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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Jason Bellini Flies Pink

Yeah, I know. Sydney Mardi Gras is over and done. But I couldn't resist posting this clip of the Pink Flight by LOGO's Jason Bellini. Jason met up with a straight guy who somehow "didn't know" he was getting on a special flight, but by the end was shirtless and wearing a pink boa in the aisle.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously
Tales from Air New Zealand's 'Pink flight' to Sydney [tr]
Pink Flight: Gayest Airline Flight Ever Takes Off [tr]

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Passenger Recounts Landing of Airbus A320 in Viral Video

Monday I posted a clip of the Lufthansa flight from Munich to Hamburg which made a scary runway approach in crosswinds triggered by Storm Emma. Now there's a clip online of a passenger who was on the flight talking about the landing, and about watching it on video.

Watch it AFTER THE JUMP...

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White Knuckles: Airbus Landing Attempt During Storm Emma

Check out this clip of Lufthansa flight LH44 from Munich attempting to land on Saturday in Hamburg during extreme crosswinds from Storm Emma. The Airbus A320 eventually landed on another attempt at a different runway, but can you imagine being on that thing?

Clip after the JUMP...

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Pink Flight: Gayest Airline Flight Ever Takes Off

Right now, the Pink Flight, the gayest flight ever, is winging its way to Sydney with Kathy Griffin and a gaggle of gays aboard. When they promised gay, they weren't kidding.

I really hope they removed that boa and those eyelashes off the plane before take-off — wouldn't be good news if those got sucked into an engine.

There's a brief news report AFTER THE JUMP from CBS 5 in San Francisco showing some of the pre-flight preparations that went on, including the arrival of the flight crew which, according to our sources, are named Buckwheat, Miss Ribena, Miss Tess Tickle, and Miss Venus Mantrapp.

If my calculations are correct, as I write this the plane has about another nine and a half hours of gay in the air.

Check out the clip AFTER THE JUMP (sorry about the quality)...

You may have missed...
Kathy Griffin to Serve as Hostess on Gayest Airline Flight Ever [tr]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #221

ROMNEY SIGN THUGS: Dirty tricks in the dirty snow of New Hampshire.

PIMPSTAR: The next generation in annoying hubcaps.

HILLARY HECKLED: Sexist demonstrators yell "iron my shirt!"

JOHN EDWARDS: MSNBC's Morning Joe asks John Edwards about Hillary and shedding tears on the campaign trail.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here

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Radar: Gay Marketing Getting Madison Avenue Hard

Radar magazine takes a look at Madison Avenue's accidental and dedicated flirtation with the gay market which includes a preponderance of stick-shift metaphors.

Some of these you may have seen, some you haven't. Here's their gallery.

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Disney Pimps its Ride: First New Monorail Car in 20 Years

Though most of the changes appear cosmetic, Disneyland unveiled the first new monorail car in 20 years yesterday, hoisting it from a flatbed truck onto the track in Anaheim.

Honestly, for two decades to have gone by, I would have expected a bit more, but I suppose they're going with the philosophy that you don't screw with a classic.

(via boingboing)

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Drifting Above the Planet

You may have seen those scary maps of the United States that show thousands of aircraft over the country at any given time. Check out this page for a series of quicktime movies of flight pattern visualizations — a must for map lovers or stats addicts. They're part of a larger project called Celestial Mechanics. This was presented in 2006, so it's not new, but it's new to me.

This visualization, set to music, is particularly tranquil and hypnotic. If only that could be said for real air travel.

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New: Staph Threat, George Lucas, Lance Bass, New York City Taxis

Lesbian mom says daughter now goes to school with bodyguard because of bullying: "Virginia Gaffey says that her 9-year-old daughter was physically assaulted by other students on the playground at Tucker Elementary in Milton. She claims that the reason was because she is a gay mother."

Lance Bass tells GQ that Britney Spears was surprised when he came out to her: "It was the night of her first wedding, actually. I was in Vegas with her, her dancers, her manager, and my boyfriend at the time . . . Her manager had already gotten rid of [her first husband] Jason [Alexander] - they'd flown him home. Britney was upset about what she had done. I felt bad for her. I knew she was about to go through a lot of crap. I felt the need to share something. So I sat her on my bed, and I'm like, Well, I'm gay!"

Istanbul attempts to shut down gay rights organization: "The Governor's Office of Istanbul has demanded the closure of Lambda Istanbul, an organization defending lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people's rights in Turkey, claiming that the name and objectives of the group are 'against the law and morality'. The governor had asked in early 2007 that the group be shut down; in July, the local Prosecutor's Office rejected the complaint. The Governor's Office then took the case to a higher court, the Beyoglu Sutluce Court of First Instance No. 5, which heard the case in July 2007 and ordered a second hearing for October."

D.C. police chief sends out directive to department on treating transgender people with respect.

NYC taxis get new logo treatment.

George Lucas plotting Star Wars TV series: "There is a caveat, though: The proposed series doesn't have anyone named Luke or Anakin in it, a story path that Lucas concedes is 'taking chances' as far as connecting with an audience expecting the familiar mythology. 'The Skywalkers aren't in it, and it's about minor characters,' Lucas said in an interview. 'It has nothing to do with Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader or any of those people. It's completely different. But it's a good idea, and it's going to be a lot of fun to do.'"

Bravo Workout trainer Brian Peeler flexes his muscles.

Young gay Iranian on the run may soon be back in the UK.

Staph bacteria causing more American deaths each year than the AIDS virus: "The microbe, a strain of a once innocuous staph bacterium that has become invulnerable to first-line antibiotics, is responsible for more than 94,000 serious infections and nearly 19,000 deaths each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calculated. Although mounting evidence shows that the infection is becoming more common, the estimate published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association is the first national assessment of the toll from the insidious pathogen, officials said. 'This is a significant public health problem. We should be very worried,' said Scott K. Fridkin, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC."

Carson Kressley getting new reality show: "Called Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants, the show will have eight episodes, and will focus on mother and daughter pairs who want to compete in both the Miss and Mrs. USA Pageant. The pairs will all be living together in a house in L.A., and will undergo weekly 'de-sashing' ceremonies."

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News: Virgin America, Rosie O'Donnell, Google NASA, Ricky Martin

Anti-gay Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle calls in to Michelangelo Signorile, hangs up after 10 minutes.

Virgin America announces in-flight air-to-ground broadband: "But even more interesting...VA will also be offering what amounts to a fleet-wide, airborne social network. Guests on one plane will be able to interact with other guests on that plane -- and with flyers on other planes within the VA fleet -- using Red. As I understand it, they've got some pretty ambitious plans in the works for in-flight interactivity. This could get really interesting."

Rosie O'Donnell admits to breaking own bones with a hammer as a child: "My hands and fingers usually. No one knew. My secret. Proof, that I had some value, enough to be fixed."

British politician accused of winning local election by slinging homophobic comments, court hears: "The court heard Mr Smith was devastated by the way he had lost his seat to Ms Grell by 28 votes. He later moved to northern England. In the final weeks of canvassing, people slammed doors in his face and, after his defeat, he was abused, threatened and spat at, the court heard. Leyton resident Naomi Robinson told the court she was shocked to hear Ms Grell call Mr Smith a paedophile during the election campaign. She said: 'Miss Grell told me to ask him [Mr Smith] about his 14-year-old boyfriend as she was driving away from the front of the house. I was quite shocked actually. I was not sure whether to believe it was true or not.'" UPDATE: Accused claims political conspiracy against her.

Scientists find "slight hint" of cancer risk for 10-year cell phone users.

Ricky Martin closes on swank Manhattan condo at a $3.5 million discount: "Martin's 2,637-square-foot pad with 11-foot ceilings includes a great room, a gourmet eat-in kitchen, a dining room and a study off the master suite. The residence features oak floors and a master bath with a 'wet room.'"

Becks bares it for 2008.

UK students behind "racist/homophobic/sexist" Facebook group: "The creator of the group defends it in a disclaimer, accompanying the comments. He says: 'This group is tolerant of all racial groups, genders, people of all different sexual persuasions. It welcomes anyone and everyone. Join us. It’s just a bit of a laugh.' But the group – as demonstrated by its name – does go on to write discriminatory things about all different types of people."

Berets and briefs rock the 2xist underwear show at NYC fashion week.

You've seen the video, now meet the Missionaries. And watch the MSNBC report.

Led Zeppelin to reunite for one-off comeback concert in London.

Google founders get private jet parking space from NASA.

Ann Arbor, Michigan man pleads guilty to a misdemeanor assault and battery charge for shouting homophobic slurs and hurling a dresser drawer at a pair of pedestrians.

Conservatives protest gay textbook bill in Sacramento: "'The Campaign for Children and Families' claimed students would be forced to read about gay history and exposed to 'bisexual propaganda.' The group called for a veto. 'This is not teaching them the birds and the bees,' said Randy Thomasson of the Campaign for Children and Families. 'This is saying a boy can wear a girl's dress. This is saying you might want to engage in bisexuality or transsexuality. This would revolutionize sex education.'..The bill's supporters said they believe the bill would build tolerance and non-discrimination in public schools."

180?: CNN shortens Anderson Cooper's "ambitious programming block" to one hour. UPDATE: Variety report debunked...

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News: Flight from Hell, John Mayer, Grand Tetons, Madonna

Gay man shut out of the estate of his deceased lover of 14 years: "B.C. Supreme Court Justice Marion Allan has ruled 42-year-old Reza Chowdhury has no claim to an East Vancouver home he says he shared with Peter Argenti. The court agrees Mr. Argenti had a 14-year relationship with Mr. Chowdhury but kept it a deep secret, fearing his conservative, Catholic family and friends would never understand if he admitted his homosexuality. Mr. Chowdhury was a refugee from Bangladesh. He says he lived with Mr. Argenti in the home and has a claim to it as a common-law spouse. But the court says there is no indication of a connection between Mr. Chowdhury and anything to do with the house, even though Mr. Chowdhury lived there while managing and cooking at a restaurant owned by Mr. Argenti."

A Socialite's Life steps inside GLAAD's annual summer cocktail fundraiser and finds "Robert Gant ("Queer As Folk"), Wilson Cruz ("Noah's Ark"), Tony Tripoli ("Fashion House"), Jai Rodriquez ("Queer Eye"), Marc Cherry (creator of "Desperate Housewives"), Paul McCullough ("The Next Food Network Star"), Chad Allen ("Save Me"), Honey Labrador ("Queer Eye for the Straight Girl"), Ian Roberts (former pro-rugby player), Reichen Lehmkuhl ("Amazing Race") and Christine Devine (Fox 11 News)."

Stephen Colbert and Richard Branson in on-air water fight: "Branson was apparently upset that he wasn't able to give a direct plug to the new Virgin service and doused Colbert with his guest mug of water. Stephen was drenched. He took a beat, then signalled for his own ammunition for about twenty seconds until Alison (Silverman) ran and gave him her bottle of water, and Stephen retaliated. The two of them sat for a very uncomfortable second looking like two wet cats. Then Stephen thanked him for coming. I really don't think it was planned, since Stephen had another bit to introduce and a full interview left to do. They had to get him a new jacket and even broke out a blowdryer."

The Grand Tetons, Jupiter, and the Milky Way have a three-way.

Passengers aboard a Continental flight threaten to sue after trip from hell: "Because of bad weather, Continental's July 19 Flight 1669 from Caracas, Venezuela, to Newark, N.J., was diverted to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, where it landed at 1:50 p.m. Passengers said after sitting on the grounded plane for hours, they began protesting by banging on overhead compartments, clapping their hands and even signing a petition asking to be let off...At 6:30 p.m., homeland security officers finally allowed passengers to exit the plane, but their troubles didn't end. The officers led them into a room, where they were held for two additional hours. 'We were removed from the plane and were forced to walk single file against the wall, flanked by armed officers one of whom had an attack dog.'"

John Mayer shops till he drops.

Madonna shoots up in front of passengers on transatlantic flight: "Just before landing she brought out the phials of vitamins and injected herself. Seven hours is a long time to go without eating. She was also very quiet and only spoke to the air staff to ask for water."

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Aging Infrastructure: Small Storm Cripples New York Subway

So, New York City's transit system has pretty much been brought to its knees by a small storm that went through for about a couple hours this morning, bringing with it torrential downpours that have flooded the subways. Above, a screen grab of the storm just after it went through.

God help us all if we get hit by a hurricane.

After the jump, check out the number of trains that are down:

More:
Bad Weather Destroys New York City [gawker]
Further Adventures in Decrepit Infrastructure: MTA-in-the-Rain Edition [new york magazine]

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Duke Riley's Foolish, Fantastic Voyage

The New York Times published an interesting photo essay on tattooed Brooklyn artist Duke Riley and the mayhem caused by his art project, the homemade Revolutionary War-era replica submarine that was picked up by law enforcement officials as it bobbed near the Queen Mary II on Friday. Law enforcement officials dubbed the incident 'marine mischief' and it ended before becoming a larger incident.

A bit of an insane thing to do given terrorism concerns around New York City, but then again artists have never been lauded for their sanity. Riley also works as a tattoo artist.

Voyage of the Acorn [nyt - photo essay]
One Man’s Art (a Submarine?) Runs Into Trouble [nyt]
Duke Riley [website]

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News: Pride Dying, Airbus, Idol: The Musical, Glastonbury

New York Gay Pride in financial trouble due to disinterest.

Art project: Werewolf research kit for sale on eBay.

The lowdown on this year's Frameline film festival in San Francisco, which continues thru June 24.

Idol: The Musical, about obsessed student fans of the music competition, is headed to off-Broadway: "There are eight of them; all belonging to the same cult-like club that meets daily in a barn that doubles as a shrine to Clay Aiken. They are actively ridiculed by the rest of Steubenville; a humiliating situation that doesn't deter their quest for all things Clay. They are victims of A.D.D., Ritalin, their misguided obsessions and their innocent longing for their elusive '15 minutes.' One of them pumps gas. One of them is home-schooled. One of them is a genius. And one of them is a basketball phenom who would rather be a Chippendales dancer."

Airbus has announced that a mystery rich foreigner has ordered a double-decker A380 to serve as his/her private jet: " "It will be for personal use for him and his entourage. I can't tell you who it is but he's not from Europe or the United States." Customization is expected to take more than a year The Airbus itself cost more than $300 million.

Britain's Got Talent winner, opera singer Paul Potts, signs £1 million worldwide record deal with Simon Cowell: "Paul revealed he had a new fan in former Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox. Paul said: 'I saw Annie Lennox the morning after I'd won and she said she'd seen my performance and wished me well.'"

Mudbath expected at UK's Glastonbury festival as hordes troop in.

The new John Lennon and Yoko Ono? A reminder.

Work: Rupert Murdoch building $400,000 penthouse gym.

In America, can you get famous for impersonating someone famous for doing nothing?

Author ponders an Earth without people: "According to Weisman, large parts of our physical infrastructure would begin to crumble almost immediately. Without street cleaners and road crews, our grand boulevards and superhighways would start to crack and buckle in a matter of months. Over the following decades many houses and office buildings would collapse, but some ordinary items would resist decay for an extraordinarily long time. Stainless-steel pots, for example, could last for millennia, especially if they were buried in the weed-covered mounds that used to be our kitchens. And certain common plastics might remain intact for hundreds of thousands of years; they would not break down until microbes evolved the ability to consume them."

Sicko to get early release in Manhattan after this week's internet leak.

The top 10 deadliest animals.

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Gay Teen Girls Kicked Off Bus for Kissing in Portland

Two teenage Portland girls are considering filing a complaint after a bus driver kicked them off the bus for kissing and hugging:

"Maika Rich and Jocelyn O'Neal, both 14, admit they were kissing while on the No. 12 bus traveling on Barbur Boulevard at about 5 p.m. on June 8. They were headed to the Sexual Minority Youth Recreation Center. They say a female passenger complained to the driver about the kissing and that the driver told them to 'knock it off' and also called them 'sickos.' Rich says she then gave O'Neal a hug because it appeared she was upset about the exchange. They say at that point the driver stopped the bus and ordered them off. The girls say they are used to being picked on at school but felt defenseless against an adult. Maika Rich's mother, Ronnda Zezula, says she doesn't think the driver would have treated two gay adults or a heterosexual couple in the same manner."

Kudos to Ronnda Zezula for defending Maika and having such a progessive attitude about her 14-year-old daughter. Some parents would have given her the Zach treatment.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #143

LARRY KING UNPLUGGED: Hot mic reveals that Larry's pissed Anderson gets more time than he does.

iPHONE: A new fan-generated ad for the forthcoming device.

FOX NEWS: Red Eye makes an insipid visit to New York's Vlada bar. Reporter claims he got a disease.

SILVERJET: A new viral ad from the luxury carrier. Lesbians join the mile-high club.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Exclusive: Jake Gyllenhaal Takes the Eurostar

A Towleroad tipster was riding on the Eurostar train between Paris and London yesterday, and sent in these photos of a sleepy Jake Gyllenhaal riding in the same car. I think we may have the first-ever photos of a sleeping Gyllenhaal.

You may have missed...
Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo Near Kiss at Cannes [tr]

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Ft. Lauderdale Skycap Fired for Anti-gay Bible Broadcast

Superior Aircraft Services Monday took action and fired Jethro Monestime, a 23-year-old employee who last week played an anti-gay passage from the Bible's Book of Leviticus over the PA system at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport twice. Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally) Anthony Niedwiecki (left) and his partner Waymon Hudson had just arrived at the airport's baggage claim, where they heard the message.

According to what Niedwiecki told Towleroad shortly after the incident, "It was a recorded message and basically said that 'a man who lies with another man as he would a woman is subject to death.'"

In a letter, Monestime's employer Superior Aircraft Services, apologized to the couple as well as to the Broward County Aviation Department, the Broward Sheriff's Office, United Airlines and the South Florida community.

The Miami Herald: "Because he worked for a private contractor, Broward officials could not fire him. But his employer, Superior Aircraft Services, did. 'This action in no way reflects the views of Superior, its owners nor its employees,' said a statement from the company. He will not face criminal charges, BSO said. The recording played over the PA system was actually a verse from the Old Testament book of Leviticus, condemning homosexuality. Monestime told BSO he downloaded the message to his cellphone and played it over the loudspeakers -- not once but twice -- about 1 a.m. May 1."

Although the company declined to give specific details about how they discovered it was Monestime behind the 'prank', they did tell the paper that his possession of a security badge, an employee code, and knowledge of his location in the airport at the time made him the prime suspect.

Background...
Gay Couple Receives Biblical Threat at Florida Baggage Claim [tr]
Ft. Lauderdale Airport Biblical Broadcast Under Investigation [tr]
Breaking: Ft. Lauderdale Anti-Gay Airport Broadcaster Caught... [tr]
Anti-Gay Ft. Lauderdale Airport 'Prankster' ID'ed as Skycap

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Anti-Gay Ft. Lauderdale Airport 'Prankster' ID'ed as Skycap

As a follow-up to this morning's post, here's more information from the Sun-Sentinel on the anti-gay Biblical broadcast played over the PA system at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport last week:

"Broward Mayor Josephus Eggelletion Jr. and Bob Bielek, interim director of the county aviation department, identified the prankster as Jethro Monestime, 23, a skycap who works for Superior Aircraft Services at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. The officials said investigators talked with Monestime Sunday night and said he admitted playing the verse over the P.A. system twice. Monestime said it was a prank and that he had downloaded the verse onto his cell phone, then played it over the intercom. He said he was not aware a gay couple was in the airport terminal and said that was just a concidence and had no ill intent. County officials said BSO will turn over the results of its investigation to the Broward State Attorney's Office to determine if any charges should be filed. In addition, county officials said they would urge Superior Aircraft to terminate Monestime's employment."

There should be no question charges should be filed. The State Attorney's office should act quickly to determine what is appropriate.

Background
Gay Couple Receives Biblical Threat at Florida Baggage Claim [tr]
Ft. Lauderdale Airport Biblical Broadcast Under Investigation [tr]
Breaking: Ft. Lauderdale Anti-Gay Airport Broadcaster Caught... [tr]

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Ft. Lauderdale Airport Biblical Broadcast Under Investigation

An update on yesterday's disturbing report about what happened to Anthony Niedwiecki and Waymon Hudson when they flew in to Florida over the weekend.

The Broward County Sheriff's Department is looking into the couple's report that someone made homophobic statements over a PA system at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. According to Niedwiecki, "It was a recorded message and basically said that 'a man who lies with another man as he would a woman is subject to death.'"

Greg Meyer, a spokesman for the airport, told the Miami Herald: "This is such a unique and unusual situation. It's very disturbing to us." Airport officials are looking into the incident, though they say there is no official record of what was broadcast over the PA system. According to Meyer, "Every person has to sign in to use the system. We're working with the company that installed the system."

Ken Keechl, who is the Broward County Commission's only openly gay member, was alerted to the situation. Said Keechl: ''This is absolutely unacceptable. And if it is determined that a Broward county employee is responsible for this, that person should be fired immediately."

According to the Herald, "The investigation didn't really get going, the couple said, until they had repeatedly filed reports with the security manager at the airport and called BSO and United Airlines several times."

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, realizing that 8 to 10 percent of the area's visitors are gay or lesbian, has also expressed concern over the incident and has asked for an investigation.

Earlier this afternoon, Broward County Mayor Josephus Eggelletion Jr. held a press conference saying he was determined to find out who was behind the incident.

Said Eggelletion: "We welcome all people of all races … all ethnicities, all religions and sexual orientations. We have a very large gay population, and we are sorry this occurred...We think we can isolate this and find out who did this."

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "The microphone to the public address system is accessible to the public, but a code must be entered to select the loud speakers on which it is heard. Eggelletion said 400 Broward County employees work at the airport, along with 11,000 people who work for private airlines and other airport-related businesses."

Anti-gay message heard on airport PA system probed [miami herald]
Homophobic Bible verse has Broward mayor apologizing [sun sentinel]

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Gay Couple Receives Biblical Threat at Florida Baggage Claim

I received an interesting email this morning from Towleroad reader and law professor Anthony Niedwiecki about an incident that occurred at the Fort Lauderdale Airport on Tuesday. He and his partner Waymon Hudson had a jarring experience upon their arrival:

Niedwicki: "At approximately 12:45 am, my partner and I were in the baggage claim area in terminal 3. We had just arrived from Chicago and were waiting for our bags when an announcement came over an intercom. It was a recorded message and basically said that 'a man who lies with another man as he would a woman is subject to death.' We couldn't believe what we heard, and then it came over the intercom again a few minutes later. We were shaken by the announcement because it specifically said 'subject to death'.

...We called the airport and after five call transfers (including the sheriff's department), we got an airport manager. He seemed disinterested and more interested in the exact bible verse than taking care of the problem. He simply said 'sorry for the inconvenience.' I sent an email to United/Ted (our airline) because I could not get anyone on the phone. I was told by some person at the airport (during my 'phone shuffle' yesterday afternoon) that only airline employees have access to the intercom.

...As of today, I have not heard back from the airport or United. NBC6 news, our local channel, aired a story about this yesterday and today. The airport spokesperson said that anyone could have made the comments, which should give us all pause in a time of terrorism (anyone can use the PA system of an airport?)."

Here's the writeup from NBC6 in South Florida. According to airport representative Steve Belleme, they are attempting to uncover who might be reading passages from Leviticus over the airport intercom: "So far we don't think we can identify the location but that's what we're trying to do."

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World-Class Violinist Joshua Bell Overlooked at DC Rush Hour

The Washington Post conducted a fascinating experiment in mid-January. They placed world-renowned violinist Joshua Bell at the entrance to the L'Enfant Plaza Station in Washington, DC to conduct a little experiment. Would hearing a world-class violinist inspire commuters to stop and look up from their morning rush, or would they soldier on, ignorant of the Grammy-winning musician who has played with nearly all of the world's major orchestras? The results were an exercise in music appreciation and context:

"In the three-quarters of an hour that Joshua Bell played, seven people stopped what they were doing to hang around and take in the performance, at least for a minute. Twenty-seven gave money, most of them on the run -- for a total of $32 and change. That leaves the 1,070 people who hurried by, oblivious, many only three feet away, few even turning to look."

Stacy Furukawa, a demographer at the Commerce Department, was the only commuter to recognize Bell.

Said Furukawa: "It was the most astonishing thing I've ever seen in Washington. Joshua Bell was standing there playing at rush hour, and people were not stopping, and not even looking, and some were flipping quarters at him! Quarters! I wouldn't do that to anybody. I was thinking, Omigosh, what kind of a city do I live in that this could happen?"

Pearls Before Breakfast [washington post]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube: #112

OUT IN SPORTS: John Amaechi, Esera Tuaolo, Dave Kopay, and Billy Bean were among the out athletes taking part in an HRC panel during the NCAA Men’s Final Four basketball tournament. Here are part two and three.

YO SOY ASI: Video for "Yo Soy Asi" from dance group Los Amigos Invisibles from Venezuela.

CRUISE SHIP: News coverage of the cruise ship that sank off the Greek island of Santorini yesterday after striking a reef.

BILL O'REILLY vs GERALDO: Meltdown over immigration during discussion about a young girl killed by an illegal alien drunk driver.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube: #111

BILLY PACKER: Jimmy Kimmel on Packer's "fag out" comment.

KARL ROVE PROTEST: Student protest upon Karl Rove's visit to American University, pelt car with objects. News story here...

RUDY GIULIANI ON ABORTION: 1989 speech to the Women's Coalition for Giuliani in which he approves public funding for abortion. Will conservatives be able to vote for a man who continues to support it? (source: slog)

BULLET TRAIN: New French train sets speed record (357 mph) for train on rails.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube: #102

DIAGNOSIS MYSTERY: The Daily Show looks at Wayne Besen and sexual reorientation.

IDOL WORSHIP: The Melinda Doolittle School of Humility.

WINGNUT HATE VIDEO: Hateful anti-gay propaganda put out by a Christian group opposing Britain's new sexual orientation guidelines which go into effect tomorrow. More info on this at Pink News...

AIRBUS A380: The world's largest passenger plane arrives at LAX for the first time, but the best part of this video is listening to the airline geeks get nuts about it. The plane holds 555 passengers.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube: #89

GREY'S ANATOMY: MadTV's take on the character-driven medical drama.

QUEEN MARY 2: Passes under the Golden Gate bridge. The world's largest cruise ship cleared the underside of the span by a margin of only 27 feet.

CONAN O'BRIEN: Hysterical episode of Meet the Press for idiots.

CRISCO: Weatherman Sam Champion digs into the lubricant.

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News: Tommy Morrison, Tuki Brando, Spying, NYC Subways

Bill Gates announces he'll contribute $28 million in funding to a project hoping to accelerate the development of an AIDS vaccine. The Canadian government has contributed $111 million. Said Gates: "Tackling AIDS is an incredible challenge. Year by year, we'll track the progress we make on this. Most scientists think that it probably will take more than 10 years. We could get lucky, it could happen sooner than that." Scientists recently announced they had discovered a long sought after site of vulnerability in the virus which could be targeted with a vaccine.

Boxer Tommy Morrison says he'll soon be back in the ring after tests find no sign of HIV in his blood. Morrison was banned from boxing after a 1996 test showed he was HIV positive. Morrison: "I did every kind of test they have