News: Oklahoma City, Reed Cowan, Smithsonian, Eminem, HIV

Why is the Smithsonian Museum hiding gay rights deep in the vault?

 Prince Harry's ass meets the grass.

Google Me: Google planning "Facebook killer".

Gay men attacked in Londonderry, Northern Ireland: "They suffered cuts and bruising to their faces. Police are treating it as a homophobic attack. One of the men, who did not want to be identified, said it had affected both of them badly. 'I'm terrified of going to bed, I'm terrified walking down the street,' he said. 'I've got to walk my fella to his work because he's terrified. It's just absolutely soul destroying and it's not on.' Police said initial enquiries had suggested it was a homophobic attack."

Krugman: Prepare for the Third Depression.

Minnesota's Twin Cities Pride will continue to fight against "ignored" evangelical Brian Johnson.

Reed Cowan, the director of 8: The Mormon Proposition, wants to kill gay pride until we have full equality: "I would like to propose to the entire worldwide gay community that they cancel gay pride events until we have marriage equality. All those thousands of people who go to gay pride, those are bodies that could put on a shirt and go into the neighborhood and tell their story. We should wait until we have equality to have our party. In the meantime we volunteer the same passion and air miles and participation and really channel that same participation into our fight for equality."

Jersey Shore cast to pose for every magazine cover.

Michael Jackson glove sells for $190,000.

Eminem's 'Top Ten Pieces of Advice for the Kids'.

Outing of anti-gay pastor who attended 12-step program inspires anger: "Many Lavender Web site commentators applauded the story. But among the critics was an unidentified advertiser who wrote she would pull her ads, because '12 step programs, regardless of what is at issue or who attends, are sacred.' National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association board member Michael R. Triplett blogged that the ethics of the reporting were 'suspect.'"

Watch: Robyn's unplugged version of "Dancing on My Own".

Awful: Six-month-old girl killed, mother injured while posing for photo as tree limb falls in Central Park. "The accident, which occurred in one of the park’s most popular locales, could be viewed as a freak occurrence. But it is also the latest in a string of deadly episodes that have plagued the park in the past year, all involving tree branches that abruptly plummeted to earth, killing or seriously injuring passers-by."

Male model fix: Ruben Cortada.

Study: Risk of HIV-transmission during anal sex may be 18 times higher than during vaginal intercourse.

If you were Jason Bateman, would you have cut the Apple iPhone 4 line?

Chicago LGBT activist Marc Loveless arrested for battery: "On the afternoon of June 25, Hickman stated he served Loveless with a document removing him as executive director of Coalition for Justice & Respect (CJR). The document was signed by Hickman and fellow CJR board member Billy Davis. Shortly thereafter, Hickman alleged, Loveless proceeded to grab and push him in order to remove him from the organization's office. At the time, Hickman said, more than 30 people who were in the office witnessed the altercation."

Chris Brown makes his Michael Jackson tribute at the BET Awards all about Chris Brown.

Oklahoma City gay rights group's banners targeted by "repent" flyers: "local gay rights group is upset about some flyers that were posted next to their street banners. The Cimarron Alliance, which promotes gay and lesbian issues, says someone taped signs with the word "repent" directly under their banners. The typed up signs were placed along street posts near Classen and 38th street. The Alliance plans on contacting Oklahoma City Hall officials this morning about having them taken down."

News: Genderless Citizen, Mika, Puffin, Gay Blood, Gerry Adams

Virginia AG Cuccinelli defends anti-gay advice in Sunday op-ed. And, he's a birther.

Federal health officials to reexamine 27-year-old ban on blood donations from gays.

Genderless: Australian becomes first in nation to be identified as neither male nor female.

Video: Lady Gaga comes close to fainting during concert.

Assessment due this week on implementing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in a "more humane" manner.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams called hypocrite for plans to attend St. Patrick's Day celebrations that exclude gays and women: "David Ford, leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, said: 'Sinn Fein at home talks a lot about inclusivity and equality. On the face of it it seems Mr Adams applies different standards in the US.'"

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell rejects demands to push legislation, saying his unenforceable directive urging the state not to discriminate against gays and lesbians was sufficient: "I believe that takes care of it."

Will actual Italians be offended by the Guidos of Jersey Shore?

Watch: Mika kicks ass in new video.

Golden State Warriors hold first LGBT appreciation night, but don't announce it during game: "Just before the start of Thursday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Oakland-East Bay Gay Men's Chorus stood at halfcourt in tuxedos and sang the national anthem. At halftime, the world's only gay-identified cheerleading team, Cheer SF, gave a high-octane performance, tossing male and female fliers into the air. Although no public announcement was made during the game that it was LGBT appreciation night, the audience clapped enthusiastically for the performers."

Rielle Hunter tells all to GQ about her relationship with John Edwards: "I mean, just for starters, I never 'hit on' Johnny. I'm not a predator, I'm not a gold digger, I'm not the stalker. I didn't have any power in that way in our relationship. He held all the power. And then, you know, um, Elizabeth's book tour and Johnny's interview [in August 2008 with ABC's Bob Woodruff] were devastating to me. But I also knew it didn't mean anything."

Sitges, Spain to hold first gay pride from July 9-13.

More signs of the apocalypse: Last week, a black penguin, this week a white puffin.

The Wishing Well: drop off an anonymous note.

Male model fix: Terron Wood.

Joe dioGuardi, father of American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, to oppose Kirsten Gillibrand in NY Senate race.

Some important points for LGBT people on filling out your 2010 Census.

Glee spoilers.

Wolves kill teacher while jogging in Alaska: "Her body was dragged off a rural road, leaving a bloody track, into the nearby bush and was surrounded by wolf tracks. Police said wolves in the area had been aggressive recently. If confirmed, it is believed to be the first fatal wolf attack in the US in 50 years."

Anti-Gay Northern Ireland MP Iris Robinson Formally Resigns

Anti-gay evangelical Northern Ireland MP Iris Robinson formally resigned yesterday:

"Earlier today the Treasury in London confirmed that Mrs Robinson had stepped down from her role as a Westminster MP. She announced two weeks ago that she would be leaving public life for health reasons."

Since that time, it was revealed that she funneled cash to a 19-year-old man with whom she was having an affair, and also slept with the teen's father and another man.

Simon and Garfunkel's 'Mrs. Robinson' Surges in Northern Ireland Following the Iris Robinson' Affair Scandal

Downloads of Simon and Garfunkel's 'Mrs. Robinson' are up 1200% in Northern Ireland following the Iris Robinson scandal in which the anti-gay, evangelical lawmaker was discovered to have had an affair with a 19-year-old man.

There's currently a Facebook campaign to propel the song to #1 in the country.

The Belfast Telegraph reports: "Cheeky posters backing a Facebook campaign to make the Simon and Garfunkel song Mrs Robinson number one in the charts have begun to appear at a number of locations around Belfast. This message was written on sheets draped over the gates of Stormont, while a similar banner was spotted on Balmoral Bridge on the Lisburn Road. The campaign follows the success of a Facebook crusade at Christmas which pushed Rage Against The Machine to number one at the expense of X Factor winner Joe McElderry. Mrs Robinson is currently in the Top 40 of the Amazon download chart."

Previously...
Will Homophobe Iris Robinson's Affair Bring Down the Government? [tr]

Will Homophobe Iris Robinson's Affair Bring Down the Government?

UPDATED BELOW

Over the last week a scandal involving homophobic Evangelical Northern Ireland MP Iris Robinson, about whom I've written many times on Towleroad, has been unfolding. If you haven't read about it yet, here are the main points. Click through the links for much greater elaboration than I can provide.

In June 2008, Robinson called homosexuality an "abomination" while discussing a homophobic attack on a man in which she also suggested that gays should seek therapy to "turn them around".

The recent scandal began when Robinson announced she was stepping down because of her mental health. Then, there was an admission she had an affair with a 19-year-old named Kirk McCambley to whom she funneled $80,000 in secret loans from property developers to finance his investment in a cafe near Belfast.

Watch a recent report on "The Beginning of the Affair" from the BBC, AFTER THE JUMP...

It appears that the whole affair and scandal has the potential to bring down the entire government, as Robinson's husband is the province’s unionist first minister, the NYT reports:

The revelations come at a critical time, when the mostly Protestant unionists and mostly Catholic republicans are in increasingly bitter discussions about how to put in place one of the last and most difficult pieces of the United States-brokered power-sharing agreement: the transfer of police and justice powers in the province from British officials to the unity government.

The transfer would be a step of historic significance for republicans, who viewed the police as a paramilitary arm of the unionists during the 30 years of “the troubles” that left 3,500 people dead. But it raises alarms among unionists, who fear that their republican partners will not adequately pursue and punish dissident republicans who have rejected the unity government and mounted a deadly campaign of bombings and assassinations in recent months.

Mr. Robinson’s fate is crucial to the future of the agreement; as negotiations have dragged on months beyond the deadline for transferring police power, both sides have become more entrenched in their positions. If Mr. Robinson were forced from power, analysts say, there would be little chance of any new unionist leader risking the wrath of his followers by moving ahead with the deal.

When the leaders of the shared government left for their Christmas break in a state of angry impasse, both sides warned that the shared government, which took office more than two and a half years ago, could collapse early in the new year.

In related news, Gay UK activist Peter Tatchell said, "I’m sorry for the pain that Iris Robinson has suffered but she’s a hypocrite. Even now, despite her own adultery, she expresses no regret for her harsh, judgemental moralising against gay people. She is sad and two-faced. It is terrible that Iris Robinson has been driven to attempted suicide and a mental breakdown. I feel very sorry for her. But it is a great pity that this painful experience has not softened her heart towards the suffering of lesbians and gay men. Even now, she expresses no regret for her harsh, judgemental moralising against gay people. Iris seems as unforgiving as ever. She’s still unrepentant about her homophobia.”

And the UK's gay magazine Attitude wants Robinson's then 19-year-old lover on its cover: "Kirk is incredibly hot and we’d love to see him on the cover of Attitude. We think our readers would go as wild for him as Iris obviously did. We’d love for him to get in touch. We’ve put in a few calls to the Lockkeeper’s Inn but no one has answered the phone."

UPDATE: Robinson had affair with 19-year-old's father, and another man as well! "Meanwhile, it emerged this weekend that Iris Robinson also had an affair with 19-year-old Kirk McCambley's father, a butcher who died from cancer. She had another affair with a fellow DUP member in the 1980s which was witnessed by the security forces."

Watch a recent report on "The Beginning of the Affair" from the BBC, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Iris Robinson, Jesus, Howie Long, Crocodile Bait, Eminem

Federal Prop 8 trial to start January 11.

Aussie saltwater croc bait. Yes, those are dudes in the open trap.

The new Ivana Trump airline snuggie.

FOX Sports hosts titter, get uncomfortable looking at naked photo of Howie Long: "...it’s Frank’s screensaver, which scares me, Frank."

GLAAD dumps Queer Lounge in favor of panel discussions and networking events at Sundance.

Eminem drops anti-gay lyrics to avoid protest at first UK concert in five years: "The last time Eminem toured the country in 2001, gay rights group OutRage! protested outside his shows, saying his lyrics were homophobic. Event organisers were said to be worried that another such protest would cause major disruption to Wireless, which attracts tens of thousands of people."

Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone's are St. Barts lovebirds.

Becks back to Italy.

Palin-Johnston custody lawsuit comes out in the open. Writes Dan Savage: "Before Republicans are allowed to impose their values on our families their political leaders—Sarah Palin, Mark Sanford, John Ensign, et al—should be required to successfully impose their own damn values on their own damn families for for five fucking minutes."

The underwear bomb.

Yemen vows to not be the new Al-Qaeda battleground.

Peter Tatchell on bitter Quentin Crisp: "He resented the fact that he was no longer unique – no longer the only visible queer in town. Hence his loathing of the gay liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s. It had encouraged and empowered the mass coming out of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. They stole his limelight. Put bluntly: Crisp disliked being overtaken and over-shadowed by other gays."

Painting by a young master: "His pictures cost upwards of £900, there are 680 people on a waiting list to buy them, and his second exhibition sold out in 14 minutes."

Jesus spotted (literally) on a banana.

Suspected Twilight showmance comes apart.

Hot new werewolf casting for True Blood.

Anti-gay Northern Ireland lawmaker Iris Robinson retires from public life due to depression: "Over the years, I have undergone a long series of operations and though I have never talked about it publicly, I have, against this background, also battled against serious bouts of depression. The stress and strain of public life comes at a cost and my health has suffered. As many people will be aware, I have recently tried to return to the full-time work of representing my constituents, following my latest period of illness. Only those who have faced similar challenges in life will know the ordeal faced by those who are profoundly depressed and the distress caused to those around them as they grapple with personality-changing illness.”