Pennsylvania Senate to Vote on Same-Sex Marriage Ban

Yesterday, a Pennsylvania Senate committee voted 18-8 to send Senate Bill 1250, which would place a measure on the ballot banning same-sex marriage, to the full Senate for a vote. The measure must be approved in two consecutive legislative sessions for it to be placed on the ballot.

Following the vote, lawmakers attended a boisterous rally against the ban in the Capitol:

"Senate Bill 1250, which is meant to bolster the state's 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which already prohibits same-sex marriage, "is disheartening and discriminatory," said Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park. 'It's marriage mischief -- an attempt to enshrine bigotry in the state constitution,' he told an angry crowd of 200 protesters gathered in the Capitol rotunda. 'Politicians always want to get into your wallet, but now many politicians, some Democrats as well as Republicans, want to get into your bedroom.' Other opponents of the constitutional amendment included Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, and Democratic Sens. Vincent Fumo of Philadelphia and Connie Williams of Delaware County. 'When the basic rights of any group are threatened, then no one's rights are safe,' said Mr. Fumo, amid echoing chants of 'Stop this bill! Stop this bill!'...'Freedom is at risk in the bill,' said Mr. Fumo, whose South Philadelphia district includes considerable numbers of gay and lesbian voters. 'It's possible this legislative body could embed discrimination in our constitution by taking away the rights of a group of people based on their sexuality.'"

UPDATE: The Senate has tabled the bill, as it sees no chance of it passing in the House.

AFTER THE JUMP, a news report from NBC10 on the vote and rally...

Sphere: Related Content

Obama Wins Key Abercrombie & Fitch Vote

Did they coordinate their fashion choices before the rally, or is this actually a niche segment of voters that we've not seen pull together until now?

(also spotted at gawker)

Sphere: Related Content

Hillary Clinton Wins Pennsylvania Primary, Soldiers On

Hillary Clinton took the Pennsylvania primary over Barack Obama with 55% of the vote to Obama's 45%. The candidates' speeches, above, via Talking Points Memo. Josh Marshall of TPM notes that, after Pennsylvania, we're basically back where we started again: "There's a lot of crowing from Hillary's campaign tonight about a shift in momentum and doubts about Obama. Tomorrow there will be a lot of chatter from Obama's campaign that none of that really matters because of the reality of the delegate numbers which won't change much."

AP: "Her victory, while comfortable, set up another critical test in two weeks time in Indiana. North Carolina votes the same day, and Obama already is the clear favorite in a Southern state with a large black population. 'Now it's up to you, Indiana,' Obama said at a rally of his own in Evansville after Pennsylvania denied him a victory that might have made the nomination his."

The NYT reports: "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton defeated Senator Barack Obama in Pennsylvania on Tuesday by enough of a margin to continue a battle that Democrats increasingly believe is undermining their effort to unify the party and prepare for the general election against Senator John McCain. Despite a huge investment of time and money by Mr. Obama and pressure on Mrs. Clinton by the party establishment to consider folding her campaign, she won her third big state in a row. Mrs. Clinton showed again that she is a tenacious campaigner with an ability to connect with the blue-collar voters Mr. Obama has found elusive and who could be critical to a Democratic victory in November."

But is it possible for Clinton to win the nomination? MSNBC's Chuck Todd does some analysis below, and concludes that it's almost impossible for Obama to lose his lead in pledged delegates.

Sphere: Related Content

Chelsea Clinton's Ass Grabbed in Philadelphia Gay Bar Crawl

Chelsea Clinton extended her tour of gay America over the weekend, stopping in at four bars in Philadelphia's Center City neighborhood, where her rear end discovered that the City of Brotherly Love was the city of Sisterly Love as well:

"Led around the neighborhood by Gov. Ed Rendell, Chelsea was mobbed by local gays and lesbians, as she walked from one club to the next. They ran up to hug her, posed for pictures and certainly invaded her personal space. 'I grabbed her ass,' one young woman exclaimed to her friends after snapping a picture with her arm around the former first daughter. 'Chelsea, the gays love you!' one fan exclaimed, as she took the microphone at Bump, a restaurant and bar that was her first stop. 'Oh, gosh, I don’t know if everybody loves me,' she responded. Most of those at the bar seemed to, squeezing past one another in the cramped space to get a photo. Even some patrons, donning Obama stickers -- a rally for the Illinois senator had taken place a few blocks away earlier in the evening -- tried to get a snapshot as well. In all, she visited four bars in Center City, concluding her tour at Woody’s, the city’s most famous gay bar. Getting from one event to another proved difficult at times, as she was constantly stopped by admirers while walking down the sidewalk."

Clinton was joined by director Rob Reiner and actor Robert Gant.

Said Rendell of their final stop at Woody's: "This is where the voters are...We'll see 1,500 people tonight easily and they're all voters. These are important voters, they're smart, they're sophisticated and they turn out in large numbers and always have."

CHELSEA STOPS TRAFFIC ON GAY BAR CRAWL [msnbc first read]
Chelsea Clinton hits the gay bars in Philadelphia [penn live]

Previously
Chelsea Clinton Hobnobs with the Muscle Marys [tr]

Sphere: Related Content

Pittsburgh Bishop Adds Anti-Gay Voice to PA Marriage Hearing

Supporters and opponents of a proposed amendment banning same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania turned out for a hearing on Thursday.

Bishop David Zubik, head of Pittsbugh's Roman Catholic Diocese showed up to spit some bigotry:

"I come to you today as a pastor, a pastor with a desire to testify on behalf of one of the oldest institutions of humanity -- marriage itself. At a time when we should be engaged in doing all we can to strengthen the family, we are facing cultural forces that want to so water down the definition of marriage that it could apply to any human relationship, or to no relationship at all."

He tempered his remarks with a call for tolerance: "Church teaching regarding the dignity of homosexual persons is clear. They must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity."

Added Zubik to local media later: "I felt it was very important for me to come here today. God really has defined marriage as it is. It's part of natural law. It's the fabric of society. And I think what's so important about it is that - we talk about marriage we also have to connect that very intimately into what the family is about."

Plenty of opponents were on hand to counter the Bishop, however: "Standing in front of the Pittsburgh City Council chamber with a number of vocal opponents of the amendment, state Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, yesterday vowed to fight the bill every step of the way. 'Assuming it even makes it out of the Senate, I will fight to make sure it doesn't see the light of day,' he said."

Marriage law draws crowd [post-gazette]
Bishop Zubik Supports Amendment To Ban Gay Marriage [wpxi]

Sphere: Related Content

Obama and Clinton to Speak on 'Compassion' at Anti-Gay College

Jacob Reitan of Soulforce, which visited Messiah College last year on its Equality Ride (one year to the day of the candidates' upcoming forum), writes in the Huffington Post:

"This Sunday, Senators Clinton and Obama will be taking part in something called the 'Compassion Forum' at Messiah College in Pennsylvania. Ironically, Messiah College has a severe lack of compassion towards its LGBT students. The school's community covenant prohibits 'homosexual behavior' and effectively bans LGBT students who are open and self affirming from attending Messiah...

"...In spite of our visit last year to Messiah College, their discriminatory policies are still in place. This brings into question why Senators Obama and Clinton would agree to discuss compassion in this setting. Both Clinton and Obama speak about uniting America and both speak against the politics of fear and division. It also calls into question the judgment of John Podesta's Center for American Progress' Faith in Public Life program. Why would they select a college where gay people are not welcome to hold a discussion on issues of compassion? There are plenty of faith-based colleges to choose from. I attend one. I am a second year Masters of Theological Studies student at Harvard Divinity School."

Reitan asks: "Will they speak out against the Messiah's policy that would bar me and countless other Americans from attending the school? Will they make clear to the American people that LGBT people are wonderfully made in the image of the Creator and loved as they are by the Creator without reservation?"

We shall see if either will rise to the occasion.

previously
Soulforce Trip Continues as Arrests Made at Bob Jones University [tr]
Soulforce Bus Defaced with Gay Slurs in Iowa [tr]

Sphere: Related Content

Barack Obama Gets Blank Space Punishment from Philly Gay News

Fed up with the fact that Obama has not done an interview with local gay press in 1,522 days, the Philadelphia Gay News, which yesterday published a long interview with Hillary Clinton, made their point with a big white space in the paper today.

They even let a typo in his name go uncorrected.

The paper's publisher Mark Segal spoke to the Philadelphia Inquirer: "We had great success with the Clinton campaign. They were very open to us and inviting from day one. The surprise to us was the Obama campaign. When we realized we weren’t getting very far with them, we decided to enlist other people — who are supporting Senator Obama — to assist us. These people happen to be some of his superdelegates and his strongest political supporter in the state: [U.S. Senator] Robert Casey and congressman Pat Murphy. All of whom advised him this was an interview he should do. We were told there had been scheduling problems. We’ve been told this now for weeks."

UPDATE: Segal neglected to disclose that he donated $1,000 to the Clinton campaign back in 2007.

Segal: Obama Hasn’t Spoken to Gay Press Since 2004 [the daily examiner]

Sphere: Related Content

Hillary Clinton Speaks with Philadelphia Gay News

The Philadelphia Gay News today published a wide-ranging interview with Senator Hillary Clinton which touched upon gay marriage, immigration law, tax code issues for civil unions, human rights abroad, gays in the military, and LGBT youth. Here are a few excerpts:

On immigration law for LGBT citizens: "I am going to do everything I can to eliminate any disparities in any benefits or rights under our law at the federal level so that all people will have available to them every right as an American citizen that they should, and that would include immigration law."

On signing an executive order to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": "I don’t know what the legal framework would be because you remember that, in the face of what Bill [Clinton] was trying to do in ’93, the act, by veto, proved majorities made prohibitions on doing that. So whether the president has authority to do it by executive order or not, I’m not sure. But I have been committed for more than nine years to eliminating “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

On foreign human rights abuses: "There are a number of gross human-rights abuses that countries engage in with whom we have relations and we have to be really vigilant and outspoken in our total repudiation of those kinds of actions and do everything we can, including using our leverage on matters such as aid, to change the behavior so we can try to prevent such atrocities from happening."

Last week, the Philadelphia Inquirer published a story on the gay "voting force" in that city, noting that gays constitute 5 percent of voters there: "'It's important for the coalition of people supporting [Obama] to be representative of America, and that proudly includes gays and lesbians,' says Tobias Wolff, 38, chair of Obama's national gay policy committee and a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania. The gay vote is equally significant to the Clinton campaign. 'That's why we've been doing such a proactive outreach to the community,' says Jin Chon, 30, a Clinton press secretary who focuses on gay issues. 'She knows this is a very close election. Every vote matters.'"

Read the full PGN interview here.

Sphere: Related Content

State College, PA Mayor Presides at Same-Sex Commitment Ceremony

Back in February I posted that State College, Pennsylvania Mayor Bill Welch planned to preside over a same-sex commitment ceremony. That ceremony took place on Saturday:

"The two gay couples, Paul Datti (graduate-counselor education) and Frank Vasquez, and James Collins (graduate-materials science and engineering) and Ryan Fitzpatrick renewed their commitments. Two lesbian couples, Kat Sinclair (graduate-human development and family studies) and Delia Guzman (senior-crime, law and justice), along with Donna Coffman, a Penn State research associate, and Amanda Applegate committed to each other for the first time. 'I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people. Just walking into the room and seeing the multitudes of people was heart-warming,' Collins said. Welch guided each couple through their vows and the sealing kiss. Koerber then introduced Steve Glassman, the chairman of the PA Human Relations Commission, calling him the highest-ranking openly gay official in Pennsylvania. ' ...It would be impossible to witness this extraordinary sharing of love and commitment to one another without being profoundly moved,' Glassman said."

Said Welch: "I'm very please that it was as it was intended to be a happy, celebratory occasion that's about love and commitment and a different kind of family." (video)

The ceremony was said to be the largest of its kind to have taken place in Pennsylvania.

According to the AP, "Orthodox Christian Fellowship, a Penn State student group, protested outside by singing softly and holding plaques depicting Jesus. The Pennsylvania Family Values Coalition (pictured - source), a conservative Christian group, held a rally elsewhere on campus to show support for traditional marriage. 'We are not here to show hatred, though some people might think that,' the coalition chairman, the Rev. Gary Dull, of Faith Baptist Church in Altoona, told the crowd. 'But we are here to teach the truth of the Scripture about the family.'"

Couples unite in ceremony [daily collegian]
State College Mayor Presides Over Same-Sex Commitment Ceremony [wjac]
State College mayor holds commitment ceremony for 4 gay couples [ap]

Sphere: Related Content

News: Michael Stipe, Tel Aviv, Anthony Minghella, China and Tibet

China closes off media access, shuts down YouTube, CNN, and Google amid violent crackdown in Tibet. China has also begun parading Tibetan prisoners on military trucks in Lhasa. Dalai Lama threatens to step down...

Michael Stipe comes out? "It was super complicated for me in the ’80s. I was totally open with the band and my family and my friends and certainly the people I was sleeping with. I thought it was pretty obvious. Now I recognize that to have public figures be very open about their sexuality helps some kid somewhere out there."

GLAAD hands out media awards in New York; Barbara Walters, Judy Shepard, Brian Graden and films The Bubble and For the Bible Tells Me So all honored. Who was there?

Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella dies at 54: "Minghella's publicist, Jonathan Rutter, said the filmmaker died at London's Charing Cross Hospital. He said Minghella was operated on last week for a growth in his neck, 'and the operation seemed to have gone well. At 5 a.m. today he had a fatal hemorrhage.'"

Pennsylvania senate proposes amendment banning gay marriage: "Constitutional amendment legislation failed in the last legislative session but is being considered anew in the current session. During a Senate committee hearing, Maggie Gallagher, President of the National Organization for Marriage, said an amendment to the state constitution would protect against a judge’s ruling that could strike down state law defining marriage as between a man and woman…'It’s not a fantasy that this could happen. It is happening – it’s happened in New Jersey, it’s happened in Connecticut' Gallagher was speaking to Republican Senator Jane Earll of Erie, skeptical of the need for a constitutional amendment: 'We are going to hold our constitution hostage to the wackiest judge in some other state. I just think that amending the constitution is a very drastic measure.'"

Janet Jackson opens wide for Black Book.

Tel Aviv hoping to attract more gay tourists.

Richard I slept in the same bed with French King Phillip II but it wasn't a gay thing: "It was an accepted political act, nothing sexual about it; just two politicians literally getting into bed together, a bit like a modern-day photo opportunity."

Chad Allen, Janeane Garofalo, Rebecca Gayheart, Soleil Moon Frye, Patrick Muldoon and Brad Rowe team up for gay indie screwball comedy For Better or For Worse: "Frye will play the lesbian minister presiding over the ceremony at the home of one groom's mother (Ruta Lee). The guests include the jilted ex of one of the grooms and his new beau (Muldoon and Allen), a closeted neighbor (Stanley Kamel), a wallflower sister (Gayheart), a family-man brother (Rowe) and his nanny (Garofalo), who has a bombshell to drop."

Ch-ch-ch-changes. Spot the differences in Ryan Seacrest 2.0.

Brazil gets another new gay magazine.

Hugh Jackman spends more time naked than dressed.

Anti-gay graffiti causes stir in Northern California town of Fortuna: "A Fortuna resident noticed anti-homosexual words painted on several mailboxes on her street and filed a police report Thursday. The derogatory words, 'fag' and 'gay,' made her so irate, it took her more than an hour to stop shaking, she said. The Fortuna Police Department is treating the vandalism as a hate crime because the intent was likely to express hate, FPD Sgt. Jack Bernstein said. 'It’s concerning for us to have something like this.'"

Police officers punished in Austin, Texas after remarks: "Cmdr. Calvin Smith, who has worked for the department for 34 years and supervises the Austin police training academy, told the fellow commander that he was worried about the 'kind of message' the potential transfer of a gay female officer would send at the academy, which already had two lesbians working there, according to a disciplinary memo. Cmdr. Larry Oliver was fired for failing to report the comments, even though he later confirmed to investigators that he thought Smith was referring to 'their being lesbians,' a disciplinary memo said. He was fired after refusing Acevedo's offer of a 30-day suspension."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Edible Martini, Prince Harry, Food War, Goldfrapp, Alzheimer's

Illinois state senator Dave Koehler proposes legislation legalizing civil unions in that state. Koehler: "This is going to be controversial because people are going to try to get all other kinds of issues about the morality of being gay. I hope that can stay to the sideline, because that's not the full intent of this bill. This bill is merely to recognize there are long-term committed relationships that right now do not have the law behind them."

Meet the edible martini: looking pretty good about now.

The History of War told through food, quite literally.

Britain's defense chief pulls Prince Harry from duty in Afghanistan saying media coverage puts him and his fellow soldiers at risk: "Air Chief Marshal Jock Stirrup, chief of the Defense Staff, said he decided to withdraw the prince after senior commanders assessed the risks, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. Harry, third in line to the British throne, has been serving on the front line with an army unit in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province since mid-December. He was originally due to return to Britain within weeks, but 'the situation has now clearly changed,' the statement said."

David Beckham hits South Korea to show off a shiny new phone.

John Stamos takes a kayak break in Hawaii.

UPenn students urge university to examine how FDA's ban on blood donation from gay men conflicts with the school's anti-discrimination policies: "Despite a national blood shortage, millions are prohibited from donating by the Federal Drug Administration's lifetime ban on men who have had sex with men (MSM) since 1977. The FDA argues that this type of sexual activity puts them at a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases that could be then transmitted through blood transfusions. After a controversial, lengthy debate, the Blood Donor Discrimination Proposal passed by a margin of 17 to 9 with three abstentions, College senior and UA chairman Jason Karsh said. When Lambda Alliance first raised the blood policy issue at a University Council meeting last March, the UC never followed up, said Wharton and College junior, UA member and DP columnist Lisa Zhu, who coauthored the proposal on behalf of the UA. The proposal is an attempt to revive the University-wide debate and "pressure the administration to reevaluate their stance," said Karsh."

The Feeling's Dan Gillespie-Sells covers the new issue of Attitude.

A look at the new Goldfrapp album, Seventh Tree.

LGBT Latinos unify in support of Obama.

Janet Jackson hopes her drag queen kicks Madonna's drag queen's ass.

More rumors surface about Florida Governor Charlie Crist's sexuality: "I just wish he would come out and admit it. That would be a great thing if he did."

Anti-gay marriage group in Iowa which staged demonstration at the Supreme Court accuses lawmakers of holding up proposed amendment banning gay marriage: "Several legislative leaders quickly denounced the group's claims, calling their tactics hateful. 'I have a problem when people say, 'We are good, they are evil,' House Majority Speaker Pat Murphy, a Dubuque Democrat, said in response to the group. 'The bottom line is, I believe that every person should be treated with dignity and respect in this state.'"

Could Alzheimer's Disease be cured with a 'reset button' for the brain?

Sphere: Related Content

News: Richard Zednik, Obama Security, Taylor Kitsch, Hepatitis A

Jason Rae, the nation's youngest superdelegate who also happens to be gay and was heavily wooed by the Clinton camp, has decided to endorse Obama. Rae: "The Democratic Party is fortunate to have two very talented individuals running for President this election. It is a difficult choice for anyone, but in the end, the choice for me has become clear. I am proudly supporting Senator Barack Obama."

Madonna, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Eric Dane and others in Hepatitis A scare at trendy New York hotspot Socialista — told to get vaccinated immediately.

Friday Night Lights Taylor Kitsch the latest stud to join X-Men Origins : Wolverine starring Hugh Jackman.

Project Runway stars reunite, dish the dirt before season finale.

State College, Pennsylvania Mayor Bill Welch to preside at same-sex commitment ceremony of six gay and lesbian couples: "'All of them have been together for several years and are actively committed to their partners,' said [Tom] Koerber, co-director of the university Coalition of LGBTA Graduate Students. The coalition has scheduled the ceremony to coincide with the start of Pride Week, an annual week when gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students — along with straight allies — drum up pride in their community."

Bollywood actor Siddharth speaks out on playing gay roles: "I think we are a homophobic country and I believe the media’s insensitive sensationalisation of the issue is largely responsible for this. As an actor I play roles based on reality. Sexual orientation is a natural and personal choice. I see no reason for it to affect my decision to accept a project. I have close friends who are gay, and they are as intelligent and caring as, if not more than, my heterosexual friends. I think it’s time we started respecting them and giving them their much-deserved freedom to just be themselves."

Officers surprised by order to stop security screening in Dallas more than an hour before Obama took the stage: "The order to put down the metal detectors and stop checking purses and laptop bags came as a surprise to several Dallas police officers who said they believed it was a lapse in security. Dallas Deputy Police Chief T.W. Lawrence, head of the Police Department's homeland security and special operations divisions, said the order -- apparently made by the U.S. Secret Service -- was meant to speed up the long lines outside and fill the arena's vacant seats before Obama came on. 'Sure,' said Lawrence, when asked if he was concerned by the great number of people who had gotten into the building without being checked. But, he added, the turnout of more than 17,000 people seemed to be a 'friendly crowd.'"

Hockey player Richard Zednik, whose carotid artery as you may remember was ripped open by a skate blade, speaks to the media: "When I saw the blood, I knew I had to get up. I got to the trainers and said it's up to them now."

Dolce & Gabbana's new collection trashed by buyers: "If I was on a blind-date and a girl answered the door dressed like that, I'd say I was gay and looking for my boyfriend's apartment."

Miami Beach prepares for annual Winter Party: ''When the Task Force took over Winter Party, one of the missions was to make sure it was not just a [men's] circuit party but a series of events to reach out to . . . the entire spectrum of the community. Transgender people, LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] families and youth. We don't have a pride celebration in Miami. This is about the closest thing we have to it.''

29-year-old who stabbed gay man to death in public toilet in Britain appears in court: "Mr Akers, a retired accountant from Wallington, was found stabbed in public toilets in Walton Lane, just off Walton Bridge about 3pm on Tuesday. He died later in hospital. Mr Akers, from Wallington, had a male partner who he had been living with for 22 years. A postmortem examination held at the Royal Surrey County Hospital revealed the cause of death as a single stab wound to the back ."

27-year-old in Brazil ordered to pay fine of $8,500 for using 'fag' slur and throwing beer can at gay man: "It is the first time this fine is put into practice by the State since the creation of law nº 10.948 back in 2001."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Coral, Indiana, Rufus Wainwright, Berlin, Neil Patrick Harris

Indiana Senate votes 39-9 to ban same-sex marriage: "The amendment now goes to the House, where it died last year and where it's stalled again this year. State Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, the chairman of the House Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee, which was assigned the bill, has already said he will not give it a hearing because this session's focus is on property taxes."

Someone commit him: Ambulance-chasing Bobby Trendy holds Britney vigil outside UCLA medical center.

Elton John holds fundraiser for gay London mayoral candidate and former top cop Brian Paddick.

California same-sex marriage foes relaunch drive for constitutional amendment: "Signature gatherers have been spotted by people out in the field, [Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California] told the Bay Area Reporter Tuesday, January 29. He said the measure's supporters have raised over $350,000 so far, and he said signatures are being collected in the Sacramento and Central Valley areas, as well as in Southern California. Kors said there isn't "extensive visibility" yet and that he wasn't aware of signatures being gathered in the Bay Area. Kors said the anti-gay groups need about 1.1 million signatures by April 21 in order to collect the nearly 700,000 valid signatures needed to put the measure before voters. Kors said he and others just learned of the group's efforts last week, and are working to develop plans of their own."

Gray January: NYC gets no snow for first time in 75 years.

Carson Kressley on Carson Kressley: "I can't say what people are thinking, but I'm never going to defend my actions as being one way or another. I defend them as me being me. If I say I was being stereotypical and I do what "shouldn't" be stereotypical, then I'm living my life for somebody else and I'm marching to the beat of somebody else's drummer, and that, I think, is a worse thing."

The case for Katie Holmes faking the NY Marathon.

Researchers: Human sunscreen killing off coral reefs around the world. "Four commonly found sunscreen ingredients can awaken dormant viruses in the symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae that live inside reef-building coral species. The chemicals cause the viruses to replicate until their algae hosts explode, spilling viruses into the surrounding seawater, where they can infect neighboring coral communities. Zooxanthellae provide coral with food energy through photosynthesis and contribute to the organisms' vibrant color. Without them, the coral "bleaches"—turns white—and dies...The researchers estimate that 4,000 to 6,000 metric tons of sunscreen wash off swimmers annually in oceans worldwide, and that up to 10 percent of coral reefs are threatened by sunscreen-induced bleaching."

More Becks on the beach photos.

Rufus, Rufus, Rufus: Victoria Beckham isn't the only one appearing naked on those new Marc Jacobs T-shirts.

New York City comptroller William Thompson leads anti-discrimination charge with the LGBT Community Center and the New York City Pension Funds, calling on more than two dozen large companies including ExxonMobil to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity: "We must work together to make sure that corporate America embraces acceptance and affords all employees the same protections..."

New York Post endorses Barack Obama.

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka to duet for Broadway Backwards 3, the gender-bending concert of show tune favorites benefiting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center.

Hundreds of Pennsylvania students sign petition to force administrators to take on anti-gay bullying: "The petition circulated after an openly gay senior student left school halfway through the year, claiming he was repeatedly harassed by fellow students. Superintendent David Volkman says the district has formed a new committee to look at the issue. He says the school is already looking at ways to reinforce its harassment policy, and has created 'safe rooms' for students who would like to talk with teachers about the issue."

Europe's first gay old folks home fully booked.

New York's Gay City News endorses Obama: "The McClurkin episode, unfortunate as it was, pales in comparison to the divisiveness that Senator Clinton has allowed her campaign to devolve into. Her comparison between the roles played by Dr. King and President Lyndon Johnson in advancing civil rights can be chalked up to inartfulness. The comments coming from her surrogates are far more disturbing, forming a pattern that sadly can no longer be ignored."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Newark, Spencer Pratt, Chicago, Charlie Crist, Uruguay

Following the murders of two gay black men on Chicago's south side in the past month, authorities are wondering if a serial killer may be responsible: "On November 17, 24-year-old Larry Bland was shot to death in his Englewood home. Bland, a security guard at Northwestern Hospital was shot more than once after struggling with a man who had entered the house through an unlocked basement door. Then on December 23, 47-year-old Donald Young, the choir director at Trinity United Church of Christ, was shot multiple times in his South Side apartment. His roommate found his body."

Spencer Pratt of The Hills turns down offer from Michael Lucas to appear in gay porn movie. Lucas: "He was born to be in a gay-porn blockbuster. Lucas Entertainment would do anything to be able to center our next major all-male production on Spencer Pratt."

Will Smith apologizes for Hitler remarks.

Harassment of gay teen prompts uproar, petition, review of policies at Pennsylvania high school: "Few days went by without his being punched, kicked or tripped by classmates at Susquehanna Twp. High School in Dauphin County. The teenager, an openly gay boy described by friends as kind and compassionate, said he was constantly harassed, though he never reported it to anyone, not even his friends. Finally, when classmates told him to 'go kill himself' to "make the world a better place," the teen decided he'd had enough. He said he left school in the middle of his senior year because he could no longer bear the torment."

GREEN: Times Square New Year's Eve ball converted to energy-saving LEDs.

Thomas Morgan III, former president of the National Association of Black Journalists and reporter and editor at the New York Times, dies at 56 of AIDS-related complications.

Madonna to make directorial debut with Filth and Wisdom at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.

Southwest Airlines makes attempt to land in gay market, misses runway?

Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez signs first nationwide same-sex civil union law in Latin America.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist "not moved" to support Florida marriage amendment. Perhaps too much "moving" might rattle a few skeletons out of the closet.

"Homosexuality is a human condition": Mayor of Rome criticizes Catholic political leader Dr. Paola Binetti for resisting legislation that would bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Do you believe: Chastity Bono and Cher developing reality show to help gays come out of the closet.

Mr. Cellophane: turns out that the reason Michael Jackson was so bandaged up the other week was because his five-year-old son accidentally smacked him in the face and his (plastic) upper lip collapsed.

Newark, New Jersey gay voguing balls finding a new place in the city's culture: " The city's gay ball subculture -- in which men and women compete in rituals of posing and runway walking, sometimes as the opposite gender -- is earning a place for itself in civic life, with outreach efforts and charity drives. And nowhere is that more surprising than in Newark, a city with no openly gay nightlife, where the 4-year-old murder of 15-year-old lesbian Sakia Gunn, killed for rejecting a man's advances, is still invoked as a symbol of intolerance. The houses, which have a combined membership of more than 100, are now touted by politicians as a significant force in the fight against AIDS and discrimination."

Hilton sisters get lump of coal from grandpa.

Oregon's same-sex couples eagerly await the new year and its new benefits.

David Beckham flattered: "I'm very honoured to have the tag of gay icon. Maybe it's things like (the fact) I like to look after myself, I like to look smart and presentable most of the time."

Sphere: Related Content

Hate Sheet: Pennsylvania, Houston, Northern Ireland, Scotland

Not a lot of fun writing this post up, but there was quite a bit of news on this topic today, so here it is:

Police investigating potential hate crime in Bucks County, Pennsylvania: "State police in Dublin are looking for two men who assaulted 40-year-old Brett Saylor along Route 313 near the Dublin Star Diner at about 4:45 a.m. Saturday. Saylor, who was on his way to work, was treated at Doylestown Hospital. Saylor, who moved to the area four months ago from Louisville, Ky., said the two men called him abusive names indicating they knew about his sexuality. He said they did not take his money or valuables."

Killer of gay man in Houston is up for parole: "Paul Broussard, 27, was brutally beaten and stabbed to death while walking in Montrose in 1991 because he was gay. One of the attackers, Jon Buice, is serving a 45-year prison sentence for Broussard's murder. Buice is up for parole for the third time. 'They not only took Paul's life, they took his future,' said Nancy Rodriguez, Broussard's mother. 'I know in reality, he will not spend 45 years.' Rodriguez, from Georgia, plans to make her plea to the parole board. 'Regardless of who it was or who he was, nobody should have to die like that,' she said. 'This was a horrible, horrible thing. If you read the autopsy -- it took me years to read it -- and he actually carved my child up like you would a deer. He meant to kill him.'" Read a bit more of the backstory on this here.

A group of gay tourists has been attacked in Bogside, Northern Ireland: "Members of Gay and Lesbian Youth Northern Ireland (GLYNI) and their Australian guests came under fire from the youths at Rossville Street on Saturday afternoon. The visitors were enjoying a tour of the Bogside when they were confronted by the gang who shouted homophobic abuse, threw bottles and stones, and toted the replica firearms. Details of the incident only emerged yesterday afternoon. David McCartney, of Derry-based gay, lesbian and transsexual support group, the Rainbow Project, said it was a "terrifying experience" for the tourists."

Two men have pleaded guilty to a lethal assault on a gay man in Perth, Scotland: "Mr Kerr, who worked as a civic officer for Perth and Kinross Council, died in Dundee's Ninewells Hospital hours after being repeatedly kicked in the head. Meehan, Soutar and the 15-year-old all admitted punching him on the face and knocking him to the ground. Meehan and Soutar admitted kicking him numerous times on the head, with Meehan admitting landing the blows which amounted to murder."

Sphere: Related Content

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And more from the VMAs:

Trent hits the VMA party circuit.

Britney Spears damage control team goes into action.

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

Sphere: Related Content

Gay Porn Murder Plot Revealed in 21-Page Affadavit

A 12-page affadavit released by investigators details the actions of Cuadra Harlow, Joseph Kerekes, and Sean Lockhart leading up to and after the January murder of gay porn producer Bryan Kocis, in what police say was "a misguided effort to strike it big."

Unfortunately for the killers, "Cuadra was totally unaware that police were taping his every word. Police would not reveal how they did it."

Their plan: "In the movies, Kerekes goes by the stage name Trent and portrays a tough Marine. Cuadra is the baby-faced 'twink' - slang for a young-looking male model with little or no body hair, suggesting an underage boy. Cuadra and Kerekes were still only bit players in the gay-porn world...Cuadra and Kerekes imagined themselves as major players in the twink market. Their most ambitious project was one that would pair two of the hottest twinks on the Internet: Cuadra and a young man from California who went by the stage name Brent Corrigan. That was Sean Lockhart, who was already under contract to Bryan Kocis, a porn producer who lived in Dallas, Pa., just outside Wilkes-Barre."

Not long after the plan was hatched, firefighters responded to a fire at Kocis' home in Pennsylvania where they discovered the murder. Kocis' throat had been slit and he had been stabbed 28 times before his killers burned the body.

Cuadra had apparently shared wine with Kocis, and drugged him. Finally, "Cuadra talked about watching Kocis die. 'Actually, it's sick, but it made me feel better inside. It almost felt like I got revenge.'"

Lockhart reportedly "drove home, upset" when he heard the news.

A much more detailed chain of events here:

Affidavit lays out details in porn producer's slaying [pilot online]

You may have missed...
Gay Porn Models Charged with Murder of Producer [tr]

Sphere: Related Content

Gay Porn Models Charged with Murder of Producer

Two gay porn actors have been arrested for the murder of gay porn producer Bryan Kocis in January. Harlow Raymond Cuadra, 25 (left), and Joseph Manuel Kerekes, 33 (right) have been charged with criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit criminal homicide, abuse of corpse, robbery, burglary, theft and two counts of arson. They were taken into custody in their home town of Virginia Beach and are being held at the Virginia Beach Detention Center.

In January, firefighters responded to a fire at Kocis' home in Pennsylvania where they discovered the producer's body. His throat had been slit and he had been stabbed 28 times before his killers burned the body.

According to the Virginian Pilot, "The affidavit claims that the motive for the crime was money. Cuadra and Kerekes, the affidavit says, believed Kocis to be their main rival in the lucrative gay pornography business, and they wanted Kocis out of the way so they could form a relationship with Kocis' main pornography star, Sean Lockhart, who is known in the gay film industry as Brent Corrigan (right)."

The Times-Leader reports: "The investigation took a dramatic turn three weeks ago when investigators electronically intercepted conversations the two men had with Sean Lockhart and Grant Roy in San Diego. Lockhart is a former model for Kocis’ company, Cobra Video, and is a partner with Roy in LSG Media, a San Diego-based company that markets gay pornographic movies...According to the criminal complaints, investigators recorded a conversation near a hotel in San Diego on April 27 in which Roy asked if Kocis 'felt any pain.' Cuadra leaned toward Lockhart and said, 'Don’t worry, he went quick.'"

In February, after investigators had fingered Harlow as a suspect, he told the Scranton Times-Tribune that he did not know Kocis and was "freaked out" that his photo was part of a murder investigation. Guess he had good reason.

Two arrested in local gay porn producer’s killing [times leader]
Two Beach men charged with murder of Pa. porn producer [virginian-pilot]
Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Manuel Kerekes Arrested! [queerclick] (NSFW)
Update On Harlow Cuadra Arrest [gay porn blog] (NSFW)

Sphere: Related Content

News: Hummingbird, Hugh Jackman, New Hope Pride, Geffen

Criminology professor explains psychology behind gay killing following murders in Halifax: "They tend to be young white males, usually between the ages of 16 and 30. They tend to be homophobic or feel threatened by gay men generally. It’s often meant as a way to exert their own power within society. One way to exert that authority is to turn to violence. Such attackers are often loners with some history of violence. Some are troubled by their own sexual identity. It could have been someone who was cruising for sex themselves and are outraged at their own behaviour and then lashed out at that as well. In this case, rather than lashing out at themselves, they’ve lashed out at these two individuals."

Hugh Jackman catches a few rays at Australia's Bondi Beach.

Gay enclave of New Hope, Pennsylvania to hold its first gay pride parade this Saturday.

New York City PrideFest canceled after denial of permit leaves organizers with no venue: "Participants at the May 8 emergency meeting worried that another organization would begin its own Sunday festival and questioned whether the permit denial was motivated by homophobia—something HOP board members said they were considering. Mannino said the American Civil Liberties Union has indicated it may be interested in pursuing a lawsuit against the city on behalf of HOP."

Paris Hilton's new get-out-of-jail strategy: pray.

David Geffen flips NYC apartment, adds another $6 million to his bankroll.

GALLUP POLL: Congress approval at 29%, Bush at 33%.

Recently discovered species of hummingbird threatened by Colombian cocaine trade.

Heavy multivitamin use linked to advanced prostate cancer: "The researchers found no association between multivitamin use and the risk of localized prostate cancer. But they did find an increased risk of advanced and fatal prostate cancer among men who used multivitamins more than seven times a week, compared with men who did not use multivitamins. The association was strongest in men with a family history of prostate cancer and men who also took selenium, beta-carotene, or zinc supplements."

Oboist suing Buffalo Philharmonic claiming his dismissal from the orchestra was homophobic: "According to a statement issued on Roach's behalf by GLAAD, the trouble began in February 2003, when Roach's supervisor, principal oboist Pierre Roy, allegedly remarked to him, 'We wouldn't want any more fags in the orchestra.'"

Scotland Yard says that investigations into anti-gay murders and bashings have been "marred by institutional homophobia" at the agency: "An independent review into how Met police handled a series of murders involving gay men and transsexuals found officers were hampered by a lack of knowledge and personal prejudices."

Sphere: Related Content

"Person of Interest" Found in Gay Porn Producer's Murder

Police have found the man they were seeking in the murder of gay porn producer Bryan Kocis, and the man, a gay escort who goes by the name Harlow, says he does not know Kocis and told the Scranton Times-Tribune that he was "freaked out" that his photo was part of a murder investigation.

Harlow spoke to the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader: Clients will call me or send me a text message saying they’ve seen my picture on a Web site, and that I’m offering services in Atlanta. I’ve seen my body but my head was cropped out and someone else will put their head in. It seems here that somebody is playing a sick joke or something. That picture they are using, I’ve used everywhere. It’s my cover picture."

According to the TL: "Kocis, 44, told an associate he was meeting the man in the photo at his Midland Drive home at 7 p.m. Jan. 24 to discuss a modeling job for Cobra Video. Kocis owned and operated Cobra Video, a production company that produces and sells gay pornographic movies. About 90 minutes after the scheduled meeting, firefighters responded to a report of a fire at the Kocis home. Kocis’ body was found on a couch. The coroner ruled he died of multiple stab wounds to the front torso and neck and was dead before the fire started."

Harlow claims he was with a client in his hometown of Virginia Beach the night Kocis was killed.

Male Escort: I don’t know victim Kocis [wilkes-barre times leader]

Sphere: Related Content