News: Howard Dean, iPhone, Lance Armstrong, Reggae, Ryan Gosling

Russian gay activists to picket Iranian Embassy in Moscow. Nikolai Alexeyev: "We need to continuously remind the state authorities that the death penalty must be abolished."

Line forms a week early for 3G iPhone...

Ryan Gosling makes an excellent case for the white T-shirt.

Larry Craig's bathroom stall to return to spotlight: "Thousands of members of the international media will have to walk past it when they land at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for the Republican National Convention in St. Paul at the end of the summer. Many will feel obligated to stop and file a story. For the party that bills itself as stronger on family values than the Democrats, it likely will prove an unwelcome distraction."

UK Study: employees who are "out" at work perform better.

Half Blood Prince: First look at new Harry Potter film.

Lance Armstrong gets a beard.

Signorile on Arthur Finkelstein, the gay Republican behind Jesse Helms: "Conservative, then-closeted, Republican political operative Arthur Finkelstein helped engineer Helms' racist campaign against African-American Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt in 1990, as Helms was vilifying gay sexuality, blocking AIDS funding, stalling prevention and attacking queer artists. (See the ad below that was aired at the height of the campaign and which resulted in Gantt going from a a lead in the polls to defeat on Election Day). Had Jesse Helms not had the handiwork of Finkelstein, who worked for Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and various right-wing senators, he might have lost that race. Instead, we had another decade of his antigay grip on the Republican Party, as he blocked HIV prevention measures and thousands more died."

SALON: Transgender man delivered a baby, but failed to deliver respect.

Nicole Kidman gives birth to a Sunday on a Monday.

Obama campaign plane makes emergency stop due to mechanical problems.

"No Homo" the latest catchphrase to sweep NFL locker rooms: "LenDale White says to Vince Young: 'Vince, you’ve got great nips. No homo.' Did you catch the subtle twist there? LenDale has said something that on any other day might be considered gay, but, and this is key, he’s inoculated his heterosexuality by appending, no homo at the end. No homo also works at the front of the phrase but then it’s much less enjoyable because the other party has been keyed into the homosexuality of the statement that’s to follow. Hence, 'No homo. Vince you’ve got great nips.' No dice there."

Reggae music label plans "Straight Pride Parade" in Brooklyn to protest ban of gay murder music artist Stapler.

Howard Dean holds holiday fundraiser in Provincetown: "From a small podium Dean spoke of the enormous progress that has been made in terms of civil rights — for instance, the number of states that have had referendums on gay marriage — despite eight years under 'one of most oppressive presidents' the country has ever known and a Supreme Court he characterized as 'a disgrace. It’s interesting,' he said. 'Sometimes you have to just sit back and look. The grassroots have changed dramatically.'"

NBC to buy The Weather Channel for $3.5 billion. Hurricane Bertha forms in the Atlantic...

Matt Damon checks into the Green Zone.

Michael Ausiello: Hit TV show planning big gay twist.

Getting away with it: Kylie Minogue breaks royal protocol as she is bestowed with the Order of the British Empire...

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News: India, Tony Kushner, Jerusalem, Don Imus, Bash'd

Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis forbids liberal Catholic church from holding gay pride prayer service: "St. Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis has held the event for several years in conjunction with the annual Twin Cities Pride Celebration. The archdiocese is instead suggesting that the church hold a "peace" service Wednesday with no mention of rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Archdiocese spokesman Dennis McGrath says the gay pride prayer service is inimical to the teachings of the Catholic church."

Global warming expert Hansen: Earth close to the tipping point.

This used to be her playground: Madonna and family go to Yankees game.

Grease RIP: A Rydell High death.

Angels in America playwright Tony Kushner to marry in California: "Mark and I are going to get married in California very soon. Then we’re going to be recognized in New York as legally married."

New Bedford, Massachusetts, where two-and-a-half years ago 18-year-old Jacob Robida terrorized a local gay bar with a hatchet and a shotgun, held its first gay pride over the weekend, which attracted 250 people.

Jerusalem gay pride a "go": "The High Court of Justice rejected Monday afternoon a petition filed by right-wing activists Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel against holding a gay pride parade in Jerusalem. As a result, the parade will take place as scheduled this coming Thursday."

Don Imus under fire again for racist comment.

Gay activists in India plan mass gay pride action: "The marchers plan to sing, give speeches and hold candlelit vigils in simultaneous parades in New Delhi, Calcutta and Bangalore on Sunday, said Gautam Bhan, a writer and gay rights activist involved with organizing the marches. While several dozen activists have marched in the eastern city of Calcutta in recent years, these would be the first gay pride parades in New Delhi and Bangalore. Bhan said the activists want to raise awareness of the issues facing the gay community in India."

Bash'd: a rap opera that fights back against anti-gay violence, playing in NYC: "With exceedingly bawdy lyrics, two rapping angels, T-Bag (Mr. Craddock) and Feminem (Mr. Cuckow), recount the tragedy of a Canadian couple, Jack and Dillon, who meet in an Edmonton club, fall in love and wed. But when Jack becomes the victim of violence, their idyll collapses."

New Yorker: Is "angry" Keith Olbermann changing TV news?

Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev sued over Moscow Pride: "Organisers of Moscow Gay Pride today applied to the city’s Tverskoi District Court accusing Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev of 'inaction on their letter' concerning the staging of the march for tolerance – and respect for the rights of freedoms of homosexual people in Russia – in Alexandrovskiy Sad, part of the Kremlin."

Jodie Foster in tussle with paparazzi.

PhD: Memoir of a gay stripper. “The truth was that stripping had long called out to me. It offered something different from my grad school grind of dealing with students, grading papers, and sitting through seemingly endless seminars.”

Obama curtails use of altered presidential seal.

James McAvoy on the perils of six packs and protein: "[The abs] were not a special effect. It was the result of a lot of time at the gym — which I hated. I was also trying to take these super protein supplements and they gave me incredible bouts of flatulence which wouldn’t have endeared me to the rest of the cast. But I’m back to normal."

Boy George takes his orchid for a walk.

A few notes and photos from the Provincetown International Film Festival.

New York Senate Majority Leader Republican Joe Bruno announces he won't seek reelection: "It also means a seat that had been considered a safe one for Republicans will not necessarily be a sure thing this fall. With all New York lawmakers' two-year terms ending in December, Republicans are defending their narrow 32-30 majority in the Senate, the party's last stronghold in state government. Democrats now hold the governor's post and dominate the Assembly by a 106-42 margin."

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News: Peter Pace, Jellyfish, Oregon, Gilbert Baker, Moscow

Bush awards former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair and homophobe Peter Pace the Congressional Medal of Freedom.

Will Smith superhero movie re-branded by construction worker in London's Leicester Square.

Sick: Brutal trans-bashing by Memphis police officer caught on video. "The video, recorded February 12th, shows Duanna Johnson in the booking area at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center after an arrest for prostitution. The tape clearly shows a Memphis police officer walk over to Johnson - a transsexual - and hit her in the face several times. 'Actually he was trying to get me to come over to where he was, and I responded by telling him that wasn't my name - that my mother didn't name me a 'faggot' or a 'he-she,' so he got upset and approached me. And that's when it started.'"

Uh oh, there's a new Spears in town.

Gaytona.com: where gay and Nascar meet.

Experts: Mass proliferation of jellyfish a sure sign that environment is out of whack.

Oregon opponents of gay rights laws abandon efforts to repeal them: "Organizers conceded Monday that their initiatives to repeal two Oregon gay rights laws will not make the November ballot. The fact that the initiatives are stalled offers more evidence that opponents are losing support, say gay rights activists, who were also celebrating the legalization of same-sex marriages in California on Monday."

Provocation: Right-wing group asks Israeli Supreme Court to ban Gay Pride in Jerusalem: "In a petition to the court, the small National Jewish Front called the event 'a provocation,' while the municipality filed a brief saying it too objected to the parade, scheduled to be held on June 26. 'We are against this parade which harms social relations,' city spokesman Gidi Schemerling told AFP."

Members of the clergy in Albany today rallied to protest Governor David Paterson's decision to recognize same-sex marriages preformed out of state.

An interview with rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker: "I love going to cities around the world and seeing the rainbow flag, knowing that it's a safe place where I can be myself...In 1978, when I thought of creating a flag for the gay movement there was no other international symbol for us than the pink triangle, which the Nazis used to identify homosexuals in concentration camps. Even though the pink triangle was and still is a powerful symbol, it was very much forced upon us. I almost instantly thought of using the rainbow. To me, it was the only thing that could really express our diversity, beauty and our joy. I was astounded nobody had thought of making a rainbow flag before because it seemed like such an obvious symbol for us."

Mario Lopez is impressed with himself.

Recommend picks from the California Tourism Commission for places to have your wedding or honeymoon.

Mickey Rourke spent his Father's Day with a dude in a thong.

Hockey jock doesn't speak, but carries a big stick (warning: site NSFW)

District Court of Moscow dismisses complaint by activists that gay pride ban was unlawful: " During court hearing, Nikolai Alekseev, principle the organiser of Moscow Pride, said that the Russian legislation does not give the authorities the right to ban any public event if it does not contradict the Constitution. According to the law, he told the court, authorities are obliged to offer an alternative place or time for the conduct of such an event if it is not possible to stage it in the place where planned."

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News: Gay Films, Paraguay, Harvey Dent, The Rock, Atlantic City

Gay panic: Trial to begin for Cesar Israel Villazano in Florida. He shot a man wearing a mini-skirt and high heels in the back of the head for making a sexual advance: "Villazano told police he was embarrassed because he isn't gay."

Hollywood Reporter: Gay indie films more plentiful than ever, but suffering critically and at box office. "Strand Releasing's 22 films in theaters last year (most with GLBT themes) grossed just $462,000. Killer Films has shifted its focus from queer-themed features to true crime dramas and other films, with tepid critical and financial success. Rotten Tomatoes says that gay- and lesbian-themed films averaged a 51.5% rating in 2006 and 2007 (well below its under-60% "rotten" threshold), while projects like the 2005 Toronto fest's best Canadian feature winner, "C.R.A.Z.Y.," can't secure U.S. theatrical distribution."

Openly gay journalist David Self who took part in one of Britain's first civil partnership ceremonies, has died at the age of 67.

Man makes love to Cheeto...really.

UK Vicar Dudley has no regrets over performing marriage of two priests: "Amazing flowers, fabulous music, a ceremony both solemn and oddly homely, familiar words reordered and reconfigured, carrying new meanings. Nothing jarred, nothing felt even vaguely inappropriate. New and untried but not wrong."

Harvey Dent: viral video for The Dark Knight unleashed...

Couple jailed in Paraguay for same-sex wedding is freed after one of them is discovered to be a hermaphrodite.

Anti-gay "pro-family" bigot Paul Cameron takes his diatribe to Russia.

What does gay look like?

Larry Craig and Dave Karsnia wed in quaint bathroom ceremony: "The private ceremony was held in a quaint public bathroom on the third floor at San Francisco City Hall. In an interview after the ceremony, Craig said, in his highly oratorical and completely off-putting voice, 'We wanted all of the heat to die down before we went forward with this. Well ... not all the heat.'"

That kiss that Dwayne Johnson had with Steve Carell must have really affected him. He's still talking about what a man he was to do it: "It was like -- you know, you ever had, like a warm apple pie with that cold ice cream, too? And you find that balance, where you're like [utters disgusting sound]. Hey, it was great, it was great."

Atlantic City holds first-ever "Gay Day at the Beach". ORganizer: "There isn't a gay area in Atlantic City. "We decided to pick Flag Day as a way to stake out our claim for an area. We're trying not to be political, but there's so much to be political about."

The 70's are back: Robbie Williams flashes his chest rug.

Former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer to be named the "Ultimate Sugar Daddy". "He'll win a pound of sugar, a year's worth of free lap dances from strippers at the VIP Men's Club in Chelsea and an unlimited supply of testosterone pills."

Ireland's Catholic Bishops restate opposition to gay marriage: “In view of the current debate in our society about the nature of marriage, sometimes promoted by individuals or institutions who claim support from Christian ideals, the bishops reiterated that marriage presupposes the mutuality and complementarity of the sexes."

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Russian Soldier Thinks You Want a Piece of Him

This Russian soldier's performance (well, who knows if he's even Russian or a soldier) appeared on LiveLeak yesterday. It's quite something.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP (warning NSFW)...

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Strife, Defiance, Conflict Mark Moscow Gay Pride Rally

Gay rights activists took to the streets in Moscow on Sunday, defying a ban by Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. Predictably, there was conflict, Agence France Presse reports:

"The annual pride demonstration had been outlawed by... Luzhkov, who has dubbed gay pride events "Satan's work," reflecting a strain of Russian society that remains suspicious of liberal values. A police spokesman told AFP 36 people had been arrested at the event at which Russian Orthodox and far-right opponents hurled eggs at gay activists and, in one instance, were seen punching a gay man to the ground. Those arrested were mainly opponents of the pride event rather than gay activists -- suggesting police were keen to minimise trouble rather than strictly enforce the ban. The demonstration started with about 25 people gathering by a statue of 19th century Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, widely considered to have been gay. 'We came to bow before this great composer in this most symbolic place in the capital,' gay rights leader Nikolai Alexeyev told the demonstrators. 'It is more symbolic than the building where the country's greatest homophobe sits,' said Alexeyev, head of the Gay Russia organisation, referring to the Moscow mayor."

UK Gay News has a small photo gallery of the proceedings.

Below, an activist is attacked, and one of the attackers is led away by police:

A second event occurred when four activists blockaded themselves in an apartment in front of City Hall that read “Rights to gays and lesbians - homophobia of mayor Luzhkov to be prosecuted”. Police spent a great deal of time trying to break into the apartment where the activists were located, and reportedly threatened to plant drugs on them and arrest them when they finally broke in. They eventually forced the door open, arrested the activists and held them in a cell overnight.

The entire incident is liveblogged here. The banner is pictured below:

AFTER THE JUMP: Two clips, one of the demonstrations in front of the Tchaikovsky monument and the other of the banner on the street opposite City Hall.

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News: Harvey Korman, Madison, Clay Aiken, ExxonMobil

University of Wisconsin-Madison to become largest university with a gay leader: "Cornell University Provost Biddy Martin was recommended Wednesday to be the next chancellor at UW-Madison, a top national research university with 40,000 students. Martin, the No. 2 official at Cornell since 2000, is a professor of women's studies and German studies who wrote the 1995 book: 'Femininity Played Straight: The Significance of Being Lesbian.' About eight to 10 openly gay people have become college presidents and chancellors but mostly at small colleges, said Candace Gingrich of the Human Rights Campaign."

R.I.P. Harvey Korman.

DADDY: Clay Aiken impregnates woman through artificial insemination.

Gay activist from Madison, Wisconsin stabbed to death in Mexico: "[Felicia] Melton-Smyth was known for an annual holiday fundraiser that raised money for gifts for people with AIDS. 'She respected and loved all the people within the gay community of Madison,' Finhert said. Finhert said a celebration of her life is being planned and a foundation is being set up for donations to organizations in her honor."

Netflix nabs exclusive rights to LOGO shows. What, no iTunes? Certainly a disappointment for those of us with Apple TV.

Kiss nearly gets lesbian couple tossed out of Safeco Field in Seattle: "Sirbrina Guerrero says she only gave her date a peck, but a mother sitting with her son complained to security and, as a result, they were told to stop or leave. 'And he (the security guard) goes ‘there’s a lady whose son says he saw you guys making out, and I did, too. And you have to stop.’ And I said ‘well, we weren’t making out, but we were kissing and I’m not going to stop,’' said Guerrero…. '(The security guard said) the mom doesn’t want to explain to the kids why two girls are kissing. So I said ‘well, I’m not going to stop, so you’ll have to kick me out. So he said ‘so I suggest you leave then,'’ she said."

A slew of Gossip Girl guy candids.

David Beckham gets a cap in a box.

Rudd government in Australia introduces bill removing discrimination from superannuation laws: "Legislation introduced to Parliament today will extend to same-sex couples and their children the same rights under superannuation enjoyed by married or de-facto couples. 'This bill will take equality for same-sex couples and their children to the next level by introducing long overdue Commonwealth reforms, removing discrimination from superannuation laws as the first step,' Attorney-General Robert McClelland said. 'It will allow reversionary death benefit to be paid to de-facto same-sex partners and their children where they currently have no entitlement.'"

Hot, tranny, or just mess?

L.A. Times editorial: Gay marriage gaining ground. "And why not? Surely the trailing edges of society will soon reflect on the resistance to this phenomenon with chagrin and more than a little embarrassment. It is bracing, after all, to realize how recently much of this nation blanched at interracial marriage, and thrilling to recognize how quickly most of us buried that prejudice, first in law, then in custom."

U.S. News and World Report explores anti-gay hostility in Russia.

Holocaust academic pans gay memorial to Nazi victims: "For many years after the war I had the impression that the Germans understood the immense scope of the crime of the Holocaust which they had committed ... But this time, they made an error. The location was particularly poorly chosen for this monument. If visitors have the impression that there was not a great difference between the suffering of Jews and those of homosexuals, it's a scandal. "A sense of proportion must be maintained."

ExxonMobil shareholders reject resolution to add 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' to Exxon’s non-discrimination statement: "Approximately 40% of Exxon’s outstanding shares voted in favor of the clause, but it was not enough to send the issue to the oil company’s board of directors. The shareholder resolution has come up every year since 2000, when it got 8.2% approval among shareholders. The percentage that voted in favor of the resolution has grown every year since then."

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Russia Ends Ban on Gay Blood Donation

A two-year campaign by activists came to a successful end yesterday when the Russian Health Ministry ended a ban on blood donation by gays, according to UK Gay News:

"Tatyana Golikova, the Minister of Health and Social Development signed the decree on April 16, it emerged yesterday. The decree amends the rules on blood donations which were implemented on September 14, 2001. According to the amendments, provisions for absolute ban on blood donations by people from the so called groups of high risk (homosexuals, drug addicts and prostitutes) are being repealed. Activists at GayRussia have been campaigning against the ban since April 2006 when they sent a letter to the Ministry of Health and Social Development as well as to the Russian General Prosecutor asking for the repeal of the ban because it contradicted the Russian Constitution and federal legislation. They repeated their demand a year later. The Ministry responded twice to the activists, saying that the amendments will be implemented, and that the issue is being discussed within the Ministry. A third letter was sent to the Ministry last month. Nikolai Alekseev and Nikolai Baev reminded officials that 'since May 1993 homosexual relations between consenting adults in private are not considered a crime in Russia. Since 1999 Russian psychiatry does not consider homosexuality as a mental illness as it joint international classification of mental illnesses'."

Above, an activist is arrested at a Moscow demonstration I posted about last September.

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Russian Political Gathering Interrupted by Penis Helicopter

This is pretty surreal. A meeting in Moscow of the Other Russia opposition coalition on Saturday was interrupted by a propellor-operated phallus as chess champion Garry Kasparov was speaking.

According to waxy.org, "Kasparov is a leader of the Other Russia movement, a loose coalition of activists opposing Vladamir Putin and the current Russian government. Over 700 people showed up for the event in central Moscow, but Kasparov's speech was interrupted when a large phallus-shaped helicopter started buzzing around the room. The Moscow Times attributed the prank to 'a couple of pro-Kremlin Young Russia activists.'"

According to a translator on the site metafilter, this was Kasparov's reaction:

"Kasparov: 'I think we have to be thankful for the opposition's demonstration of the level of discourse we need to anticipate. Also, apparently most of their arguments are located beneath the belt.' Someone in the audience: 'Finally the political power shows its face!' Kasparov: 'Well, if that's its face...' Everyone laughs.

You can see the uncensored pic here (NSFW).

And make sure not to miss the clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

Somebody needs to get one of these going at a McCain rally.

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Gay Fights Back in Russian Street Confrontation?

Not sure what's happening here, but this clip was uploaded today to the LiveLeak site. According to the poster: "This was recorded over the weekend. This gay guy was being teased about his choice of apparel or whatnot, resulting in an aggressive backlash."

Seems a bit like a staged wrestling performance to me, but if the above is actually true, then good for the guy in the stockings and hotpants.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Activist Stages Picket, Calls for Prosecution of Moscow Mayor

Activist Nikolai Alekseev staged a one-man picket of Moscow's General Prosecutor on Saturday, calling for the prosecution of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov for the illegal banning of gay pride activities. Authorities prevented a group picket of the office, saying there was a security threat, so Alekseev went it alone.

Gay Russia reports: "There was no interference from the watching police as he displayed a placard reading saying 'No one repealed Article 149 of the Criminal Code. Mayor Luzhkov’s homophobia should be prosecuted'. Originally, plans were to have a ten-person picket. But the Prefecture of the Central Area of Moscow banned the event for 'security reasons'. The letter from the Prefecture said that the aim of the planned event 'provokes negative reactions of society and the conduct of the event can lead to group violations of public order which creates threats to the security of the participants'. However, not a single protestor against the picket came to the office of General Prosecution yesterday, which, say gay activists, proves that Moscow authorities did not evaluate the threats properly. 'The General Prosecution office is obliged to conduct an investigation on our request and give us a motivated reply,' Mr. Alekseev said last night. 'If the criminal case is not started, we will appeal the decision to courts.'"

Alexseev and other say they will hold gay pride activities at the end of May, even if they are once again banned by the mayor's office.

PReviously
Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov Warns Against Gay May Day Gatherings [tr]
European Mayors Asked to Attend Moscow Gay Pride [tr]
Moscow Gay Pride Activists Request Compensation for Treatment [tr]

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Activists Hold ' Day of Silence' in St. Petersburg, Russia

Activists held Russia's first "Day of Silence" in St. Petersburg, Russia last Saturday, taping their mouths shut and handing out literature in the city's Chernyshevskiy Park.

UK Gay News reports: "For two hours, the participants remained silent as they took their public stand against discrimination emotional harassment, violence, hate crimes, and intolerance based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Initially, the city authorities gave permission for a demonstration. But this was overturned by ‘City Hall’ days before the event. So, organisers scaled-down their plans, and what took place was individual protest in the park – individual rallies do not require preliminary approval by the authorities. The Day of Silence is St. Petersburg finished at 2 pm with 'mass applause and cheering', symbolising that the ‘wall of silence’ would be brought down. Following the event, rally participants walked to the metro station Ploschad Vosstaniya, escorted by a militia (police) vehicle."

Watch a clip of their action, AFTER THE JUMP...

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News: Gay Sikhs, Shia LaBeouf, GLAAD Awards, Chernobyl

Gays join march for Chernobyl victims in Minsk: "When Sergey Androsenko, the 19 year-old leader of the Gay Youth Association in Belarus, paraded the gay “Rainbow Flag” through the streets of Minsk this afternoon, a little piece of LGBT history was made. It was the very first time that the flag had been seen on a political event in Belarus."

Is David Beckham planning to join the cast of X-Men Origins: Wolverine?

Norman Mailer's gay sexual fantasies detailed in new book by his mistress Carole Mallory: "At one point in April 1990, when Mailer was 67 and married to his sixth wife, Norris Church, Mallory worried that her lover of the previous seven years 'could get AIDS'. Three weeks later, she wrote that Mailer had asked her what other men she would like to sleep with. When she mentioned a man named Paul, Mailer is said to have replied: 'He’s gay. Why don’t we all three f***?' At another point she writes: 'He asked me to wash his bottom. So SAD. He is so ashamed of what he likes.' On October 24, 1990, Mallory scribbled in a black spiral notebook: 'I think Rick Stratton is his lover. One of them.'"

GLAAD media awards held in Los Angeles. Coverage here, here, and here.

The White House Correspondent's Dinner was definitely not A-Listy enough.

Bobby Trendy unmasked.

$500 million private Airbus A380 features conference room, grand lounge, master bedroom.

Air traffic controllers sound yet another alarm over working conditions, fatigue.

Gay gossip columnist Ben Widdicombe of the New York Daily News puts down his pen: "I have been a gossip columnist for all my 10 years in New York—first with the online fashion column 'Chic Happens,' and six years full-time with the Daily News. But for a writer New York is like a fairground, and I think it’s time to go on some of the other rides. Also lately I’ve developed a peculiar attitude towards scandal—with some of the items that have crossed my desk I’ve thought, 'This really isn’t any of my business.' Which is problematic for a professional gossip columnist."

Gay men and lesbians in St. Petersburg, Russia have started their own "Day of Silence".

The beef is roasting.

Gay gossip columnist Ted Casablanca getting married.

Parents of Florida hate crime victim Ryan Keith Skipper fight for anti-bullying legislation on what would have been Skipper's 27th birthday.

Police storm gay rights group meeting in Kyrgyzstan: "Police forced their way into the premises of the LGBT group Labrys, which was in the midst of hosting a dinner for 30 domestic and international advocates. Members of the Kyrgyz Anti-AIDS Association and other local groups were joined by international partners from organizations including COC, the Dutch LGBT association that is the world's oldest gay groups and Gender Doc-M, an LGBT group in Moldova. Police threatened to arrest anyone who did not produce identification papers."

The biggest Mentos-Coke explosion of all time.

A father speaks out about having a gay son.

Gay Vancouver man forms support group for LGBT Sikhs: "Since launching the group April 6, Amar has signed up 33 members – mostly men, but a few women as well. He says the quick response is proof of the need. Citing the 'one in 10 rule,' in which some researchers estimate that 10 per cent of the general population is homosexual, Amar believes there are thousands of gay Sikhs in the Surrey-North Delta area. He knows of some who have been forced into marriages and lead a secret double life – dancing in gay clubs at night, and sadly, sometimes bringing sexually-transmitted diseases home. 'This should not be happening,' he says."

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Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov Warns Against Gay May Day Gatherings

In response to word that gay groups planned demonstrations in Moscow on the occasion of the May Day (May 1) holiday, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov's representative Sergei Tsoi warned that any actions would be halted by the government.

Said Tsoi: "The council will act decisively and uncompromisingly to prevent attempts to hold such events because society is overwhelmingly opposed to the gay lifestyle and philosophy. It is a matter of surprise and indignation that gays plan to carry out unsanctioned gatherings in various parts of Moscow during the Festival of Peace and Work. There could be bloodshed and no one wants that."

Activist Nikolai Alexeyev said that gay groups plan to apply to hold five events every day throughout May, despite Luzhkov's warning and prior actions against demonstrators.

Said Alexeyev: "This is not a question of security. It is only a question of the personal hatred of the Moscow mayor towards gay people."

He also said the events would not be characerized by flamboyance or nudity: "If everyone sees that these people are not nude or wearing make-up... there will be many questions about why this event was banned."

Last year's gay rights rally in May turned violent and activists reported that Moscow police arrested not the ultra-nationalists and members of the ultra-Orthodox Russian church who began the violence but the gay rights demonstrators at which it was directed. They included Peter Tatchell,d Right Said Fred singer Richard Fairbrass, Italian MEP Marco Cappato, German MP Volker Beck, the leader of GayRussia, Nikolai Alexeyev, and dozens of other activists.

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European Mayors Asked to Attend Moscow Gay Pride

Moscow Gay Pride organizer Nikolai Alexeyev has asked London mayor Ken Livingstone (pictured, second from right) and openly gay mayors Bertrand Delanoe of Paris (far left), and Klaus Wowereit (far right) of Berlin to attend Moscow's Gay Pride observance, which has been scheduled for May 30 and 31, UK Gay News reports:

"In a letter to the three Mayors, Nikolai Baev and Nikolai Alekseev point out that in Russia gay men and women face enormous difficulties in publicly expressing themselves. 'You always support the fundamental right of homosexual people to openly manifest and to publicly express themselves,' they say in their letter to the city halls. 'All of you also regularly take part in Gay Pride parades in your own cities.' They go on to say that the constitutional right to freedom of assembly has been violated in the previous two years when Gay Pride Parades have been scheduled, only to be banned by Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. 'Taking into account the bans of the public Pride events in the Russian capital in 2006 and 2007, we are not sure that Mayor Luzhkov will permit Gay Pride manifestation this year,' they point out. 'Please take part in our conference and rally,' the organisers ask."

Last year's Gay Pride parade turned bloody and violent. British activist Peter Tatchell and Right Said Fred singer Richard Fairbrass were assaulted on camera. Tatchell and Fairbrass were both then arrested, along with Italian MEP Marco Cappato, German MP Volker Beck, the leader of GayRussia, Nikolai Alexeyev, and dozens of other activists.

The photo of the three mayors above, with Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, was taken at a mayoral summit in London in February 2007.

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Tom Ford Does GQ Russia

Russia is treated to the brooding gaze and meticulously groomed body hair of Tom Ford courtesy of the March issue of GQ Russia. Catch a rare glimpse of his hirsuteness wearing color.

In other news from the towel-snapping would-be film director, his menswear collection went on sale in the UK for the first time at Harrod's in London this week, and Erykah Badu has been named as the face of his new fragrance.

Previously
Tom Ford Explores His Foot Fetish [tr]
Tom Ford to Direct Adaptation of Gay Isherwood Novel? [tr]
Tom Ford: "I'm an Equal Opportunity Objectifier" [tr]
Tom Ford is a Towel Snapper [tr]
Tom Ford Unenthused Over Jungle Red Hand Job [tr]

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Moscow Gay Pride Activists Request Compensation for Treatment

Vowing to "use the compensation for the development of the LGBT movement [lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals] in Russia," Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev asked the European Court of Human Rights to direct Russian authorities to pay them one million Euros in compensation for their treatment in the crackdown of the last two Gay Pride parades, both of which were banned.

I posted about the violence organizers experienced during the Pride parade last May. British activist Peter Tatchell and Right Said Fred singer Richard Fairbrass were assaulted on camera. Tatchell and Fairbrass were both then arrested, along with Italian MEP Marco Cappato, German MP Volker Beck (who was assaulted at last year's rally), the leader of GayRussia, Nikolai Alexeyev, and dozens of other activists. Thirty people were detained in all at what began as a peaceful demonstration meant to mark the 14th anniversary of the decriminilization of homosexuality in Russia. One of the organizers' goals was to deliver a document to the mayor's office signed by over 40 members of the European Parliament protesting Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov's decision to ban the march. In January, Luzhkov branded the march "satanic".

Said Alexeyev of the appeal to the Court of Human Rights: "I am absolutely certain of our final victory in Strasburg. The Russian authorities arbitrarily deprived us of the right guaranteed by both the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the European Convention (on Human Rights)."

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News: NYC Sushi, Hannah Montana, New Mexico, Kiefer Sutherland

Prepare for spring violence: Moscow Gay Pride parade set for May.

Anderson Cooper says "no" to Heath Ledger coverage: “For the last two nights we have reported on actor Heath Ledger. His shocking death is clearly a story a lot of people are interested in, but tonight we will not be reporting more on it. The truth is there is not really anything new to report. The full results of the various tests done on Mr. Ledger will not be ready for perhaps a few weeks and there is very little new information. I have no doubt other networks will spend a lot of time tonight discussing his death and the various rumors about what might have caused it, but I am not a fan of speculation, so unless there is something really new to discuss we probably won’t be covering it anymore anytime soon.”

Teen pop terrorist? 16-year-old boy arrested for plans to hijack a commercial airliner and commit suicide by crashing it into a Hannah Montana concert.

Domestic partnership bill approved by House in New Mexico.

Black/gay rivalry in DNC revealed by email evidence in the discrimination/unlawful termination suit filed by former DNC gay outreach director Donald Hitchcock.

Founder of Minnesota's largest gay rights group stepping down after 21 years: "Ann DeGroot started what became OutFront Minnesota in 1987, and her tenure as executive director saw Minnesota amend its Human Rights Act in 1993 to cover gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. From 2004 to 2006 she also fought a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. That effort, along with caring for her partner during a battle with ovarian cancer, made the 52-year-old DeGroot realize she needed to slow down."

1,000 people turn out to meet Hillary Clinton at gay NYC Hiro ballroom event.

New York Times endorses Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

McCain memory shaky about statements on his proficiency in economics.

Gay UK couple claims Stagecoach bus company discriminated against them...twice: "Mark Craig, 20, and Steven Black, 16, from Old Meldrum in Aberdeenshire, claim that when they attempted to catch the last Stagecoach bus from Aberdeen back to Old Meldrum on January 11th, the driver opened the doors, looked at them, and then closed the doors and drove off...Last October Mark and Steven were on the last Stagecoach bus of the night from Aberdeen to Old Meldrum, when the driver suddenly stopped the bus and demanded they get off, supposedly at the request of a fellow passenger, for sitting with their arm around each other." Stagecoach denies homophobia...

I recently mentioned that the New Yorker magazine was having a cover illustration contest for its annual issue featuring its mascot, Eustace Tilley. You can view all the entries here.

David Beckham's carbon footprint: it's huge like the rest of him, however, it's not so pretty.

Kiefer Sutherland was apparently jonesing to shop during his 48 days in jail.

AP highlights frustration of gay activists over Democratic campaign: ''They've merely settled on what the Democrats have staked out as a safe, consensus position, just far enough ahead of where the party was in 2004 to give a sense of progress but not so far as to threaten Middle America. That's not leadership, it's poll-tested and party-approved pandering, pure and simple.''

Extremely high levels of mercury found in sushi in NYC.

Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev honored with "Hero" award at at International Mr. Gay competition: "This is not just my award, it is an award of all those who courageously fight for LGBT rights in Russia, risking to loose their jobs, to be dismissed from studies, to be harassed, beaten and even killed. Despite all that, they continue to go on the streets of Moscow to fight for equality. They are the heroes who move this world forward. For me to be in Los Angeles, in Hollywood, is dream come true. But to receive an award here is beyond explanations."

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News: Giant Rat, RENT, Seth Green, KGB Attack, Sia

Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth kicks off gay-bashing over MRSA staph infections.

Scientists discover ancient skull of a rat that was the size of a car: "The creature lived about four million years ago, weighed about a tonne and ate mostly soft vegetation. It was so big that it probably spent much of its life semi-submerged in water, like a hippo, to reduce the stresses caused by its size."

EVICTED: Broadway musical RENT to end run on June 1st after 5,012 performances.

Warrantless wiretapping will be a "walk in the park" comapred to the plans that National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell has for cyberspace that would give the government the authority to examine the content of any e-mail, file transfer or Web search.

Seth Green wins the prize for cheesiest mustache ever.

Yesterday, I posted that a judge ruled Dennis Kucinich could participate in the Las Vegas MSNBC debate. At the last minute, the Nevada Supreme Court overturned that decision. Here are the details: "The Supreme Court's unanimous order said that blocking the debate unless Kucinich got to participate would be “an unconstitutional prior restraint” on the news network's First Amendment rights. Justices also said the lower court exceeded its jurisdiction by ordering Kucinich's participation even though “he first requested and was denied relief” from the Federal Communications Commission."

HARD LABOR for Homosexuality: Sentence handed down in Cameroon.

KGB and militia raid apartment of Russian gay TV journalist: "A group of his gay friends soon arrived to support the journalist. They offered to be witnesses of the search. But the militia and KGB agents forced them to leave. The hard disk from the journalist’s computer was confiscated, along with a video camera and a flash memory stick. Mr. Padsasonny is said to have fled Gomel and is now in hiding."

Miss the American Idol premiere? Here are last night's four audition tragedies.

Australian singer Sia (you may remember her "Breathe Me" song that covered the final moments of Six Feet Under) is a lesbian. She also says she was "born out of the butthole of a unicorn called Steve."

For British man with gigantic 13 1/2-incher, bigger is not better.

McDreamy wants to show he's more than just a suit.

mtvU looking for people willing to talk about their HIV-positive status or how AIDS/HIV has affected them in some way: "MTV's college channel, mtvU, and the Kaiser Family Foundation have teamed up to develop an anti-stigma campaign in partnership with POZ Magazine. The goal of the project is to challenge common misperceptions about people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. The heart of the project will be a collection of photos and stories about real people who are either HIV positive, or are HIV negative but have in some way been affected by the virus. We are seeking a diverse group of people willing to be featured online and perhaps on-air with their photo, their HIV status, and their story about why HIV is an important issue to them. If you are U.S.-based person, 18 years of age or over and would like to lend your face and story to this project, please contact noopur.agarwal@mtvstaff.com as soon as possible. No direct link to HIV/AIDS is necessary - an interest in the issue is sufficient."

George Michael lands multi-millon dollar deal for his memoirs: "one of the biggest book deals ever concluded in UK publishing."

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Time: Russian President Vladimir Putin "Person of the Year"

Time named Russian President Vladimir Putin its "Person of the Year" for 2007. As should be noted, that's not necessarily an honor nor an endorsement. The image above is certainly not the cover Time chose, although it's probably the most-published image of Putin all year.

Time wrote: "It is ultimately about leadership—b