News: Syrian, Luke Macfarlane, Batman, Seattle Opera, Outfest,

Killer of Daytona Beach cross-dresser sentenced to life in prison.

Becks is a Sharpie in new print campaign.

Gay Syrian Jojo Jako Yakob to be deported from Scotland: "It has now emerged that an immigration tribunal has turned down his request to stay in the UK, despite accepting that Yakob is gay and that Syria criminalises and represses homo– sexuality."

He came out shirtless: Matthew McConaughey has a child.

Kenyan bishop threatens to quit over gay marriages: "The Reverend Thomas Kogo, a bishop at the Eldoret ACK Diocese, has issued the quit notice, saying he could not support a church that condones homosexuality. Kogo, who has just returned from a pilgrimage in Israel, said the faithful must uphold the sanctity of the Anglican family. He said those advocating for gay marriages were driven by desire for money and wealth. 'God recognises marriage between man and woman, and there is no way we will accept homosexuality and gay marriages. The Bible is very clear on the matter,' he said."

Boy George speaks to Newsweek about denial of visa: "I am hardly a threat to national security. I am just a performer trying to do his job. I have called America home at different times in my life. I love America, and the American people have always treated me with love and kindness since I went there as a 19-year-old boy with my band Culture Club."

Turkish oil wrestling!

SAS Scandinavian Airlines launches dedicated gay website: "The website is unique in its personalised aspect, providing a ‘gay’ counterpart to the popular SAS crew tips, offering tips from SAS’ own gay crew members on the best offerings in Stockholm and Copenhagen."

Gay and lesbian Christians to protest Pope Benedict's arrival in Sydney: "The protest, calling for equality for gay and lesbian followers, will take place at the Pitt Street Uniting Church this Sunday, coinciding with Pope Benedict XVI's arrival in Sydney. Catholic writer and educator Michael Kelly said gay and lesbian people had been marginalised and condemned by mainstream churches, particularly the Catholic Church. He labelled the 'version of Christianity that is coming to Sydney' as propaganda. 'We call on gay and lesbian Christians ... to join us in standing up for the goodness of being gay, and not allow right-wing religious propaganda to silence our faith, hope and love,' he said."

Batman refuses to work with Robin.

Brothers and Sisters' Luke MacFarlane interviewed at the Rome Fiction Festival.

L.A.'s Outfest film festival begins tomorrow. Here's the official site. It's opening with the gay hockey film Breakfast with Scot. Also, here's a new piece from indieWire on the state of queer cinema...

Indian actor walks off talk show after being asked about sexual orientation: "What sort of a question is that Sajid? First you call me for your chat show, and then ask me such stuff!"

American Idol's 'gay stripper' David Hernandez spotted sucking female face in San Diego.

Seattle Opera announces three LGBT nights for upcoming season: "At these designated performances, patrons may pay $100 for discounted main-floor orchestra seating, private intermission receptions (with wine, hors d'oeuvres and desserts) and admission to preshow lectures. The inaugural event — an Aug. 22 presentation of 'Aida' — will be hosted by Seattle Opera trustee JJ McKay and Washington state Sen. Ed Murray. Tickets for the evening are on sale now." (site)

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Suing: Former Starbucks Workers Say They Were Fired for Being Gay

Joseph Hooks and Dorothy Baker, two former employees, are suing Starbucks, saying they were fired over their sexuality. The lawsuit targets Starbucks' director of compliance and equal opportunity, Craig Sawyer.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports:

"Hooks reported to Sawyer from January 2007 until May 2007. According to court documents, Sawyer made anti-gay remarks and references to Hooks during this time and repeatedly pressured him to apply for positions elsewhere in the company. In April of that year, Sawyer told Hooks that he could not go to lunch with him and another employee because 'just the boys are going to lunch,' according to the suit. The suit also claims that Sawyer phoned Hooks sometime in May 2007 and pressured him to resign by the end of the day. Although Hooks did not resign, Sawyer sent out an e-mail stating that he had."

"Baker worked for Starbucks from August 2007 until February of this year. Baker told Sawyer she was gay when they met to discuss diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity categories. Following Baker's disclosure, the suit alleges, Sawyer began to isolate her, skipping their scheduled one-on-one meetings, changing her deadlines and complaining to human resources that she was not completing her work. According to the court filing, Sawyer also made comments to Baker about gay men. He had worked with HIV/AIDS-affected gay men as part of an internship after graduate school and told her a 'funny' story about how he once threw one of the men 'through the wall' while wrestling with him."

More at the SeattlePI...

You may remember this cup from the Armistead Maupin cup controversy back in 2005...

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News: David Beckham, Estrogen, Gambia, Rupert Everett, Alzheimer's

Is estrogen the secret to containing the spread of HIV?

Seconds, please: Is David Beckham the hottest waiter of all time?

The two Spanish nationals detained late last week in the west African country of Gambia have been released: "Two Spanish men detained in Gambia for allegedly making homosexual proposals to taxi drivers have been released after five days in jail, a Spanish official said Wednesday. The men were released late Tuesday and left the West African country, said Nicola El Busto, an official with Spain's embassy in Gambia. El Busto declined to give further details, and Gambian authorities could not immediately be reached for comment."

Gossip Girl couple shops, scowls.

Redwood City, CA man who hurled gay slurs, patio table at neighbors, pleads not guilty in court: "Herbert Santos-Coy is facing multiple felony hate crime charges after he allegedly physically attacked his two neighbors on March 30. If convicted he faces up to eight years in state prison, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office. Santos-Coy was arrested by Redwood City police after he allegedly came into the carport where the couple was working on their car and began yelling homophobic slurs at them, according to the district attorney's office. He then repeatedly struck one of the victims in the face and swung a wrought iron table at the couple, which missed, according to prosecutors. When police arrived, Santos-Coy resisted arrest, according to police. He was allegedly drinking at the time of the altercation."

In California, assemblyman Mark Leno is expected to become the first openly gay state Senator in California history.

Does Brad Pitt have good taste in tables?

Wisconsin Supreme Court calls suit brought against gay group by Christian activist Reverend Grant Storms frivolous: "Anti-gay activist Rev. Grant Storms of New Orleans sued gay rights group Action Wisconsin after it took excerpts from a 2003 speech Storms made in Milwaukee and claimed he was advocating the murder of gays. Storms' lawsuit was dismissed in 2005, and he was ordered to pay court costs and attorneys' fees. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld that decision, which had been reversed by an appeals court. The high court's 4-3 decision means Storms' attorney James Donohoo will have to pay more than $87,000 in court costs and fees because the court said he should have known the lawsuit was frivolous."

There must be something about the name Kern.

An interview with Banksy?

Alzheimer's patients are kept from wandering off from a German nursing home by a fake bus stop outside the center: "It sounds funny but it helps. Our members are 84 years old on average. Their short-term memory hardly works, but the long-term memory is still active. They know the green and yellow bus sign and remember that waiting there means they will go home. We will approach them and say that the bus is coming later and invite them in for a coffee. Five minutes later they have completely forgotten they wanted to leave."

That lesbian kiss at Safeco field in Seattle I posted about last month is getting a lot more attention. Sirbrina Guerrero, who was almost kicked out for it, is now speaking out.

Rosie O'Donnell and Howard Stern had a little chat yesterday.

Six in ten Americans say same-sex marriage a private choice that should not be regulated by the government: "As same-sex couples line up to get marriage licenses in California on June 17, the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll found that 63% of adults say same-sex marriage is 'strictly a private decision' between two people. That the government has the right 'to prohibit or allow' such marriages was stated by 33%, and 4% had no opinion."

Religious Knesset members initiate amendment to ban gay pride in Jerusalem.

Rupert Everett's anti-American rant: "I'm totally off the States now. The reaction to 9/11 and then George Bush - really, they've got very blobby as a nation. Now they (the Americans) are whiny victims whose language is entirely taken from two TV shows - Friends and Sex And The City - and there's nothing sexy about them any more. And that kind of semi-blindness about the rest of the world, which was attractive when America was exciting, is really unattractive now."

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News: Myanmar, Eddie Cibrian, Coldplay, Hung, Shia LaBeouf

Dutch gay couple have been foster parents to over 100 children.

Even though the death toll could exceed that of the southeast Asian tsunami, the Myanmar government has refused U.S. aid: "The junta not only wouldn't allow U.S. aid planes to fly in badly needed supplies, they also continued to refuse visas to United Nations relief teams trying to get in to make sure the aid gets to the victims. Despite the military clampdown, reports of the horrendous toll the storm was taking on Myanmar's people began trickling out."

Sick: Kardashian sisters make a joke out of Myanmar/Burma situation, record PSA while trying on closet of dresses.

Is Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" single stolen from French pop starlet Alizée? Listen and you be the judge.

Alexander Payne signs on to direct HBO dark comedy Hung, about a man with a huge endowment: "'Hung' revolves around a well-endowed man who is plodding along in middle age as a struggling father and high school coach. The character was once a high school sports legend, and his luck returns when he figures out a way to use his best asset. 'Think of him like Spider-Man,' Burson told Daily Variety last month. 'He's an average guy who gets in touch with his innate superpowers.'"

Turkey's gay magazine Kaos GL just published its 100th edition.

Washington University students, PFLAG in uproar over school's decision to award anti-gay, anti-feminist crusader Phyllis Schlafly an honorary doctorate at May 16 commencement.

Queercents has 10 money questions for DNC Treasurer Andrew Tobias. On political contributions: "Politics is tacky and all the awful things it is — but you can’t have democracy without politics, and politics requires money. That said, it’s wonderful how the balance of power is shifting away from the $500,000 and $5 million contributions (now illegal) — and even the $28,500 contributions (the current annual max to a federal political party like the DNC) — to the potential for millions of $10 and 25 and $100 and $250 contributions over the Internet."

Porn police pair on patrol at Seattle gay bars: "'We have judges, attorneys, police officers, who all come in here because it's a safe place for them,' said [Seattle Eagle manager Keith] Christiansen. 'This kind of attention [from the police] has cut my business in half.' Back in 1998, Christiansen says he went before the liquor board and asked for permission to display his posters. In spite of the law, he says, they let him do it. But because of an increase in enforcement in the area and, Christiansen says, the fact that O'Neill and Gallagher are new to the neighborhood, that era of tacit acceptance has ended. 'This is a whole new breed of people,' he said. 'They don't understand what the Hill is about.'"

Eddie Cibrian on Ugly Betty: hey, coach.

Four openly gay candidates seek seats in Georgia General Assembly.

Isaiah Washington pissed that ABC is using his photo in Grey's Anatomy promotion. Rep: "Isaiah has no plans to go back to Grey's Anatomy ... That being said, we were more than a little surprised that ABC used his likeness in a promo for the show, and indeed advanced his character's storyline. Mr. Washington's attorney has contacted the Screen Actors Guild and ABC as to the appropriateness of that action."

Shia LaBeouf and Andy Samberg play in the bushes.

Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute announces massive grant to fund gay leaders: "The David Bohnett Foundation has teamed with the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute (GLLI) to help the organization sponsor lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender public officials in attending one of the nation’s most prestigious mid-career executive development programs — the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. The program, to be named the David Bohnett Gay & Lesbian Leadership Fellows, is being funded by a $500,000 grant to GLLI."

Time's 100 most influential honored.

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Real World: Seattle's Stephen: I'm Gay

Stephen from The Real World: Seattle accepted an award for his castmate Irene at The Real World Awards Bash: Roast 'Em and Toast 'Em (yes, the show has been on so long they have awards for it now). Stephen also announced that he's gay and he's getting married.

Said Stephen: "I am engaged. I'm engaged now. I'm getting ready to hitch it and it's actually with my partner (Sheldon, below) and he's a really great guy and I'm very much in love and very proud of his achievements and looking forward to achieving a lot together."

You may remember the controversial moment when Stephen opened a car door and slapped Irene during that season. Apparently there's still a lot of lingering anger. At the awards, Stephen and Seattle's Nathan got into it as Nathan accused Stephen of lying about having made up with Irene while accepting the award on stage.

Watch the clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

Real World: Seattle's Stephen Finally Comes OUT At Real World Awards Bash... & Fights Again [guytv blog]

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News: Vanity Fair, Matt Foreman, AIDS Self-Medication, Eric Dane

New Republic editor James Kirchik questions legacy of National Gay & Lesbian Task Force's outgoing executive director Matt Foreman: "He was an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq. He fought against privatizing Social Security. He stood foursquare against the erosion of abortion rights. But what any of these issues have to do with lobbying for gay rights -- presumably Foreman’s job description -- is beyond me. His job description, though, was the problem. Foreman, after all, is just a symptom of the larger problem with NGLTF: It's a garden-variety liberal interest group posing as a gay rights organization."

Rolling Stone on Spears: an American tragedy.

"100 Reverends" to march in Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade to apologize for the church's hostility to LGBT people, but not everyone's happy about it: "Not everyone who is part of that approves of homosexual people, they’re just apologising for the way the church has behaved.We’re listed but we’re not going to be one of the main ones because that could be seen as too narrow."

British Christian group lobbies against gays adopting children: "The decision to campaign against same sex adoptions comes after a city magistrate and CPA member, stood down over the issue. Andrew McClintock, 63, resigned from his position in the family courts after he was refused permission to opt out of cases that resulted in children being placed with same sex parents. Former city councillor Sid Cordle from CPA, said: 'People in Sheffield have a right to say if they were tragically killed in an accident and their children had to be adopted, then their children should go to a father and a mother.'"

Grey's Anatomy doc Eric Dane has skin cancer scare.

Two gay/bi men, Joshuah and Neil, join posse of 20-somethings for Big Brother 9.

Gay ball marks the end of Brazil's Carnival: "Thousands of onlookers gawked as men in glittering miniskirts, evening dresses, bead-studded lingerie and feathered headdresses shimmied down a wide avenue to the sounds of ABBA's 'Dancing Queen,' for a party that would last until dawn Wednesday. After a week that saw everything from a scandal over a planned Holocaust-themed float — later nixed by a judge — to a samba queen's quest to set a world record for the most plastic surgeries, revelers spent Carnival's last hours dancing the samba behind street bands."

Two Australian police officers may face prison after telling an inmate that his girlfriend was a transgender woman: "When he got out on bail he went around to her house and seriously assaulted her. Constables Tyrone Stacey and Brendan Ritson have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Back in September 2006 26 year old Jacobson was arrested under suspicion of theft. Constable Stacey looked up information on his girlfriend Brigitte Fell and discovered that her gender was actually male. Constable Ritson saw the screen and yelled out to Jacobson, 'You’re rooting a bloke.' When he refused to believe it the Police actually showed him written proof, saying, 'See, it’s a guy.'"

Vanity Fair cancels annual glam Oscar party amid writer's strike.

In rare sell-out appearance, poet Mary Oliver charms Seattle.

Time: Gay men self-medicating with experimental AIDS drugs. "'There's a philosophy in parts of the gay community that says its okay to take some risks in having sex,' says Dr. Dan Bowers, a senior partner in Pacific Oaks Medical Group in Beverly Hills, Calif., one of the country's largest private practices treating the HIV/AIDS community. Based on results of lab studies that suggest ARVs may confer some protective benefit when taken prior to virus exposure, some people have begun self-administering the drugs like a morning-after pill, in the hopes that the drugs' pre-exposure prophylactic benefits may apply after unsafe sex too. The antiretroviral drug tenofovir, for example, which was used in the recent Texas study, is often packaged as a potent cocktail with Viagra and Ecstasy or Valium, and sold in dance clubs for $100."

Amy Winehouse buzzes back to Rehab.

Log Cabin Republicans facilitate Laguna Beach resolution against anti-gay marriage amendment: "Working with the City Council, California Log Cabin Republicans helped secure a resolution at the city council meeting this evening reiterating it’s opposition to anti-marriage equality ballot measures. The vote was 5-0 in favor of the resolution and the position was to be conveyed to the California Supreme Court which is considering a lawsuit on marriage equality."

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Gay Seattle Men Beaten in Homophobic Attack on Capitol Hill

Seattle station KIRO is reporting that two men were target on Seattle's Capitol Hill (Denny Way @ Olive Way) in a homophobic attack, leaving them with bruises, wounds, and broken bones:

"The men said they believe they were targeted because they are gay. Thomas Colonna and Brad Crelia said they were about a block from home when a car nearly ran them over. They said they heard a car’s tires screeching and then several men jumped out of the vehicle. Crelia said he couldn’t run away because has a broken foot and is walking with a cane. 'He took the cane out of my hand and started hitting me with it on my face and head. I have a lump on the back of my head,' said Crelia."

Luckily, witnesses took down the car's license palte nubmer. Police are reportedly investigating, but have not yet labeled the attack a hate crime.

Gay Couple Attacked On Capitol Hill [kiro]

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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: Michael Bublé, iPod, Domenico Nesci, Jack Mackenroth

NYDN Widdicombe: Calvin Klein gets it in the rear from Donna Karan.

Tila Tequila contestant "Italian stallion" Domenico Nesci to get his own show. But first, he might want to wash the soap out from under his arms. Of course we could do it for him.

Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis claims abuse in jail: "His attorneys allege on the day he was supposed to be transported to Reno, Grady County guards made him dispose of his commissary — food, clothing and hygiene products — as well as his bedding and blankets for the move. 'While waiting in line to be transported to a bus, one of the guards instructed him to step out of the line. He was told that he would be ‘going nowhere' and ordered back to his cell. Francis had already given his entire commissary away and had no bedding or blankets. The commissary could not be replaced for days,' his attorneys wrote in one legal filing. 'Mr. Francis again and again begged for a blanket,' they wrote in another legal filing. 'It was then that guards threatened to strip him and strap him naked to a chair, with only a hole for defecation, for 48 hours. Grady County jail officials were enjoying torturing Mr. Francis so much that, at one point, they even refused to turn him over to the U.S. Marshal.' The sheriff laughed at the accusations."

Philadelphia Mayor John Street presided over the same-sex commitment ceremony of Ryan Bunch and Michah Mahjoubian as anti-gay protestors waited outside City Hall. Mahjoubian: "As head of the city of Philadelphia, he lends legitimacy to what we've done today and that was important for us to do that in front of our friends and family." Our previous report here.

Apple's iPod acts propelling previously unknown musical acts to stardom.

Documenting the Project Runway attack of Carrie Bradshaw.

Christian bookstores ban new Bible study guide that challenges anti-gay New Testament translations.

Chubb joins major companies Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., Merck & Co., Ernst & Young LLP, and Toronto-Dominion Bank in offering on-the-job workplace-discrimination training to their employees: "Other employers include sexual-orientation issues in general training on inclusiveness, Mr. Peoples says. All told, 41% of 255 big companies surveyed by the Human Rights Campaign, a nonprofit advocacy group for gays in the workplace, offer some kind of training that touches on sexual orientation."

No, that wasn't the F-word you heard in the movie Enchanted, although it might as well be.

Seattle's Lifelong AIDS Alliance free condom illustration sending the wrong message: "An image of condom packet walking hand-in-hand with a rock of crystal will not reach men that are currently using crystal—most of whom abuse crystal meth to annihilate their inhibitions and engage in casual unprotected anal sex—while communicating to men that aren’t using crystal that they can 'safely' use the drug and 'FUCK without fear.'"

Follow the link for, I guess what you would call, a Bublé butt.

British Cabinet split over proposed hate incitement laws: "...despite strong backing from bodies such as Stonewall, the campaigning group for gay rights, the proposals have caused controversy and been condemned as a threat to freedom of speech, including from some prominent homosexuals."

Female medical assistant suing doctors group on Long Island after she allegedly refused to cover for a physician she says had sex with a younger male patient in an examination room: " Grundfast, an orthopedic specialist, 'told me he had a sexual affair' with the man, sometimes having sex in the examination room, sometimes elsewhere, Lloyd said. The doctor 'told me he bought a wig and lingerie, so [the patient] could envision he was a girl' when they had sex, she said."

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News: South Korea, Seattle Bingo Drag, Richard Simmons, UFOs

An entire blog devoted to men who look like old lesbians.

Porn star (link NSFW) who won Mr. Gay Argentina draws attention to legitimacy of Mr. Gay competition: "In the United States, gay porn is often looked upon as representing the gay community in a negative light, but other countries like Argentina have less hang ups about allowing their community to be represented by someone who has participated in the industry. For most naysayers, the problem isn't so much that a porn star will be representing a country at the competition as it is about the validity of the competition itself...The organizers say they are "looking for all types of guys, from gym-bunny to math geek with a passion to lead," but the math geeks seem to have taken a much further back seat to the gym bunnies... like perhaps on a different bus."

GLAAD President Neil Giuliano on the proliferation of same-sex commitment announcements: "Today, every state in the union and Washington, D.C., has at least one paper with an inclusive policy for their weddings and celebrations pages -- for a combined national circulation of over 37 million in nearly 900 outlets, reaching almost 75 percent of total newspaper readers."

Christina Aguilera or pregnant drag queen?

Drag queen host no longer welcome at Seattle's gay bingo. Thom Hubert: "As a drag queen, if I stuck to this stuff by the letter, why, I’d have to wear a black robe and stand behind a podium and just read the numbers out. The contract said, ‘the host will not act in a flirtatious manner, will not wear reveailing clothing, will not make sexual gestures or comments.’ How could any drag queen appear or perform under these guidelines?"

As promised, North Carolina Baptists vote to expel Myers Park church for welcoming gay congregants and not trying to change them: "The liberal church of 1,970 members became the first to be kicked out under rules passed at last year's meeting that said any Baptist church that affirmed or endorsed homosexual behavior would be considered 'not in friendly cooperation with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.'"

Eight cows in Utah attempted to make a break for it when the trailer they were in pulled in to a McDonald's restaurant. Lt. Kevin Burns: "They didn't like their future."

What's an episode of Heroes without some additional Milo Ventimiglia skin scenes.

Gay activists in South Korea request international support: "They want to mobilise international support for the restoration of sexual orientation as a protected category in the proposed anti-discrimination legislation (ADL) recently drafted by the Ministry of Justice."

Richard Simmons brings Jennie Garth to tears on Dancing with the Stars (video).

NYU's plans for a campus in the United Arab Emirates angers LGBT students: "Now, a month after administrators announced plans for the university's first full-fledged satellite campus, some students have raised questions about the partnership, saying it is at odds with NYU's support for rights for lesbian gay, bisexual and transgender students. NYU has a reputation for being one of the U.S.'s most gay-friendly schools; the Princeton Review has ranked it 'Most Accepting of the Gay Community' two years in a row. At a town hall meeting last week, two students sharply questioned NYU president John Sexton about the plan and voiced their concerns about LGBT students at NYU Abu Dhabi. U.A.E. federal law does not outlaw homosexuality outright, but it does define 'acts of homosexuality' as illegal, said Simon Pearce, the director of strategic communications for Abu Dhabi's Executive Affairs Authority."

19 former pilots and government officials call on United States reopen investigations into UFOs: "We want the US government to stop perpetuating the myth that all UFOs can be explained away in down-to-earth, conventional terms."

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Man Assaulted, Dragged on Seattle Street in Labor Day Gay Bashing

Via Slog comes news of an ugly gay bashing in Seattle over Labor Day weekend.

Andrew Geske, 26, was reportedly attacked while walking home from the Capitol Hill gay bar Pony early on Monday morning by a group of men in a black BMW who verbally taunted and physically assaulted him before grabbing and dragging him by the arm down the street as the car sped away.

Said Geske to The Stranger: "I had just started walking up to the car when the driver got out of the car, yelling, 'Get the fuck away from my car, faggots.' Then he slammed a punch into my face. I fell against the car. My arm ended up inside of their window, which was down… The passenger grabbed onto my arm, and they just peeled out driving real fast. I just remember staring at my roommate on the sidewalk, trying to figure out what was going on. It happened in like five seconds, all of this. I freed myself loose and kind of rolled away onto the ground. They were gone real quick."

Geske is 6'2" and works as a barback and personal trainer, according to the paper. Witnesses to the attack described hearing gay slurs, and the incident is being investigated as a hate crime by Seattle police.

Added Geske: "Word needs to get out that gays are still being targeted. Call me naive, but I didn’t think this could happen here.

One more photo and a fuller description of the attack, at Slog.

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News: Brazil, The Killers, Embryos, San Diego, Britney Spears

Elton John and Madonna make up after years of feuding: "At an awards show in 2004 Elton John famously said, 'Madonna, best fucking live act? Fuck off! Since when has lip-synching been live? That's me off her fucking Christmas card list but do I give a toss? No.' And that comment started their pepaw feud which ended last night when Elton introduced Madonna. Elton said, 'This is a moment you thought you would never see.' Then they hugged, bumped vaginas and Madonna said, He had 'written a grovelling apology and offered to join the Kabbalah.'"

Junior: Brazil to get national gay magazine in the mold of OUT and Tetu to run quarterly. MIB: "The magazine developed by the guys from Mix Brasil is fun, informative, nicely edited, and most important, groundbreaking at a certain level. There are references to international publications here and there, such as an editorial I have seen before at Genre originally shot by Mr. Oppesidano, but that is natural and will probably happen until Junior finds its own identity and connects to its reader. There is also beautiful photography and editorial work: the feature on Brazilian dancers is superb, and so are the pictures of 18-year-old newcomer Lucas Pitione, who also graces the cover of the first issue."

AfterElton takes you through Torchwood, the BBC America sci-fi featuring John Barrowman.

Young Democrat born to gay lawmaker and partner in Seattle.

Mayoral candidates to address gay community in Auckland, New Zealand.

Scientists win approval for human-animal hybrid embryos: "The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority published its long-awaited public consultation on the controversial research yesterday, revealing that a majority of people were "at ease" with scientists creating the hybrid embryos. Researchers want to create hybrid embryos by merging human cells with animal eggs, in the hope they will be able to extract valuable embryonic stem cells from them. The cells form the basic building blocks of the body and are expected to pave the way for revolutionary therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and even spinal cord injuries."

CLIP: The Killers, Live from Abbey Road: "The entire episode will be broadcast on Thursday, September 6 at 10 p.m. EST on the Sundance Channel. It will also include acoustic sets by Gnarls Barkley and The Feeling."

Britney Spears' parenting abuses targeted in sidewalk installation in front of swank West Hollywood eatery The Ivy.

San Diego City Council split 4-4 over offering support to gay marriage case before the California Supreme Cour.

DC-based gay activist Cheryl Spector dies after battle with Leukemia.

Anderson Cooper covers the Jena Six story: "For those that are just hearing about this for the first time, 6 high school students are facing felony attempted murder charges for a fight that ended a series of incidents in Louisiana. A day after a group African-American students asked to sit under a "whites-only" tree in the courtyard, three nooses were hung from the tree in response. Over the course of the next few months, a wing of the school was burned, black students were beatened and threatened, and the District Attorney was called in to quell the violence. What the DA did next should be shocking to most, and shows just how far we have to go to see real racial equality in America."

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First Look at Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein

 

Here's a news report on Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein which is having a run in Seattle and is scheduled to open on Broadway this fall. Megan Mullally plays the role of Elizabeth, originally played by Madeline Kahn in the film.

Update: Got the right clip. Thanks A.M for the link. Andy's on a train and i'm not as fast -Mike

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News: Hillary Death Threat, Spock, Hurricanes, Portishead

Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative, non-profit legal defense group specializing in religious freedom and parental rights, challenges Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels for ordering city departments to recognize employees in gay marriages sanctioned elsewhere. Matthew McReynolds: "It's our position that this goes way beyond employee benefits. He was just using this as an opportunity to undercut the (state) Defense of Marriage Act."

Manhunt underway for Norman Imeson in Canada. Imeson is wanted in connection with the murder of Carlos Rivera, 26, who was a bartender at Taps, a gay strip club in Windsor. Police warn, do not pick up hitchhikers: "People should just be extra cautious. We believe (Imeson) does not have a mode of transportation . . . In rural areas, people leave their doors open, their cars open, so they should be careful."

REPORT: Genre editor Chris Ciompi is out, to be replaced by Men's Fitness editor Neal Boulton. Also, Genre possibly bankrupt. This all sounds so familiar.

Secret Service looking into death threats against Hillary Clinton posted on Bill O'Reilly's website: "If Hillary wins...my guns are loaded."

Believe: Cher Meets Portishead.

Elton John regrets keeping mum on gay issues when he was younger: "I have to speak my mind because as a gay man now I have a responsibility to. I sat back too long. I mean when (AIDS charity) Act Up were going in and trying to change the face of AIDS awareness in America because nobody else was doing it, I sat back and did nothing. I don't know why I didn't do anything. I just look back and question myself."

TomKat gets down at Beckham bash.

Ptown: Historic 12-ton belfry that has been sitting on the ground since 2002 to return to the top of the Provincetown Library at 5 am tomorrow. "Library Director Debra DeJonker-Berry expects a huge crowd of well-wishers to be present on Commercial Street and on the nearby beaches to watch this historic event. The 29-foot tall belfry has sat on the front of the Library property since 2002 when it was hoisted to the ground for restoration and so that structural repairs to the building could be completed."

Tolerance rally in Georgia canceled after rumors fly that it is planned as a gay parade.

His cuteness Paul Rudd pays a visit to TRL.

Hungarian Secretary of State for Human Resources Gabor Szetey speaks out on coming out: "I think my coming out took so long partly because I was 22 in 1990. Until I turned 22, I thought I was an alien. I really opened up in New York where Gay Pride meant that several hundreds of thousands of people marched: it was a carnival, a huge party where families joined with their kids to have fun and educate their kids about tolerance. I will be the happiest if I don't have to speak about this issue any more. If I have to, I will."

Vulcanized: Zachary Quinto (Heroes' Sylar) to play Spock in new JJ Abrams Star Trek film.

Hurricane outlook cut for 2007: "The season will bring 14 named storms, of which six will become hurricanes and three will become major hurricanes, WSI said in its revised outlook. WSI had previously expected 15 named storms of which eight would become hurricanes and four would become major hurricanes. 'Because the ocean temperatures have not yet rebounded from the significant drop in late spring, we have decided to reduce our forecast numbers slightly' said Todd Crawford, a WSI seasonal forecaster."

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News: Mo Magazine, NYT Gay Slur, Hillary Clinton, Provincetown

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry edges out Hairspray at the box office. The ACLU suggests that after having a laugh at Sandler and James, moviegoers "find out what it's really like to be denied legal protections for your family" by visiting 10Couples.org.

Beckham bends it for Los Angeles. Cruises roll out the welcome mat.

New York Times Director of Photography Michele McNally named in internal homophobic F-bomb slur that inspired the company to send out a diversity memo.

AfterElton tabulates the 100 hottest guys.

World Jewish Congress secretary-general Stephen Herbits to head up Hillary Clinton's campaign efforts to the gay and lesbian community: "Herbits has in the past held several positions related to the gay and lesbian community in the United States. In his last post, Herbits served as the personal assistant to Donald Rumsfeld during his term as secretary of defense. He was then appointed secretary-general of the WJC."

CDC recruiting uninfected volunteers from Thailand, Botswana and the U.S. to test "pre-exposure prophylaxis" in trial HIV drug test.

L.A.'s Guerilla Gay Bar group invades Venice Beach and the New York Times takes notice: "the real motivation, according to the group’s manifesto, is to overcome boredom with a 'ghettoized and sub-ghettoized' gay scene — which in Los Angeles is synonymous with the club and bar circuit in West Hollywood. 'There’s a place for gay bars, but we feel gay people have become so segregated that some of them don’t go out into the wider community anymore,' said Matthew Poe, an organizer and the box office manager for UCLA Live, a performing arts producer and presenter. 'We want to suggest that the world is bigger than West Hollywood.'"

Frommer's Travel presents a podcast on the issues facing gay and lesbian travelers featuring MTV Roadtrips co-author Kelsy Chauvin, Frommer's editor Kathleen Warnock, Ed Salvato of OUT Traveler, and host David Lytle.

Madonna wants to direct movie about ex-con ex-boyfriend Chris Paciello.

And the queer men who indie rock.

Rosie O'Donnell's R Family takes over family week in Provincetown.

The World Without Us explores civilization's decay in the absence of human life: "How would the rest of nature respond if it were suddenly relieved of the relentless pressures we heap on it and our fellow organisms? How soon would, or could, the climate return to where it was before we fired up all our engines? How long would it take to recover lost ground and restore Eden to the way it must have gleamed and smelled the day before Adam, or homo habilis, appeared? Could nature ever obliterate all our traces?"

Seattle gets a local gay publication, 'Mo. Editor: "We're not a bar mag. ... You're not going to see a lot of 20-year-old men in their underwear. We're both 40-something gay men, so the magazine probably hangs out at the 30-plus-year-old range. And we've gotten great feedback about that. People like to look for themselves. Our mission is to get as many faces in the magazine, as many organizational logos and businesses into the pages as we can.

Human Rights Campaign criticized for lack of street-level action, campaign contributions.

First-of-its-kind book features gay male Canadian poets.

David Mixner on loss, loneliness, and healing: "For me, I have had to grow old without my peers. Without my friends to share the history of those joyous moments before AIDS hit - the flourishing of the Castro Street area, the excitement of the sexual revolution, the sheer high of coming out of the closet and the early days of our struggle for freedom. What a time it was to be alive and to be gay. I loved every day before the darkness hit. I would love to be able to sit around at dinner parties with friends no longer here and reminisce of those glorious days."

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News: Seattle's Pony, Tyrese, Planet Out, Chris Benoit

SCOTUS strikes down voluntary school integration. From Stevens dissent: "The Court has changed significantly since it decided School Comm. of Boston in 1968 [a major busing case]. It was then more faithful to Brown and more respectful of our precedent than it is today. It is my firm conviction that no Member of the Court that I joined in 1975 would have agreed with today's decision."

Its little pony: Seattle gets a new gay bar.

Breakthrough: Scientists discover way to remove the HIV virus from infected cells.

Who knew? The Wikipedia page on WWE wrestler Chris Benoit's death was updated with information about his wife's death hours before authorities discovered the bodies of the couple and their 7-year-old son.

The Economist looks at "out and proud" parents: "The kind of gay activists who think you can't be authentically gay unless you are permanently in opposition to the mainstream find the prospect of gay assimilation appalling. So does the religious right. A black preacher named Wellington Boone, for example, has circulated a pamphlet entitled 'The Rape of the Civil Rights Movement: How Sodomites Are Using Civil Rights Rhetoric to Advance Their Preference for Sexual Perversion'. But he is howling at the incoming tide."

Two gays in this year's Big Brother house?

Advocate: PlanetOut faces June 30th financing deadline. "It was PlanetOut’s last earnings call in May that set off alarms in the financial community, even as a report was released weeks later that showed ad spending in gay media reached record highs in 2006. In addition to the $6.9 million loss, the San Francisco-based company—owner of Planetout.com, Gay.com, The Advocate , Out , and RSVP Vacations, among others—projected a $7-9 million loss for the entire year. That sent its stock price plummeting to an all-time low on May 22 of 86 cents a share, a drop of 89% from its 52-week high of $7.95. PlanetOut also has two outstanding loans: one for $7 million due over the next six months; and a second loan of $10 million, most of which is due over the next four years. The company has been hamstrung more than anything by the poor performance of its travel and cruise subsidiary, RSVP Vacations, in particular lackluster bookings on a trans-Atlantic cruise aboard the Queen Mary that culminated earlier this month. The low occupancy, plus related fines, resulted in a $700,000 hit on first-quarter earnings."

Lance Bass knows a thing or two about "transforming".

Tyrese announces ban on men at upcoming "Shirts Off" tour: "We’re putting a ban on all dudes from coming to the show."

Queen Latifah takes a spin on her hog.

Brighton, England gay basher avoids prison sentence: "On Friday October 27 last year Whittam drank six pints of strong Stella Artois, had four shots of Sambuca and took half a gramme of cocaine, the court heard. He approached lesbian couple Sarah Lavis and Rachel Moorey in London Road in Brighton at 11pm. They were looking through some records left outside a charity shop. He told Miss Moorey: 'If you don't leave them alone I'm going to batter you.' He kicked Miss Lavis in the back, and called the couple obscenities including 'dirty lesbians'.

Jesse Metcalfe wants to be a singer.

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