News: Cincinnati, RuPaul, Liverpool, Right Whales, Rihanna, Nepal

Cincinnati activists concerned about local NAACP chapter's hiring of anti-gay attorney. Attorney Chris Finney has a long history as an Anti-GLBT Rights Activist and is involved with such groups as the CCV (Citizens for Community Values which has ties to Focus on the Family) and was instrumental in making  sure that the original hate crime laws in Cincinnati did not cover sexual orientation.

Massive comeback of right whales seen in Cape Cod Bay: "An aerial survey done last week by the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies indicated there were 60 right whales swimming in the bay, chowing down on the buffet of zooplankton in the waters offshore. That's six times the number of the endangered whales surveyors saw last year at this time."

Rihanna gets gun tattoo.

McCain strategist Steve Schmidt comes out in support of marriage equality: “I’m personally supportive of [marriage] equality for gay couples and I believe that it will happen over time. I think that more and more Americans are insistent that, at a minimum, gay couples should be treated with respect and when they see a political party trying to stigmatize a group of people who are hardworking, who play by the rules, who raise decent families, they’re troubled by it.”

LOGO renews RuPaul's Drag Race.

Former publisher of Bay Windows, Jim Hoover, dies at 53.

Another kid? Madonna off to Malawi again.

Federer grabs some attention courtside.

Nepal opening up as gay tourism destination: "In a break from the traditional mindset, some of the country’s tour operators have now geared up to lure foreign gay and lesbian tourists. Earlier, this kind of travel used to be closeted. A number of restaurants, discos and hotels have been established in the country that cater to gay and lesbian couples. Employees in these establishments have been trained to behave better so that visiting couples get the respect they are looking for."

Reality explosion: Kathy Griffin and Paris Hilton.

L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center launches fourth episode of its AIDS prevention web soap opera "In the Moment".

Pam Spaulding had her eyes opened at the North Carolina Equality Day of Action in Raleigh: "We had people come from as far away as Duck (that's on the Outer Banks) and to the mountain town of Hendersonville to meet with the legislators to discuss pro-LGBT legislation in the queue and to urge them to oppose the marriage amendment."

Through My Eyes: New documentary from the Gay Christian Network looks at how the homosexuality debate within the Christian church affects young gay people who identify as both Christian and gay.

British synth-pop singer La Roux drives in to town.

Last week, Michelangelo Signorile interviewed Tennessee lawmaker Stacey Campfield, who spearheaded the "don't say gay" bill that would forbid any discussion of homosexuality in schools in that state. Listen to the audio HERE.

James O'Connor gets life sentence for slaying of gay Liverpool teen Michael Causer: "Sentencing him to a minimum of 11½ years in prison Mr Justice King accepted O’Connor did not act out of homophobic motives, but described him as 'ignoble' and 'cowardly'. Co-defendant Michael Binsteed, 19, who was accused of perverting the cause of justice, was sentenced to 34 weeks in custody, suspended for two years. He was ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service in 12 months. Speaking outside court, Michael’s parents, Marie and Michael Causer, said: 'This is another black day for Michael. It’s just pathetic.'"

News: Diesel, Hayden Christensen, Indiana, Firefighters, Sam Adams

Jury out in murder case against anti-gay killers of Liverpool teen Michael Causer.

Kanye West steps out with gaybot.

Hillary Clinton talks about why she took job as Secretary of State: "It was not anything I had any reason to expect or had even thought about. I had to make a hard decision. We have so many of the same views of what we should do in the world." Gets Hardball award from Chris Matthews.

Porn producer Michael Lucas sends letter to Barack Obama requesting aid after seizure of adult video titles by Canadian authorities.

Gay tease Hayden Christensen chooses women.

One of Buffalo Continental plane crash victims was long time HIV prevention and gay men's health advocate: "Gonzalez came to New Brunswick from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, where he was a National Urban Fellow. Previously, he was executive director of Alianza Latina, a nonprofit organization addressing HIV/AIDS in Buffalo, N.Y.; and also education services director and community educator of AIDS Community Services in New York. Gonzalez also volunteered at a fitness center in East Harlem, N.Y., where he led free exercise classes for the poor."

POLL: 48% of New Jersey residents favor marriage equality, 43% oppose.

Madonna will not be appearing in vampire sequel.

Guess what day it is in Brazil?

New York Press takes a look at the East Village Boys. "The boys that we have on there, they sort of exist as the low-culture pin-up boys. It provides a good mix, having serious discussions without forgetting that we like to look at pictures of naked boys. When you read a newspaper, the most successful ones combine high and low culture. I don’t think most American newspapers do it well it all, but if you look at something like The Guardian, it’s serious but they also recognize that you want a little bit of everything and I think that’s kind of where we are...people come to the site for the cock, but they stay for the culture.” 

Anti-gay marriage amendment stopped in Indiana legislature: "Indiana’s Senate Republican Caucus voted this week not to consider a resolution that would have proposed amending the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.  This vote means the amendment is unlikely to advance during this legislative session.  The resolution would require approval by the Senate and House in two consecutive legislative sessions, and, if approved, would then go before the voters."

Former Project Runway designer Jack Mackenroth, who is interviewed this week by the San Francisco Bay Times, blogs fashion week in NYC.

SF Weekly: Heads to butt at upcoming Prop 8 town hall. "Supervisors Bevan Dufty, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, and Senator Mark Leno will all apparently be there, as will ball-busting gay blogger and activist Michael Petrelis, who has spent a whole lot of time castigating the architects of the No on 8 campaign. In January, Petrelis posted the names and phone numbers of the 16 members of the No on 8 executive committee. According to Petrelis's blog, Petrelis Files, he had to file a public records request with the Secretary of State to get the names. "Like practically everything [Equality California Executive Director Geoff] Kors and No on 8 touched, the closet and non-transparency ruled," Petralis wrote. Then said he hoped the executive committee, which included Kors, would spend the next year sweeping the streets of gay neighborhoods and participating in other acts of penance for wasting $45 million on losing gays the right to marry."

Stonewall, the FBU, the Local Government Association, the Chief Fire Officers' Association, Unison, the Asian Fire Service Association, the Fire Officers' Association, the GMB, the National Disabled Fire Association, Networking Women in the Fire Service and the Retained Firefighters Union call for end of homophobic bullying among UK firefighters.

Paris Hilton attempts rap with Snoop Dogg.

Diesel displays downtown denizens dining: "Around 9 p.m. the guests took their seats around a table in the window of the new store, which opens to the public on Thursday, in full view of confused passerby. They nibbled Olivier Cheng catering while a pack of photographers snapped their photos through the large glass window, and Diesel employees and some invited press roamed the store."

AfterElton talks to Keir Gilchrist, the gay son on The United States of Tara.

Is GLASS the first LGBT non-profit to fall victim to recession? "Wednesday night, eight days after its 25th anniversary, the board of directors of Gay and Lesbian  Adolescent Social Services (GLASS) voted 7-0 (with one abstention) to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this afternoon.  According to founder and executive director Terry DeCrescenzo, the staff is so "outraged" at the board's decision, they plan to ask a court to intervene and accept a reorganization plan instead."

Beaverton contractor launches crusade against Portland Mayor Sam Adams: "He passed out pamphlets detailing why Adams should be kicked out of office and said he plans to file charges with the state Thursday. PJ Mulcahy rented a room at Portland City Hall for Wednesday's press conference. He and several other people said Adams is not only an embarrassment to the city but they think he violated election laws for lying about his affair with a teenager. Mulcahy also brought a replica of the Ten Commandments and said Adams not only lied to the public, he sinned."

News: Damien Hirst, Sam Adams, Facebook, Lady Gaga, Ahmadinejad

Hate crime charges filed against Tacoma man for threats against woman in Seattle: "Prosecutors assert that Salway threatened to stab her in the eyes before asking 'did you hear me lesbian?' The woman told him to leave, drawing more threats from Salway. 'I'm going to hurt you lesbian,' Salway said, according to the woman's statements to police. 'Lesbian, I'm going to get you.' Fearing for her life, the woman ran from Salway as he gave chase. She and several other witnesses phoned police, who arrested Salway minutes later."

Damien Hirst paints cover art for new edition of Darwin's On the Origin of Species: "The painting sits firmly in the tradition of 'still life' and is made up of objects I've come to imbue with my own meanings, some of them Darwinian in origin, and that I guess are seen in other areas of my work. The painting has an X-ray-like quality to it, as if it is revealing something about the structure of the objects painted."

THE FAME: Lady Gaga meets Paris Hilton.

Sam Adams confronted during council meeting; absent from Mayors Day at state capitol. NYT: The Great Gay Hope.

Rights for same-sex couples expand in Colombia: "The high court ordered changes to 42 norms that range from Criminal, Civil and Disciplinary Codes, to the special health plan available to military forces. The Magistrates embraced a position paper submitted by their peer, Rodrigo Escobar Gil. They ruled that the challenged dispositions did not justify the discrimination they instituted, or that the variances with regards to same-sex couples placed these people in a position of vulnerability before the law. And in both cases, the Constitutional Court held that the right to equality was violated."

Terre Haute: Edmund White's play based on imagined conversations between Gore Vidal and terrorist Timothy McVeigh comes to NYC.

Vancouver gay man's killer up for parole: "Cran, now 27, was one of three people convicted in the killing. The attackers used a golf club, pool cues and baseball bats at Second Beach in Stanley Park to kill [Aaron] Webster near the entrance to the park's gay cruising trails. At Cran's trial, witnesses —including two of his accomplices who can't be named because they were under 18 when the incident took place —told BC Supreme Court Justice Mary Humphries the group had gone to the park to beat up 'peeping toms and voyeurs.' Instead, they found Webster, naked except for his shoes. They pursued him through the park to his car, striking him with weapons while they ran."

Jake Gyllenhaal kicks paparazzo outside jury duty.

Pete Wentz misses his old trashy pornstache.

Lutheran minister in Namibia suspended over alleged gay activities: "It is alleged Tjongarero has been involved in a series of intimate homosexual affairs, which go against the provisions of the church at which he is a pastor. The alleged infidelities have been going on in Omaruru for some time, but ELCRN’s head office failed to take action as they had inadequate evidence to prove that Tjongarero is in fact gay. Recently however, a worshipper of his congregation allegedly caught Tjongarero with his pants down, reportedly having sex with a young male member of the church choir."

Virgin America sues blogger over fake ad.

Threatening 'straight power' discussion removed by Facebook: "The Facebook discussion is dated Nov. 13, but it wasn’t brought to Jackie Kittrell’s attention until Jan. 13, when a friend showed it to her son Conrad Honicker, a junior at West High School. The group: W.A.S.P., aka We Are Straight People. The topic: 'gay kids at school.' A typical post from the discussion: 'At west high school the GSA [Gay Straight Alliance] is getting on my nerves, they are banning phrases such as ‘thats so gay.’' The post that really caught Kittrell’s attention: 'f---ing fagots sucking dick and what not. we need assassinate conrad. ... just needs to f---ing choke to death on a ...'"

Advocate: The new wave of 'post-gay' filmmaking.

Timberlake not intimidated by Madonna: "She's short, so I wasn't afraid at all."

Life goes on for months around frozen body in vacant Detroit warehouse.

Obama drafting letter to Iran's Ahmadinejad: "Diplomats said Obama's letter would be a symbolic gesture to mark a change in tone from the hostile one adopted by the Bush administration, which portrayed Iran as part of an 'axis of evil'. It would be intended to allay the ­suspicions of Iran's leaders and pave the way for Obama to engage them directly, a break with past policy. State department officials have composed at least three drafts of the letter, which gives assurances that Washington does not want to overthrow the Islamic regime, but merely seeks a change in its behaviour. The letter would be addressed to the Iranian people and sent directly to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, or released as an open letter."

T.I.'s drawers really droop.

News: Ethiopia, Clay Aiken, Burger King, Michael Musto , Spain

Decade-long spike in anti-gay hate crimes expected to continue surge in 2008.

Some vintage shots of a well-known CNN anchor.

Ethiopian clerics want ban on homosexuality enshrined in constitution: "Religious leaders in Ethiopia on Monday urged lawmakers to amend the country's constitution to ban homosexuality in a move they argue could further strengthen existing codes. At a meeting in the Ethiopian capital, nearly a dozen religious figures, including heads of Ethiopia's Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, adopted a resolution against homosexuality, which they termed as 'the pinnacle of immorality.'"

British mum in court for anti-gay attack on her own son.

40-year-old British ex-boxer in court for anti-gay attack on 14-year-old boy: "Wirral magistrates heard Stephen Hope, 40, of Hull, only stopped his attack when he was slashed across the arm by the boy’s mother, who had panicked and grabbed a kitchen knife. The thick-set former drug user had befriended the woman four months prior to the attack on August 13. The court heard how having originally listened to the youth confide he might be homosexual, Hope grew increasingly angry, saying he was driving a wedge between him and his mother."

Clay Aiken immortalized at Sardi's.

Gay Indian Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil goes undercover to try and find a partner: "Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil has been trawling the bars and clubs of a British seaside resort - even taking up a menial job - in a life-follows-art search for a soulmate. Gohil, crown prince of the former princely state of Rajpipla in Gujarat, is among three ‘undercover princes’ who have travelled from India, Sri Lanka and South Africa to star in a four-part British television documentary."

Recession-proof: Arnold Schwarzenegger spends at Hermes.

Max Blumenthal on Rick Warren's double life.

James Kirchik: Gay community needs to calm down about Rick Warren.

The Village Voice's Michael Musto takes on Sarah Palin and others in his year-end review. FLASHBACK: Musto as Lindsay Lohan as Marilyn Monroe.

Spanish judge suspended for trying to stop lesbian from adopting: "The court’s ruling Tuesday says Ferrin ignored Spanish laws allowing homosexual couples to adopt and showed contempt for the woman’s sexual orientation while processing her application. Ferrin says he will appeal his suspension, and that he had only the child’s interests at heart."

Can Paris Hilton get any tackier? It's possible.

Burger King "Flame" meat-scented cologne sells out in NYC. PETA responds with their own fragrance: Gore.

What the Pope actually said about homosexuality being as dangerous as the destruction of the rainforests.

Burlesque dancer Dita von Teese and Dr. Mervyn Silverman receive Award of Courage from amfAR: "Silverman, director of public health from 1977 to 1985, was feted for leadership in HIV prevention...Von Teese, a spokeswoman for the MAC AIDS Fund and a supporter of amfAR, was honored for putting her time and charisma into international fundraising and awareness efforts - not just for men, but women, too."

News: Geoff Farrow, Orcas, Harry Potter, Transsexual Gene

U.S. launches attacks into Syria; civilians reported among dead.

Scientists see devastating plummet in population of Puget Sound killer whales: "While the official census won't be completed until December, the number of live "southern resident" orcas now stands at 83... The three pods, or families, that frequent western Washington's inland marine waters -- the J, K, and L pods -- are genetically and behaviorally distinct from other killer whales. The population reached 140 or more in the last century, but their numbers have fluctuated in recent decades. They were listed as endangered in 2005."

Lindsay Lohan is an Anne Heche type of gay.

Australian researchers discover gene linked to male-to-female transsexualism.

New trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

New York judge okays gay divorce: " A Manhattan lesbian couple wed in Massachusetts got a court's blessing to seek a divorce here, according to a decision published yesterday. And it was bittersweet victory, said one of the women involved in the split. 'My community is so important to me that it's really mixed emotion,' said the woman, who asked to be identified only by her initials, C.C. 'I would rather them recognize [a right to enter in to] marriage first, and then [allow] divorce. But it's a big step forward for our equality and our rights.'"

Connecticut justice of the peace ready to perform same-sex marriages.

Sarah Palin the Marxist: "Just last month, in an interview with Philip Gourevitch of the New Yorker, Palin explained the windfall profits tax that she imposed on the oil industry in Alaska as a mechanism for ensuring that Alaskans 'share in the wealth' generated by oil companies."

The L.A. Times profiles Father Geoffrey Farrow, who earlier this month was suspended after coming out of the closet and voicing his opposition to Proposition 8 to members of his congregation: "He had given himself over to a church that has, despite moderating its views in recent decades, condemned homosexuality and marginalized gays, even though in Farrow's opinion a sizable percentage of priests are gay. Farrow conceded that he has considered church teachings 'monstrous,' especially given the history of violence and suicide victimizing gays. But he said he has always believed in the church, if not in the men who led it. It's like loving a family member despite a falling out, or loving your country even as you doubt its leaders."

Zac Efron has been in touch with his trainer.

Canadian Gay divinity student told to stay in closet if he wants to be ordained: "George is gay. That could lead to the 'abomination' of a man lying with a man, as stated in the Old Testament. George is also graduating from the University of Toronto divinity school in May, qualifying him to be ordained as an Anglican Priest. But the ordination is not going to happen, if he continues to openly acknowledge his sexual orientation." George: "There is a fair amount of hypocrisy in the issue. If you keep the fact you are gay to yourself, even though others may know about it, the Anglican bishops can pretend you are straight and ordain you. As soon as you are open about it, you are treated differently. Don’t ask, don’t tell. Nobody acknowledges the hypocrisy."

The Paris Hilton presidential campaign jumps the shark (if it hadn't already).

New York: Gay groups use donations to become a force in elections.

How plastics promise a computing revolution: "Scientists are now able to synthesise plastics that conduct electricity and others that behave as semiconductors like silicon. Thought the silicon revolution was earth shattering? Well, according to some pundits, you ain't seen nothing yet."

Paris Hilton Continues Her Fake Campaign for President

Seeking advice from one of the country's greatest fake presidents.
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously
Paris Hilton Responds to that Wrinkly White-Haired Guy [tr]