Watch: Male Student Sent Home from Tampa-Area High School for Wearing Women's Pumps

A male student at Riverview High School near Tampa is in the news after being sent home for wearing high heels to school:

"He likes the way they make him feel. They make him feel more confident, and he just likes to wear them," said Riverview High School senior Hayley Stepp, who says she's a friend of the student.

School officials say they sent him home out of concern for his safety:

"As a principal of a high school, I have to take the paternal side and make sure he's going to be okay," said Heilmann, afraid the boy would be bullied. "Anytime anyone goes out from, quote, 'the norm' or anytime anyone wants to make a statement, you have to be willing to take what comes with it."

Watch FOX 13's report, AFTER THE JUMP...

Watch: Lady Gaga Performs 'Judas' at Tampa Nightclub

Following her concert in Tampa, Lady Gaga showed up at the Kennedy Lounge to perform her new track "Judas". The unicorns (4:30) went wild.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

St. Pete Pride Cancels Contract with Clear Channel Over Censorship of Gay Couple Billboards

The images that you see here of two gay couples posing affectionately for the St. Pete Pride ad campaign were rejected by Clear Channel Outdoor Tampa Bay after being submitted to appear on billboards for upcoming gay pride events. The rejection of the billboards have prompted St. Pete Pride to cancel its entire pending contract with Clear Channel.

Two that had been approved for the billboards appear, AFTER THE JUMP...

Wrote Clear Channel to St. Pete Pride organizers:

"After consulting with our Division President and Public Affairs Director the two images that I attached are the only ones that we have the permission to run for your campaign. I’m going to schedule these two to begin running on Monday. If you’d like to create a few more designs that we may be able to use please send them my way. After I receive approval for any new designs you may have I’ll put them into the rotation with these two. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Thanks!"

The rejection of the innocuous "couple" images has understandably miffed organizers. They wrote to Clear Channel:

"The images that were not selected do not contain anything that is sexual, immoral, illegal or otherwise offensive in nature. I’m almost certain that you have had billboards in the market which display men and women in both friendly and romantic ways. I can’t seem to understand where these images would be any different, except for the fact that they portray two men and two women, respectively."

See the two images that were approved, AFTER THE JUMP...

 

Today is the Transgender Day of Remembrance

The International Transgender Day of Remembrance is meant to raise awareness about those who are killed in anti-transgender hate crimes. Events marking this day are occurring around the world today.

In related news, Tampa passed a transgender anti-discrimination ordinance yesterday:

"After two hours of testimony, the ordinance passed by a 5-1 vote with Charlie Miranda voting no and Linda Saul-Sena absent. Miranda repeatedly raised concerns about disruptions caused by people who come to work one day dressed as one gender, and the next day as the other. The new rules prohibit discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on 'gender identity and expression,' with that defined as someone who has an 'inner sense of being a specific gender' regardless of their 'assigned sex at birth.' Tampa's human rights ordinance already protects people from discrimination based on gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and other factors."

Open Lesbian Jane Castor Named First Female Police Chief of Tampa

Jane Castor, an openly lesbian mother of two, has been appointed Tampa Florida's first female police chief:

"Mayor Pam Iorio made the announcement during a morning news conference, praising retiring Chief Stephen Hogue for leaving a legacy of leadership that allowed her to pick his successor without moving from the 10th floor of police headquarters...There are nine female police chiefs in Florida, including Pinellas Park Chief Dorene Thomas, according to the Florida Police Chiefs Association. Nationwide, about 300 out of 18,000 police chiefs are women, according to women-in-policing expert Dorothy Schulz of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. Castor's promotion had added significance for another reason. Openly gay, she has served for more than six years as a liaison to Tampa's gay and lesbian community. Brian Winfield, spokesman for Equality Florida, said it was that communication that eventually helped police identify Steven Lorenzo of Seminole Heights as a suspect in the 2003 murders of two gay men."

The Daily Loaf reports: "The 49-year-old never dodged LGBT-related questions, but said she’d rather focus on what she plans to do as chief. Castor made it clear that she has never experienced homophobia on the part of other Tampa officers or the public. 'When I came on the department 25 years ago, the trails had already been blazed,' Castor said. 'I’ve never had any issues within this department or within this city.'
However, her appointment is still a milestone, said Equality Florida Director Nadine Smith. Castor had served for several years as the department’s highly visible liaison to Tampa’s gay and lesbian community.
'There was a time when sexism and homophobia would have prevented the most qualified candidate from getting selected,' Smith said. 'And so it is a testament to her impressive résumé and the progress we’ve made as a society that she’s been named as the new police chief.' Smith said Castor’s sexuality should have been included in news coverage by the mainstream news organizations. None mentioned it."

News: The Gloved One, Mrs. Slocombe, Big Brother, The Cubs

Neil Patrick Harris to host the Emmys?

Glove for sale.

NO! Mrs. Slocombe and her pussy died!

Also, choreographer Pina Bausch. And Karl Malden.

Same-sex marriage stalls in Rhode Island: "None of the bills legalizing same-sex marriage in Rhode Island advanced to a floor vote this session, continuing a trend begun in 1997."

Chaz Bono plays with the paparazzi.

Michael Jackson's will. No public viewing at Neverland. Funeral to be held at L.A.'s Staples Center.

Pennsylvania's Allegheny County passes law forbidding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Stampp Corbin on the Obama Pride reception: "There will be some who even will gather in the Capitol in October to protest your administration’s lack of attention to equal protection for LGBT Americans. You want pressure? We’ll give it to you in spades."

Hollywood gives up on ideas.

Meet Kevin, the gay Big Brother houseguest.

Beau Breedlove has sour grapes over his affair with Portland Mayor Sam Adams. Adams was cleared of wrongdoing last week. Now, because the Oregon AG said he no longer had credibility after posing nude for Unzipped magazine and getting paid for it, Breedlove seems to want revenge: "It really upsets me. It’s just lie after lie after lie until we’re at the end of the bowl and the last person to be burned from the situation is me."

Snippet: The Killers do "Hotel California".

DJ Earworm: My life would suck without you in my place.

Manhattan apartment prices plummet to just $760,000 to $849,000 in the median range.

Wentworth Miller broke out of prison, now he's going to Law & Order: SVU.

Homophobia alive and well among Chicago baseball fans.

Labor big Stuart Appelbaum outs himself.

Dallas Million Gay March to move out of gay ghetto into "more mainstream area" next year.

Gay resort opens near Tampa: "While open to anyone, the hotel caters almost exclusively to gay men. Photos of butt-baring hot guys adorn the walls — and are available for $169 apiece. The second-floor club has a darkened maze room and other "intimacy zones.'' The courtyard boasts a kumquat tree and a 50-man hot tub, possibly the largest in Tampa. If it sounds like a bathhouse, don't describe it that way to the owners. Technically, and according to the city, the Ybor Resort & Spa is a hotel and a men's health studio. Sex and nudity in public areas is not allowed."