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]

Alleged Self-Sportrait: Jeff Reed

A cameraphone shot by a man alleged to be Pittsburgh Steeler kicker Jeff Reed has found its way to the internets, revealing something that we've heard rumors about but never, until now, had the evidence. Yes folks, the terrifying trend of extreme manscaping has found its way to the National Football League. The NSFW shot, after the jump...

Steeler Joey Porter Blames Media for Outrage Over Gay Slur

Joey Porter is mad the NFL fined him for calling another player a "fag" on camera so he's blaming it on the media. He tells ESPN:

"I just don't understand how you can get a DUI or fail a drug test and nothing happens. You say something, you get fined. That just don't make any sense. You'd think if you get a DUI or something, you should get fined. If you fail a drug test, you should get fined. But for saying a word, you get fined. That's kind of backward to me. There was enough publicity about it. Y'all keep talking about it. Y'all going to make them do something. If y'all wouldn't have just kept talking about it, [the fine] wouldn't have happened. Y'all need a story so you keep talking about it. So they say, all right, let's fine him then because everybody seems to be upset about it."

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Man Arrested for Murder of Pittsburgh Area Antiques Dealer

Police arrested Orville Trail as a suspect in the murder of Ira Wyne, 62, of New Eagle, Pennsylvania after Wyne was found naked in his basement after apparently being beaten to death.

Trail, who police reportedly found "covered in blood", said that he beat Wyne with a vase, candelabra, and picture after Wyne made "an unwanted sexual advance" according to KDKA News.

Police said that Trail claims Wyne, who made his living as an antiques dealer, owed him money.

Trail is being charged with aggravated assault, criminal homicide, robbery, and murder.

Elizabeth Man Charged In New Eagle Murder [kdka]

News: Franco Zeffirelli, Mexico, 'Fag' Students, London HIV Stats

Conservative party in Mexico considering filing challenge to Mexico City's new gay union law, saying it violates rules in that country's constitution which protect the family. "City legal counsel Maria Estela Rios, however, called the argument 'absurd' because the law guarantees legal rights for same-sex couples, but does not legalize gay marriage."

Pittsburgh area school board Vice President William Scherfel refers to students in gay-straight alliance as "fags".

Not funny: Seinfeld's Michael Richards spews racist tirade at the Laugh Factory.

What will happen in the next 50 years? More than 70 scientists offer their forecasts.

Carol Channing gets the last word in on the interview that tried to crush her gay-friendly reputation.

New York's HX acquires Boston's In Newsweekly.

Robbie Williams says he'd have sex with a man to save an animal's life: "I wouldn't enjoy it but I could do it under pain of death, or if it meant saving a baby bunny from being burned alive." I'd be willing to bet he's saved a few rabbits already.

Director Franco Zeffirelli said that a priest put the moves on him as a boy, in Catholic school, but it seems he quite enjoyed it: "Sexual abuse is putting it too strongly. There was no penetration. I felt sorry for the poor man. If I had realised what he had in mind, I would probably have given him what he wanted. I thought the priest felt a special affection for me, he was always kissing me. (Homosexual experiences) are not always bad for boys. I don't think they make you homosexual. Sexual choice is made for you early on in life anyway - if you like girls, you like girls."

Tom and Katie's Cruiseazy wedding photo.

One out of every ten gay men in London is HIV positive as is one out of every 25 across the UK, according to a new report.