News: Michael Jackson, Presbyterians, Michelle Obama, Unicorn,

How gay is your Shul? "In June, Jewish Mosaic and their partners will start surveying nearly every congregation in the U.S. on their policies and practices of inclusion—for example, whether they offer same-sex spousal benefits, follow a written nondiscrimination policy regarding sexual orientation, or use nonexclusive language on membership forms. When the survey concludes later this summer, Jewish Mosaic will use its findings to create a "resource guide to best practices" on LGBT inclusion for synagogue leaders, who have few places to turn for help with questions on sexuality and gender."

Unicorn discovered in Italy!

Gee, thanks: Bakersfield, California police say they won't arrest couples getting married outside the county clerk's office. "The Rev. Byrd Tetzlaff, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Kern County, told The Chronicle on Tuesday that the police would not allow them to conduct the ceremonies there. On Wednesday, Tetzlaff said it had been a misunderstanding."

Two men punched to pub floor in homophobic UK assault. Police seek witnesses.

Michael Jackson designing clothing line.

The impossible divorce: Rhode Island Superior Court judge refuses to hear case of lesbian couple "but questioned whether the law that barred the women from ending their marriage unconstitutionally denied them a right enjoyed by heterosexual Rhode Islanders."

Police chief in Budapest, Hungary bans gay pride: "Budapest police chief Dr. Gábor Tóth has banned the Gay Pride March, it emerged last night. The march, which Dr. Tóth said would disrupt traffic in the city, was scheduled to take place on Saturday July 5 on Andrássy, one of Budapest’s main streets."

Presbyterian church of Wales in harassment and discrimination lawsuit: "Giving evidence on Tuesday, Mr Price, who is openly gay, said he worked alongside Ms Jones at the church's 250-year-old Trefeca centre, a 37-bed retreat near Brecon, Powys, visited by church groups from around Britain. He told the hearing he was forced to quit as the assistant manager because of Ms Jones's ceaseless comments about sex, which included calling him a 'stupid poof'."

Pittsburgh Presbyterian minister remains under fire for conducting same-sex union ceremonies: " A Presbyterian minister from Pittsburgh still faces two charges that she conducted a prohibited gay wedding ceremony. But the Rev. Janet Edwards will not face charges for performing the ceremony improperly when her church trial resumes in October. Church officials have dropped charges alleging Edwards committed errors when she omitted Bible readings and references to Christian traditions in the ceremony. Edwards made the changes because one of the lesbians she married in 2005 is Buddhist."

Oprah tops Forbes' richest celebrities list — again.

High School Musical stage production outs character that was "coded gay" in the films. Playwright: "I wanted to present Ryan as something from my own past, a version of me, I guess — though he's a lot better dancer than I ever was! In the movie, the character has a gay tint. But in the stage version, I wanted to more fully articulate that tint and say, hey, this kid is who he is. Yes, I consider him a young gay guy without ever having to say it. I’d rather say it with behavior and action. And we do." Film role was played by Milk's Lucas Grabeel.

Matt Damon to play rugby captain in new film.

FOX calls Michelle Obama "Obama's Baby Mama".

TIME: California's Gay Marriage Rush. "A report released by the Williams Institute at UCLA law school says fully half of the state's 102,000 gay couples could wed in the next three years. UCLA law professor Brad Sears told TIME that the number is in keeping with experience in Massachusetts, where gay marriage is also legal, and Vermont, which permits civil unions. Another 67,000 or so are expected to arrive from other states, says Sears, the report's co-author."

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News: Thomas Roberts, Penguins, Jason Castro, Kylie Minogue

New York high court refuses to strike down state's recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriage: "The Court of Appeals declined yesterday to review the mid-level appellate court's decision to recognize the couple's Canadian marriage, the first such ruling by an appellate court in New York State. For now, that lower court decision remains binding across the state."

Thomas Roberts talks to The Advocate about the news industry's glass ceiling for gays: "It’s funny that people think I got fired from CNN. I left CNN on my accord: I resigned from my contract because of personal reasons. I never dealt with anything but respect and kindness. There’s a great misconception. I’ve worked my ass off, I’ve been fortunate, and luck doesn’t hurt either. If people don’t like that I’m gay or that I talk about being gay, I’m sorry. Because that’s not my problem."

American Idol's resident stoner Jason Castro has his own hot doll, complete with dreads, and it can be yours.

A-Rod faints as daughter is born.

Have any questions for Chace Crawford?

Filipino Archbishop defends right of gays to participate in Santacruzans: "If they are devotees, they are religious and they look decent, I believe they have the right to join in. I think it would be better for us to see gays who act formally and decently in the Santacruzan rather than young and beautiful women who are not clean and [are] immoral."

Gay penguin book And Tango Makes Three is "most objected to" library book in America for second year straight: "Other books on the ALA's top 10 list include Maya Angelou's memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, in which the author writes of being raped as a young girl; Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, long attacked for alleged racism; and Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass, an anti-religious work in which a former nun says: 'The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake.'"

Three teenage girls admit to tagging school and vehicles with racial, vulgar and homophobic messages in Wisconsin.

Moldova hopes to hold its first Gay Pride ever: "Organisers of the Gay Pride in Moldova – 'Rainbow over the Dniester' – are hopeful of being able to stage a parade this year in the country’s capital, Chisinau. The Pride is the seventh to be organised, but in previous years the parade has been banned by the authorities. 'During three previous consecutive years, public authorities have banned the public manifestations on various pretexts,' said a spokesperson for GenderDoc-M, the Pride organisers. 'This year after we applied to the City Hall to inform the authorities about planned public manifestation within the Pride, we got the information, which gave us hope.'"

Kylie Minogue show hot out of the gates in Paris.

One benefit to having a fat ass.

Rhode Island lawmakers to debate bills that would allow same-sex couples married elsewhere to divorce in that state: "Lawmakers filed the divorce bill after Rhode Island's Supreme Court ruled in December that a lesbian couple married in Massachusetts cannot divorce in Rhode Island, where they live. Massachusetts is the only state to legalize gay marriage."

Looks like Dick Cheney's gone hunting again.

John Travolta is a subway terrorist.

White House admits it is missing email backups from start of Iraq war: "The White House acknowledged in a court filing last night that it no longer has backup tapes of email from between March 1 and May 22, 2003, a period that includes the beginning of the Iraq war. Yesterday's filing is the latest development in the ongoing White House emails lawsuit, in which two non-profits, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and the National Security Archive (NSA), are suing to force the administration to recover any missing emails and institute a more effective email archiving system."

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News: David Blaine, Spiders, NFL Draft, Methodists, George Bush

Bush disapproval rating breaks Gallup poll record: "President Bush has set a record he'd presumably prefer to avoid: the highest disapproval rating of any president in the 70-year history of the Gallup Poll. In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday, 28% of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing; 69% disapprove. The approval rating matches the low point of his presidency, and the disapproval sets a new high for any president since Franklin Roosevelt."

Breathe: David Blaine to attempt record-breaking inhale on Oprah.

Queer Month at Rhode Island College plagued by vandals.

"Possesses a V-shaped torso with a well-defined upper body, good bubble, developed calves and good chest thickness." Craigslist ad or NFL Draft profile?

Gay joke ban rejected by British House of Lords: "The television stars Rowan Atkinson and Christopher Higgins, who is himself homosexual, are among the prominent figures to have spoken out against the proposal to create a new offence of incitement to 'homophobic hatred'. ...Peter Tatchell, the prominent homosexual rights campaigner, also spoke out against the measure, arguing that freedom of speech should be sacrosanct."

Brad Pitt is a ruff rider.

Gay-straight alliance challenged in Janesville, Wisconsin.

David Beckham to strip for Ellen Degeneres?

Market: Clay Aiken will premiere his new album to audience of housewives on QVC.

Plague of venomous spiders shuts hospital in Australia: "The black spiders with a red stripe, close relatives of the black widow, are about 2-4 centimetres (0.8-1.6 inches) long and common across Australia. Their bites can cause severe pain, muscle spasms and death, although no fatalities have been recorded since an anti-venom was introduced in the 1950s."

Methodists hold convention in Fort Worth, brace for debate on homosexuality: "...there will almost certainly be another round of heated debate and contentious votes over whether the UMC should change its official position that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching and withdraw its ban on noncelibate gay pastors. Recent General Conferences have seen protests by gay-rights supporters. Eight years ago in Cleveland, some 200 demonstrators, including two bishops, were arrested for disrupting proceedings. Still, most experts believe the big tent of the UMC will hold, however the winds blow in Fort Worth. Some even say the denomination has turned a corner toward unity."

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News: 90210, Ecuador, Nate Berkus, Gay Pension, Alabama Prom

A Boy Named Gay wins NYT weird name story contest.

Meet the first cast member of the Beverly Hills 90210 spin-off.

Rally for Sally: 50 Pastors organize "free speech" demonstration for bigoted Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern.

Brown University bookstore to be renovated to make it "a little less gay." Director: "You can practically slice the homoeroticism in there with a knife."

Indonesian Muslim leader clarifies beliefs about homosexuality to Jakarta Post. Ma'aruf Amin, chairman of the Fatwa Commission at the Indonesia Ulema Council: "Yes, it's a social construction, but it is derived from the Koran. The Koran clearly states that homosexuality is unacceptable, and we ulema have agreed about that. It's a curable disorder. There have been many cases where homosexuals have realised what they did was wrong and became heterosexuals again. It's something that can be fought off. God created both good and bad behaviours, but He told humans to choose the good ones. So, it's a matter of options."

Nate Berkus strips down on a Hawaiian beach.

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa on gay rights: "Let's be clear that the profoundly humanistic position of this government is to respect the intrinsic dignity of everyone, of every human being, independently of their creed, race, sexual preference. ... We will give certain guarantees to stable gay couples but matrimony will continue being reserved for a man, a woman and the family. ... Every person has dignity, that's to say, one must respect a person independently of their sexual preference. Be careful not to deny employment to someone because of their sexual preference. That is discrimination, that is unconstitutional."

Madonna will hurt you.

European Union Court rules in favor of gay man claiming his late partner's pension benefits: "'The refusal to grant the survivor's pension to life partners constitutes direct discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation if surviving spouses and surviving life partners are in a comparable situation as regards that pension,' the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, the EU's highest court, ruled today. The Court of Justice left it up to German judges to decide the status of the pension."

Alabama lesbians win right to attend school prom: "Two Alabama high school students didn't think they would be able to dance the night away at their high school prom last weekend all because they're gay, and the school wouldn't allow them to attend. But that all changed in light of a federal judge's decision. A temporary restraining order was given to the Scottsboro City Board of Education. Chelsie Collins and Lauren Farrington are both students at Scottsboro High School and Saturday night is their school's prom."

UK Stonewall equality survey finds homophobia rife in British society.

Janice Dickinson: Crazy/Exhausted.

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It Goes On: Hillary Clinton Wins Texas, Ohio as McCain Clinches

Wins in Ohio, Texas, and Rhode Island for Hillary Clinton on Tuesday gave her the momentum she needed to continue in the race, although Barack Obama, who won Vermont, still holds a lead in delegates.

Said Clinton: "No candidate in recent history — Democratic or Republican — has won the White House without winning the Ohio primary. We all know that if we want a Democratic president, we need a Democratic nominee who can win Democratic states just like Ohio."

This morning, on CBS' The Early Show, Clinton hinted at a 'dream ticket' with Obama, saying "that may be where this is headed, but we have to decide who is on the top of the ticket."

McCain sealed the Republican nomination.

Full results.

Clinton and Obama's speeches above, McCain's and Huckabee's below (via Talking Points Memo).

In Texas, a gay bar toasts Hillary...
KOS: Delegate numbers DAUNTING for Clinton.
Pam Spaulding: Pollsters flummoxed, Gender, education, and Latino vote mattered...
Time to get ugly?
Intelligencer: Will Obama be able to enter hand-to-hand combat?
Did Clinton campaign darken Obama's skin color in ad leading up to primaries?
POLLS: Clinton's late attacks worked.

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News: Spy Satellite, Jack Mackenroth, Huckabee, Indiana Jones

Pentagon will shoot down disabled satellite before it poses danger to Earth: "U.S. officials said Thursday that the option preferred by the Bush administration will be to fire a missile from a U.S. Navy cruiser, and shoot down the satellite before it enters Earth's atmosphere. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the options will not be publicly discussed until a later Pentagon briefing. The disabled satellite is expected to hit the Earth the first week of March. Officials said the Navy would likely shoot it down before then, using a special missile modified for the task."

Does Mike Huckabee have a new job shilling soup for Campbell's?

Check out the brand new trailer for the new Indiana Jones flick which has something to do with aliens and Roswell, New Mexico.

The Year of Paper: Documentary on three couples and their first year of marriage airs tonight in San Francisco. "First-time filmmakers Kelly Rouse and Nikki Parker explored the lives of three couples - two men, two women and a heterosexual pair - during their first year of marriage. The resulting film... goes into the history of marriage as well as the lives of the subjects. The filmmakers interview scholars, legal experts, clergy and activists from both sides to understand what marriage means in America today."

More Wentworth: A preview of the Prison Break finale.

Obama's delegate lead shifts focus of Clinton campaign: "With every delegate precious, Mrs. Clinton’s advisers also made it clear that they were prepared to take a number of potentially incendiary steps to build up Mrs. Clinton’s count. Top among these, her aides said, is pressing for Democrats to seat the disputed delegations from Florida and Michigan, who held their primaries in January in defiance of Democratic Party rules."

Senior DOJ official who authorized waterboarding now says it's illegal.

Nick Yordi, former starting quarterback for Wartburg, College in Waverly, Iowa in court on disorderly conduct charge for anti-gay slur: "The trial was scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Bremer County Courthouse. Nick Yordi, a sophomore from Solon, was arrested for yelling those slurs at another student on campus October 9th, 2007. Yordi has pleaded not guilty, and has played in two football games since his arrest." GLAAD: "According to the Wartburg Trumpet, Yordi was 'charged under a section of the Iowa Code that prohibits making abusive epithets or threatening gestures which are likely to provoke a violent reaction by another.' Wartburg College President Jack Ohle addressed the school Oct. 22 through e-mail and wrote, 'Understandably, matters that come within the college’s purview are dealt with immediately and privately with the parties affected through a prescribed process and according to the student handbook, honor code and the appropriate faculty and staff handbooks.'"

Former gay Arizona Rep. Steve May to get back into politics, running for seat vacated this year by Rep. John Shadegg: "This is a great time for a Republican like me to get into the Republican Party to bring it back to the values that win."

Who knew the Hilton family still had up-and-coming drunk drivers?

Project Runway's Jack Mackenroth talks to HIV+ magazine: "I think people have become apathetic--because you can see people like me. I look really good. I take really good care of my body. I think I look good for my age. And I certainly look good for someone who's been HIV-positive for going on 18 years. But don't let that fool you. Having HIV is still not fun. I have to take my pills wherever I go. It's still not a picnic. I run into people all the time who are like, 'Well, you don't look sick.' What the hell does that mean! That's so stupid! Young people now aren't educated like they used to be. I think it's really shocking. I had a partner die. He was 250 pounds! He was a huge, hulking guy. He never found a regimen that worked for him. He constantly had intestinal problems. We were out on Fire Island, and he said, 'I don't feel good.' We went back to New York, he checked into the hospital, and he was dead two weeks later."

Chippendale dancers visit The View.

Va-jay-jay chat: Meredith Vieira giggles nervously as Jane Fonda drops the word c*nt on TV.

Legislation floated that would allow same-sex married couples to divorce in Rhode Island: "The state's highest court ruled in a 3-2 decision in December that a lesbian couple who married in Massachusetts could not get divorced in their home state of Rhode Island. Supporters of the bill say it makes no sense to require people to remain married when they have no desire to do so. But the legislation is expected to face opposition from Gov. Don Carcieri and many other lawmakers."

Gay couples share their stories of romance.

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Judge Says Same-Sex Couple Married in MA Can't Divorce in RI

The lesbian couple lives in Rhode Island, and was married in Massachusetts, which allowed them to marry because no law specifically bans same-sex marriage in Rhode Island. However, "The Rhode Island Supreme Court, in a 3-2 decision, said the family court lacks the authority to grant a divorce because state lawmakers have not defined marriage as anything other than between a man and a woman."

So they're currently stuck with each other, according to the AP: "Cassandra Ormiston and Margaret Chambers wed in Massachusetts in 2004 after that state became the first to legalize same-sex marriages. The couple filed for divorce last year in Rhode Island, where they both live, citing irreconcilable differences. Nancy Palmisciano, Ormiston's lawyer, said couples married in other states and other countries are routinely granted divorces in Rhode Island, and the same freedom should apply to this couple. Now Ormiston is stuck in a marriage she doesn't want to be in, Palmisciano said. The women's lawyers have said at least one would have to move to Massachusetts to get a divorce, but Palmisciano said Friday that was not a viable option for her client."

Said one of the plaintiff's lawyers, "I'm disappointed for anyone who's involved in one of these marriages who's a resident of the state of Rhode Island. I think these people are being confined to a legal limbo."

Naturally, opponents of same-sex marriage were quite pleased by the decision.

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News: Amy Winehouse, Venus, Karl Rove, Jay Brannan, Gyllenspoon

STUDY: Same-sex marriage would benefit Maryland's coffers to the tune of $3.2 million dollars annually.

Amy Winehouse cancels entire tour because something is missing.

Delete, delete, delete. Scott Bloch, the head of the federal agency investigating Karl Rove's political operation and its perhaps improperly deleted computer files, is now in the "hot seat" himself, for the same activity: "Recently, investigators learned that Mr. Bloch erased all the files on his office personal computer late last year. They are now trying to determine whether the deletions were improper or part of a cover-up, lawyers close to the case said. Bypassing his agency's computer technicians, Mr. Bloch phoned 1-800-905-GEEKS for Geeks on Call, the mobile PC-help service. It dispatched a technician in one of its signature PT Cruiser wagons. In an interview, the 49-year-old former labor-law litigator from Lawrence, Kan., confirmed that he contacted Geeks on Call but said he was trying to eradicate a virus that had seized control of his computer."

Lesbian novelist Jane Rule dies of liver cancer at 76: "She was the first Canadian woman writer to write about being gay as if it was part of the normal life."

Did Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon join the mile-high club?

Separated at birth? Venus much more like Earth than previously thought.

Seattle groups hold forum on anti-gay attacks.

Judge rules case challenging Wisconsin's gay marriage ban can proceed.

Giuliani under fire for secret Hamptons trips funded by taxpayers. Anderson sticks it to him last night -

Rhode Island Assembly gets second gay lawmaker: "Democrat Frank Ferri rolled to victory in yesterday’s special election for the District 22 House seat, defeating Republican Jonathan Wheeler and independent Carlo Pisaturo Jr. to win the seat formerly held by fellow Democrat Peter T. Ginaitt. Ferri took 53 percent of the vote, 896 in total. Wheeler was second with 33 percent, and Pisaturo a distant third."

North Carolina POLL: Does a candidate's sexual orientation matter?

Shortbus actor and musician Jay Brannan in concert in London.

Gay man jailed in Hong Kong for blackmailing his lover: "A gay blackmailer who threatened to tell a Hong Kong primary school teacher's employers about their one-night stand was Thursday beginning a three-year jail term. Alex Lo Man-nam, 21, extorted nearly 4,000 US dollars from his 34-year-old victim with threats to tell his school they had sex when Lo was under 21, the age for gay legal consent in Hong Kong. He also got his victim to buy him presents including a pressure cooker, a computer, printer and clothes after targeting the teacher in June after their one-night stand."

Wingnuts accuse Alaska Airlines of offering deals unavailable to those who are "sexually normal".

According to a new Hunter College national poll, Hillary Clinton is winning the gay vote: "In the first public, political survey ever conducted by a university-based team of scholars with a nationally representative sample of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGBs) Americans, results released today show that Senator Hillary Clinton has the support of 63 percent of LGB likely voters in the Democratic primaries, followed by Senator Barack Obama with 22 percent and John Edwards with 7 percent. The Hunter College Poll also finds that during the process of 'coming out,' LGBs become more liberal and more engaged in the political process than the general population."

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News: Vermont Hate, Richard Nixon, Mont Blanc, Judd Apatow

Rhode Island Supreme Court to hear arguments tomorrow in the case of two lesbians who married in Massachusetts but want a divorce in Rhode Island: "A Family Court judge has asked the state Supreme Court to decide whether he has the authority to rule on what's believed to be the state's first same-sex divorce case. Lawyers for the women say the case has no bearing on whether gay couples can get married in Rhode Island. The General Assembly has repeatedly rejected gay marriage bills."

Contemplating the hotter Affleck.

More hate in Vermont: Burlington school hit with anti-gay graffiti. "Vandals spray-painted a swastika and other racist messages around the entrance to the city's middle school, but maintenance staff were able to clean it up before classes started Monday, officials said. Linda Carroll, principal of the school, said the graffiti included racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic words and images."

Gawker took a trip to OUT magazine's party for their most recent issue, featuring the bare ass of Tom Ford.

Street in the San Fernando Valley to be named for lesbian psychotherapist Betty Berzon.

Brad Pitt and family are setting up home at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York for a cool $100K a month.

Victoria Beckham poofs out in Paris.

Superbad director Judd Apatow lashed out at studio executive who axed his TV shows: "I don't understand how you can [bleep] me in the [bleep] when your [bleep] is still in me from last time."

Ricky Gervais lampoons George Michael's sex life in Extras (clip).

Richard Nixon called Fred Thompson, then a young Senate lawyer, "dumb as hell" during the Watergate investigation.

A group of climbers hauled a portable Jacuzzi to the top of Mont Blanc, set it up, and got in. Wouldn't be too much fun if that thing slid down the hill. (via kottke)

Performance by former Kids in the Hall actor Scott Thompson at Softball Gay World Series inspires letters of apology from tournament director: "According to our source, the comedian began bombing right after he dissed Kathy Griffin. You don't diss Kathy to the gays! He then went on to clear out the stadium with 'lame vulgar jokes and even used the N word.' At one point, he stopped his act and addressed a gaggle of lesbians that turned their backs to him, and said, 'Thanks for turning your backs while I'm here actually trying to do something. Trying to perform!'"

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News: Jeffrey Toobin, Wildebeest, Ann Coulter, He-Vage, Norway

Norwegian clergy to defy church, carry out same-sex marriages. Chaplain: "There will be a certain amount of civil disobedience. I want to start wedding homosexuals as soon as a new Marriage Act is in place."

Diana's final smile on film.

Jeffrey Toobin looks at Lawrence v. Texas in new book on Supreme Court, The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court: "There was no mistaking the significance of Kennedy's opinion. The point was not that the court was halting sodomy prosecutions, which scarcely took place anymore. Rather, the court was announcing that gay people could not be branded as criminals simply because of who they were. They were citizens. They were like everyone else."

Welsh gay and lesbian film festival offers record £25,000 prize for best film: "Festival director Berwyn Rowlands said talent from at least half of the films shortlisted were flying in from all over the world to attend the event. 'This is a prize that unites a global network of film festivals located in LA, Sydney, Manila, Hong Kong and Dublin to bring together the most promising new talent from around the world,' he said."

Ann Coulter's piehole opens up: "If we took away women's right to vote, we'd never have to worry about another Democrat president. It's kind of a pipe dream, it's a personal fantasy of mine, but I don't think it's going to happen. And it is a good way of making the point that women are voting so stupidly, at least single women."

Britney Spears now licensed to cause havoc on the streets of L.A..

Anglican advisory committee says Episcopalian church has "complied with a directive" on same-sex unions and gay bishops folowing an announcement by the Episcopals that they would be exercising "restraint" on those issues in the future.

10,000 dead. One-percent of world's entire wildebeest population die in mass drowning over the course of several days. "As the animals passed through southern Kenya during their annual migration, part of the herd attempted to cross the fast-moving Mara at a "particularly treacherous" point, according to Terilyn Lemaire, a conservation worker with the Nairobi-based Mara Conservancy who witnessed the incident. 'Once they jumped into the water, they were unable to climb up either embankment onto land and, as a result, got swept up by the current and drowned,' she wrote in an email to National Geographic News."

The Daily Mail tackles some tough issues. How much He-vage should a man show? And which aging male stars have had plastic surgery?

Folsom Street down under: a look at Sydney's recent sleaze ball.

Domestic Violence Hotline for gay/bisexual/transgender men receives $75,000 Verizon grant to expand to cover Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut: "The Verizon grant is significant for several reasons. It expands a model program into other states, and it provides a lifeline to gay, bisexual and transgender male victims currently without access to services. It also raises awareness among other corporations that domestic violence is a critical issue that impacts everyone."

Irish man gets eight months in prison for gay bashing: "Garda John Lavery gave evidence that the victim was walking towards the diving board at Blackrock, at 3am on April 15 last year when he saw a group of youths were already there. He was accosted by Corcoran who shouted homophobic obscenities at him. Corcoran shouted, 'What the f*** are you looking at you poofter, you faggot.' He punched the victim to the face and told him he was going to kill him. The victim managed to escape and he reported the incident at Salthill Garda Station two days later."

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News: Gene Robinson, Criss Angel, Summer of Love, RuPaul

Proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage volleys around the North Carolina House in effort to kill it: "The House Rules Committee moved the bill to the full House moments after the panel narrowly rejected an effort to send it to another committee, a tactic aimed at keeping the proposal from coming to a vote. Two Democrats joined the Republicans on the committee to keep the measure alive. But [House Speaker] Hackney, D-Orange, said later Tuesday he would use his power as speaker to refer the bill to another committee. Unless a vote is taken by the full House before Thursday's so-called crossover deadline, the amendment will die for the remainder of the two-year session. 'I said at the beginning of the session that we will control the agenda, and that's what we will do,' Hackney said. 'The reference of bills to committee is always one of the ways the agenda is controlled.'"

RuPaul back with new film Starrbooty: "Laughter is my most favorite spell to cast. It's gotten me through the most difficult times and taught me to not take the illusion of the material world too seriously."

Dawson Creek's Kevin Williamson is also back, with Hidden Palms.

Victoria Beckham gets more plastic-looking every day.

Inside the UK Big Brother house, where gay couple James Joell and Stephen Ireland may be pranking around.

Rhode Island High Court takes on gay divorce case: "Cassandra Ormiston and Margaret Chambers wed in Massachusetts in 2004 after same-sex marriage became legal in that state. The couple last year filed for divorce in Rhode Island, where they live, citing irreconcilable differences. Lawyers for both parties say the divorce case won't decide whether gay couples can get married in Rhode Island, where the law is silent on whether such unions are valid. But it does affect whether the state will recognize same-sex couples who are wed in Massachusetts."

Watch your back David Blaine. Magician Criss Angel to encase himself in concrete cube over Times Square and must escape in 24 hours.

Open Closet is a new greeting card company, when you care enough to send the very gayest.

Former Dead or Alive frontman Pete Burns is looking for a personal assistant: "Would you love to work for a celebrity? This role is not for the faint hearted! Are you highly efficient, motivated, organised, flexible, and thick skinned?!"

Summer of Love remembered, 40 years later.

Gay Bishop Gene Robinson not invited to Anglican Lambeth confab: "Bishop Robinson said he was extremely disappointed at his exclusion and asked in a statement, 'At a time when the Anglican Communion is calling for a ‘listening process’ on the issue of homosexuality, how does it make sense to exclude gay and lesbian people from the discussion?' The archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, who has expressed liberal views on homosexuality in the past, has been determined to keep the communion intact. In his invitation letter, Archbishop Williams wrote, 'I have to reserve the right to withhold or withdraw invitations from bishops whose appointment, actions or manner of life have caused exceptionally serious division or scandal within the communion.'"

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News: Paul Wolfowitz, Immigration Bill, Prince Harry, Illinois

Warwick, Rhode Island man in court for threatening gay neighbors: "Such as, 'I'll kill you. The fags are going to die.' Things like that."

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers prepares to loaf around.

Corrupt World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz resigns over scandal prompted by high-paying promotion for his girlfriend. Reaction from bank staff over resignation: "Everyone ran into the hallways and were clapping and hugging each other."

President, Senate reach compromise on immigration bill: "Democrats are already trying to tamp down concerns of Hispanic groups, who fear that the bill would make it more difficult for immigrants to bring relatives from abroad. At the same time, Republican negotiators face blistering criticism from some conservatives, who say the bill would grant a virtual amnesty to people who had broken the law."

Illinois is America's most American state. Taken into account by the AP's analysis of census bureau data: “21 demographic factors, including race, age, income, education, industrial mix, immigration and the share of people living in urban and rural areas.”

60 Minutes explores what makes you gay or straight.

Victoria Beckham goes grocery shopping and spots real apples in the wild.

Gay pride banned in St. Petersburg, Russia: " A spokesman for the city law and order committee said, 'The holding of a gay parade was not permitted, because the announced place and time clash with City Day events.' But activists said earlier that they would proceed with the parade, planned to take place on Nevsky Prospekt, the city's main thoroughfare, May 26, despite the ban. Small-scale gay marches took place in May 2006 in both Moscow and St.Petersburg, in spite of authorities' refusal to sanction the events. Several activists were detained by police."

Prince Harry barred from clubbing: "The party-loving Army officer -- still shattered after being told he will not be joining his men in Iraq -- has been ordered to "lie low" while his unit is away. He was given a pep talk by Royal and military advisers who fear a terrible backlash if the Prince is pictured boozing in London while soldiers from his Blues and Royals squadron are under fire."

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Massachusetts Gov. Patrick Orders 26 Gay Marriages Recorded

Reversing an order by former Governor Mitt Romney that blocked the state from officially recording 26 gay marriages by out-of-state couples, Governor Deval Patrick has told the Department of Public Health to put them on the books.

The Boston Globe reports: "Patrick's move emphasizes his administration's sharp differences with his predecessor on gay marriage. The issue is largely symbolic; neither Romney's refusal to record the marriages nor Patrick's reversal of that order affects the legal status of the marriages. But an aide said Patrick wanted to reverse an action taken by Romney that the new administration sees as discriminatory."

Said Patrick's spokesman: "There was no legal basis for separating these certificates in the first place. It appears like the prior administration was politicizing a routine administrative function."

Patrick's decision was criticized by Romney's spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom: "It was Governor Romney's enforcement of this law that stopped gay marriage from being visited on every other state in the country. Now that Governor Romney is out of office, we are seeing an erosion of the previously strong defense of traditional marriage coming out of the executive branch."

A 1913 law prohibits out of state couples from marrying in Massachusetts if the couple's home state does not recognize the union as legal. In February, Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch issued a directive indicating that same-sex marriages made in Massachusetts would be recognized in that state.

Arline Isaacson, cochairwoman of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, praised Patrick's decision: "It's very significant, and it is yet one more example of the huge difference between Patrick and Romney. Patrick is dedicated to equalizing the playing field for the gay community and ending all forms of discrimination."

26 Gay Marriages to be Recorded [boston globe]

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Rhode Island to Recognize Massachusetts Gay Marriages

Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch today released a non-binding directive expected to be recognized by most government agencies in the state, saying that same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts have legitimacy there, the AP reports:

"'Rhode Island will recognize same sex marriages lawfully performed in Massachusetts as marriages in Rhode Island,' Lynch said in a letter dated Tuesday and released Wednesday. He said Rhode Island prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and also extends benefits such as health insurance to domestic partners of state employees. He said that with the absence of a law banning gay marriage, there’s no strong reason to deny recognition to gay marriages performed in Massachusetts, the only state where such unions are legal."

Massachusetts and Rhode Island appear to have achieved a working harmony on this issue, as last September a Massachusetts Superior Court judge ruled in favor of allowing a same-sex couple from Rhode Island to marry there. At question was a 1913 law prohibiting out-of-state couples from marrying in Massachusetts if the marriage would not be recognized in their home state. Now, Rhode Island appears to be saying 'yes' as well.

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News: Oprah on Ellen, Condoms, Ben Affleck, Laguna Beach

In the latest attempt to save Laguna Beach's Boom Boom Room, the longtime cornerstone of gay nightlife in that SoCal getaway, community activists hauled 1,200 pages of signatures into a City Council meeting on wheelbarrows. They collected 6,000 signatures from supporters hoping to protect the landmark.

Ben Affleck on his recent colonic irrigation: "I lost my virginity all over again that day, in so many ways. I don’t think I will be having it done again."

Clear Channel rejects billboard for Focus on the Family's "ex-gay" conference Love Won Out in Phoenix. The billboard was to read: "I questioned homosexuality: Change is Possible, Discover How."

Man held after threatening youth and program staff at gay center in Berkeley, California: "The man allegedly kicked in the Pacific Center's glass front door in Berkeley and sent four e-mail death threats over the past three weeks, said Berkeley police spokesman Ed Galvan." The man allegedly participated in youth programs at the center 10 years ago.

Oprah Winfrey to make guest appearance on Ellen on February 22.

Make love on a real train: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene launches its own brand of mass transit-themed condoms.

Valentine's Hell: Passengers held hostage on Jet blue for 10 hours.

Activists at Rhode Island statehouse gay marriage rally unveil series of bills that would give gays and lesbians many of the rights of married couples: "One bill would protect same-sex couples from being forced to testify against each other in court. Other proposals would allow gay spouses to take family leave from their jobs and grant gay men and women the legal authority to make funeral arrangements when their partners die. Gay marriage supporters said the new incremental approach reflects the stated opposition to gay marriage from Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, as well as from Republican Gov. Don Carcieri."

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News: Mika, Ted Haggard, Dolphins, Rhode Island Rally

Valentine's Day same-sex marriage rally planned at Rhode Island statehouse.

UK pop star Mika reigning over the Brit charts: "The 23 year-old phenom went straight to No 1 on the UK album charts this week with his 11-song disk, moving 107,732 copies of the eclectic new album, and adding to an unparalleled string of No 1s for a debut artist: No 1 single 'Grace Kelly,' which has held the top spot now for 4 weeks running. The infectious single is also the No 1 itunes song in the UK, No 1 on the national and regional airplay charts, No 1 video download, as well as holding down the No 1 video slot in the country. The charismatic newcomer also owns the No 1 album on itunes, an incredible launch for an artist who was turned down by virtually every record company with his visionary brand of groundbreaking, kiss-goodbye-the-cookie cutter songmaking."

New Life church has paid Ted Haggard cash to keep his heterosexual trap shut: "Haggard signed a non-disclosure agreement with his former congregation, New Life Church, and received an unknown sum of what could only be described as hush money. The agreement included a clause that forbids either Haggard or New Life from stating how much his silence was worth."

Diamond Jim, an English Springer Spaniel, took 'Best in Show' at the Westminster Kennel Club competition last night: "Diamond Jim beat out the Dandie Dinmont, a pair of white poodles and a petit basset griffon vendeen, plus an Akita and a Bouviers des Flandres that pitted a husband and wife against each other."

Dolphin receives world's first artificial fluke.

Carjackers steal openly gay Filipino comic Anton Diva's car in Manila with friend inside: "Cariño had just gotten off the vehicle when two men seized the car keys and forced him back in the car. He said at least four men boarded the vehicle and forced him at gunpoint to lie face down in the back of the car where he was punched, kicked and blindfolded. Cariño said he did not cry for help for fear of being shot even after sensing that the car had reached a toll gate. He said the carjackers took his cell phone and wallet before abandoning him in Marilao, Bulacan."

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Ontario, Canada cabinet minister George Smitherman, who recently announced he'll wed his partner Christopher Peloso, jokes about what he'll wear to the wedding: "Probably a thong." He then said "linen" would be a good bet.

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DNC Treasurer Andy Tobias responds to criticism of Howard Dean and the DNC's efforts for the gay community at the recent LGBT Caucus.

Death row inmate Richard Laird, who was offered a retrial, is again sentenced to death for killing gay artist 20 years ago: "Laird and Frank Chester, now 39, of Tullytown, were both sentenced to death in 1988. Chester is also appealing. Prosecutors said the two abducted Milano, of Bristol Township, from a Route 13 bar on Dec. 15, 1987, and forced him to drive to nearby woods. Milano's body was found near his burning car. A medical examiner testified that he was slashed 'too many times to count.'"

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Captain of Yale tennis team apologizes to gay group for inappropriate initiation ritual: "During dinner on Nov. 10, team members wearing women’s underwear and fishnet stockings had posed as members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and entered several residential college dining halls, where they sang and danced on tabletops, students who saw the incident said. The witnesses said the team’s initiates had signs on their