News: Michael Jackson, Presbyterians, Michelle Obama, Unicorn,

How gay is your Shul? "In June, Jewish Mosaic and their partners will start surveying nearly every congregation in the U.S. on their policies and practices of inclusion—for example, whether they offer same-sex spousal benefits, follow a written nondiscrimination policy regarding sexual orientation, or use nonexclusive language on membership forms. When the survey concludes later this summer, Jewish Mosaic will use its findings to create a "resource guide to best practices" on LGBT inclusion for synagogue leaders, who have few places to turn for help with questions on sexuality and gender."

Unicorn discovered in Italy!

Gee, thanks: Bakersfield, California police say they won't arrest couples getting married outside the county clerk's office. "The Rev. Byrd Tetzlaff, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Kern County, told The Chronicle on Tuesday that the police would not allow them to conduct the ceremonies there. On Wednesday, Tetzlaff said it had been a misunderstanding."

Two men punched to pub floor in homophobic UK assault. Police seek witnesses.

Michael Jackson designing clothing line.

The impossible divorce: Rhode Island Superior Court judge refuses to hear case of lesbian couple "but questioned whether the law that barred the women from ending their marriage unconstitutionally denied them a right enjoyed by heterosexual Rhode Islanders."

Police chief in Budapest, Hungary bans gay pride: "Budapest police chief Dr. Gábor Tóth has banned the Gay Pride March, it emerged last night. The march, which Dr. Tóth said would disrupt traffic in the city, was scheduled to take place on Saturday July 5 on Andrássy, one of Budapest’s main streets."

Presbyterian church of Wales in harassment and discrimination lawsuit: "Giving evidence on Tuesday, Mr Price, who is openly gay, said he worked alongside Ms Jones at the church's 250-year-old Trefeca centre, a 37-bed retreat near Brecon, Powys, visited by church groups from around Britain. He told the hearing he was forced to quit as the assistant manager because of Ms Jones's ceaseless comments about sex, which included calling him a 'stupid poof'."

Pittsburgh Presbyterian minister remains under fire for conducting same-sex union ceremonies: " A Presbyterian minister from Pittsburgh still faces two charges that she conducted a prohibited gay wedding ceremony. But the Rev. Janet Edwards will not face charges for performing the ceremony improperly when her church trial resumes in October. Church officials have dropped charges alleging Edwards committed errors when she omitted Bible readings and references to Christian traditions in the ceremony. Edwards made the changes because one of the lesbians she married in 2005 is Buddhist."

Oprah tops Forbes' richest celebrities list — again.

High School Musical stage production outs character that was "coded gay" in the films. Playwright: "I wanted to present Ryan as something from my own past, a version of me, I guess — though he's a lot better dancer than I ever was! In the movie, the character has a gay tint. But in the stage version, I wanted to more fully articulate that tint and say, hey, this kid is who he is. Yes, I consider him a young gay guy without ever having to say it. I’d rather say it with behavior and action. And we do." Film role was played by Milk's Lucas Grabeel.

Matt Damon to play rugby captain in new film.

FOX calls Michelle Obama "Obama's Baby Mama".

TIME: California's Gay Marriage Rush. "A report released by the Williams Institute at UCLA law school says fully half of the state's 102,000 gay couples could wed in the next three years. UCLA law professor Brad Sears told TIME that the number is in keeping with experience in Massachusetts, where gay marriage is also legal, and Vermont, which permits civil unions. Another 67,000 or so are expected to arrive from other states, says Sears, the report's co-author."

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Morning Joe Hosts Disgusted by 'Pregnant Dude' Thomas Beatie

I thought Oprah handled the story of pregnant transgender man Thomas Beatie with respect yesterday. Not everybody's so accepting of Beatie, however, and plenty of people are openly threatened by him.

Like David Letterman, who called Beatie an "androgynous freak show" in his Top Ten the other night, the hosts of MSNBC's Morning Joe spent a few minutes expressing their nausea. Take a look at how Willie Geist, Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough air their disgust about Oprah "legitimizing this" in this morning's 'News You Can't Use':

Says Scarborough: "I'm not gonna look at this. Tell me when it's over. I'm not looking. We don't want the facts. I can't handle the facts."

Says Brzezinski: "I don't want to know the deal. I don't want to hear. I'm gonna be sick. I'm gonna be sick. I am upset. That was not only stupid and useless, but quite frankly, disgusting."

Brzezinski asked who the father is, and Scarborough responds: "The parrot at the pet shop...A former aide of Jim McGreevey. Are the McGreevey's involved in this in any way?"

Watch the clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

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News: Gayle King, Hunky Jesus, Yale, Charlie Crist, Tibet

A dog's life: NYC penthouse purchased for Gayle King in name of Oprah's recently deceased cocker spaniel, Sophie.

San Franciscans battle it out to be Hunky Jesus in Easter competition: "Catholics have labelled the annual pageant blasphemous, considering that previous entrants have included 'old school Jesus', 'surfer Jesus' and 'zombie Jesus', an irreverent take on the Easter message of Christ rising from the dead."

Last night's How I Met Your Mother guest starring Britney Spears was the show's highest rated episode ever.

18-year-old charged with stabbing death of gay man appears in Brooklyn court: "The defendant, Omar Willock, is charged with a hate crimes offense...At Willock’s arraignment last spring, Hynes told reporters that Willock 'shouted anti-gay remarks' at Roberto Duncanson, taunting him even as he tried to get away from Willock. Willock allegedly followed Duncanson, who’d been trying to avoid the confrontation, which had its roots in an verbal exchange earlier that same night, when angry words were exchanged between the two men. Willock had claimed that Duncanson stared at him in an unwanted manner, though the incident did not become violent. When Duncanson returned along the same route later that evening, Willock is alleged to have renewed his taunts. Witnesses told police the two engaged in a brief fistfight, culminating in a chase that ended with Duncanson’s stabbing death."

Florida Governor Charlie Crist loves women.

Yale University appoints first openly gay residential-college master, tapping acclaimed singer Richard Lalli MUS ’86 to lead Jonathan Edwards College: "He will be joined by his partner, Michael Rigsby MED ’88, who will add the designation of associate master to his current title: medical director of Yale University Health Services. Lalli, an adjunct professor of music, has taught at Yale since 1982; both are already JE fellows and freshman advisers in the college. 'This is a great occasion. It’s probably the greatest occasion of my life,' Lalli said to JE students after University President Richard Levin announced his appointment over dinner Wednesday night in Commons." College master is one of Yale's highest recognitions.

Gay Syrian applies for asylum in Scotland: "After Mr Yakob's terrible ordeal in Syria, it is unacceptable that the Home Office would consider sending him back. There is a very real risk that he would suffer further ill treatment or even possibly death. He has sought asylum in Scotland and I will make an immediate representation to the Home Office in an effort to overturn their ruling before his final hearing in May."

OP/ED: Repeal of gay rights laws in Oregon would have chilling effect.

Chinese paramilitary police open fire on mass crowd of monks, nuns, and Tibetans: "Residents of Luhuo said that a monk and a farmer appeared to have been killed and about a dozen people wounded in the latest violence in Tibetan areas of China. Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, said that one officer was killed when police confronted a 'lawless mob' in Luhuo. The demonstration began at 4pm when about 200 nuns from Woge nunnery and a similar number of monks from Jueri monastery marched towards the Luhuo Third District government office. They were joined by several hundred farmers and nomads, witnesses said."

Ashton Kutcher plays douchebag in new film.

How does Priscilla Presley stay looking so young? Special facial injections of auto lubricant.

Gay sex expert Michael Alvear spent three months filming couples and analyzing the footage: "I don’t think that people are really that aware of their contributions to the breakdowns in a relationship, and the cameras are able to cut through all the false perceptions that they have about themselves. I’ve always believed this through writing and advising people about sex—the question, 'What are you unaware of that, if you became aware of it, you could change and make the situation better?' That’s what the cameras allowed people to do—become aware of the things they’re not aware of. It’s like a mirror that way."

Gay Wisconsin man settles lawsuit alleging two men attacked him in a deli because he was gay: "Brett Timmerman's lawsuit claims that he walked into a sandwich shop in Platteville in July 2005 when Oden Waite and Enove Urias made anti-gay remarks to him, put him in a headlock and took him to the ground. Timmerman claims that Waite spit on him twice. Timmerman's attorney, Jim Madigan, said that he reached the deal with Waite's attorneys last week. He said that the settlement calls for terms to remain undisclosed."

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Music News: Oprah Fêtes Leona Lewis And Journos Sum Up SXSW, Plus The Raconteurs, ABBA, The Feeling, Amy Winehouse, Groove Armada

Robbie Daw presents a weekly pop music update here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own site called Chart Rigger.

Yesterday, Oprah had Simon Cowell and 22-year-old British singer Leona Lewis on her show. Lewis performed her single, "Bleeding Love," which was already a smash in the U.K. last fall. A showcase on Oprah is rarely one that fails to deliver; "Bleeding Love" is now the top download on iTunes.

Touted as both "the next Mariah Carey" and "the next Whitney Houston" -- often by none other than her own high-profile music biz handlers, Simon Cowell and Clive Davis -- Lewis previously won the 2006 season of Brit show The X Factor, which was created by Cowell. Now if only Clive would offer a U.S. deal to the equally vocally talented (and eye-pleasing) Shayne Ward, who won X Factor's first season.

Below are clips of the Next Mariah Carey from Oprah, and the Previous Mariah Carey with T-Pain, from this past weekend's SNL:

Leona Lewis' full album, Spirit, will be released on April 8.

This year's South By Southwest (SXSW) festival: Jim Derogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times notes the great indie spirit, but laments the "sad decline to arena-rock mediocrity" of R.E.M. for the past 15 years. Meanwhile, Ross Simonini of the Seattle Post Intelligencer has to leave the festival ("Five people vomited within arm's length [of me].") to find decent bands, and the Los Angeles Times' Todd Martens leaves Perez Hilton's party unimpressed with Robyn and the insults hurtled at him.

The Jack White school of making an album: finish it one week and put it out two weeks later. On the literally just-finished new album from The Raconteurs (pictured right), Consolers (due out next week): "We wanted to get this record to fans, the press, radio, etc., all at the EXACT SAME TIME so that no one has an upper hand on anyone else regarding it's availability, reception or perception."

Ola Brunkert, believed to be the only session musician to play on all of ABBA's recordings, found dead after a freak accident at his home.

The Feeling's Dan Gillespie Sells urges fellow pop stars to come out of the closet: "The world would be a healthier place if people were more honest about their sexuality and the entertainment industry would be healthier if people were more honest full stop. The more of us who come out, the easier it is for others. My advice for anyone considering coming out would be to do it for themselves. It's not fun living a lie."

Giorgio Armani enlists George Clooney and Julia Roberts to help get Amy Winehouse to perform at his celebrity bash.

And if you thought the album cover for Hard Candy was just a one-time look...

THE WEEK'S NEW RELEASES:

Almost a year after its U.K. release, Groove Armada's Soundboy Rock, the dance duo's seventh studio album, arrives in the U.S. It contains "Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control,)" the pair's 2007 international hit featuring ex-Sugababes member Mutya Buena on vocals.

The Kills' Midnight Boom. The duo's "Cheap And Cheerful" is also iTunes' free download single of the week.

A week ahead of its physical CD availability, Gnarls Barkley's The Odd Couple hits iTunes.

If you were totally jazzed with Flo Rida's 10-week stint at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with "Low," then why not check out his full length album, Mail On Sunday?

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Oprah Has Never Kissed a Woman: 'I Really Haven't'

Earlier this week, Valerie Bertinelli appeared on Oprah to promote her new memoir, and the two got into some girl-on-girl talk.

OPRAH: You also wrote about passionately kissing another woman while you were married.

BERTINELLI: Did I write about that?

OPRAH: Yeah!

BERTINELLI: She was a good kisser. She really was. Have you ever kissed a woman?

OPRAH: No. No.

BERTINELLI: We don't want to start those rumors again.

OPRAH: I really haven't.

BERTINELLI: No. No, I believe you!

OPRAH: And if I had, I'd have let you know. I'd have told you years ago.

Leaving behind the speculation about Oprah's sexuality, you would think that a woman curious about so many things would have at least tried kissing a woman.

View the clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via celebitchy)

Previously
Oprah Winfrey Draws Huge Crowds for Obama in Iowa, SC, NH [tr]
Oprah and Gayle: "We're Not Gay!" [tr]

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News: Asteroid, Dennis Quaid, Bullying, Oprah, Chile, Pope

Pope's New York itinerary released.

Remember the sculptor who created the Dead Prince Harry? Behold his latest work, the Oprah Sarcophagus.

Nearly 500 same-sex couples in the Czech Republic have registered their partnerships since it became legal in July 2006: "... legal registered partnerships were concluded by 353 homosexual male and 134 female couples. In 43 cases, one of the partners was a foreigner, especially from Slovakia, but also Azerbaijan, Taiwan, Israel, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Armenia, the Netherlands, the USA and Canada. Homosexual couples were prosecuted in the former Czechoslovakia until 1961. The law on registered partnership of same sex couples was passed by the Czech Chamber of Deputies in March 2006 when the Chamber overrode President Vaclav Klaus's veto by a narrow majority."

Bello men's fashion magazine to launch online tomorrow.

Australian chicken restaurant entrepreneur pleads 'not guilty' to murdering his gay partner: "Gerurdas Gerrit Heijne, 44, appeared in Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court via videolink from Hakea Prison. His partner of more than 20 years, Frank Cianciosi, was found dead in the apartment on January 4, but police have not revealed how he died. Mr Heijne did not apply for bail."

The Brady Bunch: Results of a Patriots QB look-alike contest.

Obama's rebuttal to Bush's State of the Union address breaks YouTube records: "By Tuesday afternoon, 'Barack Obama's response to Bush's final State of the Union' was the most watched clip in the world, drawing a over 300,000 views in under 20 hours. The public has shown overwhelming and sustained interest in hearing from Obama directly. This is the third Obama video to shoot into YouTube's top three in the past 10 days -- past clips of naked celebrities and Scientology rants -- and the first video that was shot specifically for web viewers, rather than broadcasting documentary footage of a speech."

Inside the sex diaries of John Maynard Keynes.

Madonna becoming workout cyborg.

Anti-homophobia campaign launched in Australia: "Sergeant Scott Davis from the Police Gay and Lesbian Advisory Unit says police want people to speak up, and send a message to perpetrators that their actions will not be tolerated. The posters will be displayed throughout metropolitan Victoria and in all Victorian police stations."

T-shirt companies refuse to munch on Gay Bigfoot's banana.

Transgender student denied dorm room because he has not yet undergone sexual reassignment surgery: "Osborn was denied a male dorm room because, while his driver's license shows him as male and he is undergoing hormone treatment, he has not had gender reassignment surgery to complete the transition. Osborn and Walton contend that it should not be a requirement to undergo costly medical procedures if one is unable or unwilling to do so in order for the university to recognize Osborn as a "real" transgender person."

Dennis Quaid joins cast of GI Joe.

Gay Chilean website is actually aligned with homophobic Evangelical fundamentalists?

Asteroid coasts by Earth, just outside the orbit of the Moon: "Were TU24 to have struck land, it might have caused a magnitude seven earthquake and left a city-sized crater."

Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in Britain to launch new guidance on homophobic bullying: "The new guidance recommends that if a pupil makes persistent remarks, they should be removed from the classroom and staff should talk in detail about why such language is unacceptable. Similarly, in severe circumstances, schools should consider permanent exclusion for physical bullying. Much more needs to be done to prevent such bullying in the first place. Stonewall and Each advise encouraging positive role models. But Sue Sanders, co-chair of Schools Out, which campaigns against homophobia in education, says a big problem is that teachers find it hard to be out themselves. 'The government and local authorities need to celebrate the existence of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teachers,' she says. 'If teachers don't feel safe to be out, how the hell will our kids?'"

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News: China, Fabio, Antarctica, Oprah, Dame Edna, Scotland, Britney

Teen gay bashes straight couple after mistaking short-haired girlfriend for a man: "The boy, 16, has been charged in juvenile court with the assault, occurring after asking the man and his girlfriend if they were 'two gay guys.' They then became "f$%^ing gay bastards" as they were thrown to the ground, punched and kicked on a busy Dublin street."

Nightmare Garden: Actor from British children's TV series claims on-set injury and anti-gay harassment: "Isaac Blake claimed he suffered an injured pelvis while wearing the chunky brown and pink costume to entertain millions of viewers as one of the three Tombliboos. The 28-year-old said he had to go to hospital and was forced off work for a week after being made to bend over for long spells for closeup shots while wearing the suit. At an employment tribunal, Mr Blake, a trained dancer, also alleged that he was discriminated against and verbally abused for being homosexual. He claimed a colleague called him a 'bitch' and a 'faggot' but when he made a formal complaint he was told to 'shut up and get on with it'."

OWN: Oprah Winfrey gets her own network! What an appropriate name for it.

Judge orders MSNBC to include Dennis Kucinich in Las Vegas debate today.

Kennith H. Burns, founding member of pioneering L.A. gay rights group Mattachine Society, dies at 81 of lung failure: "In 1953, when McCarthyism was strengthening its grip on the national consciousness, Hay and other Mattachine leaders with communist ties were ousted and Burns assumed a prominent role in the organization. The society moved in a more conservative direction during Burns' tenure as Mattachine president in the mid- to late 1950s. Along with other Mattachine leaders, including Harold Call and Don Lucas, he urged members to temper their public image and assimilate into society. 'We must blame ourselves for much of our plight,' Burns said during this period. 'When will homosexuals ever realize that social reform, in order to be effective, must be preceded by personal reform?'"

Fabio offers up Details on George Clooney West Hollywood catfight: "He laid a hand on me, so it would have been self-defense if I had beaten him down. I could have fucked him up. Oh my god, I could have beaten the shit out of him. I was so pissed off. Right then, I could have knocked him over and beat him. I could have punched him in the face while he was on his back. That's how you really hurt someone—their face can't amortize the punch so it takes, it takes the whole impact."

Dame Edna ill, ordered to rest for six months...

Stuart Ellanson, an inmate serving life sentence for murder of gay man gets 15 additional years for holding a dental technician hostage at the prison: "He held the woman captive in a storage room in the prison's health complex for about five and a half hours before releasing her. He was then arrested. Ellanson is serving a life term for murder as a hate crime in the stabbing death of a man in Superior in 1991. The criminal complaint said Ellanson told investigators he killed the man because he was gay."

MELTING: Antarctic ice loss jumps 75% in a single year.

Britney SNAPS (4:13), and picks up a British accent while doing so.

Outsports looks at the aquatic side of Project Runway's Jack Mackenroth: "'Swimming just came fairly naturally to me, and I really enjoyed it,' said Mackenroth, now 38. And he was very good at it, too. He has three All-American titles and set a national record at the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago in the breaststroke leg of the 4-by-50 meter medley relay. Also in 2006, he finished 12th in the 50-meter breaststroke at the Masters World Championships in Stanford, Calif. 'Swimming has been rewarding,' said Mackenroth, who played soccer and baseball as a youngster and now admits that he, 'was hopeless at all of the other sports.'"

China Daily looks at what gays face in that country: "The more you try to oppress sex, the more resistance will rise up." Time takes a look too.

Scotland's hate crime laws to be widened to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and the disabled: "It aims to strengthen the law to protect disabled people and those from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities by extending statutory aggravations to cover crimes motivated by malice or ill will towards victims."

RESEARCHER: Heterosexual couples have something to learn from same-sex couples: "In a series of studies Green conducted with Michael Bettinger and Ellis Zacks, lesbian couples were found to be emotionally closer than gay male couples who, in turn, were found to be emotionally closer than heterosexual married couples. 'It all comes down to greater equality in the relationship,' Green said in a statement. 'Research shows that lesbian and gay couples have a head start in escaping the traditional gender role divisions that make for power imbalances and dissatisfaction in many heterosexual relationships.' Heterosexual couples could learn from gays couples about sharing housework and childcare, using softer communication in conflict and having more nurturing behaviors toward one another and their children, the researchers conclude."

The Gawker job interview.

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News: Whale Sharks, A&F, Nate Berkus, CIA Tapes, Spain

CIA declassifies letter from Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) urging the agency not to destroy interrogation tapes: "You discussed [in a briefing the previous week] the fact that there is videotape of Abu Zubaydah following his capture that will be destroyed after the Inspector General finishes his inquiry. I would urge the Agency to reconsider that plan. Even if the videotape does not constitute an official record that must be preserved under the law, the videotape would be the best proof that the written record is accurate, if such record is called into question in the future. The fact of destruction would reflect badly on the Agency."

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka offer the paps a tanned "aloha" at LAX.

2007: The year in evidence for a Bush/Cheney impeachment.

Jake Gyllenhaal would like to eat his lunch uninterrupted.

Abercrombie & Fitch catalog resurrected: "For its second go-around, however, the magazine-catalog hybrid will debut and be available exclusively in London, where the American fashion brand opened its first international flagship at 7 Burlington Gardens in London last March in what formerly housed Jil Sander, steps from Savile Row. Sam Shahid, who designed the magazine in its six-year run, is back at the helm as creative director."

Canadian students continue to fight gay blood ban.

Inside the listening party for Madonna's forthcoming album.

Spanish PM José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero hits out at the Catholic church and its recent "pro-family" rallies in Madrid: "Zapatero said that his government was carrying out policies which were supported by the ‘immense majority’ of the Spanish people, and Spain would continue to act in that way. Making no effort to mask his anger at the Cardinals and Bishops who led the Catholic Church event in the Plaza de Colón, Zapatero reminded them that the Spanish Constitution ensured that there was room for everybody in Spain, that everybody has the right to have rights, whatever they think, and whether they belong to a religion or not."

The minute-by-minute on Britney's meltdown...

The Big Give: Nate Berkus tapped to host Oprah's new reality show: "The series follows 10 people who 'criss-cross the country, giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars to unsuspecting people who are in for the surprise of their lives.' The contestants will be given a challenge in each city, and then the judges (chef Jamie Oliver, NFL player Tony Gonzalez, and Chris Rock’s wife Malaak Compton-Rock.) will eliminate one contestant - ultimately awarding 'the biggest giver' the show’s prize."

Massive whale sharks "thriving" off Australia's west coast.

Little Britain's Matt Lucas hijacks housemates on the new UK season of Big Brother.

British mother awarded compensation from gay nightclub after claiming manager called her derogatory names like "breeder": "The tribunal in Southampton awarded Mrs Legg £3,000 in compensation for being harassed for being 'straight' and a further £3,222 for being unfairly dismissed. However, the tribunal did not find that she was sacked because she was heterosexual."

They're big shoes to fill, but do David Beckham's also leave the largest carbon footprint in human history? In related news, Victoria Beckham has an 'enemies' list and Graham Norton is on it.

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Oprah Winfrey Draws Huge Crowds for Obama in Iowa, SC, NH

This weekend's Democratic horserace was all about Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama.

In Des Moines, Iowa, 18,500 people showed up to see Winfrey campaign for Obama:

"In Des Moines, spectators lined up hours early. Cameras flashed in the capacity crowd during Winfrey's speech, which opened and closed to loud applause and was frequently interrupted by cries of 'We love Oprah.' Winfrey said she felt nervous and "out of my pew" as she addressed a gathering hall packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the largest gathering of Iowans in the campaign this year. But she did not hide her political convictions, making an argument for change from the Bush administration other than another Clinton in the White House."

Here is Oprah's Iowa speech:

The Oprama Tour then moved to South Carolina, where the tone turned decidedly more Christian, according to Politico:

"'I give all praise and honor to God,' Obama began. 'Look at the day the Lord has made.' Obama's wife, Michelle, opened the rally with a description of her husband that could, at moments, have been a description of Jesus Christ. 'We need a leader who's going to touch our souls. Who's going to make us feel differently about one another? Who's going to remind us that we are one another’s keepers? That we are only as strong as the weakest among us,' she said, echoing biblical passages. Winfrey also touched on Christian themes that had not been highlighted in Iowa. 'It's amazing grace that brought me here,' she began, adding that she was 'stepping out of my pew' - television – to engage in politics. It isn't enough to tell the truth, Winfrey said. 'We need politicians who know how to be the truth.'"

The duo then made their way to New Hampshire, where 'Oprahpalooza', as many are calling it, was "the most attended political event in recent history," according to the Boston Globe:

"On the weekend before the New Hampshire Primary in 2004, Wesley Clark drew 3,000 with filmmaker Michael Moore. Then the weekend before the general election that year President Bush tried highly unsuccessfully to fill the Verizon Wireless Arena and the next day John Kerry held a 5,000 person rally in the streets of downtown Manchester. The event was also remarkable for its stagecraft. Over 30 television cameras, blaring music, grand, long entrances from both Oprah and Obama with standing ovations added to the idea that something was different about this rally. The crowd clinged to Oprah and her stories. Teenage girls shook like they saw a member of the Beatles when she was introduced to a 30 second standing ovation. But while Obama started strong he also went long -- some 40 minutes -- and some yawns were visible in the audience."

Meanwhile, civil rights figure Andrew Young and former mayor of Atlanta made headlines with an online interview in which he said Barack Obama may be too young for the job.

Young said Hillary had Bill Clinton behind her, strengthening the "machine" that could not only fight off brutal attacks from rivals but also get her elected: "Bill is every bit as black as Barack," and joked, "He's probably gone with more black women than Barack." Said Young: "I want Barack Obama to be president — in 2016...It's not a matter of being inexperienced. It's a matter of being young. There's a certain level of maturity ... you've got to learn to take a certain amount of (expletive)."

Rival candidates did their best to attempt to counterprogram the Oprah juggernaut, with Hillary Clinton enlisting Bill in South Carolina and Chelsea in Iowa, and Edwards holding a strategically-timed conference call:

"[Teresa Wells, a spokeswoman in South Carolina for the Edwards campaign] added that the conference call was held in part because some of Mr. Edwards’s top African-American endorsers are frustrated when they see the news media portray the campaign as 'a two-person race for the African-American vote and we’re not in it.' She said that on the ground they see blacks supporting Mr. Edwards, but that is not conveyed by the media."

Oprah Lends Star Power to Obama in Iowa [ap]

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News: Giant Bug Fossil, Lourdes, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Egypt

The reason for Jonathan Rhys-Meyers recent arrest for drunk and disorderly behavior in Dublin revealed: his mother's death.

Fossil of world's largest bug discovered: "Found in a German quarry, the claw is 46cm (18ins) long, suggesting the sea scorpion was 2.5m (8ft) long - almost two feet longer that it was previously thought the aquatic creatures grew to. Because land-based scorpions and spiders are believed to have descended from the sea scorpion, scientist believe the discovery means that they also may have been even bigger than had been believed."

Oprah contestants go apeshit over her favorite things - video.

Bush pushing through regulations that will further restrict the ability of HIV-positive people to enter the United States: "This is a big disappointment, given the rhetoric of the Bush administration that the US was making it easier - because the new regs simply add more heavy burdens for the HIV-positive traveler."

Gloves are off. Clinton mocks Obama over foreign policy experience: "Voters will have to judge if living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next president will face. I think we need a president with more experience than that, someone the rest of the world knows, looks up to and has confidence in." Obama shoots back: "Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld have spent time in the White House and traveled to many countries as well, but along with Hillary Clinton they led us into the worst foreign policy disaster in a generation and are now giving George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran. The real choice in this election is between conventional Washington thinking that prizes posture and positioning, or real change that puts judgment and honesty first."

Dennis Quaid and Cedars Sinai speak out: Quaid twins tragedy "preventable".

Canadian Polar Bear "harvest" risks population collapse: "In Canada, government hunting quotas encourage killing male polar bears over female ones. The theory is that, because females rear the bear cubs, losing one female polar bear will have a more serious impact on the population's ability to sustain its number. As a result, at least two thirds of polar bears killed in Canada each year are male, according to a separate study that will appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Wildlife Biology. Research has shown that the policy has significantly reduced the ratio of males to females in polar bear populations across the Canadian Arctic."

Madonna's daughter Lourdes offered part in new Harry Potter film.

Facebook automatically opting in its users to privacy-violating pyramid scheme for its partners?

"Ex-gay" therapy hits Egypt.

Please don't let Santa shoot Brandon Flowers.

Crews mop up oil spill at San Francisco's gay beach.

Two groups of scientists announce they are able to create embryonic stem cells from ordinary skin cells: "The breakthrough marks the beginning of a new era for stem cell biology and could be the end for cloning as an alternative way to produce stem cells. One expert said cloning was now 'dead in the water'. Using the new technique, scientists were able to 'rewind' adult cells back to their embryonic state. The process paves the way for stocks of stem cells that can be turned into any of the 200 or so tissue types in the body."

Lance Bass kicks off the holidays at Bloomingdale's.

Outrageous: U.S. Military demanding that wounded vets give back their signing bonuses because they are unable to serve out their terms due to injury.

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Seal Said to be Amazing

Heidi Klum tells Oprah Winfrey on a show set to air Thursday that it wasn't Seal's music that caused her to fall for him. The sight of him in spandex shorts sealed the deal:

"I met him in a hotel lobby in New York City and he came in just from the gym and I was sitting there and I was, like, wow. And I pretty much saw everything. The whole package."

Seal even has a song about it on his new album.

Klum and Seal may duet at the upcoming Victoria's Secret fashion show.

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Oprah to Feature Gay People Around the World Today

Today, Oprah will look at what it's like to be gay around the world and feature an appearance by Indian Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil I posted about at the beginning of the month.

When he came out in 2006, Gohil said: "I knew that they would never accept me for who I truly am, but I also knew that I could no longer live a lie. I wanted to come out because I had gotten involved with activism and I felt it was no longer right to live in the closet. I came out as gay to a Gujarati daily because I wanted people to openly discuss homosexuality since it's a hidden affair with a lot of stigma attached."

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Gay Indian Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil to Appear on Oprah

Indian Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, who was disowned by his family in 2006 after coming out to them, has reportedly been invited by Oprah to appear on her talk show later this month.

Homosexuality is still illegal in India. Gohil puts on a festival at his pink palace every year for gays, to promote the arts and awareness about HIV and AIDS, Reuters reports:

"Gohil, who descends from the royal rulers of Rajpipla, a small town in the western state of Gujarat, was publicly disowned by his family after talking about his sexuality with the media. India abolished princely kingdoms after independence from Britain in 1947, but many formerly royal families continue to lead lavish lives in sprawling palaces and use their old titles. 'I had to deal with opposition from my family and locals of Rajpipla who felt I was involved in activities that are unsuitable in society,' he said. Rajpipla is a very conservative, sleepy town, where women cover their heads and lower their gaze before men."

When he came out in 2006, Gohil said: "I knew that they would never accept me for who I truly am, but I also knew that I could no longer live a lie. I wanted to come out because I had gotten involved with activism and I felt it was no longer right to live in the closet. I came out as gay to a Gujarati daily because I wanted people to openly discuss homosexuality since it's a hidden affair with a lot of stigma attached."

Gohil's festival included not only gay people, but "socialites" and "curious villagers" interested in mingling. Said Gohil: "Gays are talented, creative, imagine a world without us. I was born gay with some talent and skills, this festival is for people like me."

Imagine a world without gays, says gay Indian prince [reuters]

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News: Oprah and Obama, iPhone, Kid Rock, Neo-Nazis, Jane Wyman

Oprah event raises $3 million for Obama campaign: "Among those present at the event featuring two of the most famous Chicagoans in the world: actors Lou Gossett Jr.; Cicely Tyson; Forest Whitaker; Ellen Pompeo; Sidney Poitier; Linda Evans; Tyler Perry; Chris Rock; Hill Harper (who attended Harvard Law with Obama); music producer Kenny 'Babyface' Edmonds; Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, football quarterback Rodney Peete; Winfrey beau Stedman Graham; radio personality Tom Joyner; sports legends Ernie Banks, Bill Russell and Dave Winfield; tennis great Jimmy Connors, and model Cindy Crawford and husband Rande Gerber."

Harrod's department store in London brought in a live Egyptian cobra on Monday to guard a pair of $120,000 ruby, sapphire, and diamond-encrusted Rene Caovilla sandals at their unveiling. The snake has since been returned to its owner.

Reagan ex-wife and actress Jane Wyman is dead at 93.

Apple sells 1,000,000th iPhone, 74 days after introduction.

Woman found shot dead outside gay nightclub in Bethlehem, Pennsyvania: "Bethlehem Police Lt. Joseph Kimock said Robberson's body was found at 7:16 a.m. Saturday when officers responded to a report of a person passed out in a vehicle behind Diamonz. Lehigh County Deputy Coroner David Krause pronounced the woman dead about 45 minutes after officers found her. Krause ruled the death a homicide. An autopsy will be conducted Monday."

In Jerusalem, police arrest cell of cell of young Israeli neo-Nazis accused of attacking gays, religious Jews, drug addicts and foreign workers: "Eight immigrants from the former Soviet Union have been arrested in recent days in connection with at least 15 attacks, and a ninth fled the country, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, in the first such known cell to be discovered in Israel. All the suspects are in their late teens or early 20s and have Israeli citizenship, Rosenfeld said. A court decided Sunday to keep them in custody." More from the Daily Mail...

And more from the VMAs:

Trent hits the VMA party circuit.

Britney Spears damage control team goes into action.

Kid Rock and Tommy Lee show what grown-ups they are...

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #158

FOX ATTACKS: Brave New Film's new debunking exposé of FOX News take on global warming: The Fox is Wrong: Global Warming.

NAN TALESE: Publisher takes on Oprah Winfrey with regard to James Frey's A Million Little Pieces.

PINKBERRY: under attack. (source: defamer)

ANDERSON: This appears to be a few months old, but it's new to me — set to Elvis Costello's "Allison".

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Nate Berkus Does Your Coffee Table

Oprah's home design guru Nate Berkus prepares to hypnotize you on the forthcoming August issue of OUT magazine in which he mainly discusses how he found himself on Oprah and what he's got in the wings in terms of his design career. But he does briefly mention his January 2005 appearance on the show shortly after his partner Fernando Bengoechea was killed in the Southeast Asian tsunami:

"After the show, I got a tremendous amount of letters and e-mails from kids across the country who were coming out. They said that watching the way my relationship with Fernando was presented on the show gave them the courage to say to their friends and parents, 'You know what, I'm gay just like him and I want to have what he had.' The most touching correspondence I received came from an 18-year-old who said, 'I'd never seen a gay couple's love story presented like that on TV before. Now that I've seen it, I realize I'd be wasting a lot of time if I didn't get out there and try to find it for myself.' It was amazing, and it makes me really proud, because somebody somewhere was watching the show and it changed how they viewed themselves and their own opportunities to live in a successful gay relationship...I wasn't concerned about presenting my relationship with Fernando to the world. I wanted people to know about our life and what I lost."

No groundbreaking revelations on whether or not another significant other has entered the picture, but those of you with fantasies of setting up house with Berkus should be pleased he has at least make it to your coffee table.

You may have missed...
Nate's Long Good-bye [tr]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube: #88

BOSTON LEGAL: Great argument about attitudes toward homosexuality and "ex-gays".

GEORGE TAKEI on JIMMY KIMMEL: Responds to Tim Hardaway comments.

ANNA NICOLE IN CLOWN FACE: Howard K. Stern: "This footage is worth money."

O NO SHE DIDN'T: Ellen redesigns Oprah's magazine - from the forthcoming appearance on Feb. 22.

Check out our past guides to the Tube here!

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube: #87

 

 

MARRIAGE IN MAINE: Gay and lesbian couples in Maine talk about their long-term relationships and desire to get married.

VALENTINE'S DAY ACTION: On the 14th, the Off-Broadway Show The Big Voice: God or Merman held a symbolic same-sex wedding ceremony at the Actors' Temple, NYC with the New York Gay Men's Chorus.

I WILL SURVIVE: Promo for Oprah's upcoming appearance on Ellen February 22.

READ MY MIND: Video for the Killers' Pet Shop Boy-produced single.

Check out our other guides to the Tube here!

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More on Oprah and Gayle King's Special Relationship

Via Queerty comes this gem, from a broadcast of Oprah's radio show on XM today:

"When I was 22 years old and working as a TV anchor in Baltimore, there was a young production assistant in the newsroom, Gayle King. One night there was a snowstorm and she couldn't get home. I said, "Hey, you can spend the night at my house." She said, 'I don't have any panties.' I said, 'Well, I do. I have clean panties, and once I give 'em to you, you don't have to give 'em back.'"

I wonder whose panties she was wearing the other night?

Previously
Gayle Cheats: Oprah Absent at Madonna Concert [tr]
Oprah and Gayle: "We're Not Gay." [tr]

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Gayle Cheats: Oprah Absent at Madonna Concert

So last night I went to Madonna's Confessions Tour here in NYC at Madison Square Garden. Before the show I spot what I think is this matching lesbian power couple seated near us, both in white, one in a pantsuit, one in a dress, obviously called each other before the show to conspire on outfits.

Now, I normally wouldn't have given them a second glance, except maybe to check out th