Gay 'Love Scene' in Aussie Cinderella on Ice Infuriates Some

A production of Cinderella on Ice had its premiere in Melbourne on Tuesday, and audiences were treated to a "gay love sequence" performed by skaters Andrei Benikov and Yuri Salimanov.

The surprise sequence has "pro-family" groups up in arms and gay groups cheering:

"Mr Mercer said his updated version of Cinderella, which replaces the role of the prince with the mayor's son and the fairy godmother with a gypsy, enabled modern audiences to better identify with the characters. And gay couples are part of contemporary society, he said. 'I don't think there is anything offensive about including a gay couple,' Mr Mercer said. 'You see them day in, day out on the street.' Australian Families Association national secretary Gabrielle Walsh said the gay dance, by skaters Yuri Salimanov and Andrei Benikov, was inappropriate. 'We need to protect our children. They don't need to grow up any quicker,' Ms Walsh said. Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce said the surprise inclusion of gay lovers was out of place in an audience of young children. 'They are making children's lives more complicated before they need to be,' he said."

A children's advocacy group had a different perspective. Said its CEO: "It's helpful as a way of breaking down prejudices."

A glimpse of the production at its New Zealand run (though I couldn't catch the gay bit), AFTER THE JUMP...

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Brideshead Revisited to Push Gay Intrigue

A new theatrical version of Brideshead Revisited set to open in limited release this week will take the gay ambiguity in the Evelyn Waugh novel to a more definitive place.

According to The Telegraph, "a new film adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited will out Sebastian Flyte as a homosexual and even feature a gay kiss between him and Charles. In one controversial scene in the new £10 million film, which has its world premiere in New York on Tuesday, a love struck Sebastian attempts to kiss Charles on the mouth before his amorous advances are resisted. The scene has been welcomed by some gay rights campaigners who have already dubbed the film 'the most overtly' gay Brideshead ever. But it is set to infuriate purists who insist that the relationship between the two friends has been distorted. Brideshead Revisited tells the story of Charles Ryder and his infatuation with Lord Sebastian Flyte, his aristocratic family and their ancestral home, Brideshead. The two men meet while students at Oxford and Ryder finds Flyte’s decadence and loucheness irresistible. Although fans of the novel and the 1981 Granada television adaptation which starred Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews have debated the nature of the relationship between the two friends neither the book, which appeared in 1945, or the TV adaptation carry any overt references to homosexual feelings."

Said screenwriter Andrew Davies: "I think it will probably upset the purists. But one thing we wanted to make clear was that Sebastian was gay and that Charles although terribly fond of him is heading in another direction sexually. Waugh had a very skilful way of skating over the sordid details so we can imagine what we like about them. This ambivalence was probably the result of his own sexual ambivalence."

Sebastian is played by Ben Whishaw, and Charles by Matthew Goode. Below, Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews in the PBS series which transfixed viewers in 1981.

The theatrical trailer for the new Brideshead, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Joan Rivers and Barbra Streisand Once Swapped Spit

Joan Rivers tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that she and Barbra Streisand played lovers in a 1959 theatre production of the off-off Broadway play "Driftwood" because the director couldn't find a leading man:

"We played lesbian lovers. That was the first thing Barbra did; soon after that she really got going. Let me tell you, Barbra is a great kisser, but no tongue....I don't really see her anymore. I got an invitation from Barbra asking me to please come see her show when she was in New York. I thought, 'This is a joke,' but it wasn't. I wrote her back, 'I can't come because I'm working that night,' which was true. Barbra is so involved in her own life. When I do see her, she always asks, 'So, are you still in the business?' And she's not making a joke. She has no clue what anyone else is doing."

Rivers also talked about her experiences with Andy Warhol: "Bad wigs, oily skin. He looked like an albino. Not a pretty man. Andy wanted to do me, but Cher said, 'Don't. He charges $40,000 a portrait, and he'll always tell you the first one isn't good.' I wasn't going to make an $80,000 commitment. I said, 'Andy, if you want to do it for free, great,' but he picked Elizabeth Taylor instead."

And Robert Mapplethorpe: "He wouldn't agree to retouch the photos, so I said no."

Rivers is playing a concert in Pittsburgh over the weekend sponsored by the Lambda Foundation.

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Gossip Girl Guy: I'm Gay

So last night's Gossip Girl episode featured the big coming out for one of the boys, who was caught making out with newbie Asher Hornsby (above). As a courtesy to those of you who haven't engaged your DVRs yet, the key reveals are AFTER THE JUMP...

Eric's coming out, and his mother's acceptance.

Flashback
Penn Badgley and His Great Gay Hope for Gossip Girl [tr]
Gossip Girl About to Get a Gay? [tr]
Gossip Girl Guys Engage in Well-Dressed Three-way for Out [tr]

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News: Heath Ledger, North Carolina, Op, Michael Cunningham

Michelle Williams says she's been visited by the ghost of Heath Ledger: "The first time, she was woken at night after hearing furniture move. In another 'visitation', she said he apologised to her for not being there to help raise their two-year-old daughter, Matilda. Williams claimed the hauntings helped her grieve."

Remember 'Op' surfwear? It's making a comeback.

Who is Gossip Girl's gay character going to get caught making out with? (SPOILER WARNING)

Pinkberry comes clean on ingredients.

Paper: Mood of 'deep pessimism' pervades AIDS vaccine scientists.

North Carolina adds new rule to Patents' bill of rights ensuring that same-sex partners will get visitation rights: "The rule adds a provision to the Patients’ Bill of Rights, stating: “A patient has the right to designate visitors who shall receive the same visitation privileges as the patient’s immediate family members, regardless of whether the visitors are legally related to the patient.” The right applies to hospitals statewide. 'We know how important it is that patients have their loved ones by their sides, but all too often same-sex partners have been turned away when their partner is hospitalized.' said Ian Palmquist, Executive Director of Equality NC Foundation. 'The new policy will ensure that the patient’s wishes are respected. This is a victory not just for same-sex couples, but for unmarried opposite-sex couples, caregivers, and other loved ones whom the state does not legally recognize.'" Medical decisions are not covered under the new rule.

HUNG: HBO developing series about a guy with a big dick?

Town administrator of Easton, Massachusetts, outside Boston, to marry: "Tomorrow, Easton Town Administrator David Colton will marry his longtime partner, Brian Khoo, an interior designer from Malaysia. It will be a black-tie event. The five Easton selectmen will attend. So will state Senator Brian A. Joyce, a legislative supporter of gay marriage who will deliver a speech on the subject. In a perfect world, Colton said, there would be no need for such a speech at his wedding. And becoming the first gay town administrator in the state to get married would not deserve particular note. But, for now, Colton said, he sees his marriage as a validation of a fight for equality - of his work to become a successful town administrator, regardless of his sexual orientation."

Cristian de la Fuente: stogie daddy.

Check out the trailer for Will Smith's summer superhero movie Hancock.

Game show looking for real-life Will & Grace.

New York theater figure Joe Cino honored with plaque to be mounted on site of historic cafe: "Fifty years ago Joe Cino rented a storefront in New York City’s Greenwich Village in order to open a coffee house, which eventually morphed into what is now regarded as the birthplace of the Off Off Broadway movement and the American Gay Theatre Movement."

Michael Cunningham's The Hours to become an opera?

Variety previews the GLAAD media awards in L.A.: "On occasion, the specifics resonate far beyond the same-sex world and into the mainstream, as when Ang Lee's 'Brokeback Mountain' dominated conversations two years ago or Ellen DeGeneres came out on her eponymous TV show a decade earlier. But not every year can be a banner one, and the work of 2007 being celebrated at this year's ceremonies seems to honor steady progress more than milestone moments."

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Who's Gay on Gossip Girl?

Uh oh, somebody spilled the beans... (SPOILER warning)

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Viva Hollywood's Vinci Has Crybaby Meltdown Over Gay Role

You may remember Vinci Alonso from the modeling reality series 8th & Ocean (above). Now he's in the new VH1 show Viva Hollywood! a reality show in which Latino actors compete to become the next telenovela (Latin soap) star (the winner receives a contract with Telemundo). The latest episode demanded that contestants Vinci and Berto do a gay scene together, which caused Vinci to lock himself in the bathroom and cry.

GuyTVBlog reports: "In the end Berto won the "lust" challenge which was a $10,000 shopping spree prize awarded for his "triumph" for playing gay. He then shared his vanity prize with Vinci for also being able to come out of this ordeal with their masculinity still in tact."

Watch the clip AFTER THE JUMP...

Viva Hollywood! | Vinci & Berto Flip The Fuck Out When Told They Have To Play Gay [guytvblog]

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News: Alan Tudyk, Pope Benedict, Provincetown, Christina Aguilera

Bush thanks Pope Benedict XVI for an "awesome" speech. Approval rating at 28%.

Armani Exchange holds London briefing.

Somebody is way too young to be flipping the bird. Did he learn it from his mother or his father?

Study: Same-sex marriage in Iowa would be a boont o the economy. "The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law estimates that same-sex weddings and related tourism would lead to $160 million in spending over the next three years. The total economic activity related to same-sex marriage would give the state an extra $5.3 million per year in tax revenue, the study says."

Earthquake rocks Illinois: "A 5.4 earthquake that appeared to rival the strongest recorded in the region rocked people awake up to 350 miles away early Friday, surprising residents unaccustomed to such a powerful Midwest temblor. The quake just before 4:37 a.m. was centered 6 miles from West Salem, Ill., and 66 miles from Evansville, Ind. It was felt in such distant cities as Chicago, Cincinnati and Milwaukee, 350 miles north of the epicenter, but there were no early reports of injuries or significant damage."

Chace Crawford on his perfect companion: "I don’t have any real guidelines for any particular girl. If they ring your bell, they ring your bell."

Alan Tudyk tapped for gay role in new pilot from Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan that centers around the partnership between two writers, based on them. One is straight, one is gay.

University of Massachusetts hosts Drag Ball: "Students were decked out in their drag finest, men in wigs and gaudy prom-inspired eveningwear and women suited up with matching fedoras and suspenders. The Drag Ball kicked off with an entertaining introduction from host Envy Chanel, winner of Miss New England International Plus 2008. The feisty bundle of joy donned an outfit nothing short of noticeable. 'I bought you disco ball arms, Asians on the body, and slippery black boots," she playfully cooed.'"

LOGO claims broadcast of first gay-targeted High-Definition TV show.

Matthew McConaughey channels Jesus.

Rich of FourFour honors the best vagarm in history.

New writers colony sprouts in Provincetown, in Norman Mailer's old house: "Joan Didion, William Kennedy, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Gunter Grass have consented to be on the board. Four universities have expressed interest in partnering with the project. Mailer's third-floor studio, just as he left it, will be preserved as a museum. The home's four bedrooms will be used to house visiting distinguished writers and scholars. The first floor will be an area for lectures and conferences. Writers who are accepted will receive a stipend and be housed in other locations in town. There will be slots for writers of fiction and non-fiction, as well as those working on scripts for stage and film. Funds have already been pledged, and Schiller hopes the colony will be launched next year."

Domestic partners: Salt Lake City begins registration of gay couples.

The Gay Recluse honors the smokin' hot statuary of Washington Heights in NYC.

Florida same-sex marriage foes kick off ballot initiative in West Palm Beach. Sidney Lanier, a retired Florida Highway Patrol officer: "The world that we grew up in is very different than the world we live in. Some changes have been good. But some things are never meant to change, because they define us as human beings."

Kylie Minogue's new video for "All I See" has been released - watch it.

Gay sperm donor loses bid for guardianship of his blood child, being raised by two lesbians: "Rejecting his claim yesterday, Mr Justice John Hedigan said the child's welfare was best served by remaining with the couple, and by the man in his forties having no guardianship or access to the infant. There was nothing in Irish law to suggest that a family of two women and a child had 'any lesser right to be recognised as a de facto family than a family composed of a man and woman unmarried to each other and a child'. The judge added that the rights of a man who acted as a sperm donor were no greater than those of an unmarried father. He had the right to apply to be appointed as a guardian, but no automatic right to appointment."

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News: Tori Spelling, Paw Paw, NYC Nightlife, ACT UP, Jason Mraz

New York may soon no longer be the city that never sleeps.

Jason Mraz on his new album and why he surrounds himself with gay people: "To me it’s not an issue of gay or straight; it’s just a coincidence that the people I hang out with happened to be … gay folk. And I, as a writer, have always written from a feminine side. I take yoga, and I practice my spirituality, to balance my heaven and earth, to balance my masculine and my feminine, you know? And I think what I find hanging out in the gay community, there’s more of a balance in the masculine and feminine qualities in the lifestyle than in a typical straight relationship or just in a straight person."

Tori Spelling anoints herself a gay icon: "I'm a huge fan of gays. They love me; I love them. They consider me kind of a gay icon, which they've labeled me as."

Justice Department confirms inquiry into whether U.S. Attorney Leslie Hagen was fired because she is a lesbian: "Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Hagen was informed in 2006 that her contract working on Indian affairs in the Justice Department's Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys would not be renewed for a second year — despite receiving the highest possible performance reviews. When NPR first reported Hagen's case earlier this month, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) asked the Inspector General's Office and the Office of Professional Responsibility to confirm that they were looking into Hagen's case."

Jake Gyllenhaal stands underneath an umbrella - ella - ella.

Leslie Jordan, who stars in the upcoming Sordid Lives, headlined a fundraiser on Monday night for NYC's Harvey Milk High School scholarship fund.

Harvey Milk City Hall Memorial Committee seeks donors to help fund cost of unveiling event on May 22, what would have been Milk's 78th birthday. More on the Memorial here.

In other Milk news, what is recognized as the first public tribute to Harvey Milk after his death, a mural painted on the side of the Duboce Park recreation center named in his honor, will soon be painted over. The city plans to paint a different work (also honoring Milk) on the rec center's east-facing wall, and place another memorial inside the building's lobby.

A FIRST LOOK at Project Runway winner Christian Siriano's appearance on Ugly Betty.

Next week, Law & Order: SVU will feature pro football player who is outed when his lover is murdered. This Bailey Chase, the player.

Animated Disney hunks become underwear models

Martha Stewart remembers her Chow, Paw Paw, who died last Saturday.

"Fearless" exhibit of openly gay athletes opens at San Ramon Valley High School in San Francisco's Bay Area.

Robert Downey Jr. sucks a mean thumb.

Jay Blotcher recalls the lessons he learned on the front lines of ACT UP. He'll be appearing tomorrow at NYU with other ACT UP alums at NYU's Cantor Film Center: "This wasn’t some haphazard group—our media committee had members that were publicists at major firms. Michelangelo Signorile, my predecessor as media coordinator, applied showbiz-PR tactics to ACT UP and got us a lot of attention."

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Grey's Anatomy to Feature Hot Gay Soldier Kiss

It looks like Grey's Anatomy, which starts airing again on April 24, is going to be getting some hot gay action. Earlier this month, a casting call went out for two men to play soldiers who were "Caucasian, hot and comfortable sharing a 'very romantic kiss'." According to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello, the actors have been cast: "Benny Ciaramello (Friday Night Lights' Santiago) and Road Rules grad David Giuntoli have been tapped."

No word on when that episode might air.

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News: Bats, Clay Aiken, Figure Skating, John Bolton, Dr. Laura

Dan Savage lost his mother on Monday, and today penned a beautiful column about her. We offer our sincerest condolences. May she rest in peace.

David Beckham in trouble with the law.

Open wide: Clay Aiken demonstrates amazing oral technique.

John Caldera, an aide to San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, will carry the Olympic torch in San Francisco today: "As someone who is openly Gay, Latino and a U.S. Navy Veteran, I have learned to respect the many subsets of our society. At times, I agree to disagree with those who have conflicing ideas ordeals than mine and at times, through respect and discourse, mutual understanding is possible but in the end I always remember the immortal words of the great humanitarian, John Lennon: 'All we are saving is give peace a chance…'" (via outsports)

Elsewhere in SF, gays protest the torch's arrival.

Keanu Reeves wants to sing show tunes.

Charleston's City Paper asks, is Lindsey Graham gay?

Gabriel Rotello at World of Wonder posts a comical reminiscence about an interview he once did with the late Charlton Heston: "Finally, someone sent word that the cameraman was ready and I rose to escort the tottering titan down to the basement. It was then that I discovered what a careless PA had missed. At the top of the stairs hung a huge, poster-sized photo of the queerest of all the queers, Miss RuPaul, in full drag, giving major attitude and practically screaming "I AM GAY, GAY, GAAAAAAY."

Dr. Laura gets weekly segment on FOX News.

Mysterious illness decimating bat populations in Northeast: "This summer, it could affect everything from outdoor barbecuing to farming. In one of nature's most efficient if little-known feats, bats consume as many as 1,200 insects an hour after emerging from their sheltering places every night. This prodigious airborne feeding substantially controls mosquito populations and helps prevent plant-eating insects from damaging crops. The long-term effect of what appears to be a major die-off of bats is not yet known, but the possibilities clearly worry scientists."

Regarding Brandon Davis' "faggot" outburst we posted about earlier. Davis told TMZ: "I would like to apologize for the poor word choice when provoked by the paparazzi on Thursday, April 3rd. They by no means reflect my views and upbringing. I was taunted by the photographers and when they used vulgar sexual remarks against my mother I reacted as any son would."

Query to the National Post: Can figure skating make you gay?

John Bolton, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations to speak at Log Cabin Republican convention in San Diego this weekend.

Diane Sawyer takes on Rosie O'Donnell.

Jeff Klausner, San Francisco's director of STD prevention and control, targeting gay cruising sites in effort to promote safe sex: "Over the past few weeks, Klausner has been working with the city attorney, the National Institutes of Health, the California Department of Public Health, and the Department of Public Health in New York, whose large gay community also uses social networking sites for sex, in an effort to track down Adam4Adam's thus-far-anonymous and secretive owners. His aim: To get the site to slap the equivalent of a surgeon general's warning on its hookup forums and at least make users aware of the dangers of the anonymous, multiple-partner unsafe sex that is its stock-in-trade."

Pushing Daisies has a gay character.

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Looks Like Chace Crawford's Nate isn't the Gay on Gossip Girl

Probably not Nate Archibald, unless he's got his face in his beard. We still think it's young, troubled Eric van der Woodsen.

In related news, I came across some video of JC Chasez, defusing that real-life gay gossip. You can watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Zac Efron Wanted for Gay Warhol Twins Movie

Page Six reports that a movie is being made based on the New York magazine article "Factory Boys" which detailed Andy Warhol's relationship with the Dupont twins, Richard and Robert. The movie is being directed by Steven Klein and the twins want Zac Efron to play them.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Robert: We always said no when Andy asked to film us having sex or pose naked. “You’ll be famous,” he always said. “You’ll be a star. We’ll make a movie.”

Richard: There’s one afternoon in 1979 I’ll never forget. It was winter, and Andy’s “Shadows” paintings were up. He, Rupert, Robert, and I went to lunch on Canal Street, and this short man came and joined us. After lunch, it felt like I’d had six drinks instead of one. I must have been drugged.

Robert: Me too.

Richard: We went to this loft with high windows.

Robert: It was all white and very sterile.

Richard: And there was a bed. Somebody started to unbutton my clothes. And there was a video camera there. The short man wanted Robert and me to do it together. Andy was watching.

Richard: I was like, What the hell? What’s the scene, Dean? I said, “No! This is freaky!” And I just stormed out. Andy followed. Two blocks away, Andy went into a store and bought me a down coat from Japan.

Robert: He felt guilty and he bought us something.

***

If he's looking to dump "squeaky clean" for his list of descriptors, this is the way!

Factory Boys [new york magazine]
WE HEAR . . . [ny post]

Twink Who May or May Not Be Zac Efron 'Busted' in Gay Kiss Photo [tr]
'Bulletproof' Zac Efron Can Handle Suggestions He's Gay [tr]
Zac Efron and Elijah Kelley Make a Dapper Pair [tr]

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Gossip Girl About to Get a Gay?

Last October, I posted an interview in which Gossip Girl's Penn Badgley expressed hope that there might be a gay Gossip Girl character in seasons to come.

Said Badgley of his character Dan's sexuality in the novels Gossip Girl is based on: "Yeah, I think [Dan's] straight-up gay in the books. But I don’t think network TV really has the balls to make one of their [teenage] series regulars gay. Let's say the show builds up to become a big hit, then I think they'd maybe explore it in year three or four. It would be an interesting thing to do. It could bring in a whole different demographic."

Well, according to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello, that may be happening much sooner:

"I'm hearing from an extremely reliable source that a male character on Gossip Girl will be revealed to be of the gay persuasion when the show returns on April 21. Who? Can't say. Won't say. It's too good a surprise. I will, however, offer five tantalizing clues.

• This person may or may not be pictured [here].
• The revelation significantly impacts the lives of at least three people.
• The aftershocks will be felt on both sides of the East River.
• Some viewers will be surprised by the twist, others not so much.
• In the Gossip Girl novels, Dan was known to be a bit of a switch hitter — which isn't so much a clue as it is a fact. A misleading fact? Perhaps. Perhaps not."

While it's tempting to wish that Nate or Dan will come out, the smart money's on the young, troubled Eric van der Woodsen, played by Connor Paolo.

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Gossip Girl Guys Engage in Well-Dressed Three-way for Out [tr]
Penn Badgley and His Great Gay Hope for Gossip Girl [tr]
Nine Out of Ten Men Prefer the Taste of Chace Crawford [tr]
The Many Pre-Gossip Girl Faces of Chace Crawford [tr]

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Noel Gallagher to Play 'Seedy Homosexual' in New Movie

Oasis' Noel Gallagher is set to take a role in the film version of British comedian Russell Brand's autobiography My Booky Wook, UK comedy site Chortle reports:

"The Oasis star has reportedly agreed to be in the movie of My Booky Wook movie – as has Little Britain’s David Walliams. Brand is also trying to persuade Michael Palin to make an appearance, but has not yet been successful. 'David will be playing himself, as my love rival,' the comic told the Daily Mirror. 'Michael has said really nice things about me so I'm hoping he'll play a character in it - a vindictive headmaster. Noel Gallagher will be in there, playing a seedy homosexual. He'll be a sexually androgynous, amorphous character - it'll be mad.'"

The film is being helmed by director Michael Winterbottom.

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News: Prince Harry, Eagle Scout, Wolverine, Orlando Bloom

Vigil against violence to be held today in Fort Lauderdale at 4:30pm: "Join the coalition of community leaders and organizations as we gather to remember Simmie Williams and stand up against the rising tide of violence for a memorial service at the murder site at the 1000 block of Sistrunk Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale."

Prince Harry has been fighting undercover in Afghanistan for the past 10 weeks: "The news of his operational posting leaked out following the breakdown of a news blackout agreement with the media when the story was posted on the US-based Drudge Report website. The chief of the general staff, Sir Richard Dannatt, who is head of the British army, expressed disappointment over the leak. 'I am very disappointed that foreign websites have decided to run this story without consulting us,' he said. 'This is in stark contrast to the highly responsible attitude that the whole of the UK print and broadcast media, along with a small number overseas, who have entered into an understanding with us over the coverage of Prince Harry on operations.' Dannatt, who had opposed Harry's deployment to Iraq, went on to praise the prince's performance on deployment."

Orlando Bloom is tired of complaints about his natural manly scent.

NYC sees surge in gay syphilis cases: "After seeing the number of syphilis cases remain stable in 2004 and 2005 then decrease in 2006, the city health department is reporting that syphilis cases increased by 60 percent in 2007 over 2006, with that growth due to new infections among gay and bisexual men."

Bollywood actor rejected: not gay enough to play a fashionista. Kushal Punjabi: "I really got along well with Madhur. He's my kind of director. But I really didn't see myself in that role at all. I'd like to work with directors like Madhur who look at actors as actors and not as stars."

Ben Affleck discusses his revenge sex video with Jimmy Kimmel: "You couldn't really do it half-speed. You had to be painting toes and blow-drying hair. At one point we were going to take a bath together, but the bubbles couldn't get high enough, so that ended up getting scrapped. The little outfits, the short shorts, the hands in the pockets -- it wouldn't have been funny if you didn't really commit to it."

Underwear day takes over Brazilian capital.

Gay Canadian Health Minister Smitherman criticized for proposing to wear adult diaper as test in response to nursing home 'filth' issues: "Opposition politicians, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and a nursing home association said Smitherman's plan to test drive a diaper shows he doesn't understand the issue is about staffing levels – not diaper technology. 'For him to suggest that's his answer is a disgrace,' said Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory. 'It's some kind of a sideshow he seems determined to put on when, in fact, I think people in Ontario would say: 'George Smitherman, do something about it. Let's see the revolution you promised in long-term care.''"

Hugh Jackman: the claws come out.

Fans go wild: New video of the pint-size breakdancing Beckham.

Matthew McConaughey wins mag's honors for mightiest mammaries.

Texas governor Rick Perry holds book-signing for Boy Scout tome: "Perry's tour to promote the book has garnered national attention. The book debuted at No. 1 on The Washington Post's best-seller list for hardcover nonfiction in Washington-area bookshops. His office touted that achievement the day after The New York Times Magazine published an interview in which Perry said scouting was about building character and not about sex. The word 'homosexual,' he said, suggests that gay people are focused on sex."

Eagle Scout leaves organization disgusted by anti-gay policies: "I am ashamed an organization to which I owe so much has chosen to take such a myopic stance on this issue and hides behind a legal veil to exclude gay Scouts."

Wired publishes disturbing new photos from Abu Ghraib (warning: extremely graphic)

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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."

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James Marsters' Kiss with John Barrowman Pleased His Girlfriend

Former Buffy star James Marsters apparently thought it was hot that his girlfriend thought it was hot when he locked lips with John Barrowman in a recent Torchwood episode.

Said Marsters: "I had never kissed a man on film before, but luckily my girlfriend was there, and she said it was always a fantasy of hers that I would kiss another man. She thought it was really hot."

No doubt John Barrowman found it hot as well. That's hot.

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John Barrowman, James Marsters and Milo Ventimiglia Mix it Up

[[SPOILERS]]

UK Torchwood details, after the jump...

John Barrowman's Captain Jack locks lips with James Marsters' Captain John in the upcoming episode (JAnuary 16) of Torchwood in the UK.

Barrowman recently hit out at closeted actors, telling UK's The Stage: "If it (being gay) has been a problem, no-one ever told me so. I know people who lie about being gay because they think it will affect their work chances. That is just sad."

In December BBC2 promoted the new season of Torchwood as well as the imported U.S. drama Heroes by staging an imaginary phone call between Captain Jack and Milo Ventimiglia's Peter Petrelli.

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Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey to Make Love in Prison

In June I reported that Jim Carrey was to star as Steven Russell in the film adaptation of the Steve McVicker novel I Love You Philip Morris about a married father/conman who finds himself in the Texas prison system where he falls in love with his cellmate Phillip Morris. The romance prompted four escape attempts and a lifetime jail sentence for Russell.

Variety reports that Ewan McGregor has signed on to play Philip Morris: "Mad Chance's Andrew Lazar will produce with Far Shariat. Luc Besson's EuropaCorp is fully financing, and Besson is exec producer...Glenn Ficarra and John Requa wrote the script, based on a book by Houston Chronicle crime reporter Steve McVicker. Production will begin in spring, once Carrey completes starring in "A Christmas Carol," playing multiple roles in the Robert Zemeckis-directed performance-capture film for Disney."

Of Russell, Variety writes: "His love for Morris motivated his escape from prisons four times, once by using a green pen and bucket of water to change his prison outfit into what appeared to be surgical scrubs, another time by faking his death from AIDS and signing his own death certificate. Morris eventually got out, but Russell's escapades got him a 144-year sentence."

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(image source)

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Actor Shawn Pyfrom on Playing Gay

Actor Shawn Pyfrom gives a lengthy interview to Starpulse in which he discusses playing Andrew van de Kamp on Desperate Housewives:

"I think the Van de Camps are loosely based on producer Marc Cherry's family life, although I don't know if his real mother was a strict as Bree. I can't imagine that there are too many people in the world like that. It is always interesting to watch Andrew and Bree go at each other's throats. She believes something so different and he does everything to make sure to cause her stress. It seems like they are already on [the path of acceptance]. Andrew and Bree have resolved their issues, as when he apologized for the way he used to act. He is beginning to mature now and has forgiven his mother for leaving him on the side of the road...[That was wicked] but it was so awesome to shoot. But I think he is now on a path towards becoming an adult. I think it's necessary because the character is 20 now. Andrew still has his manipulating ways, he just approaches it more maturely...The good thing about Andrew is that in Season 1 and 2 as a gay character, he was very strong and confident as to who he was. I think that could be encouraging for other young homosexuals to become more confident and comfortable with who they are. A lot of times gay characters can be portrayed as the flamboyant and weak stereotype. Andrew is sociopathic and narcissistic and doesn't get along with his mother, and he is also gay. Your sexual preferences doesn't define you as a person. I'm heterosexual but that doesn't define me as a person. No one would say, 'Oh, he likes to have sex with girls,' so why should it be the other way around?"

I'm not sure that being sociopathic and narcissistic are the attributes gay people want associated with them either, but I'll assume he was simply elaborating on the earlier "strong and confident" statement.

On being stereotyped by playing a gay character, Pyfrom says: "I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried, but honestly I think we are at a point now with television and movies where people can watch something and not stereotype the actor playing that character. I think if I had played a gay character 10 years ago then I would probably have something to worry about. I think people are a little bit more open-minded now. I think that the only time people stereotype is when the actor acts out in public. They go around parading things out to the media and then that is all people see when they are watching them on the screen. That's one reason that I don't do that. "

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News: Norway, Spice Girls, Talan Torriero, Gregg Araki, Taipei

University of Virginia attempts to deal with anti-gay football chant: "After a Cavalier touchdown, the marching band strikes up what, to an outsider, sounds like 'Auld Lang Syne.' But, to its tune, students and alumni sing the 'Good Old Song,' its lyrics written by Edward A. Craighill in 1895, its mention of all being 'bright and gay' a throwback to when 'gay' meant 'happy,' the line a launching pad for what’s since become a university tradition of negating the word 'gay' with gleeful (often drunken) shouts of 'not gay!'"

Spice Girls lipsync their way through Victoria's Secret fashion show.

Is Laguna Beach's Talan Torriero the next Aquaman?

Norway's Lutherans vote to allow clergy in same-sex partnerships to serve: "The compromise decision reflected the realization that the church may have to live with a deep split over the issue. After an anguished week of debate at its annual meeting, the church's 86-member governing synod voted 50-34 to make the change. Two members abstained. The meeting, which ended Friday, was held in the town of Lillehammer. The decision means that six of Norway's 11 bishops are likely to open the pulpit to gay clergy in partnerships. In a vote earlier in the year, those six bishops voted in favor of easing the ban. The church already allows gays to serve in the clergy as long as they are not living in a homosexual partnership."

Amherst College students apologize to five Hampshire College students who "were allegedly called names, threatened, spit at and were blocked from leaving the dorm" following a gay party at which they were guests: "Dozens of students gathered outside Valentine Dining Hall at the college yesterday carrying signs that said 'We're Sorry Hampshire' and "I don't want to be 'tolerated.' They also asked passers-by to sign a banner that said 'Please Come Back.'"

IndieWire chats with filmmaker Gregg Araki about his film Smiley Face. We previewed a couple John Krasinski stills from the movie in October.

AfterElton talks to Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann about their gay storyline as Luke and Noah on As The World Turns. Hansis: "My parents are so proud of me it sort of embarrasses me. My mom cried on the red carpet at the Emmys this year when she was asked about how she felt for her son to be nominated. It was actually really nice. It’s great to see your parents so proud of your accomplishments. Both my parents now go through the soap magazines at the grocery store and point to pictures of me and tell the cashier 'That’s my son!' They are generally busy during the day so I think they watch the show online. But they have always been my biggest fans and I couldn’t ask for anything more."

From the just-don't-get-it dept: Taipei restaurant gives a completely new meaning to potty-mouthed.

Esteemed design group Pentagram takes a look at the redesigned Advocate: "Today gays and lesbians are no longer an ignored minority, and the younger generations have experienced a saturation of media both from and about the community. Activism, while still important, is less in the mix, and issues like gay marriage, medicine and civil rights have shifted to the mainstream press. At the same time, the circulation of newsweeklies is changing as news and information is more readily available online. The magazine’s redesign reflects these transformations. The new Advocate is modern and vibrant while continuing to confront politics and difficult LGBT issues. Impressively, it manages to successfully straddle the line between opinion leader and entertainment magazine without losing its journalistic integrity and with a tone that is sophisticated, but not frivolous."

Rod McCullom on HuffPost: John Edwards and Barack Obama make mistake of repeating Republican talking points to attack one of their own. "...something funny happened to Senators Edwards and Obama on their way to Las Vegas. Maybe the high-roller suites have complimentary testosterone and egos on the pillows, or, possibly they bumped into Elvis, who told them, "A little less conversation and a little more action." They lost their mojos. Instead of throwing the hungry audience sound bites that were wrapped in juicy, red meat, the two candidates tossed stale,