hosts undergo beard analysis.

Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on Gene Robinson and out clergy: "He is certainly not alone in being a gay bishop; he's certainly not alone in being a gay partnered bishop. He is alone in being the only gay partnered bishop who's open about that status."

Miami commissioner Marc Sarnoff fends off resident bothering him about his sexuality: "Let me state that bringing the persons sexual preference to bear in a conversation is not only wrong, but it denigrates all the progress we as a tolerant society have made. It reminds me of the Boy who cried Wolf. When the Wolf arrives no one believes them. Equally when race is brought into an issue and it is not present it belies the credibility of the story teller the next cry for wolf. No one will believe their stories. You demonstrate today that we have a great deal more to achieve as a society before we can call ourselves tolerant. As long as one of you is out there we have much prejudice to stamp out and in time we will."

Miss Jackson poised for some Feedback.

Apple rumored to start record label with Jay-Z. Announcement forthcoming at Macworld?

Long Island, New York law firm turns focus to LGBT issues.

South Korean police officer comes out, vows to fight prejudice: "On Dec. 30, Private Kim Hyun-jong (not his real name) posted an article about his homosexuality on the online riot police community Web site. He is the second policeman from the squad to have openly come out after YooJeong Min-shik identified himself as being gay and refused to finish his service term for which he was prisoned in 2006. In South Korea, men can serve in the riot police as part of their mandatory military service. In the article, Kim said that coming out was not easy, but what was more important was that he faced discrimination and insults, that should be outlawed at military camps. Kim, who works at a police station in Yongsan, Seoul, said his coming out was almost an 'outing' (forced to make a coming out by others) after some fellow policemen read some private information he had saved on his computer. He said he first tried to deny it, but later made up his mind to declare his sexual identity."

Roman Catholic bishop in Spain claims that underage boys want abuse: "There are 13 year old adolescents who are under age and who are perfectly in agreement with, and what’s more wanting it, and if you are careless they will even provoke you."

Gayhane: Gay Muslims find nightlife in Berlin. "European Muslims, so often portrayed one-dimensionally as rioters, honor killers or terrorists, live diverse lives, most of them trying to get by and to have a good time. That is more difficult if one is both Muslim and gay. 'When you’re here, it’s as if you’re putting on a mask, leaving the everyday outside and just having fun,' said a 22-year-old Turkish man who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear that he would be ostracized or worse if his family found out about his sexual orientation. Safety and secrecy come up regularly when talking to guests, who laugh and dance, but also frequently look over their shoulders. To be a gay man or lesbian with an immigrant background invites trouble here in two very different ways."

Ryan Reynolds is a ruff ryder.

'Obscene' Terence Koh Jesus statue causes uproar in Britain.

STUDY: Gay seniors rely on friends for medical care when ill. " Those who were helped were suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer, muscular/skeletal illnesses, cardiovascular disease, or other afflictions associated with aging, according to the Rockway Institute. Thirty-eight percent of the survey participants reported to have received care within the past five years from people who weren't health care professionals. Of the group who received help, 76% said that they had also assisted others in their time of need. The sample comprised 199 LGB adults ages 40–85 who were located through elder care agencies in New York City and Los Angeles."

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Does Rhydian Have the X-Factor?

Rhydian Roberts has become the judge's favorite in the current season of Britain's The X Factor.

Now, if Mika thinks Boyzone is cheesy, he might have a look at this. (these shows are built for cheese, so imho the more dramatic exploding fog machines, the better)

Rhydian's song, "You Raise Me Up" has been covered by dozens of artists, the biggest being Westlife and Josh Groban. Rhydian, who is mentored by Dannii Minogue on the show, has another strength aside from his vocal prowess...

The Guardian writes: "Rhydian Roberts, the most entertaining contestant on the current X Factor, has no tearful back-story, no ashen-faced aunts recounting tragedies that have beset him during his 24 years. He utterly lacks humility, reckons he should be knighted, and there's no suggestion that elimination will see him return to thankless, low-paid work. None of this will hamper his chances, though, for Rhydian has a claim to fame from a decade ago that ensures he'll get the votes of weight trainers across the land. Roberts, it turns out, was the junior Welsh bench press champion, and fifth best in the UK."

Two more clips on Rhydian and X-factor after the jump...

Not necessarily SFW...

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News: Mario Lopez, Louis Vuitton, Sydney, Tom Ford, Brazil

Robert Goulet dies at 73, awaiting lung transplant at hospital.

Does Annie Leibowitz's Louis Vuitton ad contain a hidden message from Gorbachev about poisoned Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko?

Being Mr. Gay Brazil requires Representative Barney Frank on Larry Craig: "I don’t think he should have been arrested, but it’s more likely than not that he was interested in sex. You have a right to privacy but not hypocrisy. During the period that I was closeted for seven years, I was always a gay rights supporter. I think it’s a fundamental violation of principles to vote one way and act another."

Following rash of gay bashings, a "safe space" opens on Oxford Street in Sydney: "Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said the City had agreed to lease a recently vacated shop front in a Council-owned building to ACON for use as a night-time Safe Space for the gay community. '“Following discussions with ACON, the City has agreed to provide the premises free of charge for ACON to use on a nightly basis,'” Ms Moore said. '“The Safe Space will act as a refuge for people who feel threatened or abused.” Residents continue to report assaults, robberies and anti-social behaviour associated with large late night licensed premises. There are ongoing reports of serious problems and people tell me that they fear for their safety.”'"

Ass-tastic: Mario Lopez lets it all hang out for Halloween.

Wentworth Miller holds on tight!

Two pink triangles from the Holocaust being auctioned in the UK: "They are expected to fetch hundreds of pounds when they go under the hammer at the Mullock's Auctioneers at Ludlow Racecourse on Thursday. Also being sold at the auction are other rare items including a description of a Spanish flu pandemic that killed millions and an apologetic letter from composer Edward Elgar."

Jesse Helms documentary comes to DVD, and includes never-before-seen interview with Matthew Shepard.

Frequent Towleroad commenter David Ehrenstein writes on "Obama's Gospel Mistake" in the L.A. Times.

Harper Lee to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Tom Ford is buying mineral rights to the land beneath his Galisteo, New Mexico ranch in order to block oil drilling: "Ford paid the state Land Office about $84,000 earlier this year to purchase the mineral rights to more than 1,400 acres, according to Land Office records. The purchase came in response to Tecton Energy's controversial proposal to drill eight exploratory wells on 65,000 acres, or 101 square miles, in the Galisteo Basin where it has acquired mineral rights." All drilling above ground is expected to continue.

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News: Alberto Gonzales, New Mexico, Prescott Bush, Death Cat

George W. Bush's grandfather Prescott Bush was part of 1933 coup planned by right-wing American businessmen: "The coup was aimed at toppling President Franklin D Roosevelt with the help of half-a-million war veterans. The plotters, who were alleged to involve some of the most famous families in America, (owners of Heinz, Birds Eye, Goodtea, Maxwell Hse & George Bush’s Grandfather, Prescott) believed that their country should adopt the policies of Hitler and Mussolini to beat the great depression." Why is this not a surprise?

Cast of Parting Glances reunites at L.A.'s Outfest.

Naked Boys Singing! to begin its ninth year off-Broadway.

Ohio Supreme Court rules that domestic violence laws don't conflict with a state ban on gay marriage: "In a 6-1 decision, justices rejected the argument that the domestic violence law is unenforceable in cases involving unmarried couples because it refers to them as living together 'as a spouse.' Chief Justice Thomas Moyer said in the opinion that lawmakers included many groups under the domestic violence law, not just unwed couples, and that describing people's living arrangements isn't the same as creating a law approximating marriage. The ban prohibited the government from creating any such approximation. 'The state does not create cohabitation; rather it is a person's determination to share some of life's responsibilities with another that creates cohabitation,' Moyer wrote. 'The state does not have a role in creating cohabitation, but it does have a role in creating a marriage.' The case was being closely watched around the country for the precedent it could set affecting a dozen similarly worded bans."

The cat who senses imminent death: "His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means the patient has less than four hours to live."

New documents reveal that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales committed perjury.

Gay people from New Mexico can now marry in Massachusetts!

Rage against the teleprompter: the growing trend (if two people can be called a trend) of news anchors rejecting vapid celebrity news.

Second Tennessee Williams Festival in Provincetown this September to honor playwright and poet Amiri Baraka.

Pan American Games - I think it's time to make a trip. More shots of hot Brazilian athletes, and some wallpaper.

UFO sightings shut down Stratford-Upon-Avon for half an hour: "Drinkers spilled out of pubs, motorists stopped to gawp and camera phones were aimed upwards as the five orbs, in a seeming formation, hovered above Stratford-Upon-Avon for half an hour. The unidentified flying objects lit up the otherwise clear night sky above Shakespeare's birthplace in Warwickshire on Saturday...Sceptics dismissed the UFOs as nothing more than hot air balloons, fireworks or even lanterns which had broken loose from a local rugby club. Others, however, claimed the speed and agility of the objects was unlike any known aircraft and said the odd movement, lack of noise and the length of time in the air discounted any man-made explanation."

Down the stairs: In case you missed the quickly-removed YouTube video, Pink has a few screencaps of Beyoncé's Orlando concert face-plant.

New Zealand gym owner claims his business is down 30% since a Yellow Pages listing placed by someone else named his gym as a "homosexual gym". The Yellow PAges has apologized. Owner Ray Parker: "To say that my gym is a gay and lesbian gym and to imply it is only a homosexual gym, excludes 90% of the population. The business has suffered and suffered quite a bit. I'm looking at the sheet of paper next to me on the desk that says I'm down X amount of dollars, which is a huge amount of money and an apology is two cents worth."

Gay Canadian Paul Ciceri details 33 months in Abu Dhabi prison after, he claims, a friend he had met on vacation planted cocaine in his toiletries bag.

Tonsils might serve as HIV's passageway to the body: "Researchers stress that the risk of acquiring HIV through oral sex is far too low to warrant preventive tonsillectomies. But they say the finding might have implications for preventing transmission of the virus from HIV-infected mothers to their children through breastfeeding."

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News: Iceberg Skeleton, Marc Jacobs, Alabama Fistfight, Paris Hilton

Man arrested for 2005 gay rape in Santa Fe, New Mexico: "The victim told police he was drinking at the Swig nightclub in May 2005 and next remembers waking up in a car in a wooded area. He went to police and was then treated for injuries at a hospital where physical evidence including a DNA sample was collected. Nevada law forced Gonzales to give a DNA sample after he was arrested for attempted robbery in October which put him in the national database."

Melting iceberg off Newfoundland reveals mystery skeleton.

Not so fast: Paris Hilton called back before judge.

Analyst predicts Apple will sell $45 million iPhones by 2009: "While this may seem like a bold prediction, we believe a number in this area is not as far of a reach as some may think."

STUDY: More women experimenting with bisexuality. "The survey, released Thursday by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, found that 11.5 percent of women, ages 18 to 44, said they’ve had at least one sexual experience with another women in their lifetimes, compared with about 4 percent of women, ages 18 to 59, who said the same in a comparable survey a decade earlier."

Kentucky's creationist museum in sex scandal: "The man who plays Adam in a video aired at a Bible-based creationist museum has led a different life outside the Garden of Eden, flaunting his sexual exploits online and modeling for a clothing line that promotes free love. After learning about his activities Thursday, the Creation Museum in Kentucky pulled the 40-second video in which he appears."

Man in wheelchair gets hooked to grill of semi-truck, gets ride of his life.

Ricky Martin set for ride down Fifth Avenue in NYC as king of the Puerto Rican Day parade. Martin: "The opportunity to share with many Puerto Ricans, remembering our island, and waving a sea of Puerto Rican flags will be an incredible experience. There are Puerto Ricans in politics, in the Army, in art and business that have made a great contribution to the United States," he said. "We are a generous people, and we are strong in the face of adversity. We are a glad, enthusiastic town with a great sense of unity."

Partisan fistfight in Alabama Senate after Democrat calls Republican a "son of a bitch".

Marc Jacobs and Jason Preston: off again.

New documentary ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway follows Avenue Q, Wicked, Caroline, or Change, and Taboo from rehearsals through opening night: "We see Kushner and composer Jeanine Tesori hammer out lyrics and music for 'Caroline,' while 'Avenue Q' creators Jeff Marx and Bobby Lopez -- young, enthusiastic, seemingly doomed -- haul their puppet musical from a 1999 workshop video to the Great White Way. 'Taboo,' a costume extravaganza about the life of nightclub creature Leigh Bowery , attracts tabloid gawking for Boy George's outre make up and O'Donnell's PR pugilism (she's the real star of the show, and that's a problem)."

Jackie Chan gay mobster comedy to get Hollywood makeover. Director Tennenbaum: " "I love [the] movie for so many reasons, including the fact that it is a fresh new idea [flamboyant mobster running a tough heterosexual gang], and has universal themes of humanity, tolerance, and a great sense of humor."

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Two of Four Sentenced in July '06 New Mexico Anti-gay Hate Crime

You may remember a sick attack on an 18-year-old teen in New Mexico last summer who was beaten senseless for hours at a party in the rural town of Edgewood. The victim had his face covered, his hands tied, and was beaten all night until the sun came up and left with a concussion, facial lacerations, and bleeding on the brain.

Two of the victim's four attackers, Cecily Gonzalez and Uriah Smith, were sentenced to a year in a juvenile detention facility and four years in prison, respectively. The other two attackers (pictured) are waiting to be sentenced. William York, one of those attackers said that they wanted to "scare..him straight" and "get him to stop acting the way he was."

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, the victim has suffered additionally since the attacks: "Teasing and bullying that had already begun in high school became worse after the beating. 'People were coming up to him and saying, 'gay' and 'queer,'' his younger sister said. 'No one should be punished for the way they are. My brother is gay. I never looked at him as being different because of it.' He had to stop attending school, she said."

To add to the trauma, the victim has also developed Huntington's Disease, which according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders is "a genetic disease that causes degeneration of brain cells and can lead to uncontrolled movements, loss of intellectual faculties and emotional disturbance."

Said the victim's mother: "I still feel all this pain. It's been a living nightmare."

Two sentenced in beating of gay teen in Edgewood [santa fe new mexican]

You may have missed...
Gay Man Tortured, Beaten for Hours in New Mexico [tr]
Young, Evil in New Mexico: Scaring a Gay Man Straight [tr]
Free New Mexican Selling Prints of Gay Basher [tr]
Four Indicted on Hate Crimes in New Mexico Gay Bashing [tr]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #74

HILLARY CLINTON: Announces Presidential exploratory committee.

BILL RICHARDSON: The New Mexico governor announces he's forming a committee to get in the race.

A TALE OF TWO TAPES: Jeff Jarvis looks at announcements from Senator Hillary Clinton and anti-gay Republican Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, who also announced plans to enter the Presidential race this weekend.

SAM BROWNBACK: Dodges gay adoption question from George Stephanopolous.

For more of our guides to the Tube, click here!

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Alan Turing Honored in Snow Bust

He's the father of modern computing and was a tragically persecuted gay man. He also has a fan club that lingers into the 21st century, as evidenced by this homage from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they actually have snow (we haven't seen a flake yet here in New York, it's very strange).

In any case, add this to the Alan Turing Halloween tribute and the Manchester park statue and you've got quite a collection.

(via boingboing)

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Four Indicted on Hate Crimes in New Mexico Gay Bashing

Cecily Gonzales, Leroy Segura, Uriah Smith and William York stood before a judge on Friday to face charges of kidnapping, aggravated battery, conspiracy and false imprisonment in the New Mexico gay bashing of an 18-year-old gay man, a beating that was eerily reminiscent of the brutal attack on Mathew Shepard:

"York and Smith both told police the gay man’s face was covered, and his hands were tied, according to documents. The man was taken to a nearby field, thrown on a downed fence and beaten, both men told police in interviews. The gay man suffered bleeding on the brain, a concussion, facial lacerations and bruising from the beating, state police have said."

More details on the attack in our previous posts. If the attackers are found to be guilty of hate crimes, the court can impose an extra year of prison time to their sentences.

I don't see how that wouldn't apply in this case.

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Gay Man Tortured, Beaten for Hours in New Mexico [tr]
Young, Evil in New Mexico: Scaring a Gay Man Straight [tr]
Free New Mexican Selling Prints of Gay Basher [tr]

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Free New Mexican Selling Prints of Gay Basher

Just in case you were looking for a companion piece for those Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson portraits you've got on the wall...

I'm sure that the Free New Mexican intended sales of prints from photos on their website to focus on less sensitive subjects, but you would think an editor would give it a once-over.

Here's an update to the New Mexico gay bashing case I posted about two weeks ago.

The alleged "probable cause" for the gay bashing, according to documents filed in court, was that the victim "might have been assaulted because a man at the party believed the gay man had touched his butt."

Of course. It's the victim's fault that he was beaten senseless.

"The juvenile male arrested in the case said he, York and Segura tied the gay man's hands, placed a torn black T-shirt over his head, walked him into a deserted field, pushed him onto a downed fence and beat him, the statement says. The juvenile, the statement says, said he egged on York by calling the gay man joto, a derogatory Spanish word meaning gay."

The victim in the case suffered a concussion, facial bruising and lacerations, and bleeding on the brain after a torture that lasted until the sun came up. One of the attackers, 21-year-old William York, has said that they wanted to "scare..him straight" and "get him to stop acting the way he was."

Gay man beaten to be `scared straight' [free new mexican]

Previously
Young, Evil in New Mexico: Scaring a Gay Man Straight [tr]
Gay Man Tortured, Beaten for Hours in New Mexico [tr]

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Young, Evil in New Mexico: Scaring a Gay Man Straight

More on the gay bashing that took place over the weekend in New Mexico.

Three men who kidnapped and beat a gay man and his female friend for hours last weekend following a party at a mobile home reportedly told police they were "going to scare him straight."

After being harassed about his sexuality at the party, the young man, whose name has not been released at the family's request, tried to leave the party. They were stopped and taken to the trailer where the gay man was tied up and beaten until sunrise.

KRQE Albuquerque reports that "when others left the party and one of the suspects fell asleep is when the victim says he was able to get a phone and call his mother. His mother came and picked him up and took him to the hospital."

Said an ACLU spokeswoman: "They were so hostile and so angry at the fact he was gay that they decided that beating this man almost to death was justified, which is crazy."

Police have arrested 21-year-old William York (left) and are still searching for Leroy Segura (right). Another minor has been arrested as well. The minor's mother told police that her son couldn't have beaten him because he was gay since they have "gay people in the family."

And whose family has received threats since the attacks? The victim's family.

Sickening.

Police: Three beat gay man to 'scare him straight' [kobtv]
Night of Beatings Labeled Hate Crime [krqe]

Previously
Gay Man Tortured, Beaten for Hours in New Mexico [tr]

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Gay Man Tortured, Beaten for Hours in New Mexico

Sorry to bring you so much violent, ugly news this week but I think it's important that these incidents get as much visibility as possible.

Police in New Mexico report that a woman and a gay man were kidnapped and beaten for hours last weekend during a party at a mobile home in rural Edgewood.

The two victims met up with another woman and one of their attackers before driving to the party. That woman left the party early, but confirmed to police that those who attacked the two victims used anti-gay language toward the man and taped part of the party on a cell phone.

After reportedly threatening to throw their victims into a yard full of "several large barking dogs" they took them to a camper parked in the yard of the mobile home and that is where an all-night torture began:

While some of the partygoers tied up the gay man with rope and began hitting him, "Uriah told them that this was a kidnapping and they were not going to die yet," according to the warrant. A female from the party lifted the woman's head and kicked her in the face, the warrant says. The woman said she felt her nose break, the warrant says.

"(The woman) was not tied up, but was held in the camper for most of the night while all of the male subjects kept hitting, kicking, slapping and knocking (the gay man) down," the warrant states. "The male subjects would knock (the gay man) down and if he did not get up off of the ground within a certain count or if he would make any noise, they would jump on him, hitting and kicking him.

"This continued all night until the sun was about to come up."

Said Prosecutor Donna Dagnall: "It's pretty clear to us that his homosexuality was the reason for the beating."

The male victim suffered "bleeding on the brain and a concussion as well as facial lacerations and bruising" and has been released from a hospital. The female victim did not require hospitalization, according to reports.

Two men, age 17 and 21, are in custody, and have been charged with "two counts of kidnapping, aggravated battery causing great bodily injury, false imprisonment and conspiracy." Another has not yet been apprehended. The three will be charged with hate crimes.

The most high-profile hate crime case of this kind in New Mexico occurred in February 2005 when James Maestas was beaten unconscious in a motel parking lot near Santa Fe. Just this June, Maestas' attackers were sent to rehabilitation rather than prison. Upon sentencing, the judge said: "You both would be ruined if I sent you to prison. I would be throwing you away. I don't want to do that."

3 Charged in Beating of Gay Man [free new mexican]

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