News: Justices, Aerosols, Gaza, 'Impeach Obama' Robo-Calls

Did the 2012 election really mark the end of political homophobia and transphobia?

Rufus Wainwright and husband Jörn Weisbrodt star as "married love" in Gap's new ad campaign, "Love Comes In Every Shade." "This campaign celebrates these diverse, optimistic views on family and the many forms love can take," said Gap CMO Seth Farbman.

The Film Experience on the ins and outs Alexander Skarsgård starring as Tarzan: "Though I think the discovery themes of the Tarzan franchise warrant a more 'who is that?' choice, Skarsgård deserves more big screen opportunities (I was sad when he missed out on Thor since he's the closest thing that showbiz has to a Norse God) and his Swedishness and comfort with nudity are surely good signs for the exotic vine swinger."

Mark Guenther, Executive Director of CAGLCC (Capital Area Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce), was arrested and charged with unlawful entry earlier this month after a male neighbor woke up to find Guenther standing over him.

Chris Geidner at BuzzFeed spoke with a number of Supreme Court experts, many of whom named the same four people as potential Supreme Court justice nominees: Kamala Harris, Pam Karlan, Goodwin Liu and Paul Watford, a judge who was named more than any other. Geidnder provides background on Watford: "A judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Watford was named by more of the panel than anyone else — and is by far the least well-known possibility of the four. Nominated to the appeals court by Obama in 2011, the Senate confirmed Watford in May — with support from nine Republicans, including Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham."

Three South African men have been arrested for at least one of eight seemingly connected anti-gay murders.

Three people were killed and eleven were injured during a series of rocket attacks on Israel, including hits against Tel Aviv, from the Gaza Strip, which Israel has also been hitting with artillery as tensions between the Israelis and Palestinians flare up.

Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson and fiance Justin Mikita hosted friends, family and supporters at the launch of Tie the Knot, a charity which donates sales from bow ties to marriage equality causes.

Robert DeNiro and Jay-Z are in a fight over phone etiquette.

Gwyneth Paltrow, the writer.

This is Sheldon Stephens, the man who claimed Elmo voice Kevin Clash had sex with him when he was only 16 and then took it back. [Update: link fixed!]

The Conservative Majority Fund is running a robo-call calling for an "Impeach Obama" movement: "We suspect that Obama is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and that there may be grounds for impeachment as is laid out in the Constitution. Further, he may not even be a US citizen—because nobody, I mean no one, has seen an actual physical copy of his birth certificate! Impeachment is our only option."

Are you absolutely, positively shocked to hear that Fox News barely mentioned gay marriage wins and out Sen-elect Tammy Baldwin following this month's elections?

Male model Rob Wilson got started on The Price Is Right.

The City Council in Grand Island, Nebraska, overturned the mayor's veto of employment protections for the city's LGBT staffers, but not for the entire city itself.

Would you let Lindsay Lohan play with your look?

This Tumblr is devoted to exposing racist tweeters and their faces!

An explanation for the incredible picture below: "This simulation shows the various types of aerosols - particles and liquid droplets - suspended in the Earth's atmosphere. It was created using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, a global atmospheric simulation designed at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The model aims to study the climate system."

Taiwan Animators Take On 2012, Gay Marriage And Weed: VIDEO

A hulkish weed fairy go-go boy creature and Tammy Baldwin are just two of the highlights in this Taiwan-made video recap of the American election. It's an uncannily realistic representation of real life, as always.

Watch it AFTER THE JUMP.

[via JMG]

Tammy Baldwin's Victory Speech After Becoming First Openly Gay U.S. Senator: VIDEO

As we reported last night, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) defeated Tommy Thompson to become  the U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, and the first openly gay U.S. Senator in history.

Said Baldwin (at 3:25): "Now, I am well aware that I will have the honor to be Wisconsin's first woman U.S. Senator, and I am well aware that I will be the first openly gay member...but I did not run to make history. I ran to make a difference!"

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Tammy Baldwin Wins in Wisconsin, is First Out Gay U.S. Senator

Representative Tammy Baldwin is the projected winner in the Wisconsin race for U.S. Senate, defeating Republican Tommy Thompson. Baldwin is the first openly gay U.S. Senator.

UPDATE: FOX News called it early, but nobody else has called it. There is growing concern here that it was called too early. Let's hope that's not the case.

UPDATE II: Reuters calls it, but does not cite numbers.

News: Starlight, 1600, Maine Marriage, Kurt Cobain

MetroWeekly has a great profile of Tammy Baldwin, the Wisconsin U.S. Rep. who will the first openly gay American elected to the Senate if she wins next week.

The White House complex is worth about $284.9 million, far less than has been spent on this presidential election. 

A federal court in Illinois ordered a man to pay $1.5 million - $150,000 per movie - for the 10 gay porn movies he downloaded illegally.

The Obama administration is sending former President Bill Clinton to Pennsylvania.

Chelsea Handler and Kristin Chenoweth team up to fight for the underdogs, and make us laugh in the process.

Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe will soon be seen in a tub together for the British mini-series A Young Doctor's Notebook. It will not be a romantic scene.

Always inflammatory and outlandish, NOM Rabbi Yehuda Levin says a vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for more storms like Sandy because Romney is gay friendly, or something. "The dirty secret they don't tell us is that Romney supports homosexual adoption and Boy Scout leaders, homosexualization of the military," he said, perhaps speaking about a different Mitt Romney.

World record breaking skydiver Felix Baumgartner looks pretty nice in a bomber jacket.

The Bangor Daily News says Mainers need to vote for marriage equality next week: "Permitting gay couples to marry will uphold equal treatment required by the U.S. Constitution, promote family values and protect religious beliefs. The ballot initiative is a matter of fairness and, in the end, care for one another."

Team USA does Gangnam Style.

UK gay rights group Stonewall named Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien its "Bigot of the Year"

French conservatives and the French Catholic Church are sharpening their attacks on marriage equality.

NOM is trying to derail campaigns with robo-calls.

You can finally own the guitar Kurt Cobain smashed in the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" music video.

Says Senate Majority leader Harry Reid: "Mitt Romney's fantasy that Senate Democrats will work with him to pass his 'severely conservative' agenda is laughable."

Wow: "Using NASA’s Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope, scientists were able to detect the light of the earliest stars, which are now long since gone."

Mainers United for Marriage have released their final ad.

Straight couples are increasingly incorporating a pro-equality message in their marriage ceremony: "The Vitts embody a movement within that movement. They are among the increasing number of heterosexual couples who are using their weddings to advocate for gay marriage. While much of the heat and light in this election season has centered on four states with ballot measures on same-sex marriage — Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington — social change is being advanced by newlyweds using the moral and religious force of the wedding ceremony."

AP Reports On Gay Candidates And Changing Political Culture: VIDEO

The Associated Press posted this video report today about the historic number of LGBT candidates running for public office across America, particularly Wisconsin U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin. Her sexuality has not been an issue, she says, because Wisconsin voters are more concerned about the economy. Besides, as the report notes, more conservatives realize that anti-gay attacks often backfire. Not all conservatives, but more than yesteryear.

Watch the report AFTER THE JUMP.