News: Ryan Idol, Cyberbully, Jason West, China, Christina Aguilera

Cyberbully drives 16-year-old Brit to suicide by posing as an online boyfriend: "The 17-year-old posted a fake profile on the social networking site Bebo, then told friends and teachers intimate details of their online conversations. The 16-year-old victim, from Brighton, East Sussex, swallowed 60 painkillers."

Hard Drive: Porn star Ryan Idol (Marc Anthony Donais, pictured here at an event for The Ritz) named in Birmingham Mayor Larry Landford's computer charity scandal: "Katopodis testified in his deposition that Donais, the adult-film actor, was paid to help the Council of Cooperating Governments and the Computer Help for Kids programs, both of which were handling money and expenses for Langford's computer initiative. Donais, a former Playgirl Magazine centerfold, has starred in seven gay adult films. Katopodis pointed out in his testimony that Donais also has appeared in plays in New York City. 'He's a businessman and had been working as, had done several off-Broadway productions and had been writing a play,' Katopodis testified. 'I don't know what else he was doing, you know.' Donais received $5,000 from the computer charity and $25,000 from the council, according to court filings. 'He's very good at working on computers,' Katopodis testified. 'He's very adept at computers. But at the time he was working at the Council, he didn't work on computers.'"

WATCH: Did Paula Abdul shop at Z Galerie to get the frames for her new video?

Christina Aguilera visits Ellen DeGeneres, who admires the fullness of her breasts.

China draws up plan to combat HIV/AIDS in its gay population: " The policy will incorporate detailed HIV/AIDS prevention measures for MSM (men who have sex with men) including extending the use of condoms, according to the ministry's work plan for disease prevention and control in 2008. China has decided to intensify its AIDS intervention campaign on MSM by carrying out AIDS prevention training among the gay population nationwide as well as conducting consultation, HIV/AIDS tests, venereal disease treatment in some areas, the ministry said."

Gay man stabbed to death at public men's room in Britain: "Appealing for witnesses, a spokeswoman for Surrey Police said the victim, who was gay, was stabbed in toilets at Walton Bridge, an area known as a popular meeting place for men. She said: 'Early indications lead police to believe that he might have known his attacker though we don't know in what context or for how long.''" UPDATE Man arrested.

Paris Hilton promotes her new film by posing with the only audience that actually went to see it.

UK vandals attack "Some People are Gay, Get Over It" billboard: "Sadly, the vandalism of a small number of the new Stonewall billboards is a reminder that homophobia still exists in our society and highlights the need to address the issue in schools and in our communities."

David Beckham gets lei'd, scratches, and squirts in Hawaii.

Targets of homophobic UK arsonist discuss attacks: "Nicholas Hughes, 42, and his partner of 16 years Peter Cameron, 59, suffered years of "horrendous" verbal homophobic abuse from Sonny Lockwood and members of his gang before he set their house in North Downs Crescent, New Addington, on fire."

William F. Buckley: "Mr. McCain is a bit of a girlie-man when it comes to waterboarding high-value detainees; but that’s a tricky one, even for macho, red-meat conservative chest-thumpers. You get a pass on that one if you’ve spent five-and-a-half years being bastinadoed by North Vietnamese."

Jason West, the former Mayor of New Paltz, NY, is now a house painter in Manhattan: "Mr. West, 30, first drew attention in 2003, when at 26 he became the first member of the Green Party to be elected mayor in New York State. But it was the next year when he created a furor for performing same-sex marriages that were later declared illegal — which may have led to his current occupation and his summer stint bartending at a Dutchess County watering hole called Darby O’Gills. Mr. West was defeated in a re-election bid in May 2007."

Gay history of Cambridge University to be revealed: "Evidence for the University's gay past can be found from as early as 1619, in a memorial in Gonville & Caius Chapel. It was commissioned by the college's master Dr John Gostlin in memory of himself and his friend Dr Thomas Legge, sometime Vice-Chancellor of the University. A flaming heart held aloft by two hands bears the inscription'Love joined them living. So may the earth join them in their burial. Oh Legge, Gostlin's heart you still have with you'. A similar monument can be found in Christ's College Chapel, where John Finch and Thomas Baines, who met as students at the College in the 1640s, are buried in the same tomb and commemorated with an elaborate carving of a marriage knot."

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News: Mormons, Roy Scheider, Art Heist, Suicide Blog, Millionaires

Writer's to vote on agreement to end Hollywood strike: "The Writers Guild of America moved swiftly Sunday toward a resolution of its three-month-old strike, with guild leaders deciding to recommend a tentative contract to members and ask them to vote on a quick end to the walkout. By calling for separate votes on ending the strike and accepting the new three-year deal, the union cleared the way for the entertainment industry to return to work almost immediately. Membership meetings will be held Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles to allow writers to decide whether the strike should be brought to a speedy end, said Patric Verrone, president of the guild’s West Coast branch."

Jaws police chief Roy Scheider has died at the age of 75 (photo via slog).

Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger says the next season of the Bravo show may focus on gay millionaires: "There would have to be a gay person at the helm to consult with me. But attraction is attraction. When a guy comes in and he's flamingly queeny and he goes for butch, you can't give him another queen. Somebody wants their car door opened. Somebody wants to be called back. Somebody wants someone to pay the bill. It's not about the sexuality. You have to be able to hear what attracts somebody. The gay community has a lot of money because there's no second decision maker. They don't have an ex-wife or children. But what they're saying to me is that there's a whole subset of the gay community, where people are hooking up for real love. And that's why they want marriage."

"Spectacular" art heist in Switzerland sees theft of four paintings worth $163.2 million: " The robbery...occurred Sunday at the E.G. Buehrle Collection, one of Europe's finest private museums for Impressionist and post-Impressionist art, police said. Three masked men who entered the building with pistols are still at large. A police statement said the three robbers wearing ski masks and dark clothing entered the museum a half-hour before closing Sunday. While one of the men used a pistol to force museum personnel to the floor, the other two robbers went into the exhibition hall and collected the four masterpieces. The men were about 5 feet 9 inches tall and one of them spoke German with a Slavic accent, the police said. They loaded the paintings into a white vehicle parked in front of the museum. Police, asking for witnesses to come forward, said it was possible that the paintings were partly sticking out of the trunk as the robbers made their getaway."

Atonement wins "Best Film", Daniel Day-Lewis "Best Actor" at BAFTA's. Full list of winners here.

Sensing softening of attitudes, gay Mormon group Affirmation requests meeting with new church president Thomas Monson. Assistant executive director David W. Melson: "I would like for us never again to have gay individuals, particularly our young people, being told that they are not welcome in the church they grew up in."

Paris Hilton's film The Hottie and the Nottie bombed at the box office this weekend. To mark the occasion, her publicist Elliot Mintz showed up to her pre-birthday party as the Nottie.

Attention, artists! The South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement is seeking theme and logo submissions for its 2008 Pride celebration.

Aussie cricket team hits gay bar: no photos please.

CBS News host Bob Schieffer cuts "Brokeback Mountain" reference from tribute song to Sumner Redstone in wake of Heath Ledger's death: "Singing 'Mr. Redstone' to the tune of 'Mr. Goldstone' from the musical 'Gypsy,' Mr. Schieffer sang about the boss splitting up CBS and Viacom in 2006. 'You are the guru, and who would know but you what a little change in Viacom's name would do. Have an éclair, Mr. Redstone, buy some networks, make a movie, play a tune. Take a break now, Mr. Redstone, 'cause another deal will come along real soon.'...In the recorded version though, there was no claim that 'I don't understand this interlude.' Instead, Schieffer says, 'I ain't some Brokeback Mountain dude.'" Funny how we respect the dead more than the living.

Woman plans to kill herself in 90 days, and she's blogging about it.

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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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News: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Dirty Laundry, Woody Harrelson

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a blogger.

Movie theater in heart of Chelsea in NYC closes first black gay film to play there in years despite huge gross, according to Keith Boykin: "The news surprised the film's producers, who had set a goal of grossing a respectable $4,000 to $5,000 per theater, or per screen average (PSA). Instead, they were pleased to gross more than $12,000 at the Chelsea Theater alone...The New York theater management expressed concern that 'the producers may have bought the gross.' They expressed suspicion because there were $1,500 in advance ticket sales for Sunday before the theater opened. The theater called this '"highly abnormal for a Sunday movie.' But the advance ticket sales were actually the result of an extensive viral campaign that included Internet postings, blog articles, email campaigns and even text messages. In addition, the producers promoted the movie on radio and television throughout the week leading up to the opening. The real problem is that the theater can't believe that black gay people would actually come to the movies in such numbers because they don't realize we exist."

The Hills' season finale announcement packs about as much punch as the show itself.

Paris Hilton assists in rescue of injured Oompa-Loompa.

Police probe possible gay-bashing in Somerville, Massachusetts: "A man allegedly started taunting Daloia and her group of six friends earlier in the evening at the On the Hill Tavern in Magoun Square. Gorton said the same man then confronted several of the women at a Dunkin' Donuts, saying, 'You're a [expletive] lesbian' and the like while his sister flashed her breasts. Daloia was knocked unconscious, [Don Gorton, chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project] said; her friends, he added, received "bruises all over their faces and parts of their bodies." Daloia has been experiencing post-traumatic stress since the incident, he continued. She now fears for her safety and no longer wants to talk to the press."

Director Paul Schrader explains to New York's HX magazine why Woody Harrelson, who plays gay in Schrader's upcoming film The Walker, won't do any press for it: "His agent told me he doesn't like himself in it. I think he wanted the character to be a little more fey than I did, a little more comically fluffy, and I didn't see the character that way."

Surveillance video released by hotel where former Washington Rep. Richard Curtis had his encounter with hustler Cody Castagna: "The video shows both Curtis and beau Cody Castagna entering and leaving the posh Davenport Hotel Towers together the night of October 26, 2007, after meeting initially at a Hollywood Erotique Boutique store. Additional surveillance video shows Curtis leaving an envelope containing the payment for Castagna." (video)

Ancient Polar Bear jawbone discovered: "The find is a surprise because polar bears are a relatively new species, with one study claiming they evolved less than 100,000 years ago. If the Svalbard jawbone's status is confirmed, and further discoveries can show the iconic Arctic beasts have a deeper evolutionary heritage, then the outlook for the animals may be more positive than some believe."

Rare tigers making comeback in India?

Colorado councilwoman resigns rather than remove offensive joke she posted online: "The page-long joke, posted by councilwoman Sandra Tucker, described the tale of a white male who has a 'nightmare' in which he wakes up to discover that he has 'been turned' black, gay, Jewish and disabled. The joke uses terms such as 'negro,' 'queer' and 'fairy,' and also pokes fun at orphans, Mexicans, Jews, HIV-positive patients, drug addicts and those with physical disabilities. The punch line of the joke comes when the person having the nightmare also finds out he is a Democrat, a 'fate worse' than all the rest."

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News: Robbie Williams, Saturn, Neo-Nazis, Andy Roddick's Banana

Neo-Nazi group targeting gay politicians: "Openly gay Chapel Hill (NC) Town Councilman Mark Kleinschmidt is the target of a bunch of online neo-Nazi thugs who have compiled a list of out gay elected officials, or as one put it, 'List of Open and Unapologetic Faggot Politicians.'"

Gay gossip cabal: "Whatever Paris Hilton is, she came by it honestly."

Watch Barbara Walters "most fascinating" segment on David and Victoria Beckham.

Brazilian President announces LGBT summit: "President Luiz Inazio Lula da Silva of Brazil has announced the country’s first National Conference of Homosexuals, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals, a controversial event that will be held in May 2008 with the explicit endorsement of the government’s Special Secretariat for Human Rights. According to officials, the event will seek to develop directives that allow public policies and a national plan that promotes the rights of homosexuals to be implemented. The conference will also work on strengthening the “Brazil Without Homophobia” program."

Britney Spears has a new man in her life: Jesus Christ.

Fugitive anti-gay shooter arrested in Atlanta: "A fugitive task force arrested a 30-year-old man on charges he shot at two young men while making derogatory comments about homosexuals outside a predominantly-gay Midtown bar in October. Tommy Lee Gresham, 30, of Cobb County is facing a charge of aggravated assault, Atlanta police Officer Darlene Harris said. The Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested him Tuesday afternoon after a Cobb County police officer spotted the wanted man and followed him home. Greshman, nicknamed 'Stretch,' is accused of shooting at two young men Oct. 19 outside the WETbar, located on Spring Street, after he followed them from a nearby gas station. Neither man was seriously hurt; one had a graze wound and the other was hit by ricocheting shrapnel, Harris said."

Hey bidders, those of you who miss out on David Beckham's half-eaten corncob from Wellington, New Zealand may still be able to get in on Andy Roddick's half-eaten banana from the Davis Cup!

Protests cause Grenada to re-think not allowing gay cruises to dock there: "Several hotels received visitor cancellations after the Toronto Star reported last week that the country was questioning whether to allow entry to gay cruise ships, tourism minister Clarice Modeste-Curwen said in a statement yesterday. Some protesters also wrote the Canadian government asking that aid be cut to Grenada's Port of St. Georges where cruise ships dock, she added. 'This does not augur well for our tourism sector.' She said: 'We will continue to welcome all visitors and we will work, along with our population, to ensure that their time and ours will be enjoyable. Grenada respects the rights of all persons of all persuasions and lifestyles.' Left unmentioned was that homosexual relations remain illegal in Grenada. The government's position was reached 'following several days of consultations on the matter involving tourism officials and various stakeholders,' the minister's statement said."

UFO Moons: "Two of Saturn's small moons look eerily like flying saucers, new observations by the Cassini spacecraft reveal. The moons, which lie within the giant planet's rings, may have come by their strange shape by gradually accumulating ring particles in a ridge around their equators. The Voyager spacecraft discovered the moons, called Pan and Atlas, in the early 1980s. Pan, which is 33 kilometres wide, orbits Saturn within a gap in the planet's A ring called the Encke Division (scroll down for image), while the 39-km-wide Atlas orbits just outside the A ring. Both moons have a flattened shape, being wider than they are tall. But their uncanny resemblance to UFOs only became clear recently, when Cassini viewed them with its powerful cameras."

New NowNext takes a look at the funniest gay rumors of 2007.

Robbie Williams to return to Take That after all? Mom: "On the question of him doing something with them, I feel that will happen. It would be something he wanted to do. I'm thrilled that out of all the negative stuff that happened, there's now something great happening. Take That were excellent when they were all together and they are excellent now."

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #190

YITZHAK RABIN: New video of the Israeli Prime Minister's assassination on November 4, 1995, never seen before.

ARCTIC SEA ICE: New NASA video showing sea ice cover in the Arctic. "The 2007 Arctic summer sea ice has reached the lowest extent of perennial ice cover on record - nearly 25% less than the previous low set in 2005." (source: De-smog blog)

POLITICS TV: Breaks down the Matt Lauer-Larry Craig interview. (source: queerty)

THE GENETIC OPERA: Co-starring Paris Hilton, an instant camp classic. (source: perez hilton)

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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News: Prince Harry, Radiohead, Oscar Wilde, Robo-Bugs, Paris Hilton

Florida Rep. and men's room-frequenter Bob Allen's trial begins on November 5th.

Matt Leveson, a 20-year-old Sydney man who went missing after a night of partying, is feared murdered: "The wildlife welfare officer, a regular at the club, was thought to be going home to Cronulla. His family reported him missing when he failed to show for work the following Tuesday. He had also stopped answering his phone. Two days later Mr Leveson's green 1999 Corolla hatchback was found dumped outside a public toilet at Waratah Park Reserve, Sutherland. Police said evidence suggested he did not park it there. They believe he 'met with foul play'."

Funeral held in Ireland for lesbian soldier Ciara Durkin, slain mysteriously in Afghanistan. The investigation into her death is ongoing.

Radiohead fans pissed at poor sound quality of In Rainbows digital download: "The sentiment among many fans seems to have gone from admiration for the group's willingness to let the consumer decide how much to pay for the new album to anger over the low quality of the downloads — and dismay over the band's manager's statement that the you-choose-the-price downloads were just a promotional tool for the release of the physical CD."

POLL: Oscar Wilde is Britain's greatest wit.

Paris Hilton heading to Rwanda on charity mission: I'm scared, yeah. I've heard it's really dangerous. I've never been on a trip like this before. I love having everything documented. It shows people what everyday life is like for me, how hard I work. There are a lot of misconceptions about me."

Jack Mackenroth, set to compete in the upcoming Project Runway season, denies a rumor that he was booted from the show because of a staph infection: "'He says he was the fifth designer voted off,' says the snitch. 'He is claiming that this was at least part of the reason he was booted.' Mackenroth, who had signed a confidentiality agreement, denied spilling the beans when contacted by Bravo. 'People will say things about me whether they know me or not,' he said in a statement released through Bravo's PR. 'Those were not my words and are fictitious.'"

Is the government employing high-tech robo-bugs at anti-war rallies?

Same-sex couples from Australia seen heading to the U.S. in increasing numbers on the quest for designer babies: "IVF pioneer Dr Jeffrey Steinberg said an increasing number of gay and lesbian Australians were visiting his Californian fertility centre to begin a family and side-step Australian law that prohibits surrogacy. 'We see about two or three gay couples from Australia each month and that's about a five-fold increase over the last two years,' he told The Sunday Mail. Dr Steinberg said between 75 per cent and 80 per cent of same-sex couples who came to him for treatment decided to choose the sex of the baby, using the controversial IVF procedure and embryo screening known as Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis."

The NYT looks into the mysterious death of gay club icon Dean Johnson: "After Mr. Johnson did not show up for band rehearsal on Sept. 27, his friends called the Washington police and finally got an answer. Mr. Johnson’s body was in the city morgue; it had been there for a week. As details of his death surfaced, the mystery around it grew. Four days earlier, the police had found the body of another man, Jeremy Conklin, 26, at the same apartment — that of Steven S. Saleh. Mr. Conklin had been pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, said Inspector Rodney Parks of the Washington police. For Dean Johnson, whose heyday in the 1980s mirrored the rise and fall of New York’s bohemian downtown club scene, and who rarely kept the salacious details of his life private, it seemed an inconceivable way to go. The apartment Mr. Johnson died in was at the end of a nondescript hallway on the second floor of a stately building — a distant cry from the East Village nightclubs where he and the naked go-go boys under his command once reigned."

Prince Harry cheers on English rugby at the World Cup. Unfortunately, no nipple-licking.

Who had sex with Alan Cumming?

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News: Synthetic Life, Andrew Sullivan, Frozen Smoke, Jocks

Blogger Lane Hudson files FEC complaint against Fred Thompson: "It is my contention that he has violated the 'testing the waters' exemption of election law. He has been presenting himself as a candidate for President, he has been raising large sums of money beyond what would be required to explore a possible candidacy, and he has signed a long term lease on a headquarters for his campaign. He has even spent advertising dollars, which are specifically prohibited by the law."

Scientists on verge of creating form of synthetic life: "It's going to be a big deal and everybody's going to know about it. We're talking about a technology that could change our world in pretty fundamental ways _ in fact, in ways that are impossible to predict."

"Frozen smoke" is world-changing material, according to scientists: "It is expected to rank alongside wonder products from previous generations such as Bakelite in the 1930s, carbon fibre in the 1980s and silicone in the 1990s. Mercouri Kanatzidis, a chemistry professor at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, said: 'It is an amazing material. It has the lowest density of any product known to man, yet at the same time it can do so much. I can see aerogel being used for everything from filtering polluted water to insulating against extreme temperatures and even for jewellery.'"

A briefing on the Democratic debate held over the weekend in Des Moines, Iowa.

The L.A. Daily News looks at gay sites and straight athletes: "When it comes to visuals in sports, gay men and straight men are very similar except for the genders that we look at.Men are more visual. So we are just doing what mainstream sites do but we are catering to our audiences. If you look at Sports Illustrated or ESPN magazines, they all have some kind of photo gallery of hot babes in sports, or cheerleaders of the week. In a sense, that is geared toward what their audience mostly is: heterosexual."

An update on Britney's hair growth.

Responding to Victor Juliet Mukasa's press conference last week pleading for human rights in Uganda, the government has said there's no chance for equal rights or the legalization of homosexuality.

In space, no one can hear you eat your vegetables.

Blogger Andrew Sullivan experiencing "jitters" over imminent marriage.

Oklahoma chooses not to appeal ruling striking down a state law refusing Oklahoma birth certificates to children adopted by out-of-state same-sex couples. Lambda Legal: "This is a monumental decision, not just for the couples involved in the case, but for lesbian and gay parents and their children nationwide. It means that when same-sex couples have an adoption decree recognizing both of them as parents, the adoption, and their status as their child's parents, must be honored no matter where they go."

Federal government to pay $80,000 to couple arrested for wearing anti-Bush T-shirts.

From the big house to the Big Brother house: Paris Hilton to join UK version of Celebrity Big Brother?

WaPo looks at Giuliani's retreat on gay issues. GOP Pollster: "Outside New York, the rest of America has this image of Giuliani as a tough, no-nonsense guy who cleaned up Times Square, closed sex clubs. And that Giuliani doesn't sound like the Giuliani who's pro-choice, pro-gay rights, et cetera. Until Republican primary voters are given information that counters the image they have of Giuliani, many of them will assume that he is who he says he is."

South African hospital to gay pregnant woman: "We don't help people like you."

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News: Aquafina, Paris Hilton, Supreme Court, Alberto Gonzales

Increasing number of Americans view Supreme Court as too conservative: "The percentage who said the court is 'too conservative' grew from 19 percent to 31 percent in the past two years, while those who said it is 'generally balanced in its decisions' declined from 55 percent to 47 percent."

Sightings of massive "raptor-like" bird with alleged 15 to 20 ft. wingspan continue in Southwest: "(It) looked like what was possibly two people standing on top of a mountain up there. Something that big ... I guess it kinda makes you feel like it could come over and carry you off if it wanted to."

New York Times calls for the impeachment of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales: "As far as we can tell, there are three possible explanations for Mr. Gonzales’s talk about a dispute over other — unspecified — intelligence activities. One, he lied to Congress. Two, he used a bureaucratic dodge to mislead lawmakers and the public: the spying program was modified after Mr. Ashcroft refused to endorse it, which made it “different” from the one Mr. Bush has acknowledged. The third is that there was more wiretapping than has been disclosed, perhaps even purely domestic wiretapping, and Mr. Gonzales is helping Mr. Bush cover it up. Democratic lawmakers are asking for a special prosecutor to look into Mr. Gonzales’s words and deeds. Solicitor General Paul Clement has a last chance to show that the Justice Department is still minimally functional by fulfilling that request. If that does not happen, Congress should impeach Mr. Gonzales."

Outed Tom Tancredo staffer Tyler Whitney leaves Tancredo's campaign to work for openly gay mayoral candidate running for mayor of Flint, Michigan.

Provincetown belfry: the movie.

Rob Schneider slams Dina Lohan. Not sorry for drag depiction of Lindsay on The Tonight Show: "When Mrs. Lohan stops partying with her child, then I'll have an ounce of respect for her! I don't care if her parents are both crummy – you cannot blame your parents anymore. She's not a kid. Lindsay, get it together, America will forgive you but you gotta do something positive with your life. I hope she does okay but at a certain point, there's so many bigger problems in the world than Lindsay Lohan. I hope she gets her head out of her nice, cute little rear end and finds a life for herself. She's very talented, and a special little actress but there are so many people out there who'd trade positions with her in a heartbeat and use it better than she is."

Gay couple to move in to Wisteria Lane.

Man arrested for stabbing sea lion with steak knife: "Police said [Hai] Nguyen was fishing off a Newport pier about 12:30 p.m. when the sea lion apparently snatched the bait from his fishing pole. Becoming upset, authorities said Nguyen stabbed the animal with a steak knife. 'It was close enough so he could just reach out and stab it in the water,' said Sgt. Evan Sailor, a police spokesman. 'A number of people witnessed it and called police.'"

An heiress no longer? Paris Hilton's grandfather cuts off $59 million inheritance: "He was, and is, extremely embarrassed by how the Hilton name has been sullied by Paris. He doesn't want to leave unearned wealth to his family."

Pepsi's Aquafina bottled water to disclose that it's merely filtered tap.

The Incredible Hulk, version 2.0, revealed...

Lowes pulls its advertising from The O'Reilly Factor.

After Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani dodge the CNN/YouTube debate by saying they have "scheduling conflicts," CNN calls their bluff and reschedules them: "It’s unclear whether the other candidates will actually participate in the rescheduled debate. Romney recently mocked the debate, stating, 'I think the presidency ought to be held at a higher level than having to answer questions from a snowman,' referring to a citizen dressed as a snowman who submitted a question about global warming." Ron Paul, Tommy Thompson, and John McCain have all agreed to participate.

Photographer and filmmaker Sean Smith goes inside the Iraq surge.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #148

PARIS HILTON: Gives most boring interview ever to Larry King.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: MSNBC reporter won't lead with Paris Hilton.

JOHN and ELIZABETH EDWARDS: CNN covers their differing opinions on gay marriage.

IVRI LIDER: Gay Israeli pop star's first U.S. single, "Jesse". More on Lider at AfterElton.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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News: John Stamos, AIDS and HIV, Megan Mullally, Jerusalem

The state of the AIDS epidemic is currently getting worked over in the blogs. Andrew Sullivan, who reiterated his theory in a recent issue of The Stranger that 1996 was the end of AIDS, has inspired a strong reaction from Gabriel Rotello responding to Sullivan's claims in The Huffington Post. Sullivan, in turn, has fired off another reply.

Producer of new Stephen Fry documentary called HIV and Me says that interviewee George Michael won't get tested: "George says he does not believe in tests. He says he finds the wait for results too harrowing and that he hasn’t had a test since at least 2004 due to his fears it might be positive."

CNN opinion poll reveals shifting attitudes about the nature of homosexuality: "Fifty-six percent of about 515 poll respondents said they do not believe sexual orientation can be changed. In 2001, 45 percent of those responding to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll held that belief. In 1998, according to a CNN/Time poll, the number was 36 percent. In addition, 42 percent of respondents to the current poll said they believe homosexuality results from upbringing and environment, while 39 percent said they believe it is something a person is born with -- a close division that reflects the national debate over the issue. However, those numbers are greatly changed from the 1970s and '80s, in which fewer than 20 percent of Americans said a person is born homosexual. In a 1977 poll, the number was 13 percent." Another new poll reveals that young Americans are leaning left...

Megan Mullally will play the role popularized by Madeline Kahn in the new Mel Brooks stage musical Young Frankenstein to open on Broadway this fall.

Protests by ultra-orthodox Haredi jews against this year's gay pride in Jerusalem cost the city $100,000. city council member Saar Netanel: "It is impossible that tax payers in Jerusalem bare the brunt of the illegal protests carried out by the haredim. It is obviously legal to protest against the gay pride parade, but damaging municipal property is violent and illegal."

John Stamos in drunken Aussie talk show appearance?

Paris Hilton's jailhouse scrawl.

NPR: Wealthy gay donors a new force in politics. Patrick Guerriero, former head of the Log Cabin Republicans and now mogul-turned-philanthropist Tim Gill's political director: "I think what folks like Tim Gill are trying to do is to basically level the playing field. I think a lot of folks who believe in basic equality were caught blindsided when the issue of marriage equality was used as a wedge issue in elections around the 2004 cycle. And what happened was a lot of really decent, fair-minded legislators were thrown out of office based on those issues."

OUT magazine is looking for nominations for this year's "Out 100".

Summer drinks: imbibe.

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Paris Hilton: What a Difference 22 Days Make

Fifteen minutes after midnight last night, Paris Hilton was released from Lynwood Detention Facility after serving three weeks:

"Hilton was wearing jeans and a white top and green jacket. Her mother and father had pulled up to the front of the facility in a black Escalade to pick up their daughter. Paris Hilton sauntered down the brick walkway, smiling and waving a few times and saying 'Hi.' She got into the waiting vehicle as it was swarmed by photographers. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Hilton thanked the guards, nurses and other staff on her way out. Whitmore said Hilton stayed in the medical ward at the facility. He described her as demure and friendly and relieved to be through with the sentence. 'She has fulfilled her obligation. It's now completed,' Whitmore said."

Hilton will appear on Larry King Live Wednesday night. Barbara Walters had the opportunity to interview her, but turned it down.

Walters told US Weekly the interview was "beneath her": "Look, I've done prison interviews before, but people like the Menendez Brothers were really important news stories. This wasn't. And even though I'd already written my questions, when all that pay-for-play stuff happened, I suddenly felt this was not up to my standard. It...felt...sort of …tawdry. The whole thing somehow was beneath me. For [ABC] it was ratings. For me it was respect. I'm fortunately at a point in my life where I can choose what I want, and this was solely my decision. [ABC] respected my decision and walked away. Some agreed with my decision, some didn't. For me it was just a question of respect."

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News: Junior Vasquez, Gay Republicans, Speeders, Price is Right,

Isaiah Washington continues to speak out about his unjust firing: "All of this I'm saying to you has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he's gay. [T.R. Knight] came out October 19 as purely a tactical move to do exactly what it did, get public opinion in an outrage to lead them to believe that he is being picked on because he is gay. He could care less about the gay community."

DJ Junior Vasquez warns against crystal meth — "Don't touch that shit. It'll suck your soul and ruin your life, and it'll take years to get it back" — and working with Cyndi Lauper — "I think she's immensely talented, but she's a control freak with bizarre ideas. She's a royal pain in the ass to work with."

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's gay appointees: "Nowhere in the releases from the governor's office will you find any mention of the fact that seven of his appointments hail from the LGBT community. But since 2005 he has selected six gay men and one lesbian for political posts, three Republicans, two Democrats, and one independent."

Not coming on down: Rosie O'Donnell won't be doing The Price is Right after all.

Sunil Pant, founder of Nepal's Blue Diamond Society, the only LGBT support group in Nepal and the winner of the prestigious 2007 Felipa de Souza Award from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, speaks out about what it's like to be gay in Nepal - MP3 interview.

Can Kelly Clarkson survive her clash with music mogul Clive Davis?

Madonna buys sixth London property for £6 million: "The American singer and her husband Guy Ritchie last week signed a contract on the 10-bedroom Georgian townhouse in London's Marylebone. It adjoins the eight-bedroom property the couple live in with children Lourdes, 10, and Rocco, six. They also own two nearby mews houses, which are occupied by staff, and two other houses in central London...Madonna faced competition for the house from comedian Jennifer Saunders and photographer Mario Testino.

Paris Hilton to leave jail on Tuesday, have sitdown with Larry King. Illustration courtesy Pretty on the Outside.

CNN looks at gay adoption: "For the Manford-Roach family, difficulties arose when they first tried to hyphenate [their son] Jackson's last name. The judge overseeing the legal procedure in Dallas, Texas, crumpled up the paper and threw it over her shoulder when she realized they were a same-sex couple, Manford said. 'Get out of my courtroom, I would never do this for you,' the judge said, according to Manford. 'Children need a mom and a dad.'"

Transgender firefighter Jennifer Lasko pulls out of dinner with Barack Obama after her transgender status is exposed for fear of causing disruption to his campaign. Obama spokeswoman: "Sen. Obama would love to have her attend the dinner. If she chooses not to attend, Sen. Obama looks forward to meeting her and hearing more about her thoughts on how we can change this country."

Ad campaign attempts to humiliate male Australian speed demons by suggesting they are 'lesser' men: "The below-the-belt television ads show women noticing a young man roaring past then turning scornfully to their friends and wiggling their little fingers. The mocking gesture with the 'pinkie' is a clear sign they believe the driver is trying to compensate for an inadequate manhood, and is designed to counter the idea that speeding is cool and macho."

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News: Patrick Dempsey, Heimlich AIDS Cure, Paris Hilton, Twins

Paris Hilton sends prison plea to the public: "During the past several days, I have had a lot of time to reflect and have already learned a bitter, but important lesson from this experience...I must also say that I was shocked to see all of the attention devoted to the amount of time I would spend in jail for what I had done by the media, public and city officials. I would hope going forward that the public and the media will focus on more important things, like the men and women serving our country in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places around the world."

Patrick Dempsey the pink princess.

Separated at birth: Anderson Cooper and porn star Mike Power?

Inventor of Heimlich maneuver floats new theory: cure AIDS by injecting patients with malaria. "'We allow the malaria to run for three weeks, and then we cure it,' says Dr. Heimlich, now 87 years-old. In a study commissioned by Dr. Heimlich, eight human subjects have already been injected with a form of malaria in China in the 1990s, and he is now involved with a research project involving AIDS patients in Ethiopia who are initially left untreated for malaria with available medicines. 'It gives off substances that strengthen their immune systems,' says Dr. Heimlich. But leading AIDS researchers and medical ethicists say they are appalled. 'It is scientifically unsound, and I think it would be ethically questionable,' said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, who has been seeking a cure for AIDS since it was first identified in the 1980s."

Moscow Gay Pride organizer Nikolay Alexeyev fined 1,000 rubles: "The court session looked like a farce. The judge refused to admit photo and video evidence proving that we had not disturbed law and order." Background...

Most-ever politicians march in Albany Gay Pride as legislature considers gay marriage measure: " Thirty-five groups and about 300 marchers participated in Sunday's parade, which was sponsored by the Capital District Gay and Lesbian Community Council. Keith Hornbrook, executive director of the Council, said it was the biggest parade yet, drawing marchers from Glens Falls, New Paltz and Bennington, Vt. The rally at Washington Park after the parade was attended by Mayor Jerry Jennings and six other politicians -- the most ever, Hornbrook said."

JFK Jr.'s "numerous bisexual encounters" detailed in new book: "I know he was attracted to me because when we danced he played with my a - - and stuff. He kissed me on the dance floor, and I kissed him back."

Cyndi Lauper wows at opening of True Colors tour. Some excellent coverage over at NewNowNext.

Live at the Gyllenhaal's for $20,000 month. Jake not included.

Check out these initial reactions from Mac fanatics to the iPod introductionback in 2001: "hey - heres an idea Apple - rather than enter the world of gimmicks and toys, why dont you spend a little more time sorting out your pathetically expensive and crap server line up? or are you really aiming to become a glorified consumer gimmicks firm?"

World's first identical twins born to two different women.

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Judge to Paris Hilton: Back to Jail, Do Not Pass Go

This photo just about says it all. Someone's finding out how the other half lives:

"As Ms. Hilton was driven back to court, her trip followed by news helicopters, she cried in the back seat of the police cruiser. When she entered the courtroom, where her parents were also waiting, she broke down and sobbed. Sheriff Lee Baca set off a furor in legal circles and beyond when his office announced on Thursday that Ms. Hilton would be allowed out of jail and instead put under house arrest because of an unspecified 'medical condition.' The city attorney who prosecuted her case, Rocky Delgadillo, said it was a case of preferential treatment for a celebrity. He asked the judge to order Ms. Hilton back to jail and asked the sheriff’s department to show why it should not be held in contempt of court for letting her go in the first place. 'We cannot tolerate a two-tiered jail system where the rich and powerful receive special treatment,' Mr. Delgadillo said after learning of the release."

Paris Hilton might have made something positive of her sentence had she served it honorably. Instead, she has squandered what little good will might have come from the public upon her release with this latest display. She should have taken a lesson from Martha Stewart and used it to her advantage.

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News: Iceberg Skeleton, Marc Jacobs, Alabama Fistfight, Paris Hilton

Man arrested for 2005 gay rape in Santa Fe, New Mexico: "The victim told police he was drinking at the Swig nightclub in May 2005 and next remembers waking up in a car in a wooded area. He went to police and was then treated for injuries at a hospital where physical evidence including a DNA sample was collected. Nevada law forced Gonzales to give a DNA sample after he was arrested for attempted robbery in October which put him in the national database."

Melting iceberg off Newfoundland reveals mystery skeleton.

Not so fast: Paris Hilton called back before judge.

Analyst predicts Apple will sell $45 million iPhones by 2009: "While this may seem like a bold prediction, we believe a number in this area is not as far of a reach as some may think."

STUDY: More women experimenting with bisexuality. "The survey, released Thursday by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, found that 11.5 percent of women, ages 18 to 44, said they’ve had at least one sexual experience with another women in their lifetimes, compared with about 4 percent of women, ages 18 to 59, who said the same in a comparable survey a decade earlier."

Kentucky's creationist museum in sex scandal: "The man who plays Adam in a video aired at a Bible-based creationist museum has led a different life outside the Garden of Eden, flaunting his sexual exploits online and modeling for a clothing line that promotes free love. After learning about his activities Thursday, the Creation Museum in Kentucky pulled the 40-second video in which he appears."

Man in wheelchair gets hooked to grill of semi-truck, gets ride of his life.

Ricky Martin set for ride down Fifth Avenue in NYC as king of the Puerto Rican Day parade. Martin: "The opportunity to share with many Puerto Ricans, remembering our island, and waving a sea of Puerto Rican flags will be an incredible experience. There are Puerto Ricans in politics, in the Army, in art and business that have made a great contribution to the United States," he said. "We are a generous people, and we are strong in the face of adversity. We are a glad, enthusiastic town with a great sense of unity."

Partisan fistfight in Alabama Senate after Democrat calls Republican a "son of a bitch".

Marc Jacobs and Jason Preston: off again.

New documentary ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway follows Avenue Q, Wicked, Caroline, or Change, and Taboo from rehearsals through opening night: "We see Kushner and composer Jeanine Tesori hammer out lyrics and music for 'Caroline,' while 'Avenue Q' creators Jeff Marx and Bobby Lopez -- young, enthusiastic, seemingly doomed -- haul their puppet musical from a 1999 workshop vid