Towleroad Guide to the Tube #312

BIG JOHN: Republican Sentaor John Cornyn's insane political ad.

RUDY GIULIANI: He's back, he's tanned, he's rested, he's 9/11.

YES, WE CAN: The Obama message is taking over.

SHAKE THAT THING: Bearforce1 is back with a new number!

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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SNL: Live from New York, it's Hillary Clinton!

Hillary Clinton made an appearance on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, facing off with her doppleganger Amy Poehler, after Poehler and Fred Armisen (as Obama) satirized the recent Democratic debate.

CLINTON: Thank you and good evening. The scene you just saw was a reenactment, sort of , of last Tuesday's debate, and not an endorsement of one candidate over another. I can say this confidently, because when I asked if I could take it as an endorsement, I was told, absolutely not. But I still enjoyed that sketch a great deal, because I simply adore Amy's impression of me.

POEHLER: Ah well, my ears are ringing.

CLINTON: Hi, how are you?

POEHLER: Good thank you.

CLINTON: I'm glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

POEHLER: Thank you for coming. I love your outfit.

CLINTON:Well, I love your outfit...

POEHLER: Why, thank you.

CLINTON: ...but I do want the earrings back.

POEHLER: Oh, okay. (cackles)

CLINTON: Do I really laugh like that?

POEHLER: Well, well, well, well...so...how's the campaign going?

CLINTON: Well, the campaign's going very well. Very, very well. Why, what have you heard? NEver mind, I am just so happy to be back in New York. Even for a few hours. Tonight, I just want to relax, have fun, not worry about the campaign.

POEHLER: But no politics.

CLINTON: No politics. But I would like to take this opportunity to say to all Americans, be they from the great state of Ohio or Texas, Rhode Island or Vermont, Pennsylvania or any of the other states, live from New York it is Saturday night!

View the full clip (it follows a reenactment of last week's debate) AFTER THE JUMP...

Also appearing on SNL, during the weekend update segment, was Rudy Giuliani, who explainedthat one of the key reasons his campaign fell apart was because he wore a dress on Saturday Night Live. The show also featured an animated segment called "The Obama Files".

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John McCain Wins Florida Primary, Giuliani to Exit Race

John McCain won the winner-take-all Florida primary, hauling in a load of 57 delegates with 36% of the vote to Mitt Romney's 33%. McCain's victory speech is above, on the left. Rudy Giuliani came in a distant third, with 15% of the vote. His concession speech is above, on the right. Mike Huckabee received 14% of the vote. Giuliani is expected to pull out of the race and endorse John McCain today.

Politico writes: "Rudy Giuliani's distant third-place finish in Florida may put an end to his bid for president, and it seems also to mark the beginning of the end of a period in Republican politics that began on Sept. 11, 2001."

McCain pulled out all the stops in Florida, including a last-minute robo-call that attempted to influence voters through gay-bashing, suggesting that a vote for Romney would be one step closer to giving "special rights" to gays. This will not be forgotten.

The NYT writes: "The meaning of Mr. McCain’s victory starts with the trove of 57 delegates it brings him, the bounty of a winner-take-all contest and the biggest prize of the campaign to date. But it also gives him a chance to start persuading his party to put aside the deep internal divisions that have been exposed by the campaign and begin coalescing around him. Mr. Romney was having none of it. He continued to call for change in Washington and got in what sounded like another swipe at Mr. McCain when he said America needed a president who had 'actually had a job in the real economy.'"

Hillary Clinton, with 48% of the vote in Florida, soundly defeated Barack Obama (30%) and John Edwards (14%) in the Florida primary, but receives no delegates. Here's why:

"Florida violated party rules when it moved its voting contest ahead of Feb. 5, the date sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee. The DNC allowed four early contests: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. While Obama, Edwards and Clinton agreed last September that they wouldn't compete for Florida because of the party- imposed penalty, Clinton, a New York senator, last week announced she would press to have Florida's delegates seated at the Democratic convention in August. Florida is a crucial swing state in the general election. None of the candidates campaigned in the state, though Obama aired television commercials that ran on cable channels."

Clinton, looking ahead to Super Tuesday on February 5, appeared on CNN last night and, clearly, wanting to put South Carolina behind her, apologized for her husband's behavior over the past weeks.

Thanks to Talking Points Memo for the video clips.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #236

CHANGE: The David Bowie election.

RUDY GIULIANI: FOX loves America's Mayor.

MIKE GRAVEL: On the oppressive nature of religion.

BRITNEY HOUSTON: Performs her version of Janet's "Feedback".

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Obama and Huckabee Take Nation's First Caucus in Iowa

Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee won their respective races in the Iowa caucuses Thursday night, leaving leftover candidates from both parties either scrambling for their next move or on their way out. Senator Hillary Clinton and John Edwards came within a percentage point of one another in the race for second place on the Democratic side, with Edwards edging out Clinton by a hair.

On the Republican side, second-place winner Mitt Romney was not even close, leaving a wide-open opportunity for John McCain in New Hampshire next week, where his support has risen in recent weeks.

The numbers came in like this: " Mr. Huckabee won with 34.4 percent of the delegate support, after 86 percent of precincts had reported. Mr. Romney had 25.4 percent, former Senator Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee had 13.4 percent and Senator John McCain of Arizona had 13.2 percent. On the Democratic side, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, Mr. Obama had 37.6 percent of the delegate support, Mr. Edwards 29.8 percent and Mrs. Clinton had 29.5 percent. Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico was fourth, at 2.11 percent."

Other details:

Massive turnout bad omen for the GOP.
Chris Dodd, Joe Biden drop out of Democratic race...
Keith Olbermann declares that Mike Gravel has dropped out of the race, and Gravel demands a retraction!
Thompson finishes in near-tie for third with John McCain...
McCain reacted from New Hampshire: "I think that the lesson of this election is that, one, you can't buy an election in Iowa; and, two, that negative campaigns don't work. They don't work there, and they don't work here in New Hampshire."
Giuliani vows to fight on after poor showing.
Independents go for Obama and Ron Paul.

Check out what the candidates had to say (Clips of ALL THE SPEECHES) about their respective wins and losses, AFTER THE JUMP...

OBAMA: "You know, they said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high. They said this country was too divided, too disillusioned to ever come together around a common purpose. But on this January night, at this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said we couldn't do. . . . You have done what America can do in this new year, 2008."

HUCKABEE: "What is happening tonight in Iowa is going to start really a prairie fire of new hope and zeal. And it's already happening across this nation because it is about we; we the people. We saw it tonight. . . . And we're going to continue to see it because this country yearns and is hungry for leadership that recognizes that when one is elected to public office, one is not elected to be a part of the ruling class; he's elected to be a part of the serving class."

CLINTON: "We're going to take this enthusiasm and go straight to New Hampshire...We have always planned on running a national campaign all the way through the early contests...What is most important now is that, as we go on with this contest, that we keep focused on the two big issues, that we answer correctly the questions that each of us has posed. How will we win in November 2008, by nominating a candidate who will be able to go the distance? And who will be the best president on day one? I am ready for that contest."

EDWARDS: "The one thing that's clear from the results in Iowa tonight is the status quo lost and change won. And now we move on. We move on from Iowa to New Hampshire and to the other states to determine who's best suited to bring about the change that this country so desperately needed."

ROMNEY: "Well, well, we won the silver. But just as Dan Jansen pointed out - you win the silver in one event, it doesn't mean you're not going to come back and win the gold in the final event."

THOMPSON: “It looks like someone’s gonna have to carry a strong conservative message, and it looks like it’s gonna be me.”

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #218: GOP Fear-mongering Edition

RUDY GIULIANI: New spot. First to use the Bhutto assassination. And TPM asks, a people perverted?

JOHN MCCAIN: New spot. "Experience". HuffPo: Raises terror alert to burnt sienna.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Larry Flynt Talks Gays, Giuliani, Larry Craig, and GOP Hypocrites

Larry Flynt takes aim at Rudy Giuliani (and gay people in general) in the opening paragraphs of a new profile on the Hustler publisher over at Vanity Fair, discussing Giuliani's decision to move in with his friend Howard Koeppel and Koeppel's longtime partner Mark Hsiao while he was NYC mayor and in the midst of divorcing his second wife.

Says Flynt: "Let me ask you something. As mayor of New York, would you live in an apartment with three gay guys? I’m not gay. I don’t hate gays. But I don’t want to live in an apartment full of them. They’ll bitch and cry and all. That doesn’t bother Giuliani. It doesn’t bother Giuliani to put a dress on to do Saturday Night Live. I don’t trust him. I don’t think he’s electable. I don’t know whether he’s gay or not, but I’m saying, if you got four friends, all gay, living in the same apartment, how are you going to know which one’s gay? I’m surprised no one’s even asking that question. Why do you break up with your wife and move in with gay guys?"

Flynt later goes on to talk about his recent investigations into the sex lives of Republican politicians, and what causes the Ted Haggards and Larry Craigs of the world to behave the way they do:

"I stick to what I do best. The sex business—I know it pretty good. Not saying if I could find someone who was corrupt I wouldn’t do whatever I could to reveal the story. But what we’re doing now is fun, especially the Republicans. When you’re born in a conservative family, raised conservative—conservatives come into life with so much baggage it’s unbelievable. It’s my theory that aberrant sexual behavior is caused by sexual repression, not sexual permissiveness. People have a lot of guilty feelings, a lot of insecurity about their sexual desires and appetites. It’s a never-ending story. I think about this minister that was seeing a gay guy”—Ted Haggard—“and Larry Craig. It’s baggage those people have carried all their lives. And they’ve deceived everyone. They’ve deceived their family. They’ve deceived their country. I don’t believe that these people should be politicians. Not because you’re gay or have some other peccadillo. But because, if you take a public position contrary to the way you live your life, you’re fair game. That means you’re a hypocrite. And that’s what we’re all about. What we’re exposing is hypocrisy..."

Flynt adds: "The lawmakers in this country don’t deserve a break, because they have so abused their authority by trampling on our rights and constitutional liberties. It’s just unspeakable the things they’ve allowed to happen, either through their inaction or taking an action on the wrong bill. I look at it like, people go to Washington with the best intentions, and they get their pockets stuffed with money from lobbyists and then their constituents can no longer get anything from them. I’m so angry with the political system that anything I can do to cause them misery I will."

Flynt also details the extent to which he pursued Idaho Senator Larry Craig via Dan Moldea, a Washington-based investigative journalist:

"Moldea hired a surveillance expert he had used during the 1998 investigations—'he nailed someone for us'—with the initial expectation that the operative would put Craig under round-the-clock watch. Fortunately for the magazine’s budget, the operative found a source who alleged he could offer advance warning if Craig was going to have some kind of assignation, eliminating the need for long, high-billing nights sitting in a van and drinking cold cups of bad coffee. By the end of May, however, nothing untoward had been observed."

The Muckraker’s Progress [vanity fair]

Recently
A Holiday Visit to the Larry Craig Men's Room [tr]

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Giuliani Wants to Give America a Fruitcake with a Big Red Bow

While we're on the topic of campaign ads, here's a new one from Rudy Giuliani.

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Rudy Giuliani: Homosexual Acts Sinful, Not Orientation

Rudy Giuliani appeared on Meet the Press with Tim Russert yesterday and was asked about Huckabee's 1992 comments I posted about earlier. Giuliani told Russert that it's acts that are sinful, not orientation, and he too is a sinner.

The remarks begin at about 3:45 in the clip above.

MSNBC transcript.

MR. RUSSERT: And we’re back. Our remaining minutes with Rudy Giuliani.

Mike Huckabee, leading the field in Iowa, told the Associated Press back in the ‘90s that AIDS patients should be quarantined and that “homosexuality was aberrant, unnatural and a sinful lifestyle.” What’s your reaction?

MR. GIULIANI: My reaction is that I haven’t seen—on the second of that, I haven’t seen Mike’s comment. The first one I think he says that he didn’t have the information, that he’s changed his mind about it, it’s not his current position. Look, I got enough of my own statements and issues, as we’ve seen, that I have to deal with. I think Mike has to...

MR. RUSSERT: But you don’t believe homosexuality is aberrant...

MR. GIULIANI: Oh, no, no, no.

MR. RUSSERT: ...unnatural or sinful.

MR. GIULIANI: My, my, my—no, I don’t believe it’s sinful. My, my moral views on this come from the, you know, from the Catholic Church, and I believe that homosexuality, heterosexuality as a, as a way that somebody leads their life is not—isn’t sinful. It’s the acts, it’s the various acts that people perform that are sinful, not the—not the orientation that they have.

MR. RUSSERT: The Congress is discussing and...

MR. GIULIANI: Which includes me, by the way. I mean, you know, unfortunately, I’ve had my own sins that I’ve had to confess and had to deal with and try to overcome and so I’m very, very empathetic with people, and that we’re all, we’re all imperfect human beings struggling to, to try to be better.

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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: Thresher Shark, Kylie Statue, Anderson Cooper, Anti-gay Attacks

New Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says Poland won't sign the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, in order to win favor with the party of the former homophobic PM Jaroslaw Kaczynski. He also said that Poland would pull its troops out of Iraq by the end of 2008.

Record-breaking Thresher shark snagged off the coast of Cornwall, England in trawl net: "The shark, estimated at 32 feet from nose to fin, was caught by Roger Nowell off Lands End and landed at Newlyn, west Cornwall, yesterday. The fisherman was trawling for squid and John Dory when the 510 kilo (1,250lb) predator ended up in his net. The biggest previous thresher shark caught is believed to have been landed off Hawaii in 2007 weighing 953lb."

Election thievery? Clinton and Giuliani in early showdown over California electoral initiative.

Provincetown's Pilgrim Monument lit for holidays - video.

Snappy dresser: Anderson Cooper as fashion designer?

11-year-old boy in Dursley, England issued warning for homophobic slurs against 49-year-old man. Officer: "We thoroughly investigate any reports of hate crime - whether related to race or sexual orientation. The majority of young people are fully aware that it is unacceptable to abuse people, particularly in racist and homophobic terms. However, the minority who believe such abuse is amusing or acceptable should be warned that they could land themselves with a criminal record if they are caught."

Welsh couple targeted by homophobic arsonist neighbor: "A court heard how Alan Pollitt went to the nearby Rhyl flat of a homosexual couple who had been together for 18 years, and threatened one of the men with a metal bar. The victim then left the property seeking his partner to tell him what had occurred. The couple went for a drink to discuss the matter and while the flat was empty, Pollitt broke in and started five fires."

X- Kylie's ass immortalized at Melbourne Docklands.

Beloved lesbian Bronx pastor faces threat from Evangelical Lutheran Church: "Pastor Foster and her roughly 100 congregants face a new challenge: the possibility that she, along with four other pastors in the New York area and 81 nationwide, could be defrocked in 2009 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The country’s largest Lutheran denomination, it allows openly gay pastors but forbids them from being in same-sex relationships, according to the Rev. Stephen P. Bouman, bishop of the denomination’s New York-area synod."

Darcy Dear, founder of United Gays And Lesbians Against AIDS In Barbados, targeted by stone-throwing vandals: "The confessed homosexual and gay rights activist, who is on break from his restaurant in New York, said it would cost $900 to replace the sash windows and pay for labour. Dear, who is in the process of completing his apartment complex and home, said he was in his room on Wednesday night watching television when he had to dodge two large stones thrown through his windows. He said the response from police at District "A" was swift and officers took away the stones and brushed the area for fingerprints."

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Rudy Giuliani Flaunts NYC Achievements in First NH Campaign Spot

Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani has unleashed his first ad on New Hampshire, a $314,000 buy that will air on local stations for the upcoming five days.

Says Giuliani in the spot: "New York City is the 3rd or 4th largest government in the country. It's one of the largest economies in the United States. They used to call it unmanageable, ungovernable. A large majority of New Yorkers wanted to leave and live somewhere else. It was a city that was in financial crisis. A city that was the crime capital of America. A city that was the welfare capital of America. A city that was in very, very difficult condition when I became the Mayor. By the time I left office, New York City was being proclaimed as the best example of conservative government in the country. We turned it into the safest large city in America. The welfare to work capital of America. And most importantly, the spirit of the people of the city had changed. Instead of being hopeless, the large majority of people had hope. So, I believe I've been tested in a way in which the American people can look to me. They're not going to find perfection, but they're going to find somebody who has dealt with crisis almost on a regular basis and has had results. And in many cases exceptional results. Results people thought weren't possible. I'm Rudy Giuliani and I approve this message."

The New York Times scores its accuracy: "While crime did drop sharply while Mr. Giuliani was mayor, there is considerable debate over how much credit he deserves. When he took office, his predecessor, Mayor David N. Dinkins, had already begun a $1 billion program to increase the ranks of police officers, and crime had begun to decline. During the Giuliani years, the crack cocaine epidemic was quieting down, and across the country, even cities with troubled police departments were seeing notable declines in crime."

Recently
Perkins: Rudy Giuliani Would Support Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment [tr]

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News: George Clooney, Dogs, ENDA, Gay Muslims, Rudy Giuliani

ENDA: Michelangelo Signorile asks some tough questions of HRC's Joe Solmonese about the decision to go from opposing a non-transgender ENDA to fully backing it. (AUDIO)

Lance Bass and new man Ben Thigpen spend their bread at Butter.

George Clooney and Fabio get their claws out at West Hollywood restaurant: "I thought you were a nice guy. Stop being a diva!"

All I can say is, thank goodness there aren't many cliffs in Wisconsin.

Judge sees evidence that Rita Cosby "crossed the line" in evidence gathering for her Anna nicole book which alleges a gay relationship between Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead: "A federal judge in the Southern District of New York issued an order today in the wake of Stern's allegation that Cosby 'sought to tamper with two witnesses by offering to pay them thousands of dollars for their testimony.' The judge allowed Stern to probe the allegation, concluding he has 'presented substantial -- indeed troubling -- evidence that Cosby has sought to improperly influence witnesses...' In a statement to TMZ, Rita Cosby said 'I am pleased that the Court will get to the bottom of these unfounded allegations. I trust that when all the facts come out that a very different picture will be shown.'"

Gyllenhaal and Witherspoon in nocturnal paparazzi ambush.

Sydney summer Gay Day going green.

According to Mother Jones, Towleroad is blocked at the Denver International Airport: "Your request to URL "http://www.towleroad.com/" has been blocked by the URL Filter Database. The URL is listed under categories (Provocative Attire, Politics / Opinion), which are not allowed by your administrator at this time. The following reputation level was assigned to it: Neutral."

Democrats take back the state Senate in Virginia.

World's tallest dog meets world's smallest.

The NYT visits gay Muslims who have gained asylum in NYC: "Even as they reveled in newfound freedom compared with the Muslim world, they remained closeted, worried about being ostracized at the mosque or at their local falafel stand. 'They’re afraid of the rest of the community here,' said Ayman, a stocky 31-year-old from Jordan, who won asylum in the United States last year on the basis of his sexuality. 'It’s such a big wrong in the Koran that it is impossible to be accepted.' For gay Muslims, change may come via a nascent body of scholarship in minority Muslim communities where the reassessment of sacred texts used to damn homosexuality is gaining momentum."

I'll take the two of spades: Eva Mendes plays with some hot cards.

Pat Robertson endorses Rudy Giuliani. Talking Points Memo: "...the Robertson endorsement Rudy Giuliani bagged today is perhaps the ultimate fusion of right-wing religious extremism and war on terror mania. Giuliani's claim to the presidency is based on his service as mayor during and immediately after 9/11. What stops him from being a shoe-in for the nomination is his track record supporting abortion rights and gay rights. But, Robertson is on record saying that 9/11 was America's punishment for its sinful gay-loving, abortion permitting culture. As Robertson says on his website, the attacks happened because God withdrew his protection from America. He agreed with the late Jerry Falwell that America "deserved" 9/11."

Clinton lead slips 10% following debate debacle.

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News: Dennis Kucinich, Garbage Island, Dumbledore, Gary Trudeau

STUDY: Gay men face major discrimination in the workplace: "'It was surprising to see how consistent it was that gay men tended to be more discriminated against in traditionally heterosexual male dominated professions -- blue collar, labor, and management too,' researcher Bruce Elmslie, professor of economics at UNH, told Reuters. The study found that gay men who live together earn 23 percent less than married men, and 9 percent less than unmarried heterosexual men who live with a woman."

OUT begins naming names for this year's Out 100.

Get your gay Dumbledore T-shirts here.

Shirley Maclaine says presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich had a UFO encounter on her property: "Dennis found his encounter extremely moving. The smell of roses drew him out to my balcony where, when he looked up, he saw a gigantic triangular craft, silent, and observing him. It hovered, soundless, for 10 minutes or so, and sped away with a speed he couldn't comprehend. He said he felt a connection in his heart and heard directions in his mind."

Roman Catholic Church facilitating spread of AIDS in Latin America.

Is Rudy Giuliani protecting a Catholic priest who preyed on altar boys? "I know the man; I know who he is, so I support him. We give some of the worst people in our society the presumption of innocence and benefit of the doubt. And, of course, I’m going to give that to one of my closest friends."

Paul Lynde Halloween special now on DVD: "The 1976 'Paul Lynde Halloween Special' (S'more, $15) stars not just 'Bewitched's' belovedly sarcastic Uncle Arthur - one of the gayest not-publicly-gay performers you'll ever see - but also 'Wizard of Oz' witch Margaret Hamilton, 37 years later, in full green-face regalia. And 'H.R. Pufnstuf' standby Witchiepoo (Billie Hayes). And little person Billy Barty. And 'Brady Bunch' mom Florence Henderson warbling a disco version of 'That Old Black Magic.' And Donny & Marie. And Tim Conway, and Betty White, and 'Happy Days' dish Roz 'Pinky Tuscadero' Kelly as a truckstop waitress whose apron emblazons her as Kinky Pinky."

Marie Osmond sees Stars while Dancing.

Cartoonist Gary Trudeau says that while writing his comic strip is no easier now than when he started, attitudes have certainly changed: "Now I can pretty much write about gay issues and not hear from anyone. Certainly popular culture has a role to play in destigmatizing.''

Island-continent of toxic plastic garbage floats between California and Hawaii: "Officially known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, until it can be taxed, U.S. officials will continue to ignore it. I heard of it once many years ago, but it apparently has been growing tenfold each decade since the 1950's, and now consists of 80% plastic. It has also been called Gilligan's Island, from the trashy TV sitcom that won't go away."

Preacher's son talks to Wisconsin crowd about attending Liberty University and coming out as gay.

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Perkins: Rudy Giuliani Would Support Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment

The Family Research Council's Tony Perkins claims that "Giuliani told him in a private meeting that if the Defense of Marriage Act appeared to be failing or if multiple states began to legalize same-sex marriages, then he would support the constitutional amendment."

Giuliani neglected to mention marriage at all in his speech to the Values Voters Summit over the weekend, so Perkins said it was "nice to hear" an anti-gay pledge from the former NYC mayor.

The Hill also reports that Mike Huckabee was far and away the most well-received candidate at the summit, and Queerty's Andrew Belonsky has more on the former Governor from Arkansas' appearance.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #187

RUDY GIULIANI: Assures 8-year-old that we're protected from UFOs.

JAKE GYLLENHAAL: The latest stop on the Rendition tour was last night with Conan O'Brien.

LINDSAY LOHAN: Her return to L.A. from rehab causes a paparazzi feeding frenzy.

LARRY CRAIG: AmericaBlog's John Aravosis discusses Larry Craig media blitz with CNN.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #181

BARACK OBAMA: A clip of his appearance on The Tyra Banks Show. The rest are here.

DOUGLAS COUPLAND: The Generation X author has a new book coming out entitled The Gum Thief: "A story of love and looming apocalypse set in the aisles of an office supply superstore." A series of videos has been created to introduce people to the book. This is one of them. Here are the rest.

THE VIEW: The GEICO caveman makes fun of Sherri Shepard and her creationist, "world is flat" perspective.

RUDY GIULIANI: Brave New Films tracks down Giuliani's whereabouts during last week's debate on minority issues at Morgan University.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #176

PATTI LABELLE: Goes off on fan at concert.

THE FONZ: Yesterday, was the 30th anniversary of the moment when Happy Days officially "jumped the shark."

TOM VILSACK: Former Iowa governor rips Giuliani's marriage record.

I'M NOT THERE: A report from Venice on the Todd Haynes Bob Dylan film we posted about here.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #174

RUDY GIULIANI: Tough new ad from MoveOn regarding Giuliani's relationship with the Iraq Study Group.

BODY FLEX: With Greer Childer.

MIKA: New video for "Happy Ending".

KATHY GRIFFIN: Chats about her "Suck it, Jesus" Emmy acceptance comments on last night's Larry King Live.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #168

DAVID DURANTE: The 27-year-old from New Jersey recently became the 2007 USA Gymnastics champion.

CHRIS CROCKER: Britney has at least one fan left. As dlisted notes: "You might want to turn the volume down when you play this video, because bitch can wail!"

DR. EVIL: Someone has an interesting role model.

THE REAL RUDY: Brave New Films takes on the former NYC mayor on 9/11 and the command center.

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

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

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

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

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

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

An update on Britney's hair growth.

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

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

Blogger Andrew Sullivan experiencing "jitters" over imminent marriage.

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

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

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

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

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

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #162

RUDY GIULIANI LOVES DRAG: This time he's in lion drag making some, uh, interesting comments about the work ethics of people on welfare. From the documentary Giuliani Time. (source: slog)

IRAQ ON VACATION: Sweating it out alone till September. (source: americablog)

CLAY AIKEN: Is trying to bring sexy back but not doing a very convincing job of it.

ALEXYSS TYLOR: She's back with a warning to gay boys (audio NSFW). (source: dlisted)

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #159

MARKET MELTDOWN: Mad Money host Jim Cramer flips out over the crash of the housing market. Cramer explains his meltdown...

NOAH AND LUKE: The latest from the gay storyline on As the World Turns.

GAYS FOR GIULIANI: Odd tactic. Activist attempts to trot out stereotypes to scare Republican base.

GAY MARRIAGE on THE VIEW: Elizabeth Hasselbeck actually says something sane. (source: good as you)

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