News: India, Mary Travers, Provincetown, Kellan Lutz, Outfest

University of Alaska Fairbanks hosting "ex-gay" evangelist Ernie Delgado: "His visit is being promoted by Campus Bible Ministries as an example of someone who escaped a gay lifestyle, and how others can do the same. Some students and faculty are offended by the visit. A few students silently protested outside 1 of this week's lectures."

Who is that masked man?

Indian government defers taking stand on High Court decriminalization of gay sex ruling.

Outfest to honor Alan Poul and Clear Channel.

Gay ministry candidate in Scotland pulls out for fear of splitting church: "Dmitri Ross, who was put forward as a candidate for the ministry by the Presbytery of Hamilton, said he believed his withdrawal was in the best interests of the Church. If ordained, he would have been the first Church of Scotland minister in a civil partnership to be approved since a two-year moratorium on gay appointments was agreed at the General Assembly in May."

Mary Travers of Peter, Paul, and Mary dies at 72.

Coach store manager accused of gay harassment over Hershey Kiss puns.

363 swimmers Swim for Life in Provincetown AIDS fundraiser.

Executive Director of Equality Federation Toni Broaddus criticizes Cleve Jones over his remarks that a state-by-state strategy for the gay rights movement is a "failed" strategy: "So let me make a very public request of you, Cleve. Could you please stop saying that the state strategy is a failed strategy? Instead, could you acknowledge that we have achieved key victories for equality in the states? I understand that you believe the time has come for a federal strategy, and I'm not challenging that opinion here or suggesting that you modify your views. I am, however, asking that you get your facts straight."

Taunton, UK man assaulted in homophobic attack.

GLBT Atlanta's gentle reminder: Atlanta Eagle still open.

$100,000 more pledged for Cleveland, Ohio's Gay Games bid.

Twilight's Kellan Lutz checks himself out at a gym in Vancouver.

Matt Damon on gaining 30 pounds for The Informant: “You know, I liked parading around the house with my belly hanging out. I would do like kind of the sexy walk, but I clearly shouldn’t have been doing that type of thing."

VIDEO: Chris Brown begins community service for beating Rihanna.

Calgary, Canada judge rules letter to the editor calling gays "immoral" is free speech: "In 2002, Reverend Stephen Boissoin sent a letter to the Red Deer Advocate which claimed that 'homosexual rights activists and those who defend them are just as immoral as pedophiles, drug dealers, and pimps who plague our communities.'"

News: #uknowhowiknowuregay, Sharks, Steve Hildebrand, Maine

1,000 take to the streets in Friday protest over homophobic attacks in Rome.

Jesus on Mars?

Jeremy Piven hits the beach.

Has-been rapper Fabolous behind offensive #uknowhowiknowuregay Twitter trending topic.

Obama advisor Steve Hildebrand thrashes President, Dems: "I gave up a lot to elect Democrats, and I expect them to give it up for me. I’m going to speak loudly. The Republicans don’t have power unless the moderates and the Blue Dogs give it to them — which is what they’re doing now."

Des Moines, Iowa man claims he was removed from a bar for being gay.

Ted Haggard apologizes for violating an entire congregation.

Nampa, Idaho's transgender candidate Melissa Sue Robinson, who recently announced she was suing Twitter over fake account defamation, gets profiled by AP: "This farming and manufacturing town of about 83,000 residents, where a sugar factory and a local hospital are among the biggest employers, doesn't seem to be all that concerned that Robinson previously lived as a man."

New Zealand transgender MP visits Nepal.

Beach closed: Great White Sharks tagged off Cape Cod.

USA Today on Judy Shepard, her new book, and a federal hate crimes law: "Shepard, who loves playing mah-jongg and drinking martinis, admits to being 'flummoxed' at times about the gay and lesbian world. But, she adds, 'It's not important that I understand it. It's important that I accept it.'"

Britney Spears shocks concert crowd with actual singing.

Washington Post ombudsman on Brian Brown NOM puff piece: "Hesse said she decided to let Brown tell his story, as opposed to extensively quoting what others say about him. Her editors didn't object to the concept. Having Brown's story told in his "voice," Hesse reasoned, would allow readers to best assess his arguments. Fine in theory. But it deprived readers of hearing from others who have battled Brown and find him uncivil and bigoted. To them, he represents injustice. They should have been heard, at length."

NOM's Maggie Gallagher spews lies on Maine radio show.

Calvin Klein model Jamie Dornan launches international male model search.

Scientists identify trio of genetic mutations linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Schwarzenegger's phones blitzed over 'Harvey Milk Day': "So far, the governor’s automated phone line for constituents has received more than 100,000 calls about the bill, most against it, according to Mr. Schwarzenegger’s office."

Real World's Scott Herman shows off his assets.

Little Britain's David Walliams is nominated for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize for his book about a cross-dressing schoolboy. The prize honors the funniest books for children.

Church of Scotland selects gay man, Scott Rennie, to train as a minister.

Maine Archbishop Richard Malone asks churches to fill coffers for fight against marriage equality: "The bishop has asked churches to take up a special second collection next weekend to support Stand For Marriage Maine, the group leading the effort to repeal Maine's same sex marriage law."

Man Claims to Have Found Loch Ness Monster on Google Earth

Seriously? I love a good mythic monster story, but this is one of the boatiest boats I've ever seen.

Civil Partnerships Fell in UK by 18 Percent Last Year

The UK saw civil partnership registrations decline by a fifth last year, the Guardian reports:

"A total of 33,956 partnerships between gay couples have been formed since the law first allowed them in December 2005. The fall in England and Wales, where 6,588 partnerships were formed last year, was 17%; in Scotland 24% and in Northern Ireland 23%, the provisional figures reveal. In 2008, men made up 53% of those forming civil partnerships, down from 55%, with the largest numbers being registered in the London borough of Westminster (234 between men and 48 between women) and Brighton and Hove (158 involving men and 116 women). The figures also show that 180 civil partnerships were dissolved last year, compared with 42 the year before. Most involved female couples."

Said activist Peter Tatchell: "After civil parternships were legislated there was a huge surge of couples who had been together for decades who suddenly wished to take advantage of the legal recognition. Now we've settled into a pattern of civil partnership take-up which reflects people who have recently fallen in love for the first time. He added that other couples are now waiting in the hope the law will change regarding same-sex marriage. Initially most were ready to settle for civil partnerships. After years of no legal rights they were desperate to get something. Now the mood is shifting in favour of full legal equality - the right to get married in a registry office on the same level as heterosexual couples."

Church of Scotland Approves Two-Year Ban on Gay Ministers

After four hours of debate on Saturday, the Church of Scotland voted 326-267 to support the appointment of openly gay minister Rev. Scott Rennie: "The 37-year-old divorced father-of-one plans is now free to take up his new post at Queen's Cross Church in Aberdeen, where he plans to share the manse with his boyfriend."

However, Sunday night, desperate church leaders approved a two-year moratorium on gay ministers: "Desperate not to allow the schism that had been forecast, the General Assembly postponed making a final decision on the issue by setting up a working group to report back in 2011, effectively kicking the issue into the long grass. Delegates also agreed not to talk to the media on sexuality issues for the two years, a move that was later condemned as 'suppressing the debate'. Membership of the special commission - which will examine the issues thrown up in recent weeks, since the appointment of Mr Rennie, and the wider issue of same-sex relationships - will be appointed at the end of the General Assembly, which is sitting in Edinburgh...The decision on Mr Rennie...will not be affected by last night's vote."

News: Olympic Torch, Marie Osmond, White Night Riots, Bette Midler

Obama and Cheney face off with speeches on terrorism.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of San Francisco's White Night riots, which happened after a court handed down the most lenient sentence possible to Dan White (voluntary manslaughter) for the murders of Harvey Milk and George Moscone.

What was Vancouver smoking when they designed the new Olympic torch?

Army veteran Brian Hughes in WSJ: Time to end 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'.

New Hampshire Republican lawmaker and marriage equality supporter reveals "festering wound" of Governor John Lynch's request for revision of marriage legislation. GOP urging veto.

NOM comes out biting on NH.

First screen shots of Rihanna and Kanye West's new video "Paranoid".

Gerard Butler acts like the village idiot at The Village Idiot.

Castillo del Lago, former Madonna home goes on sale for $15 million. "When Pytka bought the mansion from Madonna in the mid-'90s for roughly $5 million, he considered it a standout compared with what else was on the market. Under her ownership, the house gained its notable red-and-yellow exterior. Although Pytka researched the home's history and looked at the original color, he opted to keep Madonna's color scheme."

General assembly of the Church of Scotland divided over gay minister: "On Saturday evening, elders will debate the appointment of Mr Rennie, a 36-year-old divorced father-of-one, as minister at Queen's Cross Church in Aberdeen."

1969: New York Public Library to feature exhibit on emergence of gay liberation.

Marie Osmond discusses her lesbian daughter Jessica: "I love my daughter! She's my baby girl, come on. So what if she's gay? She's my daughter and she's an amazing woman and a good kid. I raised her, she better be good." You may remember her recent radio interview on the subject.

Colorado Governor signs bill allowing gay employees to share benefits with their partners.

Bette Midler and 50 Cent: New BFFs.

On the red carpet at LOGO's NewNowNext Awards...

Nevada Domestic Partnership bill called "vital" for state economy: "Our state cannot afford to lose any more revenue to other destinations because of a reputation as a place which is not socially or politically the right place to do business or to vacation."

D.C. Democrats in same-sex marriage debate.

Massachusetts marriage equality works: debunking the lies of the Right.

Investigation of Ireland's Catholic-run schools reveals rampant sexual abuse of students by male priests.

Anti-gay former Santa Fe, Texas city council candidate Michael Aldous arrested on drug possession charges: "During his campaign for a seat on the Santa Fe City Council, in which his father, Warren Aldous also ran, the two promised voters that if elected they would try to slash the budget of the Santa Fe Police Department in half.  Michael was battered in the press for making derogatory remarks against "homos" referring to an announced gay candidate."