News: Elizabeth Taylor, Old Trees, Heatherette, 'Ex-Gay' Protests

Protest as hundreds gather in Mountain View, California to 'pray the gay away': " A traveling national conference billed as an event 'to provide help for those struggling - and those whose loved ones struggle - with unwanted same-sex attractions,' drew about 700 people to a Mountain View church on Saturday. The gathering at the evangelical Christian church, Abundant Life Christian Fellowship, also drew a small protest by members of the Bay Area's gay and lesbian community incensed by the conference topic, the longstanding controversy on whether gays can be 'converted' - or turned into so-called 'ex-gays' through a Christian 'step out' program."

Details beats up Ashton Kutcher.

Marilyn Monroe sex tape unearthed, sold for $1.5 million.

Hundreds protest marriage equality in Norway: "The protesters included immigrants and native Norwegians, and they came from the villages and the cities. All were firmly against marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples."

Royal blackmailers Ian Strachan and Sean McGuigan head to court to face charges.

Search on for Hollywood actor to play first man on the Moon, Neil Armstrong.

Gay fashion duo Heatherette out of business. "The demise of Heatherette has been months in the making. The label actually canceled their fashion week show in February, though founder Traver Rains claimed at the time that he and partner Richie Rich were simply reorganizing the company and would be back in time for next fashion week. The reorganization was supposed to involve finding a new financial backer after Rich and Rains burned through the $6 million given to them by the Weisfeld Group, owner of urban streetwear outfit FUBU; a source tells Radar that the duo's efforts were unsuccessful, and that Rains and Travers have now amicably parted ways."

Have scientists found the oldest living trees?

With opening of Chaps II, leather scene returning to San Francisco's SoMA district: "On Friday, David Morgan threw open the doors to Chaps II, the most recent indication that leather is making a comeback in SoMa. 'There's a resurgence happening,' said Morgan, 39. 'A lot of people have been saying the leather scene was dead, but there just wasn't a place for people to meet up. ... Gearing up in leather and going to a bar where you're the only one dressed is kind of like a woman going to a bar in a ball gown while everyone else is in T-shirts.' Chaps II, at 1225 Folsom St., is named for Chaps, a bar that operated from 1983-85 on 11th Street, where the DNA Lounge is now located. Appropriately enough, Chaps II hosted a meet-and-greet to open the 30th anniversary Mr. San Francisco Leather contest, which concluded Sunday. Next year, one of the contest's events might take place at another leather bar, Hole in the Wall, which Morgan says plans to reopen soon."

Suicidal Tendencies or homosexual ones?

Orlando Bloom loves New York.

Elizabeth Taylor recently O.D.ed on prescription drugs and booze.

Lesbian couple told to "act straight" in UK pub: “We were told to make our sexuality less obvious. The landlord said there were complaints that the pub had too many dykes.”

POLL: Parents find men kissing more offensive than severed heads in video games.

Gay man arrested for using gay slur towards a police officer: "A gay man has been accused of homophobic breach of the peace - for allegedly calling an ex-police officer a p**f. Marc Sneddon, 38, clashed with former detective Stephen Whelehan while walking their dogs. He was charged and his partner Graham Spence - a police IT worker - was later arrested over claims he also shouted homophobic abuse on another occasion. The couple deny the claims and say neighbour Whelehan and his parents, James and Bridget, launched a vendetta of malicious complaints about them. Graham, 40, said: 'His dog attacked ours. Marc asked him to put it on a lead and got a torrent of abuse. Whelehan started calling him a 'wee f*****g p*****r'. Marc was provoked and asked whether he had a problem with his sexuality and did his wife know he was in the closet. Marc reported it to police but we were stunned when HE was charged."

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News: Prince Harry, Eagle Scout, Wolverine, Orlando Bloom

Vigil against violence to be held today in Fort Lauderdale at 4:30pm: "Join the coalition of community leaders and organizations as we gather to remember Simmie Williams and stand up against the rising tide of violence for a memorial service at the murder site at the 1000 block of Sistrunk Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale."

Prince Harry has been fighting undercover in Afghanistan for the past 10 weeks: "The news of his operational posting leaked out following the breakdown of a news blackout agreement with the media when the story was posted on the US-based Drudge Report website. The chief of the general staff, Sir Richard Dannatt, who is head of the British army, expressed disappointment over the leak. 'I am very disappointed that foreign websites have decided to run this story without consulting us,' he said. 'This is in stark contrast to the highly responsible attitude that the whole of the UK print and broadcast media, along with a small number overseas, who have entered into an understanding with us over the coverage of Prince Harry on operations.' Dannatt, who had opposed Harry's deployment to Iraq, went on to praise the prince's performance on deployment."

Orlando Bloom is tired of complaints about his natural manly scent.

NYC sees surge in gay syphilis cases: "After seeing the number of syphilis cases remain stable in 2004 and 2005 then decrease in 2006, the city health department is reporting that syphilis cases increased by 60 percent in 2007 over 2006, with that growth due to new infections among gay and bisexual men."

Bollywood actor rejected: not gay enough to play a fashionista. Kushal Punjabi: "I really got along well with Madhur. He's my kind of director. But I really didn't see myself in that role at all. I'd like to work with directors like Madhur who look at actors as actors and not as stars."

Ben Affleck discusses his revenge sex video with Jimmy Kimmel: "You couldn't really do it half-speed. You had to be painting toes and blow-drying hair. At one point we were going to take a bath together, but the bubbles couldn't get high enough, so that ended up getting scrapped. The little outfits, the short shorts, the hands in the pockets -- it wouldn't have been funny if you didn't really commit to it."

Underwear day takes over Brazilian capital.

Gay Canadian Health Minister Smitherman criticized for proposing to wear adult diaper as test in response to nursing home 'filth' issues: "Opposition politicians, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and a nursing home association said Smitherman's plan to test drive a diaper shows he doesn't understand the issue is about staffing levels – not diaper technology. 'For him to suggest that's his answer is a disgrace,' said Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory. 'It's some kind of a sideshow he seems determined to put on when, in fact, I think people in Ontario would say: 'George Smitherman, do something about it. Let's see the revolution you promised in long-term care.''"

Hugh Jackman: the claws come out.

Fans go wild: New video of the pint-size breakdancing Beckham.

Matthew McConaughey wins mag's honors for mightiest mammaries.

Texas governor Rick Perry holds book-signing for Boy Scout tome: "Perry's tour to promote the book has garnered national attention. The book debuted at No. 1 on The Washington Post's best-seller list for hardcover nonfiction in Washington-area bookshops. His office touted that achievement the day after The New York Times Magazine published an interview in which Perry said scouting was about building character and not about sex. The word 'homosexual,' he said, suggests that gay people are focused on sex."

Eagle Scout leaves organization disgusted by anti-gay policies: "I am ashamed an organization to which I owe so much has chosen to take such a myopic stance on this issue and hides behind a legal veil to exclude gay Scouts."

Wired publishes disturbing new photos from Abu Ghraib (warning: extremely graphic)

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Orlando Jones to be a Gay Dad

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Orlando Jones has signed on to play one-half of a gay couple hoping to conceive a child through a religious conservative surrogate mother who was told by God that it was her duty to carry out the pregnancy.

The movie is called Misconceptions according to the paper:

"Jones will play Terry, the hopeful parent who comes to the woman's home to micromanage her pregnancy and in the process causes havoc. A.J. Cook (CBS' "Criminal Minds") will play Miranda, the woman who decides to carry the child for the gay couple. Steven J. Brown is producing through his Cineglobe Prods. Ted Perkins and J.A. Bremont are serving as executive producers. The film also stars Sarah Carter, Sam Ball, David Sutcliffe and David Moscow, who will play Jones' life partner."

The film will be directed by Ron Satlof from a script he wrote with Ira Pearlstein.

Jones has 'Misconceptions' [hollywood reporter]

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News: Sir Edmund Hillary, HIV, Paula Abdul, Emperor Hadrian

Man who sued over same-sex marriage question on Massachusetts bar exam apologizes: "I’m an Irish immigrant to this country. And you know, it’s hard to ignore the fact that all communities into America are first discriminated against and attacked before eventually being accepted. In hindsight I see the parallels in the discrimination that were once felt by the Irish in this country, and to a large degree it’s opening up my mind and my heart to want to stop the discrimination that the gay community is confronted with. Because you know it happens to all of us at one point or another; but we have a tendency to have collective amnesia and we forget about it."

Orlando Bloom gets high on Nepal.

Research team finds proteins that could be used to stop HIV: "A research team announced yesterday that it has identified about 270 human proteins that the AIDS virus apparently needs to infect a person, instantly providing researchers with dozens of new strategies for blocking or aborting HIV infection. The vast majority -- more than 200 -- were not previously known to play a role in the complicated choreography by which the virus attaches to a cell, enters it, gets copied and establishes permanent residence. The discovery was made with a technique called a 'genome-wide scan,' which is only a few years old. Current AIDS drugs work by interrupting one of four main steps in HIV's life cycle. The new study suggests that there are many more to target."

Sir Edmund Hillary, first to scale Mount Everest, dies at 88. Graphic illustrates his rise to the top. And here's a Google Earth tour.

REPORT: Paula Abdul set to cast Super Bowl spell...

British Museum exhibit opens with major focus on Roman Emperor Hadrian's homosexuality: "His first move, within hours of coronation, was to withdraw his troops from Mesopotamia, now Iraq, and fortify the empire's boundaries by building his eponymous wall in northern England and others in the Danube and the Rhine valleys, ushering in a new era of peace. The reign that followed can be traced through 200 ancient treasures, many of which have never been display in Britain. Several of the artefacts relate to his male consort, Antinous, who accompanied him on his travels around the empire. These items include a poem written on papyrus, featuring the two men hunting together, and new finds that include memorials to the dead lover at Hadrian's villa in Tivoli. Although it was not uncommon for his predecessors to have taken gay lovers alongside a female spouse, Hadrian was unique in making his love "official" in a way that no other emperor had before him."

Quartet of stars discovered swirling around one another in an area the size of Jupiter's orbit.

Adios: Britney Spears flees to Mexico with paparazzo boyfriend.

Chicago-area teen continues battle to wear anti-gay T-shirt to school: "Twice, Neuqua sophomore Alexander Nuxoll of Bolingbrook has filed for an injunction that would suspend "the school's policy that allows speech in favor of homosexual conduct, but bans speech critical of homosexual conduct," said his attorney, the Alliance Defense Fund's Jonathan Scruggs. And twice now courts have denied that request. Now, Nuxoll and his legal counsel are set to seek an appeal of these decisions."

Rodrigo Santoro hangs 10...

Figure skating champ Christopher Bowman dead in potential drug overdose.

Eminem turning into fat Elvis, says mom: "The rapper has been living in a constant state of depression, cut off from human contact while he eats massive amounts of food. Reportedly well on his way to obesity at the rate he's going, the 5 foot 7 rapper currently weighs in at approximately 203 pounds and was hospitalized over the Christmas holiday for possible heart problems as well as pneumonia. Suffering from insomnia, Eminem has taken to ordering in--mostly Mexican food and filet mignon--often paying for himself and his entire entourage."

Colton Ford and gay rapper Cazwell in new video.

Paris Hilton targeted for Scientology by Tom Cruise?

Hustlers in South Africa target gay man after having sex with him on the beach.

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Adventures in Exterior Decoration: Orlando Bloom's Black House

Page Six reports: "Orlando Bloom is about as far from a goth as you can get which is why his decision to paint his Los Angeles mansion all-black is so shocking. The house, which he paid $2.7 million for this August, is nestled on Outpost Drive in the Hollywood Hills, the same neighborhood that Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johansson call home. And both blonde starlets are reportedly annoyed with Orlando for his decision to paint it black, since most Outpost Drive residents paint their homes white to reflect the sun. 'Orlando went completely the other way,' a source tells British newspaper The Sun. 'It’s a bit weird, but that’s Orlando — he’s an original guy.' How come the hot guys get to be 'original' while the average joes are labeled 'weird'?"

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Golden Boy Orlando Bloom

Came across this shot today (though I have no idea when or where it was taken), and have to say its the finest I've seen of Orlando Bloom in a while. Bloom is currently receiving good reviews in a production of In Celebration in London's West End.

There were rumors he was to pull a Daniel Radcliffe in that production, but those rumors were later squashed. Shame.

(image source)

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News: Wii Fit, Giant Squid, Beckham Invasion, Larry Flynt, Mika

Larry Flynt's investigators are currently looking into at least 20 high-profile political sex scandals, some of which involve "high ranking Republican and Democrat members of the Senate and the House."

Mika shows off cartoons from Life in Cartoon Motion in London exhibit.

Bush's policies have made Al Qaeda a powerhouse again: "Six years after the Bush administration declared war on al-Qaeda, the terrorist network is gaining strength and has established a safe haven in remote tribal areas of western Pakistan for training and planning attacks, according to a new Bush administration intelligence report to be discussed today at a White House meeting. The report, a five-page threat assessment compiled by the National Counterterrorism Center, is titled 'Al-Qaida Better Positioned to Strike the West,' intelligence officials said. It concludes that the group has significantly rebuilt itself despite concerted U.S. attempts to smash the network."

This should be common sense, but one shouldn't walk through a thunderstorm while listening to your iPod.

British invasion: Beckhams arrive at Heathrow for flight to Los Angeles.

Adult film maven Michael Lucas to lose his trademark pout.

Navigating the linguistic seas of cross-cultural slurs: "Language is always guilty. What could be more common than the verb ''get''? We Cubans use coger for anything that is taken, held, grasped, grabbed, etc., while in other Hispanic countries, the verb has the lubricious meaning implicit in 'I`m gonna get you.' In much stronger terms. In the lands that first identified the syndrome we call 'machismo' (as a malaise, I should add), words for homosexual abound. Sometimes they are as simple as the Spanish for 'bird' or 'duck,' which lend themselves to endless wordplay. Through the process known in literary studies as metonymy, there are pejorative allusions to gayness, such as 'one can see his feathers,' i.e. he is a bird, meaning queer. 'Bird,' as we all know, is British slang for 'chick.' And that word in Spanish, pollo, is archaic Cuban slang one can hear in old Beny Moré songs in which the great singer brags about how chicks dig him. And these are only the vicissitudes of staying within one language."

David Mixner recalls lunch with Lady Bird Johnson.

Orlando Bloom says he won't be getting naked on the London stage, although it might help if the play he was performing in actually had any opportunities for nudity.

Giant squid washes up on Tasmanian beach: "one of the biggest ever found, weighing in at 250 kilograms, with a cross-section as big as a truck tyre and longer than a station wagon."

Scientists spot planet with water outside our solar system: " But the planet itself would be hell for humans. Orbiting cheek by jowel to the star, at a distance that is 30 times closer than that between the Earth and the Sun, parts of the planet's atmosphere reach 2,000 degrees Celsius (3,600 degrees Fahrenheit). This seething temperature is reached on the side of the planet that always faces the star. By comparison, the other side of the planet is relatively balmy, with a low of 500 C (932 F). Tinetti's team used NASA's Spitzer orbiting telescope, using its infrared sensors to pick out the tiny signature that occurs when water vapour absorbs light from a star."

The man forever associated with Ted Haggard has something to say in Colorado Springs.

Do you have a lot of moles? You may have a better chance of living longer.

Wii Fit prepares to combat couch potato-ism: "The title is set to include more than forty different activities, from aerobics to yoga poses to muscle conditioning, and it will even measure your BMI. Plus, as can be seen in the trailer, there are a number of other fun minigames -- yes, we know, minigames on the Wii! -- that also serve to improve balance and coordination." The videogame system may soon be #1 worldwide.

And a very happy birthday today to Trent, our friend at Pink is the New Blog!

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Orlando Bloom Next to Strip for London Stage?

It seems getting naked on stage in London is the thing these days. Orlando Bloom will reportedly take it all off in a revival of David Storey's 1969 play In Celebration this summer in the West End.

Said Bloom: "There's nothing wrong with a little bit of nudity. I'm not sure I'll be getting all my bits and pieces out, though."

Perhaps Daniel Radcliffe could give him a little coaching.

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News: Orlando Bloom, Big Gay Church, Syphilis, Duane Michals

At least 200 couples have applied for civil unions in New Jersey in the first month since the law took effect, according to a report from the state's Health and Senior Services Department.

Texas gay church claims to be the world's largest: "Last year it became part of the United Church of Christ, which claims 1.3 million members in 5,725 U.S. congregations and traditions of diversity and pioneering action on social justice. On a recent Sunday during Lent -- a period of prayer and penance in the run-up to Easter -- mostly gay couples, men and women, streamed in for morning services. The big pickup trucks and sports utility vehicles gave the parking lot a Texan flavor and most were on the expensive side -- highlighting the fact that being openly gay remains a mostly white-collar phenomenon in America."

A few pearls of wisdom from photographer Duane Michals.

The price for a co-op or condo in Manhattan has increased over 200% in the last ten years: "The average price in 1997 was $430,927, and, in 2006, it was $1,295,445, according to the report from appraisal firm Miller Samuel and brokerage Prudential Douglas Elliman."

Tomorrow, Larry Gierer will become Oakland Park, Florida's first openly gay mayor and the first HIV-positive mayor in Broward County. Gierer: "Some people thought that intimidating me would keep me from running for office. But I've never thought a person's health status should keep them from doing what they wanted to do. I never hid my sexuality. I would be remiss if I did not become the person that could display that you can live with AIDS and lead a productive life. I feel it's my responsibility."

Justin Timberlake does Details, Orlando Bloom does Vman, and here's a preview of the new Vman.

Gay porn stars Erik Rhodes and Ben Andrews model for Loehmans. (site NSFW)

Syphilis on the march among gay men in Arizona.

Ex-Bush official says he fixed facts from scientists to fit the White House's global warming policy.

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News: Anderson Cooper, Marijuana Gumballs, Einstein...

More chatter regarding the ABA Report that says Bush is violating the constitution. Lou Dobbs: Why is the President ignoring our laws? "A bipartisan, 11-member panel of the ABA found that President Bush is not only disregarding laws but using such signing statements far more than any president in history. In fact, Bush has used signing statements to raise constitutional objections to more than 800 provisions in more than 100 laws. All of the presidents combined before 2001 had issued only 600."

Simon Doonan: "After watching Anderson Cooper’s intrepid reports last week, I am totally convinced that there is room for style on the battlefield. Somehow or other, Gloria’s handsome lad, while dodging bombs in Lebanon, became a style icon. Damn him! He looks so wickedly handsome and au courant! His preferred garments—a cobalt-blue sports shirt under a matte-black top-stitched bulletproof vest—have a definite whiff of the Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons or vintage Helmut Lang about them. As a result, Mr. Cooper gets my fashion-in-the-face-of-adversity award." (capture via ata)

First UK gay man to be prosecuted for infecting his partner with HIV is on the lam: A warrant was issued for the arrest of Mark James, 47, of Park Road, Burgess Hill, and Judge Jonathan Lowen promised to sentence him in his absence if he is not apprehended within a short time."

Jared Leto channels...Madonna?

Using Einstein's theory of relativity to speed the airline boarding process: "According to New Scientist, which reports the research today, it is the first practical application of Einstein's work outside physics. And the researchers are in talks with a major airline which wants to use their ideas."

Anatomy of an outing: the Sydney Star Observer dissects the coming out of singer Darren Hayes. “When was the last time you saw me on the red carpet with a fake girlfriend? Some people do that, and I have always chosen to take a higher road than that as I want to be an artist and an expressive person.”

For those not as threatened by the 'man purse' as Andy Roddick, Cool Hunting takes a look at bags for guys.

Penny for a gumball, Red-eye!

Readers of Jane magazine want Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom to go gay in the next Pirates of the Caribbean.

Nikke Finke: Is Jake Gyllenhaal's urge to play Lance Armstrong a ride to nowhere?

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News: T-Mobile, Johnny Depp, Superman, Cyndi Lauper...

Following pressure from the anti-gay American Family Association, T-Mobile has pulled ads from two FX channel shows: "The move appears to be another victory for Wildmon's group, which has made a habit of going after advertisers in shows that offend its sensibilities. In the case of the two FX shows, the AFA has complained to advertisers supporting the programs that that the shows are 'over the edge in sex, violence and profanity.'"

He came from the mist...

Too gay? Filmmaker Kevin Smith says Bryan Singer's Superman not gay enough: "You look at the X-Men movies and it's an allegory for what it's like to be gay, like, if you take the word 'mutant' out of that movie and stick 'gay' in, the movie still works. I was really looking forward to him doing the third one because it would be an out-and-out gay fantasia - I was hoping that the dude would go for a kind of Brokeback Mutant kind of movie, but he opted to do Superman. I thought he'd make a really gay Superman but he didn't; it was more JESUS' Superman... - a lot of Messianic poses and what not and I was hoping for a little more gay action."

Cyndi Lauper, Mayor Daley wrap up Chicago's Gay Games for crowd of 20,000+. Sun-Times: "The event belonged to one singer, however. The entire crowd was silent as a violinist, dressed as Abe Lincoln, began to play the opening notes of Cyndi Lauper's 'True Colors.' Proving she is still so unusual, Lauper entered barefoot from the dugout, dressed as the Statue of Liberty wrapped in the rainbow flag and carrying a torch. She ended the set by telling the crowd to 'stand tall and together pass the flame on.' It was the kind of high note you wish the games had begun with."

Orlando Bloom on his Pirates co-star Johnny Depp: "He is always trying to kiss me. I'm like, 'No tongue!'"

Gay soldiers live life of secrecy and isolation within the Canadian Forces. Soldier: "I am part of a same-sex common-law couple within the Canadian Forces, and after declaring common-law status, I found that my situation is very common across the Canadian Forces, although many couples prefer to remain in silence about their relationship and lifestyle. From personal experience, I know there are young soldiers who feel they don't belong, and there are no resources within the military community or the Family Resource Centre to reach out to them."

Richard Hatch has been sent to a federal prison in Oklahoma while serving his 51-month sentence for failing to pay taxes on his $1 million Survivor winnings. Hatch Lawyer: "He should be in a camp. The camps are the most comfortable of the uncomfortable. They are still jails, but they get to see the sky and be outside. It's bad for Richard, who is an outdoor person."

Father and son taking Jack Twist's Brokeback truck, the one sold at auction, on tour of Alberta, Canada where the movie was shot.

Chicago radio DJ told Jody Watley she was not to speak about the Gay Games during a radio interview, despite the fact she was in the city to perform at them.

AfterElton profiles Rex Lee, who plays Jeremy Piven's assistant on Entourage: "Even now, I'm on this show, I play a gay character, I talk about being gay in real life. But I'm shocked at how many people don't get it. They're like ‘Hey! Bet you're really reeling in the women now that you're on this show!' And I'm like, ‘Do you live under a rock?'"

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