News: Meningitis, Puerto Rico, Rob Ford, China, Russia

Epidemiologists puzzled over NYC's Meningitis outbreak: "What is concerning is that it is largely restricted to men who have sex with men. So we don’t really understand why that is.” Have you been vaccinated?

Thousands marched in support of gay rights in the capital of Puerto Rico of San Juan: "Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz and Sen. Ramón Nieves Pérez, who sponsored the sweeping anti-LGBT non-discrimination bill the Senate on Thursday passed by a 15-11 vote margin, unfurled an LGBT Pride flag from the balcony of City Hall as marchers passed."

Britney Spears claims the leaked version of her upcoming single is just an early demo.

Colin Egglesfield knows how to wear a t-shirt.

North Korea launched three short-range guided missiles in a northeastern direction earlier today.

Snookie flips the paparazzi the bird.

The very first film to be adapted from a David Sedaris short story set to open Outfest.

Gawker wants to raise $200,000 so they can purchase and publish the videotape of anti-gay Toronto mayor Rob Ford smoking crack. Also, don't expect to hear Ford air his weekly radio show this weekend.

Some promising yet frustrating news out of China on the International Day Against Homophobia: "Activists said they felt encouraged when the communist party's official mouthpiece China Central Television published a Weibo post on Friday morning advocating respect for the LGBT community. But the post was soon deleted without any explanation."

Could Smell-O-Vision be coming back - in a mobile form?

Reacting disapprovingly to today's momentous legalization of same-sex marriage in France, Russia's Children's Rights Commissioner Pavel Astakhov said this morning that his country will now consider changing its child adoption policy with France.

Meredith Baxter Discusses Her Public Coming Out At Outfest

Meredith Baxter, who came out as a lesbian last December, participated in a panel discussion I attended yesterday at Outfest yesterday that focused on coming out in Hollywood. She was joined by several other openly gay creative types working in Hollywood as well as publicist Howard Bragman, who famously orchestrated coming outs by Chely Wright and Baxter. When asked about how should would tell the world that she is gay, Baxtyer joked to the audience, “I thought I might put an ad in the paper, kind of like a little birth announcement that would say, 'OK, I'm gay – Meredith.'”

She also explained how Bragman handled her public coming out and how overwhelmed she was by all of the media attention:

"When it became apparent that this was not in my control any longer I was put in touch with the lovely Howard Bragman and he sort of put things into motion in ways that I thought was way over the top...an article in...People Magazine....followed by on air with Matt Lauer saying to national television 'hello im a lesbian!'"

Baxter added, "It was not in my plan but I will say that an enormous amount of relief followed that. I didn't expect it. I didn't know to look for that. I didn't know to want that. But now the feeling is 'Fuck it. Everyone knows. I don't have to worry about anything.'"

When asked if she was still pursuing acting roles, Baxter said that she was indeed. "Certainly I am. It's just been a long, slow period. It was tough before I came out. It just hasn't gotten better." She then turned to Bragman and said, "as someone had actually predicted it would be..."

Speaking of Outfest: Sasha, a German film about a teen boy who struggles to come out to his immigrant Montengrin family, is a gem of a film, and I'm not just saying that because my parents came from that country as well. It's touching, sweet, awkwardly funny and totally worth a peek.

(photos via Greg in Hollywood)

Finally, the big winners at Outfest were announced earlier this afternoon. The full list is AFTER THE JUMP.

Watch: Jane Lynch All Over Outfest

It's been quite a week for Jane Lynch. She was nominated for an Emmy for her work on Glee, received an Achievement Award at Outfest, and yesterday she sat down to discuss her career as part of a panel at the film festival.

She took the time to talk about how frightening the aspect of coming out was to her and her fear of what it might do to her career. She got over the fear part pretty quickly.

"It's funny, when I was younger I used to lie in bed and think, 'What will I do if I ever get famous and they find out I'm gay?' I would really angst about that. It just happened so naturally and I didn't hide anything...It's the people that came before me that have really blazed a trail for me. Ellen DeGeneres, Rosie O'Donnell, Melissa Etheridge, Kd Lang, those people that stood up when it wasn't popular and said, 'I'm gay - deal with it'. I never let anything like my sexuality stop me from pursuing what I wanted to do and what I do has nothing to do with my orientation really...I play straight people all the time, I think I'm an actor first before I'm a gay person."

While accepting her Achievement Award during Outfest's opening night gala, Lynch had some very appreciative things to say about her Glee co-star and fellow Emmy nominee, Chris Colfer. Yes, she essentially called him an old lady - but she meant it as a compliment:

"The entire world has just embraced you and who you are, but none more than gay and lesbian kids who now have a courageous and fashion-forward role model and uber cool guy to look up to. It's a lot to put on your young shoulders, but I don't worry about you because you have a wise old grandma that lives in you, keeping your feet on the ground and making sure everyone has enough to eat."

Watch a highlights reel of her panel discussion in which the actress goes so far as to say that Glee has given some fans of the impactful show "a reason to live." That's AFTER THE JUMP.

News: Mel Gibson, The Sun, Earth Day, Outfest, The World Cup

Meredith Vieira borrows Lady Gaga's smokey shades.

Scientists believe that dark matter has been building up in the sun over the last 5 billion years.

It was only a matter of time before it exploded over the Internet. Listen to audio of Mel Gibson's incredibly racist rant here. And, yes, it's just as bad as you think it is.

Posh Spice is just like us: "I am a gay man in woman's body so God supposes I should love singers like Lady GaGa."

The top 10 presidential fashion flubs.

I think it was the fake lesbian kiss that put the final nail in Miley Cyrus's career.

Kylie Minogue on being diagnosed with cancer: "Oh yeah. It changes. I look back on it now and the terror is still very real. But going through that and then going straight back on the road as soon as I physically could do it, I look back on that and think 'were you nuts?'"

Gay bar in Slovenia met with Molotov cocktail and hateful graffiti such as "Death to faggots."

Lady Gaga will release an album of remixes next month.

A judge in Tennessee has approved a same-sex sexual harassment lawsuit involving two straight men.

The blue people of Avatar netted James Cameron a whole lotta green.

The man behind the gas mask in a well-known Earth Day photo is revealed.

Gail Collins on Levi Johnston: "(He) told People that he hoped that the Palins would 'forgive my youthful indiscretion.' This does not really sound like something that would come from a high-school dropout who gave his son the middle name of Easton because that is his favorite hockey equipment company. Bristol responded to her ex-boyfriend’s statement with one of her own, saying that 'part of co-parenting is creating healthy and honest relationships between the parents.' Also not the kind of word choice you normally hear from a 19-year-old."

Outfest opens in LA.

Glee will get an all Britney episode.

Spain will win the World Cup. Or so says an octopus.

News: A "No" To Marriage Equality For Argentina, Black Gay Pride, Barack's Revenge

 "Breakfast" is served; art break from Downeyes's Blog.

 Out publicist Howard Bragman and actress Meredith Baxter will join a panel of Hollywood "industry insiders" to tackle the topic "Coming Out in Hollywood" at Outfest in L.A. on July 17.

 Guapo Magazine celebrates its third issue. In magazine publishing, each issue is a special anniversary these days.

 DO CRY FOR ME: Another marriage setback, this time in Latin America. The Senate General Legislation Committee of Argentina has voted 9 to 6 to recommend that a marriage equality bill be rejected by the Senate. The Senate will continue debating it.

 Chicago's South Side holds black gay pride parade. Charlotte, North Carolina, is next.

 Republican Presidential hopeful Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana has signed into law a bill that allows guns to be carried into churches. No, Hammer, that's why we pray.

Visionaire 58 is a(n expensive) tribute to the late Alexander McQueen.

 Three-year legal battle ends positively for Tennessee lesbian fighting for the right to have her own teenage children stay legally with her in the home she now shares with her partner.

 "Are y'all gay...we should whoop your ass for that!" Arrests made in gay couple's mugging in Atlanta; Atlanta Police Department Officer Patricia Powell, LGBT liaison, says, "I don't know if gay people are being targeted."

 Rush Limbaugh thinks President Obama created the recession on purpose as a payback for racism.

 Retiring Reform Jewish Rabbi Peter Knobel of Evanston, Ill., reflects on his change from being homophobic to officiating at gay weddings.

 Principal photography (with a tony cast including Abbie Cornish, James D'Arcy and James & Laurence Fox) began this week on W.E., Madonna's directorial feature debut, co-written with Truth or Dare director Alek Keshishian. The film is, in a nutshell, Julie & Julia except with Wallis Simpson instead of Julia Child.

 Tipper Gore doesn't believe masseuse's allegations that soon-to-be-ex Al groped and assaulted her.

Movies: It's a Gay, Gay, Gay, Gay Weekend

NATHANIEL ROGERS

Nathaniel Rogers would live inside a movie theater but for the poor internet reception. He blogs daily at the Film Experience.

Now Playing
When it rains, it pours. After months of gay-free movies, this weekend is curiously homo-saturated: Outfest began in Los Angeles, QFest began in Philadelphia and at least three of the week's new releases are touched by the gay.  I Love You, Beth Cooper, a new high school "comedy" -- that's in quotes because it sure ain't funny -- has a totally obnoxious running gag about whether or not the hero's best friend is gay. And the weekend has two highly discussable homo-adjacent movies. The big wide hyped release is of course Brüno, Sacha Baron Cohen's satire of homophobia or Sacha Baron Cohen's gay minstrel act depending on where your sense of humor lies. Brüno's gotten a lot of play here at Towleroad, with presumably more to come. Also worthy of discussion is the micro-indie Humpday, the story of straight best friends who decide to have sex for an "art project".

MORE after the jump